tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-45443771610713183192024-02-07T12:39:51.626-08:00Thousands of Xs...River Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03146308437000006070noreply@blogger.comBlogger135125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4544377161071318319.post-31075478115938575492021-02-08T17:54:00.001-08:002021-02-08T17:54:46.385-08:00Delft Unexpected Visitors - A Finish!<p> The last post on this blog was quite a while ago! It was also a picture of the back of this piece that is now finished -- a Christmas 2020 gift that felt quite appropriate!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS3rBXEWDJ1HFV6CBbhWtkrklWIuwDxtDQB42MYi4C8qS2pA2EM1lAQqMPCrv1hvfNdU8mXqdMDP-XE7YVSCc-8sa5URRJ1QdejPt8GHc21i9UEfL5TVWBA01uI8yZrhC2Oo_g_hmt_mU/s4608/SAM_9863+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4608" data-original-width="3456" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS3rBXEWDJ1HFV6CBbhWtkrklWIuwDxtDQB42MYi4C8qS2pA2EM1lAQqMPCrv1hvfNdU8mXqdMDP-XE7YVSCc-8sa5URRJ1QdejPt8GHc21i9UEfL5TVWBA01uI8yZrhC2Oo_g_hmt_mU/w480-h640/SAM_9863+%25282%2529.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><p>This is Night Spirit Studio's '<a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/727599982/unexpected-visitors-holiday-alien?ga_search_query=visitors&ref=shop_items_search_1&pro=1" target="_blank">Unexpected Visitors</a>'. I was inspired to do the Delft/willow pattern colouring thanks to <a href="https://calamityware.com/" target="_blank">Calamity Ware</a>'s fun take on the usual floral patterns (we're big fans of Calamity Ware in our house). I think it came out quite well, though it took several tries to get the colours just the way I wanted them to look.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2SkKYaNcujikZrQQRWXYOWBv6F_04wfS8VlHdbnNtYGqX69ED6P7svYKCDnxZ0r1H7GdwimvvMV_F6ae1Zbh8o9FXVrZznOzSJSSjx9CxpKXFH-PU2H7XtTQtcu-cVIhIP0GrysPgxVg/s4608/SAM_9968+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2SkKYaNcujikZrQQRWXYOWBv6F_04wfS8VlHdbnNtYGqX69ED6P7svYKCDnxZ0r1H7GdwimvvMV_F6ae1Zbh8o9FXVrZznOzSJSSjx9CxpKXFH-PU2H7XtTQtcu-cVIhIP0GrysPgxVg/w640-h480/SAM_9968+%25282%2529.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p>I didn't reinvent the wheel: I found a <a href="https://www.123stitch.com/item/Joan-Elliott-Designs-Blue-Delft-Sampler-Cross-Stitch-Pattern/JE012" target="_blank">Joan Elliott piece in Delft colours</a> that I liked, and used floss from that piece. The difficult part really lay in deciding which sections got which colours to make it look right, rather than all sort of blending into each other. The fence, for instance, was originally one of the lightest blues in the bunch, with a darker field behind it. But paired with the white fabric, the fence basically disappeared so it got pulled out and the colours reversed.<br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw1w2EIg58R7u4fCG-01pMA8RuTcJrYDfO957C8gYg0wZpNk8WvJrkz5hDVAV91RDham6fPV-DLKmT3DWL8KGj3HgaEjrZ0g9Ir9F3hvMF4_TkHksIuUsWP7pcEEQ_FRHg301MoQAIWZc/s4608/SAM_9963+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4608" data-original-width="2656" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw1w2EIg58R7u4fCG-01pMA8RuTcJrYDfO957C8gYg0wZpNk8WvJrkz5hDVAV91RDham6fPV-DLKmT3DWL8KGj3HgaEjrZ0g9Ir9F3hvMF4_TkHksIuUsWP7pcEEQ_FRHg301MoQAIWZc/w368-h640/SAM_9963+%25282%2529.JPG" width="368" /></a></div><br /><p>The only thing I did change from the original floss list was the addition of that bright, nearly neon blue that I used for the tractor beam and flames. It's a break from traditional Delft, but it does look so nice!</p><p>This is finished as a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7zOgDQlkKUk&t=1894s" target="_blank">mounted flatfold</a>. I had never done one before this piece, and I'm just over the moon at how nice it looks when finished. One note: I did not use tacky glue on this piece. I couldn't find any in the stores in the month or so leading up to December, so I used permanent iron-on adhesive found at Hobby Lobby on the squares covered in dark cloth, used school glue to get the folded corners to also lay flat (and to attach the ribbon on the base), then sewed the finished cross stitch down onto the front square. <br /></p><p>There's another piece in the works that would go with this one, that I'm hoping to finish as a mounted flatfold as well. That'll be on the blog as well here soon! I've been really busy on my second (now main) blog & the associated Facebook page for the holidays, so it's nice to get back onto the original stitchy blog now and again. <span data-offset-key="6ba5d-0-0"><span data-text="true">😄</span></span></p><p><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><u><b>Floss list:</b></u></span></span><br /></p><div class="bi6gxh9e"><span class="d2edcug0 hpfvmrgz qv66sw1b c1et5uql rrkovp55 jq4qci2q a3bd9o3v knj5qynh oo9gr5id">996 -- Fire, Tractor Beam, & anything that was red in the original pattern (except the barn)<br /><br />UFO, Outer Border -- 336<br />Inner Border (surrounding the flowers) -- 312<br />Palest Inner Border & Snowflakes -- 3755<br />Flowers -- 3755 & 996; filled in the 'white' spaces w 3756<br /><br /><span style="color: #741b47;">Smallest House</span> (on the far left as you look at the piece)<br />Walls -- 3325<br />Roof & Windows -- 312<br />Hill -- 334</span></div><div class="bi6gxh9e"><span class="d2edcug0 hpfvmrgz qv66sw1b c1et5uql rrkovp55 jq4qci2q a3bd9o3v knj5qynh oo9gr5id"><br /></span></div><div class="bi6gxh9e"><span class="d2edcug0 hpfvmrgz qv66sw1b c1et5uql rrkovp55 jq4qci2q a3bd9o3v knj5qynh oo9gr5id"></span></div><div class="bi6gxh9e"><span class="d2edcug0 hpfvmrgz qv66sw1b c1et5uql rrkovp55 jq4qci2q a3bd9o3v knj5qynh oo9gr5id"><span style="color: #a64d79;"><span style="color: #741b47;">Barn</span> </span>(middle building, not on fire)<br />Walls -- 312<br />Window & Door -- 336<br />Edges (Roof/Door trim) -- 3841<br />Quilt Square (design above door) -- 3841 & 334<br />Field & Fence -- 3841, 334<br /><br /></span></div><div class="bi6gxh9e"><span class="d2edcug0 hpfvmrgz qv66sw1b c1et5uql rrkovp55 jq4qci2q a3bd9o3v knj5qynh oo9gr5id"><span style="color: #741b47;">Largest House</span> (on the far right as you look at the piece, large flames)<br />Walls -- 312<br />Windows & Door -- 3841 (trim), 312 (panes, doorway) <br />Roof -- 334<br />Hill -- 3325<br />Pavers/Steps on the hill -- 334<br /><br />In total, all colours needed: 312, 334, 336, 996, 3325, 3755, 3841.<br />I
didn't stitch the final three rows of the outermost border, which would
add a row of 996 & two of 336 if you wanted to add them.</span></div>River Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03146308437000006070noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4544377161071318319.post-52775522832243815722020-08-14T10:00:00.001-07:002020-08-14T10:00:08.545-07:00A UFO<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg02JZb-8dNA7BoFsSjQU5Kb618swa-GniLKSYK3VfLiuiFymwRddPMv7QQwqzzbglhUaKgC6XouLSYZhylpYygKd23Uc14hYuB2Sq1Zv_J5QN6hnrs4cYKYhIjo-uwabo9Zt8lAMptXBY/s3857/SAM_9826+%25283%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2893" data-original-width="3857" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg02JZb-8dNA7BoFsSjQU5Kb618swa-GniLKSYK3VfLiuiFymwRddPMv7QQwqzzbglhUaKgC6XouLSYZhylpYygKd23Uc14hYuB2Sq1Zv_J5QN6hnrs4cYKYhIjo-uwabo9Zt8lAMptXBY/s640/SAM_9826+%25283%2529.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><p> </p>River Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03146308437000006070noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4544377161071318319.post-20341857025971448202020-08-12T16:34:00.002-07:002020-08-12T16:34:11.153-07:00Return of the Big Mistake<p> I did it again -- stitched a square without the border done first, and oh boy did that turn out great *last* time!</p><p>One stitch off. Again.</p><p>Just like with the phoenix square, I made a tiny mistake on one part of the border, and hadn't finished stitching the box itself. Which meant all I had to go off of was a bad border. And put my whole satyr square down one row, where it will now collide with the bottom border when I stitch it in.</p><p><br /></p><p>Siiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiigggggggggggghhhhhhhh..................</p><p><br /></p><p>So, that's why there's been a pause on the updates for now. The entire square is completely finished, but it's all got to come out. If I leave it, I'd need to move everything else from this square on, down by one stitch, which would mean needing to mess around with the interior borders to make sure everything matches -- and it's really obvious that September's and October's squares are a bit wider in the mock up I made in Excel. So. I'm just going to have to rip it out.</p><p><br /></p><p>We'll see it again when it's ready, I suppose!<br /></p>River Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03146308437000006070noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4544377161071318319.post-39921947930397545802020-07-22T10:00:00.001-07:002020-07-27T21:19:46.361-07:00Rays of the Sun<div>Here at last are the unicorns for August!</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJclhRtiw0R5tmRHPEi608IZ2UtcHi8E9xQlqhRhGXM7QpmdBTW4dnrKIw1axetJGOdpcUOezgqp4d6upOVfuAYSoChH4bd6C5tXIMVBtIovggip_ZD34pl3d3bcLYOVETdfK9jvacGjI/s4608/SAM_9692+%25282%2529.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4608" data-original-width="3456" height="625" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJclhRtiw0R5tmRHPEi608IZ2UtcHi8E9xQlqhRhGXM7QpmdBTW4dnrKIw1axetJGOdpcUOezgqp4d6upOVfuAYSoChH4bd6C5tXIMVBtIovggip_ZD34pl3d3bcLYOVETdfK9jvacGjI/w469-h625/SAM_9692+%25282%2529.JPG" width="469" /></a></div><div>I realized I hadn't explained why I'd changed this square the way I did. This square originally has a rainbow, and puffy white clouds, but when I saw those clouds, I immediately thought of The Magic of Pegasus.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtDljNV1PIgwxrhnO8fUQxzfn81d1JhYbm2-shM3Oy9PnvHmantmjOl5renNkEHptNse1szYGCmMEmnStK60eo8FCZwC8CLEcNz_ijzI3TwqE-pcahG7SppKTx2DDqZyAgYzMKoXjOBCo/s4608/SAM_9689+%25282%2529.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4608" data-original-width="3456" height="625" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtDljNV1PIgwxrhnO8fUQxzfn81d1JhYbm2-shM3Oy9PnvHmantmjOl5renNkEHptNse1szYGCmMEmnStK60eo8FCZwC8CLEcNz_ijzI3TwqE-pcahG7SppKTx2DDqZyAgYzMKoXjOBCo/w469-h625/SAM_9689+%25282%2529.JPG" width="469" /></a></div><div></div><div>Yep, the Barbie movie. There's a sequence midway through in a cloud castle where three girls ride different coloured pegasus (pegasi?) to colour the clouds in for sunset. Each of the pegasus' bodies are a different colour to match the colour they turn the clouds every sunrise and sunset, and I really wanted to mimic that look with this square!