Completed Hydrangea

I'm very pleased to report that I finished the Hydrangea on Friday night (yay!) I'm very pleased with how it turned out so now I need to measure up Hydrangea and my Irises and get them framed and mounted. I have a feeling I will need to have frames made for both of them. We've a good little frame shop in town so I'll pop in and get a quote next time I go into town. I found it quite hard to decide on what to stitch next so I got all the threads ready for the next 4 projects. I think I'll get all the fabby ready for them too today. I'm still waiting for a thread order to come so I decided to start one of the little Disney kits and did Pluto last night. I shall back stitch him tonight and start Donald Duck. I just need to find a day time project that I can do in front of DS.

My friend has asked me to make her a handbag so I went fabric shopping for her yesterday and happened to pick up a few remnants too. The green with rose buds at the top is the fabric for Sarah-Jane's bag. I love this fabric and I will use the left overs to make a bag for me in a different style . As for the remnants, they were all less than £2. The pink checked is for a handbag and cost £1. The cream will make a great lining fabric and was 50p. The cupcake one I have ambitions to make a pram blanket for DD's play buggy. (designing in my head as we speak) The multi coloured one with the hearts and flowers and the green floral print in the middle are the only ones I have no plans for yet.

Time for the penultimate question...Day 29: Do you have any tips, or things that you’ve learned from stitching?

I Don't think I have any tips that most stitchers don't already know. I prefer to start with the loop method, I usually photocopy my charts so I can mark off on the spare copy. I think the most important thing is to enjoy what you are stitching, it is supposed to be fun after all.  

Thanks for reading and have a lovely Sunday. x

Monday - Hydrangea update

Good morning one and all. I hope today finds you all well. It's been a busy morning and I'm yet to crack the housework. I've been Christmas shopping this morning and to Tesco. I feel worn out all ready.

I had a fab stitchy session yesterday and did almost 400 stitches on Hy which was a really good total for me. I also managed to do a bit on my Circles embroidery and now I only have 2 circles to complete to finish it. It been a fun bit of stitching. So here is the Hydrangea as it looks now. I'm hoping for another good session on it tonight too.

Hydrangea update as of 18/9/11

I really need to order the threads I need for my next project other wise I'll be ready to start and they wont be here for me. Which leads me nicely on to todays question...

Day 27: How do you acquire most of your stash? Online retailers, local shops, swaps, or large chain craft stores? What’s your favourite?I get threads and most of my fabby from Cross Stitch Heaven as I tend to do alot of designs from magazine charts rather than kits. If I do do a kit it's usually one I've picked up when I've gone to the Hobby Craft show at the NEC (6 weeks and counting Rach!!) I do love my local shops too The Cotton Reel and Creative Hands. I use them for buttons, fabric and ribbon and also the odd skein when I'm desperate to get on with something. The staff are so helpful in both of them.

Thanks for reading and have a lovely day. xx

muesli musings

Well it's a damp saturday here in my corner of the world which is a bit of a shame as I am taking DS out this morning to see Day of the Diesels, the new Thomas Tank Engine film as he's somewhat obsessed with all things railway. We're taking his best friend too so should be a nice morning with lots of popcorn and maybe a Macdonalds for lunch. 

The Hydrangea is moving along slowly but surely. I do enjoy stitching it and I only have around 2100 stitches to do so I'm well on target for my end of September finish, but I really do need to hit my 300 stitches target each night in the stitchathons with the lovely Rach. I'll post an updated wip pic on Monday

My exchange partners have recieved their gifts now so here is a pic of the biscornu. It's one of my absolute favourite biscornu's that I've made. The owl on the branch is part of a design from WOXS 172 - Funky owl cards, stitched on 14ct sky blue aida and beaded with Mill Hill beads 0556. I found the owl button in House of Fraser and the flower button is from one of my local sewing shops I brought recently and popped in my button tin, knowing it would be perfect for a biscornu at some point.

Ivory's Owl biscornu

Bottom of Owl Biscornu

Day 25: Do you have a book or a place where you keep patterns, ideas, wish lists? Post a picture of it!

I certainly do have a little notebook where I keep all my notes, lists ideas and thread orders. I've used it for about 3 years. It has my DMC shade card slipped in the front along with odd designs and notes. I also have the lovely stitching diary too made for me by Bubbler Chloe last year as part of a stitching diary exchange.

Stitching Diary and my Stitchy notebook

Well the sun is now shining and the sky blue so best I get ready for the day. Have a fab weekend friends. x 

Hydrangea update

So last night saw me finish the leaves and stems on the Hydrangea. So here's a new WIP pic of the Hydrangea

I'm thoroughly enjoying stitching this. I find Sheila Hudson's designs a joy to stitch. This is the 3rd one of hers I've done and I have 5 more on my to do list. 

