the simple small project that had an unexpected link to a new album release generated contemplation about making that link a lot closer.
That resulted in the realisation the small size would not allow for the style of the lettering in cross stitch and backstitch. Did that put an end to matters?
No, of course it did not. I got the album title to a suitable size, transferred it to the Aida using an iron transfer pencil in a pink shade and then embroidered it on. Mostly stem stitch with a little satin stitch and a few French Knots. (Oh I finished off the stamens on the flower first.
I would like to say that I intentionally positioned the album title so it became steam rising from the spout of the tea pot however, any positioning with that result was subconscious. I only realised when I was half way through stitching it!
There is a nice space to do so under the cup. His name is Romanised on the other images I have seen, which might make it easier to do as cross stitch perhaps. Then again perhaps not as there are no circles to navigate in his name in Hangul.
I still have a little bit of time to decide before the album is officially released.
Adding this link as I was listening to it whilst drafting this blog, and it is of the artist concerned.
I have the album on pre order via Amazon. Used then this time as I had some vouchers for there from signing up to the Bing/ Microsoft reward scheme which generates points as you complete searches and daily tasks like doing a quiz or a picture search. How fast the points build up depends on how much you use the search bar.
You can do a search on it to see if it is OK for you.
I am attaching a link which would refer you to it. I note that if you use the link for joining up I get one point each time you get three for a search. That would be nice if you do thank you.
Oh you are not limited to Amazon, there are lots of different options with lots of different redemption points, or you can donate your points to a charity,
and further progress with the small and a funny (well I think it is funny) coincidence.
Dark pink confirmed I started with the light pink
Then on to the mid pink
Then, that from stash dark pink
Then green and brown, finishing off with dots of white, cross stitch on the main area of the design was completed.
A beep on my phone, pre order information for the leader of Forestella's new solo album. And the coincidence amused me, the colours differ but you can see why I laughed. Especially as for me a tea pot is not what you would call a useful item. I don't drink it at all, I find the smell of it awful, my poor grandmother who was quite sure it was a cure all never could persuade me to touch the stuff. Therefore me being in the process of stitching one just as this comes up!
This is the best I could capture the image as a screen shot , this is a link to the official You Tube Chanell for the artist, not sure how long this image will remain there. ChoMinGyu official You Tube
On to the backstitch
There are still stamens to do on the large pink flower, and there should also be a butterfly top left. Of course I am now contemplating if it would be fun to add the album title there instead.( Sweet Escape) Oh and the original has the word tea on the tea pot...might I put something else? The same word but in Hangul maybe ?
So a pause on this now for contemplation so I may pick up another small to do (till the thread stops hiding) and hope the next small does not suddenly feel like it needs any contemplation on pattern deviation or playing hunt the thread number.
When I finished the Castle and Wyverns sampler and it was the wrong size for the place I had planned to use it I had to do a rethink.
And I quite quickly chose another pattern, but it is supposed to have three satin threads, I thought perhaps I could use the marlitt thread I already have, thread that has been in a paper bag in a pocked of my blue thread storage bag forever! Except I have at some point obviously decided to move it to a more logical place! You know what comes next, my brain fog has obscured any recollection of having moved it. I have no idea when I did or more importantly where I put it.
I have of course looking in all the places my current thought processes consider logical, or even illogical but locationally near the original place, nope no sign of it.
It is being a nag in the back of my head, can't start the new project and it would feel off starting something else of any appreciable size before this.
So, smalls, smalls that I do not have in common with my BFF so as to not diminish the pool of potential little SALs. Small enough to not feel off starting, and something to keep my hands busy as otherwise I wonder around muttering where did I put that thread, where would a good place be. On the positive side I have rediscovered various bits I had forgotten about, although that does stack up as oh things I was going to do in the back of my head, and there is not that much operating space in there at the moment.
So here it is the start.
Nice colour and I think all of that one shade done.
And perhaps it will help me get past the nagging of where is my thread that is repeating in my head like an earworm.
and all ready to go up this, ah it still feels too early to mention it, its still summer, not even had Halloween or bonfire night yet but well you can tell just what season it is most likely to be displayed.
