Review of the stitching year 2020

Well, hello! Here I am, still alive and crawling out of an almost 30 month silence to present a mammoth needlework year review.  I may not have been blogging here, but my needles - of various types - have been busy just the same.

I managed to complete 27 things over this last year, but it's not quite as impressive as it sounds when you realise that 14 were fairly quick sewing tasks, such as finally finishing up 3 of those Lizzie*Kate 'Button Up!' seasonal cross stitch pieces as hangings which are changed with the natural season and hung on our coat rack (and are a lot bluer than they seem here):

The other 11 were 4 Bible covers:

4 quick cushion covers (not the white one, that comes later) - the black ones don't even have zips:

A padded, drawstring bag for my hubby to take his visualizer to work safely in:

And 2 pillowcase liners, which aren't shown here as they're on the pillows!

Knitting was productive too, with 4 adult garments done and 2 small girl's cardigans. 

I'm also half way through the last piece of an Aran jumper for Sir, but that'll obviously come in on next year's list.

Embroidery finishes were 5 cards, all for wedding anniversaries:

One picture that I'd started in Germany on World Embroidery Day 2019:

And, finally, one hardanger scatter cushion cover:

I'll try and get back in a few days to start sharing projects from mid 2017 to the end of 2019, so you can catch up with what I've been working on whilst my tech was sub-functional.  Afterwards, maybe I can get back to periodic updates on current projects as before. I can't promise prolific posting, as I'm really out of the habit now and building up a blog is no longer a priority as it used to be back up to 2015, but I'll try my best. :)

In the meantime, look me up on Instagram, which is much more up to date.  You can click on the link at the top left of the blog, or search @sew_in_love_stitch_art from your IG account, if you have one.

Text and images © Elizabeth Braun 2020

L*K 'Cherish All Living Things', another show piece

Those of you who follow me on Instagram will have no trouble recognising what my second entry into this year's Sheffield Horticulture Show was as I posted quite a few WIP shots there last month as it progressed.  I've saved the 'main camera' photos up until I was ready to post them all in one go on blog.

Fans of Lizzie*Kate designs will probably know this one, although it's a few years old now.

As you can see from the first photo, I had my tray of over-dyed threads to hand much of the time as I was constantly changing the colours for shades I thought looked better!!

 Here we have all the cross stitching complete.  Just needed to add the charms before finishing up.  With all the other L*Ks I've worked, I didn't use the trims provided as I wasn't that keen on them, but this time I like the ones in the chart pack, so decided to include them.  What I had in my stash just didn't work out with this design, most of them being too big.

Rather than spending £30-40 on framing, I decided to make this one up into a bellpull.  That way, I could use up one of the bellpull ends I had in stock and also present something a little different in the Show.

When I was stitching this piece, Sir asked me if I really thought it stood any chance of winning something and I said I did as it was very different from the entries I saw last year, which were mostly detailed, picture type pieces (very British taste) and I'd noticed that the judges seemed to lean towards the less classic, more whimsical pieces.

When we went to the Show after judging, he saw what I meant and agreed that this was a departure from 'same old same old'!!

I'd wanted to enter something in the 'Cross Stitch - Own Design' category, but thanks to computer use problems (the headache saga continues.....ad infinitum), I wasn't able to even complete my design.  However, I plan on doing one, or even two, for next year's competition.

There were four entries in this category (embroidery, on the whole, was poorly supported this year), but winning second place out of four was a lot better than first of one as with the butterflies!!!  Don't you agree?

Text and images © Elizabeth Braun 2015

Work in Progress Wednesday - 13 Nov 2013

Has it really been almost two weeks already??  After a mammoth posting session throughout October, November has been a bit quiet blog-wise so far, but I have been working on my 'Autumn' cross stitch project, although I haven't got to the feather as yet.  I've been rather busy getting caught up with a few things and so on since viral nasties in October, so I haven't got to posting.  Anyway, here are a few WIP shots for you to (hopefully) enjoy.=)

Actually, the real trouble with the feather is that I can only really work at it seated at a table as I don't have a hands-free frame as yet.  I have it on my desk in my room, but it's not often very warm in there at times when I would be free to stitch.  Maybe this evening???

In the meantime, I've cracked well on with this piece and am a good half way through it now.  I hope to get it (AND the feather) finished this month.

