Autumn Arbor

This week's new start was the Autumn Arbor form The Drawn Thread. With one evening to go I'm on the top border. Here it is.


This is one of those fancy, at an angle, shots.


The ladybird needle minder has been attached to this piece all week and I haven't had a visit from the frogs! Maybe this is because she is looking on, hands on hips, saying, 'Don't you dare' and either scaring the frogs away or making me more careful, same thing really I suppose. I asked The Other Half what I should call her and he said Matilda so from now on that's what she will be known as.

I took Grannyanne up on her comment on my last post and also made into a needle minder the bluebird from the same chart.

Big hat, big attitude and the smallest finish ever.

Now I cannot pretend that the smallest finish ever is an original idea, it's not. Whilst blog hopping the other day I came across a really cute needle minder on Daffycat's blog. A few of her posts later I found the design came from the March/April 2010 edition of Just Cross Stitch. Mmm... my Mum subscribes to that. I also guessed that she would probably have some of those buttons which you cover yourself, about an inch in diameter. I was right. So armed with the chart, a small piece of 28 count fabric and the necessary floss, this morning, on the way to work in the car, I made a start. By the way I was a passenger just in case that last bit didn't quite read right. Anyway, by the time I arrived in school the body was done and on the way home I finished the hat. I have now proved to myself that I can stitch one over one in the car!

Now I thought it would be a good idea to take the shank out of the coverable button in order to make a needle minder, The Other Half was able to provide me with a very powerful magnet. So like a good scientist I tested my idea first. The metal that the button is made out of is not magnetic. So inside the button I have had to put a small washer which is magnetic. OK, so I've gone on for long enough, this is what my needle minder looks like.


This is the ladybird from a design called 'In your Easter Bonnet' by Brooke Nolan, published in the latest edition of Just Cross Stitch. I think she has attitude!

Well election night came and went, although we are still waiting to see who will form the next government. I managed to stay up until 12.40 but did get up at 4.55 for twenty minutes to see what was going on. This is what Tea with Honey looks like.


All I have left to do is the lace in the middle of the tablecloth, the beading, a little bit of green and the backstitch edging. I am almost there but, and you may call me mad, I'm putting it away until next month and I'm going to start something new!

Happy stitching!

Tea with Honey

Just a quick one tonight before I settle down to watch the election night TV for as long as I can stay awake. This week I have been stitching on Just Nan's 'Tea with Honey'. I've really enjoyed stitching this. Unfortunately, last night, at about ten o'clock, I noticed that things weren't quite as they should be. Further investigation called for some quite serious frogging. I went to bed at 11.15 having done the necessary reverse stitching and some re-stitching. This is what it looks like so far.


As they say I'm on the home straight with this one but will I get it finished before we know who has won the election, or not, as the case may be? Who knows, like I say it depends how long I can stay awake.

Happy election night!

My Little Heart SAL and other stuff

This weekend was a non working railway weekend which meant that I was able to get on with quite a bit of stitching. Firstly the May picture for Sylvia's My Little Heart SAL.


This is a picture of the project so far. I still have to border to finish.


On Saturday I also got back in to the next Timeless Elegance ornament for Yoyo's Christmas Design SAL.


I have also finished off Barnabee's Quest. Yesterday with the help of my Mum and my Dad's hand held drill I made the three colour cording. Usually I use a pencil to twist the floss but if I had done that this time I would still be twisting today. So impressed was I with the drill that I'm tempted to send 'The Other Half' off to B&Q on 'Wrinkly Wednesday' to get me a smaller version.

This photo is not too good as it is out of focus and the wall is actually yellow and not the colour it appears to be.


The pull ware and the tassel topper are from Just Nan. I made the tassel using the left over cotton perle from the cord.

Here in the UK it's a Bank Holiday. The Sun is shining, although it is a bit chilly, and I'm off to start Tea with Honey.

I hope the Sun is shining where you are.

Progress at last

Having been in a stitching slump for the last few weeks things appear to have turned a corner!

