September Stitchings

Sunday greetings!!!

It's hard to imagine we're in September already!  This year seems to have flown by, and my God, what a shitty year it's been so far!!!

My stitching plans have not gone to plan over the last few months, in fact I got hardly any Pokemon stuff done in July, and I'd hoped that last month I could get quite a few new In Stitches designs done -- that was of course before I started working on Lugia which seems to have consumed all my time in August.

He's nearly done now, so hopefully I can return to other projects.

The projects I want to get cracking on are the Pokemon Blackwork Charts.  You'll recall back in July that I was trying to get my Articuno project finished and I had made a good start on the fills until I decided that I didn't like the fill I'd chosen for the body/wings!!!  He went back to the drawing board and thankfully, the new design has been charted up and raring to be finished!!!   To recap, here's what I've completed so far:

Hoepfully, I can get him finished this week!!!

I also finished my blackwork Vileplume yesterday and the plan is to get patterns for Sentret and Umbreon stitched up over the next few weeks so that I can get the patterns up.  I've decided for now that I'm not going to start a new website to host these due to the time consuming nature of mainatining it!  I shall post the patterns to my exisiting website but, instead of adding a new page, I think I shall just provide direct patterns links from here instead!

Once they're all stitched and I'm happy with the patterns, I'll get them posted, so watch this space for further news!!!

Oh, and you remember this:

Well Mewtwo is still lacking fill patterns for his body!!!

And lets not forget Chikorita San!  She's still waiting for her contemporaries Waninoko and Hinoarashi (that's Totodile and Cyndaquil) to be completed!  I actually started charting them, until I went and "accidentally" deleted the files from my flash pen!!!  *DOH*  Now I have to go back to the drawing board and chart them all over again -- very time consuming, and very annoying!!!

So that's enough Pokemon, what about the In Stitches stuff???  Well, at the moment it looks like I might be too busy this month to start them.  I can confirm that the next character to be stitched will be Rude.  I still have six characters to to chart, but again, I think that will have to be projects for October!

So that's all my stitching gossip for now, as always, I shall keep you informed of any changes!

Till next time ... keep Kalm and cross-stitch!! xx

Project Lugia

Hello again!

Time for some more Pokemon goodies!  Yes, I know it's not July anymore, but those little critters are still trying desperately to get my attention!!!

So here's my next 'BIG' project featurning my favourite Pokemon - Lugia!

I had been wanting to design something for a while and after the release of HeartGold and SoulSilver last year, I was determined to do something featurning my favourite Legendary.  I had considered using the boxart images, shown above, at first, but then I changed my mind and went for this:

I came across this rather cool image whilst doing a Google search and immediately decided that this would be my reference design!  As always, here's a low down on how I turned it into a cross-stitch pattern.

This design started life back in April 2010.  It was a slow project to get going on thanks to my depression, and it was not until July/August time that I went back to it.  As always, all my projects start with pencil and ink sketches:

Once I have an ink sketch I'm happy with, it's time to start charting:

Once I'm happy with that, I choose the threads I want to use:

This design uses a mixture of standard stranded thread and DMC light effects -- blends are also playing a part in this design for shading purposes.

Then then tricky task of starting to chart the design into my Pattern Maker software can begin.  When I first started desiging my own patterns, this was the tricky bit. My Sonic themed 'Flying Hedgehog' was particularly difficult, so for future designs, I have decided to start the design by drawing a grid:

I've found that this makes charting large projects so much easier!

I would always recommend using a colour for the grid that isn't featured in the finished design so that it stands out.  Here, I've used a red grid line, which I will delete when the design is finished.

Once the grid is finished, you can start filling in:

When the filling has been completed, delete the grid line.  I initially saved this as two separate projects, one without the backstitch and one with.  I always add the backstitch last -- leaving the colours behind the symbols turned on helps with this!

When the backstitch work is finished, turn the colours off:

And there you have it...the chart is complete, and now the fun can really begin!

July Updates!

Greetings one and all!

Well another month has come and gone, and before I move on to August projects, I thought it was time to give a bit of a round up regarding July's projects -- which, like my post's last month -- have been a bit thin on the ground!

July has been quite a hectic month in terms of socialising -- I went to see the last Harry Potter film last week with my brother and throughly enjoyed that (can't wait for the blu-ray now) and last Thursday I finally got to see one of my favorite metal bands, Iron Maiden, in concert (I've only been a fan for 23 years and this was my first gig!)  They were awesome, putting it midly.

I've also had a lot of meetings with my local jobcentre to step up my hunt for work which despite promises that they can help me do X, Y and Z have sadly been a bit lacking!  I have another review tomorrow, which again, I'm not holding much hope on!