The stitching was finished last year, and I bought the magnetic poster hanger then intending to use that but I had not figured out how to finish off the edges and stiffen it so it would hang well.
A combination of things aligned to get me to the finish.
Firstly, the thought of a complementary colour behind the fabric enhancing the effect from the front previous used in The Twins samplers and The Dragons. Secondly the leftovers from the crafting at Church
A4 sized sheets of orange felt and lastly coming across the item needing some finishing off.
First step fix the few sequins I managed to melt with careless ironing. Then add the felt to the back, the colour through worked and it did indeed add sufficient stiffness but what to do with the sides?
Top and bottom are covered by the hanging frame.
Hmm perhaps ribbon, what did I have, I was thinking I might have something in either yellow or gold to reflect the ribbon on the cross stitch.
What caught my eye was some red and green ribbon with a touch of gold. There was exactly the right amount to sew down both sides and to make a faux hanging loop. I say faux as it is there simply to cover the string loop on the frame and add a little cohesion to the finish.
Any other "hoarders" or recyclers will fully understand my joy at being able to use up exactly the piece of ribbon I had. Nothing left over all used, bliss.
Is it perfect? No, but it is finished which is good and I am happy with the result. I can take the hanger pieces off and use them for something else if I want to as they are magnetic.
Perhaps something for a season that is colder than the current heat wave will make me feel cooler.
Which left me with a bit of a Forestella dilemma, what song to add? Settled on this one.
After the bit of time allocated to the kittens during this weeks SAL there was very little left to do today to reach a finish.
It feels odd , not having to do any backstitch, odd but nice.
I have thread left over.
which has the tempting thought that I could stitch this over one, given that absence of fractional or back stitches. Not right away but perhaps later.
So to the thing that has been on my mind since last Sunday. What to stich next for Sunday Stitchings, or even if to do it at all going forward as a separate focused time or just use that time for whatever comes to hand.
Still thinking, perhaps it could be for "smalls" as my BFF calls little kits. I do have a few that she does not so they will not become BFF SALs or .....or I could start something large and new that might let me add some of the gold filament I bought.
The thread is already on a card, although not fully sorted I have to cross check with my DMC threads to see which is exactly which as the kit states they may not all be DMC but an equivalent.
Looks like a lot of black.
It states the pattern finishes as 9" by 22" I shall have to add that to my "keeping an eye out" list of frame measurements on my phone. I am already looking for 10.5" by 24". I have the feeling I came across one whilst looking for that second size that would have been OK for this, although perhaps the width of the frame itself was a bit wide.
Hmm I remember where it was I might take another look tomorrow. If the frame is still there and proves to be suitable then the chances of this kit getting a start will improve.
The timings for church are changing from 11 for sacrament to 10. They had made sacrament later with the lesson first to make it easier for those without their own transport or other issues to make the sacrament meeting. We were amongst those but now we are there via zoom so reverting is not an issue for us.
No not me, my work desk mate, Alex's son and daughter in law. I say desk mate and we were physically for a lot of years then virtually for the last few. We have been on the same team, on different teams, the same team and so on and at the last the same team again.
I did think about making quilts, however I was not so sure I would be able to get two finished in time. Nor was I sure what style would feel right. So cross stitch, asked Alex if stitching would be OK and he happily agreed I would not be stepping on any family stitching toes.
On the basis of that, I started thinking about what to do and I was let in on a little secret, girl and boy twins. Oh so what to do. I have done a few birth samplers before and shared most of them on this blog. I did consider the patchwork bear and bunny But it did not feel quite right.
The solution came when I recognised the mental block. I wanted to do something for Alex and at the same time birth samplers are usually for the parents with the potential of being in the child's room and if very very lucky something they might like to have as an adult.
The solution presented itself after seeing some nice All Our Yesterdays designs turning up in some Facebook cross stitching groups I belong to. And the recollection I had a collection by that designer. Often there are designs with groupings of children, might I have one of a boy and girl of a similar size?
