Ten Years of Blogging - the ninth year, 2013/4

Welcome to Year Nine!

Work in Progress Wednesdays proved a big feature for me throughout this blogging year.  The biggest WIPW finish was the sampler that I'd started back in the April of blogging year seven, which was finished in October, then stretched and off to the framers and ready at last to give to my mum in January.

I also worked on a very long-neglected sample from my C&G studies (look out for the finish of that tomorrow), and started, in January, on a large cross stitch that I planned to enter into a show, having discovered these in late summer 2013.

Thanks to WIPW,  the Lizzie*Kate seasonal bird house cross stitched pictures were completed.  I'd started these back in Taiwan  and done the Winter and Spring ones then, but the Summer and Autumn ones were done this year and here's the whole series (which is still awaiting framing - as are many other projects!)

I also wrote a few feature posts on Korean costume and embroideries, goal setting for needlework on blog design tips, tutorials on finishing a cross stitched bookmark, using a flexi-frame and creating a little stumpwork strawberry in needlelace, and bought and found a good storage solution for a stack of Pipers Silk threads, drool!

Sew in Love hosted the Needlequest challenge throughout 2014 and, although some months really didn't work out for me, I still learned some new skills, such as blackwork and developed existing ones more, such as needle painting, fabric painting and appliqué.

This blackwork heart worked as part of the challenge made a nice card for Sir for our 15th wedding anniversary.


The last completed item of this blogging year was the Chinese Junk cross stitch I featured in the first year's summary.  It took us this long to get it framed, but I finally did it for part of my hubby's anniversary present.  It's been on his study wall ever since. =)


The year finished with me beginning to design and work my friends' wedding ring cushion and my Tudor Lady being almost complete after having had to re-chart part of the petit point hands and neck sections.  Full photos of those and others tomorrow in the last instalment - year ten!

Text and images © Elizabeth Braun 2015