Spooky Update

Before the spooky stuff here is the November Calendar, and it's still not finished. Why? because I ran out of one of the Kreinik ribbon colours with about twenty stitches to go. I hunted high and low and could not find any stray big pieces that had got transported around the house on my clothes. So a quick email to Mill Hill and some more ribbon is being sent in the post.


So now for the spooky stuff. Here is the Horrid Halloween Biscornu by Faby Reilly. I made a few floss alterations. Firstly I used a blend of DMC 321 and E321 for the wording, to give it a bit of sparkle. I also used Kreinik Glow in the Dark #4 braids for the brew in the cauldron, the white parts and the border.


This next photo is not too good. Open House looks more like the house that Jack built!


I picked up Midnight Ride from the framers today. It took ages to choose the frame. In the end I chose black. I do not know how good Glow in the Dark threads are behind glass so I went without it. I think she looks really good.


This picture isn't the best either, maybe I need a new camera? Off to write a letter to Father Christmas, or does he do email? Better still I wonder if he has a blog? Now that would be COOL!

No more starts as things are getting out of hand!

So on the rotation should be the Pale Blue Santa and I fully intend to do him in the evenings, or after three o'clock in the afternoon. So that gives me the mornings to get some things finished. The plan is to finish three things this week.

Firstly,

The September Calendar from Mill Hill, started last Friday.


Secondly, the Knotted Garden Biscornu by Polstitches Designs to go in my Bowl of Biscornu for August.

Thirdly, 'The Country Diary of an Edwardian Lady' poppy card (cover kit from WOXS).

And finally Boo from Just Nan. OK so that's four things!

Anyway, this is where I'm at with the last three smaller projects.


On an update front. Sunday is Mary Wigham day and this is what she looks like so far.


And finally, here is Midnight Ride finished.


Whilst on holiday the rest of my family suffered from insect bites. Now usually I'm a magnet for insects of the biting variety. But not this time. Until, that is, we arrived back in the UK. Where, within the space of about an hour, I got bitten SIX times! The worst were on the ring finger and little finger of my right hand and on my right forearm. My ring finger became so swollen I could not get the rings off. My arm well, see for yourself. The two bites on my arm caused a hot, swollen area about FIVE INCHES in diameter, I'm not kidding. They are still weeping, and itching five days latter!

As they say on the news, 'Some viewers may find the following pictures disturbing'. If anyone knows of a cure/treatment for chronic bites then please leave a comment as this is beyond a joke.


Happy sitiching!

Back home to 'Blog of the Month'

This afternoon we arrived back home after a family holiday in Belgium. 'The Other Half' has driven over 1500 miles since August 1st! The only mishap occurred when we were about five miles from home when a large stone, from a lorry, hit the windscreen of the car and caused a very large circular crack. The man from Autoglass is coming out tomorrow to replace the windscreen. We happend to notice that in Belgium/France the Autoglass company is called Carglass, strange but true.

So with that number of miles travelled it's not surprising thet I managed to get quite a bit of stitching done. Here is 'Midnight Ride' a freebie from the Kreinik website.


It turns out that the border takes more than one bobbin of the Kreinik braid so I need to order another one to finish it off, also, I've not put in the glow in the dark stars as I need to order the braid for them too. But it's as finished as far as it can be, until the stuff arrives. I really enjoyed stitching this and can't wait to see it 'glow in the dark'. The next challenge is to find a square 'off the shelf' frame to put it in.

I also stared, and finished, as far as possible, Winter from Waxing Moon Designs. Another floss shortage is to blame for this. My Mum has the floss in her stash but forgot to take it with her on holiday so I will have to wait until she gets back to finish this one, as I'm not going to buy another skein just to do 15 stitches!


I also managed to stitch on Boo, from the Just Nan Over the Top and in the Tin series, but not really enough to show, as well as part of a cover kit from 'The World of Cross Stitching'. The latest edition of this magazine was waiting for me on the doorstep when I got home and this blog appeared in their, blog of the month, feature!


So if you are reading this blog as a result of the item in WOXS I hope you like what you see and pop back from time to time.

I'm off to catch up on all the stitchy blogs I read.

Happy stitching!