On to the Specialty Stitches

I finally finished the cross stitches for parts two and three. Yay! Now to start on the specialty stitches, and there are a lot of them. I don't think it'll take me as long with them as it did for the cross stitches, though. I still really love the way this fabric makes the design pop.

It's Frogging Time Again

This week I caught a big mistake while working on part 14. I'm going to have to frog four squares on the right border and redo them. They're off by two stitches. It's the only real thing that's given me problems with this mystery thing - getting off by a stitch or two because I don't have any context in the chart to put it in its place. At last it's not an even bigger mistake.

Fiddly Bits

I'm working on lots of little fiddly bits in this part. The vine-type thing has knots and diamonds in it. Those I'm doing in a separate color. They're the most tedious part of the band, though.

Re-star-ting

This project I started over the summer with my face to face chapter. I put it aside at the time because my rotation was full (isn't it always?). I had the slot back when I finished my temari, so I put this in there. I figure it's a small project and better to be done than sit in a corner neglected. So, this week I finished the lettering and started the yellow under it.

Waterfall

The string art stitches in this section remind me of a waterfall. The instructions for putting the stitches next to each other could have been clearer, but I figured it out. I think. Anyway,this part is done and it's time to start another. It's coming together - slowly as usual, but progress is being made.

Blue Tunic

I got her face done this week and started filling out her tunic. This part is going pretty quickly. The face doesn't really have any contrast between the two colors - one overdyed and one plain - used. Maybe it'll show up more when she's outlined.

Filling in the Bricks

Now you can see more of the beginning of the building. While I love the blue I finished, I'm so happy to go on to something new. This is, so far, going pretty well, too, and has a lot of variety.

Can You See...?

Can you see the progress here from last week? I can! I finished some red and worked some on the skirt, in the lighter colors. I also added a bit more to the ribbon trailing down darkly.

A Block of India

Yes, another crazy quilt round robin. This is from the My Favorite Things round robin, and the second block I've worked on. The owner lives in India and she chose an Indian village as her theme. Here is the block before I did any work.

This is how it looks now that I've done my part. I tried to fill in a lot of space because it looked bare to me for after someone else had worked on it. I added a motif across the top, an elephant in the central panel, and two seam treatments.

Here is the top in detail. I used Kreinik Braid, Sheep's Silk, and Watercolours.

Bottom's Done

This time the stitching's going much faster on the heart. I've got the whole bottom done and am beginning to put in the lettering. I really like the colors on this and it looks rather modern-Christmas without being garish to me.

Tiny Progress

Last week the picture was taken while I was in the middle of this in my rotation. That's why it's here again - I finished off what I did. The M is almost halfway done, and I'll be working on it again tomorrow.

Squaring Off

I'm almost done, finally, with the cross stitching on parts two and three. It's taken me long enough! The group is closed and I'm still on part three. I am sooooo slow. I've even been working on it pretty steadily all this time. Oh well, it'll keep me going for years, right?

Flower Finished

I finished the big flower in the middle of the band this week. It's pretty much the whole length of the band. There are some vines and smaller flowers to each side that I've started. Blackwork takes a lot longer than people think. After all, it's only double running stitch, right?

Part 13 Done

This is the longest I have ever kept up with a stitchalong. With thirteen of twenty parts done, I may even keep with it the whole way. I still like my color choices and think it'll turn out well when done. Got part fourteen this week and have started stitching it.

Half Crossed

This week I started her face. At first, I took her suggestion and did cross stitches over one. They looked too bulky, though, so I ripped them out and did continental stitch. I think it looks a lot better. The over one part went much more quickly than I thought it would. Only one more color and her head is done but for backstitching.

Whiter and Darker

I thought I was a bit closer to being done with the flag than I was last week. I got quite a bit more white on it and some more of the darker reds. Still quite a bit more to go, but at least every week I see progress.

