Mischievous March New Start #4 - April Biscornu

Morning all!

Yet another week when I couldn't decide what to start, so took the easy way out with another biscornu.

This is April's biscornu which I chose to stitch in bright spring colours. I've altered the design very slightly to account for it being stitched on aida instead of evenweave, but it doesn't look much different.

April Biscornu by Magical Quilts And More

Stitched on 16ct Rhododendron overdyed aida with Jodyri thread Passionberry Cake

Stitching time to date - 1 hour 30 minutes

Next weekend will be the final Mischievous March new start, a Snuffles in traditional grey/coral colours chosen by Leonore. All I have to do is find the right fabric.

Take care,

Rachel x

Mischievous March New Start #3 - March Biscornu

Morning all!

So having looked through a list of potential new starts, I decided that they were all too big if I wanted to keep to the idea that all Mischievous March new starts should be small. So what to do?

Well, I went back to an old friend - variegated thread - so that I could stitch another biscornu.

It wasn't my intention to stitch the months in order, nor to stitch them as birthstones (as the designer intended) nor in colours relevant to the month. However, having done a lovely-dovey coloured theme for February, and starting this on St Patrick's Day, I thought why not?

So here is the start of March's biscornu. The thread sort of resembles the green of Ireland with the yellow being the Leprechaun's gold and the brown being the pot. And it's stitched on a fabric called Clover, so there are the Irish connections!

March Biscornu by Magical Quilts And More

Stitched on 16ct Clover overdyed aida with Jodyri thread 194 Toxic Banana

Stitching time to date - 2 hours 35 minutes

I love how it's looking so far.

No idea what start number 4 will be yet!

Take care,

Rachel x

Mischievous March New Start #1 - Japan (Mount Fuji) Bauble

Morning all!

For the last three years I have treated myself to a Mischievous March mini new start binge so, not wanting to break with 'tradition', this year is no exception!

If you remember, the idea of Mischievous March is to start a small project each weekend during the month, with the aim of also finishing them all during the month, or reasonably soon afterwards, hence the emphasis on 'small'.

Looking back, 2021 and 2023 were successfully completed but I still have three of the four new starts left from 2022, so I've been far from perfect!

This year I have had terrible trouble deciding which projects to start. I don't think I've ever changed my mind so often! But for week one I finally chose a small bauble. I'm not going to stitch the bauble hanger, instead just add a top row to make the image a circle. Here's how the finished piece will look, and my start over the weekend:

Japan (Mount Fuji) Bauble by 1000sPatterns (etsy)

Stitched on 16ct Cloud Spring Sky overdyed aida

Stitching time to date - 3 hours 30 minutes

I'm really happy with that start.

Now to decide what to start for week two; with only three days left I still have no idea!

Take care,

Rachel x

New Start - Female Rainbow Dragon - 10 hours

Good morning one and all!

One of my planned new starts for this year was a dragon to celebrate (or rather as an excuse for) 2024 being the Chinese Year Of The Dragon.

My intention was to start it on 10th February - Chinese New Year itself - but that didn't work out. So, with 8 being the Chinese lucky number, and 10 mine, I gave myself the choice of then starting it on either 18th or 20th. I went with the latter as I wasn't quite up to sitting over a frame prior to that.

Anyway, here is the pattern and my first 10 hours of progress:

Female Rainbow Dragon by PatternNadGavr (etsy)

Started - 20th February 2024

Stitched on 32ct Opalescent Ink Murano

This doesn't really feel like 10 hours of work, but I did start with the most confetti part; after the autumnal blossom and green leaves, most of the remaining colours are fairly blocky.

It seems a shame to stitch over so much of the opalescent fabric, but I do intend to leave a good margin of bling when it's framed.

I'm 'hoping' to get half way through it this year which will equate to about 50-60 hours of stitching. Fingers crossed, five hours per month should be doable.

Take care,

Rachel x

Smalls SAL link-up - February 2024

Good morning one and all,

Here we are again - the last Friday of the month - so it's time for the Smalls SAL. Entries can be anything Small you have cross stitched during the month, be it an individual piece, part of a set, a portion of a big design, or even an unfinished Small if you haven't been able to complete it. All Smalls, or part(s) thereof, are welcome!

I have three Smalls this month - a Christmas piece, a new start, and a monarch.

