What a finish!

I ended up having another couple of days off work last week. And although I was choked up to my ears with a streaming cold, I had a couple of nice, relaxing, really productive days! So now I get to show off what I did with my time. If you haven't guessed already, I'm very very pleased with the end results!

I finally finished off my Huswif which I stitched in the first half of the year. The design was a mystery by Carol Tinson of Heirloom Embroideries. I made a number of changes to the charted design as I was stitching it which I described in this post in May.

Last week, I started with this -


And over a morning, transformed it into this -


I used a piece of my own fabric for the inside, rather than that supplied by Carol.


And I stitched a small pin cushion and scissor fob.



I really am very pleased with the end result - it's gorgeous! The photos just don't do it justice - even at 9.30am this morning the light was still too dull and dingy!

In a fit of enthusiasm, I also stitched a little beaded Mill Hill ornament. I have to confess that I think this is the first time I've stitched a Christmas ornie!



Finally, I had to go to the post office this morning to collect some parcels which the postman had been unable to fit through my letter box. I was expecting a number of Christmas presents which I've ordered for friends and family. However, I was surprised and pleased to find a parcel from Edgar waiting for me.


I haven't opened it any further yet, but thanks so much Edgar! You really have been very kind and generous.

My DS was also very impressed (as only small boys can be) with the box it came in and with the polystyrene packaging which he immediately put to use as a camouflaged bed for a toy baby seal!

Finally!

It feels like I've been stitching those Mill Hill kits for months! But finally, I finished the last one at the end of last week and mounted two of them on card over the weekend. DS and I took one of them to school yesterday as a gift for one teacher who only works the first half of the week - she was thrilled to receive it. The other will go with us on Friday.

Lazy Daisy Days - nice thoughts for the summer holiday!

Since finishing these off, I've been gridding my RR and hope to finish that tonight. I'll then do a bit of stitching on it. However, last night I caught myself thinking wistfully of St Pete - it feels like months since I've worked on it!

2 down 1 to go

Yay! I've finished that Mill Hill Buttoned and Beaded kit that has been winding me up over the last week or two. There's nothing wrong with it really, it's just not my kind of thing. Unfortunately, DS wants to give it to his favourite teacher - I wanted her to get the one I still have to do!

The reason I don't like this design is that I think it's too bitty - there's no one single theme for the design. There are flowers, a rabbit, birdhouses and bird - it's just all too much crowded together for me. The design also uses speciality stitches which I think the design does not benefit from as it's so crowded. Actually, I chickened out as I couldn't be bothered with all the French knots and just added extra beads or crosses instead!

I had a few problems with all the different thread and bead colours. In fact, I still have not identified the mauve thread - I suspect I've been unable to distinguish it from the blue! The beads came mixed in two little plastic bags and I had to refer to the Mill Hill website to work out which was which as some of the colours were far too similar. A label on the bag saying which bead colours were in the bag would have been ideal.

As a reward for finishing this one, I've treated myself to a small new start which I'm hoping to finish over the weekend. After that, it's on to the final Buttoned and Beaded kit which may not be very exciting, but I like the design better than this one.

At least the end is now in sight!

A Gift

One of my son's teachers is leaving at the end of the week, and I thought I'd let you see what I made her as a leaving/end of year gift.



It's a Mill Hill Buttoned and Beaded kit called Ladybug Dance, stitched on perforated paper using DMC threads, Mill Hill beads and a bee button.

I hadn't done anything before using the beads in this way, neither had I tried stitching on perforated paper (more like perforated card), so I'd just wanted to have a go. My stitching experience was nothing special, it's really a simple design. The beads just add an extra dimension and more vivid colour (I really do like the colour of those red beads). However, once I'd finished my first two ladybirds, I started to get rather bored with it - slightly unfortunate, as I've another two similar designs to do for my son's other teachers!

I've just finished it into a card using 3 colours of cardboard and I'm very pleased with how it looks. Actually, I think it looks much nicer that I thought it would! I can't think how else to finish something on perforated paper - any suggestions?

Overall, though, I'd much rather work on my Chatelaines any day! Currently I'm having to frog a significant part of my St Petersburg part 3. I've no idea what I did - perhaps I accidentally rotated the chart or something, but I've muddled up some of the colours . At least I'm still on track to have this part completed before the next arrives.