Happy Dance! - February Block Flip It

Design: February Block Flip It

Designer: Lizzie*Kate

Threads: DMC conversion as charted, with one change

Fabric: 28 count jobelan, cream

I told the sad tale of this piece in my Finish or Fling? post and I am pleased to say this was completed without further mishap or thread loss! I really enjoyed stitching this, although filling in that pink background seemed to take a while, but that's possibly because I was so anxious to get it done! The only change I made was to the pale green - the charted conversion didn't show up very well.

This joins the January piece. I don't know how I'm going to finish these, whether to frame them or to make them into some kind of wallhanging or quilt - well, whenever I get round to stitching the rest of the series. Which means I can put off the decision for a while yet!

Finish or Fling? - Lizzie*Kate Round Robin

 

This started out as a Round Robin, which collapsed very early on. I was fortunate enough to get it back, although I think only one square - mine - had been stitched. Sporadically, I worked on it, as it had taken a long time to work out the layout for the charts, which are all Lizzie*Kate freebies. Then for some reason, it got stuffed in my UFO box...

Pros:

• Only one design and the charms/buttons to sew on
• Still really like it
• Worked on evenweave

Cons:

• No idea what to do with it when it's complete

So - Finish or Fling?

Verdict: Finish

Finish or Fling? - February Block Flip It

 

This is a more recent WIP - I remember working on it during some journeys to work in Chesterfield in 2008, and losing the bag of threads on the bus :o( - which is why it got set aside.

The design is  February Block Flip It, by one of my favourite designers, Lizzie*Kate.

Pros:

• Like the design, and have the set of charts
• Not a lot of stitching to get a finish

Cons:

• Can't think of any, hopefully the design isn't jinxed though!

So - Finish or Fling?



Verdict: Finish

Finish or Fling? - Bless The Baby

I started this in 2000 for a colleague's baby. And then gave the proud parents something else. This pattern was repeated for all the babies that have happened since,which hasn't been many. In fact, there have been six in nine years - I don't seem to have the sort of friends who want families!

So, on a twist on the 'Finish or Fling' theme I'm going to do both. If you - or someone you know - has had or is soon to have a baby, I will finish this design, with the baby's name and birthdate, and will add a charm too before finishing this as a bellpull, pinkeep or small pillow (your choice).

Leave a comment below, and if there are several comments, I will make a draw on the 27th January, which is my parent's 42nd wedding anniversary.

Trick or Treat - Lizzie*Kate

 

Design: Trick or Treat from Halloween Sampler

Designer: Lizzie*Kate

Threads: DMC as charted

Fabric: 28 count evenweave, colour unknown

This little mini pillow went to Chris H, a fellow member of the Hooked on Exchanges blog. I love doing Lizzie*Kate designs, which is something back a few years I'd never thought I'd say - I thought the designs too simplistic, too childish ... and now I love them - well, most of them! I think initially my thoughts were because I was trying to find my own 'style' in decor, having always lived in shared houses or furnished places. Discovering my own particular way meant that actually, simple and quirky was 'me'.

It's interesting that my own designing style doesn't appear to be the same, perhaps I'm just being over cautious not to plagiarise?

 

I had great fun putting together some 'treats' to go with the package, I think the UK is really beginning to embrace Hallowe'en now.

Home is Best - Lizzie*Kate

Design: Home is Best

Designer: Lizzie*Kate (a very old freebie)

Threads: DMC Color Variations and DMC

Fabric: 28 count evenweave

I stitched this for Lucy on the Hooked on Exchanges blog - the theme was 'Summer House' and as at the time Lucy's blog was all decked out for the Fourth of July, I thought she might like a piece with the Stars and Stripes - it turned out she did :o)

I backed the pinkeep in blue fabric with little cream hearts in it, and the pins pick up the colours of the threads I used.

