Max and more!

So last week I decided that I would be very disciplined and I would finish the back stitching on the second Max panel before I did any stitching on the new lighthouse design. And since I was really keen to get on with the lighthouse design I was actually quite good and kinda stuck to my resolution.....

 ...all the black back stitching....

 ...and all the dark grey back stitching done.........but.......

...if you look closely, well not even closely, you will notice that in my haste to get onto stitching the lighthouse design, I have forgotten to stitch Max's whiskers!

So, my good intentions didn't quite work!

The lighthouse design is progressing well.....

...not as much progress as last week as more of the bottom part of the design is made up of full cross stitches. I wish I could escape into this scene  - that would cheer me up no end....I love the beach and summertime :)

What did cheer me up this week was a lovely parcel in the mail from Rahenna. I was the lucky winner of her giveaway.....

...the gorgeous design  Etude aux Fraise by Veronique Enginger.  This is a truly scrumptious design and you can see Rahenna's stitching of it here. 

Not only was this chart in the envelope, but Rahenna very kindly added some more charts...

....my 'to-stitch' list just got bigger! Thank you Rahenna for your generosity.....I can't wait to get started on these! 

First order of business today is a trip to the craft store to stock up on some threads and fabric so that I can start on those strawberries (after I have given Max some whiskers, of course!!!)

Until next time...happy stitching!
Rhona

Something old and something new!

Sooo...the tea sampler is finished, now do I complete one of my UFO's or do I start something new? Mmmm....decisions, decisions.

What if I do both......no guilt  and satisfaction....what could be better! Teehee.

So here's my (start!) of completing the UFO's. Here's the before picture of good old Max the cat....

....just waiting on the back stitching to complete him. And here 's how he looks now...

The top panel of Max (there's three altogether) is back stitched and looking good.

And as for the satisfaction of a new start? Well this little design was added to my on-line cart while Christmas shopping......no idea how that happened..... I blame Santa's elves for getting the order mixed up :)

It's another lighthouse design.....you know how I love anything to do with the beach and lighthouses! This one is stitching up extremely quickly. The sky is made up of only half stitches so I feel like I accomplished so much in just one week. The bottom part of the design has mostly full cross stitches so won't be completed quite so quickly. My plan is to do another panel of Max before I do any more of the lighthouse design.....and since I really want to work on the lighthouse, Max will be done! 


And here's a fun crochet project my daughter and I did for Christmas gifts for two Viking lovers in our family....

The pattern for the helmets can be found here. We found that the hats were a bit too large so we adapted the pattern a bit so that they fit better. They were fun to make and I have to say they were a HUGE hit on Christmas eve....well worth the effort.

Thanks for stopping by!

Until next time....happy stitching!

Rhona

A surprise appearance by.......

.....good old Max! 

I finally finished stitching the third and last block. As you can tell the back stitching still has to be done.....I'm truly wishing that I had done the back stitching on each block before starting the next block....but I didn't, and now have to do it all....urghhh!

Here's how all three blocks look. 

So, decision time....do I crack on and get this finished or do I do another tea sampler block and then do the back stitching? Mmmm.....I know which one is calling my name!!!


Until next time...happy stitching!

Rhona

All mixed up!

These bank holiday weekends really do mess with your head! Monday seemed like Sunday and today feels like it's Monday.....hence I'm late with my weekly post!

The bank holiday was great and hubby and I got loads done around the house and in the garden.....the to-do list was getting so long it was ridiculous. So, with all the work being done there wasn't really a lot of time for stitching or crocheting. Luckily I had a few nights earlier in the week where I had indulged in  my crafting therapy! :)

Max had some more stitches added.....not an awful lot, but better than none at all being added!

I really want to get him finished as I can feel myself becoming a bit bored with him. I don't want to put him to one side as I know I probably won't pick him up again if I do! Anyone else end up feeling like that about a project?

As for the baby blanket saga,(Click here if you didn't see what happened!)  I heard back from Lion Brand yarns asking for a picture of the colour change in the yarn and they said they would be looking into the differences in the dye lots. I was pleased that they had responded, but still not sure about what to do with the yarn that I already have and how to salvage what I had already started. Thank you to everyone who gave some suggestions....time to put my thinking cap on!

While I was waiting for a response from Lion Brand, I was itching to start something for the new baby.....so, this is the start of my new baby blanket.....

