Stitching review of 2013 and a look forward to 2014

2013 was a pretty good year for stitching finishes, I'm pleased to say.  I count a total of 15 separate finishes, of which three were carried over from 2012.

Here's a summary:

* Completed the big counted thread sampler

* Two Lizzie*Kate cross stitched pictures - the 'Summer' and 'Autumn' button-ups.

* Four cross stitched bookmarks to the same pattern, but in totally different colourways.

* Three stumpwork pieces - the rabbit from 'The A-Z of Stumpwork' which was a carry-over from the previous year and the final two DMC kits, 'Dragonfly' and 'Butterfly'.

* Two greetings cards - one in ribbon embroidery and one in freestyle with beading

* Three knitting projects - two baby
knits (one started right at the end of 2012 and one started new) and a knitted pencil case for Sir, which I don't seem to have blogged before.  In fact, I can't even find a photo of it now!  One to catch up on later...


On now to what *hasn't* been finished and is left over for next year:
* The eternal peacock feather.  I realise that my enthusiasm to finish this is going to continue to wax and wane, so I'll leave it in its 9" hoop, with the threads in a small bag, easily to hand for the next bout of finish-it-up-o-mania!!  It's more of a WISP, than a UFO, as it's still in progress from time to time and I do intend to complete it at some point.
* The re-work of the DMC 'Ladybird' stumpwork kit, which shouldn't take long and I want to get done so that I can concentrate on plans for January.  I still have one evening and one full day for this, so I may even get it done this year.....=)

So, what can we look forward to over the next year on Sew in Love?

First of all, I'm hoping to be able to keep up with my own Needlequest challenge and learn a lot of different things through that, including consolidating skills in needle painting, basic goldwork and stumpwork as well as learning blackwork and developing my design skills and confidence when working my own designs, which is something that always makes me feel a bit uneasy.  I'm planning on combining some kits and plenty of others' designs with this challenge too, so it won't be a shaky ride all the way.

I also want to have a project to work on over a longer period of time too, that I can do a weekly report on for Work in Progress Wednesdays and that I can enter into the Sheffield Fayre in August, so I've picked this cross stitch design.  Isn't she wonderful?  A bit like a paupers' Lavendar and Lace design!! There's lots of beading, some of the jewellery elements are satin stitch and the face and hands are done in petit point (over one thread, so four stitches to the usual one for evenweave fabric).

The linen I want to work it on is shown in the top left of the photo and I plan to change the light brown shades of the wrap and back of the headdress to something like rich reds/red purples, perhaps to match the reds in the pendants.  What do you think?

Text and images © Elizabeth Braun 2013