Monday 31 December 2007

Stitching Review for 2007

Thanks for all the lovely comments on my last posting, wow! I haven't had that many responses for a LONG time! Anyway, I'm almost better now, just very tired indeed and looking forward to a week of healthy sea air from this Friday. We've booked a nice little house to stay in and are both ready to go!
Just fished back to the 'goals for the year' posting from early January and, well, let's see how I did:
To finish:
*Dog portrait (freestyle - silk shading) - YEAH! (Photo above)
*Blue tit (cross stitch) - YEAH!
*Delicate Dreams cushion cover (hardanger with beading) - YEAH! (Part photo above)
To start (and finish as well!!):
*Child of Spring (Victoria Sampler counted thread piece) - stitched, but still needs sewing up.
*Blue tits and Seedheads (Derwentwater cross stitch) - WIP
*Cataflute (Margaret Sherry cross stitch) - YEAH!
*Mediæval Flowers (Textile Heritage cross stitch bookmark) - YEAH!
*Baby Quilt (Vintage Quilts book - first go at quilting) -YEAH! And put to good use too!=)
*Hardanger Bell-pull (Mary Hickmott) - YEAH!
*Berry Parade pouch (stumpwork, own design) - didn't get to this one.
*10th & 20th anniversary cards (both hardanger with floral bits and bobs) - did the 10th, but it was bargello with ribbon work, but I had too much on with other stuff to get to the 20th, so that poor couple got neglected!=(
*8th anniversary card for DH (blackwork) - didn't do this in blackwork, but did the stumpwork ladybird you can see in the header photos instead as his card.
Other things stitched during the year:
*5 hardanger sympathy cards and one 5th wedding card in hardanger with floral trims.
*1 freestyle engagement card (part photo in header above - the roses bit) and 1 ribbon work card.
*A bedding set with a monogram on each pillowcase and 2 on the sheet, plus 2 related small motifs in the centre of the sheet.
*A stumpwork waterlily and damselfy picture.
Currently in Progress:
*Bluetits and Seedheads cross stitch pic as mentioned above.
*'Branches' card, on which I've done no more work since the last photo posted as I've been horizontal fighting off viruses most of the time! I'll have to take it on holiday with me, which is a shame as I wanted to hand it over before I went... I've recovered from the shock of finding out that the recipient's wife is 'a professional stitchie who teaches textiles', as a mutual colleague put it and am eager to get on with it!!! At first I was gutted as I wanted it to be something really out of the ordinary, some of which will be lost if stitched things are kinda normal to him, but I decided it didn't matter after all. It's gonna be an original whatever and it'll be out of the ordinary for the majority of the folk who sign it.=)
*Just need to finish up 'Child of Spring' into a cushion/pillow (depending on which side of the Atlantic you speak) and hope to do that whilst we're away too.
Planned for 2008, (other than finishing above WIPs):
*Cross stitch the final in the birds trio, 'Goldfinches and Thistles', which can all be framed together and put on the wall of our newly papered bedroom, (which is what DH has been doing whilst I was too ill to move!!!)
*Learn blackwork. I'm gonna take this from the very simple stages, just as I did with hardanger and get it firmly under my belt. Shouldn't be very hard at all. Trouble with me is that I tend to go at things at too high a level when I need to start much nearer the beginning!
*Do some more of the DMC stumpwork kits that the ladybird came from as well as some more of the those Crafty Ribbons kits I bought. They all fit beautifully into cards too. I have other kits that I want to try as well, such as a goldwork stringed instrument card, a small spray of flowers in Brazillian work and so on. Easier on me than trying to start with something like Ariel's Heart!
*Start a City & Guilds course, probably level 1 stumpwork and, if I get a sewing machine in time, the level 1 patchwork and quilting too.
I really want this coming year to be relaxing on the needlecrafts front and really be a learning year as much as anything.

4 comments:

Kate said...

You've finished some wonderful stitches in 07. I've really enjoyed checking out what you're up to - it seems like you'll try anything that uses a needle and thread! :)

If you're looking for a nice start to blackwork there's a newletter called Stitchin'time that published a monthly blackwork mystery sampler, with beautiful illustrated directions on how to stitch it (true blackwork style, fully reversible). The back issues of the newsletter are at http://www.needlework-tips-and-techniques.com/StitchinTime-backissues.html

Heidi said...

Wow! What a list. I am glad you are feeling better. It is awful to get sick but especially around the holidays. Take care of yourself!

~~ Heidi ~~

Wendy said...

That's an amazing list of goals and accomplishments. I hope you are having a wonderful holiday.

JK said...

Hi hon! Thanks so much for visiting my blog. You know, a lot of the ladies don't do strictly CQ, and your work should be seen by others on Around the Block. A lot of the gals on there are in my CQ list, and they would love to see all the wonderful work you do.

You had quite a year there! Congrats on finishing so many beautiful things, and I look forward to seeing more!

 
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