I've made one or two changes to this design as I felt the overall look of the piece tended far too much towards Hallowe'en.  The house looked rather on the spooky side and the black cat of the original design fell in with that look.  So, the cat I did in grey instead (but I think I need to re-do the eyes as there isn't enough contrast and they don't show up well) and I'm 'normalising' the look of the birdhouse somewhat.  I won't be doing a light on in a creepily shaped window, for instance.  Since when do birdhouses have lights on anyway??  And the window will be the same as all the others - rectangular, rather than somewhat coffin shaped!  Honestly, there are enough things to portray a natural season with, must it be so tightly centred around holidays?  From which you may gather I'm not a fan of most of them, but especially not Hallowe'en!

Other than that, I've prepared my shopping list for the Knitting and Stitching Show next Friday afternoon and am working out bus times to fit everything in nicely.  I've also been enjoying looking though some of Trish Burr's books, two of which I own and the other, the Colour Confidence one, the library bought in at my request.  There seem to be about 24 designs in those three titles alone that I want to have a go at!!  Plus two new releases that she's recently added to her shop, although I can't really afford almost £10 just for a digital download, so I'm hoping that at least one of those will appear in a future book.=)  She has one in progress at the mo and I'm guessing it's either on miniature thread painting, or is the promised follow up to the 'Fresh Ideas for Beginners' one.  Pleasant anticipation there.  Anyway, I want to get at least one into commission this week and to try a similar design with stranded cottons, my new Pipers Silks and also gently variegated threads like the ones that I use in this current series of cross stitch pieces - Gentle Arts Sampler Threads and maybe some from Weeks Dye Works.

Text and images © Elizabeth Braun 2013

Work in Progress Wednesday - 30 Oct 2013

No more WIP shots to share on this first piece, as I finished it last night!

So, here it is in its almost final glory.  I say 'almost' as these designs are meant to have novelty buttons attached to them, but as I've been selling them complete with the buttons and two out of the four really didn't appeal to me anyway, I decided to explore the 'Button Lady's Ooh-Aah Stand' at the Knitting and Stitching Show in a few weeks' time!  I'm sure I'll find something there that will do and there's really only one of the designs that needs the buttons and that's the 'Spring' one that had the greenery and pot stitched, but the flowers to add.  We'll see what I can find.

In the meantime, 'Autumn' is already in the working frame and should be done fairly soon.  Then this series will be done and ready for framing all in one go.=)

As you can see, I changed the colours for the lettering at the bottom from red, white and blue to two shades of green and a red.  I wanted to use GAST 'Royal Purple' for the lettering itself, but had to admit that red balanced the whole piece much better than the dark purple would have done.

I fished out the old peacock feather the other day and, although I haven't done any of it yet, that's now back on my table ready to get back into commission.  I'm longing to get this one done and off my list.

It isn't really for anyone or anything, it's just that I want to finish it.  I've put in all this work so far and I want to see it completed.  It'll just go in my portfolio with the rest of my C&G samples.

I have dumped two projects in the past that I changed my mind about, but I don't hold with having UFOs.  I don't like half-read books either and finished off quite a number that got started and then neglected over the past 2 or 3 years.  Feels good!=)

Although it isn't mounted/stretched yet, I pressed the sampler today and took some photos, so look out for those over the next day or two and some progress shots (I hope!) on the feather next week.

Text and images © Elizabeth Braun 2013

The courage to be bad - introducing Art Every Day Month

Do you remember the 1980s TV series 'Fame'?  I love it!  In series 1, episode 4 - 'Alone in the Crowd,' we see the school's musical genius struggling to deal with stage fright and being unable to perform owing to fear of a bad reaction.  Towards the end and after having proved to young Bruno that he won't die even if he does get boo-ed, the music teacher, one Mr Shorofsky, says, "You don't get applause unless you grow.  And you don't grow unless you are courageous enough to be bad."  This really struck a cord with me.

You see, it's the same with other forms of art.  We don't grow, develop and improve if we're so afraid of making mistakes that we don't do anything!

I don't know about you, but sometimes I get a bit paralysed when I'm faced with something I find difficult or that I'm not sure I can do well.  That's why I'm pleased that Art Every Day Month is about to start.

Art Every Day Month is co-ordinated by Leah Piken Kolidas, the same lady who runs the Creative Every Day annual challenge.  AEDM is like a miniature version of CED that runs each year in November and it's not just about paint and paper art.  She says:

I define art in the broadest sense. Your daily art might be a painting, or the beginning of one, or it might be a photo, a song, knitting, cooking, chalk drawings with your children, sculpture, poems on napkins, art journaling, crafting, dancing, etc...