</div><div><br /></div><div>Hence the setting sun, throwing off rays in the upper corner instead of a rainbow, and the colour changes. I'm really quite happy with the colours for the top unicorn! Time will tell if I ever really like the lower unicorn, though....</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw2e1ageO0-YXqXAshXiN1p6VUH5cU_hfxsPVaiji9EnTiVzsCfbftAuYJjoc2n1-HilIB18kBH59-ERS5WD3J8b5nCMG-9ksXXJGUXqmfpj0ixPETQCfLmZDhuA6wWj1wS65gu1OR1P8/s4608/SAM_9691+%25282%2529.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4608" data-original-width="3456" height="625" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw2e1ageO0-YXqXAshXiN1p6VUH5cU_hfxsPVaiji9EnTiVzsCfbftAuYJjoc2n1-HilIB18kBH59-ERS5WD3J8b5nCMG-9ksXXJGUXqmfpj0ixPETQCfLmZDhuA6wWj1wS65gu1OR1P8/w469-h625/SAM_9691+%25282%2529.JPG" width="469" /></a></div></div><div>I've gotten a bit of a start on the next square already. Lots of little additions to that one to come!<br /></div>River Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03146308437000006070noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4544377161071318319.post-4802951697655061502020-07-19T10:00:00.000-07:002020-07-19T10:00:11.403-07:00Patronus Finish!<div>I've got a finish!</div><div><br /></div><div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPsGQcxR62xbJOVCOOcqCZjq6kvyxP0M-IjQT7QXSGkcR_Efc_FQ8TM_5axgV_pvHW2bgqZrqwwqJ35Qq7q6T-pPTzcxGjOvroRN0VOj-4PwTEO9MxgBVDSM54LBTyUmizTdGP-MU5skU/s4608/SAM_9696+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" height="469" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPsGQcxR62xbJOVCOOcqCZjq6kvyxP0M-IjQT7QXSGkcR_Efc_FQ8TM_5axgV_pvHW2bgqZrqwwqJ35Qq7q6T-pPTzcxGjOvroRN0VOj-4PwTEO9MxgBVDSM54LBTyUmizTdGP-MU5skU/w625-h469/SAM_9696+%25282%2529.JPG" width="625" /></a></div></div></div><div>This was started quite a long time ago, and I found it again after a recent move, with all but the lower right corner finished. So I spent a good long afternoon on it, and it's finally done!</div><div><br /></div><div>(When was the last time I completed a cross stitch, hey....)</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZmz_7DhVL1DYwMz4-cRcSg25DOcD1hBszNMuMTl-tM8OwqFeiXNx10VV-o7gkPUJ7pQ67ocUO2Z5LyOLbECYtYkClwK1OOy_0W5xuX-nJ_VwpktLSlhBY-B7N3WbX6NyOwyk4JuB09YM/s4608/SAM_9697.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZmz_7DhVL1DYwMz4-cRcSg25DOcD1hBszNMuMTl-tM8OwqFeiXNx10VV-o7gkPUJ7pQ67ocUO2Z5LyOLbECYtYkClwK1OOy_0W5xuX-nJ_VwpktLSlhBY-B7N3WbX6NyOwyk4JuB09YM/s320/SAM_9697.JPG" width="320" /></a></div></div><div>There are other patterns quite like this one that I kind of prefer to this piece now, but I'm still really pleased with how this came out. It's stitched entirely with 3 strands of 939, so it's an inky black-blue rather than just plain black, and I <i>love</i> it.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioi8z8VEBXpEV2Qdho4XzbSZ1l104ByEBbUEFIDioPdpiWuHcKxUeSY0O-2It5R09FzMAr8D7auydPQ4U7Dbm1miVaQmiHhLO2g_mf6KIR4IwXtxZEW5Oi8q92vB0bxCZ5EoqBwe3e1jk/s4608/SAM_9699.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" height="469" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioi8z8VEBXpEV2Qdho4XzbSZ1l104ByEBbUEFIDioPdpiWuHcKxUeSY0O-2It5R09FzMAr8D7auydPQ4U7Dbm1miVaQmiHhLO2g_mf6KIR4IwXtxZEW5Oi8q92vB0bxCZ5EoqBwe3e1jk/w625-h469/SAM_9699.JPG" width="625" /></a></div></div><div><br /><br /><br /></div>River Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03146308437000006070noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4544377161071318319.post-89924287283343755052020-07-08T10:00:00.005-07:002020-07-08T10:00:17.005-07:00The Lonely Unicorn<div>Well this square is taking a while to finish.</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEuW2uBhdyk6OwsdV3riByxbCB4Gge2DMeZCLIQX78TT8jDP7qGPGhvG2PYuOFlKpharw6zTEdfOLcBUa_bOvgA9bbw_hlvyY3T8wQTVGhVai73ltWxLtiGCWaghxtqRAJuQNoljTS1dw/s4608/SAM_9616+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4608" data-original-width="3456" height="625" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEuW2uBhdyk6OwsdV3riByxbCB4Gge2DMeZCLIQX78TT8jDP7qGPGhvG2PYuOFlKpharw6zTEdfOLcBUa_bOvgA9bbw_hlvyY3T8wQTVGhVai73ltWxLtiGCWaghxtqRAJuQNoljTS1dw/w469-h625/SAM_9616+%25282%2529.JPG" width="469" /></a></div><div>There's just something about it. I don't really want to work on it. I'm liking the colors - I just want it to be finished already, I guess?</div><div><br /></div><div>I'm not totally happy with the head of the unicorn? It looks sort of weak-chinned, like it needs a better shape. But maybe I'll fix it later, after I've done the next couple of blocks and come back to it!</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_m0IQYr_evNfmsIeRcBdqxX1SdCo6HzN4PyW_mV_-0DZEgJCntPjZHsIJS0nCuuwx63yuYMgvQ1Aho5lKwyl2LXtL3RvRNZKBgjUJphajXgBZ3AXbN7OA8xjli2CQCUpv9jjqFusPVmk/s4608/SAM_9625+%25283%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" height="375" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_m0IQYr_evNfmsIeRcBdqxX1SdCo6HzN4PyW_mV_-0DZEgJCntPjZHsIJS0nCuuwx63yuYMgvQ1Aho5lKwyl2LXtL3RvRNZKBgjUJphajXgBZ3AXbN7OA8xjli2CQCUpv9jjqFusPVmk/w500-h375/SAM_9625+%25283%2529.JPG" width="500" /></a></div></div><div>The horn colour may change as well; it looks too bright? But perhaps it's okay and I'm just too focused on it to realize it yet, haha.</div><div><br /></div><div>Hopefully next time I post, this square will be well and truly completed, and I'll be stitching September's block!<br /><br /></div>River Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03146308437000006070noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4544377161071318319.post-38924265056021445612020-06-24T19:19:00.000-07:002020-07-08T16:41:04.243-07:00Sunset<div>I'm nowhere near finishing this square!</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixzLfVHX3PWF9FyXbBt7_a9UwgZWbrXIE7qgLcZFHPRlwSEkQr9PBMkH_rLhXubhuVxpMU5t5sxLP1Ri38hf5MCRCFI7WZl5XWDONm7C9OAiqjYbRzp5XLRyUzX_iw1GUn8-_irc-nJ98/s4608/SAM_9528+%25282%2529.JPG" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: #0066cc; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; orphans: 2; text-align: center; text-decoration: underline; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" height="469" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixzLfVHX3PWF9FyXbBt7_a9UwgZWbrXIE7qgLcZFHPRlwSEkQr9PBMkH_rLhXubhuVxpMU5t5sxLP1Ri38hf5MCRCFI7WZl5XWDONm7C9OAiqjYbRzp5XLRyUzX_iw1GUn8-_irc-nJ98/w625-h469/SAM_9528+%25282%2529.JPG" width="625" /></a><b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike><br /></div><div>This one is fighting me. The colours aren't quite right. The thread refuses to lay smoothly. Or, with the darker cloud, the thread is too thin and had to be stitched over, while ALSO refusing to lay smoothly. I chip away at it a little at a time and put it aside for a time!</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsgPtox4i5z2XKwVvP4sz2YvIX-9qJxlv1qwaKAaIIX5eJiDw7RF5ahaCii0WunoUTEIm-5kMVQpz9xn4_AsspEURtQEjod6qdO8mXqKtw6XcN9DU8vxd21gWoVAZ-Z5oE-sj1NwY0MqI/s4608/SAM_9529+%25282%2529.JPG" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: #0066cc; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; orphans: 2; text-align: center; text-decoration: underline; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" height="469" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsgPtox4i5z2XKwVvP4sz2YvIX-9qJxlv1qwaKAaIIX5eJiDw7RF5ahaCii0WunoUTEIm-5kMVQpz9xn4_AsspEURtQEjod6qdO8mXqKtw6XcN9DU8vxd21gWoVAZ-Z5oE-sj1NwY0MqI/w625-h469/SAM_9529+%25282%2529.JPG" width="625" /></a><b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike><br /></div><div>It will get done, but I'm a little disappointed not to have more progress to show this week. Ah well. I think the sun came out quite well, though!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsgPtox4i5z2XKwVvP4sz2YvIX-9qJxlv1qwaKAaIIX5eJiDw7RF5ahaCii0WunoUTEIm-5kMVQpz9xn4_AsspEURtQEjod6qdO8mXqKtw6XcN9DU8vxd21gWoVAZ-Z5oE-sj1NwY0MqI/s4608/SAM_9529+%25282%2529.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOxqf1q30AmyjYt8Qkkv1rUm1RHs_GNu_zhXjua3FfR_y-7gA5-YXOsVBCa5k3ryOGZlx6iReKEToOvQBRvyEq8DzG2GLqX4o0RaMslglmb96-A25HkUb8TR-2os7zb7O7St81TAw58E4/s4608/SAM_9526+%25282%2529.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4608" data-original-width="3456" height="500" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOxqf1q30AmyjYt8Qkkv1rUm1RHs_GNu_zhXjua3FfR_y-7gA5-YXOsVBCa5k3ryOGZlx6iReKEToOvQBRvyEq8DzG2GLqX4o0RaMslglmb96-A25HkUb8TR-2os7zb7O7St81TAw58E4/w375-h500/SAM_9526+%25282%2529.JPG" width="375" /></a></div><div><br /></div>River Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03146308437000006070noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4544377161071318319.post-40520404393093749312020-06-10T19:09:00.001-07:002020-06-10T19:09:03.551-07:00Hop-a-Long Jack<div>It may sound silly, but it took me forever to discover where the 'new post' button was now on the new Blogger layout. Forgive the lateness - it was a struggle!</div><div><br /></div><div>This month is a complete redo of what was originally a mermaid under the sea. Instead I've chosen to do a jackalope (a jack rabbit with antlers!) in monsoon season, which is typically July-August in the American SW.</div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw4uxFvz1RjmSGA9EAHaRIZebv4-jpIunsRktsvTVaR5_0aqJv7BoFDnxzdiCeIbabzgU3pPycpS5nJGLRDFBNRBNGEO0tr5YpPaNr4-ckdVCSxoYZaZ4Z4nfbj9KtpJipVJ-MzgmwIsM/s4608/SAM_9507+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: #0066cc; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; orphans: 2; text-align: center; text-decoration: underline; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw4uxFvz1RjmSGA9EAHaRIZebv4-jpIunsRktsvTVaR5_0aqJv7BoFDnxzdiCeIbabzgU3pPycpS5nJGLRDFBNRBNGEO0tr5YpPaNr4-ckdVCSxoYZaZ4Z4nfbj9KtpJipVJ-MzgmwIsM/d/SAM_9507+%25282%2529.JPG" /></a></div><div>The rabbit itself is actually a Cloudsfactory piece: the rabbit from <a href="https://cloudsfactory.net/happy-easter-bunny-house.html" target="_blank">this Easter pattern</a> was borrowed and given antlers! The clouds are snippets of clouds from the phoenix square and recolored to look like overlapping storm clouds. The background and cactus are, however, entirely original.