Sunday 28 February 2016

Compass Finish - Happy Dance ♡


Good evening everyone! I was able to finish my compass pattern this morning. I apologize for the dark photo. The lighting isn't the best....but you get the idea.

I think for my Friday Frolic this week I will pick up Blackberry Jam by The Sweetheart Tree. It isn't a labor intensive project so maybe I can finish it in a few frolicking Fridays :)

Have a great week. I hope your frolicking is going well :)

Rachel

Saturday 27 February 2016

Serendipitous Jo's Ninth Frolic of the Year

The fourth Friday of each month should be spent preparing for detention!  That's what we do on the first Saturday of each month for The Alphabet Club SAL.

However, I worked all day (which is a kind of detention!) so had to leave the next letter for Saturday.

Instead I will show you my progress on my current evening stitching project, Shepherd's Bush Mulberry.

I started this one for DUCJC2015 and this is how I left it back then:

(poor quality scan from printer)

Another four short sessions have seen it grow to this point:

stitched on 32 count Antique White linen

These mini samplers are perfect for evening stitching.  They use a minimum of colours and once you have stitched the start of each band you don't really need to refer to the chart again.  I have stitched five so far and have several more in my stash.  I think they will be an evening staple for this year.

Serendipitous Jo's Eighth Frolic of the Year

The third Friday of each month usually heralds the start of IHSW - International Hermit & Stitch Weekend, or Numb Bum Weekend!  This used to be hosted by Joysze of Random Rambling who hasn't blogged for a while now.  Doesn't stop most of us from hermitting and stitching though!

I did have to work on the Saturday which explains why I didn't post my progress last week.

Elizabeth Shephard by The Scarlet Letter has been my IHSW project for some time now.  She was started on Day 14 of the DUCJC2015 and I have stitched her regularly since then.  I am now over half-way through her.

stitched on 30 count linen using AVAS silks

This Friday I stitched the motif on the far left, the solid dark one.  There are two more "whole" motifs and four more "half" motifs along the bottom.  It's quite a big piece and I'm not a fan of the fabric, which came with the kit.  I think she would be much better on a 40 count.

For those of you unfamiliar with The Scarlet Letter, the designs are mostly reproduction samplers.  Marsha buys or borrows antique samplers and painstakingly recharts them to modern standards.  She charts them in the condition they are now, so that's why there are gaps in some of the motifs where the original threads are no longer visible.  She also keeps all the inconsistencies in.  So if the original stitcher didn't make a motif symmetrical then it won't be symmetrical on the reproduction.  Which can be hard because we are used to symmetry in our designs!

You can read more about Elizabeth Shephard on The Scarlet Letter's website. 

Christmas stitching

Hi!

Yesterday I started stitching my February Christmas ornament for the Christmas Ornie SAL .


I was a bit late starting this piece so I'll continue stitching this one over the weekend to make sure it'll be finished before the end of the month. I'm really enjoying stitching on coloured aida - makes a very nice change from the 'normal' white aida:))

Hope you all have a nice stitching weekend!

Annie

Thursday 25 February 2016

FlashinScissors' FF(4)


Hello everyone,

Late again, I'm forever trying to catch up on my blogging! How does that happen! And no, don't tell me, I do know really!

Not much progress to show, but if I hadn't started blogging, and hadn't joined "Friday Night Frolics", Tatty Teddy (TT) would probably still be languishing in the "dreaded cupboard"!

This is how he was last time you saw him:
Tatty Teddy - week 3
 Week 3!
And here he is after last Friday's stitching:
Tatty Teddy - week 4
Week 4
For some reason my camera wouldn't take a close up picture this week, but if you enlarge the picture you will be able to see I have continued the back stitch down his left side, and around his leg socket.

I found it very tricky following the pattern, and adding the stitches, but the board and magnets I mentioned last time have helped me to stitch quicker this week ...... it was just that time was against me!

Well, I'm hoping to try and finish TT tomorrow, what will you be stitching?

Looking forward to seeing what everyone else has stitched this Friday! Have fun!


Hugs!
Barbara xx

Oooh, a week late FF post ... so sorry!

[Not sure why it has taken me a week to get around to posting this - I do apologise!]

Well, again I had to start my Friday Frolics and FNSI stitching on Thursday evening as last week TraderVic and I were going to HTC to see the first play of the season, which you can read about on my main blog here.

Thursday:
So, I randomly picked up this piece, which again I had started last year for DUCJFC.

This is where I left it last year:

                                
... and after a Friday night of stitching....

