A puppy done, TUSAL - post 6, and other stitch alongs ...

Dear all,

I have finished my exams a week gone, and have been busy catching up on work and all the neglected jobs/tasks that have been gradually resurfacing. My giveaway is almost ready to be posted/uploaded (just thinking of the last few touches) ... so keep your eyes peeled for my next post (I think that's the expression).

Lets now talk a little about SALs. SAL stands for stitch a-long as we all well know. And aren't they good for motivation? Or if you get someone who is very quick at stitching they end up putting you off? That's how I sometimes feel. I am in 5 SALs at this moment, and Wipocalypse 2013 (which is a stitch along for fun and has its own tab). So a total of 6! Oh dear, this is worser than I thought. 

SAL #1 - Puppy Love by Margaret Sherry

You can find it on Margaret Sherry Lovers - Blog Group.

Out of 6 puppies I only want to do 4...

... and number one is complete!

Puppy #1 complete

... and here it is again

 So 1 out of 4 done ... not bad, right?

And this is how far I got on the number two:

Puppy #2 

I feel relatively happy with the progress.

SAL #2 - TUSAL

You can find info on TUSAL 2013.

So this months report/post/update:

2013 and June

Not so many orts, but since I did have exams recently - thats how the jar should look. And now the mixture of 2013 all up to date:

January - June 2013

SAL #3 - QS Literate Dragon

This is the annual HAED stitch along. The info could be found on their bulletin board. It is a closed group, so you will have to join yuku and ask to be added to the forum. The sign up for the SAL is now closed (not the group - you can join any time), but one can see everyone's progress on the 6 designs. There were 6 designs to pick from and I chose the QS Literate Dragon, then the 4 pages would be sent one by one. At the moment I have 3 pages (and still have not completed the 1st - disaster). For every half a page you stitch you can select one of the other designs to get at the end of the year. So 2.5 pages to get all 6. Participation was free this year; but there is no info for the next year's (or whether it will occur). My progress:

Progress as of June 2013

SAL #4 - Summer Extravaganza 2012

This is less formal stitch a long that me and Snoopy over at Cross stitch mania decided to do a year ago when we picked our first ever HAEDs. I am stitching 'Christmas Candle' on count 18 (I think), and have 3 pages out of 36 done ... if I started a year ago and only managed 3 pages and there are 36 in total ... how long until I finish this? I say lets not think about that.

April 2013

SAL #5 - Snowflower Diaries

Check out 2013 SAL Blog. They pick a designer every two months or so and stitch along. They pick something on a smaller scale by lesser known designers, so this is great for beginners, as well as us addicts. June/July is Snowflower Diaries. The patterns by this generous and gifted designer are free, so a great project to join the group with. And since I wanted to stitch some of them already thats an extra added bonus. Two ladies already finished their projects, so I am a little behind. 

Nothing to show yet ... but hope not for long. I just need some perfect fabric.

So till soon, 

                  

Wipocalypse - post #5 and exciting new projects ...

Hello all,

Thank you for your good luck wishes and support. I have now completed 3 exams, and only have another 3 to go. I do feel a lot lighter, and with the sunshine outside as if summer is coming (a very rare occurrence in the North East). So for this update I have 2 new starts/projects, and this months progress report. Also, now that I am approaching 100 followers I can let you know that I will have my 1st ever blog giveaway once I hit the said number (and obviously after my exams were this event to happen before 3rd of June).

Exciting New Projects: 

I recently got the following kit 'Field of poppies' by Yiota's XStitch :

chart and pre-wound threads

Isn't it beautiful? It is based on one of the Van Gogh's paintings. It is my new addition to this year's Wipocalypse list (I'll be changing the list slightly ... after exams). You have probably saw the amazing pre-wound threads phenomenon across several bogs. I love it! I have several Anchor kits that have the threads on a card ... and the numbers are not aligned properly. I might have mentioned some maia kits of peonies/poppies I bought on sale in my local craft store which is generally limited and overpriced (those will be future living room cushions) around January. I have wanted to start them for some time ... but that would mean winding all the threads onto bobbins first. The 'Kiongozi - Dance Leader' had the same annoying unaligned threads issue that drove me insane. What is even worse is when the threads are all tied together and you have to guess which colour is which. I am not very good at that task.

I have almost finished 'Kiongozi - Dance Leader' and thought I'd use that mini box for storing bobbings. They did not fit. I hate that box! The only bobbins that ever fit there are the ones that came with it, I have forgotten this little detail - silly me the current bobbins there are all placed at an angle. But I do have 2 bigger boxes for storing threads on bobbins (3 times bigger), one that has all leftovers from kits/projects once they're done, and the second I got for the HAED I am currently working on and wound/prepared less than a fifth of those (the rest are still in wallets or loose in my draw). Shame to leave a box half empty, so this is where my new project threads went:

and now they are all in a box

You can see them all sideways fitting perfectly. I have a feeling the card they are on is a lot better quality than what I normally wind threads onto.

closeup- all wound up and numbered!

They would have been such a perfect fit into my smaller box, all separate if only the box was a little deeper. I have no idea why that company produces perfectly good big ones, and annoying little ones.

The chart in my new kit is printed on good quality thick paper. And the symbols/squares are rather large (will be great for stitching in the evenings while watching films). Four A3 pages in total.

part of chart

 And finally the fabric (slightly cut unevenly but a minor detail):

evenweave

There is an option to get either 14, 16, or 28. I requested evenweave (count 28). After all thats what cool kids stitch on ... and I am a sheep that likes to follow (well sometimes).

about to grid

I was about to grid when I realised that I have never stitched on evenweave before (you'd think I'd realise that sooner) and what if I don't like it? or I won't be any good and ruin it? So I set it aside for another smaller project (also addition to Wipocalypse list to follow), to see how I'll do with evenweave. It came just before my 2nd exam (very quick delivery) in a sturdy envelope ... that even my favourite postman with his inability to read 'please do not bend' was unable to ruin. 

Yiota's XStitch is UK based, but ship internationally and also do downloadable charts (they have several free ones on the website that one can try - I have the one of the cat). Their website is http://www.yiotas-xstitch.com and you can find the easy count guideline I use from http://www.rseasycount.com/

And now the other new project I mentioned (it is in fact not new per se as I have signed up to do this awhile back). It is for this year's Margaret Sherry's SAL I am going to take part in, for more info click:

Margaret Sherry Lovers - Group Blog

It is the SAL #4 Puppy Love.

And my progress on one of them is:

Fabric is evenweave dyed with fennel by my lovely mum (featured in previous post). This is my first attempt at using evenweave, and I am yet uncertain. It is definitely better for half stitches (if one is stitching over 2 threads); and with projects like these, one would be able to see the background and eveneweave is a lot more appealing than having massive squares. Downside: it is taking me longer to stitch on it as I am not yet accustomed to it. I am increasing speed gradually; I bet it is a pain to grid.

That was the 2 new projects/additions, and now onto the current wips' progress ...

Wipocalypse - post #5:

'Kiongozi - Dance Leader:

April 2013

May 2013

It is all stitched up, and ready for backstitching (oh how I hate the backstitching).

QS Literate Dragon:

February 2013

I can't believe how fast time flies, and that this was untouched for so long.

May 2013

closeup of the worked bit

Till soon,