My Slow WIPs...Turtle Trot SAL Update

Howdy lovely blog readers,

Turtle Trot SAL 2014
I signed up for the Turtle Trot SAL (Stitch-Along) run by BAP Attack at the start of the year.  This SAL is about nominating 10x WIPs to work on once per month and posting their progress on the 10th day of each month.  I was religiously doing the SAL every month until June 2014 when I made the Bothy Threads Cut Thru' Castle my focus piece so I could finish it. As I live in Australia I have been posting on the 10th. I didn't realise until recently, there was a spot on BAP Attack's blog, to link my page back to the Turtle Trot SAL. I think this is because I was looking her blog too early living in Australia (it is the 10th when only the 9th across much of the world). So I have missed all of the link opportunities this year so will just have to do it again next year.

Now that I have finished the castle I can give some loving to some of my slower WIPs.  I hope you enjoy the before and after photos.

1. Shores of Hawk Run Hollow by CHS
I have continued stitching on Block 2 this month which is an under the sea theme. The fish are very cute swimming amongst the seaweed.

Before:

After:

32 ct ivory linen two over two

2. I Love London by Historical Sampler Company
I have had fun stitching this border while travelling in October through New Zealand. This will be a January focus piece - I hope to finish the border and sew it into a pillow.

Before:

After:

32 count  white linen stitched two over two

3. Shepherd's Bush 2007 Christmas stocking

Hooray I have a finish! The stocking is now sewn together using a burgundy/black star cotton fabric. Everyone one in my immediate family now has a Shepherd's Bush Christmas stocking.  This is for my hubby. Let's hope Santa fills it with some gifts. 

After:

11ct linen stitched with No 5 Pearl cottons

4. Annet Eriksson's Passion for Stitching Chateau 
No progress

5.  Christmas House by Bucilla
No progress

6. Designers Forum Needlepoint Rug
No progress

7. Country House Needleworks Santa's House

No progress

8.  Bucilla Touch of Gold
I have shown this some loving recently and have stitched some more of the background. I am treating this as practice for my HAED (Heaven and Earth Designs pattern) I am starting on December 1st in the HAED SAL. The muted colours are so feminine.

Before:

After:

Stitched on 28ct mushroom even weave two over two

9. The Prairie Schooler Pumpkin Patch
No progress

10. Promises Kept by Dimensions

I also started stitching the two horses on this project. You can see a grey horse facing it's black horsey friend.

Before: 

After:

Stitched on 16ct Aida

Cross Stitch YouTube Update

It you enjoy FlossTube (cross stitch updates on YouTube) you can see my latest video about my finishes and WIP progress can be viewed here:

IT Help Needed
I am so frustrated with Google Plus! It is constantly converting my status when I comment on blogs. It converts me into a "no reply" commenter which means bloggers cannot reply to my comments as it has unlinked my email address. I am so sick of it I have stopped commenting on blogs as it takes me half an hour to change it back again. Anyone who has a simple way of converting it back please share!

Happy stitching…

                        Jan x

A Finish and A Castle Update...

Hi everyone,

I have a finish!  I enjoyed sewing charms and beads onto my hubby's completed Shepherd's Bush Christmas stocking last night. This is the 2007 "Brett" stocking.  It is my fifth SB stocking I have stitched and one of my favourites.  My hubby is delighted.  He enjoys the religious story of Christmas, so stitching a King rather than a Santa was perfect for him.  The robe is stitched in the most gorgeous rich Weeks Dye Work threads.  The stocking is stitched on 11ct natural linen over 2 threads.

I will now take the stocking into my local needlework shop who will sew it into a stocking. I sewed two of them into stockings myself previously, but wasn't 100% happy with the second one I did. I am now happy to offload that part of the project.   When the stocking is complete I will post a photo of it with the others.

It is time for a Bothy Threads Cut Thru' Castle update also. I am so close to finishing it that it isn't funny. Probably only 3-4hours of backstitching left.  I have been surprised at how much I have enjoyed the backstitching.

There are so many funny characters in this design which keeps me entertained as I stitch.  Like the man reading the news on the toilet, the poor old fellow in the catapult and the bird almost struck by a wayward arrow.

Happy stitching all...
                        Jan x

Cross Stitch Stocking...

Since finishing the wise man on the Shepherd's Bush Christmas stocking, I have started cross stitching the shapes around him.  Crowns are a fad of mine at the moment and this one will look regally fabulous when the red beads are stitched on.  The motifs are quick to stitch on so I have progressed quite alot over the last week.

Bob couldn't miss out on being in the photo shoot either! Im not sure what is cuter; Bob or the stocking. Possibly Bob. But then again my cross stitch doesn't bite my toes at 5am when I am trying to sleep.

