Bee Cross Stitch - and a WiP

[bk_forever]

I finished another set of small designs for cards, this time some bees and honey. The two small ones were stitched on 14 count and and the four larger ones on 16 count, because that was all I had that was easily accessible. Most of my fabric is stored in a big old chest that currently has a lot of stuff piled on top it and I didn't feel like moving it all to get at my stash of 14 count.








This last one I plan to post pics of as it progresses. On the left you can see the design as it should look when it's done, and on the right... Well, I've started it, the first part of the cross stitch border is done!

This is tougher than the other designs I've been stitching lately. It's bigger for a start, but as I want it for a card (possibly), I'm making it smaller by stitching on 20 count fabric - that is, 20 squares per inch - with one strand of thread. I cut and prepared the fabric for this and another large design years ago but never got around to stitching them. The design is 96 stitches each way, and will measure 12 x 12 cm when it's done. I'll be stitching other things while I work on this because I need good daylight to see the holes... o_O

Wish me luck!

Comments

[bk_forever]

Sounds good! I wish I could afford a loft conversion. Think of all the shelves and cabinets I could fit up there...

I've finished the first of the new set of designs.

Insects are plaguing me! I just had a bee come in and buzz in my ear. The other night I turned on my torch before switching off my bedside light and a bee (probably not the same one) landed on the lens. I had a handful of bee at one point but I got it out the window. Last night I got into bed and settled down to read and a ladybird landed on me so I had to get up again and put that out, and this morning there was a big moth settled comfortably in the loo!

[lexxiescott]

That would be so lovely. Second stories aren’t really practical in Florida, but I totally take your point. :-)

Yay! Animal, vegetable, or words? I was going to ask mineral, but that seems a bit silly.

Maybe they think you’re a larger Mrs. Tittlemouse? You’ve had Babbitty Bumble, the ladybird. I don’t recall a moth visiting, but be glad you haven’t seen Mr. Jackson. *grins* More power to you with the bees. I’m deathly allergic to stings, so have to flee or swat. Bees I flee, nasty stingies I swat.

[bk_forever]

For me it would be a third storey since I have two already... and still not enough space o_O

They're flowers, and now I've finished the second one!

Speaking of minerals... Vanessa has listed some crystals for Sunday, 30 I think. I've got my eye on the Labradorite - it's pricey, but the bluest I've seen. Have to see how bidding goes.

It was a honey bee - both times - rather than a bumble bee. Haven't seen many bumbles this year, sadly. I don't thin I've ever been stung so I don't know if I'm allergic or not, but I tend to just order bees and wasps out if they don't go of their own accord. They're usually reasonably cooperative.

I've hit a snag with Collin's card - I can't find the cowboy design so I've got to go through all my magazines again *headdesk*

[lexxiescott]

You have the excuse of a smaller house overall than I have. I take your point though.

Oh, cool!

That is a pretty one. I might try for the spirit quartz depending on bidding. I haven’t seen one that shape before. What’s up with the chalcedony? It looks like a little old man with a shell and two large arms. Kinda freaks me out a little.

I never worry about hone or bumble bees. They only sting when threatened. Yellow jackets, wasps, and other angry stingies are the ones I have to watch out for. It’s why I can never drive with the windows down. I’m glad you’ve never been stung. It hurts.

Oh for. That’s sort of the last thing you need right now. Fingers crossed you find it quickly.

[bk_forever]

I suppose I should be thankful I don't have more rooms to heat...

The chalcedony is one of the weirdest pieces I've seen, lol! I might bid on it, I don't know.

I don't think we get yellow jackets in England. That's probably a good thing. We do get hornets, but I've only seen one one, on holiday in Devon one year.

I've got to sort all the magazines for storing anyway, and it doesn't take too long to flip through them since I know what I'm looking for. I thought I'd left that one out, but it's not in the boxful with pages marked on the things I want to stitch next... It'll turn up.

[lexxiescott]

That's a major plus. *grins* Still, more storage space will always be nice.

