DUCJC 2016 - Day 30 - Playful Puss 3

Morning all!

So, here's Playful Puss out for her last adventure. Being a Saturday I managed to sneak in some stitches in during the day as well as my evening session. Here's how she will look and my progress so far:

Featured in ???

Designed by Lucie Heaton

Stitched on 16ct Antique White aida 2 over 1

Stitch count 57 wide by 59 high

Estimated stitching time 17 hours

Stitching time to date - 4 hours

I had to start with the little kitty and am happy to say she is completely finished. I have also stitched a tiny bit of the fence, although it's more or less white on white so not very visible.

Tomorrow's piece will be the last Christmas Pals Ornament and this time I'll try to stitch more than just the black border! It will also be my last new start and at the moment I don't know whether to feel happy or sad. I'll tell you tomorrow!

See you then,
Rachel x

DUCJC 2016 - Day 29 - Polar Bear

Good morning again!

Today's choice was the fifth of the six Christmas Pals Ornaments. I didn't pick up my needle until gone 10pm again so took the easy option of starting with the border. And that was as far as I got! There's nothing interesting to see, but here's my start for the day:

Dimensions
Stitched on 16ct Ice Blue aida 2 over 1

Stitch count 44 wide by 44 high

Estimated stitching time 13 hours

Stitching time to date - 1 hour 40 minutes

For tomorrow I have number three in a series of four. One and two were stitched last year and four was started a couple of weeks ago. Miaow!

See you then!
Rachel x

DUCJC 2016 - Day 28 - Eat Locally

Hello again!

So, here we have the last of Lizzie Kate's Green series, challenging us to be more environmentally friendly. Stitching-wise this was the least I have achieved in one day for a long time but was still enough for a visible start:

Lizzie Kate

Stitched on 16ct Muted Garden hand-dyed aida by The Crafty Kitten 2 over 1

Stitch count 40 wide by 63 high

Estimated stitching time 11 hours

Stitching time to date - 30 minutes

Remember on Ride A Bike I mentioned it looked like the greens might have been listed incorrectly or swapped around on the girl's jumper? Well, I'm more convinced that that is now the case as I definitely used the correct colours for the leek yet they are the opposite to those on the picture again.

I've checked the LK website for errata and there aren't any listed for this Green Series (although I'm actually surprised at how many there are for other charts). It's a bit annoying but I think some frogging and substituting might be called for otherwise the sweetcorn and pea are going to look wrong. Take heed if you are thinking of stitching this series.

Tomorrow we have another Christmas Pals Ornament who would feel right at home on the east coast of America right now!

See you then,
Rachel x

Smalls SAL - January 2016

Good evening everybody!

This year I am participating in the Smalls SAL run by Heather from Stitching Lotus. If you're popping over from there to me for the first time, hello! If you're one of my regular followers, then hello to you too!

Each month I plan to stitch (and finish-finish) a small Christmas Ornament specifically for this SAL so that, come December, I'll have lots of Christmas goodies with which to decorate a tree. Of course, if I finish any other small pieces I might post about them too!

My choice for January was "Nice List" by Lizzie Kate.

I made a hanging ornament using wadding, Christmas fabric, Christmas ribbon and cording which I whip-stitched over the seams. I have little imagination when it comes to making ornaments so don't be surprised if all 12 are finished the same!! Annoyingly I didn't take a photo of the finished piece before sewing it all together so all you get to see is this at the front...

... and this at the back:

I'm On The Nice List

Lizzie Kate Tiny Tidings XV

Stitched on 16ct Cloud Brown over-dyed aida from Sewitall.com 2 over 1

Stitch Count 49 wide by 49 high

Started - 7th January 2016

Finished - 17th January 2016
Total stitching time - 7 hours 15 minutes
Plus three evenings to finish off

I'm certainly not 100% happy with it as the top corners poke a bit, the wadding is thin at the top and I don't like the way the cord has frayed and is hanging. BUT I know you're all going to be polite and tell me it looks fine and that I am being fussy, so I'll shut up about it!

I'm already looking forward to stitching February's ornament and hopefully making a better job of the finishing!

