Focus On Framing!

For once this isn't a post about Mario! Decided to spend yesterday doing some framing after the success I had framing my friend's birth sampler a few days ago.

I decided to have a go at doing my own framing as professional framing is so expensive. I used a store bought frame & pre-cut mount and I think it looks pretty good! I even used proper framing tape on the back to give a neater finish:

Yesterday I decided to finally frame 'I Stitch' a design I finished last summer. Again I used a store bought frame but decided against a mount as the design has such a nice border already.

'I Stitch' was designed by Rhona Norrie from cross stitch crazy magazine (I think it was issue 139) I fell in love with this design as soon as I saw it and strated stitcing straight away, I also have Rhona's 'Stitcher's Promise' design on my stitching list and my Mum wants to stitch her new 'Count Your Blessings' design from this month's issue on Crazy!

Should have some more framing to show soon as well as some more exchange pieces & PIF's!! Until next time, Happy Stitching!!

xX Fiona Xx

***Edit*** Lesleyanne, I bought my mount ready made from a cheap shop in the town where I live but coloured mounts and double mounts (which is what I used on the birth sampler) are avaliable on ebay quite frequently or try and cheap shops in your area such as poundland, poundstretcher, wilkinsons etc. Hope this helps!

*** Edit 2*** I backed my design onto stiff card using double sided tape, than placed it under the mount in the frame.

Birthday Photos!

Yesterday I turned 23, so far it feels much the same as 22 did. I received some lovely presents from my family, 2 cross stitch books (Joan Elliott's Cards & Cross Stitch Myths & Legends) and a beautiful fairy ornament from my brother and his girlfriend.

 ~funny story : I didn't actually get the Joan Elliott book for my birthday, Mum bought it after Christmas and said she was going to put it away until yesterday. Then about 2 weeks ago she came downstairs after tidying her room while I was ironing a shirt in the kitchen. She said 'I'm really sorry Fi, but we forgot to give you this for Christmas.' and produced the book. 'Mum,' I replied 'you do realise it's my birthday in less than 2 weeks so you could have just waited until then to give it to me...also you bought that in Hobbycraft just after Boxing Day specifically to give it to me for my birthday.' Mum then said that because she'd forgotten and now I'd seen it I could have it early!!

I love these fairies, I have a fair few of them dotted about my bedroom but this one represents all of my favourite things, Autumn, Halloween & Fairies! Plus she was picked out just for me by two people I love very much. Her wings aren't actually glittery or anything they just look it in this picture!

My grandparents called in the evening to say my present was to big to post but they are planning to bring it over in a few weeks, they have bought me a mount cutter of my very own! This will save me so much money in framing fees!!! Very excited to try it out when it gets here!!

Sadly I couldn't really do anything to celebrate yesterday, mainly due to a lack of funds and the fact that although I had the day off work, everyone else didn't. So I spent yesterday stitching on...you've guessed it...Mario. Suprisingly didn't actually get as much done as I'd hoped but to be honest I was also playing Super Mario World on the SNES a fair bit...

Plans are underway to celebrate my birthday properly in a week or so after everyone has been paid, planning a day trip to Bath to see the Jane Austen museum & hopefully pick up some charts by the sampler girl from the gift shop which the museum website says they stock ~ also very excited about this trip!!!

Thank thats everything from my birthday 'celebration' so until next time ~ Happy Stitching!!
~ xX Fiona Xx

Historical Exchange

My exchange piece has finally arrived with it's new owner in Sweden which means I can finally show it off!! This exchange was a Jane Austen/ Regency/ Historical theme.

This is what I sent:

It's a needlecase with an extra pocket in the back for scissors.

back pocket detail & fabric lining ( i love this fabric so much!)

And this is what I received (from Italy): 

Happy Stitching!!

xX Fiona Xx

So Much Cream!!

I have spent the last two days stitching on Mario. Here is my progress from wednesday night (not a lot stitched as I went for chinese food with people from work)

Yesterday was my day off and was spent stitching,  in order to save myself from making a mistake and also to allow me to stitch without having to refer to the pattern I sketched the outlines of where the mario's are directly onto the aida in pencil, stitching got a lot quicker after that! Here is my progress as of yesterday:

Luckily this section is now nearly finished (that squiggly pencil line at the bottom of the hoop is the start of a large green hill!) as I am actually getting sick of DMC 739!! Sadly I can't fill in the mario's until Monday as I don't have the threads yet!! Should have more progress to show tomorrow as today is also my day off and my birthday so expect birthday photos tomorrow!

Happy Stitching!

xX Fiona Xx

A change in plans

I was all set to show off pictures from the historal exchange I took part in on the cross-stitching.com forums today but sadly my parcel hasn't reached it recipient yet so unfortunately I can't show pictures just yet. However all is not lost as I can just give an update on Mario though the ages.

