Stitching Updates - some finishes

Since getting my stitching mojo back just before Christmas, I've finished off quite a few pieces, the patterns for which are all available from my Etsy store - follow the links below the images.  I'll let the photos speak for themselves. :)

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them

Idris and the TARDIS

Juno

Tabletop.  This pattern isn't available on Etsy.  If you'd like it, let me know.

Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

Rugrats Families

Charmed Alphabet

Phew.

Happy stitching!

Throwback Thursday - 50th Whovian celebrations... and a new pattern!

Back in 2013, Doctor Who celebrated 50 years as one of our favourite fandoms.

There were mixed opinions about the various Anniversary celebrations, but I had an absolute ball.  I was living in England at the time, so had front-row seats to all the events and TV specials and radio specials and displays and all the rest.

One of the things I was most excited about was attending the Doctor Who Official Celebration in London.  It was amazing - I attended panels with Doctors 5, 6, 7, 11, Steven Moffat, and Nicholas Briggs (the voice of the Daleks); saw original costumes and sets from the original and new series; spent far too much money; and met people as crazy as I am.

I also really enjoyed the 50th Anniversay episode, The Day of The Doctor.  I've watched it so many times over the last 20 months I can quote it almost word for word.  having David Tennant and Billy Piper back was unbelievable, and John Hurt is a fantastic addition to the Doctor line up.

Today's new pattern features one of those throw-away lines from the episode that just stick in your head, as well as the three different Tardises (Tardisi?) as they appeared in the episode:

Which One's Mine?

I've also updated the Blink, Birthday and Anniversary card patterns to make them more streamlined, easier to stitch, and in a similar style to my other designs.

And because I'm talking about the 50th Anniversary episode, I can't not share the original pattern I designed for this episode, and one of the original patterns in my Etsy store, The Day of The Doctor:

Happy Stitching!

It's a Swap Finish

 Life has been a bit complicated and overwhelming lately and I haven't had a lot of energy/enthusiasm for stitching over the last couple of weeks.  However I managed to get my groove back this week (yay!) and actually achieved a finish - hurray!

This is the piece I've made for the #VivaLaVillainsSwap.  (The pattern is available from my Etsy store if you like it!)  I was very glad when my swap partner listed several Doctor Who monsters as their favourite villains of all time - I had the perfect pattern to stitch!  In fact, I'd seen their mosaic on Instagram and worked out the perfect design even before they were allocated to me - how's that for "meant to be"?!

If you haven't been involved in an Instagram Craft Swap before, check out my previous blog post.  I tend to stalk the hashtag even before my partner is allocated and try to work out what I would make if that person was allocated to me.  Given the number of mosaics featuring Maleficent (who I don't really know having never watched Sleeping Beauty, and only recently (this month) watching the new movie), I was very glad to receive a partner who liked Doctor Who!  This piece now just needs to be finished off (the wonderful Ozzypip is turning it into a wall hanging for me) and I can post it to my swap partner.

I originally designed this pattern in 2013, just before the 50th Anniversary special, and it features some of my favourite aliens/monsters from the series at that stage.  As I was stitching it I was wondering if there were any other aliens I'd rather include if I was designing it now... but I struggled to come up with any awesome new ones.  I enjoyed Missy in the latest series, but not in a "wow, she's now my favourite!" kind of way.  I did like the Zygons in the 50th Anniversary special, and I'm glad to hear they'll be making a reappearance in the next series.  I'm not glad to hear that Missy is coming back - sometimes I wish they'd just leave well enough alone.  Like the Daleks (over them in so many ways) and the Weeping Angels (who they just destroy each time they bring them back - they were terrifying and now they are just a joke).

In other Swap news, my partner has received the package I sent them for the #DoctorWhoCraftSwap2015 - this was the piece I made for the A to Z Blog Challenge.

I've also received my package for this swap - my partner made me a Weeping Angel mug-rug, a Gallifreyan hoop, a Tardis card, a Tardis tea-towel, and Weeping Angel earrings - how cool!  My swap partner is super talented. :)

Happy Stitching!

A Successful Year at the Show

This si going to be a photo-heavy blog - just a warning!

This week was the local agricultural show for our region, which is a chance for the young amongst us to make themselves sick on junk food and show rides, and all that.  It's also a chance for people to show off their skills and talents - whether it's show dogs, cattle, horse riding, cooking, flower arranging, or hand crafts.  

