Skip to main content

The Sun, Palace Dwellers, and Books

You know how it is. When you look at Etsy, browse a bit, find an amazing chart... BAM! Suddenly, your project pile (that you just promised to stop growing) is in sudden need of a new chart. Here's what I saw.

Hobbiton looks amazing, but I want Rohan too.

Okay, so this one needs to go on my rotation as well...

I might need more project bags and Q Snaps. 

Exciting developments this week on the Mystery band sampler by Linen & Threads! I'll let the picture speak for itself:



The sun has arrived, and the first dragon has too! Now I can start brainstorming a name for it. Leave a comment below if you have any ideas. 

You know how when you go on city tours, the tour guide lifts her umbrella and says, "Follow the umbrella! This way please!" Well, follow the umbrella to the next WIP, Paris Market:


Isn't the 10 x 10 method remarkable? You can cover a TON of ground in no time flat. This part of the chart is almost exclusively half stitches as well, so that has something to do with the amount of progress that I've made. 

Have you ever read Great Expectations by Charles Dickens? I picked it up when I was much much younger, and only made it through a few pages. I recently checked out the audiobook from the library (the narrator had an English accent, naturally) and boy oh boy, was that a thrilling read. About three quarters of the way through I made a rough guess about a few plot points and was proven right. Don't worry, I won't give away any spoilers :) I love libraries, and books, and the artwork and architecture of different libraries. What I didn't know was that bats like libraries too.

According to this Atlas Obscura article: 

Most libraries control such pests with ethylene oxide, methyl bromide, or gamma radiation, but the Mafra Palace Library has a very special force of airborne defenders: bats.

During the day, a colony of bats sleeps behind the bookcases or out in the palace garden. At night, after the library has closed, these small bats swoop between the stacks, hunting down the very pests that would otherwise chomp through the pages of the library’s precious collection.

Read the whole thing.

Here's an aerial view of the Portuguese palace. No doubt a familiar view to the bats:


One last thing. Although the blog is nice (I really like the pink and white theme) sometimes people prefer to get their blog posts via RSS or email. I have an RSS widget in my sidebar to the right, and if you like getting updates via email, you can subscribe to my Substack newsletter, or my Buy Me a Coffee newsletter. As far as wip updates go, it's the exact same content as the blog, but in newsletter form. All the WIP update posts are completely free, just like on the blog.

Link to my Substack is here

Link to my Buy Me a Coffee is here

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Friday Update: Halloween Moon Edition

Halloween Stitching Time!  For the most part, Cross Stitch people fall into two camps: seasonal stitchers, and non-seasonal stitchers. After pondering this question for a bit, I've decided that I'm firmly in the seasonal stitcher camp.  Bearing that in mind, you can imagine how excited I am about my Halloween wip 👻🎃 It's been awhile since you've seen this one, so allow me to re-introduce you to Trick or Treat Moon   Stunning. Found it in this magazine, Cross Stitch & Needlework, October 1996: This issue has an absolute ton of amazing Halloween and Fall charts. If Halloween stitching is something you like, then this magazine is a must have.  I think I started this one two years ago. Maybe last year... Anyway, here's my progress so far: That checkerboard border is so much fun. It stitches up really fast. Zooming in on that purple blob on the right: Yes, that is a cat. It may not look like much now, but just you wai...

Quilt Block Sampler

 It's been a while since I posted a free cross stitch chart, so here you go: Isn't it pretty? I designed this one a while ago, but never got around to posting it. I've noticed a lot of quilters have been getting in to cross stitch lately. Welcome to the cross stitch world! Maybe this chart will be stitched by quilters who like cross stitch, and cross stitchers who like quilting.  Some details about this chart: stitch count is 70w x 70h If you stitch it on 18 count aida, the dimensions will be approximately 3-3/4 inches (9.9cm) wide by 3-3/4 inches (9.9cm) high.  It uses 3 colors, all in DMC: Blanc, 996, 801 Link to the free PDF is here  Leave a comment below with your progress pics and any color changes you make!  Happy Stitching!

Secret Doors, a New Chart, and a Tree

  Photo by  Stefan Steinbauer  on  Unsplash Do you know what I've always wanted? A secret door. And not just any secret door, but a secret door that looks like a bookcase. How cool would it be to wander through your house, and make a detour to your secret reading nook, that's nestled behind your secret door? I've heard that they sell them at places like Lowe's, so who knows, maybe one day I'll get one. It would be the perfect addition to the castle! While I don't have a secret door (sigh!) I do have a new listing in my Etsy shop. Behold! Here's a smaller sized, Irish inspired cross stitch monogram sampler. Motifs included throughout the design are classic Irish themes such as a shamrock, a harp, flowers associated with St. Brigid, Celtic knots, and Celtic bands. Perfect as desk or home decor to display your Irish pride. Great present for Irish friends or loved ones. In the pictured model above, the initials "A.Q." have been stitched. In the chart t...