Oh I did , a boy and girl holding hands on the beach looking out to sea. Perfect, even more perfect it would not be difficult to stitch each one separately for the parents and together for Alex and his wife.
And I found a set of three frames that would be prefect. Well once I double checked the measurements, you may recall mentioning an AOY project and the irksome approx. on some frames. This is the project although you may note that there was a change in plan re the little wooden embellishments on the single frames. I will come back to that.
I am not very good at stitching repeats of things, these were nice to stitch and did not make me feel like the second set were repeats.
Worked out that on 18 count they would fit the frames, unusual for me but that is the way it worked out this time. The pair first. Then separated, and add the beach and the sky.
And the names, to the side on the pair in blue and underneath in dark grey on the individuals. Normally, I add at minimum the birth date , in this instance however, I was not able to decide where it would fit well, so no stitched birthdate, it is on the framing label.
There is a fair bit of white left unstitched and it felt just a bit cold. And as noted when I was framing them back in February it occurred to me to frame them over a coloured sheet of paper. Then a triple coloured sheet, with yellow behind the beach section, a mid blue behind the sea and a light blue for the sky.
It worked very well, the difference with the coloured backing was very clear to the naked eye. I think it can be seen on the photographs, that hint of colour warming the white.
I had some card in the perfect shade of blue and cut the mounts myself and framed the pieces myself. The frames for the single figures have little wooden starfish added, They came from a WOX cover gift of beach patterns and one star fish and one conch shell. Happily my BFF had the same and gave me her starfish and they looked more balanced on the bottom.
Here they are framed, and lots of pictures as I could not decide the best arrangement and because I was and am rather pleased with how they turned out. I do tend to take more pictures when I am happy with the end result in an attempt to capture that joy.
Alex kindly came to collect them, and whilst visiting took my Dad for a short drive he rather enjoyed.
I did tell Alex that it was his choice which he kept and which were for the parents, he kindly said he wanted to keep them all but would ask his wife (smart chap Alex) and they settled on keeping the double so if they wanted to the children could each have their own in their room in the future.
I asked if I could have pictures of the babies with the samplers and if I could send them into WOX and have them on my blog. After checking with their parents he said yes and sent me some well posed pictures (just after bath and bottle time so they were relaxed and co operative, I did mention Alex is a smart chap).
After blurring out the surnames for a level of privacy I sent them off and we waited to see.
As I currently subscribe I get the magazine that bit early to the newsagents, my October copy arrived on 5 August. With a very nice surprise in the letters section.
Published, and star letter , They cropped the double image to make them fit. As soon as I saw it I sent a message to Alex letting him know, he and his family had been looking forward to it happening. I had said there was no guarantee (although beautiful babies was an advantage) and that it usually takes a little bit of time.
I remain very happy with how all of the aspects of the project turned out and a new method of enhancing the stitching during the framing process. They were getting framed when I was framing the dragons over gold, I was having quite a successful framing time at the beginning of the year.
Now as that was a wordier post than has been the case recently I think you deserve an nice Forestella song as a reward for getting this far (did you notice they have now made their way into the banner below the bog title?) This is Together, with a translation of the lyrics which are in Korean.
Once you have signed up each time you complete a search, or a set activity you get points. When you get sufficient points you can convert them to various gift cards , for example Amazon, Starbucks, Burger King, Etsy and more and spend them. Or you can donate them to a charity, there are a lot of options there as well. How many points you need to redeem varies for each type.
Now if you feel like doing that, you could consider using
Now I will be clear you don't have to use that, I think you will find it just fine if you google it. But if you choose the link there is a set up bonus of 1,320 points for you, and for me I get something for the referral. I get 1 point each time you make a search. So if you do then many thanks and if you don't well it didn't hurt to ask.
Shy Bairns get nee sweets as they say locally.
Oh and they also do a Microsoft Cashback thing. Of which I understand less, and went to explore as one of the activities in the rewards thing to get more points. Once there, well I guess I had signed up for that at some stage, managed to use it and there was a little over £15 in cash back waiting. For that you do need a paypal account for the cash back to be credited to.
