...eBay&progress...

Hi to everyone…after a very cold week end at the seaside …BRR…(at least the sky was spectacular, as you can see!!!)... I came back home and I find an horrible weather…rain hail and wind!!! Where is summer?!?

On Monday I received the April issue of Quick and Easy I bought on e-bay last month….I bought it for Margaret Sherry Secret Garden Booklet…I agree with San…the design are cute but the colours are too dark and the expression of the characters are quite horrible…well I’ll make some change when I’ll stitch one of them!!!

Now I have some little progress to show:

The first one is on Curious cat by MS…I stitched the boot sole, some green of the boot and a piece of white flower…

The second one is a new start…it’s my Jeremiah Junction Birdhouse on Vale’s cloth of RR Nostro, this is my last square for this RR.

Veron!c@ has completed the Archie on my cloth, she is very fast and very kind, I’m itching to frame it and put it on my bathroom!! THank you to all my RR partner!!!

...May Flip it & June Cross Stitcher...

Hi friend!! How are you? I’m fine apart from the work… I have thousand things to do and so little time ….well no complain!!!
I’m writing while outside it pours!! wow I like stay at home when outside it's raining!!

Yesterday evening I finished my May flip i …I don’t like the design and the colour of this month so it was really hard to finish it…well the June one is nicer so I'll finish it faster!!!

Yesterday I received my June Cross Stitcher number…it arrives soon this month …but I like only the MS bath time buddies …I hope the next one will be better!!...

Tomorrow it is my last day at work for this week in Italy the next week end will be a long week end (3 days) to celebrate the Italian Republic Anniversary (2 June) so seaside for us :o) (I hope the weather will getting well)
Happy week end to everyone!!

…My SBEBB Melanie’s Exchange Piece for Patti….

This is a really busy period at work so no time for stitching and no time to read other stitching blogs…I miss it a lot!!!

Yesterday Patti received my SBEBB Melanie’s Exchange Piece so I can show you a photo of my work. This is an exchange made up of two parts:
In the first part of the exchange I received from Jenna this supplies: some peach beads and a six strand sweet peach skeins of floss. With this supplies I have to stitch something for Patty.

I have decided to stitch this Erica Michael freebie (now I have notice that Patti has choosen to stitch the same design for her partner…lol…). I stitch it on a white linen…then I have to decide how to finish it…the first idea is to make a little bag made of chenille but my style consultant (my DH) doesn’t like the result…so I changed type of clith and I tried to make a little jute bag but I make a great mistake I sewed the front of one side with the back of the other side…what a disaster…at the end I decide to make a box with cartonnage I use a green fairy paper I bought same time ago And I quite satisfied by the en result!!! Patti loves her box and the goodies I send her so I’m really happy :o)

Exchanges are wonderful experiences!!

...DD Mother Day Gift....

As suggested by Isabelle I show you Alice DD mother day gift….it’s quite complicated:
there is a candle, a stained glass bowl and an hardware cloth…she painted with glass colour the bowl and she modelled the hardware cloth as a star…now I have to fill up the bowl with water and essences and to light the candle under the hardware cloth so it will perfume the house….it’s a very original gift!!! Congratulation to Alice’s teachers :o)

...Happy Mother Day...

Happy Mother Day to all the mothers who read my blog!!
Today in Italy is Mother Day so i spent my last day stitching the Tina Wenke free kit of Cross Stitcher march issue for my mum…i make a card for her she love it very much and want to frame it!!!

This stitching work has had a tormented manufacturing….we were at the seaside this week end in our caravan (we came back this morning for the awful weather :o(.. )…I bring with me my free kit with one needle and my scissor…yesterday Alice DD shaking her soap bubble flooded my magazine and the free card :o(…last night it was pouring so half asleep I go to save my work from the rain and I took it into the caravan…this morning I notice that I have lost the needle and the treads…fortunately after a one hour research i find the needle and the treads and I can finish my work to give it to my mum on time….At school Alice DD has made a wonderful perfumed candle for Mother Day…she is very proud of her work and I like it very much!!

Have a nice week!!!

Danielle I will surely continue this English blog I love it and all your comments …I have decided to make a twin Italian blog (the mini poll have a great success) and today I want to open it officially!!! Welcome to "Il loft di Chiara"

...SBQ...

