A blog trying to focus on all the nice things in life, those moments when everything turns out right. Finding the perfect fabric for that chart you love, the ideal sampler quote, just the right picture in all the 1000s of magazines you own. Meeting people who share your interests and obsessions and totally understand why you NEED that chart when you already have enough to last until you're 104
Because I am focusing on my BAPs again, I won't have so many smalls this year but I do have a couple of series with small components so I will share them this month.
The first is the Blackwork Tarot by Circle Cross. I have finished Leo, and have got a good way with Virgo:
stitched on 28 count sky blue evenweave from Silkweavers
Virgo
Turn, Turn, Turn by Noteworthy Needle has been my evening project every day this month:
stitched on 32 count Sea Spray linen
Finally, you might see some actual smalls next month as it's Dark October and I still haven't decided what to stitch in the evenings! Possibly the Mani di Donna Sewing Basket or maybe some Just Nan smalls.
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 - IHSW on Facebook.
My first project was Fairy Idyll from Mirabilia:
stitched on 32 count Vinyard Murano from Crafty Kitten
Then I got a little bit done on the Zodiac signs from Circle Cross, finishing Leo:
and a small start on Virgo:
stitched on 28 count sky blue evenweave from Silkweavers
Taurus from Nora Corbett was the next project:
stitched on 32 count Murano in Taurus from Sparklies
There are a couple of missing stitches around her face and then it's on to beading!
In the evenings I have been working on Turn, Turn, Turn from Noteworthy Needle this month. I have reached the right hand side where those brown stitches are.
stitched on 32 count Sea Spray linen from Wichelt
Finally, the next IHSW will be 20th - 22nd October 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 by leaving a comment on my post.
Welcome to the September 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.
At the end of August I was working on my Chatelaine Gardens of London, mostly the border but I did get a guardman's hut stitched too:
stitched on 32 count Cotton Clouds linen from Crafty Kitten
Then for September, my focus has been Fairy Idyll from Mirabilia. I am so in love with this project! I'm stitching her for 14 days this month.
stitched on 32 count Vinyard Murano from Crafty Kitten
I am continuing with my Dark 13 project which is Mani di Donna's Halloween Sewing Basket. The plan for this one is to stitch it on the 13th of every month.
stitched on 32 count grey linen
I made some more progress on the Elements from Circle Cross' Tarot design and continued with the third Zodiac sign - Leo:
stitched on 28 count sky blue evenweave from Silkweavers
Little Snapdragon was my evening project until I finished it:
stitched on 32 count Evening Sky Murano from Crafty Kitten
Since then. Turn, Turn, Turn from Noteworthy Needle has been my evening project again:
stitched on 32 count Sea Spray linen from Wichelt
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 "September 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's International Hermit & Stitch Weekend this weekend. I'll be working on Fairy Idyll for one day and then returning to Taurus on Sunday. September really is a Nora Corbett sort of month!
For the first time this year, Halloween at Hawk Run Hollow did not get the full month. Because I finished it! Here's where I started the month:
and here's my glorious finish:
stitched over 1 on 25 count Cassia Rose from Chromatic Alchemy
The number of days it took to stitch each block is as follows:
Block 7 - 13 days
Block 6 - 16 days
Block 2 - 19 days
Block 3 - 20 days
Block 4 - 15 days
Block 1 - 19 days
Block 5 - 25 days
Block 8 - 15 days
Block 9 - 27 days
Block 10 - 31 days
Block 11 - 32 days
Block 12 - 34 days
A grand total of 269 days, pretty much 9 months so it's been like having a baby!
The blocks took longer as time went on, partly because I've had less time for stitching in the last 12 months that before that for various reasons. But also because those bottom four blocks are much more full coverage than the other two rows.
I then moved on to Taurus by Nora Corbett to get a good chunk of progress on her. I've completed nearly all the cross stitches and have started the metallic gold. There are a lot of beads in this one!
stitched on 32 count Murano in Taurus from Sparklies
I stopped after 13 days so I could fit a full 7 days into Gardens of London. I worked on the borders for a while then stitched the blue in the Guardsman's Hut then finished on the border for the last day.
stitched on 32 count Cotton Clouds Linen by Crafty Kitten
This is a project you need to sit down and focus on. It's not something you can pick up and put down, or carry around the house easily.
