Not quite as planned

 but still progress.

The plan was to finish off the mountains, those last 9.5 stitches mentioned in my previous update on this project.  However as each one was a different blended stitch when I took the project out I thought I would start with the few stitches needed to finish the hourglass as although blended at least there were three next to each other.

On completing those I did my usual ninja check to see of any of those missed at the time spotted later empty spots were the colour on my needle..oh yes there was, so off to the angel on the left and do that quarter stitch.

Whilst I was over that side of the patter I noticed half a row where I had completed the bottom half of the stitch and not gone back over it..OK so fill in that section and look for any more of that whilst it was in the needle...oh my there is a full row at the bottom going the complete width of the design and I've not done it.

OK complete that and notice there was a small section of the inner caption box at the bottom that was not done, stitch that and find a couple of quarter ninjas that were in that (angel wings on the right). Get my eye on another couple of little stitches in angel robe and on it went till my eyes got tired.

The result

and there are still 9.5 stitches to go to finish the mountain! yes I never did get to the section I had intended to do!

Funny that.

Repair time

I noted in my post of the original Bits-a-Quilt that it periodically needs fixing as either the material wears out or the seams pull away (or both). Perhaps rather than say it periodically needs fixing I should say periodically I make the effort to do some fixing.

I keep one of the washable markers I use for quilting in the bedroom and as I spot a tear forming or a popped seam well I draw a ring around it or an arrow pointing to it so I can find it again when I am in a fixing mood.

That often occurs when I am sorting and come across random bits that would be for the current bits-a-quilt creation and think oh a bit of fixing might be due.

This is an example of a worn area, and that orange ring around it is not an added after the picture was taken to draw your eye to the spot, nope it is on the quilt in marker pen to draw my eye to the spot.

Here is a section pinned ready, there are as I hope you can see four patches going on here  to cover the worn sections. The pale lilac is already sewn down. The turquoise is a new addition to this quilt (I found a few bits that are from the edge of Bridal-bouquet- the pink and gold have made a previous appearance, but the original pieces in those colours look like a different fabric as years of use and washing have faded them.

These two pieces of flowery blue are a good example.

The section at the top has faded, the section at the bottom is a newly discovered piece of the original fabric (a dress my mother made for me when I was a child, loved that dress).

My technique for patching / repairing the bits-a-quilt has changed over the years  as I have developed my stitching. This time I am trying a version of needle turning.  

This is how it looks once I have finished stitching it.

Before this session of fixing started there were already over 20 "fixes" on here 

There may be as many to do this time around, I may even get them all done, or I may run out of fixing mojo and leave them for another time.

Reached the summit

but Everest remains unconquered! True there are only about 9.5 stitches left, but they are all different symbols and every one of them is a blended (tweeded) stitch and that includes  the fractional one!

But my BFF and I have a mantra when a project is slowing, or it is just one blended stitch too far and a stopping point is reached...well at least there was progress.

And I remain hopeful that next week, my ninja hunting will be more successful, the mountains (and reflection in the symbolic lake) with be done, the little stitches in robes and wings captured and the last stitches in the hour glass done so I can move on to hands and faces over 1.

Hmm now that I type that is sounds like quite a lot and an evening spent blending threading starting stopping and repeating ,but well it needs doing and I can but see what progress it may get...for this week here is my update picture

Funny thing the angle I took that picture does to the sword!

That being said it is Stake Conference via Zoom over the weekend and this is my go to stitching for watch only zoom meetings so there might be progress before the next shared stitching session with my .

This week as I have been playing find the missed stitches that are hiding in plain sight my BFF has been playing hide the white with stitches...pop on over to the blog for a quick update on her bluebell woods....click here

Climb every mountain

rather than bluebell woods as noted last week I am pausing until my BFF is ready to backstitch.  So in the meantime and keeping in the nature theme I went mountain climbing instead of the walk in the woods. Not every mountain to be honest,  just Everest. I was up and down both sides of it tonight filling in here and there. 

I am hopeful that in the next session I will finally reach the summit and complete my conquest of the worlds highest Mountain.

I have not taken a picture of the whole piece as if I do the progress is very hard to see, regular visitors will recognise it.

if not well then click here to see the whole thing from my last update. 

It is of course Teresa Wentzler's Millennium.(possibly a reference to how long it is going to take me.

As my BFF is hopeful of two sessions more to finish the cross stitch in our synchronised project  (click here for link to BFF bluebell woods) I am hopeful that the same length of time will see me out of the hills and over two ninjas hunted down, be they full crosses or fractional and be ready to start the over one sections.  Well unless I get distracted and chose to sew on something different next week?

Gifted Gorgeousness February 2021 link-up

 Oh almost caught me out with this coming right after the Valentine hop. You might recall a little start back in November 2020. GG Link Up

And you were wondering what the Fairy baby was going to end up looking like.

Well I made a little video and my brother provided a little bit of music.

As I did not have the pattern and was figuring it out from the picture it was easier to do the backstitching outlines for the hair and gown first then fill in from there.

It formed part of a gift for my pen pal BFF.

I think the full thing will ready to post next month! Probably with another little how it went video.

so here is the link to Jo's blog to see what other gifting has been going on out there

The LINK

.

Secret Stitching Sweetheart 2021.

 This is the Valentine blog hop arranged by Jo at Serendipitous Stitching, each participant sends Jo something appropriate for a stitching friend and she sends them out with no details of who created what.

Then the hunt is on to unravel the secret , see who received ours (and leave a comment).

So as I have not stitched the above I have no details for it, hopefully the person who did will leave some details in the comments.

Click HERE for the LINK to Serendipitousstitching to find the other participants.

                                                                             to you all.

Another dragon

 this is a porcelain plaque I made quite a long time ago.  It cracked in the kiln and I was rather disappointed by that and was not sure what to do with it.

I glued it to a piece of black silk and popped it in a frame and it has been up on the wall ever since. 

In retrospect I rather like the effect of that crack, it makes it look like an archaeological find ! 

Nemesis vanquished..

  trees finished at last. Not just the cross stitching but by special dispensation the backstitch.  My BFF was in agreement here so those darn trees would not loom over me any longer.

So it is time for me to pause until my BFF is ready for the backstitching.

I will be working on something separate till then.

I have not as yet decided what that is going to be although I am still inclined to get ahead start on my Easter Stitching.

Here is the link to my |BFF's post click here for link

Just those trees

 left to go...all the green , all the blue all the ninjas all done.  Just those trees which for some reason have become the bogyman of the piece left to go.  And the backstitching.

Oh on this picture you can see just how close to the edge I was at the bottom there, hopefully I can get the backstitching on before it frays!

However than might be a bit longer as my BFF still has a way to go with her full stitches, so once those dratted trees are finished I will pause on this project till we are both ready to backstitch and I will find something small to work on for a bit..perhaps I will get a head start on my sewing for the Easter Blog Hop 2021

Now my BFF has posted  her update so Click Here to see how she is doing.