Not so mysterious now

Do you remember a piece of needlepoint I'd started?  I was calling this tapestry as that's what we'd call it in the UK, but I've since found out that it's not correct as a true tapestry is woven.  Anyway, I was working the Mini Mystery needlepoint design from Laura at Two Handed Stitcher, a free needlepoint design presented to us in 3 parts. 

While I was ill, and broadbandless I set to work on part two.  It was obvious by this point that I'd made some major mistakes with my counting - I'm pretty sure the zigzag stitches should have been 4 threads wide and I only did them 3, but I blundered on regardless.

I filled in the rows between zigzags with the eyelet stitch.  I was a bit disappointed it didn't make more of a hole, but maybe I wasn't pulling tight enough.

My stitching looks dreadful close up, I think my canvas was also too big, but I'm not sure!  The silver line in the border was supposed to be a narrow ribbon, but I went with what I had and used a silver "lamé" which is basically a 6-stranded metallic thread that is an absolute BUGGER to sew with.  Everything else is Perle 5, a mixture of DMC and Anchor.  I love Perle cottons.  When I was almost finished stitching this, I had the urge to sort out my threads.  The stranded cottons have 3 thread boxes - blue/green/purple, yellow/orange/red/pink and black/brown/grey/white.  I now also have a box of Perle cotton, sizes 5 and 8, and a box of assorted other threads including tapestry wools, crewel wools, metallics, and blending filament.  If I keep up this embroidery obsession, I'm going to need a bigger house...

For part 3 I added the white zigzaggy-type line.  I had a job chosing a colour as I think I truly messed the piece up with the purple!  Never mind, this is a practice piece, it's not destined for a show!  I loved this stitch method, the line looks fab close up, it really has depth to it.

It's couched down at the intersections with a Madeira metallic thread.  Oh, the other type of thread I have is silk thread.  It is luscious!  I want to buy some more then just sleep on a bed of silk thread...

Anyway, needlepoint finished.  Much practice is definitely needed!  I really enjoyed it and have only scratched the surface of all the stitches there are out there.  I have a book - Stitchopedia with some needlepoint in it so that might be my next point of call.  I perhaps also have to do some more research as I don't like all the canvas on view for this piece but suspect it's the canvas size I used rather than the design as Laura's stitching is gorgeous.

Workin' on it

Morning ladies.  I don't have anything completed to show you, so today I've got some shots of what I'm working on.  I'm afraid I snapped some of them this morning before work in the poor light.  You'll have to live with it!

Yep, it's a new project, but it's also part of Wipocalypse, this one is WIP #27.  All the stones are glued in place, I just need to add the grout.  I spent a couple of hours laying out the number and getting it right, then adding a few of the white tiles around it.  The borders were done in short bursts as I alternated between that and the computer.  I found this better to do as if the glue was not dry, I'd risk nudging them out of place.  I finished it off after dinner on Sunday waiting for Junior CA to finish her dinner (I swear that girl is the slowest eater in the world) so I could sit at the table with everyone but still have something to do.  Oh, it was from a kit I got for Christmas.  More details when it's finished.

 

This is a secret project and it may be a few months before I post about it.  This is really a sneak-peak for Jillayne.

 

This one is completely off the list and took me by surprise!  I randomly decided to have a go at the Mini Mystery hosted by Laura of the Two-Handed Stitcher.  I wanted to try needlepoint again, as my first attempt was quite paltry, containing only tent stitch.  Wow, this is really hard!  I think most of what you see there has be unpicked and restitched at least once!

And last, but not least, the giant granny is still being worked on.  I'm getting very close to the end on this!

 

I also have my stained glass window, but I'm going to class tonight so I'll post about that later, I have some pictures from this morning and I'll take some tonight so you can see the lack of progress.  I've got two beading classes tomorrow (day off work, yay!!) and will try to write another post tomorrow, depends how things go.  Bet you can barely contain your excitement.

Christmas Countdown - October

Once again I'm joining in with Allie's Christmas Through The Year.  Hold on to your hats as I've actually made some progress this month!

1, 2, 3 - travel tissue holders, blogged here.

4, 5 - linen bunnies, blogged here.

6, 7, 8, 9, 10 - Christmas tree decorations, blogged here.

11 - Needlepoint bookmark, blogged here.

12? - Possibly a Christmas present, though I'm not sure who for - bluebird, blogged here.

Bring on November!

finishing up

I'm really not sure what came over me during the super-productive weekend, but I got loads done.  I managed to finish some WIPs.  First up was the Hardanger heart which I blogged about here.  That was the 15th September I see, so this hasn't been a WIP as long as I thought it had.

I backed the apertures with some satiny blue material which came from the cushion covers a relative made for me to match my curtains (back in my pre-sewing days of course!), and made the back in the same material.  For some bizarre reason, I thought the back piece needed to be double sided, so I cut out 3 pieces from the blue and sewed them together (by machine) before turning and stuffing with lavendar.  It was a right bugger getting the lavendar in because of the multiple layers which obviously weren't sewn up at the gap.  Stupid Wendy.

I wish I'd left it as a square shape now.  It will be a birthday present for my mum.

Do you remember this needlepoint bookmark, blogged about here?  That was the 6th August so this one has been a WIP for a long time, especially considering it just needed a back!

