Back with some finishes!

Well, a bit of a delay since my last post!  I have to admit that after finishing White Nights I took a bit of a break from stitching, plus I've been having to do a lot of school work at home so there has been a lack of quality stitching time.

Anyway I have managed to finish a few things. Firstly, I framed Autumn by Jardin Privé.

I also finished and framed Winter, also by Jardin Privé.

I have also finished 'Official Crazy Cat Lady' as a bell pull.

At last, the Santa Tree Skirt has had some work done on it.  This project now well and truly falls into the UFO category and is where I am going to put most of my stitching efforts over the next few weeks

Happy stitching

Four finishes and a wedding!

Two weeks exactly since my last post and a lot has gone on! In the week running up to 'Our Big Day' things were so relaxed that I was able to finish a few things off. Firstly the scarf that I had started to knit.

Then I finished Official Crazy Cat Lady from Raise the Roof Designs.

This was stitched in the recommended over dyed floss on an unknown fabric, which has cat paws printed on it. I will probably make this in to a bell pull.

 

The next thing to be finished was the Spooky Greetings Bell Pull from Waxing Moon Designs.  I have the pull ware for this so finishing it off will be tonight's job.  Next up another scarf hit the knitting needles. Knitted in a different type of 'wool' this was a much easier knit than the previous scarf.

Anyway, enough of the finishes. Here are some photos of 'Our Big Day'.

These were taken by family and friends, the more arty ones by the official photographer. Next time I will post some photos from our Mini Mystery Honeymoon. Mystery, because I did not have a clue where we were going! It was all booked by the Groom and as you will see next time he did a good job.

Happy stitching!

Update time!

Last Monday I switched on my trusty laptop so that I could show the world my stitchy progress and the Internet was down and remained so for most of that evening. I then got bogged down with marking, let's not go there, but it's that time of year again!

So, previously, it was the Christmas week on the rotation. At last, Joy to the World got finished.

At the end of that week we went up to Edinburgh, my second weekend there on the run. This time it was to pick up the kilt and various accessories ready for 'The Big Day'.  I was able to do some more stitching on Official Crazy Cat Lady.

Last week on the rotation was Halloween week and I made a new start.  The Spooky Greetings Bell Pull from Waxing Moon Designs.

This week it should be a free week on the rotation but instead I'm going to stitch  White Nights, as next week, it's usual slot I will be otherwise engaged with final preparations for 'The Big Day'.

Whilst in Edinburgh I was given the plate that we decorated on my Scottish Hen Do.  It came out better than expected. See what you think.

With a bit of luck, normal service will be resumed next week with the normal Monday post. Until then ...

Happy stitching!

Spring is here!

It's been two weeks since my last post and quite a lot has been going on on the stitching front.  Firstly, I finished Spring by Jardin Privé.

This was stitched on 32ct opalescent linen in the recommended DMC floss. The only change I made was that I used one strand of thread not two for that more delicate look.

Last week was the turn of White Nights. I was quite pleased with my progress the main buildings and border on the left hand side are finished, there is still some way to go on the right hand side though.

I also managed to do a little more on Joy to the World, which is back on the rotation this  week.

Last weekend I took the Heirloom Wedding Sampler to The Nimble Thimble to be framed. Whilst I was there I indulged in some stash enhancement, a Shepherd's Bush kit and Official Crazy Cat Lady from Raise the Roof Designs.

I stitched this on the train to and from Edinburgh, as this weekend it was my Scottish Hen Night. This involved doing something crafty, and hopefully, I will be able to show you what was created by five of us next time.

Happy stitching!

Back with a finish!

Sorry for the delay since my last post.  I have had a busy few weeks and stitching has taken a bit of a back seat. However, I can report that I have a finish.  Warm Water Wash from Raise the Roof Designs.

This was stitched on 28 ct Glacier by Picture This Plus with the recommended overdyed floss from Crescent  Colours. The buttons are from Just Another Button Company.  The whole thing came in kit form from The Nimble Thimble.

Last week was half term here in the UK so we spent a few days in Amsterdam.  Here are some pictures.

We visited a few interesting places including the Dutch Resistance Museum, The House of Bols, a must for anyone who likes cocktails.  Here is a picture of me trying to identify one of the 36 different types of Bols liqueur.

We also visited Amsterdam's Extracold Ice Bar where we had to wear really thick coats and gloves to have a drink in a bar where the walls, seats, tables and bar and even the glasses we drank out of were made out of ice.  This is a shot of the normal bar before you go in.

Don't get me wrong the two days we spent in Amsterdam were not spent in bars.  We did find this gem of a cafe/restaurant in Amsterdam's Central Station.

This week it is back to White Nights. I know I've been saying this for a bit but this week it's going to happen.

Happy stitching

Otherwise engaged!

Quite a lot has happened in the two weeks since my last post.  On Thursday 18 August the plan was to go into school for A Level results day and then travel over to my boyfriend's in the afternoon. His Mum was coming down from Scotland on the Friday for the weekend and we had planned a surprise trip on a steam hauled train from Leeds to Carlilse over the famous Settle to Carlisle Railway on the Saturday. His Mum was due to travel back on the Tuesday and I would come home as I needed to be in school for GCSE results on Thursday and Friday.  As I said, that was the plan.  Everything did go according to it apart from the fact that I did not come home on the Tuesday because on the Wednesday my boyfriend took the day off work and we went shopping in York for this:

On the Thursday evening, in one of our favourite restaurants, he proposed!

