Update Time: Finishes, WIPs, and Framing

Hello, world! It's so nice to be back. I didn't intend to take such a long break but it needed to be done, because life got in the way. I was busy with family matters and taking care of a plunge in my mental health, I suppose due to Covid and the fact that spring tends to make me very anxious anyway. 

We've had a very strange summer as I'm sure you all have as well... After one of the strictest lockdowns in the world, Spain opened its doors back in July and places have been overloaded with people. Masks are obligatory everywhere except for the beach, and unfortunately the whole country seems to have flocked over to the coast (which is understandable I guess), so there simply wasn't a safe spot to hang out around here, and we've stayed home a lot.

Obviously the numbers of infections have skyrocketed and our area is now a hotspot... Right in time for back to school! As you may know we are both teachers, so we're not thrilled. I'm lucky enough to teach online, but my husband's back to work armed to the eyebrows with mask, eyeglasses, face shield and gloves... Let's hope it's enough and that everyone is safe.

As for cross stitching, I've got some progress and a finish to show you all! My pace slowed quite a bit during the summer, but I still got some things done. So without further ado, here we go:

Charming Kitten by Dimensions

That's right, I got a finish! I don't know how, but this adorable little kitten kept me pushing through. It must've been his soulful eyes! Not only did I finish it, but I had it framed too. That was an odessy, but I'll talk about it at the end of the post: if you want more detailed pictures on the kitten piece, click here to go to its dedicated page.

Sea Flora by Nora Corbett

During the summer, I stitched up this beautiful mermaid and nearly finished her:

Imagine my surprise when among my fabric stash I found a piece of 14 count Aida, hand dyed by myself last year: a failed attempt from trying to get the fabric just right for Mermaid Azure! I thought I'd thrown all the rejects away, but apparently I'd kept this one, and if you'll believe it, it was the perfect size for this project. So it was a no brainer! When I finish her, I want to frame and hang her next to Mermaid Azure so that they're facing each other, as companion pieces. I hope to have her ready to go soon!

Wintry Wolf by Dimensions

This is my latest start, and I'm thoroughly enjoying it. If you remember, I talked about this rather special kit in this post , because I was very surprised to find pre-printed fabric! And it's not even Aida. And the pattern is worked in 3 threads throughout. I mean... Let's just say that I was intimidated. However, with the start of autumn my patience and concentration came back, and I was ready for a challenge. So here we are:

I'm marking the pattern as I go, which is a first for me as I see marking a book or leaflet or anything paper as sacrilege, but... Well, it had to be done. You'll be seeing my progress on this one this fall!

Framing

Finally, a word about framing. This one has been complicated this year. By the time our lockdown ended back in June, our one and only framing shop in town was closed for good. It was very sad to see, especially because the owner was such a kind and helpful lady; another example of how Covid is affecting everything. 

So I decided to frame the pieces myself. I went into our local carpentry/housewares shop and picked out two white frames, and then two small bottles of paint; then I set about laying the frames down on some paper out on our small balcony and painting them carefully.

 And this is how they came out:

A deep, Mediterranean blue for Charming Kitten. I wanted a really strong blue to bring out the color of his eyes, and I only put one coat of paint to make it look a bit rugged. Very pleased with the results!

And...

For my pixie, this beautiful, gorgeous, guilty-pleasure, deep popping Barbie pink:  

I could not be happier with this one. I was like a giddy child putting paint onto the wood, just enjoying the deep unapologetic pink to my heart's content. Just looking at this piece now makes me smile: it really pops! And have I mentioned it's pink? My inner child is pleased.

And finally, I also framed Guardian Spirit with a sturdy wooden frame which, while it's not perfect, at least it's done:

And that's all for now! I think we're all caught up on my stitchy news. How are you all? How are things in your side of the world? I hope you and your family are safe and sound, or as much as one can be right now. Wishing you all the best of weeks! Happy stitching :)

A stitchy update in May

Well, if it hasn't been the longest time! I never thought I'd go a whole month without posting, but the truth is that as I'm sure you all know from experience, this month has been stressful. Anxiety and fatigue came out to play, and I've been in no mood to do anything much, including stitching and blogging- it's been enough to get through the work week!

