Wipocalypse June

So here we are on the other side of the Monday marathon madness. I managed 3.5 hours of stitching and stitched on 6 different projects. I actually got excited when the Blackwork came out of the jar! 

So the six were...

3 of the butterflies 

Also to come out was the 12 days of Christmas. 

I managed to get a whole band done on the blackwork seasons sampler. 

Lastly was a little Dragon Dreams dragon I decided to stitch for hubby for our wedding anniversary, I did put in 2 sessions on it one when I got up and then in the evening. It was a good thing as I couldn't find the anniversary card I brought for hubby so frantically finished the dragon and made it up into a little card. 

I've decided that I'm going to do it again tonight, but take the anchor sampler out of the pot as I'm doing that for Just One July. It was actually a lot of fun. 

Lastly the monthly question:

Question of the Month

Do you find yourself more productive with stitching in summer or winter?

I'm not sure it really makes a difference really. My stitching bug wanders off whenever it pleases, I often have a big hiatus in January but that's about it!

Happy stitching friends 

What was I thinking!

Hello everyone, 

Serendipitous Jo is definitely an enabler. Not only does she show us some amazing stitching using stunning threads and fabric, she has these mad ideas to work on all her WIPS on the longest day (Monday 20th) and invites fellow bloggers to join in.  I must have been bonkers to agree to join and promptly dug out my 7 WIPS and then started 5 cards too (4 butterflies and a bunny) ready for next month. So tomorrow will see me work on these 12 projects for 30 minutes each and we'll see how many I get to. I'll post the results in my Wipocalypse post this week. 

Not pictured is the little dragon dreams dragon I'm working on for my wedding anniversary on Tuesday. Last minute decision to make something yesterday so I'm stitching like mad in between cooking a roast for Father's Day and the tennis  and F1. 

The projects are all written down in the jar so I can pick out which to stitch and ready in the basket so hopefully I'm all good to go. 

Wish me luck!

June GG

Hello friends, 

I've noticed a couple of new followers too so a big welcome to you too. 

Gifted gorgeousness is upon us again so time to share what I've been stitching that falls into the gifted category. Thank you Jo for being our lovely host as always. 

The travelling box is here so I've been making for that. I've made 10 things including jewellery, pincushions and other small stitchery's. I'll reveal all that next month. So back to this month and I've made 2 necklaces using the wooden pendants and been working hard on the sampler too. 

Firstly gifted to others... The necklaces. I made a button and loop closure on this one using some pretty variegated cord I had. And stitched it in Anchor perle cotton shade 1375

Next up was the one I showed you last month, stitched for my best friend's birthday yesterday. I just went with a simple silver snake chain. 

So on to the sampler... As you know gifted to me by the in laws and abandoned for a good 18 months. I picked it up 10 days ago and stitched on it for the weekend and got to this point 

5 days later I was here...

The band across the middle took 3 days. I think it was because it was so tedious. 

Then came the urn and the hedge

And a bit more hedge and what will be steps when the back stitch is added. 

So as it stands today we have a fruit tree

I love the colour it has added. We are calling it the plum tree as my daughter decided we needed to identify what it was. 

So this week I'll be stitching the final square of the ABC sal and finishing up a birthday present. 

Have a great week and happy crafting. 

Long time, no see

Hello lovely stitchy buddies,

Well today is glorious and even the up hill walk to school hasn't dampened my mood. Waiting at the top were all these Ox Eyed Daisies. There were several big patches of them. They've clearly come  out en masse over half term. 

On Saturday I decided once I had finished the latest square of the ABC sal to give a very old WIP some love. So at 4am when I couldn't sleep I put my lap frame back together (as you do). My in laws brought me this kit for Christmas 2013 and I started it summer of 2014 I think. Many of my followers may not have even seen my meagre progress on this up to this point. It's that old. 

So the kit...Traditional sampler by Anchor. It's stitched on 14ct aida and measures a whopping 12" x18". If I was starting the kit now I'd probably swap the aida for some linen or evenweave. 

So this was where I had gotten to. I'm my mind I thought I'd done more but clearly not. 

I decided I'd finish off the top band yesterday which was 532 stitches and today sees it here...

It still needs a bit of back stitch on the leaves. I'm in a bit of a dilemma as the chart shows back stitch around the flowers in red, but the kit picture doesn't show them backstitched. The chart only has 5 other very small motifs with backstitch. The 2 snails and the steps to the house do and that looks fine as it it seems to create a bit of a 3D look. The butterflies have a back stitched outline in red and look a bit odd. So after that long ramble...what you you all think?