</div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnnpVuXj6ssI4q8cfVthQm38Xcdf84CkCnvq8NntmaQPfw0pScIYgeUGAGKniGbvw31WuWXLrNLUj5Yj2yfGoQKdSdrSc7KUW6t8VVq5VYZPp65iwviSDTfiUWiqvyD56ZV_8bo89x1ek/s4608/SAM_9506+%25283%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: #0066cc; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; orphans: 2; text-align: center; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnnpVuXj6ssI4q8cfVthQm38Xcdf84CkCnvq8NntmaQPfw0pScIYgeUGAGKniGbvw31WuWXLrNLUj5Yj2yfGoQKdSdrSc7KUW6t8VVq5VYZPp65iwviSDTfiUWiqvyD56ZV_8bo89x1ek/d/SAM_9506+%25283%2529.JPG" /></a><b></b><i></i><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike><br /></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><font face="georgia">I wasn't sure about the greys for the clouds, because they looked so tan? warm toned? beige? on their own, but after stitching the rest of it, it looks like it fits okay. </font></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><font face="georgia"> </font></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4jxPqcJtrblWQHR5BTweUIqkgQMxP4ckc5VwWX1YPcy3BfZy-szKHHpJ9m-BGrQi9_9-g0T2hcd3y4yCAS4FpBpPfT2rEQ56LHakbWL5M-4wWpyQ-cw0fGoZmnFGkxskTEk5LqVnI6fw/s4608/SAM_9511+%25283%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4608" data-original-width="3456" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4jxPqcJtrblWQHR5BTweUIqkgQMxP4ckc5VwWX1YPcy3BfZy-szKHHpJ9m-BGrQi9_9-g0T2hcd3y4yCAS4FpBpPfT2rEQ56LHakbWL5M-4wWpyQ-cw0fGoZmnFGkxskTEk5LqVnI6fw/d/SAM_9511+%25283%2529.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdXXDmTutFQolJyibLQjkMatOguk0V9En1mUAaulW9ZfeBqEoSzrVcdinRsRwEfHDZBAFUmSxquOXznGpZTdfI7KmM2D-pl1_TH4CZql2QmwyPgRCm5_AWhTZp3JjvzYWjCATHdGrFxZQ/s4608/SAM_9509+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Next up - unicorns!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnnpVuXj6ssI4q8cfVthQm38Xcdf84CkCnvq8NntmaQPfw0pScIYgeUGAGKniGbvw31WuWXLrNLUj5Yj2yfGoQKdSdrSc7KUW6t8VVq5VYZPp65iwviSDTfiUWiqvyD56ZV_8bo89x1ek/s4608/SAM_9506+%25283%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div><br /></div>River Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03146308437000006070noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4544377161071318319.post-84485159427408638922020-05-28T14:39:00.000-07:002020-05-28T14:39:20.324-07:00A Tiny Nessie<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
When I first saw the <a href="http://cloudsfactory.net/magical-creatures-calendar.html" target="_blank">square for June</a>, the first thing I saw was a sea monster. Knock the wings off, and the body looked just like one!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHaeJgyI6aVFlimP6cDmr5VdZ_JFKM1gmKoa0MUR1o8ToEmQorXLnMyxRPrl5QxdJBlq4D4kAoKj8JC07rgFMEpIUuBd2pa1mzcxtjHgmxNE3zkpxrWCXTuIYKOwdGGrJjnuM2usjqxOs/s1600/SAM_9418+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHaeJgyI6aVFlimP6cDmr5VdZ_JFKM1gmKoa0MUR1o8ToEmQorXLnMyxRPrl5QxdJBlq4D4kAoKj8JC07rgFMEpIUuBd2pa1mzcxtjHgmxNE3zkpxrWCXTuIYKOwdGGrJjnuM2usjqxOs/s1600/SAM_9418+%25282%2529.JPG" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
But if you do that, and turn this cute pair into sea creatures (or lake creatures, if they are Nessies?), then you have to redo the background. I really wanted to do some sort of buried treasure, but it just wasn't working out, so this is what I ended up with.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGn39B07e02It9sKKoxb3OrNFUHINuXKQ_0bIkUgF0OG-fBtraSsqHuVQBYzcc3cOvwwANsJBJFoOSZ99oPtoZ7MsbuBxZFNiA9xezNHlMiabZl8HKyYyQnQmTRi0oaiejyFZCNCShKG4/s1600/SAM_9415+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnym063ya1X0a_FJ9HZcoTAytkCrzHLi3cWr_MYJRSwe5NpDKoBlhFWA9p6T9tkrDBw31R9xnMyp8Fs2Mm-TJSqCukwxpbWq8QiEItFbJafYdfnd_VM5AD0f75nPR0iGchoU1jGZidJRE/s1600/SAM_9414+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnym063ya1X0a_FJ9HZcoTAytkCrzHLi3cWr_MYJRSwe5NpDKoBlhFWA9p6T9tkrDBw31R9xnMyp8Fs2Mm-TJSqCukwxpbWq8QiEItFbJafYdfnd_VM5AD0f75nPR0iGchoU1jGZidJRE/s1600/SAM_9414+%25282%2529.JPG" /></a></div>
The seaweed and bubbles are from the original July square (with the mermaid), moved to a new home here in this block. Then the Nessies are just recolours of what they were as dragons (plus some flippers).<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgzJ_sp49cQYCYsz1SwduCgh4Zov1V9-aNivYlnMsy3pdK1Cj3OmVZTpMdRQnTcxv2uptP36iNkcdRLS1Mi440zcVIZl-CSFYX-YTWPiPzBNeY6VJ905ZJorZMQLrs5KUAXeao5SptuLw/s1600/SAM_9417+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgzJ_sp49cQYCYsz1SwduCgh4Zov1V9-aNivYlnMsy3pdK1Cj3OmVZTpMdRQnTcxv2uptP36iNkcdRLS1Mi440zcVIZl-CSFYX-YTWPiPzBNeY6VJ905ZJorZMQLrs5KUAXeao5SptuLw/s1600/SAM_9417+%25282%2529.JPG" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
It was more difficult to know how much cave to do. There isn't much like this in the rest of the project -- thickly stitched areas that cover a lot of the fabric -- especially not as a background. There was quite a lot of cave at first, that I had to chip away at, little by little, so it covered the least amount I thought I could get away with while still looking like a cave. Hopefully it doesn't look too out of place.<br />
<br />
And now this project is half-finished!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiWo-6Dv2B66kV5PPwt4agYNBzJe_KRpTPfw4esNpFskc5HNu797kQ5wM1qGF0HGrjQfY59ZgoFERmaWPKRrkd2W8vlC5TuYay-dtZdIZJXsqKp_PvtlxM4y6gGA2P5RJ6n9sksUaKhfM/s1600/SAM_9420+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiWo-6Dv2B66kV5PPwt4agYNBzJe_KRpTPfw4esNpFskc5HNu797kQ5wM1qGF0HGrjQfY59ZgoFERmaWPKRrkd2W8vlC5TuYay-dtZdIZJXsqKp_PvtlxM4y6gGA2P5RJ6n9sksUaKhfM/s400/SAM_9420+%25282%2529.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
</div>
River Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03146308437000006070noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4544377161071318319.post-40743787478016618992020-05-13T16:54:00.002-07:002020-07-27T21:35:25.204-07:00Elves in a Garden<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Ta-da!</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDqvxs7BASExlJ2qPt-AgQk1s5yZ1JDV3oGROQb1wKGZKU78_MYo5jY3EBMn9DwzQ45e_L0nTmZNJgnAqWreJrZFixJB8kjw2pt0Uyuj5dSQKNucL1wWv4eyU-HIlvZLzcwyBx9-jJxXs/s1600/SAM_9370+%25282%2529.JPG" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: #0066cc; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; orphans: 2; text-align: center; text-decoration: underline; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDqvxs7BASExlJ2qPt-AgQk1s5yZ1JDV3oGROQb1wKGZKU78_MYo5jY3EBMn9DwzQ45e_L0nTmZNJgnAqWreJrZFixJB8kjw2pt0Uyuj5dSQKNucL1wWv4eyU-HIlvZLzcwyBx9-jJxXs/s1600/SAM_9370+%25282%2529.JPG" /></a><b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike></div>
This square is one of the biggest changes I've ever made to a pattern. I've replaced the wizard from the Sword in the Stone (1963) with elves! Most of this is original; the elves are based on a Lord of the Rings pattern, but the rest are of my own design.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO8J7nNXd_sT7PlMl3HUMSgJfEWI2XwOhcF2OcsLTkSzG751YSdayNB2hf6_D9wwD9O1OenWxP-81Fq3Sej8hahNtYOgODlP_UmJUVQmLDmRgxJ1TVSiW6AZ78NmsyoyeRx3CBkDdZGG0/s1600/SAM_9378+%25282%2529.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO8J7nNXd_sT7PlMl3HUMSgJfEWI2XwOhcF2OcsLTkSzG751YSdayNB2hf6_D9wwD9O1OenWxP-81Fq3Sej8hahNtYOgODlP_UmJUVQmLDmRgxJ1TVSiW6AZ78NmsyoyeRx3CBkDdZGG0/s640/SAM_9378+%25282%2529.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
The elf in purple (and it is purple - my camera has a difficult time picking up purple, and tends to make it all blue) is almost entirely the same as Galadriel in<a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/CrossStitch/comments/35rnpr/lord_of_the_rings/" target="_blank"> this LotR piece</a>, but I flipped the shadow and light so it makes sense with the light from the lantern. The second elf is Galadriel's pattern cut in half and slightly modified so it would also make sense with the lit lantern the elf carries (the lantern was my own invention though, inspired by that scene in the Two Towers where the elves leave Rivendell).<br />
<br />
Unfortunately, it looks like the pattern I based them on is no longer available to purchase; this is the <a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/14CountStitchery" target="_blank">Etsy shop</a> I discovered it in, and you can see (if you scroll down to reviews) people who have purchased this pattern, but the pattern itself is <a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/217135543/pdf-those-who-wander-sampler-square?show_sold_out_detail=1&ref=anchored_listing" target="_blank">no longer</a> in the store.<br />
<br />
The gazebo in the back left was inspired by <a href="https://fablehaven.fandom.com/wiki/Fablehaven_(preserve)" target="_blank">Fablehaven</a>: there is a place on the preserve near the Fairy Queen's shrine where the<span style="color: #000120;"> <a href="https://fablehaven.fandom.com/wiki/Naiads%27_pond" target="_blank">naiads live</a></span>, and all around the pond there are white gazebos. I based my design on the artwork for them, though I didn't make them entirely white in my piece:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilJnHCXQAld2YPhXOM8c76dduLIl_j3LW9PYsEJNMUhrtd22intXKe48drhw-OF7oYFuSZF2l2rfAvX0ZMOkiZHj5ozb2vq6hJ3YOWO6PJ9ctcDRJDgmTWazDM3B_-t3axHW5UK_7eTHQ/s1600/gazebo-ref.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="436" data-original-width="312" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilJnHCXQAld2YPhXOM8c76dduLIl_j3LW9PYsEJNMUhrtd22intXKe48drhw-OF7oYFuSZF2l2rfAvX0ZMOkiZHj5ozb2vq6hJ3YOWO6PJ9ctcDRJDgmTWazDM3B_-t3axHW5UK_7eTHQ/s400/gazebo-ref.png" width="285" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibXAl_dfrpqJsmxl7GPVZ-xVYWoeOsNm2MH8AP1miZebRJBWuq6qa48OTLzHjOwzRjiiYY7PMnrLIWQ4fkmdvOLuE3_zWTbaJcWlm5zb7JpIE3-2e1IS19FGQ23i6rv0466EU1wMIfqCM/s1600/SAM_9373+%25282%2529.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibXAl_dfrpqJsmxl7GPVZ-xVYWoeOsNm2MH8AP1miZebRJBWuq6qa48OTLzHjOwzRjiiYY7PMnrLIWQ4fkmdvOLuE3_zWTbaJcWlm5zb7JpIE3-2e1IS19FGQ23i6rv0466EU1wMIfqCM/s640/SAM_9373+%25282%2529.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
Near where I was living at the time I designed this, there was a lovely weeping willow that I just really wanted to stitch. It's now immortalized, I guess?, here in this square with the elves.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuqr6avlxgeXMH2kHTlnXYFvZOIL-ZMdU4abR23BaqLCvvt-Src91JargIbOzdfYL-Uh9b0i8-LG1uLbdVpmSt2s2CwvNe8jS0c-vActUL8MFkv9t-iARBBYv3WBr2a_3Et09bgKaqnJI/s1600/SAM_9371+%25282%2529.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuqr6avlxgeXMH2kHTlnXYFvZOIL-ZMdU4abR23BaqLCvvt-Src91JargIbOzdfYL-Uh9b0i8-LG1uLbdVpmSt2s2CwvNe8jS0c-vActUL8MFkv9t-iARBBYv3WBr2a_3Et09bgKaqnJI/s640/SAM_9371+%25282%2529.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