That being said, I do have some progress to show you on Joan Elliott's Medieval Lady:

And I also started this Charming Kitten kit by Dimensions, which I'm enjoying a lot:

So I guess all things considered I did get some stitching done! 

Quarantine is slowly lifting in Spain, but it has been rough on everyone. Still, we've all been lucky among my family and friends, since we are all well. We are currently in Phase 2 in my area, which means we can finally go outside to do sports and meet friends in groups of up to 10 people. The first time we were allowed outside I'm pretty sure the whole town turned out to walk down by the beach. It was a beautiful sunny morning and the police were everywhere, but the sense of happiness throughout the whole town was palpable. We saw some of our friends and students while walking around, and it was wonderful to say hello in person!

How are you all doing? Is the quarantine still very strict where you live? I apologize if I haven't answered or left you comments this month... I haven't been able to concentrate on anything much and it's been difficult to just get through our routine. I do hope you are all doing well and keeping safe wherever you are! Until next time, happy stitching :)

Getting back on that horse: new project & first USA fabrics

Well if it hasn't been the longest time! This quarantine is doing things to me, y'all. We haven't been allowed to leave our homes for nearly 6 weeks now and the anxiety's running wild and rampant, as I'm sure you know from personal experience. I really need to take a walk and just move! But I don't want to ramble on about the topic, so A  N Y W A Y...

... I have started a new project! Yes, again. Apparently 2020 is the year of running around aimlessly in cross stitch and I'm going to have to be OK with that. Flowers & Hummingbird was seriously burning me out by the end so I've decided to put it down for a little while, but it's still in my WIPs.  In the meantime I've started the beautiful Medieval Maiden by Joan Elliott and oh my goodness you guys, just look at her:

She is so beautiful! I love Joan's attention to detail and all the delicate backstitching that goes on to make the piece pop. I mean, just look at her shirt:

Absolutely stunning. I used plain golden metallic thread instead of the Kreinik called for, because it's enough that I had this piece all kitted out before quarantine hit and actual Aida lying around. But I think it looks fine.

USA Fabrics

Now this is a big deal for me, because this is my first cross stitch purchase from the US. I usually get my materials from Spain, Italy, the UK and China for the convenience. But I really wanted to try out this super famous Picture This Plus fabric that everyone's talking about, so here we are:

The dark blue fabric you see in the picture is Mystic by Picture This Plus, and I could not love it more. I can't believe how soft and smooth it is, how rich in color. I'm going to use it for Mirabilia's Stargazer one day.

The other fabric is Twilight Blue by Zweigart I believe, and it is greyer than I'd imagined and very stiff, so I'm not too impressed with that one.

I also snagged the adorable little Dimensions kit you see in the picture, because it reminds me of my own two cats, so it really called out to me and I think it will be a beautiful piece to make. I mean... They're identical:

So, how are you all doing lately? I'm trying to get around to everybody's blogs (those of you that have them) so excuse me if I've been missing lately. Like I mentioned, this quarantine is affecting me, and I haven't been able to focus very much on anything. I hope you're all keeping safe and happy... Until next time, happy stitching :)

Flowers & Hummingbird... And Easter Staycation

Hello world! I have some progress to show you all:

We have a wee little hummingbird! Isn't he the cutest thing?

I'm very excited with how this project is coming along. It's slow going with all that confetti, but seeing it come together is so worth it. I think that of all the pieces I have worked on so far, this is one of the most visually stunning for me, with the pop of colors and the play of shadows. And just look at that clapboard house! Very nice.

It's actually a depressive funny date to post this entry, because today we were supposed to fly over to Belgium, to visit my parents and enjoy our easter holidays out walking in the woods, visiting historical gardens, and of course driving over to Holland for its beautiful tulip season.

Big theatrical sigh. Needles to say, our flight was cancelled and we can't leave the apartment for another three at least. So I've been settling into my epic staycation, which looks like this:

Easter Quarantine Staycation Activities

First off, I've dug into this series of books that has me literally obsessed:

A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas has me tearing through the sequels like there's no tomorrow. It's a complete guilty pleasure, as it's a young adult book with faerie folk and lots of fantasy, but I'm really enjoying it (shh!)

I've also been (gasp!) gaming. My husband got me the incredibly famous gave Stardew Valley and oh, my goodness. The hours I've spent on it! But it's ok because quarantine... right? (at least that's what I keep telling myself).

