A finish and some updates

I am finally posting to my blog, which I hadn't forgotten, I just didn't have anything to post about.  This is primarily a stitching blog and when there isn't much stitching going on it's difficult to update.  I have been stitching on an off but haven't had much progress on anything to report.  However, I have finally finished something!!  In looking at the time stamp on my last post it's a year since I've had a finish.

This is Plum Pudding by Glendon Place.  It's stitched in the recommended Dinky Dye silks but I changed out the fabric and used an overdye that I had from Silkweaver in my stash.

I've also done a bit more on Around the World in 80 Stitches by Papillion Creations.  I was rotating this with Plum Pudding.  I'm behind on this, 18 parts have been released.  I did go ahead and work the outlines for several more parts, I think through Part 17.

  

Lastly, I made a start on Old Glory by Rosewood Manor.  This is going to be my "go to, just cross stitch" chart which I will rotate with ATW80.

I have a finish!

This is Zoe's Sampler by Le Grenier de Zoé, a project on the Sticklounge Yahoo Group.  It was a nice quick stitch and I loved the thread color; looks better stitched than it did on the skein. 

The group owners announced a couple of weeks ago that the group would be closing in June, which is very sad.  This is probably the last design I will stitch with them.  The others I've done through this group were A Tribute to Ackworth by Barbara J., Fleur et Papillon by Angie Designer, and Many Years Ago by Gudi Kolden.  This is an international group of half German and half English speaking members.

February update

Gosh, it's been a long time since I updated this blog but I have been stitching, honest!  I've probably not been stitching as much as I'd like but I have made quite a bit of progress on Plum Pudding by Glendon Place.  I am absolutely loving stitching this piece and the Dinky Dye silks it's stitched with are wonderful.  First time using them and it won't be my last.  Anyway, here is a picture, this was taken a couple of weeks ago and I've done a bit more since.  When I get my camera out again I'll take another one.

The fabric is an overdye from Silkweaver and I've no idea what the color is, I think it was one of their solos.  It's very difficult to get an accurate picture of the colors but this one is close. 

I've also got Grasshopper Pie and Cherries Jubilee in my stash and I believe the designer has more like this in the works.

I'm itching to get some updates on my other projects but there are only so many stitching hours in the week; working full-time really interferes with that, LOL! 

I have made some progress on Confetti of Hardanger (pictured in previous post), I've done some of the weaving  and will take a photo in due course, so stay tuned!

Some progress on a WIP

This is one of my current works in progress, Confetti of Hardanger by Abi Gurden of Bee's Needleworks and it's the current SAL on The Stitch Specialists Yahoo Group.  This is Parts 1 to 4 and lots more to come yet.  You can see the finished version on the home page of the group.  Part 3 was all the motifs and eyelets and took a while, mainly because of the counting involved.  I went ahead and did part 4 first to give another point of reference for the counting.  Part 8 has been released and so I'd better get on and get caught up!

Another finish

That's two this month, I'm on a roll!  If it wasn't for the deadlines on the Sticklounge group I may not have them done but by the time I get to the last part I'm eager to finish.  This is Fleur et Papillon from Angie Designer and it was done in six parts.

 

Finally a Finish!

Last night I finished Tribute to Ackworth which is a SAL on the Sticklounge Yahoo Group.  What a joy this was to stitch!  I enjoyed every minute of it, except when I had to do some frogging!  However, that was my fault and not the fault of the design.  This is from Luv2Stitch2 Designs, Barbara J. is the designer. 

It is stitched in Waterlilies silk #112 Fir and the letters in Soie Cristale to match the green in the Fir.  The picture isn't the best and I may try to get a better one, it's more vibrant than it shows.

A couple of updates

I've finally finished Part 5 of Fleur et Papillon, just in time for Part 6 to come out, and that will be the final part and so the pressure will be off!

 

I've also completed Part 2 of Confetti of Hardanger by Abi Gurden of Bee's Needleworks.  This is a SAL on The Stitch Specialists Yahoo Group.  Part 2 was the cable stitch and double backstitch around the motifs.  I enjoyed doing the cable stitch but not the double backstitch so much.  It was done from the reverse side of the fabric and that felt really weird!  I'm not sure I've got it done right now but it's going to stay the way it is!

