New Blog

A good friend of mine has just started blogging and I'd love it if you could pop over to her blog and send her some encouragement - crossstitcher132.blogspot.com

Keep stitching, smiling, commenting and reading new blogs!

WIPocalypse - 28.12.12 - An overview of the year

I've spent the last few weeks stitching on another secret project so don't have anything to show for my last WIPocalypse post for 2012, I have however finished the small project so that's another finish for the year, unfortunately it will be another few months before I can reveal a picture.  Instead I thought I would review my progress for the year.

At the beginning of the year I had 13 projects on my WIPocalypse list and I managed to finish 4.

Baby Patchwork - Cinnamon Cat

Hickory Dickory Dock QS - HAED

Living with Charm - Lizzie Kate

Afghan for Sam

The other projects on my list and where I am currently up to with them are:

Gerbera Daisy Cushion

Six Fat Men - Lizzie Kate

Forbidden Doorway SK - HAED

Hanging Loose

Nativity

Rules for Life

Still can't show any pictures of my secret Ink Circles Project but it will be finished and pictures shown in 2013.

The knitted baby blanket and String of Hearts were never started.

I had a few new starts over the course of the year.

Perpetual Calendar by SamSarah Designs.

Welcome Banner by Emily Peacock

Sampler aux Bouquet by Jardin Parvin

Merry Christmas by the Letter - Lizzie Kate

My first Chatelaine - Sleeping Beautys Castle

So that is 2012 in stitching.  My hope for 2013 is to get some more projects finished and no doubt have more new starts.  I am going to do my best to have a stash diet in 2013 no more buying charts or other stash unless I need it to complete a current project.

I hope you have all had a wonderful Christmas and wish you all a very Happy New Year.

Thanks for sticking with my blog for the last 12 months.  I look forward to sharing the next year with you all.

Keep stitching and smiling

WIPocalypse - 28.11.12

Perpetual Calender - Part 1 Tuesday - complete

Perpetual Calendar Part 1 - Tuesday

I've completed the first part of the perpetual calendar - only another 47 to go!

This is the Samsarah image of what there stitched version looks like.

I like this pattern because they give you lots of alternatives for the over dyed threads to use.  The idea is that you can use up stash rather than having to go out and buy all new.  I didn't have any of the specialty threads listed but I did have quite a lot of DMC and Anchor variegated threads.  The chart also specifies which DMC colours can be substituted so I used those to try and choose which of my variegated threads to use.  I'm not 100% happy with this as I think the word "Tuesday" doesn't really stand out very well but I tried going round it in black back stitch but it looked ridiculous.

If anyone's got any suggestions on what I can do to try and make the letters stand out better I'd love to hear them.

So here's my version - I don't think my white is as white is the original and my background is probably too dark.

Keep stitching and smiling.

Still here

I've not posted on here for a while and just wanted to let you know that I am still stitching and will hopefully be back to blogging soon.  So much going on at the minute with moving house and getting renovations organised etc that something had to give and unfortunately it was the blog.

Also been stitching on my secret project which I obviously can't post pictures of so haven't had anything to update.

I've started stitching the Perpetual Calendar by Samsarah Designs and will hopefully have the first bit finished in the not too distant future.  The lovely Dawn at Crafty Kitten has been getting the charts for me and I am sure she can for you if you're interested in stitching this lovely design.

Thanks for sticking with me.

Keep stitching and smiling x

WIPocalypse - 29.10.12

Welcome Banner by Emily Peacock

Before WIPocalypse:

After WIPocalypse:

Been doing quite a bit of stitching on my secret project this month so no pictures to share.

Welcome Banner as of 30.09.12

I've not managed to do much stitching over the past few weeks as I've been moving house.  I only kept one project out while we were moving and it was Emily Peacock's Welcome Banner.  I chose this because there's big blocks of colour so I could put some stitches in without having to concentrate too much and also because there is a limited colour palette so I didn't have to keep much out.  So here's my latest update.

I've got to get some stitching done on my secret project as I have less than a year now to finish it.

Keep stitching and smiling

WIPocalypse - 29.09.12

Six Fat Men - before this WIPocalypse:

And after with part 4 completed:

Added another new start this WIPocalypse - Sampler aux Bouquet I by Jardin Prive

Sampler aux Bouquet I as of 10.09.12

Had a new start this weekend.  I had originally planned to stitch all three parts together but then realised my fabric wasn't big enough so I'm going to stitch them separately.  At least that means I'll get a finish in quicker though right?

Here's the picture of what it will look like.

And here's my first progress picture - unfortunately didn't get much stitching done this weekend.

I'm going to be rotating onto my secret project next as I haven't stitched on it for quite a while.

Keep stitching and smiling

Six Fat Men - 04.09.12 - Part 4 Complete

I've been working on Six Fat Men since my last update and have completed part 4.

Here is the picture of part 4.

And this is the picture of the whole thing at present.

It feels good to have a finish even if it is only a partial finish.  Rotating back now for another 10 hours on my secret project.

WIPocalypse - 31.08.12

Progress was made this time on the gebera daisy cushion.

Before:

After:

Stitched another 20 hours on my secret project.

Made a start on a new project - Welcome Banner by Emily Peacock.