                                

So, now it is Friday again, here and I am off to choose another random UFO/WIP to work on tonight.

hugs, Kaye

my last month or so of FFF

I have a grand daughter coming soon so her blanket needed to be made! Her Mother my daughter Danielle picked the colors. With carpal tunnel in both wrist it has been a painful project. I very happy with it and very glad it is finished! This Fri I hope to do some cross stitch. Need to get caught up on Christmas Ornies!!

Monday 22 February 2016

back on track

I got back to stitching on Lizzie Kate's ABCs of Aging Artfully this Friday.

Here is my progress so far...


Sorry for the wrinkles! This is a really fun piece to stitch.

Until next week,
lynda

The last two Fridays

Hello friends,

the last two Fridays I stitched two more states on my Americana Sampler by Jean Farish. North Carolina came with some nice furniture and North Dakota shows a deer.


And for those of you who want to see all the states that I stitched so far, here is the picture.


Until next Friday,
Brigitte

Sunday 21 February 2016

Compass to the East


Good evening! Here is my progress for this frolicking Sunday. I think with another week of stitching in the mornings and another frolic day I might be finished with this compass :)

Thursday 18 February 2016

FlashinScissors' Friday Frolics (3)


Hello everyone,

Barbara of The Flashing Scissors here again!

I remember a blogging friend recently asking how we mark our patterns to keep our place whilst stitching, but I'm sorry I can't remember who that was!

This reminded me that some years ago CrossStitcher magazine had a most useful giveaway of a few magnets and a magnetic board.

Magnetic Board

For anyone who hasn't seen this before, the idea is that you place the magnetic board behind the pattern and then surround the area you are stitching with magnets.

Maybe this is how most people keep their place?

I thought this might help me stitch more than previous weeks! It didn't happen like that though, as I suddenly started getting ideas for my Valentine's blog post, although I did at least finish stitching TT's head.

TT pattern


TT Week 2
Last week.

TT - current week
This week!
I'm just hoping my board and magnets will help me stitch more next week!


Travel stitching: CrossStitcher free gift - vase of tulips.


I am still attempting to stitch the following from the kit's photograph, as I don't have the pattern.

We had another train journey this week and I managed to stitch some more.

Week 2 - Tulips
Last week's stitching!

Current week - Tulips
This week.

Starting to take shape!

Happy stitching tomorrow night folks!


Hugs!
Barbara xx

Tuesday 16 February 2016

changed my mind...

Instead of stitching on my Lizzie Kate, I decided to stitch up another of the Cross Eyed Cricket mittens. This one is called Patches. I started it on Friday night and finished it over the weekend. At some point I would love to have a finishing day and finish them all into little pillows or ornaments..I think a mitten tree would be cool!


Until next week...happy stitching!
lynda

Dream

I haven't stitched much lately and that's why I haven't posted here either.
Here's something I stitched for a friend who managed to fulfill her dream and enter the Art College.
I also stitched three little pieces for my key holder frames.
I am going to add a couple of flowers and hearts to those though!
All designs by Lizzie Kate found on pinterest as I don't have any of her patterns apart from one.

Saturday 13 February 2016

Serendipitous Jo's Seventh Frolic of the Year

Friday was a very exciting day for me, I had a great Happy Dance for a lovely project.  Sadly for you all, I'm not showing the photos until my Gifted Gorgeousness post on the 15th!

Instead you can see what I stitched on after my fabulous finish:


This is the next cube in the Primitive Hare Christmas Cube series.  I'm stitching it on 35 count Country Mocha linen from Willow Fabrics.

This design is going to fit in with the Christmas Ornie SAL Blog theme of Snow for February.

OK. I give in and I'll give you a sneak peek of my Friday Finish too:

That's all you're getting!

Friday 12 February 2016

North, East, South, West Compass


Good evening! Here is the design I am stitching for my cousin's birthday. It is from Alessandra Adelaide Needleworks.

It is stitching up well, a bit slower than normal since it is on a thicker evenweave fabric. I was hoping to find a normal linen for it, but my local Hobby Lobby only had evenweave fabrics in a large enough size for this design.

I hope you guys have a great weekend. Good luck with your stitching :)

Rachel

This week ....

  ... a languishing Chrissie Ornament came out to play....

Before:


After:



JBW Designs
Santa's Sleigh Ride
28 ct white linen
Mixture of DMC and WDW floss


What do you all get up to this week for Friday Frolics, 

hugs, Kaye


Wednesday 10 February 2016

FlashinScissors' Friday Frolics (2)


Hello,

Barbara of The Flashing Scissors reporting in, a little late, but nevertheless here is my stitching from Friday night!

