Lining It Up

Not much done, but some on this. The black parts of the v's are in, as is some more celadon green inside a couple of the plaques. The dark green is added on the left, too. It's getting there despite the setback last month where I misplaced the line of plaques. I'm ahead of the point I was at, which is progress indeed.

More Skirt, More Flowers

With all the little bits of color around the flowers and the upper edge of the dress, I've been having floss leftover when I do them. So I've been using it to expand the skirt. It means when I get there, I'll have less to do. The piece is getting to the point where I feel the top half is almost done. All that's really left is her arm, her head, and the top of the flag.

Buckled Up

One down, eleven more to go. My only hope is that the stitch guides get better. The actual stitching wasn't difficult, though several of the fibers tended to shred a lot. I've decided I don't like Gold Rush. The sparkly allows the underlying white to show through too much, too easily. I'll be waiting to finish this into something when the other eleven are done.

Backing It Up

When this picture was taken on Saturday, I still had over half of the background left to stitch. I'm happy to report that I finished stitching it yesterday. Even though getting around all the other stitching was hard, it went pretty quickly when I put my mind to it - and my time.

Finished Up

This was sitting on my desk with the back and front sewn together for weeks. This weekend, I finished it off and I like the looks of it. I could have picked light colored beads, but decided to go with the dark ones to add more contrast. It feels good to have something completely finished off, especially after the last month when I got nothing done.

Shading some Leaves

I got a bit more done on this, doing stem stitch on the long leaves. They're two toned, for shading. As usual, this goes quickly when I have time to work on it. I'm hoping to have more time than usual to work on it this week and move it forward quite a bit.

Knotted Up

The knots on band three are nearly done now. Only a little bit to fill in on the last. I'll be working on it this week and hope to get this band to completion. I really do prefer the horizontal lines on the filling to the diagonal ones. It was a lot easier to do and, I think, gives a smoother line and looks better.

Starfling Along

I'm about three-quarters of the way done with this starfle row, and will be starting another bunch of string art stitches next. I'm just glad I got to working on this at all this week. It's been that kind of day. Three bands done and two more larger ones to go, though none, I think, with the hundreds of little jessicas again.

Small, But It's Done

Yes, it's the first week of April, but I just finished my March ornament. It feels good to finish something - I only completed two things in all of March. January's overproductivity must be catching up with me. I did get quite a bit done today, so maybe I'll get on an upward trend. Anyway - this was a really easy stitch and I think it turned out pretty well. I think I'll finish it into a little pillow ornament.

Slow Progress

Two more lengths of floss into the design this week. Both colors finished on the third side and stitching partially into the fourth too, so I can't complain.

Rose Angel Halfway

March's ornament is getting there, despite March being gone. I'm falling behind on so much I'm beginning to feel guilty about it. This has gone easily, at least.

A New Ribbon Start

I finally began my project from a class that started in the middle of February. It's from Vickie Brown of Ribbonsmyth. The first lesson of the class was all talk and no do, so I kind of tuned it out. I went back to it last week and finally started. Lessons one and two are done on this, and I hope to do lesson three later today. Silk ribbon embroidery is a new thing to me, so hopefully I'll learn quite a bit doing this.

Third Corner Done

Finally, the third corner's complete. I haven't gotten any further than this in the days since the picture was taken, but it's done. The fourth corner is well started, too. Now I just need to find time to stitch.

More on the Flowers

A bit more on the flag and on her skirt got done this week. Still suffering from lack of stitching time, though. Her roses are coming along; hopefully I'll have at least those done next time I post.

Almost to the End

Once I finish filling in this gold, it's all silver tent stitchs in the background. I'll have the first of twelve(!) belt buckles done. It looks like all the stitch guides use the same illegible font, and the instructions are written in the same way, but if I can get through one, I can get through them all.

Turn of the Corner

I've completed the top part of the third water garden bit. It's slowed down a lot, along with my other stitching, because of other commitments. At least I'm doing -something- on the projects. Next month isn't going to be much better. I've got a full plate in non-stitching stuff for the next two months, but it's good things going on.

Almost Vined

I'm almost done with the vine; just needing to complete the way back. I didn't get to work on it again this week; it's fallen prey to the company I have. I hope to get to it and everything else in the coming week.

This Month's Ornament Start

This month's ornament is Rose Angel from just Nan. As you can see, I didn't get much done by the 24th. Since this picture, it's significantly farther along (about two-thirds of the way) and I hope to finish it in the next couple of days. I picked it because it was a full kit and in my smalls pile and I knew I could give it to someone who likes angels.

Sorted Out

The plaques are all on the same level now and everything's sorted out and on chart. The dark outline is in perle cotton instead of floss, but the perle is much more springy than normal for some reason. It's from Thread Gatherer. Hopefully I'll get to this today. It's next in line, but I have a lot of other stuff to do.

Baby Steps

I didn't get as much done last week as I'd hoped, but progress is progress, no matter how little it is. Some of the white on the flag got added and I started the flowers in her hand. This week isn't looking much better, but maybe next week I'll get more accomplished.

Guitar Done

I finished the guitar this week. It looks pretty good. Now I need to put initials in the banner and do lots of tent stitches.

What You Can Do Waiting at an Airport

Yes, what progress I made this week was made at an airport, in the international arrivals waiting room. More stems are done- all the darkest color of green on the outside piece. Some of the lighter green was started, too. I hope to get it done in the next couple of days, but I've really not gotten much stitching done this week.

Some Filling In

The designer had the cream color filling in the knots laid diagonally within them. It -really- didn't look good to me and was a major pain, so I switched it to horizontal, which looks better to me and is much easier to do. Got some more dark green done, too. The third band is nearing completion; perhaps I can finish it in the next couple of weeks.

Shelling the Edge

Added to the border this week. I'll be doing another starfle row next week. I didn't get as much stitching done this week as usual because I had lots of company over. This week, I'll still have a guest who lets me stitch but doesn't stitch himself, so I'll still not do as much as usual.

Swimming Away

The seahorse is done! I liked the wool this used - Strand, from New Zealand. No real pilling and it seemed to knot less than some. It also felt smoother than other needlepoint wool, almost the loft of crewel wool. This wasn't anything important to me. It was something to do at the doctor's office and in the car waiting for the kids. I think it'll look cute when my husband decides what he wants done with it.

Greening the Vine

After correcting a counting mistake, I wound the vine up and down some more. I'm doing the green first, since it's all one contiguous line. Then I can add the other colors and (hopefully) avoid more counting mistakes.

I Messed Up

The first couple of plaques are one stitch lower than they should be, so I'm going to have to do some frogging on this. It shouldn't set me back too much - and yes, I checked. It needs to be done; that one stitch upward makes a difference later in the design.

Third Corner Soooo Close

I probably should have gone ahead and finished the third corner last week, but I didn't. All that's left is a line of treasure braid on the bottom. I think this one took less time than the other two, and the fourth is already off to a good start.

Swim on By

Last week, I said I'd get this done this week. It was finished this morning. This picture is of the progress as of last Friday evening. Picture of the completed stitching will come over the weekend.

Picking Up the Flag

The flag is coming along pretty well. I added to each of its main colors this week - blue, red, and white. When I first saw the colors used for it, I was thinking they wouldn't really work. Now that it's so far along, it looks better.

Copper Guitar

The actual guitar is started, which means this is very close to being done. Next step is couching the gold torsade around the guitar's outline, then filling the rest of the guitar in. I'm hoping to do that today. I'm so behind this week on my stitching. It's been a very hectic week so far.

Stem Stitches

All the lighter colored stem stitches are done on the big panel, and I used the extra to start the small panel. I'm feeling some pressure to work more on this, since it would be nice to show people what they're signing up for at the April meeting. I don't think it's going to happen, though.

Interlacing Knots

This week was all backstitch on band three. I completely changed the color of the backstitch for the interlacing knots, from red to blue variegated. They'll be filled with cream satin stitches next. I like the way the color came out on them.

Third Band Done

More string art stitches and the third band is now done. The instructions for the darker blue ones took a little getting used to, but they worked. Now onto another row of starfles then more string art.

Yet More Blue

It's a good thing the fabric contrasts so well with the blue, as it would all blend in so far. Lots and lots of blue and even more added this week.

Starting the Vine

I've started the main part of band six. It's a vine wrapped around flowers in pots. Counting is, of course, a biggie in this.

Seahorsing Around

Lots of progress on the seahorse itself this week. Next week, I think, will be the week I finish it off. It's getting close.

A Set of Plaques

Well, this new stitching on part four is in the process of being ripped out because it's one space down from where it's supposed to be. And it makes a difference later, I looked. So ... anyway, there is a series of plaques in part four, straight across the piece. Each one has a flower in it. I -will- get it right this time!

Significant Progress

Lots of gold added and a nearly done third corner. I've also made some progress on the final corner and I'm feeling good about all the work I've done on this. Soon, I get to start buildings!

More Gap Filling

I corrected some counting errors this week and filled in some of the brown on the right and the blue on the left. There is still one counting error I haven't fixed up at the top of the dark blue, but it hasn't butted up against anything yet, so I've let it sit. She has more flesh now, too, as I begin to fill in her decolletage. I'm almost to the point where I see the top half being done soon. It's a good feeling.

Squiggles Done

This is getting closer to completion. The squiggles are all filled in now. Since this picture, I've started on the guitar, which is going fairly quickly. After that, the initials on the banner and filling in the background is all that's needed.

Fireworks

This is one of the pictures my friend took on the night of Kosovar independence. They had a fireworks show over Pristina. I've printed it on a piece of silk and will be using it as the centerpiece of a small wallhanging for him. It will, of course, be embellished quite a bit with beads and thread.

February Ornament

I was sick on the 24th of last month, so I'm playing catch up with my commitment. This is Winter Wood from Papillon Creations. I eliminated the birds in it because I did it all in one thread instead of the five or six colors she designed it in. The floss is Vikki Clayton's Plumage, which I got as a present last year. I think the abstract version looks pretty good.

Starting To Be Crewel

I got the pieces onto their backing this week and started the stem stitches. As usual with crewel, it goes pretty quickly once it's started. I think it will look good when done.

Flower Bud

The beginning of band three on this sampler is the middle flower bud. It's in bargello. I got it done fairly easily. What I have done is the approximate height of the band, and I just need to fill in everything around it. Maybe this week I'll finish the band.

String Art

My husband really likes these Walneto stitches. After doing both of them one and a half times due to counting errors, I'm not so sure. One more of these to go and then a couple of mistake stitches and some smaller filling stitches and this band is done.

Home Again

Nine months after I sent it out, it's returned to me. And only four more blocks stitched too. Another round robin bites the dust. It looks cute, though, and I have everything to finish it, so it will be added to my rotation soon.

Band Five Done

Done with a band now, and started on another.The next one has about as much stitching. It feels good to make progress, and the last band didn't take much more than a month. Maybe there's hope I'll finish this some time this year.

Part Three DONE

Everything except the beads on the top half is done. There are still three parts to do, but the majority of the stitching is complete. On to part four. Oh, the outline on the gold scrolls was in acorn woods perle cotton. I didn't like how bulky it was, so I changed it to Waterlilies Rye. I think it does a passable job.

Swirling Some More

This week was more work on gold. I filled it in some areas where the blue had outpaced it. Still progress, but not as satisfying as finishing off a color. On the other hand, I'm almost there...