TUSAL

Another months TUSAL (I'm a day late, I apologise). Hope everyone's had a good month of stitching to get them to this point?

It's not a very good picture so you can't really see much of it, but the new stuff is mostly brown from Dragon Rider and blue from Dictionary of Tea.

Tiny update

After my quite productive Hermit and Stitch last weekend I actually haven't had much stitching time this week so there isn't much progress to show, only about an hour or so. It's probably not even 200 stitches, possibly not even 100. So there honestly is a difference, but you might have to really squint to see it. There's a little more grey and black been filled in And I still love the castle, I got so excited when I could finally see the castle appear, and I do like the twists on the tree.

I'm going back to my Dictionary of Tea this week, in a final push to get it finished so it can go back to my friend to give to her friend. The end is in sight on it so that's where I'm going.

Thank you for everyone's comments on parking, I'm still undecided about that I think. I think it's quite good when doing really confetti sections, which some of this page has been, but I think I'm a cross country girl at heart, so I suspect I'm going to end up doing a combination of the two on my HAEDs, cross country for the bigger colours to give me a base to work on, then a bit of parking to do some of the more fiddly confetti bits that are needed to finish off.

IHSW or July

Here's my progress or International Hermit & Stitch Weekend, and I'm quite proud of my progress, even if I do say so myself, there's a definite difference between Saturday morning and Sunday evening, it's not quite the page finish I was aiming for, but it's close enough.

And I should probably explain by the way, it's a new technique to me, but it's something that half of you, if not more, are already using. I thought I'd give parking a go and see how I get on with it. I can see the logic or it, but at the moment I'm getting a little confused with all the different threads. I'll keep it up for the rest of the page, and for one of my next page starts and see how I go from there.

I think I've managed to comment on most of the progress pictures that have gone up so far, but if I've missed anyone I apologise.

Weekendiness and a gorgeous kit

I hope everyone's having a lovely weekend and those that are joining in are having a productive International Hermit & Stitch! I've just had a rather exciteable phone call from the boy who is now on his way home again, apparently it was a fun stag weekend, riding go-karts and jumping off cliffs (absolutely mad!)

I have discovered a beautiful kit, I've never heard any mention of it before, and it's just lovely! It's the Grand Ball by John Clayton and I'm competley in love with it, and can't understand why no one's told me about it before this point.

As for my stitching, it's going well, not quite where I wanted to be, but I've still got another 3 or 4 hours before he gets home, so there's still time, and I'm trying a new technique, so I'll see how that goes and whether it makes any difference!

The emergings of a tree and a castle

Right then:

Chores done (mostly)

Jogging done (again, mostly, I'm not designed to be a runner)

Breakfast done (and the point of the jog ruined in the process)

Boyfriend evicted from the house (kinda, he's on a stag weekend... again... I swear, he has to be running out of friends that aren't married)

Nothing else that I have to do today (except possibly go out for a smoothie, the weather's gorgeous out there), let the stitchathon commence.

Here's my picture of where I'm upto at the moment,  (once again I look at the photo and suddenly see what the stitching actually looks like). I've actually managed quite a bit this week due to a bit of time off, so my ambition is to get this page finished this weekend, I reckon it's just about doable is I really do have a proper stitchathon this weekend.

Hope everyone enjoys International Hermit and Stitch weekend, can't wait to see all the progress pictures.

Calami-tea

Another tea pot has been completed, and it looks pretty cool, even if I do say so myself, and there are only another three left, so I'm so close to finish on this, which my friend will be very grateful for, because it'll mean that she can get it framed up (should I be generous and offer to do it for her?) and give it to her friend, as it's always been intended for! About another three weeks worth left on this, but I'm going to put it away for a couple of weeks now, as the call of Dragon Rider has just been too strong.

I packed this up when I finished the back stitch last night and got Dragon Rider out and thought, 'Well, I might as well just decide which colour I'm going to do next... Well, I might as well thread the needle up so it's ready for me to start tomorrow... Well, I might as well do a couple of stitches, just to attach the cotton... Well, I might as well do this little block here... Well, I might as well do that block there now that I've decided which way round I'm going to go..." and so on, you know how it is. I'd pakced Dictionary up because I was going to go to bed, and then I lost another half an hour to Dragon Rider, ah well! So, two weeks on this, including International Hermit and Stitch Weekend next weekend, where Ben's away so I really am going to hermit and stitch, hoping to get the second page finished, where I think I'm a little under half way at the moment, it's possibly a little ambitious, but it'll be fun!

