Smalls SAL - August 2019

Hello all!

It's the last Friday of the month so time for the Smalls SAL. Thank you, Mary, for continuing to run 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 specifically for this SAL which doesn't appear elsewhere on my blog. This month it was one month from a year long set by Bent Creek. This is the best link I could find which shows them all and the rhyme they make if all stitched together, but here's the original for November:

I have no intention of buying or stitching the others but liked November. However, I made some changes - I swapped 'November' for 'Autumn', I changed every thread colour from their recommended DMC to colours I liked better, and, instead of using the snaps provided, I added some tiny matching autumn-coloured buttons. The differences aren't that obvious but here's my version:

November Twirls by Bent Creek

Stitch Count 50 wide by 50 high

Stitched on 16ct Ochre over-dyed aida from sewitall.com 2 over 1

Started - 1st August 2019

Finished - 8th August 2019

Total stitching time - 6 hours 35 minutes

It'll be made into a little ornie at some point - I'm a bit behind with my FFOing at the moment.

For this Smalls SAL I'm also re-showing other qualifying small projects I've stitched during the month.

My birthstone of the month, August In Peridot:

And my (unfinished because the Leopard doesn't have his spots) monarch of the month, Henry III:

In September I will be stitching a Hootie, although I haven't decided yet if it will be the pink, blue or green one. Decisions, decisions! Any preference?

Take care,
Rachel x

Scaredy Cats - finished!

Hi all!

With the mini heatwave we've just had - 3 days of 30C+ temperatures (which I know is nothing for some of you but really affects me quite badly) - I didn't feel like working on a big project so pulled out one of my small and easily finishable recent new starts.

Here's how I left Scaredy Cats after working on it for a weekend:

And after a couple more days of attention:

Scaredy Cats by JBW Designs

Stitched on 16ct Mushroom over-dyed aida by sewitall.com

Stitch count 151 wide by 33 high

Stitched with DMC black and variegated 51

Started - 10th August 2019
Finished - 29th August 2019
Total stitching time - 9 hours 40 minutes

I moved a couple of cats very slightly but other than that it's as charted.

I had an idea about backstitching around the cats to give them a bit more definition but, as it's one of those designs that looks better from a distance, decided against it. Anyway, if I did the cats then I'd probably have to do the letters too and I'm positive that would spoil it.

I have the fabric ready to FFO the piece but free evenings, when I usually FFO, have been in short supply over the summer holidays so my UFOs are gradually piling up. But life will return to 'normal' soon so FFOing can once again happen.

Take care,
Rachel x

Autumn Bird - finished!

Good morning all!

With so little left to stitch I think it was quite obvious it wasn't going to be too long before this little birdie was completed. I had a 'spare' evening before starting my weekend new start (and didn't want to get Hogwarts out for just one day) so decided to work on this piece until finished.

He was the third of my Summer Of New Starts binge and I left him like this:

Now he's been given the rest of his wings:

Bird by Hobikolik (etsy)

Stitched on 16ct Peach Cobbler over-dyed aida by sewitall.com 2 over 1

Stitched in Threadworx 1076 Honky Tonk

Stitch count 80 wide by 80 high
Started - 3rd August 2019
Finished - 23rd August 2019

Total stitching time - 7 hours 45 minutes

I'm really pleased with the way he's turned out. I have the fabric and the cord so now all I have to do is FFO him. I've got a few pieces piling up in my Box Of Shame but hopefully he won't be in there too long.

Take care,
Rachel x

Summer Of New Starts #6 - A Little Wizard Of The Night

Hi again!

Well, having started A Little Witch Of The Night last week, how could I not stitch her Little Wizard male companion for summer start number 6?

This time I started with the sky, but once I reached his cute little head of hair the needles just kept working. I'm a little frustrated that my eyes gave in before his face was completed but nevertheless I am really happy with my progress over a very successful weekend:

A Little Wizard Of The Night by Soda Stitch

Stitched on 16ct Dusky Sky over-dyed aida by sewitall.com

Stitch count 60 wide by 56 high

Stitching time to date - 5 hours

And how he will look when finished:

If I don't manage to get back to him before the end of October, he'll definitely return for a bit of attention at Halloween. Well, how could he not?!

