OhSewCrafty

2013 WIPocalypse: April update

Here's my start of Spring Fairy by Joan Elliott.  I confess, I jumped the gun by starting her March 23, just after I finished her companion, Winter Fairy.  So I got a head start (the plan was to work on Spring Fairy during the April-June period.)  The floss toss:

I started at the center, worked on the bottom right quadrant and also into the top right for a bit to the top of the skirt and into the wing, then across the bottom and back up to her waist.  Picking the fabric for this was a challenge.  The model is on pink, but I really wanted to stitch her on green.  Green just says "spring" to me.  Eventually I settled on Purely Primitive belfast by Silkweaver (old).  Purely Primitive seems to be a neutral brown in most online pics, but this piece is a delicate green.   The fabric color is off in the pic below (imagine her on the fabric above), but you can get an idea of all the little details... egg nest, ladybugs, snails, bluebirds, mushrooms, brown bunny, yellow foxglove, and butterflies.

This project stitches up quickly, or maybe it was just my yearning for Spring.  It didn't take much time to reach the 50% mark, so I picked up Royal Holiday.  The before shot:

This piece can be a challenge between the dark green and sparkly fabric and copious amounts of Wisper thread.  I am not much of a fan of working with the stuff but I do like the effect and find persistence is the key.  I do all the surrounding areas first to make the counting a bit easier, and then develop a slow rhythym, working with several short lengths, consecutively, until the area is complete.  I have also found that working under a big window in the natural light of morning makes a huge difference.  I don't get to enjoy this often as I'm otherwise engaged most of the time, but it makes the rare morning that much sweeter.  So you can see I have made quite a bit of progress and I feel that finishing this year is within the realm of possibility.  Still to be done is the upper part of her cloak and her head.

For next month, I would like to work on Rose Fairy.  She would be the last of my 2013 wipocalpyse cross-stitch projects to see any action this year. 

 

2013 WIPocalypse: March update

The last lunar cycle was quite productive- I finished 2 projects (one of which was tagged for the WIPocalypse) and made significant progress on another.   First up is my Mask of Colors QS by Heaven and Earth designs, stitched 2 over 1 full cross on 22 ct lugana, the before shot:

And after about 2 weeks of work, 25% was finished (upper left quadrant):

I also worked on Joan Elliot's Winter Fairy, stitched 2 over 2 on 32 ct "Karma" belfast by Silkweaver (old). The before shot:

And after about 10 days, I happy danced:

For April, I hope to make a good start on the next seasonal fairy (Spring), part of my BAP goal for the year.  I will probably work on Royal Holiday too, it's about time to get going if I want to finish her this year.

Stitching HD: Fair Kind True

• Pattern: by Midsummer's Night Designs
• Materials: Picture this Plus "Melo" belfast linen, Thread Gatherer Silk n' Colors #178 "Cherry Wine"
• Finished Size: ~6" square
• Time to stitch: About 1 month in 2013

I started this a few days before Valentine's Day, hoping to make a gift for my husband.  I quickly realized it wasn't going to happen... at least I managed to finish the central verse.  It received a little attention here and there over the weeks; I finished March 11th.  I added some backstitch at the bottom to personalize.  I'm particularly happy with the infinity symbol, such a small thing but perfectly apropos.

Stitching with the Thread Gatherer Silk was a lovely tactile experience.  The chart uses all one color and has a fair amount of negative space, which turned out to be a mixed blessing.  Apparently I made some counting errors while doing the central portion, so a bit of fudging was needed later on.  I don't think it's too noticeable though.  The next time I do a sampler type project, I'll be lot more careful with the counting.

Stitching HD: Winter Fairy

• Pattern by Joan Elliott
• Materials: "Karma" belfast linen by Silkweaver (old), threads, etc as charted
• Finished Size: ~10" x 14"
• Time to stitch: 2 months (January 19-March 21, 2013)

Here is Joan Elliott's "Winter Fairy".  I am exceedingly pleased with how she turned out, the detail is amazing.  And I'm happy to have her finished while it's still winter, regardless of what the calendar says. The temperature was 25 F this morning.   Sometimes I like my stitching to be seasonal.  

