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Sunday 31 March 2019

March Stitch from Stash and Pie

March was a good stitching month, I hit all my targets and reached all my goals.  I am probably going to have to rework my rotation to fit in some of the other projects on my 19 in '19 list.  The original plan was 7 days on my Chatelaine and 14 on the Discworld Mappe.  Leaving 7 - 10 days per month for everything else.  Which would be great if I didn't have to work full days most weeks.  Even one full day per week knocks my stitching days down.  I usually manage to do 30 minutes on a Just Nan small but that's it.  So next month I am going to choose a different project instead of the Chatelaine and see how that works.

Here's the pie for March anyway:

Of course I did spend 3 days stitching the moon on my Enchanted Alphabet.  Maybe the bats will be quicker this month?

My Discworld Mappe was a fabulous success story this month.  14 really good days of stitching saw the project go from here:


to here:

stitched on 32 count Murano custom dyed by Sparklies

I stitched all the words on the crest, all of XXXX next to the crest, moved across to the Counterweight Continent on the left and stitched a lot of the red/white border as well as its backstitch.


The whole blank area in the middle needs to be filled in with 677 next time:


Once I have filled that in and done the backstitch lettering and features I will move the left and start on the next directional arrow.  

Here's the cover photo with the pages noted that I have stitched so far:


I did buy a few bits and pieces this month but none of it actually counts against my Stitch From Stash budget.  Magazine Subscriptions are exempt, as are finishing materials (the charms) and of course Mr. Linky is a blog-purchase not a stitching item.

March
Cross Stitcher sub £8.72
Mr. Linky £3.91
Charms £14.65
Total £27.28


Finally, I will be hosting my Annual Easter Treasure Hunt on Good Friday the 19th April. If you would like to take part this year, just leave a comment here. The week before Easter I will send you a letter of the alphabet which will form part of the mystery phrase. On Good Friday you will post that letter along with a photo of something seasonal that you have stitched (could be Easter or Spring or just something cheerful and sunny or floral). We all hop around like little bunnies to find the Mystery Phrase!




March WIPocalypse New to Me

WIPocalypse
WIPocalypse is hosted by Measi's Musings

Each month we have to share the projects we want to complete before the End Of The World.  

Since 2011 I have chosen a number of projects to focus on that year, starting with my "11 in '11" and increasing to "19 in '19" for this year.  You can find the full list here.

This month I stitched on five of my list:

1. Enchanted Alphabet by Lavender & Lace

 
stitched on 32 count Murano in Tiger Lily from Sparklies

2. Gardens of London by Chatelaine



stitched on 32 count Belfast in Cotton Clouds by Crafty Kitten

3. Discworld Mappe by Lyndisfarne Designs

stitched on 32 count Murano custom-dyed by Sparklies


4. Summer Typography by Just Nan

stitched on 32 count Pink Linen

6. Nest Egg by Satsuma Street

stitched on 32 count Belfast in Marie's Daffodil by Chromatic Alchemy
nearly finished!



Measi always gives us a topic to discuss too.

March – What newer designers and product creators (fabric or floss dyeing, etc) out there have you discovered and recommend?

Unfortunately, because I've been stitching from stash I haven't really been in a position to discover many new designers or products.  I checked my 19 list and the only two new-to-me designers are Cottage Garden Samplings and Sue Hillis.  Neither of whom are particularly new to anyone else!  Last year my new find was Mrs Peggotty and her Alice in Wonderland designs.  I completed Alice last year and will be starting the Queen of Hearts in April:



I suppose I could include my new hobby of rock painting in here!  I found a painted rock near the bus stop last Summer and joined the Facebook group to let the person know it had been found.  Of course, this started a whole new hobby for me.  One which I am thoroughly enjoying.  Painting rocks is considerably quicker than cross stitch for one thing.  Here is my latest, a little Easter Monster by Chris Ryniak, my new favourite artist:



Finally, I will be hosting my Annual Easter Treasure Hunt on Good Friday the 19th April. If you would like to take part this year, just leave a comment here. The week before Easter I will send you a letter of the alphabet which will form part of the mystery phrase. On Good Friday you will post that letter along with a photo of something seasonal that you have stitched (could be Easter or Spring or just something cheerful and sunny or floral). We all hop around like little bunnies to find the Mystery Phrase!






Friday 29 March 2019

March Smalls SAL

The Smalls SAL is hosted by Mary's Thread

I completed my Just Nan small for the month and got the charm for the centre.  I just need to scrapbook it before the 10th for Rachel's FFO Gallery.

stitched on 32 count Antique White linen

As I said before, this was a time-consuming piece but worth it.

My theme for the Christmas Ornament SAL is the old issues of Just Cross Stitch.  This month was any design from the 2007 issue.  I chose The Sweetheart Tree's Noel Christmas Bellpull:

stitched on 32 count linen

I used the DMC conversion and changed the beads to the ones I had in my stash.  Again, this will be fully-finished in time for Rachel's FFO Gallery.




I am including the motifs for my spooky conversion of Lavender & Lace's Enchanted Alphabet as part of this SAL.  This month I stitched a realistic moon from a Pic2Pat chart of the real moon:

stitched on 32 count Murano in Tiger Lily by Sparklies

I'm also preparing some small stones for the Easter Holiday activities at work.  Our theme is going to be the popular Farmyard Tales by Usborne Publishing.  Each page features a little yellow duck the children have to find as you read the story.





Finally, I will be hosting my Annual Easter Treasure Hunt on Good Friday the 19th April. If you would like to take part this year, just leave a comment here. The week before Easter I will send you a letter of the alphabet which will form part of the mystery phrase. On Good Friday you will post that letter along with a photo of something seasonal that you have stitched (could be Easter or Spring or just something cheerful and sunny or floral). We all hop around like little bunnies to find the Mystery Phrase!












Saturday 23 March 2019

Full Moon in March



The full moon in March was on the 20th of the month so it was very appropriate that I put the final stitches in my moon on that day.  I couldn't find a good chart for a moon so I took a photo from Google and ran it through Pic2Pat to produce a chart with just 4 colours.  Here's how it turned out:


This is my spooky conversion of Lavender & Lace's Enchanted Alphabet stitched on 32 count Murano in Tiger Lily by Sparklies.  Each month I am adding various additions to the design.  I think I will add some bats around the moon next month.

On Friday I went along to my crafty coffee morning and completed Fairy Roses, at last.  The little yellow stitches are all smyrnas which adds a nice texture to the flowers.  There are a lot of different shades of rose pink in this design as well as three greens.  The lack of symmetry and the density of the coverage made this quite a time-consuming piece.  A charm for the centre is on order.

stitched on 32 count Antique White evenweave.

This was the final Just Nan small I started for March Madness 2017 so the next one I pick up will the 1st Stitch Maynia start from 2018.  My plan for Stitch Maynia this year is to stitch the same design on each day that I did last year.  Except for the first day as hopefully I will have completed that one in April.  I can have a new start that day!

Most of this week has been spent focused on The Discworld Mappe by Lyndisfarne Designs:

stitched on 32 count Murano custom-dyed by Sparklies

I have completed the land of XXXX which is loosely based on Australia and continued with the lettering on the crest.  Which is very time-consuming and fiddly.  All the stitches split blocks and stitches, the words are mispelled and wonky so you have to count every stitch.  It's not like normal lettering where you learn the letter format and it becomes like writing.  Every version of each letter is slightly different.

I did measure the fabric and it's actually 17 stitches to the inch rather than 16 because of the hand-dying process.  A 28 count would have been easier but it would have been even bigger!  The coverage is excellent though.  To have a break from the lettering I stitched some of the red and white border.

XXXX

Pronounced "EcksEcksEcksEcks", or "Fourecks", if and when people on the main continent bother about this mysterious continent of XXXX. It is so named because rumours have long held that a landmass exists in such-and-such a position in the oceans, but no explorers ever made it there to learn its proper name and then come back to tell of it. Old records in the Unseen University Library tell of two separate expeditions of wizards that attempted to reach the last continent centuries ago, one of which was reputed to have been led by a Sourcerer.

