Mellerstain parrots #3 - again!

My photos are back so I'm going to sneak in this SAL post, 2 days late!  The first photo shows where I was 3 weeks ago.

I've been working on that bottom right hand corner and got a decent amount done.

Oh, that photo is a bit blurry!  I initial thought the acorn caps were embroidered with 1 strand and 1 wrap per french knot.  I thought that was too small so did one with 1 strand and 2 wraps.  Reading the chart again, I realised it was 2 strands and 1 wrap, so that's what I did!  

Not a bad effort!

Last week I had a lovely surprise from Claire. She's so thoughtful.  She sent me a sweet bunny chart and her leftover threads, a Peter Rabbit postcard (do people think I like bunnies?!?) and a handmade bookmark - I always need bookmarks!  Thanks Claire, it was a lovely surprise.

I'm stitching along as part of a SAL, you can go and see what the other participants have been up to here:

Avis, Claire, Gun, Carole, LucyAnn, Kate, Jess, Sue, Constanze, Debbierose, Christina, Susan, Kathy, Margaret, Cindy

Mellerstain parrots #3

Good morning!  I have dropped in to post about my Mellerstain parrots for the three-weekly SAL, however there's a problem with Photobucket - the online company that hosts my photos so I'm afraid you can't see anything in my blog (unless you go back about 3 or 4 years when I stored my photos on Blogger's server).  If it comes back on line by Sunday, I'll drop back in and update this post, if not, please go and visit the other SAL participants instead.

I'm sewing along as part of a SAL, you can go and see what the other participants have been up to here:

Avis, Claire, Gun, Carole, LucyAnn, Kate, Jess, Sue, Constanze, Debbierose, Christina, Susan, Kathy, Margaret, Cindy

Feel free to come and join us, just contact Avis.

Mellerstein Parrots #2

It's time for the three-weekly SAL update.  I'm embroidering the Mellerstain Parrots by the Crewelwork Company.  Here is where I was...

And here is where I am now. It's a bit of a spot-the-difference competition!!

I completed a small branch and added the centre to a leaf which had been left without.  I also stitched an acorn and half an acorn.  The seed bit of the acorn was done in padded satin stitch which was fine, the cup was done in french knots and I'm not convinced.  It said to do them with 1 strand, but it would have taken about 12 years, they were so tiny, so I did them with two.  

I think I'll finish the second one and do the swirls, then see what I think.

I'm sewing along as part of a SAL, you can go and see what the other participants have been up to here:

Avis, Claire, Gun, Carole, LucyAnn, Kate, Jess, Sue, Constanze, Debbierose, Christina, Susan, Kathy, Margaret

Feel free to come and join us, just contact Avis.

Mellerstain Parrots #1

Good morning ladies and gentlemen.  It's time for the 3-weekly update on my latest WIP.  I finished the Princess Bride for the last check in, and now it's time to present my next project.  I am cheating slightly for this update, I haven't actually stitched on it at all, but thought I'd show you where I'm starting from.  I've had a busy three weeks, including a weekend down near Bath at my brother's wedding.

I am stitching on Mellerstain Parrots by the Crewel Work Company.  My kit is actually the fireguard, which I couldn't find on the website, but is the same design.  I must have started this 4 years ago.  I was stitching it as a sample for the Crewel Work Company as she was developing the kit.  I got about half way through and was waiting for the rest of the stitching instructions.  I emailed her several times but never got any response and have never heard from her since.  I wasn't supposed to show it on my blog until it was finished, but as I've lost contact, I'm going to show it.  It got put to one side as I don't have the stitching instructions for the rest of the design.  I'm afraid I'm going to have to wing it!

All the leaves are done, so all (!) that's left is the acorns and the parrots themselves.

Also the little berries.  I'm worried about those as I'm pretty sure they are in satin stitch and satin stitch circles have got to be hard!

The linen was pre-printed, which is great.  You can just get on and stitch instead of faffing around trying to transfer the pattern.  This design also includes so stitch directions marked on the fabric, so that's useful.

I'm quite looking forward to starting this, I hope I get a chance this evening.  The problem I'm wrestling with at the moment isn't time, I have time, but motivation and energy.  My new meds make me tired all the time, often too tired to even stitch.

I'll be back in 3 weeks to show you my progress.... if there is some!


I'm sewing along as part of a SAL, you can go and see what the other participants have been up to here:

Avis, Claire, Gun, Carole, LucyAnn, Kate, Jess, Sue, Constanze, Debbierose, Christina, Susan, Kathy

Feel free to come and join us, just contact Avis.

Princess Bride #2

Three weeks have passed since I showed you my progress on the characters from Princess Bride, a cross stitch pattern by Wee Little Stitches, so it's time for another update.  Here is where I was three weeks ago:

And here is where I am now:

Oh!  Well I seem to have finished it!!  Once I got started stitching on this I didn't want to stop and worked on it solidly most evenings for a couple of weeks.

Well that was a short, but sweet, SAL project!  Looks like I need to find another one for the next update.... maybe something a bit bigger this time!


I'm sewing along as part of a SAL, you can go and see what the other participants have been up to here:

Avis, Claire, Gun, Carole, LucyAnn, Kate, Jess, Sue, Constanze, Debbierose, Christina, Susan, Kathy

Princess Bride #1

Welcome to the three-weekly SAL post where I'm tackling my cross stitch and embroidery UFOs one by one.  Last time I showed you that I'd finished my Hardanger project, so it was time for a new one.

I pulled this out of the drawer by the sofa.  It's the start of a Pixel People cross stitch bought from Wee Little Stitchesof the characters from the Princess Bride.  It's Mr CA's favourite film.  I bought the pattern at the same time as I bought one of Wesley and Buttercup which I stitched up and gave him for our anniversary.  He was so underwhelmed I didn't know if I'd bother with this one, but I'd started it so I decided to get it done.

This is where I'd left off.

And here is where I am now:

I think that's pretty good going!

I'm sewing along as part of a SAL, you can go and see what the other participants have been up to here:

Avis, Claire, Gun, Carole, LucyAnn, Kate, Jess, Sue, Constanze, Debbierose, Christina, Susan, Kathy

Hardanger #5

Ladies and gentlemen.... I have finished!

I have finished my second SAL project which is  Mabel Figworthy's Fancies Song of the Weather SAL Hardanger sampler.  I started it in 2013, so it took a while, but the last couple of weeks I've been stitching like a demon to get it done.

There are 2 panels, each with 6 blocks.  This is January to June.

We have a wrong-way-round photo here... damn you photo!

And here is August to December, which is the one I've been stitching on for this SAL.

See, I finished that ribbon rose!  It doesn't match any of the blues, and it's 6mm rather than the 4mm called for, but finished is better than perfect!

I knew I wanted some sashing between the blocks, so I consulted my embroidery book library.  In The New Anchor Book of Hardanger I found this zig zag hem stitch which seemed perfect.  I really enjoyed doing it!

So here we go, both pieces together.  I have no idea why I started the second one so close to the edge and I'm kicking myself for it.  I couldn't put in an outer border and it will make it difficult to frame.  BUT, it's finished!

Tune in in 3-weeks time and I'll show you my next project.

I'm sewing along as part of a SAL, you can go and see what the other participants have been up to here:

Avis, Claire, Gun, Carole, LucyAnn, Kate, Jess, Sue, Constanze, Debbierose, Christina, Susan