Here We Go Round the Mulberry TUSAL

It's TUSAL time again!  For those of you new to blogging, the TUSAL is a project run by Daffycat, click on the button on the right hand bar for more details.

Here is my ORTS jar posing with the current stitching projects:

On the right hand side is the Easter chart I won in Justine's GGG (Gifted Gorgeousness Giveaway).  I'm trying to get it done quickly so I can pass it on for my Easter Treasure Hunt Blog Hop.

On the left we have Shepherd's Bush Mulberry.  One of a series of mini plant based band samplers.  I stitched the four Christmassy one way back when and Bilberry more recently.

Here is the finished design:

stitched on 32 count Antique White linen

using recommended DMC threads and perle.

There are lots of speciality stitches in this one, including some lovely bargello and this hemstitching where you cut the fabric and remove the horizontal thread then weave a strand of perle through the verticals.  Before I frame this I will straighten up the woven thread!

Here is Bilberry which I finished and framed back in 2013.  I'm hoping to get the same frame and mount it in a similar way.

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Finally, it's nearly time for the Easter Blog Hoppity Hop!  Taking place over the Easter weekend each participant will be allocated a letter of the alphabet which they must post along with a nice Easter or Spring themed stitched photo.  In recognition of the varied talents of my followers I think you can also show any sewn, quilted or otherwise crafted Easter or Spring themed items.

Everyone will then hoppity hop around like a little fluffy bunny and collect the letters which will spell out something seasonal.  If you would like to be a picture poster then please drop me an email.

If you'd like some inspiration then look at the freebies on this page of my blog - Themed Freebies

Happy Extra Day!

Did you all enjoy your extra day today?  Hope you managed to get some stitching in anyway.

I have made a good start on the third of Nora Corbett's Alphabet Fairies - E

I am stitching her on the same fabric as my J which is another Crafty Kitten 32 count Murano, this one is called Love-in-the-Mist.  This is 2 day's worth of stitching:

There's quite a lot of metallic in this one and also quite a few beads.  I am very interested to see how long she takes too.  You would think that each fairy would take roughly the same amount of time to stitch, give or take a few days.  But look at this month's Pie Chart:

Nora's S fairy was stitched up in a mere 10 days.  Now this chart shows 8 days for the C fairy but she already had 14 days in January, so that's a massive 22 days in total.  More than twice as long as S fairy.  Now maybe I spent more time stitching each day in February but I don't think so.  C was just a lot more stitching!  I wonder where E will be?  I intend to stitch on her as much as possible now because I do have four full days at work in the next two weeks which really reduces my stitching time to about an hour a day.

I've also been making great progress on Shepherd's Bush's Mulberry Sampler and here's the bottom portion I've been stitching the last couple of evenings:

This part is all speciality stitches, including a full 6 strands of thread couched in place.  I've got another row and a half of Bargello and a row of Smyrnas and then it's on to the cutwork!  I leave that until last so I don't distort that part when I continue stitching.

Isn't Bargello awesome?

I am tracking my spending this year but not with any budget in mind, just to see where it all goes!

February

Cross Stitch Crazy	£4.99
iStitch Charts x 2	£15.11
Flossaway bags	£4.05
Beads (fairies)	£7.21
Kreinik (fairies)	£6.50
Just Nan chart	£9.86
Total Spend	£47.72

I bought a single issue of Cross Stitch Crazy because there was a big article about the Stitching Out Stigma project I was involved in last year.  The squares have all been made into two hangings which are being displayed in the new Mental Health Unit in University Hospital Llandough, Wales.  You can see all the individual squares in the online Gallery too.

The article

and

a close-up of one of the hangings, with my square top row, second left

The iStitch charts were because Carol was having a sale so I bought two Advent Charts which one being half price.  The weird price is because Carol's charts are sold in US$ so they convert to odd pence.

*************************************

Finally, it's nearly time for the Easter Blog Hoppity Hop!  Taking place over the Easter weekend each participant will be allocated a letter of the alphabet which they must post along with a nice Easter or Spring themed stitched photo.  In recognition of the varied talents of my followers I think you can also show any sewn, quilted or otherwise crafted Easter or Spring themed items.

Everyone will then hoppity hop around like a little fluffy bunny and collect the letters which will spell out something seasonal.  If you would like to be a picture poster then please drop me an email.

If you'd like some inspiration then look at the freebies on this page of my blog - Themed Freebies

January Smalls SAL

and DUCJC 2015 Days 24 to 27

The Smalls SAL is hosted by Heather from Stitching Lotus

This year I am going to have two monthly challenges:

1. The Primitive Hare Hallowe'en Cubes SAL with Giovanna

2. The Hallowe'en Ornie SAL themed blog.

But because I have also been taking part in the DUCJC 2015 I haven't really got a finish for either this month!

I stitched on the first cube on Day 17 and here is my progress:

Stitched on 32count Vintage Linen.

I intend to stitch these on Sunday afternoons unless I have to work.  

Hopefully I can finish this one this Sunday.

The theme for the Hallowe'en Ornie SAL Blog was Witches.  I did start a Brooke's Books Witch and I also stitched a witch as part of Prairie Moon's Thine is the Trick and the Treat so I am counting that for this month's ornie!

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DUCJC 2015 - I am doing well keeping up with the new starts.  The box to choose from is getting emptier and the stitched box is getting full!  Only a few more days to go then I can return to my favourites.

Day 24 - Shepherd's Bush - She Tends:

Stitched on 32count Light Mocha Belfast linen

Day 25 - Shepherd's Bush - Mulberry:

Stitched on 32 count Antique White linen

This is the sixth of the series I have stitched.

Day 26 - Dragon Dreams - Dragon of the Winter Moon:

Stitched on 32 count Moondust Murano evenweave from Crafty Kitten

All of the white body is Anchor Marlitt which is a silky thread and quite slippery!

Day 27 - Prairie Moon - Thine is the Trick and the Treat:

Stitched on 40 count hand-dyed linen.

I stitched the skull motif to the left on day 27.

I have been stitching TitTatT all month, one strand per evening except for day 27 when I took it into work.  I saved this project from day 27 because I knew I had a full day at work and thought there would be little time for stitching.  I totally forgot I get a lunch break when I work a full day!  It's usually only a 20 minute coffeebreak.  So I got some midday stitching and completed another motif.

The doorbell just rang and I have to show you what the postman delivered:

Yes, an entire cone of DMC 310!  With all the Hallowe'en stitching I do I thought a cone made economical sense!  425m for £16.50 works out at 31p a skein of 8m.  And I get a really nice solid card cone which I am sure can be made into something spooky when the thread is all used up!

The cone came from Crafty Kitten and because I had a voucher from Heather of It's Geek to Me all I had to pay was postage.  I also got some Crescent Colours for one of my final 31 starts,

The little book next to the cone is my 2015 Diary.  I usually use the cover gift from WOCS magazine but they didn't have one this year, just a desk calendar.  So Santa brought me one.  The cat is printed but the rest of the cover detail is embroidered on.  Very suitable, thank you Santa,

Finally, I will be hosting the annual Valentine's Day Blog Hop this year.  See this post for more details.  Just send me a photo of your lovely stitching to be sent to another blogger on Valentine's Day,  I've added the Heart to my sidebar, please feel free to copy it onto your blog to link back here.