#431 - HAED Alpaca - 63.47% completed

 Day 337 and Day 338 (partial)

… partial, because I thought I would share the page finish.  There are 9 full and 12 mostly done, or smaller pages to go. The green pin marks the corner of the page.

I sat down the other day and worked out the non-consecutive stitching days.  He was started on 24 February 2019, and it surprised me that he has actually not had a full year of stitching, so it’s not bad progress.  I mean, it’s not good either, because he’s been hanging around … too many projects not enough time LOL!

Time for a bit of disclosure, I fully admit that there is a tiny bit of creative amendment near the corner as I had a one stitch mis-count, and also when I picked him back up yesterday I had forgotten which way around I had made the stitches (bottom right to top left first leg and bottom left to top right top leg) as the Guinea Pig and Isabel de Bourbon are the other way around (bottom left to top right first leg and bottom right to top left top leg).  I realised after about 29 stitches and reversed stitched about 15 and then got bored and left the rest.  Can we all say eyesight impaired galloping rider - I can barely see the remainder, and if anyone is rude enough to point them out when it’s mounted on the wall I willkick them out any way.

I am starting to feel a little bit better, and my stitch rate is picking up, in fact notwithstanding the no stitch days this month,  it has been one of my personal best months, and there is a day to go.

Hugs

Kay xx

#430 - Contemporary Cross - Custard Cream Dream Mini - 50.89%

 End of Day 59

Lines 121 to 140 finished, and switching out to Alpaca.

Hugs

Kay xx

#429 - Contemporary Cross - Custard Cream Dream Mini - 50.05% completed

 Day 57

50% in 57 days ... I’ll take that.  However, it might have been less days if some of them hadn’t been a bi shy on stitch count.

As you can see, there are just short of 600 stitches to do to finish off the FWoP towers.  I am hopeful that I can get them done by this evening  - it is a marathon weekend (#24HOCS).

I am still loving this pattern, Contemporary Cross have done a brilliant job of charting and it is mostly a dream to stitch, there are a few confetti nightmare areas, but overall its a joy!

Hugs

Kay  Xx

#428 - stitching around the shapes

 … and a few appliqué bits of orange.

I like it more now, the least successful flower was the cactus dahlia one, so I added some orange petals which made it a bit better.  It’s a learning curve, and I will either leave that shape off the next try, or work on it separately.

In hindsight it might have been a good idea to put my freemotion foot on, actually that’s an understatement, I SHOULD have taken the time to put it on, it would have been quicker.  There again I pretty much exist to phiddle around since I retied!

Some thread with variegation could also have been pulled out,rather than just leaving my Aurifil 20/23 on the machine. I’m pulling the sick card on that one🤧

After that effort this will now be cut up for another DMC storage bag.

Hugs

Kay xx

#427 - Inktense around here

 

Thanks to the AMAZING inspiration from Sewing Street channel (Freeview 73) I was moved to drag out the Derwent Inktense pencils.  

I’m still sick, so it is anything in small bursts, and not too demanding.  However, I am determined to do something creative at least once a month through 2023.  I realise that this sounds a bit ridiculous as I do stitching and sewing pretty much every day, but they are usually from patterns designed by others, and not  drawn from my creative well so to speak.

Here, I used plain quilting wait cotton in aubergine, and sprayed on bleach and water solution with a stencil just laid on top to get the nice mottling.  Then another 

Template for the flower shapes, that were coloured with Inktense pencils and outlined with my laundry maker - no posh Pigma Micron pens for me - I  then blended with 100% Aloe Vera gel, which was a tip from the lovely guest they had on earlier in the week for blending the pencils.  I heat set just in case, but nothing dulled or came off so I think it’s pretty permanent.

I still have a lot to go on this test piece, but am happy with it so far.  The problem is that I have to wait for it to dry in between flowers as I’m using a 12 x 12 stencil.

I’m not sure if I will freemotion around the flower outlines as I am probably going to just use this fabric for making my DMC storage bags as it is just a rough and ready test piece.

Hugs

Kay xx

#426 - Temporary Storage

 

There seem to be two hobbies at play here, stitching and curating.

I had so many threads for Christmas and my birthday, that it is a bit of a problem knowing what to do wut( them.  Well, obviously dealing with them would be the preferred method, but as I’m still sick I went with the temporary solution and got these fabulous 1L storage boxes from Hobby Craft (the top one is tha  offer size).  They fit DMC skeins perfectly, and you can fit around 25 in a box.

This way they are sorted in groups of numbers, dust free ... and hopefully, I can work my way through them adding to the Master/working sets gradually. Don’t get excited though, ass it took me until October to work my way through them .... one fine day!

All the previous boxes have been re-purposed for my sewing machine threads, so that made me feel virtuous, and organised.  Since the youngest kid has started costume making, we seem to have trebled the amount we did have.

I have felt well enough to do a but of stitching on the Guinean Pig today, and hope to get around 500 in by this evening.

Hugs

Kay xx

#425 - Contemporary Cross - Custard Cream Dream Mini - 43.56% completed

 

Day 50

Another FWOP towers, which are lines 101 to 120..  I had to take a few breaks to get there, but gradually getting match fit!

I will be leaving this on the frame for a further seven days.

Hugs

Kay xx

#424 - Contemporary Cross - Custard Cream Dream Mini - 41.25% completed

 Day 48

I’m sorry, I’m not too chatty .  With limited reserves of energy to spare, I choose stitching over blogging.

I did cut out a further twelve bags this afternoon, and managed 228 stitches, so I’m sure my stitch rate will go up as I get better.  Poor hubby is down with it now.