Whilst on my hand-stitching bender I folded the edges back and backed it with yellow acrylic felt.  Not bad.  I have since pulled of the little dangling wispy-type bits.

The hand stitching is far from invisible, but it does blend in enough I think.  This will be a Christmas present.  Watch out Allie, I'm coming to get you this month!

Busy!

Good afternoon everyone.  I hope you're having a nice weekend?  I've just spent the day with my mum in Melton Mowbray, looking for charity shop bargains, now I'm going to try and get through the posts piling up in my reader whilst Mr CA watches Ivanhoe before settling down to some stitching (me, not Mr CA).  Do you want to see what I'm working on?

I'm hoping to get this finished tomorrow - it's a present for the mother-in-law's birthday.

This little pile of grey linen will become Christmas presents.

My granny square blanket for the Granny Square Challenge is coming along, though rather slowly.  I've just finished round 28 - some people are on double that number and others have finished!

These are my charity crochet squares, in need of some end-weaving and the making of some brothers and sisters.  The "green" one on top (it's actually orange?!?  Not sure what's going on there) needs another couple of rounds to bring it up to 4".

The needlepoint part of the needlepoint bookmark is complete, now I just need to finish it, but I really don't know how!  Any tips?  I also recently discovered that needlepoint isn't just this one stitch - the tent stitch - but there are tons of different stitches out there. I really really want to try more.  Does anyone know where I can find some free patterns to try out?  Any information/tips/links to blogs/sites about needlepoint would be much appreciated.

A cross stitch bookmark that's finished bar the tassle and my current project - I'm finally doing an embroidery hoop.  I suspect it will turn out to be a massive disaster, but hey, if I don't try, I can't fail!

You may have, or more likely may have not, noticed the lack of my rainbow crochet cushion in this pile of WIPs.  That's because it's finished!  It'll get a post of its own early next week.

The not-finished stuff

I've got a fair few WIPs going at the minute, so I thought I'd show them here in a bid to make myself accountable for finishing them!

In the sewing room:

1. This Roman Stripe patchwork block is destined to become one of four chair cushions for my dining room.  Work has stalled as I'm not sure whether to make each one a different pattern.  There will be matching placemats and coasters too so I quite like the idea of four different patterns, but I'm not sure how it will look.  Thoughts?

2. I still haven't got any closer to quilting the Petit Ecole pinwheel table topper for my brother- and sister-in-law.

In the crochet bag:

3. The giant granny continues to grow - 25 rounds here.  I'm going so much slower than everyone else in the Giant Granny challenge!

4. The rainbow cushion nears completion!  No photos until it's done.

5. I'm 3 rows into 4" granny #3 for charity.

6. The ami bunny remains with only a head.  I can't get my head round the magic ring to start the body.  I pick it up, have a go, fail and put it down!

In the sewing box:

7. The needlepoint/tapestry part of the bookmark is complete, now I'm just stuck for how to finish it.  I had intended to put on a crochet edging, but my experiments with a tiny crochet hook just didn't work.

8. No more progress on the alphabet chart.  I HAVE to get my arse into gear!!

Well 8 WIPs isn't so bad.  I just have to stop myself starting anything else before I've got some of them done.

FSNI July - not much progress!

Mr CA has been working away on site for over a week, so as he came back on Friday night, I couldn't really spend the Friday Night Sew In up in my sewing room, I wanted to spend some time with him so hand sewing was the answer.

I've been without a printer for over a year as my lap top just didn't like my printer.  My dad solved this problem this week by buying me a new printer/scanner/copier and setting it up for me.  Love my dad.  I've been saving pdf patterns on my hard drive for a long time, but now with a way to print them, I started sorting them out and in doing this I found a lovely pattern for what I thought was a cross stitch bookmark.  On printing it I discovered it was actually needlepoint.  Fantastic, another LANT and a chance to sample a different kind of needlework.  I've got quite a list of needlework techniques on my Crafts page and I'm eager to give them a go.

I bought the necessary supplies:

1. Canvas.  They had a couple of types of canvas but only one in 14 count which was what the pattern specified, it's called interlocking canvas.  I have no idea what this means or if it's the right one.

2. Tapestry wool.  Despite my aversion to my crewel wool, I thought I'd blunder on!  The pattern gave the references for DMC and I hadn't looked at a conversion chart as I'd assumed Hobbycraft would stock DMC, they didn't so I picked my own Anchor colours.

3. Tapestry needles.  I love these little Pebble needle packs, I just wish they'd print the name of the type of needle on them!

I got to work.  3 hours later and this is all I'd achieved!

I'll put in a credit and links to the pattern when I show you the finished item.  And I will finish it as I'm enjoying doing it.  It's tent stitch, which is basically half a cross stitch, so it's like doing cross stitch, but only half of it, with wool. 

I do have a bit of confusion in my mind as to what this craft is.  It says needlepoint or petit point on the pattern, but I know that needlepoint is an American term.  What I'm not sure of is whether this is what we call tapestry.  Does anyone know?

Despite the small amount of progress, I'm linking up to the FSNI anyway.

Today I'm going to be working on a fantastic kit I got through the post this week.  It was sent to me by a lovely lady and I'll show you all and of course give you links to where you can get this kit when I've thoroughly tested it.  Here's a sneak peak: