Hello to both you and September 🍂
As much as I love the sunshine, I have been adoring these cosy days as of late! I’ve been loving the gloomy afternoons with lashings of rain where I can tuck myself under a blanket with project in hand, many candles lit and listening to something great.
With all that said, I haven’t had much time to stitch as I’ve been focusing on some personal projects, but I have been able to give my sardines a few more scales. Not much, but it’s something! I’m looking forward to seeing how it comes together with the minor colour changes. So far, so good.
I did, however, manage to finally finish off Caterpillar Cross Stitch’s Picnic Party! Although I’d completed it months ago, it’s been sat on one of the chairs under the breakfast bar waiting patiently to be finished. A couple of weeks ago, I decided enough was enough. I grabbed some foam board, double sided tape and set to, pulling and pinning the fabric in place before committing to sticking it down.
For a hanger, I threaded up and did a couple of stitches, giving myself some slack and continued opposite the originals, so my tiny hanging thread sat in the middle. It’s so small that it’s completely covered in the image, but I wanted the focus to be more on the work than how it was held up!
I found a taupe gingham in my remnant stash, offering a picnic blanket vibe to tie-in with the theme. Once that was pulled taught and stuck down, I filled the remaining fabric-free space on the back with double sided tape, pressed down and it was ready to hang! Both the work and the foam boards are incredibly light, so thankfully, it’s not heavy enough to come unstuck. Time will be the biggest tell, but as it stands, both are still stuck together and hanging strong.
I’m really pleased with how this one’s turned out, especially as I’ll be the first to admit I’m not blessed with a whole load of patience – even more so when it comes to something like this. I’m sure there are a shedload of more creative and ‘tidier’ ways of finishing the project. Yet for me, I’m super happy with how this has come to be and maybe the ol’ bodge job here and there isn’t so bad.
Outside of fast-finishes and stolen moments of stitching, my time has once again been occupied with other things. Yet whether I’ve been stitching, writing or editing, I’m rarely without something to listen to. I’ve got another round of audio delights for you for the month of September, but as always, please be aware that some of these picks may contain adult language and/or sensitive topics. With that said, let’s dive in!
📖 Audiobook – Kokoro – Beth Kempton
If you’ve been a reader of Vic’s Picks for a while, you’ll know I’m a huge fan of Beth Kempton’s books and her most recent release, Kokoro, is just another wonderfully thought-provoking listen.
Kokoro translates to intelligent heart, feeling mind and this particular journey Japanologist Beth Kempton takes us on is an incredibly profound one.
Dealing with two devastating losses in quick succession, Beth’s trip to Japan is one filled with questions on how to find stillness in the chaos, and how to come back to centre.
As she narrates, each chapter closes with a couple of exercises for you to work on, featuring three questions that are designed to make you ponder for a moment before you answer. So as a tip from me to you, it’s worth keeping a pen and paper, or your notes app handy, as you work through your WIP.
Filled with personal stories, rich history and wise teachings, Kokoro so much more than just an interesting listen, it’s an audio book that will stay with you long after the stop button’s been pressed and your WIP is complete.
🎙️ Podcast – Bite-Sized: A Twilight Film Retrospective – Ben Hebert
It couldn’t be a September post with me at the helm and not mention Twilight in some shape or form! Last year, I linked you all to the Forkin ‘ell, a podcast I co-host with my good friend, Laura. Since then, we’ve been lucky enough to guest on Comedian Ben Hebert’s brilliant show Bite-Sized!
Each week, Ben offers his guests a scene from the film where they dissect what’s happening in that very moment. Every guest brings such an interesting take on the scene itself, especially if you’re viewing things a little differently at home. To round things out hilariously, Ben offers his guests the chance to rename the scenes themselves – it goes one of two ways!
This one’s a perfect listen for Twilight fans of both the movies and books. It’s one to have some fun with as key moments are recalled, with many laughs shared along the way.
We had an absolute blast recording our episodes and had some brilliant scenes to cover too, so thanks, Ben!
There’s plenty of episodes to get through and with a whopping 65 scenes covered, Bite-Sized will have you laughing and reminiscing on all things sparkly and dangerous, as you work on that WIP faster than Edward Cullen scrambling up a tree.
💿 Album – The Original High – Adam Lambert
Since his days on American Idol, Adam Lambert and his incredible vocals are rarely out of my rotation. 2015 saw the release of The Original High and, since then, there’s not a month that goes by that I don’t spin this body of work. But there’s something about this time of year that The Original High, especially the Deluxe Edition, is kept on repeat.
Adam’s vocals never cease to amaze me; his arrangements are nothing short of impressive and his delivery always hammers home the topics and themes of the track’s lyrics.
Standout tracks for me include Ghost Town, After Hours, Lucy and Evil in the Night. Yet its the haunting lyrics and rhythms of Underground and The Light take my personal top-spots.
The Original High continues to serve as a reminder of Adam’s incredible artistry and seeing him soar higher and higher over the years will never not put a smile on my face.
Each project of his is always nothing short of impressive; his latest release, Afters, is another one of my favourites, yet The Original High always takes me back to that first listen and how it feels so fresh ten years later. Fusing house, rock, pop and power ballad vibes, this album’s due to take you on a journey as you work your way through those rows.
That’s it from me for this month’s picks; I hope you’re enjoying them so far! What have you been listening to lately? Let us know along with a snap of your latest work in progress over on our Facebook page for WIP Wednesday! We love seeing what you’re working on each week, so be sure to keep those coming our way 🧶
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