...SBQ & Happy New Year..

I’m on holiday till 9th of January !!! Yuppie!!! :o)
Thank you for all your kind comment…my pc is still virused but I hope to find a cure soon!!!

This week’s was suggested by Nancy and is:

How do you balance your stitching time with your other obligations such as work, household chores, etc.?

It’s difficult to conciliate x-stitch to the thousand and one thing to do…
some time ago I found in a blog this saying:

…that’s my motto :o)
Cross stitch is my favourite way of relaxing…at evening, after a day of work and family (Luca DH and Alice DD), I need sometime for me and my hobby so the housework (above all ironing ) can wait…until the house seems like a battlefield.

Sometimes ago I joined a wonderful group with very kind stitchers…for this SAL I’ll stitch my first Mirabilia project: ”Touching the autumn sky” I’m waiting the chart and all the supplies from USA…I hope it’ll arrive soon.

I’m worry about my Cross Stitcher December issue it isn’t arrive yet…maybe Christmas holiday have slow down its arrive.

Now I go to prepare our New Year’s Eve Dinner….we had to go to Trento but my husband is ill (it’s his turn) so we stayed at home…we had to be only 3 (me, Luca and Aliceadsd )but this morning a friend of use phone us and he propose a dinner all together so now we are 6… :o)

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO EVERYONE!!!

..still alive...

:-( An other virus has infected my computer…I have 2 anti-virus, 1 spyware…it’s hopeless!! I have to format it!! What a damned nuisance!!!:-(

Forget this technical hitch …and move on to serious matter :o)

There isn’t enough hours in the day for me to do all I want...in these days I have a lot of thing to post but no time to do it!!! So I’ll post all of it today :o)

We passed a pleasant Christmas with all the family (grandparents, great grandparents, uncles and aunt)…with a lot of food, a lot of gift and a lot of fun!!
Unluckily at Christmas evening I had a temperature and a sore throat :o(…so I stayed in bed all the evening and all the Boxing Day (Santo Stefano)…blessedly my sister and brother gave me for Christmas Two books of Nick Hornby: About a Boy and High Fidelity so I spent all the day reading…I finished in a day High Fidelity wonderful…I devoured it!!!


I read also a book of Sciascia an Italian author that speak about Sicilian mafia…very interesting but disarming!

Now I’m reading About a Boy and it promises to be a fun book (I adore the movie with Hugh Grant …I love also High Fidelity movie with John Cusack).

This is the Christmas gift Alice DD made at nursery school…there are stars and an Angel of earthen, it’s nice and she was really proud of her work.

At last I’ve finished my TOM MOUSE ORNAMENTS before the end of Christmas, I’m quite satisfied but I have to improve my sew machinery technique…

I have also personalize the 2006 diary of my DH bank, I covered it with a grey felt and put in the middle a pink felt heart as you can see.

Lastly I sewed Alice (my friend) Christmas gift: I have stitch Virgo of Cattitue Oroscope and I finished it in a little bag...she loved it :O)

She gave me as a gift this box stitched by her for my fancyworks..it’s wonderful!!

Now I'm stitching a free pattern called Seasons by San Man Originals, I personalize it to match my need...I would like to put it on a calendar for my DD and liner is too long so I make a square then I change color from OLDE WILLOW TREADS (i hav no treads of this kind)to DMC.

...Merry Christmas...

I wish you:
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year
Buon Natale e Felice Anno Nuovo
Selamat Hari Natal
Joyeux Noël
Feliz Navidad
Gelukkig Kerstfeest
Hyvää joulua
god jul

...Christmas gift...

A really busy week as usual…work, family, housework …and this week also Christmas gift!!! Yesterday I bought those for Luca DH, Stefano brother…and I search thiose form my sister Elena and after viewing 5 shop I didn’t find what I need :o(…this after I’ll try again!!!






This is the Christams Card I received from Patricia…it’s lovely!!







These days I worked in a gift form my friend Alice…I will show the photo when I’ll give it to her…you never know if she read my blog on those days….
This is the little progress I’ve made on my Tatty Teddy…..I’ll stitch it calmly :o)

....thanks&card&SBQ...

First of all thank you for all your congratulation comment on my graduation!!! They make me happier than I was before:o) Thank a million!!! Alas no time to relax (only Tuesday afternoon), luckily I’m already working in the place where I’ve done my internship…I’m happy because I like my work and my associates but I would like to have some holiday …I will have time to relax myself maybe on January , I hope because I’m bushed ;o)

Finally I’ve put a Christmas ornaments on my blog…a wonderful tree!! (I hope it will trick out soon) [first I’ve founded it on Vash’s blog and i like it very much, then Zohrah send me one so thank you Zohrah ;o)]

This is my progress on Tatty Teddy + Snowman design….I‘ve taken part in a Stitch-a-Thon for this week-end so I’ll post my progress next Monday.

This is a Lizzie & Kate free design I’ve stitched this card for the birthday of my friend Vale, I hope she will love it!!

