White Nights update

White Nights has been on the rotation for the last two weeks.  As a result of a change in home circumstances I am managing, on average, two evenings a week stitching whereas before I was able to stitch for four evenings a week.  This is the progress I have made.

The two towers have involved lots of colour changes and frequent visits upstairs to 'the stash room' in search of floss.  The plan with this is to finish the 'south side' picture and the border before moving on to the west and east sides.  This picture shows this week's progress in relation to the 'bigger picture'.

I am tempted to continue with White Nights again next week but I might go back to Witches Riding By.
I have also made some progress on my UFO. Photos of that next time.

Happy stitching!

A finish!

Hot off the needle, here is Little Witch finished!

This project came as a kit. The linen is 32 count Zweigart  Country Mocha and it was stitched with Au Ver a Soie silk threads, some of which were overdyed.  All I need to do now is frame it which will be a job for when I next have a weekend at home.

As mentioned in my last post the rotation is being re launched with White Nights. I've just uncovered it this evening and am looking forward to making a start tomorrow!

Some progress at last!

This week I feel that I've got my stitchy mojo back. On Monday evening I was on a roll with Little Witch from Shepherd's Bush. Then disaster! I ran out of one of the threads provided in the kit. Now the kit said that the thread colour was Au Ver a Soie 3844, soft black. So 3844 was duly ordered from Sew and So and as per usual it arrived the next day. Second disaster, the colour I had run out of turned out not to be 3844 as stated on the chart but, after searching through some other Shepherd's Bush kits 3846! So I'm now waiting for that to arrive. This is my progress to date.

I've enjoyed stitching this witch but as I sit on the sofa I see White Nights which has not been stitched on since Christmas so next week I think it might reappear on the rotation, which I am going to resurrect.

Happy stitching

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!