Christmas Start

Last year I did a Joyeux Noel freebie from Carinne's site. My husband really liked it, so when we were looking for a not too big project for a colleague of his, i went back to it and am making another one. This time I'm doing it on white hardanger fabric using Vikki Clayton's Dragon Hoard color in a premium size. I really like the way the color is turning out, and it looks Christmasy to me. This one is going a lot faster than the one I did last year, too.

Almost Halfway

I got up to the L this week. My husband showed me the nearly complete frame - I think as a hint that he wants me to get this done. I did get most of the M done after this picture, and yes, I'm feeling some pressure. Problem is I'm feeling some pressure on a lot of my stitching to get it done. Once I get to the third line, I'll probably do it all in one go.

Pointy, Curvy, Round, Square?

This week I finished the skeleton of the great big snarl-thing in the final band. I can't decide what shape it actually is. It was somewhat of a challenge to put together, but I did it. The Walsh silk perle has a wonderful hand, but is almost as springy as the Edmar. Anyway, the rest of the band is anchored into this, so I can use it as a starting point.

Before and After

This is how I received Lyn G's block for the Asian Nights round robin. For some reason, the first two people I've worked on both picked Japan. When I think of Japan, I think of Hello Kitty, Sailor Moon and Caramelldansen. Somehow, I don't think that's what -they- were thinking when they made the blocks. Anyway, this top picture shows how the block came to me. It had a lot of potential. I'm not used to working with such bright, hot colors, so it was a challenge.

After a lot of thinking about what others would think was Japanese, I finally came up with an idea for a motif. I made a stream of falling maple leaves down the black. To edge them, I made a fairly simple border. Then, since it's a round robin, I put in the kanji that is supposed to be "friend". I have no clue if that's right or not, but it does at least look Japanese. Now to see if she likes it. I only did one seam because the one I did was soooo long. Didn't want to hog things up.

Unveiled

My husband finished framing this last night. It's crochet lace ... and it was my wedding veil. I used size 40 cordonnet back twenty-one years ago when I made it. He always said he was going to frame it, and he did. Didn't he do a good job?

This is a close up of the lace itself. The pattern is from an old Rita Weiss tablecloth book.

Giving a Finger

Yay, I started on Bibendum himself this week. His finger is up in the air and he's ready for a ride.

A Bit More

I'm halfway done with part 13 in this picture, which was taken a week ago. Since then, I've finished it, so I'm back on track with the group. Part 14 comes out on Wednesday. I'm still really curious about the corners, but I think they're delayed for a reason.

One Huge Flower

Band eight has a great big flower in the middle. I started it this week and finished the upper border of the band. It's coming along a bit. The flower is also upside down. I had my paper upside down when I started, then decided not to frog it, so the whole inner part of the band will be rotated that way. Will be ... interesting, yes?

Another Motif Down

I got a second motif nearly done on the rondel. I'm not going to complete it in time for the Marquoir group, but I did find and order the pattern from the designer. That way, I won't have a half-finished project.

Part Six Begun

At the very top you can see my beginning of part six. I don't know why my husband cut the rest off in the picture, but I promise there's more. This part is a cluster of buildings all on this side of the square. I just hope it doesn't take me nearly as long as part five did.

Light on the Skirt

This week was the skirt's turn to get some work, along with some undertones of the flag. She's progressing downwards fairly well now, and I'm about on the last stripes of the flag. Then it's a lot of browns for the rest of the stitching!

A New Link

If you notice, there's a new link in the sidebar. It's Christmas Ornament Exchange, and I inherited it from Simone D. in the Netherlands, who's guided it through several iterations. If you're interested in a world wide exchange of ornaments of -any- kind of needlework, sign up. The rules are on that site. In the past there's been an average of thirty to forty participants. Wouldn't it be spiffy to receive an ornament from somewhere else hand made by someone who loves needlework as much as you?

Working on K

I'm up to K now, nearly halfway through the alphabet. My husband has everything ready to frame this, so I have to hurry. I might take a day later this week and just finish it. The color doesn't show up as well against the brown background as I thought it would, but I'm not about to frog it and start over.

