Easter Treasure Hunt Blog Hop 2018

Happy Easter everybody!

Today I am joining the Easter Treasure Hunt Blog Hop 2018, organised by the lovely Jo of Serendipitous Stitching.

There is a great line up of blogs for you to visit ..... where we each show some Easter or Spring stitching ..... and you can collect the letters from each blog to make up a line from a poem.

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My stitching is a sampler, the vase is from The World of Cross Stitch  “Design Library” Issue 266, using their colours. This took a little longer to stitch than anticipated, as usual, and I couldn’t decide what border to stitch which meant I was still stitching last night! Oops!

The pictures look a bit dark, but that's mainly because the fabric is light green, it doesn't photograph very well, which is a shame because I've got lots more of that fabric to use!

Fabric is a lovely pale green!
..... impossible to show the colour!

The border was from Issue 73. I wasn’t sure what colours to use, but I think these looking fine!?!

And most of you will probably know this little guy is the freebie from WOCS Issue 266.

My travel stitching - not quite finished! Needs outlining
and there is a branch with leaves to add.

But this is what you've come for, my letter is “W”.

To find the next letter in the phrase go to:

elfinstitches.blogspot.co.uk

Happy hopping, and thank you for visiting!

Have a very Happy and Stitchy weekend!

Hugs,
Barbara xxx

ORTs and TUSAL - March 2018

Hello dear friends, old and new,


I'm joining in with Daffycat, albeit late again!

I hope you can see my ORTs at the back of the photo! I was rushing a bit to catch the daylight!

My latest ORTs are sitting between the little pink Mini Thread Catcher and TUSAL jar (to make your own MTC see my "Tutorial" folder, above).

It might not look a lot, but I’m one of those peeps who don’t like to waste any cotton and I stitch to the very end of each piece of thread, sometimes even having trouble securing them because I try to keep stitching when I should have fastened off long ago!


My ORTs were from the following projects ..... after this photo shoot they will join the rest of the ORTs in this year's jar:

Project One

Project One

Last week I bought a copy of The World of Cross Stitch (issue 266), mainly looking for Easter and Spring projects to stitch for Jo's Easter Blog Hop! And then I treated myself to a few new threads. Can't show you what I'm stitching yet, it would spoil the surprise for the Blog Hop ..... so this weekend I've been happily stitching away on my Easter project, and it's coming along very well! 

WoCS even had a small mention about ORTs in this issue! BTW I don't get paid for mentioning this magazine, I just happen to like buying it occasionally!

Project Two

Another little project from the same magazine ..... in fact, this is their free gift, which comes with an envelope and presentation card.

Project Two

Actually I've almost finished this one, must take a photo for next update!

Project Three

Stitch by Stitch by Anchor

Stitch by Stitch has progressed further, and, although there is a little more of the frame to stitch, next time you will be able to see some of  the picture within the "frame" which I couldn't resist starting last night. 

Now I'm off to see who else has added their TUSAL posts to Daffycat's comments HERE.

Thanks for popping by. It's always lovely to know you've visited.

Hugs,

Barbara xx

(If you haven't heard of TUSAL or ORTs before do pop over to visit  Daffycat to find out all about them, and maybe even join in?!?!)

Gifted Gorgeousness - March 2018

"GIFTED GORGEOUSNESS" ..... a monthly link party run by the wonderful Jo of Serendipitous Stitching, where we post about stitching gifts we have received or given, or indeed anything related to the word "gift". Link runs from the 15th until the end of the month. If you would like to find out more and maybe join up go HERE!

Read all about who's joining in with the March GG HERE (on Jo's blog).

Hello my friends,

Gosh, doesn’t time fly! It’s been a while since last I blogged and I’ve been very busy stitching in that time. I have four projects to show you.

I’ve finished this little brooch:

"Love & Roses"

Perhaps you recall me saying "Love & Roses" was a gift from Cross Stitcher (March issue No 328), and as such qualifies for GG.

Spider Web Ribbon Roses

I bought the magazine specifically for the free gift! I really enjoyed stitching my first spider web ribbon roses ..... something I’d been meaning to try for simply years! I was never really sure what type of ribbon to use.

Oops, sorry, I know some of you don't like creepy crawlies and the like ..... but it's not real, and I think it looks quite sweet actually.

I wasn’t looking forward to stitching the bee, which was a mixture of cross stitch with backstitched wings. I started stitching on the left wing first, and I think you can probably see that by the time I worked the right wing I'd got the hang of it!

I found it quite testing stitching the "cross stitches" on this fabric, and despite using a hoop the fabric gathered a little as I worked. I was careful to stretch the piece when I stitched it to the felt, so that the fabric didn’t look too pulled.

I was pleased with the finish of this brooch, and it was nice to try something I don't normally stitch, but I think I’ll stick to either cross stitch or embroidery on their own in future!

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A couple of weeks ago I entered a Giveaway on Catherine’s blog (Hillview Embroidery), and I was very lucky to win this lovely beading kit! 

If you haven't visited Catherine, on her blog she writes about her experiences as she studies at the Royal School of Needlework to earn her RSN Certificate in Hand Embroidery - Hillview Embroidery, and has recently been talking about the pretty Milleflori button brooch she has been working on, which is a project that will definitely have to go on my "to do" list! Do pop over and have a look if you haven't already!

And so, very soon I will be experimenting with beading for the first time.

Thank you again, Catherine, for the lovely giveaway prize.

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Another gift which I received a while ago is this one, and its seen a lot of progress this month mainly thanks to IH&SW.

Stitch by Stitch” by Anchor 

There are six rounds of stitching forming a frame, and then a picture within ..... which I’m really looking forward to working on.

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And this is my latest new start, a freebie from The World of Cross Stitching (Issue 266) 

It's grown a bit since this picture, but no time for another picture yet!

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I'm off to start another little project for Jo's Easter blog hop (if you want to join in, pop over to Jo's blog to read all about it!)

Happy Stitching everyone!

Hugs,

Barbara xx