Now I know that Christmas Day is special whenever it falls , However, there is something about Christmas on a Sunday that is particularly wonderful.
You have seen this stitch before, but it was not fully finished then and it feels the right one to share today
I hope that you have had or are having a wonderful uplifting Christmas.
Welcome to the 2022 Advent hop as hosted by Jo at Serendipitous Stitching, if you did not arrive her from Jo's blog then you could always CLICK HERE to follow the Advent thus far and view days 1-17.
I have day 18 and the first thing to do is share my delight that the door for my day had an oriental feel quite reflective of this years discovery of the Chinese historical drama, subtitles and all.
The second, and to be honest the first part of the hop is share my little Christmas Stitch.
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A new shed and a cold snap with a heavy frost combined to prevent me getting to church today.
Why? Well the contents of the old shed are currently in the garage waiting for the new shed to be "organised" so the car has been ousted and had to spend the night out in the cold.
Come Sunday morning and the great car defrost, which always takes longer than expected, and the windows are clear and on pop the parents and I try to get in the back and the doors are frozen solid.
As time was tight off they went without me. So Sunday stitching was to the First Presidency's Christmas Devotional, well some of it.
And got all of the third shade of brown on there.
You may recall that my Sunday Stitching stalled as I was having trouble separating out the colours and there were no thread numbers in the kit for comparison.
I reached out to both the Country Companions and The World of Cross Stitching (source of the kit) Facebook groups for assistance.
Cross Stitching .com (that's the W of CS one) came through quite quickly with the numbers for the key (printed in the magazine just not on the key in the kit)
Therefore, last Sunday I was able to move past the green wellies, but then I forgot to post.
This picture is two Sundays worth of stitching.
We started singing Christmas Hymns at church today. Joy to the world and Once in Royal David's city.
I am very fond of both.
As noted last week we are having a break from our joint projects.
Tonight, I quilted.
I am up to the corner blocks, this is the first of the four. The snowflake-ish design was inspired by a major supermarket's Christmas gift brochure
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I am getting at the nearly almost thinking of being done stage where everything starts to feel very slow.
I had quite enjoyed doing the modified corner quilt pattern onto the monkey wrench block.
My BFF cross stitched so pop over to her blog to see how she is doing. CLICK HERE
We won't be BFF blogging next week because |Christmas stuff will be imposing itself. But hopefully you will be enjoying the Christmas Advent with Jo at serendipitous stitching.
Click Here for advent-calendar-blog-hop.2022
I finished off the backstitching in gold for the hair and the star, I don't know what type of metallic came with the kit but oh it was nice, and it was not fraying in the least. Impressive.
Then it was on to the cutting. And of course, I made a mistake cutting the wings. I got myself turned around and cut both sides the same. That is a problem, they are not meant to be cut the same.
The blue line is the correct cutting line, as you can see the notch should be at the bottom on one and the top on the other. If this had been ordinary Aida I would have had quite a puzzle to fix it without it totally unravelling.
Thank goodness it is Vinyl so fraying not a thing. So, I just stitched up the cut bit and then re cut it in the right place.
I should have stopped, but I had to give the construction a try to be sure the fix worked, at which point I noticed that there would be missing stitches at the back from the edge of the angel in a place that would show. So I added them. It would nag at me otherwise after I worked hard to make the back of the wings look reasonable. You can see both the extra stitches and the repair on the picture above.
And then I pinned it ready for our Skype session.
I must admit being me I was thinking about other Deborazations I might do, but I put it down.
And in our Skype session stitched her up with white sewing thread, it was a little awkward but doable.
And her she is finished.
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She will do for now and we can call BFF 10 done.
Click here to pop over to my BFF's blog to see her finish
And what for BFF 11? Well, that is indeed the question, one to which we currently do not have an answer however we have time to reach the answer as we won't be stitching a SAL again until at least the new year. We anticipate seasonal stitches or pressure would be getting in the way until then anyway.