Still, despite this, I took the incentive to get an appointment with a careers advisor through Next Step which help people back into work through guidance and learning.  I am not sure my skills need imporving on, but so far it's been very helpful in helping me steer a career which has been stuck in the mud for the past 12 months!

I also attended a "work club" this morning for a few hours.  This enables people to look for jobs in local papers and use the internet -- you can also update/print off CV's and letters for job applications!  Well, it saves me using my printer at home (which has just run out of ink anyway!)

So onto the stitching ... this has suffered throughout July.  After all my ferverent stitching in June, I was hoping I would be able to keep it up into July.  I think all the stitching I did in June helped me cope with the grief of my dad's passing, but during July I have been extremely un-motivated and as such designing new patterns and working on existing ones has suffered -- I think the heat doesn't help either :(.

I think it might be a while before the Pokemon blackwork patterns take off.  Those who watch me regularly will know that a while ago I featured a blackwork design for Articuno that I had started.  I realised that July's theme of Pokemon would be ideal to finish this, so I picked it up where I had finised off.

This is what I have do so far:

Articuno -- waiting for some feathers to ruffle!!!

I started working on the fills, but after doing the crest and his feet, I decided that I didn't like the fill I had chosen for the body/wings!  This is now going back to the drawing board and I suspect I won't be picking this up again for another month or two.

I have completed some smaller stuffs but the other blackwork designs I have charted didn't get done because I never got round to them and I have other things I want to do this month.  I suppose if I get bored of working on this month's projects, I can always return to them.

So I think I've waffled long enough and well done to anyone who's persevered this long.  Now I'm off to look at charting some requests I've had!  Hopefully I'll be back later in the week with more stitchy updates, but until then...

Keep Kalm and Cross-stitch! xx

Fluff-o-Rama had been Cancelled due to ... lack of interest!!!

That's right guys, the pot-o-fluff shenanegans are no more!

I came to this decision because it wasn't generating any interest, and to be honest I was starting to get bored filling a pot with fluff every month and then posting piccies on here.

So there will be no more updates regarding Fluff-o-Rama.

Another project that's also being scrapped are the UFP's (no surprises there)!  I should have perhaps been a bit more proactive with this, but I just can't get excited about finishing projects that are six years old from defunct cross-stitch magazines when I enjoy doing my own so much more.

I may feel the urge to stitch some at some point in the furture, in which case I shall feature them as part of my monthly work in progress round up.  Speaking of which, I still intend to continue this, but perhaps not necessarily monthly -- depends how full the workbag is!

WIP Update

Time for an update regarding my work in progress...

First, humble apologies to those expecting an update on my Unown sampler.  Even though I now have enough thread to carry on with this, I've been trying to finish some of the smaller projects in my work bag. 

Also on Saturday last my dad was rushed to hospital with bronchial pnumonia.  He is much better, but still quite poorly.  He also has an infection, which at the moment, they don't know the cause of so he may be in hospital for sometime.  Having spent quite a bit of time in hospital myself, I know that they are lonely, alien places to be, so I am wishing him a very speedy recovery!!!

Anyway, it'll be next week I think before I get to work on my Unown sampler again, but in the meantime, here is an update regarding another ongoing project -- WipEout Pilot Logo: John Dekka.

I keep a log book of all the projects I work on listing start and end date (it helps me keep track of my current projects and how long they take to complete).  This one has been on-going since January and I know that I first featured this project back at the beginning of March, but have done nothing further since.

After finishing the Blackwork Visitor Logo and my Wii Mii projects over the weekend, I decided the next project to complete was the WipEout Pilot Logo.  Afternoon's are a good time for me to work on these projects as the light in my lounge is better for stitching than at night, when I usually work at my frame (which has a lamp).  I also have a lot of stuff to catch up with on my TV planner so it's a good way to stave off the bordom of long-term unemployment :-(

I started stitching this again on Monday and so far, this is what I've done:

Picture Reference date -- 16th  May 2011

Picture Reference date -- 17th May 2011

Picture Reference date -- 18th May 2011

All I have to do now is 'fill in' all the various colours which I hope won't be too time consuming, but at least I can do these without having to refer to the chart every five minutes!!!

Apologies again for the lack of updates, hopefully this will be rectified next week!!!

Till then -- Keep Kalm and Cross-stitch!!! ^________^ xxx

Gatchacaz's Unown Sampler 2011 -- WIP01

Greetings followers!

Here is the next update regarding my Unown sampler:



Picture Reference date -- 27th April 2011



Picture Reference date -- 28th April 2011

As suspected, I will shortly run out of thread (in fact, you can see from the last pic just how much thread I have left)!

I will probably be able to do one more WIP before I run out completely.  After that, I dunno when I will be able to finish it because I can't afford to order any threads at the moment and May is going to be an expensive month for me!

Still, I do at least have other WIP's that I can work on in the meantime, so it's not all bad.

Till next time ... Keep Kalm and Cross-stitch! xx

Our First BBQ of 2011 and More WIP Updates

Greetings -- I hope everyone is enjoying the start to their Easter celebrations!

Here in the UK, we have two long Bank Holiday weekends in a row thanks to next week's Royal Wedding!  It's a great excuse for many people to have an extended holiday from work!  I'm still un-employed, so I don't need to get excited about taking addtional leave from work, but it's nice to spend som extra time with my family.

And we're having some cracking weather to boot!

Today, I've been at my mum's as I usually do on a Friday.  I took my stitching, but didn't do any because we got straight on the Wii (mumsie beat me at the bowling -- again) and then my brother turned up with my nephew, who's been staying over during the school hols.  My sister has been having a break from him but was pleased to see him when she arrived shortly after :-)

So seeing as the weather was so nice, we decided there and then to have a BBQ!  The first one of 2011.  My fiance had been working today,  but after a shower and change, he came to join us.  It was great to be out in the garden for the first time this year, and because I don't have a garden at home I always look forward to these things!

After, we got back on the Wii -- probably not a good idea to be showing my mum and sister how to do the step aerobics on Wii Fit after eating so much - not good for the digestion!  My nephew was staying at my brother's again tonight, so we were able to cadge a lift home -- just as well because it's started thundering!!  We didn't get the torrential downpour they predicted on the news (unless it comes overnight), so it is still very muggy and close!

Tommorow is scheduled to be nice again, and I am planning to meet up with my sister for coffee and a girlie chat! I also realise that I am out of practice on Wii Sports Resort, and I should get my Wii Fit out a lot more, but I just love to stitch so much!!!!

Which is why I thought it was time to update you guys with some of my projects.  As always, I have far too many on the go, but I just can't help starting new stuff.

First, lets catch up with the old stuff:

That Visitor Logo seems to be taking forever to finish and you would think it was straight forward to do!  I don't even have to follow a chart anymore!!!!  Ah, well... I've actually done more since my last edit, and I keep chipping away at it everytime I pull it out of my work bag -- hopefully this one will be finished soon:

Next up is Articuno, from my Pokemon Blackwork series.   Another design that I chip away at.  I'm sure I've mentioned before that this is being worked on evenweave so I need good light to see the holes and it's defo not a project to do late at night if you are tired!

Finally, I've started stitching another In Stitches character -- YAY!!!!!  This one, in case you can't tell from the image below, is Link from Legend of Zelda:

Link is the first of four non, FFVII characters I am stitching -- the next one will be Vivi from FFIX, which I shall start when I have finished this.  Link was actually quite hard to chart because there are a lot of colours on his shield and it took me ages to be satisfied with the colours -- hopefully he will look good when he is finished!

One of my followers, and good friend Dawn of Animestitching, had been asking me about the progress of this series recently and I realised that I need to get them finished because they've been sitting in my 'to do' box for far too long!!!

Rest assured dawn that you will get the characters you referred to (but PM me if you want to chat about it further!)

So that's all for now, as it's really warm and I need some fesh air. 

Till next time ... Keep Kalm and Cross-stitch!!! xx

More WIP Updates

Well, it's almost weekend so it's time for the lastest stitchy news!

Seeing as I finished the piece I featured last week, I thought I'd update on a piece I featured two months ago -- the Visitor Logo from 80's SCI-FI series 'V'  Now that I have the border done, I can dispense with the chart I'd been following.  Quite a time consuming process filling in all that red, but it's one of those projects that you can do when you're feeling too lazy to follow a chart!

Blackwork fills can be very time consuming to stitch!

It's starting to look like what it should now, and I'm going to try and get it finished as soon as I can.

The next WIP for me to feature is more of a series than individual designs -- blackwork Pokemon.

I'm having so much fun with blackwork and your comments regarding my recent blackwork Chikorita certainly tell me that you like it.  I am doing Totodile and Cyndaquil, but these are on hold at the moment as I can't afford to buy the materials I need to stitch them. 

As I've mentioned to people on deviantART, I'm not giving the patterns away for these but I do have some smaller Pokemon patterns that I will be putting up on the website -- eventually!!  That's if I'm happy with the patterns I've chosen.

As I also mentioned on deviantART, I'm not featuring starters to give other Pokemon a chance to shine and along with the ones I've chosen myself, I've really had some odd requests, as well as one to do a sampler featuring Eevee and all her evolutions!!!

This is a project that could occupy my time for a while, but here's the full list:

• Articuno
• Mewtwo
• Vileplume [requested]
• Lugia
• Sentret [requested]
• Umbreon [requested]
• Entei
• Flygon
• Rayquazaa
• Amoonguss
• Braivery

Here's a little treat of what I'm working on at the moment:

Articuno - worked on 28-HPI evenweave with DMC colour variations shade #4240

Mewtwo -- is far too tough for floral patterns!!!

My RSN Blackwork book -- a great source of inspiration!!!

Right, so I've rambled on far too long and it's time to go have a shower and freshen up! 

Friday afternoon is stitch and bitch at mumsie's but seeing as my brother bought her a Wii for Mother's day, I don't reckon we'll get much stitching done today! ^___^

Till next time ... Keep Kalm and Cross-stitch! xx

UPDATES -- April 2011

Sunday greetings to all, here is your monthly round up of everything going on in my stitchy world!


FLUFF-O-RAMA

The pot is filling up, full of black and yellow thread at the top from all the Alex Kidd stuff I have been stitching of late!

Yay!  It's Newton, Claude and Pot 'O Fluff Junior ... LOL!!!

Work in Progress

Over the last two months I have featured seven projects that were in the pipeline.  It's quite sad to say that so far, I have only managed to finish four of these projects!!

Some of them have been posted on my deviantART page and several more will follow this week, but as there's been no movement on the existing WIP's I have only one new offering for now -- "Chomp!" another Alex Kidd sprite:

After, I've done this, I'm thinking it's time to stitch up another In Stitches character -- someone who's not FFVII related!!!

Till next time ... Keep Kalm and Cross-stitch xx

UPDATES -- March 2011

Well, another month has gone by!

February was a s*** month anyway, so I’m glad it’s gone away – and now it’s March, which means lighter nights, better weather and all those fabulous spring flowers cropping up in gardens and verges.

I love this time of year!

So now it’s time for my monthly update of what’s going on in my stitching box. I’ve decided that rather than triple spamming you today, I’m just going to stick everything in one post, so I hope you can stay with me to the end.

Before we get to that, I just want to say “hello” to my new followers – I seem to have a few more jump on board over the last week, so welcome and thank you for watching – I hope you enjoy the ride!

Now to the updates…

Update: Fluff-o-Rama

My mum says that I am very wasteful with my thread, and I would probably have to agree that I am not quite as thrifty as I should be. Because of this, my pot probably looks fuller than it should and given that there is still a fair way to go with this, I’ve decided to chop up my waste thread into very small bits!!!

There’s a lot of paper tubes in there too!

 Update: Work in Progress

Out of the three projects I featured last month only two got finished so I’m not going to show the project still being worked on again. I really should get all these WIP’s finished before I start new stuff, but as I’m sure all of you know, the desire to start new stuff can overwhelm the need to finish outstanding projects!

I have a lot of on-going projects. Some are top secret at the moment (but never fear you will get to see the finished articles on DA later this month), but I have four others that I can showcase:

Alex Kidd – I designed 6 patterns altogether and this is the second one I am stitching. Alex faces off against the game’s 3 sub-bosses in a game of paper, scissors, stone!

WipEout – in the original game, as well as teams and logos, it had details of the pilots who flew for each team. There were 2 pilots per team, making 8 pilots in all. I have charted all 8 pilot logos and am currently working through the first one – John Dekka from Team AG Systems. This is quite a large design, with large areas of colour – this may take me a while to do as I haven’t done much since I started this back in January.

SCI-FI Logos – some of you will no doubt have seen that I have added some sci-fi logo patterns to my website. More will follow (when I can be bothered to chart them), but here are the two I have already charted, getting the blackwork treatment!

The Cylon Helmet is slow going because I need good light to see the holes in the dark fabric!

The Visitor logo is quite quick to stitch – a competent stitcher could get this done in under a week!


Update: UFP’s:

Erm … next!

So that’s it folks for this month. Tomorrow and Friday I’m planning to post some patterns that should make for fun weekend projects!

WIP Update - February 2011

Apologies for the triple posting frenzy today - it would appear that my blogs are getting like buses!

Anyway, here's something else I'm going to try and ressurect this year - my monthly work in progress updates.  Big projects (like the ShinRa logo), will continue to get their own posts, but everything else of interest is going here.

I know I started this last year, and it didn't really go anywhere, but last year was a shitty year and I'm going to be better organised this year!

I started a folder on my Facebook page showcasing all my current work in progress.  I did this partly because I had friends who would rather comment on my work on there then on here or DA.  I'll confess that Facebook has lost it's appeal for me (I only really use it to stay in touch with friend's and family), so I doubt that those of you who read my blog, DA journals etc.. will be too bothered about looking at the same stuff over on Facebook.

Still, it's there if you are interested and anyone (friend or not), can view the folder here.

Here is this month's offering:

Part 6 of my 'In Stitches' is starting to look familiar ...

Assassin's Creed Logo being worked in Blackwork



A Nightmare from 'Link's Awakening'