Finishing Frenzy!

As we race headlong towards 2022,  I wanted to get a few things completed before the end of the year.

Stitching wise, I completed my forth in the Blackbird Designs series, For the Birds.

The Light Upon the Lawn will join the others, to be made into a little heritage book commemorating my Grandparents on both sides of the family,  my mum and dad, two brothers and myself.

 Temperature Tree, designed by Stitchin’ Mommy on Etsy was my next finish.

My final three finishes were stitched and FFO’d.

All were Christmas pillows, that unfortunately I didn’t manage to done before the big day, but at least I have a head start for next year!

Silver Bells was the chart from the Stitch Tool Box (Etsy) Mystery Box 2021.

Noel and Tis the Season were both charts from Christmas Cheer Pin Keeps, designed by Jeanette  Douglas.

I had one final finish of a stitch that I did back in 2013.

At the time ‘Summer Splendor’ from Little House Needleworks was a traveling chart, being passed from stitcher to stitcher as we finished it.

Mine just sat in my sewing box after it was done but I decided to have a go at making my first drum.

Happy Stitching!

Sue

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October Round-up

 I’ve only worked on three of my WIP’s this month.

 I’ve actually been taking part in #witcheystitchy2021 over on Embroidery.com, where the idea was that you had to stitch for a least 30 minutes each day throughout October and be accountable on their Facebook group and then there were also 5 tricks you could take part in too.

For the first stitch I went back to one of my May-ina starts, ‘3 Butterflies’ from Rosewood Manor and I managed a finish.

Start of Month

End of month

My weekends were spent joining in with the Chatelaine Weekenders, when I stitched on ‘Butterfly Lace Mandala’, designed be Martina Rosenberg.

Start of Month

End of month

One of the five tricks during the month was to stitch something that frightens you and the first of the 1 over 1 butterfly’s fitted the bill perfectly.

I’ve never done this before and it was very time consuming, but so worth the effort.

The final project I worked on was my Temperature Tree, designed by Stitchin Mommy, on Etsy.

Start of Month

End of month

I finished the leaves on the September and October branches and stitched some more of the trunk.

I also had two small starts, the first being the next in the Loose Feathers series, For the Birds, from Blackbird designs.

The second was Matter’s Choice from Carriage House Samplings

but I ended up frogging the little bit I stitched.

I realised that I had cut my fabric to the size of the finished stitch and had forgotten to add the extra around the edge for finishing.

I’m so annoyed with myself because in all my years of stitching I never managed to do that……..oh well, I have a new bit of Linen now and will start it again for #blacksamplersal

Happy Stitching!

Sue

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September Round-up

 I have had two small finishes in September, a birthday start, a knitting start and I’ve worked on two other Wips, so it's been yet another crafty month for me.

The two finishes were both Blackbird Designs, from the Loose Feathers series, For the Birds.

As you may recall, I’m stitching all nine in the series and plan to make them into a Heritage Book, with each one having the initials of three generations of my family.

First up is number four in the series, ‘All the Hills Echoed’

On the chart it says the name of the pattern is taken from ‘Nurse’s Song’ by William Blake. 

The poem describes a woman watching her young charges from a window.  Night is approaching and she wants them to come inside.  There is a small sliver of daylight left, and the children want to stay outside a little longer.  The early evening echoes with their laughter.

I’ve stitched the initials of my paternal Grandfather William  Hyde on this one,  and it’s my first ‘Blackbird’ house………I love having firsts’ after 59 years of stitching!.

The second finish was  ‘She Sights a Bird’, number three in the series, in honour of my paternal Grandmother, Sarah Scanlan.

The title of this one was inspired by Emily Dickenson’ poem, ‘She sights a Bird – she chuckles.’

 I've just realised that I've forgotten to stitch the cats whiskers!

All nine panels are being stitched on 36ct Wheat Linen from Fibre on a Whim , with the called for Weeks Dye Works threads.

 

My birthday start, as seen in my previous post was Butterfly Lace Mandala from Chatelaine.   I’ve stitched on her for nine days so far and am ready to start on the beautiful Hibiscus flowers that surround the centre square.

 

Two Wip’s have had my attention too during September.

First was my Temperature Tree from Stitching Momma on Etsy, on which I caught  up with the leaves  and stitched the final two boughs of the tree.

And then I stitched 8 days on ‘Three Butterflies from Rosewood Manor, as part of Sampler September.

I was hoping to this finished during the month but I didn’t quite make it.

 

My final crafty project this month involved something I’ve wanted to have a go at for some time and a second birthday present to myself, the first being the kit for my Chatelaine.

I purchased a beautiful set of Pro Knit Interchangeable Circular knitting needles and some wool to knit my first pair of socks.

Sadly, I’ve no progress to show you as the small start I made, was pulled back because my cast on was too loose and saggy, but watch this space because I will be casting on again very soon!

Well, that’s about it for September.

October plans include finishing Three Butterflies, working on my Chatelaine on the weekends, starting on the next Loose Feathers panel, a new start on a Christmas project and of course re-starting the socks, so lots to keep my busy!

Do let me know what your plans are for October.

Happy Stitching!

Sue

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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

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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

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Temperature Tree

Yesterday (21^st June)  was the Mid-Summer Solstice,  when the sun rises at it earliest , 4:41am here in Essex in the UK  and  setting at 21:21pm,  giving 16h :39m :55s of day light, often referred to as the longest day.

Typical as ever though, mid summers day was wet and cold and well, you would have thought it was more like November than June but fear not, I was at ‘virtual’ Cross Stitch Camp, where everything was idyllic, just as you would expect it to be. 

We’ve sat around the lake or camp fire and discussed everything from our favourite food to films, while busily working away and trying to keep those pesky frogs away from out stitching.

My June project was finished just seven days in, but fortunately and had a couple of other things that I could work on, one of them being  Temperature Tree, a PDF download from Stitchin Mommy on Etsy.

The idea is that you start it at the beginning of the year and add the leaves to tree, according the temperature ‘high’ for each day, but I had to give serious consideration to this, as we were already in mid-June and I hadn’t started it. 

Dilemma……do I leave it until next year to stitch, or do I start now and play catch-up?

Needless to say, ‘start now’ won. 

My plan was to start with the outline of the trunk and branches up until I reached the June branch and then add the the June leaves each day, continuing on from there.  Then, each day, after I had added my new June leaf I went back to January and played catch-up until I meet up with myself again in June and I’m all caught up now.

Chart - Temperature Tree by Stitchin' Mommy on Etsy

Fabric - Zweigart 32ct White Murano Evenweave

Threads - Mouline Special DMC (6 strand) 

                Weeks Dye Works (Havana) for trunk and branches

 Happy Crafting!

(Whatever you passion may be)

Sue

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