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

Throw Back Thursday: a cross stitch project

Mary, my daughter, told me I had to do Throw Back Thursday on my blog. Apparently it's all the rage on YouTube! She is a massive fan of the TV show, Dance Mums, and this is something that is featured commonly.

What is Throw Back Thursday? Something from the past. In my case, a completed cross stitch project from 15 years ago.

I started this Shepherd's Bush cross stitch in late 1996.  I bought it as a kit duty-free on Norfolk Island during a holiday. It is a large project - 70 x 70cm.  My heart does flips when I see the beads, charms, bells, ribbon and wool added to the shepherd. It was framed and completed for Mary's nursery in mid-1998 15 years ago.It is stitched on a 32 count linen. The frame mount was customised to this project.  I don't think this design has dated at all and would happily stitch it again.

Don't forget to post a link and join my Linky Party so I can check out your current WiP (Work In Progress) here.  I am sure others would like to check out your post too.

Thanks for wandering through the garden of my past...
                                                                              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

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



Advent Calendar

Welcome to Day 4 of the Christmas Stitching Advent Calendar kindly hosted by Serendipitous Stitching .

I finished another two Shepherd's Bush Christmas stockings this year (one for toddler Tom and one for myself) so now I have a collection.  Just one more left to stitch for my husband.  I have found the perfect place to hang them this year too in my new home!

I had fun, summery Christmases as a child in Australia. My Grandma was Mrs. Christmas. Along with thousands of Christmas decorations, streamers, lights and mechanical toys decorating her living rooms at her house she adored dressing up.  My favourite memory is Grandma dressing up to play Mrs.Claus as a surprise for her grandchildren.  She surprised us in a Christmas card dress that she had paintakingly sewn together complete with bright red stockings. We laughed and laughed with her. The best thing about it was she had bought us all an extra present for us.Just when we thought we had opened our last present there was one more.

Another favourite memory is a Christmas decoration (see the above photo)  that my DD made when she was 6.  She spent hours cutting cardboard, painting and gluing it together at school keeping it a surprise for us until Christmas.  It was her own design.  It is always pride of place in our house. We love how each reindeer have a unique personality.

Merry Christmas to all!

Ready to hang for Christmas...

Toddler Tom's Christmas stocking is ready and waiting to be filled with presents. I am so happy with the colours - boyish but fresh. I have to admit but I didn't sew it up into the stocking. I sewed my other children's ones but was extremely nervous the whole way through so worried I would muck it up. I love the way my local needlwork shop sews it together.

My Very Own Christmas stocking...

I have really enjoyed cross stitching a Shepherd's Bush Christmas stocking for my three children so I decided to stitch one for moi. I'm is not too old for a Christmas stocking am I? Here tis. It's the "Elisabeth" design. I think I should stitch one for hubby now too.

Sophie's Roses

I am proud to say I have finally had a cross stitch finish. I have only been doing this cross stitch for 10 years. Fast aren't I? I bought the stitchery as a kit. It came with the 32 ct linen and silk threads.

You may wonder why it doesn't look quite like the picture. Well I lost the pattern while on holidays years ago and couldnt' retrieve it just as I had begun stitching the outer border. I decided that I did not need the outer border but also I didn't like the inner border of black checkerboard. So I have left both borders out. I like it the way it is and too late now as it is booked in to get framed. I can't wait to hang it in Miss M's bedroom.

Brrrr...Winter Stitching

Lots of people complain about Hobart's Winter. I don't. Secretly, bad weather is my favourite weather. Today is a perfect example - snow flurries, rain and howling wind. I'm loving it! I haven't got time to stitch during today (toddler and housework need I say more) but come 8pm I will batten down the hatches and settle in front of the TV with some needlework. I will be perfectly cosy and happy.

Success!!! I have completed all of the stitching on Toddler Tom's Shepherd's Bush "reed" Christmas stocking. Now there are charms to attach and to get it sewn into a stocking. I adore the row of houses along the bottom of the stocking. I'm sure he will love it for years to come especially the presents that will hide inside it.

Cute cross stitch sheep...

Aren't these sheep cute? They're so quick and easy to stitch. They graze on the "Reed'" (which will be "Tom" when it's finished) Shepherd's bush Christmas stocking. I am delighted the stocking will be finished soon with plenty of time spare before it is hung for Christmas.

Progress on a Shepherd's Bush Stocking

Now I have an iPhone it's so much easier to upload pics. I don't have to look all over the house for the digital camera cord. Here is the progress of baby Tom's Xmas stocking. I'm not quite prepared to say he is a toddler quite yet as he's not toddling independently. I'll keep him a baby for as long as possible! I love the periwinkle blue with the fresh greens. Half way there with the stocking. The large cross stitches of these stockings make it so easy to pick up in front of the TV. Yes I do watch a lot of TV in the evenings as my last two posts have exposed.

Christmas stitching in July

My husband and I were on team Green when expecting baby number 3 this year. I have cross stitched Shepherd's Bush Christmas stockings for my other two children so aimed to do one for my third baby in time for his/her's first Christmas December 2010. I took a punt last year and started stitching a "girly" one called Elisabeth. What was a woman to do with a girly one when she has just had a baby boy? Stitch it for herself of course. Here is a photo of the unironed stitchery (the photo is skewed as holding a baby makes taking a photo hard) awaiting charms and to be sewn into a stocking. So now I'm going to be the proud owner of my own Christmas stocking. I have to get busy now and stitch Tom's one which is titled "Reed" in time for Christmas.

Thre weeks ago I had to farewell our beloved cat, Lily. She was 13years and her body gave up on her. She was our first baby and my constant companion. I miss you puss!