Sunday 22 January 2012
Hello!
Wishing you a lovely weekend ! Sun is shining here and the sky is a piercing blue. Another hot day. No breeze and everything is very still.
Bought this beautiful bunch of Gerberas today and thought you might like one too.
Hope you have time to stitch this weekend cause life is better with some stitching !
Take care
© 2012, Happy Threads. All rights reserved. All cross stitch and needlepoint charts are the exclusive property of Happy Threads Pty. Ltd and cannot be copied or reproduced
20 January 2012
I wish we could sit down together
And have a cup of tea
But since we can’t
When you have this one
I hope you’ll think of me
source: unkown
Hello!
How was your week ? Did you manage to have time to smell the roses or have a cup of your favourite tea or coffee ?
There is nothing like sharing a cup of tea with a friend. In the US tea is not as popular as in Australia or the UK. It seems Americans prefer coffee with over 50% of the US population preferring a good cup of coffee to start their day. Australians seem to love either tea or coffee and often drink both regularly.
My love affair with cups of tea and cheerful and vibrant colors inspired this Needlepoint Cup design. The blues and pinks work well together. The books in the background add a little more interest than a plain background. The design uses DMC Tapestry wool but you could adapt it and use Anchor or other wools if you prefer. Your local embroidery shop should be able to help you convert the DMC wools using their conversion charts.
I hope you have time to stitch with your favourite cup of tea or coffee today.
Take care and enjoy !
Designed by Charlie at Happy Threads Pty.Ltd
©2012 Happy Threads Pty.Ltd All rights reserved
© 2012, Happy Threads. All rights reserved. All cross stitch and needlepoint charts are the exclusive property of Happy Threads Pty. Ltd and cannot be copied or reproduced
Sunday 15 January 2012
Wishing you a fabulous lazy Sunday ! My gorgeous cat is enjoying and relaxing today. Hope you can too !
Stitching the letter T in the Alphabet Chart. Nearly there and can’t wait to show you when it is finally finished. Do you find it difficult sometimes to finish one project because you are distracted with another lovely chart you have seen somewhere. How you do stay focussed to finish one project before finishing another ?
See you next week.
Take care
Charlie
© 2012, Happy Threads. All rights reserved. All cross stitch and needlepoint charts are the exclusive property of Happy Threads Pty. Ltd and cannot be copied or reproduced
14 January 2012
Although Australia is in the middle of summer the rest of the world is enjoying another winter. In celebration of winter I have designed a free cross stitch chart featuring a winter plant covered in snow. A fabulous example of a winter flowering plant is Crocus. Crocus belongs to the iris family and comprises of about 80 species. Crocuses are native to woodland, scrub and meadows from sea level to the alpine tundra in central and southern Europe, North Africa, Middle East and across Central Asia and China. Crocus also grow in Australia during our Spring and Winters.
The cross stitch design measures approx 2.2 x2.5 inches and is intended to be stitched on 28 count Linen but you can also stitch it on Aida fabric.
I stitched the design on plain dressmaking linen fabric as I had no suitable linen in my stash. I used the 14 count DMC water soluble canvas to stitch the design. When stitching on plain fabric it is important to take a little more care. You need to make sure that each stitch is even and that you place your needle correctly in each hole of the canvas otherwise your finished design will be slightly irregular. Using linen fabric designed for dressmaking rather than Belfast Linen or Aida is much less forgiving but it is an interesting and cheaper alternative. The end result is still beautiful.
The DMC soluble canvas available in my local embroidery store only comes in 14 count. The higher the count the finer the end result.
It is also important to stitch the water soluble canvas in place before you begin stitching. This will ensure your stitching stays in the correct place to avoid uneven and irregular stitches in the final design.
When you have finished stitching your design you will need to place your design in a bucket or bowl of warm water and allow the soluble canvas to dissolve. Once the canvas has dissolved make sure to rinse the fabric well. Dry your finished piece and then press gently with a warm iron. Finally frame the design or use as you wish.
