Another page, could I finish the row by the end of year?

The titles says it all really. I've managed to finish another page, I've now only got 1 page ans 1 partial page left, but I'm always working quite a lot between now and then, so, it'll be interesting to see if I can manage it, wish me luck.!

Another page

So here she is, another page done, and you can see the beginning of her second eye and eyebrow. I do like this project, and she's one of my few 2014 targets that I might actually achieve this year. It's got to that time of the year, where I start thinking about what my targets were for this year, and what targets I'm going to set myself for next year. I always over aim, but it's fun to try. I know I've failed dismally this year, there are too many new starts for me to achieve half of my targets, but I haven't looked through to see just how badly I've done yet... that's for later in the month!

Tiny update

It's just the black and I'm tenting, so it stitches up quite quickly, but seeing as it's two weeks since I posted, I feel like I should have more to show.
Ah well, progress is progress I guess.

This feels look over due, but I don't think it's as bad as it feels!

I have an F word! I have an F word!
That is pretty much all!

For those who want information rather than just gloating, this is Animal Fayre by Bothy Threads!

The cobwebs are growing

Not by much I admit,, but they are, you can see where folds of fabric and cobwebs will be, one day. Sadly Madame is going away for a couple of weeks now, I need something simpler to work on for a couple of weeks due to work being done on the flat so Heather is coming out to play, as she's only one colour at the moment!

First (minature) page on Madame

I know, she still doesn't look like much, but she looks like more than she did that last posted, so that's something. I can see the beginning on cobwebs, so that makes me happy!

Page finish, woohoo!

As is often the case, the title says it all, I have a page finish on Apocalypse Princesses, and this makes me happy. Jasmine has eyes and I'm just quite excited by how it's coming out. As I've said many times before, it's when I look at the photo that I see it coming together, it stops being lots of little pixels and I can actually see her eyes now!

The plans was that I would now move onto the Birth Sampler I'm working on, get that finished then move onto Madame, so I got the Birth Sampler out, managed about an hour on that but Madame started screaming, so I'm now working on her. The sampler is out as well, so I reckon I'm pretty safe to get it sorted, but with so many lovely Tilton charts in the offing I just couldn't resist! Happy stitching all!

Nearing a page finish!

No progress on the new starts to show this week I'm afraid, but I am making plans. As I was close to a page finish on the beautiful Apocalypse Princesses it made sense to go back to this, and I think I've only got one week left to hit my page finish. All there is to do is finish off her face then the rest of the background, and there's only one colour in the background so hopefully I can potter through the mindless stitching this week.

After that I've got a present to finish, Animal Fayre, which I have been vaguely working on but always forget to post because I never have it out at home, it always goes to craft group with me instead. After that my plan is to get back to all my lovely new starts that I showed my initial progress of last week. I'm very excited about showing some actual shape and colour in all of them, as I'm aware that all of last weeks pictures were a bit grey and shmush.

In fact, even as I type that I've just realised that I only actually posted two of my pictures last week, so here are the second two.

So, here are my other starts. Firstly I have Le Pas Du Sucre, which is probably the one I got the most progress on last weekend. I'm tenting over 28 count, which is probably why I got the most progress on this one. I was surprised by this page, the colours in this are really vibrant, so I didn't expect that I'd be working in black and navy, but I'm sure that it'll get brighter as I move further in to the centre.

Secondly I have Our Seasons, again a lovely colourful chart, but I started in the colour where everything was dark. This one is a major confetti fest, so I suspect that progress will be pretty slow. But again, I'm tenting on 28 count, so that does mean that my progress is faster than when I'm doing full crosses on 25 count. Wish me luck. I now have so many WIPs that I struggle to work on every one in a year. There's a chance that I have a problem. Especially as I'm waiting on two other charts to be released so that I can start them as well.

My name is Kim and I am a Start-aholic!

Did someone say new start?

 The titles says it all really, some fool (okay, that may have been me) suggested a new start SAL on the Tilton page on facebook, and as it was my stupid suggestion I was punished with being told I had to more than one start... but first things first, here's my progress on Apocalypse Princesses, Jasmine is coming together, you can see her face now. give it another couple of weeks and I might actually be able to say I've got a page finish. All I've got left if the confetti on her face, all the background is the same colour, so I can enjoy mindless stitching once her face is done.