It was really hard to decide on colors for all the various pieces in this block, because there was just so much green to work with! I had wanted to go with shades that were silvery or grey-green, because it felt more staid and mature, like the elves I was going for, but it didn't really work with the bright pastels in the rest of this project. The square would just look faded and out of place; so I went with a bit of a compromise -- background elements are bit faded in tone, while the main elements are brighter.<br />
<br />
Doesn't look too bad!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-JvH7oRFK4JTeJpLTVK8qJdv4dp8ShGmkqJ1lQYkeJSBPP45QOQdxrM6VKwlEWXVyXIVi6We6zPTn0B4saj2i1eGxZMv9DU10cEuVDRMRVGQ5DXUcBhjL8ZftVuk0B0sqvYFz27cCXr8/s1600/SAM_9382+%25282%2529.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-JvH7oRFK4JTeJpLTVK8qJdv4dp8ShGmkqJ1lQYkeJSBPP45QOQdxrM6VKwlEWXVyXIVi6We6zPTn0B4saj2i1eGxZMv9DU10cEuVDRMRVGQ5DXUcBhjL8ZftVuk0B0sqvYFz27cCXr8/s400/SAM_9382+%25282%2529.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</div>
River Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03146308437000006070noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4544377161071318319.post-89084045877784912452020-04-29T17:54:00.000-07:002020-05-26T00:14:19.489-07:00April Showers bring a Gnome & Flowers<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
This was the quickest, easiest square to do! (<i>Especially</i> after all the trouble the last two squares have given me.)<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtOAJS-gwZxEQx9BaryZW_4lbq-hHos6v859jcAyj7NY994DYdvSg5EreYMPYFSmtTecpWsim8VBz0_l2Hk9BnP3J6GWG9lb_Srcdm-Oz7k2wqJjPY992caGHxWosfLqih9eWo9VCfd0U/s1600/SAM_9212+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: #0066cc; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; orphans: 2; text-align: center; text-decoration: underline; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtOAJS-gwZxEQx9BaryZW_4lbq-hHos6v859jcAyj7NY994DYdvSg5EreYMPYFSmtTecpWsim8VBz0_l2Hk9BnP3J6GWG9lb_Srcdm-Oz7k2wqJjPY992caGHxWosfLqih9eWo9VCfd0U/s1600/SAM_9212+%25282%2529.JPG" /></a></div>
<br />
I saw the original gnome for this square, and knew I wanted to stitch one that looked like a <a href="https://www.bing.com/images/search?q=tomten&FORM=HDRSC2" target="_blank">Tomten</a>, since we have them around the house every year for Christmas. A simple enough edit; I was happy to find 453 was a good backstitch colour to make the beard pop on my white fabric.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCDL7P5F3phxMraeXHM1nmbQpJH4UzU27MSFYtbayNR66JF3Ymdx_BZBzUWzVRU6MsiWCsDjQ7UZg-xr0tQBK9HRsc5503W7McWmqDOjuTM8hnBlhGOMQZxQdxJAJPpyYRQZ8J3WGZkos/s1600/SAM_9200+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCDL7P5F3phxMraeXHM1nmbQpJH4UzU27MSFYtbayNR66JF3Ymdx_BZBzUWzVRU6MsiWCsDjQ7UZg-xr0tQBK9HRsc5503W7McWmqDOjuTM8hnBlhGOMQZxQdxJAJPpyYRQZ8J3WGZkos/s640/SAM_9200+%25282%2529.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
This square was also lovely to do because of all those wonderfully springtime hues in the grass and blossoms and the bright warm wood of the tree. Made me happy just to look at it while I worked on it.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOlpDE_zSKvp-QxzXRmVZrpKww7gAzYEQto8QuAIf175VQyLklb-GAa7_6UPIaYqepQ7JSADShG-50n0-uzPBLxXtzSkgM9pPQ8ck1WRpTBtIyloszjODlgFmA9I1At2nT0GxqnlASMf0/s1600/SAM_9196+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOlpDE_zSKvp-QxzXRmVZrpKww7gAzYEQto8QuAIf175VQyLklb-GAa7_6UPIaYqepQ7JSADShG-50n0-uzPBLxXtzSkgM9pPQ8ck1WRpTBtIyloszjODlgFmA9I1At2nT0GxqnlASMf0/s1600/SAM_9196+%25282%2529.JPG" /></a></div>
<br />
It's the next square that's giving me a minor headache. I've completely changed the square for May, and it has a lot of different shades of green planned; it's been difficult to figure out which greens to use to keep it from looking all the same. Ended up being very thankful for this little piece of Easy to do in amongst all the difficult bits, haha.<br />
<br />
And now, if I stick to the original SAL, I'm all caught up! See you in May!</div>
River Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03146308437000006070noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4544377161071318319.post-19859718968289013942020-04-15T15:50:00.000-07:002020-05-04T16:07:54.655-07:00Flaming Phoenix & MISTAKES<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
The Magical Creatures square for March is everyone's favourite, right??<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtOryKAL7QqXsM0UX7Bot5xa4xUN4AyJ7NQuPIDkLW8PXIitHab81oI-Qn6_kP5vQCxa6vJGwrCVAO8vgkLLH8gdRDuQdLtefEEkd5PmMjF0qQWX0OMHlricdWgBYAxqf2ABLym6iH7-Y/s1600/SAM_9163+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtOryKAL7QqXsM0UX7Bot5xa4xUN4AyJ7NQuPIDkLW8PXIitHab81oI-Qn6_kP5vQCxa6vJGwrCVAO8vgkLLH8gdRDuQdLtefEEkd5PmMjF0qQWX0OMHlricdWgBYAxqf2ABLym6iH7-Y/s1600/SAM_9163+%25282%2529.JPG" /></a></div>
<br />
Just look at that phoenix! Absolutely stunning. It really looks like it's on fire.<br />
<br />
Every single one of those single stitches in yellow were done individually - loop start, and bound off, no dragging to the next location. I hate it when the thread shows through the fabric, but oh man was it a bit of work to stitch each one of those like that!! Adding in extra little dots on paper is so simple, but having to snip the thread and restart for each one was really making me rethink that decision, haha.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihFz0HN_rxIYoiUSXzTm-2GuK7qwGZI8tk0nnYsyO-DHpnV0vRBigbLLDypsrV9O035zvT_g9e6G3b229f8pTs1YPKAtMDuM2SqCy_6ICZRdshhHjADDZNHkVGbhaiUu42yITPVDdz6FY/s1600/SAM_9162+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihFz0HN_rxIYoiUSXzTm-2GuK7qwGZI8tk0nnYsyO-DHpnV0vRBigbLLDypsrV9O035zvT_g9e6G3b229f8pTs1YPKAtMDuM2SqCy_6ICZRdshhHjADDZNHkVGbhaiUu42yITPVDdz6FY/s1600/SAM_9162+%25282%2529.JPG" /></a></div>
<br />
Since my fabric is white, I don't want to do white clouds. <a href="https://cloudsfactory.net/the-rise-of-the-phoenix.html" target="_blank">Cloudsfactory's piece</a> of this entire phoenix is in a night sky with a moon, so I'm thinking - why not have dark clouds, like they're floating by in the night? Maybe some of those single stitches are sparks; maybe some of them are really stars.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
~ ~ ~</div>
<br />
So....I wrote all the above at the time that I had finished what you see in the pictures. What I discovered mere days later (I prewrite these posts and schedule them) was a giant mistake.<br />
<br />
Two actually:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL2iXVcyv_Se6hMjKylonBpu1nvU4nizR-2OV71cfBTDP0AMsRnB3wwaDA5G2nsSCFMO5JXwJYAxCSsbrfcMQwpowSPHL1cihjuzXf1VtQEfWQzWvhZqiiKzSNHB_I5KjOtUQdHNfdb7I/s1600/SAM_9156+%25283%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: #0066cc; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; orphans: 2; text-align: center; text-decoration: underline; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><img border="0" data-original-height="962" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL2iXVcyv_Se6hMjKylonBpu1nvU4nizR-2OV71cfBTDP0AMsRnB3wwaDA5G2nsSCFMO5JXwJYAxCSsbrfcMQwpowSPHL1cihjuzXf1VtQEfWQzWvhZqiiKzSNHB_I5KjOtUQdHNfdb7I/s400/SAM_9156+%25283%2529.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
There are only supposed to be four stitches in those two circled sections. But there are five. Which meant that all of the border from that point on was two stitches out of line. Which I didn't catch until I had finished stitching the phoenix; which I had stitched based on where the border was. So not only was the whole border off, my<i> whole phoenix</i> was off by two stitches.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL2iXVcyv_Se6hMjKylonBpu1nvU4nizR-2OV71cfBTDP0AMsRnB3wwaDA5G2nsSCFMO5JXwJYAxCSsbrfcMQwpowSPHL1cihjuzXf1VtQEfWQzWvhZqiiKzSNHB_I5KjOtUQdHNfdb7I/s1600/SAM_9156+%25283%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike><br />
And as much as I really didn't want to rip out everything I had just done, I<i> really</i> didn't want to redesign literally everything else in this project to accommodate those two whole stitches. Honestly, where would I even start??<br />
<br />
So I had to take it all out. And start over. Two stitches to the left.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpwhvBcJP4Dk2LGpsP7V4RsSBCYEvUVJkjnLvjCKSLSm6UCNp19wLQr2mlVa-F5LKeBb-SOv71eNOpEYTiuZpc8k04Mjj3yF9yndSyp7WBC2bvfbmfz2GW0gSMSpwcy7g53oUXWUhnZAs/s1600/SAM_9172+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpwhvBcJP4Dk2LGpsP7V4RsSBCYEvUVJkjnLvjCKSLSm6UCNp19wLQr2mlVa-F5LKeBb-SOv71eNOpEYTiuZpc8k04Mjj3yF9yndSyp7WBC2bvfbmfz2GW0gSMSpwcy7g53oUXWUhnZAs/s640/SAM_9172+%25282%2529.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
It took me two days to rip out all I had done (and several more to get up the courage to start it over again). I worked ALL the border around it before I got into it - I figured if I made another mistake, I could work it into the square since the outer edges were secure this time at least. And even though I'm not adding the month names, I was quite happy to finish this square on the very last day of March!<br />
<br />
Phew. On to the next?</div>
River Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03146308437000006070noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4544377161071318319.post-90603124485857812992020-04-01T15:36:00.000-07:002020-04-01T15:36:03.717-07:00A Frog Prince and His Well<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Onto the next section of Magical Creatures! This square is one that was completely redesigned. I really liked the full look of January, with a landscape surrounding the centaur, so I went for something similar here.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVHc8WbEFbek0v1HTEDO19ll6IuRch15xxl-rgI9wHbYOIpnRz2cE5mwXD0O9FiQ4bXjsVgKlv2S140BKohb2B32NJsUfaYOM3_C_xTabnlPPZEpKfDm-LzpINFXUtofs4lnRdxryYeys/s1600/SAM_9158+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVHc8WbEFbek0v1HTEDO19ll6IuRch15xxl-rgI9wHbYOIpnRz2cE5mwXD0O9FiQ4bXjsVgKlv2S140BKohb2B32NJsUfaYOM3_C_xTabnlPPZEpKfDm-LzpINFXUtofs4lnRdxryYeys/s640/SAM_9158+%25282%2529.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
This square was an absolute MONSTER to work on. Redid this entire thing at least three or four times. And I mean the entire thing. I just could not get the colours to work out. One set of colours looked good together until they were stitched, and then it just looked like a muddy blob. Another set was too dark after all, so it too had to be ripped out. Then I didn't like the shape of the well.</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheCr2rHcC-iRgSi33IA1nAo3gT_wiMlYeY12xHv0THhYhMpHSeNGtrVIN2rh6vS83qXmohhaNJhGeeKbFh_wpHIaRsIK9LZtcEZlRhwSikooYbhvUAznyeMZGNiy0HTigVdYWhp0EwukY/s1600/SAM_9156+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheCr2rHcC-iRgSi33IA1nAo3gT_wiMlYeY12xHv0THhYhMpHSeNGtrVIN2rh6vS83qXmohhaNJhGeeKbFh_wpHIaRsIK9LZtcEZlRhwSikooYbhvUAznyeMZGNiy0HTigVdYWhp0EwukY/s640/SAM_9156+%25282%2529.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