TTFN,
Rachel x

DUCJC 2016 - Day 27 - French Country Witch

Good morning!

Finally, I got to stitch the chart I have been waiting so long to start! I genuinely thought this was going to be left until last, even though I was silently hoping the children would choose it each day! Everything you see was gifted to me by Justine during our October retreat last year, although not with the intention of being used for the same project. But the three things went together so well I couldn't resist.

Here's the chart and my progress so far:

JBW Designs

Stitched on 32ct Halloween Mist Murano evenweave from The Crafty Kitten 2 over 2

Using Victorian Motto Shoppe Sampler thread Halloween Purple

Stitch count 67 wide by 47 high

Estimated stitching time - 11 hours

Stitching time to date - 2 hours 50 minutes

She was very easy and addictive to stitch and I love how she's turned out so far. The VMSS threads are so soft to work with but seem to tangle a lot more than DMC presumably because of their matte finish. I've got a couple more projects lined up for May which use VMSS threads and now can't wait to start them!

Tomorrow the last LK Green Series chart will be making an appearance but I shall be back later today with my Smalls SAL posting.

Until then,
Rachel x

DUCJC 2016 - Day 26 - Winter Alphabet

Good morning again!

For today I had my fourth attempt at learning the alphabet - this time with the help of winter. I didn't pick up my needle until 10.45pm so didn't get far:

Lizzie Kate

Stitched on 16ct Cloud Winter Sky over-dyed aida by Sewitall.com 2 over 1

Stitch count 112 wide by 159 high

Estimated stitching time 59 hours

Stitching time to date - 1 hour

This fabric is absolutely gorgeous. The company also do Cloud Spring, Summer and Autumn Skies to match which will make their way into my fabric stash very soon!

Tomorrow is the chart I have been secretly willing the children to choose right from day one! It's a gifted chart using gifted fabric and gifted threads. And it's going to be very purple!

See you then,
Rachel x

DUCJC 2016 - Day 25 - Be Kind To Animals

Morning all!

Thank you for all of your support yesterday agreeing that, occasionally, stitching should take precedence over housework. Note, I said OCCASIONALLY! It is not something I want to get in the habit of doing.

After my Ride A Bike marathon it's not surprising I didn't stitch as much today. But I still had a good go at burning the midnight oil and managed to achieve this much:

Lizzie Kate
Stitched on 16ct Muted Garden hand-dyed aida by The Crafty Kitten 2 over 1

Stitch count 40 wide by 63 high

Estimated stitching time 11 hours

Stitching time to date - 1 hour 15 minutes

I thought I'd be different and not start with the wording this time. I'm also going to be mindful of the greens when I come to stitching them!

For day 26 we have another gorgeous piece of fabric appropriate to the time of year (in the northern hemisphere anyway!)

Back tomorrow

Rachel x

DUCJC 2016 - Day 24 - Ride A Bike - FINISHED!!!!

Hello again!

Oh boy, look what happens when you stitch for almost half your waking hours..... you end up with not only a really good start on a project but a finish too!! This was totally unplanned and only occurred because the temptation of carrying on far outweighed the thought of housework. You know how it is... I'll just stitch the girl... I'll add the bike...I might as well do the border... I know the writing won't take too long... that just leaves the insects... oh look - it's finished!! I admit I was very naughty and now today have all that overdue housework to look forward to. But I don't care - I've finished a challenge piece!!!!

The environmental message is plain and simple, but unfortunately not very realistic given most road conditions. I don't know about where you live, but in my area riding a bike is not something I would want nor encourage my children to do. But, as I don't drive, my children and I are used to walking everywhere (within reason) so are just as environmentally friendly that way!

Anyway, here's the chart and my FINISH:

Lizzie Kate

Stitched on 16ct Muted Garden hand-dyed aida by The Crafty Kitten 2 over 1

Stitch count 40 wide by 63 high

Started - 24th January 2016

Finished - 24th January 2016

Total stitching time - 7 hours 40 minutes

It looks like I've swapped the greens on the jumper round but I'm sure I haven't! Perhaps I made a mistake when bobbinating my threads or perhaps the conversion from WDW to DMC was not very accurate. Either way, I won't unpick and restitch it as I actually quite like the darker jumper.

