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

J is for Jim-Jams and Jordan

I'm in Malaysia at the moment (yay!) but am not sure what internet access I'll have so my posts for the next 7 days have all been scheduled.  If I don't reply to your comments or comment on your blog, it's not because I don't love you- I just don't have internet!  I'll get back to you when I return :)

A to Z Challenge

J is for "Not bad for a man in his Jim-Jams"

This quote is from the first Christmas Special of New Who, The Christmas Invasion.  This episode was David Tenant's first foray as the Doctor, and he spent most of it asleep!  Christopher Eccleston was the first Doctor I knew and David Tenant the first regeneration.  I took a bit to warm up to David, but this moment certainly helped (this, and the scene in the following episode New New York when Cassandra takes over his body!).  The Doctor defeats the invading Sycorax army and saves the world, then remarks "Not bad for a man in his jim-jams.  How very Arthur Dent of me." For those who don't know, jim-jams is slang for pyjamas, and Arthur Dent from Hitch-hiker's Guide to the Galaxy saves the world... while wearing his pyjamas.  It's funny.  You're meant to laugh ;)

I used another (shortened) quote from this episode for my It Is Defended cross stitch pattern:

"and when you go back to the stars and tell others of this planet, tell them this:
It Is Defended:"

J is for Lee Jordan

(***contains spoilers if you haven't read/watched Deathly Hallows***)

The Weasley Twins' best friend and co-consipirator, poor old Lee was rather short changed in the films, appearing only in The Philosopher's Stone and Chamber of Secrets as the Quidditch commentator.  In the books he appears far more regularly, usually in any scene involving the Weasley Twins.  He helped the twins develop and trial a lot of the items for their future store, played practical jokes on people, and even had a pet spider.  In the seventh book, he started up a pirate radio station to enable the Order of the Phoenix members to communicate with each other and the outside world, to counteract that which was being reported in the Daily Prophet.  His grief at Fred's death was real.  I know if the film you can't have everyone as developed as in the books.  Lee was one such character that I really missed (along with Oliver Wood, but more on him later) as his presence made the Weasley Twins more than just comic relief - he gave them lives away from Harry and his friends, gave them a back-story and a more human quality.  Which is why he was one of the first characters (after the film's version of Dumbledore's Army) I put into cross stitch. 

Which character from the HP books did you miss in the films, whether because they were left out or their presence was reduced?

Happy stitching!

A lovely year of finishes - April

First note to those visiting: this isn't any entry for the A-Z blog challenge.  That's either the post just before this one or just after :)

Instead, this is my post about my WIP for the A Lovely Year of Finishes project.

For April I thought I could use my project from the A-Z challenge (which I will finish in April!), but instead I've chosen to work on The Wesley Family cross stitch.  It's going to be a gift for another craft swap I'm involved in - the Hogwarts Swap or #hogwartsswap2015.

I'm going to be stitching it on pale blue 28 count aida using DMC threads.  I'll be posting updates on my instagram feed (@fangirlstitches), to keep this blog mostly focused around the A-Z challenge project.

Decorating for Christmas

Today is the first Sunday of Advent, and the weekend closest to 1st December, which means it's time to put out the Christmas decorations!

I love decorating for Christmas.  I get it from my mum.  When we were kids there were decorations everywhere - in the kitchen, in the hall, in the lounge room, even in the bathrooms!  Hanging decorations was one of my favourite family Christmas activities - that and looking at Christmas lights.

It still is one of my favourite Christmas activities.  Finding unique or special ornaments on my travels, reliving the memories as I decorate, or creating something special of my own.  These are some of my favourites on display this year.

The cross stitch Nativity scene on plastic canvas.  I started this about 10 years ago, although it took me awhile to finish.  It was a 3-parter in a CrossStitcher magazine probably about 15 or 20 years ago.  We had one of the parts and Mum managed to track down the others so I could stitch the series.  There's also an angel, a star, and the Inn Keeper and his wife, but I need to buy more stands to display them!  I've used game piece stands which work a treat.