Oh yeah, and I'm about to go back and edit my Bucket List (again) and add yet another 4 on, I think that puts me over 60... it's looking less and less likely like I'm going to finish this list, because I just keep adding to it.

And on that note I think it's time to set some mid-year targets... I've just looked at my new year targets and I'm basically gonig to throw that out of the window.
1. Another page of Lance and Gwen
2. Finish the page I'm on and do the half page below on Dragon Rider
3. Next two pages of Winter's Majesty (that might be ambitious)
4. Finish Dictionary of Tea (easy)
5. Birth sampler for friends. (it's picked, but I need to finish Tea to free up the frame, and to make sure I've got all my threads)
I think it's mostly do-able, but Winter's Majesty might be my down fall as I'm a bit on off with her at the moment.

Check out the monster post... right, I'm off to decide what to spend this months audible credit on!

Wish me luck (in all of it)! Happy stitching!

Kim x

The Bucket List

I pinched this idea from The Enchanted Burrow, she's just finished her latest WIP and while deciding what to stitch next she started thinking about what would be on her stitching Bucket List. And it got me wondering what mine would be. And remember that I've already got 5 on the go to finish first so for the sake of accuracy, I'll put those on the list first:

HAED: Lancelot and Guinevere (Fenech)

HAED: Dragon Rider (Spangler)

Maia: Winter's Majesty

Bothy: Dictionary of Tea

Kustom Krafts: Little Snap Dragon

Birth Sampler

Passione Ricamo: Once Upon a Time

Passione Ricamo: My Lady of the Snow
Passione Ricamo: Mediterrano

Passione Ricamo: Fairy of Dreams

Passione Ricamo: Seredipity Fae

Passione Ricamo: Selene, the Moon Goddess

Mirabilia: My Lady of the Mist

Mirabilia: Venitian Oppulence

Mirabilia: The Kiss

Mirabilia: Three for Tea

Mirabilia: Midsummer Nights Fairy

Maia: Geishas

Lanarte: Indian Beauty

Dimensions Gold: Mighty Samurai

Memoirs of a Geisha

Self Designed: Susan Sto Helit (Discworld)

Self Designed: Princess Bride

HAED: Meredith Dillman: Alice in Wonderland

HAED: Selina Fenech: Bubbles

HAED: Selina Fenech: Lady of Avalon

HAED: Selina Fenech: Titania

HAED: Selina Fenech: Mab

HAED: Selina Fenech: Gloriana

HAED: Rebecca Sniz: Gothic Lament

HAED: Dahlig: Hope

HAED: Selina Fenech: Impossible Love

HAED: Selina Fenech: Nephalia

HAED: Meredith Dillman: Raven's Treasure

HAED: The Tempest
HAED: The Soul of the Rose

HAED: Nene Thomas: Deidre

HAED: Rachel Anderson: Emerald

HAED: Rebecca Sniz: Enchanted Evening

Joan Elliott: Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter Fairies.

Joan Elliott: Earth, Water, Air and Fire Goddess

Joan Elliott: The Renaissance Ladies

Cross Stitch Collection: Regency Ballroom (gone completely blank on designers name)

Cross Stitcher: King Arthur Sampler

Cross Stitcher: Medieval Lady

Oh dear, I make that 46 charts (plus 5 already on the go), and that's just off the top of my head. If I average one a year (some easily small enough, some far too big, so it'll average out), then I might just manage it. Wish my luck!

A stitching I will go, a stitching I will go.ey, ay, adieeo, a stitching I will go.

So go on then, be brave, what's your bucket list, then look back once a year, add on the ones that you've found in the last year and cross off the ones that you've completed, it'll be fun!

