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Monday 4 August 2014

A Few Happy Steps on my Way to a Happy Dance

These are both part-works so I can't claim a full Happy Dance but they are both steps on the way to one.  So that's reason enough to celebrate.

The first project is Spooky Countdown by Primitive Hare.  I am stitching one of these per week alongside Giovanna, we will finish in plenty of time for Hallowe'en.  Gio is stitching her's as a full sampler, I am stitching mine to mount as tombstone markers for my Hallowe'en Countdown Tree this year.

Here are Days 25 and 26:

Love that Haunted House!

The next project is the Joan Elliott Faces SAL, a FB exclusive.  The first month we received the border, the second month the first face.  This is an adaptation of an earlier release called Festive Angel, for the SAL she is in purple and called Guardian Angel.


It's a lovely friendly group of stitchers, everyone is keen to help and give advice and praise where needed.  We have the full range of experience from a lady who appears to have never cross-stitched before through the aida-only stitchers to the evenweave newbies right up to those people mad enough to stitch the skin over one!

Can you guess where I come?  I also changed the hair to a brown version included in the file section.  The only other change (apart from recharting the face to smooth the "steps" out) was to stitch her wings with one strand of thread instead of two.  I thought they would look a little transluscent that way and fabric would show through.  I did beads for the Kreinik french knots in her headband too.  Those are three words which should NOT go together - Kreinik and french knots LOL.  The beads look a little squashed because this is a scan of the piece, not a photo.

Finally, I mentioned Giovanna at the start of the post, she lives in Italy as most of you know and loves to attend the shows there.  Particularly the Fili Senza Tempo at Formigine.  She very kindly offered to send me the charity chart booklet they issue to raise funds for the Childrens Therapy Centre in Modena (the website is in Italian and English).

And here are the contents of the parcel:

The charts, an Italian alphabet card, a chic notebook, some ribbon from a friend of Gio's and a delightful pillow with my initial on.

Close-up of the pillow.  Isn't Gio's stitching so neat and perfect?

The reverse of the pillow.  

Gio tells me that she smiles because our names are pronounced almost the same although they are spelled so differently.  Our middle names are the same too in our own language.  Mine is Mary and Gio's is Maria.



24 comments:

Jacqueline Morris said...

Oooh what lovely things you got in the post! Very very pretty stitching indeed... funny your names are the same too :)
Gosh your Joan Elliott fairy stitch is so pretty.. as Joan's things are :) Your stitching is beautiful, no that word does it no justice.. its exquisite...
Your Halloween stitch is coming along nicely too... wooo scary!! ha ha
Love your post today :)
Smiles :)

KimM said...

Oh my - what glorious gifts from Gio - and what a lovely story about your names. I love LOVE the Joan Elliott fairy. Beautiful!!
hugs
xx

Beth said...

What lovely gifts from Gio!

Heather said...

I love the Joan Elliott design. It is very pretty!

And what a great package from Gio!

krayolakris said...

Thanks for sharing! I didn't know that's how Gio is pronounced! Love your JE face....beautiful!

Preeti said...

Joan elliot piece looks very pretty!! Great progress on your stitching .

Thoeria said...

That face is so pretty! You'e definitely brave with the kreinick and french knots :O Lovely little package from your Italian namesake :)

cucki said...

Super sweet stitches xx

Christine said...

Great stitching Jo, the over 1 on the face has worked really well.
Lovely parcel from Gio too

Pull the other thread said...

Lovely progress on your stitching. Love the over 1 stitching on the Joan Elliott. What a lovely gift from Gio.

Julie said...

A lovely parcel from Gio.
Your lady turned out spectacular, she's beautiful, well done.

Mii Stitch said...

The Fairy looks beautiful!! Great goodies too :)

Clare-Aimetu said...

Lovely goodies arriving with you - great stitching too x

diamondc said...

I like the changes you made, she has such a beautiful face, stitching a section a week on your Spooky Countdown sounds like a great idea.

Blessings
Catherine

Lili said...

Beautiful stitching progress!!
Nice gifts!! :)

Michelle said...

Lovely gifts received and the stitching is beautiful x

rosey175 said...

I love the haunted house too! I think I could live in one as long as the haunts were somewhat friendly haha. :D

o man, I like french knots but I think in this instance I would use beads too! She looks lovely the way you stitched her.

Great gifts from your Italian name-sharer! The little pillow is darling~

Linda said...

That angel is gorgeous Jo. Love the changes that you made. Lovely gifts from Gio.

Linda

Brigitte said...

Your Joan Elliot finish is so beautiful. Replacing the French knots by beads was a nice change, I love the necklace as you beaded it. I love this designer but have never stitched anything from her. I have to browse some of my magazines and see if I will find a pattern from her somewhere. I'm sure that I have already come across some of her designs.

Lovely package from Gio. Enjoy all the goodies she sent.

geeky Heather said...

The angel looks just fantastic...I agree that Kreinik French knots would be too ridiculous!!

Kaisievic said...

Lots of progress, yes, you deserve a happy dance and lovely pressies from Gio - most serendipitous with the names!

stitchersanon said...

Wonderful post..happy dance away to your hearts content lol

Donna said...

Just love gifts in the mail. Beautiful stitching

Anna van Schurman said...

What a cute gift Gio to Jo.