Yonder

Yeah, I've finished and framed one of my cross stitch projects. It's taken only 5 days to stitch. I didn't think I would be able to finish because I'd run out of DMC 741. Ang gave me some she had, but I used it up. But I thought I knew where mine could be, so I got out my sewing projects bag earlier today, and there it was! The frame is one of the ones I bought from The Store, and it fits really well.

I used sequin pins to attach the fabric to a piece of foamboard. I had to discard the first piece of foamboard because I'd cut it the same size as the glass from the frame, which meant that when I added the fabric the piece wouldn't fit in the frame! So I cut another piece, and this time trimmed ⅛ of an inch from two sides, and then it fit perfectly. I'm happy with how the dark frame matches the darker colours in the design.

 

Another One ...

I needed smaller bags for some of my projects. I made a mistake with the measurements again though! I thought I'd cut the vinyl at 11" x 8" ... but no I had cut them 10" x 8", so I had to trim down the width on all of the quilt sandwich backs! I have 3 more ready to sew up. The bottom left corner could be squarer, but they're for me so who cares - it gives it some character 😂

I've got a bunch of projects in bags, in a big basket. Some are completed, waiting to be framed, but most of them are WIPs! I have to stop buying patterns now and stitch what I have. When I came back to cross stitch I was planning on finishing old kits, framing them, getting rid of anything I wasn't going to stitch ... but instead I started to watch Flosstube (well, Flosstube came first, and then I went back to the cross stitch!) and I want all the patterns people are stitching! I also have all of the DMC threads (and now Ang has given me 3 more boxes ...) so the intention was to start using up all the stuff that I have. Instead I'm buying the "fancy flosses", or overdyed threads, the patterns call for. Not for all of them, because I don't want to start a huge collection of all the fancy flosses, but if there's just a handful, or there are no DMC conversions provided I've been buying those too. I'm going down a long and winding rabbit hole ...

Room to Sew

I bought the April 2021 issue of "Cross Stitcher" in Morrisons the other day, and found the perfect design to put in this house frame Angelique gave me! It's a design by Zoe Patching, and was very quick to stitch! I started it yeserday. The backstitching took longer than the cross stitches, and the scissors took me several attempts to get right, but I eventually got there. The blue in the rug is not the colour used on the chart, but when I realised I'd made a mistake I'd stitched too much of it to re-do with the correct colour. Had to leave window and basket out, otherwise it wouldn't have fit the frame. I ironed on some heavyweight interfacing to the back of the design, and cut it to fit.

The frame is from a charity shop.

Floss Rings? Floss Ring Bling? (or whatever they're called!)

Made these yesterday. Not sure what they're called, but they're just decoration to add to a ring holding embroidery thread! The clock cabochons came ready made, and the Xmas one is punched from scrapbook paper. I've put a couple of them onto the thread rings for some of the projects I've got on the go. I added a jingle bell to the Xmas one, and will add charms to the others when they arrive. By the way, I've got a few of the clock cabochons to go in my 1:12 scale home decor shop! I have plenty left, so I'll use them in the dollhouse too.

 

Yes, another bag ...

This is the bag that went wrong ... Luckily I had two pieces of the binding fabric, already cut to size - I think I'd cut it out to use on another bag, so didn't have to bother cutting anything out. I managed to fix the sewing machine last night, there was a piece of thread underneath the feed dogs, which is why the fabric kept jamming. Because I had to trim a bit off the side and bottom it's a little smaller than the other bunch of bags I made, but it's still a nice size. If (when ...) I make more bags I have to get the dimensions correct though ...

 

A Bunch of Project Bags

Yep, more bags! Can't make any more until I can buy the vinyl, but I should have enough for all of my projects now. I meant to make them 14" x 11", but I got it in my head that it was 14" x 10"! Later I found another piece of vinyl, and I thought I'd make sure I cut that bag 11" tall ... but I went to trim the quilt sandwich ... and cut it at 10"!! They end up as a neater sized bag, but it's a little bit easier to fit an A4 sheet of paper in the 11" bags.

I spent a couple of days hand sewing the bindings - my arms ache so much ... I was halfway through the binding on this pink bag, when the side came undone, and I realised I'd cut the vinyl a tiny bit too short on the left side and along the bottom, so I've re-trimmed it and it's ready to sew up the binding on the machine, and so on. I had to fix the sewing machine last night though, because there was a bit of thread stuck underneath the metal plate, and the fabric kept getting jammed in the feeddogs! 

I also want to make a few smaller (approx A5) bags, from the bits of vinyl I have left over.