Today's is:

When you stitch from a kit and use the supplied floss do you have leftovers? If so, how much and what do you do with them? If not, do you usually have just enough or do you have to dig into your stash to finish?

For all the kits I have stitched I have had a lot of leftover… except for a Cross Stitcher kit I finish the treads in the middle of the chart…but it was my own fault: I stitched it in two strand instead of one strand so I have to dig into my stash…I usually put the leftover with the kit chart…maybe one time I’ll re-stitch it…

I’m too far behind with my SBQ answers so let’s go:

Do you or have you stitched with over-dyed threads? (Weeks Dye Works, The Gentle Art Sampler Threads, Six Strand Sweets, etc.) If so, what is your opinion concerning them? If not, why not?

I stitch for the first time with Six Strand Sweets for Melanie SBEBB exchange…the floss isn’t shaded so I didn’t notice any significant difference with Dmc floss….I’m stitching Lizzie Kate flip it with DMC floss instead of the over-dyed threads recommended but the end results quite disappointing is I think I’ll buy over-dyed threads for my next Lizzie Kate project…unfortunately my LNS don’t sell them :o( )

This SBQ was suggested by Jenna and is:

Do you do obligation or deadline-based stitching? Why or why not? If you do, do you tend to get in over your head and why?

Yes I have deadline based stitching for RR and Exchanges. I force myself to subscribe only to few RR an exchange to stitch the piece with calm, but usually I subscribe to a lot of it (all that I love and they are very much) so I have no time to stitch for me to respect the deadline….:o)

SBQ suggested by Carol and is:

For those of you that stitch while riding in the car or on the train, how do you cope with the bumps and the motion? Do you have any tips for others?

I don’ t stitch in the car or in the train….

..EMS Hand towel Exchange…

By now I didn’t hold much hope of receiving my hand towel …it must be lost in some place in the world :o(….blessedly Rinny our EMS Hand towel Exchange organizer tell me she has send me a substitute piece and yesterday I received it!! Rinny was very kind she stitch for me a little angel on a beige hand towel and it’s very lovely!! I like it very much. She also send me a photo holder made by her…It’s gorgeous…I have never see anything like that!! It really orignal!!! Thank you very much Rinny!!!! :o)

My grandparents give me some money for my birthday…so I invest them immediately…I buy some cross stitch supply for me….a box with 12 DMC linen floss and a Pink linen….I’m itching to use them!!!

Yesterday evening I finished my SBEBB Melanie exchange piece now it’s ready to go to its new home…I hope the recipient will love what I made….I tell you my adventure when I show you the photos..

Thank you for your comments on my new header :o)…I appreciate it very much!!!

...Cross Stitcher& Curious Cat..

Finally on Friday I received my Cross Stitcher May issue, I like:

• Sumebunny to love by Dmc
• Stitch in Silhouette: Skip to my lou by Frances Lennon
• Buzzing bees & birdhouses by Tina Wenke
• Hello Archie by Margaret Sherry

I don’t like very much MS Road hog…maybe because I don’t like car!!! I drive only if necessary!!!

The free thread sorted is wonderful…I like very much the colour and the shape…and it is also useful…I have already fill it with all(very few…:o)…) my anchor treads…

I finish my SBEBB Melanie Exchange piece…this was the first time I attached beads and it was amusing!! Now I have to finish it I buy all that I need…I have ony to find the time to do it!!!
I have a lot of project started…but I have a one track mind…stitching Curious Cat By Margaret Sherry on my Silkweaver Lemon Sparkle fabric…so on Friday I start it and this is the progress….

I have some little progress also for my Mirabilia….

Thank you for all your advice on my dilemma…I’m still thinking what to do :o)
I need a change so I have renewed my blog header…and if I manage I’ll change also the background!!

...Back to blog...

I’m back to blog after a series of long week end:

• Easter week end: 3 days;
• 25^th April (National Liberation Day) week end: 4 days
• 1^st May (Labour Day) week end: 3 days

It’s wonderful to have so many holidays so close but the work days among this week end are very hard and very busy….well stop complaining!!!

