Another quarter done

 but I have gone astray again on the last quarter, well I think I have. I am not seeing where so will give my eyes a rest and hope to figure it out another time. I have a feeling the Frog and I may have some work to do.

The One thousandth

 post on this blog.

Wow! when I started in in June 2013 I don't think I quite envisioned how many years or posts might follow.

And for the 1000th post do I have something amazing or special to share? 

Nope.

I have something small, a new start on a little kit on some very very stiff Aida. I might have thought the material provided for BFF SAL 20 was stiff, but this is even more so.

It is the first time I have needed to get a pin to make holes in the material first before Being able to make fractional stitches using the cross stitch needle.

You can see in the picture below the four squares a hole in the middle for those fractional stitches Normally I can manage to get the needle through but in this instance preparatory Holes were required

BFF SAL 20 marking a milestone

quietly. We had thought that twenty might merit something momentous, either some new style or technique or special thread. Something big or complicated or perhaps with a deep meaning.

Nah! We are both rather busy of the mind and body at the moment for one reason or another. And this space, this time, these two hours (and the occasional over run) are not here for us to add anything that is not fun, that adds stress rather than takes it away. 

Therefore, we will not pressure ourselves or let anniversaries or waiting projects do that to us either and steal away our just being us together time.

Another cover kit here we come, and this one has a bonus feature that will become evident later.

As for this kit , it started with sorting the thread, and then the material, wow stiff stuff this time round, the stuff for 19 was unusually soft,  this unusually stiff.  I could use it as a wobble board and make thunder, ok thunder a long way off but it did make a sound when flapped.

I worried that once folded to find the middle the folds would never come out. Then I had an idea, cut a piece of scrap paper the size of the Aida, fold the paper, put a hole in the middle, lay it over the Aida and middle found not folds in the material.

It worked, it may be a common trick that I have just never come across before, but at the moment I am pleased with my brilliant idea.

Whilst we both made a "middle" start you will not be surprised to see (Click HERE to see ) that we did not go the same way after that. 

BFF SAL 19 all ready to wait

 for whatever it might be in the future.

The kit came with a card, but if it will be made up and fully finished as such I am not sure.

I fully intended to follow the pattern, and I almost did. However when doing the backstitch on the petals I noticed a missing stitch on the edge of one. I just could not be bothered to change thread so I just altered the backstitch a bit.

So my SAL 19 and my BFF's are a little bit different after all.

CLICK HERE to see her completed stitch.

Before and after backstitch

 on that stalled project that is making good progress again.

this is the before

Yes there is some backstitching already, on this piece as I am giving backstitching as I go a try.

Mainly as it helps with the placement , but also as an experiment of sorts.

On the one hand having less to so at the end will be good, but on the other a backstitched mistake is not easy.

Here it is with the top quarter sections backstitched.

This has gone quite quickly, bottom quarters next then the crowns I think.

BFF SAL 19 Nearly almost

 but not! Finished that is.

All the cross stitching is done, just the backstitch to go.

My BFF has some cross stitch to go however there is dispensation for off screen sewing time. Therefore we will both be starting with that next time and contemplating number 20, if not starting it.

Click HERE for my BFF's update.

Sunday Stitching June 2025

 After the last Sunday's sewing and my eye being in for the brown, I thought that it would be browns again this week or perhaps back to the purple and pinks.

In fact it turned out to be neither.

This week it was the mid and the lightest grey that drew my eye. I managed quite a bit before suddenly my eyes decided they had quite enough of "seeing" those symbols and colours.

It has made quite a difference to the face of the feline, it has a mouth now and a chin.

Today is Fathers Day, so the talks had a common theme but each had an aspect of the role of fathers  and I rather enjoyed them.

My Father rather enjoyed being gifted a Chunky KitKat by the Primary children.

BFF SAL 19 together again

 yet as always working differently.

Petals finished I am working on the centre from the edge in over.

I expect the middle will be completed next time, however how much mental energy will be available will determine if the backstitching is started at all. 

Click Here to pop over to my BFF's blog and see how her version is coming along.

Last time she was offering cookies, this week she had choc au pain however, Willy Wonka we are not so there was no sharing via the tech device screens. Sad that!

Oh it is so nice to be wrong

about being wrong.

Apparently I just couldn't follow the pattern down over, as I just kept getting it wrong, but up over and it is all fine.

Weird isn't it but much happier with this now. 

 

Lesson learned I will do from the right into the middle and up for the next quarter space.

BFF stitching time solo

my BFF is on holiday so no get together this week. I had thought if it was a nice bright evening I might try a little bit of the world on Millennium. It rained on and off all day and I lost my enthusiasm for that.

So I thought I would try and pick up Crown Cross from the Vickery Collection.

I had been making good progress, then I came to add the next section middle top left, and it did not fit in.

One of those the count is out but I can't find it moments.

And as I have been trying backstitch as I go well whatever it is it is staying put.

So on that basis I am going to try the section from   the middle far left and work my way up. So far that is working. Either I will reach the out spot and discover I was wrong about the miss count or I will have a design deviation to make it unique.

Not a huge amount added, just the pale blue but even picking it up and doing something feels like an achievement.

and the link, well as I did not get my sunny day I will have a sunny day song to make up for it.

Sunday Stitchings June 2025 eyes of

 blue are done, those little bits of light blue led me to finding some single stitches around the eyes then onto shades of brown.

It was nice to get back to the brown. I had just not been seeing it the last few times. Today it was the purple that did not want to play even though there are a few stitches with the bottom done just waiting on the top stitch ?

I will be interested to see which colour or area is feeling accessible next time. 

And this Forestella link just because it has been windy all week!