'Oriental Dress' progress and some childhood UFOs

I've been doing a little stitching again and have got the cross stitching on the Anchor 'Oriental Dress' cross stitch kit done. As this one relies quite a lot on back-stitching for definition, it's really been a lot of just 'blocking in', esp in that green and white sidebar. The design is interesting here as it's clearly a Chinese dress, but the whole colour scheme is rather more Japanese with it's subtle shades and lack of red! Not to say that Chinese clothes don't come in these shades, (they do as I have a lovely light pink jacket to prove it), but it's not what you would expect. If my memory serves me correctly though, I think the whole series this belongs to is done in the same sort of colour scheme. When the stitching is done, I'm going to make it into a small gift cushion/pillow to send to the couple who kindly put us up near the airport when we went to Frankfurt and had to fly into 'Frankfurt' Hahn (which is about 90 mins drive away from the city!!) It's a bit late, but as I started it at their place and I know she likes stitchery, it should go down OK. I can't quite get enthusiastic about this one as, well, I'm not even sure I like it that much! I only bought as a desk decoration for my old job, (should I have ever got a desk, which now looks most unlikely to have happened!!), but I thought I may as well have a short and simple project on the go at the same time as all the college stuff.

My mum's been clearing out her attic (with DH's help getting stuff down to start with) and came across some childhood UFOs of mine! Well, there were three UFOs and one piece that needs some re-doing in part. Here are three of them, a pair of needlepoint kits:

Just look at the back of the completed one! What a mess! I'm going to match up the needed colours, (probably just use cheap stranded cotton for the background needed on the 2nd one), and finish them ASAP. They've been washed as they were rather grubby from hanging around - I even had one on my wall at one point, but I now wonder how I dared - there are small patches where I have tent stitch going in the opposite direction!


This is another needlepoint kit that I'd almost done. I plan to get them all finished up and then framed, but I really don't know who to give this one to. I daresay it'll find a home though.=) In fact, I have an idea, I think I know a very sweet teenager who would enjoy this made into a little cushion for her room....


The last piece is a part-sewn lion from the 'Friendly Stuffed Zoo' pattern collection that I started when I was in the Girl Guides. I didn't get very far with it, but all the necessaries are there, so I can soon finish it off with the machine and either add it to our stuffed toy collection, (which probably needs giving away, esp as we are moving!), or turned into a gift. Will post that one when there's something recognisable to see on it. Anyway, these date back about 25 years to my pre-teen days!

I've also done another line on the band sampler and decided to miss out one that I didn't like. There's an unfinished line near to the top that I also didn't like much and missed out so far as it needs beads attaching and I'm leaving that 'til last. So, now I'm looking for something to fit in the 7 threads space there is left there.....