For day 25 I've been asked to stitch another in this series. And after yesterday's marathon I've promised myself not to pick up my needle until bedtime. Let's see how long I can keep temptation at bay today!

See you tomorrow,
Rachel x

DUCJC 2016 - Day 23 - Santa

Morning all!

So, ho ho ho, my rather special person is none other than Santa! At least starting him in January means I should have him finished in time for Christmas!

Stitching his hat and face had to be my top priority and luckily I had a good long evening session in which to do it. I like the way Dimensions have combined the use of 1 or 2 strands of thread with full and half crosses for effect. I know they do that with bigger charts but didn't expect it on these smaller ones.

Here's where I left off:

Dimensions

Stitched on 16ct Ice Blue aida 2 over 1

Stitch count 44 wide by 44 high

Estimated stitching time 13 hours

Stitching time to date - 3 hours 15 minutes

For day 24 I have another environmental (although probably less achievable) message.

Until tomorrow then,
Rachel x

DUCJC 2016 - Day 22 - Spring Alphabet

Good morning!

This was my children's choice for me for day 22. As you know, I love Lizzie Kate's alphabet series and especially like this one because of the bright pink fabric I am using. I appreciate it's not to everybody's taste but I think it's rather gorgeous and a much braver choice than my original spring green. It certainly gives the feeling of freshness I was trying to convey.

Spring Alphabet by Lizzie Kate

Stitched on 16ct Cloud Pink aida by Sewitall.com 2 over 1

Stitch count 112 wide by 158 high

Estimated stitching time 59 hours

Stitching time to date - 2 hours 25 minutes

Tomorrow, a rather special person is dropping by!

Until then,
Rachel x

DUCJC 2016 - Day 21 - Keep Our Air Clean

Hello all!

Well, as we're nearing the downward stretch of this challenge it's inevitable that you are going to see some repetitive designs. This is the third of the Lizzie Kate Green series, with my progress looking like this:

Lizzie Kate

Stitched on 16ct Muted Garden hand-dyed aida by The Crafty Kitten 2 over 1

Stitch count 40 wide by 63 high

Estimated stitching time 11 hours

Stitching time to date - 2 hours 5 minutes

As usual I opted to stitch the easy words first!

No hint for tomorrow's design, but I will tell you it's on a rather gorgeous pink fabric.

See you then,
Rachel x

By the way, does anybody know what's happened to Tracy and Elegant Jewels of the Needle? Tracy used to stitch a lot of Mirabilia mermaids and ladies but I noticed that her blog has been deleted. Such a shame as her work was beautiful. :(

DUCJC 2016 - Day 20 - Ollie Owl

Morning all!

Here I am, back again with the last of the Woodland Folk designs. This is Ollie Owl and I know at least one person (HB) who will be pleased to see his appearance!

Ollie's post also marks the two-thirds-of-the-way-through-this-crazy-challenge point. It's certainly all downhill from now on!

Here's how Ollie will look when completed, and my progress to date:

DMC

Stitched on 16ct Kelp over-dyed aida by Fabric Flair 2 over 1

Stitch count 75 wide by 49 high

Estimated stitching time 18 hours

Stitching time to date - 2 hours 15 minutes

I almost always start stitching at the top of a design but had to break with tradition for this one and start with Ollie's gorgeous eyes - how could I not?!

Tomorrow I will have another environmental message for you.

TTFN,
Rachel x

DUCJC 2016 - Day 19 - Black-Hatted Snowman

Good morrow!

It's about time I said another thank you for continuing to follow me in this challenge and for leaving lovely comments. I will reply to you all... at some point!

For day 19 we have another Christmas Pals Ornament which I have called Black-Hatted Snowman. I like the way he's blushing; it's as if he's just been kissed! Here he is and here's my progress for the day:

Dimensions

Stitched on 16ct Ice Blue aida 2 over 1

Stitch count 44 wide by 44 high

Estimated stitching time 13 hours

Stitching time to date - 2 hours 30 minutes

I'll be back tomorrow with the last in a series of little woodland characters which a lot of you have found so cute.

