One for DH (or maybe me!)

I have been hanging around the Heaven and Earth Designs group on Facebook recently, they do some awesome designs and have been struggling to decide on which one to do, some of the Randal Spangler Dragons look great fun, but as  they are so detailed I don't want to go ahead on something that I wouldn't love to work on for so many hours.

This led to me finding Tilton Charts designs and there two Lord of the Rings designs. One is huge (975 stitches by 810) and I am unlikely to ever do it, but it was a limited edition and I just had to have it. I had seen something similar a while back and didn't get it and was disappointed when it was then withdrawn from sale. The other is entitled One to Bind them All  and is only 350 x 230.

I started work on this before Christmas and have completed two pages. The is approximately 2 weeks work, admittedly when I had a lot of time to sit and sew so I doubt future progress will be as quick. It is a full cover design and I am doing it on 1 over 1 on 25 count (and to think I thought 18 count Aida was hard going)! I am doing full cross stitches, I did start doing it as 2 over 1 tent stitch as it would be quicker, but wasn't happy and thought the angle of the stitches was going to distort the fabric too much so I started over. And actually its not as bad as I had expected in spite of all the black. It has a nice balance of areas of one colour where you are just stitching and other sections that really take concentration, up so close you can't see the full picture and the colour changes don't necessarily make sense, but once you step back you get a better idea

I am enjoying it (so far) and going to try and fit some work on it each month along with the stitchalongs (and everything else).

Not more SALs?

I wasn't going to, but I just needed to sign up for the Lakeside Needlecraft insects SAL, gorgeous bespoke  fabric, and I love the LittleBeachHuts designs, so cute, check out their Etsy shop. I particularly love their "oh deer" design, and their kits are beautifully presented. #lakesideneedlecraft


Kate from Lakeside assures us that there will be no spiders in the design (thank goodness) as she points out, quite accurately, they are not insects. Interesting dimensions too 14x7 for this one too. Time for more custom framing, I think. 1st Pattern released just before we go on holiday too :-) Isn't that a bonus?


The other one I've signed up for is Stitchrovia's Charity SAL, all profits from the sale of this pattern go to the UK charity Mind.

This one is very different in style to other things I'm working on at the moment. I've changed the colour palette replacing the blues with browns, kind of reminds me of Neapolitan ice-cream. It also operates differently to others I am involved in, in that you need to proactively purchase each individual part. It makes it a little dearer overall that the Lakeside ones, but on the plus side it is just 1.99 a month.

Hmm, decisions time now, the oatmeal is 14 count and just big enough, the cream is 18 count. This design is entitled, Quotes to live by, so I'm thinking 18ct might be a bit too small for the text. I've an exam on Tuesday so not starting this until next week, so time to ponder...


Thinking probably the oatmeal - not a statement I often utter!

2017 the year of the SAL

Towards the end if last year I started seeing Facebook posts about a fantasy Sal. At its early stage it was just a lot of circles and an intricate border. I saw the first monthly pattern, a pegasus and I was hooked. The problem if it is a mystery SAL is that you are buying blind and have to trust in the designer.

The Fantasy Stitchalong is from Lakeside Needlecraft in conjunction with Duran Jones, and I am really enjoying stitching it. New patterns come out on the first of the month, and now that the border is fully stitched each monthly pattern takes me  about 6 hours , or 2 /3 good evening's work. I'm stitching it on iridescent blue 14 count Aida. I've not made many changes, adding gold and other sparkly bits here and there, though I may go back and add some beads once it is all finished.

Its great to follow the progress of other stitchers on the group too, there are some great s being done, both in terms of colour palette and pattern changes. I might go back and look at those with a view to borrowing ideas if I stitch it again - As if I have time...

Off the back of doing this one I have also signed up for the Under the Sea SAL, also from Lakeside Needlecraft. Wasn't keen on the first pattern, and octopus, euch, tentacles and suckers, but he has stitched up nicely. This again comes out at the beginning of the month so there is a build up of excitement on the Facebook page towards the end of the month, speculation and anticipating the release of the new design. Then the rush to get it completed. Roll on the 1st of February.

In my new found enthusiasm for SALs I have also signed up for the Ships Manor, Beautiful Sea SAL. It's not entirely my taste, but I will complete it. I am stitching on April Showers evenweave from Jodyri designs. The sections are small, not much more than 3 hours sewing, and a plus point on this is that they are released every two weeks, so no long wait (and they don't clash with the two above either)

I also have my eye on Cloudsfactory's new one for 2017, though this might have to wait until at least one of the above are finished.

I have also just started a more complex piece for myself, 1 over 1 on 25 count, but more of that another time.

And I have obligations to stitch more squares for Love Quilts

As well as work, study, looking after Squirmy and Posy, paying attention to DH, and housework.

Oh, as well as sleep...!

Return from absence

I realised about the time of my last post what my obsessive sewing was doing. It was helping me cope with the death of my dad the previous year. I find that stitching takes enough concentration to occupy my mind and prevent me from thinking too deeply about other things. I also realised that I was starting to come out of the darkness. I didn't stop sewing but it did cease to be such a compulsion.

I did finish my viking runes, and am really please with them.

Frederick hasn't got finished yet, he's stashed away somewhere, I need a break from the black and just never got back to it. Black fabric is tough going, not my favourite, but striking when it is finished.

Then other things came along in the form of Thing 1 and Thing 2, twin girls, also known as Squirmy and Posy, and life has become a lot more hectic, and fun!