Autumnal Abstract - framed!

Me again fellow bloggers!

I was so excited yesterday - the frame arrived from the wonderfully efficient ezeframe.co.uk. It was hastily unpacked and drooled over before being set aside until I could assemble it all after dinner,

So, here's what you've been waiting for. Drum roll please.....

As usual, the photo doesn't quite do the finished piece justice, but you get the general idea.

And here's a close-up of the stunning frame:

The frame is 26mm Gold Leaf with a 40mm Damascus Green top mount, a 7mm Omar Brown bottom mount and anti-reflective acrylic glazing. The opening is 36cm x 26cm with the full framed piece measuring 46cm x 36cm. The total cost was £31 (bargain!) plus £6 for postage (boo!)

The mounts were quite easy to choose with the wide brown drawing the eye into the project whilst balancing the ornate frame, and the green complimenting the colours in the design.

The frame itself was a very bold decision. It was the first one I chose, although I did try out other more sensible ones for comparison. Hubby said this one looked like something you would buy at a car boot sale or find hanging in a tacky pub but my instinct told me from the start that this was the right one, despite his "support"!

I absolutely love it, but what do you think?

I appreciate that some of you will not like it and I will not take offence if you tell me so. Framing, like choosing a project to stitch, is a very personal decision and I would certainly appreciate your honesty.

The only thing I didn't do was sign and date the piece before it was framed, although I'm not sure I could have put that information anywhere that would have looked right, so I'm not that bothered really.

This weekend the children are away with their Scout Troop again so hopefully hubby and I will get some Christmas shopping done. We may even go out for a champagne dinner (a girl can wish...) Just a thought - has anyone out there tried stitching whilst squiffy? Maybe I'll do a test piece to see what it's like!!!

All the best and

Happy stitching :)
Rachel x

PS there's still time to enter if you want to win the chart. See my 19th November posting for the rules. And sorry, Linda, you can enter as many times as you like but your name will actually only be entered once - cheeky!

Chart Giveaway - Autumnal Abstract by Vervaco

Hello fellow stitch-a-holics!

True to my word I am having a Giveaway!

It really truly honestly breaks my heart to give away the original chart of Autumnal Abstract now that I have finished it but I have so many more projects I would like to do that the realistic chances of me actually stitching this project again are minimal.

So, here are the rules for your chance to win:

1. you must be a follower of my blog
2. you must actually want to stitch this project (and not just add it to your stash pile!)
3. you must leave a comment indicating that you would like to win it

Simples!

I will take your interest on this posting, or any future postings, up until the end of November and pick the winner on 2nd December 2014.

Good luck to all who enter!

All the best and

Happy stitching :)

Rachel x

Autumnal Abstract - finished!

Good morning all!

And what a good morning it is! At 1.34 this morning after 177.25 hours of stitching, many late nights/early mornings and the constant disapproval of my husband, I cast off my final thread on Autumnal Abstract. So it's Happy Dance time again - woohoo!!! I really didn't think it would be so soon after recommencing this project back at the beginning of October.

Here are the final pictures and the project information:

After 170 hours

Autumnal Abstract by Vervaco

Stitched on 16ct Antique White Aida 2 over 1
Stitch Count 226 x 151

Started - 12th October 2005

Suspended 25th July 2006 after 52 hours

Restarted - 5th October 2014
Finished - 16th November 2014
Total stitching time - 177 hours 15 minutes

Thanks to my sleep-limiting regime (which is mostly working well) and a few naughty weekends, I've averaged just under 3 hours per day for the last six weeks. It's such a cliche to say this, but every stitch of Autumnal Abstract (all 29,609 of them) has been a joy and I'm really quite sad that this project is now finished.

The frame hasn't arrived yet, so today the piece will be washed and ironed and given plenty of time to dry thoroughly before being stretched and framed.

So, it's now on to something else which is..... you'll have to wait and see! Suffice to say it has been screaming at me to start it (there's a hint) since I received it last month (there's a bigger hint) and has a completely different colour palette to Autumnal Abstract (how many more hints do you want???)

I also said that I would be giving away the chart for Autumnal Abstract once I had completed the project. That will be in a separate post so keep watching for a chance to win!

I'll be back soon, but will it be with Autumnal Abstract framed or the first stint on my New Start?

Until then,

All the best and
Happy stitching :)
Rachel x

Autumnal Abstract - 170 hour update

Hello all!

.....and now the end is near and so I face the final curtain stitching.....!

Oooooh, I'm getting so excited! I'm on the final section of the chart and then this project will be complete! It will definitely take less than 10 hours so..... my next post will be a finish! Go me!!!

Here are the final progress pictures:

After 160 hours

After 170 hours

I've already ordered the frame from ezeframe.co.uk but will not divulge any information about it - you'll have to wait until the next and final post to see it in all its glory!

Right, that's enough waffling. I can't wait to sit down tonight to start the final push!

Be back soon.....

