Commission update - Snowdrops

Along with everything else in my life recently, my commissions have taken a bit of a back seat.  But with the New Year, new-found energy (if it lasts!) and getting rid of my back-log of odd jobs, I'm getting determined to get back on track with the last commission of 2013.

My last update about it was months ago.  So HIGH time for me to be getting on with it again.  Over Christmas I was, at least, able to touch base with the commissioner, and I think they were rather surprised that it was as big as it is.  In fact, I suspect they hadn't expected me to go to quite so much trouble with the border (which is going to be quite prominent).

Progress has been slow until fairly recently, but I'm now fairly happy with how it is coming along now. Getting the first corner right was a little complicated and took longer than I'd expected.  I had made two versions of the chart to see which looked best, but even so, when it came to stitching it, it changed slightly. I'm a little disappointed that there isn't more of a contrast between the fabric and the white of the snowdrops. I'll have to see how it goes, but I may end up outlining them so they stand out more.

I'm expecting the stitching of the poem in the central space to be quite a quick job after the wide border though.  Let's keep our fingers crossed!

It is a good feeling to have turned a corner (excuse the pun!) and realise that I'm over half-way through the border now.

Commission update 4 - a hard life

With one thing and another, I hadn't managed to finish DN's bus, nor started on the stitiching part of my next commission - the snowdrop sampler.  April and early May was all go with family visits, marathon running (not me!), family birthdays, a wedding, new kitchen windows, a garden to tidy (at last), curtains to finish, leaks to get repaired...  Not to mention the regular things like work and choir rehearsals - zumba has gone out of the window a bit too and I must try to fit that or some other exercise back into my schedule.

However, we have just had a holiday (yay!) and it was the perfect opportunity to have some peace and quiet to get on with things.  Scanning my draft posts before going away, there were a couple of possibilities.  I could have made some key rings - small, quick projects that are portable - but that would have meant taking a number of options for threads and patterns as well.  Although it was quite tempting.

But the really sensible option was to finish DN's bus (at long last) and to get going on this snowdrop sampler.  The design has been ready for a while and it only needs four colours of threads and the linen has arrived.

I duly packed it all into my case and set off for the airport.  I felt  a little frustrated on the way out as I didn't want to risk anything being confiscated by airport security, as I knew that they wouldn't let me take scissors on board.  I presumed that needles would be the same, so ended up sleeping and reading on the way out, only to realise after arriving that somehow a needle had fallen to the bottom of my hand luggage (from when I'd been using it for my commute and cross-stitiching on the train).

We had such a busy, packed time sunbathing by a beautiful lagoon or visiting pretty little islands on boat trips that I didn't do quite as much stitching as I thought I would.  BUT despite this hardship, I did manage to finish DN's bus (fanfare & fireworks!).

Ta-dah!

Now, the pattern stated that the 'shadows' should be stitched in french knots.

But, I had been putting off doing all the french knots as I really didn't fancy it on aida fabric.  Then,  having started DH and I both thought they looked awful (could be my bad french knots of course).  So I changed plan and stitched half cross-stitches instead.

Maybe, not as interesting, but certainly tidier and more even, and it still gives the 'shadow' effect.