Chookshed Challenge #4 - Lanarte - 3 vases cross stitch

This has been a very very long term project.  
(And as it's already the 29th - I'm just scraping in)

Back in 1985, I finished one of a set of 3 vases of flowers - designed by Lanarte.

It appears I finished the second one a fair while after that - I'm guessing 2018.

For the last couple of years, I have added this project to challenge lists and made some progress on it each time.

Finally, it's done:

and the other two:

  

I will need to add initials & year to the second one and stitch the frame.

I really think I may need to get these framed...

Sunday Stitchers - UFO Challenge 2025 - #9 - Three vases Cross Stitch

I got very flexible with my UFO Challenge list for March....Originally #9 was "Token Quilt - Progress"...but I decided that was a big ask . . . .so I swapped it to My Small World - Finish"
- which meant pinning and then quilting it.... should be OK I thought.....
There were a few distractions .. . and I had a string of meetings and such out of the house . ..still plenty of time I thought....THEN it was predicted that we could get Tropical Cyclone Alfred landing on us . . . .so some preparation was needed . . . I put it aside....

On the 9th of March I decided, it wasn't going to happen so I swapped my #9 again . . progress on the 3 Vases Cross Stitch would have to do...

Here is where I got to last time - & funnily enough it was project #9 last year - it was meant to be!!!

and now it's looking like this:

It's a bit like "Spot the Difference"!!!   LOL

Stitching the pink flower is tedious as the pattern is only in black and white and it is hard to discern the backstitch lines from the chart and symbols.....the stitching in the background is far more pleasurable...Anyway some progress was made , . . . on it goes...
More may happen later this year...

Tropical Cyclone Alfred

Fortunately, Tropical Cyclone Alfred turned into a Tropical Low before it really hit our area, though a lot of SE Qld has had damage, power loss, etc. At one point, over 300,000 customers were without power, some for days. Luckily, our power loss was short-lived—only 12 hours—so there was no food loss and no major inconvenience.
We had put bags of water in place along the doors leading to our pergola area in the hope of preventing any buildup of water seeping under the doors....

For those overseas...this cyclone could have been named Anthony - but Alfred was chosen instead.
We are due for Federal Elections very soon - our current Prime Minister is Anthony Albanese....it was decided to use Alfred for this one instead...to "avoid confusion". 
I suspect it was more like - so that the combination "Anthony &/or Cyclone" couldn't be used together....LOL
Whichever party wins, we won't end up in the mess that another country has...not mentioning any names.
 

Sunday Stitchers - January - UFO Challenge #9

At Sunday Stitchers, some of us have decided to re-instate the UFO Challenge list, to help us get things done...This year some of my UFO Challenge projects are "make progress on"...and I decided that means - spending at least 2 days working on the project.

The project for January was #9 - which is "Three vases - cross stitch".

Many years ago - in my early cross stitch days...a friend and I decided to make a set of three cross stitches.  They featured vases of flowers.  I did one...if you can see the date... it's 85...almost 40 years ago.....[....hanging head.....].     I did the second one . . .some time . . . . and then, sort of recently (ie less than 5 years ago)  I worked on the third one.

Here are the two that are done.

Here is how the third one looked at the beginning of January 2024

I have spent two days of sewing group time on it...and got to this point.
I am at the stage where it is no longer good for social sewing days.

I will get there - but obviously, my patience level has dropped over time as I am finding the back stitching of the flowers especially tedious.   My goal is to finish and frame them all by the end of 2025.

It's back in the cupboard for now.   Concentrating on Project #9...hopefully a finished top.

Bumper Weekend

FMWF

Friday Night was FNWF.
You know the drill - a quick & easy dinner (fish & chips this time)  - easy stuff whilst watching BH&G . . . crochet this time
Then into SSS and I put these pieces together for the start of a baby quilt.

Chookshed Party

Every year Chooky has a Chookshed party.  Originally to celebrate the first year of having her own "sewing space"  - she invites girls to come for a sleepover and a big sewing gig.

Sadly this year there cannot be a real physical party - BUT good news for everyone else - it was a Cyber Party via Zoom.

I had a few things to sort in the morning - and then mid-afternoon I joined in...we chatted...we sewed - I saw faces I haven't seen for quite a while, .  . .I saw faces of people whose blogs I read and then I email with - (Hi again Bethan)
At one stage we had 11 or 12 . . . over a period of time, some left and some returned.
By 10.30 Chooky had given up . . I stayed until 11.30 by which time there were just three of us.
Not to be daunted Chooky started again about 7:00 am on Sunday.

I joined in for a while and again saw people I haven't seen for a while - (Hi Holly, Raewyn).

I worked on a variety of hand sewing things...here are a few bits:

 Love & Hugs Australia - Anni Downs block

Some backstitching on the current cross stitch

 Some sashiko

and some more crochet....always interesting how the variations make a pattern and then stops.

As a lot of people are saying - although this Covod-190 pandemic is a disastrous event for the world - so many good things have come out of it.
In this case, the opportunity for sewers all over the world to connect visually and sew together.  Whilst Chooky missed out on her very special weekend (as well as the Baradine gig), so many of us were able to come together which would not have been possible without the push.

A huge thanks to Chooky for instigating & organising and especially making sure that the OS people had an opportunity to be involved.
It was a lot of fun - we learnt a lot - not all sewing related - and we certainly got an insight into life in other parts of the world. 

Chookshed Party Time

Chookyblue is having a Chookshed Party this weekend - and has invited all to participate via blogland.

Who needs an excuse to sew?? especially on a Friday night ???

I indulged in a bit of cross stitch whilst watching Better Homes & Gardens

Then into SSS I drifted...

I decided to put all the blocks for Jingle All the Way up to work out what extra bits need to go where - naturally I could have stuck to the pattern and the kit - but - me?? nah - I do like to challenge myself!!!!

I started here:

and sewed a few together and cut some of the extra bits and stuck them up on the design "wall".

I would say to Chooky & friends - Have a great time!!! - but I know they will be - drinks, nibbles, good food & good company and hopefully plenty of sewing.
Tomorrow is Group #1 (Loose Threads) sewing day so more sewing on the horizon.

FNSI - March 2018

We are a little delayed this month "due to technical difficulties" - but we all gathered at Wendy's "Cyber house" to sew and pass the time of day.

I had planned to hand stitch while watching TV , and then do some machining -  but Joey (the cat) decided to bed down on top of my legs so I stayed there cross stitching....I guess my plan for tonight will also need to be delayed.

This is what I worked on . . . .I only do this at home - it's just too hard when you are in a group and trying to have conversations.

Thanks Wendy - glad to hear your internet is all OK now.

FNSI - January 2018

I am slowly winding up the end to my break from work, so I was more than happy to spend Friday Night involved in some sort of sewing activity.  I did have a bit of work to do on my laptop, but then I was into my new cross stitch project:

This is one in a set of 3.  I stitched one of them - way back - before patchwork etc took over - I guess 1985-88.  I've been wanting to finish the set and finally bought some even weave to match the finished one and off I went.  I love cross stitch - it's not as social as a stitchery as you need to concentrate and count so I may not do much of it at sewing groups...but there isn't too much work in each one....a lot of backstitching though.

Thanks again Wendy for giving us the opportunity to set some time aside and sew.