In This House - 29.08.16

I put over 1000 stitches in on this project over the weekend as part of a SAL in Cross Stitch Finish Line.  The aim is to put it in at least 500 stitches on a project.

I have found it amazing how many stitches you do without even realising.

Here's my before and after photos:

Keep stitching and smiling

In Our House - Love Thy Thread - 30.04.16

I've spent the past couple of days working on In Our House.

I am stiching this on 22 count Oslo in Nebula from Crafty Kitten using DMC 4025 in tent stitch 3 over 1.

Here's the picture of where I finished it last time:

This is where I am up to now:

So tomorrow starts the beginning of Stitch Maynia - 16 new starts in 16 days.  I have all my projects kitted and ready to go and I'm super excited.  I hope you will enjoy my journey over the next 16 days.

Keep stitching and smiling

In Our House - Love Thy Thread - 10.01.16

I have been stitching on a piece for my sister over the last few days.  In Our House by Love Thy Thread.  I am stitching it on 22 count Oslo in Nebula from Crafty Kitten.  I am using a DMC Variegated floss - 4025 - three strands over 1 tent stitch.

This is how the finished piece will look:-

This is where I was at when I last stitched on it:-

Here is where I am after 10 hours stitching.  I have now used one full skein of DMC thread.

Time to rotate onto another project.

Keep stitching and smiling

Pretty Little Amsterdam - Satsuma Street - SECRET PROJECT REVEAL

I stitched this design for my sister in law for her 40th birthday.  She and her partner always go to Amsterdam for New Year's and her birthday so I thought it would be something she might like.  This was finished in 2015 although I am only showing it now so doesn't count towards my 2016 finishes.

I stitched it on 18 count aida in Jem's Dreams from KLT Charting.  It's a lovely subtle blend of blues and purples and I think it sets the design of perfectly.  I used the recommended DMC threads.

Keep stitching and smiling

Violet - Mill Hill Owlet - FINISH

I recently purchased the set of six Owlets from Mill Hill.  This was my first time doing a Mill Hill kit and the first time in a long time that I had done any beading.  I think this took me about four evenings to complete with three evenings of stitching and one of beading.  The best thing about these little kits is that the thread is DMC and the beads are of course Mill Hill - this means any extras left over of which there was quite a lot can be added to my existing stash.

Here's my completed owlet.

I bought some small canvases and easels from the Works recently for £1 each and the owlet fits perfectly on it.

I haven't backed it with anything yet but I think I will at some point just to ensure that none of the stitching or beads come unravelled.

I am very pleased with my little owlet and look forward to stitching the other five.

Keep stitching and smiling

Stitch from Stash - April

Month: April 2015
Brought forward from March - £10.53 + March £25 = £35.53
Spent: £31.11
Earned: Nothing
Carried forward to April: £4.42

My first purchase this month was a Drawn Thread chart from a Facebook group which cost me £2.

I purchased some DMC variations threads for my new Northern Expressions Needlework project costing in total £9.93.

I purchased two charts from KLT Charting costing £8.

I also got myself some more threads from Jodyri Designs.  I got a duo set of number 5 and number 8 perle in Alaskan Beauty and also a skein of Tropical Bay silk total costs £6.19

I also purchased 4 Just Nan charts from a Facebook group for £5.

Sorry but I've not taken pictures of anything this month.

Keep stitching, smiling and destashing

Twisted Band Sampler - Northern Expressions Needlework - 8th February 2015

Here's my latest progress picture for the Twisted Band Sampler.

The disappointing thing is I now have to frog most of the light blue cross stitch back to where the medium blue cross stitch ends as I have discovered I've done that whole section one cross to the left. The good thing is it's cross stitches I have to frog and not speciality stitches - thank goodness!

I am happy though as I have started doing the Queen Stitches which I was absolutely dreading and although they are time consuming and fiddly I can do them.  Just goes to show instead of worrying over something for ages until it comes up I should have just grabbed a spare piece of fabric and given them a try.

Anyway onto good things.  I received my layaway order this week from Crafty Kitten which I paid off just after Christmas.  Dawn was keeping hold of the order until all the threads came in and until the third part of the Lizzie Kate SAL arrived.  I'm still waiting on some beads and the fabric for the Lizzie Kate but that just means I get an extra surprise from the postie at some point.

This is the Lizzie Kate Mystery SAL Things Unseen.  I ordered the charts, threads, embellishment pack and fabric from Crafty Kitten.  Not sure when I will start this piece yet but I love the thread colours.

These are the supplies I need for the Glendon Place chart Plum Pudding.  I am doing this as a SAL with Mrs Milky Bar Kid (aka Amanda) and starting on 1st March.  Just waiting for some more of the beads for this piece but it's not a problem because I am sure it will be a while yet before I get to the beading.

I think when I've frogged the part of the Twisted Band Sampler I may stitch on something else for a while as I'm feeling a bit demoralised.  I don't think I've ever frogged a pattern so many times.  It's all my own fault as I haven't counted or read the pattern properly and because of the design I just feel I can't fudge round the problem like I would normally.  I might go back to Seaside Mystery for a while as it's been ages since I stitched on that.

