I meant to post this earlier this week--I took another photo of my BOAF "No Bees, No Honey" project. I am being optimistic and have stitched the date, which I usually wait until the end to stitch. So now I really must finish this one sooner rather than later. I've started on the top row of letters and then will move on to the upper outside boarder. I really am enjoying this project and might just have to see what other BOAF designs I have kitted up!
Posting twice in one week--I'd better be careful or this might turn into a habit! I finally have something to share, which makes it easier to post more often. I've got half the alphabet and a third of the bee skep stitched now. I'm really enjoying working on this one and try and put in at least a few stitches every night. I'm zipping right along and even contemplating which design I'll work on next (though it will be a little ways off yet). I think I might stick with Birds of a Feather for a while--I love their designs and have several kitted up. I may even have to frame this one as soon as I'm finished!
I pulled this design out at the end of last month, and last weekend I ironed (and starched) my fabric and put in my first stitches.
I know this doesn't look like much so far, but for me (who's been stitching so little lately), I think I've made great progress in the week I've been working on it. I actually feel like getting it out every day and adding a few stitches. I'm hoping to finish it before the end of the summer (or perhaps even earlier). I think I'm just in the mood to work on Birds of a Feather designs, but I'm going to stick with just one project at a time! Hopefully I'll have even more time to work on it this weekend!
I've made very little progress on my Carriage House Samplings cushion. It may be a small project, but stitched on 40 count linen, there is still a lot to fill in it seems. I'm also not overly pleased with how my stitches are looking, but I think once it is actually finished into a cushion, I will like it much more than I do now.
I had been thinking I wouldn't mind working on something summer-y since the weather is getting warmer and it finally feels like summer. I pulled out a Birds of a Feather chart called "No Bees, No Honey". I love bee motifs and it's been ages since I stitched one. I will have to iron my fabric as it is quite limp and I have a hard time working on limp fabric.
I also pulled out a project I had started ages ago, but didn't get many stitches in. Again it is a Birds of a Feather design called "Land That I Love". It calls for an ivory fabric, but I picked one I had on hand that is closer to a light tan (sorry the color is not true here--I couldn't get the light quite right). I'm not sure I like it as much now as I did when I started it, but I'm not sure I have any ivory fabric to begin again.
I'm being very difficult, aren't I? Not terribly pleased with anything? I think that's why I've not been stitching much lately (and posting here even less!). I want to stitch, but I can't sem to find anything to settle down on that I actually enjoy working on!
I recently started stitching one of the pincushions from Carriage House Samplings "Folk Art Pincushion" chart. I've made a little progress. Luckily it's a small project so I hope it won't take me long to finish. I plan on finishing it the same way--with the beads around the edges in loops. I've never tried that before, but I like the way it looks.
I finished "Hunt" by Shepherds Bush last night. I still need to sew on the hat, but otherwise I finished it just in the nick of time!
Here it is close up. I really enjoy stitching these sheep. Here are the rest that I've stitched so far. I have a few more left to work on. They seem to be the only projects I actually manage to stitch and finish in a reasonable amount of time these days.
And Happy Easter to those who celebrate!
Despairing that I would ever finish a project this year, I decided to dig into my 'finished' bin and actually do the finishing on an already stitched project. So this weekend I made my "Pins & Needles" Carriage House Samplings freebie into a pincushion. So, what do you think? I think it turned out very nice, indeed.
I thought I would share a little progress finally. I haven't had many opportunities to stitch lately, but this weekend I found the time and pulled out SB's "French Heart". It seems like a fitting project for February. I had a problem with the house--I added an extra stitch to all the rows and didn't notice until I was almost finished. I would have left them in, but the borders are all so close, it would have thrown everything off. I made myself pick out the stitches and do the motif over. Often I'll set a project aside when I find an error, but I even managed to stitch the row to the right as well. Wouldn't it be nice to get this done by Valentine's Day? I make no promises, but I'm going to try!
I really wish I could take better photos of my work. Someone should really do an online tutorial as I see lots of wonderful photos out there. Anyway, here is my Shepherds Bush start on "French Heart". I love the specialty stitches even though both the linen and the floss are so pale it can be hard to see where my needle is going. I'm not quite sure what to think of the angel though. It seems to have Groucho Marx eyebrows. I think I'm being hard on any stitched faces lately. I'm still not sure what to do about this face. Maybe I am being too picky? I'll keep going with this one, though, as the other motifs might make up for it.
