A couple of framed projects and Cookies for Santa

Hello Stitching Friends!

How are you all doing? Here in Sweden autumn is approaching and the days are getting darker and the nights are getting colder. As I'm writing this, it is pouring with rain outside and I have lit a scented candle; love, love, LOVE scented candles! I don't mind the dark and the cold since the winter and the snow is my favorite part of the year and autumn is a sign that my favorite part of the year is on its way😊🍂.

Last week my niece had her 18th birthday so of course I had to cross stitch a cool card for her. The design is from the Cross Stitch Crazy magazine, but unfortunately I don't know the issue or designer...😞.

And whilst I was busy making the card, I also took the time to frame dad's lighthouse picture and I gave it to him during the weekend as he visited us for my niece's birthday party. 

Cross Stitch Crazy magazine, June 2020.
Designer: Cheryl McKinnon

I also framed my own little cross stitched themed picture.

From Cross Stitcher magazine, issue 310.
Designer: Durene Jones.

It was so much fun to stitch and I love how it turned out😍!

As far as actual stitching progress, I have continued with my Xmas themed pieces. I'm making great progress on my must-finish-for-this-Xmas project...

...and I have also surprised myself by spending some time on my Xmas doily with the cute little gnomes and Xmas greenery🎅🎄.

But my absolute favorite project this week has been a project I had actually forgotten I had...until I recently remembered it in the middle of the night on one of those occasions when I laid sleepless😳. (My sleep pattern is completely ruined after everything I've experienced and I wouldn't be able to sleep at all if I didn't have my sleeping pills...)

So I bought this adorable pattern way back in 2016 after having seen it on other cross stitching websites.

When I managed to find it, I discovered that I had only made a tiny start before my cross stitching mojo disappeared.

As I took this picture of my pitiful start 4 years ago, I also tried to capture the sparkle on the gold-flecked aida fabric. It's just gorgeous!!!!

I'm having so much fun working on this gorgeous project.

For exemple, I'm just obsessed with these Christmas tree branches! They are so simple but so festive and just soo cute😍😁! 

Luckily for me, I made sure back in 2016 that I had all the threads so there's nothing stopping my progress on this one...well, except for all my other projects I want to work on...😂

So, that is all for now I think. Or maybe not...I just have to include a cute furbaby pic, don't I😉😍?!

He's lost so many teeth now that the tongue is poking out when he sleeps...
...sooo cute😍😍😍!

Hope you all have a great weekend with plenty of time for cross stitch!

Annie

A roof and two (!!) finishes

Hello Stitching Friends❣

The past week had been a bit of a struggle for me so it seemed as if I didn't get much stitching done. However, when I looked at my photos it was obvious that I still found some time for cross stitching.

In the beginning of the week I spent a day working on this lovely cottage.

Chart by Lesley Teare from Enjoy Cross Stitch Cottage Gardens Spring 2015

This is where I was when I started stitching in the morning...

...and this is the part of the roof I added during the day...

I'm looking forward to working more on this cottage soon…maybe it's time to add some more greenery...😊🌸🌹🌳.

I only picked up Victorian Street once, and that makes me feel guilty😔. I should stitch more on it but when I struggle with life I tend to go for cross stitch projects that are easier to work on. That is, projects that don't overwhelm me...
However, I'm still going to appreciate that I managed to add some more shop window structure and went from this...

…to this:

Because I was feeling a bit down I decided to cheer myself up with stitching a cheerful Xmas project and found this cheerful little stocking in Cross Stitcher magazine issue 311 by Sarah Cookland.

I love it! The best thing about this pattern was that it only required 4 different colours of thread and I had all of them in my stash!

During the weekend I started a new project since I'm taking part in the crazy Spring into Summer New Start Binge hosted by TIFF and RACHEL. I wasn't sure what my start was going to be, but when I browsed through my old cross stitch magazines I found a cute chart by Durene Jones in Cross Stitcher magazine issue 310. I didn't have all the thread colours used in the magazine, but I was able to replace them with similar colours. After working on it during Saturday evening and all Sunday I actually managed to finish it!