 Secondly I have my first Tilton new start, In Her Room by Yuu. It doesn't look like much I know, in fact from the photo you can't really see anything other than the black, however the bottom left was some which stitching and some shading between the white and black. There's so much that I love about this design, the fact that it's a day and a life all at once. I know it's been done before but I still like the metaphor. However I'm also aware that at the moment it looks like neither a day nor a life, but it will, and it's lovely!

Secondly (although I actually started this one first) is Madame by Victoria Frances. She's a little creepy, but I really like her. Again, I'm aware that she doesn't look like a she at the moment, never mind a she, but she is lovely. I really enjoyed working on this one, and she doesn't look like she'll be too confetti heavy, because the chart is mostly shades of grey there aren't as many colours as you normally get in charts of this size.

There are two more starts planned over the course of today, one already started and one to be (see, four was my punishment), but I don't have photos of either of those, so they will probably appear in here next week.

Happy stitching all.

Finally!

I've finally finished the sword hilt, there was so much confetti, I don't even want to admit to what the back of that bit looks like, and I don't normally care what the back of mine looks like, because you don't see it, but even by my standard, it's dreadful!

Loving working on this, after a couple of weeks of fighting through that bit I'm suddenly seeing progress again. I picked up a block of colour again (the pale blue of her headdress) suddenly it's moving forward!

Hoping to have a productive stitching week next week, so hopefully I'll actually have progress to show over the next couple of weeks. I may have also been responsible for a Tilton Crafts new start Stitch Along next weekend so I'll be starting something new next weekend, in fact as it's my fault that people are doing this I'm getting pressured to start several as punishment for putting such an awful idea in to people's heads. I've definitely got two in mind, and there are another two that I'm umming and ahhing over, so next weekend could be very dangerous for me!

If you haven't checked out Shelley's beautiful charts at Tilton Crafts then I suggest you pop over by the way, she's got some amazing artists licensed, including Victoria Frances, so have a browse, there are lots of different styles, something for everyone!

Oh dear, startitus

There was a new start challenge on facebook this weekend and I couldn't resist, so I've got lots of pics to show this week, but there isn't much to show on them. Firstly is the continuation of Apocalypse Princesses, I still haven't managed to finish the sword hilt, but I am getting there, and I'm filling in other bits of confetti as I go along as well!

Secondly this is my first new start, this is the 2014 Cloudsfactory SAL, and it will be beautiful. They recommend working on 16 count, but I'm working on 28 count because I had some pretty fabric and it would only fit on it if I worked over one on 28. I love how delicate it's coming out though, and the sparkle is rather pretty! 

And finally, if you can guess what this is I'll be really impressed, although I have added a pic to the WIP bar, so it shouldn't be that difficult, this is the very beginning of Elsa from Tilton crafts, she's so pretty!

A bit of background

I still haven't managed to finish the sword handle, but working on a bit of background means that I do at least have a bit of progress to show this week. I think my progress will slow for the next couple of weeks... we're busy and short staffed at the moment, so it could cut into my free time a wee bit.

Happy stitching all

My first IHSW this year

Least ways it feels like my first International Hermit and Stitch Weekend this year. This  year is whistling past and I don't seem to have had many free weekends somehow, and practically never at the right time.

Anyway, Apocalypse Princesses have come out to play, I didn't achieve as much as I'd like, but at least you can vaguely see what it is. I was hoping to finish the sword hilt (bottom left) this weekend, but obviously that didn't happen, but at least you can kinda make out Jasmine's head.

We were at a little comicon this weekend with friends, and have been invited to a larger one in Cardiff later in the year. The temptation to try and Cosplay one of these princesses is much more than it should be!

Happy stitching all!

Two partial pages

Here is is, the first two partial pages of Rendezvous, and as per usual at this point, it's only when I take a photo and look at the picture that I work out what I've actually stitched. Why is that? I guess it must be something to do with the photograph not being your actual stitching so you look at the whole rather than the tiny little stitches, but I'm guessing!

I put this away to work on something else because I was starting to get antsy and easily distracted (a sure sign that it's time to move on), but it's already calling to me to come back. So I may be back to this one much sooner than I expected. Stranger things have certainly happened anyway!

Second (partial) page already!

The great thing about starting bottom right corner is I get to start with all the partial pages and I actually get to feel like I'm making some progress, although I'm willing to admit that it doesn't look like much right now... I've got a fair amount of background to work on before i get to much else, but it's a very pretty chart.

