Anniversary stitching

I haven't really been in any rush to share these photos as they're more a story of frustration and failure than anything else! =(

The meerkat bookmark was finished up as you can see here.  It looks OK and the tassel worked out - eventually, but I agree with Sir when he said that something is missing.  So, I plan to remove part of the backing sometime soon and add in some small 'landscape' features, such as a few tufts of grass etc.  Nothing much, just something to place our cute meerkat in context.

This is the second and larger catastrophe.  As you can see from the first picture, I had the nice tree design from the outline sticker all prepared to use as a pattern, complete with colours chosen etc.  Then I realised that there were three problems with this: 1) There would be a lot of work involved in getting it done on time and time wasn't something I had a lot of, 2) I didn't have a very clear idea of how to do certain parts of it, and 3) once the outlining was done (with couched Kreinik Cable abutted by this lovely multi-coloured Japanese couching thread in stem stitch), the colour scheme and whole look simply didn't work.  However, it was too much to take all the stem stitches out and doing so would probably have damaged the sheer fabric that I appliquéd to the main fabric into the bargain.

So, I had to change directions.  Thankfully, the 'Ultimate Cross Stitch - Oriental' that I'd ordered popped through the door at the right time and, in a section of small designs, I found something I could work into the card.  I erased the old pencil design OK and then used some Kreinik #8 fine braid in 027 (orange) and some Needle Necessities overdyed Kreinik #8 in a variegated light blue to do the water effects.

The whole thing doesn't 'go' terribly well and the koi carp design would have been better half an inch lower down, but it can't be helped now.  Anyway, it was done in time and that's more or less the only good thing I can say about it.  Oh well, it happens...

It's my tenth blogoversary tomorrow and  I'm just about to start work on a series of posts going over Sew in Love's 10 year history with highlights from each year.  Hope everyone'll enjoy that. =)

Text and images © Elizabeth Braun 2015

Finished in February

(Incorporating this week's Work in Progress Wednesday and Sunday Yarn postings!)

These were the goals I set myself for February, complete with photos on progress etc:

* Finish the rabbit - done!  I finished this yesterday, on 28th, so it just qualifies for Anna Scott's Finished in Feb challenge (and I'll post the photos there soon too...)

This was how far I'd got at the beginning of the month:

And this is how it looks finished:

With a side-on shot to show clearly the raised elements:

I just need to decide what to do with it and who to give it to.  A Chinese friend has just been telling me how much she loves it and wants to see what it looks like in her room, 'wants that rabbit' etc, but I'm not quite soft enough to give in to that.  I'll decide who it goes to and, as I was taught never to ask for things, but always to wait until offered ("'I want' never gets" was one of my mum's favourite phrases!!), it won't go to anyone who tries to wangle it out of me!!=)  Besides, she was waggling away at the raised ear and, if it was in her possession, I'd give it a week before the wire was through, she'd be forever fiddling with it!  You know how some people just cannot seem to keep from playing with things like that?  Well, I won't be giving stumpwork pieces to them....

* Finish the feather I wish I could say this was done too, but it's only got this far after, I think, two sessions:

* Finish the peach baby knit  I'm almost done with this, coming up to 95%, and indeed would be done if only I hadn't felt that getting all the neck edge on one straight needle was going to be both uncomfortable to work and would over-stretch the button bands.  I'm going to get a circular needle to work it on.  Wouldn't you??

So, during the month, I finished the front as far as I could, did both the sleeves, then also did the button band and buttonhole bands.  

* Try some of the cabling pattern samples in the book  Didn't get to this.

* Try some miniature bedding ideas now I've got some fabrics for them  Didn't get to this either.

* Get to '50% complete' level on sampler  I think I did manage this one.  Here are the month beginning and end photos (nothing new as I haven't touched it since 12 Feb!):

* Make a start on one or two projects from the embroidery list - when first two on this list are done!  Didn't finish anything in time to start this.

* Continue CED challenge  Yup, keeping up, no problem.  Creativity is to found in so many areas that it's almost easier to do it than not!

* Report back on 1 March and continue to post regularly in the meantime.  Doing so right now and made 8 posts during the month.  Not too bad - an average of two per week.

I've decided not to set any goals for March as I'm feeling really weary after so many colds etc and I don't need the stress of feeling I have to do certain things at the mo.  I'll probably do them anyway, but I felt quite a lot of pressure to meet goals towards the end of last month and didn't have the energy to put much time in on them, so it was disappointing in the end.  So, I'll give myself a breather for now.

Text and images © Elizabeth Braun 2013

Home again - with a surprise!

Hi there! Thanks a lot for all the lovely comments on my stumpwork card.=) Sir loved it as well and it is now proudly displayed in our living room.

We got back from our holidays/vacation/break/whatever you wanna call it yesterday lunchtime. Had a nice time, although the weather was rotten for half the week. In fact, they say a month's worth of rain fell in about a day all over the country and there was widespread flooding. Both where we are at home and also the place we stayed on holiday are on high ground, so we had no problems.

I take it all back when I said to American friends that England isn't full of castles as it seems that the north (north of where we are even) is chocka block with them! We went to Bolton Castle last Monday and here's my (rotten) sketch of one of the towers. I'll add in the photo DH took when I can get it, (he's put the holiday snaps on his laptop or external hard-drive and I can't yet get at them), so you can see Bolton Castle as it really is too!

Now for the surprise. Well, it was a surprise to me! When I took the dog with me, I said that I would be happy if I just closed up one of the gaps. I never ever expected to get into it again and close them all up! Here he is:

He's not actually finished yet as I need to do some softening of the darker lines on the cheeks and then put in the whiskers, but he's 99% there. I honestly thought I'd do one ear at a push and get 'Child of Spring' done, but realised when said ear came on well and quickly that it was better just to press on with that and get it done as I seem more able to get on with it whilst away from home. I'll finish him completely over the next day or so. WOW!

Then it's on with 'Child of Spring', then the Brazilian piece, then..... Also have a LOT of lesson planning and course prep to do before September as well as more work around the home - getting things cleared up and helping to clean up during and after the decorating (DH hopes to get the hallway done over the next month or so, the last room - HUZZAH!) and then another great big, hard project to get back to. So, far from being restful, it's going to be a gruelling summer, but at least Mr Bow-wow is pretty much done! YEAH!

Two Animals

Look what my friend, Katy, stitched for me:

Isn't he fantastic? It's Margaret Sherry's 'Cat-a-cello', (although I reckon it's more of a double bass....), and I think he's absolutely delightful and am thrilled to bits with him.=)




Here's the latest on the dog too:

Hoping (probably against hope) to have him done in another 2 weeks. Might make it, might not, but as that will take me to the 10th and I need to have cards ready for 14th and 16th, I would like to be able to get one finished and then press on with the others.

It's only 09:20, but I've already blitzed around doing the cleaning and am just about to get some work stuff prepared for class tomorrow, then it's on with the bow-wow's nose. I started it last night, but took it out again as I don't think it would have worked well that way. Need to finish the entire nose part and close up that whole gap by Friday in order to be done on time.