Keep stitching, smiling and destashing

Twisted Band Sampler by Northern Expressions Needlework - 25.01.15

Here's my latest update.

Keep stitching, smiling and destashing!

Twisted Band Sampler - Northern Expressions Needlework - 18.01.15

I can't tell you how many times I have had to frog sections of this since I last updated.  All due to my own carelessness either missing out a section of cross stitch which doesn't show up until you try and stitch the next colour next to it - this resulted in frogging nearly half a band of cross stitch, or using the wrong colour - I did this twice - the first time I just picked up the wrong colour and stitched for about an hour before I realised and the second time either it was a difference in dye lot from DMC or I had somehow wrapped a thread from a different colour skein round the wrong bobbin.  The is still some of this "wrong" colour stitched into one of the bands and at the moment I am leaving it there as it would be too difficult to unpick.  When I have finished the entire piece I will look at it again and decide whether I can live with it or if it needs unpicking.  Knowing my OCD tendencies it will be unpicked but I cannot face it at the moment.

Anyway less talking and here's the latest update picture.

I'm doing well so far with the Stitch from Stash although we are only 18 days into the New Year!  I will do a separate post later in the month regarding Stitch from Stash and showing the stash I have acquired so far (within my budget of course!).

You may remember my last blog post where I talked the big talk about my stitching plans for 2015 and at the time I had all the good intentions of sticking to it.  However I am so enjoying stitching the Twisted Band Sampler that I don't want to rotate onto anything else at the moment.  

Also I am currently undecided about the AAN Christmas Mystery SAL.  It is a beautiful design so far as all Alessandra's designs are but I think I am going to wait until a few more parts come out before I decide whether or not I am going to stitch it.  It is going to be such a large piece that I don't want to start stitching and decide in a few months that I'm not going to finish it so for the time being that one has been put on the back burner.

I'm hoping to receive my order from Crafty Kitten in the next couple of weeks that I paid off last year before I started Stitch from Stash.  It's got everything I need to stitch Plum Pudding by Glendon Place and also everything for the new Lizzie Kate Mystery - Things Unseen which I have only seen the first part stitched of so it may still be somewhat of a mystery by the time I get all three parts.

Keep stitching, smiling and destashing

Twisted Band Sampler - Northern Expressions Needlework - 28.12.14

Another progress picture for the Twisted Band Sampler again this week.  I plan on stitching on this until next year!

I was very pleased to finish the band with the norwich stitches in as I really struggled with those.  For some reason I just couldn't find the right holes to stitch in for them.  But I got there in the end although they are far from perfect.

Stitching Plans for 2015

As this is going to be my last post for 2014 I thought I'd put down some plans for 2015, to share with you and also to be able to look back on myself and see if I managed to stick with them.

In 2015 I am going to be participating in three SALs.  The first is Stained Glass by Love Thy Thread which carries over from 2014 as I am sure most of you are aware Bev has unfortunately had to close down Love Thy Thread and she has sent out all the pages of the SAL to the members.  However I am hoping to carry on stitching one page per month until I have completed this.

The second SAL is the Alessandra Adelaide Christmas Mystery SAL for which we get the first page on 5th January (I think).  Again hoping to keep up with this one but I will only be able to stitch on it for one week a month so it depends on how big the sections are whether or not I can keep up.  However as long as I finish it by Christmas 2016 I will be pleased.

The third SAL is just between myself and Mrs Milkybar Kid.  We are both going to stitch Plum Pudding by Glendon Place.  I don't yet have the materials for this so I may not be able to start it in January but when I do start again I will spend one week a month stitching on it.

So those three stitch a longs take three weeks out of my stitching month.  To start with I will spend the fourth week stitching the Twisted Band Sampler as I would love to finish that and get it framed as soon as possible.  If there is a fifth week in the month I will stitch on Seaside Mystery by Chatelaine and once I finish Twisted Band Sampler I may put Seaside Mystery into the four week rotation.  

I am also participating in Stitch from Stash again this year and am really hoping I can stick with it for the whole year this time.  The rules have changed slightly from last year but I can't see any reason why I shouldn't be able to stick with it.

I have an order with Crafty Kitten which I paid off with my Christmas money which contains all the materials I need for Plum Pudding and I also caved in and got everything for the Lizzie Kate Mystery Things Unseen so I will probably want to start that when I see it too.  This will be my last (hopefully) big stash splurge for a while.

Anyway those are the plans for now no doubt they will change rapidly over the coming days/weeks/months.

I hope you all had a fantastic Christmas and I wish you all a happy and healthy New Year.

Keep stitching and smiling

Twisted Band Sampler - Northern Expressions Needlework - 20th December 2014

Been stitching on the Twisted Band Sampler this week and absolutely loving it.  I finally got my head round Norwich stitches after having to frog them more than I care to remember.  I think I'm just going to stitch on this now until the New Year when I have two new SALs to take part in.