So going forward we will be back to the RAL..random along, whatever ether of us most need to stitch either to get it done or to relax. And perhaps with some searching for the next BFF at the same time.
and hello to the angel.
The black backstitching banished the Ood with no lingering trace. Happily, the angel that replaced it is not the blinking kind.
I had dispensation to finsh off the wings and make a start on the backstitch, so fliping it over time for backstitching the wings whilst Skyping.
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The face has a Picasso feel on the reverse!
Although backstitch is not completely accurate, in the hopes of making the "back" of the wings as neat as possible I did Holbein Stitch. It takes a bit more time and thought on the way out but is a lot of fun on the way back.
I think it went OK.
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I still have some backstitch to go on the main part of the angel in gold thread, that too will be in dispensation time.
Cutting and assembling will be for the next get together and we will be at approximately the same stage on our differing projects.
CLICK HERE to see my BFF's progress.
I got out my big booklet, full of hope that the same symbols would be used, and I would be able to figure out what the different shades are.
And....nope, totally different key.
Did not want to start yet another one, so going to wait till there is sufficient daylight and make a best guess and hope it works out OK.
Oh or maybe I will ask the Country Companions Facebook page, someone may have the magazine that this would have originally come with, as if I recall correctly the patterns were repeated in the mag and the key there had the DMC (because they could do that in the mag without inferring the thread in the kit was DMC) I received mine as a gift for a published letter.
I will let you know how it goes.
As it was, I would not have been stitching today anyway as I had a reading at the Remembrance Service.
So I will just pop on a picture of my quilting progress.
This is the Flying Geese block.
I finished off the colour in the wing and then started on the white, first I used up the thread that came with the kit, then I needed more, I have a full cone of DMC but I have put it somewhere safe.
I thought I could get away with some thread from a cheap set just to keep sewing and finish off the edge of the wing.
It is very different and rather flat. I have used it to finish the wing edge and will use it for the edge of the other wing for symmetry, but I will need to make that effort to recall where my DMC white is to fill in the middle of the wing.
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I have special dispensation to stitch out of Skype time to catch up to my BFF a bit on her companion project. I am not sure how much time I will have for that as I am still trying to progress the hand quilting on my sampler quilt.
This is grandmother's fan block on the reverse, and I also have some spoons that need a bit of pyrography for a baking competition being held at another branch (inspired by the ones we have had) the organiser intends to drop them off tomorrow.
I might get the cross stitch done and be ready for the backstitch for next week with a bit of luck.
CLICK HERE to pop over and see my BFF's progress.
Another cover kit, another card but a different level of complexity. This is a Country Companions Design which is just as well, I am going to need a little cross pattern assistance here.
Why? Well recently I note that the cover kits rather than providing DMC thread with the relevant numbers listed in the key are now stating the design is made up with "thread from your kit". Whilst I appreciate that the current financial issues are impacting on the thread provided and I assume to reduce costs not having a list number can become a bit tricky if there are "shades" of colours.
That is the case here, so I started at the bottom rather than in the middle because I could at least easily identify the green and dark green.
That being done I will need to prepare before next week by checking the symbols provided here against the other Country Companions Charts I have, they tend to use the same ones for the same colours, then I can figure out what is what.
The cream, peach, light brown, dark cream, beige, light beige are all very much of a muchness. Wishe me luck.
finished the stitching part. With a small unintentional change to the placement of the bottom right robin, ohps and an intentional change to the beaks to make them pointy.
Add on the little wooden charm that came with the kit, and a bit of drawn thread work to the edges
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The kit came with a card, so that is how I have finished it. The little bit of drawn thread letting the red on the card show through. Getting the double-sided stick tape in the right places was tricky but I think worth it.
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And at least one piece of Christmas stitching is finished in time and with some to spare. Well, I say finished but I feel the card needs a little inside embellishment but that won't be sewn.
I came across this on my Facebook feed and thought it was an amazing resource, so I thought I would share it here as well.
