Friday 1 August 2014

New starts and Christmas in July

First of all, how on earth am I suppose to stitch with Smudge taking over my lap?  Honestly cat!  There are other places to sit!  Of course, he is only bothering with me as Colin and the children are away.  Usually he prefers a male lap but will slum it on Rachael if Colin or Luke are not 'available'.  No doubt when they all come back later, he will leave me in peace again!

Smudge is in the doghouse at the moment. I have had the back door open so the cats can just wander in and out at will and he came in, jumped up on my lap which contained my cross stitch and had wet paws. Thankfully a quick wipe with a damp paper towel removed the mark...but still!


So, onto my new starts.  I thought as Colin and the kids are away this week that I would treat myself to a new start and see how much I could get done before they come back.  I chose Bothy Threads Haberdasher's which I had the chart of rather than the kit (hate the fabric, hate the threads but apart from that the kits are fine!)  I found a piece of 28ct jobelan, what else? and away I went.  Don't ask me why I decided to start at the bottom but I did and I have found it made for speedy stitching!  This is progress so far.  The bottom left page is completed bar the backstitch.  The big lilac column is the start of the left middle page. 211 is one of my favourite DMC colours so I am really enjoying this page.


My second new start is the one that Colin bought me to celebrate the conclusion of my degree.  Paris holds a special place in our hearts as it is where we went for our honeymoon (16 years ago next month...yikes!) so I had a look for a Paris chart that I liked.  I was rather taken with Thea Gouverneur's design but wasn't sure about getting a kit and ending up with threads I didn't like as it just says 'stranded cotton' and not what brand they are.  Then I found this one from Artecy which we both liked. I ordered it as a printed chart which cost under £10 including postage from Australia!  What a bargain!!  I  received the chart in around a week, again fantastic coming from Australia. I have never seen an Artecy chart before but it is great.  Nice clear symbols which are large enough for me to see clearly without constantly picking up the chart or squinting at it.


Anyway, this is my progress from last night and an hour or so this morning.  I'm giving gridding a go to see if it will help me, but the jury is still out on it at the moment.  It won't surprise you to know that I am stitching it on 28ct white jobelan will it?


Donna emailed to say that she received her Christmas in July exchange from me (luckily just in July!)  So here is a quick photo of what I sent her.


And a close up of the 3 stitched pieces that I sent her too.  I have never used ric rac as a trim and was reasonably pleased with how it turned out.  It's not perfect but isn't too bad for a first attempt.  Oh, and the fabric was dyed by me too, using coffee.  The designs are Plum Street Sampler's 'Christmas is coming'.



18 comments:

stitchersanon said...

Your Christmas in July ornies are gorgeous. Mine is late, I forgot all about it but as soon as my order comes through it will be sent. I cant believe I forgot something Christmassy! Enjoy your quiet time: well as quiet as puss will let it be lol

stitchersanon said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
geeky Heather said...

I love the Paris chart you choose! You made great progress on both that and the haberdashery in such a short amount of time!

Poppypatchwork said...

My cat always sits on my lap when i stitch, but she is a tiny cat, OK in the winter but in the summer she generates too much heat. Love your new starts.

Pull the other thread said...

My kitty usually doesn't lie on anyone's lap but someimes he craves attentions and settles down on mine. It is impossible to stitch anything but a small when he does it. Love your progress on both projects. The Paris chart is stunning. Your Christmas in July exchange is gorgeous, so generous.

Shirlee said...

Smudge is so cute : ) Sophie likes to sit on my lap but I do believe she prefers John's. I have a friend whose cat loves to lie in her husband's lap as well. Maybe all cats lean toward men : ) I love that PSS design. What threads did you use?

Annette-California said...

Great 2 new starts. Love Haberdashers so much that I have the chart too. Very beautiful Christmas ornaments you made for Donna and love all the trims you added to them. Lovely gifts you gifted Donna. love Annette

Donna G. said...

Ha! You will probably find a few cat hairs on the ornie that I stitched for you! I just blogged about all the wonderful gifts (especially the lovely Cgristmas pillow ornaments) that I received from you.
www.cardsbydruth.blogspot.com

Donna

Donna G. said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Linda said...

Congrats on the fantastic new starts Sharon. I love both of them. Awesome gifts you sent.

Linda

Brigitte said...

Two great new starts. I love big projects very much, are so much fun to stitch although no fast rewards.
Lovely little pillows.

Justine said...

Love your new starts! You are making me want to start something new now...MUST BE STRONG!

CalamityJr said...

Cats, dogs - they all want attention when you want to stitch! Love your starts and gifts. I was especially happy to learn your experience with Artecy, as they have a design I think is becoming a must-have for me. Enjoy your time alone!

Faith... said...

You are making quick work on Haberdasher and it looks great. Can't wait to see Paris come to life.

Katie said...

Great new starts! Love the goodies you sent in the exchange. Donna is one lucky receiver.

Mii Stitch said...

I love your cute xmas ornaments!!! What a lovely gift.
Fantastic new starts too !

Angela said...

Lovely xmas ornaments and the Paris design looks wonderful :)

Jo who can't think of a clever nickname said...

Wow, smoking needles on the Cut Thru!

The Paris design is lovely and I do think gridding is going to help with this one too.

Donna's exchange is lovely, the ric-rac trim looks great. I would not have known it was your first time.