I got a lot of stitching done last month. I'm very happy with my progress on things. Although I have a lot left to do on all of the projects, I feel like they're moving forward and aren't in a permanent UFO (Unfinished Object) pile.
My largest project (and the one screaming for me to complete it) is The Castle. Lots of work done on this in the past month. At least 20 hours worth, between stitches and backstitches. As of last night, it looks like this:
For reference, last month's image is here.
I'm happy with how it's going. The top half of the pattern is now nearly done-- I need to finish the backstitching and do the smaller wing (where the green lines stick out of the image on the right). Then I can focus on getting the bottom half of the pattern done, which is a lot of rocks tumbling over one another. I've started outlining them on the bottom right.
At the rate I'm going, I might actually finish this by the end of the summer. Hopefully earlier, but I always underestimate my backstitching time... so I'll say estimate of August at this point.
My next project that had updates is Cats on a Staircase, which eventually will look like the stocking that it is. Yesterday's photo:
(My previous reference is here. And yes-- that Himi cat is sitting on a stair of white stitches... ugh, they're evil to do!)
It's moving along. I really struggled with my counting on this one in February, and didn't get nearly as far as I'd hoped because I kept miscounting the same area over and over on the Himi cat. And it's still off a bit-- the orange cat's tail is supposed to be connected to the bannister rung next to it. Thankfully I don't have to pick out stitches to do the correction. The tail won't screw up the rest of the pattern, as it's free-standing on the fabric. I'll make the adjustments and counting marks for the next things over from it next round.
Egyptian Sampler has no update. I bought new fabric to start it over. It's actual stringy linen now-- so before I take pictures or take a breath near it, I need to get the edges serge-stitched at my moms. Otherwise it's going to disintegrate in front of me. But it's going to look AMAZING when it's on this fabric.
I started Smokey Mountain Cats this month, too. Didn't put a lot of time into it, since I've been fixated on The Castle. But it has about five hours or so on it so far...
This is my lazy piece. It's a large piece-- overall, it's larger than The Castle will be, especially since it's a solid rectangular block of stitches. But there's NO backstitching on it, other than the eyes of the cats. There's blending threads, but nowhere near to the extent of a Teresa Wentzler design. Lots of very wide swaths of blue stitching. Forms come out of the project very quickly. The deepest blue is a set of ears. The right hand edge of stitches *is* the right hand edge of the design. So I'll be working through everything I have outlined by the hoop before I move on... and do this in blocks. It's a relaxation piece with no big "must finish" timelines. I'm stitching on it to take a mental break from The Castle and Egyptian Sampler, which are very attention-demanding for details.
And I'm amazingly done with my rotation. I'm taking a break until Saturday, when we're in PA... and then will get back to it after I stitch the edges of my fabrics. :)
Yay craftiness!
No comments:
Post a Comment