Latest Witching Hour update

I thought I would put a picture of my latest update and the one before together on one picture.  So here we go, I'm now on 276.5 hours in total for the full bottom section.  As soon as I've stitched these last 3 pages I will take a full picture progress photo.  I'm currently on 10.5 hour for this page, I wonder if I will do it under 23 hours for the last page.

Another page complete

Yay, I have finished another page of The Witching Hour, I've spent 243 hours stitching this now.

23 hours for this page.

Bit of a while for an update on Witching Hour

I've been naughty and not updated my blog, so here is biggish update.

Here is my first bottom section completed in 193 hours.



I am a bit in now on the next row, below I'm at 229 hours stitching.



I've achieved a far bit today so I'll try and update tomorrow.

HAED - Witching Hour - 141 hours stitching

I'm hoping in the next week I'll get a bit more done on this as I was made redundant the other week so more stitching time for a little while.

I'm now on 141 hour stitching 4th section complete, 2 more to go and then we move upwards.

I have adapted my KS Creations floor stand as my NeedleNeeds on wasn't as sturdy to allow me to just pop my work on the stand.  This stand wouldn't take a 36" - 40" frame bars.

HAED - Witching Hour - 95.5 hours

Nearly another page done.

95.5 Hours of stitching

HAED - Witching Hour 64 hours - another page complete

Yay, another page complete, love stitching this, not too much confetti, but that's because I'm cross countrying it I think.  Can't swap it over, love it too much.

Witching Hour - Mug and Watch

I've just got my little treat today in the post from http://www.lisaparkershop.com/

The witching hour watch.

And the Mug too, also a calendar...

The Witching Hour - 52 Hours Stitched

The Witching Hour - 40 hours

I've carried on with the Witching Hour a little longer. Now at 40 hours stitching.

I'm going on to Cat Tales this week but I'm going to try and do an hour on this one a day too. 

Meet Friske

We were adopted by Friske at the end of July beginning of August.

She was different because when we first met her on the street she had recently had her tail docked by about 2 inches and it was unusual. 

She kept visiting us and sleeping in the outside cat shelter. 

So I decided I had to find her owner. She must have one because of the recent operation. 

I had posters up. Rang all local vets. But I got a breakthrough late on a Friday night. 

We arranged for her owner to collect her. Oh but we missed her all that day. 

Early on the Sunday morning Friske was back, she had escaped. 

We left it a week and contacted the owner to see if she'd been back but no, she had had kittens about 7 months ago and they had kept 2 of them and we think that's why she left home.

So we offered to adopt her. The owner said yes so I asked how old she is and she's roughly 14 months old. Had she had her injections. No came the reply.

What, she's allowed to go out but not had the injections to cover her. 

So I ring the vet and get a price of £49 and £20 for the microchip. 

Last Monday we went to the vets and started the first of 2 injections. 

So Friske now belongs to us. 

You can see why I'm stitching The Witching Hour. 

HAED - Witching Hour - Full page and bottom full page finished

Yay, it's looking good now, especially from a distance, one full page and one full bottom page finished.  I'm now going to the next bottom page, I was going to rotate but wanted to stay on this a little longer.

29 hours of stitching

Witching Hour - 23.5 hours stitching

I was hoping to have this page finished tomorrow but I doubt I will manage it, I was going to rotate with something else.  I'll see how I get on tomorrow.

Witching Hour HAED - 17 hours of stitching

It's coming along, now at 17 hours and I've nearly done 1 and half pages, there is a long way to go and a year or so of stitching.

Dymo Label Maker

I have been umming and arrrrring about a label maker for a while and because it was my birthday I asked for one.  I find the DMC labels you buy don't stick to the plastic bobbins, so I'm hoping this will, time will tell, bit expensive mine.

For my Witching Hour project I decided to switch to the stitchbow storage because I didn't fancy winding all the skeins onto bobbins.  That might change and I will switch back.

Witching Hour Update

Not a great update but it's coming along nicely, plenty of block stitching which makes it easier to get a head.

Now I'm on 11 hours in total stitching.

HAED - Train of Dreams

I've had to take this one off my Needle Needs Frame Bars so I could start Witching Hour, but I hope to get a set of 30" bars and then I won't have to keep moving it.

Another one I really must work on to get finished.

HAED - Cat Tales

I really do like this small HAED and I hope it'll be finished before the rest, it's so colourful and cheeful.

28 Hours Stitched

HAED - Gemini Update

I've been trying to get the top section finished on this for a while now but that middle section took an age to get done and that confetti drove me mad, but I now only have 2 pages to go and then I can go back down to the middle.  Sorry the picture is a bit blurred, photos aren't my thing.

270 Hours Stitched

HAED - Witching Hour Regular

It has been a while since I posted on my blog, I must catch up with all my work in progress but it's my birthday today and for my present this year I decided to start the Witching Hour by HAED, I've loved this stitch for a while but kept saying NO, I have too many HAED's now on the got, well I ordered my threads from http://www.lakesideneedlecraft.co.uk/

If you are in the UK and want cheap DMC threads, this is the place to go, 41p each currently, fast turnaround and service, dependent on the Royal Mail.  I highly recommend.

I started stitching WH on Friday but didn't get as many hours in as I had hoped, finished the bottom half page yesterday and was going to do the full bottom section but I want to see more of the design so I've decided to go up and then I'll go along and down till the full section across is finished.

I started at the bottom for a change because most people that start this project start at the top left and down, but the face is in the middle so which ever way it'll be a while till I get there.

8 Hours Stitching So Far

I really must start a rotation of all my HAED's so they develop through the rest of the year so I'm hoping to work on this till Sunday and then switch to maybe Cat Tales SK.

