Cross Stitch Collection 249 and Cross Stitcher 292

Yesterday I went to town and bought my monthly fix of Suguru (my latest craze; first, there was Sudoku, then Kakuro, and now I`m addicted to Suguru). Anyway, while I was in W H Smith, I also purchased some stitchy magazines - it seems my pieces have somewhat flooded the market recently, rofl!

First up, issue 249 of Collection, a.k.a. Part 3 of the doll`s house:

Also, in the same issue there`s the Permin still life I stitched a while back:

As I say in the magazine (under the pseudonym `Our Stitcher`, lol), I love stitching still life because this is the closest I, devoid of all drawing talent, can get to producing a painting, and unlike seasonal or *shivers* cutesy things, these works of art look good on any wall, any time. Apparently, this is part of a larger design - pity I didn`t get the big picture, so to speak... I would`ve loved to stitch the whole lot! ;)

However, after this 27-hour project, I had another one to keep me busy for 18 - this gorgeous floral plate by Maria Diaz for issue 292 of Cross Stitcher:

I only have 2 progress pics - one `halfway through` and one `finished`... but at least both are badly lit, rofl! Thank you for stopping by, in a few days I`ll be back with my duckie in Gold 120, and then that`s my `market domination` over for another few months at least. At the moment, I`m working on a cushion but it`s hardly developed beyond the Fleeting Idea Stage and thus I don`t want to share... oh, and soon I`ll start a BAP for my parents for Christmas... but I won`t be able to share this, either, for obvious reasons. So please rest assured that I`m constantly stitching - and from time to time I`ll inundate you with photos, in between big gaps of silence. Happy stitching! :)

Twilleys of Stamford glasses cases

Good job I`ve reminded myself earlier today: I was so concentrating on the latest issue of WOCS that I almost forgot another two of my `debutantes`. I stitched these two funky glasses cases around last October... and, apparently, somebody else stitched matching bookmarks to go with them - I wonder why they were split between two stitchers like this? Anyway, I was in such a rush around that time last year that I never took pictures - probably just as well because they look so much better all made up and professionally photographed on Twilleys` website.

So here`s the link - and enjoy browsing the rest of their products too ;)

 Twilleys of Stamford

`Exotic Blooms`

`Jazzy Blooms`

The World of Cross Stitching 229

Although you wouldn`t know at first glance but the latest issue of WOCS is so `me` that it`s surprised even yours truly! ;) I`m not only talking about my own pieces in it, but the magazine as a whole - from the Dachshund on p. 13, featuring the Riolis kit I`d stitched a year or so ago for my Gran, to the model on p. 37 that I stitched for the Hen Fun kit for Bothy Threads. I also recognise model pieces or kits that friends of mine are/have been/will be stitching, oh and of course there are my Fathers` Day cars previewed from next month`s issue... However, I`d better stay with issue 229 for the noo, as it has not only one but TWO of my stitched pieces in it (cf. buses analogy).

So, the first one is a gorgeous cushion from Amanda Gregory. Now, you might remember that the only colour I don`t like is purple, so it says a lot about the design that despite its hues, I still like this cushion. It`s an interesting thing about model stitching, that it very often yanks you out of your comfort zone and you end up stitching - moreover, surprisingly, enjoying working on - designs that otherwise you wouldn`t have chosen for yourself. When picking my own, I`d go `too big, too small, too purple, too much backstitch, fractionals, French knots, yada yada`, but if it`s a commission, you just get on with it - and you`ll find the sense of accomplishment at the end is the same, maybe even greater.

Before my string of progress pics on this hydrangea, let me show you a close-up - if there`s ever been a project where BS made all the difference, eh? Love it! :)

And now the `short film`: pics taken every 5 hours, as usual, until all the cross stitch was done after 68, then another few hours backstitching (the picture was completed in 78 hours).

