Weekend in Paris progress February 3, 2010
Posted by Jo Alcock in Cross stitching.Tags: weekend in paris
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Weekend in Paris progress on 31st Jan 2010
I’ve been continuing to work on Weekend in Paris throughout all of January – I managed to do some most evenings.
It was pretty slow progress, there were a lot of confetti stitches spread out everywhere so I had to keep checking and double checking the chart, and there were many different colour and strand varients (for example, the cream background included some 1 strand, 2 strand, and 3 strand half-stitches, as well as some combinations such as cream and gold). However, it all came together nicely over last week and I finished the half stitches on Sunday (31st Jan).
I just need to do the backstitching now, oh and some couching too which I’ve never done before – wish me luck!
Happy New Year! January 2, 2010
Posted by Jo Alcock in Cross stitching, General.Tags: weekend in paris
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I’m a bit behind, but it’s only January 2nd and yesterday I was having a lazy day with visitors and crafting. 
I had a lovely Christmas, and have really enjoyed having some free time without feeling guilty about not working. This week I’ve been mainly at home, and have been working on a cross stitch which I had initially hoped to complete by Christmas. As it was I hardly managed to start it, so I’m working hard on it to get it to the recipient ASAP (she did have another little gift but I really hope she’ll like the cross stitch).
It’s the Dimensions Weekend in Paris kit, which I actually bought in the States earlier this year. I wanted to do a smaller Gold Collection piece before I start my Regal Tiger, and spotted this which made me immediately think of a friend. I’ve bought a frame too, so I just need to get on with the stitching!
I’m enjoying stitching it – as with the previous Dimensions kit I did, it makes use of combined colours, and this one has a wide variety of different numbers of threads and lots of half stitch too. It’s beginning to take shape now – I’ve completed all the whole cross stitches so now have all the background to do which is half stitch, and the backstitch. This is it so far (apologies for the ring marks, I’ve been using a small hoop to keep tension):
Weekend in Paris - 2 Jan 2010
As it’s the new year, a number of crafters have been making resolutions. I’m not going to make any specific resolutions, but I would like to continue stitching this year (it may be difficult when my MSc dissertation is in progress but I’d like to continue if possible), and I’d like to start Regal Tiger at some point this year. I’m also going to try to finish the current kits I have before buying any more – I have 2 lovely kits which I received for Christmas, and a Tatty Teddy kit to do which I haven’t started yet.
Here’s to a happy and healthy 2010 with lots of time for stitching! 
Debbie Mumm cross stitch kits December 23, 2009
Posted by Jo Alcock in Cross stitching.Tags: debbie mumm, penguin, snowmen
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I bought a couple of Debbie Mumm Christmas cross stitch kits a while ago from Sew and So. Unfortunately, one of the glass frames arrived broken but Sew and So were fantastic and sent a replacement straight away. They mentioned that it is a notorious problem so I don’t know if they will stock these again – a shame really but I can see why, the packaging is nowhere near protective enough for posting.
Anyway, back to the kits. I saw these all in one kits which include eveything you need – thread, aida, needle, and frame – and thought they’d be a great idea for Christmas gifts. I bought two – one snowman design, and one penguin design. I’ll probably actually keep the penguin one as I adore penguins and it’s really cute!
I used a scroll frame for the first time on the snowman one, and it certainly helped keep the fabric tight but I did find that my thread holding it to the scroll came undone so I’ll have to secure it a lot more firmly next time. The majority of the design was worked in one thread, which was very fiddly and meant it was more difficult to secure the threads (I couldn’t do the loop method as that only works for designs which need two threads). For such a small piece it took me a long time to complete, although I was doing it on and off in between other pieces. The frame is really easy to make, and thankfully the snowmen matched up to the spaces in the frame. Here’s the finished framed piece, and a close up of one of the snowmen:
Debbie Mumm design - snowmen
Debbie Mumm design - snowman close up
The other Debbie Mumm design (the penguin) was a far simply stitch – it is just one penguin on a small piece of aida using two strands (apart from the backgrounds which uses one strand) and only took me a few evenings and a weekend day. The backstitch on these designs really makes them stand out – it adds some much needed detail. I really like the frame that the penguin is in too, and again it was easy to make. Here’s the completed piece and a close up – just need to decide what to do with him now!
