BFF Sal A Bakers Dozen..here come the Vikings

 So nice to be back together for a chat (someone's holidays) and sharing other stuff  and stitching a bit on the SAL

I was working one area at a time, just to keep the count right and changing needles for each thread change would have been a bit annoying, so I have the "working" colours threaded up.

It is working OK so far. Not added the backstitching as yet so things her could be mistaken for other things, from a distance, well also close up at this stage.

Potentially we won't be working on this next week as we will be starting our 1st Wednesday of the month stitching on a theme and we are starting with the theme of Christmas.

I think I know what I will be working on my BFF is still in the happy contemplation stage when anything is possible.

CLICK HERE to see my BFF's progress...wow backstitching makes so much differance.

Sunday Stitching a double posting

 I should have posted last week as I finally got started on this new project. Not a cover kit this time but a gift I have been looking forward to starting.

This is two weeks worth , last week and this.

So a little bit about the kit, The thread came pre-sorted and carded. The threads are numbered, the pattern has both colours and symbols. But the colour on the pattern is "there for ease of printing" or so it says, which means the colours on the pattern are not the colours on the thread. 

My friend at Church rather liked the bolder colours on the pattern, hmm depending on how this sews up, maybe I will try colour matching to the pattern and see?

Sunday Stitching...A finish

 I am not sure why there was no post last week, there was stitching. The last of the cross stitches for which I had thread (in with the kit) , then I started the backstitching.

This week I finally got around to colour matching for the two shades of green I ran short of and finished the whole thing off.

Whilst the kit (as it came from the charity shop) did not come with a pattern or thread key it did come with its cardboard mount.

At this point I do not know what I am going to do with this, but it might end up in this mount I quite like the look of it.

It has not been ironed and is not set in just yet. Oh it is 16 count don't think I said on earlier posts.

BFF SAL a Bakers Dozen 2nd week.

 Time for some colour

I am still using the thread left over from my friends kit as mentioned last week. I think I will try and stay with that colour pallet for the rest of the project.

We will be having a little gap due to holidays.

CLICK HERE to pop over to my BFF's blog for her update...we have diverged in our approach, which is not surprising.

BFF Sal A Baker's Dozen

 we thought it would be fun to do a SAL here that reflected the number we have reached. And most serendipitously Durene  Jones brought out a Friday Freebie that fit the bill (well almost there does need to be a bit of modifying, which you will see as we go along). The fist set of amendments required counting, and we may have counted slightly differently to each other and the pattern. That's fine unique it is!

I am using the natural shade of 14 count Aida available from Home Bargins, it looks lighter in this picture than it did as I was working on it.

I am dipping into my box of randoms for the thread. The blues here are from a card that states it is for Derwent Water Designs (DMC) Pine Tree Bay. I mentioned this to my BFF and ? where it came from, had I bought it in a bag of oddments from a charity shop.

My BFF said it sounded familiar, looked it up and said she had sewn it some time ago and we deem she must have given it to me!

She may blog that stitch at some point..

Back to the SAL and CLICK HERE to see how my BFF's take on this is looking.

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Felted cat

 I did decide to add the other shade of grey to the cat, and the eyes which were creepy.

I added the ball of wool and then went back to the eyes, and well tweaked things here and there a bit.

It looks a bit less creepy I think

Bit sad but the best view is this one from the back.

Been interesting.

I started..a Cat

 Another felting kit and I have gone to start it and then not several times. This afternoon I made a start and got further than I had anticipated.

Not finished yet, needs eyes and whiskers and 

a little character in that tail., and the paws need work and whatever else I feel like when I come back to it.

It is supposed to have a darker grey stripe  but not sure if that it going to be added or not.

This the kit picture

This was still fun getting this far even if it has not produced the exclamation marks of joy the bunny did. But then this was a little less magical just because I had tried it before.

Sunday Stitchings

 Some new shades in place .

and the middle of this becomes clearer. 

Still noe got around to colour matching for the missing greens.

BFF SAL 12 Time to rest

 Cat is all done, well the stitching that is, there were only the whiskers left to do.

It is not quite the finishing touch. We have a thought about the finish which needs more thought so we are leaving this project until that thought crystalises for both of us, each in our own same but different way.

CLICK HERE to see how her backstitching and be-whiskering went.

Just a reminder of the book the cat came from.

So whilst Roni worked on her backstitching I had a little dig through the collection of cover kits or charity shop purchases. It was fun seeing what I had checking foe duplicates with Roni (stitched or otherwise by each of us)

One a little 75p charity shop purchase (from the beginning of this year) was whispering open me. So I did.

Oh, this one has been started. And stopped mid backstitch (on a backstitch as you go basis) with the thread in the needle and the needle in the middle of the stitching. Now I do leave needles in projects but on the edge outside the design area.  I went to take it out and it was not cooperating. Sadly it has been there long enough for the needle to rust and stick. A bit of back and forth tugging and it came free. And off to the bin it went.

After a look at the pattern and the picture I think I see the problem, a mix up in the grey to use for the roof tiles meant the previous sewer had run out. at first I thought I would just frame off the sheep and use it that way. But well there was still sal time so I thought I would finish it off.

I completed the backstitch and outlines the roof so I could just fill it without counting. I used a lighter blend and then white to give a snow effect (and our online session came to an end) added a little white under the sheep  to even out the snow effect. Popped in the red window frames  and was all finished before the Sewing Bee came to an end. 

It came with a little aperture card and envelope so I know how it is getting finished and I guess it will be a Christmas card.

Sunday stitchings

 well sort of, I did this little bit after the meeting while contemplating the meeting itself. Why well we are a small branch so we are always pleased to have visitors ( last week we had some film makers from Utah, not to film us they were just in the area) this week it was Elder Suarez, of the quorum of the Twelve, and Apostle of the Lord a Witness of Christ. He like the film makers was not with us on official assignment to visit us, it was a surprise stop whilst he, his wife and friends are having a little look around England.

We were fortunate to have them with us this Fast Sunday and to hear their testimonies , anyway if none of that means much to you and you are curious then click here for a link to a church page with much more information.

So here is todays progress, still missing that last little bit of green!

I may have to colour match if I don't find the lost bits soon.