WIP Wednesday, Summer Holiday Edition

Thank you everyone for the comments wishing me a speedy recovery from my dreaded summer cold.  I'm almost over it which is a relief I was feeling pretty awful for awhile!  While battling this cold we've been dealing with quite the heat wave.  I'm so grateful we have central air conditioning!  I could just imagine how awful I'd feel not only battling a cold, but the extreme heat as well.

Stitching-wise I feel like I've had a pretty productive week, when I wasn't sleeping!

Bluebird Tweet

Just Nan

Stitched on: 32ct Linen from Silkweavers

Stitched with: DMC & Mill Hill Beads

I started and finished another Just Nan critter.  I now have two stitched up for the JN Critter finishing day Kathy and I are going to have in the fall.  This time at the top of the pile was Bluebird Tweet which I picked up at The Attic back in March.  I have pulled out and kitted up a third Critter but I've not started it yet.

Instead I started this Lizzie*Kate, Be Naughty.  I kitted this one up in early June and its been in my basket waiting to be started.  I've been stitching up one or two letters each day before I pick up Fortunate Traveler.  Except for yesterday, I didn't touch it at all.  When I first posted my start on this on Instagram, I thought it would be best not to hashtag the name of the chart like I usually do.  Imagine the traffic I'd get with the hashtag "benaughty"!!??  Though I do have some fun coming up with some creative hastags!!! (don't forget you can follow me @tkd_chick and see stitching almost daily!)

I finally hit a milestone with The Fortunate Traveler by Teresa Wentzler!  Last night I finally finished the cross stitching on the border!  Of course as you can see there are miles of backstitching to be done now.  I like to get areas completely done on TW's before I move onto the next.  There's always a lot of BS on her pieces, and leaving it to the end could be overwhelming!

As you can see from this close up of the corner I've got a start on the BS, there will be a lot of work putting in the netting you can see started here as well.  It took quite a few hours last night and today to get the outermost line of stitching on the borer and the inner most line backstitched.  I'm not sure what section I'll tackle next, probably all the writing both the "Fortunate Traveller" which I will spell correctly with the Queen's English and the story before I get to the fun part... the dragon!!!

Calabogie Lake

 Water's Edge at Calabogie

Drgonfly On The Rocks

I managed to get out for a bit on Monday with my brother and Dad, I have to admit half a day out left me pretty drained by the time I got home.  My brother and I went in his sports car and my Dad followed on his motorcycle.  We drove out to Calabogie, through White Lake, a stop for lunch in Arnprior, and a final stop in Packenham before heading home.  It was SO nice to get out!

 5 Span Stone Bridge over the Mississippi River in Packenham

Wimpy WIP Wednesday

Greetings readers.

Remember last week how I had said I was hoping to finish the cross stitching on Fortunate Treaveller's border?  Murphy's Law came for a nice, long visit.  Initially I had a quiet weekend planned, just a baby shower to pop into.  Lots of stitching time right?  Well I was pretty run down by the latter half of last week, so Thursday and Friday night were both nights where I sat and played mindless games on my iPad and went to bed early.  I didn't touch my stitching.  My quiet weekend turned into being out and about with my friend Christin Friday night, Saturday I went to that baby shower for about an hour, then drove to Montreal (2hrs each way) for a birthday party, spent the night, drove back at lunchtime Sunday, picked up my friend Claire visiting from out of town, spent a few hours teaching her finishing techniques then took her back into the city in time for dinner.  I felt like I never had a weekend!  I had also taken Monday off of work to spend with Claire and her son who were visiting from out of town.  Today I was off sick with a bad headache and sore throat... totally run down.  Surprised?  Me either.

After last week's Wednesday post, I didn't pick my stitching back up until Monday night.  Really that was just a token effort to stitch, not much got done.  I finally really got some stitching done last night!

 Jingles - Cheer

Lizzie Kate

stitched on: 32ct lugana

stitched with: Weeks Dye Works

I decided working on a TW wasn't a good idea with how I was feeling so I pulled out the Jingles ornament I started last week.  I managed it to finish it last night as well.

Strawberry Bunny

Just Nan

stitched on: 32ct Desert Sunset Belfast by Zwiegart

stitched with: DMC & Mill Hill Beads

With a nice long nap, today I was able to stat and finish the stitching on this little Just Nan critter.  I'm holding off on finishing it until the fall.  Kathy and I are planning on doing a critter finishing frenzy in the fall.  I've got more to stitch before the fall!

Hopefully next week you'll find I've been more productive.