So, whatever art means to you, qualifies for the challenge.  Why not join in?

Here are some ideas I had that one could spend a month exploring:

* The four seasons - winter, spring, summer and autumn, or just one of these.
* A stitching style - goldwork, stumpwork, blackwork, crewel
* A yarncraft - learn crochet, try a new knitting stitch each day
* A regional style such as hardanger embroidery, Japanese embroidery, Brazilian work, or even designs inspired by a certain country or even their script - endless ideas in Chinese characters!!

And so on.  There's also paper, pencil and paint-based art and that's something I've really been wanting to improve my meagre skills in for some time.  It's also something that I can really use Mr Shorofsky's wisdom on.  You see, like many people, I'll never improve in my skills and grow as an artist if I don't have the courage to be bad.  The courage to make mistakes.  The courage to 'waste paint and spoil paper' as one of the characters in my favourite Victorian novel, 'The Woman in White' says.  To take the risk of trying something that may not work out as I'd hoped and even look awful!

BUT: It may even look good, or maybe would be better if I tried it like this instead of like that.... However, this can only happen if one has the courage to risk being 'bad' and have a go.

So, what do you think?  Could you too have 'the courage to be bad' and to grow during November and join in the Art Every Day Month challenge next month?  It's a low pressure challenge and there are no forfeits for missing a day. Leah's realistic enough to acknowledge that life rarely goes as planned and that people have more pressing responsibilities than keeping up to a creative challenge.  However, it may give the impetus to have a go.  It will me and I'll be blogging my multiplicity of bad drawings, hopefully including a few passable ones, over on my Art blog.

Here are the latest cross stitch progress photos.  Only the sunflowers, the 'Summer' logo at the bottom and a little bit of top-stitching to be done now and I can get that chart sold and start on 'Autumn'.  Basically, I want to get these two stitched up and finished so that I can sell them in time to have the cash available to spend at the Harrogate Show in 4 weeks' time!!  There isn't really much that I plan to get, but I'd like to have the option to get anything I like the look of, if you see what I mean.=)

Coming back to the list of things that one could spend a month on, I'm thinking of opening up my own challenge during 2014 using topics like these.  Participants would spend a month developing ideas and/or skills in each of 12 areas of textiles and embroidery and then share the results with others.  Does that sound like something you might be interested in?  Leave a comment and tell me what you think.

Text and images © Elizabeth Braun 2013

Stitching and Threads

This part of my Lizzie*Kate Summer Button-Up cross stitch is cute, isn't it?  I love this bottom corner with the lil' kitty peeping out.  It's only very simple, but it works well, I think.=)

This is how far I've got with the whole piece.  Not too far off completion, probably at about 65-70%.

I was working on the red border at the bottom and wondering why red, white and blue had been chosen for summer, and then it dawned on me - of course, 4th of July colours!  Well, that doesn't work for me either by nationality or the fact that I'm not patriotic at all, so I decided to leave that bit unfinished for now and, once the rest is done, I'd see about picking some more summery shades that co-ordinate well with the whole piece.  Also, the 'Spring' pattern has lettering in blue, so I want this one to be different.

It's been another good stash week as the day I put in the order for the #12 pearl cottons I showcased recently, I also ordered a few more Pipers Silks to a) plug the gaps in my collection colour-wise, and b) to fill my box.  This is what I enjoyed receiving on Thursday - 16 beautiful, gleaming cops of silk floss.

Below are the sections of the newly filled box just sitting on my desk, waiting to be put to good use in a project or four.

The 'Yellows' tray, photographed at this unusual angle as it produced the best distinction between the yellow shades.  Clockwise from top-left: oranges and peaches, warm yellows, cool yellows, warm browns, cool browns, and black, white and greys.

The 'Reds' tray contains, again clockwise from the top-left: purple pinks, red purples, blue purples, bright reds, dark reds, and red pinks.

The 'Blues' tray features: yellow greens, bright greens, blue greens, green/aqua blues, cool blues and black/white in narrower gauges.  If I get any more greys at some point, I'll move the regular black and white down here too.

If anyone would like any more information on the silks, or any of the colours etc, feel free to ask.  In the meantime, I need to think of something to use them in, right?=)

Sadly, I doubt I'll get my sampler done as planned as I'm rather out of action this weekend, down with something and just taking a few minutes out of bed now to do a few on-line things.  I want to get as much rest as I can so that I can go to London etc as planned on Monday - I do NOT intend to miss that trip!  It does mean not much, if any stitching will happen over the weekend, although I've made good progress since Wednesday's posting, so there'll be something to show whatever.  And you never know, I might feel up to more later on in the day...

