Calla (HAED) started

This is the floss companion to City of Swords. I also started this one in the bottom left . . . and I'm doing it on 28ct fabric . . . and in 2x1 tent stitches. I like to keep the patterns that share a floss box similar, at least in thread count and stitch style. There was so much grey threads used at first that I was beginning to wonder if the leaves would look green at all. I guess I should have had faith since it is a HAED design and they always work out, even if you don't think so while you're stitching it. Here is what it's suppose to look like:

Here is one page (bottom left) done (the stitching isn't making the fabric wonky, that's just how I layed it out to scan it):

Chinese frame #2

Here is my next frame. The purple paint was much thinner than the browns (same brand) so it didn't give very good coverage in some places. I thought about doing another coat but I'm not trying to be perfect here. I think I should have done the flowers in opposite corners. Maybe for the next one.

Chinese Zodiac frame #1

So I started painting the first frame for my Chinese Zodiac project. I've found that I like painting. It find it just as soothing as cross stitch even though I'm not very good at it. I'm hoping I'll get better in time.

I wanted to create a plaid pattern on this one and I was very proud of myself when I laid the tape down. When I took it off I was disappointed. It looks more like tire tracks than plaid. I'm going to have to rethink which one I match it up with.

Year of the Dragon (2)

Here's my second Year of the Dragon. It was easier to do the second time around than the first one. I'm still undecided on whether I'm going to do the last Dragon on black or probably white. I'm now half way through stitching all of them. I'm also ahead of my planned schedule by 1/2 a month now. I don't know if I'll start the next one right away or take a break because I'm getting a little tired of the 945 for the face and body.

I've also finished painting the first of the frames. That post will come next.

This one was done on 14ct Jade Aida in 2x1 full stitches. And here it is:

Year of the Snake (2) finished

Here's my latest finish. It's the Year of the Snake on Navy. I still have one more of these to do. It was much easier to stitch this second time, not that it was really hard the first time though. According to my list I'm done for the month of April. I planned out 2 a month so I'm ahead of schedule. I could take the rest of the month off from this design . . . or I could start the next one and get even more ahead of schedule.



I've been only working on these while in the office at work. I'd sit at my desk on my breaks and lunch hour to stitch. Unfortunately, lately I've been interrupted a lot so I wasn't getting much done. I decided I would work on them at night while at home. I think that's why I got ahead of schedule. I'm thinking if I worked on them at work and at home at night I could do one a week. At that rate I'll be done with them the week of he 4th of July.

I'm really toying with that idea. On one hand I'd love to get these done sooner rather than later so I have time to plan and paint the frames, etc. Also I would be finally done with them so I could spend my stitching time to work on something just for me. After all that was my plan for this year (to only stitch things for me) since I've spent so much time stitching things for other people. There's so many projects I want to do besides the ones I've already stitched.

On the other hand I might get bored with doing almost the same thing week after week. I might start making a lot of mistakes. Or I might end up putting them away for awhile only to find I'm almost at of time to finish them come Christmas time. I was under the gun last year for the box I painted. And a year before that when I did afghans for everybody. I hate leaving things to the last minute. I never feel like I did my best when I work that way.

Lately I've really had a stitching bug going. There's nothing else I want to do besides stitch. Maybe I should ride that out and work on these projects while I still want to. I've got a small vacation coming up and I know I'll be taking my stitching along and I wonder if I could start and finish one in that trip. Or maybe even finish 2. We'll see.

City of Swords - started

As reward for finishing my Mother project I decided I was going to start some other projects just for me. When I kit up a project I try to find another one with a similar color palette and combine the threads. I picked City of Swords (by Ciro Marchetti) and Calla to kit up together. They are both HAED designs. I love looking at the box of threads because the colors are so pretty.

Here is what City of Swords is suppose to look like:


I'm stitching it up on 28ct antique white evenweave in 2x1 tent stitches. Usually you start at the top left corner of the pattern but for these two I decided I wanted to be different. I started on the bottom left. The pages are smaller but it gives me a great sense of success to say I've already finish one page. Besides, starting at the bottom left seems more naturally to me than the top. I don't know why.

So, since the pages are smaller this is my completed page progress so far. Just two colors, but it's a start:

Iris restart

I started this pattern many moon ago but didn't like the coverage (2x1 tent on 22ct Oslo fabric) so I decided to rip it out and start over. Unfortunately I ripped the fabric, not once but twice in the process. I gave up and put the chart away. But I never forgot because it was always a nagging presence in the back of my mind. So I decided to take it out and restart it and hopefully have a better time with it.

This is what it should look like when done:


I am doing it 2x1 tent stitches on 28ct khaki evenweave. It's the first project I started on 28ct and I probably should have picked a lighter colored fabric to make it easier to see the holes. The coverage is much better but I think I'm going to have to get use to the size of the holes before things start moving along smoothly. I've started 2 other projects on 28ct so that'll help.

Here is what I've done so far: