Two More!

Hi guys!

So for May I thought I'd try just one project - ONE - because I need to do a fairly intricate baby layette, too. So I'm working on 'My Day Off' and getting nowhere fast.  I'll show you guys my progress at the end of the month.  Meanwhile, I don't think you've seen these two finishes!

'Portrait of Christ' and the Bent Creek Snappers both got done and framed while I wasn't posting. The Snappers aren't actually fastened in the frame yet - they were a present for my Mum and while I was waiting for some framing supplies to come in, she absconded with it and I haven't gotten around to stealing it back to frame properly 😁😁😁

Also, first post from a phone so I hope it looks o.k.

Back soon!
Tama

Stitching, But Not Much

I feel like I've been stitching and stitching and getting nowhere.

In reality, I've been barely stitching, so it's not a surprise :D

On the 5th, I picked up Archangel.  He was here:

Now he's here:

If you tilt your head just right and squint a little, you might see my progress XD

On the 10th, I started working on my Bent Creek Snappers.  It was here:

My progress disappoints me.  I got a chunk of the border done but didn't finish the October block - I was so close and I could have done it but I was lazy one day and didn't stitch on it at all.  The colors are off in the pic, by the way, but I did change the pumpkin colors.  They were a red/orange/brown color; I wanted an orange pumpkin.

Then on the 15th, I picked up Portrait of Christ.  He was here:

And is now here:

The first two days I barely touched him, then I kind of got in the groove and didn't want to put him down, but his turn was up.  Unless I missed some stitches, though, I finished off one color and got two more almost done.  I also did a bunch of the fractionals around his eyes that you really can't see.

Now I'm working on Unspoken, but on the 25th it's my birthday!  So I'm starting something new!  I didn't do it last year, I don't think, but I used to do that every year.  Haven't decided what it will be yet, but I'm leaning toward a bird kit or a tiger kit.  Or something completely different XD

Happy Stitching, guys!

Tama

Unspoken, Snappers AGAIN, & Another New Start

I worked on 'Unspoken' for maybe 2 of the 5 days he should have gotten - I got distracted by jigsaw puzzles.

He was here:

Now he's here:

At least there are some soft-focus branches starting to show up!

Snappers got another turn but I neglected it, too.  I managed to finish up the September block and all the border next to it:

So Snappers is now 3/4ths of the way done!

The lighting was dim so the colors are still not correct - the leaves are a beautiful medium green and the grapes are brighter purple.  Oddly, the pear looks almost right.

I didn't finish 'Acquainted with the Night' for my father's Christmas present last year (obviously) but I had intended to finish it up this year.  I had some unopened kits laying on my table when he came up the other day, though, and he picked one up and said, "Wow - I haven't seen that picture in years!  That's a really old picture - my parents had that on the wall when I was a kid.  Are you going to stitch that one?"  So of course I am!!!  He may get two stitched presents this year, because I want to finish up Night, as well.

But here's the one he liked - excuse the flash, please:

'Portrait of Christ' - Designs for the Needle by Praying Hands for Leisure Arts.  How's that for a title? lol!  I started it on the 30th, so it's this far:

I haven't worked on it yet today, but I will.  And I will be working on it until the 4th :D  Then I will probably pick the Snappers back up - I want to finish them!  But I may work on Gift of the Eagle Feather first.  We'll see how it goes.

Happy stitching, guys!  I'm admiring all your new starts!

Tama

Profits Pouring, and Bent Creek Snappers

Three rotation turns, and two projects!  I worked on my Snappers, then my China-kit, then my Snappers again, because the first time they got very little progress.

So here is where the Snappers were:

Between the two rotation turns I managed to finish up August  (the white gulls show up clearly in real life but not with the camera) :

And get a fair bit of September done:

So now I am almost 3/4 s done with this project.  I need to finish up September Brings and get the border further down on that side.

'Profits Pouring' is my partial-printed, pre-inked China kit.  I had this much done, which is all of Part One:

I did Part Two, which was much smaller - only the second crane:

And started Part Three, which is the blue bird and the flowers in the lower left corner.