More power to you, it seriously weirds me out. *giggles*

They're similar enough to hornets and wasps to make no nevermind. Nasty things.

Still a pain though. hopefully it'll turn up quickly.

Perky and I have gained at least one more shop, maybe two. I didn't realize there was a Waterstones in Piccadilly - the largest in Europe according to the web page - and she needs to go to a clothing store. I suggested Selfridges, but we might also just do Marks & Spencers. The money exchange is in the M & S in Kensington super-close to our hotel. Really excited about the bookstore though.

[bk_forever]

If I win it I'll let you know what it's like!

Book stores are always a good thing. I always liked M & S stuff, good quality. It's worth having a browse around, and you might come across some other likely stores on your travels. =)

I found it, but my memory is a bit off - its huge! 120 by 85 stitches. Even on 30 count that's a bit big for a card, so I don't know if I'll do that or not. I have found a slight;y smaller alternative, I have a couple of charts for orchids, and I know Colin likes those, so I might do one of them. There's less stitching with them, and plenty of space to add a '60 today' or something if I want to. Also found a rosebud in a vase which is very pretty. I have plenty to choose from now =D

[lexxiescott]

I’m all for unique crystals, but that one takes all the awards. *grins*

I’ve always been impressed when I’ve gone through when I’ve been in London. I’ve cut through on rainy days to try to keep dry. I’ll have to see what Perky thinks. I have a feeling we’ll be wandering into random shops while we’re walking from place to place. It’s one reason I want to walk as much as possible, so we can actually see more.

That is a bit big for a card. Sounds like maybe misplacing it ended up a happy thing. The orchids sound lovely, and a message would be fun, too. :-)

[bk_forever]

That is one of the big benefits of walking - if you see a shop or something tat looks interesting you can nip in instead of staring wistfully as you sail past, knowing you probably won't get back that way.

I'm not sure the orchids are much smaller, I hope I've got a big enough card blank... I'll see what I can sort out that works though. First, I need to be able to get at my fabric o_O

The auction's an hour later than usual tonight, which always throws me.

Your pressie went in the post Friday - I keep forgetting to tell you. A thing or two in there to take on your travels to stave off boredom during the travelling parts ;)

[lexxiescott]

I'd rather walk everywhere when I'm on holiday so I can duck into those fun little shops that pop up out of nowhere when you go past them. I found one of my favorite dragon pieces that way - in London, too. I think we were trying to find The Museum that time around. Perky's heavy, though, and walking isn't easy for her, so I'm going to have to probably split my time between feet and bus.

Shame on the fabric hiding. Or being in a difficult place to get to, knowing how things go. You should see my cupboard at work. I'm always afraid to open the thing.

I'm watching the auction carefully. So far no bids on the cactus quartz, which is the one I'd really like. Might do the chlorite quartz to help even out the postage. Have to see.

Aw, thank you. :) Fortunately, the worst of the travel will be overnight, so I can at least doze. I've never been able to sleep on airplanes. No matter what. Might be good for the train, too.

[bk_forever]

I hear you. Maybe you can hop on and off busses.

Once I can shift the blanket box out from under everything I'll be able to see what'll work best. I don't want to have to buy more. The higher the count, the more expensive the fabric.

Did you get either of the ones you wee interested in? I got outbid on the Labradorite, but I got the weird Chalcedony, also the polished Flint. That one reminded me of a whale. I think Vanessa must be away on holiday or something. She hasn't uploaded next week's pics yet.

Hopefully you'll be able to get a bit of sleep en route. You don't want to be exhausted on your first day.

[lexxiescott]

That’s probably my only hope. Or push for lots of breaks between locations.

Don’t blame you a bit on that one. Seems like that’s the way it always is, the higher the count the more it costs.

I did manage to snag the spirit quartz. It was a bit more than I wanted to go, so it’s the only one I got. Can’t wait to see it though. I think it’ll be worth that bit extra.

lol, you’ll have to let me know if it looks as weird in person as it did in the pictures. Nice grab on the flint. :-)

Jet lag always sucks, but I know a few tricks so it doesn’t last as long. That’s why two easy days when we’re first in country.

[bk_forever]

I should've known, you being a seasoned traveller, that you'd know how to handle it! A slow start makes sense.

Plus, the higher counts are harder to get. 14 count is everywhere. 20 count is almost as rare as hen's teeth. I get my fabric off ebay.

Yay for getting the spirit quartz. It's a lovely one! I'm quite excited about the chalcedony. Got to wait for an invoice though, because of getting two. I will definitely let you know the full weirdness of my new little friend ;)

I'm off to bed in a minute. I'm beat.

[lexxiescott]

The trick is to not sleep the day you arrive. We’ll get in around seven or so local time, which will feel like 0200 to us. We’ll go to the hotel, store our bags, go to a couple of museums, eat a light lunch, and maybe shop a bit. Try to stay up as late in the afternoon as possible, then sleep and get up around seven the next morning and get started to set a pattern. It’s not easy, but it works.

Online shopping is a lifesaver these days. eBay is a really, really good place to find things. I use amazon quite a bit too.

*grins* I’m sure he’ll have an interesting feeling to him.

Hope you’ll have an okay night. I’m watching haunted houses again. Don’t know why I do this before trying to sleep. It’s a really good show though.

[bk_forever]

Staying awake must be hard though. I feel tired just thinking about it.

You can get just about anything online, but searching for what I want on ebay keeps getting harder because they keep changing things =(

I imagine he will, he's so unique!

I slept, but I had so many weird dreams. Why is it when I watch several episodes of ER in a row, I dream about the characters, but that never happens when I watch a bunch of episodes of something else? I did have a Doctor Who based dream as well, but I don't remember what happened.

If I watched anything spooky before bed, I'd have nightmares O.O

Contest Week starts today, so I won't have time for cross-stitching =(

[lexxiescott]

It is. But without sleepwalking into traffic it’ll be worth it. I might crash after Eggheads, if it’s still airing anyway. I love Daphne and Judith. And I can’t watch it in the states *cries*

If it works well then you know the company is going to screw it up. >.<

That is odd. Vivid dreams always make me feel sleepier than sleeping without dreams. I hope they were at least good dreams!

Good luck with contest week!

[bk_forever]

Yes, please no sleepwalking into traffic! I've never watched Eggheads. Or I don't think I have...

Yeah, I hate that when an auction item ends the site now flips me straight to an alternative item they've chosen and I often ave to battle to get back to Vanessa's page. Then in sends me email reminders on items I've looked at, which are the ones they shoved at me which I'm not even interested in! Grrr! They've messed up ebay so badly!

I'm always exhausted when I wake up anyway. Maybe it's all the running around in dreams. i don't remember detail from the 4 or 5 last night, but they were entertaining.

Thanks, I haven't started writing yet because the first contest theme is to write fills over 1k long and I'm too tired to begin that now. I've found a few potential prompts so I'll see if I can write a couple tomorrow.

[lexxiescott]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KOfi5sJFZvc

I know your computer doesn't have the best volume, but here's a link to one of the shows. Looks like they're putting the more recent ones up. I actually watched this one when it originally aired - and got the question about the states they missed. It looks like it's on BBC2, I think at 1800. But I'm not seeing Daphne. I hope she didn't pass.

Don't get me going on it. The auction will no longer show on my tablet, which is what I spend most of my time on, so I have to use my phone, so I don't have pictures as big as I'd like them. Then they keep looping me in and around weird sites. Not to mention logging me out at odd times. I almost lost the spirit quartz Sunday because of that. >.<

Me too. I feel you on that one. lol, sounds a bit like me the other night. I kept waking up from bad puns. I guess as long as we're amused while we're asleep, it's worth it.

Sounds like a good plan. *nods* I'm sure you'll be able to manage a couple, even with the mess you're facing.