This year was the first year my parents entered anything in the show - Dad in the woodworking section, and Mum in the patchwork.  They both took home prizes in their novice sections, which was very exciting.

 Mum's quilts received a few awards, including the Debbie Bell Memorial Award.  Dad's "Retired" clock received a first in its section, and the Tardis cupboard he made me received second in the furniture section.

I entered some of my cross stitch in a few different sections, and some of my photographs, and was very excited/happy/thrilled to win several prizes of my own.

My Once Upon A Time design took out first place!!

Most exciting of all was that my own design won first prize in the cross stitch section!  In fact, I took out 1st, 2nd, 3rd and Highly Commended!  There may not have been anyone else in the section, but that doesn't matter - I still kicked butt!

 Scarlett by John Clayton took second, and another of my designs, Geeky ABC took third.  Woodland Fairie by Mirabilla received a Highly Commended.  Go me!

I managed to get my pieces entered into a few different sections too to spread the love (and chances of winning!).  I entered this cushion in the "A piece for the Lounge Room".  I can't remember who the designer was - I stitched it back in 2005, however it was only this year that I asked Mum to turn it into a cushion for me.  

 Oh, and my biscornu took first in the pincushion section.

Oh, and the wall hanging that mum and I made took out third in the special challenge Anzac-themed category.

I don't have a better photo as Mum took the wall hanging
home to her place

This is the first year I entered my photos in the photography section of the show.  Of the 10 photos I entered, I received a first, two seconds, and three highly commendeds!  These were much more competitive sections (quite a large number of photos in each of the categories) so I was really really chuffed!

A closer view of my pics:

Well that's it for another year.  Time to start stitching for next year!

Happy Stitching

Wibbley Wobbley Timey Wimey Cats

This blog has taken me an age to post.  I initally wrote it just after I bought my house but before I adopted Eevee (about October 2014).  I updated it after I adopted her (early Nov 2014), then I updated it (again) after I'd adopted Skimbles (Dec 2014).  It's now March 2015 and it's still not posted.  Originally the delay was because I was trying to upload the photos.  Then the delay was because I wanted to find the links to where the pics came frome to give proper acknowledgement of ownership.  Then I had a number of other posts I wanted to upload more......... At any rate, this post is finally getting its 15 minutes of fame (once I update the introduction.... again!).






I've already mentioned here that I now own two cats: Eevee and Skimbles.  That was once of the best things about getting my own place - finally being able to have a pet for the first time since I moved out of home (2003).  I contemplated adopting a dog to try and motivate me to get fit, but I didn't think it would be very fair on the animal given the small backyard.  I know: lots of people have dogs in tiny appartments but I'm used to dogs being outside animals and I think having a predominately inside dog would rock my sensibilities.  So instead I adopted a cat or two and started the journey of becoming a mad cat lady.  

Okay.  I'll admit it.  The main reason I wanted a cat over a dog was because I got to check out all the awesome geeky cat furniture out there.  In particular the T.A.R.D.I.S. Cat Houses.

I have fallen in love with this cat climbing frame, created by astromark and found on TARDIS Builders.  It was created at a 1/2 scale size and looks amazing. I particularly love the cat bed, the inside tunnel, and the cat's name inscribed on the door lock.

Picture from TARDIS Builders

Then there is this one.  I believe it originally came from cattardis.jadbean.com but the link is no longer available.  The image comes from pinterest.  This one gives greater access for the cats, without losing the overall T.A.R.D.I.S. style.

Picture from pinterest.com

Similar to this, is this cat house created by the author of I also live on a farm:

Picture from ialsoliveonafarm

This one created by The Experimental Crafter's husband:

Picture from The Experimental Crafter

If a T.A.R.D.I.S cat house isn't your style, there are some other awesome geeky cat furniture ideas around, such as the miniature cat bedroom:

Picture from pinterest.com

Or the Middle Earth litter tray and scratching post created by Super-Fan Builds:

Picture from thinkgeek.com 

Then there are the cat-climbing bookcases:

So cute!

However, since my Dad made me a TARDIS shoe cupboard for Christmas, I think my chances of getting a TARDIS cat house are buckleys and none.  *sigh*  Except that my TARDIS shoe cupboard is the coolest thing I have ever seen.  I'll tell you all about it another time.

Happy Stitching!

Preparation for the A to Z Challenge

I've signed up to participate in the A to Z blogging challenge this year.

Basically, for the month of April, you set yourself a theme and blog once a day for each letter of the alphabet (excluding Sundays).  The A to Z blog people explain it best on their webpage:

"Can you post every day except Sundays during this month?  And to up the bar, can you blog thematically from A to Z?  Using this premise, you would start beginning April First with a topic themed on something with the letter A, then on April second another topic with the letter B as the theme, and so on until you finish on April thirtieth with the theme based on the letter Z.  It doesn't even have to be a word--it can be a proper noun, the letter used as a symbol, or the letter itself.  The theme of the day is the letter scheduled for that day."

I'm still trying to decide on my theme.  It is going to be cross-stitch related (of course!) but the problem is, what theme after that?  Keebles (who first mentioned the A to Z challenge to me) got me thinking about my character alphabets, after she requested the Once Upon A Time pattern as a possibility for her theme.

Not that I'm short of options!  Themed alphabets have become my "thing" of late and there are more than a few now available from the Fangirl Stitches website.  This might be a good excuse to stitch one or two of them. :)

Happy Stitching!

The Christmas Alphabet, Discworld Alphabet and Geeky Alphabet

The Veronica Mars Alphabet, Pokemon Alphabet, Whedon Alphabet

Harry Potter Character Alphabet, Doctor Who Alphabet of characters, Mario Brothers Character Alphabet

The Doctor Who Quotes Alphabet, Christmas Carol Alphabet and
Once Upon A Time Character Alphabet

Merry Christmas and a free pattern!

Merry Christmas everyone.  May your day be filled with love, laughter, friendship, family, food and fun.  And the chance for some stitching and geeking.

We're having a very Whovian Christmas this year.  We made a Tardis gingerbread house (seen here), my mother (Ozzy Pip) received Season 8 of Doctor Who, my brother got a Tardis mug, and I received a Doctor Who calendar, Tardis-coloured table-runner and set of coasters my mother made, and an actual Tardis!  I asked for a shoe rack, and received this:

It's a Tardis Shoe Cupboard.  How cool?!
More pictures to come soon.

Now we are sitting around in the air conditioning with very fully bellies, watching "Into The Dalek".  What better way to spend Christmas Day?  Okay, watching the Christmas Special would be preferable, but Australia doesn't get that until tomorrow.

While you sit around with full bellies and fight the urge to sleep, why not stitch this Doctor Who Christmas decoration?

Merry Christmas everyone and Happy Stitching!

- Fangirl Stitches

It's beginning to look even more like Christmas

There's only 3 days to go until Christams.  A little hard to believe it is so close already.

Time to fill you in on my latest holiday stitching and other make-your-own decorations.

First there is the Christmas Alphabet Cross Stitch.  I had a lot of fun coming up with this pattern - trying to find words for each letter that were a) Christmassy, b) relatively Christian, and c) not snow related!  Q was the hardest.  In fact, this was the only 'Q' word I could find.  If you can think of any others, let me know!  The pattern is now available in my Etsy shop.

My friend saw a picture of Ninja Turtle Christmas decorations and decided we should make some for my tree.  So we did.  They were surprisingly easy to make - baubles, ribbon, googly eyes and glue.

Turtles in a half-shell, Christmas power!

Then we were on a roll and wanted to see if we could make any other Christmas baubles.  Minion family anyone?  We even managed to find denim print duct-tape which worked perfectly.

Minion Baubles

Minions, Ninja Turtles, and a cat on the tree.

We have to work out how to make the Death Star next.  I think that may be a bit more complicated...

Our minister then sent us a picture of a TARDIS gingerbread house she had found on Facebook and challenged Ozzy Pip and I to make our own.

This is the picture we were sent.  The instructions to make it are here.

For some reason when we first followed the link we wound up here so used this was the recipe and instructions we used instead.  This is what we ended up with.  Not bad for a first effort, but I don't think we're giving up our day jobs any time soon!

Boo was the closest we could come to an alien invader.

Time for some flashback Christmas stitching.  I love this cross stitch design.  I found it in a pattern book at the library and originally planned on stitching it for my mother, but it took longer than expected so I ended up keeping it for myself!  It's hung in my parents' house every Christmas since I finished it, but this year Mum returned it to me to hang in my own house.

The name of the book this came from has been lost
to the winds of time, but it's a gorgeous pattern.

I've also uploaded a couple more geeky Christmas cards to the Etsy Store.  There is the Cel-e-brate Dalek Christmas card:

 

and the Pikachu Holiday card:

Two more days till Santa comes!

Happy stitching everyone,

- Fangirl Stitches