European BAP in the making

Hi everyone,
The 26th January in Australia is a public holiday commemorating European settlement of Australia.
The girls and I celebrated by having a stitching day at my house. Because being a hostess is not my greatest talent ( I tend to not sit still for long) I dragged out a BAP that has been hiding in the cupboard waiting to be finished for a little time (don't tell anyone it has been on the go for nearly 3 years). So I thought I would 'fess up and post a photo to keep me on track because it is another 3/4 finish. Only another 1/4 to go and how hard could that be?


Introducting ta da,  drum roll please..... "Altengamme" by Stickideen von der Wiehenburg

She is a big project the design size is 21" X 21" or 54cm X 54cm on 28 count Antique White linen.
I bought this chart through a website/company called European XS who stock lots of beautiful European designs and the Chatelaine series by Martina Weber. 


Here a couple of close ups of the motifs.

The colours I used are DMC Black 310 and DMC Red 814. The pattern doesn't give linen or colour choices but leaves that up to the stitcher. So if red and black aren't your colours maybe a green or blue mix would work for you. What do you think?


The post arrived with my Colour Collection of the Month from Homestead Needlearts, January is snow white shades. Some really pretty shiny threads and 3 a haven't seen before. Here is the photo for you to see.

Don't they make you wish it was Winter in Australia? The shiny holographic thread woven into the threads don't show to well, but they are there. Trust me.


I had a request to advise where I bought my The Sweetheart Tree chart/kit. I came across a great website that offers discounted linen charts and other crafts called 123stitch in USA they are very prompt and the articles are always well packed. Also The Sweetheart Tree has their own website and they have a list of vendors that may offer a LNS closer to where you live. Hope this helps.


Well I think that is enough of my ramblings. Happy stitching. I am off to read what you are all up to.


Bye for now, Carol

Stitch faster Carol its nearly February

Hi everyone,

I am so amazed at all the beautiful stitching that has been achieved already in 2012 by all of you busy stitchers out there. Methinks I will have to “roll up my sleeves” and move into action or get left behind.

My first teaching class at Country Bumpkin (a LNS in Adelaide, South Australia) is scheduled for March. It is a small blackwork piece I designed and stitched a couple of years ago.

Here is a photo of the little pin pillow.

Copyright Carol J Young Designs

This week it was a girls stash-day out. We started off with lunch, very civilized and moved on to a lovely quilt shop called Patchwork by Sea. I picked up some lovely quilt fabric by Moda, the series is called French General and the antiqued colours with a very French influence are just yummy. Aren’t they beautiful and there is another new range of these colours due in soon. They work really well with Natural shades of linen.

On the stitching front there is a little more of Eureka and a very little more of Lavender Fields.

I have been busy constructing and making notes on some other projects so I hope I am forgiven for my dismal progress. My very patient friend Christine luckily helps me out of my construction dilemmas as they happen. Carol and sharp needles are not a good combination. I have stitched my left thumb knuckle several times while hemming. I did find some new needles which don’t hurt as much if you do stick your fingers. They are Clover, Black/Gold Needles No.9 applique/sharps. The eye is gold and the main part of the needle is black plated and has invisible grooves that help the needle slide through material (or fingers) easier. They do work and there are 6 to a package.

Well that’s a little of what is happening in my part of the world, I am off to read about all your triumphs and treasures. Happy stitching.

Bye for now, Carol

Cross eyed, time for a little canvas

Hi everyone,

After a few weeks of intense stitching on 36count linen it is nice to be able to stitch without magnification. Pulled this chart out of the stash, Eureka, Jean Hilton 1991 it was bought some time ago, I first saw this stitched up and looking lovely on a friend's wall. The original colours are apple green, periwinkle,deep rose and lavender and some pretty Watercolours, Peach Sherbet,Sunset and Deep Sunset which I had kitted up at the time. There are lots of metallics and shiny, shiny Neon Rays. Here is the outline and a few stitches.
 The first canvas of 2012. Here is the progress so far, there would be a lot more if I hadn't counted the space incorrectly between the borders the first time I stitched it. The chart suggests ( and I don't question what Jean Hilton recommends) that you stitch all the borders first. The light shiny pink Neon Rays are worked with 36" and 48" lengths. Oh for longer arms.

Eureka, Jean Hilton 1991

There was a little more stitching on Lavender Fields but not enough to share. 


Bye the Bye take a look at a wonderful online class project offered by Amy Mitten, Thread Winder bags with accessories in 3 choices of design and colour which are all wonderful. Needleprint blogspot and Amy Mitten's website have wonderful photos of the choices. But be quick the online classes are filling up fast.


