Green Halloween Banner - finished!

Hello everyone!

Here's a Happy Dance for a much anticipated finish. Yes, Green Halloween Banner was completed last night.

Last time you saw it I didn't have much left to stitch:

I stitched the tree-thing, filled in the remainder of the black and here it is, all finished:

Green Halloween Banner by Artecy

Stitched on 16ct cream aida 2 over 1

Stitch count 57 wide by 201 high

Started - 25th January 2019

Finished - 22nd August 2019

Total stitching time - 69 hours 10 minutes

I really really enjoyed this one and would love to be able to start the other three in the set but, alas, I have a million-and-one other things which I ought to work on first. One day...

In the meantime I know exactly how I want to FFO the banner, and it's with this gorgeous and perfect fabric:

But whether imagination and reality will successfully merge is another matter. The finish is a bit complicated and potentially fiddly so I'm not going to rush it.

Take care,
Rachel x

Halloween Banner - 60 hours

Hi all!

And so the black continues, lots and lots and lots of black, with a little bit of green and yellow thrown in for good measure.

Last time you saw the banner looking like this:

And now it looks like this:

Apart from three rows of black border, I'm excited to announce I've reached the bottom of the chart, which means next time you see this piece it will be as a finish!

Take care,
Rachel x

Green Halloween Banner - 50 hours

Hi everyone!

How to sum up this latest stint on Green Halloween Banner? Black. Lots of black. Lots and lots and lots of black. Great for mindless stitching when my brain was too tired to cope with anything else! What it does make for, though, is great progress.

After 40 hours:

And now after another ten:

I said it makes for great progress! The temptation is to keep this out but Hogwarts is also calling. Oh, if only I had four (or more) hands!

Take care,
Rachel x

Green Halloween Banner - 40 hours

Hello all!

So this snuck onto my frames a couple of weeks ago when I was supposed to be stitching my monarch of the month, but who can blame it? I stitched the lighter green areas and added the yellow lights in the windows before telling myself I really ought to stitch the monarch as he was more important. But once he was finished I returned to this and settled down with the haunted house black until my ten hours were up.

Here's the 30 hour reminder:

And after another 10 hours of attention:

I love seeing the haunted house take shape, even though all I'm actually doing is filling in the gaps!

Now it's back to Hogwarts as I try to keep on track to finish it before the end of the year.

Take care,
Rachel x

Green Halloween Banner - 30 hours

Hello again!

This lovely piece came out to play for the week I wasn't feeling the vibes for Hogwarts. It is, of course, Green Halloween Banner by Artecy.

Apart from a few white stitches to finish off the moon, the whole ten hours was spent stitching just two colours; fantastic for making rapid progress!

Here's how you last saw the banner:

And how it looks now, with the turrets of the haunted house just beginning to appear:

As much as I would like to continue with this piece, it has done its job and rekindled my desire to return to Hogwarts, so that's what I'll be stitching on for the rest of the month.

Take care,
Rachel x

Green Halloween Banner - 20 hours

Hello again!

I lied...

I said previously that, after stitching my three beginning-of-the-month pieces, I would go straight back to Hogwarts In A Bottle but I didn't. Green Halloween Banner was still on the frame and looking at me longingly so I was guilt-tripped into stitching on it before Hogwarts. Sorry!

Here's how I left it after 10 hours:

And now (with better colours):

I'm not actually any further down the chart row-wise, but I have filled in most of the moon. Had it not been for stitching some green and black down each side I could have completed the moon, but nevermind. At least I stitched the owl so he is to now able to watch my every move!

Next up is definitely Hogwarts, where I may just about reach a castle turret if I'm lucky. Back soon!

Take care,
Rachel x

New Start - Green Halloween Banner by Artecy

Hello again!

Yes, I'm back with another new start! Obviously not satisfied with the other new projects already on my frames I couldn't resist the pull of this one too. I've had the chart for a few years and am so happy to have finally made a start. Here's my first 10 hours of progress, which I actually completed in January but am only now posting about:

Green Halloween Banner by Artecy

Stitched on 16ct cream aida 2 over 1

Stitch count 57 wide by 201 high

Started - 25th January 2019

And a reminder of the finished piece:

I must admit I was tempted into stitching all the black first but, knowing that lighter colours can pick up some of the black dye, I opted to stitch the colours first then fill in the black afterwards. So far so good, and when I eventually get to the hill, stitching all that black will make for hours of mindless no-counting fun!

This will be the last of my new starts for now. There's one more that's on my have-to-stitch-this-year list (Haunted Library by Mill Hill) but I think this one, along with Hogwarts and Parrot on Parade are enough to be getting on with for now.

Take care,
Rachel x

Stitch From Stash - May 2015

Good morning fellow bloggers!

Here are the financial details of May's Stitch From Stash:

BROUGHT FORWARD - £0.23
MAY BUDGET - $25 = £16.51 (at 01/05/2015 exchange rate)
EARNED - $11.00 = £7.26
AVAILABLE TO SPEND - £24.00
SPENT - £18.16
CLOSING BALANCE - £5.84


Spending:
* £7.95 on two charts
* £10.21 on a kit

Snowman Row by Ursula Michael (download from crosstitch.com)

These will be stitched as nine individual projects.

Halloween Banners by Artecy (download from crosstitch.com)

(thank you Heather of Fantasy Cross Stitch for introducing me to these!)

Christmas Ornament Pals Kit by Dimensions

(thanks to Katie Jeremiah's Mom for tempting me again!)

I feel very guilty about buying these but they were all on offer and I was feeling down in the dumps that day - a lethal combination!

Qualifying projects worked on: (post to follow 31st May)
* dandelion time
* autumn
* tea

Non-qualifying projects worked on: (post to follow 31st May)
* dreaming of dolphins
* pretty little London
* hufflepuff
* ravenclaw

Qualifying projects completed: ($4, $3 and $4)

 My Treasure                            Friends Forever

Lizzie Kate May flip-it stamp

Although slightly bigger, Friends Forever was categorized as 60x60 as a lot is unstitched. I  also claimed only 75% of the bonus as it became a qualifying project after 1/4 completed.

Non-qualifying projects completed:
* none


My closing balance this month, along with next month's budget, will be spent on threads. Let's see how close I can get to zero for my end of SFS-A closing June balance!

Cheerio
Rachel x