There is backstitching in this part for the first time.  My stitching is covering it up, but I have also got a pattern I can go by.  I'm thinking of putting a little bit of backstitching in the cranes' wings, even though it is not called for on the pattern.

I'm having a weird issue with this - sometimes when I'm working on it, the fingers holding the needle will suddenly turn dark red at the tips and they feel like they're burning.  When I stop stitching, it fades in just a few minutes.  I don't know if it's because of some chemical on the fabric or the floss (I have a lot of skin allergies) or because I sometimes have to hold the needle tightly to get the floss through the fabric.  The 11 count with 3 strands should be easier but the dye makes the holes smaller, so it is not easy to pull through.  I'm not sure which is the reason, but it's annoying and slows down my progress with this kit.

I'm working on Unspoken now and will be until midnight on the 24th - on the 25th, I may pick my Snappers back up.  I'm thinking of making them my focus piece so I would have my Mother's Day present for 2016.

Happy Stitching!

Tama

Two More Rotation Turns

On August 25th, I picked up my Bent Creek Snappers to work on.

The project was here last time:

I got 'July Sings' done - the birds are supposed to be in a variegated blue floss, but I'm using the DMC conversion.  I didn't want them to be all the same color, though, so I used three shades of blue from the same color family, antique blue.  The two on either side look pretty much the same in the picture, but there's an obvious difference in real life.  They have black french knot eyes that also show up much better in person!

I didn't get much further - it was a busy time.  Only a little of 'August Rings', finishing up here:

This one will be turning up again soon.  I'm enjoying it, but at the same time, I'm just ready for it to be done.  I know, it has a big ol' hoop mark, but this one is definitely going to need a bath, anyway.

On August 30th, I picked up Gracie.  She did look like this:

I got one ribbon finished:

Then I got a lot more of her pink under-skirt done.  She finished up here:

With a more appropriate needle minder, lol!!!  (The one in the second picture was 'Dracula'!)

Playing Catch Up

I ended up working double shifts again, after I was promised that I wouldn't have to do any more.  So from the 3rd to the 9th, I had very little stitching time.

Which completely sucked.  :C   Bleh.

But I did get a little done, so here we go!

On the 1st, I had picked up a UFO.  I was fooling myself that it was a WIP, but a bit of research showed me I haven't worked on it since 2010, so yup - it's a UFO.

Mirabilia's Archangel:

Which did look like this - and I totally remember why I put him away.  That one-over-one on 32ct skin!

Working on HAEDs made this a little easier - it's still much tinier than my HAED projects but I got his hand done, at least :D

And some scroll.  So yay!  Progress on a very old project!  I didn't do any of his metallic yet because I remember needing Thread Heaven for it and I had to order some.  Let me just say that the colors do not do this project justice - they are beautiful rich greens and blues, not the drab olive and dull blue they look like here.  I'll try better lighting next time.

Then on the 5th I picked my Snappers back up.  I had gotten to here:

And made some joke about only getting the suitcase done next time.  Well, it turned out to not be a joke.  I only got the suitcase done.

Still happy with it, though - it is now halfway, border and all :D  Please pardon the big ol' hoop mark!

And this one was not in my rotation plans but there was one day I was just too tired to work on Archangel's over-one skin and so I picked up my China kit and finished off part one - it is the partially-stitched kit, which is divided into several parts, like so:

And here is part one done (a little flash-burned).  

The words and the first crane.  Part two is the single little crane so it will be finished quick.  I'm really looking forward to getting this done so I can see how well the ink really does wash out!  (Also, I may put a little backstitch in the crane's wing.  The camera flash washes it out a little, but it does lack some definition, in my opinion.)

More Snappers!

Happy Fourth, to those who are celebrating :D

I chose to work on my Bent Creek Snappers again, starting on the 30th.  Was a little busy so not quite as much done as I would have liked!  Here's where the project was:

I finished off April Glooms:

Then did May Blooms - both are in the pic because I also did more border to the left:

And finished up here, rather wrinkly:

So not too bad, I guess.  That suitcase in June is a monster, compared to the other blocks.  It's over 1,000 stitches.  But I'll conquer it next time - it may be the only block I get done, but I'll get it!

