Previous stitching

Some pictures of a wedding sampler I made for a friend last year. I modified the flowers and colours from an existing pattern to match the wedding colours then embellished with the border and scrolls. I used bugle beads for the flower centres and some seed beads to further decorate.

xx

Wedding Anniversary today

My husband and I have been wed 14 years today.
Had our moments of rockiness but I wouldn't swop him for the world.

Here's a piccie of us both taken last year

Much stitching this weekend - and a lovely surprise!!

I managed a fair bit of stitching over the weekend inbetween going to Interflora for Mum in Law, post office visit, town trip, parenting and all other bits which distract me.

Her second eye is coming along nicely. The confetti where her hair comes over the facial features is a pain but I am stitching up a strand of block colour, then a strand of confetti stitches to break it up a bit.

This piece is likely going to need blocking as I am very naughty and often leave my work in the hoop which I shouldn't....

Hoping to finish the eye today and some more of the confetti

Had a lovely surprise this weekend when reading through blogs to find that the lovely Norwegianstitch had mentioned me on her blog - how nice! 

Its so nice to see I have so many followers now and the lovely comments that are posted. I thank you all for that. My blog is linked to my phone so I can be anywhere and it pings a comment! So exciting! I love reading them and although I don't reply individually I do appreciate that you take the time.

Until the next update
xx

Slow progress

This week seems to have been unusually hard as far as stitching is concerned.

I haven't lost my mojo as such but I seem to sew and sew and not get anywhere.

I had a break from the Geisha yesterday and did a bit more gridding for Avarice and I am hoping that this weekend will be much more productive!

xx

Look what happens...

When you stitch too fast lol. Think I warmed the needle too much and it bent!

International Hermit and Stitch Weekend

So here is my weekend progress. Am probably an evening's stitch away from finishing the first quarter of 6111 stitches. I really really need to crack on and get this one done. I am loving the way its stitching up. The detail is just fab although the colour palette bizarrely looks better under electric light than in natural.

xx

Geisha WIP

Upper left about halfway I reckon. Can see the nose, cheek and am working towards the eye.  This is about 4 days, about 16 hours I reckon although am not keeping a real track!

xx

I love it when...

Parcels like this arrive in the post. Still in their protective cellophane till I am ready to use them here are my threads for Avarice courtesy of Leisure Craft Tewkesbury. Ready wound onto bobbins for me, all I need to do is get cracking when the bloomin gridding is done!!

xx

Slight change of plan!

My sister is having a birthday next month.

We chose her this in cross stitch for her birthday. She is a stitcher herself but she has asked me to sew it for her. I have NOOOO problem with that!!

Its the book cover for Memoirs of a Geisha - one of her favourites. We saw the kit and had to purchase it.

The piece I am stitching dosen't have the writing, just the image.  I will post a WIP of it soon xx

Getting ready for a new project...

Isn't she fab??

Avarice - one of the Seven Deadly Sins by Marta Dahlig charted by Michele Sayetta.
Purchased from Heaven and Earth Designs

88 colours
240,000 whole cross stitches over 42 pages of chart
I will be stitching this on 25 count fabric one over one.
Finished measurement 16" wide x 24" high

Goodness knows how long it will take me!

I also purchased the chart for Envy. I would like Sloth, Lust, Gluttony,Vanity and Wrath too. These ones I am definitely stitching for myself.

xx

Quiet times!

Been a bit busy with the first week back at school for the girlies and hubby managed an entire day home! Woo!

I am going to order my threads for a biggie HAED later I think. A friend is doing one of the others in the series mine comes from and seeing as she has finished her current WIP I am sure she will be wanting to start and I think we should have a SAL.

We have had all sorts of bizarre weather here this week. Rain, Hail, Thunder and Lightning and hot sun. Seen numerous rainbows and every day I get up its a struggle to decide what to wear!


I am off to town tomorrow. Hubs is off to Scotland for a few days with work in the morning so its goodbye from him again. Peace at last ;-))

xx

A Very Public Apology!

To Kreinik!

I received an email today:

Hi Nicola - saw your blog post about hating Kreinik threads. We hate the thought that you hate our threads. We can’t have that - stitching should be fun. Maybe we can figure out the problem. My first thought is to switch to a slightly larger needle. A needle with a too-small eye, or even a slight burr in the eye can cause a thread to fray.

Which thread are you using? #4 Braid or #8 Braid?

Don’t give up on us J We will figure it out.

Regards,

Dena from Kreinik

Its not just Kreinik threads, its all metallics. Light Effects, Madeira, Jewels. I just hate the feel of them and I get very frustrated sewing with them.

My post was not intended to bash Kreinik as a manufacturer and I apologise for that.

The project I am doing requires no 4 fine braid and is on a small count fabric so I expected fraying. I never expected Kreinik to be reading my posts though!!!

Once again, I apologise for any confusion and I think the quality of Kreinik threads are great, my blog posts reflect my personal preference.

Until my next update... xx

She has a face!

All those tiny stitches and the confetti that has driven me crazy has turned this out.

Page one of this design is now complete!

I started on page 2 which should be a bit faster as theres alot of block colour in it although there is a bouquet to do so the confetti is back...

Who would have thought..

That I would hate this stuff so much?
I am working with short lengths and conditioning it but still it frays.
Aarrgghh!!

Got a few things going on...

My Kreinik threads have arrived and I am getting stuck into the metallics for my Storykeep.

My cloth arrived for my big project too so I am spending time gridding that.

And Half Term is almost over so this weekend I am focusing even more on the children and I have a surprise up my sleeve for them....

Not much else to say really - will post a new WIP pic when I have broken the back on the hated metallics. I loathe working with them... but I am sure it will look great once they are in.

Until the next WIP
XX