Butterfly Update 6

It feels like I haven't posted an update on this project in ages, and yet I feel like I've been working on it like a maniac. The half stitch background is taking much longer than I had anticipated, but it's coming along. You can even kind of tell it's a forest now.

Since I intensely dislike doing backstitch, I decided I should do it as I go instead of waiting to do all of it at the end. I think I'd never finish it if I left it all. (That's what happened to my angel which is sitting and collecting dust at the moment. Stupid backstitching with metallic threads!) Anyway, no matter how much I hate doing backstitch, it certainly makes a profound difference on the piece. Look how much more the butterflies pop!

And close up:

Confessions of a stash addict

I know that I already have enough stash to last me YEARS, but that doesn't seem to stop me from browsing (and often buying) even more charts. On a whim today, I googled "fractals" and poked around the web looking at these designs.

I love fractals. Maybe because there is simplicity and complexity in them at the same time, maybe because I love the colours, maybe I don't quite know why, but I love them.

I came across a wonderful site, Cross Stitch Collectibles, that has mostly classic art, florals, landscapes, those kinds of designs in cross stitch, but they also had a huge selection of fractals. It was all I could do not to buy half a dozen charts.

Some of my favourites:

Let's see how long I hold out before I buy a few ...

Lizzie*Kate - Welcome Baby

As if I don't have enough projects on the go, I started a small piece for an expectant friend of mine. I'm personally not a huge fan of big baby announcements, but I found this little one from Lizzie*Kate that is just perfect! It's small and cute without being cutesy. Whether it'll be a boy or a girl is being kept a surprise till the big day, so I decided to use that pretty light green fabric I bought the other day to keep the whole thing a little more neutral.

I've never worked over 2 on 28 ct before, so getting used to the counting was a little tricky. I did enjoy how soft and lovely the fabric was though. I'm used to working with the much stiffer aida.

I still have a little more to do before the baby is born (borders and such), then will just have to add the name and date before I can frame it up and make it into a great little present!

Jasmine Pixie Update 1

I didn't think I'd be working on this piece again until the end of August or the beginning of September, but I ended up making an impromptu visit to my parents' place, and took this along in case I had some time to stitch. It almost looks like something now! I must say that I adore the greens in this design. They just seem to pop! (Although the light in this photo doesn't do it justice.)

I love that I can see the body of the dress and her arm taking shape. I'm excited to work on this again soon. The thought of adding the 200+ beads to the design freaks me out a little, but that's a long ways off.

The stash addict strikes again!

I didn't mean to ... really I didn't ... I was just in the neighbourhood of my LNS (local needlecraft store) and just popped in for a look. Well ... I didn't just look. But I couldn't help it, the stuff just calls to me!

I picked up the Lizzie Kate - Welcome Baby because I wanted to do something small for an expecting friend of mine, then it snowballed into 3 charts. I went to look at a little bit of 20 or 22 ct fabric, but ended up browsing the hand-dyed fabrics. I don't quite know which project will end up on which fabric, but they were too lovely to pass by. Clockwise from the top left: 28 ct cashel linen in woodland, 28 ct jobelan in water cress (thinking I'll use this for the Welcome Baby chart), 16 ct aida in tarnish, 16 ct aida in whimsy, and 18 ct aida in mystic. Then I picked up some threads too - Weeks Dye Works and Sampler Threads from The Gentle Art.

Oh my pocketbook hurts ... but my stash bin looks full and lovely!!!

Butterfly Update 5

The end may be drawing near!! Okay not really, but significant progress has been made. I've finished all of the full cross stitches on my butterfly forest project.

The final butterfly was probably my favourite to stitch so far. I just love the colours in it and think it looks fantastic.

I've had the piece all rolled up on my scroll frame for so long, that I kind of forgot about the size of it. I thought the half cross stitch background would be a snap to do, but I have a lot of fabric to cover!! This might take a while ...

I've been framed !!

Here it is ... my first real piece of cross stitch, finished in March 2010, finally framed and up on my wall. It looks amazing, and I am totally inspired to stitch some more. (Like I need more motivation ... I'm a stitching fiend at the moment.)

Time to start something new

Well, apparently two projects on the go at once isn't enough, so I've added a third. To be honest, it was mainly because I was heading to my parents' place for a visit and a) can't take the butterflies with me there, and b) am sick of doing backstitch on the angel.

In my last post I put up a picture of the Jasmine Pixie by Nora Corbett all kitted up and waiting to be started ... and that's what I started a few days ago.

Here's what she will look like when finished:

and my progress so far:

It doesn't look like much yet, but it will!!

I've actually modified the design a tiny bit. It's supposed to be stitched 2 over 2 on 32 count linen, which would make the finished piece roughly 7" x 10". I want mine to be smaller and more dainty, so I am stitching it 1 over 1 on 22 count hardanger. I chose hardanger because it's a 2 thread block weave, which means I can do quarter stitches on it while still doing 1 over 1. My finished piece should be about 5 1/4" x 7 1/4". My only current concern is that the beads will be too "big" for my shrunken piece, so I might have to go hunting for smaller beads.

Anyway, I love this design and stitching it has been way too much fun. It's so small and delicate. I went back to working on the butterflies when I got home last night, and it felt so big and awkward and clumsy! I'm hoping I continue to love this smaller stitching, because I have a lot of it to do once I start my HAEDs.

This piece will be put aside for a bit now, as I need to keep moving on the butterfly piece and maybe even finish the angel. :)

Stash, stash, and more stash!!!!

I was very bad the other day ... I went to Michael's and Thread & Eye, and bought a ton of stuff. I kitted up 4 new charts -- 2 large HAEDs (Heaven & Earth Designs), a Nora Corbett pixie, and a blackwork sampler.

I wound all the bobbins for one HAED. (It only had 14 colours, which is next to nothing for a HAED.) I think the purples look divine!!

And I got everything together for the pixie:

On top of all that, I received the 5 charts I ordered from Alessandra Adelaide Needlworks in the mail today. Hurray!! They look marvelous and I can hardly wait to stitch them!

I'm a chart addict ... what can I say!?! :P

Angel Update 3

I had no idea how frustrating and exacting backstitching could be. I'm plugging away at it, but it's slow and I'm not enjoying it. I will admit the angel looks way better now that I've gotten more than half of the backstitching done.

Once I finish the backstitching, I still have french knots, sequins, beads, and cording to do. I might take a break for a bit on this one, just so I don't get so discouraged.

Butterfly Update 4

I love progress!! Five butterflies done and only one more to go, then it's background and backstitch time! I'm so excited at how quickly this project is moving along. I have so many other projects I want to start, but finishing this present for my mom is very important to me.

I finished the final flowers and leaves ...

and the fifth butterfly ...

and the overall progress ...

As much as I love doing this piece, I can't wait to have progress pictures of other projects to put up here. I'm almost sick of butterflies. :P