Feature Pattern Friday - Wicked

Today's Feature Pattern is from the hit West End show, Wicked.

Image from www.express.co.uk

I'm a huge theatre fan.  I love nothing better than going and watching a live show.  I don't care if it's a musical, a drama, a one-woman-show, a professional company or the local am-dram group around the corner.  Providing it involves people acting on stage, I'm there.  If I can afford it that is!  The two years I lived in London, all my spare cash went on theatre tickets.  I loved the easy access to a huge range of shows, with the added advantage of discount tickets.  During my last 8 days in the UK, I saw 14 different shows.  And I've seen Wicked 4 different times - twice in Melbourne, once in Sydney and once in Brisbane (which I wrote about here).  Did I mention I loved theatre?

Enough about me, here's the pattern!

Elphaba and Glinda.  Cross stitch pattern available from my
Etsy Store

Elphaba's hat was more difficult to design than I was expecting, as was her dress.  The hat is so point it's hard to achieve in pixles, but I finally managed it in the end.  The dress on the other hand... when you actually study it closely, the dress is made up of lots of different patches of colour - blues and reds and purples.  There are some blended threads in the pattern to try and achieve the look.  It was certainly a challenge.  Glinda's on the other hand was just blue and poofy.  It looks much more impressive in the images, but sure was easier to design in cross stitch!

Happy stitching.

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!

Second Birthday

Like second breakfast, only different!

It's been more than a week since I last blogged (after blogging so regularly for a few weeks I feel really bad) but I've had limited internet over the last week.  Firstly because I was in Brisbane and then because I was travelling for work.  So it is time to play catch-up.

View over the river and South Bank
- taken from the pool at our motel

This weekend I was in Brisbane for my Second Birthday.  (the second celebration for my birthday, not the birthday I turned 2). A few friends (including my parents) and I flew down to Brisbane for a non-sexist-girly weekend.  We were joined by other Brisbane friends throughout the weekend and had an absolute blast.

Chilling out in Brisbane - A, S, K, B and I enjoying the pool.
My brother C and his girlfriend joined us for breakfast on Sunday.

There was shopping, eating, swimming, eating, chats, eating, theatre, and did I mention eating?  In all honesty we didn't eat that much, it just felt like it from the photos!  We visited the Eat Street Markets (so many different types of food and all at reasonable prices - recommend checking it out); went for a Chocolate High Tea at the Stamford (not the best High Tea I've ever been to, but still pretty good if you ignore the "Glass Incident"); found food on Queen St Mall at midnight; and had morning tea at Room With Roses.  Plus breakfasts, that's a fair bit of eating really...

Morning tea at Room with Roses

For the High Tea, we were joined by 4 other friends - two ex-Emerald friends, B's sister-in-law and her sister.  The food was pretty scrumptious, although gluten-free options were limited for K, and the setting was lovely.  The only incident for the day was the Glass Incident.  One of the waiters dropped a tray of wine glasses right behind our table and sent glass shards flying under the feet and chairs of several of our party.  I found out later that several of the glasses hit my friend S which was pretty scary.  Thankfully no-one was hurt and everyone was very apologetic about the incident.  It gave us a story to tell at any rate!

High Tea at the Stamford - me with B's sister-in-law and her sister;
B with ex-Emerald friends, Mum & Dad with M; A, K and S.

The main highlight of the weekend (apart from the High Tea) was going to see Wicked.  This is the fourth time I have seen the show, and I still love it.  The costumes are second to none, the scenery is elaborate, the music is catchy and enjoyable, and the actors are first rate.  I saw the production twice in Melbourne (2008 and 2009) and then in Sydney (also 2009).  I had to stop myself from singing out loud to the music this time!  Two things made this production even more exciting for me: firstly Simon Gallaher was playing the role of the Wizard (my childhood favourite actor), and secondly the people I saw it with.  You see, the first time I saw Wicked I saw it with Mum, the second time I saw Wicked I saw it with S, the third time I saw Wicked I saw it with B.  This time, I saw it with Mum and S and B!

It's a green thing.  A, K, S, B, M, Mum, Dad and I had a very wicked time.

After the show I managed to find a uni friend and fellow EQ OT in the crowd which was very exciting, and we dragged her and her husband off to join us for a very late dinner (we were so over chocolate after the High Tea!).

Very late dinner.  OT friend, her husband, and another
ex-Emerald friend joined us - it was so much fun!

It was a brilliant weekend away.  Unfortunately I didn't organise things well at work and followed my two nights away in Brisbane with two nights away for work.  Good thing Mum and Dad could keep looking after my cats!

Stitching update coming soon (I hope!)

Stitchy Theatre Gifts

It's done.  The cast have taken their final bow.  The final curtain has fallen.  Emerald Little Theatre's  production of "The Bob and Al Show" had its final show last Saturday (24th May) and now I can breath again.  And sleep.  Oh sleep, how I have missed thee!

Scene from "The Bob and Al Show"

Turns out directing and producing an amateur theatre show takes a lot out of you.  Funny how quickly you forget.

Action shot!  More photos on the Theatre Facebook page

Don't get me wrong - I love it.  I enjoy hanging out with other theatre people.  I enjoy coming up with the posters and hall decorations and programs.  I enjoy painting the set and designing the props and costumes. (we're a really small theatre group!). I enjoy having something else to do in the evenings (apart from sit at home alone stitching).  However, after 3 months of rehearsals three times a week, two weeks of nightly rehearsals before opening night, 3 weekends of shows (Friday and Saturday), not to mention the extra rehearsals in between, setting and cleaning the hall... well, let's just say I think we all breathed a sigh of relief when the last patron left on Saturday.  And now we'll sit and chill and sleep... and get ready to start it all over again in July!

The Stitchy Gifts

Stitchy thank you gifts

I decided to design and stitch little gifts for the cast and crew as a thank you - after all, there were only 5 of them and it's something I enjoy doing.  The pictures were of quotes taken from the script - either favourite lines of the cast, or ones that related to the job of the 'crew'.   They haven't made it into the Fangirl Stitches Etsy store yet, but they'll get there - even without the play knowledge behind you, I think they still work.  Anyway, the team loved them (or at least said they did!) and I received a lot of really enthusiastic feedback and thank you's.  Apparently I've set the bar pretty high for the next director.

 

 

Can you tell the Theatre's colours are purple and green?

I've got one more to go - I want to stitch one for the Theatre Bar about mystery play audiences:

"You've got to give them just enough to keep them leaning forward and not coughing, but not so much that they figure it all out too soon and head to the bar bragging like arrogant little weekend Sherlocks."

No rush on that one - providing it's done by October, in time for the next play!

Happy Stitching!!

P.S. head over to my Facebook or twitter page to enjoy my collection of quotes - a couple are going up each day :)

May the Fourth Be With You

Happy International Star Wars Day.  May the Fourth Be With You.

Go Yoda

Life's been very busy lately, and I have barely had 5 minutes to breath let alone write a blog post or design a new pattern!  I've managed to find a few minutes today on International Star Wars Day to sit down and update you.

The main reason life has been so hectic lately is that I've been directing the play for our local amateur theatre group, The Emerald Little Theatre.  We've been in rehearsals for the last three months, and opening night is next weekend.  It's gotten very busy the last three weeks with extra rehearsals, painting and building the set, locating props and trying to get my cast to learn their lines!  We are a very small theatre group (about 10 members at the moment).  Where most theatre companies have someone in charge of set design, someone in charge of sound and/or lighting, a backstage manager, a prop manager, a costume person, etc, in our theatre group this all tends to be the responsibility of the director, producer and cast.  Added responsibilities.  Add that to the fact that this play is a cast of three, and two of those are co-producing the play with me and you get where I'm going.  I have to keep reminding myself that I volunteered for this.  We've been in rehearsals every night last week, and will be every night this week.  With only 3 people in a play that runs for 110 minutes approximately, they've got a lot of script to memorise each and it's taken them (a lot) longer than expected to get there, but I think we might finally have it.

Promo picture for The Bob and Al Show

I do enjoy it.  Really.  My stress levels have been a little (read very) high this last few weeks, but it is all starting to come together.  Opening night is less than a week away (minor freak out) but I know that as soon as the play is over, I will be itching to start on the next one.  One really good thing to happen this week is that I've had three different people approach me to express interest in joining for the next play, and another person who has volunteered to paint the sets for the next play, which is amazing.

I've been back at work for four months now, slowly getting my head back around the role.  The referrals are starting to come in this term for Occupational Therapy, and without a physiotherapist at the moment, there is a fair amount to do.  This term is shaping up to be pretty full on - there are four public holidays this term, plus I am away for 5 1/2 days at conferences - which makes nearly 2 weeks out of a 10 week term where I am unable to visit students in schools.  That's okay - we'll get there. :)

So between Little Theatre, work and church, there hasn't been a lot of spare time for anything else.

I have managed to design a couple of patterns lately.  One was a birthday present for a friend who has over 100 pairs of shoes.  The pattern is now available from my Esty Store

Cinderella's Shoes

The other one I am very excited about but unable to share yet.  It is a gift for another friend, but she won't be getting it till the end of May so I have to keep it under wraps until then.  You'll just have to stay tuned.

That's it from me.  I'm off for an early night.

Celebrate Star Wars in style my friends!

Happy Stitching