Winnie The Pooh And Hunny Pot 5/5 - finished!

Morning all!

Well, here it is, the last of the five Winnie The Pooh finishes.

He was started, although only just, on 11th July 2020 for the Spring Into Summer New Start Binge. Although I had a long way to go, big blocks of colour stitch up quickly so he was another easy finish.

Here's the meagre start:

And here is is completed:

Winnie The Pooh And Hunny Pot 5/5 by Designer Stitches

Stitched on 16ct Cloud Summer Sky over-dyed aida

Started - 11th July 2020

Finished - 18th February 2023

Total stitching time - 14 hours 30 minutes

And here are all five Poohs together:

Numbers 3 and 4 have been swapped around, so the storyboard doesn't quite work, but they need to be in a symmetrical order for the way I want to (eventually) finish them.

With one week left, I think there's enough time to squeeze in one more finish this month, and I know exactly which one it will be. Can you work it out from these emojis? 🍁👶🐉

Take care,

Rachel x

Winnie The Pooh And Hunny Pot 3/5 - finished!

Hi again!

Back with another finish, squeezed in just before the end of the month.

This is the third of five Winnie The Pooh charts I started in 2020, and now the fourth to be finished.

Here's how I left him in 2020, with his head in the pot and his bum in the air:

And here he is finished:

Winnie The Pooh And Hunny Pot 3/5 by Designer Stitches

Stitched on 16ct Cloud Summer Sky over-dyed aida

Started - 13th June 2020

Finished - 30th January 2023

Total stitching time - 14 hours 15 minutes

Good job the pot has a large opening, otherwise his head might get stuck!

I'm not sure if the final WTP will be my next WIP to be whipped or if I'll choose another; it depends if I fancy big blocks of colour again, or something a little more complicated. Hmmm, decisions decisions!

Take care,

Rachel x

Winnie The Pooh And Hunny Pot 4/5 - finished!

Hi again,

And so my finishing streak continues, with the bear with very little brain (did you guess the clue on the previous post?)

This chart was the fourth of five Winnie The Pooh charts I started for the Spring Into Summer New Start Binge in 2020 when Tiff and I started 17 projects over consecutive weekends between March and July to make up for the cancellation of the Tokyo Summer Olympics that year.

This is where I got to the weekend I started him:

The following month I stitched his shirt (no photo) before finally completing the body, legs and backstitching last week:

Winnie The Pooh And Hunny Pot 4/5 by Designer Stitches

Stitched on 16ct Cloud Summer Sky over-dyed aida

Started - 13th June 2020

Finished - 21st January 2023

Total stitching time - 11 hours 50 minutes

The five charts tell the story of Winnie The Pooh with his Hunny Pot. Here are the other two I've completed so far:

I've noticed that the HUNNY in the picture on the right is not on a dark purple background like the other two. I wonder if it will annoy me enough to want to change it... or could I perhaps convince myself that it's the back of the jar and doesn't have the dark purple background? I'll have a think.

The next WIPs to see the light of day may well be the third and fifth Winnie The Pooh charts; it would seem sensible to get the set completed, especially as they're not exactly difficult.

Take care,

Rachel x

In The Gloaming - finished!

Afternoon all!

Dark October has ended for another year, and what better way to celebrate than by joining Tiff with her In The Gloaming happy dance?

In The Gloaming was the first (and my favourite) of the 17 pieces I started for the Spring Into Summer New Start Binge 2020 and is now the seventh to be finished... literally scraped in on the final day of Dark October!

Here's a reminder of the 50 hour progress picture:

And now finished!

In The Gloaming by Whispered By The Wind

Stitched on 32ct Grey Murano

Stitch count 112 wide by 121 high

Started - 4th April 2020

Finished - 31st October 2021

Total stitching time - 59 hours

I swapped out the colours of the monument from those charted (which looked nothing like the cover picture) to 167, 738, 3823 and 3865, and include Etoile in the moon and railings for a little bit of bling. The moon looks a little lost against the fabric, but I don't think the design really needs it so am happy with it being subtle. And no, I didn't backstitch the railings - 'twas a silly idea!!!

My only regret is that, despite looking at the cover picture numerous times, I didn't notice how the top of the middle railing is not curved like the others. The straight bit between the two birds looks really weird. It's a bit annoying, but not enough for me to want to frog and restitch that section!!!

So now Dark October's finished it's time to move on to November and that means the Naughty November SAL and four (more!) new starts - one during each weekend of the month. My chosen projects are by the same company as In The Gloaming and I've been looking forward to starting them for ages, so am glad Naughty November's finally arrived!

