What Have I Been Doing?

I can't believe the last time I updated here was in April! I don't even seem to have done that much stitching in the past couple of months looking at the last few pictures I posted. It's a little bit depressing really ( I blame the True Blood books, spent far too long reading them)

This is my latest update on Vampire Cat Vlad. I've almost finished the second page now. The blues and purples have been fun to stitch as they are nice big blocks of colour. The greys and blacks have been slower as there is more confetti, although not nearly as much as on Chesterton.

Really looking forward to finishing page 2 as it will only be my second page finish on a HAED chart. It's also one of my stitching goals for this year so will give my a nice sense of accomplishment.

Chesterton Again

After a couple of weeks break I'm back stitching Chesterton again.

This is about 3300 stitches and around 60 different colours out of 90 in total. So far I'm about 1.5% of the way through the chart in about 3 weeks - that's 0.5% per week so I'd better start stitching faster if I ever want to see it done!

I'm still waiting for some more floss to arrive so I can start kitting up for the 3 new starts I have planned for this month. I have a funny feeling I won't be seeing that floss now and I'll have to go out and buy a load more from somewhere. Don't think I will risk getting cheap floss from Japan again as it's been over a month since I ordered.

Burning Black

This week I have mostly been stitching black - along with some dark browns. This is a DMC kit I started a couple of weeks ago and I've done 2 weeks work on him now. The kit is called Burning Beauty and has lots of light effects, satin and metallic threads. It should look really nice when done but think the special threads will prove difficult to work with.



I bought even more stash this week. Got 2 HAED charts from a closing down sale for £4.00 each and a load of 28 count fabric from ebay for £15. now that I have some more fabric I can start to think about starting the chart I won in the HAED bingo. I'm waiting for some more floss to arrive than I'll be kitting up my next 3 new starts.

Back to Vlad

Managed to out in some work on Vlad again this week for the HAED BB UFO/SWIP SAL. Think I only managed to put a few hundred stitches in but at least I have put some work in on him, don't think I've touched him at all this year. He should look like this when (or if) completed.

Managed to grab some bargain Q Snap type frame off ebay the other day, now I'm just hunting for a good table stand to rest them on as they are a bit big for me just to hold in my hand. Once I track a nice stand down I think I'll have to stop with the X-stitch buying for a while :p

I'm hoping the new frames will let me stitch a little faster though, as it seems to take me forever to get even a little bit done :s

It's Been a Little While

It's been a while but as I've not had access to a good camera I didn't really see the point in posting updates.

This is the progress I have made on Chesterton - it's about 2 weeks worth of work and lots of colours.

Also made a new start on a DMC kit called Burning Beauty - will post a pic of that when there is more to see than just large amounts of black.

Haven't been doing as much stitching as I would like these last few weeks, never seem to have the time. I dread getting another job because then I will never get time to stitch. Good thing West Wales seems to have a job shortage right now!

A Finish and a New Start

Well I finally finished my Cat in Window. I'll post a completed pic once out decent camera get repaired/replaced.

Yesterday I started on a new piece - Cancer Chesterton by HAED from the artwork of Lesley Anne Ivory.

The photo to the left if what I managed to yesterday afternoon/evening. It's really slow work as there is a lot of confetti in the first little bit. I have used 16 colours already and only done 200 stitches or less. This is what he should look like if I ever get him finished. I'm already looking forward to the second page - lots of DMC 939 so I can start to work through it quite quickly.

I Really Hate Backstitch!

This is my progress on my Cat from Dimensions. Finally completed all of the half cross stitch and done quite a bit of the back stitch on the top half.

It's very dull slow work, not helped by the fact Dimensions didn't provide enough of the Dark Pewter floss needed for most of the backstitching. Had to replace it with a DMC shade that almost matches. Luckily from a distance you can't tell, and I managed to do it so it doesn't chance from on to the other too much. Really want to be done with this one now. I keep getting distracted by getting little bits ready for my next project. Have the fabric cut and have masking taped the edges, just need to grid it up and I'll be ready to start.

