IHSW Update

So here it is my first IHSW. I was scared off stitch alongs since I took part in crazy Jan 2012. I'm still dealing with the fall out of that :/

 

But trying to fit in as much stitching time as you can has to be a good thing right?

Mind it has been anything but sore bum weekend for me, squeezing stitches in when I can and look Joysze look what's happened, munchkins running riot!!!!

Lol only joking this they managed in a minute. I snatch my stitching moments when I can anyways, so I thought I'd show the variety of situations in which I stitch.

Like I said anything but sore bum. I carried on with my usual rotation on an evening and the mini during the snatched minutes.

I had this mini already started

 

It's now finished.

It took more stitching than you'd think. But worth the effort and I love the colours.

I also was most of the way into the rotation on gingerbread houses. Here is where I was up to 

And after this weekend

I do love the stitching on these just hope I can get the construction figured out.

I started a new mini and this is as far as I got this weekend.

 

I moved onto Spirit of the Season for it's next rotation. Over the weekend it has gone from this:

To this:

 

Not a huge amount but progress. I will be continuing for its full ten hours.

 

In addition to all this stitching my order arrived of my stuff for Valentine's Day from the hubby.

 

My favourite has to be the needle minder.

 

 

 

Why have I not had one of these in my life before? It's amazing I love it, no more needle lost in the edge of my fabric, or precarious placed between my teeth.

 

And to top the weekend off I found this

It's a piece of my Grandma's stitching and I found it in a luggage label on her trolley that I have inherited. She put it there so she knew that was her trolley but it made me smile to find some stitching in a random place.

 

 

Keep Stitching...

Love Tree and more

I have been a bit tardy on the blog front, which I hope to get sorted this time. I actually have plenty to show, which is pretty cool considering that the munchkins haven't been well so I haven't had much time really.

 

Firstly here is the new addition to the rotations. Love Tree by Bothy Threads.

 

I was dying to stitch this and it isn't disappointing so far.

I have to say I really love the way that Bothy Threads organise the cottons.

 

It makes life so much easier and not having to cross reference a key makes a bit better use of stitching time.

 

And so here is my first ten hours progress:

 

I think its going to be one to show more when the backstitch is done. But the colours are nice and it is a nice stitch so far apart from the DMC light effects for the tree branches. grrrrrrr....

I finished the last of the patchwork cards.

 

So that's all four in the set finished. I feel like I am doing well chalking up the finishes this year. It is really exciting to feel this productive.

 

I also finished off this bird: 

 

 It was a UFO but I have finished it off chalking it up as another finish!!!

 

 

Thimble Fairy found her place on the wall and I am really enjoying seeing her every day. I think she is one of my favourite finishes in a while.

 

I also had the most proudest mama moment. When my eldest (just coming up 3) Jumped on my lap one evening, stole my stitching and carried on.

So cute I could cry!!! Ok he didn't have it right but he had the technique. And here is our finished collaboration of the flower brooches.

 

He also announced that he wanted a Lion. So I had a rummage for him in my stash and found and stitched a lion for him. He is over the moon. Really touching to have someone that excited for a finished piece, he was literally hopping round the room squealing Vinnie's Lion!!!!

 

The pic on left shows however the perils of stitching on the bathroom floor while the munchkins splash in the bath. But hey any minute is any minute right!

 

I have had a go with the construction on the first of the gingerbread houses.

 

I really like it but boy was the putting together tricky and it looks a lot shabbier and wonky in real life than it does in the pics. I am tempted to take it apart and try again. Although as my grandma always said (and a good friend reminded me) its flaws give it character. So I'm going to let it sit while I stitch the other one up and see if I get any better techniques going I might have an adjust on this one and maybe some distance will give me a better feeling for it.

 

Keep stitching...

 

Double progress report: In the arms of an angel and Starry Night

I seem to have been meaning to update my blog for too long I now have two rotations worth to show.

So here goes.

Firstly I have finished the last of the reindeer cards. So with all three done from the cover kit. I'm chalking that up as a finish.

In the Arms of an Angel has had ten hours so here is the before:

 

 

 And Now:

 

I can't get over how beautiful this is. She has been a pleasure to stitch and I can't wait to get back round to her again. I'm at that goosebumps stage as well thinking that she is starting to get very close to being a finish.

 

After finishing the reindeer cards. I have started another pack of cover kit cards. There are four in this set so here is the first three finished.

 

It is pretty annoying how skimpy these kits are on threads though. Magazine said enough materials to stitch the four cards on the pack. I did the bee first then this far of the butterfly before the coral in the kit ran out.

I know they are free so  shouldn't grumble but it is very frustrating. I did as you can see have the colour match in the stash. I have checked to see I have the red before I started the strawberry and I do. I did have to sub a few bits on the flower to finish that as well.

I also whipped up this card using a stitched button. I loved doing this and it was super quick stitch. I think I can see more buttons in my future!

 

And lastly Starry Night. Here it is from before:

 

 

And now:

 

I have done my first full row and a square using the stitch and park. I'm finding it difficult to be disciplined to stick to it and not drift with my colours. But overall it is combating confetti stress and I feel a lot better carrying on with this one. Which is great seen as I was struggling before.

 

I thought I would start a bit of a stash tour. So here is part 1.

My rotation drawers.

I have everything in zip bags for each project and the tubs of threads. This means that as I finish a stint I have an easy swap around for the next one. A few odds and ends end up in there over time but generally it keeps the current projects nice and to hand.

 

Next I have a gap in my rotation, where the Thimble Fairy was. I have been deliberating for a while as to what I am going to do next.

 

I'll leave you to look at my shameful stash pile and see if you can guess. Or you could just pop onto XXXStitching's facebook page as I'm sure I'll not be able to keep it a secret on there.

 

Keep Stitching...