Now it so turns out on that Thursday I started a new stitching project which I managed to finish before the shopping trip. I was Just Nan's 'Tulip Bunny' WhimZi.

This was stitched on 32ct lambswool Permin linen with the recommended DMC floss. All it needs is a frame and a suitable place in the house as a memento of  a special weekend!

On finishing in school on the Friday I drove to The Railway for the Bank Holiday weekend.  We had a busy two days. I was guard on one of the trains on Saturday and on Sunday was 'promoted' to level crossing gate keeper!

As a reward for opening and closing these metal gates over forty times during the day I was given a the chance to be a bus conductor on one of the many vintage buses that were on display this weekend for The Railway's Classic Transport Weekend.

That was Sunday.  In the evening we went to my Mum and Dad's as we were taking them out for a meal as a thank you for our holiday in Belgium, well that's what we told them, and it was half true. The meal became a double celebration as my boyfriend asked my Dad for permission to marry me whilst my Mum  and I were out of the room. Well I think that's what happened as neither my boyfriend or my Dad can actually remember what was said!

The last few days have been a bit of a whirlwind trying to find a suitable venue fro the marriage ceremony and for the reception. Fingers crossed this is all  now in place and we are looking at a Easter wedding.

What with all this going on there has been very little stitching. These are some progress pics. Firstly Warm Water Wash.

I also started what I thought would be a quick stitch Mill Hill's Halloween Night. These projects usually take about a week but like I've said I have been otherwise engaged!

Three starts and two finishes!

It's been a busy few weeks since my last post. With a 60s Weekend at 'The Railway' followed by a weeks holiday in Belgium then a few days at home, a couple of days at my boyfriend's followed by a weekend in Scotland.  With all that travelling I've been busy stitching.  Firstly my Belgian holiday stitching was 'In the night' by Jardin Privé. I began when we emerged from the Channel Tunnel in Calais and finished it before we came home.

This was stitched as charted using DMC floss on 32ct opalescent white linen. The only change I made was stitching it with one strand of floss rather than two. For the last twelve months or so I have been framing most of my own work.  This frame came from Wilkinsons and is a 7" x 5"photo frame made out of solid wood. I've used this style frame a number of times and this was my last one. To my disappointment Wilkinsons no longer stock this range so for my next batch of framing I had to buy a different type of frame.  Here it is with 'Trick or Treat'.

And a larger frame with 'Witches Riding By'

It turns out that this range of frames better as the way the back clips on is more secure. So that's the framing over with, back to the stitching. I had a couple of backup projects in my stash bag just in case I finished 'In the night'. The first back up project was the 'Owl Winder Pocket' from Just Nan.

Here it is made up.

This was stitched as charted on 28ct opalescent raw linen with DMC floss. I also started 'Warm Water Wash' from Raise the Roof Designs.

Progress has also been made on White Nights, but not since last week. I hope to continue with this after the weekend.

That's all for now. Happy stitching!

A few spare days

For the last two weeks I have faithfully stuck to the rotation. The June Calendar was finished with a day spare and the Just Nan biscornu was finished with two days to spare. So what did I do with those spare days? Well I would love to say that I spent the time on my Teepee Teddies UFO and finished it, but I didn't. Instead I started and finished something else.

The something else was the 'How many UFOs are in your closet?' by Raise the Roof Designs. This is what it looks like if you follow the chart.


This is my version


Stitched on 28 count Cashel linen (lilac) I made the following alterations.

• Kreinik blending filament was used on the UFOs to give them a metallic sparkle


• The purple parts were done in The Gentle Art 'Hyacinth' rather than the DMC floss suggested


• Threadworx' Mythical' and Weeks Dye Works 'Mother's Day' (left over from the last two biscornu from The Sweetheart Tree) were used to make the fabric on the second shelf more interesting


• Instead of having another brown box above the 'to do' box I designed a very simple straw hat, blending two shades of DMC to give a textured, 'straw' look and used more 'Mother's Day' for the hat band and the feather


• I also blended the floss to make the basket and changed the colours of two boxes. The bottom right box ended up being stripped as I was running out of 'Hyacinth'

Let's say I had great fun!

Next job is to frame it. I'm going to have a ago at doing this myself. I bought a wooden 8" x 10" photo frame for £4.50, some wadding £3.00 a metre, and some spongy mounting board, sorry I have no idea what that is called, all I know is that an A1 size sheet cost £4.99 and they had it on offer, 'buy one get one free'! So at a rough estimate I should be able to frame it myself for about £6! Can't be bad. When it is done I will post the results.

Anyway, back to the stitching. After adding in this extra project, I still had some time left, Sunday afternoon and evening. So why didn't she frame it then? I hear you say. Well, The Other Half cut the board to size for me, so a start was made. Unfortunately, whilst stitching the words I stabbed myself and bled on to the linen, not much, but enough to show. So it was a quick soak in warm water, with a squirt of Fairy Liquid, which did the trick and the stain came out.

So to fill the gap I started the Boo needle book from the Just Nan 'Over the top and in the tin' range. You can find out more about the crisis I had with this one in my post on the Spooky Stitcher's SAL. This is as far as I got.


So this week it's Back to White Nights In St Petersburg. My aim is to finish Part 2! Watch this space.