Quick Update Before Hitting the Road

Just want to post a quick update on the current WIPs before I head off to Germany for the week, (would rather stay home though, I must confess.....)

Dog looks kinda surreal, doesn't he??? The left hand eye is a bit too round and needs elongating, but other than that, I'm quite pleased with them.

Watch the Birdie!

Here's how the chaffinch XS piece is looking right now. Coming on beautifully, I think. I won't be doing any more on it for a little while though, as I want to take it to Germany when we go on Monday so I can work on it there. My other 2 WIPs are either too large or too 'delicate' to take, so I'll work on those over the next 50 hours and post updates over the w/e.

I decided to do the hardanger needlecase for myself whilst on the long car journey from Deilingen to Leipzig.=)

Also, just seen the preview .pdf of the next issue of 'Inspirations' and there's one of those glorious Elizabethan sweetbag designs in there called 'Flowers for Elizabeth', so I think that must go on my 'stuff to stitch for self' list!!!

Minor Miracle!

No, I don't mean DH has done the dishes, I mean that I've actually got some of the dog done! In fact, about 2/3 of the actual eyes are done and that was the scariest bit. Instead of working from the inside out, this time I reversed it and did the honey coloured bit of the iris (you'll see that soon as I haven't taken a pic yet) first so that the central pupil bit didn't get too round. Seems to have worked quite well and I feel rather like getting straight on with it.=) It felt good when DH, thinking I needed a 'reminder' (!!!) asked out of the blue how the dog was coming on and I could tell him to go and have a look. YIPPEE! Might finish it this summer after all.

Now then, I need a small counted thread project (blunt needle) to do whilst on a long, dull 5-hour drive in Germany next Thursday. I'm out of bookmark and needlecase kits. Any ideas? Perhaps a couple of small hardanger pieces for cards? Buy another kit? Finally do that hardanger needlecase for myself? Possibilities, possibilities. Any more ideas, ladies?

Now that Blogger images are working again, I can show you the blackwork kit I got as one of my 4 anniversary presents, (the others were a lovely dressing gown, a DVD of 'Mr Holland's Opus' - a film I just love, and something else which hasn't arrived yet and DH won't tell me about....). It's called 'The Embroideress', which I thought was a good one for both me and lots of you stitching ladies who visit here often.=) This one's for us!

WIP Update as of 12 July

Good morning! Glad some of you are planning on trying hardanger. Something else I should have mentioned last posting is that hardanger embroidery works up quickly. So, if you're used to, and fed up of, the sheer amounts of time needed for cross stitch, then you'll enjoy the relative speed of hardanger.

Now, speaking of which, I actually did some on the cushion last night and here's progress so far. I counted every single element meticulously as I don't want a repeat performance of my first attempt with this piece, where getting one row of things one row of holes out caused me to have to take about 70% of the stitching I'd done out again! You can even see the old holes if you look closely at the pic (click on it for a full sized version).

This is the current status on the chaffinch piece. I'll probably be taking this one to Germany with me next week to work on/finish off there and the other day I ordered its companion 'Blue Tits and Seedheads' design. Hope that will come soon too.

Haven't done much on the dog beyond taking out the few remaining stitches from my first attempt at the eyes, (I made them too round), and re-drawing in the eye area on the fabric. Might just brave that later on this morning, but knowing me, I'll bottle out!!!!! I'm still getting zero done on old overdue work and not feeling any more comfy with it, so I'm just going to have to take myself in hand. I thought of bribing myself. Any other ideas?

My Current WIPs (in 3 Volumes) #1 Chaffinches and Blossom

Good morning! Well, a semi good morning as my throat has swollen up again and I fear a batch of tonsillitis..... Oh well, I wasn't going to do much today anyway as I got loads of work done yesterday, so apart from cancelling the shoe buying trip (which I hate anyway - I have awkward sized feet) I'm just going to slob out and stitch. So, maybe tomorrow I'll be OK.=)

This is the picture I've started for the bedroom. I'll be doing the 'blue tits and seedheads' design from the same series too for one either side of the bed. I love the colours in this one and the changes are very subtle with a lot of blending of colours together, (one strand each of two shades instead of the usual two of the same). Problem with both this photo and the next is that evenweave fabrics don't reproduce well on certain scales of photo, so both of these pix look 'liney' and the hardanger one looks loose!!!!!

#2 - Hardanger Cushion

Here's the hardanger cushion that I started on back in November. I got a lot further than this, then realised that I'd miscounted at the centre and had to frog it to what you can see here, i.e. not much left!! It's now ready for working on again and is mounted in one of those mammoth 17" snap frames. I've never worked with something that big before, so I wonder how I will get on with it. Should be able to comment on that tomorrow, all being well. I don't feel too ill, so I should have a reasonable day's work.=)

#3 - The Dog

The final one is the infamous dog portrait which I've snapped here complete with the photo from the book. I really wish this one was completed and off my conscience, (as indeed it should have been more than 2 years ago......aaaaarrrrrghhhh!!!!), but hope it soon will be. I've done next to nothing on it since it's first mention back on the very first posting on this blog. SHAME on me!=( Well, let's hope for better things in the near future. If I can make myself do half an hour in the morning of most days, then I should soon see real progress on him and have him out of the way! I'd enjoy it a lot more if it were colourful....

I tried to post an update on the wiring business the other day, but no joy as Blogger was experiencing serious difficulties. (I know it still is as I can only put in one photo per post (thus 3 posts instead of one) and you can normally add 5 medium sized pix per post....) Anyway, the people came out and we now have a letter confirming that we just need to replace the special coving in the hall, (Sir's already started on this job), and get a safety certificate from someone who can do testing, (most sparkies can't), and we're OK, they'll accept it and leave us alone. Will post the carol when, and only when we have the letter from then confirming that they have accepted the cert and signed the job off as complete and will be giving us no more hassle about it.

A Finish! Wow!=)

So, here's the only thing I managed to stitch during June. It was very enthusiastically received by it's new owner this afternoon, who practically wore my right cheek away with rapturous kisses!!!=) Always nice that, isn't it? Quite a contrast to the person who I stitched a nice picture for, who not only never framed and hung it, but had to be reminded to even tell me it had arrived and say 'Thank you'! Pah! Not stitching for him again, you can rely on that!

Thanks for all the 'Blog-a-versary' wishes and nice comments on the new layout. Ann/Anita, when I wanted to do it this way, I just looked at the source code of some blogs that I admired and copied the relevant ideas, but you do have to have some idea of what you're looking for, so it wouldn't be easy for me to explain how here.

Von, God surely does appreciate our sense of humour as he created it! I often imagine Jesus having a really good laugh with his disciples and taking the Pharisees off!!!! You only have to watch the antics of baby animals and small children to be sure that God has a rich sense of humour all of his own too.=)

I've already started on a picture for our bedroom walls - once they're newly papered. I doubt that will happen this month, so I have plenty of time to stitch both it and its partner by the time the walls are fit to host anything!!! Planning to get on with the neglected projects from tomorrow as well. Get them out of the way, then I can get on with some more of those nice impressive looking pieces like my 3 best at the top of the blog now! I only wish they reflected my regular work!!