May Bank Holiday progress check

So three weeks ago I was debating which of my three remaining Drawn Thread projects I would start next. In the end Almost Halloween won. This was kitted up by my not so local LNS (The Nimble Thimble) and was stitched on 32 ct 'Tumbleweed' linen with the recommended DMC and hand dyed floss.

This project took me two days to stitch, remember I was on holiday at the time.  So this left me with another problem, what to stitch next?  After a bit of rooting around in the stash room I decided on 'M' Lady's Quadrielle' from The Sweetheart Tree'.

Rather fitting I thought as the new version of Thunderbirds was being shown on ITV.

And the original cast

Anyway back to the sewing. Just for fun I decided to photograph my daily progress on this project and put the pictures up on Facebook. Here they are, one photo for each day until the rotation finished.

One thing did become obvious as I stitched this and that was that no where near enough beads had been provided with this kit by the designer.  I calculated that I was about fifty, yes 50, beads short! These have since arrived from The Sweetheart Tree via The Nimble Thimble.

I finished stitching this on Saturday lunchtime as we were off out for the rest of the weekend. Sunday involved a very long train journey so on that I stitched 'Bless Ewe' from Shepherd's Bush. This is stitched on 18 ct Ivory linen with the recommended wool and over dyed floss and was a free chart that came with the button.

Again I framed this myself using a frame from Wilkos. Next time I will show you what I do with the mounted pieces.

The next week on the rotation was the turn of Lizzie*Kate.  I managed to finish Part One of' Very Scary' so the whole thing is now complete.

This was stitched on 30 ct 'Tin Roof' linen again using the recommended over dyed floss.

It turned out that May was a five week month so that gave me a 'free' week on the rotation.  Another trawl of stuff in the stash room was needed.  In the end  I went for this:

'The Finery of Nature' is a Dimensions Gold kit that is no longer available. It has been in my stash for nearly twenty years!  Anyway I've made a start. This picture is of a weeks worth of work (I'm not on holiday any more).  The back stitch and French knots are done, except the odd gold ones dotted around which I will probably replace with tiny gold beads. I'm not looking forward to doing the couching with the metallic thread provided so I might look for an alternative. Surly metallic floss technology has improved since this kit was put together?

I'm off to enjoy what is turning into a sunny Bank Holiday Monday and to start a new Just Nan project. 

Sorry could not resist as it is May 4.

Happy stitching!

Easter got in the way!

A busy Easter weekend followed by an equally busy start to the following week has lead to this post being a week later than planned.  However I have quite a bit of stuff to show you. Firstly the progress made on Lizzie*Kate's Very Scary.  Part two is completed as in most of the border for part one (not shown).

I was lucky to finish this part in a week considering that Monday evenings are turning into a non sewing night as I am catching up on TV programmes recorded over the weekend. Lets face it this character demands full attention!

Also this series as so much is in flashback.

After Lizzie*Kate week it was back to Just Nan's Hoppington Hill. I had two squares still to finish and the beading.

Here it is before finishing into a cube.

Here are a couple of photos of it made up, which I managed to do on Easter Sunday morning.

This was stitched on 32 ct Dusk Belfast Linen with the recommended DMC floss.

I still had quite a lot of Sunday left so rather than going on to the next project on the rotation, Shepherd's Bush Wisteria Snowman, I stitched Just Nan's Strawberry Bunny as I knew it would be a quick stitch and a relatively easy finish. This was stitched on 32 ct Smokey White Belfast linen with the recommended DMC floss.

This is not a very good photo of it before finishing.

Here she is made up.

So back to Shepherd's Bush.  I had been stitching the Wisteria Snowman but decided to sew something a little more seasonal, Spring Trifles.  I made a start and found that I had some floss colours missing so that put a stop to that. This is as far as I got.

So the Wisteria Snowman came back out and got finshed.

Not being in the mood for any more snowmen, I still have the red and stone snowmen in my stash, I went in search of something else of Shepherd's Bush to sew.  After the snowmen the only other Shepherd's Bush kits I have are Halloween ones so Into the Night it was.

This came as a kit and was stitched on 32 ct hand-dyed linen - Murky Pond with various silk floss.

