Sheep #1.3 and belated Smalls SAL august report

Dear all,

My third report on the 'Hope' of the Sheep SAL is a bit of a disappointment. This count is way too small for me! Maybe I am just blind as a bat and was an idiot to start with the snowflake (very symmetrical) ... well I must have when started and finding the centre counting from it picked the wrong reference starting point on the chart. Because check this out:

300 stitches

as you can see the entire design is too low ... snowflake meant to be top right. I think though I'm gonna just leave it as it sorta fits on the fabric.

But hey ho that is another 100 stitches done with some variety of colour (I really really needed to know if it would fit ... so went downwards).

The SAL is being stitched with Sarah. And we also have two new participants: Anne and Kaye.

Also an extremely late update on the Smalls SAL (August ... I know just 2 days before the September sign up opens).

I have finally finished Winter Witch by Maja of The Snowflower Diaries. There was lots of sunshine when I took the picture on Sunday, so I have taken it both in sun and in shadow and can't decide which one is better so I have included both.

It is a free design available on Maja's blog and is stitched in all the recommended threads on Zweigart 28 count Quaker Linen in Confederare Grey.

I do have an exciting new start to share but I will add it to the Stitch from Stash update due this coming Sunday (though will try to post earlier as I am away up North to visit family).

Till soon,

Smalls #7 - late again ... my first LHN finish

Hello all,

Just realised this morning that the month has already almost rolled into the next set of updates and I have still one from last month to let you know about.

My finish from last month is Little Sheep Virtue - No.2 or "Love" by Little House Needleworks:

I have stitched it in recommended colours/with suggested button 35 count cocoa. I hate this count (as I can only stitch in daylight with such small holes) but all the sheep will need to be on it now.  

Till soon,

Smalls #6 - very late

Hello all,

Encouraged by the relative success of the last post I have decided to update you on my last month's Smalls progress. I was sad to realise this morning that I missed last month's TUSAL, oh well that's what happens when internet goes off for almost a month.

Last month I have finished another letter by Nancy Turner of the Victorian Motto Sampler Shoppe. It is another A.

It was done on evenweave dyed with onion skins (aluminium mordant) by my mum. Stitched using Nancy's hand dyed floss: 1765 Burnt Russet, which I won in one of her generous giveaways. Speaking of generous giveways... I was also lucky enough to win more floss from Nancy. And I would obviously brag (but sigh I am updating from the phone). So I will share a photo of the chosen threads soon (along with a gorgeous new quaker sampler start).

I will update this month's Smalls (I do have a finish) and TUSAL in the next day or so.

Till soon,

Lija

Smalls #5 - Victorian Motto Sampler Shoppe + a giveaway

I know I know it is Tuesday and no Tuesday Extravaganza (to be fair there is almost no progress from the last picture). I am seriously behind in several other updates too and will try to catch up in the next week or so. I thought of posting this finish as it is inoffensively simple (only one photo pretty much).

This is an 'Alphabet Ornament Collection: A' by Nancy Turner of The Victorian Motto Sampler Shoppe.

I have stitched this with 'the best orange' (hand dyed by Nancy) on evenweave (dyed by my lovely mum with red onion skin and aluminium mordant).

The green fabric is essentially a bit more green than what my camera took. It looks nice, I love the green and the threads (especially the blended effect from light to dark on A), it was a pleasure stitching! But I think I will be restitching this design again. As I feel there is too much of a military sense about it. Not sure why. Must be this shade of green. Maybe once I will make it into a proper finish it will feel less so. I wander what will happen if I stitch green on orange? maybe the second side to this ornament? what do you think? And have a cord in orange and green. I am also planning on stitching another A from the same set of charts. It has a bird in the pattern!

Would you like to stitch something in Nancy's threads, if so she is having another one of her generous giveaways:

click here

You have until 15th of June 2014. 