[bk_forever]

I'll check it out when I'm not so tired, stressed, and busy.

And then they wonder why people aren't using the site as much. I suppose it's set up for the latest and newest computers, tablets, etc. Stupid ebay!

Being entertained while you sleep is always good. Nightmares not so much.

I'm so stressed and exhausted I'm not enjoying Contest Week much so far. I managed two fills so I'm in joint second place, but I've spent all evening tying to find suitable prompts for the senses theme (pick one sense and fill prompts that relate to it), and it's proving really hard to find any that haven't already been filled. I think I spent three hours looking. I'll have to see what I can manage writing tomorrow.

[lexxiescott]

I hear you. I think you’ll like it. I actually have the little video game version, but the trivia is UK and Europe oriented so I spend a lot of time guessing.

Most likely. My tablet is older, but I’ve got the latest OS running on it. Maybe they’re angling away from Mac and more towards PC. *sighs*

Nightmares are horrible no matter how you slice it. Though I have used some of my more vivid and disturbing ones in novels. It almost scares me how easily they fit in.

Heavens, sounds like you’re battling a storm this time. Joint second is amazing with how stressed you are right now. Good luck tomorrow!

[bk_forever]

Sounds fun!

I'm still running windows seven, but internet explorer... nine? Not sure, but the one after the one I use kept crashing my computer so I got a blocker to stop it being repeatedly uploaded.

Not really. There are only 3 participants, my friend on three fills, me and the other person on two each. I need to do better, but at least now I can write shorter fills, they don't have to be over 1k.

[lexxiescott]

There are many days I would happily track down software designers and force them to use their creations. I’m glad you were able to get a block on the download. I actually have an IT push security update on my work computer that has been failing to install for a MONTH and freezes up my desktop twice a day. *sighs*

I’m always so impressed with how well you can tell a story in few words. That’s a gift not many people have. I certainly have trouble with it.

[bk_forever]

Automatic download are a menace. I have my compute set so I can decide what windows downloads to accept now, but I was on to windows support for hours to get the blasted IE 10 blocked. The support tech was great, though. I have to say he worked really hard to rescue me. This was a few years ago now, while mum was still alive.

Thank you! I prefer writing short pieces because then I don't forget what I wrote in previous chapters and have to keep checking. I got a lovely comment today on my latest Buffy double drabble about how I'd packed so much emotion into 200 words =)

I did better on Contest Week today, wrote 4 fills for Day 2 and I've already done one for Day 3, which I somehow managed to write while watching the Supervet. Amazing man, fixing people's pets, performing lifesaving surgery and repair work. So I'm on seven now and joint first sort of. I'm actually in second place on day 2 but my one piece for day 3 brings me level. I want to write at least 4 tomorrow, but I have lots of great prompts to choose from. Just a matter of writing.

[lexxiescott]

That’s the best way to do it. A good support tech is a wonderful thing. Wish I had one of those at work. *sighs*

Isn’t that always the best pick-me-up? I love readers that take the time to leave thoughtful reviews. I’ve made several friends that way!

Sounds like really good progress. I don’t know if I could watch Supervet. I cry during baseball games. Animals sick or hurting makes me break down and crying gives me a headache. He does sound like an amazing guy though. :-) The world needs more people like that.

[bk_forever]

I'm up to 18 fills with three days to go, but I usually get 40 or more fills and this time I'll be lucky to reach 30. It's a struggle and I feel crap today, which isn't helping.

I've made good friends that way too. I miss the days when people always commented if they liked something, and they were long comments. These days, people just want to click a like button and move on.

There's a lot of owners crying on the show, and a lot of hugging, but Noel Fitzpatrick, the bionic vet, is amazing. He's developed so many procedures and prostheses for dogs and cats, knee replacements, hip replacements, even bone replacements within the legs, not to mention feet similar to those that human amputees get. Seeing the animals pain free and able to live out there lives that way after surgery is incredibly uplifting.