Still stitching that solid block of colour that makes up the sky. Added about 450 stitches yesterday.

for those that asked, yes the guide lines come off when you wash the stitching, as long as you are using coourfast cotton you should be able to wash it in the machine, however washing by hand in warm water works just as well. Really helps with counting as the blocks match up to the blocks on the chart and saves loads of prep time as you don't have to grid the fabric yourself!

Hoping to do some more on this tonight instead of starting the wedding sampler, I have decided to stitch that at work during my lunch hour, purely because there I know it won't been seen unlike here where there is a much higher risk, especially now that mum seems to have taken to staying up later than me!

Hopefully will have exchange pictures for you soon, happy stitching until next time!

xX Fiona Xx

Geek-stitch!

Well I pulled the threads for all three game designs and Mario was the one I had the most for, (Zelda was second so that'll be my next stitch) I'm still 33 colours short though!! But I have enough that I can start stitching before picking up the missing colours on Monday. This is the biggest design I have done to date and because a lot of the design is just solid blocks of one colour I have chosen to stitch it on DMC's magic guide aida to make counting that much easier.

I started stitching this yesterday and this is how far I got with it (there's around 1,100 stitches done)

I'm really excited to finally be stitching this design, I downloaded it from spritestitch.com over a year ago and I honestly never thought I'd be in the position where I have nothing holding me back from attempting a design of this size. Maybe next year I'll finally stitch Aurora's Cabin by Dimmensions! 

I'm also going to be stitching some exchange pieces, my two PIF exchanges and a wedding anniversary sampler for my parents in the evenings alongside stitching this as I will probably need a break or two from the solid colours! It's my parent's 25th anniversary at the end of March and I think it'd be nice to surprise them with a sampler. By stitching this Mario design during the day on my days off I hope to fool them into thinking that I'm not stitching them anything!

Should have some more progress to show soon but until then happy stitching!!

xX Fiona Xx

It is DONE!!!!!!!

FINALLY!!!!!!!

all ready to be washed and framed tomorrow. So happy because it means I can finally start my geek stitch! I'm still trying to decide between Mario, Layton or Zelda and currently I'm thinking Layton, I may just pull the threads and see which one requires the least amount of thread purchases!

Happy Stitching (I know I will be!)

xX Fiona Xx



Conquering backstitch

As many long term readers of my blog will know, I detest backstitch and will often put off backstitching a project until the absolute last minute and then rush it. This reason among others including exchange stitching has held up the completion of Archie's Birth Sampler until now. It's still not entirely finished but is looking so much better!!

In fact more of the backstitch has been completed since this photo was taken earlier this evening, so fingers cross if I get time to stitch tomorrow it'll be finished!!! (just the mouse, details and a few french knots left to do)

I do find that once I get stuck into the backstitch of a design I actually enjoy doing it, it's just getting started I find hard to do.

Happy Stitching!!

xX Fiona Xx

Signed up for two more exchanges

over on the cross stitching forum, a bookmark exchange and a coffee exchange.

The bookmark exchange has a summer theme, should be good fun to do as I love reading but have never stitched a bookmark.

The coffee exchange is a bit trickier, it's a coffee themed exchange so can be anything as long as it's stitched. Currently thinking along the lines of a tea towel with a coffee bean border or a coaster or something. I'm sure I'll think of something suitable!

2011 really is shaping up to be a year of exchanges, these two bring my exchange total up to nine! Still have several spring/easter themed exchanges to do before starting these ones though including a biscornu exchange (bit nervous about that one as I've not made one before!)

Valentine Stitching

You didn't think I forgot about Valentine's Day did you? Seeing as I am once again single for Valentine's Day I joined two exchanges over on the cross-stitching.com forums.

The first exchange was a stitched valentine's card exchange, below is a photo of the card (pictured on the left) I sent along with some threads and chocolates

and here is what I received:

I love the heart confetti that came with it!

The second exchange was a Secret Valentine exchange (a bit like secret santa but for valentine's day). Below is what I sent (along with the card pictured on the right above):

the pinkeep is a freebie design by Lizzie*Kate

and here is what I received:

a lovely lavender filled hanging sachet, a lavender filled needlecase, thread & mini card

So there we go, that was my Valentine's Day stitching, I hope you liked it!

Now it's onto the next exchange piece to finish along with that pesky Birth Sampler!

Happy Stitching Everyone!

xX Fiona Xx

So close I can almost taste it!

Yes its another Sampler update, good news though, I only have 2 large and 4 small hearts left to stitch before moving onto the backstitching of the booties & the birth details!!

Hoping to get the stitching finished tomorrow along with the majority of the backstitch as Archie will be a month old soon & I'd like to give it to his mum before then!!

happy stitching until next time!

xX Fiona Xx

February Tusal

My jar is looking better this month, threads from exchanges & birth sampler mostly.

please excuse the blurry photo, I've just bought a new camera and I'm still trying to figure it all out!!

Happy Stitching!

xX Fiona Xx