And This Little Pig said X-Stitch Finish

I have finished my Star Trek mattress pincushion! The stitching was done and dusted in May. 

I had checked out most of the tutorials for this type of finish, and decided that I would try something a little different. I like evenness and definite lines, funny that. So I whipped stitched every side/edge, even the short ones on the corners. Extra work, but I like it.

 

I've had this all whipped stitched up and stuffed with fibre fill, and only about 2 inches to finish, and just didn't like the feel, I'm sure it wasn't lumpy, but I just couldn't get the thought out of my head, so Sunday craft shopping at Spotlight, to get some wadding, frogged the last bottom seam, and now I am much happier, finished last night.

Spotlight, where having a 20% off everything sale, including anything that was already on sale, so all the floss for a new project, and some Linen 32 ct Belfast, Antique White, that was already reduced from $72 to $48 per metre with a further 20% off that, went a little crazy and brought what was left on the roll 1.4 metres (4.5 feet). I've seen this linen on-line and in stores for $95 a metre. Bargain, and I can always dye.

And This Little Pig said V

Well it looks like I am starting to collect the alphabet, first Y, now V. I don't know if I will succeed, but it is worth a try, I've seen a lot of letters and numbers over the years, so this will give me something extra to keep an eye out for.

I also seem to have developed a thing for butts! And tails, I just love the 'brush' of a tail, they can be as individual as the cattle, and I've never seen two alike.

And This Little Pig said Puppies

Warning! Warning! Many Ahhh moments below... Picture heavy

I was home this weekend at the family farm, which was the Queen's Birthday Long Weekend, to whelp our mini Dachshund Tatty. Thankfully she managed this before I was due to come back to work.

Four beautiful puppies, 3 girls, 1 boy, 3 black and tan, 1 chocolate and tan (girl). Born Monday 14 June, between 2.30pm and 4pm. Weighing between 200-220 grams (7-7.75ozs)

The following photos are brought to you by Tatty and Larry. 

 

Our LGD Molly, just couldn't stay out of the action, a picture you just know that if you tried to take, you wouldn't be able to capture.

More farm piccies in the next couple of weeks

And This Little Pig said Bellow

Nine days into winter, and it has finally struck, while the sun was shining, there no heat, and as the day went  on a cold breeze turned into a freezing, piercing wind.

Cattle numbers were down, more to the fact that we have had good rain, than that it is so cold... Oh look I sound like what I am, a cattle auctioneers secretary.

I think I have a thing for bellowing cattle, managed to snap this little fellow below, obviously looking for mum.

Isn't it interesting, how half a step to the right, and then a full two steps to the right, can have such a dramatic effect on a photo. The first two below are the same beast, the third is different, but both were in the same pen.

And because I couldn't resist here is the bellower again (yes it is the same photo except in portrait.

And This Little Pig said Frogs

Like all of us, we collect, mine is frogs and pigs, and while I can say that I have never stitched a pig, I have done plenty of frogs, so here are a few from years past that have been framed.

First is Wimbledon... Green Tree Frog, chart Ross Original by Graeme Ross, and yes I finished him while watching Wimbledon. I love Graeme Ross charts, completed 7 of them.

Ever had a piece of work, that you just couldn't frame? I call this frog my Framing Fantasy, and the only piece I will ever go to this extreme to frame.

Two wonderful ladies do my framing, and we spent an hour with this little frog who measures all of 2.5 x 1.75 inches. I think we tried every frame in the shop. We had this nice gold frame, but it just wasn't enough, so as a joke, we decided to try this big heavy dark green, gold trimmed frame, it was too much. Then the framers God bless their little hearts thought 'Oh double frame', and put them both together. It worked, we spent more time saying it was ridiculous and too expensive to frame such a small piece in this way. More frames tried, nothing worked. So my Framing Fantasy ended up being 20 x 18 inches, and is absolutely not ridiculous, but Devine.

I photographed this afternoon three hours apart, light difference is amazing, so is the reflection in the glass. That is the small gum tree across the road.

Plus photos of my two little helper frogs.

And This Little Pig said X-Stitch Challenge

One of my cross stitch groups had a challenge in May to stitch 100 stitches a day. Total stitches for the month 3994 average 128.8 stitches a day.

Bit of a Trekkers theme, this is being made up into a mattress pin cushion.

Spock and Kirk are available free from deviantART, the designer Black-Lupin (http://black-lupin.deviantart.com/). There was an article in Cross Stitch Crazy (UK) April 2010.

 I re-dressed them to put them in a not-party mood.
 

This Spock and Kirk were not part of my challenge, but I could not resist doing them in uniform. New Spock and Kirk, Star Trek XI.

And This Little Pig said Moooooo

It was a busy day today, so only had about five minutes to quickly find some interesting calves, love the girl above, couldn't believe I had grabbed this shot, when I downloaded them.

A teddy bear?

You didn't just take my picture?

Two older ladies, showing off impressive sets of horns