All the best and

Happy stitching :)

Rachel x

Autumnal Abstract - 160 hour update

Good afternoon all!

I'm back with another progress report! Thank you again for all of the wonderfully kind comments you have been leaving about Autumnal Abstract. I'm glad you enjoy watching my progress and are as eager and excited as me to see a finish!

As usual, this latest 10 hours of stitching has flown by, aided by a straight-through four hour session Sunday night into Monday morning - thank goodness for being able to pack the children off to bed earlier on Sundays!!

So here are the piccies:

After 150 hours

After 160 hours

I've already looked at mounts and frames from ezeframe.co.uk and experimented with various combinations. I think I've made my decision but as it's quite a bold choice I'm taking my time before ordering. That's the beauty of internet framing - there's simply no rush.

Until next time then.

All the best and
Happy stitching :)
Rachel x

Autumnal Abstract - 150 hour update

Hello all!

The light at the end of the tunnel is definitely getting brighter as I am ploughing through the remainder of this project. I'm still not getting bored though!

Here are the latest pictures:

After 140 hours

After 150 hours

I hope you're still enjoying my updates - not many more to go before you can rid yourselves of this project and I can bore you to death with something else!

All the best and
Happy stitching :)
Rachel x

Autumnal Abstract - 140 hour update

Good evening all!

I still can't pull myself away from this project and have become even more obsessed with stitching it this last week. Don't tell anyone, but I stitched until 2am Saturday morning! Very naughty but I just wasn't tired and even when I went to bed I still couldn't sleep. Guess I could/should have stitched all night!!

Here are the usual progress pictures:

After 130 hours

After 140 hours

With the school half-term holidays over, I'm now going to try to get back into a proper routine and prove to hubby that I am aware there is more to life than stitching! Boo :(

See you soon.

All the best and
Happy stitching :)
Rachel x

Autumnal Abstract - 130 hour update

Hello again!

As you can see, I'm back with Autumnal Abstract. Dolphin Ruins may be calling me - loudly - but I just can't tear myself away from this project. The right half is completely finished so I'm on the home straight working down to the bottom left corner. Here's my progress over the last couple of days:

After 120 hours

After 130 hours

The school half-term holiday has allowed me to stitch during the day as well as at night, hence quicker progress for this ten hour stint. It's a bit naughty but the children don't mind me disappearing for a couple of hours here and there as long as I'm on call and they get fed at the appropriate times!

Back soon(ish) with another update.....

All the best and
Happy stitching :)
Rachel x

PS for those that celebrate (we don't!) Happy Halloween!

Autumnal Abstract - 120 hour update

Good evening all!

First of all I would like to say a very warm welcome to my new followers over the last month or so. I hope you are enjoying my blog and accompanying ramblings. :)

Secondly, thank you for all the lovely comments about my birthday stash. When I was updating my Current Stash pages I realized just how many charts I had. So from now on the purchasing of (or asking for) any more cross stitch charts is STRICTLY FORBIDDEN (yeah right!!!) Perhaps that could be a challenge for 2015 - just how long can you survive into the year without purchasing any new charts or kits? I don't think I'd last a month and I'm not sure some of you folks could even last a week!!!

But I digress, so, on to Autumnal Abstract. My enthusiasm for this project has still not waned one bit. This is probably the longest time I have stitched on one project without needing or wanting a change of colour pallet. I'm so proud and believe that finishing it before the end of the year is now a strong possibility, although I'm not going to rush to get it done. So, here it is:

After 110 hours

After 120 hours

I know what you're going to say - I've done a lot in 10 hours. But, remember, there are large blocks of colours!

I've just about resisted the temptation of starting Dolphin Ruins because I'm enjoying this one so much. But, the threads are in their box, the fabric is on the scroll bars and the place of the first stitch has been counted and marked! I don't know how much longer can I hold out though - it's still calling to me!

So, when I return next time will it be with Autumnal Abstract or Dolphin Ruins I wonder?

Until then,

All the best and

Happy stitching :)

Rachel x

Autumnal Abstract - 110 hour update

Hello all!

I love being able to do regular postings on this piece and thank you again for all your kind comments, including how quickly I stitch. But I'm not actually that fast a stitcher. This pattern has blocks of colours throughout with very little confetti stitching, so it's very easy and quick to follow as the needle isn't jumping around all over the place and only a small amount of counting is required. Couple that with the fact that I now stitch for a good 2-3 hours each night (and possibly sneak in some stitching at the weekend) and... hey presto... progress looks quick. Once I return to more complicated designs you will see my progress rate drop quite rapidly!!!

So, onto the usual pictures:

After 100 hours

After 110 hours

No doubt I'll be back within the week with another progress report! It's half term for the children but as we've got nothing definite planned I might be able to do some additional stitching whilst they relax on their computers.