See you then!
Rachel x

DUCJC 2016 - Day 18 - Blueberry

Morning all!

Another day, another project and another cutie! This is Blueberry from the Popcorn and Friends range of characters. I think this chart was a magazine freebie - a long time ago! The lurex aida is really stiff to work with but provides a lovely background. I didn't get too much done but it's a good enough start:

Featured in ????

Stitched on 16ct Gold Lurex Cream aida by Zweigart 2 over 1

Stitch count 47 wide by 46 high

Estimated stitching time 10 hours

Stitching time to date - 1 hour 25 minutes

Can I also take this opportunity to introduce a fairly new blogger to you? We all know how difficult it is starting out and gaining followers so I thought I'd mention Stitching Out Of Bounds. She's recently started 14 sweet little CJC pieces and one GORGEOUS larger piece and certainly deserves comments from bloggers other than me! It won't hurt to pop over and take a look.

As for me, I'll be back tomorrow with a rather bashful guy!

See you then,
Rachel x

DUCJC 2016 - Day 17 - Penguin

Good morning again!

With our slight dusting of snow it was appropriate that Heather picked this little Christmas Pals Ornament for me to stitch for day 17. I didn't stitch for long after day 16's marathon but still made good visible progress:

Christmas Pals Ornaments by Dimensions
Stitched on 16ct Ice Blue aida 2 over 1

Stitch count 44 wide by 44 high

Estimated stitching time 13 hours

Stitching time to date - 1 hours 25 minutes

Thank you for wishing Heather well for Frost Camp. The Scouts all had a thoroughly good time with Heather, as usual, mucking in more than most. She returned home wearing 7 layers on her top half and 4 on her bottom half! I wondered why her rucksack was half empty!!

Tomorrow sees a real cutie so if you like those type of designs you're in for a treat!

Back in the morning!
Rachel x

DUCJC 2016 - Day 16 - Sleepy Book

Hello again!

So we're now into the second half of this crazy challenge. Time really does fly when you're having fun!

For day 16 Toby chose the other chart I have in the Odd Dog series. This is my favourite of the two and definitely how I feel whenever I pick up a book! I took advantage of it being a Saturday and stitched during the day too so made a lot of progress:

Sleepy Book by Lili of the Valley

Stitched on 16ct Cloud Blue aida from Sewitall.com 2 over 1

Stitch count 64 wide by 43 high

Estimated stitching time 14 hours

Stitching time to date - 5 hours 5 minutes

Whilst stitching I did not have the colour picture to hand otherwise I would have noticed how washed out the pillow looks compared to the picture. I'm definitely using the right colour so am really disappointed. But I've done too much to unpick now. Maybe it won't look so bad once I've added the backstitching.

We have a slight dusting of snow this morning. I hope the happy campers are keeping warm!

Back tomorrow with a Christmas Pal who would feel quite at home in our current weather.

See you then,

Rachel x

DUCJC 2016 - Day 15 - Balloon

Good morning!

We're now at the point where, for many stitchers, this is the end of their new starts. If you've made it through to day 15 - well done! I know there are a couple of bloggers whose daily postings I shall miss.

But this is also the point at which the more mad among us carry on for another 16 days..... or longer.

Heather chose this small design for day 15. I'd been secretly willing her to select it from day one so was really glad she finally chose it. I only sat down with my needle at 11pm so here's my progress in that hour:

Odd Dog by Lili of the Valley

Stitched on 16ct Cloud Blue aida from Sewitall.com 2 over 1

Stitch count 45 wide by 85 high

Estimated stitching time 10 hours

Stitching time to date - 1 hour

Heather's away with the Scouts this weekend on what is aptly call "Frost Camp" and, yes, they're sleeping in tents! In my opinion they're all mad as the temperatures are around 0-2 degrees C! But they also have my complete admiration - even dropping her off at 9pm last night was too cold for me to handle. It was so nice returning home to a warm house and cosy bed! Toby's much more sensible and chose not to go.

Tomorrow's new start is another by the same company.