Trick or Treat - Lizzie*Kate

Design: Trick or Treat from the Hallowe'en Sampler Leaflet
Designer: Lizzie*Kate
Threads: DMC as charted
Fabric: 28 count evenweave

Another 2008 finish. It's still waiting to be made up into something, but I should be able to get it made up this autumn - I have a lot of suitable backing fabrics in my stash, given my fondness for autumnal colours! The colours in this photo don't really show up the background fabric very well, it's a bit more yellow. It's rather an odd fabric, I don't know where I acquired it from - possibly a trade or an exchange - as it's rougher than normal evenweave. I like it though - it gives the piece a rustic homespun appearance.

Valentine's Flip It - Lizzie*Kate

Design: Valentine's Flip It
Designer: Lizzie*Kate
Threads: DMC and various overdyes
Fabric: 14 count aida, tea dyed by me

This little cute and cheery design needs the charm attaching, but I thought I would share it anyway.

As far as I can remember, I used the charted DMC conversions and also some of the new DMC varicoloured threads. I really ought to keep notes ...

The fabric was part of a batch tea dyed with my own fair hands, and I have a couple of other pieces to stitch others in this series with.

The series will be framed in simple pine frames from Ikea, to go with the original monthly Flip Its I stitched.

Be Merry

Design: Be Merry
Designer: Lizzie*Kate
Threads: DMC
Fabric: 28 count cream evenweave

I finished this up a while ago, with three other co-ordinating designs. I used beads for the "confetti" stitches, and put this together using the method The Drawn Thread use for their scissor fobs.

How Does Your Garden Grow? - Lizzie*Kate

Design: How Does Your Garden Grow? (old freebie, not available online)
Designer: Lizzie*Kate
Threads: DMC conversions, mainly as charted
Fabric: Zweigart 32 count Belfast linen, vintage

I stitched this for my partner Chris in the HoE Lizzie*Kate exchange. Having sneakily snooped around her blog, I knew that Chris's other passion was gardening, so I though it was appropriate!

I made the finished item up into a small pillow using some vintage fabric I found in my stash. I think the fabric came from my gran's, but I'm not sure. It was quite lightweight, so I stiffened it a little with some iron on interfacing, to give it a similar 'body' to the linen and to improve wear - I consider my pieces items to be used :o) The backing is some coordinating felt.

And this is whole exchange - as my partner was in the UK, there was no problem adding seeds to the package, and I added some matching threads and ribbon too. Chris tells me she's very happy with the exchange, which is nice to hear!

Lizzie*Kate Exchange Received

And what a lovely piece it is - and so appropriate!



Angela chose the Cross Stitcher in Residence chart - surprisingly, one I didn't have :o) - and finished it as a beautiful pinkeep/scissor pouch - you can see a picture of the reverse on her blog. I especially liked the cheerful ribbon on the top.

Angela also crammed in a heap of flosses, both DMC and Six Strand Sweets as well as a new Lizzie*Kate Snippet chart too - Good things come to those who stitch - and they certainly did today!



Thank you Angela!

PS Loved the Canadian Flag parcel tape - and so did my partner - he was a native of Ontario before moving to the UK!

Snowman - Lizzie*Kate

Design: Snowman (from Tiny Tidings IV)
Designer: Lizzie*Kate
Threads: DMC
Fabric: 28 count evenweave

The snowman originally had white metallic snowflakes, but I don't think they stood out very well. Rather than frog them. I stitched white beads on top before making the ornament up as per the others.

Noel - Lizzie*Kate

Design: Noel (from Tiny Tidings IV)
Designer: Lizzie*Kate
Threads: DMC
Fabric: 28 count evenweave

Another ornament made up - done in exactly the same way as the snowman, but a few threads different in size.

Sheep - Lizzie*Kate

Design : Sheep (from Tiny Tidings IV)
Designer: Lizzie*Kate
Threads: DMC
Fabric: 28 count evenweave

This sheepie had been hanging around for a while, and finally this Christmas, got beads on the wreath and finished into an ornament. I used the method that The Drawn Thread use for their fobs, as there was a lot of spare fabric round him.

Follow Your Heart - Lizzie*Kate

Design: Follow Your Heart
Designer: Lizzie*Kate
Threads: GAST
Fabric: 14 count aida, tea dyed by me

Another use for my tea dyed aida, this was a very quick stitch and will be a present for The Hermit, given that his heart led him over the Atlantic Ocean :o) I will finish this as a wall hanging, I have some fabric which co-ordinates nicely.