Bibendum's Brand

I have all of Michelin spelled out now to start Bibendum on his way. The width of the word is the width of the piece. It should move along now ... off to do some black and white.

Another Round Robin Done

I'm doing three crazy quilting round robins this fall, and this is another square ready to mail. I was only the second person to work on this block, and this round robin requires us to use certain stitches every month for seams. Mine was fly stitch. All the fly stitches, including the reverse fly stitch that looks like a braid, were done by me. I'd not realized how versatile a stitch it was until I played around with it! I also did the spiderweb roses on the dark blue velvet. There are still three more people to work on this block. I don't know where they're going to have room.

Three of Four Done

Three corners are totally done now, and only one more to go before I start adding specialty stitches to everything. I feel like my progress is soooo slow, though. Maybe because it is.

Part 12 Done

Speaking of my German stitching group, here's Totales Mysterie with part twelve done. Well over the halfway point now - only eight more parts to go! Now to see if I can finish part 13 before the end of the month.

Nouveau Rondel

This is a blackwork piece I started through my German stitchalong group. I'm sooo far behind, but I decided to start it anyway. I doubt I'll get it done in time. The floss is Vikki Clayton and the fabric is from Polstitches.

Blue as the Stars

I finished my very first temari ball last night. It's also my first seminar finish for this year. I like it. There's certainly room for improvement, but for a first attempt, I think it came out pretty well.

Barb Suess's directions and instruction helped a LOT. I'd recommend, if you're looking to make temari, that you look at her site.

And lastly, this makes my sixth finish on my twenty-five project challenge.

Hairy Time

This week I added some hair to the maiden in the middle. She's coming along again now that I'm back from seminar. I'm sooo close to being able to bead and finish this I can almost taste it.

Left Behind

I didn't get any work on this done at seminar, resulting in me not getting part 13 sent to me on time. I did get some stitched, though, and it's going to be done soon. Lots of border work on this set of four squares.

Finished Five

All the specialty stitches are done on part five! I've been working on this part for almost a year now, so this is a huge accomplishment for me. I think it looks good the way it is, but there are seven more parts to go. I've just heard that Martina's put this design on sale in chart form, so if you want to start, you can. Me, I'm on to part six this week. Houses!

The Lady Returns

It's been over two weeks since I posted anything about the Lady. She didn't go with me to seminar, and so didn't get any work done on her that week. Since then, however, I finished off the first flutter, adding the dark color that was missing at the bottom. I also enlarged the flag with more dark red. I'm back to the rotation, so it'll be coming along more quickly again now.

Turning a Corner

So I'm working on the central motif of the last band now. It's pretty easy to do once you find your first stitch for each of the fleur-de-lis stitches. With them being this large, the canvas certainly fills faster. Maybe I'm farther along on this band than I think!

Japanese Nights

This is one of my round robin blocks, from Sue M. The theme is Asian Nights, and she wanted Japanese. I put in a temari pattern first, but it didn't look good, so I ripped it out and replaced it with ribbon cherry blossoms and scattered beads about. Then I made a sashiko leaf. There wasn't much room between the motifs for an elaborate seam treatment, I went with a simple beaded fly stitch.

Fair Maiden Is Now Truly Finished

Yesterday I taught the last of the four sessions on the needle purse. Well ... I thought I was going to teach about putting it together, but it didn't work out that way. Since I was teaching the finishing, I thought it was high time I put mine together. Here it is closed; I used ribbon instead of twisted wool for the close ties. I like how it came out.

And here is the inside. I also made it so the rings are removable. For me, that makes the piece more functional.

Car Stitching

Last week when my husband was driving, I managed to do -some- stitching in the car. On top of working on an afghan, I did more of the four way continental stitches on Poirot. Never truly easy because of the rayon, I did have to stop stitching on some bumpy areas of the road. At least I got something progressed on the way to Seminar.