maria4katter

Christmas and Easter crosses

2012-01-15T03:00:00.000-08:00

Here she is the little chicken. All set and ready for Easter 2012.

And 2 bullfinches are ready to be framed.

Wipocalypse 2012

2012-01-09T13:16:00.000-08:00

Hi all! Long time no see but here is my first WIPOCALYPSE 2012. Not quite finished yet the little easterchicken but it will be done in time for Easter this year. One of my UFO. Glad to see so many new followers so hopefully there will be some more posts this year. Hardships come and hardships go. Like a friend said: "This year is going to be my best ever!"
Happy stitching!

Wipocalypse 2012

2011-12-11T11:25:00.001-08:00

Since I am attending Measis Musings "Wipocalpyse 2012" here is the list.
Winterbellpull AMA 325
Bullion Rose Minisampler CSG Cross Stitch Guild
Easterchicken Marks & Kattens
Animal Sampler Cross Stitch Collection
Christmastablerunner AMA 361
Springtablerunner Almedahls
Tablecloth Almedahls
Art Nouveu Round Robin
Walk on the wild side
Elephant Oehlenschläger
Flowersampler

2011-10-16T12:11:00.000-07:00

Wow, two blogposts in one day. Just wanted to show you this blog. Isn´t it fantastic to stitch a computergame in supersize!
http://supermariobrosworld1-1.blogspot.com/

2011-10-16T12:04:00.000-07:00

Hi! Long time no see. The autumn has arrived and now everyone is putting on their wintertyres in case of slippery roads and snowfall. It has already snowed up in the northern parts of Sweden but here in the middle parts I guess we have to wait another month or so. The days are pretty and crisp and every morning and evening the sky is filled with canada geese going to the south; in big and small groups. I haven´t been to my allotement for ages and now it is getting too cold to be there any longer time. But at least I´ll go by the end of this month because we have a cleaning up day before winter so we can fire downcut bushes. The interesting studies in logistics and quality has kept me occupied for the most of my sparetime but finally I´ve finished a paper in logistics so a heavy stone fell of my shoulder so I was jumping with joy at breaktime today. So tonight I´ll celebrate with some bellesteristic instead: Alias Grace by Margret Atwood. I´ve always liked Margret Atwood since I read "The Handmaids Tale" several years ago and Alias Grace is as good. Atwood gives a good portrait on Grace and the persons around here. It is quite interesting that she has named the chapters after quiltpatterns. Since I am not a quilter I didn´t realized that at first but now it gives a further twist to the story. Well, done some stitching OFCOURSE and of mixed nature at that. Went to my friends house the last weekend for a nice stitch together and decided to go on with a easterchicken which I had had in my WIP or maybe UFO pile for years. It is a nice little design that is pretty easy to stitch so just the little chickens head left. I also stitched on this piece yesterday when I helped out at a birthdayparty. So while I was waiting for the party (of people) to finish the courses I had some time in between to stitch. So thats for Easter. I also picked out the springtablerunner and did some there. Unfortunately I discovererd an "old" counting error so had to start frogging so the work got to a standstill. Well, in the last blogpost I started a new wallrunner for christmas so here is what I have done. (picture in the frame in the middle). Not much but this design is also fairly easy to stitch in comparison to the Well that I am stitching for my sister. There I only have patience for a couple of hours because of the "confetti"stitching. Seriously gotta try the park and stitch technique for confettidesigns in the future. Well, bits and pieces of everything today. Have a good time til nex time!

2011-09-25T11:43:00.000-07:00

So, since Christmas is coming fast and it is getting autumn dark I thought I choose this design. I love the little cat on top of the shelf. Just like my cats that likes to lay on top of my chinacabinet. Kinga had a nice time out and sniffled along for half an hour so now she´s in for a good nap.

