Wednesday 29 March 2017

Finishes and New Starts.

Here we are almost at the end of March. The weeks are certainly flying by and I don't like it!! I am so not ready for the hot days of summer as, if previous years are anything to go by, it'll be way too hot for me! Winter and Spring I can cope with quite happily but when it gets too hot I hate it. I guess I will just have to accept what comes :)

So what have been up to since my last post. Plenty of stitching of course and some reading. Not as much reading as there should have been as I have discovered a new game ( Hidden City Mystery of Shadows) and instead of reading before I go to bed I'm playing that instead. Sigh! Last night I made a point of being good and picking up my book instead! My current read is Guards, Guards from Terry Pratchett's Discworld series and oh boy it is good! 

Better get chatting about my stitching! I have had two finishes this month so I am quite happy. It's good for my Stitch from Stash ( I'm taking part in a group on Facebook) although I have spent so little I don't really need any credit from finishing! I am going to have a little splurge though when some Nashville releases hit our shores. I so hate having to wait but postage from the States is so ridiculous but then because the pound has been struggling the exchange rate isn't so good so charts etc are getting more expensive here. It's a good job I have plenty to keep me going really! It's not likely to stop me from buying if I really, really want something though!

Anyway the first of my finishes is this sweet little lamb!


Just Nan Lorelei Lamb

32 count white evenweave

DMC

Started 17th February 2017

Finished 17th March 2017.

She was so fiddly to put together I'm actually surprised that she looks like she should!

Second finish is this cutie.

Stitchers Anon Designs Season of Joy

32 count raw linen

DMC

Started 21st February 2017

Finished 23rd March 2017.

I won this chart in one of Gaynor's giveaways so would like to let someone else stitch it and pass it on and we'll make it a travelling pattern. Please say in your comments if you'd like to stitch it. 

As I had finished my piece for my sheep SAL with Barb I had to have a new start didn't I?! I have a few charts with sheep on them ( no surprise really!) and, after much delberation, I decided to start Midsummer Night Designs Bloom which was a gift for my 50th birthday from Lisa in Scotland. I am stitching it on 32 count Vintage Country Mocha linen and am using good old DMC. It is charted for Anchor so I went online and converted it to DMC.

Monday's Barb and I have been stitching on Winter but she has finished hers and is now starting another one of the seasons. I am still stitching away on mine but, hopefully, I should have it finished soon.I don't know what I'll be stitching once it is finished but we'll still be SAling even if we're stitching different things.

I have been quite bad and had two more new starts. As you know I got HAED Guardian out again for the challenge on the HAED Facebook group. Well as excited as I was to be stitching on it again I have ended up not enjoying stitching on any of my HAEDs. Three is just too many to have on the go at one time so I made the decision to put Guardian away again until one of my others is finished. If I end up hating stitching them I may well never stitch another again and I really don't want that. After all we are supposed to enjoy our hobbies aren't we? So I had a new start in Guardian's place. I have been itching to get started on this since last December. Well, actually, probably since I bought it God knows how many years ago. This one is Atelier Perdu The Magic ( no longer available). I am stitching it over one on 32 count Vintage Country Mocha. Yep I did say over one! That is what it says on the chart. It is fine unless you have a visit from the frog! Getting those little stitches out is not easy and at one point I did think shall I just throw this piece and cut another but I didn't want to waste it! So out it came and I managed to get the bit restitched. 

My other new start was at craft group yesterday. I had been stitching Season of Joy there so, as that is finished, I started LHN My Lady at Christmas. I had ordered Chromatic Alchemy Cassa-Rose ( my last splurge before the start of the New Year ) especially to stitch this one. I didn't get a massive amount stitched but it's not bad for 2 hours including chatting and a tea break!

I have also been doing some finishing. I had 3 things sewn up ready to put trims etc on and they've been sitting there for a few weeks. One of them is Mouse's ( very late) birthday gift. I was telling my girls yesterday how awful I felt ( to be fair I didn't start stitching it until after her birthday because I struggled with what to stitch ) and Abi said when is her birthday. I said January! Jess had this look on her face that said "What?!!" and Abi burst out laughing. So I was shamed into doing something about it! So Mouse your very late birthday gift will be in the post tomorrow! I will show it next time I blog. Here are the other two finished!


Sotto La Neve is coming along nicely and should, hopefully, be finished soon. I think I will be sick of stitching white at the end of it though. I am almost done with the white in the trees then I have to do the ground in white and then all the snow falling! I know it'll be worth it.