Kim x
EDIT:
Dimensions Gold: Jewels of the Orient (again)
Dimensions Gold: Elegance of the Orient
Dimensions Gold: Enchanting Geisha
DImensions Gold: Japanese Maiden
Lanarte: Geisha
Maia: Hutari Mai
Maia: Zojoji Temple
Maia: Yumezakura
Maia: Kihaku
Maia: Tsubaki
And suddenly I've hit 57, oh bother!

2nd EDIT:
Bothy: Cut Thru Castle
Mirabilia: Spring Queen
Mirabilia: Summer Queen
Mirabilia: Autumn Queen
Mirabilia: Winter Queen
Penguin Parade (can't remember the make)
LOTR: I've got for Lord of the Ring Charts by Fluffy Kittens (I kid you not), I'd like to do one of them, don't mind which)
Cross Stitch Collection: Heathcliffe
Cross Stitch Collection: Robin Hood (think these two would nice in a nursery for some reason)
And that's 73 - one a year means I now need to reach 100 - this isn't looking good! And I'm going to have to buy 27 of them. HELP!

3rd EDIT:
Heritage Craft: The Grand Ball - John Clayton
HAED: Hannah Lynn: QS Genevive
HAED: Hannah Lynn: Alice Lost
HAED: Hannah Lynn: Annabelle
HAED: Hannah Lynn: Glacier Lily
HAED: Hannah Lynn: Runaway Princess
HAED: A Source of Admiration
HAED: Linda Tso: Ice Winds 2
HAED: Linda Ravenscroft: Rapunzel
HAED: Dahlig: Vanity
HAED: Dahlig: Avarice
HAED: Dahlig: Gluttony
HAED: Dahlig: Sloth
HAED: Dahlig: Wrath
HAED: Dahlig: Envy
HAED: Dahlig: Lust
HAED: Dahlig: Light
HAED: Dahlig: Love
HAED: Dahlig: Ophelia
HAED: Dahlig: Pandora
HAED: JJB: QS Alice in Clockwork
HAED: Randal Spangler: Train of Dreams
HAED: Randal Spangler: Flights of Imagination
HAED: Randal Spangler: Hit any Key
HAED: Randal Spangler: Sundae Delight
HAED: Randal Spangler: Medieval Shelf
HAED: Randal Spangler: Treasure Quest
HAED: Rachel Anderson: Sapphire
HAED: Rachel Anderson: Ruby
HAED: Rachel Anderson: Garnet
HAED: Selina Fenech: Bright Skies + Dark Waters + Centre Section
HAED: Selina Fenech: Hide & Seek
HAED: Linda Ravenscroft: December Glow
HAED: Linda Ravenscroft: Mask of Colours 1
HAED: Linda Ravenscroft: Mask of Colours 2
HAED: Meeting on the Turret Stairs
HAED: Meredith Dillman: Blossoming Spring
HAED: Meredith Dillman: Fall Fire
HAED: Meredith Dillman: Queen of the Night
HAED: Meredith Dillman: Summer Sun
HAED: Selena Fenech: Bewitched
Passione Ricamo: Spring Fairy Spirit
Passione Ricamo: Summer Fairy Spirit
Passione Ricamo: Autumn Fairy Spirit
Passione Ricamo: Winter Fairy Spirit
Passione Ricamo: Fae Eyes
Passione Ricamo: Moon Fairy Spirit
Passione Ricamo: Winter Beauty Princess
Passione Ricamo: The Night
Self Designed: Wicked
Bothy Threads: Kings & Queens
Dragon Dreams - Fairy Tale Sampler
Pixel People: The Princess Bride
Pixel People: Monty Python and the Holy Grail
Pixel People: Big Bang Theory
Pixel People: Firely
129 - I have to be stopped!

Winter's Majesty Lives!

Winter's Majesty has returned, and while I enjoyed working on her I got bored quite quickly, so I think it might be a long time before I manage to finish it! But there's quite a difference (I think anway). I've done all the back stitch on the bottom third (but most of it's gold, so it doesn't photograph very well. And you can see shapes beginning to take place on the page above. the blue/grey is the beginning of her elbows, and the red to the right shows the beginning of the shape of her shoulders. She's gone away again already, but I'll come back to her soon I'm sure. I go in fits and starts on this, so I'm sure I'll have another fit on her soon enough!