I love a mystery (and a finish)

Hello and welcome to the new followers of my blog.  I appreciate that you spend a little bit of your precious time to look at what I have been up to.  I love checking to see what everyone else has been doing - everyone is so inspiring with their beautiful stitching and quilting.

I have to admit I have trouble resisting a mystery project and so I had to join the With Thy Needle and Thread mystery Sampler - Birds of a Feather.  Suffice to say, with a postal strike (I ordered my supplies from Canada) and the need for the supplies to have a long plane flight and the "rapidity" of Australia Post I received my first part the day the last part of the mystery was revealed.  I may like a mystery, but I have no will-power when it comes to not-peeking!

I am using the Weeks Dye Works floss as charted and the WDW confederate grey linen (35 count).  This is going to give it a very antique feel to it.  I am still waiting for a couple of flosses but they will appear with my next package.

Here is my floss toss

I could not resist doing a little bit of it, and will post a piccie soon.

I have done some other stitching this weekend as well, and as it was the third weekend in the month it was IHSW (International Hermit and Stitching Weekend).  It is organised by Joyce at Random Ramblings, and over 30 people have joined this weekend.

I finished 5 Golden Rings (Nora Corbett - 12 days of Christmas) on Saturday and was so excited I dropped it in at the framer.  Several hours later I realised I had missed an isolated bead - oops!  I will call tomorrow as I am sure they haven't done anything yet and will drop in to fix my forgetful boo-boo.  If it is too late it is very difficult to see where it should be.

It is very sparkly again!

I only have a couple of leaves to do on the tomato panel of Baroque Gardens - the tomatoes are all stitched.  I will post a photo when it is finished - the over one takes time and does not grow very quickly.

Hope everyone has had a good stitching weekend (IHSW or otherwise) and I look forward to seeing what everyone has done

Take care

2 weeks have passed

Where does the time go?  It has been 2 weeks since my last post which was not entirely intentional.  I have been over-one stitching on Baroque - so nothing grows very fast despite the time spent stitching.

I did finish my secret stitching (an exchange piece for the Chatelaine smalls exchange).  This is the first time I have done something like this and I am happy with it.  I will post photos later once it has been sent and received.  I have to admit that the finishing instructions I used did not quite achieve the really nice and tidy finish I would have liked, but it is fine.

So here are my progress shots

Firstly Baroque Garden - I think they are tomatoes

Then there is 5 Golden Rings (was hoping to finish this one this weekend, but not quite there)

I did do part 13 of Tree of Stitches (Abi Gurden).  Only 2 more parts and my tree will be finished.  I love the variety of trees that are growing with this SAL

Part 13 - Tied Windmill Stitch

This stitch required lots of attention to counting to get each stitch in the correct place, but it is a nice stitch.

Another week awaits!

Happy stitching

I'm halfway there!!!!!!!!!!

I have finished Parts 11 and 12 of Baroque and that means I am halfway there!

I will be able to start Part 13 in the month it was released, so I am less than a month behind!

Two over one floral panels await in Part 13

I thought I would not like the second garden of part 11 as much as the first, but I love the purples and greens.  I have been backstitching with gold metallic for a large portion of today!

The stitching is straight, the slight bend is where I have just taken it off my scroll frame

And here it is with 50% done!

So, I have had a lovely and productive stitching weekend.  I hope everyone else had a lovely weekend doing things they love to do.

Happy stitching

Recharged!

Well, it has only taken me almost a week to get a recharged battery into the camera!  It has not been the most productive week in regards to stitching but I got a little bit done.  Why are there so many other things that interfere with stitching time?

I am still trying to catch up on Baroque and that is going to be my weekend aim (again).  I want to finish this little garden and the small part of Part 12 that I have not done.  I will then be half way finished!  Here's hoping for a mini happy dance at the end of the weekend.

I have been keeping up with my Tree of Stitches.  I love this design and it is fun to stitch with all the specialty stitches.  It is designed by Abi Gurden for the Stitch Specialists yahoo group.

Part 11 - Rhodes Stitch

Part 12 - Fancy Cross

Part 12 Close up

I have also started 5 Golden Rings (Nora Corbett 12 Days of Christmas series).  This start is for you Joyce as you asked so nicely when I would start this one after the 4th day was finished.  This one is nice and sparkly - these are nice designs to stitch when I don't feel like doing something large, and just want to sit on the sofa.

Here is to a good stitching weekend

Happy stitching

IHSW and batteries need charging

It was the international hermit and stitch weekend (as organised by Joyce at Random Rambling).  I did not get to be much of a hermit and despite wishing I could spend the weekend tucked up at home stitching I only got a little bit done.

My camera batteries also need recharging and my attempt to add progress photos will have to wait until the batteries are recharged.  Most of my stitching this weekend must remain secret at the moment anyway.

Hope everyone else had a good weekend and for anyone who wants to join and be a hermit, the IHS weekend is the third weekend of every month.

A Tree and a Garden

Hello to everyone

I have finished another bit of Baroque Garden, the central long row or border.  I changed the placement of the purple and brown to form a twist pattern in this central piece.  It was only a partial twist on the chart.

Only the other little tiny bit of border on the left side and part12 is done.  Then I will do the second garden of Part 11 (and then Part 13 - I will catch up, I will catch up...............)

The complete Baroque (as of now)

Detail of the central border

I also finished Part 10 of my Tree of Stitches SAL.  I am loving do this tree with all the different specialty stitches.

Part 10 - Star Stitch

I hope to make more of a headway into Baroque this weekend.

My foot is still sore, but I am walking faster (but everyone still overtakes me!).  Guess it will be another 3 or so weeks before it heals completely.

Happy stitching

The 4th day is done!

4 Calling Birds (Nora Corbett - 12 Days of Christmas series) is finished.

I have spent my evenings this week stitching on beads and more beads (I will be happy to look at a red bead again in a week or 2)

My foot is slowly improving, I am at least a bit faster at walking now and the bruising and swelling is going.  Thanks to everyone who wished me a speedy recovery.

Again, the weekend is not quite my own, with a conference tomorrow, but I hope to get more done of Baroque on Sunday.

Happy stitching