...and this time I have LOADS of yarn! Lesson learned :) The pattern for this blanket can be found here. I changed the colours to make sure I didn't have the same problems as last week :) I have so much white yarn that I could probably make two baby blankets....and some booties....and a hat or two!

Hopefully this week I will be able to find time to work a bit more on both of these projects.

Until next time...happy stitching!

Rhona

More Max!

With the end of summer in sight (sadly!) and the humidity returning to a level that's not too uncomfortable to be outside, I have been trying to catch up with all the chores in  the garden.....the weeds are taking over! 

With all this work in the garden, it means that I haven't had as much time to stitch as I would like to (again!) this week. Max was picked up and dusted off.....

I really want to get him finished off quickly as I have so many things on my "I-want-to-stitch-this" list and I know that if I put him aside he probably won't get picked up and finished for, well.....who knows how long! :)

I was also working on some crochet this week. We have a new baby arriving in our family soon and there's no better excuse to get the old crochet hook out!

I found this adorably soft chunky wool in a colour combo that I thought would be just a tad different for a baby. The pattern that I had seen called for three balls of a chunky baby yarn, but when I saw this one I fell in love with it. 

It crocheted up beautifully. Unfortunately in my haste to get on with the blanket, I didn't check the length of yarn in each skein.....BIG mistake. Yeah, I ran out of the yarn. Thank heaven for online ordering!

Since we don't know if baby is a boy or a girl, my plan was to pick one of the bright colours, maybe the orange or the green and do a couple of rows of the solid colour as an edging all the way round.

Buuuuttt.......you knew there was a 'but' coming there, didn't you? :) The new yarn that arrived was a totally different colour! I know that you can expect a slight shade variation, but this was awful, as you can see.....

I have emailed Lion Brand about the significant colour variation, but as yet (a whole week later!) I still haven't had a response from them. Needless to say, I'm so disappointed and kind of at a loss as what to do. I don't want to risk buying any more yarn as I can't be sure what colour I'll get. 

I guess the moral of the story is to buy more than you think you'll need.

Think I'll use that motto for cross stitch supplies too!

Until next time....happy stitching!

Rhona

Lots of little bits!

It's been one of those weeks where I have been flitting from one project to another! I blame the heat....it's too hot and humid to be able to concentrate on any one thing for too long :)

I was also a bit naughty this week.......a new kit just happened to come home with me from the craft store....I have absolutely no idea how that happened * wink * wink* !

And of course when you get a new kit, you just have to start it....it's a rule. 

Unfortunately, this kit doesn't come with the threads all pre-sorted....and we all know the pain of having to distinguish all the different shades of threads. Luckily Design works give you the DMC equivalents of their threads, but even that wasn't a help for some of the colours, so I ended up just using DMC threads from my stash. At least the kit wasn't expensive so I don't mind doing that.....so much easier than having to unpick half way through when you realize the colours are wrong.

Anyhoo, I think this might be a design that I stitch for my Dad as he's been talking about getting his kitchen redecorated, so a cross stitched picture will be nice to add to the newly painted walls....when I eventually get it finished!

Max made a brief appearance this week too!

Slow progress with this poor kitty, but progress nonetheless.

And the last of the little 'bits' that I worked on this week is, quite literally just off the hoop.....

Yup, another Christmas card all stitched up! This was a fun design to stitch and was completed really quickly. Of course, the hoop mark will be ironed out. It will be added to my ever growing pile of things to be 'finished'. Maybe one rainy weekend I'll get round to that mammoth task!

Until next time...happy stitching!

Rhona

Lots more of Max!

Max number 2 is coming on quite quickly....that's what happens when you binge watch Netfilx all weekend! Here's where I left off last week.....

....and here's where I am now.....

.... a great weekend of stitching accomplished....too bad about all the chores that were on the to-do list!


Until next time....happy stitching!

Rhona

Max, mice and housework

As I was sorting out the pictures to post here I was thinking how busy and productive I've been this week.....then I realized that it was actually two weeks worth, since I didn't manage to post last week! Duh!!!

First on the list of things to show is Max the cat.....

I'm well under way on the second panel of Max....and still enjoying working on him.

Then there's a finish! Lizzie Kate's 'Housework' didn't take long at all.....

I'm sure I will stitch this design again (it's a great quick stitch gift idea!) but next time I will alter the colours from the DMC colours suggested as I'm not too sure if I like them or not. (Also it's more fun to change things up a  bit!)

I've also managed to get quite a bit of crocheting done as it's easier to crochet while watching TV rather than stitching....and when it's ice hockey season, I'm watching the TV! So here's how my afghan looks all rolled up in my work basket.....

....of course, I'm almost finished it now that the warm weather is arriving and I will have no need to use it....at least it kept me warm while I was working on it!

There's still quite a bit to go to get it to the length that I think would be best and then also an edging to be done, so it's going to be sitting on the work basket for quite a while yet.

I also picked up a design that I started last year and didn't get done in time for Christmas....always my problem...... but I'm sure it will be done in time for this Christmas!

If only every week could have so much progress made, it would be wonderful!


Until next time....happy stitching!

Rhona

Goldilocks eyes

Ahh, good old Max the cat and the tale of getting the eyes 'just right' ! 

For those of you who haven't been following along with the tale of Max the cat, this is a Dimensions kit which I chose to stitch as it looked so like my lazy cat Smokie.....except for the eyes. Max the cat has gorgeous yellow eyes, but Smokie has misty green eyes and I wanted to stitch the design to be Smokie, sooooo..... time to break out the thread collection and match Smokie's eye colour. Not as easy as first thought :)

Too weird a colour....

...too green...

....getting closer...

....success! Even though blogger keeps rotating the picture!!!

 And here he is (or really it should be she, as Smokie is a female!).......

Woohoo....Max is now officially Smokie! It was worth all the hassle of picking out thread combinations and all that unpicking to get it just right. Just the other two cats to do and the dreaded back stitch!

Until next time...happy stitching!

Rhona

Max the cat.....

......has a bit more of a face!

I'm afraid it's been one of  'those' weeks, and I didn't get nearly as much stitching/crafting time that I had hoped for. Still, each little X finished means a stitch closer to completion.  Maybe this week I will be able to carve out some time for myself.....fingers crossed!

I do have a fun project to share with you....this is from this month's World Of Cross Stitching magazine, which has literally just arrived. I've been looking forward to seeing my little fishy designs all stitched up....and here they are....

....do you remember playing this game when you were young? Back in the day (haha!) we played it with paper fish with a paperclip attached, and then little magnets to 'catch' the fish. I remember making the paper version of it for my children to play and they always had so much fun. 

A cross stitch version of the game is perfect....and a bit more long lasting than the paper ones!

Cute huh?


Until next time....happy stitching!

Rhona

It's a marvelous night for a moon dance!

Hello dear friends...thank you for popping by! I hope you have your dancing shoes on so that you can join me in my moon dance happy dance. :) Yes, Twilight Silhouette, or twilight fairy as I usually call her, is finished......

....doesn't she look gorgeous?

 ....you can see the textures created with the different stitches and the french knots...

....and if you look closely....you can just see some of the sparkles in the fairy dust!

I love her....but I'm so glad she's finished! Now I just have to get her framed....that could take a while!

So with Twilight fairy finished it was time to get back to working on Max the cat...remember him? This is how he looked last time I did any work on him...

...and this is him now....

I seem to have been able to get loads done......don't think that I'll be able to keep this pace up though....life does seem to get in the way of stitching time.....unfortunately!

Until next time...happy stitching!

Rhona

It's the most wonderful time of the year!

Or to be realistic....it's the busiest time of the year!  I seem to have been busy with so many other things that there hasn't been too much time for stitching. For some reason, I haven't done very much Christmas themed stitching this year, so decided that it was about time I stitched something festive....so I started stitching one of my own designs....that's a shock. isn't it?!!!  

It doesn't look like much at the minute, but hopefully I can spend a few hours (at least!) working on it this week....will it be finished in time for Christmas? I hope so....but can't promise!!

I also manage to add a few stitched to Max the Cat, who has been sadly neglected for a while....

And also on my to-stitch list (although there is no way these will be done in time for this Christmas!) are my little Gingerbread house designs that were featured in The World of Cross Stitching magazine....

The World of Cross Stitching Issue 236

Immediate Media Co.

... they stitch up beautifully! I have been lucky enough to have quite a few stitchers share pictures their finished houses with me and they look wonderful....so I just have to stitch a set for myself! If I really put my mind to it, I could probably get at least one done in time for Christmas.....don't you think so?

Yes....definitely the busiest time of the year!

Until next time...happy stitching!

Rhona