The Last start of the Spring Into Summer New Start Binge

Hello Stitching Friends!

 So, this weekend it was time for the very LAST start of the Spring Into Summer New Start Binge which was hosted by stitchers TIFF and RACHEL. Originally it was meant to be a 17-day new start challenge over the Olympics, but as things changed it turned into a 17-week challenge of starting one new project each week. When I got back to cross stitch this spring I thought it sounded like a lot of fun and like a way to really get my cross stitching mojo going. And it did, and it was fun, but I also learnt that even thought I really like to start new projects, there actually is a limit to how many projects I like to start in a limited period of time. And that limit is definitely reached now, haha😂.
Now I need to find another stitching challenge that motivates me to be able to finish all these projects, if not more....😂😂!

So, my last start...
Well, I had grand plans for  this one, which was using a dark blue aida fabric and start start stiching one of the night time lighthouses designed by Cheryl McKinnon from the June 2020 issue of Cross Stitch Crazy. 

I knew it might be demanding on my eyes, but once I got the dark blue fabric out I realised that there was no way I'd be able to stitch on it. I really need a new pair of progressive glasses and until I get that sorted it will be impossible for me to stitch on darker fabrics 😟.

So sadly I had to rethink my last start and instead I decided to begin stitching the other lighthouse design featured on white aida fabric. 

So this is my progress so far:

Quite depressing really and not at all a worthy last start of this crazy binge period😔.

I did however add some more to my penultimate start from last week, the other lighthouse. 

This is where I was after last weekend....

...and this is where I am now...

I'm not quite sure when I'll be able to finish these two lighthouses, but I really enjoy working on them.

Finally I thought I show you what happens whenever I leave my crafty corner on the sofa...

He clearly agrees with me that it's the best spot on the sofa😍. And speaking of furbabies, I'm very glad to report that my other furbaby is doing better and doesn't need the dreaded cone anymore🙌!

Hope all of you stay safe and healthy, and that you get lots of time for stitching💝.

Annie

Lighthouses, cone of shame and a cross stitched gift

Hello Stitching Friends❗

What a crazy week this is turning out to be! I had plans to write my weekly post about Spring Into Summer New Start Binge on Monday or Tuesday the latest, but suddenly lots of things happened at once and this is the first chance I've had to sit down with my computer and show you what has happened stitching-wise since last week.

One of the things that happened this week is that my poor beagle suddenly got some kind of  nasty wart-thing on his tail, which he then managed to burst😲, which resulted in a bit of a mess... Since then I've kept his tail under close observation with lots of wound cleaning and he's had to wear the dreaded cone of shame, poor thing😟.

Thankfully the tail is looking a little bit better now, and he's feeling better himself, but he still has to wear the cone so I can make sure that he doesn't lick the wound yet. But I'm feeling hopeful that maybe I don't have to take him to the vet this time. I've had far too many expensive trips to the vet with this boy throughout the years😩.

Anyway, moving on to stitchy matters, the fact is that once again there hasn't been too much stitching going on that I can show you. I have worked on some cross stitched gifts for the future, and I have also done some knitting. However, on Sunday I started a new project as part of the Spring Into Summer New Start Binge, which is hosted by the lovely TIFF and RACHEL.

This time I picked a lovely lighthouse design by Cheryl McKinnon from Cross Stitch Crazy latest June issue. I'm planning to give it to my boat-loving father for Xmas.

My start this week is the picture on the top shelf.

 But I also have some dark blue aida fabric in my stash so I'm thinking that maybe I can stitch another one out of the four featured in the magazine with a dark background as a second gift for dad... As always I have so many plans😉. Knowing myself I think I'd better focus on finishing the first lighthouse picture😜.

Anyway, this is where I'm at. I love working on this one, but as usual I don't have all the threads required😒. I'm still hoping though that once I've added the colours I DO have, I may be able to find matching threads amongst the remaining colours in my stash. It helps that the picture is stitched in contrasting blocks of colours so hopefully I can be a bit flexible with the design🤞.
I must admit to becoming quite frustrated with my decreasing thread stash; I definitely need to order some more DMC threads as soon as I can afford it!

Finally I have a PROPER finish to show you... YAAAYYY!!!
I don't know if you remember the flower I stitched last week as part of the Spring Into Summer New Start Binge, but here it is once again...

