Christmas Stocking WIP

Hi from a cold and wet Cape Town! It is storming here today - very unusual for this time of year!


Since my Mary Wigham is having a 'rest' again, I decided to resume work on a Christmas WIP. I started it last year, but didn't get too far :) It is a stocking out of the book 'Donna Kooler's Ultimate Stocking Collection'. It is a lovely book and contains 15 beautiful stockings by various designers.


This one is called 'Teddy the Bear & Friends' and is designed by Linda Gillum.

This is just a photo to show you how much I still have to do on it! I hope to finish it this time and have it ready for Christmas.

The animals have a lot of detail and, yes, a lot of backstitch! I backstitched this bird when I was working on it last year - the backstitching really brings it to life. (You will notice that backstitch is my enemy - I have loads of finished projects just waiting for their backstitch - I certainly hope this piece won't fall into that category when I get the cross stitching done!)

I am also still working on Scheherazade, but I'm still not on her dress! I am trying to build a solid base for the dress before I work towards the top again, but it takes a lot of stitching without seeing a picture :( That is the problem with starting at the bottom! At least I'm still enjoying it very much :)

That's it for now - have a great week!

Christmas Ornament Finish

Another weekend almost gone! At least I have a small finish to show. This is Country Cottage Needleworks Winter's Eve Christmas ornament from the 2006 JCS Christmas Ornament Issue.
I stitched it in DMC stranded cotton on self-dyed 28ct fabric. The moon is stitched in DMC Precious metal Effects E677 - I love this colour - it is a blend of gold and silver.
I stitched the little sheep in Rainbow Gallery White Wisper thread to give him a fluffy look :)

I worked a little bit on Scheherazade - not that you can see much difference yet! I am still enjoying it very much, even though I can't see a picture developing at this stage.

We had a lovely Spring day here yesterday, but today it is back to Winter! It is as wet as can be with persistent rain.

Only grey skies to be seen!

Enjoy the rest of the weekend and Happy Stitching!

A New Start!

Hello from a cold and wet Cape Town - it is back to Winter here! Low temperatures and rain predicted for the rest of the week - like I always say - great stitching weather!

I couldn't resist any longer and started Scheherazade from Heaven and Earth Designs a few days ago. It certainly doesn't look like much now and probably won't for a long time :) I started at the bottom in the middle, so I'm making my way up to her gorgeous dress.
I am stitching it 2 over 2 on a 28ct evenweave, which it much easier for me to see and should make it a more enjoyable stitch. My boyfriend was so fascinated with the size of the fabric that he took a picture of me holding it! To my defence - I left very large borders and I'm not very tall, so it's really not THAT bad :) (I'm thinking of it like stitching a portrait, so it is allowed to be big.)

I am enjoying working on it very much, even though it is just random stitching at this stage. I will definitely alternate this project with WIPs and ornaments so that I can see progress on something!

Until next time, happy stitching!

A Finish and a RAK

I finished Spot of Winter by The Drawn Thread this weekend - it was such a fun stitch! I always feel like doing some Christmas stitching at this time of year and with it's snowman, robins and trees it's Christmassy enough for me! I still have to make it into a little cushion - I have the same frosty blue linen for the backing. I will probably stitch a few more Christmas ornaments over the next few months.

I was lucky enough to receive a RAK from Daniela last week! She knows that I love the Hummel designs, so she sent me this lovely chart for my "collection". I think it is out of print - I have never seen it before. Thank you Daniela!

I am seriously considering a new start! I have a few Heaven and Earth Designs charts in my stash. I purchased this one earlier this year - her name is Scheherazade by Jonathon Earl Bowser and she is absolutely GORGEOUS! I have another one of this artists "goddess" charts which I purchased a few years ago and I think the time has come to start one of them :)

I don't know when I will ever finish Mary Wigham - she took priority over all other stitching (and starts) earlier this year, but now the stash is calling!

Enjoy the rest of the week and happy stitching!