I suppose I should have expected a square with an actual frog in it to have all the frogging??<br />
<br />
This is also one of the squares I've added something to so it reflects local weather. February (and to be honest, all spring) is <b>extremely </b>windy for us, so wind swirling by in the background felt like a good choice. But, since this square is determined to be difficult, I'm still not entirely sure about it. Might go back and move some of those little swirls around again, but for now, I'm leaving it alone!</div>
River Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03146308437000006070noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4544377161071318319.post-87813098183030964472020-03-18T15:07:00.000-07:002020-03-18T15:07:04.867-07:00Magical Creatures Begins!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div>
I've been getting back into stitching lately, and there's one giant project I've been working on that I've been itching to share: Cloudsfactory's <a href="http://cloudsfactory.net/magical-creatures-calendar.html" target="_blank">Magical Creatures SAL</a>!</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRb7PDFNKqxSl90UxEZmbjS_9-Jx8xwfneA91iE_XPeMifQLBNvOykfEHaQgymDdlqrwBroI3eBc7zdE4roUeaHlJzy3Twh0e_R5aswVe-IUsazY4hO_k7edAaBxcx7d0KFooFKr5LkDw/s1600/pattern_alph_9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="840" data-original-width="1200" height="280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRb7PDFNKqxSl90UxEZmbjS_9-Jx8xwfneA91iE_XPeMifQLBNvOykfEHaQgymDdlqrwBroI3eBc7zdE4roUeaHlJzy3Twh0e_R5aswVe-IUsazY4hO_k7edAaBxcx7d0KFooFKr5LkDw/s400/pattern_alph_9.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Isn't it a gorgeous piece?? There isn't anything quite like it. After about a year since I first started (exactly a year come April!) I'm finally making some progress. It's still slow going though! Between stitching and drawing too much as a teen, I've really worn out my arm. I've been stitching for about thirty minutes a day, give or take, so I don't overdo it, but it's been really hard to keep to that time limit! I just want to keep stitching this beauty.</div>
<div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOpjI8X1TgB8an959vHMEIgOXC04VaUtp1GBSPApXZg6L-y5eUgXf8TnAKQrX8xDlJ3kOZZoes_JmFdSvrHGwQqcZ0MZs5SvMzmkRVIen87Op_Vj-xWuKmQj57JU0iH2ZPS9s0upol0IM/s1600/SAM_9149.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOpjI8X1TgB8an959vHMEIgOXC04VaUtp1GBSPApXZg6L-y5eUgXf8TnAKQrX8xDlJ3kOZZoes_JmFdSvrHGwQqcZ0MZs5SvMzmkRVIen87Op_Vj-xWuKmQj57JU0iH2ZPS9s0upol0IM/s640/SAM_9149.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Since I've already done a SAL with all the month names (the <a href="http://thousandsofxs.blogspot.com/search/label/Woodland-Sampler" target="_blank">Woodland Creatures SAL</a> by The Frosted Pumpkin), I've removed the writing from this one, and just added a few elements already present in the square into those empty spaces <span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: "Malgun Gothic"; mso-fareast-language: KO; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">– </span>a bit of extra snow in the corner of January, a few extra starry/flame-y bits in March, etc.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2d5sl1dDvqLbuhUE9LYwYWuiMsYTdGtbgXhoCucigr1_10tnDnDYLkHVB-EWKiZVAud_03_ZscUXgXm8DSoDbbuSa2nBnZYycc-tfCDSmT_urvyNBvn0nKePLRI9xSuqwKchaOcewDXI/s1600/SAM_9128+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2d5sl1dDvqLbuhUE9LYwYWuiMsYTdGtbgXhoCucigr1_10tnDnDYLkHVB-EWKiZVAud_03_ZscUXgXm8DSoDbbuSa2nBnZYycc-tfCDSmT_urvyNBvn0nKePLRI9xSuqwKchaOcewDXI/s640/SAM_9128+%25282%2529.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I got to use some really lovely variegated thread for the trees. It made it hard to use regular threads afterward because the trees looked so nice!</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
There are <b><span style="font-size: large;">lots</span></b> of little tweaks and additions that I've made to this project to make it really my own thing, so I won't really go into depth about them. Redesigning elements of this project helped take my mind off some really hard things going on at the time and again now, so I hope no one thinks this is a critique of Cloudsfactory's work. Many of the things I changed were because what was there sparked another idea that I really wanted to stitch!</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA-EVBrr18CndWyCsgXi_p4DS0935a3pSEjxxqdIBeYzY-k7IKuUMqiVMxb7UGby2ztM7YqO-JyPY2DCw_04A_msRFOcoWHUAjIndbE66kZGPpOgSvwxMDcU0rRFUcQUIMrrJn49AdyHI/s1600/SAM_9126+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA-EVBrr18CndWyCsgXi_p4DS0935a3pSEjxxqdIBeYzY-k7IKuUMqiVMxb7UGby2ztM7YqO-JyPY2DCw_04A_msRFOcoWHUAjIndbE66kZGPpOgSvwxMDcU0rRFUcQUIMrrJn49AdyHI/s640/SAM_9126+%25282%2529.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<div>
<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">(This picture is frustrating to look at, because two sections of border are wrong, and I completely redid February's square after this picture was taken.)</span></i></div>
<div>
<i><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></i></div>
<div>
Going to try and post a bit regularly on my progress with this one, so I'll be back soon!</div>
</div>
River Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03146308437000006070noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4544377161071318319.post-44675544112152093012018-08-03T15:00:00.000-07:002018-08-12T10:10:21.749-07:00'Solemnly Swear' Returns<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
I haven't given an update on this piece <a href="http://thousandsofxs.blogspot.com/2017/05/i-solemnly-swear.html" target="_blank">since I started it</a> more than a year ago! I kept messing up the "O" - I remember redoing that particular letter a couple of times, and never getting it right. This is eventually where I left off, discovering that the "L" was going to be all messed up at the top where the swirls around the owl and letter "I" are going to be.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbuFBMQruXA8rJQNLIwjyaKgOpZOXr5R1eNOfGCR-rAsXfPJMMHGVV7Nz0XVfzHY9OeWxZfgJ-7xTVYUbYLwv7g1JwmIFb5ekGgR6v7ZXKtSL_06ms8yitXhp2hoKBzYV3JNtyPW_YDk4/s1600/SAM_8123.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Harry Potter Cross Stitch" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbuFBMQruXA8rJQNLIwjyaKgOpZOXr5R1eNOfGCR-rAsXfPJMMHGVV7Nz0XVfzHY9OeWxZfgJ-7xTVYUbYLwv7g1JwmIFb5ekGgR6v7ZXKtSL_06ms8yitXhp2hoKBzYV3JNtyPW_YDk4/s320/SAM_8123.JPG" title="" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
I sat down yesterday, determined to figure out where my mistake was and get it fixed. Turned out I'd added an entire row to the "O", making it taller by one stitch. Dx Then I also discovered I'd deleted a row from the "S"!<br />
<br />
So I ripped it all back:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPhN-COX2X0zwjE-mKyJ6Pr9Y0rv998BOXJY4nuVRjf2U6CqE40YO9HAWKU0X1VLSfbuiTAFeK9Vl-rU0KMrxWFIgpEX5q-Zneu6I9BCcZvatO0iQfgutwN4OjIplrelyk9Y13KZHio9E/s1600/SAM_8125.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPhN-COX2X0zwjE-mKyJ6Pr9Y0rv998BOXJY4nuVRjf2U6CqE40YO9HAWKU0X1VLSfbuiTAFeK9Vl-rU0KMrxWFIgpEX5q-Zneu6I9BCcZvatO0iQfgutwN4OjIplrelyk9Y13KZHio9E/s320/SAM_8125.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
And started over. I did eventually rip out a little more of what was left of the "L" and got it fixed too.<br />
<br />
Then I put on some Doctor Who, and got stitching - I've almost finished the entire word now!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidcxNNaeGHfcIYuRF7fywWdh71Dw2JjeEZGJ_HRMNDHyUbeJPSML3HypD2HOxVx3x5nCXANeHVZjlYU_t6dAheaTyNt0D9ffji9cC2EeROlbO9KndHaR4QH-U5OESGqymaaMduc7hdlyg/s1600/SAM_8129.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Harry Potter Cross Stitch" border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidcxNNaeGHfcIYuRF7fywWdh71Dw2JjeEZGJ_HRMNDHyUbeJPSML3HypD2HOxVx3x5nCXANeHVZjlYU_t6dAheaTyNt0D9ffji9cC2EeROlbO9KndHaR4QH-U5OESGqymaaMduc7hdlyg/s400/SAM_8129.JPG" title="" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
There are still some mistakes here and there, but I'm making them work - a lot of these swirls are so much trouble! I can't quite seem to stay on count with the loops in the second "L" for some reason, so <a href="http://thousandsofxs.blogspot.com/2018/07/so-many-stitches-patronus-piece.html" target="_blank">I took to Excel again</a> and put my mistakes in the pattern & worked on it until I got it to look right so when I do get to those swirls around the owl, it'll all look like it was on purpose. What fun, haha.<br />
<br />
Let's see how far I can get today!<br />
<br />
<br /></div>
River Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03146308437000006070noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4544377161071318319.post-52443612010929635652018-07-29T15:28:00.001-07:002018-08-12T10:12:09.392-07:00Autumn Leaves<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; direction: ltr; display: inline; float: none; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; direction: ltr; display: inline; float: none; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">Have a look at these leaves! They are potted plants my grandmother bought recently. Don't they look just like autumn?</span></div>
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; direction: ltr; display: inline; float: none; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIg34VfudPfmDyvrlJyOEZ5qzXy9mswE31skhZfWAK7m1sRQ25yWUEqltn_jADKMcYLkDdgDH8lnUFoH6fwWJC5sQZKJazvcXnzDMQdVGlbmTLzm3NCd1rzix4Hqq4jxfRK4vBch_viNk/s1600/SAM_8065.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; margin: 0px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIg34VfudPfmDyvrlJyOEZ5qzXy9mswE31skhZfWAK7m1sRQ25yWUEqltn_jADKMcYLkDdgDH8lnUFoH6fwWJC5sQZKJazvcXnzDMQdVGlbmTLzm3NCd1rzix4Hqq4jxfRK4vBch_viNk/s1600/SAM_8065.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: #0066cc; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-left: 16px; margin-right: 16px; orphans: 2; text-align: center; text-decoration: underline; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><img alt="Autumn" border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIg34VfudPfmDyvrlJyOEZ5qzXy9mswE31skhZfWAK7m1sRQ25yWUEqltn_jADKMcYLkDdgDH8lnUFoH6fwWJC5sQZKJazvcXnzDMQdVGlbmTLzm3NCd1rzix4Hqq4jxfRK4vBch_viNk/s640/SAM_8065.JPG" title="" width="640" /></a><b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin: 0px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin: 0px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
