A blast from the past

On Saturday, after a bit of gardening because I didn't feel like stitching, I decided to sort out my "papers" (books, magazines, charts...) in my craftroom. That's how I came across the Flying owl, an old chart from Maria Diaz from the great area when Quick and Easy had 2-3 charts I wanted to stitch each month. This one is from the July 2004.

This project is the essence of UFO... I looked into my blog archives, and I apparently started it that very July 2004, as an easy project to change from "Angel of CrossStitching". Easy it was not: dark fabric, colours very close together in the whitish range... I finally gave up.
But on Saturday I felt it was a shame it's not finished, and anyway in 4 years I became a more experienced stitched, and my daylight lamp would help anyway...

Stitching wise, I'm also in the last band of the sampler ( the one similar to the first, with bees and stuff). The bellpull idea is interesting, and I might use it, but... it's still too close to framing in the sense that it ends up on the wall ;) And no Jenn, I don't have anything against bellpulls...

Lili, the sampler is about 15x30 cm. It's a big piece. And no, I'm not afraid the stitches would get damaged... I belong to a family who has quite a few embroided pieces, doilies and table tops... All that is used and reused, and machine washed, ironed, etc... and it remains in good condition. Plus I don't have pets that would damage stuff... so... I could make a cushion out of the sampler and it would remain intact.

Yesterday I made these 2 little beaded critters. The cat's eyes are a little too big, I sould make it again with different eyes. But I love my little turtle. I displayed it on my decoration tree on the mantle piece.

Patternnuts, I sense a need of stitching reading... that I lost a while ago. I agree that there are "gossip" articles in UK magazines missing from the US ones, but I'm not a gossip kind of girl. I'm fed up of "well done" words in the letters, and of the charity stitchers, or slimming stitchers, or budgie stitchers... The magazines are a bit too expensive for just gossip...

Ginny, don't worry, you won't miss anything by reading in English only. I'm well aware most of the people can't read French !

Sandra, for drawn thread work, I would use at least 28 count linen or evenweave. Linen would give a more natural/old fashioned look, but evenweave might be easier to count the trheads, and might look more regular. I would mostly think of the scissors (very very fine!) you will use for cutting the threads. For a first time, I would not use a higher count than 28, so that you can cut each thread individually easily.

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Samedi, je n'avais pas le coeur a broder, donc j'ai jardine, puis range mes "papiers" (livres, grilles, magazines...) and ma craftroom. C'est ainsi que je suis tombee sur le hibou que j'avais commence en juillet 2004. c'est un modele de Maria Diaz dans Quick and Easy Juillet 04, en pleine epoque glorieuse ou chaque numero avait 2-3 projets que je brodais.

Au depart, le hibou devait etre un projet facile pour me reposer de "Angel of CrossStitching", mais il s'est avere encore plus dur: toile foncee, couleurs proches dans le blanc... je l'ai donc laisse tomber. Jusqu'a present. Je trouve que c'est dommage qu'il soit laisse en plan, car j'aime toujours le design, et je me suis dit que comme j'ai 4 ans d'experience en plus, et une lampe "lumiere du jour"... il etait temps de m'y remettre.

Sinon, je suis a la derniere bande du sampler, celle qui est comme la premiere, avec les abeilles et les fleurs. L'idee du bellpull est interessante, mais trop proche de l'encadrement. Mais bon, je sens que le sampler va finir comme ca....

Lili, le sampler fait 15x30cm. C'est un grand projet. Mais je n'ai pas peur de l'abimer en le manipulant. Dans ma famille on a toujours utilise des nappes et napperons brodes, et ca passe meme en machine, donc... pas de probleme. Je sens que certaines s'evanouissent deja...

Sandra, pour le travail a fils tires, je recommande du 28 count ou plus gros. Ca devrait aider a couper les fils plus facilement. Lin ou unifil, c'est une question de "look", les deux sont faciles a utiliser. L'unifil donnera un travail plus regulier, et le lin un rendu plus naturel. C'est surtout les sciseaux qui sont importants, ils doivent etre hyper fins pour pouvoir couper les fils un a la fois.
Hier j'ai aussi fait 2 petits animaux en perles. Je trouve que le chat a de trop gros yeux, faudra que je le refasse, mais j'adore ma tortue, elle est trop mimi !!! Je l'ai d'ailleurs mise sur mon arbre a decoration, sur la cheminee.

Patternnuts, je n'aime pas les articles "sensation" (perruche brodeuse?) ou "people" des magazines anglais, donc comme je n'aime pas les grilles proposees... je n'achete plus ces mags !