A Happy Dance was Predicted in the Stars

I'm Happy Dancing!  This is the second of the Zodiac Girls designs from Nora Corbett that I have stitched.  She is Taurus, of course:

Here's the full design:

Stitched on 32 count Murano called....Taurus!

When I saw that Sparklies did a range of fabrics named after the Zodiac signs I knew they would be perfect for this series.

There were some Waterlilies charted for this design, but I substituted DMC for the ones in the centre of her dress.  3 different colours in the 501-503 range instead of one variegated.

Nora made a little error on the chart and put the sigil for Aries, but it was simple to change it to Taurus

The other Waterlilies was the teal to each side of her.  I used a Classic Colourworks thread called Bejewelled instead.

The swirls around the pale green beads were charted for Waterlilies and I used DMC 503 for them all.

Finally, here's a photo of her sister Virgo who was completed last year.  Capricorn will be next to complete the Earth Trio.

September WIPocalypse Seasonal Stitching

            

WIPocalypse is hosted by Measi's Musings

Each month we have to share the projects we want to complete before the End Of The World.  Since 2011 I have chosen a number of projects to focus on that year, starting with my "11 in '11" and increasing to "23 in '23" for this year.  This month I stitched on 4 of my WIPs.

6. Mirabilia Fairy Idyll

11. Nora Corbett Taurus

13. Mani di Donna Halloween Stitching Basket

18. Circle Cross Blackwork Tarot

Leo - finished

Virgo

The full list can be seen here - WIPocalypse and "23 in '23"

Finally, Measi always gives us a topic to discuss too:

September - Are you a seasonal stitcher?  If so, which seasons do you find yourself more productive or less productive?

Any season is stitching season!  In the summer it can be too hot to go out much.  The depths of winter are good too for the same reason.  My least productive days are obviously days when I work a full day but even then I get some time at bath-time in the evening.

In fact, whatever the season, this is my motto:

"I count not my day complete 'till needle, thread and fabric meet"

From Nature to My Needle by The Blue Flower

September IHSW

  

HSW or International Hermit and Stitch Weekend always starts on the third Friday of the month.  It's a chance to lock yourself away and focus on your stitching for the weekend.  You can take part on your blog or via the Facebook page - IHSW on Facebook.

My first project was Fairy Idyll from Mirabilia:

stitched on 32 count Vinyard Murano from Crafty Kitten

 Then I got a little bit done on the Zodiac signs from Circle Cross, finishing Leo:

and a small start on Virgo:

stitched on 28 count sky blue evenweave from Silkweavers

Taurus from Nora Corbett was the next project:

stitched on 32 count Murano in Taurus from Sparklies

There are a couple of missing stitches around her face and then it's on to beading!

In the evenings I have been working on Turn, Turn, Turn from Noteworthy Needle this month.   I have reached the right hand side where those brown stitches are.  

stitched on 32 count Sea Spray linen from Wichelt

Finally, the next IHSW will be 20th - 22nd October so make sure you note the date in your diary or come and join us in the Facebook Group - IHSW on Facebook. If you don't do Facebook then you can check in here by leaving a comment on my post.

September TUSAL and Stitching Library

         

It's TUSAL time!  

Here is my TUSAL jar with my current project, Fairy Idyll by Mirabilia:

She will get one more day this weekend and then go away until November.  Dark October is for spooky stitching.

What's on my Shelf?

This is a feature I'm going to include on my TUSAL post until I run out of books! I started a Page on my Happy Dance blog for my Stitching Library and realised what a huge task it was so decided to break it down to one book per month. For the next four years...

Title: Exquisite Miniatures

Author: Brenda Keyes

Publisher: David & Charles
ISBN: 9780715304358

I thought this book fitted in well with the "Small" theme for The People's Choice this month.

There's a wide variety of styles from traditional sampler motifs

to prim little houses

silhouettes

and blackwork

I love the way she accentuates the small size by using a chunky frame.

Back cover

I haven't stitched anything from this book yet but there's lots of information from the very knowledgeable Brenda Keyes, as you would expect and some great photos too.

I particularly like the square frame turned into a diamond on the back cover.

Finally, it's IHSW this weekend so I'm hoping to get a few projects worked on to share with you on Monday.

Gifted Gorgeousness September Link-up Post

        

Welcome to the September Gifted Gorgeousness link-up. The link-up date continues to be the 15th and I will keep the link-up open until the end of each month so you have plenty of time if you are late posting.

The format remains exactly the same, there is a list of rules on the main sign-up page if you want to check what is required but basically anything connected to the word "gift" is allowed, whether it was a gift TO you or is a gift FROM you.

At the end of August I was working on my Chatelaine Gardens of London, mostly the border but I did get a guardman's hut stitched too:

stitched on 32 count Cotton Clouds linen from Crafty Kitten

Then for September, my focus has been Fairy Idyll from Mirabilia.  I am so in love with this project!  I'm stitching her for 14 days this month.

  

stitched on 32 count Vinyard Murano from Crafty Kitten

I am continuing with my Dark 13 project which is Mani di Donna's Halloween Sewing Basket.  The plan for this one is to stitch it on the 13th of every month.

stitched on 32 count grey linen

I made some more progress on the Elements from Circle Cross' Tarot design and continued with the third Zodiac sign - Leo:  

stitched on 28 count sky blue evenweave from Silkweavers

Little Snapdragon was my evening project until I finished it:

stitched on 32 count Evening Sky Murano from Crafty Kitten

Since then. Turn, Turn, Turn from Noteworthy Needle has been my evening project again:

stitched on 32 count Sea Spray linen from Wichelt

Now it is your turn to show us your Gifted Gorgeousness for the month.  Please use your name or your blog name in the field and NOT the words "September Update" so I can easily see who has linked up this month.  And link to the actual post, not just your blog.  It is easier if you copy and paste the link, rather than typing freehand.

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Finally, it's International Hermit & Stitch Weekend this weekend.  I'll be working on Fairy Idyll for one day and then returning to Taurus on Sunday.  September really is a Nora Corbett sort of month!

Finally Fully Finished Fun for September

       

Hosted by Rachel the Ten Hour Stitcher

This SAL is designed to motivate us all to do something with that box of Finished pieces instead of just storing them under the bed.  We will all be linking up on Rachel's blog on or after the 10th of each month (10 Hour Stitcher - 10th of the month).

After August's No FFO, I've got a big one this month - a large framed piece that I finished very recently. 

Having taken so long to actually stitch this I didn't want it living in the Box any longer than necessary.  I went straight out and bought a frame from Wilkos, some mount board and got it done.

It's a big piece, approximately 20 x 16 inches and I like that you can see the fabric all around it.  It's too pretty to cover with a mat.

So far this month I have been focusing on Fairy Idyll from Mirabilia.  On Friday I completed the stone face at the very top of the design.

stitched on 32 count Vinyard Murano from Crafty Kitten

Every time I put this down to look at it, I think "Nora is a freaking genius".  Look at those colours and that face, it's so perfectly stone-like and 3 dimensional looking.  I love her work.

Looking ahead I think I want to focus more on her designs.  I've always had at least one Nora Corbett or Mirabilia in my rotation but I have a lot more I want to stitch!

Finally, I made another papercraft book for a challenge.  This is called a Star Book because when you open it out, it makes a star shape when viewed from above.

I decorated it using pages from a calendar of RHS Gardens:

The People Chose Small

 

This SAL is all about what you want to see on the blog.  I asked for suggestions for themes from followers of my blog and then put them up to the members of the IHSW Group on FB to vote for their choice.  We are currently working our way through the choices.  This is what was chosen:

September - Small

October - Weather

November - Circles

What's your definition of a "small" stitched item?  The WIP Warriors group count it as anything under 100 x 100 stitches which seems about right.  Anything smaller than 3-4 inches is a small item.  

Mary who currently hosts the Smalls SAL on her blog says "it's up to you" and is quite broad in her definition of a small.  Which has been just as well this year!

Usually I have lots of Smalls to share but this year I've been focusing on larger projects so I've had to rely on "small parts of larger projects".  Unlike previous years when smalls abounded!

If you look back at my "high finish" years of 2011, 2012 and 2013 you'll see just how many smalls I was stitching then.

Here's a few highlights:

12 Dragonlets of Christmas from Dragon Dreams

Alphabet Kitty from JBW Designs

World of Cross Stitch Year of Flowers

Here's a collection of small creatures - Just Nan's Mischief of Mice:

Here's some more mice:

Stitched for a challenge, I designed these tiny mice to fit round a penny.  They are stitched over 1 on 40 count linen.  Probably the tiniest thing I have stitched.

Here's another over 1 on 40 count:

That's a 2p coin and the stitching is one inch across

Here's a very small work of art, the Mona Lisa converted by Mr X-Stitch.  This is stitched over one on 28 count evenweave and measure just 1.75 inches by 2.25 inches.

Now it's over to you. All you have to do is make a post on the theme of Small, mention The People's Choice SAL (you can copy the picture I used at the top of this post and in my side bar) and my blog.  Please link up using the URL of the actual blog post, not the home page of your blog. I look forward to seeing what you all post.

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Finally, I need your suggestions for the next poll.  Anything, no matter how obscure, weird or random will go into the poll.  Keep the theme suggestions to a single word or two - so you could have Cats, or Green, or Holidays, or Warmth etc.   Really anything which could be illustrated in cross stitch.