Almost the end of 2016.

Hello!

How time flies sometimes! Stitch after stich and in a blink of  an eye... It's almost the end of December.

Let's start this wrap-up post with a last minute project.

Yes, this is a Christmas related project started at the end of the year. *yikes*
The photo is covered because it's a surprise, but in the next year I'll show you the result.
The floss isn't DMC, but for a kit it's not so bad. The final effect of this pattern is a 3D feeling as the directions tells you to use 3 strands of floss.


As for the other wips:

• Leo. 

This is where I've stopped in November, with a bit of the first lion's leg finally showing.

• Night Moves.
  Pages 1, 7 and 13 are done, for a total of 17760 tent stitches. 

For now that's all...
If only I could I would  stop to look (only for a short period of time) at the HAED patterns who are waiting to jump in my ever-growing wishlist.





I wish you may find happyness, health, love and many, many stitches (and progress with your favorite crafty hobbies) in the next year. 

Happy holidays!

See you soon,

Dye fabric - first try.

As the title of this post say… Well, it took me a great amount of time but I’ve finally managed to dye some fabric. *happy dance*
I’ve used various tea to obtain some color. Specifically, for a total of ten bags i’ve used: 4 black tea, 3 bags of cinnamon/orange, one bag of English breakfast and two bags of mint/lime were put in the boiling water.
Those bags were first infused (since it would be a crime not to drink some really good tea) and then placed to dry a couple of days prior the dyeing process.

I’ve tried on some 72 white Aïda (that equals to 18ct fabric).

First I put on the stove a pot containing simple water to boil. After that I’ve put in some salt, stirred, turned off the stove and then added the tea bags in the pot. *The salt will make the dye color-fast and it will not run in the future. 
I’ve let the tea  bags simmer for 10  minutes then I’ve take them off.

In the meantime I’ve washed the fabric and rinsed it well from all the starch.

.

When the 10 minutes passed I’ve put the still damp fabric in the tea and let it simmer about 25 minutes. *I’ve controlled the time. After the first 15 minutes I’ve checked the fabric and then added another 10 minutes. I wanted the fabric to be completely uniform in color, so it needed to be fully under the dye water.

When the time’s up, I washed the fabric with a generous amount of vinegar (just to be sure the color won’t bleed) and then run it under some water.

Just before washing there was some tea residue but it didn’t ruin the fabric nor bleed a darker shade of color. 

I’ve let it dry outside and this is the final result rven though the photo is a bit darker than the original colour…

I'm quite happy with how the little piece of fabric turned out. 

Now, I only need to find a small design and put in good use the fabric. 🤔 Do you have some ideas or suggestion in what to cross stitch on there?

                                                  I wish you many happy hours of stitching!

                   See you soon, 

Period of progress.

Hello stitchers! How have you been? Hope everything is alright with you all out there.

I was a bit busy and didn't feel ok (and thus I almost forgot to post this little update on my personal progress on Leo), but don't worry! I'm here to make amend.

Let's start with some photos...

Those were taken through the last year, 2015.

This,

was the first photo taken in the new year.
You can see a square 10x10 already stutched, that was the requirement of the new HAED fb group challenge. That stated to stitch ten full square in a checkered pattern in a new area.

I remember it was fun stitch in this new way and at the end (which I'll show you next time) there weren't the feared lines between each squares.
The confetti stitches has slowed me down a bit, but that was a little price to pay for having tried something i never thought to do while stitching.


I wish you a week full of happiness and cross stitches.

See you soon,

Of finished challenge and birthday.

Hello stitchers!

In the last month (just some days after the last post i wrote) I've managed to finish the Facebook NEW HAED group second challenge.

This time the challenge was to complete an entire page with the "cross country" method, one colour at time.
I've tried to resist (well, not so much!) from starting another HAED pattern, but Night Moves was calling me... And when a particular chart calls you only have to listen.
So... Yeah, I've dismounted Leo from its frame and i've started the second wip.

This is the first of many "first times".

Night Moves is the first pattern I've worked with the tent stitches thecnique.
More specifically i've opted to try the "continental" tent.
Theright side is looking like this "////" and on the back the stitches aren't like this "||||" but a bit slanted.

Challenge finished.

This method prevents the fabric from distorting itself when stitching with tent stitches.

The other first thing is... The loop method for starting. It's easy to make and saves a good amount of time from having to reach back for bolcking the threads.
I'll add that this techinque is really fast. So fast indeed that I've completed the first page and the challenge in two weeks. (!)
50 colours in that short time frame was really something!