Anyway that was a nice surprise and went towards a PITTA CD, I had been debating treating myself to, and now well it feels mostly free. It includes one of my favourite tracks.
Although I guess it could have been used for some craft supplies...perhaps next time!
Oh I just realised, I finally made some money off the internet! Not from a blog, or a video but just by using it! now that is funny.
lots of straight lines, no need to try and make curves here. That did not stop there being planning, ground and cliffs and roofs stitched horizontally. The castle walls vertically.
In some ways this was less stressful that the wyvern. There are some design deviations here and there but overall it fits.
I like the way the variegated thread has worked here.
Two down, two to go. Castle again for the next square as it was fun
This feels by title if nothing else to be a perfect Forestella song.
and two skeins used, the third started and the edges are done.
I so wanted to start the sections that go into the empty squares, but had to keep with the edge designs first.
There is one mistake in the outer pattern, I can see it, I thought it might hide but nope I can see it. I am contemplating if I can overstitch the one X that is in the wrong place with a shade matching the fabric and then add the stitch into the right place.
Maybe by the time the full thing is finished I can revisit that thought, it might have hidden itself by then?
Adding the album version of this Forestella song as I just happen to be listening to it whilst drafting this blog.
and mount for £1 and I thought maybe I know what might fit in that.
Brought it home and fit it did.
And now it is on the wall.
You might recognise it as BFF SAL 14 (and currently on number 24 , just wow!) Click HERE for details of the finish and pattern. As that is quicker for me than typing it in again.
as my BFF was out and about for work again this week.
I could have used an ongoing project for my RAL but instead I decided to start a little kit.
At the point I stopped I had just spotted a mistake so now I need to figure out fixing it. It is just a stitch out but that can be enough on a small pattern.
It came with the needle but I think I might need to swap to something a bit pointier as there are a lot of fractional stitches and the material is rather stiff.
A very light grey was the thread choice for todays stitchings.
Adding to the black and white kitten. Such a pale grey that it was hard to tell the difference from the white whilst sewing. However, it does feel like it has filled things in a tad.
I would note that this kit notes the thread contained in it is DMC. It came pre-carded with each thread numbered on the card 1 thought to 25. The pattern has symbols, the key notes the number on the card relating to that symbol and provides a description of the colour, black, white, light grey ect in several languages. What it does not do is provide the DMC number for the thread.
I am going to assume this is to stop the pattern being passed on and sewn more than once. Well unless you are very good at colour matching or, or you consider there are no factional stitches and no backstitch and so ? So it would lend itself to being stitched one over one on a very small count? And there looks likely to be sufficient left over to manage that. The thing is cute as they are the kittens are I think for me a once and done stitch. Most of the time that is true of patterns even when I enjoy them a lot and think to myself that I might do them again to date repeats have only occurred for birth sampler patterns. It was a thought though.
Oh and a Forestella link as I am becoming rather fond of this particular song.
that was the essence of my colour choice for this evenings session. The result two shades of pink and a touch of green.
I now have jump off points for the top two flowers. This evenings chatting was a little odd as I was sure there was something I was going to say to my BFF, something to tell that could wait for our face to face chat, not important enough to need immediate telling via Messenger, and I could not recall what it was at all.
Normally we would address this by listing off the potential topics, was it work, or crafts, or food or family. Might it be Church or shopping? And at some point we would hit on something to jog my memory. Tonight, nope still no idea what it was.
Click HERE to pop over to my BFF's blog and her evenings stitching.
Ah well, at some point it will come back to me I guess.
as I think that I misses posting the last progress picture at all.
Some grey some white and this is where I am upto.
There is less to go than has already been stitched but reaching that point where time slows and progress does as well.
Here is a link to one of the tracks on Forestella's new album. I did not immediately recognise the piece, probably because I have only watched the film it comes from once. Do you know it?
Oh and a little investigation and the lyrics are a constructed language. If you are new to my blog and to Forestella then there are other links to you tube content for the group on my blog, just pick the Forestells links, or do a you tube search there will be lots to see and hear.
This project had less than auspicious beginnings in very late 2025.