Here is this month's Nordic Christmas Sampler. This is the Star which was charted as Day 1. I swapped some of the colours and am not that taken with my interpretation but am not going to frog and restitch:

Nordic Christmas Sampler Day 1 - star by ZindagiDesigns (etsy)

Stitched on 16ct White with iridescent pearl/opal flecks

Started - 1st February 2024

Finished - 5th February 2024

Total stitching time - 8 hours 15 minutes

Second is a new start and finish. After a break from stitching for eight days (yes, I know.... shocking... but rather forced upon me than by choice!) I wanted to stitch something simple so started the February Geometric Square by Magical Quilts And More which will be finished as a biscornu. The back is not as detailed as the front because... well... what's the point?! I thought it apt that I should start this on St. Valentine's Day with appropriately coloured love-themed fabric and thread:

February Geometric Square by Magical Quilts And More

Stitched on 16ct Cloud Pink aida with Jodyri thread #53 Tropical Bay

Started - 14th February 2024

Finished - 19th February 2024

Total stitching time - 10 hours 25 minutes

Finally, at the end of last month I was at a bit of a loose end so stitched the next monarch, Victoria. Goodness knows when her actual 'A Monarch A Month' post will appear but at least she's ready to go!) I'm not sure I like her features and expression, but she was rather haughty so they kind of work:

Victoria from Kings and Queens by Bothy Threads

Stitched on 32ct Vintage Grey murano

Started - 27th January 2024

Finished - 30th January 2024

Total stitching time - 6 hours 45 minutes

Now it's your turn.

You know the format - please link up using the URL of your Smalls SAL post, with a title (usually your name) and a thumbnail. The link will stay open for 10 days.

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I look forward to seeing your Small accomplishments this month!

Take care,

Rachel x

Smalls SAL - December 2023

Hello all!

It's the last Friday of the month, and of the year, so here's my final Smalls SAL post of 2023. Thank you once again, Mary, for hosting.

Each month I stitch a small project (or more) specifically for this SAL which doesn't appear elsewhere on my blog.

For December, I went totally overboard!

I started off with something Small and Christmassy; a QR code similar to the one I stitched a couple of years ago. I won't include what it says just yet, instead hope you have an app that can read it!

QR Code by NorthEastStitching (etsy)

Stitched on 16ct Holly with sparkles over-dyed aida using ThreadworX 1085 Christmas Time

Started - 2nd December 2023

Finished - 2nd December 2023

Total Stitching time - 2 hours 30 minutes

And then, prepare yourself for more... lots more!

You see, I sort of went shopping on etsy during the Black Friday sales. There is one particular store I have had as a favourite for a long time but never bought anything from, and that is LaSelvaDesign. The store's contents are mostly small cute animal charts and during the sales I gave in and purchased two sets (although I am eyeing up a few lots more!)

Anyway I fancied a quick stitch so out came this little chap...

Front-Facing Dolphin (right) by LaSelvaDesigns (etsy)

Stitched on 16ct Lagoon over-dyed aida

Started - 3rd December 2023

Finished - 4th December 2023

Total stitching time - 2 hours 45 minutes

...followed by this one...

Swimming Dolphin (right) by LaSelvaDesigns (etsy)

Stitched on 16ct Lagoon over-dyed aida

Started - 11th December 2023

Finished - 11th December 2023

Total stitching time - 2 hours 55 minutes

...and then the third one to complete the set!

Jumping Dolphin (left) by LaSelvaDesigns (etsy)

Stitched on 16ct Lagoon over-dyed aida

Started - 16th December 2023

Finished - 16th December 2023

Total stitching time - 2 hours 50 minutes

Bearing in mind the mirror-image charts are also provided with the purchased charts (hence the 'left' or 'right' added to the titles) this isn't strictly the complete set, but one of each pose will suffice for now!

And then, if that wasn't enough, out came the second set!

First up was this one...

Side-Facing Scarlet Macaw (left) by LaSelvaDesigns (etsy)

Stitched on 16ct Icy Topaz over-dyed aida

Started - 20th December 2023

Finished - 20th December 2023

Total stitching time - 4 hours 35 minutes

...followed by this one...

Front-Facing Scarlet Macaw (right) by LaSelvaDesigns (etsy)

Stitched on 16ct Icy Topaz over-dyed aida

Started - 21st December 2023

Finished - 21st December 2023

Total stitching time - 4 hours 5 minutes

...and finally this one!

