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Monday 13 July 2020

Painting the Roses Red

We're painting the roses red
We dare not stop or waste a drop
So let the paint be spread

We're painting the roses red
We're painting the roses red


I thought I'd do a whole post about my Alice in Wonderland SAL this month.  Designed by Amanda Butler, it started in Cross Stitcher magazine in the February 2020 issue 353 with the border and has continued with one block per month since then.  So far, we have seven blocks.  Six of which are based on the original Tenniel illustrations and one random one based on the Tim Burton Alice film.  Not sure why that is?

Here are the first six blocks as a recap:







And here is the latest addition, first before backstitch:


And then after:


This was quite a fiddly block to stitch, all those little spades were one x and then backstitch to make the shape.  Same with the roses - two colours in each and then backstitch.  People were joking that they had thought we were done with roses after the whole border!

And the whole piece so far:

stitched on 32 count yellow Belfast linen

I really need to spend a day working on the border!  I can't do it at bath-time because of the beads.

So who is missing?  Who will be in the final five?  My guesses include the Caterpillar, the Queen of Hearts, the Cheshire Cat.  So far we only have one block from Looking Glass, so maybe Humpty Dumpty or the Red Queen?

Maybe the talking flowers?

Sir John Tenniel | The Alice Wood Engravings | Discover Goldmark
What do you think?



Finally, the Summer Blog Hop.  Anyone want to do a Summer Blog Hop this year?   I thought we could do a Know Your Blogging Friends Hop.  I allocate you the name of a fellow blogger and you make a post about them, showing something you think they would like to stitch.    Could be something you have stitched or something you found online you think they would like to stitch.

So, for example, if you got me as your Blogging Friend you would write a post about my Blog Hops and show a dragon design (or 2!).

To take part, leave a comment here.  I'll take sign-ups through to the 28th July and then allocate names with the posts going up on 8th August (It was my Nana's Birthday).







12 comments:

Cathy said...

Alice in Wonderland looks like it's a lot of work, but it's definitely worth it.

diamondc said...

Jo: I am loving this SAL, I think Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum are adorable.
I am looking forward to seeing what you have for the next block.

Catherine

Pamela said...

This is fabulous!

Barb said...

Your Alice design is just amazing. That is a lot of back stitch but really worth it!

butterfly said...

Alice stitch is looking fab .
One must be the C/cat and red Queen ,I think you are right with all three .
Enjoy your day.

Vickie said...

Wow this is gorgeous!

Christine said...

Looking good. I need to work on mine I'm falling behind.
I think from a symmetry point of view the bottom corner blocks will have Alice in them, so I'm guessing Cheshire, Caterpillar and QofH for the other 3

Linda said...

Awesome progress Jo. It looks great.

Linda

Unknown said...

At the Please Touch Museum in Philadelphia, you can paint roses red. It's cute. -- anna annavsxs@gmail.com

Leonore Winterer said...

Alice looks great! I agree, we need a Caterpillar an Cheshire Cat in coming blocks for sure.

Mary - Lecoeurceltique said...

There is a lot of detail in each Alice block and the backstitching makes such a difference.

Rachel said...

Thank you for the dedicated post. For a magazine instalment, this has to be one of the best charts I've seen, so realistic and extremely detailed. You must be over the moon with it.
I'm not an Alice fan but even I can see the noticeable absence of the Cheshire Cat and Queen Of Hearts.
I saw an old episode of Michael Portillo's great railway journeys the other day (S8E4) where he went to Lewis Carroll's childhood home and saw things which may have inspired some of the characters. Very interesting. :)