Review of the stitching year 2015

Time for another stitching year in review.  Looking back through my blog I see that I've finished up 8 pieces and worked on a handful more that are still in progress (more on those tomorrow anon).  Here are 7 of the 8 (I wasn't very pleased with the other piece), in order of completion.

The first is a hardanger bookmark worked in matching Caron Watercolors and Wildflowers threads from a section of a larger chart, followed by my own charted hardanger design that I actually worked years ago and part finished up into the cushion you see here.  I got it completed earlier this year as a little wedding gift for an old friend.  (Wonder if she used it as a ring cushion?)  It was originally done with a view to being on the Pearl Sweets website as a model of how their threads could be used, but, sadly, that business didn't seem to get far off the ground. =(

Next up we have a cute little meerkat which I cross stitched for my hubby's anniversary pressie (as I'd already bought him what he wanted when it was needed) and the card was the piece I wasn't pleased with.

Next we move on to the 2015 Sheffield Fayre Horticultural Show entries.

First is the third project from Helen M Stevens' "Embroidered Butterflies" worked mostly in Anchor stranded cottons, but with some of the greens in DMC stranded and the metallic touches in two shades of Kreinik cord in two gauges.  I love this piece, but it was hard and intense to work, especially the butterflies.

This embroidery won best in category for 'One Item of Embroidery' in the Show, but that was no achievement given that it was this year's only entry and the arts and crafts section judges seem to give first prize to any sole entry!!!  I did win first prize fair and square last year with my cute bunny (which you can see in the blog header photo selection) and was hoping to make it a cool three wins in succession next August, but we're unavoidably away for the time the entries would need to be staged so, unless I can get someone to do it for me, I'm out of the Show next time. Sigh!

This bellpull made with GAST and WDW threads from a Lizzie*Kate pattern won second prize in the 'One Item of Cross Stitch - Commercial design' category.  Second of four isn't too bad.  Embroidery entries were down on the whole this year, but knitting, which was low last year, went up.  I really hope I can get to enter this coming year.....

Last up for the year we've got two cards.

The first was for my hubby on passing his PhD.  His graduation isn't actually until next month, but I wanted to mark the occasion at once.

Last up is a small sample from the Rowandean Make and Take table at the Harrogate Knitting and Stitching Show in late November.  I finished it up at home with some of my own Anchor and DMC Coton à Broder threads and metallic trims from Kreinik Cable.

So, there you have the finishes for the year.

As regular readers will know, I also worked on three other projects which aren't yet finished, but, as I'm hoping to do something with at least one of them later today, I'll save current WIP status for tomorrow's 'stitching plans for the year ahead' post.

How did 2015 go for your needles??

Text and images © Elizabeth Braun 2015

Time for a Paradise Island update

First of all, thanks so very much to all of you who left such nice comments on the last posting of the completion of my Rowandean sample card. =)  It was a fun piece to work and, yes, I feel a bit more confident about trying more of that sort of thing in the near future.  I certainly have enough sheer fabrics and special (i.e. not just plain dyed stranded cotton) threads to use!!

Over the last few nights, Sir and I have been watching 'The House of Eliott' on the BBC Worldwide YouTube channel.  He's loving the business development and general drama side of things and I always find this show inspiring and creative, but as I've watched it a time or six, I don't need to pay much attention to the screen, so have been getting on with the Paradise Island greenery.  The first photo shows progress made over the first four episodes and the second, the next two and a bit.

Still a fair amount of tree parts to do and, as it's such bitty work - a few stitches here and there, then change colours - it's taking a long time to get done.  Still, I'm aiming to have this part completed by the end of the year.  Will I?  Well, let's see...

Today I'm home with the start of a cold (probably), but as all the shopping is done, the ironing is up to date and I have good stocks of all the things I need to deal with a cold (Vitamin C, Echinacea, Kleenex Anti-viral tissues, which are incredibly soft, pills and potions if needed and dry skin treatment things for when my poor face dries up!!), it's a good day to slob out, catch up with my blog, mess about with my Pinterest boards and so forth.  I just can't fake feeling sorry for myself!!! =)

Text and images © Elizabeth Braun 2015

Rowandean piece complete!