Flying Scarlet Macaw (left) by LaSelvaDesigns (etsy)

Stitched on 16ct Icy Topaz over-dyed aida

Started - 22nd December 2023

Finished - 23rd December 2023

Total stitching time - 3 hours 55 minutes

It was a bit exceptionally naughty of me to start more projects when I should have been concentrating on other things, but I think you can see why I couldn't resist them! Anyway, it was the build-up to Christmas and for once I was free enough to be able to stitch during the day. Sometimes school holidays are great!!

So that's all the Smalls from me for this year then. Next year I have the first 12 of yet another set of Advent ornies planned, so let's see what happens.

In more news...

You should have read by now that Mary is handing over the reigns of the Small SAL, and it is me who will be taking them on!

The format will be exactly the same... link up on the last Friday of the month with anything Small you have cross stitched during the month, be it an individual piece, part of a set, or a portion of a big design. What constitutes Small is very much up to you... for me it is a design of about 45x45 stitches, or one that would take under 10 hours to stitch, but if you think 100x100 is Small, then it's Small! I look forward to seeing your cross stitched submissions in 2024.

Finally, all that remains to be said is thank you, Mary, for taking over the Smalls SAL from Heather and hosting for the last five years. Hopefully you'll still drop in, but with the pressure off to stitch a Small each month we all know it will be at your own pace.

See you in the Smalls SAL next year then!

Take care,
Rachel x

Naughty November New Start #4 - Moonset Ornament 4

Good morning everyone!

We've just had the last weekend of November, and therefore my last new start of this mini new start binge.

This is 'Lamppost', the second from the left and smallest of the four:

And because it's quite small, my start over the weekend looks close to a finish; just the lamplight, the birds and a bit of the moon to stitch. One or two more evenings should do it:

Moonset Ornament 4 'Lamppost' by Whispered By The Wind

Stitched on 32ct Vintage Dark Grey Murano

Stitching time to date - 3 hours 55 minutes

So now the race is on to see if I can finish all four before November ticks over into December. I don't think I'll quite do it but I won't be far off. Keep an eye out for the quadruple Happy Dance post!

Take care,

Rachel x

Smalls SAL - November 2023

Hello all!

It's the last Friday of the month so time for the Smalls SAL. Thank you, Mary, for continuing to host this fun little SAL. Pop over to Mary's Blog to see what other participants have been stitching in the way of Smalls this month.

Each month I stitch a small project (or more) specifically for this SAL which doesn't appear elsewhere on my blog.

Having finished all the Advent Calendar, I wanted something non-Christmassy this month, so out came an old favourite, Snuffles The Baby Dragon. This is him in Lime:

Snuffles In Lime by FuzzyFoxDesigns (etsy)

Stitched on 16ct Lime over-dyed aida with DMC 704, 906 and 907

Started - 1st November 2023

Finished - 2nd November 2023

Total Stitching time - 3 hours 50 minutes

This is now my sixth Snuffles; the collection continues to grow!

Next month, being December, a little Christmas something, I think.

Take care,
Rachel x

Naughty November New Start #3 - Moonset Ornament 3

Good morning everyone!

Gosh, week 3 and half way through Naughty November already. Doesn't time fly when you're having fun!!

So this weekend saw the start of the third Moonset ornament, 'Cross', the one on the left:

Not such a good start but that's OK, especially as this ornie's about half the size of the previous two:

Moonset Ornament 3 'Cross' by Whispered By The Wind

Stitched on 32ct Vintage Dark Grey Murano

Stitching time to date - 2 hours 55 minutes

Like last week's ornie, I have added Etoile to the moon and, when I get there, will be subbing the muted colours of the cross for the brighter ones.

Final new start next weekend!

Take care,

Rachel x

Naughty November New Start #2 - Moonset Ornament 2

Hello everyone!

It's week 2 of Naughty November 2023, a very naughty mini new start binge.

Last week I made a good start on 'Gate', and continued with progress during the week. But on Saturday I put that one down in order to start the second ornament - Cenotaph - the ornie on the right. How apt that it should be the Cenotaph for Remembrance Day.

