It's finished!

The Cornflower Biscornu is finished! Here are pictures of the front and back.




Here is the usual picture taken on the mirror.


Now for the details. This was a bespoke chart from Faby Reilly. I stitched it on 32ct antique white linen using the suggested floss (DMC) and beads. I really, really enjoyed stitching this, the colours are fantastic.

I also managed another finish this weekend. The Pale Blue Santa! Here he is.


Today was also the day for putting up the Christmas decorations. Here is one that has been up since Tuesday.


Its called the Christmas Advent Calendar (with charms) and is from Bucilla. I finished this about six or so years ago at about 23.59 on 30 November!

I will post more of my Christmas finishes from the past next time, and hopefully a decent picture of the Christmas Tree. As its Sunday I'm off to stitch Mary Wigham for a few hours. I still have to decide what I'm going to stitch next week - watch this space.

Cornflower Biscornu

November's Biscornu is the Cornflower Biscornu by Faby Reilly, or it would be if I had managed to finish it.


I think I mentioned in a previous post that whilst poppies are the flower of remembrance here in the UK cornflowers are the flowers of remembrance in France. Since I started following the Basket Of Biscornu SAL I knew that I wanted to do something with a remembrance theme for November, poppies on one side, cornflowers on the other maybe. I had a suitable poppy chart but not a cornflower one, so the hunt began. I searched and I searched, in the end I gave up and decided to do Faby's Poppy Biscornu for November.


Then I got an email from my Mum and attached was the chart for the Cornflower Biscornu, one of Faby's bespoke charts, it is done in the same style as the poppy biscornu so as to make a pair. I understand that this chart will be appearing in her catalogue in the future.

Having stitched 'Bluet' the French for cornflower in one over one, I take my hat of to those of you who do this on a regular basis, it's not for me. I under estimated how long the one over one would take which is why it is not finished.

Yesterday I took a break from doing the biscornu and made this


It's the WhimZi Feather Tree from Just Nan. The chart is a freebie here. I added some Krienik blending filament to the snowflakes to give them that extra sparkle!

So this week I intend to spend an hour each evening on the biscornu and the rest of the time on the Pale Blue Santa. I'm off to rescue him from the stash room as I've forgotten what he looks like!

Spooky finishes!

This weekend I've managed TWO spooky finishes!
Here is Horrid Halloween.


Here is is before finishing.


As mentioned in my last post I changed some of the colours for Glow in the Dark ones. This was a really fun stitch. You can order the chart from Faby Reilly Designs here.

It is my sister's birthday today so yesterday I set about stitching this biscornu based on the Boo needle book from Just Nan.


I finished this one this morning. I also did some domestic stuff between the stitches and, yes the needle was glowing by the time I was done! Unfortunately, what with postal strikes and things over here, my sister will not get this in time for Halloween Sorry Sis, but your prezzie does look good in my Halloween display!

With all this biscornu stitching Open House has not had a look in since Thursday evening. Here is the progress to date.


This Halloween stitching sure is fun! Off to wave my magic wand around the house. OK, reality check, it's a duster!

Happy stitching!

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!

She has a roof ...

... well half one!

Not much stitching got done this weekend. The progress on 'Open House' was achieved on a long car journey on Friday afternoon.


We were off to Pickering in North Yorkshire, one end of the North Yorkshire Moors Railway. This weekend no train travel was involved. We were attending a carriage restorers convention. Although I own a carriage myself I'm not really in to fixing them, until it gets to near the end when they require curtains and stuff. This was not always the case, but having fallen through the floor in one of The Other Half's derelict vehicles, he has many, I'm not quite so keen!

All these carriage restorers needed feeding and I had volunteered to help out with the catering. So on Saturday three of us laid on all day coffee, tea and cake. A buffet meal for 82 people and in the evening we put on a four course dinner for 26. On Sunday we did another buffet but for half as many.

The kitchen was in railway carriage and was about 5 to 6 foot wide and about three times as long. Not only did we cook on gas, a six ring gas hob, with gas cooker we also had a gas plate warmer and the two fridges were gas cooled. It was hot! The washing up facilities consisted of a domestic double sink unit with single draining board. OK for normal pots and pans but too small for the commercial variety. All I can say is that I am glad the whole thing was not on a train that was moving. Here is a picture of the facilities!


It was the first tome the kitchen had been used to cook in and there were some teething problems which will need to be fixed. Not least how to stop things like dirty dishes and the clean ones on the drainer falling onto the floor whilst the train is in motion.

Anyway despite the heat and the lack of space good fun was had by all. We were complemented on our efforts on a number of occasions. One I found particularly amusing. I was complemented on my egg sandwiches. Now I do not eat eggs and have, to my knowledge, have never made an egg sandwich in my life until this weekend.

Back to the stitching. On the way home I stitched on the Horrid Halloween Biscornu until, despite using 'glow in the dark' threads, I was forced to stop.

Spooky Stitching

At last I have started my spooky stitching! Here is a quick update on progress so far.

Open House.


This really is fun to stitch.

My handbag stitching is the Horrid Halloween Biscornu from Faby Reilly. I am doing this on 32ct Crystal Peach linen as I have a lot left over from the Over the Top and in the Tin project. I am going to change some of the colours for Kreinik 'Glow in the Dark' ones as I have them in my stash.



I also managed to spend an evening on the November Calendar.


I hope everyone has a happy stitching weekend!

Back to school!

Last Wednesday it was 'back to school'. This time the start of the Autumn Term was made more difficult for everyone as a friend and colleague died after a short illness during the holidays. Her funeral was the day before we went back. So to cheer myself up and to add a little colour to what was has been a dark couple of weeks I stitched Faby Reilly's 'Back to School Biscornu'.


Here is the English side finished.


Here is the French side.


Just for completeness this is the mirror photo.


The chart for this biscornu was a freebie. You can get the chart here. I did it on 28ct Misty Blue linen with the designated floss.

Basket of Biscornu

Whilst browsing through other blogs over the weekend I came across Basket of Biscornu. What a fantastic idea! Too late to sigh up I am going to do the same, albeit a month behind. I am going to try and theme my biscornu. So far these are my ideas:

January ~ Snowmen Biscornu from Faby Reilly Designs (just waiting for some bits to come from Sew and So)

February ~ Valentine's (still looking)

March ~ Baby Shamrocks from The Sweetheart Tree

April ~ something English for St George's Day (still looking)

May ~ ?

June ~ ?

July ~ ?

August ~ ?

September ~ maybe La Rentree from Faby Reilly

October ~ Halloween theme (still looking)

November ~ Poppies for Remembrance Day and possibly a cornflower on the other side, if I can find a chart

December ~ Christmas Biscornu from Just Nan (a bit of a cheat as this is all ready done)

Fingers crossed, the stuff I need to start on the January one should arrive tomorow, can't wait.