Thank you to all the lovely people who made me feel so welcome here last week. I think I've visited everyone, but, if not, I look forward to typing to each of you this week!

This is where I left Tatty Teddy (TT) last week:

Progress - Week 1
 There wasn't much stitching last week! 
If you visited last time you might remember that I had to wash and carefully iron him before starting on the job I hate - back stitching! Last week's stitching started just above the top blue flower, ending around his right ear (as we look at him).

I am pleased with the progress I made this week, stitching from ear to ear, but back stitch it is such time consuming, fiddly stitching.....

Progress - Week 2
And this is my latest progress on TT .
and, as I was aiming to start a new project on a train journey on Saturday, I also prepped this kit's fabric ready for stitching on said journey, by washing, ironing and putting some threads in place to mark the centre - maybe not the best place for them!

New project - Week 2
 My new project!
The only slight drawback is I'm trying to stitch this from the photo.  Dear Sister passed me a batch of cross stitch kits and a pile of magazines, but the magazine for this one wasn't there! The photograph is a bit small and doesn't show the tints of colours very well, but I hope I can do it justice!

Stitching - Week 2
Saturday's stitching!
Well, that was all I had time for on Friday night, and now I'm off to catch up on reading some of your blogs. 

I look forward to joining you here, at Friday Frolics, again next week.

Thank you for visiting, and have a great week everyone!


Hugs!
Barbara xx

Tuesday 9 February 2016

Sampler 4 Saisons



Hi, everyone! My 'Friday Frolic' was Sunday because I had a birthday party to attend on Friday. I was able to finish the last block on the sampler. Now I have a massive tree to stitch in the center O_o"

I will have to put this pattern to the side for a while as my aunt has asked me to stitch a pattern for my cousin's birthday. Since I am busy with other projects I'll be stitching an hour every day on the new pattern and on Friday nights for my frolic project. I'll post later this week with the new project :)

Rachel

Monday 8 February 2016

best laid plans

The plan for this week was to pull oout one of my Hawk Run Hollows pieces to finally work on, but I couldn't find the one I was looking for (yes...it has been that long!), and when I found one I could work on, the thread colors didn't seem to match up to the photo. I think this is a project that I will have to plan for much better.

So, I pulled out my Lizzie Kate...ABCs of Aging Artfully. Here is where I was before,



and after a bit of Friday night stitching.


The first photo is a more accurate look at the fabric color! I will continue with this one on Fridays until it is finished.

happy stitching!
lynda

Sunday 7 February 2016

An old WIP revived again

Hello friends,

last Friday I pulled out my America Sampler again and stitched a new state, New York, featuring a basket with apples.



These little designs are perfect for the Friday Frolics as I can finish one in a day. And even stitch on something else, too. So maybe I'll pull it out again this week.

Brigitte

Saturday 6 February 2016

Another FF finish for 2016 ....

Well, they say every cloud has a silver lining, and if you read this post on my main blog, Kitten Stitching you will find out why I have another Happy Dance for Friday Frolics this year....

Before pic:

                                               

After pic:

                              
"Ho, ho, ho" by Pineberry Lane

The second pic is closer to the blue of the spotty fabric.

hugs, Kaye

Serendipitous Jo's Sixth Frolic of the Year

Back to the First Friday of the Month in my rotation which means the Hallowe'en Ornie SAL piece.

This year I have chosen a band sampler by Just Nan called Counting Bats.  Each band corresponds with the theme for each month and by September I should have a finished sampler ready to be framed for Hallowe'en.

This month the theme is Mummies and Monsters and I have stitched a traditional bandage-wrapped monster.

stitched on 32 count lilac linen

and here is the whole piece so far:



Crochet blanket in the making:)

Hello fellow frolickers!

For once my Friday Frolics did not include cross stitch, but instead I worked on my crochet leftover-yarn-blanket:)

I've based my blanket on a pattern made by Lucy from Attic 24, and I decided to only use yarn from my stash in white, pink and purple shades.


Yesterday evening I crocheted the top 8 rows...


...whilst my youngest furbaby did a necessary blankety quality control for cosiness and wrapability lol!

Hope your Friday included lots of crafty activities!

Annie

Wednesday 3 February 2016

last january friday stitching

Since I finished my big piece last week, I decided to start something small. I chose one of the little mittens from Cross-Eyed Cricket. This one can be found in the August leaflet. I started it on Friday and finished it up over the rest of the weekend.


Until next week....happy stitching!

lynda