And This Little Pig said Crazies Day 15 -- Whoo Hoo

Whoo Hoo!!! Happy dance :D Day 15 of the Crazy January Challenge, and 15 starts. Great now I have an extra 15 WIP's :-o)

Today I started my largest project [131x307], it is a freebie available at Needleprint, called Northern Nights designed by Kathy of Gracewood Stitches, a beautiful band sampler. The sampler originally had two shades of gold, and three shades of blue, I've added a couple of shades of green and antique violet.

So today I took some extra time to make up a couple of calico 'bags' for want of a better word, for my scroll rod frames. The problem I have always had when using scroll rods, is no matter how hard I try, I just can't seem to keep the back completely clean. Always get rod marks along the back, at the bottom of the linen. Must be the way I hold them :(

I'm not very good with instructions, so this may ramble a bit, and sorry I didn't take photos. First I measured the squares by laying the calico over the scroll rods, make sure you add a little extra for the width of the scroll bars. Sewed up the sides, leaving the top open, like a pillowcase. Stitch a casing tube around the top, like you would for an elastic waist in a pair of pants or a skirt. Measured the elastic around the frame (scroll bars). Making sure it is tight enough to keep calico in place, but have enough stretch in the elastic that I can still get the fabric round the tension knobs. Then inserted elastic into the casing tube, with a safety pin. Sewed the ends of the elastic together, and quickly stitched the hole closed.... There Bob's your uncle.

So I can pull them all the way up and cover the frame completely when I'm not stitching and pull down so I have room to stitch, all the while protecting the linen at the bottom of the frame. Will have to work out something similar for my Q-snap frame.

Here are the three sizes I made, for my bigger Crazies projects.

Oh I forgot to mention if you have problems with the Northern Lights chart off Needleprint, go to Kathy's blog, and she will send it to you personally. She was so very helpful when I got mine.

Well good night, this little pig is off to bed.
LiBBiE in Oz

And This Little Pig said Crazies Day 14

Crazies Day 14, and I think my sanity is going to survive... just :D

Started my second biggest project today, leaving the big one for tomorrow... LHN Pumpkin Hollow Farm, this is a beautiful pattern, and I have been in love with it since it was released.

This and CCN Pumpkin Cottage are on scroll rods, it has been years since I have used them, I discovered Q-snaps, but they are both too large for stitching 'free hand', just couldn't get the tension right. And I don't have a small Q-snap.

I went out early this morning with the camera, I have this weed that grows in the front yard, I've never pulled it out, as a lovely caterpillar usually comes and eats it for me! They were a bit late this year, but last night I noticed it had been stripped of all it leaves, and they were starting in on the seed pods.

I have been wanting them to come so I could try out the Sony Nex-5, it did a beautiful job. Here is a collage of the same picture, I've done different things to it, enhanced the colour, wasted it out, sepia, antique in different levels, then enhanced it again.

The caterpillar on it's own. Divine isn't he/her.

So this afternoon, I had them printed in 5x7, in the different shading of antique, I love the way it looks, it has been done up as a gift. I hope they like it.

And This Little Pig said Crazies Day 13

I started the first of my bigger projects today, Country Cottage Needleworks, Pumpkin Cottage. This was part of the new stash I added before Christmas. I was missing a couple of the speciality threads. Ordered them on Tuesday.

Went to make a start, and can you believe it I had no DMC white! None! Nada! So I had to dig into my LHN Family Sampler, and borrow some DMC winter white. Really happy with my start, would have been more, but cousin rang again on her way home from work, and seeing as it is her birthday, I thought I better have a chat :D

Late last year, I treated myself to a new handbag, I am not a handbag person. Usually when I shop, I carry my wallet and phone, hoping I have a pocket for my car keys. Weekdays are easy, I carry a laptop, and it is my work handbag.

Saw this handbag in a shop window, loved the colour, so I spent a month looking at it every time I went to the bank or post office. Finally I caved, and went in and had a look. It's a bit big, but I thought well I won't be using it that much.

Those were famous last words, it now comes to work with me everyday, and currently holds two JCS Ornament issues 2009 & 2006. Along with all the LHN ornaments I am stitching for the crazies. Patterns, floss, scissors, tape measure and spare needles. My wallet, phone and keys still go with my laptop.

Very broad update on the Queensland flooding, river in Brisbane peaked a metre (3.5 feet) under the expected high. A big foot bridge collapsed and a 300 metre (1000 feet) section floated down the river, moving at 25 kilometres (15 miles) towards a major 12 lane bridge. But never fear, Mavis the little tug that could came out and with a lot of pushing and shoving guided it between the pillions, before a bigger tug managed to get out and help guide it out into the bay. Mavis is 40 years old, and she and her skipper did a marvelous job.

And just to show that even when we are down, but not out the Aussie sense of humour still prevails. This is a statue of one of Australia's greatest rugby league players (you don't know how hard that is for me to type) Wally Lewis, it is outside Suncorp Stadium, which is now one big swimming pool.

The more sombre news, death toll now 15, revised missing 61. One small community has 11 people missing, they are from two families. This will only get worse, as they are only just getting into the worse effected areas.

Please keep Queensland in your thoughts and prayers.

And This Little Pig said Crazies Day 12 + Cow-Day-Wednesday

Day 12 of the Crazies rolls to a close, with the flood situation in Queensland, having not improved. It is a slow motion disaster. But at least the residents of Ipswich and Brisbane, know it is coming, and have a chance to get to higher ground, and at least save some of their processions.

