Introduction

FEBRUARY PROGRESS REPORT

It's been a busy month though I don't feel like I've actually achieved much. Lots of stitching has been done though not on WIPs! I've been rather silly and started a whole load more so the 14 I had to finish is now considerably more.

I have managed to finish one.. A little Furry Friend by Lucie Heaton one of many I intend to do this year. They are so cute and don't take very long. I'm not quite sure yet what I'm going to do with this one but however it turns out I enjoyed making it. This one is 40 x 40 squares.

Furry Tales Sleepy Mouse by Lucie Heaton Cross stitch designs

I was a bit late starting the SALs this year and I'm not caught up yet, possibly won't be with the stupid number I started but I'm enjoying them all.

This one is from https://linenandthreads.com/mystery-sampler-stitch-a-long on white 14 count aida and a DMC blue variegated thread. Part 1 is completed and I've started February's part. They've now released March so I'd better get cracking on it.

PEACOCK

Having started this year's linen and threads SAL I also decided to do last year's peacock. Having completed the head I asked my 15 year old daughter what she thought it was - a flamingo of course.. I do wonder why we send them to school! There's an awful lot of stitches in the peacock which forms the middle of the sampler and I seem to have frogged as much as I've stitched but hopefully it will get easier now.

VERVACO SECRET STITCH ALONG

I started this one. Last year this company (http://verachtert.be/index.php/vervaco-en/) did a beautiful secret stitch along of a little girl sitting in poppies. It was so beautiful I decided to do this year's, while ordering the kit for last year (not arrived yet fortunately)... It was been a total nightmare to stitch. I'd done a large portion of the first part and ended up frogging the whole lot, put it aside for a few weeks and then came back to it. I have absolutely no idea what it is going to be through the colours are beautiful. Let's just hope I can learn to enjoy this one because I'm really not at the moment.

ABC SAMPLER STITCH ALONG from https://www.soedidee.nl/!Deel-11-Winter-SAL-2019-2020

I was very late starting this one but I'm making headway on the border. Hopefully I can get at least the top finished then I can start on the letters at the same time.

GOD IN MY GARDEN by Tempting Tangles Designs

Again I'm late starting this one - I'm just getting back into cross stitch and I'm over extending myself but each time I look for the ones I'm doing I keep finding new ones. I don't think this one is very big and shouldn't take too long. I started just this week and have part 1 and 2 out of the way already and am on part 3 and 4 now which will complete the top section. I'm loving the colours and working with Dinky Dyes thread - a change from DMC which has always been the only thing I've ever used. These are hand dyed and feel very soft to touch. They sew up completely differently.

A SUNNY DAY by LANARTE

This one comes with a huge thank you to https://www.tandemcottageneedlework.com/ in Disley. I bought some cross stitch fabric and threads online from them and was told last week I'd won a prize drawer. I had no idea I'd even been entered so was absolutely thrilled. So thrilled I just had to start it as soon as it came through the door. With the bright sunny colours whilst it continues to rain outside it's a lovely reminder it will hopefully be sunny soon!

OWL SAMPLER by LESLEY TEARE

I started this one as well but as you can see I didn't get very far. I'll try and get at least one owl done this month so you can see how cute it is. An owl for every month so I guess I'd better get three done! Seems like I'm going to be busy!

SARAH KAY- CUDDLING CAT by DMC

This reminded me of a Holly Hobby design I started as a child. I cut loads of pieces of fabric out and started to applique them but I must have given up. I really wish I'd finished it. Don't know what happened to Holly Hobby. She was so popular in my youth. this one is an awful lot of pink! As you can see, I've made quite a bit of progress with the skirt though I think it's going to take me a while yet.

A RAY OF HOPE - Bushfire appeal  https://linenandthreads.com/the-blackberry-rabbit-a-ray-of-hope-australian-bushfire-appeal-for-the-port-macquarie-koala-hospital

I couldn't resist this one to help he Port Macquarie koala hospital appeal. Hearing how many thousands of koalas and other wild animals had died in the bush fires and how long it was going to be before the ones who had survived were going to be kept safe until their food supply began to grow again I had to support them. I bought a life like koala cross stitch which I will do when I've cleared some of these. Reminded me of Michael moaning about the long, hot, humid summer in Oz.. how I miss him 😢. I should finish this one in the next week or so. Just need to remind myself I need to finish some occasionally!

SARAH'S BIRTH SAMPLER

I know I'm supposed to be working on this and I did a little bit doing one of the four bears (one in each corner with a central section and some words. I'm putting this here to remind me I need to be doing some of this every month and I can't keep avoiding it. After all she's 15 now and I don't want to finish this after she leaves home!

VIEW FROM THE WINDOW

I've done only a tiny bit of this one but still progress is being made.

FINAL NOTE

From today I'm going to log the number of stitches I've done on each one and had made a list of all the ones I've started so I can make sure I've done a little of all of them each month and maybe more of some so I can get some finished. I'm going to start Long Dog Sampler's Kroswyrds this week using a beautiful hand dyed linen and a beautiful thread from Threadworx called Bradley's balloons.  I'll post this month's and next month's progress side by side next month so you can see how far I've got. As for knitting, I've made 5 octopus, 2 adult scarves,  10 chicks to cover creme eggs, 2 rainbow hats (baby hats given to babies at birth where the previous delivery ended in miscarriage or death) and a bed blanket for a previous rough sleeper to take to their new room indoors. It's not been a brilliant month for knitting/crochet but I will continue to keep making bits and pieces.

Until next month...