More Progress

The Mario sampler is coming along well. I'm still dreading the border at the other side, but I think that I should just buckle down and get it done. It might even be worth starting it now and getting it out of the way. At least then I can stop moaning about it! My Mum got me a family tree stitch kit, which looks great and has the added bonus of being incredibly personal. This definately is heirloom marterial. My better half got me 'Adventures in Needlecraft' which contains some incredible tapestry patterns. I've not done tapestry before, but have ordered the materials and I'm looking forward to getting started on them too. There are three large patterns that I'd like to do. One is a wall hanging, another is a framed piece and the third is a cushion. I'm starting with the framed piece first, then the cushion. I might even have a go at making up the cushion!

Third Tree Done

Finished my third gift tree and I'm very happy with the result. I am also quite please with the fact that I don't have to do another one! I managed to put some more time into the Mario sampler and it is coming along nicely. It is starting to balance itself out a bit. I am not looking forward to the border at the other side though!

One down...

... One more to do. Quite proud of how this one turned out. A bit of a shame that it is a gift! It's the second time that I have done this pattern - I've got another one to complete in the next two days.

Borders...

Managed to get a bit more completed of the border, but there is still a ways to go with this one. I'll have to knuckle down if I want to get this finished. Also, looking at it, I think that the Boo is a little high. I might unpick and redo - but it might balance itself out when the rest of the pattern gets stitched.

Finished

I am pretty pleased with how this turned out. It will end up as a book mark for my Minecraft addited daughter - MinecraftMinx She is obsessed with all things Minecraft and even has her own YouTube channel with her own 'Let's Play' videos!

Death By Border

Carried on with the Games Sampler last night - definately regret my choice of border, but half of the outline is now done. Finally. I might leave the other side till very last!

I've also started work of a little something else, which will probably end up as a book mark for my youngest, Minecraft obsessed daughter. More on that later.

Birthday

Managed to get stuck in to this pattern again last night. I am begining to regret my choice in border, but it'll look awesome when its done! Also in the picture is the amazing pair of embroidery scissors that my mother in law bought me for my birthday today. Looking forward to using them in the years to come! Thanks, Jan!

Couldn't resist

Well, I did have all the materials in and it is a good pattern... It's a bit tricky though - I seem to be making plenty of mistakies with this one. There is about three hours worth there.

New Project

The traditional sampler is coming along in leaps and bounds at the minute. I've pretty much finished the bottom half of it and have made considerable headway into the upper portion of the chart. I'll do pictures later.

Recently, I have spent a bit of time doing a pattern for my next project. I'm looking forward to getting started with this one as I'm very pleased with the results! I've still got a bit of tinkering to do with it, but it's very nearly there.

 

Bit of a Break

I've was recently rushed into hospital to get my appendix removed - just in time. I've got a massive incision in my abdomen and it's pretty sore. This is why I haven't posted or stitched in a bit. I am now on the road to recovery and I'm stitching again. A couple of weeks of work and I should be right as rain and it will give me chance to get back on track with the stitching projects!

More plants and fruit

More Sampler Progress

Borders and filling out

I did a bunch of work on the borders and filled on of the fruit bowls. I'll add the top piece of fruit a bit later on. Probably when I start on the other bowl's contents. I started on some of the mixed thread colour on the flower on the right hand side too. I like how this is going, looking forward to getting on to the lettering - which I might change for something else.

Progress

Taking advantage of my time and doing more work on the sampler and a couple of other things.

Another Icon from the 90s

Bauble for the tree

Butterflies, Balls and a Dish

As you can see, I've finished two things! This is kind a record!

Another Historical Creation

I was looking through my kit and I found this :

I'd forgotten that I had done this. I really need to get it framed and on a wall somewhere. I also found more works that I hadn't finished (some that I had hardly started) - I think that this blog will help me get some of these thing complete and on display. I have another classic samplers to do after the one I mentioned a few posts ago - I really like working on samplers as it gives you the chance to put the pattern down and sew from memory. Repeating borders may appear boring but so long as there aren't too many colour changes, you can just settle down and crack on with them.

I'd like to design my own contemporary sampler. I think that I'll look into that and get back to you with some preliminary ideas.

Todays efforts

Managed to grab some time to work on a current theme of mine: Windows 95 icons! I'll probably be releasing these as kits a bit later on in the month when I get things a bit more organised.

Some other work

I'll try to keep this sort of post to a minimum, but while I get established, I'll post a couple of my previous creations. I've been working on something today and I'll post the pictures of them next.

I did finish these fairly recently. I took part in an event organised by another blogger and what you did was make a piece of craft for a stranger. I made the swallow tattoo stitch for my partner and I got an awesome pac man needle holder. If I get a few moments, I'll post a picture of the needle holder and credit the creator.

Welcome

This is the very first post in what I hope will be a very long series of fascinating posts. I hope that you'll join me while I stitch a variety of things. What I hope to achieve here is a document of the projects that I am working on, new things and patterns that I have discovered and new techniques and crafts that interest me. I'll also pick up on any news, competitions and events that I find out about.

Here are a few of the projects that I am currently working on in cross stitch :

What I want to do is show you a before and after shot when I sit down to work on a project. These pictures are for reference for the time being.

In the next post I'll show off a couple of the things that I have actually got around to finishing!

Hope you stick around to see what happens.