Debbie Mumm design - penguin
Debbie Mumm design - penguin close up
Cute as a button December 22, 2009
Posted by Jo Alcock in Cross stitching.Tags: christmas, reindeer
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I found out about this great little kit from a craft forum I am a member of, Crafts’n'Creatures. It was a free gift from one of the December cross stitch magazines so I nipped to my local newsagents (hadn’t realised before but they do most of the craft magazines there!) and managed to get a copy. I worked on it quite a lot that day and in the following evenings, it didn’t take me long to finish this one at all.
Cute as a button
Cute as a button close up
I’m not sure what to do with this stitch – it’s a bit too big to go on a card so I might try and get a frame for it and keep it as a Christmas decoration – it’s too late to frame it as a gift now really. Was really impressed with this free gift though, and love the cute little button nose!
Christmas cards 2009 December 21, 2009
Posted by Jo Alcock in Card Making, Cross stitching, Papercrafts.Tags: christmas, Cross stitching, decoupage
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It’s been a while since my last post, and seems like a heck of a lot longer. It’s been a tough few weeks in my personal life and I’ve been crafting periodically which has helped take my mind off things a little. I’ve been working mainly on Christmas projects and have finished most of them in the last couple of week (good job really seeing as it’s Christmas in a few days!).
I’ve been working on both Christmas cards and a couple of gifts, but rather than do one epic blog post I’ll separate them out.
For Christmas cards this year I did a few stitched ones which I’ve been working on bit by bit throughout the year – seemed a little strange to be stitching Santa back in February but I had the threads and the patterns so why not?! I managed to make another 4 cards on top of the one I made last year.
Christmas bear card - Christmas 2008
Santa card - Christmas 2009
I enjoyed making these cards but they are very time consuming for the size. There are lots of different shades so I think that might be why they took so long. I like the sky blue aida used for the background – it really makes the snow stand out (although isn’t captured very well in the photos unfortunately).
I also decided to do some 3D decoupage cards seeing as the cross stitching ones take so long to make. I bought some Raymond Briggs’ Snowman decoupage sheets a while back from our local garden centre and have been gradually making them up and adding them to the cards. I’ve sent most of them out now but managed to get a few photos before I posted them all, here are a selection:
Snowman cards
It’s the first time I’ve done decoupage and it was a bit of a learning process – initially the craft pads I was using were far too high for the multiple layers and the white foam wasn’t ideal when doing tiny bits as you could easily see it. In the end I settled on some 1mm thick clear glue pads, which were really easy to use and can also be used to attach crafts to greetings cards. Here’s a close up of one of my favourites:
Snowman 3D decoupage card
I love the way these cards pop out at you and they’re really easy to make. I can certainly see why decoupage seems to be popular for quick greetings cards, it’s really effective and doesn’t take much time at all.
Winnie the Pooh sampler – completed! November 11, 2009
Posted by Jo Alcock in Cross stitching.Tags: birthsampler
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I finished the Winnie the Pooh birth sampler a couple of weeks ago, and now I’ve also framed it. I did it in the evening so you can’t see too clearly unfortunately, but here’s the finished piece framed:
Winnie the Pooh birth sampler framed
Winnie the Pooh birth sampler framed
I’ve also now had the opportunity to give the gift to my friend, who I’m pleased to say absolutely loved it! This is the first piece of cross stitching (other than greetings cards) I have given to anyone else, and I was a little nervous at how it would be received but she really liked it so it makes all the hard work worthwhile. She asked how long it had taken me and seemed really surprised when I told her, although I know I was really surprised when I started stitching just how long it takes. The father of the baby liked it too, although he did say I was cheating when I told him it was a kit and I hadn’t designed it myself!