To download the free chart just Click “Here”
Click on the image to download the chart to your computer.
This winter chart is the first of a four part series celebrating each season. The remaining three charts featuring Spring, Summer and Autumn will be released soon through the Happy Threads Store.
I hope you have a wonderful weekend and enjoy the time you have for stitching and all the other things you love doing.
Take care
Charlie x
© 2012, Happy Threads. All rights reserved. All cross stitch and needlepoint charts are the exclusive property of Happy Threads Pty. Ltd and cannot be copied or reproduced
Friday 13 January 2012
Happy Friday ! Wishing you a fabulous day with lots of lovely events, people and circumstances to brighten up your day.
The first few weeks of January are typically quiet in this part of the world however this week has flown by and there has been no time for a blog post. The next few weeks should be better.
This year the free charts will be shared with you once a month. There are lots of new charts to share with you so be sure to visit the blog regularly for updates and news.
Here is a sneak peak of tomorrow’s chart. It is stitched on plain fabric because I had no suitable linen in the house. More to share with you tomorrow !
Have a wonderful Friday and remember to think only beautiful thoughts !
Charlie
© 2012, Happy Threads. All rights reserved. All cross stitch and needlepoint charts are the exclusive property of Happy Threads Pty. Ltd and cannot be copied or reproduced
Friday 6 January 2012
Hello ! First post for 2012 and I hope it finds you very well. I also hope you had a lovely Christmas and New Year celebrating and relaxing with your family.
This week we spent time in glorious Portland, Victoria Australia. Portland is located on the far south-west coast of Victoria, mid-way between Port Fairy and the small town of Nelson which is adjacent to the state border with South Australia.
Portland was the site of Victoria’s first permanent settlement back in 1834, with the town quickly prospering due to fishing, pastoral and agricultural industries. Portland is the only deep-water sea port between Adelaide and Melbourne, making it a major centre for sea transport of goods and produce from the surrounding areas. A large sheltered harbour provides calm waters for a marina, wharves and shipping berths. One of Portland’s major industries is the Alcoa aluminium smelter which commenced operations in 1986.
Portland is also a place of historic discovery with over 200 buildings within the town classified by the National Trust, many of which are constructed out of bluestone.
South of Portland is Cape Nelson which includes a 210 hectare state park bordering rugged cliffs with the Cape Nelson Lighthouse located on the coast’s southern tip. To the west is Cape Bridgewater, which marks the start of the Discovery Bay Coastal Park that stretches 50 kilometres north-west along the coast to the small town of Nelson close to the state border with South Australia.
We loved Portland because it combined the relaxation of a seaside town with an industrial flavour. The town has beautiful houses and beaches yet at the same time has a very busy port and industrial activities. I took some photos which I thought would show you the contrast and color of Portland and its surrounding attractions including fish and chips on the beach, the light house at Nelson and the wind farms just out of town. We will be certainly come back to Portland in the near future for another holiday. It was just lovely.
And there was a little time for stitching !
Back next week with a freebie chart and lots more.
Take care !
Charlie
© 2012, Happy Threads. All rights reserved. All cross stitch and needlepoint charts are the exclusive property of Happy Threads Pty. Ltd and cannot be copied or reproduced
31 December 2011
New Year’s Eve ! It’s going to be a very hot day with the breeze outside already warm.
It’s amazing to see nature everywhere even in small suburban gardens. I took the photo of the Huntsman spider with his prey inside the a beautiful yellow and white flower growing in a pot in my garden. The spider is only tiny but I used my magnificent Canon “EOS” with a 60mm macro lens to take the photo. The almost invisible world comes alive behind the macro lens.
Do you have New Years Resolutions ? They say its best to only have one resolution if you absolutely must have one. Other experts say don’t have any resolutions at all. I have two resolutions for next year. Lose weight and improve my overall fitness by walking at least 5 times a week. I’ll tell you whether I was able to achieve these goals on 31 December 2012.
I wish you and your family a happy and safe New Year. May your festivities be fun and enjoyable.
We are off to Portland, Victoria next week for a relaxing holiday.
In the meantime take care and Happy New Year !
Charlie
© 2011, Happy Threads. All rights reserved. All cross stitch and needlepoint charts are the exclusive property of Happy Threads Pty. Ltd and cannot be copied or reproduced
29 December 2011
I hope you had a lovely Christmas and are enjoying a few days off. Have you managed to find some time to sit in your favourite chair and do some stitching ? I hope so.
We had a lovely Christmas celebration. I must admit however to being glad it is over for another year. New Year’s Eve will be a quiet affair with friends and a BBQ. The temperature is predicted to be a scorcher at around 32C.
I am making some plans for Happy Threads in 2012. There are a number of new charts being worked on some free some not. New tutorials to make gorgeous things and lots of new photos.
I am stitching three projects at the moment. The cross stitch Alphabet Chart, the needlepoint pansy and a new chart yet to be revealed. How many projects are you working on at the same time ?
Wishing you a relaxing day.
See you on New Year’s Eve !
Take care
Charlie
© 2011, Happy Threads. All rights reserved. All cross stitch and needlepoint charts are the exclusive property of Happy Threads Pty. Ltd and cannot be copied or reproduced
24 December 2011
It’s Christmas eve… What are you doing today and tonight ?
I have been watching Christmas cooking programs the past few days and today. Nigela, Gordon Ramsey and Jamie Oliver and I have loved every minute of it. They are all so clever and cook such beautiful dishes. There is so much pleasure in watching them. It’s a wonderful way to start enjoying the Christmas celebrations.
Today our extended family have arrived to celebrate Christmas with us. It is a lovely time of the year. I hope it is for you too.
In a few hours we are visiting friends to celebrate Christmas eve.
I hope you have a lovely Christmas and have the time to celebrate with family and friends.
Thank you for visiting the Happy Threads blog this year and for your comments and good wishes. I look forward to sharing with you again in 2012.
Take care and I wish you lots of happiness, lovely times and beautiful people, animals and flowers in your life.
Charlie x
© 2011, Happy Threads. All rights reserved. All cross stitch and needlepoint charts are the exclusive property of Happy Threads Pty. Ltd and cannot be copied or reproduced
Sunday 18 December 2011
I hope you are having a wonderful Sunday. It’s humid and mild here.
I spent part of my afternoon stitching the Merry Christmas gift tag using the free chart I created earlier this week. I am very happy with the result and can’t wait to give the label away tomorrow as part of a gift for a dear friend. You still have time to stitch a few yourself as it only took an hour to make it including stitching time.
Materials
- Red and White cotton fabric (you can select any fabric including Aida and Linen)
- White cotton floss
- Iron Interfacing
- Soluble Canvas – I used DMC Soluble Canvas
Instructions
- Place the soluble canvas over the area you will be stitching. You can pin the canvas to the fabric or stitch in place. If you pin the canvas into place take care when stitching as the canvas may move away from the fabric while you stitch and your letters may end up looking a little irregular.
- Once the design is stitched cut the fabric to the size of your desired gift tag.
- Wash the fabric to dissolve the canvas away from the fabric.
- Dry the fabric and give it a light iron once dry.
- Iron the interfacing on the back of the finished cross stitch letters.
- Cut another piece of fabric the same size of the finished cross stitch.
- Place the wrong sides of both pieces together and use blanket stitch to stitch the pieces together.
- If you would like to learn how to blanket stitch then I recommend “Futuregirl’s” blog where she has a great blanket stitch tutorial.
I hope you have time to stitch a few gift tags and that you have a wonderful Sunday.
I will still be blogging from time to time between now and the New Year but I am planning on spending most of my time with my family over the Christmas break.
Have a great week !
Take care
Charlie
© 2011, Happy Threads. All rights reserved. All cross stitch and needlepoint charts are the exclusive property of Happy Threads Pty. Ltd and cannot be copied or reproduced
(0) 