Blackwork Christmas Angel.  This one also came from a magazine, although I can't remember which one!  It was one of the patterns I stitched in 2012 when I lived in the UK. She was meant to have a border around her, but I didn't like it, so I left it off - after all, life's too short to stitch background.













My cross stitch advent calendar - another one from a magazine!  I think this was also from CrossStitcher.  There's a stitched picture on each reverse side.  4 and 15 are missing because I have to fix their hangers.  Mum made the hanging quilt.  It has tabs to hang on a dowel hanger, but I'm using a skirt hanger in the meantime.

Ninja turtle baubles.  They were surprisingly easy to make  - green baubles, ribbon, googly eyes and some craft glue.

My Christmas decorations from my travels in the UK and Europe.  They should be hanging on the tree, but my 7 month old kitten thinks the Christmas tree is her new climbing frame and that anything hanging on it is hers to attack by right.  So instead they are on sticky hooks on one of the high kitchen cabinets to keep them safe!  The teacup and crown come from the Royal Palaces in England, the shamrock from Ireland, the purple bell is from Germany, the man in the red circle is from Iceland, and the two on red ribbons are from Harrods.

My second advent calendar - Lego Star Wars!  Very excited to start this tomorrow. Each day you get a little thing to create or build.  I had to hunt it down online because the only one I could get locally was the Lego City one.  And Star Wars is so much cooler.

Discworld Christmas cards.  I bought a set of 4 one year, gave two away as presents, and kept the other two as decorations.  They did hang on my wall for about two years before joining the Christmas decorations box.  Artwork by the very talented Paul Kidby

The Willow Tree nativity scene.  I love Willow Tree figurines - they are some of the only dust-collectors that I own.  The nativity scene is just stunning in its simplicity.  There are a couple of other sets you can buy to build on it - the wise men, and a set of animals.  Maybe one year.






Do you decorate for Christmas?  Do you go all out, or only have a few special decorations?  Do you prefer to have colour themes, or do you keep and collect your decorations to use year after year?  Are you a geeky Christmas person, or more traditional?  Religious or mainstream? Or maybe you don't do Christmas at all - maybe you do Hanaka or forego religious celebrations. I'd love to hear how you decorate (or don't) for Christmas, or any other holidays.

Happy Stitching!

How To... Cushions and Padded Wall Hangings

One of the new patterns I've uploaded onto Etsy this week is a door hanging, advertising my inner geek to the world (or at least to my housemates!).

Fangirl Door Hanging

Rather than pop it in a frame, I decided to do something a little different and turn it into a padded hanging.  Now it can hang on a door handle, a hook in the wall, the end of the curtain rail, the corner of the TV, or anywhere else there is an edge to loop it over.  In the past, I've used a similar process to make Christmas tree ornaments and gifts for friends.  Below, I've explained how to make your own padded door hanging or decoration.

Fabric

In order to create your cushion, you will require enough fabric for the front and back of the pattern, plus a bit of a border in order to stitch the hem.  For this project I allowed an extra 3 cm for the hem on three sides.

Making Your Cushion

1. Stitch your project at the top of your piece of material, leaving enough room for the back of the cushion

2. Rough stitch (running stitch) a border around your finished design. This will be the fold line for your cushion.  

3. Trim your material down, leaving a border of 5 squares (10 on evenweave). 

4.Fold the fabric in half, right-side-in, following the bottom border.  Firmly press along the fold.

5. Backstitch along the border line of two sides, joining the two halves together.

6. Trim the corners - this will help them fold easier once turned right-side-out

7. Turn the cushion right-side-out, taking care to pull out the corners.  

8. Fill the cushion with wadding, making sure the wadding gets right into the corners.

9. Fold in the edges of the open side.  Stitch close, using an inverted back stitch.

10. Attach ribbon or thread for the hanger.

Finished!  Now to work out where to hang my latest decoration.

Happy Stitching!!