Hummingbird Lace Mandala – 1 year on

Last year I decided to make a start on my second Chatelaine and began working on Hummingbird Lace Mandala as my birthday start on 9^th September.

One year on and I’ve not made as much progress on it as I had originally hoped, but we all know there’s so much temptation out there, just waiting for us, so I guess that was inevitable when you’re not a monograms stitcher.

Anyway, tomorrow will be a year since I started it and with the help of the ‘Chatelaine Weekender’, an event hosted in a Facebook group each week, it’s encouraged me to keep going.

The last time you saw it, I had spent some time correcting my mistake with the beading, but the last two weekends, I’ve made some great progress.

The weekend of the 29^th – 31^st August, and although it wasn’t  a holiday in the UK, I took advantage of it being Labour Day in the USA, giving me an extra day of stitching, my aim was to complete the second 1 over 1 hummingbird, which I finish.

I also managed to add some more to the boarder, some beading and a few of the specialty stitches in the corner motifs.

This past weekend I had to make the decision whether to work the next flower on the left hand side or to start on some of ‘lace’ on the right.

In the end, I decided to work on the top, right hand quadrant 

and the first Algerian Eye lace.

Happy Stitching!

Sue

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Hummingbird Lace Mandala - Chatelaine

Designer - Martina Rosenberg
Fabric – 28ct Jobelan Evenweave – Antique White
Threads – Called for Silks, DMC and Petite Treasure Braid
Beads – Swarovski Crystals and Delica Beads

Noel – Christmas Blue Ornaments – Joan Elloitt

Once again it’s time to stitch another of my 12 in 25 Christmas ornaments and this is No.6 for June, which means we are half way through the Sal.

I’m still working my way through the 9 charts of Joan Elliott’s 'Christmas Blue Ornaments' and this one is ‘Noel’.

Once it was finished I decided to go right on and FFO it

and at the same time I FFO’d the previous two months ornaments as well.  It seems quicker somehow to do two or three at the same time, especially when they are all being finished in the same way.

The next thing I stitched on was my Cross Stitch Camp piece, ‘Twilight Moon’ from Tiny Modernist which I'm about half way through.

That’s about it for now. 

I’ve not really given much thought as what I’m going to stitch on over the weekend, although I’ve not touched my Chatelaine for several weeks, so maybe I’ll put some stitches into that, who knows!

Whatever you’re plans are this weekend………..

 Happy  Stitching!

Sue

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 Project Details

Chart – Blue Christmas Ornaments

Designer – Joan Elliott

Fabric -  32ct Antique White Evenweave

Threads – DMC

 Project Details

Chart - Twilight Moon

Designer -  Tiny Modernist

Fabric - 32ct Twilight Blue - Wichelt.

Floss  - Called for ThreadWorx and Anchor.

 

Christmas Blue Ornaments No. 4 – Joan Elliott (12 in 25)

A quick stitch this past weekend and it was my May Christmas Ornament for the 12 in 25 Sal.  

I'm pleased because it was back to, in my opinion, one of the more normal ornaments from the chart ‘Christmas Blue Ornaments’ by  Joan Elliott.   I say 'more normal' because last months ornament was one of the two silhouettes in the collection and I wasn't so keen on it when it finished, but I'm hoping I'll be happier once it's FFO'd.

This months ornament is ‘Let it Snow’

And these are my other four ornaments so far.

 Happy Stitching!

Sue

 

Project Details

Stitch-a-long – 12 in 25 (1 Christmas Ornament each month) hosted by Carol at the  Stitching Dream Blogspot

 

Chart – Blue Christmas Ornaments & Small Christmas Tree 

Designers – Joan Elliott  (Joan Elliott Designs)  &  Jacob de Graaf (Modern Folk Embroidery)

 Threads – DMC 6 strand cotton

In The Woods Deer – Log Cabin Christmas - Little House Needle Works

I’m well past the half way mark of Log Cabin Christmas

now and have just finished Part 6, which is ‘In The Woods Deer’.

I’m really enjoying working on this, but I think, as we head into warmer days, it’s time to put Christmas/Winter stitching aside for a little while I think because I want to do some Summer stitching.

First though I wanted to get some more stitches into my Chatelaine, ‘Hummingbird Lace Mandala’.

This is where I let it the last time you saw it back in March.

Between then and now, I’ve stitched the first 1 over 1 hummingbird,

worked on the borders of specialist stitches 

and the second flower.  

I’ve also added lots of beads, because I’ve decided to bead as I go, instead of leaving it all until the end as I did with Butterfly Lace.

I did make a little blunder though……….while adding beads to the second flower, I realised that I used the wrong beads on the first one, so at some point I’m going to sit and pick the out, which is a bit of a pain.

There’s one last thing to share with you today.

I’ve seen other stitchers' use Flower Frogs, which are designed for arranging flowers, to display/store their scissors and I wanted one too, so when I saw this beautiful Green Glass one on ebay, I knew it had to come and live with me.

So, until next time

 Happy Stitching!

Sue

 

Project Information

Chart- Log Cabin Christmas – Part 6- In the Woods Deer

Designer – Little House Needleworks

Fabric – 32ct Zweigart Linen – Raw

Threads – Called for Classic Colorworks

Hummingbird Lace Mandala - Chatelaine

Designer - Martina Rosenberg
Fabric – 28ct Jobelan Evenweave – Antique White
Threads – Called for Silks, DMC and Petite Treasure Braid
Beads – Swarovski Crystals and Delica Beads

Christmas Blue Ornaments – Joan Elliott (12 in 25 - April)

 You'll have noticed that I've been absent from my socials for a while but it's not because I've not been stitching, quite the opposite in fact. 