And of course, I've been thinking about my cross stitching! For my next project I think I'll be working on Sleeping Beauty by Joan Elliott:

Sleeping Beauty by Joan Elliott

She's been one of my favorites for a long time, I actually have her all kitted out in my stash, and I feel like stitching a Joan Elliott piece.

How is everbody doing this week? It's nice to hear that most of you are ok and trying to keep occupied with different things. I've stopped watching the news for the most part and I'm living in my own fantasy world, as you can see. My friends and family and we ourselves are doing ok, so we are feeling extremely lucky, and are trying to keep focused on positive things and doing what we can, which is stay at home. I hope you are all well and safe and happy wherever you are! Until next time... Happy stitching :)

Project Start & Cabin Fever

Oh, boy. This has turned out to be a very frustrating week stitching wise, guys.

I mentioned to some of you in the comments section that my mom and I had decided to start a SAL, because we had a couple of projects in common in our stash, and with this quarantine going on we thought it'd be a sweet idea. The one we decided on is this beautiful piece by Dimensions, Flowers & Hummingbird:

Isn't it beautiful? Aren't those colors gorgeous? Doesn't it just scream out "spring"? Yes, yes it does. It also has a truckload of confetti. I should've known when I saw those flowers, but I seem to be a slow learner... Insert facepalm. No, actually, I'll insert it for you, here ya go:

Literally me thinking of myself

Long story short, those flowers turned out to be my nemesis. My proverbial Everest. Combine the confetti, similar pink colors, and 18 count aida, and after three days I was a cross-eyed, dizzy, angry Zombie ready to throw things (which is probably also a by-product of the fact that we've been quarantined for nearly two weeks and I have serious cabin fever. But oh boy is that another topic). My poor husband had to sit me down and kindly explain that maybe projects are like relationships, and I really should just break up with this one. Bless his patient soul.

Anyway, if you think that stopped me from doggedly continuing on this project, you absolutely do not know me for the stubborn mule that I can be. I just wasn't ready to give up. I was also strangely emotional about giving up on yet another spring piece, because I'd already given up on Baby Bluejays (seriously people, cabin fever is bad for the nerves. I need to go outside to take a walk and get a, you know, life). 

Ugh. But finally, today I really had to wonder why I was freaking out over this project so much, and I realized that it was a combination of: a) wanting to go too fast, and b) the wrong approach. So I've decided to be patient with myself, reminded myself that this isn't a race... and I've decided to work square by square instead of by color, which was a huge part of the problem as it was making me very confused. And it has calmed me down enough to enjoy this project again, and this is what I have to show for my efforts:

I mean... Not too shabby, if I do say so myself! I am satisfied. If anything, this latest stitching experience has taught me that I have a very anxious, competitive streak in me, and I really have to take to heart these lovely words by Virgina Woolf:

How are you all doing in these crazy times? I hope you're keeping positive and finding good things to focus on. Wherever you are, I hope you're happy and keeping safe. Until next time, happy stitching :)

White Clover: Finished!

I have a finish for you guys!! Here she is!! White Clover!!

I mean... Isn't she beautiful?? I love the colors on her, all those cool greens mixed with lilacs and pinks. Every time I look at her I can't get over how gorgeous she is! I'd like to take her to a professional framer when this quarantine is over and find her the largest, most delicious guilty-pleasure-so-sue-me-Barbie-pink frame to make her colors pop even more!

As usual I used my own beads, I think the pink ones may be a bit larger than called for and a bit more pink than the dress itself... Buuuut I love pink so I ain't even sorry. Here are some close up pictures:

I can't get enough of this project!

How is everyone doing today? I hope you're all keeping busy and safe! I've decided to limit my news consumption because it's been making me feel so anxious and sad. I used to think that limiting the news would be like burying my head in the sand, but I've come to the conclusion that if I'm going to be holed up at home for goodness knows how many weeks, I have to take care of my mental health. So I'm now watching/reading the news once a day, and the rest of the time I'm either working, doing housework, stitching, or keeping in touch with friends and family. I have to say, my mood and anxiety levels are so much better... And that's not nothing.