This week I achieved my goal of completing the bottom two corners that make up part 6of White Nights. Here is a close up of one of them.


This is what the whole project looks like, probably for the last time, as the next time it's on the rotation it needs to be rolled up.


I managed to finish both corners by Thursday evening so I was able to stitch on something else. I decided to finish the Just Nan Winter Hearts Humbug. This is what it looks like before it is made up.


This is a bad photo of the finished humbug. I'll try and get a better photo in natural light next week.


Have a great stitching weekend.

Stitching slump?

Yet again, as anticipated, next to no stitching was done last week. A small amount, and I mean very small amount, was done on The Green Santa.


This weekend was a 'Railway Weekend'. I was guard on the train on Saturday so no stitching was done on Yoyo's Christmas Design SAL and I was training in the signal box on Sunday so no stitches were added to my UFO. Here is the progress I have made on this so far.


This week I'm hoping that nothing will get in the way of a good stitch. White Nights is back this week and I'm working on the bottom corners. Next week I will be starting something new. For those of you who like surprises don't look at the next photo.

Next week's new start is...


'Tea with honey' from Just Nan.

Happy stitching!

Hiding from Thanksgiving!

I confess, what with one thing and another, no progress was made on The Green Santa this week but it is on the rotation for next week. However, with a busy week coming up at work it's another fingers crossed job for that particular project.

I have managed to do some stitching on smaller pieces. Another Secret Needle Night project was started and finished. This one is called Hiding from Thanksgiving!


The turkey, in disguise, is my favorite and so has a photo all to himself.


With the imminent release of the next Just Nan Spring Humbug I thought I'd better get a move on and stitch the Winter one. This is all stitched up with the recommended floss. Some of the beads have been attached but not all.


Having done 'school stuff' for the last six or so hours I'm off to have a shower and hopefully later on I will be able to put some stitches into my Christmas ornament for Yoyo's Christmas Design SAL' another project which has also been woefully neglected.

Happy Stitching

TUSAL and two finishes!

Firstly here is this month's picture of my ort flask. As you can see it was enjoying the sunshine amongst the spring flowers in the garden.


Last week on the rotation it was the turn of Barnabee's Quest. It's finished! I've started to make this into a bell pull but still have a little way to go before it is finally finished.


This is an out of focus photo of the whole thing.


Having had such fun with The Crazy Carrot, last post, my Mum gave me another Secret Needle Night project to do. I think this one is called 'The Haunted Hideaway on 13th Avenue'. I stitched it as charted but added a glow-in-the-dark ghost in the window and by the fence. The ghost is based on the one from Just Nan's Fraidy Frog. I also gave the cat green glow-in-the dark French knot eyes. I'm probably going to finish this as a cushion cover, but then again can a girl have too many bags?



This week on the rotation it should be The Green Santa. As yet not a stitch has gone into him. Maybe I will be able to report some progress in my next post!

Happy stitching!

The Crazy Carrot!

Over the Easter Weekend I stitched The Crazy Carrot, February's design for Secret Needle Night from The Silver Needle.

Here it is stitched up.

This really is a bright design and used lots of different types of floss, the likes of which we don't see in the UK. Once stitched, the problem was what to do with it? I had a go at making a book bag.


The fabric is suede effect and very thick. I'm not too happy with the way the handles went on but it will do for now, until I find something else to do them in.

Happy Stitching

The first Biscornu of 2010 and other stuff

The other evening I finished the Anniversary Biscornu, the first biscornu finish of 2010. First there is a photo of the underside and then one of the completed biscornu with my stork scissors so that you can get an idea of the size. The usual mirror shot will be in the sidebar. This took over an hour to make up!




Yesterday, with snow falling, we took a trip to Harrogate. During the journey I was able to stitch Just Nan's Fraidy Frog from the 2009 Halloween issue of Just Cross Stitch.


This week has seen White Nights back in the rotation. I have managed to complete two more houses. Tonight I will do a little more work on the corners, well that's the plan.


Happy Easter!