A Finish and some stash

Really really happy to show you Rose

This is probably my fastest finish till date! This is a free design from pinterest and has been a very quick stitch 

I could not find some of the shades in my stash and hence had to visit my nearest craft supplies store. I was totally saddened and shocked to see that all the skeins were literally dumped in his carton and asked them why are they in such a sad state. So they said that these were slightly older supplies and I could have them all if I wanted at a lesser price. I said I would think and come back. I am not joking when I say I lost some sleep just thinking of all these skeins of threads sadly dumped in a carton

So, I went back to the store and asked them what they would ask for the whole thing. Currently a skein of anchor thread sold at Rs.10 for new stock and these were sold at Rs.8. As they were all old, they said I could have them for Rs.4 per skein, which I felt was really a steal!! I brought home all these goodies!! Happy me.. happy skeins  

This is the complete carton of skeins. Those that are in the plastic cover were not full skeins and they gave them without charing

This is the complete lot all spread out

These are the lose 'skeins' which I got free

There are no bright shades, like the red's or blues here. I suppose I will have to go to the store for those. I think I have a lifetime of Anchor thread with me now.. hehe

Meanwhile, I have decided on the next project - A Lotus

This is also a pattern that I found on Pinterest. This is not a free pattern, but cost only $1.8. The link to the pattern is here. This is going to be a gift to another one of my cousins

So, that's the story today dear friends. Till next time.. take care.. be happy.. keep stitching.. Au Revoir

July TUSAL

It's new moon so soon and we have crossed the mid-year mark!

Here's a picture of July ORTS and also progress on Rose

ORTs outside are from June-July stitching. The ones in the jar are year-to-date

I love the way Rose is shaping up and how the colors are really working together. As I near the end of this piece, I have begun looking for a good and simple design for my next project. That is going to be a gift as well to another one of my cousins

That's the update from this side of the globe today friends. Till next time.. take care.. keep stitching.. be happy.. Au Revoir!!

Framed up and A new start

I got 3 of my most recent finishes framed last week

It took me about a year to finish stitching this!! I remember starting this in the first week of Jan 2017 and put in the last few stitches on 2018 New Year's eve (31 Dec 2017)!!!

The BookShelf by Little House Needleworks

Being a coffee lover that I am, I have been wanting to stitch a coffee pattern for ages and was hunting for a good pattern. I found this pattern on Pinterest and fell in love with it. Here's the pattern - https://pin.it/3tcd4dlwrjw2l3

This is a gift for a very dear friend. She loves coffee as much as (if not more than) I do and our friendship grew over cups of coffee. We met in June 1998 and this year, as we celebrate 2 decades of friendship, what's a better gift than a perfect cup of coffee!!

 This was a no count long stitch kit from anchor. I worked on it for more than a year definitely and I have absolutely no clue when I finished this

I found this finished piece hidden in my crafts chest while searching through my stash for threads!! I had to get it framed. I gave this as a gift to my parents

Isn't it an absolute pleasure making things for others and what happiness we feel when we see the happiness on the receiver's face. 

I have started working on Rose, which is also a pattern from Pinterest. Here's the link to the pattern - https://pin.it/g2g7fwp6b2psjr

I am stitching this on perforated paper and using all threads from my stash. This year I am trying to use up as much material from my stash as possible and put them to good use
The original pattern was a blue rose. But as I did not have any of the called for shades of blue, I swapped to a Red Rose. I think the shades are really working out well together, and I am very happy with the change. I was really scared how this would turn out as this is the first time I am ever changing the shades so drastically
This is going to be a gift to one of my cousins, who has been asking me to stitch something for her

That's all from me today friends. Signing off on a happy, high, satisfied note. Till next time.. Take care.. Be happy.. Keep stitching.. Au Revoir

Some Beading & What's next

After a long time V and I had a marathon beading session over the weekend!! My beads stash is much bigger than my cross stitch stash and I have been wanting to get cracking on them for eons now, so finally got down to actually doing it

Here's what we did

This one is a gift for a very dear friend

This is V's bracelet and ear-ring set

I am really happy about the way they all turned out!!

My first choice for next project was this kit below which I bought in 2001 during my first ever trip to the USA. I picked this up several times only to put it back safely

The black background is all completely stitched and not black cloth! When I opened the kit, I only saw the black threads required for the background and all the other threads missing!! Then I remembered that during one of the times I 'picked up' this kit for stitching I sorted out the threads and out them 'safely' in an envelope. Now I am unable to find that envelope, it's really safe even from me!!! I turned my craft chest upside down and found several things that I did not even know I had stored in there, making me highly nostalgic!!

So, after a whole lot of rummaging through my patterns library, books and pinterest I have finally zeroed in on my next project

It's going to be this simple rose pattern that I got from Pinterest

I do not have the shades of blue called for in the pattern. So, I am replacing all the blue with shades of red. This is the first time I am ever making such a huge change and deciding on colors myself!! Hope it works out well. This is also going to be a gift to one of my cousins, so fingers crossed that I am able to finish this in a timely manner and the colors work well

That's it from me today friends. Till next time.. take care.. be happy.. keep stitching.. Au Revoir!!