The continent indeed exists. Its people are characterized by an easy-going attitude and an absolute refusal and incomprehension of the phenomenon of rain, until the events chronicled in The Last Continent. The Ecksians have a very colourful language with many complicated colloquialisms. They have learnt to live with the almost exclusively poisonous nature of their flora and fauna.

Source:- L-Space


Finally, I will be hosting my Annual Easter Treasure Hunt on Good Friday the 19th April.  If you would like to take part this year, just leave a comment here.  The week before Easter I will send you a letter of the alphabet which will form part of the mystery phrase.  On Good Friday you will post that letter along with a photo of something seasonal that you have stitched (could be Easter or Spring or just something cheerful and sunny or floral).  We all hop around like little bunnies to find the Mystery Phrase!












Monday 18 March 2019

March IHSW



IHSW or International Hermit and Stitch Weekend always starts on the third Friday of the month.  It's a chance to lock yourself away and focus on your stitching for the weekend.  You can take part on your blog or via the Facebook page.  Links at the bottom of this post.

I was working all day on Friday so I took my current Just Nan small with me for lunchtime stitching:

Fairy Roses - stitched on 32 count Antique White linen

I stitched two of the palest pinks this time.  I've got about 2/3 of the lightest one and then some smyrna stitches to fill the centres of some of the flowers.  Then I'm done.

On Saturday I stitched The Land of Fog?


The Land of Fog (or the Foggy Islands) is a group of small islands widdershins of the continent of XXXX. Very little is known about them, partly due to their being shrouded in perpetual cloud and fog. It was missed, like everything else, by Sir Roderick Purdeigh on his voyages. What scanty reports there are indicate a mountainous terrain dotted with sheep and a few rugby players. According to legend this is where XXXX keeps the lawnmower. This legend, however, is only told on XXXX.
Annotation
A reference to New Zealand. When the Maoris first came to NZ they saw snow on the mountain tops (rather uncommon in their own previously tropical latitudes) and called this new land Aotearoa or "land of the long white cloud". Also famous for having more sheep than people and being home to The All Blacks.

Source - LSpace

I worked all day Sunday so I used Monday as the final day of my weekend and moved over to XXXX and the banner, alternating between the green and the lettering:

stitched on 32 count Murano custom dyed by Sparklies

That green will complete the island so then I can backstitch the whole place.


A few people have said that they don't do Facebook and asked if I could host a link-up for them, so here it is! Just add your name and the link to your actual IHSW post, not just your blog home page.

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The next IHSW will be 19th - 21st April so make sure you note the date in your diary or come and join us in the Facebook Group - IHSW on Facebook. If you don't do Facebook then you can check in here.

Finally, most serendipitously, Friday 19th April is also Good Friday in England so I will be hosting my Annual Easter Treasure Hunt.   If you would like to take part this year, just leave a comment here. The week before Easter I will send you a letter of the alphabet which will form part of the mystery phrase. On Good Friday you will post that letter along with a photo of something seasonal that you have stitched (could be Easter or Spring or just something cheerful and sunny or floral). We all hop around like little bunnies to find the Mystery Phrase!

Here's a link to last year's hop so you can see how it all works - Easter Treasure Hunt Blog Hop 2018



Friday 15 March 2019

March Gifted Gorgeousness Link-up Post

2019 GG


Welcome to the March Gifted Gorgeousness link-up.  The link-up date continues to be the 15th and I will keep the link-up open until the end of each month so you have plenty of time if you are late posting.

The format remains exactly the same, there is a list of rules on the main sign-up page if you want to check what is required but basically anything connected to the word "gift" is allowed, whether it was a gift TO you or is a gift FROM you.

The first design is stitched on gifted fabric.  The lovely Tiff Stitches sent me this gorgeous piece of acid yellow from Chromatic Alchemy and I decided to stitch this Satsuma Street design titled Nest Egg which I call "Goose in a Bonnet" just for fun.