Below is a pic of me sat in my stitching corner taken a couple of nights ago. As you can see I'm all set for the night with my favourite choccie and a glass of rose.

I finished the biscornu for the gift swap and all I need to do is to sew it up, something I plan to do later today. Its a really cute owl one and I'll post a pic later in the week when it's found its way to it's new owner. I recieved my exchange gift today a very sweet tissue holder and card from my Bubble swap partner Ivory.

I'll do one question today although I'm a little behind and that is,
Day 23: If you had the supplies (and patience) for it, what project would you start today?
There are a few design on my wish list that I'd love and after my visit to the hobbycraft show hopefully I'll have a couple of them. They are blackwork designs one of a Dragon and the other two are Art Nouveau designs - one called Pink Window and the other is the Waterlily both are found here. Purely for on the patience part it would be to get some more done on my HAED.

Thanks for reading and happy crafting everyone. xx

Last day of the summer hols

Well I'm predicting today will be a busy one with all the preparation for back to school tomorrow. I still need to sew in some nametapes, an onerous task if ever there was one, along with a couple of other jobs.

I put aside all the little projects and got the Hydrangea out yesterday. I felt I wasn't getting anywhere with it as I'd been stitching alot for exchanges. I did 550 stitches on it or there abouts yesterday and finally looks like something rather than a green splodge on the fabric. (It's 2 green splodges now!) so here's my progress pic. An image of the competed design can be seen on the right.

Day 19: Do you watch television or listen to music whilst you stitch? What are your favourite things to stitch to?The TV is usually on when I'm stitching, and is normally a crime drama of some description, last night it was Gently on BBC1. I do watch some sport too whilst I stitch. I'm a big fan of Formula 1 so I watch or rather listen to that, also Tennis and big events like the Olympics. I like comedies too like Miranda and Big Bang Theory if there really is nothing on then the DVD's of the Gilmore Girls come out. How about you readers?

Have a lovely week everyone .xx

Teeny tiny biscornu

I mentioned yesterday that I wondered if I could make a half inch biscornu - turns out I can! This was stitched on 18ct with some threads from my oddments pot and finshed with a tiny pink seed bead. It does make me wonder whether I can do it any smaller than that...We shall see.

I did some work on my Hydrangea too. It almost has one leaf now. I shall try and do an hour a day and i'll post a weeky WIP pic. There is a pic at the foot of by blog of what the finished design will look like. I also sewed up two of the biscornu's for the jewellery. Only 3 to do and then off to the post office we go.

Next on the stitch list is the exchange biscornu, a purple extravaganza and then I think a little break from them is in order as I have several presents to make along with other exchanges.

We had a lovely morning at Cripplegate Park yesterday. it rained when we first got there but brightened up and the children had a lovely, if somewhat grubby time. the park had area's of very sandy soil where the grass had been scuffed away, they thought it was as much fun as the park its self. i took a few pics of the children including one of DS by the 163 year old fountain. (this pic from Worcester City council website)

Thanks everyone far continuing to read and comment on my blog.

Happy crafting.

Kerry

Morning all

Well a busy weekend for me not that I seemed to do much but busy all the same. All my stitchy time on Saturday got blown out the water with taking the car to the garage and DS to a party (I was sooo bored!) so I was determined to make Sunday stitchy Sunday and I like to feel I got somewhere near accomplishing that. I finished the biscornu squares for the beads and did a bit more on popcorn, so that leaves me around 100 stitches and the backstitch.

I designed a little 3D stitched beach hut after seeing the beautiful bakery design that Hippywitch had created. please have a look at her blog, its in my list. I have a bit of an obession with seaside themed stuff and my cloakroom is turning into the display cabinet for all the seasided bits i've picked up so this will be a cute addition. I have 2 cross stitch charts that I can't wait to do for it. Writing a blog is a dangerous thing, my mind wanders and I end up with a huge to stitch list and a million ideas.

over on Bubble it's UFO SAL monday so i'm determined to get a bit done on my Hydrangeas tonight as they've been neglected somewhat over the last month. i've been taking part in the 2011 stash reduction and i've completed 2 of the 5 projects and i've started two as well (hydrangeas and HAED QS Iris) so I really need to get the hydrangea done so I can move on to the last of my projects that i've had in my stash for as long as i've been stitching.

I apolgise for the lack of photos today i'm having camera problems so i'll show pics as soon as possible.

Have a lovely day everyone, the sun is shining here and i've been invited to lunch at a friends with the children. I think it'll be a good day all round. Kerry. x