They are collecting stitches and making them available. They have 250 so far, you can access an image of the stitch from this link
and then if you click on the stitch, it will let you see it sewn, show you the method and have a little video of how to do it.
Hope you find it useful.
an experiment.
a step further from using dye pens
This experiment started with the purchase of a different vegetable to see what it was like. Probably watched too many cooking programs.
Purple heritage carrots bought and cooked I ended up with a pan of purple water.
I tried a little bit dipped, and it looked promising, popped the water in a jar and forgot about it.
Today doing a bit of a sort I came across a little collection of stuff from the charity shop. Some random little patterns, thread bits and one piece of Aida someone had started stitching on. It did not go with any of the patterns in the bag. So, I unpicked it
It did have a small stain of some sort on it, very faint, possibly needle rust? At that point I remembered the jam jar of carrot water.
and in it went.
I did contemplate putting it in something flat however, I was not bothered if it came out flat or mottled as just playing around.
It came out with a lot more colour than I had expected, but then it is wet, colours are always more vivid wet.
Dry and ironed it has become much more subtle
Oddly the colour fixed just that bit darker in the spot the mark had been and where it had been folded. Wetting and ironing it has tightened up the holes in the Aida where I did the unpicking.
All in all an interesting experiment and I am reasonably pleased with the result.
I have no idea what I am going to stitch on it (it is about A5 size).
But that does not answer the burning question..just how did those heritage purple carrots taste?
Well, like carrots, I obviously do not have a sophisticated pallet.
Back to the cross stitch this week, the previous frustrations all forgotten .
Back to the wings and stitching with one strand (as per the pattern) the lighter colours on the white were proving difficult to see, so I decided to do the the darkest shade first.
If I get into a rhythm next week, I might get the cross stitching finished but I don't thing I will get all the back stitching sorted. But we shall see.
Pop on over to see my BFF's update, it makes me think of the grinch. CLICK HERE
An update,
The plate itself is done and I have made a start on a filling design for the corners.
My BFF and I were discussing the feel of quilting. The joy of thread gliding through the single layer sections, the satisfaction of the more solid feel of multiple layers and seams. Oh! the frustration of multi seamed areas and needing plyers to pull the needle through.
As I worked tonight, I was thinking about the way each section of thread as it is pulled through, my arm registers its length, decreasing slightly stitch by stitch so that a pull shorter than expected signals the dreaded knot at the back. So good to catch them as they occur, nightmare if missed and you turn to see a knot that occurred inches or more before it was spotted!
The back, I took a quick picture of the back, it is a bit easier I think to see where the plate was quilted on the reverse rather than the front.
Still a good way to go, keeping my knees warm at least.
Passed and have the certificate to prove it.
There has been no sign of a level two course happening. I am in two minds about that. It was nice meeting new people with crafty thoughts and trying a new craft that would have been expensive for a try otherwise. But going out to the class in dark nights not all that appealing and I do have plenty of projects to keep me going.
I note that the beginners sewing class that had been the other option has not made any sort of reappearance either.
Halloween, yes already, that is not a trick time does fly. And the Treat? Seeing lots of spooky stitches as you hop around.
Pop over to serendipitous Stitching (Click Here) for a full explanation and the starting point if you have not come here from there or another hop participant.
This is my themed stitch for this year, completed on material I coloured myself using T Shirt Dye pens.
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it did come with red eyed bats on the original pattern, but I was not fond of the bats (don't mistake me I like bats (proof I like bats) just not the ones on this pattern. Oddly at first glance I thought oh lot of black, yet it felt when stitching it there was more grey than black.
They don't have your letter; your letter is here with a former Halloween Hop star Ollie the Owl and his friend Itsy Bitsy.
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In this case they are sewn on white, and I just applied a filter to the picture so it co-ordinated with the cats.
And now you have your letter from me follow this link to the next blog and enjoy your hopping. Oh and it would be nice if you left a comment on each hop as you go..
