It's Getting Longer

The strap is now 25.5 inches long. I've not been able to stitch as much as I usually do this month due to some complications in my life, including company or going out every weekend, a traveling husband, and a son who's made a really really stupid decision. Oh, and my obligations to the groups I volunteer for. So this has been languishing a bit along with my other projects. I got a bit more stitched on the strap and the lining, but this is one project that just won't travel, so it never gets taken with. Maybe next week ... this week has become as busy as every other lately.

Medieval Town Mandala Part Five Begun

I finally started Part 5! It's a rather large part, having a huge area in each corner. It's all turquoises and golds, so it's going to look really pretty, though. I'm just happy to finally be on another part. Sure there are seven more after this, but it's better than eight!

Mini and Midi Again

Slowly but surely that mini mandala is getting done. Lots of backstitching on it lately, and I'm really just about done on the middle. Got all the cross stitching completed. Rhodes and more Rhodes to go, though, then the beads. I think it looks pretty, but it doesn't look like the picture in Gift of Stitching. That one didn't have a model stitched for it and there really wasn't an explanation as to whether things were Rhodes or Algerian eye stitches. It also had a really bad way of showing the backstitches. Who knows if, in the end, I'm making it the way Martina designed it? On the Midi, I got the ball and plant in the upper basket done and am now working on the basket itself. Once that basket's done, there are the balls on the tops of the columns and then a whole line of plants in pots at the bottom. At least it's not those arches!

On to the Second Gold Leaf

As my husband commented on my last posting regarding the goldwork, gold is not normally my favorite metal. I'm far more partial to silver and bronze, and will, eventually, do goldwork in both those colors. For now, I'm enjoying learning the technique and I think the gold looks good for the two things I'm working or have worked on. This week I got the lattice done on the second leaf and will hopefully complete it in the coming week. I still like how it's coming together, even though some of the lines on this second leaf aren't quite parallel.

Ribbons and Roses Layering

This week I started layering the batting and backing for the purse. I have about a third of the purse's lining stitched on. It's all hand stitching because of the beads. As of this picture, the strap was 23.5 inches. Getting there still...

Medieval and Roses

The round robin is coming along - one of the roses is nearly complete. I think it'll look good with the others when it's done. Now to get it done in the next couple of weeks ... On the Medieval Mandala, I got the insides of the fences backstitched this week and two of the four outlined in black. Since this picture was taken on Thursday, I completed Part 4 (yay!) and started Part 5. Part 5's going to take a while - the four corners of the area are all filled in with a lot of blue and gold. It'll be pretty, though. I'm just really happy to be done with Part 4.

Midi and Mini Chatelaines

The mini is still coming along. As you can see, I've been doing a lot of Rhodes stitches and backstitching on it. Pretty much half the backstitching is done, and there are fewer than that Rhodes stitches to do. Once both of those are done, I'm going to take a day and do the beading on it. Then it'll be done. On the Midi, you can see that I've managed to start another color than the arches! I'm so happy to finally have those done. Since they are the biggest part of Part 2, maybe I will have it done in the next couple of months. I am soooo slow at these things. Maybe one day I'll have more time.