More starts

I've signed up for two exchanges and I joined the Blackbird Designs (BBD) SAL over at Needlecraft Haven.

On Sunday, I started on 'Joyeux Noel' from BBD. I will need to change one of my threads as it blends into the fabric too much. You might have spotted the holly sprig under the word 'Noel'; that thread will need to be changed. At the moment I'm undecided between a more beige cream or an off-white. I will try both and see which I prefer, if either.

Joyeux Noel - Blackbird Designs
stitched on 28ct Cashel Platinum

I've started stitching on an Easter exchange, also at Needlecraft Haven and though I'm unable to show it just yet, here is the colour selection I am working from. I am really pleased with this colour combination.

Thread selection for Needlecraft Haven Easter exchange

My second exchange is over at Friendly Stitchers and it is for Stitcher's Day. I haven't decided what I will do yet but I have an idea of which colours I will be using as my partner has expressed a preference for pinks and greens with maybe a touch of blue.

So I will definitely be busy over the next few weeks. I haven't forgotten about my 'Alpine Seasons Garden', I am just having a short rest from working on it. I thought of setting up a rotation cycle for working on all these projects but I know it wouldn't suit me. Even though, it would probably help me to be more efficient, I prefer to work on something until time constraints say 'hey, it's time you moved on to something else'.

Sweet Feet Valentine Exchange

Participants in this year's Needlecraft Haven's Valentine Exchange had to stitch a card with a love/friendship theme and include a pair of socks accompanied by a matching skein of thread. My stitching partner, Deb, was very generous, as you can see, as she included heart themed fabric with her gifts. I love all this pink and I'm not normally a 'pink girl'. Thank you Deb.

Gift received from
Needlecraft Haven Sweet Feet Valentine Exchange 2015

I'll show my efforts next time.

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

Just Nan December update

Here is my final Just Nan finish (stitching only) for 2014. It's Mitten Men. This took me much longer to complete than I expected, but at the rate I stitch, I should have learned by now that I don't do 'quick stitches'. Given how poor the light has been during the past couple of days, I'm pleased to see that the four blue sequins show up in the picture. I should manage to complete this as an ornament for Christmas 2015; Ha! Ha!

Mitten Men - Just Nan
stitched on 32ct natural Permin linen

I'm glad that I joined the Just Nan SAL in 2014. Without it I probably wouldn't have completed five Just Nan finishes - Patience, Sunny Summer Happy Garden, Beach Roses, True Blue heart and Mitten Men.

It's the most wonderful time ... Day 3

Last but not least there was the Christmas ornament exchange at The Stitch Specialists. When I arrived home this weekend, this lovely package of items were waiting for me from Ruth. In addition to my ornament, Ruth had included two silk threads and a snowman scissor fob. Ruth also signed the back of her ornament.

From Ruth at The Stitch Specialists
front of ornament
Christmas ornament exchange

From Ruth at The Stitch Specialists
signed back of ornament
Christmas ornament exchange

I stitched a hardanger humbug ornament for Abi. 

Hardanger Christmas ornament - Yvette Stanton
For Abi at The Stitch Specialists

It's the most wonderful time ... Day 2

 

Front of holly ornament from Frances
Friendly Stitchers Christmas ornament exchange

 

Back of holly ornament from Frances
Friendly Stitchers Christmas ornament exchange

I haven't been very active on the Friendly Stitchers forum this year but I couldn't miss their Christmas ornament exchange. Frances was my stitching partner and she sent me the lovely holly ornament (shown above) with matching Christmas threads and holly napkins.

I love the way that Frances signed the back. I must do something similar in my future exchanges, where appropriate.

Partridge in a pear tree - Needlecraft magazine
Sent to Frances, Friendly Stitchers
Christmas ornament exchange

The ornament I sent Frances was of a partridge in a pear tree. I know the design comes from an old issue of Needlecraft magazine but I can't find it at the moment in order to say which edition.

This also highlights an issue I have right now. My stitching stash has got disorganised, so in the New Year I will need to reorder it so I can more easily find what I'm looking for.