Inspired by bloghoping

2011-09-25T10:24:00.000-07:00

Been bloghoping and now my fingers itch to start something new. Got to go through the stash and see whats there. Then it is time to take my biggest cat Kinga on the leash and have a stroll so she can smell/see what the neighbourhoodcats are doing. Has to do this after dark when it is calm outside or she might be frightened. Thank you all for your nice inspiring blogs.

Craft Café

2011-09-17T09:12:00.000-07:00

Hi all old and new blogfriends,
today was a lovely cold and crisp autumnday so had a lovely time biking to and from the university. This week has been a busy one with activities every evening but the best was Wednesday ofcourse with the great Craft Café. The café is in a lovely wooded area so the smell of fresh pinetrees and earth filled my lungs in deep breaths before entering the café. This night I brought with me two projects to be hemmed. I didn´t really finish but started the folding and pinning with help of Britta. She has a great knowhow from years of crafting: sewing, embroidery, stitching and knitting. And she is a fantastic teacher as well.

I will finish the hemming next time.
Thank you all for your nice comments on my earlier blogpost.

2011-09-11T10:38:00.000-07:00

Long time no see! But I have been a busy bee (-: During the last couple of weeks I´ve been concentrating on finishing my sisters design "The Well" by Svarta Fåret. So it is coming along nicely even though it is more than a couple of weeks stitching left before it is finished. Right now I am concentrating on my studies in logistics and quality management so don´t have time for so much else. BUT on Wednesday the Craftcafe starts so tonight I´ll pick together some WIP/UFO for the final finish. I think I´ll be a bit christmassy and hem the Lucia tablecloth and the Christmaswallhanging. They´ve been waiting to be on display for a couple of Christmases so this year it is about time.

Blääääääh!

2011-09-06T23:53:00.000-07:00

Updated to the new designs and the blog went all crooked and strange... and now I cant get back to the old design )-:

http://violarium.blogspot.com/

2011-08-30T01:32:00.000-07:00

Hi all! Violarium has a great giveaway in September. http://violarium.blogspot.com/
So check them out. They have great designs from France.

New addiction

2011-08-28T01:11:00.000-07:00

Hi all blogreaders,

just wanted to say it is fantastic with all supergreat blogs out there. They give so much inspiration and ideas both for own projects but also for life. I just love bloghopping! (Don´t tell my employer this cause when it is slow at work I just can´t help myself but do some blogging(-:) Today it is a grey rainy day so great for some updating. Yesterday I went to my best friend and we had a good time stitching the hours away. She had finished one cute Tatty Teddy and almost finished her second kit and now she wants to stitch the Tatty Teddy weddingsampler. For years I´ve been subscribing to the fab magazine "The CrossStitcher" so I thought I might find the pattern for her there. No luck though but I found her 4 other winterthemed Tatty Teddy designs which I hope she´ll like to stitch. I am still concentrating on stitching my sisters "Well" a design by "Svarta Fåret". Here is an update on the "speedy" progress (sorry for the quality of the scanned picture...). I tend to stitch up one strand of one colour before changing colour. Maybe should try the park and stitch technique...well that´ll be in the future(-: Have a great day rainy or not!

Tomatoes and Wells

2011-08-20T08:30:00.000-07:00

First week back at work after a fiveweeklong vacation did go smoothly. Especially since I could pick these delicious plumtomatoes at my allotment. They were turned into a lovely tomatosauce made solely from fresh tomatoes and onions. I´m getting along fine with my sisters "Well" even though I had to do some frogging...My dear sister had used the wrong colour (hmmm, maybe that´s why she wanted me to finish the piece for her lol).

Cooler in the air

2011-08-12T13:43:00.000-07:00

Autumn is on its way so even though the sun shone from a clearblue sky the warmth from the rays couldn´t hide a faint cool breeze in the air. At my allotment I´ve been sawing redishes, dill and asian sallads. I hope the shellsnails won´t eat it all...Anyhow I am in the midst of writing a paper for my studies and it went well! Have been pushing this forward and now I wonder why since it really went so easy. So, since I´ve done so good today I rewarded myself with some stitching both at the allotment were I keep my "Gates" and at home I finished the sunflower. And ofcourse I couldn´t keep my hands of my sister´s "Well" so put some stitches there as well.