Now …this week’s SBQ isn’t about stitching: It is about blogging and was suggested by AngelSan:

Take a minute to reflect on your blog reading habits and preferences. What do you prefer to read in stitching blogs? (Progress, tips, family life, experiences, etc.) How much do you think you are influenced by other stitching bloggers?

This is a really interesting question …I like to read “pout pourry blog” that is blog that speaks about blogger’s life and thought and that shows a lots of stitching progress and tips[I think this must be the overriding part :o) ] I like to know something about the stitcher life in addition to her stitching works!!
I think I‘m influenced a lot from other stitching bloggers since they show works and design I’ve never saw before and I have never considered to stitch….reading other people blog give me a lot of new idea and help me to improve my technique…

Whopee, I’ve got it!!
Tuesday 13 December 2005 I took my degree in Managerial Engineering with 110/110!!
Wow I’m overjoyed!!!

...Christmas...

Thursday afternoon I and Alice make our Christmas tree…we use red little ball, some little Christmas book , some hand bell that play Christmas music, the new ornaments I have bought last week and some coloured light…my DD is really happy she like Christmas very much as me:)

This is the angel we have made for Alice School…they have made a Nativity Scene with all the angel made by children.

I have finished the Lottie frame I paint it with pink following San suggestion, then I paint some star (light blue and brilliant fuchsia) on it using a biscuit mould as stencil….before using it to make biscuit next time I have to wash it very well!!!

Voilà my degree thesis bounded….- 3 to GRADUATION DAY…

Finally I have started stitching My Tatty Teddy….just started ;)

...SBQ..

Today's was suggested by Zohrah and is:

Have you done any charity stitching, been in one, or would like to organize one?

I took part in two charity projects organized by Levistrix, one last year called “MIAOO” project and one currently on going called “CLOWN” project…I would like to take part also in an other project from Levi called “”Crescere a colori”

....Late Lottie....

With three days of late I have finished Happy Birthday Lottie for my DD Alice…..it was a struggle but but it was worth it!!!

The aida was too many fine and doing the backstitch has been really hard!!! Now I have to put the pattern in this frame I’ve bought I would like to paint it


What colour do you suggested?
I think to use light blue and to add the silver stars you can see in the photo what do you think?
Any suggestion is welcomed I’m quite wavering on what to do..
It took a long time because of a loot of little misfortune:
Friday evening I couldn’t’ work on it…I’ve forgotten that I have to help my mother to mould “CAPELLETTI” (see photo) for Alice Birthday Party. CAPELLETTI are a kind of Italian “PASTA” stuffed with meat, they are very good :).

Saturday was Alice birthday and I was ill I got temperature ….what a bad luck!!! so I stayed in bed all the afternoon and the evening…:(
On Sunday there was Alice Party with all the grandparents…and I was still sick!! I took an aspirin and the in got up and worked for the Party…Luckily everything go well and Alice was really happy for the whole thing: all the present she received, the cake, the balloon and the decoration!!


Luckily Sunday evening I get well and I can stitch on Lottie…
Last week I went to Bologna ( a city near Reggio Emilia) and I bought my first 2005 Christmas Ornaments …I think they are lovely..

I thought that re-reading a book could be boring instead it’s still wonderful!!!! It go over very well!!

I have just delivered my degree thesis!!! WOW now I have to make the power point show then I’ve finished.... finally!!!

...SBQ...

I think I won’t be able to finish Lottie on time for Alice birthday….uff….this evening I’ll make a tour de force stitching the backstitch till I have finished it!!!.I hope to finish before tomorrow….but the chart don’t help me...it’s very dark :(

I’m zonked in those days….. finally I have finished my degree thesis…YEP…. and now I’m printing 5 copies of it!!!! Yappy

Today’s SBQ was once again suggested by AngelSan and is:

Do you have rules in the way you stitch? (i.e., Do you start in the middle? Do you determine which blocks to stitch first? Do you always start from the top or the bottom? Do you have special paths to prevent wasting thread?)

I always start from the middle of the fabric…after I’m a free spirit…I stitch the colour that fit better with my humor and the one that is more easy to stitch...if I have to do a lot of stitch with the same colour i divide the area into some square and i stitch one of it at once.

I’ve finished to read the book of Hornby “Febbre a 90°” i like it very much...it seems like reading a book about my DH...he is a Milan fan !!
Now i’ve decided to re-read Harry Potter and the Order of Phoenix...i have just read it but i need to read it again to be ready to the next book that will be published in italian on January

...HARRY....

Yesterday evening we went to watch the new Harry’s movie: Harry Potter and The Globet of Fire. It’s wonderful !! It’s a very exciting and gripping!! I think it’s the best of the 4 Harry’s movies!! The actors are really grown!! I think it’s beautiful that the actors are the same for all the film…unfortunately Albus Dumbledore is changed…Anyway we like it very much!!
I have almost finished the X stitch of Lottie..now I have to stitch two green stars and the backstitch, in the lunch break I’ll go to buy a square frame…I hope to find one!!
This is the view from my kitchen ….the snow is spectacular!!!!
I’m still working on my thesis is almost finished….I hope!!!