Each Monday I shall post my progress along with a linky-widget thing, so if you fancy being naughty and joining in please feel free. Note - they don't have to be weekend starts, and you don't have to do all four weekends, just start and join in as and when suits you best. Maybe see you there?

Take care,

Rachel x

In The Gloaming - 50 hours

Hi all!

Well, Dark October has been good, and allowed me to put in another 10 hours on In The Gloaming.

Like I thought, I carried on and finished the monument but was then soooooo desperate to stitch the railings that I had a couple of late night into early morning sessions to do just that; a lovely treat for which I paid the price when the lack of sleep caught up with me!

Here's how it was at 40 hours:

And after the couple of long stitching sessions:

I'm still quite a way off finishing but think another 10 hours should be enough. However, I need to get back to The Loneliness Of Autumn so doubt I will be joining Tiff in her Dark October In The Gloaming Happy Dance.

I'm also cautiously wondering whether or not to backstitch the railings. It would require a lot of work, and would definitely make them 'pop' more, but then would I also have to backstitch the monument?

Another deciding factor is that I'm stitching a similar project, Gatekeeper, and if I backstitched the railings on this one I would have to do the same on that one and, as you can see, that would be a mega undertaking, so maybe not afterall!

Thoughts?

Take care,

Rachel x

In The Gloaming - 40 hours

Hi all!

It was my hope that during Dark October I would be able to do a bit of Halloween stitching, and I have! Aside from the piece for this month's Smalls SAL, which you will see towards the end of the month, I've managed ten hours on In The Gloaming; yippee!!

Here's how I left it back in January:

And here's the progress as of now:

I'm so close to finishing the monument that I will carry on until that's completed, then next time I pick it up I'll only have the railings and a bit of backstitching around the birds to do. Exciting times!

If you want a reminder of how the finished piece will look, visit Tiff's blog as she's just finished hers!

I'm now off to do a bit of catching up on The Loneliness Of Autumn but am hoping to return to this for more Dark October stitching before the end of the month.

Take care,

Rachel x

Winnie The Pooh And Hunny Pot 1 and 2 - finished!

Hello again!

I'm definitely on a roll with finishes so far this year, having not one but two to show you.

First up is Winnie The Pooh 1, which was start number five and is finish number five from last year's Spring Into Summer New Start Binge.

I'd only stitched this much before picking him up again:

Then finished the stitching:

Then added the backstitching:

Winnie The Pooh And Hunny Pot 1 by Designer Stitches

Stitched on 16ct Cloud Summer Sky over-dyed aida by sewitall

Stitch Count 41 wide by 59 high

Started - 2nd May 2020

Finished - 27th February 2021

Total stitching time - 13 hours 10 minutes

And then we have Winnie The Pooh 2 which was start number seven and is finish number six from last year's Spring Into Summer New Start Binge:

He looked like this when I returned to him:

And now finished (annoyingly I didn't take a photo before the backstitching):

Winnie The Pooh And Hunny Pot 2 by Designer Stitches

Stitched on 16ct Cloud Summer Sky over-dyed aida by sewitall

Stitch Count 47 wide by 85 high

Started - 16th May 2020

Finished - 27th February 2021

Total stitching time - 15 hours

I didn't notice when I was stitching, but when I saw the photos together it's obvious that there isn't a dark background behind the word 'hunny' in the second piece. I wondered if it was me getting carried away with stitching the light purple but, no, there is no darker label.

I checked the other three in the set and they all have the darker label, so this was obviously an oversight on the part of the designer. :(

I'm not sure whether to frog and re-stitch it or put up with the discrepancy - it will depend on how much it annoys me!

On a more positive note, I know exactly how these will be FFOd but, like the cute little dogs I'm stitching for the Smalls SAL, won't be able to do so until all five have been completed (unless I change my mind before then!) I'm looking forward to getting my teeth into that project later in the year.

Take care,

Rachel x

Simply Wren - finished!

Hi all!

Here comes another finish.

Simply Wren was the 14th start for last year's Spring Into Summer New Start Binge and is now the 4th finish. It is also the last bird in this set of four Solos by Valerie Pfeiffer (and the last time I shall make a comment about doing so many fractionals on aida!)

Here's how I picked it up:

After finishing the stitching:

And after the backstitching:

Simply Wren by Heritage Crafts

Stitched on 16ct Sand Dune over-dyed aida by sewitall

Stitch count 66 high by 67 wide

Started - 4th July 2020

Finished - 15th February 2021

Total stitching time - 16 hours 15 minutes

This one had the least amount of backstitching - just the eye, beak and a bit around the edges of the bird to create a ruffled-feather look.

