Some good reasons for not much progress?

So, the new project I decided to start was Little Witch from Shepherd's Bush. Just the right size for stitching in the car and I knew there was going to be a lot of travelling to come.  This is how much progress I made.

Not much for a week, I have to admit, but when you are travelling through scenery like this who can blame me for looking rather than stitching?

These are views of the Scottish Highlands and the Isle of Skye the latter being where I spent a few days last week. This was a surprise trip organised by my new BF, and it really was a surprise, I had no idea where we were going.

So I hope you can understand the reasons for the lack of progress.  \i'm carrying on with Little Witch this week so, hopefully, I will have more to show next time.

Witches Riding By

Working with children/teenagers has many rewards but it also has its downsides. One of them being that you can catch their diseases. In my case tonsillitis! Coupled with a very bad cold/cough the result has been over a week off work.  So, when I've felt up to it I have stitched on Witches Riding By from Lavender Wings. I am really pleased with the progress.

There is a little bit of backstitching still to do on the owl and the dress.  The unstitched section at the bottom is all white with a verse to be backstitched on top. The face and arms are done in one-over-one. This is my progress so far on her face.

Next week I'm going to start something new but for various reasons I don't know how much I will manage to do. Possibly more in the next post!

Happy stitching

By the way I am now fully recovered.

Pretty Winder Pocket

Earlier on today I finished the Pretty Winder Pocket from Just Nan.

I have really enjoyed stitiching this little project.  Tonight I'm hoping to rediscover Witches Riding By which will be my stitiching for next week.

Happy stitching

I chose ...

... Just Nan's Pretty Winder Pocket.

Shown with my stork scissors to give you an idea of the size and also, the beaded scissor fob happens to go perfectly with the colours in the design!  This has been stitched on the recommended overdyed fabric, 28ct zweigart opal angel song cashel linen.  The top square is complete, except for the beads and the majority of the middle square has been done. The final section is only half the size of the other sections so it shouldn't be too long before this one is finished!  I know it should have been Witches Riding By this week but after being in a really bad slump I want to get a finish under my belt so that will now reappear next week.

Tuscan Gardens UFO

Apologies for the lack of posting recently. Lack of posting has reflected a lack of stitching on my part, for reasons I won't go into, but which may become apparent in the future.  I have managed to do a little work on my Michael Powell Tuscan Gardens UFO.

Stitching a UFO is probably not the best idea when stitching is the last thing on your mind but I will persevere, at least until the weekend, when I might start something new! Next week I should be stitching on Witches Riding By. I was really enjoying this project before I gave it up for Christmas stitching so I'm looking forward to picking it up again.  I hope if anyone else out there is in a stitching slump you soon get out of it. Start something new! In fact I might just do that this evening on thinking about it. Off to the stash room to see what takes my fancy!

Happy stitching!

Festive Fifteen, finished!

This evening I finished Just Nan's Festive Fifteen. Before I give you the finish photos here are pictures of the last five squares. Just out of interest can anyone spot the deliberate mistake, fortunately spotted before finishing?

This is the finished item.

So having finished this I have stuck to my guns and have begun stitching on my Michael Powell 'Tuscan Gardens' UFO. Progress pics on this to follow!

Happy stitching!

The final finish of 2010 and the first finish of 2011

Between Christmas and New Year, despite entertaining The Other Half's relatives I managed to finish a couple of things. Firstly, Chessie's Fern Pincushion & Fob from Chessie and Me. This was a gift from Father Christmas and was started on Christmas Day.

I also finished the Stitcher's Favourite Biscornu from The Sweetheart Tree. This project has been lurking in my handbag for what feels like the best part of twelve months, I know that is an exaggeration, but a long time at any rate. As you can probably tell I'm pleased it's finished!  Here are the usual shots, firstly the completed stitching followed by the finished item.

I finished this late on New Year's Eve so it only just made it as the last finish of 2010!

That brings me on to the first finish of 2011. Again a project that has been lurking in my handbag for a few weeks if not a couple of months and, yes, my handbag is reasonably large!  This is the Old Fashioned Tree from the Mill Hill Festival of Trees series.

So what does the New Year bring on the stitching front? I was very lucky as Father Christmas enhanced my stash with some really interesting projects which I will share with you as I get round to doing them.  But firstly I have decided to suspend the rotation and blitz some of the things that have been hanging around too long, mainly the St Nicholas Tree Skirt, followed by the Timeless Elegance Ornaments and my Tuscan Gardens UFO. The ornaments will probably remain as my weekend stitching but I'm trying to go with no new starts until the other two are finished!  With so much lovely stuff in my stash I don't know how long that New Year's resolution will last. But first I need to finish Festive Fifteen. Four more squares to go and the final finishing. I didn't hit the last target on this one, maybe next weekend?

I hope everyone had a great Christmas and New Year and I hope Father Christmas enhanced your stash too!

Christmas Eve update.

I made good progress on White Nights this week. The floss used in the windows of the middle building really makes them look like stained glass.

This week I also stitched a three of  Just Nan's 'Holly Knot'

This looks better in real life than it does here.

Merry Christmas to everyone!

Pre Christmas update.

Despite not posting for nearly a fortnight I have been stitching. I've now finished ten of the Festive Fifteen squares. Here they all are.

I've made a start on one of the last five squares. There seems to be less work on these so I'm hoping for a Christmas Eve finish, fingers crossed.

Be Jolly By Golly arrived back from the framers.

On Saturday morning we woke up to 17cm of snow! This is the photographic proof.

 As a result of this snow fall I was prompted to finish Icy Hill by Just Nan. I started and finished the stitching on this one in the first week of January, the last time we had any significant snow.  I finished it as a bell pull. The pull ware is made by Framecraft. This picture is not too good but it gives you an idea.

This week I'm stitching White Nights during the day and carrying on with Christmas stitching in the evening, but I'll say more about the later, after the weekend.

Happy stitching!

A festive finish

Last week, despite other Internet commitments mentioned in my last post, I managed two finishes.  First was Sylvia's 'My Little Heart' SAL.  I changed the December picture from the nativity scene designed by Sylvia to a Christmas tree.

Here is the completed piece.  Thanks go to Sylvia for providing this fun SAL.

The second finish was 'Be Jolly By Golly' from Waxing Moon Designs. I stitched this on the recommended fabric, 28ct Wichelt 'Star Saphire' linen, with the suggested over dyed floss.

This should be off to the framers this week so, with a bit of luck I might get it back before Christmas.

I also managed a few stitches on a Mill Hill Festival of Trees decoration. I actually made better progress on this than shown. Only I made a massive error and had to frog quite a lot!

A fortnight ago progress on White Nights was not great so I'm leaving any photos of that project until next time.  Back on the rotation this week it's Just Nan's Festive Fifteen.

Happy stitching!