I changed the main colour from the charted blue to purple as I'm really not a 'blue' person at all! This disappoints The Hermit as it's his favourite colour, but it just doesn't appeal to me!

Christmas in July

Here is my lovely exchange from Valerie. It was organised by Simone as a Christmas in July exchange on her exchange blog, and it was great to get such a sweet ornament by one of my favourite designers!

I enjoyed all the other bits and pieces too - the very funny card, cute chart, festive fabbie and threads, needles in my preferred size (28s! yay!) and not forgetting the chocolate - which I have been very restrained with and not eaten yet!

Valerie says that this is her first ornament finish - I'm not sure I believe her, it is so neat! LOL - it has been finished in a similar way to a pin keep, which is great for me as I will be able to display it on my shelves come Christmas time. Thank you so much, Valerie!

Another Bloom - Lizzie*Kate

Design: Bloom - freebie available here
Designer: Lizzie*Kate
Threads: DMC as charted
Fabric: 14 count aida, tea dyed

This was my first version of Bloom and I made it into a little softie for a softie exchange. The front and back are made from felt - just the ordinary store bought stuff, not felt I've made myself! - the back is a peachy colour to match the tulip. The buttons came from my stash - the ladybug is hiding a little wrinkle where I stitched the flower closed after stuffing :o)

I was pretty taken with this finish, it was hard to part with it!

Freebie Exchange

Design: Bloom freebie available here

Designer: Lizzie*Kate

Threads: DMC

Fabric: 28 count evenweave (quaker cloth)

My freebie exchange for a recent Hooked on Exchanges exchange went to Laurie in the USA.



I so enjoyed this freebie that I stitched it twice - once over two as a pin cushion, and once as petit point over one to make the scissor fob.



Each is trimmed with a butterfly charm from my stash. I used the DMC conversions and some evenweave I had in my stash. The tassel on the scissor fob is made with threads pulled from the left over fabric.

You can see the rest of the exchange over on the HoE blog

Land That I Love - Lizzie*Kate

Design: Land That I Love
Designer: Lizzie*Kate
Threads: Gentle Arts Sampler Threads, DMC, DMC Color Variations, Wisper
Fabric: 14 count rustico aida

Ooops, it was only when editing the pic I noticed the stray thread ... but that's usual for surfaces in this place :o)

This is the Canadian version of the chart - Lizzie*Kate provides the alternative on her website. I stitched this is a real mixture of fibres - there's GAST for the house, DMC Color Variations for the grass, lettering and blue border, plain DMC for other bits, and of course Wisper for the fluffy sheepies!

The Hermit is Canadian by birth, British by descent, and he's very happy to be here, but I thought I'd stitch a nod to his home land. It's a beautiful country, but for all sorts of reasons when we got together (after "meeting" online) we decided to base ourselves in the UK.

I want to make a further amended version of this, for Scotland, but it would involve some colour changes too - I can see it in my head, with a thistle border, and a white house - better get the graph paper out, I suppose!

January Block Flip It - Lizzie*Kate

Design: January Block Flip It
Designer: Lizzie*Kate
Threads: DMC (conversion as per chart)
Fabric: 29 count evenweave, lambswool

I started this three years ago, on a flight from Birmingham to Frankfurt. My needle and Clover cutter got through airport security okay, but my hair accessory didn't ... it was a large clip, and the powers-that-decide-these-things thought it too long and pointy. So, I'd to spend the flight with my damp hair down and getting chilly - it was a 6.40 am flight and I'd to be awake at 4.00 am! I was embarassed as I was with my then boss, who'd had to wait as my hand luggage was minutely examined ... and of course there were supplies for my period in there too LOL

Anyway, due to the early hour and the hassle, I made a counting mistake on the snow scene, and this piece was laid aside until earlier this year, when I finally worked out the mistake and did some serious frogging.

I'm beginning to feel that this series is jinxed though - I started doing the February piece on the bus, and lost my baggie with the floss in it ...