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

12 in 25 Christmas Ornament Sal

It’s back to the  Joan Elliott charts for my 8^th  Christmas ornament and this month it’s ‘Peace’.

I’m not sure if there will be any more new starts or fully finishes before the end of August because I've decided to go back and work on my Chatelaine.

I’ve not picked up ‘Hummingbird Lace Mandala’ since making a major faux par around three months ago and currently have less to show now, than I had the last time you saw it.

The reason,  I noticed, after deciding to bead as I go, that I had misread the chart and had been using the wrong colour beads, so I’ve had to frog all the ones I had already attached.

To say my heart was in my mouth as I snipped the threads is an understatement but I’m relieved to say I took my time and removed every single bead without too many problems, and I’m back to sewing them back on...........in the correct colours this time!

Happy  Stitching!

Sue

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Project Details

Chart – Christmas Blue Ornaments

Designer – Joan Elliott

Fabric -  32ct Antique White Evenweave

Threads – DMC

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

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

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

Hand Knitted Socks and a Wip Parade of sorts.

I started knitting this pair of socks using the ‘Seeing Stripes’ sock pattern from West Yorkshire Spinners and Rico, Supeba Fair Isle 4 ply, back in February last year and almost made it 

 down to the toe on the first sock.  But because I wasn’t particularly happy with my choice of yarn, I put it to one side and couldn't bring myself to pick it up again.  That feeling didn't go away and lasted for the rest of the year, so it wasn't until I set myself a challenge for January, that I went back and picked them up again.

So what was the big challenge?

I decided that I was going to work on every wip (work in progress) that I have during the month, something I’m able to achieve because I only had 7  brought forward from 2024 and the plan was to put at least one thread  in each of the six cross stitch projects and finally finish the part knitted socks.

I won’t lie, I had to force myself to pull them out, but once I did, I finished the first sock and completely knitted the second sock in just two days.

But can you spot the mistake?

Silly me started the first sock with a 1 x 1 rib and the second sock with a 2 x 2 rib, but fortunately they are for me and there’s no way I’m going to pull one out and re-knit it.

 Moving on to the cross stitch wip’s that I carried over; 

The first thing I pulled out was the ‘Bee Contained Stitching Box' by Betsy Morgan from the Inspirations ‘Helping Hands 2’ book.

I started this in August 2023 and didn’t pick it up at all last year.  I think the 1 over 1 stitching was putting me off but once I got back into it, I really enjoyed working on it and have nearly finished the largest piece of the stitching.

Next, I worked on Log Cabin Christmas from Little House Needleworks, which I started in April last year.  

This is a 9 part piece, so I had a mini new start for this and stitched on part 4 – In The Woods Bear.

The next project was another multi part piece and that was ‘ A Gathering of Samplers’ from the Ackworth Collection, which consists of 12 little Quaker Samplers that go together to make a book.

Again, it involved another new start and that was pages 5 & 6 of the book.  I came very close to a finish on this too.

Sing For Joy from Cottage Garden Samplings was next up

and I had not stitched on it since starting it as part of my 12 in12 New Years Eve starts in December 2023.

Project 6 was another Christmas stitch, ‘Toy Shopee’,  which is a Diamentions Kit.

I started it November 2024 and got to here,

but it’s hard going as anyone who has stitched one of these kits  knows, …….the changes of stitches and number of threads used for those stitches can be a bit confusing sometimes.

None the less, I made some good progress on it.

Last up was ‘My Stitching Box’, another multi part project from Jeanette Douglass.

Again, it involved another mini start for part 2, which was the lid of the box.

If I had to choose a favourite designer, I think hands down it would have to be  Jeanette.  I just love how delicate her designs look  and the subtle colours she uses.

So, it's not been a bad start to the year, but that wasn’t it for January.   I also had 3 other new starts, one of which was the year long stitch-a-long ‘ All Year Round Sal.

Then there was my 12 in 25 Christmas ornament

and my new Chatelaine

and last but not least I had one fully finish, which was the Country Charm Cushion.

I wonder if I can keep the pace up during February…..you’ll have to watch this space!

 

Happy Crafting!

Sue

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First Post of 2025

Before I do a quick round up of my stitching for 2024 and tell you about my plans for 2025, I just want to wish everyone a slightly delayed Happy new Year.

I felt like I had a good, productive 2024, with a couple of very special finishes, so here we go with all the stats.

I’ve never really been happy, having too many wips on the go at any one time, because I find myself getting a little overwhelmed and then feeling guilty for not stitching on them and getting them finished. But last year I started with 15 wips, which was way more than I would normally have, and that was due to the fact that at the last minute, I decided to join in with the 12 in 12 sal (12 new starts in 12 hours)on New Year’s Eve 2023……..what was I thinking, Lol!

I also managed 37 new starts through the course of the year and had a total of 49 finishes, during the 350 days that I actually stitched on.

The big accomplishment of the year was getting my first Chatelaine; ‘Butterfly Lace Mandala’ completed, which I started back in 2021 on my 65^th birthday.

I also had a good go at fully finishing things straight away last year, instead of just leaving them in my finishing box of doom.

The good news is that there are fewer projects in there now, than there were at the start of the year. because my total of 42 FFO’s included a few of my older finishes!

My plans for 2025 are to work on and hopefully finish the two stitching boxes I have in progress.

The first is ‘My Stitching Box from Jeanette Douglas

and the other one is Bee Contained by Betsy Morgan from the Helping Hands Book.

The another couple of things I know I’m going to work on and were both New Year Day starts are my second Chatelaine, ‘ Humming Bird Lace Mandala.

By the way, Butterfly Lace is now on my wall and has pride of place above my fireplace in my living room.

The other new start is my first reproduction sampler, Mary Allcorn 1764, from Hobby House Press.

So, all in all I feel like I had a good stitching year and am well on my way this year, with some beautiful charts to keep me busy.

 

I hope you all have a productive 2025 too.

Happy Stitching!

Sue

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 My Stitching Box

Designer – Jeanette Douglas

Fabric – 32ct Zweigart Evenweave – Antique White

Threads – Classic Colorworks Belle Soie, NPI Silk, Gloriana Silk Floss & Rainbow Gallery Splendor

Beads – Mill Hill

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Bee Contained – from Willing Hands 2

Designer – Betsy Morgan

Fabric – 32ct Linen – Lemon Squash

Dyer – Nicholas Flamel Designs – Etsy

Threads – Gloriana Florimell Silk

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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

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Mary Allcorn 1764

Designer – Hobby House Press

Fabric – 36ct  Thornfield - Needle & Flax

Threads –Gloriana Silks and Classic Color Works Belle Soie Silks