The fabric is a mottled light blue/purple linen, a good background for this rather chilly scene.  The backstitching is extensive and required several evenings to complete, but it sure does make a difference.  I did modify the chart- most of the backstitching is charted as "stairsteps".  That is not my cup of tea because it calls attention to each little square and renders a more primitive look, IMO.  So, I used mostly diagonal lines to smooth out the curves and make sharp corners.  She's super sparkly, this project has tons of Kreinik metallic braid(s), both cross stitching and backstitching.  The beads add sparkle and dimensionality, but didn't take too long, ~3 hours start to finish. 

The entire project was fairy quick, completed over 2 months during which I worked on several other projects as well.  Winter Fairy was on the scroll bars for about 3.5 weeks over 3 rotations.  My original goal was complete the entire series (all 4 seasonal fairies) this year, then I decided only 1 or 2, but now I'm not sure.  My WIP/UFO count is down to 7 and that makes me twitchy; I'd like to start Spring Fairy soon if I can find the right fabric in my stash. 

New WIP: Baudelaire

Ok, this isn't so new, but here's documentation of my first sweater project of 2013.  I started this around New Years for the SKC Cardigan KAL.  I am determined to finish this by the deadline (March 31st).  Notwithstanding my rather low knitting productivity, this shouldn't be a problem as the knitting is mostly complete- only the collar ruffle and part of the neckband (in progress) remain.  Most of it's done with bulky yarn, so the actual knitting is lickety-split.  There is a lot of seaming to be done for this, however- all the ususal seams one would expect for sweater knit in pieces, plus several more to attach the ruffle details.  Here's a closeup of the ruffled panel, which will be seamed into the center back.

 

I'm using Valley Northampton Bulky wool in "midnight heather" and the same color and yarn in the worsted weight (for the ruffles).  Bulky yarns can be quite expensive for sweater projects, as the yardage tends to be short, but this yarn has good yardage, put up in 100g, as well as a reasonable price.  Northampton in the worsted weight is probably my go-to fave wool yarn, and I'd definitely use the Bulky again if I need that weight.  I've always loved this pattern (the military aesthetic!  the victorian vibe!  the darling ruffles!), but bulky sweaters weren't really my thing.  That was before moving into a house where we keep the winter thermostat rather low both to save money and minimize our eco footprint.  I spend a lot of time wearing wool and/or wrapped in a blanket.  I am sure this project will get a lot of use through the years. 

Stitching WIP: Mask of Colors QS

Here's my project, HAED's Mask of Colors QS, or as I like to refer to it, Confetti-tastic.  I'm stitching her on 22 count lugana, full cross, 2 over 1.  I really prefer to stitch with 2 because I like the loop start, but it's a tight squeeze on 22 count.  Next time I start a HAED, I'll probaly try 20 count lugana or 18 count aida, even if it does come out huge.  I have Faery Tales by Christensen stashed, and find this version on 18 count aida inspiring.  It would be 32" across, but when you're putting in that many stitches, why not have a huge and stunning BAP?

So, back to the confetti, I've never stitched anything quite this before.  I mean, just in this small area of 50 st x 50 st or 2.25" inches x 2.25" inches, I've probably used at least 70 different colors.  Thankfully I haven't needed any magnfication, but a highlighter is critical to mark the chart as I go.  I just focus on each 10 x 10 st block and work each column from the top down to the midpoint of the design, parking the threads.  I've noticed the work is coming out a bit bumpy, which I attribute to the sheer volume of floss.  This is really apparent when viewing the back of the work, kind of horrifying actually.  I am sure the slight rippled effect will be resolved when I stretch it for framing, however. 

So, I've reached the 25% mark and I'll set it aside for another project.   This pattern, like most computer generated, does not call for any backstitch.  Nonetheless, I think some will enhance the design so I'll add it at the end.

Diaper Motorcyle: Baby Shower Gift

I made this diaper motorcyle gift for my husband's cousin's baby shower.  Isn't it cute?  No need to reinvent the wheel, I found inspiration and instructions from Sweetaprils and Toile Giraffe.

