January Just Nan

I so enjoyed stitching my Just Nan projects in 2014 that I thought that I would like to continue with a monthly post on my Just Nan stitching in 2015.

For January, I stitched Tiny Beaded Heart. I am going to finish this as a key fob.

Tiny Beaded Heart - Just Nan
stitched on 28ct White Cashel linen

An overdue finish

Fairy Moon - Mirabilia
stitched on 28ct Smokey Pearl Cashel (I think)

First up today is an unfinished project that has been waiting since about mid 2011 for me to add the final 30 or so beads. I had almost finished Mirabilia's 'Fairy Moon' when I ran out of beads. By the time I got a new packet, I had moved onto something else and this project went into my 'someday' pile. 

I plan to get this framed as it is too large to do anything else with it. That is definitely for 'someday'.

Alpine Seasons Garden - Chatelaine
stitched on 32ct Summer Khaki Belfast linen

I feel I've made some good progress on Alpine Seasons Garden this week. The octagon border is almost completed - just 2.5 sides of backstitching around the Rhodes stitches and it will be done. Then it will be seasonal alpine trees scenes. I'm looking forward to getting onto this next stage.






I also finished the stitching on my Elsa ornament. Instead of making two separate ornaments, I'm thinking of making this a double-sided ornament with Anna on the opposite side.

Elsa - Crafty Guild
stitched on a 28ct White evenweave

Mid January - already?

I'm still in a flitting mood as I move from one project to another.
I've stitched a little more on the border of Alpine Seasons Garden. It's rather creased at the moment. Can too much ironing distort the fabric? I mean ironing the non-stitched area.

Alpine Seasons Garden - Chatelaine
stitched on 32ct Summer Khaki Belfast linen

I know two little girls who are mad about anything to do with the Disney film Frozen, so I thought I'd earn myself some Brownie points by stitching them each an Elsa and an Anna ornament. I'm not so keen on stitching 'characters' so I'm now thinking that one set will be made up as ornaments and the other as key fobs. I'll stitch the key fobs over one. Here is my start on Elsa which is a free design available at Crafty Guild. I'm stitching the mini versions.

Elsa - Crafty Guild
stitched on a 28ct White evenweave

I've also stitched my card for the Sweet Feet Valentine exchange on Needlecraft Haven so I can't show that until next month.

I'm still stitching my jumper but I think I've ripped out as much as I've knitted. Just when I think I've got the hang of the cable stitch, I knit it in the wrong direction! Knitting was supposed to be what I did when I didn't need to concentrate so much. Obviously I should have stuck to stocking stitch if I wanted to do that. I'll post a picture next time. Hopefully I will have completed the back by then.

A belated winter exchange

Due to pressures on the Christmas postal system, it was only a couple of days ago that I received my winter ornament in the Needlecraft Haven Four Seasons exchange for 2014. It was due to arrive before the end of December. Thank you Ursh, I think it is lovely. It will hang in our sitting room until Spring. Those blues are perfect for winter.

Received from Ursh in Needlecraft Haven Winter Exchange

A bit of this and a bit of that

During this past week, I found it difficult to settle to one thing for any length of time. That also includes my housework - well, that's my excuse and I'm sticking to it.
I made some progress on my Alpine Seasons Garden by completing what is currently an outer border and I've just started to fill it. I can already see that my progress on this is going to vary quite alot, week on week. I think there will be times when I have to remind myself that some progress is better than none.

Alpine Seasons Garden - Chatelaine
stitched on 32ct Summer Khaki Belfast linen
as at 11 January 2015

It's ages since I've done any knitting and having seen some jumpers that my sister-in-law knitted recently, I got the knitting bug again. Here is my limited progress on a cable knit sweater. If it's not finished for this winter, at least I'll have it for next.

A goal for 2015

I'm not into making New Year's resolutions but I have decided to set myself a stitching goal for 2015. It is to complete the stitching on Chatelaine's Alpine Seasons Garden. For those of you familiar with Martina Rosenburg's designs, you will have spotted that I only said stitching. From what I've read, attaching the beads is almost like doing a separate project - so whatever I manage to do in adding beads will be an additional bonus.
Here is where I currently am on this project. Sadly the photo doesn't do the colours justice as the light has been so poor these past few days.

Alpine Seasons Garden - Chatelaine
stitched on 32ct  Summer Khaki Belfast at 3 January 2015

Happy New Year and my final finish of 2014

Happy New Year; I hope that 2015 will be the year that you hope for.

I finished the Mojo Sampler during the evening of 31 December 2014. I was determined to add all the beads on Wednesday as I had already stitched the year on the piece and I had no wish to change it.
I have decided to put this on the front of a photo album which will contain photographs of most of my stitching over the past 25 years. I say 'most' as there are a few things I've given away where I forgot to take photographs first.

Mojo Sampler - Bee's Needleworks
stitched on 32ct White Belfast