Grindar
Marks och Kattens

Calendar
Cross Stitch Collection

Brunn
Svarta Fåret

Cat on the run

2011-08-10T05:25:00.000-07:00

Hi all, today it is raining so what better then to do some blogposting. Yesterday I almost lost one of my cats, Kinga. Yeah, guess I am still hyperventilenting from the stress it caused...Me, Kinga and Busan were out in the fenced in yard having a great time eating grass, basking in the sun, stitching but all of a sudden Kinga was gone! Then I discovered a hole in the fence and realized my big cat had sneaked out. Heart pounding I tried to call her calmly and see if she answered and luckily she was just outside the bushes so I jumped the fence and fetched her. Puh! Since she is an indoor cat (and the neighboorhood is not really nice for animals strolling along on their own) she wouldn´t find her way home and doesn´t have any training in hunting mice. Ok, she thought it a blast going on mystery walk but I prefer we go on walks together with a leash. But all is well even though I am angry with the stupid person that has open up the hole in the fence. Last year I tied up the hole so it is obvious that someone has taken the rope away! Grrr!

Kinga

Here´s an update on the flowercalender. Now it is mostly backstitches left on the clematis and sunflower then it´ll turn into a pillow. Stitched late on this yesterday watching the italian tvserie "Montalbano".

Remember my earlier blogpost about the otter? No, didn´t finish him then but monday I spent some good hours at my friends stitching away so here he is! Now only Mrs Badger and her family are going to be stitched in the last square on the bottom but guess have to have a hold on this since the rest of the week is scheduled for writing essays. Still I promised my sister to finish off one of her crosstitchkits... She likes to stitch but really her thing is crocheting so most of times the crosstitch won´t be done (-: so know I´ve got one more WiP to finish.

Walkabout

2011-08-02T11:33:00.000-07:00

Yesterday me and a friend went walking in the woods. It was great weather and the path was pretty. We past a waterfall and further on we had a nice picknic at a very calm lake. Time for meditation and let the nature do it´s charm.

Ofcourse I´ve been doing some stitching as well. I started this wallrunner as a Round Robin some years ago. Last Sunday I started to stitch on the Otter so I think I´ll finish it tonight while watching GhostWhisperer.

Life on the river
Design: Julia de Medeiros
Cross Stitch Collection 2005

Allotment stitching

2011-07-28T11:52:00.000-07:00

Today I was an early bird and went to my allotment already at 7 o´clock. Which was great! It was cool in the air so took a walk along the lakeside. It is a birdarea so I was greeted by ducklings, geese (canadian and whitecheeked) and a Swanpair with their 3 babyswans. They were big, grey, fluffy and clumsy but cute. Also the two herds of cows called eachother on either side of the fence. Back at the allotment I relaxed with some stitching before grasscutting and weeding in perfect summer weather.

A dear allotment

2011-07-27T12:27:00.000-07:00

Today I went to my allotment for some hours to water some newly sown seeds (salad, dill and asian salads to wok). Took some pictures on my herbgarden with the lavender in the foregrund, isop, menthe. In the background I grow tomatoes. I hope they will start turn red soon. Guess I must cut away new flowers so the green tomatoes start to ripen.

Just opposite the herbgarden this is the view. Maybe not so pretty with the compost but compost is an essential item in any garden I think. In a couple of years it´ll give great extra soil. Tomorrow I´ll put some earth on top and grow some seeds of redish on top. The rose you see I bought for 1 Euro as a poor seedling in a package. The shop probably thought like me that it wouldn´t grow but still I took a chance and bought three out of which 2 roses has made it! That´s a real bargain.

