Hardanger and Beads

Here's my latest stitching, I started this yesterday. I'm not sure the photo's are showing the right colours. This will be made into a Lavender Bag, the pattern is by Jill Carter from her book Hardanger Embroidery. The fabric is hand dyed by Polstitches (from one of her grab bags, so it wasn't labelled), and I have used DMC Perle threads. I'm going to do a beaded picot edge along the top. I just love these beads, I bought them at the NEC last year because I liked them. I had no idea what I was going to use them for. I photographed them on the fabric, but you can't get the full effect from the photo. (you can click on these photo's to see a bigger pic). They are iridescent and give off a hint of gold, pink and blue. I'm going to fill this with my home grown lavender (last years) and give it to a friend. I hope she likes it.

If anyone has any hints on posting pictures, I seem to have developed problems with this lately, and often the preview looks fine, but once published it looks different. I didn't seem to have any problems with the old version of Blogger.

A post without pictures

I think this is my first ever post without pictures. I've had a really busy week, and believe it or not I haven't picked up a needle all week, well until tonight. I only stitched for less than an hour tonight, and I probably spent more time frogging, so I gave up. I posted my first SBEBB exchange today, but I have a few more exchanges lined up, so I need to plan ahead for those, as I think I have three mailing dates close together. I found it hard knowing what extras to put in, so hope I've done OK. And wouldn't you know it, I get all my gifts ready to photograph, turn the camera on, and it shuts down as the batteries had run out, so I had to wait for them to charge up a little before I could take my photo's and get to the Post Office. I hope to get a picture up soon of what I was stitching the previous week, and I've ordered some more of the same thread, as I want to make some more accessories to go with it. All will be revealed soon. Stay tuned, and a very big thank you to everyone who visits, and an even bigger one to those who leave comments.

Round Robin Time Again

Well the next Round Robin arrived on Friday morning, another fun design, I finished my part last weekend, and here's a pic.

I chose to stitch the top picture, being mum to two teenagers, I'm sure I use this saying.

Forgive the shadows on the photo's, and as for Blog layout, well I'm having loads of problems with this today.

More Just Nan

So these are the Just Nan designs I decided to stitch. The WhimZi Rose, which is a freebie currently available from the Just Nan website. I used DMC Rayon, instead of the Trebizond which the pattern called for. I love the way it turned out. I did alter the pattern slightly (well I made a small mistake, so rather than frog).

The other design is Joyous Ark, (picture is a little blurred) which I had amongst the huge pile of Just Nan charts I need to stitch. I love Christmas designs, and I used to really like Noahs Ark designs, but I think that like has gone! I'm not really sure on this one, but I'll make it into a Bellpull and it will come out at Christmas. I also received this months Round Robin, which I stitched over the weekend, I'll blog that another day. And I've started work on a new chart, it's a Nashville 2007 release, but more of that another day. Oops, nearly forgot, so much for getting down the Just Nan's, I went and bought another. Oh well, gotta go and stitch.

Jasmine Mix finished

Well, as you can see, I finished the companion piece to Wintry Mix. This uses the same colours as Wintry Mix. For some reason I didn't enjoy stitching this as much as Wintry Mix, but have no idea why. The flower charm is really pretty, and is double sided, the other side looks totally different, and it was difficult to choose which side to use as the right side. In the end I went for this side, as it's not quite as bright and shiny as the other side.
Now, what shall I stitch next? I'm a bit undecided. I may go back to the HAED I started a couple of weeks ago (I've not taken a pic of that yet). Or I mayb go back to the Love Sampler by Sweetheart Tree. I'm also leaning towards another Just Nan (Wildflower Wishes), as I counted up that I have over 70 JN charts, and I really need to reduce them. Although I also have my eye on a few of her new one's. Now how many stitching years do I have left on this earth?
Hoping you're all having a nice Easter weekend. Are you busy stitching? I'm decorating!

A busy weekend!

I stitched this over the weekend. It was lovely to stitch, I started it on Saturday, and finished it on Sunday. The design is Wintry Mix by Just Nan. I was unsure about adding the Snowflake charm, but went for it anyway, but it is just as pretty without. I have now started on the companion piece called Jasmine Mix.