I’ve been working on some Christmas stitching recently, but I won’t post on here as the recipients may see it.
Birth sampler – almost finished October 12, 2009
Posted by Jo Alcock in Cross stitching.Tags: birthsampler, classicpooh
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I finally took the plunge and did the lettering for the Classic Pooh birth sampler over the weekend. I did the French Knots too so Pooh and Piglet have eyes now! All the backstitch is complete, I just need to do the border and get a frame for it. Here’s what it looks like now, quite pleased with how the lettering has turned out.
New kits from USA October 8, 2009
Posted by Jo Alcock in Cross stitching.Tags: regal tiger
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When I was over in the States last month I visited a craft store (Michael’s) and picked up some cross stitching bargains. There wasn’t a massive selection and many of the kits are the same as those available in the UK but with one major difference – price!
They’re so much cheaper in the US, I was amazed. I’ve been eyeing up the Regal Tiger from Dimensions Gold Collection and it was in the store for such an amazing price I just had to get it. I also got a smaller one from the same range, Weekend in Paris, to familiarize myself with the charts etc. The Regal Tiger is a large kit and will take me a good few months but I’ve got a few other project I need to do first. I can’t wait to start doing it though, I’ve been admiring it for ages!
So now when I go to the States I’ll have to stock up on craft supplies as well as cosmetics, as they’re the things I’ve found most price difference with. There’s so much crafting stuff over there too – scrapbooking seems massive in the US.
Birth sampler progress October 6, 2009
Posted by Jo Alcock in Cross stitching.Tags: birthsampler
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I haven’t blogged for a while – I’ve been too busy stitching!
I finished the cross stitching on the birth sampler last week and worked on the backstitch over the weekend. In the past I’ve said I don’t mind the backstitch but this one has driven me mad. There’s quite a lot of back stitch and hardly any of it goes nicely to the corner of the stitch. I don’t mind it so much but I keep getting lost on my chart and it seems to take me ages to find where the next stitch should go. At first I didn’t like the backstitch as it seemed to go too far out from the stitches, but now that I’m almost finished I can see why and it really does look more like a picture than a pixelated cross stitch.
I still need to do the lettering, which I’m a bit anxious about as I haven’t ever done my own lettering, and then I just have the border to do and a frame to find for it (oh, and Winnie and Piglet’s eyes!). I’m hoping I’ll finish it later this week, so in a couple of weeks time hopefully it will be all framed and ready to give to my friend. I’m planning to see my friend at the beginning of November so hopefully it will be ready in plenty of time!
Here’s the progress so far:
Progress on 6th Oct
Winnie the Pooh birth sampler September 19, 2009
Posted by Jo Alcock in Cross stitching.Tags: birthsampler, winnie
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A good friend of mine had her first baby earlier this year. I sent some Baby blooms while she was in hospital but I thought it would be nice to make a cross stitch birth sampler for her.
I’ve been over to the States recently on holiday (more on that in the next post), and started the birth sampler just before I left. I was hoping to take it on the flight with me but there seemed to be mixed experiences with stitching on flights from cross stitching forums. I bought a DMC thread cutter (instead of taking scissors) and decided to be upfront and ask when I checked in (so that I could pack it in my case if I couldn’t take it on the flight). The check in staff weren’t sure so phoned security who said it was fine. Thankfully I had no problems through security and was able to stitch on the flight.
I didn’t do much stitching while I was away but I did get chance to do some, and I’ve been doing it in the evening since I’ve been back too.
It’s an Anchor kit which I ordered from Sew and So (strongly recommended for UK stitchers, very good value and really quick delivery). It’s a fairly simple kit to do, although I didn’t realise you’re only supposed to use one thread for this and I’m used to using two so I’ve run out of a couple of colours. Our local garden centre sells individual skeins though so I’ll hopefully be able to get some more to finish it. I’ve still got a fair bit of stitching to do and there’s a lot of backstitch on this kit but hopefully I can finish in the next few weeks as I hope to visit my friend and her son soon.