We spent the last two week end in Pinarella (a seaside resort on the Adriatic) we have a caravan up here from May to September….well on Saturday we went to see the 26^th International kite show at Cervia (near Pinarella)…it was an incredible sight!!!

We bought a little Winnie Pooh kite for Alice DD….she had a great time with it!!!...also my DH had a great time!!

I bought also a silk purple scarf and a little bag for my cross stitch work….I like very much the picture on it!!

In this week I work on my Melanie Exchange piece…so no photo for it….no other substantial stitching progress for me…I’m not much productive in this period :o(

Thank you to vEr0n!c@ for her helpfulness…my RR cloth is on the way of Malaysia so that she can complete it!!

Thank you to Coral and Jenn for your Happy Birthday wishes…

Thank you for all your comment on my Archie….

For Isabelle at last we eat all those boiled eggs….my mum make a big mixed salad with it :o)

...That's why I write in English…

After several comments on my choice of writing my blog in English I would like to explain why I do so…there is a very simple answer when I started blogging all Cross Stitch blogs were in English so I decided to write mine in this language and now I have quite a lot non Italian blogger friends who read my English blog so I won’t change my choice maybe I’ll create a twin Italian blog…what do you think?

Dopo parecchi commenti sulla mia scelta di scrivere in inglese ho deciso di spiegare il perchè...la risposta è molto semplice quando ho iniziato tutti i blog sul punto croce erano in inglese così ho deciso di scrivere il mio in questa lingua, adesso i blog di crocette italiani sono aumentati notevolmente ma ci sono parecchie amiche crocettose non italiane che leggono il mio blog quindi credo che non cambierò la lingua stavo pensando se creare un blog gemello in italiano come fanno tante ragazze francesi che ne dite? Dite la vostra sul mini poll che ho creato....Grazie :o)

...Easter happy dance...

Yesterday we spend an enjoyable Easter in Secchio a little village of Reggio Emilia’s mountain where my father was born….the weather was fantastic... a wonderful spring day!!!

After Easter Mass all people get together to play “COCCINO” this is an Easter tradition... here how it works:

• every people put a coloured hard –boiled egg into a line

• all people form a circle
• the game leader distributes one egg each
• the first people knock with his egg on rival egg….

• the winner is the egg undamaged …
• the winner wins the broken egg and carry on his work with an other rival egg….

Yesterday was my lucky day :o) …I get a good haul…

now we have to eat all that eggs….the problem is I hate hard-boiled eggs :o(

An Easter Happy Dance for me….I stitch the MS Archie free kit from Cross Stitcher April issue for a friend birthday …..

she likes the box with Archie I made for her…

and I like to stitch Archie it’s very pleasant I prefer Archie rather than Tatty teddy….stitching the first one is easier!!

Thanks for all your kind comments on my RR...It will be a perfect picture for my bathroom...

For vEr0n!c@ it's wonderful when an RR came home and an empty square is very bad...I’m very happy if you want to stitch Archie bear on my RR cloth…let me know if you are still interested….mail me at this address chiarasloft@gmail.com

...RR&Easter&April flip it...

Yesterday my RR NOSTRO cloth is come home!!! And it’s really wonderful!!! I have to thank all my RR partners they made my cloth marvellous…..now I have to stitch an other BATHTIME design to complete the cloth ( a girl left the RR) …

I have chosen MS’s Hello Archie of Cross Stitcher November issue…. I hope to start it soon…

A little Happy Dance for me…I complete my April Flip it I like very much the colour of this stamp….but the next time I’ll stitch a Lizzie Kate pattern I’ll use the special threads instead of DMC threads I think the end results would be better…

The first row of my cloth is completed….take part in a SAL is very useful to complete all the pattern…if I stitch it to myself I have left it some month ago…

I would like to make some Eggies like those of San, unfortunately I have only felt colours unsuitable with the Eggies colours (we can sew only alien chick!! :o)) so Alice DD suggest to sew some Easter Egg…and this is the results:

The orange one is our first creation…it’s quite rickety …the violet one is better :o)

Thank you for all the kind comment on my exchange piece…yesterday I received a lovely Easter card from Danielle with a letter to complete her exchange box…She is very kind a perfect exchange partner!!!

...SBEBB Spring exchange...

