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

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

The Mojo is back in town!

Hello Stitching friends❣❣❣

I knew it would happen at some point. I just didn't know when… And I certainly couldn't predict that something as awful as the Covid-19 pandemic would be the main reason for it😲!

But regardless of the reason….I have found my cross stitching mojo again🙌🙏👏❣

And I couldn't be happier about it😀. And I'm Back in the land of Cross Stitching👏!

I stopped stitching towards the end of 2016 because I was struggling badly with my mental health and I just couldn't find the joy in stitching any more. Instead I picked up my crochet hook and later on I also did some knitting and that's what I've been doing for crafts for the last three years. 

However, I knew that eventually I would bring out the aida fabric and the threads and I actually gave it a try last autumn. Sadly that experience did not work since I got an anxiety attack as I tried to stich. So I put the stuff away again. 

But then this awful year happened… And Covid-19 made all the amazing sporting events I looked forward to this year, such as the Olympics, disappear - as well as a lot of other things - and lots of time suddenly needed to be filled with something. Strangely enough I also started to get bored with crochet and knitting - I mean, I had ONLY been doing it for three years😂😂😂!

So when I spotted this cross stitch project by Permin...

...I knew it would be a perfect gift for my sister when she turned 45 this spring. She's amazing and she is always creating all sorts of stuff or she is busy thinking of creating stuff. 

I must say it was a perfect project to get me stitching again; an easy pattern and just a few colours. And since I had a deadline I couldn't stop even if I wanted to. Which I didn't😊.

Being on a cross stitch roll I also decided to stitch this cute freebie birthday card for her:

The card is from Cross Stitch Crazy issue 213 and designed by Margaret Sherry. Very cute, but I had completely forgotten how much backstitch her designs include😳! I remember now why I didn't really go for her designs that much before. Just doing the backstitch took me as much time as the rest of the design...or at least it felt like it...

Still, I'm very glad that I kept ALL my freebies from ALL of my old cross stitching magazines. It's such a stitching treasure to have now.

With Easter coming up, I also stitched a few Easter cards to send to my online friends...

The patchwork flowers are designed by Lesley Teare from

The World of Cross Stitching issue 230

 ...as well as a little cute hanging.

From Enjoy Cross Stitch Birds & Butterflies Spring 2016

When I started to stitch again, I also decided to go through my enormous cross stitching stash to see what I had and to try to create some kind of order out of all the boxes of stuff I had saved since 2016.
Of course I had not gotten rid of ANYTHING since I knew I would get back to it when the time was right. Out of all the projects I found, these two are the ones I've started to work on this week.

They're from a Swedish cross stitching brand (Svarta Fåret) and the theme is Swedish summer and archipelago, and it's something I long for now. We used to have a large boat in our family, but my father had to sell it for health reasons and the way things are now in the world I really miss the whole soothing boating experience.

So instead I try to create it in stitches. As you do.

I have absolutely no idea if anyone is ever going to read this post since it is over 3 years since I last posted something here. I know I had some followers back in the day but that was a long time ago. But now when the cross stitching mojo came back, I also got the urge back to blog about my stitching. Even if no one else reads this except for me, it is still a very nice way to keep track of my projects and enjoy the progress I make. And for now, I'll keep writing my posts in English. That way hopefully more people can understand me (if they ever find me😉)...and I get to practice my English skills!

Happy Stitching,

Annie 

Birthday cards delivered!

Hello Everyone!

Over the weekend I've been stitching some birthday cards for family and friends who have birthdays around this time.

For my wonderful sister I stitched this card...

...and from a dear friend I made this card:

 

Both charts are from Enjoy cross stitch hearts & flowers (Spring 2012).

 

From Enjoy cross stitch House to home (Spring 2013) I picked this chart...

 

 

...and turned it into a card for an animal lover. I'm sure the recipient loves bees too lol.

 

I also stitched this freebie bookmark...

 

 

 ...from Cross Stitcher issue 269 as a birthday gift for the same animal lover. And I know for a fact that she had a pet bird at one time lol:)

 I often find that I'm close to running out of the provided threads when I stitch freebies, but in this case I'm pretty sure that I have enought threads left to stitch the cute bird design once again:) And since it was a fun stitch, I'm sure I will!

 

Although I have one more gift to work on, I must get back to the PS Santas. My Santa stitching buddy Gominam is speeding along with hers so I need to catch her up lol. Check out her wonderful progress while I get going on mine:)

 

Happy Stitching!

 

Annie

Catching up on my (Xmas) stitching !

Hi everyone !

Things are getting back to normal here for me after I had to look after all my family's five dogs for a week : ) The week was really exhausting for me and I struggled to find any energy or time to stitch , even though I had such a longing for it .

But now I can finally catch up on my stitching ! I'm in a crazy mental place right now where almost all I can think about is my stitching and my Christmas gifts that I plan to stitch ! Sadly I will not be able to show you everything I'll stitch ; at least not until after Christmas in case a few of my family members happen to read this blog . However , there should still be plenty of stitching going on that I CAN show you , especially if I can execute at least half of the projects I am planning . . . ha ha !

My first finished Christmas gift stitching is this piece . . .

. . . for my grandma ! It says GRANDMA in Swedish , and I plan to attach it to a towel : ) The ABC is from Cross Stitch Crazy magazine issue 159 and they are designed by Lucie Heaton . These letters were really fun to stitch , and easy to experiment with colour-combos . I'm hoping to stitch more of these . I have soo many ABCs to choose from , but I have decided to pick easy designs for gifts , with a limited amount of colours and not too fussy with a lot of thread changes . I find the starting and finishing of lots of threads always slows me down .

I have also stitched a little on my Christmas Fairy by Joan Elliott . . .

. . . but I am eagerly awaiting some threads which has slowed me down a bit on this one .

In the past I have bought quite a few of the Enjoy Cross Stitch magazines since they always include threads and other stitching goodies . Like this issue for example :

 

It's from Spring 2013 , and it included all these lovely goodies :

 

It caught my eye again a few days ago and I decided to stitch some of the designs they suggested (designed by Lesley Teare) using the free threads .

The first one is this sweet little chart I finished .

 

I'm going to turn it into an ornament and send it to my aunt who celebrates her 60th birthday . I have been dragging my feet on the finishing and making up part of this little project , since it is my least favorite part of stitching , but you can imagine what it will look like once I get this done . . . sooon.

Since it looked so good , I decided to stitch another design using the freebie threads and that turned into this little finish :

 

I changed the original 'Home Sweet Home' phrase to the Swedish equivalent , and I think it turned out rather well : ) This will probably be turned into another ornament - some other day - to be put in someone's Xmas stocking : )

 

So , that's all the stitching for this time !

 

Happy Stitching everyone !

 

Annie