We went over and grilled steaks and ate together this Saturday, and they just captivated me. The second pot has the same bright green leaves, as well as these that look like they have bright stitching around the edges. </div>
</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; direction: ltr; display: inline; float: none; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBJl5CN3ybl7h9-csP9vDBjXoEV9JQO4CtPmq8b-fe9l1Z8hsqqNgwmxYA_CgpWBAnZDFY_WF8NcclfE7kNkoXq1NU-AOn-oc89QA4T56LNFrm9j0OIgE361m4boYi2U6Ha2W6DGGm4xE/s1600/SAM_8057.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBJl5CN3ybl7h9-csP9vDBjXoEV9JQO4CtPmq8b-fe9l1Z8hsqqNgwmxYA_CgpWBAnZDFY_WF8NcclfE7kNkoXq1NU-AOn-oc89QA4T56LNFrm9j0OIgE361m4boYi2U6Ha2W6DGGm4xE/s640/SAM_8057.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; direction: ltr; display: inline; float: none; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; direction: ltr; display: inline; float: none; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; direction: ltr; display: inline; float: none; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; direction: ltr; display: inline; float: none; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">I took my stitching over so I could work on it while everything was cooking. Got started on the left side of the piece a little bit - there's so much to do on that side still.</span></div>
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; direction: ltr; display: inline; float: none; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; direction: ltr; display: inline; float: none; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; direction: ltr; display: inline; float: none; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLhvl0eN1Jwn_aaQL68QWNrJzrUwCFZbsOvUcV-rXX7xxTiiLZjL2phPv8ar7rfXCphchUhEzvsZzDfcBKNYu8IBbKOKtiZUcuQEDGAaIFvvtvGSteP-OjlYWpoy2hrGLI_RT3Ut6NkSM/s1600/SAM_8106.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Patronus" border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLhvl0eN1Jwn_aaQL68QWNrJzrUwCFZbsOvUcV-rXX7xxTiiLZjL2phPv8ar7rfXCphchUhEzvsZzDfcBKNYu8IBbKOKtiZUcuQEDGAaIFvvtvGSteP-OjlYWpoy2hrGLI_RT3Ut6NkSM/s640/SAM_8106.JPG" title="" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div>
Really loving how it's starting to look now. Even with one hand finished, it's just now that it's starting to look like a Dementor with those tattered edges showing up!</div>
</div>
River Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03146308437000006070noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4544377161071318319.post-52937222409605357392018-07-25T11:38:00.000-07:002018-08-12T10:12:36.826-07:00So Many Mistakes<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Oh boy.<br />
<br />
So I thought I'd take a break from the Patronus piece and work on good old Shadow Moon for a bit. I got nearly all the lettering done, and then realized that something was wrong - the spacing was off a bit between the two rows of words, and then top row was off by one stitch. I bit the bullet and ripped out the top row all the way back through 'moon'. I couldn't find where I'd made the mistake, but there was enough room before 'moon' to back it up without making it look too close to the previous word.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikXxGkb4bfU1rUrQ0RJ_YEDUO8o-mS5LFFH4jPcEixYWligUS1zQZqDV8NisFN6cBnl0WMN5WUzt9XQHzJvloFNy7f7Wqr1nw4qggQkMduzlCYzA5SCvMkyL0dcTj7DGuGpg3hMhe0Y0U/s1600/SAM_8092.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Shadow Moon" border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikXxGkb4bfU1rUrQ0RJ_YEDUO8o-mS5LFFH4jPcEixYWligUS1zQZqDV8NisFN6cBnl0WMN5WUzt9XQHzJvloFNy7f7Wqr1nw4qggQkMduzlCYzA5SCvMkyL0dcTj7DGuGpg3hMhe0Y0U/s640/SAM_8092.JPG" title="" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
Then, after happily getting a couple of words in, I realized why the spacing was wrong between the two rows: on the lower row, I'd made a mistake after the 'w' in 'way', putting the entire rest of the bottom row, 'a' on, up half a stitch.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUEXxUL7CaLPnuQuWZPb6BlVskzAmwKAO4a9JKAHWu_BQQsqiWTJjmMKcCbzwwykNM11GXzCZVnpjh0Ldp4Wp_e3yIk8RJzV8QaGyGE4fGP7rAyqvjZNml8fnMX_1bikTgscr6WdcGIXA/s1600/SAM_8103.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Shadow Moon" border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUEXxUL7CaLPnuQuWZPb6BlVskzAmwKAO4a9JKAHWu_BQQsqiWTJjmMKcCbzwwykNM11GXzCZVnpjh0Ldp4Wp_e3yIk8RJzV8QaGyGE4fGP7rAyqvjZNml8fnMX_1bikTgscr6WdcGIXA/s640/SAM_8103.JPG" title="" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
So that means basically all the lettering - which I had all but finished, everything but the final 'e' in 'eve'! - needs to come out and get started from nearly scratch.<br />
<br />
I'm taking a break from <b>this</b> one now. Dx</div>
River Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03146308437000006070noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4544377161071318319.post-13310923497541534142018-07-22T12:00:00.000-07:002018-08-12T10:12:52.793-07:00Demented Hand - Patronus Progress!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I've been enjoying the long stretches of nothing but row after row of the same colour - I've been able to watch a few shows and stitch at the same time without having to keep checking the pattern, which has been so nice!!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3WL6n2wYWoVJQ-6Jt_r30rcsw8oMDz65Byt-eGXn-NHw2mpnJxv6A9KQx-0JURqklrj0TEaCIpWAUCDEkKNCaMNoZDUtfYqnr9oh-C2hzriIQj6aR8Pq_ROrpUGAvV1j1YXlMiZKqndo/s1600/SAM_8050.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3WL6n2wYWoVJQ-6Jt_r30rcsw8oMDz65Byt-eGXn-NHw2mpnJxv6A9KQx-0JURqklrj0TEaCIpWAUCDEkKNCaMNoZDUtfYqnr9oh-C2hzriIQj6aR8Pq_ROrpUGAvV1j1YXlMiZKqndo/s640/SAM_8050.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
Got one hand done! Couple of little mistakes here and there, and a few deliberate additions to soften the look. I like it and can hardly wait to start all those little swirls along the sides of the cloak!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCjL_8mFLhopwjxfvWEn0lj5q43NS_TeFcGk2LLtWg2SYH7IJNtFqMtKX7268GSSmfDNFbKEfn0GxRX5mFUPafXHUWq4IMLnfInxhIMHQePmdZQ9fHkIGgU8VGczxlfDNoH0G8D4-x0mo/s1600/SAM_8051.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Dementor" border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCjL_8mFLhopwjxfvWEn0lj5q43NS_TeFcGk2LLtWg2SYH7IJNtFqMtKX7268GSSmfDNFbKEfn0GxRX5mFUPafXHUWq4IMLnfInxhIMHQePmdZQ9fHkIGgU8VGczxlfDNoH0G8D4-x0mo/s640/SAM_8051.JPG" title="" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
There is<b> so much cat fur</b> in this piece right now. I'm constantly grabbing fur out of stitches. It feels like there's a whole cat's worth of fur in here; I don't know how I'll ever get any of it out. I do have one of those sticky rollers, but I don't have high hopes. XD</div>
River Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03146308437000006070noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4544377161071318319.post-69271908601732976352018-07-19T11:27:00.000-07:002018-08-12T10:13:20.088-07:00So Many Stitches - Patronus Piece<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Started something new!</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCdkqoYHEAAQ7s4mBn6YARZNWcVG32884SrPX5EFD1De5XsxZectSqVqhqeL8DWcxh0lqBrcx0CMHYBT791nsvhWPa0U5bE2oz2G6fkJXWpjQ9HQIY6u9dH3Sj2ueVDTqLccgrc0huLmg/s1600/il_570xN.567094074_2me0.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Patronus" border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="500" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCdkqoYHEAAQ7s4mBn6YARZNWcVG32884SrPX5EFD1De5XsxZectSqVqhqeL8DWcxh0lqBrcx0CMHYBT791nsvhWPa0U5bE2oz2G6fkJXWpjQ9HQIY6u9dH3Sj2ueVDTqLccgrc0huLmg/s640/il_570xN.567094074_2me0.jpg" title="" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
This is how far I've gotten in three days - one whole skein of 939 later!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwm6Dwf0H13dEZlC_r1YOvliHkCM_JUz1a0dBg1W1RjGRUQOq4-S4ODo1LprXuCHk-zzIZ4UBCFFbPpvy4PytflSq8C0bokTMQ-_rpRoe7gllujBHZYfwFd2QfiRXKQ0awom9hG6WZU3g/s1600/SAM_8045.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Stag Patronus" border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwm6Dwf0H13dEZlC_r1YOvliHkCM_JUz1a0dBg1W1RjGRUQOq4-S4ODo1LprXuCHk-zzIZ4UBCFFbPpvy4PytflSq8C0bokTMQ-_rpRoe7gllujBHZYfwFd2QfiRXKQ0awom9hG6WZU3g/s640/SAM_8045.JPG" title="" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
Even when I know what I'm supposed to be stitching, this hardly looks like anything, haha. It kind of looks like a wildlife sign for some park right now, actually!<br />
<br />
I've already made a lot of edits to the pattern since the fabric is so different to what I'm used to. It's something I just had around the house, probably came in with one of the grab bags from the local stitching store before it closed, with a tiny count. I like it, in that it makes the horns look even more like they're fading into really tapered points, but it meant that a lot of the contrast was being lost (see how narrow some of those single stitch columns are??). So I added a stitch in width to some areas and that resulted in a whole lot of mess!<br />
<br />
I actually ended up opening Excel and playing around with it, including my mistakes and edits so I can keep stitching without having to worry about the rest of the pattern being thrown off by a few stitches here and there.<br />
<br />
The best thing about this mystery fabric is that it's completely covered by the thread I'm using. The moment I saw this pattern I wanted to do it, but I know what black thread is like to work with: it's just so much thinner than other thread, even using three strands doesn't fully cover and the fabric shows through. That this fabric is small enough for the stitches to cover up is wonderful. The stitches are absolutely miniscule, but I'm loving the end result!<br />
<br />
You can check out the original and buy the pattern <a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/106072006/the-stag-and-dementor-cross-stitch?ga_order=most_relevant&ga_search_type=all&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_search_query=patronus%20cross%20stitch&ref=sr_gallery-1-7" target="_blank">HERE</a> if you wish.</div>
River Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03146308437000006070noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4544377161071318319.post-12070122452230522352018-07-17T11:13:00.000-07:002018-08-12T10:16:48.654-07:00Spooks & Spells<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCTk13Ypl2ufJL8J1ylLvUwM6cGCxVyA3eQDPBztq57Qt0abQ0lgKKxTioqOVL7gv7Z0bC55_nGqF9pJeyc0W7OHroql5PUZuDG1IR2v_HU7920A9pBOc9ME4yQs5mEKnlN6fFrO3cD5U/s1600/Spooks+%2526+Spells+Cross+Stitch.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div>
I have a finish!</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCTk13Ypl2ufJL8J1ylLvUwM6cGCxVyA3eQDPBztq57Qt0abQ0lgKKxTioqOVL7gv7Z0bC55_nGqF9pJeyc0W7OHroql5PUZuDG1IR2v_HU7920A9pBOc9ME4yQs5mEKnlN6fFrO3cD5U/s1600/Spooks+%2526+Spells+Cross+Stitch.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: #0066cc; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-left: 16px; margin-right: 16px; orphans: 2; text-align: center; text-decoration: underline; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><img alt="Spooks and Spells Cross Stitch" border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCTk13Ypl2ufJL8J1ylLvUwM6cGCxVyA3eQDPBztq57Qt0abQ0lgKKxTioqOVL7gv7Z0bC55_nGqF9pJeyc0W7OHroql5PUZuDG1IR2v_HU7920A9pBOc9ME4yQs5mEKnlN6fFrO3cD5U/s640/Spooks+%2526+Spells+Cross+Stitch.JPG" title="" width="640" /></a><b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike><br />
This one was done about a week or so ago. Loved that it was a quick stitch; I really wanted something quirky and fun to do, and this fit the bill perfectly!<br />
<br />
The original pattern is <a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/557207829/halloween-cross-stitch-pattern-halloween?ref=shop_home_active_49" target="_blank">HERE</a>. I did swap the colours out - 501 for "Spooks", and that brilliant slime green 581 for "Spells"; and all of the black was done with three strands of 939 instead, save the large 'L' in "Spells" and the hat with the bats, which was done in 310 when I ran out of 939!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-0nm3Bok0OK7Wr2DF4DMp5UHk_maGbePUzj3y9EeK61K6bq5M9ajvSY5OAGxIrwdUk_CM8Dagx82QRrxuKsAHzujVTAvW2hP43rcbZqxglHrjDOXUsyvsp6AckC3iJRDuCfRckp2XJgQ/s1600/9de2f4142683059b0040ce484fb60946.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="564" data-original-width="564" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-0nm3Bok0OK7Wr2DF4DMp5UHk_maGbePUzj3y9EeK61K6bq5M9ajvSY5OAGxIrwdUk_CM8Dagx82QRrxuKsAHzujVTAvW2hP43rcbZqxglHrjDOXUsyvsp6AckC3iJRDuCfRckp2XJgQ/s320/9de2f4142683059b0040ce484fb60946.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
As you can see in the original, I did change the black cat into a group of bats - I made a mistake in counting, and the witch hat ended up farther over than it was supposed to, and the cat was just too close to those candles! So I searched up simple bat patterns on the web and made a couple to fly around the hat. I think it works!</div>
River Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03146308437000006070noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4544377161071318319.post-27614849186730385262018-04-05T11:39:00.000-07:002018-08-12T10:13:49.074-07:00Updates on Shadow Moon & Not Forgotten!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I ran out of thread on Shadow Moon!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_jpN6clDXGfhimhKprMZxhrWWlJtAdFgMnR-S1iR8BlLtsnoq9mC6MKZnLpplkLN7FfrA3rkJXwK5iOQA0co2NLxwnsdsHOVZLkQO51saTt1iTO04eXNrjhlUN3BPRreIEPE7r2S9P9Y/s1600/SAM_7761.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Shadow Moon " border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_jpN6clDXGfhimhKprMZxhrWWlJtAdFgMnR-S1iR8BlLtsnoq9mC6MKZnLpplkLN7FfrA3rkJXwK5iOQA0co2NLxwnsdsHOVZLkQO51saTt1iTO04eXNrjhlUN3BPRreIEPE7r2S9P9Y/s640/SAM_7761.JPG" title="" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
This is as far as I got with two skeins of thread on this project. Dx I stopped on it last week, and had to order more thread. It all came in Monday, so I'll get back to this one soon! (And I know that moon looks wonky, but it's because of what I laid the piece over to take a picture!)<br />
<br />
Next up is Not Forgotten. I didn't like the Kreinik on the <a href="http://thousandsofxs.blogspot.com/2016/10/a-wingful-of-progress.html" target="_blank">claws and beak of the Gryphon</a>, because it lays so badly and looks much thicker compared to the other threads in the piece. Since the Light Effects thread looked so nice in the Unicorn and on the Gryphon wing, I thought - why not use the same thread for the rest of it?<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx032RU9DyHapjtLaagr6KfSrTF3efjAfUh5P43TY8jjf4AJ_oeCRvl_xtNLo8cuRujCtANc_0h8YVli7wUo40gip8SZuuhDqP-_qcXYeIC5KaZ10dMS6d-c_GyQWuVyWJbfNBnTVdxoc/s1600/SAM_7768.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Not Forgotten Cross Stitch" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx032RU9DyHapjtLaagr6KfSrTF3efjAfUh5P43TY8jjf4AJ_oeCRvl_xtNLo8cuRujCtANc_0h8YVli7wUo40gip8SZuuhDqP-_qcXYeIC5KaZ10dMS6d-c_GyQWuVyWJbfNBnTVdxoc/s640/SAM_7768.JPG" title="" width="480" /></a></div>
<br />
These are dark gold (the brighter yellow) and golden oak, the latter of which is a lovely shade that looks similar to the Kreinik I had used already!<br />
<br />
I'm tempted to somehow work that metallic blue into the sea serpents somehow. I don't know if I will, but maybe if I don't, I can put some in the waves!<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
~x~</div>
<div align="center">
<br /></div>
</div>
River Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03146308437000006070noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4544377161071318319.post-5746676076471090072018-01-03T10:00:00.000-08:002018-01-03T10:00:05.098-08:00Fat Little Reindeer<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
I started on these guys in December but I never posted them here somehow?!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFVfGXQDNdESB1hAEPUOCVZH8WBJJqjFdUQhPtYyMrdtCxaXh2sT7J7DqSa_Mjgvt1ssx9mcy8AL7mRBsFG1YCzcleJxjQYhCbzuEng1h7RieglU-UaoZfTEuXUljhIdnOqaAPx5iImxw/s1600/SAM_7446.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFVfGXQDNdESB1hAEPUOCVZH8WBJJqjFdUQhPtYyMrdtCxaXh2sT7J7DqSa_Mjgvt1ssx9mcy8AL7mRBsFG1YCzcleJxjQYhCbzuEng1h7RieglU-UaoZfTEuXUljhIdnOqaAPx5iImxw/s640/SAM_7446.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
Aren't they the best?? I've changed a lot of the thread colours to be a softer, warmer brown, and I'm using tiny beads for the eyes. Since the fabric count is very large, I'm doing the outlining a lot stronger than I usually would to get the shapes to look right. Got Cupid started since this picture was taken!<br />
<br />
Thread Swaps:<br />
<br />
3801 (instead of 350 - only because I can't find my 350 anywhere! Dx)<br />
3827 (instead of 402)<br />
3853 (instead of 435)<br />
801 (instead of 611)<br />
434 (instead of 612)<br />
611 (instead of 613)<br />
<br />
The rest are all the same colours. Maybe I should have chosen lighter ones so the shaded legs on Prancer aren't quite so dark? But it looks good, just the same.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkY1FJlMy-2MM-SLp3YzTdkTyJmqqTTjJkLDVlwT0SHNwQ4X7CNUVGh1XFy5Envc9I7aIc4IimW5WZlA29j4QX8bUDZAQulHBykMa-wwr7XdJimppte6C_xX3jAnFjoOFSq7d3cpoYfz8/s1600/70586203d91fdd0b249fa1831ce109f6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="701" data-original-width="736" height="608" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkY1FJlMy-2MM-SLp3YzTdkTyJmqqTTjJkLDVlwT0SHNwQ4X7CNUVGh1XFy5Envc9I7aIc4IimW5WZlA29j4QX8bUDZAQulHBykMa-wwr7XdJimppte6C_xX3jAnFjoOFSq7d3cpoYfz8/s640/70586203d91fdd0b249fa1831ce109f6.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Night Before Christmas by Kate Mawdsley</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br /></div>
River Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03146308437000006070noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4544377161071318319.post-21077388114912353112017-09-20T17:41:00.001-07:002017-09-20T17:45:49.564-07:00Shadow Moon<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I finally have a project to share - and it's one I am absolutely in love with.<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><span style="font-size: large;">Shadow Moon</span></i></div>
<i><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></i>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyz1oFtzKukzXLepvPFU3kX94vvNElUIFokMGgQtCA7lL_pPkzJ02grYEg18PlEtp-o-jwNA3oxCdZI9r98k0ZFi6xMmle6-6k-C5l_QsiuIU2_cAC06d0K1Jf1LRNa-BWqN6eAZRHwbA/s1600/Shadow+Moon+by+Hands+On+Design.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="651" data-original-width="958" height="434" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyz1oFtzKukzXLepvPFU3kX94vvNElUIFokMGgQtCA7lL_pPkzJ02grYEg18PlEtp-o-jwNA3oxCdZI9r98k0ZFi6xMmle6-6k-C5l_QsiuIU2_cAC06d0K1Jf1LRNa-BWqN6eAZRHwbA/s640/Shadow+Moon+by+Hands+On+Design.PNG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
This is a <a href="http://www.123stitch.com/item/Hands-On-Design-Shadow-Moon-Cross-Stitch-Pattern/16-2132" target="_blank">piece by Hands On Design</a>. When I saw it the first time, I knew I wanted to stitch it. I actually had the photo saved to my computer for over a year before I finally looked about for it and decided to sit down and get this thing made.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitYdNDuSRclBGPI3Lp3n72G1prCVFAGFUBLEMBMq-ZmbD4i_0QOHTsUQVELEcNq8vhf0dDS4wDrX0CswkZgnF7JCISjKQkmEhTrTtQJVlcTK7YVI0bTBH-_xu3se2G-h1PkVsSNk6oNdo/s1600/SAM_6880.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitYdNDuSRclBGPI3Lp3n72G1prCVFAGFUBLEMBMq-ZmbD4i_0QOHTsUQVELEcNq8vhf0dDS4wDrX0CswkZgnF7JCISjKQkmEhTrTtQJVlcTK7YVI0bTBH-_xu3se2G-h1PkVsSNk6oNdo/s640/SAM_6880.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
I started about a week ago, when the most perfect fabric arrived - <a href="http://www.123stitch.com/item/Picture-This-Plus-28-Count-Haunted-Lugana-Evenweave-Fabric-13x17/PTP301Y" target="_blank">'Haunted' by Picture This Plus</a>. It not only has the best name for this project, but the colour is wonderful too!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzT2zpNNnOVLJHzM5thMntSe5EBgxCvfEFY4h4sg-7-iSBiAACL6fNxoyZJO0nZMTe1kt1DKY73GuZTaEcIYbHeSU3f6xc0PBtsAhcKjhBNi_wSWt-SIBTf7NSoJeyTP4fAYHb80eoBC0/s1600/SAM_6881.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzT2zpNNnOVLJHzM5thMntSe5EBgxCvfEFY4h4sg-7-iSBiAACL6fNxoyZJO0nZMTe1kt1DKY73GuZTaEcIYbHeSU3f6xc0PBtsAhcKjhBNi_wSWt-SIBTf7NSoJeyTP4fAYHb80eoBC0/s640/SAM_6881.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
