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

Spring Into Summer New Start Binge and some new charts🙌

Hello Stitching Friends❣

Hope you're all doing well. 

Here in Sweden the recent heatwave is thankfully over for this time, and I can finally stitch again without constantly getting hot, sticky hands. During the week I still managed to work on a couple of small designs that I cannot show you yet, although progress was very slow dute to an overheated head and already mentioned hand issues.

However, during the weekend the temperatures sank slightly and I was very eager to start on another project for the crazy Spring Into Summer New Start Binge hosted by TIFF and RACHEL. I must admit though that I'm kind of looking forward to this start binge finishing in a month or so...😁. Don't get me wrong, I absolutely LOVE starting new projects, but a new start every week is becoming a bit of a struggle even for me😂. And my storage space is completely overflowing with lots of lovely projects that I need to work on... 

All that said, this week I yet again came across a lovely Xmas design that I loved from the first time I saw it in an old Cross Stitcher magazine. Recently I also found a suitable wooden embroidery hoop in my craft storage that would work as an exellent frame for that picture. When I then checked the thread list I had quite a few of them, although I had to mix DMC and Anchor brands, so I decided to make it my new start for the weekend.

Cross Stitcher magazine, November 2005

Isn't it cute?!! 

Another thing about this design that I like is the fact that parts of the aida fabric is left unstitched which makes the whole project quicker and easier to complete👏👏👏!

So this is my progress over the weekend:

That little child is so cute😍! I just need to find a suitable darker blue to finish stitching the little dungarees. I'm really hoping I can replace the other missing colours with threads from my stash. Luckily there aren't too many details nor too many shades so hopefully I'll succeed🤞. 

When I read TIFF'S POST recently I got really jealous of the LOTR project she had started so I checked out the shop she mentioned, COUNTRY MAGIC STITCH . I LOVE Lord of the Rings and Hobbit and have dreamed about stitching something with those themes, and finally I found someone who made LOTR cross stitch charts that weren't too big nor used too many colours nor weren't too complicated! Finally! Since she had a really good discount on her charts, AND I turned 50 (!), I decided to treat myself to a few charts. I'm sure you want to see which ones I chose, but sadly I had problems downloading pictures so these pics are really crappy but at least you can get an idea...

 
And I couldn't help adding a dinosaur...😉

Now I'm 'just' waiting for my mum to help me print them and for my finances to allow me to order threads and aida fabric. I tell you, I'm chomping at the bit to get started! 

Keep safe everyone, and hopefully I have more stitching progress to show you next time💝.

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

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 Xmas addition to Spring into Summer New Start Binge

Hello Stitching Friends❣

This weekend past I was really excited to start on my next project for the Spring into Summer New Start Binge which is hosted by TIFF and RACHEL! Make sure to check out their new starts too😀.

Anyway, my own start was a gorgeous Christmas project that I fell in love with as soon as I saw it. 

This is what the picture looked like after I had done some stitching on Saturday... 

A few more stitches was added on Sunday...

...and since I enjoyed working on this one so much I decided to carry on working on it yesterday too, and this is my progress up to this point...

Isn't it stunning?! I'm actually stitching this project on 11 count aida fabric which means that I have to use three threads and cannot use the loop start which is slightly annoying😞. However, thanks to the 11 count aida fabric it feels like the project is growing at a super speed so I guess it's not all bad news.
And by the way, in case you're curious about the finished project here's a little sneak peek for your pleasure..!

Chart from the Swedish brand Svarta Fåret

I also added some more stitches to Victorian Street Scene. This time I decided to work on a blue store front and these are the before...

...and after photos…

 Finally, I have to share a picture of my precious craft- and blog assistant who's always chilling out on the sofa next to me.

Good thing he doesn't have smelly paws😁😍.

Hope you find time for some stitching during the week ahead❤.

Annie

Three days...three different projects

Hello Stitching Friends❣

Before I start on a new project this weekend I thought I'd show you what I have been stitching on this week. 

During Monday and Tuesday I didn't have time nor energy for crafts, but on Wednesday I was really excited to start on Rose Cottage by Lesley Teare.

Rose Cottage chart by Lesley Teare from Enjoy Cross Stitch Cottage Gardens spring 2015

As I told you in my previous post, I had most of the thread colours required. Or at least enough to get a good start... So we have outlines of a window and some grass and a flower border. I'm really looking forward to working on this again! But I'm trying to stitch a lot of the 'boring stuff' first and wait with the fun stuff like the flowers etc... It's hard but I CAN DO IT!😂

On Thursday I decided to be good and add a few stitches to Victorian Street Scene. So I added some snow to the street...

...and when I finished it looked like this:

 Not much but at least it is progress...

Yesterday I decided it was time to add some more stitches to my Swedish summer design. This project is growing quickly now and I hope I can finish it soon. So yesterday I went from this...

...to this!

I have so many projects I want to stitch right now. I'm thinking the best thing to do is to pick a different project for each day. I find it difficult to get into a project unless I spend a few hours on it so a project a day seems like a good plan right now. Except for the Victorian Street scene of course, which I need to work on on a more regular basis if I'm ever going to get it finished.

Now I'm going to work on Spring into Summer New Start Binge 2020 and this weekend I'm getting stuck into a stunning Christmas scene! Can't wait!

Hope you stay safe and find time for stitching this weekend❤❣

Annie

A week of smalls - Bookmarks and Swedish Mother's Day

Hello Stitching Friends!

This Sunday past was Mother's Day here in Sweden, so I spent the whole week stitching smalls that I could turn into gifts - in this case bookmarks - and greeting cards. And since some of my family and friends read this blog I couldn't show any progress pics. I 'only' needed to finish four pieces, but since I had the appropriate magazines and patterns at hand I thought I might as well stitch a few more to keep for future events. 

I stitched one bookmark for my mum and I also made a pretty pink bookmark for myself at the same time.

Bookmark patterns from Cross Stitcher magazine issue 301.

I also stitched a couple of hearts from the magazine Enjoy Cross Stitch, Hearts & Roses from spring 2012, and I turned one of them into a greeting card for my wonderful mum.

I made a card and a bookmark for an aquaintance whose dog is a dear friend to my furbabies and who's going through a rough time. Sadly I don't have any children so personally I like to celebrate Dog mummy's day instead of Mother's Day.

The butterfly/lavender piece is from Enjoy Cross Stitching, house to home Spring 2013.

The bookmark is from the same magazine as in the above picture, although

I have made some changes in the design.

 Except for putting the finishing touches on the cards and bookmarks, I also started a couple of more smalls for future cards over the weekend.

Lovely cottage designs from Enjoy Cross Stitch, Cottage Gardens Spring 2015

I guess these would count as my starts for the Spring into Summer New Start Binge this past weekend. And don't forget to check out what gorgeous projects TIFF and RACHEL made a start on!

The past couple of days I haven't had the time nor energy to stitch, so now I'm desperate to sit down with all my lovely projects and just stitch along hour after hour. I also have a couple of new projects that I'm really look forward to stitching . For exemple I'm really looking forward to start on this lovely cottage picture by Lesley Teare, which is another gorgeous design from Enjoy Cross Stitch, Cottage Gardens Spring 1015.

Luckily I had quite a few of the threads I needed. Normally I would order DMC threads from UK or USA since it is much cheaper to buy them abroad than here in Sweden, but due to the pandemic I can't buy them abroad right now… So I'll just have to make due with the colours I have for the time being until I can order more threads abroad again.
Luckily I definitely 😂 have enough cross stitching projects to keep me busy until the world is back to some kind of normal again...🙏.

Happy Stitching,

Annie