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

New Stash - well, it is my birthday!

Hello fellow bloggers!

I've been a very naughty girl and, as the title states, received some new stash for my birthday. Note I said received, not bought, as these were presents from my mum, daughter and son (bless 'em!). So all of the following, which I just had to share with you, can be justified, can't they?? Of course they can!!

Lizzie Kate 

Monthly Flip-It Stamps (2005)
Stitch counts 47 wide by 47 high

I've noticed a lot of stitchers do Lizzie Kate projects so had to look at the website to find out what all the fuss was about. I'm not into samplers but fell in love with their 2005 Flip-It Stamps set. They will definitely be one of my 2015 WIPs. No offence to all American bloggers out there, but I am going to substitute the November Thanksgiving design for fireworks as that's much more English!

Satsuma Street (etsy)

Pretty Little London and Pretty Little Paris
Stitch counts 123 wide by 110 high and 111 wide by 104 high

All of Satsuma Street's city designs as on my wish list but as London and Paris are the most relevant to me those are the ones I decided to ask for first. The unusual colours should make them fun to stitch.

FluffyFuzzyPatterns (etsy)

Owls In Love
Stitch count 250 wide by 152 high

Oh my goodness... how cute is this??? There are only three shades of grey in the whole design and lots of unstitched areas so it should be really easy to do! Gorgeous.

EvasDesignsBg (etsy)

Dragon Eye
Stitch count 180 wide by 135 high 

This is a fantastic representation of a dragon's eye and I immediately knew that it was hypnotizing me to 'buy me or else'! So I did! There are only 11 colours in this design so would be easy to convert to a different hue if I wanted. Hmm... thinks firey reds/oranges perhaps?

Rabnann (ebay)

Dolphin Ruins
Stitch count 223 wide by 288 high

This design not only jumped out at me when I saw it but has also jumped to the very top of my to-do list. I don't know how long I will be able to resist the temptation of a new start but I doubt it will be long! I love the underwater mysterious lost City of Atlantis effect and the rippling on the dolphins' backs and marble columns. I hope the stitched picture is true to its mock up. Oooh, my fingers are itching already!!!


So that's 17 more projects to add to my to do lists - but in my justification, most of them are small. Anyway, aren't birthdays and Christmases specifically made as a reason/excuse to further increase our stash piles?? Good. I'm glad you all agree!!

As always,

All the best and
Happy stitching :)
Rachel x