Round Robin - Round 4

This is Round 4 of the round robin. This one belongs to Clare. Isn't it lovely. I completed this a couple of weeks ago, and just realised I'd not posted a pic. I met Clare and Colette, who are also in the Round Robin, a couple of weeks ago, at a stitchy meet up in Nuneaton. I took DD with me, and we made a girly weekend of it. We stayed over in a Travelodge, and then 5 hours retail therapy at Meadowhall on the way home. Here's a pic of some who attended the meet up.

It's big

Well this map has been on this frame for years, more years than I care to admit. I bought this map as a kit in 1990, but I didn't start it straight away. Then when I came to stitch it, I found the fabric too big to handle, so I bought a large (huge) floor-standing frame. The map is of The Three Ridings of Yorkshire. I started with East Yorkshire, and this took me 2 weeks to stitch, then the rest took many years, and since finishing it more that 3 years ago, it has remained on this frame. I've finally taken it off, and it needs a good wash, and then I need to get it framed, I expect it to be expensive!

Now to this, this had got too big to use a 17" x 17" clip frame, and I want to get more beads on it, which I could not do using the clip frame, so here we are. Some of you may recognise it as Mystery IX. I was up to Part 9 when I decided I couldn't handle it any more. I've been working on it today, and I'm pleased with my progress. Although this pic just shows where I was at when I put it on the frame. To give you an idea of size, the frame is 40", and the stitching measures just over 12" square.

ABC exchange received

I received a wonderful needle case from Satomi, all the way from Japan. This was my first exchange in SBEBB. I was so pleased. Satomi stitched over one, and put both our names on the back. She also inculded some wonderful pins-I'm in love with these, and a card case (for my credit cards)-how did she know. This postman had tried to deliver this on Tuesday, and because there was no one home, he had taken it to the Post Office, and I had to collect it. I went on Wednesday, after work, only to find they close at 4pm, and it was twenty past, however the counter clerks were still there, and were very kind and got my parcel for me. I don't know if I could have waited another day. This is the first time I've had to go to the actual Post Office, other times I've just collected from the depot. It must be a new thing.

My first SBEBB exchange arrived

Here's the photo's I took before it went in the post. It's my first pinkeep, although I just made it the same as the Christmas ornaments I do, but without a hanger. I went through agonies with this. I stitched it in plenty of time, and it was going to be a needlecase, then I kept changing my mind. Then I decided there wasn't much to the alphabet, and maybe I should stitch a different design, but that meant finding something else, and deciding what to do with it, and toning fabric etc. There's not a lot of choice where I live, so I then decided to stick with my original idea, then I changed again to a pinkeep. Then I found there was not a lot of choice of pins locally, so had to go with pearl, the pink one's where just to pink. And other colours were nowhere near. LOL
Anyway this is the reverse.
And this is the photo with the extras, another difficult decision.

I sent my exchange to Tessa of Ladybird Lane. The exchange was an ABC exchange, we had to stitch something with the full alphabet, and this design is by Mary Scott (Millpond Designs). I stitched it on 32 count hand dyed fabric by Polstitches. I now need to make decisions and plans for my next exchange.