I thought I knew how these were going to be FFOd but might have changed my mind. I want them done in time for March so can't procrastinate too long!

Talking of March, here's a gentle reminder that it's only a couple of weeks until the Mischievous March new start SAL.

If you don't know what this is, it's a fun opportunity to start and work on four new projects during the month - one each full weekend - then link up on this blog the following Monday. But if weekends aren't convenient then go with whatever suits you best; these SALs are always flexible.

If you are planning to join in, I hope you have all your supplies ready? Mine are all ready to go and I have to say I am really looking forward to starting four brand new projects, especially given I've finished four WIPs this year. Four out, four in... that nicely balances the scales!

Take care,

Rachel x

In The Gloaming - 30 hours

Hi all!

I had a fantastic stitching month in January, completing all my 'compulsory' pieces, finishing three WIPs, AND making a fair amount of progress on In The Gloaming by Whispered By The Wind. I think I'll name it Jolly-rific January!

I last stitched on In The Gloaming for Dark October, leaving it here after just over 20 hours of progress:

This ten hours was enough time to finish the top half and make a good start on the bottom half; gotta love how some of the birds are sitting on an invisible fence!

Here's a reminder of how the finished piece will look:

You may remember that I used one strand of normal DMC and one strand of Etoile for the moon and thought it looked a bit pale against the fabric? Well, instead of frogging and restitching it all I simply backstitched around it in a slightly darker Etoile. I think it's just about enough of a difference to make it satisfactory - it's more visible in real life.

As for the remainder, my intention is to stitch all of the monument before the wrought iron railings, not only because the railings are the bits I'm looking forward to the most, but because they will contain Etoile which I absolutely LOVE stitching with. In my humble opinion, I'm definitely saving the best to last!

Take care,

Rachel x

Lady In Red - finished!

Hi all!

So my finishing streak continues, and another of Valerie Pfeiffer's Solos birds was successfully crossed off my WIP list in January.

Lady In Red was the 12th start during last year's Spring Into Summer New Start Binge and is now the third from that SAL to have been completed. As with the other birds she was an absolute joy to stitch.

Here's how I left her back in June after five hours of stitching:

Here she is after the completion of the stitching (except for three black stitches on her chin which I somehow missed!):

And now completed:

Lady In Red by Heritage Crafts

Stitched on 16ct Dried Petal over-dyed aida by sewitall

Stitch count 69 high by 49 wide

Started - 20th June 2020

Finished - 28th January 2021

Total stitching time - 13 hours 55 minutes

The flowers are very subtle but I can't help feeling might have been better defined with a bit of backstitching(?) I'm not going to attempt any so they'll stay like that, especially as the others in the set don't really have defined flowers either.

So that's three of these Solos birds down and one to go. The final one should appear in February; I can't have him feeling neglected now, can I?!

Take care,

Rachel x

Humming Along - finished!

Hello again!

I have another finish; see, I do finish projects sometimes!

This is Humming Along, the second of the four Valerie Pfeiffer's Solos collection by Heritage Crafts. He was start number three of last year's Spring Into Summer New Start Binge and is now the second finish.

Here's how I left him after six hours of stitching:

And after adding the flowers and leaves:

And after 1.5 hours of backstitching:

Humming Along by Heritage Crafts

Stitched on 16ct Pine over-dyed aida by sewitall

Stitch count 70 wide by 68 high

Started - 18th April 2020

Finished - 21st January 2021

Total stitching time - 18 hours 25 minutes

The backstitching is very subtle on the flowers, leaves and body, but the little bits on his chin and head really do make a difference.

If all goes well, I am hoping to complete the other two in this set in February. Fingers crossed.

Take care,

Rachel x

Chick Berry - finished!

Hi all!

I have a finish!

This is Chick Berry by Heritage Crafts, one of a set of four birds in the Solos range by Valerie Pfeiffer. He was start number two of last year's Spring Into Summer New Start Binge and is the first finish from that SAL; only 16 more to go!

