SAL – Pumpkin Cottage – 04

This is the scheduled three-weekly post for the SAL that I’m doing with several other crafty blogs and I’ve finished Pumpkin Cottage.

This is how it looked last time.

I didn’t have too much left to do. The tree on the left needed to be finished, then pumpkins, flowers, birds and a fence on the right. Then all I needed to do was pull out the gridlines and take a photo 🙂 It needs a press but as it’s just gone into the box with lots of other projects waiting to be framed in some way, I didn’t bother with that just yet. Honestly, if I did get around to framing them all, I don’t have enough wall to hang them up. I’d have to set up a rotation 😉

I’ve no idea what I’m going to stitch next. I’m torn between fishing another kit out of the box or printing out one of the many digital charts that I have. I’ll have to have a rummage and see what leaps out at me.

For the stitch-a-long I’m linking up to these lovely blogs.

Avis, Claire, Gun, Sue, Constanze, Christina, Kathy, Margaret, Cindy, Heidi, Jackie, Sunny, Hayley, Megan, Deborah, Mary Margaret, Renee, Carmela, Sharon, Daisy, Anne, Connie, AJ,Jenny, Laura, Cathie, Linda, Helen

Do allow for people being in different time zones, so not posting all at the same time, but it’s well worth doing a bit of blog hopping to see all the lovely projects that are being worked on.

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SAL – Pumpkin Cottage – 03

This is the scheduled three-weekly post for the SAL that I’m doing with several other crafty blogs and I’ve done some more on Pumpkin Cottage.

This is how it looked last time

I didn’t get as much done as I’d hoped as I’ve had a pretty busy few weeks, but I have now finished the text and the cottage and made a start on the scenery. 

I like to listen to audio books while I’m stitching. I’m listening to a John Scalzi at the moment. It’s the first book in The Collapsing Empire series and I’m really enjoying it. I like Scalzi’s books anyway, and his have the added bonus of being narrated by Will Wheaton who is by far my favourite narrator. Oddly, I find music too distracting and I get very little stitching done if the TV is on. Does anyone else listen to audiobooks while stitching?

For the stitch-a-long I’m linking up to these lovely blogs.

Avis, Claire, Gun, Sue, Constanze, Christina, Kathy, Margaret, Cindy, Heidi, Jackie, Sunny, Hayley, Megan, Deborah, Mary Margaret, Renee, Carmela, Sharon, Daisy, Anne, Connie, AJ,Jenny, Laura, Cathie, Linda, Helen

Do allow for people being in different time zones, so not posting all at the same time, but it’s well worth doing a bit of blog hopping to see all the lovely projects that are being worked on.

SAL – Pumpkin Cottage – 02

This is the scheduled three-weekly post for the SAL that I’m doing with several other crafty blogs and I’ve done a bit more on Pumpkin Cottage.

This is how it looked last time I’ve now added the flowers to the borders and done most of the text strip. I had hoped to finish that bit for this update but I didn’t quite get there. I’m still quite happy with my progress though and I’m really enjoying stitching this. It’s such a contrast to my last project!

I’d forgotten how much I love using variegated threads. I love the roof of the cottage. It’s so textured because of the variegation.

For the stitch-a-long I’m linking up to these lovely blogs.

Avis, Claire, Gun, Sue, Constanze, Christina, Kathy, Margaret, Cindy, Heidi, Jackie, Sunny, Hayley, Megan, Deborah, Mary Margaret, Renee, Carmela, Sharon, Daisy, Anne, Connie, AJ,Jenny, Laura, Cathie, Linda, Helen

Do allow for people being in different time zones, so not posting all at the same time, but it’s well worth doing a bit of blog hopping to see all the lovely projects that are being worked on.

SAL – Pumpkin Cottage – 01

This is the scheduled three-weekly post for the SAL that I’m doing with several other crafty blogs and I’ve got a new start.

I’ve had this in my stash for at least five years but somehow it never made it to the top of the pile. It’s a Country Cottage Needleworks chart and it uses DMC plus some variegated threads.

I usually make a shade card for my projects, but it tends to be a bit of card with holes punched very unevenly and my scrawly writing on. Also unevenly. This time I got posh and made it on the computer, printed it, stuck it onto card, punched holes where marked and I have a lovely even card for my threads.

Look at the pretty colours!

I did the gridding slightly differently this time, and I think I prefer it this way. It’s a bit easier to see what I’m doing, although the other way worked fine too. This was quicker to grid though, which is definitely a bonus.

I’m really enjoying the stitching. The fabric is lovely, I’m stitching over two, and it’s full crosses. (I have to keep checking that the crosses all go the same way, mind, as I’ve got so used to doing tent stitch). It’s so nice to be able to see what I’m doing and to use colours that you can tell apart.

So, this is where I’ve got up to.

I’d like to add that I’m not enjoying writing this post. I’m using the new WordPress editor and I really, really don’t like it. It’s taking me ages to figure out how to do anything. I’m not impressed. Pah!

For the stitch-a-long I’m linking up to these lovely blogs.

Avis, Claire, Gun, Sue, Constanze, Christina, Kathy, Margaret, Cindy, Heidi, Jackie, Sunny, Hayley, Megan, Deborah, Mary Margaret, Renee, Carmela, Sharon, Daisy, Anne, Connie, AJ, Jenny, Laura, Cathie, Linda, Helen

Do allow for people being in different time zones, so not posting all at the same time, but it’s well worth doing a bit of blog hopping to see all the lovely projects that are being worked on.

2015’s stitching wish list

Now that I’ve started stitching again, I’m hoping to get several projects done this year. I’d like to finish the Flower Sampler Book, and pick up Around the World in 80 stitches again –  maybe even finish that.

I’ve also got several new starts on my wish list. This is my most recent acquisition. It’s obvious why I bought it as it looks just a little like Sammie. I’ve kitted it up and it’s ready to start.

There’s no black, just lots of navy with several shades of grey, green and blue, with some bright white. I can’t wait to start it. I’m thinking it’ll take a while to do, as it’s solid stitching and is massive compared to my usual stitches, but I’ll do other stuff in-between so I don’t get bogged down.

I bought this one recently too. And yes, I do know that buying more stash when my mojo has only just returned, and I already have many, many kits and charts, is probably not the wisest thing to do. This is gorgeous though and had to be bought when I spotted it on Etsy.

It reminds me of Animal Kingdom and Jambo House at Disney World so I want to stitch it and hang it in the living room.

This is one that I bought at the sewing show in 2013. I’d forgotten about it until I was having a rummage earlier but now that I’ve seen it again, I want to stitch it. Now.

Pretty, isn’t it? I just need to check the fabric in case I want to change it. I’m fussy about my fabrics.

Then there’s this one. I was sent a gift voucher for The Patchwork Rabbit over a year ago by Rachel, but as my stitching mojo was just going into hiding then, it’s taken me until now to find something that I really wanted enough to use it on.

Pumpkins! And by one of my favourite designers. It’s a lovely smaller stitch and I hope to do it soon.
Thanks Rachel!

I think I’ll have three on the go at any one time: a specialist stitch, a larger stitch and something small and easy. I can pick up whichever I fancy at the time, and the smaller ones will give me finishes to keep me motivated. I can’t decide if Sunken Treasures comes under specialist stitch or smaller stitch. I’m thinking smaller, as then I can start it sooner 😉