Thanks for coming into my Christmas garden...
                                                                Jan x

Weekly Roundup of cross stitching progress...

Big news here! I have finally bought a Qsnap needlework frame, the 11 inch size, after reading about so many stitchers using them.  I tried them for the first time on the Bothy Threads Cut Thru' Castle last night and I could see why everyone was raving about them.  I love how the frame holds the fabric taut and that I can rest it easily on my body to stitch two-handed.

Despite a busy week with daughter Mary's birthday and sadly a funeral, I have made stitchy progress on some of my cross stitch WIPs especially in the last 48 hours.  You can see my progress "LIVE" on the link below if you love videos:

YouTube Weekly Roundup #4 video link

Shepherd's Bush 2007 stocking
18 ct linen

On the Shepherd's Bush Christmas stocking, I have added the wise man's bottle of myrrh (I had to look up how to spell it LOL) he is holding. 

And I have completed the border on the Little House Needleworks "Bringing Home the Tree" Christmas ornament.  I only have a few details left in the main picture and it will be ready to sew up into an ornie. 

Little House Needleworks
Bringing Home the Tree
40ct linen

Thanks for wandering through my garden (with an umbrella as the weather is showery today)...

                                                                                    Jan x

It's a Long Wait until Christmas...

...if you are three years old! For the rest of us Christmas comes in a flash. At every reminder that Christmas is around the corner, Tom drags me to the shed to beg me to put up our Christmas tree.  I have to distract him by telling him we will put it up after Halloween, then after his brother's birthday and then after his sister's birthday (which is only two days time).  So it looks like it the tree will go up early this year but it will sure be loved by a little man!!!

I wish my Christmas stitching was flying at the same speed as Christmas is arriving, but alas it is not.

I have finally finished the wise man on the Shepherd's Bush Christmas stocking.  I suppose the stocking is about a third done as the central character has the majority of the stitching.  I recently added the  mustard tone to the robe and sleeves and it sure brings out the richness of the other colours.  I will move onto the top of the stocking and hope that I get it done by the end of November.

Do you have a Christmas deadline for any of your stitching?
Thank you for visiting my garden...
                                                  Jan x

PS If you like the Shepherd's Bush Christmas stocking you can see similar patterns at this link

Christmas Cross Stitch update...

The recent family holiday allowed me plenty of stitching time on my Christmas WIPs. Readers seemed to find it weird I did Christmas stitching at the beach.  Being an Australian, I associate Christmas with Summer so the beach was a perfect place to stitch.

Firstly, I have nearly finished stitching the wise man/king in the Shepherd's Bush Christmas stocking.  This one is called Brett but there are lots to choose from. I am making my fifth! His robe is richly coloured in the variegated thread, Razzleberry! Doesn't that name sound as delicious as it looks? The rest of the stocking will be quite quick from here as the majority of the stitching is in the wise man.

Secondly, I only have another few hours of stitching left on the Christmas ornament by Little House Needleworks called, Bringing Home the Tree.  I am thrilled with how it looks.  Mary, my daughter, will love hanging it on the tree this Christmas.

As many of you, my lovely readers and friends live overseas this is a warning that I might make you envious.  I am going to post a Spring photo.  Stop reading now if you can't cope.  I am loving my Spring garden.  I have only been at this house for 3x Springs and the gardens are what I have planted as they had been neglected prior to that. The snow-in summer, cerinthe and golden oregano are making a stunning border to one of our garden beds.  I try to garden 30 minutes every 2 days which seems to keep it in hand. Gardening is not good for the nails even though I always where gloves!

Also gardening related, I recently picked our first lemon from our Lemon Eureka tree and cooked it into Lemon Delicious.

The lemon juice was so flavoursome and I was delighted to find no pips inside.  It looks like more lemons are on their way but will take a few more months before they can be picked. I hope I run into the problem soon here I have too many lemons and have to give lots away!

Thanks for wandering through my flower beds...
                                                              Jan x

Pre-Christmas Cross Stitching and Video!

Remember on my last post (here) I promised I would tell you about a new stitch I have started. Well here it is! 

My husband is the only family member without a Shepherd's Bush cross stitched Christmas stocking so I have started one. 

I have chosen a King/Wise man.  The colours are rich burgundy, greens, and golds adorned with delightful charms that include a sun, crown, whale, fish and beads.

I have just uploaded a Pre-Christmas video on YouTube you can view on the link below:

thread garden YouTube video

During the filming of this video Three Year Old Tom had lots of fun playing with his Shepherd's Bush Christmas stocking.

You can buy a similar pattern from this link here. I have stitched this one and love it!

Enjoy your weekend. I hope you have a happy one!

                                                                           Jan x