Thursday, June 29, 2017

A Little Update

Hello!

Last time I was here I wished you a happy Spring;  now it's time to wish you a happy Summer!


We have had some nice weather, but my goodness we have seen our fair share of rain.  Mr. Crafty World and I have been digging and planting like demons to get our property looking up to snuff;  it would have happened a lot faster if we didn't have to wait a week (or two!) between sessions to get things done.  However, we have almost gotten the gardens looking like we want them too, but of course with gardens you are never really satisfied or have enough plants do you?

I did get my flower fix with a cross stitch project though.  I think I was working on this last time I was here but was not quite finished.


This chart is from a recent issue of The World of Cross Stitching magazine.  I did a little experiment with this stitching project:  I wanted to see how long it would take if I only worked on one piece, and how I would like it.  I was feeling bogged down by the amount of projects I have on the go; and while I do get finishes they don't happen as quickly as I would like.  I worked on this for four weeks:  by week three I was ready to move on; and week four I almost couldn't stand the sight of it.  So now I know that I like to have variety in my stitching and have of course started about three new things on top of what I am already working on!

I also completed a small Christmas stitch I started last year:  this is a Dimensions kit.


This little gift stitch was made into a lavender sachet:


This was something new I tried:  stitching on burlap.  This design is from Anette Eriksson who has an Etsy shop.  It was very quick to work up, but any mistakes I made were an absolute bear to pick out.  I will definitely stitch more on burlap because I like the rustic look of it; I will just be extra cautious in my stitching!


I did change the design slightly.  Under 'Çhateau' it is supposed to say 'Saint Etienne  Est. 1759'.  I changed it to Saint Emilion as that is a French village we have loved visiting, and the first time we went there was 2001.  That's what I like about stitching and crafting:  you can can customize things to make them personal and meaningful to you.

Not much on the hooky front I'm afraid.  I have been going through my cottons to cut down on that stash.  A whole pile of dishcloths have been made and are waiting to have the ends darned in.  Next up will be some potholders similar to this one:


I started a shell stitch scarf with some of the yarn I bought in the spring.  I was hoping I would have enough for a short, double wrapped cowl, but sadly not.  I will have to order another skein and cross my fingers the dye lots are similar to what I have.  I have been looking around and it is not easy to find this yarn, so I have to take what I can get.


Of course a little craftiness had to be  done during all that rain as well.  I bought these solar lights with the idea of wrapping the globes with yarn, and putting them in my craft room.  I tried different weights of yarn and even embroidery floss, but all of them blocked out the light.  Since the globes are already wrapped with a white cotton thread, I decided to try dipping the globes into clothing dye to see if that would work.


I'm happy to report it did!  I just love going into my craft room at night and seeing these lit up.


Thrift store shopping has yielded more brooches to turn into needle minders:  with all those works in progress I have I need quite a few!


My daughter has one more school obligation to do and then the summer will begin in earnest for us.  We are having guests for the Canada Day weekend which I am really looking forward to, and the week after I start a new part time job. I hope I like it:  I think the change will be nice.

Until next time thank you for visiting and your kind words.  I hope you have a wonderful summer!

Happy Days,
Jenn

6 comments:

Robin in Virginia said...

Hi Jenn! It was good to see your summer post today. What pretty stitches you have created. That cherry pot holder makes me smile. I hope you are able to get more yarn for your scarf. What a cool idea on the lights! Well done! I wish you an enjoyable weekend!

Brigitte said...

Nice to see another monthly update from you. And you were so busy with stitching, Crochet and knitting.

I love your stitchy finishes. A lot. Particularly the tea cup with all the flowers in it.For me such an experiment would have the same outcome. The longer I stitch on only one project the more often I look through my WIP bin in order to see if there is something else that calls my name. And when I have found such a WIP I change out projects. Or even "worse" - I start something new, lol.
So nice, your other finishes, too. That little lavender sachet is so darling.

The yarn you used for the scarf is so beautiful with all the great colours. A clever idea to use these brooches as needle minders. And the solar lights must be wonderful when they welcome you in your craft room.

Justine said...

Happy Canada Day!

Such a gorgeous blog post, everything you make is so lovely. I especially like the lights you customised, such soft colours.

I find a month is about as long as I can stand on one project without a change. I used to be a OAAT stitcher but no longer.

Carol said...

So much crafty goodness in one post, Jenn! Do you ever sleep? I'm always amazed at all of your creations!! Lovely stitching and crocheting and knitting. The little dyed lights are genius! I will have to think about copying that idea :)

Hope you had a great Canada Day on July 1st and enjoy the month ahead. I'll look forward to your next post :)

mrs. smythe said...

Hi Jenn! Love the cross stitch - especially the burlap project and the postcard. I'd love to know where you find your kits/patterns. I'd never thought to look on Etsy. Our local craft stores don't have a lot, so maybe I should start looking on-line. Once again, I am amazed at all you are able to finish. Congratulations on the gardening. And I absolutely understand - there's always a need for more plants. ;)

Becki said...

Knowing where to start is always the challenge when I start commenting on your posts, Jenn. You always have so many pretty things to look at. I'm going to start with the brooches. Those are awesome. I know you're planning on turning those into needle minders, but WOW! a couple of those are just begging to be worn again. The dragonfly and the butterfly are both just beautiful. I've got some old costume jewelry of my mother's. I really need to pull it all out and look through it again. And use some of it! Thanks for the inspiration.

And those lights are so pretty! I don't know what your intended use is, but I want to string them in a baby's room! Not that I have any baby's room to string them in. Just sayin'...

The yarn in that scarf is really is pretty. It doesn't look familiar to me. I hope you find more!

Your potholder is so cute! And that pillow -- I thought it was stamped until I read your post. Your stitching is awesome and what a cool pillow you have made. ALL of your cross stitch projects are just beautiful, as always.

Happy rest of the summer to you!

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