I hope you guys are doing OK wherever you are, until next time... Happy stitching :)

Stitching during lockdown

Hello world! How is everybody today? I want to say thank you to everyone who left a comment on my last entry, it was so good to hear that you are all doing well and safe! I'm sorry I haven't answered you yet, but my mind has been all over the place and I'm having trouble concentrating beyond work. Things are moving so fast over here. In the space of only one week, there have been so many changes:

• Spain has closed its terrestrial borders and is in full lockdown
• The European Union has closed its borders to non-EU residents
• Here in Spain, the number of infections has jumped to 14.000 and nearly 700 dead
• There are now lines to get into supermarkets

It just feels like we're living in a dystopia. I have never lived in a country with closed borders, a country where the police can stop you on the street to ask why you're there. I've never lived in a Europe with restricted freedom of movement within member states. And I've never had to wear gloves and mask into a supermarket, or wait in line to get in. I understand that all these measures are for our own safety and I respect them. It just feels a bit scary and larger than life. 

I've been keeping in touch with my parents in Belgium and my brother in Barcelona. My mom's upset to be locked outside of her own country (Belgium is also on lockdown), and my brother went five days without being able to find any food in supermarkets in his neighborhood or online. He's also lost his job (he's a cook) and since this lockdown will last until after spring break, he's a bit worried. My husband and I are lucky, because most of my work is online, and his academy switched to online work as soon as the lockdown hit. 

It's not all scary and negative, though. There are lots of viral videos going around of whole apartment blocks playing games together like "I spy", or a fitness instructor giving an aerobic lesson to an entire building complex. There are people clapping from their balconies as a sign of appreciation for our doctors, and funny memes of inventive things people are doing at home. So the general feeling for those of us who are just waiting it out is a nervous resignation with a touch of humor, edged with the hope that we or a family member doesn't get seriously sick.

As for stitching, I've been doing plenty of that with all the extra time spent at home, and it has been a real comfort! I'm nearly done with White Clover, just the beading left to do. Here is a preview:

I love those laces on her legs! 

I have also made some extra needle minders, so my collection is growing... I actually made them for my mom, because we were supposed to go for a visit during spring break, but that's not happening so I'll be using them for now:

And some Aida fabric has arrived, and I now have a respectable collection of different colors:

So that's all very exciting! I'll post my finished White Clover in a couple of days hopefully, and in the meantime: stay safe, stay indoors (if you can!) and happy stitching :)

White Clover & Coronavirus in Spain

Hi everyone! Just a quick stitchy update and a few words on the state of things here in Spain. First, here is White Clover, looking absolutely fabulous:

As you can see her skirt is really coming along, and I'm loving all the soft pinks and lilacs, as they are my favorite colors. The stuff of dreams! Absolutely beautiful, I couldn't be happier with this project or enjoy it more.

COVID-19.

Alright guys, I hope no one minds me digging into this topic, but... do you even live in 2020 if you don't talk about the Coronavirus? Here in Spain the situation exploded overnight. To be honest I've been very worried by the lack of action from our government, seeing how Italy has been doing for the past few weeks and we were following right in their footsteps. Things seem to be changing though.

As in stands right now, we have more than four thousand infected people and the healthcare systems of the main affected areas are completely collapsed. The government has declared a state of emergency beginning tomorrow, schools are closed and, well, it just feels like we're living in a dystopian movie right now. We expect the number of infected to rise to 10 thousand, especially now that people have begun evacuating Madrid (the most affected area) and moving to their secondary homes all over Spain. I'm quite worried about my two grandparents, who are both in their late 80s... I hope they don't catch the virus.

The president announces state of emergency in Spain

Grocery shops here are pretty much ransacked, as everywhere else, but we have still been able to obtain some necessities. My brother (who lives in Barcelona) says everything is empty though, and he hasn't been able to buy anything. Hopefully the panic buying will stop soon. It remains to be seen what measures will be taken tomorrow as part of the "state of emergency", but since we have already been told to stay at home, at the rate things are going I won't be surprised if we're in full-on lockdown like Italy.

How are you guys doing? Is there panic-buying where you live? Are your areas affected? Wherever you are I hope you're keeping safe! Until next time, happy stitching and remember to wash your hands ;)

White Clover: Week 2

YOU. GUYS. Look at this beauty!!

