A Little Progress

The title says it all really.  I have managed a little progress over the last couple of weeks.  I have completed the first stitch in Save The Stitches which has a little bit of copper thread.  It is the DMC thread and it is horrible to use, even with thread heaven.  I'd recommend the Krenic over the DMC any day.  However I do like the effect.

I've put this away again for now and I'm trying to complete a page on Dragonfly.  I hope to have an update on that soon.

I'm going to come up with some goals for 2016 which I hope will be achievable and I'll post those too soon.

I've done this post from the mobile ap so I hope it looks ok.  I'll check it out on the PC later.

In the meantime - Happy Stitching.

Something New

As if I haven't got enough big pieces on the go I've decided to start another one!  Why is that those new starts are so magical?  There's something addictive and exciting about puting the needle through the fabric for the first time and placing those first stitches.  I just love new starts, almost more than finishes which may be why I don't seem to get very many of them.

So this new start, as I said another big piece but slightly different this time.  I've taken on Save The Stitches by Blackwork Journey which, as it suggests, is blackwork rather than cross stitch.  It come in 24 parts so if I stitch two each month I could finish it in a year!  Yeah I know, nice plan but I'll never stick to it.  Anyway, this is what I have so far:-

The lighting of the photo is really bad so sorry about that but you get the idea.  This is the outline for the whole of block 1 and each block needs to be filled in with different blackwork patterns.  I'm enjoying it and it seems to stitch up quite quickly but I guess that might vary depending on the stitch that's being used at any one time.

Now with less than a week to go to Christmas and all sorts of commitments between now and then I don't suppose I'll get a chance to do any stitching for a while.   At some stage I'm going to have to get the house and food ready for 13 people for the big day and I'm working Christmas Eve (bad planning), so I probably won't get to post again before the 25th.

So I'll wish you all a very merry Christmas and hope that Santa brings you loads of stitchy stuff!

Birthday time and the Dragon gets a cookie

It's been a busy week this week with my eldest daughter turning 18!  She had a friend to stay last weekend, then a family party on Wednesday (her actual birthday) then a party with friends this weekend.

From this little thing......

To this, with her Grandma....

On a stitching front I've been working on Curl Up With A Good Book.  It seems to have been a slow process with the stem of the glass requiring many colour changes.  However looking at the photos I've done more than I realised and the dragon has a cookie..... well, very nearly!

Happy stitching.

Hello! I'm still here.

My plans for this new blog didn't last that long did they?  So much for the TUSAL and Turtle Trot trying to inspire me.  Life has just been busy - mind you when isn't it?  We've been touring universities every weekend looking at Psychology courses for my daughter.  Applications are all in now so we just wait and see.  Fingers crossed she makes the grades she needs to do the course she wants.

I have, however, started to pick up my needle again - yay. I've been stitching on Curl Up With A Good Book which is currently slow progress as there's only three or four stitches of any one colour at the moment.  But I should soon move on to an area that will fill quicker.

I've also made a little purchase to motivate me - what better way than to add to my collection of incomplete cross stitch?  I've bought a little Christmas chart and the materials to do Save The Stitches.  Hopefully they will arrive tomorrow.

 However, I do remember that I promised you pictures of the framed Celtic Summer and I don't want to disappoint you so here they are, better late than never hey?

Happy stitching everybody!

TUSAL Update, A New Moon and An Eclipse

So today sees the new moon and another TUSAL post so how appropriate that we've had a partial eclipse in the UK.  Its the first time I really remember experiencing one.  The light certainly changes and it almost feels like dusk or early dawn not 9.30am.  We didn't have the glasses so made do with a pin hole in a piece of paper which gave a sharp, if somewhat small image.  However, I did get these on my phone.

This is the sun in the top left but if you look to the lower right you can see a crescent which is the reflection of the eclipse in the double glazing.

This one might take a bit of work to see (and was much better on my phone, I think it's lost some detail in the upload).  If you look at the bottom right of the blur that is the sun's glare you can make out an in focus semi circle.  This is the sun and on my phone there was a chunk missing which was the moon, but I think you are going to have to take my word for it.

And this one I just like.  You can see the sun underneath its glare. 

I know they are not going to set the astrological world alight with their quality but seeing it's only the camera on my phone I was quite pleased with them.

Anyways, back to stitching and TUSAL.  Here's my jar.  It's starting to show lots of the reds now from Dragonfly.

And the dragon itself continues to progress.

Celtic Winter will be back from the framers next week so I'll post you some shots then.

Happy stitching and thanks for visiting!

Late Turtle Trot (March)

Celtic Summer has gone off to be frame, yipee,  Can't wait to get her back and put her up with Celtic Winter.  Two down, two to go.  Don't hold your breath though, it's taken so long to do Celtic Summer that the other two won't be here any time soon!

However, Christmas Pots is now finished.  It needs a wash and iron and then "finishing" but the stitching is done.  (The picture's a bit washed out, I'll get a better one when it's washed).

And I'm pleased to say the Dragonfly continues to progress.  The dragon's face is starting to appear.

And here's a close up of the dragons head.

Only a totally different note I've started a sewing course.  It's for complete beginners and started with real basics, like how to thread your sewing machine.  But at the end of week three I've learnt how to do various seams and darts and I've made a place mat using wadding and bias, which I was actually quite pleased with.  I might even try and show you a picture next time.

Finish Number 2

Woo Hoo!  I've done it.  I've finished Celtic Summer.  This has been a ridiculously long journey.  The first stitch went in in October 2009 so it's taken me just over 4 years!!!  I know it's a big project but that is a little bit crazy, it just goes to show how much I get sidetracked onto other projects.

So here are some pics (sorry that not very good).

She's stitched two over two except her hands and face which are one over one.  She's on 28 count cashel linen (Summer Khaki).