Serindë's Stitching adventure 2024 31 December

[fccs]

Oh I do like those - what a clever way of creating them so small yet so recognisable!

I agree.

[Serinde]

Around here, all the expectant ewes are being brought into the "in-by" fields. Lambing shouldn't begin for another fortnight, roughly, but you can never be sure with such wayward creatures.

[Mabel Figworthy]

Very effective miniature sheep, and I like the single black one

[Steam.Jo]

Blackface Sheep! Clearly this is a Scottish landscape

Jo

[Serinde]

Here is February. Clearly not entirely completed. I have, as you can see, made the decision to keep up to date, and will back-fill (as it were). Otherwise I was in danger of losing heart, being so in arrears. Luckily rugby "watching" has helped with stitching time.

[Mabel Figworthy]

Good idea to keep the momentum going! How are you enjoying the process? I'm intrigued to hear what you find most pleasant/rewarding and what is most challenging.

[Angel]

It’s looking really good!

[Serinde]

There are lots of challenges, the principle one being carving out a time to do a section! Then, having started, usually by outlining, I often find that what I thought I was going to stitch, isn't what is actually stitched. So, for example, in the first image, three from the left, I was initially intending to stitch some trees. However, a river surrounded by damp boggy bits appeared instead. Those trees will appear somewhere, I'm sure.

It's doing my surface embroidery confidence a world of good. I've even come to appreciate chain stitch!

[Serinde]

Found a place for my fir trees. And I must say, cotton a broder is really lovely to stitch with!

[Mabel Figworthy]

Which weight are you using, 25 or 16? Oh, and have you tried floche? Lovely and soft and a bit more spready than coton a broder (because less tightly twisted)

[fccs]

I love seeing the embroidery grow. I tried my hand at it years (decades) ago and wasn’t very good at it.

[Serinde]

Debby, I had the same experience (only earlier ), which is where my love of almost any sort of counted work came from. If there was a hole for my needle, I was a happy gal: it would look good despite ineptitude on my part. Then I was involved in the Tapestry of Scotland, and while I still don't much care for wool embroidery, I was stunned by what could be achieved visually using (mostly) very simple stitches. In the last year or two, I decided to be brave and try again, but with threads this time. I'm enjoying it. I like to think I'm getting better at it, too. It also helps that I'm older and no longer fear the Stitch Police.

@Mabel: I'm using Tk 16 from stash I picked up somewhere or another. Perhaps I'll find some floche one day, too. In a flight of fancy (Sorry!) I have idly wondered if coton a broder might be useful in Japanese braiding or even band weaving, being strong and smooth due to that twist. Hmmm...

[Serinde]

We have lambs! (I'll need to adjust the head of one of them!) I'm not going to fill the space with ewes and lambs, as I only saw a few that day, so the rest of the field will be green, I guess.

[Mabel Figworthy]

Love the lambs - how expressive can two French knots and a few straight stitches be!

We're looking forward to a long weekend in Wales after Easter and hope to see many many of them (lambs, that is, not French knots)

[Steam.Jo]

Lovely, The Lambs and Mums all seem to be on one side of the field down here as well.

Jo

[Serinde]

We have lambs in the field opposite us today! Very on-point for Easter. I reckon they are about 3-4 weeks. Sturdy.

Here is April from Karen Turner's stitch journal. There are a few I really like, and a few that I had to remember that no frogging was allowed. I'm off to start swapping more "spring" colours into the mix.



And here is the year so far. 91 days, apparently. Golly.

[Mabel Figworthy]

You probably won't be surprised I particularly like the "bulb field" - not sure if that what it is meant to be but that's what it reminds me of with its colourful stripes!

No frogging allowed yikes, I'm not sure I could handle that...

[Serinde]

Mabel, you have made my day. A bulb field is EXACTLY what it was meant to be! Wish I'd had yellow pearl cotton, but alas!

[Serinde]

Not great photos, but here we are with April completed, and the whole piece so far:

[Steam.Jo]

I'm thinking this will make a great quilt.

Jo