Link to marysthread your next blog
You may recall my needing some blue Aida and using my fabric dye pens to do that ICE BLUE
I came across a pattern that I quite liked the look of and at first glance thought it was full coverage and I did not feel like doing that much stitching at that time.
Then my BFF who had also taken an interest in the pattern pointed out it was not full coverage but on a specially dyed piece of material.
That set me thinking, and some more experimenting followed.
This is the Aida with the dye pens colouring it in but not ironed to fix the colour.
Then soaked in water to let the colours run and blend, softening the edges.
Thak helped and it looked a little better. It certainly made the Aida soft.
The thing I still find funny is how differently it looks as I start to sew and in contrast to the stitching.
you would think I had added a lot more colour here, but then the next stage, still just with the black is looking lighter again.
I think if the head of the right cat had been more "there" at this point I might have decided to stop there I rather liked that effect. But if you look at my Halloween post for this year you will see I just kept going.
I like the name my BFF has given to our shared sewing experience of tonight, a Quilt along.
Took a little while to get in a comfortable position for quilting as the Skype space is not my usual quilting space.
Managed it eventually and worked on the Dresden plate block in my sampler quilt. I completed the blue floral section which was quite good going. There were a few knots to detangle, but they all cooperated and came out.
It might become something we do more of, the QAL as we did both enjoy it. It does need a bit of forward planning as moving the hoop can be a bit tricky and needs more floor space that our Skype spaces. We therefore we need to be in a position of having just moved the hoop and with enough to sew for the night without moving it again.
We did not discuss next week as yet but I expect we will be back to the cross stitch.
Pop on over to my BFF's blog to see what was in her extra-large hoop this evening CLICK HERE
on this pattern.
I am not normally much fussed with "word" patterns, but I have rather enjoyed this one, and I can see that the words and the grey squiggles on this one would leave nice spaces for different additions to those on the pattern and alternate colour ways.
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What you may ask well have I done again, not read the pattern in a kit properly until I was questioning the amount of thread supplied. The first time was yellow thread the second time it was turquoise, and I decided to just go with it both times.
In this instance it is the grey the white, the pink and both shades of teal and I have not noticed until I started the backside foremost bit and realised, I would run out of white. Oddly I think I would have enough of the other colours.
At first, I thought the mistake in counting strands was just in relation to those backside foremost bits and I was happy enough to leave the sections done soe far as the leading edge with the thought that being a bit heavier and getting lighter to the tips through the more obviously feathered bits would work. So I started with the full stitches in one strand on the wing and although it was a tad annoying, the thread slips out of the needle the appearance was OK, thin but OK.
It is about the point it dawned on me it should have been single strand for the gown as well.
Hmm, actually looking at the coverage in the wings on the single strand I am glad I messed up on the gown and used double.
Regardless of the decision that two was good for the bit done I feel that this project and I need a bit of a time out. My BFF is going to give me that and next week we are going to have a quilting week.
CLICK HERE to see how my BFF is doing
Baking competition at Church and spoons for the prizes so back out with the pyrography tool.
Which was fun.
almost as much fun as eating the cakes.
On to the yellow and I was half expecting to wave farewell to the Ood. But it still lingers, wearing a wig but still there in spirit.
And the on to the back side foremost stitching. This could be interesting.
I noticed when I took the picture, I have a few white stitches on the bottom left still to do. First job next week there.
CLICK HERE to see how my BFF is doing on her on a theme stitch.
Now I started this two Sundays ago and forgot to post it. Another cover kit from awhile back.
I expect you can guess the theme here even with the little bit done, and if you can't well todays progress will leave you in no doubt.
even if there are a few stitches to complete the greeting.
erm no, not even all white, although white is all I have stitched it is not all done there is still more to go.
But that is alright, I think I needed the restfulness of the white filling even more this week than last.
I may even be disappointed next week when the white is done, and I have to think as I stitch.
My BFF had a less soothing stitch CLICK HERE to pop over and see her update.