Danielle has received the Spring exchange piece I have made for her…. I stitch for her and she stitch for me.... it’s very strange but very amusing!!! I send her Spring Grass floss by Gentle art… and she sends me Spring Grass floss by Gentle art :o) lol!!!

Well I stitch for her a Bent Creek design “Spring Soapbox”…

I change the disposal of the box to adapt the design to the photo album cover…and I add the word THINK SPRING to the original design….I make a photo album cover using a spring blue pattern as the linen I used for the stitching....I’m happy because Danielle loves my work and the goodies I send her…

At the end my first SBEBB exchange is a wonderful experience …so I think I will take part in a lot other exchanges!!!

I would like to show you what a wonderful blanket Levistrix and her friens have made with all the clown design we made for CLOWN CHARITY PROJECT…I think the children that will receive it will love it very much!!!

Have a good week end!!!

…Sring Exchange&March Flip it&SBQ…

Today I find a wonderful surprise in my mail box…my Spring Exchange piece from Danielle….I open the box and WOW …It’s full of beautiful goodies:

First of all two wonderful Spring ornaments really creative and well finished I love it very much…then a lot of gift some chocolate eggs, 3 Gentle Art Sampler Threads (the colours are those of Italian flag), Two Self Stick Notes in Spring Colours nice and useful and a fantastic Lizzie&Kate chart “Spring Things” with an embellishment pack…..I love all!!! Thank you very much Danielle you spoil me!!!…this the first exchange piece I have received and I’m as happy as a lark!!!

Yesterday evening I finished my March Flip-it….now I'm ready for April!!!

Today's SBQ is:

Do you stitch "on the go?" (On the commute to and from work, during your lunch break, waiting for the kids, etc.) If so, do you have a specific "travel" project or do you just grab whatever you happen to be working on and take it with you?

No I don’t stitch "on the go"…I have no opportunity to do so... I go to work with car, and I have a lunch time very short so no chance…but if I can do it I think I’ll take with me a little project with few floss…

...still alive...

Hi to everyone :o) as usual I’m not very diligent with my post…but this is a chaotic

period…and the future wouldn’t be better :o( I have to take my state exam to became an engineer at the end of may so I have to study… what a drag!!

After all my complaint about the weather… Spring finally arrived!! And it’s wonderful!!! The temperature is perfect!!! The trees are full of pink and white flowers WOW!!! I like this season…we can spend a lot of time out in the garden …thanks to this wonderful days Alice learns to ride a bicycle (this is the bicycle of my DH when he was a child and it works perfectly!!)….she is pleased with herself :o) good for her!!

Today a dear friend has took her degree so last week I decide to stitch a Tatty Teddy card for her (she likes Tatty Teddy very much) as chance would have it I start stitching very late so this morning I got up at an ungodly hour to finish the backstitching of the teddy (it’s a very hard work!!)….I finish it just on time to go work….it was really worth it!!! My friend loves the card very much!!! This is my first Tatty Teddy I like the end result but how many grey!! :o) at the end I couldn’t discern different grey shade….

Last week I read Howl’s Moving Castle book by Diana Wynne Jones….it’s marvellous!!! It’s even better of the movie….I read it in one go!!! I advise it!!!

Last week I received my April Cross Stitcher….my to do list:

• Relax with Archie (by Margaret Sherry)….for me
• Exclusive: Yo Yo Baby bliss….for a new baby (when HE/SHE will arrive :o)

Thank you very much for all your comment on my envelope….

For Kris I closed my envelope with two button as you can see in the second photo, Blinne’s envelope instead is closed with press-stud. My envelope’s original measure were 15x15 centimeters but I’m not very clever with the sewing machine so they changed a little bit :o) You can find some instruction here made by Bea

Per Kris : per chiudere la mia busta ho usato due bottoni come puoi vedere dalla foto, Blinde invece ha usato dei bottoncini automatici invisibili sul davanti. Le misure originali della mia busta dovevano essere 15x15 cm…purtroppo non sono un mago alla macchina da cucire così le misure sono leggermente cambiate :o)Puoi trovare alcune istruzioni quisul sito di Bea

For Carol and Malaika maybe I could try a “mystery”…if the designer is one of my favourite…a question: where I can find a "mystery" ?