I'm really happy with how it looks and how well the replacement colours work! I'm going to frame it once I have given it a quick rinse. I must say that I really enjoyed working on this project and stitching the different parts of the design was so much fun.

Happy Stitching,

Annie

A big THANK YOU...and another weekend of Spring into Summer New Start Binge

Hello Stitching Friends❣

First of all, I want to say a HUGE THANK YOU to all of you who took the time to comment on my LAST BLOG POST when I asked you for help and advice on how to deal with laaaaarge cross stitch projects. It almost moved me to tears to see so many experienced stitchers give me advice and cheering me on. I haven't answered you in person this time, but rest assured that I soaked up every word and every advice and that your comments gave me so much positive energy that I'm now determined to finish this project. (And maybe start dreaming of stitching more extra large projects in the future..!)
In fact, I found your advice so useful that I decided to make the post a special feature, a Favorite Post, here on the blog so that it is always easy to find whenever I need a personal pep talk❤💪❣

Your advice suddenly made me feel very motivated to carry on working on this beautiful project (Victorian Street Scene by Sandy Littlejohns and Deborah Lester) so I have spent two afternoons working on it. The first session I focused on the bottom left corner and I went from this...

...to this...

The other session I decided to fokus on one of the christmas trees - there are four in the whole picture - and when I started stitching the tree looked like this:

A few hours later I had added some more shades of greens...

...and it's starting to come together. I have also realized that I have to finish the whole cross stitch before I move on from an area (often I stitch an area of colour with one arm first / and then go back with the next \ later on). However, with such a densely stitched design it is very difficult to later on see what colour I have used for the first part of the stitch, so that is definitely a no-no. I have also decided to pick a particular area or motive to fokus on during each session so it is easier to see the progress, however small it is. AND I will shamelessly post and boast about every progress here on the blog for your enjoyment😉😁!

Over the weekend it was also time for a new start according to the craziness of the Spring into Summer New Start Binge, which is hosted by TIFF and RACHEL. I decided to pick a sweet little
winter/Xmas picture from the Swedish crafting brand Svarta Fåret. In fact the project was so small that I managed to finish it yesterday!

YAY! I'm so pleased with it and it feels great to have a finish for a change👏👏👏!

Before I leave you I want to share a picture of a happy furbaby with one of his beloved squeaky toys!

It seems that summer has finally arrived in northern Sweden and we can once again enjoy relaxed walks and leisurely play dates in the dog park.

Happy Stitching!

Annie

Spring Into Summer New Start Binge: Tranquil Harbour

Hello Stitching Friends❣

This weekend I made a start on a new project, all in accordance to Spring Into Summer New Start Binge hosted by TIFF and RACHEL. I had actually forgotten about this picture Tranquil Harbour by Lucie Heaton from Cross Stitch Collection Issue 224 which I ordered the material for back in the day.

When I went through my cross stitching stash recently I came across it again, and with my present longing for boats and the sea I thought it'd make a great new start. However, the blue aida provided was 16-count which I tend to avoid - just to fiddly for me in general - but I found a piece of light blue 14-count in my stash - which I had also forgotten about - which turned out perfect for this project, yay! It is a lighter shade of blue than the original, but it still works as a good background for this lovely motif. 

Before I started stitching I stitched gridlines with matching sewing threads. Whenever I stitch a larger project I spend a couple of hours doing this; it makes the counting so much easier and saves me time from having to unpick mistakes later on. Whenever I stitch gridlines I am reminded of my grandma Mary (whom I have written more about in THIS POST) who always stitched gridlines on her stitching projects. She stitched amazing pictures and I have one of them on my wall...

This stitched picture by grandma sits high up on the wall above a cupboard

 so it's hard to get a good pic of it... 

Anyway, back to the start of Tranquil Harbour. I spent yesterday afternoon working on it and I started on the quay and stitched two houses. 

Even though it doesn't look like much, I'm quite happy with the progress.

And I have another finish!

I'm not going to frame this sweet picture until I have stitched all three in the series. But I love it and can almost hear the sound of the water hitting the rocks and the sea gulls squawking...

Take Care and Stay Safe💝❣

Annie