Been buying even more stash this month too. 8 charts in the HAED sale, and several kits, mostly Ivory Cats kits from the US. Got Star Ocean: Last Hope for my PS3 the other day but I'm resisting playing it until the guide I bought turns up (also from the States, nearly impossible to get here now) between Star Ocean and Final Fantasy I doubt I'll get much stitching done over the next few months, so I should probably stop buying more!

Cat in Window Feb 8th

I have managed to do more than I thought I would on my Cat this week. Managed to get a large chunk of the half cross on the upper left done and I have made a start on the back stitch as well (you can just about see it in the picture).

I'm hoping to get the rest of the half cross done this week but I have my driving theory test on Weds, plus I'm still looking after 2 extra horses so that may not happen.

I didn't realise until I started it but this kit has sooo much backstitch. It took me two or three or possibly even Fnarg (read the last issue of DWM and you'll get what I mean ;) ) days to to just the little bit in the top left, think it will take me a couple of week to do the rest of it. And I really hate doing it already!

Cat in Window Feb 1st'10

I finally completed all the full X-stich on my cat! Only half X and the detail to go now. There are lots of large areas of one colour on the top part so I hope to see it growing quite quickly now. I just hope I get time to work on it this week. The guy that I work for has asked me to look after his horses and Cats for the next 10 days which will take alot out of my stitching time :( But I do get paid £10 per a day for doing it so I can spand that on more Stash.

Cat in Window 25th Jan

Well this is what I have managed to do in the past week. Nearly done with the bottom right corner now and will be really glad to see the back of that rug soon.

Just added a couple more Ivory Cats kits to my stash thanks to ebay - they look even more complicated than this one. Then there's Chesterton- the Ivory Cats chart form Heaven and Earth, that looks really complicated. I'm hoping to start that one once I'm done with this.

Cat in Window 18th Jan 2010

The latest update on this piece - I hope to upload a new photo about once a week to keep track of how much I'm stitching per a week.

This was taken this morning, it shows how much (or little, really) I've done in the 9 or so days since the last picture was taken.

The rug the cat is sitting on seems to be taking me a very long time, there are lots of colour changes and small areas of each colour to work. Hopefully once I have completed the rug I should be able to finish quite quickly. The rest of the back ground is worked in 1/2 cross so should be stitched much faster.

Cat in Window and Cross Stitch Talk

This is my current cross stitch WIP - Cat in Window from the Dimensions Gold Collection.

He should look like this once completed.

The photo is from the 9th of Jan and I have done quite a bit more on him since then, I must try and take a more up to date picture soon.

I can't remember when I started work on him but it must be quite a while ago now. I know I was working on him before my Scandinavian trip in November and pretty sure I was working on him before my US trip at the end of Sept. I'm guessing I've put about 6 months into him.

This is the 1st cross stitch that I have not stopped working on to work on something new and I'm determined to get him done before I start on something else.

I've been cross stitching for about 10 years now and only have about 15 completed pieces to show for it. I really want to finish a couple more in the next year and I really need to stat work on some unfinished items.

I buy lots of cross stitch stuff off ebay, just bought 6 new kits today (although a couple of them are really small). I know I will never have the time to do them all but I just can't help myself.

The very 1st

Mostly this blog will be used to keep track of my various Cross Stitch projects, and rant about Placebo - good things or bad things, I'm not quite sure which yet.

At the moment I'm not even sure I like Placebo anymore. I wasn't impressed by the last tour and I still hurt deep inside from all the money I lost with the cancellation of the US tour. Not that it's really the money I care about, more the lost oppertunity. An the fact that played a free show in Mexico, I mean that was a real kick in the teeth. I save for two years to go on my final dream Placebo trip and get nothing and then anyone who wants gets to see them for free. Bah. LAR are the way forward, long live Love Amongst Ruin.