A very blustery day as Winnie the Pooh would say and the wind snatched the gate and slammed it shut in such a way that it twisted the catch jamming it shut. It had to stay that way whilst I took a trip to A&E with my dad in an ambulance. As I fixed the jammed catch the next day the wind played again, another slam and the gate post split.
So a new post and a new gate were required.
An opportunity with the new gate to create access to the garden for hedgehogs.
I asked for a hole to be left in the new gate.
For ease and as they forgot until after the gate was hung the hole is simply the bottom of one of the lats cut off.
It should be sufficient for the intended purpose, but it looks a little unintentional, like a broken bit. That nagged at me and I thought perhaps I could add a small sign over the top of the hole to indicate its purpose.
Hedgehogs welcome, so it was obvious why the gap is there.
"hedgehogs can't read" my mother pointed out. That logic did not take the idea out of my mind.
Indeed having not immediately done something simple my mind then began to Deborahize it.
Not just a sign a frame like a little doorway, with the notice over the top.
Sketched it out then being me started doodling, little plant pots and plants coming up from them and then remembered! I remembered buying a bag of little wooden shapes, there were plant pots, leaves, flowers oh even butterflies in that set. It became something more doable, and perhaps an achievable family project. Something my parents and I could do together.
A trip to the loft and a little strip of thin wood that looked promising for the frame. Found the wood shapes where I thought they were (always a wonderous win) and at the right width to go on my wooden strip.
Choosing which leaves and flowers to add, My mother took over that part of the planning. Quick photo to keep the order in mind.
Back to the loft to get the one long bit of wood into three bits as per the sketch. Glue them together.
My mother coloured in the shapes using water soluble pencils. She found it a bit frustrating as the colours on the pencil was not quite the colour that appeared.
There was a slight design deviation during the colouring process which came to light when I glued the shapes in place.
I added the words..
Then off to the loft, half a tin of clear varnish was sadly solid, the gold tinted varnish was not going to work. None to buy in the local shops so I had to order some on line.
I would note it might have been wise to check that it was going to fit the space, given I had done a quick measurement of it on a bit of brown paper. Sometimes I am not wise.
Fingers crossed then
Varnish arrived project delayed a bit more, more paternal health concerns. Then a lack of energy for clambering into the rather cold loft.
First coat on, then well its cold and a bit damp in the loft so more time for that to dry than suggested on the tin.
A couple of bright and sunny days then snow..even colder in the loft but had to go up to get the containers down to put the Christmas decorations in so second coat done. With hopes it might be dry by the time I actually get around to putting the decorations back up in the loft.
Nope still too cold for a speedy dry, but then the gate is not itself dry enough at this point for attaching the sign (which still have my fingers crossed for it fitting) and with the first named storm of the year approaching with some snow on the ground more waiting it is then.
And waiting equals contemplating, glue it on or screw it on? ?
And more snow, and rain and wind and it being very cold, so extra contemplation time.... and a TV program with David Attenborough about the wildlife in London, and people cutting holes in fences between gardens for hedgehogs and calling it a hedgehog highway . And oh, they have little signs up over the gaps saying that. So perhaps not as mad an idea as I thought.
The way the weather is going, and it is the time of year for poor weather the gate might get painted , we are onto the third named storm of the year and still in January.
As is oft the case the initial hurry hurry has become ah no rush perhaps better wait for the better weather and being able to get the gate painted first.
February comes and goes with lots more inclement weather, March comes with a couple of promising sunny days and then back to the wet weather.
even more of the hurry hurry has faded even with my mother asking about it.
April and I have the green paint for the gate, which only leaked a little bit (I bought it off the internet and some reviewers had a less successful and much wetter delivery). I am waiting foe some sunny days to dry the gate so I can paint it and for it to dry.
So sunny days, not many, but very warm and the gate is dry and perhaps enough for the paint to dry, and my brother visiting because of my Father health and my Mother decided that we should paint the fence together as he is taller and could paint the top.
.
All nice and green, now and it dried fast. Fast enough to get the sign attached. Drilled some holes, not necessarily all in the right places. Glue and tacks (which my brother had to knock in as all that painting apparently weakened my arms )
Hopefully now we have the sign up and the weather is getting better the hedgehogs will come a visiting.
And that the sign stays in place a good long time, it being a family effort in design and make and placement, and my poorly Dad managed to pop outside for a moment and provide quality control. He deemed it as quite smart looking.
Oh and it fit, crossed fingers were successful. And yes the path ended up with its share of green paint.
I expect the slugs and snails that live in our garden will be hoping the sign is a failure.
is something that comes up on both Facebook groups and I have a feeling there is a blog that promotes that as well.
So my dragons, from the WOX and designed by Anne Stokes, the backstitch on the teal dragon was somewhat slower going than on the blue. Nothing to do with the change in thread , it just was.
The eyes were supposed to be French knots but instead I just did little black stitches and a teeny stitch of gold blending filament. I may have mentioned before that I have a Little BIT of gold blending filament.
I had decided that behind the warm toned linen I would put some gold card. Actual I started out thinking I would use some dark gold sparkly wrapping paper. and that looked rather good the sparkle came through in a delightful manner. But, you could feel that but coming couldn't you, I was a bit concerned the glittery part would come off the paper and do weird things to the fabric over time. So time to hunt for the gold card, I was pretty sure I had some, and indeed I did.
If you have visited before then you know I save stuff, I make do and mend and recycle where I can. Therefore it will not be a surprise that the gold card had a life before adding to this piece. It was the top of a box of chocolates from Thorntons that a former team leader and his wife gifted me many years ago. Thanks Ian and Sue, the box has extended the life and usefulness of that gift past the consumption of the chocolates.
The wide frame I has was rejected and became the home for an earlier finish, as per my earlier post and this thinner frame with a touch of gold felt as if it fitted both the frame and its intended destination much better.
I like the changes I made to the material used, the colour of the knotwork and the thread count that let me use an 8" square aperture for it,
I have not forgotten the dragons. I have been on a ninja hunt, here a stitch there a stitch, two the same shade at the same time bliss.
I think I have under thirty stitches to go, all on the wing struts.
I hope I have spotted all the stitches around the edges. If not well backstitching will no doubt serve its dual purpose and not only add clarity to the design but flush out any lingering ninja stitches.
In 2022 I burned a dragon on a box the dragon was holding a sphere and I thought I would make it look like it was holding the world.
Except when I took a picture of it, well to me it looked like the head of a bear and my BFF thought it looked like a wolf.
In an attempt to make it look like the world I coloured it blue and green. That did not work, just made the creature, whichever you saw look mouldy.
A re think was required, and whilst I did that it went up into the loft as I had a stand or perhaps mount thought going on in my head.
That got paused, I think I wanted to do some extreme sanding and then could not be quite bothered.
So, whilst I was in the loft over Christmas and working on something else up there (expect that something to get a post of its own later when it hopefully gets to its intended placement) I came across the box whilst looking for a pencil.
Down from the loft it came. I am not sure what I intended to do with it. It sat, and I looked at it and it sat.
Then I thought I would just go over the sphere with a white marker pen. A few times, until the blue and green went away. I did, it sort of did and I wondered "would it look better if the background was all dark". Getting out the pyrography stuff takes a bit of time, and preparation and organising ventilation, its winter and cold. There just happened to be a black marker pen in arms reach.
"just to get an feel of how it would look" I tell myself.
"Hmm not bad" was quickly followed by "people sometimes colour the pyrography perhaps?"
The metallic watercolour paints also happened to be within arms reach and one thing leading to another..
...painted dragon, it even has metallic blue over the black, just to see how it looked, background.
The question of if it is progress or not, I do wonder what was the point of doing the woodburn in the first place if I was just going to paint it?
It is not even finished. The sides need something doing to them, and the inside of course and that mount/stand whatever may need a rethink.
At least I have a new Forestella Song to add to the musical background of my ongoing contemplation.
I wonder if perhaps the title of the previous song might be something the box is singing as it waits to be finished.
