How Fast it Grows!

 It feels so good to get back to some crocheting again!

 Although I made lots of small things over the past few years, the last big thing I crocheted for myself was my ‘ Nuts about Lavender Fields’ throw.  It was a crochet –a-long (Nuts about Squares) where you picked something you loved and chose a colour scheme to reflect it.  By definition, it took weeks to finish,

(My beautiful boy BoJangles there.  I lost him November 2018 just before his 18th birthday and I miss him so much)

but making smaller things like summer tops, they grow so fast.

That’s the case with my ‘Olivia’ summer top, designed by Marie Wallin for Rowen, and I’m just about to start the shoulder shaping on the back.

 I’ve also put a few more stitches into my ‘Cross Stitch Camp project for July, ‘Sting like a Bee’ from Heartstring Samplery.

Today though, I’m fancying a new start and am thinking I may get going on my next ornament for 12 in 23, especially as it’s ‘ Christmas in July’ in the stitchey world!

  

Happy Stitching!

Sue

x

A Token for my Friends……and Me!

 August has been a bit full on stitching wise due to Cross Stitch Camp and a very personal project that I was working on.

I had a deadline of finishing 6 small pillows before the 11^th September, when I am having a small get-together with some special friends and their partners to celebrate my 65^th birthday.

I got to know the girls through my cousin. She's known them for 58 years, since starting school at the age of 5 and I think I first meet them around 1969/70, so around 51 years ago.    I wonder how many people have friends they have known that long and still see on a regular basis.

With my 'big' birthday coming up, I wanted to mark our very special friendship and I knew exactly how I would do that when I saw this collaboration of charts from Heartstring Samplery and Plum Street Samplers.

So my plan…..

4  ‘A Token for my Friend’ pillows with their initials on and 1 for me with my initial and all of theirs. 

Then the Plum Street Samplers design, ‘From my Heart to you Hand’, also for me.

So, that’s a total of 6 panels to be made into little pillows.

The good news is that I managed to finish all the stitching before the end of the month and fully finished them all last week using some Red crushed velvet fabric for the backs and Lady Dots Creates, ‘Vintage’ pompom trim for the edging.

Then I finished the backs by adding an Antique Bronze coloured ‘Hare’ pin and various beads and charms.

I hope they will like them when I give them to them next weekend.

 Happy Stitching!

Sue

X

 

A Token For My Friend – Heartstring Samplery  x 5 pillows

Designer – Beth Twist

Fabric – 36ch Confederate Grey (Called For)

Floss – Weeks Dye Works overdyed cotton (Called For)

Stitched 1 over 2

Start – 24^th June 2021

Finish- 17^th August 2021

FFO – 31^st August 2021

 

 

From my  Heart to your Hand – Plum Street Samplers  x 1 pillow

Designer – Paulette Stewart

Fabric – 36ch Confederate Grey (Called For)

Floss – Weeks Dye Works overdyed cotton (Called For)

Stitched 1 over 2

Start – 17^th August 2021

Finish- 26^th August 2021

FFO – 31^st August 2021

Seasons of the Heart – Spring

Just 7 days into August and my last monthly challenge for Cross Stitch Camp was finished.

I challenged myself to stitch on 40ct Evenweave for the first time and although it was a bit of a struggle to start with, I soon became comfortable with it.   I think it was mainly due to the fact that I  had been stitching on 14ct Aida prior to that and even with my light and magnifier, I really had to concentrate on what I was doing.

The Blue Flower chart was such a joy to stitch and I will definitely be stitching the other three seasons at some point, but for now I have to FFO this one into a little pillow.

As I mentioned last time, I’m sad that Camp has officially come to an end but Sheri, Colorado Cross Stitcher, has set us another challenge to see us through until next summer and that is to work on a ‘Show Stopper’.

My Butterfly Lace Mandala Chatelaine fits the bill perfectly and that will be a birthday start on the 9^th September, but I’m not expecting it to be finished (or anywhere near) before summer camp starts again next year.

From the 7^th until today I have been continuing to stitch the ‘A Token For My Friend’ panels and have almost finished 4 out of the 6 I need to stitch before the 11^th of next month.

So until next time……

Happy Crafting!

Sue xx

Seasons of the Heart - Spring - The Blue Flower

Designer – Jeannine McGowan

Fabric –  40ct  Verdal Evenweave (Zweigart) tea/coffee dyed by myself.

