Stitchy haul and a new stitch

I got me some phat loot.

There's three new charts, all Just Nan - Silver Needle, Song of the Needle and Queen of the needle. I've also ordered the Creativity Sampler but it's not arrived yet :(

Also some fabric and seed beads.

And two new kits - a Mill Hill kit to make a cute stitchers' heart and a sampler from Cousines et Campagnie.

So much to stitch!

Because of my indecision over fabric choice for the antique animal sampler, I decided to stitch something else for a little while. Here is the Birdhouse Sampler. Isn't it just dreamy? *___*

The colours are so pretty and romantic! And it's stitched on my all-time-favourite fabric - 28 count Zweigart Ivory evenweave.

♥

Home is where the cat is

I have finished 'Home is where the cat is' ^^

Stitching was completed last night and I did the padding, framing and lace this morning *super productive*

I'm really pleased with how this has turned out. I'm really lazy when it comes to 'finishing off' pieces so I'm quite proud that I've done this with minimal flapping ^^;

There is also a cloth hanger that you're supposed to attach but the material provided isn't to my taste and I like it as it is too.

Here is a photo of my completed Sampler tote-bag..

It's very cool :D 

It was the plan to start 'Antique Animal Sampler' today.... *ahem* turns out that in the space of one day...the fabric that I bought simply won't do ~___~ I ordered a lighter fabric last night so I'll see how that goes...

♥

Antique Animal Sampler

This past week I have developed something of an obsession with charts from American designers. I don't know why as I've never really paid much attention to them before...something just went 'snap' in my head and then I simply needed everything.

My first foray into this new world of stitching delight is the 'Antique Animal Sampler' by Elizabeth Needlework Designs. I will not lie - the biggest draw is that 'S' is for Silly Monster.

Awesomeness.

One of the things I really liked about this design was the colouring - I don't know if it shows up that well in the photo but the colours are just beautiful. You can use DMC, but the one of the cover is stitched with Weeks Dye Works so I decided I should get them to ensure I get the look I want. I was a bit hesitant at first as it cost £26 *eeek* but they are so so pretty. My favourite colour of them all is 'Gunmetal' which is the least flashy of them - it's a black-grey-muddy mess. There is also a colour called 'Schneckley' which is a nice word to say. The fabric gave me some major stress - I am not good when presented with lots of choice..I simply cannot make a decision :( The chart suggests 40 count beige linen stitching over one. Not happening. I went for 32 count linen stitching over 2. But the colour! Arrggghhh! I couldn't find Weeks 32 count in beige. Zweigart don't do beige - 'Flax' was recommended as a replacement. I have flax. No way was I going to use Flax. After about two hours scouring the internet for colour comparisons (very difficult with different monitor settings etc.) I decided to go with 'Antique Ivory'. It'll do. The colour of the fabric that I want, that is in my head, I'm pretty sure doesn't exist. This happens with wool all the time.

So! I am very excited to start this :D As soon as I have finished Sophie the cat I'm going to dive straight into this :3

♥

What I've been stitching!

It feels like quite a while since my last stitching post and I don't even have much to show for my absence..

In my last post I wrote about the keyring cover kit that didn't have enough thread...

Here it is complete! Wood is an interesting medium to stitch on..not sure if I'd go for it again but it was fun to try. In this photo you can also see a little bumble bee that I stitched on plastic canvas - again a medium I've never stitched on before. I plan to make him into a little pin ^^

 Now for my next project...destined to become a UFO :(

This the 'Unicorn Tapestry' from Janylnn.

It is being stitched on 18 count navy blue aida using DMC threads.

I am not enjoying this :( I wanted the chart as soon as I saw it but hesitated for quite a while before I decided to just buy it. I excitedly bought all the materials and as soon as I sat down to stitch..I got very upset with it. I think the problem is mostly with the fabric..I really don't know what possessed me to go with navy blue (it was the colour used on the cover of the chart) as I don't generally like dark colours to stitch on. The count is also causing me a bit of a headache as I'm having to concentrate a bit more than usual (I think it would be easier on a lighter fabric). I also keep making mistakes (one obvious and one not-so-obvious)....so I've kind of given up on it for now :( I'm going to start up a 'Unicorn Tuesday' or something when I will only stitch this (not going to happen).

So I decided to stitch something cute and simple to inject some stitching cheer!

This is a kit from 'The New Berlin Co.' that I won on ebay a while back - it comes with a pink heart shaped frame :3 This little kitty is so darn cute! And she (called Sophie) will look even cuter once all the back-stitch is done. This design is being stitched on 14 count white aida using DMC threads.

♥

TUSAL April 2013

Better late than never right?

My jar is looking a lot healthier now ^^

I hope to add a lot more this month!

♥