A Very Happy PS Dance indeed!

Hello Stitching Friends!

Today I finished The Night Before Christmas by The Prairie Schooler and I'm so so happy with it! 

The Prairie Schooler, Book No. 199
 THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS

Some finishes pleases you more than others, don't they?! Well, I just love this one and on the inside I'm very busy doing a very happy dance😁! I just love everything about this project. The pretty old-fashioned letters...

...and the gorgeous sleigh, and the sleeping cat and dog, and all the beautiful silvery snowflakes! It just amazes me that The Prairie Schooler ladies managed to get so much detail and Christmas feeling into a design with only SIX colours! Personally I also found it extremely relaxing to only have six colours to keep track of😊.

I did a couple of small changes to the design to make it my own. I changed the colour on the reindeers' harness/shackle (?) from green to red to make them stand out more. I also added an extra little snowflake above Santa's sleigh where there was an empty space.

I haven't decided yet what frame to use. Closer to Christmas I will go through my collection of frames and see if one of them will do my finished piece justice...

Now I'm trying to decide what PS Christmas project I'm going to start next. The two festive charts I'm deciding between are DECEMBER....

...and CHRISTMAS EVE.

Decisions, decisions... Maybe I'll live in the moment and start both of them...

Before I leave you I have to show you the gorgeous Easter flowers I have on my livingroom table.

I love surrounding myself with beautiful handmade things made by myself and by the people I love, and these colourful paper flowers are made by my clever and creative sister. I wanted something happy and cheerful for my tables and begged asked my sister to help me and these colourful blooms are what she came up with💝. Do I need to tell you I was well pleased😍😍😍?!

And if you want to fold your own spring flowers my sister has a Youtube channel, THE PINKLADY DIY , where you can find a 'Fold a Tulip' tutorial🌷🌷🌷!

Now I'm off to make some Fried rice for dinner😋! 

Hope you are all ok and finding time for some stitching💝.

Annie

A dangerous discovery

Hello Stitching Friends!

Hope you are all ok? I've been very busy this month watching all the fotball/soccer games in the ongoing UEFA EURO 2020, and although I've been cross stitching every day I haven't found the time to write about it. 

But now Sweden is out of the tournament and with only 8 countries remaining for the quarter finals I have some time to spare again😉😁. Until the Olympics start...but that's another story!

Except for the fotball, my wonderful niece graduated from school this month which is a very big deal of course! 

And we were able to have a family celebration to mark the occation. (Luckily the older generation in my family are all fully vaccinated now and I'm getting my second shot this month.) Of course I stitched a card for my niece Linnea and the chart is designed by Emma Congdon. I used my own colours for this one.

I really had every intention to try to finish some projects this summer, but who am I kidding😂🙈?? Of course I still have those intentions, but I just HAVE to start some new projects; life wouldn't just be any fun otherwise😉😊! And then there is Christmas coming up in (only) six months which might require some new projects... There's just always a good reason to start a new project, isn't there?!

So this month I started work on this cute picture which I plan on displaying in my hallway, for obvious reasons😁🐾🐕🐕! 

It's designed by Durene Jones and I found it in The World of Cross Stitching issue 291. 

And I have been stitching some small designs like this dream catcher letter which I plan to turn into an ornament for myself at some point.

Dream catcher ABC by Amanda Gregory from
The World of Cross stitching issue 277

I decided to have some fun with this little design and added some beads from my collection and I think it turned out great.

However, the best thing (or worst thing depending on how you see it🙈😂) that happened to me this month is that I discovered cross stitch patterns on ETSY. Oh boy, what a treasure trove for cross stitchers! I'm probably the last one to find my way into that world, but now I cannot tear myself away from it, haha! Soo many gorgeous patterns😍😍😍😍😍! And so easy to get hold of too! 

I want them ALL of course, and I just had to get a few that were on sale...🙈. And of course I just HAD to start a gorgeous Christmas project from VladaXstitch...

...and I've gotten this far. It's a bit difficult to see the gridlines in the digital pattern so it's taking me a little bit longer than I planned. 

But overall it's an easy pattern to stitch and I'm enjoying  the process!

I'm in this crazy creative flow right now and I cannot stop thinking of crafting and cross stitch. Sleeping seems a waste of time and all I want to do is watch sports and stitch😁. It's quite a wonderful state of mind to be in actually😊. I just wish I had arms like an octopus and double the amount of time available to do all my creative stuff😂!

Now I'm going to take my furbabies for a sunny walk and then I'm going to get some stitching done. I haven't had time to pick up the needle yet today and it's really beginning to bug me, haha! 

Love,

Annie 

My WIPs, part 3

 Hello Stitching Friends!

Finally we had some sunny and warm weather for a couple of days, and me and the furbabies enjoyed a wonderful long walk in the countryside.

Sadly the rainy and cold spring weather is back now but at least it's perfect weather for stitching😉.

But first it's time for some more of my WIPs. 

This first one I started last summer for The Spring into Summer New Start Binge 2020. I'd had this chart by Ursula Michael in my stash for a good while, since I fell in love with her various backstitch motifs. 

I wanted to have some fun with this design, so I'm stitching it on a lime green aida fabric which meant I hade to change some of the thread colours too. Even though I'm a bit tired of backstitch at the moment, I stitch a little bit on this one every now and then when I feel like it. 

* * *

This next one is from the period in my life - quite a while back - when I thought I could stitch ANYTHING... As soon as I saw this gorgeous design by Sheila Hudson in Cross Stitch Collection magazine I fell in love! I've always wanted to stitch a fairytale castle...but maybe I shouldn't have gone for one of the larger charts around😂🙈😂.

I don't think I even have to show you my 'progress'...since it's basically non-existant😂. Just stitching the guidelines took forever and I haven't even finished that😳...oh boy.

However, now that I actually pulled this project out of my neglected WIP box and had a fresh look at it, the 'only' problem is the size. Most of the stitches in the background are actually half cross stitches and should be fairly easy to do, and there isn't much backstitching going on either. Handling the project might be a problem though since I always stitch in hand and there's A LOT of fabric to handle😂😱. Like I said...what was I thinking?!!

* * *

This stunning Santa project by CeWeC has a sweet little story attached to it. I was looking for an old fashioned Santa to stitch, and when I saw this project I fell in love, again. But it was a table runner where you stitched the Santa twice, and that would never happen in my nook, no sir😉😂. However, I knew that my mum liked to stitch these kind of Christmas motifs too, so I thought: why not buy it for Christmas and divide all the material into two and give my mum half of it as a Christmas gift?? Then we could stitch a Santa each, and the motif would definitely work as a picture instead of a table runner. So I did, and my sister helped me to photocopy the chart and the front picture so I could turn it into a proper kit for my mum. And I think she was very happy with her Christmas gift.

I made a little start on it after Christmas, but instead of using the 11-count aida fabric that was included in the kit, I decided to stitch it on 14-count aida so I could use the loop start. I'm sure I'll get back to this gorgeous project when Christmas draws nearer.

* * *

When I got back from England 15 years ago and picked up cross stitching again, I wanted to stitch cross stitched gifts for everyone that I cared about. It took me a few years to realize that not everyone appreciated the time and love I put into every cross stitched item I gave away😌. In fact, these days I know that there are only a few people in my family and circle of acquaintances who truly treasures my cross stitched items. 

And this motorbike is one of those items I planned to give away...but then realized that it probably wasn't a good idea.

Maybe there will be a time where I can give away a stitched motorcycle to someone special and know that it'll be appreciated🙏. And whilst I wait for that person this project will remain a UFO...

* * *

Those of you who read my blog last year might remember me working on these lighthouses designed by Cheryl McKinnon. I stitched one of them and gave to my dad (who grow up with boats and the sea in his life just like I did) for his birthday, and my plan was to stitch another one for him for last Christmas.

Sadly I had to change my plans. My wonderful dad has alzheimer's disease 😢 and is slowly getting worse, and when I gave the lighthouse picture to him on his birthday last autumn he couldn't immediately tell which way was up on the lighthouse😨😢. Obviously I realized that there was no longer any point in stitching another picture for him... 

My plan has been to stitch these gorgeous lighthouses for myself too, but at the moment it's all just a bit too sad...

At present my total count of WIPs on my WIP page are up to 35...and there are quite a few left. Bet you cannot wait for the next installment😉😁! All I'm going to say about it for now is that the situation is actually not as bad as I thought😂🙈😂. And if you need more details on any of my WIPs, you can find it on my WIP page.

Hope you have a lovely stitching weekend!

Annie

A finish (YAY!!!!), a doggy update and some reminiscing

Hello Stitching Friends!

I've been meaning to write this blog post for a couple of days now, but I've been soo tired and my brain just hasn't functioned properly. I think it's all the drama involving my dogs that has worn me out, or maybe it's a reaction to all the weird stuff that has been happening this year..?! Anyway, I'm going to try to stay awake long enough to update you on life here in my X-stitch nook😉.

So my furbaby had his dental surgery on Friday and he seems to recover nicely so far🙏.

I'm so relieved! However, he has to eat only soft things for two weeks and I think he and his 'brother' miss their daily afternoon chewy treat. Every day after their afternoon walk they both sit staring at me, wondering if I haven't forgotten anything??!!😂 Next weekend couldn't come fast enough as far as they're concerned😉!

-

A lot of sad things happened during my 3-year long break from cross stitch. For one thing, about a year ago we found out that my dad has alzheimer😢. Thankfully the disease is progressing slowly and so far he's able to live a good life at home, but we are all aware that things will only get worse😢. He's just had his 72nd birthday and even though I couldn't see him in person that day, he will visit us soon when my niece celebrates her 18th birthday at the end of the month. 

My plan was to stitch a couple of lighthouse designs for him for Xmas (he LOVES the ocean and boats), but since I've really enjoyed stitching the lighthouse pictures lately, I wanted to see if I could finish one of them early for him and give it to him as a birthday present. I don't have all the correct thread colours, but I searched my stash and tried to come up with other colour options. So here it is...

Design by Cheryl McKinnon from
Cross Stitch Crazy magazine June 2020.

...all finished! The perfectionist in me isn't entirely happy, but if one hasn't seen the original I don't think it looks too bad. I'd like to stitch it again for myself with the correct colours, and but for now I'm happy to frame this and give it to my dad as his belated birthday gift. I'm still planning to stitch another one of the four lighthouse designs for him for Xmas, but hopefully with the correct colours.

Otherwise I haven't made too much of a progress on my projects. I have spent a few hours on Christmas Town by Emma Congdon and it progressed from this...

 ...to this:

When my brain has been too tired for cross stitch, I've been knitting  THIS CARDIGAN ...

...and I'm almost ready to start knitting the sleeves.

Finally, I thought you'd enjoy a few pics of cross stitched stuff from my mum's place. She helped me with the recent vet visits and when I'm in her home I'm always struck by all the crafty things on display. As you may already know, I come from a very crafty family, which you can read more about in THIS  POST , and mum has stitched so many lovely pieces throughout the years. For example she has stitched these three animal pictures...

But she also enjoys receiving handmade things and of course I've given her plenty of hand crafted stuff. I know I stitched this cushion for exemple - even though I can't exactly remember stitching it.

But above all I gave her this cross stitched picture which is the biggest piece I've ever stitched so far.

Design from Cross Stitch Gold magazine.

My original plan at the time was to give it to her when she turned 60, but that year I got a bad case of pneumonia so I ended up finishing the picture 6 months too late and gave it to her for Mother's Day the next year instead. I must say that I'm quite proud of this project, and it's nice to know that it resides with someone who appreciates the art of cross stitch😁!

Now I'm going to watch some ice hockey and pick up the knitting again, and I wish you all a nice, crafty week ahead💝!

AND I made it through the whole post without falling asleep😂😂😂!!

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

50s, summer stitching and summer heat

Hello Stitching Friends!

I haven't got much stitching to show you this time, since last weekend was full of family celebrations. On Friday we celebrated Swedish midsummer in my sister's backyard with barbecue, fresh strawberries and Swedish outdoor games.

As you can see the weather was glourious. 

The next day, Saturday, we were back in my sister's backyard to celebrate my 50th birthday😲. I have absolutely no idea how that happened and I think I've been going through a mini life crisis because of it...😳😞

Anyhow, it was another warm summer day with my family, and I was able to see my dad and his wife for the first time since Xmas.

Me and my darling boys💓

On Sunday I managed another start for the Spring into Summer New Start Binge which is hosted by the super stitchers RACHEL and TIFF. I was quite exhausted after the celebrations so I only managed a couple of hours on this beautiful little picture by the Swedish brand Svarta Fåret.

I have also worked a bit here and there on this summer piece.

I seem to be so close to finish this summer project, but there are so many little stitches that needs to be added here and there. On the bottom part I need to add some white to the daisies and a little cow or two🐄🐄.

And on the top I have some more green shades to add, and I need to finish the lighthouse and add yet another cow🐄

However, it is quite motivating to be so close to the end of an project😊.

In other news, we are in the middle of an heatwave here in Sweden, and I'm not sure how much stitching I'll get done in the next few days. It's over 30 degrees celcius in the shade and my hands get so stitcky and clammy in this heat. And getting an hot flush or two doesn't help either...And my flat gets sunshine in the afternoon and evening so it just gets hotter and hotter in my stithcing corner towards the evening😰💦. 

Still, I will perservere, and sweat, as best as I can😅!

Happy Stitching,

Annie