Challenge Finish 12

Hello all!

I hoped to have a Challenge finish in June and have just about squeezed this one in!

This is Autumn from The Four Seasons. I started all four seasons during February but, with the exception of a couple of hours on Winter, have only stitched on this one since.

Autumn

Designed by Maria Diaz and featured in Cross Stitch Crazy issue ???

Stitch count 56 wide by 56 high
Stitched on 16ct white Aida 2 over 1

Started - 15th February 2015
Finished - 25th June 2015

Total stitching time - 20 hours 40 minutes

I love the yellow and khaki hues and, as usual, really enjoyed stitching this piece. My original plan was to stitch and frame all Four Seasons for my mum's birthday at the end of July but as that's not going to happen I'll set Christmas as my new target. I'm sure I can manage to finish the other three by then.

12/59 Challenge pieces down, 47 to go!

TTFN
Rachel x

Lizzie Kate June Flip-It Stamp - finished!

Hello everybody!

I'm going to start with an apology (again) for being away from the blogging world for quite a long time. I haven't read or commented on blogs for over a month so have an awful lot of catching up to do. Hopefully normal service will be resumed shortly.

Although itching for June to arrive so that I could stitch the month's flip-it stamp, I didn't actually pick it up until 17th! But once started I whizzed through it in just three days (well, late nights/early mornings actually!)

June Flip-It Stamp by Lizzie Kate

Stitch Count 47 x 47

Stitched on 16ct Rustic Aida 2 over 2

Started - 17th June 2015

Finished - 20th June 2015

Total Stitching Time - 11 hours 20 minutes

Unfortunately I'm far too caught up with my Challenge stitching to want to spend time finishing off my pieces so, for the time being, this will join the other stamps in my Box Of Shame. Emptying the Box Of Shame is a target I hope to achieve during the long August school summer holiday.

In the meantime another Challenge finish is just around the corner.....

TTFN

Rachel x

May Progress on DSDUCJFC 2015 Pieces

Hello fellow bloggers!

It's the end of May so time for another Challenge progress update.

At the end of April I set myself the task during May of finishing one of my remaining 50 Challenge pieces and working on four more. I also asked for suggestions as to which pieces you would like me to stitch. Replies included Dreaming of Dolphins, any of the Margaret Sherry mice, the Harry Potter crests (especially Ravenclaw), Friends Forever and Pretty Little London.

With all that in mind I set about my May stitching.

I surpassed my targets because I finished not one but two pieces during May.....

* My Treasure from 27th February
* Friends Forever from 12th January

..... and made progress on another seven:

Ravenclaw from 18th February

finished the section above the banner

Autumn from 15th February

completed the sky

Hufflepuff from 11th February

continued with the outside of the shield (mostly)

Tea from 23rd February

finished stitching the teapot

Pretty Little London from 5th February

finished the top of Big Ben and continued with Tower Bridge

and the buildings on the bottom right

Dandelion Time from 15th January

backstitched the mouse where possible

(I was not enthused about stitching this one)

Dreaming of Dolphins from 7th January

started the second dolphin

I really enjoyed the additional challenge this month of trying to stitch on as many projects as possible, as suggested by my lovely commenters. I won't ask for suggestions for June but probably will again for July.

My June Challenge targets are again to finish one piece and stitch on at least four more. I've already decided which ones I'm going to work on but you'll have to wait until the end of June to find out!

I hope Debbie would have been proud of my commitment to and progress on her Challenge. :)

TTFN
Rachel x

Stitch From Stash - May 2015

Good morning fellow bloggers!

Here are the financial details of May's Stitch From Stash:

BROUGHT FORWARD - £0.23
MAY BUDGET - $25 = £16.51 (at 01/05/2015 exchange rate)
EARNED - $11.00 = £7.26
AVAILABLE TO SPEND - £24.00
SPENT - £18.16
CLOSING BALANCE - £5.84


Spending:
* £7.95 on two charts
* £10.21 on a kit

Snowman Row by Ursula Michael (download from crosstitch.com)

These will be stitched as nine individual projects.

Halloween Banners by Artecy (download from crosstitch.com)

(thank you Heather of Fantasy Cross Stitch for introducing me to these!)