Here's how I picked it up after spending almost six hours stitching the bird and berries:

And after finishing the stitching:

And now all finished after adding 2.25 hours of backstitching:

Chick Berry by Heritage Crafts

Stitched on 16ct Provence over-dyed aida by sewitall

Stitch count 66 wide by 58 high

Started - 11th April 2020

Finished - 17th January 2021

Total stitching time - 13 hours 30 minutes

All four birds in this set contain a good proportion of fractionals, and the backstitching is certainly no easy ride, but I knew that before starting them all on aida. I'm not moaning though - fractionals on aida are second nature to me now, and not that bad really! Anyway, I had the perfect colours in aida so didn't see much point in buying more fabric, even if evenweave would have made stitching them easier.

I'm already working on finishing another from this set, so that should appear fairly soon.

Take care,

Rachel x

Spring Into Summer New Start Binge Round-Up Post

Hi everyone!

As you are probably fed up with hearing by now, Tiff, Annie and I have spent the last four months starting a new project each weekend. We called this the Spring Into Summer New Start Binge, the replacement for the Tokyo Olympic Stitching Challenge which was postponed alongside the Olympics.

The original plan of 17 new starts in 17 days was, if I am honest, a little daunting! Spreading them over 17 weekends, was much less so, and perhaps even more enjoyable. Not once did it feel like a burden with 'oh not another new start' and not once did I regret my choices.

I'm sort of sorry that it's actually all over (I certainly have enough projects to carry on for many many weeks) but am also glad that I can now concentrate on the projects which are on this year's to-finish list.

Here's a reminder of all the new starts:

Five Winnie The Poohs:

Four Solo birds:

Chick Berry


Humming Along

Lady In Red

Simply Wren

Two Gothic-themed Whispered by The Winds:

In The Gloaming


Gatekeepers

Two Merry Mice:

Mouse Reading Book


Mouse With Books

Two Seasonal designs:

Wonderful Fright

Happiness Delivery Couple

And two others:

Pretty Little Toronto

Basket Case

The most productive new start was Chick Berry with 5 hour 55 minutes of stitching over the weekend, the least productive was Pretty Little Toronto with only 10 minutes.

The most complicated new start was definitely In The Gloaming with countless stitching, frogging and thread changes until the right combination of colours was found.

However, my favourite new start was also In The Gloaming. I must have stitched that bit of roof four or five times, but it didn't alter my enthusiasm for the design one little bit.

Luckily I don't have a least favourite new start. although am assuming that all the yellow-gold required for the five Winnie the Poohs may get a little tedious if I don't spread them out.

The most fun new start was Mouse With Books; the mouse's expression is contagious and the designer really makes things subtle with the use of blended threads. She's the designer who charted Hogwarts In A Bottle so I knew what to expect, and I love using blends.

And, finally, my favourite fabric was the purple with clouds and stars used for Wonderful Fright. I don't often stitch on 'busy' fabrics so that was an enjoyable change.

As for finishing them, 7 of the 17 require less than 10 hours work, and another 5 less than 20 hours, so these 12 should become finishes 'fairly' quickly once I pick them up again. The remaining 5, especially Pretty Little Toronto, will require a bit (lot) more work. I knew it unlikely that any would be finished during the four months, and probably not even this year, but what's another 17 to add to my WIP pile (I'm up to a disgusting 62 if anyone's counting!)

I absolutely loved this binge and have been thinking about another, and this is the exciting news.....

Tiff and I have discussed a much smaller starting binge towards the end of the year. We thought November would be good - it's not too soon after this one plus it's after Dark October but before the Christmas rush. Tiff came up with the name 'Naughty November'.

So if any of you fancy joining us for a four weekend mini new start binge in Naughty November (starting weekend of 7th-8th) please do!

Unsurprisingly, I already have my four projects planned. I won't show the charts but will show the fabrics; the first three of which I'm convinced were designed with the charts in mind.

At the top are (and their names are a not-so-subtle hint as to the type of designs to be stitched on them) Shades Of Spring and Shades Of Summer and at the bottom Shades Of Autumn and Cloud Winter Sky. I did purchase Shades Of Winter but it was too greeny-grey for the design and I don't want to change the colours.

As for the actual postponed-until-next-year Tokyo Olympic Stitching Challenge, well, assuming the Olympics goes ahead, I'm planning another 17 starts during the 17 days between 23rd July and 8th August inclusive with one new start each day.

Should the Olympics be cancelled completely (since it's been agreed another postponement is not an option) then the plan is to do the same as this year and spread those 17 starts over the 17 weekends in April, May, June and July in the Spring Into Summer New Start Binge 2021. I'll keep you updated as announcements are made.

Whichever the case, I'm excited already and you've got plenty of time to plan if you wish to join in.

Now to look forward to Naughty November...

Take care,
Rachel x