 

Now to catch up with the Many Years Ago sampler and Tribute to Ackworth, and then get back to Around the World in 80 Stitches, I'm still on Part 3 and I think Part 6 is due.  Also, so many new projects I want to start...so much to stitch, so little time!

 

Started Hardanger SAL

I've finished Part 1 of Confetti of Hardanger by Abi Gurden, here is a picture. 

I'm using 32 count Belfast/Lilac, Caron Wildflowers #162 Periwinkle, and I will be using Rainbow Gallery Subtlety #Y935 for the weaving and stitches that require the finer thickness of Perle.  You can see the finished product on The Stitch Specialists Yahoo Group home page.

I'm still working my other SALs and will post photos when I have some significant progress to report!

Just a quick update

I've finished the next part of Fleur et Papillon by Angie Designer, this is parts 1-4.

I believe there are two more parts.  There is a different central motif and the rest is a mirror image of the corners with the butterflies.

Next is the next part of Tribute to Ackworth, this is parts 1-13.

 

This is a very quick stitch and the part I just did only took a couple of hours if that.  It's a good project to SAL alongside others.

I will be starting another SAL with the Sticklounge group on July 25.  It's called the "Many Years Ago" sampler by Gudi Kolden.  The design is about 9" x 9" on the 36 count Edinburgh linen I've chosen and so will be considerably smaller than what I'm currently working on, which is good!  The linen is a solo from Silkweaver and is a tone on tone mauvey color, not too blotchy.  I'm going to use DMC #315.  I had chosen a nice silk from Soie d'Alger but I didn't have enough and it's not an easy thread to get and I didn't want to have to order and wait.  The DMC will be fine, I'm going to use one strand on the 36 count.

Plum pudding is calling me!  I'm not talking about the stuff you eat but this design from Glendon Place Plum Pudding.  I have the chart and all the threads I just need to choose the fabric, the thread colors are just gorgeous, my favorite purples!

I've also just received a lovely kit as a Bingo prize and I hope to start this soon.  This is not really a "kit" but a chart that came complete with fabric and all the threads and accessories, whole skeins of thread.  It's the Embroidress Band Sampler by Moss Creek Designs and it's really lovely.  I'm not sure if I'll do the whole of that border, it might become a bit tedious, I'll have to see when I get into it.

Last but not least, Confetti of Hardanger by Abi Gurden will be starting on August 4th.  This is a SAL with a Yahoo Group I help moderate The Stitch Specialists, you can also see a picture at that link.  This project is for beginners and those a bit more advanced and can even be done with no cutting if desired.  Abi will be presenting options for different stitches and it is a teaching SAL.  We have 125 members signed up and I'm really looking forward to it.

I think that's about it for now.  Hopefully I will have some progress to show on Around the World in 80 Stitches next time I do an update.  That project got put on hold while I got on with the other two.  Part 4 is out now and I've not done Part 3 yet, so I have some stitching to do!

Quick update on WIPs

Just a quick update today on a my two Sticklounge projects.  The first is Fleur et Papillon by Angie Designer and this is Parts 1-3.  Part 4 was released a couple of days ago and I need to keep up!  I'm half way through now.

I don't usually work projects by pages, I always tape pages together and work across the join but there's no option with this SAL as you have to stitch one part before getting the next.  However, I'm loving stitching this piece and only 3 colors to worry about, it goes pretty fast.

The next project is Tribute to Ackworth by Barbara J. (Luv2Stitch Designs).  This is a VERY quick stitch and I'm now through Part 12 of 24.  This is stitched in Waterlilies silk #112 Fir.

 

I've made a start on Part 3 of Around the World in 80 Stitches by Papillon Creations but put it up to keep up on Fleur et Papillon but hope to get back to it today.  I think I'm going to frog first though because I'm not happy with my lazy daisy stitches, they are always difficult to place on counted thread, easier on freestyle embroidery.  I'll do a picture update when I have more done.

All for today.  Off to watch Breakfast at Wimbledon and do some stitching!