Unlike the poor residence of Grantham, their stories of survival and loss are horrific

There is some good news if you can call it that, the death toll has risen by 2 to 12, but the missing which climbed to 90 today, has been revised down to 48 this evening. It is more of people finding each other than being found (hope that makes sense). Most of the missing are from Grantham.

So onto Day 12, I was going to get so much more stitching done today, but my cousin rang me on the way home from work, and we talked for an hour :D This is good, and I told her I was going to blame her as well.

So the last of my LHN Ornaments Joy to the World, I was determined to get at least one of her wings done, but it was not to be.

Today is also Wednesday, so that is Cow-Day. I love Brahman cattle, so when I get the chance, I go a little overboard. Such a beautiful eye.

So thought I would have a nose day, and try out the Nex-5 with up close shots.

Love the heart shaped top of this nose, and the bubbles.

Hairy nose. Don't you just love the bi-colour.

Just to show how pretty she is, check out the fringe on those ears.

So This Little Pig says Goodnight, and I forgot to mention that my brother and his family are safe.  And I am far from harm, will find a map in the next couple of days to show you where the Hunter Valley is... LiBBiE in Oz

And This Little Pig said Crazies Day 11 - And What a Day

It has been an absolutely awful day in Australia, I will do my Crazy Challenge posting first.

Well I did do a little bit of stitching tonight, but is was hard to concentrate. So tonight LHN Ornament I was going to do All is Calm, but I realised that I must have looked at the stitch count for the bonus chart Bless Our Home, and I had precut my fabric, and stitching the bigger pattern would have been pushing the boundary.

I can't believe that after tomorrow, I will have started 13 Little House Needlework Ornaments for 2010.

DJ Tickled Pink In Stitches commented last night or was that today :D that she wished she could have watched me hand dye my fabric. So DJ for you a dyed another piece of linen tonight. I don't think I have mentioned that I will be stitching all of my January Crazy Challenge on Zweigart Belfast 32 count linen, over two... that's over 2 DJ! Not one!

Well first I wash my linen. Usually in the kitchen sink. Give it a quick rinse.

Then I get out my favourite dye. Parisian Browning Essence, I have never tried tea or coffee, and the Beautiful Bev at my LNS told be you can't go past Parisian Essence for ease and steadfastness. The linen goes in wet, and the water is warm to hot.

It always looks dark, but you can make the result darker or lighter by adding either Essence or water.

Quick check, usually leave in for around 20 minutes. If it is too dark, just rinse with clean water. Also if you want a blotchy look scrunch up your fabric, while dying, then rinse just lightly. Well that worked for me by mistake :D

I hang on my clothes horse, and allow it to drip dry, remember to put either paper or a towel underneath for the drips.

All ironed (my linen is usually still quite damp when I do this) That is a piece of un-dyed linen along the bottom.

It's been awhile since piggy made and appearance, and he decided to have a look tonight.

Now for the awful day, we all have had natural disasters hit our countries, and it is awful when it does. I mean in two-three weeks in will have been two years since the bush fires in Victoria. Over 170 people lost their lives, and whole towns wiped out.

Tonight it is Queensland's turn, not fire, but water. Flooding after years of drought. Record flooding we have had so much rain that dams (water reservoir) have gone from 5-20% capacity to over full, some holding 160%. I don't know how they work that out.

The death toll, as it stands at the moment is 10 confirmed dead of which 5 are children. Nearly 80 missing of which there are real concerns for 15.
 
Evacuations going on all over the south-eastern corner of the state. Some people being force to leave their homes for a second time in a 10 day period. Whole towns being moved.

The news footage is horrific, people trapped in cars. Cars, trucks, shipping containers, houses being swept away. They are calling the flash flood that hit Toowoomba an inland Tsunami with a 2 metre (8 feet) wall of water. One small town the first they knew this was happening was when a house hit the local pub.

Now all this water is heading towards Brisbane the states capital. I have a brother, sister-in-law and two nephews that live on the outskirts of Brisbane. They are fine, up high, but the roads are now cut. All that matters is that they are safe.

I could go on all night but to give you some idea of how big and widespread this is Queensland is the second largest state in Australia, and 75% has been declared a Natural Disaster. Here is a map I 'borrowed' from the Queensland State Government website.

I would stay goodnight, but it's just not.
LiBBiE in Oz

And This Little Pig said Crazies Day 10

Just a quickie update tonight, as I have spent the evening dying the last of my fabric for the Challenge, my two bigger pieces, and one large piece.

So tonight LHN Ornament He's A Flake... Ta Da :D

So goodnight, until tomorrow.

LiBBiE in Oz

And This Little Pig said Crazies Day 9

Not much stitching done today or tonight. Today unfortunately had to be dedicated to housework, washing, mowing the lawn and washing the car, which was in desperate need of a good wash.

But I did get in a few stitches of LHN Ornament Frosty Flakes, still a start is a start.

Tonight was an evening at the pub, for my friend Lee Lee's birthday, a beautiful dinner, which I forgot to take a photo of, garlic prawns with sauce on a bed of rice with Turkish bread... divine.

Lee is six months younger than me, she had meningitis when she was four. She is the most beautiful person. When her Mum and Dad leave this world (not for many, many, many years) I will be her legal carer.

Also at the pub is this great photograph, of dairy cattle at the local agricultural show, we all have a great time, trying to name the people or at least the family. There is no date, but we believe it was just after the war.