Have a good w/e and I'll head back bedwards with some fun children's detective stories to amuse me and thoughts of all the art and stitchy projects I have in mind for the next few months.=)

Text and images © Elizabeth Braun 2013

Must it *all* be fun?

I've been pressing on with my new cross stitch quite a lot this week whilst I haven't really felt up to tackling the filling in of the sampler hardanger elements.  I had a quick practice of woven picots and buttonhole bars and think I can pull those off all right, but haven't tried them on the real thing as yet.

When I posted that I was going to do this cross stitch last week and said that these designs could be a bit boring to stitch in parts, one reader asked why I was going to stitch it if it was going to be boring, after all, didn't I embroider for fun?  That set me thinking about how much of a project can be expected to be fun and is it realistic to expect the whole thing to be enjoyable from start to finish every time?  What would you say?

If I'm honest, I can't think of any task, project or occupation that's fun 100% of the time.  I remember last year a former colleague wrote, 'Work is generally good' and I knew he was talking about a job he'd really wanted to do and was enjoying on the whole.  However, there are certainly aspects that are a bit tedious or even a nuisance and I doubt there's any job that excludes any negative factors whatsoever.

What about hobbies, crafts and needlework?  I think it's true to say that we all have our favourite parts, parts that we don't mind and parts that we accept as part of a overall enjoyable process, but that we find dull in themselves.  For instance, many cross stitchers hate backstitch parts, knitters dislike sewing up garments and I find transferring patterns to be a bit of a pain to do.  Which parts of a needlework project do you find less than thrilling?

With these Lizzie*Kate designs, there are some large-ish areas of one colour that do get a bit dull to stitch.  With this one and the 'Spring' one I did 3½ years ago, it's the fence that drags on a bit.  With some other pictures, plain backgrounds can be a plain bore to work.  Generally speaking, I've found that working on them little and often, perhaps interspersed with more interesting parts or projects, helps to relieve the monotony and gets a necessary part of an otherwise fun project done.

Strangely enough, and this goes for many tasks and not just needlework, getting through the dull and trying parts and completing them gives one of the greatest senses of achievement!!

So, I think that with embroidery, as with everything, one takes the humdrum parts along with the more stimulating ones and accepts that it adds up to an overall strongly positive experience.

What are your thoughts on the subject?  Do you really find every part of a stitching task fun and enjoyable?  Are there some you'd gladly hand over to someone else to do?  (Sorry about the awful photos above, BTW, the lighting has been terrible this week and I can't seem to improve it on Photoshop...)

The Anchor number 12 pearl cottons I ordered the other day came through the next morning.  It was so much fun getting a parcel from SewandSo after all this time!

As you can see, I ordered 'landscape' colours, except for the light yellow, which is a favourite shade of mine and the Kreinik #1 Japan thread in 321J, which I treated myself to.  Actually, I was rather disappointed with it as it was supposed to be 'dark gold', but there's next to no difference between that and the regular gold shade 002J.  Well, at least I know now.=(

As my number twelve ball drawer was full before, I had to do some reorganisation in order to get these new colours in so, as you can see, I decided to devote the drawer itself to 'colours' and moved the browns and greys into the space vacated by the Pipers Silks now that they have their own box.

I'm not 100% happy with this arrangement as, frankly, this cantilever section looks messy and, fussy creature as I am, I wanted to have all the browns in one section and the greys in another, but numbers didn't work out.  Anyway, it's the best I can do for now.

This below is my Anchor #8 pearl cotton collection - solid colours.  I have a fair few of the Anchor multi-colour ones too, which I used to use a bit when I did a lot of hardanger cards a few years ago.  I really need to find more uses for these as, whilst it's great to have a nice collection, it's even better to have a use for them, but you can only do so many things at once and I'm vehemently opposed to having a large number of projects on the go at once.  I have two WIPs at the moment and one UFO and I want to clear the slate of at least two of those before starting in on new things.  If I can clear off the third too, (which is boring me!!!), oh, how happy will I be?!=)

In case anyone was wondering why I bought the landscape coloured #12 balls, it's because I'm interested in trying some of the Helen M Stevens' 'look through' style pictures where you have certain foreground elements and then shaded in sections are fields, waterways etc.  #12 pearl cotton is perfect when the rest of the piece is to be done in stranded cotton.  I think, if I'm to use the Pipers silks, the gauge might not be quite right, but then I could bring my Madeira silks, which seem slightly twisted and considerably less shiny than Pipers, into play.  What thread combinations do you think would work?  What would you use?