Hehe, did you notice how I delayed starting on the purples as long as I could? Tried to stick to the lovely shades of blue (my favourite colour) as long as possible, lol. ;) And if this wasn`t colourful enough, here`s the other end of the rainbow: a most cheerful, sunny cottage, á la Clarice Cliff, by Susan Bates - yet another project that I thoroughly enjoyed in-between two larger ones, so I`m afraid I don`t even have progress pics for this piece, only The Final One:

This project took 42 hours and was so much fun - if you`re feeling even just a teeny bit down, I`d recommend it as therapy: by the time you finish that great big sun alone, you`ll be smiling. ;)

And I love the orange frame they picked for it, as do I the finish on the hydrangea cushion - so all in all, a very good little issue from The World of Cross Stitching, I hope you`ll agree! :)

prodigal stitches

Well, I didn`t expect to have anything to report so soon but then earlier this week, some of my prodigal stitches have returned to me and I could not be happier! :D Lookee what Postie`s turned up with:

I am so thrilled to have these two back! I loved working on them and I also loved the way they were made up for the photo shoot. So now I`m going to find (or make) a cushion to fill Amanda Gregory`s bunny cushion cover (from Gold 109 - you can read more about how it was made here) and I also need to find a hoop big enough to frame the sunflowers the way you can see the picture in Gold 113. I have stitched quite a few Durene Jones designs (you can read my blog post about this sunflower picture here) and have enjoyed every one of them, from cards to BAPs, from bold colours to traditional Christmas charts - so it`s a special delight, and the perfect ending to this gift-filled week, that my Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/pages/Cross-Stitch-A-to-Z) got a Like from her - how awesome is that?? Every time I think of it, or look at my stitchy goodies, I can`t stop grinning - all in all, an unbelievably good week! ;) Happy stitching, everyone! 

doll`s house - Cross Stitch Collection 247-9

It seems the larger my projects are getting, the less frequently I visit my blog, not to mention others`. I`m currently working on a HAED for one of the magazines - which, as far as blogging is concerned, means I`ll see you again around... July? However, even though weeks go by between my posts, here`s my latest work recently published - an this one is a whopper too.

As you can see, it is also a Maria Diaz, and another 3-parter, like Santa`s Journey was back last year. What`s new this time is that Collection decided to use some of my 5-hourly progress photos; it was interesting to try and remember how I was getting on at certain stages now, months later, but I discovered I managed just fine. And I`m especially honored that they also put a wee piece in about me, the stitcher:

The 5-hourly photos are not in sequence - hence the slightly false impression that the ground floor can be completed in 30 hours... it took a bit longer than that, lol! The whole house took 170 hours, so I had 34 progress piccies by the time I finished - I thought I`d better string them together in a `movie` to save everyone some scrolling time ;)

However, I also have some close-ups that will not be featured in the magazine, so only the handful of people who still come and visit my stagnating blog will see them - a world premiere for all (both?) of my followers! So here`s the grand tour of the house, from room to room:

Thank you all who are still checking in here from time to time; as I said, I`m obsessively stitching, e.g. now a HAED, after which I want to start my own Starry Night - I love Van Gogh and bought this HAED chart over 3 years ago now, I think it`s time I did something with it. It`ll be nice when I can post progress pictures as and when I`m working on something! ;) Oh, and some pieces that I stitched last September are finally getting published in April, so I might see you sooner than I thought after all...?

Rapunzel - Cross Stitch Crazy 200

Happy New Year! I know it`s almost the end of January but this is my first blog post for 2015 - I know, they`re becoming increasingly few and far between. Even though I`m constantly crafting something, it`s either a surprise to someone or some official magazine thingy but the end result`s the same: I can`t post pictures until the recipient has got the prezzie or a publication is in the shops.

So in the past weeks (months?) I`ve knitted e.g. a jumper - but I`m pretty sure the owner of it wouldn`t like his picture all over the Internet -, and over Christmas I stitched a glasses case for my Mum for her birthday - but as she can`t see it before the end of February, I cannot post a piccie of that, either. However, as my parents have already received it, I can finally show you the Lucie Heaton cuckoo clock I stitched for them from issue 284 of Cross Stitcher:

I stretched it over a ready-made canvas I`d bought in an arts shop but as my Mom wants to put it in the kitchen, it`s still an ongoing project, now in my Uncle`s capable hands, who`ll box it in (probably with glass, he didn`t sound too keen on plexiglass) to protect it from greasy fumes.

I had another `emergency project` over the holidays: my adorable wee boy dreamt one night that his two favourite teddies have met and become friends with a green alien teddy - cue a trip to the shop to find the perfect shade of `alien green` yarn, and I had to knit this bear for him the very same day, following his instructions to the letter (hence the slightly "giraffesque" antennae):

And finally, the latest issue of Crazy is out and in it another Lucie Heaton design I stitched. I`m sure little girls all over the world will love this Tangled-themed picture - I certainly enjoyed stitching it!