Hugs

Kay xx

#423 - Contemporary Cross - Custard Cream Dream Mini 40.83% completed

 

Day 47

#422 - Contemporary Cross- Custard Cream Dream Mini - 40.38% completed

 

Day 45

#421 - Contemporary Cross - Custard Cream Dream Mini - 39.71% completed

 

Day 44

I’ve been so sick, and it’s taken me all evening to stitch 202 stitches, after having three no stitch days, but at least it is progress.

The youngest kid too has been super sick, but is three days ahead of me, and although still far from well is back on his feet.  The good news, and fingers crossed that it continues, is that my Husband seems to be ok.

I was due to swap out to Alpaca for a week today, but will leave this little chap on the frame in the hopes that I can get some significant traction this week.

Between bouts of sickness and sleeping, I did manage to work out how many days I had actually spent on Alpaca though, which was a high point!

Hugs

Kay xx

#420 - Contemporary Cross - Custard Cream Dream Mini - 36.59% completed

 Day 41

I sat and worked it out ... this will be the 41st day (working not consecutive) since he was started.  That is not too shabby.

Page 3 is now finished, which means that I have finished the current Towers, i.e. lines 81 to 100.

The frame has all been wound on in readiness for starting pages, 4, 5 and 6 on the next page block.  With six more days in this rotation, I am hopeful of completing a further two full tower FWOPs.  I can’t wait to see his sweet little nose appearing.

As hubby is going full steam ahead on painting the panelling on the stairs, this little guy needs to be completed sooner rather than later, as the background greens will go so well with the chosen Estate Green colourway.

#419 - HAED Mini Isabel De Bourbon - 7.85% completed

 

Hugs

Kay xx

#418 - HAED Mini Isabel De Bourbon - 6.57% completed

 Day 6

Yesterday, I managed to get full width of pattern towers and a March on the next row.

I’ve also done a further tower so far today Day 7) and have this afternoon to stitch, if I don’t succumb to the log burner and a nap. 

As it is switch out Sunday tomorrow this is my last chance for two weeks to work on my Fancy Lady.

Hugs

Kay xx

#417 - HAED Mini Isabel De Bourbon - 5.12% completed

 Day 5

Last night, I was so close to FWOP on this one, I have about 2 and a bit squares to complete, which are blocks of a few colours today, and by this evening I could start the second set of towers.

Let’s see how much I can get done before I switch back out to the Guinea Pig on Sunday for a week of love.

Oh, and I will need to work out before then how many actual days I’ve worked on him rather than consecutive days/periods.  That shouldn’t take too long.

Hugs

Kay xx

My needle is on fuego

#416 - HAED Mini Isabel De Bourbon - 4.25% completed

 

Hugs

Kay xx

#415 - Trials and errors

 

Weeks before the Yuletide season, I started to try and make a cover for my (second best) floor stand magnifying glass and light, as strangely it didn’t come with one.

I messed it up, and placed it on the side, where it got buried under youngest kid’s latest costume in the making.  As the place was really untidy, and I couldn’t find my appliqué pins I tackled the room just before the New Year’s Eve.  The pins were elusive however, and I had to order more, but this unfinished project was found.

I like everything in its place, and my youngest works in an absolute mess, and so it’s quite nice to have a clean and tidy room for a brief spell.

Yesterday, I found the pins in the same place that I had looked three times, so celebrated with finishing off the cover.  Pretty and bright birds ... I don’t think it’s noticeable, but there are birds in the branches of the wallpaper too.  I love the sage green binding, and it fits perfectly after a bit of a trim.  The only thing left to add are some snaps at the opening to make sure it cannot come off, as it sits right by a normally sun-filled window.  I’m going for orange snaps I think to match the birds.  Ain’t no sun getting through that bad boy!

You can just see a peek of my tiny ironing board that fits perfectly on the chest of drawers, which has come into its own since I received a tiny iron by Prym for Xmas from my darling Husband, which I was not expecting, and was a lovely surprise.  It proved he does listen to my ramblings.

Now I know that the cover works well, I can make one for the Maglight which is attached to my stand.  Annoyingly, I don’t think I have enough of the bird fabric left.

Hugs

Kay xx

#414 - HAED Mini Infanta Isabel De Bourbon - 3.46%

 Day 3

799 stitches

2,822/81,675

I only managed 799 stitches before the lack of DMC 781 stopped play.

I have two ninja stitches in that colour in this tower, and then it does not appear for a good while.  So, off to Heathfield Crafts tomorrow to pick some up.  I could carry on, but it has put a dent in my mojo.  As I only received this pattern on Xmas day, I am working from stash and my overstock boxes (which are essentially unprocessed floss), and therefore I will need to do the numbers so to speak to check what I am missing for the whole of the project.

Ohh, I forgot to say, my stitch total for 2022 was 175,703, 17,211 greater than 2021.

Hugs

Kay

Xx

#413 - New Year:New Start - HAED Mini Infanta Isabel De Bourbon

 As mentioned, I’m part of the Fancy Lady SAL #TeresamademedoitSAL ...

Start Date: 00:02 on 1st January 2023

28 count full cross 1 over 1

Lugana Easy Grid 

81,675 stitches 

Nothing to see here right on the stroke of Midnight, and then progress before I went to bed.  I will update the full amount of stitching he’s for the whole day, and the day after in the next post.

I will be labelling this one differently going forward with the actual day of stitch rather than the date, so hopefully it will easily track how many days it takes me.

Hugs

Kay  xx