Celtic Christmas (and other stuff)

CC is so nearly there. I spent many hours beading over the weekend, I am very slow at beading, it takes about a minute a bead. All I have to do now is finish the beads in the top border, the 'floating' beads around the wreath, and patch up a few crosses that I discovered were wrong or have come undone along the way.


















I've been acquiring new stash again! Firstly, all these kits from the Coats bargain basement. They weren't as bargain-y as my usual purchases but they were calling me so the credit card came out. The Flower Fairy is a Margaret Tarrant one - all of my others are Cecily Mary Baker but I do like the MT ones too. I will have to do something about her mouth though. I like the little pencil drawing ballerinas, I like ballerinas! But no-one else likes these very much so I'm not sure they will ever get stitched. An autumn tablecloth - this is not cross stitch, but takes me back to the first needlework I ever did as a child. Two Maouri women - I wasn't sure anyone would like these but DH does because they go with the theme of our living room. Finally, Morning Roses by Linda Ravenscroft, which sort of counts as a Flower Fairy.

I've also been buying charts from Heaven and Earth designs. Inspired by Carol a week or so ago, I had to buy Revelations, and unable to stop at one, a few days later I also bought Waiting for Neptune, which is the one I intend to start on first. It will probably take me several years to stitch this one so I am not allowed to buy any more. If you catch me, stop me!!

I've been planning what to stitch in my next rotation. Because I want more variety I am increasing to 6 WIPS - which will mean 5 new starts in a row. DH thinks I'm mad! Only two of the 5 were fully kitted up so I've had to buy yet more stash. My order from Sew and So, only placed on Sunday, includes a huge piece of Dublin for Waiting for Neptune and the White Wisper thread and beads required for Celtic Winter, and Sleeping Beauty, which will be my first Mirabilia.

Gina asked if I had ever entered any of my work in shows. How flattering! I don't really think my work is good enough for that, although I have to say Lady with Lilac Flower is one of my proudest accomplishments. She is largely single thread, I am always much more satisfied with single thread work as it can't get all twisted like two threads do. The work on Celtic Christmas in areas could be a lot better. I am really quite a novice stitcher - I did finish a few designs back in the early 90's before I had my kiddies, but I've only really been stitching in earnest for the past year-and-half. I am still learning, and Celtic Christmas has certainly been a learning experience!

Stitching Bloggers Question
Have you hand-dyed your own fabric? Why or why not? Would you like to
try to do so?
No, and I have yet to use hand dyed fabric. I hope to soon but at the moment have large quantities of plain fabric to be used. I would like to try hand dying some day but would need to have worked on 'expert-dyed' fabric first. I will give it a go some day.

We go and collect our little dog this afternoon. I'm so excited!