I've re-planned my rotation slightly. I pretty much operate a screaming rotation anyway but it's usually do a page and move on, except when on partial pages where I try to add them up to make roughly a page... however I've decided that I'm now going to operate within the full bounds of a screaming rotation and work on a project for as long as it screams then move on. Ideally hitting a page before I move on but I can work on a project for as long as I like. It's all good!

Oh look, a new start, how did that happen?

It doesn't look like much yet, I know, but I've started Rendezvous. Such a stunning piece of art, although I'm willing to admit that this piece of stitching is not currently a beautiful piece of art!

One day it will be beautiful.At the moment it's a smush of black with more blue than I was expecting, but now I look at the picture it does make sense!

Ta Da!

Could it be? A finish? And not just a page finish, an actual finish! I'm so happy, this is my first finish this year! This is Together Forever from Love Thy Thread stitched on 28 count Silver Lining by Polestitches... and you know what a finish means... a new start.... now, which one could it be? Mouhaha!

So close...

Don't say it too loud, but I think an 'F' word might be in sight... I've managed two full and two partial pages this week, I've only got one full and four partial pages left (and one of those has about 20 stitches on it). I'm quite excited... this has suddenly come together and the end is almost in sight. Which will give me an excuse to have the new start that I'm contemplating...

Thank you for everyone's comments about which new start you liked the idea of... I still haven't decided I'm afraid, but I'm sure I will soon.

Half way

As the title says, I am now half way, back stitch and all, and it's turning out rather cute! Especially the little bumble bees who I don't think I'd even noticed when I originally bought the kit, and it's lovely happy couples, so generally I'm pretty happy with this this far.

So, random question, every week, day, whatever we post pictures of our stitching on our blogs. What do you do with your pictures once you've posted them? I keep all my progress pics until I've completed a project, then I delete them all and just keep a photo of this finished piece. I like to scroll through the pictures from start to where I am so that I can watch my project grow in picture form. Am I the only person that does that, and if so is it a bit weird? It just gives me a sense that it is actually growing, especially when I'm talking about a BAP like a Tilton, HAED, Paine Free or Love Thy Thread. It gives me motivation.

I've been pretty good at working on my stitching at the moment actually, because I've got so many new starts that I want to be started that I've got a pretty good mentality of 'well, I'd better work on some of them hadn't I?'

Happy stitching all!

It's been a while...

 Firstly Animal Fayre by Bothy Threads. I was hoping to be half way through by the end of this weekend, which means completing all the background at the bottom, as you can see, this hasn't happened yet but I do still have a couple of hours left this evening. I am enjoying how bright and happy this is, lucky really seeing as it's intended as a christening present for a small person.

Secondly is Together Forever by Love Thy Thread and on Polestitches fabric. Three pages done now, and while there are technically 9 pages left, 6 of those are partials and even the full pages left aren't that full, I'm looking forward to seeing this one come together, and I also strangely excited about the lovely had dyed thread that I have for the second balloon. Basically, everything about this project makes me strangely happy, as does the fact that it's intended for a good friends wedding, just as soon as they get round to setting a date!

And finally, the urge for a new start is definitely going to get the better of me some time soon. I've got a nice run of days off in about three weeks time so I'm promising myself that if I get good progress on both of these by then then I get a new start then when I can settle into it properly. The only question is which new start I have. The ones that I have kitted up are:

• One of the Aimee Stewart Bookshelves, either World or Steampunk
• Rendezvous, also by Aimee Stewart
• La Soiree by Golden Kite
• In Her Room from Tilton Crafts
• Vanity by Marta Dahlig

What do people think? It'll probably be one of the Aimee Stewarts or maybe In Her Room. I am in no way guaranteeing that I will be affected by other people's thoughts, but I'm still interested to know what people's opinions are!

Starting to look like something

The title says it all really, it's finally looking like something, I've almost got a train! I think I must be nearly a third of the way through this now, which is nice, it's coming together and that makes me happy!

Together forever has a balloon

Here's my latest update on Together Forever, I never seem to be able to get a decent picture of the colours on the balloon. Believe me that it's really pretty in the real world!

Oh look, some grey!