WIP Wednesday, Rarely On Time

I have every intention of blogging last night, however my Internet Provider decided they needed to do maintenance on our network which could result in "reductions in speed or interruption in service"  well, my "interruption in service" last from 4PM to 10:30PM.  Awesome, just awesome.  So blogging just wasn't happening last night.

A Year In Chalk - June

Hands On Designs

Stitched on: 32ct Weeks Dye Works Linen, Gunmetal

Stitched with: GAST

Since last week's update I pulled out Hands On Designs - Year in Chalk series after finishing Mini River Cottages.  June whipped up really quickly from the small amount I had started.  I now have half of this series stitched up.  For the moment, I can't go any further in this series as I don't have July and August charts yet.  They're out, I just don't have them.

Stoneware Cat - Kit

Priscilla's Pocket

On Tuesday evening I went out and stitched with my good friend Janice, and I decided to work on this little cutie.  I bought this kit back in March during my trip to the Attic in Arizona.  I was a little disappointed with the kit because I ran out of thread.  I contacted the designer about this, it turns out it was supposed to be stitched over two with one strand of floss.  There were no stitching instructions at all included in the kit.  So like any good, experienced stitcher I stitched it 2 over 2.  Anyhow he's really cute, and he'll be finished into a little pillow with a nice blue pom-pom trim that came in the kit.

After some fairly straightforward/easier projects, I was still in the mood for more complex stitching.  Teresa Wentzler's Fortunate Traveler continues to hold my attention.  If I get in the stitching time I'd like to, I hope to have the border completely cross stitched by the end of the weekend.  I have I'll be sticking to this project to the end.

I have also started my July ornament.  I'm still working away on Lizzie Kate's Jingles series.  This month's addition is Cheer.  I love the wee cardinals!

Not only have I been stitching this last week, there's been more finishing!  They're all ornaments I've stitched up from the Rosewood Manor - Red Threads chart.  Again, rocking the beaded edging on all of these.

WIP Wednesday

Happy Wednesday!  I'm actually on schedule this week and I'm actually getting my WIP Wednesday post up on the right day!

 Mini River Cottage

Michael Powell

stitched on: 27ct eveweave

After last week's post I finally settled on a WIP to work on, Michael Powell's Mini River Cottage... well I finished it Monday night!  I just love the look of these and stitching them!

Red Threads

Rosewood Manor

Stitched on: mystery fabric

Stitched with: Threadworx

I also had a small finish as well, I pulled out this little Red Threads motif by Rosewood Manor, one of my purse projects.  It had been started awhile ago, so it was nice to have that finished as well.  Its gone into my finishing pile, I've already picked the coordinating beads for when I'm ready!

Of course with the finishing of one focus project that leaves the tough decision of "what's next?".  A few texts back and forth with Christin and for the moment, I've settled on Teresa Wentzler's Fortunate Traveller.  I started this back on May 1, 2013 as a stitch-a-long with Bonnie, Beatrice and Christin.  Of course none of us have really made any serous progress since then.  I think we keep getting distracted by other projects!

I've also put a couple of more thread lengths into A Year In Chalk - June.  I'm planning on putting an hour into this each day until its done or I decide to put my head down and finish it.  Once this one is done, I'm caught up until I get a chance to buy/pick up July & August.

Tiny Tidings

Lizzie Kate

Over the weekend I also completed another ornament, and a floss ring tag.  I started a second ornament, but haven't managed to find the time to complete it yet.  I guess that just gives you something to look forward to next week!

Red Threads

Rosewood Manor

Nothing exciting has been going on to share with you, I've been back to work this week after an extra-long, long weekend.  Just the stitching you see here!

Update : Places I've Been

Now the last month has not only been stitchy-busy but I've been busy as well, doing things and visiting friends.  I've become really bad at sharing my little trips with you and taking pictures!  I invested in a new wonderful DSLR back in September and I find myself barely taking any pictures these days!

The first weekend in June I hit the road to go visit Kathy and help her start the finishing on the wonderful Etui I shared with you during my last blog post.  Saturday morning we met up with Beatrice and went to the Trenton Quilt Guild's annual show.  It was a spectacular quilt show, they certainly have a lot of talent, it almost makes me want to take up quilting... almost.  I have inherited a huge stack of quilt tops from my Mum that I should finish someday.  I know I could pay someone to do it but that just feels wrong.

Here is a sampling of the quilts that caught my eye!

The following weekend my friend Tracey and I decided to go check out the Carp Farmer's Market.  Another opportunity to make good use of my lovely camera.  We had a gorgeous day to be out and about!

 Local Strawberries - I just got to enjoy some yesterday!!

 I LOVE Sunflowers

 As you can see the Lupines really caught my eye!

That's it for now, I'm hoping this summer I'll be motivated enough to share more of my adventures with you.