a journey through time with my Tardis!

phase 1
the foundation stitches

phase 2
starting to cross my stitches

phase 3
shaping and more filling

phase 4
shading

phase 5
adding the details

backstitch backstich backstitch!

phase 6
hmmm not very happy with the lettering

i redid the lettering
in an ideal world i would've used a perle cotton
but i didn't have any to hand
i think this is flower thread
i'm happier with it now.

yay!
it's really finished this time

i'm really pleased with the shading on the panels
i used three shades of blue and then also blended strands to get the shading right.

this is pretty much the true blue of my tardis
i find it quite hard to photograph blues.

my Tardis inspiration

all in all i'm really happy with how this came out
if i was being really picky i'd say the fact the windows/panels are square not rectangular is bugging me but to keep the other proportions right they had to be this way.
i think i need to take a cross stitch break now!
my eyes are tired and my hands are tired
but i am so pleased with this!

*******

*EDIT*

i thought it was all over

but i missed where the doors join

doh!

all done now.

but i think i may need to do some background
hmmm. . . .

happy St.Patrick's Day

so while i was busy making a complete mess of my clothes trying to eat a sherbet fountain in what has to be quite possibly the WORST packaging re-design EVER
the parcel man banged on the door
with a perfectly timed parcel
a box of "Rosebud" dolls

she has a rather serious little face

i didn't even realise she was a little Irish girl
when i bought her

i thought she was red riding hood at first

here she is with her friends

middle doll is a sweet little clone
and the nearest is going to be trouble
arriving at my house buck naked with wild red hair!!

these little dolls are destined to become
christmas tree fairys.

Mothering Sunday

I got taken to watch the Alice in Wonderland movie

in 3D as my Mother's day treat
and what a treat for the eyes - the costumes were incredible the sets wonderful and the cast was fantastic - i loved it!
Quick go and see it!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LjMkNrX60mA

i was very spoiled by my family on Mother's day the dog woke us at 6am, the boy before 7am so my lie in was throughly spoiled!!!
But i did get a cup of tea in bed brought by my daughter who at fifteen has a much more civilised sense of timing! She also bought me a packet of Hob-Nobs {biscuits} which i'd given up for lent but apparently it is fine to break your fast for Mother's day! Teacher said it so it must be true eh?

I was a bit sneaky this year and although i'd told my partner he needed to take us all to see Alice for my treat and dinner after
i still very un-subtley pointed out this brooch to my son that i really wanted
{mine is like the grey one}

aren't they gorgeous?
available here
http://www.sumptuosity.net/home.html

did you all have a lovely Mother's Day?

*******

The tenth Doctor - finished and framed

and now hanging up on the boys wall :o)

if i did it again i'd change a few little details,
the half cross stitch on the nose i'd just do a quarter stitch and back stitch the slope also i'd use a larger piece of aida and do more shirt and maybe jacket.

all in all i'm pleased with it but better still my boy loves it :o)
*edit*
oh my geekiness
i got featured on geekcrafts.com
http://geekcrafts.com/
so it is official
I AM A GEEK
:O)
*******
We are all looking forward to watching Matt Smith as the eleventh Doctor at Easter - i think even my daughter who has said she'll never watch it again without David Tennant as the Doctor!
They showed the trailer in 3D at the Alice movie it looked AMAZING.
*******
ten years ago - today i think is the anniversary
i lost my beloved dog Jessie - i had her for 13 yrs from a teeny tiny puppy to a grand old lady she was a real character and i still miss her

to add insult to injury on the very same day my very bestest ever friend
moved all the way to Nottingham and i miss her very very much too.

the tenth Doctor - gone but not forgotten.

so i'm still in the stitching addiction phase
i decided i'd make a picture for my
Doctor Who crazy son

my first attempt
my son recognised who it was but i felt it looked
a bit flat at the back of the head
so i added a bit more "BUMP" !!!!

i like him better now

thought i'd better add a shirt and tie!

and yet again i cut the fabric a little bit too small
it was plenty big enough for the original design
BUT i kept adding to it!

my son's response
"oooh yes i like it - can you do me a Sontaran next?"

Alice in Wonderland - what i got!!!!

this was a really good swap!
look what Amanda from
http://kitschycoo.blogspot.com/
sent me
this lovely big bag made from gorgeous
"Alice in Wonderland" fabric

it's really cute!

it's lined in lovely polka dot baby needlecord fabric

and full of nom nom nom Thornton's chocolates
it will be perfect as a crafty project bag once i've finished all the sweeties!

a fantastic hand-made notebook

i love this cute heart detail

and some Wonderland crafty supplies -
beautiful Alice fabric and this lovely cotton tape with part of the story on it.

"we're all mad here, i'm mad, you're mad"

and this photograph most definately proves that sentance!
yes to top it off Amanda sent me this
crazy Mad Hatter's shower cap

I loved doing this swap - thanks again to MeridianAriel for organising it :o)

how to frame your embroidery in a hoop.

i don't know why but when it comes to my crafts
i am a neat freak
so when i did the embroidery for the Alice swap i just couldn't bear to leave the messy stitching exposed,
also i had cut the fabric too small to lace it onto the hoop, i searched for a tutorial to finish off your work in a hoop but couldn't find one, i asked at the PhatQuarter group and got some good ideas there
but
this is what i came up with

take the hoop you will be working your embroidery in and
draw around the inside of the inner hoop on mounting board

cut out your disc, then trim it so it is a little smaller

cut out a circle of fleece or wadding
i drew around a hoop 1" bigger than the hoop i'm doing the embroidery on so the hoop i'm working my piece on is a 4" and the fabric disc is 5"
{edited from 2" to 1"}

next cut out your backing fabric
{again 1" bigger than finished embroidery}

next layer the fabrics and lace onto the card disc

until it looks like this

work your embroidery in your hoop

cut out your finished piece 2" bigger than your embroidery hoop

i added another piece of fleece for a nice padded look
i trimmed this off close to the hoop

then i stuck down my embroidered fabric with
double sided tape on the inside of the hoop

all stuck down

take your disc of fabric covered card
and push into the back of the hoop firmly
{i didn't use any glue}

you get a nice padded effect

finished!

i hope this is easy to follow
and it comes in useful for any other neat freak crafters like me!