For those interested, the sleep limiting is still working well. I'm regularly on 5.5 hours per night but ask hubby to leave me to wake up naturally at the weekend when I tend to have about 7-8 hours. I may have the odd snooze during the day but only for 10 minutes or so, so it's nowhere near as bad as the heavy sleeps I used to need to keep me going. I'm much more awake and so happy at being able to stitch regularly. Yippee!!

Big hugs to all,

All the best and
Happy stitching :)
Rachel x

Autumnal Abstract - 100 hour update

Hello fellow stitchers!

Yes, that's now 100 hours completed on this design and I'm still going strong. I'm averaging 2-3 hours per night and love being able to see visible daily progress. I've made a lot more progress in the last 50 hours at home than I did during the 50 hours at the Cross Stitch Club (more stitching less chatting!) and estimate about another 80 hours to go.

So, here are the usual pictures:

After 90 hours

After 100 hours

I've reached the bottom right hand corner and have been able to stitch all of the design without having to roll any of the actual stitching, which I'm really happy about.

A few people have asked when/where I purchased this kit as they having been looking for it. Well, I bought it about 10 years ago from an internet shop and know that it has not been available for quite some time. So..... when I have finished stitching the whole design I shall be giving away the original chart to one lucky blog follower. If you're interested then just watch this space for a final post and instructions on how to win!

Until next time then,

All the best and
Happy stitching :)
Rachel x

PS Forgot to wish my son, Toby, a very happy 11th birthday for Sunday. Love you loads!

Autumnal Abstract - 90 hour update

Hello all!

My stint on Autumnal Abstract continues to go at lightning speed and I'm still loving it!

So, without further ado, here are the usual pictures:

After 80 hours

After 90 hours

I'm continuing to stay with this project and have even put the thought into my mind that there's a possibility it could be completed by the end of the year! However, with Christmas getting in the way I am not setting my hopes too high.

I'm still receiving lovely comments about this piece, so thank you all very much. It's a joy to stitch and I'm thinking that in the future I may stitch it in a different colourways - there are only 24 colours so converting them into, for example, blues, lilacs and purples, would not be difficult.

In the meantime, work continues behind the scenes for something I will share with you at the beginning of December - aren't I a meanie?

So until next time,

All the best and
Happy stitching :)
Rachel x

Autumnal Abstract - 80 hour update

Hello fellow stitchers!

Thank you for all the lovely comments you have been leaving recently. I still haven't caught up with commenting on your blogs, but am enjoying reading your progress reports and snippets about life.

Another ten hours stitching Autumnal Abstract have rapidly passed by so here are the latest progress pictures:

After 70 hours

After 80 hours

I'm still enjoying this project and putting in the unsociable hours. All this and staying on top of housework and looking after a house full of family and animals too! Fab!

For those who are following me and/or experimenting with sleep-limiting, keep in touch about your status. Obviously we are all wired differently and what works for one person might not work for others. But as one stitcher commented, anything that allows more stitching time has to be tried, hasn't it??!!

See you soon.

All the best and
Happy stitching :)
Rachel x

Autumnal Abstract - 70 hour update

Hello again!

Oh boy, am I whizzing through this design or what? I was very naughty on Sunday, putting housework on the back-burner in order to stitch. Coupled with the late nights, this 10 hour stint went very quickly! And I don't feel too guilty as it doesn't happen very often!

So, here are the progress pictures:

 After 60 hours

After 70 hours

The fact that most of this design is in blocks makes progress very obvious. I love it!

Some of you have commented on my sleep-limiting pattern so, to update you, I have to say that I am feeling full of energy, very refreshed and raring to go. If I compare this to the last five years, when daytime sleeps and early nights were often a necessity, I realize what a totally different person I am! How bizarre does that seem!!!

Right, back to housework..... I've got a bit of catching up to do!

All the best and
Happy stitching :)
Rachel x

Autumnal Abstract - 60 hour update

Hello all!

I hope you are all well in stitchy-blog land and getting along with your various projects and SALs etc. I have been reading but not commenting on blogs recently so apologise and will try to catch up soon.

My progress on Autumnal Abstract has been very quick so far. This is due to a lifestyle change which now involves me limiting my sleep to under 6 hours per night and therefore having more stitching time in the late evenings. I have moved my daylight lamp and frame into our snug lounge and can now lock myself away and stitch until the small hours with just the guinea pigs and DVDs for company. This is the "me time" that I have been craving for years and has dampened the bitterness I have been feeling for a long time about caring for everybody else and not feeling as if I receive any care in return - ahhh! So, looking forward to stitching from 10pm to 1am (ish) every day, along with limiting my sleep, has given me a whole new lease of life. Rock on!!

Anyway, back to Autumnal Abstract. Here's where I left it back in July 2006:

After 52 hours

And this is where I am now:

After 60 hours

I love the blocks of colours and the colours themselves so plan to stay with this project for quite some time! If my new regime continues to work I should find myself updating this blog much more often!

Take care everyone!

All the best and
Happy stitching :)
Rachel x