Text and images © Elizabeth Braun 2013

New cross stitch projects coming up!

Yes, yes, I know I was going to do some small Helen M Stevens' designs, and I haven't forgotten them.  It's just that I, frankly, want to be able to sell on the above charts - esp as a lady in the south of England bought 'Winter' and 'Spring' from me last weekend - so I need to get them worked up.

I'm not very much into the Lizzie*Kate style of design, but more or less anything four seasons design-wise will get me, so I collected these.=)  I also rather liked the third one, 'Cherish All Living Things'.

Before we went to Taiwan just over four years ago, I sold off about two thirds of my over-dyed threads - GAST and WDW, but I kept back all the colours I needed for these projects and some others that I thought I would use in other types of embroidery.  So, thankfully, I had everything I needed to kit up these designs, except perhaps a piece of linen for the last one.  I haven't finally decided on that one as yet.

This is the floss toss for the first one, 'Summer', and I'm ready to get going on it.  I was going to wait until I'd got further on with the sampler, but, as I'm having some lung trouble which, oddly enough, restricts how I can move around and bend over a piece of work (cutting threads needs me in a certain position and I can't maintain it for long just now), I'm giving myself permish to make a start on this one!  As I remember from 'Winter' and 'Spring', they're a rather a bore to stitch in parts, but shouldn't be too bad.

The sampler is coming along well though.  I've finished the 'look through' section cross stitch etc and set that aside for later.  I've also re-positioned the main piece in the frame and cut out the top two motifs.  Sadly, my hardanger scissors declined to co-operate, so it seems we need to look at those again.  However, my goldwork pair have lovely fine points and, as they're specially toughened for cutting metal threads, won't go blunt very quickly.=)

Text and images © Elizabeth Braun 2013

Finished 'Spring'

Here it is, TA-DA->

I've given up on enlarging the photo via the 'Edit Html' tab as it always ends up blurred, no matter what I do, so I've done it right aligned so it can be clicked on for a larger size. Whenever I centre a photo, it can't be clicked on, although I've been able to click on centred photos on others' blogs. Pah! Anyway, good to have another WIP completed.=) I hope the bottom bit straightens up when framed, which won't be done until we go home, I shouldn't think. Hoping to get on with the bee next.

I've decided to get a rental viola very soon, probably early in the new year. I do rather miss playing and it would be a waste to have brought so much sheet music etc with me and not to use it. I plan to shop around for the best deal over the next couple of weeks and take up the most attractive one as and when. There are no public holidays here, (except 1 Jan, I think), so nothing to be interrupted by!!

Anyone whose been on blog 'for real' lately will have seen that I've added photos of all my pieces from this year down the sidebar under the Feedjit thingy, and also a nice, cheery 'welcome' in cross stitch at the top. So, lots of extra pictures on regular display now.

Hardanger finally finished up!

After three attempts at getting the zip in today, I eventually managed it this evening. The first time I had the edges too far apart, the second time too far over the actual fastening part and the third time I finally had the good sense to set it very carefully! Anyway, however and whatever, here it is with better photo quality today than originally posted, although the thread colours still don't show!=( I've realised that it's not the original photo that was the problem, it was using the HTML editor to enlarge it -it made it blurred! Odd as the original was easily big enough, but I guess it doesn't work well trying to do this with counted thread fabrics. Also, using the 'centre' justification for photos leaves them unclickable on to see the full size version, so a change of tack is needed for counted thread finishes, methinks!

I've done quite a bit more on 'Spring' and just have the flower pots and label to put on now. I thought that these L*K designs would be quick and fun to stitch, but I've found them to be quite long-winded and rather boring, if I'm honest. I will finish the series as I've had them for years and have gone to the trouble of doing almost two so far, and I do love 'four seasons' collections. I hope they can eventually go in Sir's new study when we go home. we may find a way of displaying them here in the meantime.

We bought a set of the most beautiful lilac rose bedding this week, (which I'd been hoping for for a few weeks!) and that made me really want to pretty up our bedroom. Once I get the rest of the housework up to date (ha-ha-ha!) then I want to make a start on getting things in there looking good. This is the fabric:

And this is a Brazilian embroidery kit that I want to work up to go on the wall. The actual thread colours match the bedding really well.