I absolutely, completely love this pixie! Look at those popping colors! Look at the swirly curves and all her little details! This is my favorite project in a long time. I have achieved Stitcher's Bliss :)

Speaking of details... If you notice, there's something different about her wings. I didn't use the Kreinik called for, opting instead for a cool green metallic thread that I had lying around, but I really like the effect. You can't see it in the photo, but her wings are very glittery! (Also, note to self: don't stitch with metallic thread under a strong lamp, unless you want to feel like you're staring into a thousand tiny suns. Use natural light instead!).

So, what's new with everyone? We've been down with a flu over here but are now feeling much better, we're settling into our new place and making use of our more central location to take sunny walks everywhere, including the beach! It's lovely. I hope you're all well and keeping busy with all things stitchy!

Happy stitching :)

White Clover

Alright guys, big stitchy news: I've changed projects. I was very bummed out about having had to leave our old place, and the flowers in the Baby Bluejays project were reminding me too much of our lovely almond tree beside my sunny stitching spot... that, combined with the intricacy of the pattern, were making me quite blue and frustrated. I obviously needed an easy, small design to take my mind off of things.

So, I picked up White Clover by Nora Corbett and I went nuts. Here it is so far:

I love, love, love that crown. It's so swirly and pink!

This pixie is part of Nora Corbett's "Poison Pixies" collection. I didn't understand why it was a poison fairy and I guessed that maybe white clover is poisonous, but as I stitched her I realized that actually, she does look poisonous! I mean, just look at those wings: they're full of sharp angles and changing, mesmerizing colors. If you saw that out in the wild you'd think twice before touching it! I have to say, Nora is very clever with her designs.

Some WIP pictures and my cats napping around:

Thank you everyone for your lovely comments on my last post- they were very encouraging and sweet, and I really appreciated them. And don't worry, I absolutely want to finish that Baby Bluejays piece! I'm just not in the right frame of mind for it right now, but I'll pick it up again :)

I hope you all have a great week, happy stitching :D

Baby Bluejays & Spring & LOUD neighbors

We've been enjoying some of the sunniest, warmest days we've had in months. I've been out on the terrace a lot, stitching in the sun, and it's just felt like SPRING! We've had so many days that have simply felt like April or May, that I wanted to celebrate the coming of spring with... Well, a spring-themed project.

I had two contenders: Baby Bluejays by Dimensions

And White Clover by Nora Corbett:

Both had beautiful colors and I want to make them both this year, but in the end I went with Baby Bluejays. I've had the design in my stash for a very long time now, it was one of the first Dimensions designs I ever saw and loved, and I'm just really in the mood for stitching some birds. So here we are!

It's actually the most intricate design I've had to stitch so far, with all the color changes and different stitches, but it's been fun stitching in the sun with my beautiful Sancho by my side: 

Sancho with the olive tree

Also, our small almond tree is blooming!!

Almond blossoms are so dainty yet spectacular. I love seeing these trees covered in white-pink flowers by the side of the road, a real spectacle every February! They remind me of the flowers in the Baby Bluejays design.

I also wanted to add that I'm late posting this entry because I started writing it right before we had to move out of our beautiful apartment. Long story short, we were sandwiched in between two very loud families who moved in some months ago. Due to the bad quality of construction (I would get into the whole Spanish Construction Bubble Which Burst During the Recession Story here but I don't want to bore you) it felt like we were living with four screaming children, four party loving adults, and three early-morning barking dogs in the apartment with us. 

If you want to imagine what it was like, think of your typical Kindergarten during recess. Are you there? Do you hear the children screaming and running and falling over and crying? Ok, good. Next, imagine there's a loud café right beside it of the Mediterranean variety where everybody talks in loud voices and stays up until 2am. Now add in some loud music to the mix with very strong base. And there you have it folks, our lovely home situation.

So after some months of this we decided that if we were to keep our mental sanity and not, you know, go to jail for flinging something at the neighbors, we just had to move. The opportunity came last week and we just took it, so here we are in our temporary apartment in the city while we sell and look for something new. Yay.

ANYWAY... 

How is everybody doing this week? I hope you're doing well and have plenty of crafty things to do! Thank you as always for your comments, I appreciate every single one of them. Until next time, happy stitching :)