Another first time: the use of Rainbow Gallery Petite Treasure Braid pb10 (first thread i've brought from the USA). This thead is sparkly and it gives the pattern a nice "feeling".
Last of the first times: the parking method. I've tried it with six threads on Leo when it was still placed on the Q-snaps frame but with so many colours i've feared (stupid me!) to mess up in some ways, so i quickly gave up and stitched it like i've always done before, following no particular scheme or the 10x10 grid.

Oh yes! One last thing.

Last Wednesday was my birthady and though I didn't brought something stitchy related (yet) i've brought this cute necklace.

I had many reasons for this purchase. I've wanted this necklace from the first time i've saw it, years ago but through one thing or another I didn't get the chance to buy it before and soon it was out of order. From all this I laerned a lesson: if you want something don't wait too much or you could end up a bit sad.
But this year, with a graet deal of luck I had finally found a seller and quickly made the decision to buy the three stars necklace before it would be too late. Long story short: at the end the neckalce has traveled way more than me and showed up just a couple of days before my bithday.
Now I'm happy but something will make me happier.
Guess what? Another purchase of an HAED chart, since Leo and Night Moves, when they will be finished and framed will go to my mother... And I too want an HAED all for me.
The wishlist is ever growing, it's so, so so very difficoult to choose only one, but sooner or later I will make a final decision.

Ok, rant is over! If you managed to read this far: congratulations! I hope everyone will have an awesome week end, filled with happiness and many cross stitches!

Monday 25 April 2016

Progress...

Hello stitchers!

Here there are some pics of the progress made on "Leo" started in the night of 20th of November 2013 through January 2015... How time flies away!


Not so much to see in the first set of photo but, it's a start.



There are some faces showing in the sun rays.



Here the constellation's stars are shining in the night sky, even though there's no sparkly floss in them.
Oh... Look at the woman's hair! They're curly (I'm envying  this so much) and full of confetti stitches blowing in the wind.



In the last two pics the woman's face is clearly visible, and if you look closely enough, you will be able to spot some face in the torch's flame and smoke.


I adore the fact that with so many confetti stitches you can get a bit confused at the result (i've asked myself what i was doing many, many times over while cross stitching because i didn't get the "Why" put this colour there or this colour here?" and being totally honest, sometimes i thought i was making some mistake, but luckily it never happened so far)and with this I've learnt that you (and me) have to believe and always trust the chart without feeling discouraged... It will take some time, weeks or months but hang in there. Don't quit on the project only because you can't see some result right away, stick to it and keep stitching, even when you feel like giving up. Take a moment to look at the mock-up picture then stand up facing the pattern and look at it, wherever you are you must feel happy with the stitches that have been put on the once white (or colored, your chioce) piece of fabric. 
When you last expect it, you'll see the picture take form.

The detiails of a pattern this big will show fully when you look at it from some distance and believe me, the result can take your breath away, since HAED patterns are so beautifully charted.



This is where I leave you for now, I'm off trying to put some crosses on this wip after I drank my usually hot cup of black tea. ☕




Have a wonderful week, filled with smiles and many stitches!
Hugs to all the stitchers out there,

Saturday 16 April 2016

First post.

Here I am!
This is my first Blogger post.

My name is Irene and I'm from Italy.


Here you will mainly find the progress on my cross stitch projects.

Right now I'm working on HAED's Leo and Night Moves.

I fell in love with that site, there are so many charts of many many artist to chose from! The only downside to life, is that's so little time to stitch and sometimes it's hard to keep away from browsing through those beauties and not buy everything i have on my ever-growing wishlist.


Less talk now, i'll let some photos do the talk...

Leo

(450x570, 90 colours)

The artist that painted "Leo" is Josephine Wall and this chart is part of her collection of the Zodiac Signgs.

Total stitches count: 256500.

I've started working on Leo in the last days of November 2013, more specifically it was the 20th.
It's being stitched 1x1 full crosses on 25ct. white Lugana.

The firs 100+ crosses done.

From that day onward it was (and still is) a nice journey stitch after stitch.

Night Moves

(450x222, 90 colours)

Painted by Jim Warren.

Total stitches count: 99900.

 This pattern, brough along with Leo, was my choice of the 2016 challenge#2 over the NEW HAED Facebook group.
Stitched 2x1 tent (continental technique) stitches on 25ct. white Lugana.

I still haven't finished the challenge as i don't have three (shame on me!) colours.

Usually i follow the pattern and instructions carefully, but for this time i've chose to forego the use of Kreinik floss and instead i've decided to stitch the sparkly bits with the white pearl pb10 also know as the #4 Petite Treasure Braid produced and sold by Rainbow Gallery.

I love how it captures the light showing off its many reflections and i have to find a way to show that in my future photos.

Challenge#2 progress so far:

25ct. white Lugana

Well, that's all for now. 

 See you soon,