What is wrong with me? Whenever I get this project out to work on I get all excited about the lovely colours in me, then I work on the grey background... hopefully I've only got another week or so on the grey progress then I might actually get round to some colour... but she's going away again after only a week <sob> she was a break from some gifts that I have to work on and it's time to get back to them already!

The presents grow

I've done a fair bit on this one know, enough that it's actually starting to resemble something... gotta love the back stitch on Bothy kits, it's simple to do (unlike some I could name *cough* Tatty Ted *cough*) and it makes such a difference to the project, suddenly everything comes together and looks so cute!

Secondly is Together Forever, which is lovely, I'm enjoying working on it but I wish I could get a decent picture on it. I had to use the flash for this one and it bleaches my lovely fabric and the lovely hand-dyed thread on the balloon and her flower as well... I'll have to get a picture on bright midday sunlight at some point and see if I get anything better.

In other news, is anyone having problems with blogger at the moment? I go on to read all the blogs that I'm following, and it only shows me one blog, it doesn't matter how many times I click read more, only one pops up!

Actual progress

This week I am mostly blogging about projects that I'm working on as gifts. First up is Animal Fayre by Bothy threads, which, thanks to the trunk, is starting to actually look like an elephant. I have to admit that I've had to force myself to work on this, not because I'm not enjoying working on it, I always enjoy bothy projects, it's more because I'm really enjoying the other project that I've been working on this week 

Which is this one. This is Together Forever by Love Thy Thread. The chart is only designed to have two colours in it. The outline in black and the balloons in red. While hunting out some fabric for this I found some pretty hand dyed threads so I decided that they'd make really cute balloons instead.The light isn't great and the colour in her flowers has come out looking a little grey, it's actually pale blue fading into pale pink. I'm hoping that will be more obvious when I work a larger area of it for the balloon. My second balloon, held by the groom, is a much bolder colour, so I'm not worried about how that one will come out at all. It looks lovely in life, it just doesn't photograph very well!

And finally...

Check it out, I finally managed it, I finally got my page finish, and I'm very happy with it, because I can suddenly see it coming together, I can see the plant pot and the beginning of flowers. I know that floor looks a little grainy at the moment, but lets be honest, this is a tiny part off the whole picture and isn't designed to be looked at this close. I love this piece, the shading and colours are beautiful, but it's now going away so that I can work on something else for a while!

 Next, I realised that I've managed a fair bit on Noah's Ark since I last posted, although this still isn't a page finish. There's some lovely sparkles on this page, but it's almost impossible to get a good picture of sparkles!

And what do we have here? A new start? Oops! Once again, I can justify it. Some friends have recently announced that they're having their second baby, and I did a sampler for the first, so I can't not do something for the second. Doesn't look like much yet though does it? It'll be lovely and bright and quite cute eventually though!

Why is this page taking so long?

Okay, so I actually know the answer to that question. It's because I keep not picking it up to work on. It's definitely time for me to move on to something else because I'm definitely getting fidgety on it. However I do nearly have a page finish (finally), so I might as well finish the page now. Plus today I can suddenly see the shape and scale of the page rather than a random shmush of pixels, so at least it's coming together, despite all my procrastinating and moaning!

No page finish this week

Here's the latest update, although as the title suggests, I'm rather disappointed to have not managed another page finish this week, although this page is still pottering along nicely... if I get my head down I might manage to have a page finish by this time next week... stranger things have certainly happened. I'm loving how much lighter this page is coming out. Part of the reason I fell in love with this chart was the lovely blues, so it's nice to see those coming through.

I have found my attention waining slightly this week, so once this page is finished it'll be on to something else. I have four new starts screaming at me (1 christening present, 1 wedding present and two that I'm just in love with) plus many existing projects begging for attention, so who knows what I'll actually work on once I've finished this. I'm terrible with my stitching, a love all my projects but if I work on one for too long I lose interest and find myself stitching less and less, that's the main reason that I have so many projects on the go, when I lose interest in one I just move on to another one, it keeps be constantly interested in my stitching, whereas when I only worked on one or two projects I found I could go ages without stitching at all!

Another page finish already...

A girl could get used to all these pages finishes, but eventually I'll run out of partial pages to work on, so I'll just have to enjoy the run I'm on while it's happening.

Here we have page two of Promise to Heart by Takaki from Tilton Crafts, It's not been particularly confetti thus far, apart from a little flurry on the far right, so it's stitched up quite quickly.