Of course no post would be complete without Mini Jolly Old Fellow and my dragon! I don't know if you can see where I've stitched on Mini Old Fellow as it's all light thread but I should be stitching some blue next week! The dragon is going well too. I'm feeling better about these now that Guardian has gone away again. 


That is all my stitchy news for now. Thank you for visiting me and for all your lovely comments. 

Until next time.

With much love.

Sally xxx




20 comments:

Vickie said...

Hello Sally! Lorelei Lamb is just precious. Season of Joy is so cute. Oh you are so close on Winter now!! It is super! I love your fabric choice for My Lady at Christmas.

Erin said...

Goodness, what a lot of lovely things!!! Beautiful stitching. I think Sotto La Neve is my favorite. :)
And I'd like a chance to stitch that cute bunny and deer...so put my name in the hat for "Season of Joy", please?

Erin

Carol said...

Always good to see a new post from you, Sally, and catch up on all of your lovely stitching. The little Season of so sweet and your other finished pillows turned out great. I wish you the best of luck in all that HAED stitching--really can't imagine :)

Hope your April will be warm and sunny (but, not too warm!). I agree--this year is flying by!

Christina said...

Oh, that lamb finish is so cute, Sally! And very seasonal. 😊 My favourite of all your stitching is the Plum Street Sampler pillow. Love the chenille trim. I wish I could finish like that!

I too am desperate for Nashville's releases to hit our shores. I have already bought the threads for Blackbird Designs 'The Winter is Past'. Where do you buy your charts from? I usually stick with sewandso and patchwork rabbit.

Katrina said...

A lovely update Sally, I really enjoy seeing what you have been stitching and your new starts. I have some new goodies on their way after seeing the latest Nashville releases, couldn't resist some of the new Blackbird Design charts :)

Linda said...

Congrats on all of your lovely finishes Sally. Nice progress on your projects. Love your new starts.

Linda

butterfly said...


Lovely stitching Sally , I love the first one the sheep so cute.
Enjoy early spring .

Mii Stitch said...

Well that certainly was a busy stitching time for you with that long post :) Not complaining by the way, I've thoroughly enjoyed reading it!
Great finishes (I'm sure Mouse will forgive you for being late) and beautiful new start. The fabric for the lady looks fantastic.
Damn those Nashville releases, I will have to be good & not buy anything, I have so much lovely stash to go through :)

Mary - Lecoeurceltique said...

A lovely selection of stitching and finishes, Sally. It's great that you can keep so many projects on the go at once.

Justine said...

Such a lovely post Sally, as usual so much to comment on! Congrats on your two finishes and your FFOS- those pillows are so pretty.
I love the Winter stitch you and Barb have been doing and the pretty Cassia-Rose fabric for your Calendar Girl.
I don't know how you manage to stitch on so many gorgeous things at once!

Christine said...

Great stitching and finishing Sally, the lamb is gorgeous

Mary said...

You have so many beautiful wips. I enjoyed seeing all of your progress.

Katie said...

Wow so much beautiful things in one post. Love your finishes and your WIPs. Gorgeous work on everything.

Brigitte said...

Your two finishes are so beautiful. That little SB lamb is just awesome and you were doing a great job on the finishing. I would be interested in stitching Season of Joy as well.
Great progress on all your WIPs and great new starts, Sally. I always love to see new starts on the blogs as I'm a serial starter, lol.
I should do some finishing work as well. Your little pillows look so good.
Nice progress on the two HAEDs.

Barb said...

Well Sally my dear ,what a post this was, lots to drool over (sorry about that)You have done sooo much. Love your Lizzie Kate one, I too the lady to stitch at some point. I missed your email and have just found it so I shall be answering that probably tomorrow as I have another one that is waiting to answer which came before yours and also a blog post needs to be done. I do wish someone would stop time and let me catch up ,story of my life. Have started Spring but not done a lot.xxLove and hugs.

Irene said...

WOW Sally, quanti progressi, meravigliosi!!

Julie said...

Lovely sweet lamb.
Winter will soon be finished, I have those seasons charts to stitch in a SAL next year with Justine and Jo.

Jo who can't think of a clever nickname said...

Wow, you started with the cute lamb and just kept going with more and more lovely things!
I've been doing well with SFS too. I find it very motivating to stick to my budget.
Can't wait to see the ornie you stitched for Mouse.

Lesleyanne said...

Your sheep finish is gorgeous Sally. I don't know how you do it, I couldn't. Love your finishes and wips but I always love seeing what you are stitching and finishing.

Andrea said...

Beautiful finishes. Great WIPs too.