Overview - May/Early June 2017

I have had three finishes since I last posted - one of them was a model for the Jodyri Designs Indian Elephant Mystery SAL so I will be able to show you each part of the design as they are released.  For now I can show you part 1 - there are two versions of the chart one in DMC and one in hand dyed threads - I stitched the DMC version.  If you want to sign up for the SAL all the details are here - http://jodyridesigns.com/products/2017-summer-mystery-sal

DMC colour palette for Elephant SAL

Part 1 of the Indian Elephant Mystery SAL from Jodyri Designs

On May 4th for Star Wars day I picked up C3P0 from Stitch Line.  This was a project I had started on 4th May 2016.  I stitched on it for 5 days and finished it.

Before

After

I then moved on to Sleeping Beauty's Castle from Chatelaine.  I had been intending to bead the entire project at the end but after my success beading as I was stitching with Venetian Opulence I decided to start beading this project as well.  I beaded on part 2 of the chart.

I then switched to H by Nora Corbett and after 9 days stitching I finished it!

Before

After

I then stitched on Angel of Love for one day before starting the Elephant SAL.

I spent the rest of the month and the beginning of June stitching the model for the Indian Elephant SAL for Jodyri Designs.  I will be able to show you the pictures of these parts as they are released.

Keep stitching and smiling

Catching Up - 26.09.16

The first thing I need to tell you all about is that I have had to give up working on the KLT Frog SAL.  Unfortunately my stitching time has become more limited than I would like and I couldn't guarantee that I would be able to keep up with the schedule for getting the frogs stitched.  It's not something that I gave up lightly as I don't like to let people down when I have made a commitment but unfortunately due to health and work issues something had to give.  The project has been passed on to another model stitcher so I am sure you will still be able to see update pictures in the KLT Charting group.

I've been working on a few different projects over the past weeks and months that I haven't posted about here, so I thought I would do a quick round up with before and after pictures.

I'll start with the new projects I've started which obviously won't have before pictures.

Tango Owlet by Mill Hill - stitched on the perforated paper in the kit

Harry Potter Pillow Sampler by Clouds Factory - stitched on a 32 count Pearl Grey Murano

The next ones were WIPs I continued to work on.

Nautical Year from the book Sand, Sea and Cross Stitch - stitched on 18 count cream aida.  I have substituted some of the charted threads with hand dyed cottons and silks from my stash.

Before

After

Pumpkin Passport from Frosted Pumpkin Stitchery - stitched on 28 count Opal Jazlyn in Nimbus from Chromatic Alchemy

Before

After

Angel of Love by Lavender and Lace - stitched on a custom dyed piece of 28 count Brittney from Jodyri Designs.

Before

After

Sleeping Beauty's Castle from Chatelaine - stitched on 28 count Jazlyn March 2012 Ltd Ed from Crafty Kitten.

Before

After

Keep stitching and smiling

Sleeping Beauty's Castle - Part 2 Completed without beading as of 14.04.13

I have been working on Sleeping Beauty's Castle this week and am thrilled that I have completed part 2.  This was the first time I have done a lot of speciality stitches and have to say I think I have now mastered Jessicas.  I was very nervous before I started but as long as I kept the diagram in view I was fine - after about 10 I can do them in my sleep.

I am leaving the beading until the end so currently there are big empty spaces where a lot of beads are going to be added.  The corner motifs currently have the gold stitches done and will be filled in with a lot of beads. That's going to be another first when I get round to it.

So as always with my Chatelaine here is the total picture and more close ups can be seen on my Chatelaine page.

I do like that this picture shows some of the gorgeous colours in the hand dyed fabric.  It is the March 2012 Limited Edition from Crafty Kitten Fabrics.

The random number generator has picked number 1 which means I will be stitching the next part of the Perpetual Calendar.

Keep stitching and smiling

Sleeping Beauty's Castle as of 01.04.13

I am really pleased with the progress I have recently made on my Chatelaine - Sleeping Beauty's Castle.  I would still be stitching on it now if I didn't have to wait for some more threads.  Here's the picture as it is now but as always if you want to see more in between pictures and some close ups please see my Chatelaine page.