I have to pull at least three double shifts in the next few days so I am going to pick something really easy, next.  It may be another new start.  I dunno.

Oh, and here's a pic of the Darkest Green that I had already stitched up on 'Great Light'.

I'll be back at least by the 10th with another post!  Hope everyone's having a great stitching week :D :D :D

I Have No Clue Why

But it's working!

I'm going to try one more project before I say that this rotation is a success, but - LOOK AT WHAT I DIIIIDDDD!!!

March Snapper Block - done.  In two days.  AND the border around it!

O_O

(By the way - I love that chicken weather vane, but is it just me, or does that hen look a wee bit evil?)

And I didn't stop there - part of my new rotation is not stopping at a stitching 'milestone' like I always have before.

This is where I wrapped up before I went to bed on the ninth:

The little bit of January's border that I hadn't stitched is done, and April's block is started.  One word of two, one of five big raindrops and four of eleven little ones.  So much fun!  There's a big ol' blue umbrella to stitch in this one, and I'm looking forward to it!

So, this one is put away for a little while, and today starts the next project in the new rotation.  I have no idea what it's going to be yet.  I'll pick when I get home from work!

Hmm...

I had a new idea for my rotation, and it seems to be working.  Let me get it all straight (and keep testing it) and I'll explain what it is.

I have put 'Smell the Coffee' away for now - it's staying in the rotation! - but I got it this far before I did:

Pardon the weird big shadow!  The little rooster is done, he just needs his backstitching, and the first two rows of the left border are done - I have reached where the bottom square starts.  The blue block with a chunk missing has part of a sun-ray sticking through it.  This stitching is all the result of sitting in front of the computer and watching those addictive, addictive flosstube videos.  Or, mostly listening to them, and looking up when someone says 'and this is what it looks like'.  LOL!!!

So next in my latest try at a working rotation, I got my Bent Creek Snappers out and just finished February right off, no problem, two evenings of spare time while I watched videos.  Please pardon the hoop marks.

This one is still being worked on and I can't believe how fast it's going, when it's extremely slow me stitching it!!!   Tomorrow is the last day of its turn and I'll show you my amazing (for me) progress on the March block. :D :D :D

The Turtle-Trot Replacement

Since I finished up my stocking ornaments, I decided to put something in their place for the Turtle Trot, which pretty much rules my cross stitch rotation :D

I waffled about putting 'Flower of the East' in the empty slot, but I decided that I would put my Snappers, instead.

They need some love, because it's halfway through March, but...

I'm only halfway through February :D

January Snows! (and a Royal Flush)

I finished the first of my Snapper blocks - 'January Snows'.  I had to take it outside to get a good picture and it's still not the best.  The fabric is a sort of creamy tan color.  The floss looks pretty close in this, though.  A little brighter, maybe.

I have to finish the border around it and get 'February Glows' done this month to stay on schedule :D

I couldn't resist the pun for this next one - I worked on my Bothy Cut-Thru Princess Palace, which did look like this:

I did some backstitching, and then - I stitched the toilet in the bathroom upstairs!  So Royal Flush!  And my sister is rolling her eyes so hard they might fall out, bwah ha ha ha!  I could make a double-pun and say I've stitched both thrones?

hehehehehehehe...

Stashy Saturday

I've been pretty busy this week, so not much stitching and I'm behind on my Mini-Rings afghan.  I'm really close to being done with the January Snapper, though, so I'm hoping for a post tomorrow :D  In the meantime - another Stashy Saturday!

Another HAED that is on layaway!  Hoping that's paid off soon, though!

'Late to School' by Bob Byerly

And the stitch preview:

I love the way this one looks, and I have another of this little girl and her imagination on layaway.  I'll show it later :D

Another Bent Creek in my stash:

This one is 'Brown Bird Sampler'.

And some crochet to round it up - this afghan kit is pretty old.  My Mum found it on eBay and gave it to me for Christmas.

I couldn't get a good pic on my own so I used eBay's.  My picture was pretty creased and bent.  The yarn is so tiny and fine, too!