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

3 hens and some previous finishes

I have got around my photo issue, but still not able to do it as I normally do.

Here is my mini IHSW progress picture, at least there are the correct amount of french hens now.  I don't have too much to do to finish this one.

I am also posting some of my previous finishes from years gone by.  These are projects I did for my mother and I have photographed them while I am here staying with her.

The first is of Bourton-on-the-Water by Derwentwater Designs.  My mother and I stayed in this delightful Cotswold town when she came to visit me in the UK.  It is stitched on 14 count Aida as supplied in the kit

The next is a street scene based on the lovely town of Port Fairy in Victoria, Australia.  It is a town on the Great Ocean Road - a wonderful coast drive between Melbourne and Adelaide.  I did this trip with my mother many years ago and stitched it as a reminder of one of our favourite towns on the trip.  The design is by Juniper Designs and stitched on linen.

And finally a squirrel by John Stubbs for Heritage Crafts.  My mother had not seen a squirrel until she came to visit me in the UK and just fell in love with them.  I have given her many squirrel presents since including this picture.  It is also stitched on linen.  

Unfortunately I haven't kept a record of when I finished the designs.

Will try to do a bit more of my french hens this evening.

Progress but no photo

I have made some progress on 3 french hens and there is now the correct number of hens.  Not a real hermit weekend as I have come home (home is still where you grew up even if I haven't lived here for about 2/3 of my life) to visit my mother.

I will post a photo as soon as I can work out why I can't copy my images from my web album.  Very annoying as I have not had a problem before.  Once I work it out I will post some piccies.

I have enjoyed seeing other weekend progress photos and look forward to seeing the rest.

Chinese Garden Mandala - day one

Here is my progress after my first evening of stitching Chinese Garden.  It doesn't look like much yet and I don't have all my threads so I am stitching with the ones I do have.

Wish I could say there was more done now but I did this on Monday evening and haven't been able to get near my stitching since.  I am not going to get Baroque done this month let alone this.

I am off to Tasmania tomorrow to see my mother, but I will take 3 french hens with me and still try to have a mini international hermit and stitching weekend (IHSW), hopefully I will get this one finished.

Hope everyone has a lovely weekend and if you wish to be a hermit click here random ramblings

No stitching but the postman delivered a parcel

Hi

I have been away for work this weekend.  Very busy weekend and absolutely no time for stitching and very little done last week either.  There is almost a third french hen and that is all I did.

I am not sure I will get much stitching done in the rest of this month either.  I am away the next two weekend first visiting my mother and then doing a 6 day walk in Tasmania.

On the plus side the postman delivered a parcel.  I have got my fabric and about half the floss for Chatelaine Chinese Garden Mandala.  I have ordered my kit from stitches and spice (here in Australia) and Naomi will send the rest of the floss and the beads when she gets them.  I am stitching this one on 32 count linen in Wintered Marble, also from Stitches and Spice.  I love what has arrived so far and it is enough to make a start on Part 1.

I also received my pattern for 4 calling birds (Nora Corbett), the fabric and the sparkly bits that I did not already have to stitch this one.  Very nice colours in this design as well.  I will take french hens and calling birds with me when I go to visit Mum.

Might have to do a bit of Chinese Garden tonight.

The end of the weekend

Here is my weekend stitching, not that much but I did spend 6 hours in the garden and have a blister to prove it. I started Part 11 of Baroque, the left side block and I am not sure it looks like much other than a heap of cross stitches at the moment.

Hope everyone else had a good stitching weekend.