I decided to turn it into a little keepsake for my friend's mother Anita who's past 90 and have various health issues. She's a lovely kind lady who has spoiled my dogs throughout the years. And since I wasn't able to give it to her in person, here is the picture proof that she received my little gift!

That cheeky smile goes straight into my heart💝! Hope you enjoy your little stitched gift, Anita!

That's it for now, and now I'm going to ponder which project is going to be my final start in the Spring Into Summer New Start Binge...🤔!

Happy Stitching Everyone💓.

Annie

A crafty little holiday and a versatile flower for Spring Into Summer New Start Binge

Hello Stitching Friends!

This time around I haven't too much stitching to show you, but it's for a good reason! Me and the dogs were invited to spend a few days with my sister in their caravan this past week, and it was simply lovely. The caravan park...

...was situated next to a small fishing lake...

 ...and me and the dogs enjoyed leisurely walks around the lake every day.

As a child I spent a lot of time on our boat in the Swedish archepelago so it was wonderful to be back in that kind of environment again.

Since me and my sister are very crafty people, we did spent a lot of time crafting whilst in the caravan.

However, the light wasn't always good enough for the three cross stitch projects I brought along, so it's a good thing I also brought my knitting, a Swedish KAL which will be a cardigan eventually, fingers crossed. Obviously the most important thing to bring on a holiday is your craft projects, right?!😉😅

The one cross stitch project I managed to make some progress on was Christmas Town by Emma Congdon. Stitching with turqouise thread on white aida was easy on the eyes so I went from this...

 ...to this:

I'm very happy with my efforts so far on this gorgeous Xmas project, and next step is to stitch the snowflakes (and birds) in the sky so that I can fill in the rest of the turquoise sky without too much counting...

We arrived home on Saturday, so yesterday I was able to pick a project for the Spring Into Summer New Start Binge hosted by TIFF and RACHEL . 

This time I stitched my own version of one of my favorite small patterns, Patchwork Flowers by Lesley Teare from The World of Cross Stitching issue 230. 

It's such a fabulous pattern; it's got six different chart versions and it's perfect for using up your stash, and for mixing and matching your own colours. I've lost count how many various flowers I've stitched using these small patterns.

And here's the latest little flower all finished, and my plan is to turn it into a little gift for someone special.

This week I have nothing special planned so I look forward to lots of stitching and maybe some knitting. 

Happy Stitching everyone💓❗

Annie

Lots of Xmas stitching including Spring into Summer New Start Binge

Hello Stitching Friends❗

How are you doing? Here, in Sweden the weather is just like a typical Swedish summer which means quite a lot of rain and quite coldish, which in turn means plenty of suitable weather for crafting😁. And I'm certainly in the mood for lots of cross stitch, and I've also started knitting again. I've got so many things I want to work on that the there just isn't enough hours in the day.
On top of that I have also started to think of and plan my Xmas gifts🎅🎄🎁. Since I'm quite a slow stitcher I have to start well in time to be ready for Santa Claus. And sadly I'm not able to show those projects here since I might have family/friends who pop in here every now and then.
How about you? When do you start to think of and make stitched Xmas gifts?

Anyway, moving on to my stitching this week, I have a little bit of progress to show you, and funnily enough it's all Xmas themed stitching😁😉🎅. I stitched a few threads on Victorian Street and went from this...

...to this:

I also stitched a bit on one of my favorite projects, Welcome to Christmas Town by Emma Congdon. This project was featured in Cross Stitcher magazine issue 285, and I just love it!
I love the cheeriness and the bright colours, and that is stitched with blocks of colour instead of confetti stitches.
When I picked it up this week I started here...

I stitched a bit at the top of the chart and to the top right and progressed to here:

This is one of the projects I find difficult to put down right now, but there are soo many wonderful projects that absolutely NEED my attention😆😎.

For the weekend and the Spring Into Summer New Start Binge hosted by the fabulous stitchers RACHEL and TIFF, I picked a small Xmas card design by Swedish brand Svarta Fåret.

After some stitching on Saturday...

...and some stitching on Sunday...

...I'm almost finished with the cross stitch and just have the backstitch left. I must say that I love working on these little cute Xmas projects where the motif grows so quickly!

Now I'm off to read your blogs and then I'm going to make the very difficult decision on which project to pick up first...and then second...and then third... You get the idea, right😂?!

Happy Stitching💗!

Annie