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Friday 22 January 2016

Continuing Progress on a Couple of Projects

That title is what you get when there isn't a SAL to post about!

I mentioned Nora Corbett's C last post but didn't have a photo, so here is one for you:

Stitched on 32 count Oceanic Fantasia by Crafty Kitten

Every time I stitch a Nora Corbett I remember why I love her designs so much!  This is a pure joy to stitch.

I'm using the Crescent Colours, now called Classic Colourworks because I discovered that most of them are used in all four of the letter I want to stitch which made it worth buying them.

Next up is today's new start - the letter G from Brooke's Books' Stitcher's Alphabet:


My 2016 rotation is working rather well.  I start a new small every Friday and stitch until it is completed and then I stitch my focus piece (currently C).  I am also stitching Book of Spells each evening when the Small Boy is in the bath.

The Large Boy has had a couple of days off school with a cold so we sat down to watch a film this afternoon (The Corpse Bride).  I decided to have a go at a Cube Finish in practise for the Hallowe'en and Christmas Cubes.  It's a design I actually finished back in 2014 which has sat in the folder waiting to be finish-finished.  I'd been debating over foam blocks vs polystyrene blocks when Susan sent me some instructions for making a box using mat board.  I kind of adapted them to make my own "no-sew" version.

At least "no-sew" was the idea but it turned out to be "low-sew" as the sides will need whip stitching to fill the gaps.

Poinsettia Christmas by Acorn House Designs

I also need some ribbon and to affix the poinsettia charm which came with this.  I've taken step-by-step photos and will share them when I've finished finish-finishing!

Thank you for all the comments about Mona Lisa on my previous post.  I did have to laugh at the ones about my "amazing eyesight".  I am actually chronically short-sighted and wear varifocals every day.  My distance vision is about a minus seven.  To stitch anything at all I have to hold it approximately three inches from my face and look over the top of my glasses.  Which means that 28 count over one is no more difficult than over 2 on any count.  And that is why I love my tiny stitching so much.

Finally it's sign-up time for the Secret Stitching Sweetheart Blog Hop which takes place on Valentine's Day.  Full details can be found on this post but basically you email a photo of something suitable for a lovely friend and I send you a photo from a mystery friend which you post on your blog to wait for your Secret Stitching Sweetheart to find you from the list of participants on my blog.  Have a look at last year's Hop to see how it all worked:




27 comments:

Chocolates4Breakfast (Terri Malinovich) said...

The Nora C is beautiful (as are all her letters) and your stitching is lovely. Your poinsettia block looks great!

D1-D2 said...

I'd be interested in seeing how Susan's method works. I don't do much finishing (I avoid it like the plague) but I'm always looking out for new techniques.

Linda said...

Awesome progress Jo. Your blog is lovely. You did a great job.

Linda

Gillie said...

I'm with you, Jo, I pull my glasses down my nose to stitch, no trouble, it's seeing the double decker buses I have a problem with!

Yes, please share the low sew method. Love the ornament. My list of four is working well too, only thing I am behind on is my crochet blanket!

Susan said...

C looks great. Your box turned out great - the fabric is perfect.

Kerryp77 said...

The Nora Corbett is looking lovely. Looking forward to seeing how you made up the box. It looks brilliant.

Barb said...

The Nora Corbett is going to be so pretty. I can see why this is appealing to you. The boxes are really going well.

Kaisievic said...

Your C is looking great and I will be looking forward to seeing your cube finish tutorial.

Heather said...

I think the same thing when I stitch a Joan design as you do a Nora lol. I definitely need to make my first Nora purchase soon :). She reminds me of a brunette tinkerbell lol. Great job of finishing the cube and trying something new it turned out beautiful!

Leonore Winterer said...

Great progress! I love your new rotations, it's sounds like so much fun and we get to see new pretties every so often ^_^

Rachel said...

Lovely stitching and finishing, even though you still want to do a little more work on it. As someone who doesn't wear glasses I cannot appreciate how difficult it must be for any glasses-wearer to stitch as you're constantly changing focus between fabric and chart. Obviously you've got used to holding the fabric so close but it can't be easy. :)

Christine said...

Ha ha! I had to laugh at your description of peering over your glasses at stitching 3" in front of your nose. That is exactly what I used to end up doing, until I got fed up of it and had them make me another pair of glasses set at just the right focal distance for stitching with. I still swap to them even now I have varifocals

Mii Stitch said...

Remind me of myself before Santa got me that super duper light/magnifier. Wouldn't do without it now :) Lovely stitching & finishing

Katie said...

Oh lots of fun things going on. Love your C it's looking awesome! Love your cube finish. They are so easy to do! The stitchers alphabet looks gorgeous too.

rosey175 said...

Hey, another "blind" stitcher! I've got negative eight-ish with a pronounced astigmatism haha. I like tiny stitches, but it's very tiring for me to stitch that way, especially because I have to stop and look at other things in the distance so I don't go perma cross-eyed! I do much better with my contacts in but that requires effort instead of rolling off the bed and cramming on specs. :b

What is G? Gingham?

Cross Stitch Claire said...

My eyesight isn't too bad but I love my magnifying daylight lamp for when I just can't see something clearly. Love your cube finish, looks great.

Preeti said...

Your 'C' is looking pretty !! And the cube finish is nice too. It is a good idea to start a new small once in a week.

Justine said...

I love your letter C! I am stitching on my Nora Pixie Couture at the moment and can't remember why I put it down as it's lovely! I am long-sighted so now have to wear glasses for stitching, on the end of my nose so I can peer at the TV over them! Whatever works so we can keep on stitching!

Julie said...

Super cube finish. The letter C looks wonderful.

#HeatherMakes said...

I love the cube :D Your C fairy looks beautiful :D

Bea said...

Really like your C and your G. Looking forward to your tutorial - I'm in favour of anything that doesn't require sewing.

gominam said...

Letter C is so adorable, great rotation and finish.

Michelle said...

Its looking wonderful xx

Sarah in Stitches said...

Lovely progress! And that cube finish is looking great, congrats!

Brigitte said...

Great to see that your rotation works so fine for you.
The cube finishing is something that I still have to try. But I will wait a while. After mastering the flat fold finish I want to make some more flat folds before trying myself on something new. But I'm very curious to see your tutorial for a cube finish.

Lili said...

The letter C looks so pretty! Your cube is lovely!!

Emma/Itzy said...

I really need to pick a Nora Corbett to stitch - in all my time stitching I have still yet to do one!

Your cube looks great, I have a couple of things I need to Finish Finish still!