Another new start - Merry Christmas by the Letter by Lizzie Kate

Merry Christmas by the Letter - 23.08.12

I've had a new start this week it's Lizzie Kate's design Merry Christmas by the Letter.  Here's what I've done up to now.  I do love Lizzie Kate designs they are so simple but so effective.  Before anyone thinks I've spelt favourite wrong it's the American spelling and the O is going to be represented with a button which I will add at the end.  I've also changed the colour of the border as it was originally meant to be in DMC 712 which is the same colour as the M and the E and it wouldn't have shown up on the fabric I'm using.

I've been having a tough time in my personal life in the past few weeks.  I've got a history of depression and anxiety and unfortunately it's all flared up again.  I think it's because we are in the middle of moving house and I really don't cope well with stress.  There is also an emotional element to the move which I'm finding more difficult to cope with than I thought I would.  We are buying my grandparents house, my grandma passed away nearly 4 years ago and my grandad passed away earlier this year.  On one hand I am so happy and excited to be moving but on the other hand I feel a great sadness that we are only able to buy the house because my grandparents are gone.

I've got so much I need to do for the house move it seems to overwhelm me and I feel paralysed and end up doing nothing.  I don't even seem to be able to keep up with the normal everyday household jobs like washing the pots and ironing etc let alone do anything towards the move.  Even my stitching hasn't been able to calm me recently.  I just can't seem to settle on a project and I've ended up addling lots more WIPs to my rotation.  It's a complete contradiction when with all things domestic I don't want to do anything yet with my stitching I just want to keep starting new projects.

We met with our solicitor yesterday and went through all the paperwork and there are just a few loose ends that need tying up and then hopefully we will be moving before the end of September.

I'm trying to set myself small goals everyday but find that most days I don't even accomplish half of them.

Welcome Banner - 11.08.12

You may remember in my last post that I asked if anyone knew where I could get hold of Celtic Banner my Butternut Road or if anyone had a copy they would be willing to sell.  Well imagine my surprise when within 5 minutes of publishing the post I had a comment from Kim saying she had a copy that she wouldn't stitch and would send it to me.  I just love the generosity of the stitching community.

After my first 10 hours stitching the Welcome Banner here is my progress.  I've had to change some of the colours as I don't have all my stash of threads available at the moment so just picked colours I had.  Really pleased with how it's looking so far.

Next 10 hours stitching will be done on my secret project and then I'm going to work on my Chatelaine as it's been a bit neglected recently.

Update - 08.08.12

I completed another 10 hours on my secret project and so it was time to look at the poll and begin my new start.  The results of the poll were as follows:

Woodland Guardian - HAED - 37.5%
Emerald Dragon - HAED - 25%
Welcome Banner - Emily Peacock - 18.8%
Mini Irish Sampler - HAED - 12.5%
Celtic Banner - Butternut Road - 6.3%
Don't be ridiculous you've got enough WIPs - 0%

Firstly I want to thank everyone who voted and secondly I was very happy that no one voted for the don't have another start option - just shows what enablers us stitchers are!

I went to my fabric stash box to look for the hand dyed fabric I had planned to stitch Woodland Guardian on and realised I had packed it (I'm in the process of moving house at the moment and unfortunately that box has already been moved to the new house).  I knew the fabric for Emerald Dragon (another hand dyed) was in the same box so I couldn't start those to.

So I've had to go with option three the Welcome Banner by Emily Peacock.  However when I sat down and looked at the threads I haven't packed I realised I was missing some for this design.  However I've decided to swap out some of the colours required for other colours I do have.  As it is quite a simple bright design I'm hoping this won't make too big a difference.

I'm also thinking about changing part of the design so I can stitch our family name on the banner to personalise it.  I can already picture it hanging in the porch of our new house!

I am also really disappointed because I had ordered the chart for Celtic Banner by Butternut Road but had a phone call yesterday to say the company I ordered from no longer stock this chart and are not going to be getting anymore copies.  So I am sending out a plea to all my stitchy friends - if anyone knows where I could get a copy of this chart or has a copy themselves that they would be willing to sell please let me know as I have fallen in love with this design and would very much like to stitch it.

I should also mention that I have been extremely lucky over the past couple of weeks to have received two RAKs of charts from Heaven and Earth Designs.  Firstly I received Handle with Care by Katerina Koukiatis and then I also received Lily by Ching Chou Kuik.  I have sent several RAKs myself and I really can't decide which gives the better feeling giving or receiving RAKs.  I know it restores my faith in human kindness when complete strangers can be so generous.

Handle with Care - Katerina Koukiatis

Lily - Ching Chou Kuik

Sorry there's no pictures of my stitching progress this time but I should be back soon with a picture of my new start.

Keep stitching and smiling.

Gerbera Daisies as of 04.08.12

So I decided to stitch some more on the gerbera daisies rather than starting a new project this week.

Here's gerbera daisies before I worked on it.

And after.  I've now completed 23,848 of 28,224 which means it is 84.5% complete.

As a few people have expressed an interest in seeing my secret project I will share with you that I am posting pictures on another blog.  If you would like details of the blog please e-mail me at obsessivecrossstitcher@gmail.com and I'll send you a link to the other blog.  I can't publish pictures of it on here as I don't know if the recipient reads my blog or not.  

I will be rotating back to the secret project next and then I think I will treat myself to a new start and I'd like you to help me decide.  So below are the images for the possible new starts please let me know which one you think I should start next or choose option 6 and I'll have to stick with what I've already got as WIPs!!

Celtic Banner - Butternut Road

Woodland Guardian - HAED

Welcome Banner - Emily Peacock

Mini Irish Sampler - HAED

QS Emerald Dragon - HAED

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