One HD and One WIP

First of all, thank you for the nice replies to my last post! I appreciate people trying to help me find the little elf I saw so many months ago. Unfortunately, I haven't been able to locate him yet, but I have seen some other really cute patterns!

Now for an update...


Click to enlarge!

Here's a small happy dance. These chickens are a Margaret Sherry design from one of the British cross stitch magazines. I stitched them on a Charles Craft tea towel and I think they turned out really cute!

I have been wanting to stitch a Margaret Sherry design for awhile, because I am intrigued by the way backstitch is used in them. I've bought a few of her patterns (mostly cats, one bear) and have even started stitching one of them, but in the end, these colorful chickens called my name. I love chickens anyway, so I will probably keep this towel.

The backstitch was not as tough as I expected. I was a little worried that my tea towel was inset with Aida, not evenweave, and I have heard that it can be hard to do the backstitch as represented on these patterns on Aida. However, the Charles Craft towel was really soft and easy to work with -- much more giving than most Aida I have used. So the stitching went fine. As always, I'm fascinated by the difference backstitch can make. Check out the chickens a couple of days ago, before I added the outlines.

The chickens weren't on my September objectives list, but I started and finished them this month. I'm actually not sticking to my objectives very well at all... here's another small WIP I started today:



I've actually gotten a little more done than is shown here, but the rest of it doesn't look like much yet. This cute little plane is from a book of alphabets I bought recently, which I really like a lot. There are so many cute designs in this book... I can't wait to try more of them. I'm stitching the plane on light blue 18-count Aida that I got in a grab bag of odds and ends from the Thistle in Glastonbury.

So anyway, I have been doing a little stitching! As usual, just my customary small designs. But lately my mind is really on finishing. I set myself a goal of finishing at least two completed items this month... I don't know if I will make it or not, but I do feel like I'll be doing a lot of finishing soon. I have several pieces from Sudberry House, and some frames that I would like to fill. I am a little nervous, having never framed anything myself (except for that little ladybug I stitched for my friend's daughter, but that was a kit with frame included and had very clear directions).

I also got my sewing machine fixed so that I could use it to finish things, but I just don't know if I have the patience or courage (or time, for that matter) to try anything new. We'll see. I have to start somewhere!