Floss – Weeks Dye Works overdyed cotton (Called For)

Stitched 1 over 2

Start – 1st August 2021

Finish- 7th August 2021

FFO -

A Token For My Friend  #3  – Heartstring Samplery

Designer – Beth Twist

Fabric – 36ch Confederate Gray (Called For)

Floss – Weeks Dye Works overdyed cotton(Called For)

Stitched 1 over 2

Start –3rd August 2021

Finish-11th August 2021

FFO -

A Busy Month

 I’ve actually managed to stitch every day during July, something I’ve not managed to do in quite some time and have worked on four projects and have four finishes on three of those projects (all will be explained!).

First up was Blackbird Designs’ It’s Spring Fever’ , which I shared earlier in the month and was my July ‘Cross Stitch Camp’ project

No FFO for this in the near future because it will be kept until I’ve stitched the other eight in the series and then finish them into a book.

Next I started and finished my  ’Jolly July – Christmas in July’ project which was  ‘He’s Making A List’.  

It’s a companion piece to ‘Sleigh Bells Ring’, which I stitched in January and both will be finished in 12” hoops and given to my Goddaughters two girls at Christmas.

Another two finishes and an ongoing project were ‘Sewn in Frindship’, ‘A Token For My Friend’ from Heartstrung Samplery. 

 I will be celebrating my 65^th birthday next months and am having a little get together with my cousin and 3 friends of more than 57 years, here at home.  

They don’t know, but I plan to commemorate our friendship by  making them each one of these little pillows, as well as making one for myself incorporating the companion piece, ‘From my Heart to your Hand.  That's a total of 6 pillows and I need to have at least 4 of them finished before the second week of September - mine can be finished at any time, although it would be lovely to have them all done.

And finally this month I caught up with my Temperature Tree….as if I needed reminding that our Summer here in the UK has been rubbish so far, give or take a few days.

 

Happy Crafting!

(Whatever you passion may be)

Sue

X

It’s Spring Fever – Blackbird Designs

Designer – Barb Adams

Fabric –  36ct Wheat Linen from Fibres on a Whim.

Floss – Weeks Dye Works overdyed cotton (Called For)

 

He’s Making A List – Cross Stitcher Magazine – Dec 2019

Designer – Maria Diaz

Fabric – 14ct White Zweigarte Aida (Called For)

Floss – Anchor Standard Threads (Conversion)

 

Temperture Tree – Stitchin Mommy, Etsy

Designer – Sarah Hughes

Fabric – 32ct White Murano Evenweave

Floss – DMC Mouline, (Called For)  Weeks Dye Works overdyed cotton(Conversion - Tree Trunk)

 

A Token For My Friend – Heartstring Samplery

Designer – Beth Twist

Fabric – 36ch Confederate Gray (Called For)

Floss – Weeks Dye Works overdyed cotton(Called For)

 

My first WIP Parade

 So, as we go into the second part of the year (where have the last 6 months gone?) I thought I would do my first WIP parade.  

Actually I don’t have that many to be honest because I still trying to my head around no longer being a monogamous stitcher since I joined in with ‘Stitch Maynia’  this year.

So here we go:-

 1 – Dreaming of Daisies by Rosewood Manor 

(started on 1^st May 2021) 

Stitched on 36ct Aqua Zweigart Edinburgh Linen, using all the called for Weeks Dye Works overdyed threads.

2 – Joyful World SAL – August  by The Snowflower Diaries (started 14^th May 2021)

Stitched on 32ct Beige Murano Evenweave, using called for DMC and some substituted Anchor standard threads.

3 – Three Butterflies from Rosewood Manor 

started 15^th May 2021)

Stitched on 32ct Pale Cream Belfast Linen, with the called for DMC standard threads.

4 – Little Sheep Virtues – Love from Little House Needleworks (started   31st May 2021)

Stitched on 32ct Vintage Country Mocha, using Anchor standard threads.

5 – Temperature Tree by Stitchin Mommy on Etsy 

(started 11th June 2021)

Stitched on 32 count White Murano Evenweave with the called for DMC standard threads.

6 – Sewn in Love by Heartstring Samplery 

(started     27th June 2021)

Stitched on Weeks Dye Works, 36ct Confederate Grey Linen, using this all the called for Weeks Dye Works overdyed threads.

 I also have at least four new starts lined up, ready for July

Three for Christmas in July – a Prairie Schooler Santa – Block Party, 25^th and He’s Making His List (from a copy of Cross Stitcher Magazine)

 

And then for my July 'Cross Stitch Camp' project I’m going to do at least one of Blackbird Designs, Loose Feathers Series, because the challenge is to stitch a designer you’ve never stitched before.  I’m thinking it will be ‘It’s Spring Fever’, but don’t be surprised if I start one of the other five that I have.

 It’s going to be a busy month!!

 Happy Crafting!

(Whatever you passion may be)

Sue

X