Saturday 30 June 2018

Smalls SAL - June 2018

Good afernoon everybody!

It's time again to post this month's Smalls SAL, run by Heather of Stitching Lotus. Still no link-up or postings from her again - anybody know if she's OK and still active on other forums?




For this month I decided to go summery. I stitched three of these Beach Buddy Dolphins by Durene Jones last year and thought it was time to add a fourth, especially given the mini heatwave we are currently experiencing.

Dolphin with Cocktail by Durene Jones
Cross Stitch Crazy issue 218
Stitched on 16ct Eastern Sky over-dyed aida from Sewitall.com 2 over 1
Stitch count 38 wide by 38 high
Started - 1st June 2018
Finished - 8th June 2018
Total stitching time - 7 hours 40 minutes


I so much wanted to make him into a little hanging ornie but since all the others had been made into cards I followed suit. There's not enough spare fabric around the edge to convert the cards into my usual ornies but I have an idea which might work should I change my mind. In the meantime, here he is with all his other buddies:





For next month's small I've decide to polarise the seasons and go for Christmas in July!

Take care,
Rachel x

Wednesday 13 June 2018

Sugar - finished

Hello all!

So this is finish number 32 out of 59 from Debbie's Super Duper Ultimate Crazy January February Challenge (DSDUCJFC) 2015. He's the third of the four in this Little Black cat set, being a companion for Coffee and Cream. Only Tea left to finish, which will be later this year.

Last month, he was up to here with only a little more to stitch:


And after that final bit of stitching:

Little Black Cat - Sugar
Heritage Crafts designed by Toni Goffe
Stitched on 32ct Light Blue Murano evenweave 2 over 2
Stitch count 68 wide by 68 high
Started - 16th February 2015
Finished - 12th June 2018
Total stitching time - 29 hours 30 minutes


I have already purchased the multi-aperture frame into which the four pieces are to be displayed, but will only frame them once they are all complete and I can work out which piece looks best in which position; I'd hate to frame the three so far only to find the fourth looks wrong!

In the meantime, I'm not exactly lacking in other WIPs to be getting on with!

Take care,
Rachel x

Friday 1 June 2018

May Progress on 2015/2016 Challenge Pieces

Hello there!

May has been and gone (I swear each month goes quicker than the last) so it's time for my monthly progress report on outstanding WIPs started back in 2015/2016. Remember that my aim is to finish one and work on two more each month.

I finished the adorable Spotted Owls (posted previously) and made progress on:


Sugar from the Little Black Cat collection by Heritage Crafts
started 16th February 2015; last worked on last month
stitched only the background (mind-numbingly easy but what a difference!)



Summer Alphabet by Lizzie Kate
started 12th January 2016; last worked on February 2016
continued alphabetically


If all goes well in June, Sugar will be finished, Summer Alphabet continued, and a WIP pulled out which I haven't worked on since the day I started it back in Febuary 2015.

Take care,
Rachel x

PS if you're wondering what's happened to Haunted House Bell Pull, I've had no free time to work on it in the last two months. :(  Fingers crossed that will change in June.