Train of Dreams - 1st panel of 8 finished - 63.5 hours

OMG, I have finally finished the first panel of 8 on my HAED Train of Dreams, oh my word those confetti stitches didn't have slow me down for the past week, one good push this morning and it's complete.

So pleased, if I can do at least 2 hours a day every day, then I might get this finished by Christmas.

Still want to work on my Gemini HAED but that is a lot bigger and will take longer to complete.  I have it set up on my Needle Needs lap stand, so maybe I can work on that too and both will progress.

I never thought I would say this but my days of small stitching projects maybe over for a long while, I'm getting addicted to HAED things...lol

But you never know I'm sure something will spark my attention and I'll do something different.

Well here you go, my first panel complete.

Train of Dreams - 52 hours stitched so far...

I've carried on stitching my train of dreams this week.  I would love to have this full section finished by Monday but I'm not sure I will, I would have been working on this for a month on Monday.  But I didn't stitch anything over last weekend so if I had I would have made it.

I will see how much I can do over the next 2 days, and whether I want to carry on a little longer, I bet I will till I have have finished this section, then I should go back to Gemini, I'm waiting for some more side bars to arrive 2nd hand, then it would make it easier to switch projects without taking the stretchers off I can have TOD and Gemini set up and my other stretchers are on a smaller HAED that I want to work on too.

There just aren't enough hours in the day, especially since my working hours have gone up to full time again, I knew my part time hours wouldn't last long, damn, less stitching time now for me.

Train of Dreams - Page 1 Complete

Yay, yesterday I managed to complete page 1 of Train of Dreams.  I have been working on this I think now for 3 weeks yesterday, so maybe in a month I will have a complete section finished, but we shall see.

I've enjoyed stitching this, it's taken me 38 hours and 30 minutes to one page.  I'm thinking maybe 60 hours a section so 8 months if I stuck to it...lol.

Train of Dreams - 30 hours stitched

Here's my train so far. I should rotate tomorrow but I'm not sure whether to finish this page. 30 hours so far. 

I think I should steam on , pardon the pun and get this page complete and then think about moving to my other WIP's.

I've enjoyed it so far, not as hard as some HAED's well not yet anyway.

All DMC Threads Bagged

I have changed my DMC storage system over. I had them all over the place. Some on bobbins and some full skeins.

So I got some grip seal bags and record cards and they are all in individual bags. 

My other half found the idea storage for most of them on a car boot sale on Sunday. Could do with a couple more drawers then they would all be in. Had to use a couple of other places to put about 150 threads. 

You never know he might find something else. 

I have inventoried all threads on my stash 2015 spreadsheet. 

Slowly getting organised. 

New Chair

My other half ordered a new fishing chair for himself yesterday. It arrived today an oh!!!! I had to see if it would work with my Needle Needs Stand.  

Oops it's ideal. It's got it's own try to put my bits on. 

So I've claimed it and bought a 2nd one for him. Just hope it arrives tomorrow as he's going fishing on Friday. 

Thor loves it too. 

Train of Dreams - Day 9 progress

I've had a good 3 hours stitching today and I'm addicted to this design. 

Train of Dreams - HAED

I had to start another HAED. I've loved this design for a couple of years.

I'm now on day 5 of my 2 week rotation. 

Do you want to make new friends who cross stitch?

If so, I have a forum online called Chatterbox Stitchers and we are looking for a few new members to have a good old natter to and show our work to.

If you are interested in joining the pop along to http://chatterboxstitchers.co.uk/join-us/ then click on Contact Us http://chatterboxstitchers.co.uk/contact-us/

Tell me a bit about you and your stitching, maybe where in the world you are and I will set you up on our forum.

It would be great to find new friends that love to cross stitch.

HAED Gemini Update - Parking Method

I have tried the parking method on my Gemini, mainly because this Needle Needs frame is the biggest they sell and it's heavy to turn over.  I seem to have done more on this doing the parking method than on Cat Tales.

It has taken me 2.5 hours to do from above the cream to where I am now going up in a column.  I don't think there has been as may colour changes so that might explain why.

Cat Tales Update 12 hours 13 minutes - parking method

I have managed a fair bit on my Cat Tales in the last 2 days, I watched a couple of good youtube videos that helped me to get to grips with parking, I am not sure it's helped me quicken up any and I think you might waste more thread but it looks neater.

Look at how I have got on.

If you want to learn to park then here are 3 vidoes that are very good to watch and get the basics.

Carolyn Mazzeo - I love her video's, I'm following - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zdp4-traCo4

https://youtu.be/Zdp4-traCo4

This one is very good, it explains about starting and finishing threads when you park so you don't have to turn your frame - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OuTXsIRttTA

This one is very similar to the one above - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OuTXsIRttTA

Cat Tales

I've done some on this today.

Lesley Teare letter E complete

I'm a week behind on this stitch along, I should be on letter F by now.

Flower heart

I've been a couple of small things this week. I have stitched this freebie kit from Cross Stitch Crazy. 

Just got to get it put in the heart wooden frame. 

Gemini update

Now I'm on 187 hours. Nearly done page 1 on the top. My set up below.

Lesley Teare ABC SAL 1st Month Complete

I've finished my first months letters. Four more tomorrow. 

I plan to do one a week.

Gemini Update 187 hours

I'm making progress.

Lesley Teare ABC SAL Sampler

HNearly a month ago I started the SAL on Facebook. The next 4 letters are due to be released on Sunday. I'm nearly ready.

Gemini Update

Look how I've got on today. Well chuffed.