My evening stitching was split between the Little Snapdragon from Kustom Krafts and Turn, Turn, Turn from Noteworthy Needle:
Little Snapdragon was so close to a finish I decided to move that to the evening and get it done this month.
stitched on 32 count Evening Sky Murano from Crafty Kitten
These photos are taken after I ironed it facedown into a fluffy towel. You can see how the stitches puff up and look amazing just from a dry iron.
Turn, Turn, Turn currently looks like this, over halfway done now:
stitched on 32 count Sea Spray linen from Wichelt
Finally, Stitch from Stash and I got two embellishment packs for my Nora Corbett Zodiac Girls. I checked my inventory and didn't have many of the beads Taurus needs so it was more economical to buy the whole pack. I also bought the beads for Scorpio which I plan to do after Capricorn. I have most of the beads for Capricorn already.
Because I am focusing on my BAPs again, I won't have so many smalls this year but I do have a couple of series with small components so I will share them this month.
The first is the Blackwork Tarot by Circle Cross. I have finished Cancer, and have got a good way with Leo:
stitched on 28 count sky blue evenweave from Silkweavers
Once I'd finished Little Snapdragon, my evening project returned to Turn, Turn, Turn by Noteworthy Needle. Lots of trees! Currently stitching an Autumn Tree:
stitched on 32 count Sea Spray linen
When I finish the left side of the Autumn Tree I will be over half way through the project.
Finally, here's some very small papercraft projects. My Mini-Albums have been getting more mini by the week!
The Barbie is 1/6 scale at approx 2 inches and the blue is 1/12 scale at approx 1 inch
HSW 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 - IHSW on Facebook.
I made a start on Nora Corbett's Taurus and filled in all the grey/purple in the dress and then moved on to the frame around her.
From here on Friday:
stitched on 32 count Murano in Taurus from Sparklies
to here:
Lots of metallic gold in the top of the frame.
In the evenings I am going to work on Turn, Turn, Turn from Noteworthy Needle this month. From here:
to here:
stitched on 32 count Sea Spray linen from Wichelt
I also added some stitches to Leo the Zodiac sign from Circle Cross. From here:
to here:
stitched on 28 count sky blue evenweave from Silkweavers
to here:
Please excuse the poor quality of the "after" photos, I used my iPad as I finished stitching rather than get my camera out each time! I'll get decent ones for the end of the month posts.
Finally, the next IHSW will be 15th - 17th September - my Birthday weekend - 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 by leaving a comment on my post.
HSW 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 - IHSW on Facebook.
Strangely enough, I'm not working on a Friday again, so was able to make a start today!
I filled in all the grey/purple in the dress on Nora Corbett's Taurus and made a start on the frame around her.
stitched on 32 count Murano in Taurus from Sparklies
Now that Little Snapdragon is finished, I am going to work on Turn, Turn, Turn from Noteworthy Needle in the evenings. The edge of that pink is the centre line of the chart:
stitched on 32 count Sea Spray linen from Wichelt
That just leaves one more project to fit in - the Zodiac signs from Circle Cross:
stitched on 28 count sky blue evenweave from Silkweavers
Finally, I did some more papercrafting. Having completed a small 4 x 4 inch album I decided to go down a scale and make a 1/6 scale album for a doll. Based on the popular Barbie doll but modelled here by my vintage Sindy:
1 3/4 inch tall
2 inch wide
3/4 inch spine
There are four pocket pages with flaps, pockets and inserts
Decorated with stickers and photos
And then I went down a scale again to 1/12
7/8 inch tall
1 inch wide
9/16 inch spine (15mm)
Four pocket pages with flaps, inserts and a pocket on the inside back cover
Here's the two of them together
The blue one is going to be part of an Alice in Wonderland book I'm planning.