Materials used include 52 diapers (22 for the front wheel and 15 for each back wheel), ribbon, 2 receiving blankets, 2 bibs, a bottle, a washcloth, a teething ring, a pair of socks, a teddy bear, 3 rubber bands, several straight pins.  I had to buy greater quantities of most things, as they were packaged in multiples, so I tossed all the leftovers into a bag for the new mom.  It's not exactly the most economical gift, but I can hardly think of a better occasion than a new baby, especially a first baby, for generosity.  It's a very practical gift and the cuteness draws lots of oohs and ahs.

 

2013 WIPocalypse: February update

February was sort of a wash, personally.  Flu visited my house and some things we were hoping to get done didn't happen.  Everything except stitching felt like too much work.  First, I picked up Unicorn Mystique.  This is the oldest project in my UFO pile, started in June 2007.  Here's the "before" shot:

 I made a good amount of progress, with the help of the IHSW to give me a push at the end.  Stitching on the 18 count navy aida was easier than expected; it's a nice fabric.  There were a lot of long black rows, which was boring, but stitching the rocky cliff was quite fun.  Excellent shading and shadows.  

Then, with about a week left in the month, I worked on Winter Fairy.  The before shot:

I finished the bottom half of the chart (I'll go back at the end for metallics, backstitching, and beads), and started working up from the center, reaching the top right wing.  I'd say the project is about 75% complete- all that remains is some of her head, right arms and wings, and the snowball above her right hand.  And of course, the details.  I've decided to chart some of my own backstitching, I don't want to do the stair step method.

 

Will I finish this project by the end of March?  Time will tell.  I've changed my mind about trying to complete the entire series this year, however.  They are beautiful patterns but I'd like a little more variety in my rotation.  I would like to do the entire series eventually - maybe I'll aim for 2 this year and 2 next year?  As for this year, I'd like to stitch something Chrismas themed, and I do have all the supplies for Celtic Christmas by Lavendar and Lace.

IHSW February 2013

This past weekend turned out great for being a hermit and stitching, as I've been getting over the flu and my dear husband has been developing it.  Plus, it was a long weekend thanks to the President's Day holiday.

First, I worked on Unicorn Mystique.  I was hoping to finish most of the right half of the chart, and I did.  Most of the cross stitching on this is done, the left half of the chart doesn't contain as much.  Then, there is the half cross stitch (background), which is extensive.  Half cross stitch is faster than full crosses, of course.  I'd say the project is 50% complete now and finishing this year, or certainly next year, is a possibility.

Then I brought out the Winter Fairy and worked on the bottom left of the chart.  The base of the fairy is the widest portion and there are a lot of color changes in that region.  I got pretty close to finishing the bottom left quadrant and I intend to keep her on the scroll bars for a while, see how far I get.  It was originally my goal to finish her by the end of March, so we'll see!  I'm having second thoughts about trying to stitch the entire series this year... they are more extensive projects than I realized at first.  She will be ~14" x 10 " on 32 count when finished. 

New project: Petal Fairy

Well, after finishing Voyage at Sea, my UFO count was down to 7 and I decided to start something new, bring it back up to 8.  There was a lot of hemming and hawing, some floss sorting (from kits), a few floss tosses, but I eventually decided on Mirabilia's Petal Fairy.  Here's the floss toss with the pattern photo (how it should look when finished):

 

I had this lovely hand-dyed "Ametrine" 32 count opalescent lugana in my old Silkweaver stash and thought it would be nice to stitch on pink. (My camera had a hard time capturing the hue).  I really love the fabric, I think it's so pretty with the subtle sparkles, but I find the needle splitting the threads at times.  I suppose I prefer stitching on linen.  

I started at the midpoint, near her waist, and stitched down to the bottom left of the chart.  So, even though I leave the beading til the end, I'd say the project is about 25% complete after one single week rotation.  There's not as much stitching on the top half of the chart.  It is really fun to stitch; her skirt is composed of lily petals, something like this.   At my wedding in 2005, decor included similarly hued calla lilies and leonidas roses.  I am really looking forward to stitching the rest of this project but the rotation moves on.  I mounted "Unicorn Mystique" on my scroll bars and will give that project some attention before moving back to "Winter Fairy".