Here a view from the porch of the house. Weeding needs to be done and some freshen up of the patio but that´s projects for next year. And some colourful roses to finish. I actually bought the rose Peace but when the roses blossomed it didn´t turn out cremecoloured but purplish pink. So dont really know what roses they are but still pretty.

2011-07-26T08:58:00.000-07:00

Spent the day with a good friend. We started out with a brisk morningwalk and then we crosstitched through the day. Isn´t fantastic that time can go so fast when one crosstitch. I can´t believe I arrived at my friend´s house at 9 and left seven hours later. I choose to stitch on my flowercalender with free patterns from the british magazine Cross Stitch Collection 2006-2007. Now I must start thinking on the finishing. Should it be a wallcalendar or a pillow or maybe something totally else? Someone got any ideas?

Geranium Picture

2011-07-25T04:02:00.000-07:00

Geranium Picture
Design Jane Greenoff

The Geranium Picture was framed yesterday and here is the result. It turned out quite good after all these years in the making.

Geranium Picture

2011-07-24T00:47:00.000-07:00

Geranium Picture
Design: Jane Greenoff
Jane Greenoff´s CrossStitch
Issue 13 Aug/Sep 2000

This picture I´ve been working on for years but now it´s just some backstitching left to do. I don´t really like backstitching but it makes this Geranium come to life. I am really glad I perserverd and finished this piece even though it started out in the wrong end. Mixed Anchor and DMC threads-will NEVER happen again! Counting mistakes and missing labels on the threads and so on. Well, it will look nice when it is framed.

WIP 2011

2011-07-21T13:38:00.000-07:00

Art Nouveu Project

Christmas Table Runner

Indian summer

2011-07-18T07:53:00.000-07:00

Victorian Lavender Scissor Keep has taken some nights to finish.

I´ve stuffed it with lavender from my herb garden at the allotment so it has a nice fragrance.

The scissor keep comes from Textile Heritage. In the background is my flower calender.

2011-07-17T12:01:00.000-07:00

WIP 2011 Spring Wall Runner was finished in time for spring this year.

2010-12-31T13:23:00.000-08:00

2009-12-26T06:33:00.000-08:00

Here´s an update on my WIP´s. This Geranium I´ve been
stitching on for some years now but I hope to finish it before
this years end.
The design is from Jane Greenoff magazine.

2009-12-12T08:18:00.001-08:00

Praire Schooler Exchange Recived from Rosalie. Thank you Rosalie for the pretty Angel.

2009-12-12T08:15:00.000-08:00

This potholder I made for Lynda in the Year Long Prairie Schooler Exchange. The design is from the Two By Two booklet.

2009-12-12T08:13:00.001-08:00

Here are some pictures of what I´ve been stitching lately.

This is a Bent Creek design for an exchange with the xs-circle.

2009-10-14T12:15:00.000-07:00

La Sagrada Familia The Aqvarium

Here some pictures from the long weekend in Barcelona.

The Fun Faire and the Magic Fountain

2009-10-14T12:08:00.000-07:00

Fall needle roll exchange in the HoE-group for Laurence in France. I really liked to stitch this exchange.

2009-10-14T11:57:00.000-07:00

Here is the colourexchange from Carol in the xscircle group. A pretty Halloween boo magnet with beading.

Update

2009-10-10T09:40:00.000-07:00

In the stitching world I have done some finishings. xscircles colour exchange is done and off to the postoffice today. Septembers theme was halloween. Cant tell more since it hasn´t arrived at its recipient yet (-:. I´ve also started on a RR evenweave over two. Mailed out my RR that is a sampler of an Indian summer with loads of animals found in India. Also received a lovely Bent Creek design which I loved to stitch on. (Partly because of the colour brown (-:). When I was in Barcelona with 15 others from an organization I am a member of (IOGT) in the middle of September I had a great time. To say a simple thank you I made herbal bags for them. The pattern I found in one of the many magazines I´ve got (could never have to many of them! since they are a fountain of inspiration).