Christmas Ornament Pals Kit by Dimensions

(thanks to Katie Jeremiah's Mom for tempting me again!)

I feel very guilty about buying these but they were all on offer and I was feeling down in the dumps that day - a lethal combination!

Qualifying projects worked on: (post to follow 31st May)
* dandelion time
* autumn
* tea

Non-qualifying projects worked on: (post to follow 31st May)
* dreaming of dolphins
* pretty little London
* hufflepuff
* ravenclaw

Qualifying projects completed: ($4, $3 and $4)

 My Treasure                            Friends Forever

Lizzie Kate May flip-it stamp

Although slightly bigger, Friends Forever was categorized as 60x60 as a lot is unstitched. I  also claimed only 75% of the bonus as it became a qualifying project after 1/4 completed.

Non-qualifying projects completed:
* none


My closing balance this month, along with next month's budget, will be spent on threads. Let's see how close I can get to zero for my end of SFS-A closing June balance!

Cheerio
Rachel x

Challenge Finish 11

Good morning!

I'm back again with another Challenge finish!

This is Friends Forever from 14th January. My thanks go to Tina for suggesting I should work on this one during May. It's not a WIP I would have chosen but once picked up I just had to complete it. So here are a finished Sam and Peeps with all the (ir)relevant details:

Sam and Peeps - Friends Forever

Designed by Genny Haines and featured in The World of Cross Stitching issue 187
Stitch count 79 wide by 55 high
Stitched on 16ct Tumbleweed over-dyed Aida by Fabric Flair 2 over 1

Started - 14th January 2015

Finished - 19th May 2015

Total stitching time - 15 hours 5 minutes

Because I enjoyed stitching this one so much, I'm hoping my other Sam and Peeps WIP will also receive some attention during May or June. But we'll see. After all, another two finishes in the last couple of days means a slightly fuller Box Of Shame to deal with. Uh-oh!

11/59 Challenge pieces down, 48 to go!

TTFN
Rachel x

Challenge Finish 10

Hello Friends!

I apologise for being absent from blogger for a while. Yet again I'm behind on reading and commenting on blogs but I'm hoping to catch up this week.

In the meantime I have another totally unplanned Challenge finish for you.

This is My Treasure from 27th February. I was actually looking for a different WIP when this one caught my eye. I only had the non-green colours and backstitching left to do so thought I might as well try to complete it. Here it is with all the boring details:

My Treasure

Designed by Jennifer Aikman-Smith as a free design from Dragon Dreams Inc, 

Stitched on 16ct Gold Lurex Aida by DMC 2 over 1

Stitch count 60 wide by 60 high
Started - 27th February 2015
Finished - 18th May 2015

Total stitching time - 20 hours 40 minutes

I have to admit I did not really enjoy stitching the Kreinik, although the result does look good. I think Kreinik, like most metallics, is one of those threads you either love or hate. In my case, hate!

Behind the scenes I'm still plodding on with other Challenge pieces. Very slowly my two DSDUCJFC progress bars are being filled in. Time-wise I'm almost 1/4 of the way through January's projects and just over 1/8 through February's. I don't know whether to cheer at the amount done or figuratively cry at the amount remaining!! The former I think as speed was never the most important consideration in this Challenge.

10/59 Challenge pieces down, 49 to go!

TTFN
Rachel x

Lizzie Kate May Flip-It Stamp - finished!

Good afternoon all!

Another month and another stamp which I couldn't wait to start. Most of this was stitched whilst watching the final two sessions of the World Snooker Championships on Bank Holiday Monday. Pure bliss!

May Flip-It Stamp by Lizzie Kate

Stitch Count 47 x 47

Stitched on 16ct Rustic Aida 2 over 2

Started - 3rd May 2015

Finished - 7th May 2015

Total Stitching Time - 10 hours 40 minutes

Not much else to say really, other than it was another fun stitch. It will go in my box of shame for the time being but hopefully not be in there too long. I must make the effort to put down my stitching for a while and actually start assembling some smalls. I've made the plans - I've just got to put them into action!

TTFN
Rachel x