One more partial page to go then this is going to go away for a while, so I'd better enjoy it while I can I guess.

Happy stitching all!

Page finish and new start

 Miracles happen, I managed to finish my page on Dragon Rider, I do love him. The motorbike is officially here, which I'm loving, it's probably sad just how happy the arrival of the motorbike makes me. There's one little stitch in the silver rim on the wheel that's bugging me slightly, I think when I do the next page I'm going to end up unstitching it and putting it back in a darker colour, but I'm very happy with it all the same.

Secondly I have my new start. By popular demand I present Promise to the Heart from Tilton crafts, art work by Takaki. This is technically a page finsih, although it was the worlds smallest page. The colours on this are beautiful, although I admit that it doesn't show much on this page.

I managed to show some progress...

But only by cheating a little bit... It's only because I managed a couple of hours last night that I actually have any progress to show. But because I'm coming to the end of the page and filling in all the little gaps it doesn't take much stitching to make it look like I've actually achieved something. I love this stage on a page.

I seem to follow a bit of a pattern at the moment. Week of really good progress, week of really rubbish progress. There's a page finish in sight though, I'm definitely going to finish it last week (famous last words), and I've promised myself a new start when I've finished this page. I was certain what I was going to start, but now a couple of others are begging for attention.

My original plan was to start Promise to Heart from Tilton, which is is the side bar and I'm still very tempted, but Rendezvous by Aimee Stewart is also begging me to start it (also in side bar), as is World Bookshelf also by Aimee Stewart. And if the large version of Fantastic Voyage is released while the sale is on then I'm officially doomed! Happy stitching all!

To make up for last week

Firstly, a bit of up update on Dwarven Leader by Jankolas by Paine Free Crafts. I actually managed a fair bit more than I normally do, but you can't see much difference because I'm trying to work on the cream. I'm not very good at working on background, so I'm trying to be good and stay on that for a while. 

Secondly, after my embarrassingly small update last week I have a decent amount of progress to show on Dragon Rider due to having some time off this week. I'm quite excited by how much this page has come together this week. The tyre is starting to look like a tyre rather than a random black shape, and the ground is actually looking grassy rather than just shmush like. Hopefully another week or so will see this page finished. Unfortunately I do usually underestimate how long my stitching is going to take, so it may be a tad longer than a week.

Does this really deserve a post?

I don't know if such a tiny amount of progress actually deserves a photo. There is a difference, but you really need the pictures side by side and really good eye sight to see it. Thankfully I've got some time off next week and (once again) some rather (over) ambitious plans of what I'm going to achieve, so hopefully you'll be able to see the difference next week. If all else fails I'll just finish the black on the tyre, that'll be really obvious difference!

Thankfully I haven't posted on Noah's Ark for a couple of weeks, so I have the appearance of the beginning of giraffes to make it look like I have stitched something this week... It's all an illusion, I've barely stitched at all, but at least I've got something to show now!

Happy stitching all, and hope those that celebrate it have a lovely Easter!

New... page

Admit it, you thought that title was going to say new start... I'm not saying that it won't happen soon (in fact I know full well that it will) but for once I'm just starting a new page rather than a new project. I haven't actually achieved much, no where near as much as I wanted to but, because it's a new page it looks like I did something.

And, I've very excited to introduce the motorbike. It's sad just how happy it makes me that the motorbike has appeared... last column and last couple of pages I had dragon, and now I have motorbike, woohoo! In case you're not sure by the way, that black half moon at the top of the page is the beginning of a tyre!

Finally finished the black and white...

The title says it all really, I finally finished the two partial pages on black and white that were my start on Dark Hope, and as pages of black and white tiles go, they look quite nice, although I admit that it's not really much to ohh and ahh over just yet. But the chart is gorgeous and will be well worth it when it develops a bit more. So, the question is, how did I celebrate finish the pages on monochrome? 

By moving on to a chart that is currently all black. There are times when I seriously question my own mental well being... but I do enjoy coming back to this because it stitches up so quickly (at the moment - before I start the colour), as you can see by the fact that I've already finished the next page. I'm quite excited by this page because, what you may not realise about this page is that there's something on it that isn't, technically, hair. The bottom right of this page has eyelashes and eye brow. Okay, I know that that's technically hair too, but it's a different type of hair, and I'm excited to see it all the same.