Fall needle roll arrived

2009-10-10T09:35:00.000-07:00

Here is a fall needle roll in the HoE group. This is from Leigh very beautifully stitched and with nice silkbands. Lovely colours; I love brown, golden brown and orange, green. I liked the pattern alot. Thank you Leigh for a great exchange!

2009-08-30T09:41:00.000-07:00

Yohoo, WIP finally done. Last week I finished one WIP a calendar by "Marks och Kattens". It is now hanging at my office at work. Guess one should have hopped on the next WIP instead of starting a new one but.....just couldn´t keep my fingers from a pristine kit (-:.

Heres a picture of the finished piece:

2009-08-13T12:31:00.000-07:00

Rain and rain.....haven´t been to my allottement since monday but since there isn´t loads to do at work I´ll finish earlier tomorrow. Really need to go there and do some therapeutic weeding. A collegue at work passed away this week in an accident so need to put my mind on something else. Everytime I see his work I feel like crying.

Since it is raining I felt like doing some hoovering and also got some stitching done on my calender WIP since years back but soooon dooone(-: Just some backstitching and then some easy finishing touches. Going to put it up at my boring office at work. Really needs some cross-stitching touches there(-:.

Okidoki, backstitching here I come...(-:

2009-08-10T00:56:00.000-07:00

Back from the beautiful swedish mountains. I spent one week at "Storvallens Fjällgård" and had a great week rambling over the hills. The weather was sunny and warm; almost no wind. I walked the "Blomsterstigen" up to "Ernstkumlet" and "Vindarnas tempel". Along the way there are loads of pretty flowers and the view is fantastic over Storlien, Steinfjell, Blåhammaren, Storsnasen and the Norwegian mountains. One day I continued down from "Vindarnas tempel" into the valley and had a great, calm walk. All was still and the lake was blank as a mirror. Also got some stitching done on my "Fjällelefant". I only stitch on the elephant when I am up in the mountains so this is the third year now. Also finished a round robin for Carol which I posted from Storlien. Then I stitched on some smaller samplers. Pictures will come later (-:

2009-07-21T10:45:00.000-07:00

Today I enrolled in a stitching class in Stockholm. I sooo look forward to this since we will try on many different stitches and techniques during the autumn semester. This course is in 4 semesters which I hope to be able to participate in them all. Otherwise I am not stitching so much at the moment since I have my studies in logistics as well. Have to finish two courses before the end of August when the next course starts. Ok, a bit late but the teachers are very patient since they know I am a working student (-: Right now it is "calm" at work so I have some time there to at least type the assignments in the worddocument which gives me the time to read at home after work.
Thanks for reading my blog (-:

2009-07-16T00:51:00.000-07:00

It finally stopped raining here where I live even if the weather is a bit unsteady it is dry (-: Try to pick the berries off my red currants and gooseberries. I´ve made lemonade, chutney and a gooseberrysauce. In an old cookbook I´ve found a recipe on a gooseberry pudding which I feel tempted to try but it is for 16 people...(big families in those days I guess). Well, will try to diminish the recipe.

2009-07-07T07:32:00.000-07:00

Last weekend I went rambling in the nearby mountains at 6 o´clock in the morning. It was great!, calm and relaxing.

2009-07-07T07:25:00.000-07:00

Here a small exchange I´ve made in the xscircle group on Yahoo.

The pattern is from a design called " In the castle" by CerPiCa. It was printed in the magazine "The gift of stitching". I´ve filled it with lavender.

2009-07-07T07:22:00.000-07:00

In May I went to a silkshading course at Royal School of Needlework. It was GREAT! and the surroundings at Hampton Court just beautiful. Here some pictures of the rosegarden:

2009-07-07T04:33:00.000-07:00

Received from Kaye a pretty pincusion in the PS all year long exchange.

