Starting Again

After months of debate, and hours on the phone with the Crone, I have come to the very difficult decision to restart select projects from my 42 WIPs. Buying hand dyed fabric once is costly enough, but twice? Insanity!  

Fearing I would never return to my WIPs I started on 32ct, I drove to my LNS and purchased the last 3 28ct fat quarters in these colors (she has not received a fabric shipment since Covid began!).  I am excited to see my first three restarts come to life, and hope that 28ct will rejuvenate them the way it has my newly started projects! The Maiden

Slowly Taking Flight

 We have wings, and the realization that this is a full size Mirabilia and not a Nora Corbett Pixie! I tried to push through the 32ct thinking that a lighter fabric may be more forgiving, but it was no use. Body aches and headaches abounded. 

At the suggestion of the Crone, and not wanting to restart this project, I have decided to try the 1 strand a day method. I hope to have this project and my latest start completed by Halloween (now that I have stated this it most likely will not happen, hahaha)! 

Am I the only one obsessed with Valdani's Subtle Elegance? The Maiden 

Pop of Poppy

Finding my next focus project has been challenging with the majority of my 43 WIPs on 32ct presenting a physical road block to my stitching post accident. Reluctantly I restarted Poppy, and while I had no 28ct fabric in my stash (let's face it, I used to be a higher count snob) I thought a lighter belfast would suffice. 

While I secretly love her floating head, the change in fabric was not enough for me to find an easy enjoyment while stitching, so she will be put away for another day. The Maiden

Final Frida

I unfortunately angered the cross stitch Gods by taking a break from my Mermaid to stitch my first Maynia start from 2021, but it may be worth it to have a finish!  

Stitched on 28ct Cashel Linen in raw mini dots in 5 days, I completed this project on August 9, 2021.

I don't know if it was the fabric or my frame of mine but she was not the most enjoyable stitch. This will be the last in a series of Frida's I have stitched for the Crone, now all that is left is to finish and deliver them! The Maiden

Another Tail to Tell

 The great mermaid summer of 2021 continues as the rains pour down in my city with this focus mermaid seeing an impressive amount of progress! 

I have finally hit the bottom and am itching for a finish... The Maiden

Enchanted Employment

 

This project has been more labor than love, first purchased when I was unemployed (I think by the Crone) and exclusively worked on during these periods. As the realities of covid sank in I found myself in an extended period of unemployment during 2021 and knew it was time to finish her. 

Now that she is done I LOVE the result, and do not think it is a coincidence that on the very day the last bead was placed I received an amazing job offer! 

The beading on this was boarderline obscene, row upon row of beads were placed and I even cut a few strands out! 

The backstitching on this gave me such trouble, so much in fact I began the beading before all of it was in place (and even referenced a few you tube videos thinking it must have been my technique)! The hardest was the lips, try as I might I could not get them to look right. I added 2 petite point stitches in a fuchsia color and the desired result was achieved! 

It was impossible to capture her true resplendence, in person each bead catches the light and puts on quite the show! The Maiden