OhSewCrafty Blog

March started with a hefty dose of motivation, as I had a small gift piece to finish…. which I did, March 2 (day 2 of 5 day rotation).  So I decided to work on the Lord’s Prayer, which I gave 4 days since I was so close to finishing the middle section.  Previous progress:

Currently:

The backstitch took 1 whole day (about 3 hours).  But I looked at the chart and this section seems to have the most heavy backstitching.  In any case the sheep came out so cute and I love how realistic and detailed the shafts of wheat are.  I stitched across the page breaks, both up and down, which is probably my least favorite part of any project and I’m glad it’s done.  This piece is stitching up adorable, IMO.  Stoney Creek never disappoints. 

Next I rotated to Enchanted Mermaid, and gave her 5 days, 1 over the 4 that were allotted… oh well, it was Stitchathon weekend and I am really enjoying these colors!  Previous progress:

I basically worked on the bottom right quadrant of the chart…finished most of it except for the long rows that extend from the left side. There are also many stitches to be done later in Kreinik, and beading of course, this piece will be heavily beaded.  I also started working across the midline from the left side.  

After that it was time for dark 13 stitching.. etc.  It took 3 days to finish my Lizzie Kate boo club “black cat”, blogged here

Then I only had 2 days available for Spooky House.  Previous progress: 

Current progress: 

I worked on the grass, etc at the the bottom, actually reaching the bottom row which was a nice mental victory. Most of the grass on the bottom is done in half stitch, which is quicker of course.  I started the gravestone, too.  Also I worked on the moon, over the page break to where it reaches the tree trunk on the next page.  Those are some long rows!  The moon stitching is a bit tedious or meditative, take your pick.  

Then it was time for my final free rotation, which is longer… I decided on Bright & Beautiful Spring Bird as “focus for a finish”.  Previous:

After 6 very productive stitchy days:

I stitched most of the chart, actually.  The bottom half is backtstitched and the contrast between those flowers and the ones on the top half is quite distinct.  The border is finished.  The sky is mostly finished, except for some white and blue at the top.  The flowers are mostly finished, except for the bluebells at top right.  I started the bird but it still needs more of the gray & blue tones.  Of course there is more backstitching to do as well.  I love this piece, it’s exactly the right tonic for a cold spring with a bit of snow on the ground.  The plan is to finish next month… in 4 days.  I hope I can do it!  Birthday finish would be a great present.  This chart is part of a (seasonal) series and I’m considering starting another one for Maynia… but I’m not sure.  These patterns are a bit more than you might expect for a small project… extensive floss list, chock full of fractionals, etc.  

At last it was time for (another) Stitchathon weekend and I opted for Winnie the Pooh.  Previous progress:

Current Progress:

I managed over 1500 stitches in 2 days… I’m pretty happy with that!  I finished page 2 (upper right) with the ninja stitches and a section on the tree trunk with blending filament.  Then I moved back to page 3 (lower left), finished the first column and the second column too.  It was fun to bring in those reds & pink, for the azalea bushes.  The blue is bluebells.  These areas will be adorned with a plethora of french knots… but that step will wait.  I am thrilled to have 3 corners on this project finished.  Though, I still need to backstitch (tree branches, etc) on the top half.  That is definitely a goal for this year.  

Topic of the month: What newer designers and product creators (fabric or floss dyeing, etc) out there have you discovered and recommend?  

This is a hard one for me, as I am a longtime stitcher and I know what I like… but recently I was at the LNS and saw the Ice Castle pattern by Shannon Christine Designs.  While I haven’t tried her patterns yet, I love her aesthetic and think she is creating the sort of detailed designs that suit my fancy.  

My plans for the rest of the month include time for my Mill Hill village, then the monthly mandala SAL, then I have 3 day bonus rotation.  For April, my focus pieces include Spring Bird, Water Goddess, and Charmed Santa.