See you again "soon" - hopefully, before the end of 2015, lol!

kitchen dresser - Collection 244

This issue of Collection has been in the shops for a while but in the run-up to Christmas I`m only having the time now to post some photos of the beautiful country-style kitchen dresser that Maria Diaz designed. Unfortunately, my brain is so fried after the past few hectic days of festive organising that I hardly know what I`m typing, so I`ll rather let the pictures do the talking - here they are, taken every 5 hours, as usual (I love how the building up of the blue bits formed the contours of the plates, etc. on the dresser):

And this is it all framed and beautifully accessorised in the magazine - how cute are these little heart ornies that are the exact replicas of the ones hanging on the dresser? :)

Even the distressed blue wood seems to be spot on! ;) Oh, and there`s little me again, saying all kinds of `clever` things... unfortunately, my answers have been cropped and re-organised in such a manner that I seem to make even less sense than usual, hehe.

Sorry about the poor photo quality but it`s partly due to the matt paper -
which , thankfully, Collection have promised to change back to the old, shiny type

Anyway, the `nightmarish` teeny-tiny backstitches I`m talking about are these:

But apart from the half hour I struggled with this bit, the whole project was a most enjoyable experience. As were ALL the projects I had the good fortune to stitch this year, come to think of it. So hoping that 2015 will bring loads more gorgeous stitching for all of us, I`d like to wish all of you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! :)

a true Christmas surprise

Something unexpected and simply wonderful has happened today: a courier turned up with a parcel from Cross Stitch Collection; it was massive big and I had no idea what was in it - then I saw and spent the next ten minutes running around the house, screaming, and the rest of the evening grinning like a Cheshire cat. Look what has returned to me! And just in time to be displayed for Christmas too - squeeeee! `Over the moon` would be an understatement! :)

Cross Stitch Crazy 198 - Happy New Year!

Oh, dear... it`s been a while again, hasn`t it? In my defence, I started to work on a mega-BAP around the middle of October and only just finished it today - so this one project covered pretty much my whole autumn. Next thing I know, we`re all concentrating on Christmas, buying cards and preparing for the school fair - where has this year gone?!? Oh, and just to top it all: the latest Crazy is in the shops now, including my New Year cards - yep, Hello, 2015! (Gosh, how weird is that to type??)

These 7 funky little cards were designed by Jody Rice of Satsuma Street fame - if you haven`t heard of her or haven`t seen her Etsy shop yet, you can find out more from this interview with Jody on cross-stitching-dot-com.

Talking of cards: remember how throughout the summer I was stitching Christmas designs? Now I`m working on Fathers` Day cards... is it any wonder that I never know what day of the week it is?!? :)

My usual badly lit photo...

... and how they appear in the magazine...

... all made up into pretty little cards :)

unexpected surprise I should`ve expected but didn`t

WOW! I got my complimentary copy of Collection 242 yesterday, with Part 2 of Santa`s Journey in it - to be honest, even getting the magazine was a surprise, I wasn`t sure how it worked (this being my first 3-parter), but the REAL surprise came when I opened it: there`s little me, stitching away happily, on page 10! Gob well and truly smacked...

Coincidentally, I`m working on another 3-parter at the moment, another Maria Diaz stunner - plus some smaller projects for Twilleys of Stamford and I also have a jumper commissioned so I`m knitting in the evenings... all the while making grandiose plans as to what else I`m going to be stitching and knitting for Christmas... never realising for a minute that in about a week it`s November. *sigh*

So if I`m even less communicative blogwise than usual, it`s because I`m busier than usual - but here`s a photo of my photo in the mag so you won`t forget what I look like:

Santa`s Journey - Cross Stitch Collection 241-243

Finally, the day has dawned (well, 2 days ago) when my favourite - and so far, largest - piece has been published, or to be more precise, its picture first appeared but the chart, due to its size, will be featured in 3 consecutive magazines, issues 241, 242 and 243 of Collection. But the first issue is in the shops now, so FINALLY I can show you the progress piccies (made into a "film") that I took every 5 hours while I was working on this BAP back in June. (I`d like to grab the opportunity and congratulate those among you who were observant enough to notice: yes, I did spend my whole Spring and Summer stitching Christmas pieces, lol!).

It doesn`t happen too often that you fall in love with a project so much that even though you`re looking forward to seeing it finished, at the same time you don`t want it to end. This lovely design by Maria Diaz is like the illustration from a picture book; it tells a story and, from a stitcher`s point of view, it means that you can work on mini-pictures within the picture, so it never gets boring for a minute... and then one day you realise that there`s no more detail to add, it`s complete (a bittersweet moment!). When I wanted to see the windows on a house properly, I did the backstitch. When I realised I couldn`t continue the BS because I`ve run out of finished XS, I did a bit more snow that connected the next mini-picture to this one. When I got bored of stitching with just white, I added another wee scene, and so on, and so on. I hope a lot of people will stitch it because not only is it a totally enjoyable piece to work on, but also something you can bring out every year - especially if there are young children in the house: I wonder how many will try to read the names on that list that Santa`s checking - as we all know, twice! ;)

Cross Stitch Card Shop 98 - pets in stockings

As of from today, the latest issue of Card Shop is available, and in it are the pets-in-stockings cards I stitched, designed by Debra Page. This set of 6 took me a surprising 90 hours - I don`t know about you, but I`d really, REALLY have to like that pet owner friend of mine to spend 15 hours on stitching just a card for them, on top of giving them a `proper` present! But I might be just too "bah humbug" ;) 

Anyway, I wanted to ask your opinion because it may be just my eyes playing tricks on me (after all, it wouldn`t be too surprising after all the hours I spend stitching, lol). Don`t you guys think that the photos in these magazines are getting brighter and brighter? Maybe they have to be so strongly lit in order to show off beads or metallic threads, I don`t know, but I`ve noticed that there`s a huge difference between how I remember the colours of a certain project and how they appear in the mag... lol, or it might be due to my awful photography skills? ;) I`ll let you decide!

Lovely backstitch detail - what a difference it can make, right?

Guinea pigs in stockings :)

Next up: puppy dogs :)

Mixed message: Easter bunnies in Christmas stockings, lol!

That`s all six cards done ;)

And how they appeared in the magazine. Is it just me or are they a bit `bleached`?

Cross Stitch Gold 114

Finally, after stitching Christmas pieces from about March till July, the first ones are starting to appear in the magazines - yay! So much so that there`s an instant double whammy in the shops just now, in the shape of Gold 114, with my little snowman on the cover and my fairy inside. :)

 

The snow globe was designed by Durene Jones, as you probably guessed from the snowman`s distinctive carrot nose. ;) It took me 81 hours to stitch (back in May, lol!) - a bit longer than you might expect for a picture that has nice big chunks of colour - but there was some fiddly fractionals around the letters, backstitch and beads. In other words, a thoroughly enjoyable project that never got boring for a single second! ;)

My finished version looked like this:

And in the mag they opted for the hoop frame that`s so trendy these days:

Next came (well, in July, just before going on my summer holiday) the Christmas fairy by my favourite designer, Maria Diaz. There is such a Victorian elegance to this piece, don`t you think?

I have to confess that of all the colours, purple is the only one I don`t like - yet the baubles seem to work  in this picture somehow, so much so that I`d probably have opted for a purplish frame (but I guess they wanted to match it to the fairy`s poinsettia-like dress, not to mention that red is more traditionally associated with Christmas). As usual with Maria`s designs, there`s a stunning attention to detail, from the golden thread on the baubles to the fairy dust around the wand as she`s lighting the candle, to the background worked with two shades of moss green (cross stitch in one strand for added depth). This picture also took 80 hours to complete and I have a few progress photos to share - thank you for visiting and happy stitching to all of you! :)

First stage: the poinsettia dress :)

What I lovingly called "the haemorrhoid stage" ;)

The situation was getting even more kinky as my fairy got two balls :O

Then her hollow eye sockets started the freak me out so I stitched the details of her face :)

I plodded on with the background greenery...

And, finally, after 80 hours, she was completed :)

sunflowers with a twist

Contrary to what I`d planned, in the end I didn`t have any time left to write another post before going on holiday, so I`m catching up now that we`re back (after 4 awesome weeks in Hungary... but I won`t bore you with details, it`s sufficient to say, again, that the holiday was AWESOME!). After arriving home last night, I found some lovely stitchy magazines piled up on the carpet, and the first one I opened was issue 113 of Gold, with Durene Jones` sunflowers on the cover. Although the colour palette is not one I`d have chosen if I had been to pick a picture for myself, yet I loved this project for its technical merits: it only uses a few colours, it grows pretty quickly and the beads add a nice change to the usual finishing touches. 

I hope you`ve all had a lovely summer, happy stitching!

In the beginning, there was the Venetian mask...

But in a few short hours, it turned into Sunflowers at Dusk

I love the finish: framed in a hoop - cute!