I have worked on several thing, but I was extremely lazy when it came to dragging out my laptop to update you with everything and as we all know, it's more fun stitching than it is typing, Lol!

Anyways, back on the 10th April, I finished stitching my 4^th Christmas ornament for the 12 in 25 Ornament Sal, that's hosted by Carol, over at the  Stitching Dream Blogspot  and it's the 3rd chart from 'Christmas Blue Ornaments' by Joan Elliott.

As I think I’ve mentioned before, I plan to stitch all nine of the ornaments but of that nine there are two that I’m not so keen on, and this is one of them.  I think it’s the fact that they are silhouettes and lack the detail in the other ornaments.

The finishing will be the same as the rest when I get around to doing it, most likely at the same time as the May one is FFO'd.

Happy Stitching!

Sue

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 Project Details

Chart – Blue Christmas Ornaments

Designer – Joan Elliott

Fabric -  32ct Antique White Evenweave

Threads – DMC

Christmas Blue Ornaments - Joan Elliott

Here's my 'March' ornament for the 12 in 25 sal that is hosted by Carol over at Stitching Dreams Blogspot every year.

My plan is to stitch all nine in the series using the same thread conversion, and finish then all in the same way.

Happy  Stitching!

Sue

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 Project Details

Chart – Christmas Blue Ornaments

Designer – Joan Elliott

Fabric -  32ct Antique White Evenweave

Threads – DMC conversion -  3852, 3854, 19, 3855, 3823 and light gold metallic. 

I Can Hear Humming………………

And it’s not coming from the bees!

It’s my Hummingbird Lace Chatelaine and I’ve been working on it over the weekend while joining in with the Chatelaine Weekender Sal, which runs every weekend, Friday to Sunday. 

I find a great way to put some stitches into it, without feeling overwhelmed by the size and intricacy of the project and it was what helped me get to the finish of Butterfly Lace last year.

I only picked this one up on one evening during February and this is where I had got to.

And after three evenings of stitching, I finished the four sides to the centre square and started to work on the first of the flowers.

I’m still not sure if I’m going to bead as I go with this one.  I left it until the end on Butterfly Lace but it was daunting being faced with more the 4000 beads and crystals to attach, all on one go.

I believe this one has even more but I’m worried that my silks will catch on them if I do them as I go. 

The members from Chatelaine group on Facebook were very helpful, giving their experience when asked, but having read all the comments, I still can’t make up my mind, Lol!

I guess what I will have to do is may be bead the centre square and see how it goes.

 

Happy Stitching!

Sue

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Hummingbird Lace Mandala - Chatelaine

Designer - Martina Rosenberg
Fabric – 28ct Jobelan Evenweave – Antique White
Threads – Called for Silks, DMC and Petite Treasure Braid
Beads – Swarovski Crystals and Delica Beads

Country Charm - Fiona Baker

Well, I hit my deadline of fully finishing ‘Country Charm’ in time for my cousin’s 70^th birthday on the 8^th January but it was down to the wire!

Don’t ask me why I left it until the day before to actually sew the cushion, given that I finished the cross stitch 6 days prior, and considering I was attempting to put in a covered zip for the first time. 

But I did, and then I had a problem putting on the binding and had to unpick part of it........talk about panic, Lol!

Anyway, it all turned out well in the end and I’m happy to say that my cousin loved it.

Project Details

Country Charm – from The World of Cross Stitching Magazine

Designer – Fiona Baker

Fabric – 36ct Linen – Parchment – Nicolas Flamel Designs

Threads – DMC’s

Happy Stitching!

Sue

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Country Charm - Fiona Baker

I have one final finish that I’ve managed to sneak over the line  before the bells ring in a new year.

As you know, I’ve been on a bit of a deadline, but I’m pleased to say I stitched the last of the beads and sequins on this morning.

 The fabric I ordered from Etsy also arrived this morning, so I have six days left in which to  get my sewing machine out

and make the cushion, so it’s all looking good, although I still can’t help wondering why I set myself these tight deadlines!!

Country Charm – from The World of Cross Stitching Magazine

Designer – Fiona Baker

Fabric – 36ct Linen – Parchment – Nicolas Flamel Designs

Threads – DMC’s

 

Happy Stitching!

Sue

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Chatelaine - Butterfly Lace Mandala

 She’s back from the framers and she’s a bit of a big beast!

I knew she was going to be large, but I hadn’t taken into account the extra width of the three mats, which I don’t usually bother having. 

She just a smidge under 29 inches square! 

On this occasion they really add something to the piece and also keep the art glass from resting on the crystals.

Just in case you missed the stats before, here they are again.

Started 9th September 2021
Finish 31st August 2024
Total of stitching days = 109
Total beads & crystals = 3414
Total cost (unframed) £253.47

The framing was done by my usual framers,  Frames of London and cost wise, let’s just say it cost significantly more for framing than the project cost, and leave it at that, but worth every penny I might add.

You can go back and see the  previous pictures  here.

I plan to start Humming Bird Mandala on New Years Day

Designer - Martina Rosenberg - Chatelaine
Fabric – 28ct Jobelan Evenweave – Antique White
Threads – Called for Silks, DMC and Petite Treasure Braid
Beads – Swarovski Crystals and Delica Beads

Happy Stitching!
Sue
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