Till soon,

P.S. a sneak update for next month's finish ... the sheep are coming ... you can probably guess what I am stitching next

Smalls #4 - a lovely The Snowflower Diaries finish, my new orchids & TUSAL #5

Hello all,

a slightly belated post on my latest finish for the smalls sal. It is 'Cherry Tree' by TheSnowflower Diaries. If you remember it was gifted to me as a kit for Christmas by my sister. 

I am not sure if many of you are aware but I was struggling, through my own fault, with this design. The green grass on the bottom left I stitched in columns of six (as I was stitching from centre outwards and did not want to make a counting error). Well, as you know this hand dyed stuff tends to be slightly variated. So I had myself columns of six highly visible. I was then debating of whether to leave it that way or unpick it. In the end I unpicked half of the stitching (as the rest was not too bad) and tried matching the shade of floss to the remaining block (to avoid the dreaded line). I think it has worked. 

fabric and thread info

Here are some close-ups of my new orchid. I bought it for £6 (half price!) in a ceramic pot. Pretty good deal as a pot normally costs £2 at least.

And my Tusal update. Not a lot as my last update was soooo late.

2014 so far in a jar

and after some prodding

Till soon (I have another finish to show off),

Smalls #3 & Stitch from Stash #3

I cannot believe this ... I am actually posting a few days in advance, go me! I just thought if I get these two updates out of the way I might get a chance to write that promised update on hand dyed fabric (if you don't remember the promise that was probably because it was made many many moons ago).

First up is Smalls SAL (for more info check the tab).

I have finished:

biscornu #229

Well, this was meant to be a Valentine's style biscornu (for a case I had booked in February) hence in shiny pink ... but as you can tell I finished it a little late. Oh well, it is still a finish (which list I am not doing as well on as last year).

Biscornu #229

Stitched on 14 count aida

Threads: DMC E967

by The Floss Box

You have also probably guessed that I have done this design previously, and I have ... back in July 2013.


And onto my spending with Stitch from Stash (again check the tab for more info):

First up (this is not part of the official report) is the purchase I made last month from Cross Stitch Heaven which has finally arrived:

99 dmc colours

embroidery thread storage box

pre-gridded fabric

2 metal craft rings

This was the first time I shopped from Donna and I still haven't made up my mind about the experience.  The prices are good, but I guess one has to take it with a pinch of salt. I was very excited to get the package and it was very well wrapped and packaged, neat as well! Fabric with threads and the rings between the fabric folds. My first mood damper was to discover one of the rings being a bit rusty. Oh well, not a big deal, I can live with that. The other issue was one of my skeins was the wrong shade. I have emailed Donna today, and am awaiting the reply ... but it is making me feel petty and rather silly. It is only one skein worth 39p after all. And I can probably use it in the future. But this means that one of the projects is missing a colour ... I have not checked which one yet and for me to order that colour I need to pay postage again, and well probably buy more items to make it more worth while. 

See, I told you you'd think I am petty. After all she done pretty well to get the 98 out of 99 right. And I love my new fabric. I have rolled it onto my new frame (the one my mum got me for Christmas) for the new start heading this way. I just hate feeling guilty! What to do? Well one of my reasons posting early, I guess, is to start on the next month's spending. So maybe if I buy just that right shade and more fabric... and then there is that exclusive Fizzy Moon kit by World of Cross Stitching ... but I am saving for that printer so I should think twice. Like Scarlett O'Hara said 'I will think about it tomorrow'. I will! I will sit down and properly budget. I haven't been getting many additional hours, so my last two pays were a little tight ... and my guess the next one will be similar. It might be even time to drop another magazine subscription. And definitely more ebay listing. Although with an average selling price in the vicinity of 50p how much time can I dedicate to listing and going to the post office?  

