A Happy Dance

I stayed up a wee bit later than usual last night to put in the final few stitches.

Of course it needs pressing and framing and better light of course for a photo, but I couldn't wait to upload it.

All coming together

Page 6 completed. 

Just the bottom section to stitch.

Page 4 - Christmas Wreath

Taking shape. 

First update of 2017!

It's a third of the way done now so should be finished in time for Christmas 2017.

Christmas Wreath update

Page 2 completed

Of course it's helped that I've had a week off work!

New Stitches

I'm usually quite strict with myself sticking to just one BAP at a time, but on a Tuesday and Wednesday each week I'm planning on working on a Christmas Wreath with my Butterfly Heart being picked up on the other evenings. 

I was late starting my Robin tonight as I fell asleep after tea.  

As with most of my large projects, I've started at the top left hand side.

Finishes 2013

It was time for another tree. Autumn Peace.

By mid summer I had finished the latest Mystic Stitch tree - Morning Trail. Probably the best photo quality design I've stitched.

Dictionary of Gardens - combining my two favourite pastimes.

A birthday gift for a work colleague. She's rather fond of giraffes.

A little more charity. Our younger son saved his pennies and bought a lego kit and a Barbie doll before taking them to the local radio station for kids who might not have anything to open on Christmas day.  If a 10 year old can do that, what can our workplace do?  A collection was raised at work and we went shopping for more gifts.

Showing off some festive stitching.  

Finishes 2009

A new craze hit ACN...Ink Circles.

My favourite is Bramble and Rose. We stitched this design as a 'stitchalong'. We all did our own interpretation, mine being in red Caron threads.  Other members did gold thread, variegated greens or blues. I had mine made into a firescreen.

This triangles version hangs in my inlaws' sunroom.

And the original Circles we have in our sunroom.

I had an unusual commission - a ring cushion in lilac featuring The Stig for a friend's wedding.

My sons had a stocking each.  Although I did the cross stitching, I can't take the credit for the making up - Thanks Colly!

ACN has a long running UFO page (unfinished object).  It's a great way to dig out those long forgotten pieces that have been started and then put aside as something else takes your fancy.  A few members are serial starters and joined the UFO section to work on one project, once a week for say a month, before moving onto the next project for a month etc. 

This lion was started by one member but she didn't want it any longer so I adopted it and finished it for my husband's grandad.

This is another stunning Mystic Stitch design 'Peaceful Morning'. I love the richness of the greens.

I learned how to make a book fold for an exchange.

Hellboy was a secret stitch for my husband's birthday.

And a couple of fob exchanges.

I don't have many UFO's in my stash as I am usually very good at finishing each project before moving onto the next one, but this one was hidden away for about 5 years before completion.

Finishes 2007

I had a lot of time on my hands in 2007 to spend stitching. We'd moved "up norf" and with the support of some fellow stitchers created A Crafty Natter, an online chat site bringing together like minded folk from around the world.

Lots of babies were born in 2007 at my sons' primary school where I volunteered. This one was for the year 1 teacher.

Our elder son started karate, followed a few months later by my hubby and his workmate.  This was his mate's birthday gift.

A craze hit A Crafty Natter 'Name Trees'. If you look at it sideways the red one says Joy. The green one says Peace.  These were freebies from an American magazine.  The company who makes the charts will create any names in this style.

'A Strange Kind of Blue' is probably my most treasured stitch. It's a Heaven and Earth design by a Selena Fenech sketch.  It's stitched 1 over 1 on 27ct Laguna and has sparkly Kreinek highlights.

Biscornu fever hit A Crafty Natter.

Another baby sampler. This chart was featured in one of the British magazines and is probably my most stitched chart. At the time of posting I have stitched it 5 times so far!

I spent rather a lot of time in hospital between 2007 - 2011 and created a stash-pack filled with small designs kitted up ready to go to take with me.  One such design was Bob the Builder, for our younger son.

The nursery teacher also had a baby.

Another Mystic Stitch design, Augusta.  When we moved "up norf" we stayed with my husband's parents for 5 months until we found a suitable house to buy.  As a thank you for their hospitality I stitched this right under their noses!