So this week it's the turn of The Drawn Thread on the rotation. I only have three kits of theirs left in the stash, Almost Halloween, Christmas Jumble and the ABC sampler.  The ABC sampler is on the larger side an will need a roller frame so that will be something for the summer holidays.  I'm still not sure which of the other two kits I will choose. All will be revealed next time.

Happy stitching!

Later than originally intended

We have had a few busy weekends here at 'Chez Speedy Stitcher' so this post is later than originally intended.

Last time I blogged it was the turn of Lizzie*Kate on the rotation and the Halloween stitching was being replaced by something more seasonal.  I managed two finishes that week and the recently de mothballed sewing machine saw a bit more action.

Firstly Paddy O'Hare, a limited edition kit from ages ago.  This came with the fabric, 30ct Willow Green hand dyed linen, and I stitched with a mixture of the recommended DMC, Anchor and overdyed floss. Here he is standing about nine inches high.

The cording was shop bought and glued in place using Beacon Fabri-Tac. I'm not the best at doing fancy bows so I got some help from Paper Guru

The second Lizzie*Kate finish was Song of Spring, another limited edition kit, from last year (I think). This came as a complete kit and was stitched on the 32ct lambswool linen provided with a mixture Weeks Dye Works and DMC floss. The scissor fob was stitched on 28ct natural linen (not included).

As the sewing machine was out I finished this JBW Design project from a few years ago.  I am still on the lookout for some decent ribbon to make a different bow.

The following week on the rotation it was back to Hoppington Hill by Just Nan.  I finished another square and made a start on the fifth one.

After Just Nan it was the turn of Shepherd's Bush, I had already made a start on this one, the Wisteria Snowman, which was probably just as well as no progress was made until Wednesday or Thursday evening.

Stitching the snowman was interrupted by an early Easter present from my mum.  Coming in at 2" x 2" Get Eggs, also by Shepherd's Bush, was an enjoyable quick stitch.  This came as a kit and is stitched on 32ct Baby Lotion linen with a mixture of Weeks Dye Works and DMC floss.

Last week the rotation had come back round to The Drawn Thread.  I stitched the Halloween Jumble, not very seasonal, but there is no spring stitching left in the stash.  This was stitched on the recommended 32ct Dirty Belfast linen with the recommended NPI silk. As with the other Jumbles I made this into a bell pull.

So I finish where I came in with Lizzie*Kate week on the rotation and it's back to their Halloween Mystery Very Scary, as I have no more Lizzie*Kate stuff left in the stash!

That's all for now.

I almost forgot.  This month's TUSAL photo.

Happy stitching!

After dusting off the sewing machine

This is what I achieved.

The Goodness and Grace, part three of Shepherd's fold, was made into it's pin cushion.  This is rather large, and as you can see, almost fills the box!

 

 

Here it is from a different angle.

 

 

In my last post I said that I was about to start part four of the fold.  This was a needle book.  Whilst I like the design I'm not too happy with the finishing which could have been made easier if they had supplied more of the spotty fabric that lined the needle book.  There was only just enough fabric and not enough to make the spots on the fabric square with the edges of the book.

Here is the front.

And the inside.

There will be a round up picture of this project so far at the end.

Last week on the rotation was The Drawn Thread.  I finished Easter Eggs and, whilst the machine was up, made it into a bell pull.  B My Valentine, stitched last year, also got the same treatment.

 

 

 

 

 

Here is B My Valentine

 

 

 

Having finished these I still had a few days left on the rotation, remember it has been half term here so I have had a week off, so I started and finished Autumn Jumble, also from The Drawn Thread.

 

This, like the others, came kitted up from my LNS and was stitched on 34ct Café au Lait Legacy linen using the recommended silk floss.

 

 

 Here it is framed and 'staged'.

 

 

 

By this time I was 'jumbled out' and started the next project on the rotation a little early.  It's back to a Lizzie*Kate project. as spring is hopefully just around the corner I have shelved their Halloween project for this month and have started something a little more seasonal which will also require the sewing machine in order to be fully finished.  More about this next time.

 

As promised I will leave you with the parts of the Shepherd's Fold completed so far, and my TUSAL offering for this month, only two days late!

 

 

 

 

Happy Stitching!