Take care,
Rachel x

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

Summer Of New Starts #5 - A Little Witch Of The Night

Hi again!

Staying with the Halloween theme for summer start number 5, this cute Soda Stitch chart has been high on my to-do list for quite a while.

I was really looking forward to working solely on the little witch over the weekend but the first stitch didn't actually go in until 11.45pm Saturday! At least I got a couple of hours in on Sunday to make up for it. Here's my start on her hair and adorable little hat:

 A Little Witch Of The Night by Soda Stitch

Stitched on 16ct Dusky Sky over-dyed aida by sewitall.com

Stitch count 60 wide by 55 high

Stitching time to date - 2 hours 35 minutes

And here's how she will look when finished (without the numbers):

Those with a very keen eye may have noticed I've changed the aida colour since teasing this as a new start. My original choice was a sort of dirty browny/greeny mixture called Smudge. However, when I purchased this Dusky Sky fabric I immediately fell in love with the steely blue/grey colours (even though the screen picture indicated it was a mid-dark grey!) There would have been nothing wrong with using Smudge but the characters have a cute and fun element which I think is more suited to a less-dreary colour. Needless to say, I'm delighted with my swap.

I'll be using this fabric again next weekend.

Take care,
Rachel x

A Monarch A Month - Henry III

Hello all!

Over the course of the next four years I will be stitching Bothy Thread's Kings and Queens at the slow pace of one monarch per month.

This is number eight, Henry III, who marks the beginning of the second row of stitching. Seeing as how I am moving the monarchs around slightly, I spent absolutely ages counting and recounting and making sure his adjusted position was definitely correct before the first stitch went in. And then I counted again, just to be sure he was definitely in the right place. He is!

Henry III from Kings and Queens by Bothy Threads
Started - 9th August 2019

Finished - 14th August 2019

Total stitching time - 6 hours 10 minutes

Note, Henry's walking a Leopard but the black spots will be beads so are not going to be added until the very end. Up until then it will have to look like he's walking a big yellow cat-thing!

So here we go with tiny snippets of Henry III's history. In the big scheme of English monarchs, Henry III is not well known but I find his life fascinating and 300 words is certainly not enough to do his life justice. Anyway, here goes:

HENRY III
Preceded by John (father)
Succeeded by Edward I (son)
Lived 1207-1272
Reigned 1216-1272
Married Eleanor of Provence 1236-1272
Fathered 2 sons and 3 daughters

Henry became king at the age of 9. His father had trusted him a guardian and 13 executors to oversee his early reign. By 1227 Henry had decided he would rule by himself.

He married 12-year-old Eleanor of Provence in 1236, probably as a strategic alliance. Yet he was a faithful husband and devoted father (certainly spending more time with his family than any previous monarch!)

Despite almost 200 years of 'English' monarchy, Henry's court remained French in both language and traditions.

Henry loved visiting and staying at his castles, and retained his father's menagerie in the Tower of London (hence the Leopard above).

Territory-wise Henry gained authority in Wales, maintained peace with Scotland (his daughter married the King's son), and gave Ireland to his own son. However, he had an on-off relationship with France, unsuccessfully invading twice to reclaim lands lost by his father but, at times, also making peace with and relying on the support of the King.

Henry gradually lost popularity due to inconsistent decisions and policies, such as heavy taxation and wasting money planning unfulfilled crusades.

After a small baronial coup d'etat, Henry was faced with The Second Baron's War, 1264-1267. Initial attempts at appeasement, by Henry agreeing to once again rule through his barons (1265 Provision of Oxford) soon failed and civil war ensued. Despite Henry being captured, freed, and surrendering, the rebels were eventually defeated, mostly by Henry's son, Edward, and his loyal royalist followers.

Henry died in 1272, whilst planning another pilgrimage. He is buried in Westminster Abbey, a building he adored and which had been heavily redesigned during his reign.

He was succeeded by his son, Edward.

So next month, Edward I.

Take care,

Rachel x