Stitching coming along s-l-o-w-l-y!

I'm anything BUT on a roll stitching just now!  Today I got a nice comment left on my last post by Rachel, who said she hoped I'd had a nice Christmas and that it had meant lots of time for stitching.  Well, even though we don't keep Christmas here Chez Braun (we're not so comfy with its non-/pre-Christian origins, so we've decided against it), I still didn't get much done with a needle and, when I did get to pick one up, I made little more than an unholy mess of most things!  Yesterday I was trying to get a few surface items done on the re-work of the DMC stumpwork ladybird design and ended up doing and re-doing almost everything I attempted!  Bit frustrating.

So, as you can see from the two WIP shots above, I haven't got very far and what I have done, especially the pale pink flower, looks like it needs pulling out and re-doing.  I may re-do that flower, or perhaps three of the petals (but nothing else!!), I haven't quite decided yet...

Since these photos I've done the ladybird's head including bead eyes and 'feelers' and started to put in some French knot black bits on the berries.  In the original design, there were no felt padded bits, but I thought I'd include them this time for a bit more dimension.  If I get this done over the next few days, (possible, but not highly probable), then this will be the fourth stumpwork finish to showcase this year.  That's a definite record for me.  Actually, the three I've done thus far make a record already.

Now onto the other piece I was trying to do and, frankly, I made such a mess of even such a small bit that I decided to put this piece away for the time being until I get more confidence and ability with needle painting and feel I can go on with this one in the silks I'd started with.  So, I've made a note of the colours I was planning to use and put them back in the silk threads box.  I'll try the same design in another colourway and in stranded cottons instead.  That one should be coming up soon and will be the first of the Needlequest pieces for January.=)

What have you been working on (supposing you've had time)?  Had more success than me?  I pity any poor soul who's had less!=)

Text and images © Elizabeth Braun 2013