2009-07-07T04:29:00.000-07:00

Finished stitching a bookmark for an exchange this week. The pattern is from the book The Crosstitchers Bible by Jane Greenoff.

2009-03-08T07:20:00.000-07:00

Got some stitching done this weekend. Right now I "colorconcentrate" and stitch one/two colours each time. Didn´t make it before February but perhaps before the end of March (-: Have been a WIP for at least 3 years now....

This Pelargonium has also been a WIP for some time now but yesterday I got some of leaf done. Today I´ll fill it in. I´ve also been stitching on some exchanges and Round Robins which I can´t show here until they´re done.In May I´m going to England and a course in silkshading. I am sooo looking forward to this since it has been a dream for some time now. Tell you more then.

2009-02-28T11:02:00.000-08:00

Just wanted to show the nice colourexchange from Nancy in the group xscircle.

2009-02-07T01:41:00.001-08:00

A picture of my progress with the calendar. Soon done with summer. Hope to finish this piece before the end of February so I can put it up in my office.

Busan

2009-02-07T01:40:00.001-08:00

Kinga

2009-02-07T01:38:00.001-08:00

2009-02-07T01:28:00.000-08:00

Here is the Lizzie Kate design I sent to Cathy in the HOE-exchange. (It is Cathy´s picture since I didn´t take a picture before I posted it.)

Lizzie Kate Hooked on Exchanging

2009-01-30T09:06:00.000-08:00

Today me and my cats recived this fantastic package from Sharon M in Hooked on Exchanging. Lizzie Kate Exchange. My big cat Kinga also loved it, Busan checked it out but didn´t want to be in the picture. Thank you so much Sharon!

2009-01-26T11:45:00.000-08:00

Got a cold...probably due to the industryfans the last two weeks. We got a waterleak at work but now it all should be dried up so waiting for the painters to come. My office got the most water so I had to move in to my collegues office. It´s ok but since we talk alot on the phone it can be a bit noisy and hard to hear. And ofcourse all my stuff pens, paper etc lies all over the place. Good though that we had an extra computer otherwise would have been hard to perform any job. Try to finish a course in supply chain logistics management this week but the cold put me out. Did some stitching in between blowing my nose and sneezing. Finished exchange pieces. One Lizzie Kate and a colour exchange in red.

2008-12-16T11:21:00.000-08:00

Cleaning, cleaning and cleaning because Christmas is coming (-: Bought H2O Mop onTvins to steamclean carpets and sofa. It worked OK but ofcourse not as supergood as in the commercial. Started a new course online with my home university. "Supply Chain Management" this is my third tryout on this course but Third time is a charm... got some stitching done as well. And yesterday I finished up two items after some years in my cupboards. A big Santa wall hanging and a summery wallhanging with swallows. Going to hang this at my office at work since the office really needs some chearing up. Off to do some studying...

Rambling in the mountains

2008-08-10T09:16:00.000-07:00

Been rambling in the mountains for a week. FUN! The weather was fine and we did some really nice walks from Storulvån-Blåhammaren-Storlien. Also went twice on the Flowerpath to Ernskumlet and Vindarnas Tempel (The temple of winds). Had a nice view over to Norway and warm and lovely sunshine. The Swedish king has his cottage along the footpath but he wasn´t there at the moment, in China perhaps watching the Olympic games (-:.

Did some stitching also: Arts and Crafts Bookmark (Textile Heritage Collection), Spring bellpull from Marks & Kattens, and a few stitches on an Elephant design from Ohlenschläger.

Papillon Creations and Jane Greenoffs Geranium

2008-07-27T10:48:00.000-07:00

Stitched the complimentary design Tiny Little Quaker from Papillon Creations today. Used some 34 count linen and 322 DMC floss. Going to finish it as a pincushion. This one was fun and easy to stitch. The rest of the week I´ll spend time on jane greenoffs geranium picture for my mothers birthday in August.