Also here's my small start on Dragon Dance from Paine Free Crafts.  I am stitching on 18 count black aida so I don't have to stitch the black background but it is quite slow going.

Sleeping Beauty's Castle as of 12.05.12

I've spent my last 10 stitching hours working on Sleeping Beauty's Castle.  I'm still working on the cross stitching on part 1 but have started using some of the recommended silks.  I've never sewn with silks before so didn't really know what to expect but I absolutely love them - they glide through the fabric so easily and I love love love them.  I keep telling myself not to get too used to sewing with them as I can't afford to switch all my projects to silk - plus I've got hundreds of skeins of DMC and Anchor that need using up!

So here's the most recent picture of my chatelaine and if you want to see all the progress pictures up to this point please see my chatelaine page.

Sleeping Beauty's Castle as of 09.04.12

I've spent another couple of nights stitching on Sleeping Beauty's Castle but I'm not able to stitch any more until I get some of the silks I've ordered.  I am loving stitching this design up to now and can see that I am going to want to stitch more Chatelaine's in the future.  The think that draws me to them is the repetitiveness and the symmetry.  I think I have a touch of OCD as I like things to be lined up and organised and I think that's why I am loving stitching this so much.  So here's the photo of where I'm up to now.  If you want to see the pictures in between my last update and this one please see my Chatelaine page.

 I'm rotating now onto Baby Patchwork by Cinnamon Cat.  I saw the baby again today who I'm stitching it for and it's spurred me on to get some more stitching done on it.

Sleeping Beauty's Castle as of 07.04.12

I took the plunge last night and started my first Chatelaine.  I want to take a lot of pictures of my progress for my own benefit but don't want to bore you all with each stage.  So I've decided to set up a page on this blog for all my update photos and then I will just post here the photo showing the most progress.  If you want to see all the updates please look at this page.

So I am stitching on 28 count Jazlyn in the March 2012 Ltd Ed from Crafty Kitten Fabrics.  I am using all the recommended threads and beads.

I also wanted to share with you the chart Grace chose for her giveaway prize.  One thing that always amazes me about all the designs on Heaven and Earth is that even though I have spent hours and hours browsing through the patterns on their website I still find ones that I am sure I've never seen before.  I let Grace choose any chart she wanted but as this will be her first HAED I did suggest she chose a Quick Stitch, Story Keep or Mini to start with so she wasn't too overwhelmed.  The chart she chose was QS Iris by Josephine Wall.

I think it's a gorgeous design and I'm looking forward to watching her progress when she gets round to starting it.

A strange thing happened when I went to get the chart for her as another chart mysteriously lept into my cart and insisted on being bought.  So I got Mini Bookworm Fairy by Hannah Lynn.

It's a chart I've wanted for a long time and even more so when it was made into a Mini.  Goodness knows when she'll be started but for now I'm happy to have her living in my computer.

Update 01.04.11

Since my last update I completed my 10 hours on my Ink Circles secret project.  I've now done 21,248 of 114,000 stitches which is 18.6% complete.

I've also completed another of my Christmas Ornaments so I've now completed 4 of the 24.  My goal was to stitch two of these a month so I would have them completed by Christmas but I'm a bit behind.  I've two nearly completed but not quite.  Here's the photo of the one I did finish.

I was supposed to be rotating back to stitching on Baby Patchwork as that is my focus piece at the moment but I've been naughty and started a new project and it's a BAP.  It's Celtic Grace by Brigid Ashwood and I got it from HAED as part of their reward program - for every $200 you spend on the site you get a free chart.  Here's the picture of what it will look like when I finish it (probably in about 20 years time!)

I'm trying parking for the first time with this project as well so it should be interesting.  Only did just over 200 stitches on this last night so no picture for the time being.

Today was also the day of the release of part 1 of the Chatelaine Anniversary Mandala - Sleeping Beauty's Castle.  I am so excited to start it but also a little overwhelmed with the speciality stitches etc.  Would you believe it that my printer has run out of ink so I can't print it off - typical.  Oh well I'll just have to stitch on one of my many existing WIPs tonight instead of starting another new design.

Don't forget as well that if you want to be entered in my giveaway - for an as yet undecided prize you need to leave a comment on this post.