November & Beginning of December 2016 - Catch Up

These are the projects I have been working on since my last update.

I had a new start on Royal Orchid - Tiny Treasure Diamond - Mill Hill - as kitted.  This is what it will look like when finished.

This is the progress I made - not very much at all.  I cannot stitch in hand except for on plastic canvas or perforated paper so I need to get myself a little hoop to put this in - the fabric is only 5 x 5 inches so it will need to be a little hoop.  Also the finishing instructions on this are wild - it's going to take some concentration to work those out.

Another new start was Butterfly Lace from Cross Stitcher magazine.  I am stitching it on 28 count Jazlyn in Mushroom from Zweigart with the charted DMC.  Here's what it will look like then it's finished.

And my progress

My third new start was A Year at Hawk Run Hollow from Carriage House Samplings.  I am stitching this 1 over 1 full crosses on 20 count Bellana in Wild Porcini from Jodyri Designs.  I have stitched the border in a hand dyed thread called Nevermore also from Jodyri Designs.

I worked on Learning Sampler from Northern Expressions Needleworks and am really pleased with the progress I made.  I now have the first 9 bands finished!

I worked on Stained Glass from Love Thy Thread.

I also worked on Nautical Year from the book Sand Sea and Cross Stitch.

I had a finish - Needleworker from Little House Needleworks.  I started this on 1st June 2016 and finished on 4th December 2016.  I stitched this on 32 count Belfast in Light Sand.  This was my first time working on linen and although I didn't love it I didn't hate it either.  It is stitched with the charted floss.

I also had a second finish!  Twisted Band Sampler from Northern Expressions Needlework.  I had such a small amount left to stitch on this that when I pulled it out I couldn't believe I hadn't finished it before.  It was the Queen stitch band that had stalled me though but I pushed through and got it finished.

I don't know if I will get another post in before Christmas so I would like to take this opportunity to wish you all a very happy holiday season.

Keep stitching and smiling.

Nic

xoxo

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.

Celtic Banner - Butternut Road - 7th November 2014

I had a new start this week with a project I have wanted to stitch for quite a long time.  So far it has not disappointed.  This is what the finished design will look like.

This is my progress so far.

I am stitching over 2 on 28 count Jazlyn from Crafty Kitten in Oatmeal.  It's a nice easy stitch but it is going to be a very long term project - the fabric I had to order was 12 inches wide by 60 inches long so probably the longest piece I've ever stitched.  I am already thinking about ways I can finish it that won't mean I have to remortgage my house to get it framed.  

Received some gorgeous new stash over the last few days.  The first was my bead storage container.  Having seen quite a few Floss Tubers having purchased these I knew I had to have one and I have to say I am really not disappointed.  It is an amazing product and has been designed by someone who really understands what crafters need.  Here's mine with my bead stash in it - I have a few empty boxes to expand into.

EDITED: This is a link to where I purchased my bead storage http://www.amazon.co.uk/Elizabeth-Wards-Container-Storage-Tray-/dp/B00DV8YERS/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1415507520&sr=8-1&keywords=tiny+bead+storage

I also decided it was time I rejoined the Jodyri monthly fabric and threads club because I just can't get enough of the pretties.  Unfortunately I put my threads away before I took a photo of them but this is the October Limited Edition fabric called Trick or Treat.

I also ordered some hand dyed silks from Jodyri in Brighton Beach which I am planning to use for Northern Expressions Needleworks Twisted Band Sampler.  I am still not completely decided on what fabric to use for this but I did a little test stitch on Pearl Grey - I am thinking a slightly darker fabric would look better.

The next page of the Love Thy Thread SAL came out a couple of days ago so I'm stitching on the next page of that next.

Keep stitching and smiling