IHSW finishes

Yeah that's right finishes!! Woop woop
IHSW is doing it for me. I have gone from this to finished on this rotation of the gingerbread houses.  And I had already started this cover kit years ago but got it out and finished it off. Im really pleased with getting two finishes. 

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...

 

Beware the Stash Gremlin

I've been having a right one this last week and a bit. I seem to have a stash gremlin....and it's been messing with my rhythm. Proper giving me hell and a bit of the stitching blues.

The start was as good as I have been doing I finished framing the Thimble Fairy.

I do love the detailing on it. I can't stop looking at her. One of my favourite finishes for a long time. I just need to decide where to hang her.

 

 

I finished another Mill Hill kit Snow Crystals Aqua.

 

Love the sparkle and think it's going to be a great addition to my hopefully growing pile of Christmas Ornies for next Christmas. So far so good.

 

I finished my rotation on the gingerbread houses.

.

 

I now have all the walls made up and laced onto the plastic pieces. I'm on with the roof and then it will be a construction job. So hopefully next rotation on this I might have a completed house.

 

THEN the stash gremlin struck.

 

I was itching to get more done so had got Tapestry Cat out for its next rotation. Going to fill in my blog when I had a minute. I then discovered....

I'm missing threads!!!!!!

 

Over the years I have raided this box for the colours I have needed for other projects. So yep I know it's my own fault really. Fair enough I need to go through and check off what I have and what I need to order but I know I need at least a handful. OK so I'll leave this for now and come back to it when I have cash and time to sort an order for threads.

 

 I have been enjoying a few of the facebook groups to do with stitching talking to everyone on there and seeing all the work. I recently found one for Joan Elliot's designs and I found that she has designed some dream catcher ones that I have stitched and I suddenly remembered I have had this in my stash as a UFO for years. It's one of Joan's I never realised and so in lieu of Tapestry Cat going back into UFO lurking, I thought perfect I'll be good not open anything new and finish this off.

 

 

And then It struck again. After a very slow start on it due to dreaded teething of both boys, meaning a stitch at a time. This resulted in a few frogging attacks as I'd come back and started in the wrong place.

 

I found the gremlin has stole the dark green!!!!!

 

AAAAARRRRGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!

 

Last night I was tearing my hair out. This box I wouldn't have raided for colours as it's from a kit. The bobbins I have made and labelled with the colour and symbol. WHY? I have no idea why it wouldn't be there. I ave stitched the colour on it already so it was there to start and I haven't got an empty card. I was sick as a chip last night.

 

I have after a long search found the DMC colour match for it but even that wasn't in the thread boxes.

 

~breathe~

 

So I'm hoing that when I sit down tonight I'm not going to have any  more visits from this gremlin and it's gone back to hiding small people's socks. I can handle that lol

 

I did in the meantime, finish one of the three reindeer cards from a crossstitcher kit.

 

Keep stitching....

Full flow festive

Was that really just a week!!! feels more like two since I last blogged and doesn't seem like I've been on with my stitching but here we are ten hours on and a week passed.

Festive preparations are in full flow and it takes some sorting with two little ones around. Having said that it's great fun having them getting excited and we've even been up to some more festive crafting.

I have finished the Christmas Houses.

I also have then finished a ten hours on the 3D gingerbread houses

.

 

That's the end and one side completed and the door started. I had thought they might have been a quicker project but there is a lot of beading and fiddly bits.

 

It will be interesting to see how they stitch up.

 

I forgot that I'd got a willow wreath in the sales last year. I haven't quite decided what to do with it but while I'm thinking some cheeky winter sprites have made a home in it.

 

These are one of my Grandma's makes, so I'm very happy they have found a home. Just maybe need to collect some holly to finish it off.

 

The advent calendar is out again and I've been having fun showing each pillow off each day on my xxxstitching facebook page.

 

It's on with the next rotation and probably more festive fun with the tots.

 

Keep stitching...

Crazies fatigue

I'm soldiering on with my crazy 15, have to admit this week I've found that all these new starts a bit of a fatigue. I used to think starting a new kit was the most exciting thing but I think I've took the comfortable middle stitching time for granted. I struggled a couple of days with having to get all the new bits together and starting but I'm over halfway so I'm sticking with it. But I'm so looking forward to the end of this so I can get on with the pleasure of working towards finishes.

 So here's my varying progresses on my crazies

Day 5: Reindeer cake band Cross stitcher free kit issue 245

I know barely started - too much distractions but that's a story for another day lol.

Day 6:World of Sarah Kay kit

Much better than day 5 seems a nice kit - got loads lovely colours, metallics and a huge tub of beads that look like more than the chart needs - always nice to end up with extras for the stash.

Day 7: Gingerbread Houses

Got nearly all the X stitch for one end of the house done. Took quite a while to measure out the fabric to make sure all the pieces would leave enough room for each other. So looking forward to getting these done I can't wait to see how it goes together to make the 3D houses.

Day 8: Tigger and Pooh

Again not much of a start but think I was lamenting putting the gingerbread houses away.

Day 9: Flaming June

Not bad but this was one of those where I needed loads of stuff out and didn't have to hand. So a lot of time wasted rummaging etc. I was a little nervous when I started as the chart recommended starting from the top corner which I never do but I have a large enough piece of fabric so have gave it a go. But then it also means I've started in the clouds - boring colour-wise doh!!!

Bit concerned I ordered the fabric pack from Cross stitch collection for the motherly devotion but it's yet to arrive and I'm soon gonna run out of time - although I do have other kits I can pull at the last. And here I am on day 10 saying about not having had as much time but I'm here blogging lol

So I'm off to kick my butt into action.

Keep stitching...