Right up to date... 2010

To bring you right up to date here are the pieces I have completed since the start of the year. In previous years you'll have seen that the majority of my pieces are in cross stitch. Since January I have been learning some new techniques and I hope to show that here.

This was the second time that I stitched this Anchor Classic Pooh design (the other one is shown further down this post). A work colleague asked me to stitch it for her niece in New York. It was stitched to a bit of a deadline, and I completed the cross stitch and the quilt within two days. The first time I stitched I substituted the 16hpi fabric in the kit for 32hpi evenweave. For this one, I used the 16hpi - the backstitch was made far easier with a sharp crewel needle. I was also able to do all cross stitch with the threads left over from the first time round.

The red fabric came from a patchwork/quilting shop in Barton-le-Clay, Bedfordshire. This was only the second time I had made a piece up using the quilt technique, and I was very pleased with the result - far better than when I frame them, so I will probably use this technique more and more.

Here is the original version, stitched on 32hpi for Alexander. We picked "Alexander's First Snow" rather than "Christmas". I think the quilt (above) shows the stitching off better

This piece was the first piece I finished as a quilt. The pattern is by Debbie of Letters Tied with Blue (have a look at her website - link on the left) and the words round the edge of the heart say "Everything I am or hope to be I owe to my Mother". The design was stitched in DMC threads on natural calico and the fabric was from Just Quilting in Burradon. Although you can't see it well from the photo, the fabric is a mottled blue and green pattern.

I have to thank Debbie for lots of advice on how to make the quilt up. This was one of the first projects I completed on my new sewing machine (a very simple Janome that just works!)

I did a small piece of complimentary embroidery in DMC 742 on the corner. The piece was a mothers day present for my Mum.

Another quilt (as you can see, I quite enjoy this technique....) The map of Bedfordshire is another design from Heritage Stitchcraft. I stitched on a very loose weave 28hpi ivory linen (I should have backed it with some interfacing so stabilise it). The fabric to make it up into a quilt also came from the patchwork shop in Barton.

I stitched this as a birthday present for my Dad.

And the final large piece of the year so far is this Classic Pooh design from Anchor. Once again, I swapped the fabric for 32hpi evenweave. This was a naming day present for Alexander. I loved stitching this and the pictures came to life with backstitch. However, I could probably live with not doing the back stitch on Eeyores mane again! The colours were also lovely. The small flower you can see above the letter K is cleverly positioned to hide a tiny coffee stain caused by a monstrous Puppy.

Once again the fabric to make up the quilt came from the quilt shop in Barton.

This is one of my favourite cross stitch pieces I have stitched in recent year.

A useful tip when making up the quilts is to use an relatively cheap sheet for the backing fabric - it won't be seen and it will do the job.

In between these projects I have also stitched a number of birthday cards and worked on some of my larger projects: the patchwork quilt, the Wilding Angels from Letters Tied with Blue, and the Michael Powell kit "Harbour Town".

I will hopefully write another blog over the weekend with the birthday cards I have stitch so far this year. Then I will simply be able to regularly update with my current projects.