See you then!
Rachel x

DUCJC 2016 - Day 14 - Toby Fox

Hello again!

So, Toby finally chose his namesake Toby Fox, another of the Woodland Folk, to come out to play. He should stitch up really quickly due to lovely big blocks of colour. Here's where I got to

DMC

Stitched on 16ct Kelp over-dyed aida by Fabric Flair 2 over 1

Stitch count 56 wide by 54 high

Estimated stitching time 15 hours

Stitching time to date - 1 hour 35 minutes

Tomorrow sees the emergence of a new, also cute, character and a welcome change of colours.

See you then!
Rachel x

DUCJC 2016 - Day 13 - Save Water

Good morning!

Thanks again for your recent comments. I'm glad you're keeping up with me!

Today the children chose the second of the Lizzie Kate Green series for me to stitch. Here's how I got on:

Save Water by Lizzie Kate

Stitched on 16ct Muted Garden hand-dyed aida by The Crafty Kitten 2 over 1

Stitch count 40 wide by 63 high

Estimated stitching time 11 hours

Stitching time to date - 2 hours 15 minutes

Obviously, I started with the easy bit first! In a way it's a shame I'm using DMC instead of WDW threads as the variegated writing really does look nice. Nevermind, I still like mine!

For tomorrow's piece, I was curious how long it would be before my son, Toby, chose it!

See you in 24 hours!
Rachel x


PS I have had a couple of questions and comments about how I am able to stitch for 2-3-4 hours each day. Here's my explanation:

Firstly, I only work a few hours each week, the rest of the time I look after my mum who lives with us and is more-or-less bed-ridden. She cross stitches small projects and sometimes during the day I will sit with her and work on a piece while we chat away about nothing in particular. She needs/enjoys the company and even though I have to put up with her ramblings I get the benefit of being able to stitch for a little while!

Secondly, depending on what the children are doing, I can often fit in an hour or so of stitching after dinner.

Thirdly, a couple of years ago I deliberately set about limiting my sleep to around 5 1/2 hours each night as I was fed up with always feeling tired and exhausted during the day despite having a good 7-8 hours' sleep. I now use that "spare" time from about 10pm to stitch, uninterrupted, for maybe 2-3 hours.

I don't feel guilty about how long I stitch for because I know it's not at the expense of family life or the usual daily chores. To me it's essential downtime from my sandwich-caring responsibilities. If you flip the coin though, I don't get to go on holiday. I may get a couple of weekend breaks each year but haven't had a decent holiday for over seven years! That's why I need cross stitching as an outlet to stop me going mad!

I hope that explains it. I'm just sorry that I cannot share some of my stitching hours with those of you who are desperate to stitch but just don't have the time. :(

DUCJC 2016 - Day 12 - Summer Alphabet

Hello again!

I'm really excited the children finally picked this one for me to stitch. Yes, I love the chart but more than that I adore this absolutely gorgeous completely strokeable jaw-droppingly beautiful bright yellow fabric! If you haven't guessed already, yellow is my favourite colour so stitching on this was divine!

It's a real pity that, as usual and despite lots of editing, the photo doesn't do the fabric justice. I'm still not happy with this one but it's the best I can do. I think it's time to invest in a new camera as I have to colour edit nearly all of my photos. :(

I don't think this design needs any introduction, so here is my progress for the day:

Summer Alphabet by Lizzie Kate

Stitched on 16ct Cloud Lemon aida by Sewitall.com 2 over 1

Stitch count 111 wide by 159 high

Estimated stitching time 59 hours

Stitching time to date - 3 hours 35 minutes

I've resisted saying this for the first 11 days, but I am really looking forward to returning to this piece. I wonder if you can guess why!!!

Day 13 will be a smaller Lizzie Kate on much more muted fabric.

Until tomorrow,
Rachel x

DUCJC 2016 - Day 11 - Woolly-Hatted Snowman

Hello all!

I can't believe I'm more or less one third of the way through the challenge already! I've loved every start so far even though I still have so many more to do!

Day 11 saw my first Christmas piece come out to play. I've called this one Woolly-Hatted Snowman, and he's from the Christmas Pals Ornaments kit which you may have seen Katie stitch and finish last year.