This is how far I got on the lovely little Rowandean piece at the Knitting and Stitching Show.

The first thing I did once it was remounted in a hoop to work was to remove the yellow flowers on the far right as I felt it was going to end up looking far too 'stripey' if the colours just alternated.

The second photo is how far I got after the second working session having finished the main flowers and added in a few leafy/grassy sorts of motifs at the bottom.

Here's the final look of the piece with all embroidery completed.  I put in a couple of daisies as well as a few more green bits and white french knot flowers/berries.  Please don't ask me what they or any other stitches are supposed to represent as my knowledge of flowers and plant wildlife is nothing short of pitiful!

I could have brought all the threads I wanted to use to finish the piece with home from the Show, but I decided not to (except a piece of the light blue and lilac variegated one), and to use some of my own stuff instead.  So, I used 4 Coton à Broder #16s and 1 #25, plus some Kreinik gold cable to add in some more sparkle and highlights.  Delighted to have used 3 threads for the first time.=)

When it was all done and I'd even trimmed some of the organza edges, I mounted it in a card as you can see here, followed by a couple of angled close-up shots.  I was quite pleased with the final effect and I hope you like it too.

Text and images © Elizabeth Braun 2015

Harrogate Show and the current 'Paradise Island' status

So, the Harrogate Knitting and Stitching Show is over for another year and I am very proud to say that I came home with only the above - a part worked 'make and take' from the Rowandean stand and two packs of goldwork thread I needed for one of the Craftsy class projects I've bought recently, (on which more another time).  I ran out of time and needed to get off and catch the first of three buses home, so I wasn't able to complete my sample then and there, but that's the next thing I want to do.  As you can see, I didn't realise a stray bit of fabric thread got caught on the photo too...

I'd been at the Show long enough to visit the Ladies, tidy myself up, down a quick carton of orange juice (I realised that I suffered dehydration at the Show each year and that was spoiling it for me, so I took extra drinks this time) and make my way to the first stand I was interested in, the Golden Hinde one, when a text message came from Glenis, a Nottingham friend, to see if I was there.  Turns out that she was and that we were able to have a natter over lunch and a bit of a walk around together, so that was a lovely surprise.  Later on, whilst I was at work on the above sample, I looked up and realised that Rachel was standing next to me!  So, I had the unexpected pleasure of catching up with two stitchy chums as well as getting some stitching inspiration.  I missed Kathy, who was flying over for the weekend, but I hope she got the message I left for her at the Nicola Jarvis stand. =)  It was nice to see two of her pieces for real, (the other was in the RSN display.)

I need to give myself a bit more time there next time around, or maybe even do as Rachel has done and buy tickets for both Thursday teatime and the full day Friday. It'll be much easier if I'm just coming up from north Leeds (assuming we ever get moved back!) as I'll be able to leave home after 9 and get there for opening at 10, whereas I had to leave home in Sheffield before 8 and didn't get there until 11:30.

Something that made me smile happened when I was chatting with the lady on the Mulberry Silks stall about how I was enjoying using very bright greens in my current cross stitch, but that I really didn't need any more thread as I already owned over 1600.  The lady next to me promptly turned around and said in admiration, 'Oh, well done!'  Here's me wanting to use up and cut down too.=)

On the subject of the bright greens, here's how far I've got on the Paradise Island.  I think I've only had two sessions on it since I last posted an update, but the greenery is slowly filling in.  I'll be done with it one fine day.  Here are both the area I've been stitching on lately and the whole piece so far.

I hope to have the full Rowandean piece to show you soon and, as I  recently bought a pair of compasses (i.e. for drawing circles, usually just called 'a compass', but I had a maths teacher who was very particular about correct naming!) which I needed to get the beading charted up on those mini hardanger pieces I was talking about recently, I should be able to complete some of those too.

Text and images © Elizabeth Braun 2015