....still snow...

Also today it’s snowing…I like very much to see white all around me …but snow in the city streets is an awful grin!! By now no snow ploughs have clean the streets and there is a lot of snow ..I think I’ll be stay at home…writing my thesis and maybe stitching!!!
Yesterday I’ve received a registered mail from Levistrix with all the material to make the clown (see the photo) i have to stitch for the charity project I’ve took part in. I will start to stitch it soon...

Yesterday evening I stitched the wings of Lottie…damn…I notice that I’ve made a mistake!!! I have had to unmake all the part of the trunk I’ve stitched…sig sob…

...It's snowing...

It’s snowing!!! WOW : ) The snow is falling thickly but for now it doesn’t settle on the ground….
Today is the patronal festival of Reggio Emilia, the patronal of my town is San Prospero.
The folk tale tells that he had saved Reggio Emilia from the barbarian invasion: he prayed for and obtained a blanket of fog that hide our town from the barbarian eyes so they had gone away and our town was safe!!
Today we are at home, all the office are closed and on the middle of the town there are stalls and a lot of attractions…this afternoon there is Santa Claus with his sledge with true reindeer…I would like to take Alice to see them if there isn’t too many snow on the street!!! This is San Prospero church:

At last my Lottie takes shape!!! Now you can see the ballet dress and her shoes!!! Well I think I will be able to finish it on time for Alice birthday!!!
This morning I’ve finished to clear up my floss on my new chess drawers…what a boring work!!! …but I hope to save time when I’ll search a floss in the future!!! There is a compartment empty…I have no floss from 125 to 168 so I have fill it with my floss without number (I have some floss I don’t know what number they are: ( )!!!

Yesterday I found the issue 105 of The World of Cross Stitching in a newspaper kiosk of my town…I’m really happy of it!! Margaret Sherry Santa is wonderful!! I like also Tatty teddy and the two fairies with the name Alice (when I open the magazine and I see this design iìve thought that it will be perfect for my daughter!!!)
Today's was suggested by Kimberly and is:

Do you always sign your projects? If not, why? If so, do you use your first name, initials or what?

Well usually I sign my project with my first name, I make a signature rather small so that it won’t be too much garish and it will remain quite hidden, I don’t like signature very loud!!

Thank you for all your kind comment!!!

Anneke ..I’m stressed about my graduation thesis…I have a lot of work to do a few time to do it…i have to deliver it at the beginning of next week!! Yesterday I come home at 8 pm…i’ve spent all the afternoon with my teacher to revise my thesis and he has changed totally two chapter!!….today I have to re-write them and send them to him before this evening so he can do another revise…arg haw many thing!!!
…Cross Stitcher take 21 days from the UK publication date to arrive to my home…really a lot of time!!

...baa!!....

You are a - Neutral Sheep!Congrats - you do what you like! You make your own rules, not follow the flock!

Which flock do you follow?

this quiz was made by alanna

…at least Coeur & Cross Stitcher….

I’ve just finish to stitch Coeur Fragile for Paola of RR NOSTRO…I’m quite satisfied even if it isn’t my favourite kind of design..

Finally the Christmas issue of Cross Stitcher is arrive to my home….truly nice…I love very much Tatty Teddy design …I have already done the conversion from Anchor to DMC floss…I look forward to start stitching them!!!...
I like also Margaret Sherry Archie bear and the sheep with bagpipes!!!

...SBQ...

This week’s was suggested by Kimberly and Lili and is:

How do you feel about staying totally true to a pattern?

Usually I stay totally true to a pattern but sometimes, if I don’t like some part or colour of it I change it without any problem (as you can see from my TOM MOUSE, I didn’t like its nose so I haven’t stitch it!!!)

Do you feel that you have to rip out stitches to fix a mistake or do you feel it’s acceptable to incorporate a mistake into the design?

It depends on the seriousness of the mistake, if I can I incorporate the mistake in the design….if it’s too glaring I rip out the stitches and re-stitch it (in that case I get quite angry with myself!!)

Just yesterday evening while I was stitching Happy Birthday Lottie I made a glaring mistake !!sob!! and I have to rip out a big bit of stitch work….damn!! So my progress on it are still small….if I want to finish it on time I’ve to work hard on it!!

Furthermore the symbol chart is hard to be read!! The symbol are really small and dark!! I have a lot of difficulty to read it, I have to highlight what I’ve done if I want to finish it without making a lot of mistakes!!!(this remember me SBQ of Cathy!!)

Some days ago I received my first hand dyed fabric from Silkweaver,on is Lemon and one is Winter Sky. I would like to take part in Silkweaver Showcase if I mange to stitch something …I’m think to stitch on Winter Sky fabric the Tatty Teddy pattern on October Cross Stitcher issue if it will arrive to my home soon!!!


Yesterday I’ve bought “The Collection” the last CD of Alanis Morisette( it’s the first Cd I’ve been bought for 6 years)…it’s wonderful …I love very much her music…