The End Of May

Where is the year going?

I would like to welcome my new followers, thanks for taking time to see what I have been up to.  I certainly enjoy seeing what everyone else is doing.

I had a very silly accident during the week and broke a small bone in my foot.  It is enough to be sore and annoying and uncomfortable to walk (very slowly), but not enough to need plaster or to stay at home.  It will take about 6 weeks to completely fix itself.

I did not catch up with Parts 11 and 12 of Baroque before the end of the month but I will attempt to be up to date at the end of June.  Just waiting for part 13.  This is the centre 'border' which is quite long and divides the lower gardens into 2 sides.  I have changed it a bit from the original to make the brown and purple 'twist' around each other.  I wanted a bit more symmetry in this centre piece.

I also worked on Chinese garden and have quite a bit of the temple building done.  Just lots of backstitching to do on the temple.  I love all the specialty stitches, but especially the rice stitches for the temple roof.

Lastly, here is my up to date progress shot for 4 calling birds.  Still LOTS of beads and backstitching but almost all the crosses done.  Would like to get this one finished this week if I can.

Wishing everyone a lovely June.  As always happy stitching

My Eterna Silks have arrived

I have been waiting for my Eterna silks for Chinese Garden Mandala and they have arrived.

They are so pretty and so colourful

I fully intended to just work on Baroque this weekend but I think my resolve has gone out the window with this parcel!

Here is to a weekend of stitches.

The end of the weekend

I would like to say thanks for everyone's kind comments, and thanks for taking the time to look.  It is nice to think that my stitching may make you think about doing a or another chatelaine or other project.  I do get ideas from the blogs I follow.

It is the end of another IHSW (international hermit and stitching weekend) and I have managed a little bit of stitching, but not as much as I would have liked.  In the time I found I have worked on Baroque Garden and have finished the left hand garden of Part 11.  This was last month's part and I still have a similar right hand one to do.  I think I had about 2/3 of it done at the beginning of the weekend, and there was quite a bit of backstitching in gold which is not so easy to see in the photo.

Having finished this bit I have decided to do part 12 as I go across to the other side.  There are 2 small borders and one longer middle section.  I did one of the small borders tonight

I am going to work on doing as much as I can of this one this week in a vain attempt to catch up by the end of the month.

Hope everyone else found lots of time for stitching this weekend

3 French Hens - Framed

I just picked up 3 French Hens from the framer.  I am framing them all in the same way and they are looking good together.  I am really liking this festive series and look forward to have Christmas stitching on my wall this Christmas.  I wonder how many days I will have this year?

Hope everyone has a lovely weekend 

My week in stitches

Despite the fact that my week kept me away from home for quite a bit of time I have made some progress with some of my projects.

I took my new 12 days of Christmas project - 4 calling birds - away with me and made a start on this.  Still more stitching and LOTS of beading to go.

My Chinese Garden mandala (Chatelaine designs) has also grown, but I am still waiting for some silks to arrive.  I love the richness of the reds in the frame.

I also caught up on my SAL - Tree of Stitches.  I have now done all 9 available parts and await Part 10 on Friday.  I am vey happy with how my blossom tree is blooming.

Part 7 - Jerusalem Stitch

Part 8 - Floral Stitch

Part 9 - Norwich Stitch

Think it might be time for a bit of work on Baroque Garden now

Happy stitching

A Tree of Stitches

I would like to say hello to my new followers, I am excited that I now have reached 25 followers.  I was not sure anyone would look at my ramblings when I started, and thanks to everyone who had taken the time to comment as well.  I love the opportunity to share with fellow stitchers.

I have done some more of Chinese Mandala, but I am starting to run out of bits I can do until I get my Eterna Silks and my black rayon.  I love seeing everyone else's gorgeous progress and will post a piccie of this soon.

I have been sidetracked over the last 2-3 days by a new SAL.  I saw it on another blog, loved it and had to join.  The design is Tree of Stitches by Abi Gurden and is available through The Stitch Specialists Yahoo Group.  It uses a different stitch in each fortnightly part.  I decided to do mine as a spring blossom tree and my inspiration were blossom trees in a beautiful garden in Canberra.

I am stitching it on 32 count linen, Pacific Dreams from Stitches and Spice to emulate the blue spring sky.  The trunk is Gloriana Arroyo (172). the blossoms Pol stitches dragon floss Summer Fruits (63) and the green Threadworx 1046.  I have done 6 of the 9 available parts so far

Part 1 - Cross Stitch

Part 2 - Smyrna Stitch

Part 3 - French Knots

Part 4 - Eyelets

Part 5 - Rice Stitch

Part 6 - Cushion Stitch

I have been enjoying stitching this one and it is fun stitching some different stitches.

Hope everyone is having a nice weekend

A finish, floss and my feet!

Finally get to stitch and blog.  I have returned from my holiday in Tasmania, but work has been busy since I returned.

Today is the first day I have done any stitching in almost 2 weeks and I have finished 3 french hens.

I love the big red beads in the holly sprigs.  My mother's holly bush was in berry when I was home and it just asked to be photographed.

I had a couple of parcels waiting for me when I returned filled with stitching goodies.  I had ordered the kit for the Chatelaine design Walled Wisteria Garden and it had taken a long time for Cindy at European cross-stitch to get all the floss but it had finally arrived.  I am going to stitch this on baby powder blue 32ct Jobelan from Stitches and Spice.  I have had the fabric for ages, but I will not start this one straight away as I have too many other things to do at the moment.

There are some beautiful colours and textures with the flosses for this design.

I also had a parcel containing some more supplies for Chinese Mandala.  I have some more flosses and all my beads and sparkly bits.  I am still waiting for my Eterna silks and a few other flosses. (Now I just need to get stitching)

Finally, feet refers to my six days of walking through World Heritage wilderness in Tasmania.  I have picked some photos which shows how lovely this part of the world is and I did enjoy not having a phone or computer for six days (but still had a bed, a shower and good food and wine)

The boat shed at Crater Lake (Cradle Mountain)

Mt Ossa (Tasmania's highest mountain)

The way forward

Reflections on the path

Quamby Estate (where I stayed before and after the walk)

Hope everyone had a lovely Easter.

Happy stitching