Hello and welcome!
Firstly, thank you for stopping by!
I thought I would start off with a look at the projects I currently have on the go. This is a long way short of the projects I have purchased or have simmering away in the back of my mind – but I am determined to finish these before starting too many more!
These are at various stages of ‘completeness’ – some ready to finish into their finished product, and others barely started! I seem to always get very keen to start a project, and then get side-tracked part way through and start something else! Then when I realise how close to finishing I am I get another burst of enthusiasm for the project!
So first up – what just needs to be finished off? Two projects! I can hardly believe I’ve got two in the ‘finish’ category! The first is a crewel embroidered tulip by Phillipa Turnbull of The Crewel Work Company. I purchased the kit about three years ago now, and it no longer looks like it is available. It was my first attempt at crewel work, and I enjoyed the process immensely! I was surprised at just how quickly the project grew and grew! I’ve now got my backing fabric, and as you can see, I still need to stretch the finished embroidery to get out the creases. I’ve never used Phillipa’s method before, I would have just ironed it, but I trust her, and will be giving it a shot! I would have done that this weekend, however would you believe I have nothing to spray the water on with? That can be next weekends job. My biggest hurdle with this project was covering the blue lines of the design. Even though wool was used to complete all the embroidery, I still struggled to cover the thick blue lines. I fixed most of them, however there’s a few I just couldn’t get, unless I changed the design in those areas. So whilst I enjoyed the process and loved the kit, this may stop me using any in the future. I’ve got other crewel kits and designs, so I’ll see how they go!
The next almost finished piece I am waiting on some board to arrive so I can lace it up and put into a display box – which my hubby has claimed! It is a lovely little mushroom and acorn piece by Windflower Embroidery. And it is so fitting for this time of year, as when we go on our walks in the woods we see these little ones popping up everywhere! So this is another piece I hope to have done and dusted soon. Whilst there isn’t a lot of wire in this piece, with the leaves only having some in their centre vein, if I had to do it again, I would use wire around the whole leaf, as I wanted to be able to manoeuvre the leaves more when popping them onto the background fabric.
Now for the less finished projects! Not as many as I had originally thought, but I think that is because I have so many in my head to get started on!
Some more mushrooms – also by Windflower Embroidery. Just the two little ones. I’m not overly happy with my work to date on these, so I’m not sure what I’m going to do! Might end up starting again….
Then theres, you guessed it another mushroom (I’m sensing a theme that started a few years ago!), this time with a little mouse. This is a little bit of Helen M. Stevens with a little bit of the above mushrooms. The little mouse is complete, he just looks like a rat!
And lastly, if you are a reader of Inspirations Magazine you may recall this very life-like cauliflower from a few years ago. This is my current ‘easy’ project that I do in the evenings when I’m absolutely exhausted, but would still like to do some stitching. I’m currently just up to the French knots, so it’s ok for this! Though I have changed the needle they recommended to using to a much larger one. I could barely get the knots through the needle, and was really hurting my fingers. It is much easier and more pleasant now!
And that should be enough to keep me busy! Except there’s alway more isn’t there? I make baby blankets for my nieces and nephews when they are born, and my sister in law is pregnant (yay!), so another blanket to make! After making the blankets for the triplets last year I thought I was done for a while! So I will be drawing sheep in the not too distant future. That can be my next easy project – thousands of French knots! I will certainly be better at them by the end!
What are you stitching at the moment? Are you like me with lots on the go at once?