Taking Saturday as a self-care day, here's my really good start over the weekend:

Moonset Ornament 2 'Cenotaph' by Whispered By The Wind

Stitched on 32ct Vintage Dark Grey Murano

Stitching time to date - 6 hours 50 minutes

For this one, I subbed the colours of the cenotaph to match those of the previous WBTW designs I've stitched. Admittedly they are a lot less subtle, which is probably a mistake for that haunting effect, but I prefer these colours (although do admit the Cenotaph looks a bit like a skyscraper at the moment!)

With a fair amount already done, it's quite possible this could be a finish before next weekend... who knows?

Take care,

Rachel x

Mischievous March New Start #4 - Hot Springs National Park

Hello there!

My goodness! This has just been the final weekend of Mischievous March; where has the month gone?! 

For the final start I chose Hot Springs National Park (column 4 row 5) as I fancied stitching a waterfall, albeit a small one!

Hot Springs, located in Arkansas and covering an area of just 22.5km2, was designated a National Park in 1921. It had been the first 'Reserve' to be created in 1832 and until 2018, when Gateway Arch NP was created, had been the smallest National Park. Here's my start over the weekend:

Hot Springs National Park from 63 US National Parks by TeenyWeenyXStitch (etsy)

Stitched on 16ct Antique White aida

Stitching time to date - 2 hours 40 minutes

I've had a really good month of starts and stitching, but now it's time for a change. My next post will reveal something completely different for April.

Take care,

Rachel x

Mischievous March New Start #3 - Rocky Mountain National Park

Hello again!

Week three already, and this week I chose to start Rocky Mountain National Park (column 8 row 2).

Rocky Mountain was designated a National Park in 1915 and covers 1,076km2 in Colorado. The colours and design are similar to Grand Teton, but different enough to keep it interesting. Here's my weekend start:

Rocky Mountain National Park from 63 US National Parks by TeenyWeenyXStitch (etsy)

Stitched on 16ct Antique White aida

Stitching time to date - 5 hours 15 minutes

Like previously, I won't give away how much of last week's Grand Canyon I completed before starting Rocky Mountain, but will say it's been a very successful month so far ;)

I'll be back next Monday with the fourth and final MM new start, although there will be a surprise post between this one and that!

Take care,

Rachel x

Mischievous March New Start #2 - Grand Canyon National Park

Hi all!

For week two of Mischievous March I chose what is probably the most famous natural land formation in the US, the Grand Canyon (column 9 row 6).

Grand Canyon National Park, covering an area of 4,863km2 in Arizona, was designated a National Park in 1919. I chose it more because of its famous status than the design, although do like the blend of the sepia sky with the orange and claret rock. Here's my start over the weekend; only five rows away from reaching the bottom:

Grand Canyon National Park from 63 US National Parks by TeenyWeenyXStitch (etsy)

Stitched on 16ct Antique White aida

Stitching time to date - 4 hours 10 minutes

I won't give away how much of last week's new start, Grand Teton, I completed before starting this one, but wonder if I can achieve the same before starting the third one next Saturday ;)

Take care,

Rachel x

Mischievous March New Start #1 - Grand Teton National Park

Hi all!

Welcome to Mischievous March 2023!

After saying I had no real plans for 2023, the temptation for Mischievous March began to creep in and I could no longer resist!

For those who don't know, MM is a mini new start binge, aimed at containing that new start craving by starting four 'small' projects during the month - one each weekend - and posting about them the following Monday.

My track record at actually finishing these new starts is not that good though, as I still have one from 2021 and three from 2022 to complete. But this year I am dedicating March almost exclusively to these four new starts so, with any luck, they should also become four finishes.

The projects I have chosen are all mini landscapes of US National Parks by TeenyWeenyXStitch on etsy. Although there are some I'm not so keen on, I thought they were all quite detailed for their size (roughly 40x45). Here's TeenyWeenyXStitch's collage of 60 of the 63:

The first National Park I chose, simply because I like the scene and the colours, was Grand Teton in Wyoming (column 1 row 3). This park covers an area of 1,300km2 and was designated a National Park in 1929.

Because I made Saturday a stitching day, I achieved a huge amount over the weekend:

Grand Teton from 63 US National Parks by TeenyWeenyXStitch (etsy)

Stitched on 16ct Antique White aida

Stitching time to date - 8 hours 5 minutes

So far so good then. Fingers crossed this will become a finish before the second new start next Saturday.

