Well Summer here in the UK actually ended somewhere around the second week in July, but I'm talking about the end of my Summer stitching as I have finished The Butterfly Garden by The Drawn Thread!
At over 20 inches long, even on 36ct, it's pretty hard to get a decent full picture of the piece so here are a few detail shots:
I'm really pleased with my thread choices for this one and it's always a joy to use my Jodyri threads whenever I can. There are a few other charts in this series which I am tempted by, but they remain firmly on the wishlist for now :). I also think that it would be very easy to turn each of the flower sections into a little small or card on its own, all in all a great value chart in so many ways! Interesting fact about this piece: it is the first time in all my years of stitching that I have actually stitched my initials on a finish!
Now of course that WIP tab up there is looking very empty so I will have to do something about that :). Those of you that follow me on Instagram have already had a little sneak preview of the 7 designs that I have picked and kitted for my Autumn/Winter stitching. I think I will do as I did previously for my Summer stitching and start them all to get that bit out of the way and then stitch on them as and when I feel the need. I'll introduce them to you over the coming weeks as I stitch on them. All told it means that come the end of the year I should be at 46 ish finishes for this year which is insane and probably never to be repeated!
It was a fantastic tournament as always, the best man won on Sunday, I just wish that man had been Roger Federer :).
Anyway I managed a fair bit of stitching in between all the excitement - four new starts and two parts on my SALs, here are the pics!
Firstly I completed Block 5 on Box of Delights - the colours:
Top L-R: Hearts and Flowers Ltd Ed PB24, Argentine Tango PB59, Clockwork Orange PB49
Bottom L-R: Rainforest, Blue Morpho Butterfly PB18, Over the Rainbow
The "sweets":
One more block to go!
Up next was Part 3 of Milady's Blossom Garden:
Hello coral knots!
Then on to the new starts, firstly Living with Charm by Lizzie*Kate:
Slightly wishing I'd chosen my own colours on 40ct but still enjoying stitching it this way!
A levitating Sleeping Beauty by The Primitive Hare:
I changed the colour in her dress from GAST Banker's Grey to an unknown GAST Ltd Ed
Just Nan's Emma and Eliza in the Garden:
Absolutely adore this one!
I changed my choice of purple Mo cotton with a Dragonfloss one
And finally The Butterfly Garden by The Drawn Thread:
I just have to remember to add in the French knots to the Tansy.
I'm stitching this one in hoop and didn't want to squash them!
It was great to get back to regular stitching after quite a few months where it's been a bit hit and miss. Unplugging from social media was definitely a bonus and is something I will be carrying forward.
In exciting international post news, I had a wonderful parcel of joy from Chiara over at The Grey Tail when she sent me the prize for winning her Stitching Enigma. To say I was thrilled with the contents is a complete understatement and I cannot thank Chiara enough for her generosity (as well as the time and dedication organising the Enigma took!) and also Nina who chose and included the beautiful silks. Despite knowing about Nina's Threads since 2011, I'm ashamed to say that these are the first in my collection - but after a bit of shuffling they now have their own dedicated drawer as I plan on adding to their number next year when I'm back on the thread wagon :).
Behold the Beauty! Purples!
That's me all caught up! I haven't pulled my Threadporn threads for this month's projects yet. I'm feeling uninspired for Summer themed projects courtesy of the dull, grey, damp and misty weather we're currently experiencing - I can't believe it hit 30 degrees a few weeks ago! I'm sticking with my Just Nan for the minute, maybe I'll be OAATer for a while, well at least a few days ................
This post is coming to you slightly earlier than planned due to a lack of motivation on my part to get on and finish my WIPs - until the WIPs are complete none of the following beauties can be started (I am currently 1 WIP down with 2 to go). This is the carrot approach to encouragement - the stick approach arrives next week when The Sister comes to stay for a few days lol (she isn't that bad really!).
From past experience I know that my level of productivity stitching wise drops sharply in the Summer due to Wimbledon fortnight and the ever present hope of warm sunny weather and outdoor activities! I've chosen four projects to stitch on throughout July and August so that I can chop and change according to my mood in the hope of keeping my stitchy bug alive throughout the Summer.
Here are my plans!
1. Living with Charm by Lizzie Kate:
This one will be stitched as one long piece with the plan to finish it as a wall hanging :). It will be stitched on 28ct Permin Buttermilk linen with all the threads exactly as charted (for a change). I have had these charts in my stash for years and it will be wonderful to finally stitch them up. 28ct will be a nice rest for my eyes after all the 36ct and 40ct I've been stitching on lately!
This time last year I was stitching on The Primitive Hare's Red Riding Hood, so it's fitting that I should also stitch on this chart after a year of it sitting in my stash. Again this one will be stitched with all the recommended threads and fibres and on 36ct Edinburgh cream linen to match Red Riding Hood.
3. The Butterfly Garden by The Drawn Thread
Another long time member of my stash! This one had an option to be stitched in silks or cottons, but as is often the way with me I chose my own hand dyed threads for the chart (all counting to Operation Threadporn totals of course!) - seven Jodyri Designs hand dyed cottons and a Waterlillies silk (which was actually in the materials list). This one will also be stitched on 36ct Edinburgh cream linen, as at 355 stitches wide it cuts down on size!
4. Emma and Eliza in the Garden by Just Nan:
This chart also had a cotton or silk materials option and I again opted for cottons (and 1 silk!). Although I had some of the called for AVAS in my stash, I did not think it necessary to invest the stash cash in the others when I had plenty of other options available to me. This again will be stitched on 36ct Edinburgh linen (is it obvious I have metres of this in my stash lol?!) and this time with an assortment of different cottons: GASTs, Threadworx, Mo's Sale and a random one from Canada! I couldn't resist the call of the AVAS, so the wording in this chart will be stitched in silk.
If by some miracle these get finished before the Summer is out, there are four Cloudsfactory designs up next in the to be stitched pile - they require a bit more thought on materials and such before they are ready to be stitched up :).
For those of you that prefer the long winded waffling of the audio/visual version:
The prospect of having a clean slate and then four new starts is tantalizing - let's hope this motivates me to get on with finishing up my hardanger and goldwork!