This is the first time I'm actually using overdyed threads for anything. O.O Black thread (DMC 310) is always a pain to stitch with over large areas, because it's always thinner than other DMC threads (due to the dye & dying process) and doesn't cover as much fabric. You usually have to use more than two threads to accomplish the same coverage as other threads do with just two, so I decided to go ahead and give overdyed a shot on this one since there is so much black to be worked.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMeO17NEbkQ2FTKPMJXpHPxXwemr7b_gB-tMQ6_IbTWUVgJ_2k3rQjiaAn9_jTxvCA1NhlgVg601mLJ83fHK6DCFNFsVud_Id7_sQqKEVgVTaexSLMXla4_jn7hGuTKsv_fTcJS0mRC38/s1600/SAM_6888.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMeO17NEbkQ2FTKPMJXpHPxXwemr7b_gB-tMQ6_IbTWUVgJ_2k3rQjiaAn9_jTxvCA1NhlgVg601mLJ83fHK6DCFNFsVud_Id7_sQqKEVgVTaexSLMXla4_jn7hGuTKsv_fTcJS0mRC38/s640/SAM_6888.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<a href="http://www.123stitch.com/item/Weeks-Dye-Works-Charcoal-1303/W1303" target="_blank">The picture for 'charcoal'</a> - the recommended thread - wasn't all that appealing, <a href="http://www.123stitch.com/item/Weeks-Dye-Works-Mascara-3910/W3910" target="_blank">so I got 'mascara'</a> instead. Unlike the photo currently there, it's not purple at all, but a very nice black. I do love working with it: knock on wood, but it tangles so much less than any thread I've ever worked with before (seriously, like one or two tangles this whole project, really easy to untangle). It doesn't knot up, and lays a lot flatter on the fabric.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTkeVB73bZ4zBXtQgBlM7pjxSjFoq1I8n5WoArA9xPJ6hdV5c77wJpEqYy4SRmxBrhQhl7WNTRu7ozuxHuskZTzKSa2PW1RYZh9h_66suYAheFbcTdAcuby9_2gefwK_Dx13z22ULt3Q0/s1600/SAM_6897.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTkeVB73bZ4zBXtQgBlM7pjxSjFoq1I8n5WoArA9xPJ6hdV5c77wJpEqYy4SRmxBrhQhl7WNTRu7ozuxHuskZTzKSa2PW1RYZh9h_66suYAheFbcTdAcuby9_2gefwK_Dx13z22ULt3Q0/s640/SAM_6897.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
This latter point was really illustrated when I got out a regular DMC for the row of orange. Using two threads came out so bulky and wonky looking I had to rip it out - using just one thread doesn't look bad though!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD5sqAJjU_G1oPbxTO9PC1cF32MA2hsh0AfR6R4_fFdarz5swMe6FixRd4cCZzIpHkxRDVSsiWPiDFXBoQK3GwQbcv97vZAv6FyHtxpVyvmIrNz2D9rjULzK-8XCWXFu0gN1OqUgisbf0/s1600/SAM_6905.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD5sqAJjU_G1oPbxTO9PC1cF32MA2hsh0AfR6R4_fFdarz5swMe6FixRd4cCZzIpHkxRDVSsiWPiDFXBoQK3GwQbcv97vZAv6FyHtxpVyvmIrNz2D9rjULzK-8XCWXFu0gN1OqUgisbf0/s640/SAM_6905.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
This got me worried about the moon, since I was originally planning to do the moon with DMC. I've got the 'official' threads coming in the mail - 2 of Chalk and 1 of Moonlit Path. I'm not going to risk it!!<br />
<br />
Mascara is pretty nice, but it still does lay a little sparse. If I did this again, I would probably mess around with trying out three threads, or stitching very, very loosely. As it is, I've no idea how much spare thread I'll have at the end of this project and can't get more very quickly, so I'll stick with what I'm doing.<br />
<br />
It's actually working up much smaller and quicker to stitch than I thought it would be. Doing one post at a time, vertically, really helps.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBRCpmRnOcUZijP8i5_1ApDRZ5tHJF5MwHxmk8lOSemRk9CxSaUUZga0DLV8GvgHCqU2lkoreH_uNCzb7WkhPVcMOHLQn7l4H2R21YnMN0OD-WqY7NFdQR0vY6b0JYssgbqNIECSDLhyphenhyphen4/s1600/SAM_6912.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBRCpmRnOcUZijP8i5_1ApDRZ5tHJF5MwHxmk8lOSemRk9CxSaUUZga0DLV8GvgHCqU2lkoreH_uNCzb7WkhPVcMOHLQn7l4H2R21YnMN0OD-WqY7NFdQR0vY6b0JYssgbqNIECSDLhyphenhyphen4/s640/SAM_6912.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
Also!! Got 'Sarsaparilla' - the brown, slightly variegated thread for the <a href="http://thousandsofxs.blogspot.com/search/label/Not-Forgotten" target="_blank">Not Forgotten</a> ship! Another first, so it'll be fun to get started on that, though it will certainly wait until after this marvelously Halloween piece is finished.</div>
River Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03146308437000006070noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4544377161071318319.post-80482094178952229802017-05-30T13:55:00.000-07:002017-05-30T13:55:02.963-07:00I Solemnly Swear. . . <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
WOW has it been a long time since I last checked in here!<br />
<br />
Thought the place needed a new look, so everything is summery oranges and golds now.<br />
<br />
And I do have updates to share!<br />
<br />
First is that I did graduate this Spring - at the start of May! - and have been rather unsure of what to do with myself since then.<br />
<br />
Second is that I do have cross stitch work to show!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2LO5eftGhg69e1e4SfSwvHrd8BgPVwSUxgfVWoPMJlGFjxgtx_cKJFEONsLdrfzMlxqiHoAzAhBPBFXiJ9lPuoKPQrFlXz2bQe-1_LtS5ld9bCKeBPUNe262Cbqz_rA6solLR0IGQlvg/s1600/SAM_6678+%25283%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1201" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2LO5eftGhg69e1e4SfSwvHrd8BgPVwSUxgfVWoPMJlGFjxgtx_cKJFEONsLdrfzMlxqiHoAzAhBPBFXiJ9lPuoKPQrFlXz2bQe-1_LtS5ld9bCKeBPUNe262Cbqz_rA6solLR0IGQlvg/s640/SAM_6678+%25283%2529.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
This is a Harry Potter piece, from <a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/fiddlesticksau" target="_blank">Fiddlesticks AU</a>, the <a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/238068033/solemnly-swear-cross-stitch-pattern-i?ref=shop_home_active_6" target="_blank">Ravenclaw</a> version of their piece called "<a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/233127030/solemnly-swear-cross-stitch-pattern-i?ref=shop_home_feat_4" target="_blank">Solemnly Swear</a>." I'm very tempted to follow it up with <a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/458919708/mischief-managed-cross-stitch-pattern?ref=related-7" target="_blank">Mischief Managed</a>!<br />
<br />
The finished (Gryffindor) version looks like this:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikxL_MBDHGsqEGT37hxqHfAlkiKIvVkmf_mvFeXSQlwTDaocVMNZJOlCsdpiWs2tOOvJc1b9eYx4UfEl4GD-pR9fO9VYrPp1G9UMonS14gC7n6oAdN94SajO8omx0S1F4r5iud4d52yT8/s1600/ss.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="668" data-original-width="570" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikxL_MBDHGsqEGT37hxqHfAlkiKIvVkmf_mvFeXSQlwTDaocVMNZJOlCsdpiWs2tOOvJc1b9eYx4UfEl4GD-pR9fO9VYrPp1G9UMonS14gC7n6oAdN94SajO8omx0S1F4r5iud4d52yT8/s640/ss.jpg" width="546" /></a></div>
<br />
Mine will look a little more like this when it's finished:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu1pD9t4458BA2c343SZUNU1zraGQ3qz5e7ZYyLJoDDrLvBMNjdnwk1K5HrWvlhW4Qz-OvUulR6GqKm-_LxcGO4zZGwISOd11Tj4xAIN-B_tFc7XBXqU6Dcu6fAXi7RKZu078984UIJY4/s1600/10376337_10153853367754920_4405508428063526092_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="960" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu1pD9t4458BA2c343SZUNU1zraGQ3qz5e7ZYyLJoDDrLvBMNjdnwk1K5HrWvlhW4Qz-OvUulR6GqKm-_LxcGO4zZGwISOd11Tj4xAIN-B_tFc7XBXqU6Dcu6fAXi7RKZu078984UIJY4/s640/10376337_10153853367754920_4405508428063526092_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
But with the bottom letters filled in, most likely!<br />
<br />
The fabric I'm working on is 32 ct - linen by the feel of it. It came in a bag with a bunch of other fabrics that we grabbed when the local store closed - someone's lovely little border is stitched along one corner:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHGCw9TJDqorP99iPC76Z4MrYvZNqzRM2yssmL_IskiclnBoL-xeP2yBxv1XowDw4PNCQ0UOibqbZFzSrVSOWgXMN16y0PxG4KtQ5VYbH-q1FKIeZ9DqFocRsqkdgNxEa6yfEekqWe9iw/s1600/SAM_6681+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHGCw9TJDqorP99iPC76Z4MrYvZNqzRM2yssmL_IskiclnBoL-xeP2yBxv1XowDw4PNCQ0UOibqbZFzSrVSOWgXMN16y0PxG4KtQ5VYbH-q1FKIeZ9DqFocRsqkdgNxEa6yfEekqWe9iw/s640/SAM_6681+%25282%2529.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
I wonder what they had been planning to stitch! It makes me more determined to finish this piece though; that way no one stumbles across this fabric again and wonders - <i>"huh, what was this going to say?" </i>This fabric deserves a finished design! XD</div>
River Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03146308437000006070noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4544377161071318319.post-50944160652614338222016-12-20T13:04:00.001-08:002016-12-20T13:04:58.506-08:00Square Finish and Cookies!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
The tree square is complete!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgA8p3M0Z-mIOMSYYl-gsldjk29DMStlGZm9doXWhQVZMHIenOyd6eRa48Pt20wYZr7Ymtu44OBlhKG6O-JTLuM9CLxDudi3MY_AYoN0vMk4F9qjLHe_8QO7X0T9sjqXIb5UMGcmyt4Sg/s1600/015.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgA8p3M0Z-mIOMSYYl-gsldjk29DMStlGZm9doXWhQVZMHIenOyd6eRa48Pt20wYZr7Ymtu44OBlhKG6O-JTLuM9CLxDudi3MY_AYoN0vMk4F9qjLHe_8QO7X0T9sjqXIb5UMGcmyt4Sg/s640/015.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
And the cookies are begun!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-8gnNhiwYo8jEiVGCFjBFwFndLSn0Gtu3G-8cF8hVs2zxCVSxYslNif4liynzOFjyFIpz5kHxyQM9rT_pakUtUvESGp341m5eiERpYDpuMuRlKFQJq7ASqCyaBrt8yaw1cSeIvMmEL6s/s1600/020.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-8gnNhiwYo8jEiVGCFjBFwFndLSn0Gtu3G-8cF8hVs2zxCVSxYslNif4liynzOFjyFIpz5kHxyQM9rT_pakUtUvESGp341m5eiERpYDpuMuRlKFQJq7ASqCyaBrt8yaw1cSeIvMmEL6s/s640/020.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
I'm playing around with the idea of stitching a tiny bit of outline around the yellow tree pot - maybe in a light brown or burnt orange?<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWeumT6u1x0BqzghF2tWb0mN2ohNJCENmQ-UoR3nAJmzhKqdHaZsZ5wDPaVmbZWpQ2kFiPLCNeSpITJ-_98UpyHcXcEcQNDkOnBTDXxfZAZ9T0IjjCEPd11NyMB2SUjlqWR1fyQHnzhrY/s1600/023.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWeumT6u1x0BqzghF2tWb0mN2ohNJCENmQ-UoR3nAJmzhKqdHaZsZ5wDPaVmbZWpQ2kFiPLCNeSpITJ-_98UpyHcXcEcQNDkOnBTDXxfZAZ9T0IjjCEPd11NyMB2SUjlqWR1fyQHnzhrY/s640/023.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
The smaller tree has its lights and the additional snowflakes; it'll have it's little blue pot shortly! I love the brilliant yellow: finally, a use for the skein of neon 444 that had been languishing in the box for so long!<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>It's almost Christmas!! </i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
~x~</div>
</div>
River Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03146308437000006070noreply@blogger.com0