Page 3 finished

Our Angel is really beginning to shine.

Merry Christmas x

Framed pieces

It can take a while to find the time to frame everything but when we do, the results are amazing. 

My wonderful husband does most of my framing and he usually chooses the frames and mounts as he is generally better at matching the colours.  I think you'll agree he really finishes the stitching off beautifully. 

Pots of Joy

A tiny mason jar makes a great gift.

Using the outer part of the lid, mark before cutting out your stitched piece. 

Repeat with some wadding and push into place, securing with a dab of glue and the base disk.

Inside is a section of a toilet paper tube to hide some notes within. Fill around it with sweets and make the gift that little bit more special. 

Angel

Page 2 finished. 

O Christmas Tree

This little lot was bought from the pick n mix in Hobbycraft.  There were two sizes of pot to choose from and this one was the smaller of the two, and less than a fiver.

Combinations of beads were attached to each point of each cushion. 

Then all three cushions were threaded together and a star attached to the top.  I added the loop so the finished ornament could be hung if preferred. 

Not a bad first attempt.  I'm quite chuffed with it.

For more information on how to make this and other ornaments, please visit my tutorial site, A Crafty Natter.  You can find the link on the right hand side, below the photo of Ellie.

Merry Christmas x

Angel

Page 1 finished.

I'm stitching this 1 over 1 on evenweave.  We couldn't find a good enough likeness on the internet to our beautiful red border collie so we had a photo conversion made by DMC.  So far so good, although it seems a little darker so the chestnut colouring may not quite shine through. 

Getting creative

So now that each part has been stitched it's time to put them together.

Cut each panel out with a border of excess fabric. 

Whip stitch the edges along the backstitch border.

And stuff with your chosen filling.

The largest section is filled with plastic beans for stability. The smaller ones are filled with standard soft stuffing.  

*top tip - if you are thrifty and save all those snippets of thread, you could use them to fill these.

Something festive

I'm trying something new. Something different. 

It's coming together now

Tissue box cover.

Measure twice, cut once then back stitch to create a strong edge.

It's the first time I've tried bargello and it took a few attempts to get it to work.

Each piece was decorated and the main panel had a band of satin stitch then the opening was cut.

Interfacing was ironed on to help protect the back of the stitching.

And the whole thing was whip stitched.

For more information please visit my tutorial site A Crafty Natter 

Another magical finish.

This version is in a dusky purple and took just ten days to stitch. 

Another gift.

Speedy needles

It has taken only 1 week to stitch this.  This one is a gift. I have another 2 variations to stitch.  The next is in a dusky purple.  Watch this space.

Like the R2D2, the more you look at it, the more secrets are revealed. 

Magic! 

Time for something new

A variation on a theme. 

I thought I'd make time to sit and stitch before our Dutch friends arrive.

R2D2 finished

I like this clever design because it makes you look again.  It has been tough stitching almost exclusively in black, however. 

Update

Another page finish. 

New update

A short while ago, 

In a hoop nearby...

Ok, it doesn't look spectacular yet, but it's a clever design that I'll share updates as I go along.

Something new

Just starting a new project.  It's definitely the droid you're looking for! 

Mischievous Mandrake Managed...

It's taken around 10 or 11 weeks to complete this wee fella, mainly due to my procrastination, working full-time, proofreading, pottering about in the garden, holidays and piano practice...but definitely procrastination!

However, here he is at long last. 

The backstitch challenge

I dislike stitching backstitch so much I tend to avoid charts that require its use, preferring far larger projects to show detailing. 

In a small design, often backstitch it necessary to highlight the detail. 

While I might not like it, I think you'll agree it really can make a difference to the piece. 

Halfway finished now.

Mandrake update

It's been too hot lately to stitch.  Now it's wet and miserable, what better way to lift the spirit than with needle and thread.

All the surface stitching is complete.  Now some backstitch and French knots should bring this little fella to life. 

Sunny day

Parasol up, glass of something chilled.

Stitching in the garden. 

Wit without measure...

...is man's greatest treasure. 

Stitched 1 over 1 on Lugana, Ravenclaw is one of the four houses of Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

One of the original founders of the school was Rowena Ravenclaw.  The ghost of Ravenclaw is her daughter, Helena aka the Grey Lady. Professor Filius Flitwick is the head of Ravenclaw house.

Sorted into Ravenclaw is also my younger son and I stitched this for his 16th birthday, which is why I couldn't share my progress on it.  He's thrilled of course. I just need to frame it.

Mandrake update

Gnarly 

A little bit of magic

Between working full time, piano lessons, proofreading a historic novel and gardening, there's been less time to stitch lately.  One project has been completed but I cannot reveal it just yet so keep your eyes peeled in the next couple of weeks.

In the meantime, I've been working on this wee fella.

He's a mandrake from Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.

The young mandrakes are repotted during a Herbology class with Professor Sprout.  When pulled from their pots they emit a shrill scream, rendering Neville Longbottom unconscious due to "neglecting his earmuffs"

The screams from mature specimens can be fatal.

The Mandrake is a magical plant with powerful restorative properties that form an essential element of many antidotes, including the draft used after the petrification of Mrs Norris, Colin Creevey, Justin Finch-Fletchley and the ghost of Nearly Headless Nick, Penelope Clearwater and Hermione Granger (and 50 years earlier, Moaning Myrtle who died).

Not so Silent Thoughts!

If there's one thing I dislike it's admitting defeat...in anything.

Another thing I dislike is kits.  They either come with aida (eugh) or not enough threads.  Or worse, a pile of threads to sort out yourself (for those who know me and mine, while I am not actually colour-blind like my dad and both my sons, I do struggle with some shades).

Sadly Silent Thoughts has me beat.  Last month had me trawling the net looking for a particular metallic thread as there wasn't enough in the kit and I couldn't source it locally.  Eventually I found some and cracked on with the project.

Last night I ran out of another thread, a thread made by the company who created the kit.  Easy peasy, I can write and complain...right?

I refuse I spend any more time on it, especially since the company is no longer trading!  Sure I could unpick all the motifs using that colour and re-stitch but I really can't be arsed.

So unless someone, somewhere in the stitching universe has a good length of Pearsall's Cream White 087, it's going in the UFO drawer!

Silent Thoughts

Now I've returned to my stitching, I can update this hardanger design. 

It's not a terribly easy project as I've come across a couple of motifs that are not quite as they appear on the main chart, which has caused some frogs to visit.  However, I really like the muted shades and the design overall is interesting to stitch.

It'll certainly keep me busy for a while.

It's been a long time

...since we last posted any updates.

Wolverine of course is the stitchalong Essie and I were working on.  I'm pleased to show off the finished projects:

 Essie's 

 Mine 

Essie has hers framed already and mine is in the to-frame pile.

I've really enjoyed working on a project together and marking our progress on here.  I wonder if we can find another project to stitch together.