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

It's finished!!

On Sunday afternoon I put the final stitches into White Nights!

At last, it has taken the best part of three years to complete this project.  Although the last stitch was put in on Sunday it has taken me three evenings add the crystals.  Here are some more shots.

The details, this was stitched on 32ct opalescent linen with a mixture of DMC, overdyed silk and Rainbow Gallery metallic threads, as recommended. Basically, the solid colour silks, NPIs, were substituted for their DMC equivalents. The beads and crystals were the recommended ones.

So what next?  Well, you know me, I have a number of other projects on the go, five at the last count, so I'm going to finish them off first and then have a fresh start in the New Year, well that's the plan.  Thanks for all your supporting comments with this project over the last three years they have been much appreciated.

Happy stitching!

White Nights Part 11 is finished!

Yesterday I finished part 11, complete with crystals. The crystals have still to be put on the rest of the piece but I will wait until all of the stitching is done.

I have also made a small start on one of the corners.

This is the project in its entirety, well at least as much as you can see!

I have had a few weekends away from home and have managed to finish Autumn from the Maggi Co's Village range by Jardin Privé. This was stitched on 32 count opalescent white linen with the recommended DMC floss.  The only alteration is that I stitched this with one strand of floss rather than two.

I have also made a start on winter.

I'm off to do some more on White Nights. The end is getting nearer!

The final countdown or roll up!

Yesterday I finished the border, mentioned in my last post, after another weeks worth of no stitching in the evening.  An early return from 'The Railway' meant, a last, that I could get some quality stitching time.

So the final few stitches were put in, the beads were stitched in place and then it was time for the final roll up.

The bottom part of this design has not seen daylight for over twelve months!  I was able to put a few stitches in to the border.  The end really is in sight now!

Three weeks later

It's been three weeks since my last post, three weeks back at work, which probably explains my lack of posting and my lack of progress. Don't get me wrong, I have made some progress but I was expecting a little more. Hopefully things will settle down at work and I wont need to be coming home and working until nine o'clock for much longer. Anyway, here is the latest White Nights progress pick.

So, what is left to do on this section? The Algerian Eyelets on the left followed by some gold backstitch around them, eight gold cross stitches and then, the beading, probably two good quality evenings worth.  Then it's the big roll up!  When this happens I will take a photo of the whole project so far. Mind you, given the quality of my photographs of late, well, what can I say? You might be able to make something out.

Someone who does take fantastic photos is Maisie Moonshine.  If you are interested in stuff other than stitching pop over to her blog.  Here is a photo of her latest project, I want one!

and a close up.

I'm off to make the most of a school free evening.

Happy stitching!

A couple of finishes

We got back from our honeymoon on Friday and have spent the weekend at 'The Railway'.  As I will explain later our holiday involved quite a lot of train travel!

Before we went away I was able to make up the Wedding Quadrielle from The Sweetheart Tree.

I also finished the Black Snowman from Shepherd's Bush.

I made more progress on Charmed Hearts also by Shepherd's Bush.

As I said before our Honeymoon involved a lot of train travel.  We went from London to Venice on the Orient Express staying at the St Pancras Renaissance Hotel the night before we caught the train.  The former Midland Hotel had be derelict for many years and after a massive refurbishment re opened last year.  This is a link to pictures on Google images

Here are some of our pictures. Firstly, the main reception.

One of the restored corridors in the old part of the hotel

The Orient Express waiting at Calais

Two of the dining cars

The bar car and yes, that is a baby grand piano!

This was our hotel in Venice, on the Grand Canal.

We spent three nights in Venice before starting to make our way home, by train, stopping for a night in Milan and three nights in Paris. This is the fountain in the square where our Paris hotel was.

The train journey from Milan to Paris was quite long so I was able to do some stitching.  This is called 'Hand wash only' and comes as a kit from The Whimsical World of Thomas Joseph.  There are four in the series.

It's back to work tomorrow I get the feeling that this year I'm going to be bringing even more work home than usual but I am determined to do some stitching every day so it's White Nights until it's finished!

Happy stitching!

The last full day!

I have spent the last full day stitching on White Nights. There are still two weeks of the school holidays left but we have a big holiday planned, amongst other things.  I'm really pleased with the progress I've made over the last three and a bit weeks, the end really is in sight!

This is actually the top of the design! Not the best photo but it gives an idea of progress.

This is the top, again the wrong way up because that is how it is on the frame.

Happy stitching!

What a difference a week makes!

These are my latest progress pics of White Nights.  Even I can't believe how much progress I've made in a week, and that doesn't include Saturday or Sunday as we were at 'The Railway'.  This is of the top left hand corner,

and this the top right hand corner.

This is a closeup of the corner section.

Finally, the whole thing, well as much as you can see!

Fingers crossed for just as much progress next week.

Happy stitching!

Relocated

Last Friday morning I packed up the car and drove across the Pennines, from Lancashire to Yorkshire, to my husband's house.  The first thing to be unpacked was White Nights.  On Friday afternoon, before I had unpacked anything else, I completed a substantial part of the boarder, the right hand upper pointy bit on the next photo.

We had visitors at the weekend so not much got done.  First thing on Monday morning it was time for a roll up on the frame.  These are photos of my progress before that happened.

I stitched on Monday and today (Tuesday), alongside doing other stuff around the house and in the garden, more of that later.  I am really pleased with my progress over the two days.

Both parts of the border are finished.

Mind you with a stitching view like this

and a nice patio area where I can sit and stitch,

I'm not surprised I'm making good progress.  Mind you the patio yesterday morning was not quite so nice.  Most of the flower beds were full of the plant in the top corner so after a trip to ASDA, for some tools, B&Q for some plants, two and a half hours of digging out and twenty minutes replanting, the above was the result!

I'm hoping that this good weather we are having, at last, holds out so I can spend many more hours outside stitching away!