Christmas Pals Ornaments by Dimensions

Stitched on 16ct Ice Blue Aida 2 over 1

Stitch count 44 wide by 44 high

Estimated stitching time 14 hours

Stitching time to date - 2 hours 15 minutes

I was going to stitch the border and background first but then thought where better to start than with the hat after which he is named?

I am really looking forward to stitching tomorrow's piece, not only because of the pattern but because of the colour fabric I will be working on. ;)

See you then,
Rachel x

DUCJC 2016 - Day 10 - Molly Mouse

Good morning!

Thank you again for all of your recent and lovely comments. It is really gratifying knowing that you are cheering me along in this challenge and not casting aspersions that I am mad starting another 31 (though much smaller than last year's) projects. Rest assured I am actually aiming to finish at least 20 of them during the year so it's not as if I'm just a serial starter.....

My children chose another Woodland Folk for day 10 of this crazy challenge. This is Molly Mouse. Have you noticed the way she is holding her tail? I think she's really shy.

Molly Mouse

DMC Woodland Folk

Stitched on 16ct Kelp over-dyed aida by Fabric Flair 2 over 1

Stitch count 58 wide by 50 high

Estimated stitching time 15 hours

Stitching time to date - 2 hours 40 minutes

I'm happy with my progress for the day.

Tomorrow's choice is apt considering our weather this week is due to get more cold and wintry.

See you in the morning!
Rachel x

DUCJC 2016 - Day 9 - Cantankerous

Good morning!

Another moody cat reared it's head for day 9, and another piece which my children have likened to me (although I think this is more my daughter's mood on being woken up for school in the morning!) I took advantage of it being a Saturday and stitched for much longer than I should have.  ;)

Featured in Cattitudes Calendar 2003

Designed by Margaret Sherry

Stitched on 32ct Tangerine Murano evenweave 2 over 2

Stitch count 79 wide by 65 high

(not stitching background)

Estimated stitching time 27 hours

Stitching time to date - 5 hours

This time I deliberately concentrated on getting the face and expression stitched first so (s)he can look on in exasperation as I try to stitch the rest of him/her. It was so much fun watching the expression take shape with each backstitch, and adding the whiskers was the icing on the cake. Hope you like it!!

For day 10 I shall be returning to a cutie.

Back then,
Rachel x

DUCJC 2016 - Day 8 - Plant A Tree

Hello again,

Us crazy January starters are into the second week of the challenge already. Doesn't time fly when you're having fun?! I'm also managing to keep up with blog reading, which hasn't happened for a long time so it's been a good 2016 for me so far!

Day 8's chosen piece was another Lizzie Kate called Plant a Tree from her Green series. You may have already seen this started by Mii Stitch a couple of days ago.

Here's my progress:

Plant A Tree by Lizzie Kate

Stitched on 16ct Muted Garden hand-dyed aida by The Crafty Kitten 2 over 1

Stitch count 40 wide by 63 high

Estimated stitching time 11 hours

Stitching time to date - 2 hours 5 minutes

I made a good start, but then I did stitch the easier words and border first!

Tomorrow I shall definitely be in a bad mood again!

Back soon,

Rachel x

DUCJC 2016 - Day 7 - Autumn Alphabet

Good morning!

For day 7 the children chose a Lizzie Kate design which, as I mentioned yesterday, I would not even have glanced at a couple of years ago. But my tastes have changed and I now love it!

Here's my handiwork so far:

Lizzie Kate Autumn Alphabet
Stitched on 16ct Cloud Brown over-dyed aida by Sewitall.com 2 over 1

Stitch count 111 wide by 159 high

Estimated stitching time 59 hours

Stitching time to date - 3 hours 40 minutes

Tomorrow will be a piece which another participant in CJC started a couple of days ago.

Until then,
Rachel x

PS I have two regular commenters (L and A) and one new commenter (M) whose comments do not come through as emails. I tend to reply to most of my emails so if you do not receive thank-yous it is because I either do not get your emails or because you are a no-reply blogger. But please rest assured that I do read every comment and thank you for taking time to read and comment on my blog.