Here is where the piece was left last month:

stitched on 32 count Belfast in Marie's Daffodil by Chromatic Alchemy

And here is where I am now:

look how much nicer that wing looks in the lighter shade of peach


I worked on my Chatelaine for one week this month.  This was a Birthday present and a number of bloggers donated threads for it.  Here is where I left the second Garden last month:



And here is where I am now:


Not a lot of progress this time.  I did stitch a lot of Queen's Stitches in the border.  Unfortunately the pink in the right garden looks different to the pink in the left which I prefer.  So I see another frog in my future.  Then I stitched the rice stitches in both gardens.  Next month will be speciality stitches in the right garden and in both outer borders.

stitched on 32 count Cotton Clouds Belfast by Crafty Kitten



My Discworld Mappe will be a gift for my son, hopefully for his 18th Birthday in 2020.  Here is where is was at last GG post:



And here is where I will pick it up for this month:


stitched on 32 count Murano custom-dyed by Sparklies


Now it is your turn to show us your Gifted Gorgeousness for the month. Please use your name or your blog name in the field and NOT the words "March Update" so I can easily see who has linked up this month. And link to the actual post, not just your blog. It is easier if you copy and paste the link, rather than typing freehand.

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Finally, it is IHSW this weekend.  The weekend where we hide away from the rest of the world and stitch to our heart's content.  Unfortunately I have to work Sunday but I will be picking up Discworld on Saturday and starting on the lettering.  Hopefully I can add Monday to my weekend as I'm not working that day.







Sunday 10 March 2019

Finally Fully-Finishing Fun for March

Hosted by Rachel the Ten Hour Stitcher

This new SAL is designed to motivate us all to do something with that box of Finishes pieces instead of just storing them under the bed.  We will all be linking up on Rachel's blog on or after the 10th of each month (10 Hour Stitcher - 10th of the month).

Once again, I have been focusing on my scrapbooking.  You're going to see a LOT of scrapbook finishes for this SAL over the year!  I had the Christmas Ornament from February and some Just Nan smalls which were waiting for the perfect paper.


Ink Circles Poinsettia from Just Cross Stitch 2008



Just Nan Noah's Rainbow


I splashed out and bought the official charm for this one!



Just Nan Butterfly Bouquet


Just Nan Butterfly Rose



Just Nan Thanks a Bunch



That was a satisfying way to spend an afternoon; cutting and sticking.  I do enjoy going through my papers and finding the right background for each piece.  By February all the calendars at work have been reduced to 75% off so that is the perfect time to grab a bargain, 12 pages for only £2.50.  You may recognise the artwork of Monet for several of my Just Nan designs.

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Finally, Easter is rather late this year but I will be running my usual Easter Blog Hop where we all Hop around like Easter Bunnies to find the mystery phrase.  Supply your own chocolate!  I will be doing a sign-up post soon with full details of the Hopping fun.





Wednesday 6 March 2019

March TUSAL

Tusal

It's TUSAL time, the Totally Useless SAL where we all show our ORTS and link-up on Daffycat's blog.

Here is my TUSAL jar with two projects:


I left all the orange floof in the tin so you can see how much there is.  That's my evening ORTs tin and there's usually very little in there.  But this month I decided to frog a large piece of the goose.

Have a look at the previous photo of goosie:


and now:

Satsuma Street - Nest Egg
stitched on 32 count Belfast in Marie's Daffodil by Chromatic Alchemy

The orange in her back was one shade too dark and the more I looked at it the less I liked it.  So I frogged it and will restitch it.  I do love those eggs but I feel this will benefit from some backstitch, just to outline the eggs and the goose.  Not black but a dark grey.

The other project in the TUSAL photo is my spooky conversion of the Enchanted Alphabet by Lavender & Lace.  I am adding a large full moon charted from a photo of the actual moon using Pic2Pat.  I am happy with how it's turning out but progress is a little slow thanks to extra work shifts due to World Book Day this week.  Today I did shop visits for 93 Primary School children aged between 5 and 9.  Luckily not all at the same time!

Finally, here's some rocks I painted for World Book Day, these will be hidden in our shop over the weekend for children to find: