Confession Time!

Remember last time I said I was going to start my Playtime Kitten, well I did last night. 

But at the weekend I got drawn into a a SAL with Geckorouge who I've never had a kit before so oh well, I ordered it and it arrived today:

The SAL is run through Facebook in a group and although her official name is Sally, I've renamed her Sammy Squirrel obviously!  I'm so excited to be stitching both these designs throughout my holiday over the next 12 days. 

It's my 9th anniversary on Wednesday and we're going toHarrogate for a few days next week do that'll be nice. 

WIP pictures coming up with lots of progress I hope! 

Happy Stitching!

Samantha Finished!!!

Morning all!

I've had an excellent week and in addition to passing an exam I thought I'd failed and being invited to an interview, I've finally finished Samantha!!

Boring stuff first - Design by Lanarte, stitched on 28 Count peach Evenweave, mainly 2 over 2, background 1 over 2 and a tiny bit of backstitch on the nose and mouth.  It's taken me 9 years, 11 months whilst doing many other projects and approximately 200 hours.  i don't know for sure as I wasn't recording this before 2009.

So here she is:

I'm going to take her to the framers this week and hang her in time for my Nanna's memory since she thought me to stitch and I used some of the inheritance to buy this kit.  I thought it was apt given the name of the design and the fact I'd fallen in love with it when I saw an advert for it in the World of Cross Stitch.  She passed away 10 years ago on April 15th, so I'll mark it then by hanging this gorgous picture.

Husband is on form though asking what I'll finish next!!! I'm going to be working on Frogs Kissing today, but then this week when I've got all the threads together for the Kitten Playing, I'll be doing that on the evenings as I need good light for the HAEDs.  I'm on holiday for almost 2 weeks from Friday so I'm hoping to get lots of stitching time in then and I'll also have time to post an update of the Froggies and the Kitten!

Happy Stitching!

Monthly update

Well it's March - how fast is this year going? My new start Frogs Kissing is going really slowly. I hate stitching light colours but hoping with lighter days and evenings it will get easier. So here's the first 2 columns finished. 

My fabric for Sweet Shoppe has come (second valentines present) but the size of it is so daunting I feel I need to make real progress on my other BAPs. 

So when I saw this gorgeous kitty in the World of CrossStitching magazine I couldn't resist!

I've decided to do her on dyed fabric which I've never used before instead of boring white! It will take a while to get here but will allow me to finishSamantha.

Shes had more progress on but no pictures for now so you'll just have to be patient! 

Happy Stitching!

 

New Start and WIP Update

Hello all

Well the New Year has brought more stitching. I'm really excited that one of my WIPs is nearly finished - Samantha which I started nearly 9 years ago. I bought it with my Nanna's inheritance about a year after she passed away so this peice means a lot to me. 

Well enough of my rambling, here she is:

I'm really pleased with how her legs are coming along and I might even get a finish this month!

Next I've done a tiny bit of Beacon Ridge, when I needed a break from my other projects. Still lots of sky, but getting closer to the exciting bits!

And finally my new start of QS Frogs Kissing   I've found it really hard going but see to be in aRhythm now and making decent progress with nearly all of the first 2 columns done. 

Hope to be posting a picture of that finish soon!

Happy Stitching

2015 Stitchy Goals

Happy New Year all!

As promised, I've had a good think at what my goals should be for this year stitchy wise.

I know I'll be over ambitious and that's fine as on the whole I'll stick to my current rotation which is to stitch whatever is shouting the loudest!  There are a couple of priorities so I'll start with those first:

1.  QS Frogs Kissing - Start and Finish New Start!

This is my Heaven and Earth BB SAL, they didn't do one last year so I'm excited that it's back! There's 6 pages to be do and hoping to have it complete by the autumn.

2.  Samantha - Finish by end of March

I've mentioned this before, but this design s so precious to me since it was bought with my Nanna's inheritance and she passed on 10 years ago in April so I'd like it to be framed and hung on the 15th April.

• Now onto the not such priorities, as they are current WIPs, you know what they look like!

3.  Snowy Friends - Finish Page 2

Shouldn't be too difficult as I'm about half way through that page.

4.  Beacon Ridge - Finish Page 2

Just started this page, but it's all background and blocks of colour so should stitch up quickly.  May do more as can't wait to get to the top of the lighthouse!

5.  Lady Bug Love - Finish Page 1

I've sort of fallen out of love with this one, but I think she still deserves some attention!

6.  Lakeside Village - Finish half way

I think this is possible since it's my comfort design when the HAEDs have got to me!

7. Frederick the Literate - 20 hours complete

I can't pretend that this one will get much attention, so have attached an hour figure rather than an amount.  Maybe it'll grip me and I'll end up doing a lot more!

• Now onto the possibles!

8.  Greek Steps - Finish Page 1

I think this could be done if I'm in the mood.  It's definitely a sunny weather design, so we'll see if we get some nice sunny stitching days this year!

9.  Sweet Shoppe - New Start!

This I got as a reward for helping HAED sort out their data for the new website and I'm head over heels for it.  I really would like to start it, but no targets as such as a reward for finishing Samantha.  Isn't it gorgeous?

10. Loneliness of Autumn - New Start!

I showed you that I'd bought this one in 2014 and have not got all the threads I need and again would like to start it, possibly after Frogs Kissing is done.

The idea is to keep the number of WIPs down and just enjoy the stitching!

It's not stitching related, but I also want to read for at least half an hour every day since I now have over 40 unread books on my book shelf and I want to enjoy all of these that I've coveted for so long!

I'll post updates as often as possible, but at least once a month so that's my other resolution.

Happy Stitching xxx

Stitching Review of 2014

Hello all,

Well I've had a made few months of card making, present buying and wrapping and only just finished a special Christmas present in time for the big day.  I'm now on holiday so can finally indulge in a bit of my own stitching!

In total, I've stitched (so far) this year  352.5 hours!

This is a bit more than last year, so it definitely shows how much I'm stitching even if not blogging!

I'll begin with showing you my latest new start (an finish)!

 

This is my gorgeous Nephew Jude and I decided earlier this year to stitch him an advent calendar using a design from World of Cross Stitching magazine, modifying the word 'Noel' to read 'Jude'.  I then added pockets for the chocolates, the fabric is silver lurex 14 count aida.  I'm really pleased with the outcome and am going to send the photos to the magazine.

Another Christmas one I finished at the end of August, Rudolph:

Now I'll move onto my ambitious goals for this year!

1.  Finish County Durham - COMPLETE

I was really pleased to have completed this one as it'd been a WIP for a while.

2.  Finish Samantha - INCOMPLETE

Before   After  

I'm a little disappointed to have not done more on this one, but I fully intend to finish it by April 15th since that is the 10 year anniversary of me loosing my Nanna.  I used her inheritance to buy this kit and I think it's a nice way to remember her since she taught me to stitch.

3. Finish my Secret Project - COMPLETE

As you've seen, I did finish this and it was called The History of HAED.  I'm still really proud of being involved in it!

4.  Finish page 1 of Beacon Ridge - COMPLETE

I actually picked this one up a couple of days ago so I've actually done a bit more on it, I'll post more update pics soon!

5. Start and finish page 2 of Snowy Friends - INCOMPLETE

Although I didn;t finish page 2, I'm really happy with how much I've done since is confetti laden on 25 count.

6.  Finish page 1 of Lady Bug Love - INCOMPLETE

Again, I'm disappointed that I hadn't made as much progress as I'd wanted to do.  There's a lot of confetti in there even though it doesn't look like it and lots of shading but it will be worth it when finished!

7.  Get half way on Lakeside Village - INCOMPLETE

Before    After 

This was a case of being over-ambitious, but I have made some solid progress on it this year!

8.  Start and get half way on Frederick the Literate - INCOMPLETE

Again far too ambitious and hardly did any of it I'm afraid!  Oh well I hope to do a lot more on this is 2015.

Well, that's my review of 2014, I'll post tomorrow about my aims and new starts for 2015.

Happy New Year all my Stitchy Bloggers! xxx

Secret Project REVEALED!!!

Hi all,

You may remember that last year I told you I had started something new, but I couldn't tell you since it was top secret! But now I can!

As you know, I am a big fan of Heaven and Earth Designs (HAED).  I' also respect and enjoy chatting with the founder of HAED Michelle Sayetta.  When she was going through a tough time just over a year ago, a group of ladies on Facebook decided to make her something that would show her how much she is loved.  This is the story of The Gift.

First we had to decide on a design to choose and how we were going to split the chart up.  It was obvious really when The History od HAED by Randel Spangler had just come out so it was decided.

It was then divided and sections chosen.  I opted for section K.

Everyone had to stitch their section on 25 count magic guide 1 thread over 1.  I'd never stitched on it before and the confetti in the design was a nightmare at times, but here are my progress pictures:

getting there...

onto the yellow book...

And a finish!

Now was the hard part, washing, drying and packing up my precious piece of stitching and mailing to the US.  I was so nervous for the couple of weeks it took to get there, but it finally did get there safely.

The person putting them together (Lesli) thought of adding a banner with our names on:

And here are all the little sections put together as a masterpiece!

Work in progress of the quilt being worked together.

Drum roll......

Here is the finished piece!

Michele was overjoyed by the finished stitching and now it hangs pride of place in her office.

I was so immensely proud of my part of this and I'm so glad it worked out so beautifully.  So there you are... mystery uncovered!

Happy Stitching! x