Anyhow onto the proper update. I have carried forward $/£25.06 and added to this month's allowance that makes the budget of $/£50.06. Remember I left you on the cliff hanger of going to the charity shop ... well I spent quite a bit. More than I have intended to! I picked out a pile of Anchor and DMC (quite a few repeats) and at £1 per 5 skeins it all added up to £28. With about same amount still in basket though not Anchor or DMC ... the lady offered me the whole lot for £35! I am not certain whether this was worth it. As the rest I would have probably not bought on its own. I will aim to separate and catalogue my purchase for the next update ... and see whether it was a bargain or not. To put this sum in perspective ... my mum bought a large set of wooden drawers (gorgeous!) with delivery for about £20 from the same charity shop. We crafters are insane!

This then means I have $/£15.06 to carry forward.

Incidentally this is also happens to be my 100th post ... woohoo who would have thought that I'd be here blogging just over two and a half years later. When I started blogging I wanted to document my completions ... I thought how would I have anything to write about if I stitch a particularly large design. Who would have thought that SALs and Wips would take over.

Till soon,

Smalls SAL update #2

Oh dear, I am a little late ... only by a little bit this time. For Smalls SAL February update I have another witch by the Snowflower Diaries. Spring Witch, chart available free over HERE.

It was stitched on Zweigart 28 count Quaker Linen in Confederare Grey.

Stitched in DMC: 310, 3770, 738, 3833, 3364, 818, and Anchor: 8, 360, 128, and Victorian Motto Sampler Shoppe: Heather A (a gift from Nancy ... the rabbit). Isn't it gorgeous! Speaking of Nancy and her floss. She is having another giveaway. Click HERE and enter by the 10th March 2014. 

Till soon,

Smalls SAL update #1

Dear all,

Just a quick first check in on this new SAL for me (for more info check out the separate tab). Speaking of SALs I have signed up to yet another one (grunt) ... a Margaret Sherry one. More on that later.

First finish (the two photos are at slightly various stages of day/artificial light):

It is the Snowflower Diaries: Summer Witch, chart available free over HERE.

It was stitched on Zweigart 28 count Quaker Linen in Confederare Grey.

Stitched in DMC: 310, 3770, 520, 827, 517, 818, and Anchor: 8, 360, 47, 882, 1010

Till tomorrow,

 

TUSAL - post #1 and the 2014 SALs/challenges ...

Hello all,

Happy New Year! Hope 2014 brings all of you lots of stitching and other nice things. I thought this year I will be on top of everything. Map out my commitments so to say. And there I am on the 2nd of January realising I am already behind on my 1st update of the year (I know, I know today is not the 2nd). Oh well better late than never.

My little jar: 

TUSAL - post #1

I need to free up the big one for the year ... so need to get rid of previous year's orts somehow. Maybe an ornament needs stitching. But I will cross that bridge when I get there. 

2014 SALs/challenges:

You might be curious to know that I have signed up to too many again. And my posting schedule (especially around the end of the month is becoming rather scary). So the challenges I have signed up to so far:

• TUSAL 
• Wipocalypse
• Stitch from Stash
• Smalls SAL
• I Love Library Books - Reading Challenge

All of them are clickable so that you can find out all the info and decide if you want to join them too. The first two I have done for a few years now, TUSAL as you can see is a monthly post of a jar with orts (with a very appropriate title ... Totally Useless Stitch-A-Long), and Wipocalypse will have an updated tab soon. And I will mention my goals/wips/projects for it in the first post, later on in the month.

The new ones see me join Stitch from Stash challenge (check the tab for info - but it is there to make me budget and not go spending all that hard earned cash on more stash), Smalls SAL (check the tab - from what I gather it is in place instead of the annual ornament SAL), and I Love Library Books will have a new tab soon too. This is a reading one, rather than stitching. There are various levels one can participate on. And I will be aiming for 'Adult'. Although 'Just insert IV' is very tempting. One can go up a level but not down. So 36 books to read in a year. That is 3 per month. The main rule is they have to be borrowed from the library. It doesn't require an update post ... so the list will go in the tab with the dates I finished reading books on.

There might be a few others coming... there is the 2013 SAL blog that hasn't seen much action recently, but might become active again. I might decide to do another Margaret Sherry one this year, and I also take part in a few forum ones from time to time.

Talk soon,