I've decided to stitch this for a week then put it aside whilst I stitch a birthday present and then pick it back up for the whole of July. Justine is continuing the success of 'faithful April' and doing 'just one July' where she focuses on one project for the month. She's invited fellow bloggers to join her. I will cheat slightly and have 2 projects on the go as I shall do the sampler for my main project as it falls into GG and wipocalypse and have a small travelling project that will go in my handbag for the bus journeys and sitting at the park at that will be for the smalls sal. I'm actually really excited about seeing how much I can get done. I'd love to get the top half done. It's a huge challenge as it's just over 7000 stitches. 

So I'll see you all for GG next week. Time for another GG - my favourite Gilmore Girls! Have a great week. 

Smalls SAL May

Hello friends

I'm having a quiet morning at home today indulging in a bit of tennis and F1 viewing in peace!

It's the Whitsun bank holiday weekend this weekend and we have friends over Monday so I need to tidy craft corner as they have a little one and that is no small task! I've been making lots and lots for the travelling box over the last week. I've made 7 things so far and I have another couple in progress. I've still found time to stitch on my chosen piece for the smalls sal so on to that...

So as the title says its Smalls SAL check in hosted by Heather at Stitching Lotus I've been stitching the ABC sal that Ele at Busy hands craft  designed and I've actually managed to catch up! I didn't post last month as life was crazy busy with the children's birthdays. So last time I had just started N for needle...

Next up was P for peacock...

T for thread...

V for Vase...

And lastly for the alphabet Z for Zinnia...

We then started on the numbers... I loved doing the star stitches and saved them for last. 

I'm not going to show you the whole thing as it is as I'm close to finishing it and I'll show it next smalls post all framed and finished. I have 2 other cross stitches that need framing that are the same finished size so I will buy 3 and do them all. The other 2 have only been waiting 2 years! 

Have a great weekend xx 

Wipocalypse May

Hey guys,

This months wipocalypse post is kind of a 2 in 1 as I missed last month's check in  due to life being just a little bit crazy the last week of April. I wrote the post but kept forgetting to take photos in good light so here is where I got up to last month. 

As usual there was a question...what do you usually listen to? All sorts is the answer. Hubby is a gamer so I tend to have full control of the TV. I like comedies, so I tend to watch those or chick flicks. I'll watch the same stuff many times such as Gilmore Girls (my absolute favourite) or films like Pitch Perfect or Footloose as I can just listen to it rather than give it my full attention.  I also love Formula 1 so I often have stitching on the go during races...

Not sure if that's the race or quali but there is definitely a Sauber going past whilst I work on 12 days. If I'm stitching during the day I might not have anything on or we might have music. (We have quite eclectic tastes so that could be anything!). If I'm on the bus I usually have headphones in listening to The Jam, Jimmy Eat World or Green Day. I've not changed the music on my MP3 in years as we don't own much new music. Spotify has taken over so we tend to stream a lot.

Fast forwarding to this month. Day 4 was finished too. 

And the border started for day 5...

The travelling box is due shortly so I'm making for that too, hopefully I'll get back and get five gold rings a little further along too. 

This month's question is what were you stitching this time last year and is it finished. I was stitching a toadstool for Lori's birthday. Yup it got finished and is one if my favourite makes from last year. 

It was quite nice to have a little look back. 

My ME is playing up and I was hoping for lots of sleep to restore me this morning but As I woke up far earlier than I would have liked today, and I'm all up to date with blogging, stitching seems the best plan for the rest of the day!

Have a great weekend.  

Gifted gorgeousness May

Hello friends and a big welcome to my new followers too

It's been a bit of a dry month stitching wise. Both my kids celebrated their birthdays at the end of April (a day apart) so most of the second half of April passed in a blur of cleaning, party planning and cooking. And the beginning of May recovering so I missed wipocalypse and the smalls sal check ins too. 

Yesterday I heard that the travelling box I do with friends is coming to me again in the next couple of weeks. It's a lot earlier than planned due to circumstances of some of the other ladies who take part so  I spent yesterday evening pulling patterns  ready to start stitching. Today I shall kit then all up and finish the 9th part of the ABC sal. 

So here is what I did manage to make...  

They will both be gifts for friends when I can decide how to finish them off. I'm erring towards a chain rather than cords. Thoughts?

I did have this fantastic parcel from Laura as she was having a clear out...

Lots of fabric, books, 2 kits and some beads and embellishments. 

I've had a couple of lovely non stitching related gifts too this week. Hubby brought me a lovely Paperchase writing set and my sister in law brought me a Cath Kidston handbag! Lucky me! 

I'm off to check out the other GG participants and see what you've all been up to. Have a great week.