Take care,

Rachel x

Christmas In July - round-up (plus one new start and three finishes)

Hi all,

So I've reached the end of Christmas In July. If you've been stitching for Christmas In July I hope you enjoyed it!

For the majority of the month I focused on two Lizzie Kate charts, although did have time for a couple of small finishes and a surprise new start and finish.

The big focus was Merry Christmas By The Letter which started like this...

... and ended like this, with 17 hours and 20 minutes of stitching resulting in the addition of four more panels. That brings the total time spent on this so far to 51 hours and 40 minutes. I really hope this will be a finish when I return to it in December.

The other Lizzie Kate Christmas piece was a Tiny Tidings I stitched for the Smalls SAL:

As for the other stitching...

I decided to take some time out on Sunday and stitch a very small Christmas design. I won't tell you what it says - you'll have to find out for yourself (I have tested it and it does work):

QR Code

Stitched on 16ct Holly over-dyed aida with sparkles using DMC 321 and 987

Stitch count 21 wide by 21 high

Started - 31st July 2022

Finished - 31st July 2022

Total stitching time - 1 hour 35 minutes

And finally I finished another two letters (which I've been slowly adding to for the last few months) for Clare's Alphabet Christmas Tree. I won't share pictures of them as Clare won't have received them yet. They'll appear in my August Smalls SAL though.

So quite a successful Christmas month.

The next month with a specific focus is Dark October, meaning that I now have August and September to maybe try to catch up on the Monarchs and The Loneliness Of Autumn.

Or... if I still can't focus on those, perhaps I'll slip in a new start (or three). I've been wanting to try a biscornu for a while and now have some suitable geometric-type charts along with a few Jodyri variegated threads I treated myself to. Sounds like the perfect combination, don't you think?!

Take care,

Rachel x

Mischievous March New Start #4 - Night Lantern

Morning again!

So we've reached the final weekend of Mischievous March. In the end it was only me and Tiff, and Katie the first week, but that's OK, especially as it seems there are very few now who are under the influence of the new start bug!

This weekend I started another stamp. I started with the night sky and then thought that since this was all about the night lantern I really should stitch that bit first, so I stitched as much of that as my sleepy eyes would allow:

Night Lantern Stamp by SweetAnnet (etsy)

Stitched on 16ct cream aida

Stitching time to date - 3 hours 20 minutes

Here's how it will look when finished:

Thankfully, that's now the end of my new starts until Naughty November (unless I sneak a crafty one in beforehand!) The next big event in my stitching calendar is Christmas in July, focusing on Christmas pieces and encouraging those who stitch ornies for Christmas to make an early start. So between now and then there should be lots of progress and, hopefully, a few finishes.

Take care,

Rachel x

Mischievous March New Start #3 - Spring Keyhole

Morning all!

So the madness of Mischievous March continues, with Tiff and I (and maybe others?) starting a new project each weekend during March.

So far I've started two elixir bottles and was tempted to start a third, but I stuck to my original plan and started a project by a new-to-me designer. Here's my progress so far and the details:

Spring Keyhole by SweetAnnet (etsy)

Stitched on 16ct cream aida

Stitching time to date - 2 hours 20 minutes

It's not often I stitch on white or cream aida, but since this is an almost full coverage piece there's not much point using an over-dyed colour.

Here's how it will look when finished:

I have stitched some of the white along the top and down the right hand side, but it'll be practically camouflaged until the backstitching is added.

I'll be starting another of these stamps next week but don't know which one as there are so many to choose from - (don't) look here!

Take care,

Rachel x

Mischievous March New Start #2 - Elixir Of Luck

Good morning all!

And welcome to the second new start for Mischievous March!

This weekend I started another elixir bottle, Elixir Of Luck. I absolutely love the combination of pinks, yellows and oranges in this one, and made another good start over the weekend:

Elixir Of Luck by CrazyBlendShop (etsy)

Stitched on 16ct Peach Cobbler over-dyed aida

Stitching time to date - 3 hours 40 minutes

And how it will look when finished:

Like last week's new start I've still got a lot left, but know I am going to enjoy it!

And here's the linky thing if you also had a new start during the second week/weekend of March and want to link up:

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I'm not sure about next weekend's new start... I had got something different planned, but I've loved these two bottles so far so may change my mind and start a third. What do you think - another bottle, or something different?

Take care,

Rachel x