Happy stitching, Bye for now, Carol

Christmas post has arrived

Hi everyone,
As promised here is a photo of the current linen project, The Sweetheart Tree, Lavender Fields Quadrielle complete with a hoop mark (oops). This is so delicate and the colours are very feminine. It is stitched on 28count Linen with DMC cotton threads, unfortunately these are only sold as kits  but the colours Sandra has chosen are perfect.

Many of the goodies I ordered over christmas have now arrived into my postbox. These were to add to my Quaker stash. Couldn't decide which one to choose so I opted out and bought all 4. I know I'm hopeless but it was sure fun.
Here they are.

I have looked at both of these charts for a long time, so Christmas gave me a good excuse to acquire them.
The other 2 are.

Even if they are never stitched as a whole piece the individual motifs make lovely ornaments for gifts to give to family and friends.


There are some exciting new cyberclasses available or coming up in the future already in 2012. Shining Needle has a Jane Zimmmerman geometric, ANG has a Ro Pace geometric later in the year, Scarlett Thread has From Molehill to Mountain and Cyberpointers has Kimono revisited. Wow! how is that for choice. 2012 is going to be a great stitching year.


Bye for now, Carol

New Years resolutions, Umm, next year............

Hi everyone,
2012 is going to be a great year, right? You bet. I thought about New Year's resolutions but they haven't worked in previous years so I will give in to experience and go with the flow.
We have survived our hot spell, just. Not much stitching was done in that week. But the windows and doors are all open now to catch the cool breeze. Wonderful.........


Looks like I may have some new linen designs published in a magazine this year and new kits available. I will know more in the next few weeks so I will be able to share some details then.
There is also a new canvas design almost ready for publishing. This one on black 18 count canvas. Black canvas is my favourite to me it brings bright colours to life and is well worth the extra effort it takes to stitch on it. This one I will share soon as I can complete the notes needed.


No photos this time, I forgot to charge the camera after all the christmas pictures. Current linen project is a Sweetheart Tree Quadrille and the current canvas is still Looking Glass. I promise photos next post. 
Hope you keep your New Year's resolutions unlike me, well at least until February 2012.


Bye for now, Carol

New Years eve in Australia

Hi everyone,
I am writing this as our weather soars into the 39-41C degrees forecast for the next couple of days. Baxter the cat and I will be hibernating and sitting as close to the air-conditioning as possible and doing a lot of heavy sighing until this nightmare goes away. I do feel for the birds and insects that visit my garden. It must be very bad for the bees especially, I took this photo of my old birdbath this morning.

It has been like LA airport with the honey bees taking a drink and then flying off making room for more to take their place. The birds have had to fight their way through this morning so I have added another 2 bowls of water for them to drink and bathe in. You can see we have already lost the lawn (turf) from the garden its is just a weed encrusted dust bowl. Arrgh.... summer in the southern hemisphere.


Some good news. I have finished Emerald ahead of time. The colours are beautiful and it was fun to stitch. Will do more of Kathy's designs in the future. Here is the finished piece.

The photo is on a bit of an angle because it was taken indoors but it allowed me to show more of the rich colours. Next it is back to finishing Kurdy Biggs, Looking Glass when my brain has cooled enough to work properly again. LG is a thinking piece so not one you work on with brain meltdown but with a clear head and a good night's sleep. I did do a large piece of un-stitching recently. I found an old Told in a Garden cross stitch chart I had partly stitched and decided I would never finish it, so I started to unpick it to reuse the linen. Thought it wouldn't take long. Yeah, famous last words, 3 days later I still haven't completed the unpicking. 


To everyone of my friends and followers have a wonderful New Years eve and all the very best for 2012. Happy stitching.
Bye for now, Carol

Christmas Eve in Australia

Hi everyone,
Firstly I need to apologize for chopping off Santa' head in the last photo. So here is a full photo of his loveliness.

Isn't he cute. Well worth waiting to see.
Thursday night was a girls get-together night we have each year at a members home while the Guild is shut for the holiday break. Anne very graciously opens her home to all the girls to stitch, eat and chat till the small hours. The house always reminds me of the Santa grotto in one of the big department stores with elves,reindeer,snowmen, santas and assorted animals that sing, play musical instruments, light up and just plain sparkle. Here are some photos of the night and the beautiful tree with all the handmade ornaments collected over the years.

Anne's Christmas Tree 2011

The girls relaxing

Some stitching and intense concentration

Emerald is nearly finished only 2 small squares to finish, so it will be 2012 before a photo appears. I wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a very happy New Year. Welcome to all my new followers and to all of you that have kept coming back to read my ramblings. You never know, this year I might even work out how the leave comments and such using Blogger on your blogs. In the meantime I will watch and read with delight all your interesting comments and stitching triumphs.

Bye for now, Carol