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 :)

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 :)

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 :)

Guardian Spirit: Finished!!

YOU. GUYS.

I have finished Guardian Spirit!!! I can't believe it!! But look: There she is in all her splendor. It still hasn't sunk in that she's done. 

Finishing this piece was an absolute nightmare straight from Hades. First, I ran out of the red thread I needed to finish the border around her head. I had to rummage through my DMC stash to find a similar color, with which I stitched the bottom half of the Xs, and then went over them with the correct strand of color. It's not perfect, but I was a stubborn mule and wanted to finish the project last night, so it'll have to do. Also, last night I got a cramp in my arm which made stitching that much harder, and then I got so sleepy and exhausted that I had to leave it until today to finish it, when I only had a small section to go! Insert creative frustration here.

But I did finish it, and it was awesome, and also can we pause a second to appreciate the neatest back that I have ever been able to do?

And also one of my cats getting curious during the washing process:

With this piece, I've realized that I really do have a creative process. Let's recap it here, shall we?

Robin's Creative Process

1. Excitement at starting a new project
2. Contentment as I fall into rhythm with the project and see it coming to life
3. Complete and utter hate & contempt for no other reason that the project seems endless and I will scream if I have to add another stitch to it
4. Awe and amazement when it is done and I realize I've made a beautiful thing

What can I say? Stitchers be crazy. Here are some more detailed pictures:

If you're still reading this, thank you! I'll be back next time with my next project for Phase One: Excitement! Until then, I'd love to hear of your own creative process. I hope you're all well and happy crafting, thank you as always for your comments, and see you next time :)

Guardian Spirit: Almost there!

I think I have a grandiose sense of my own stitching abilities, because I honest to goodness thought that the next time I wrote on here, I'd have a finish to show you all. Cue ironic laughter. Here's where we're at people:

 

Now, you see that poncho? That big, colorful, enormous shawl thing? Yeah, I thought I could finish that shawl in a week or less. Naive little fool.

It turns out that the shawl is huge. And absolutely full coverage, from one end of the design to the other.  Oh and also, it is driving me insane, because there are so many weird shapes going on, and the pattern's hard to read, and the stitches look all wrong! You can't tell in the picture, but the stitches aren't laying as flat as they usually do, probably because I've been experimenting with stitching vertically (I usually stitch horizontally, but the shawl shapes just lend themselves to vertical stitches, so of course I thought this would be the perfect time to experiment). 

Anyway. This long ramble just to say: we're nearly there, and I can't wait! On the plus side, I'm loving the look of this little corner:

In other news, I've just finished an amazing book and I wanted to share it with you all (Shelly, if you're reading this, you're going to laugh): 

These Is My Words, by Nancy E. Turner. Now, why is this funny? Because I was 100% convinced I'd  already read  this book. In fact, when I saw Shelly's sampler over at her blog, I raved about how great the book was and how excited I was to see a sampler of it! And then I realized... Hang on a moment, the book I actually read was The Diary of Mattie Spencer by Sandra Dallas. Big facepalm moment, that one.

As for the book itself, I loved it. It was sad and tragic in places, but I loved how Sarah rose to every single challenge, how strong she was, and how realistically relationships were portrayed. As for the love interest in this one, wow. Let me just say, I am one to roll my eyes at a lot of romances out there, but my goodness, if there was ever a perfectly flawed, cheeky, intelligent, exasperating and brilliant hero ever written, it is in this book. 'Nuff said. 

I hope you're all doing well with plenty to keep you busy in all things crafty, thank you as always for your comments, and see you next time :)

Guardian Spirit, and why I like to cross stitch

Hi everyone! How are you all this week? I'm happy to report that my stitching bug is back, and my wintry routine of stitching while watching Gilmore Girls and cuddling my cats has been fully restored. It's wonderful! Here is how Guardian Spirit is doing so far:

I'm loving the blue stripe on her blouse and the sheen that it has- isn't it pretty? Funny as it may sound, the clothes in this piece really speak to me. It's something about the colors and patterns in the fabric. I just find them gorgeous. Here are some closeups:

This week I've been doing some thinking about why I like cross stitching so much. It's a hobby that I started back in 2018, because I wanted something "easy" to do with my hands, something that allowed me to make something pretty in a simple way.  And I haven't stopped ever since! So, here are my reasons for loving cross stitch:

1. It's simple. Essentially, cross stitching is literally making an x with thread, over and over again. Most people can learn it. And that's why I love it: because when I'm exhausted at the end of the day, I really just want to relax with a project and not have to think. 
2. You can do it anywhere. You don't need to be sitting at a desk or going anywhere special. You can stitch away on the couch, in bed, at the beach... Anywhere you're comfortable! And for me this is a real winner. 
3. So many themes! You can create pretty much anything, from nature scenes to fairies to nerdy pop culture. So you can't get bored :)

So, those are my reasons. What are yours? Why do you like to cross stitch?

I hope you've had a wonderful weekend with plenty of things to enjoy! See you next time :)

Losing the stitching bug and coming back up

I'm baaack! How is everyone? Before I say anything else, thank you so much for your comments on my last entry- I appreciate every single one of them and they put a smile on my face every time :) I'm sorry I didn't answer, I've been MIA in all things cross stitch!

I had some personal things come up that made me completely lose the stitching bug these last couple of weeks, but thankfully it's all sorted now and I am back to working on this piece, and here is the progress so far:

We have a wolf! With an adorable little face, just look at him:

That's a happy puppy :) And there's backstitching all over the project now, so I'm all caught up!

I have also made my very first handmade needle minder:

What do you think? This was originally a pin, which I love because it reminds me of they way my cats sleep all cuddled up together. I used an old pair of pliers to take the sharp bit of the pin off, filed away what remained, and glued on some magnets. I have to say, I like the result, and will probably be making more!

Here it is in action while I stitched in the sunny terrace one morning:

We've been enjoying our winter break these past two weeks and it's been wonderful- we did some hikes, caught up on movies and books, and had more staycation days than should be legal. There's been a lot of homemade pizza going around and of course, time spent with friends. 

How has everyone been? I hope you're all doing great and have plenty of projects to keep you busy! Until next time, happy stitching :) 

Guardian Spirit: Week 4

You know how sometimes you're working on a project, and you genuinely feel like you're not making any progress? That's how I've felt this week with Guardian Spirit, but after sifting through my pictures, I've realized that it's actually coming along quite nicely! So, here is Guardian Spirit, one month in:

We have some background, progress on the neck, backstitching and some more of the second feather! So, all in all, pretty good. I'm enjoying this project a lot, and it's making me want to take on other large projects in the future. 

Also, I have just finished reading The Giver of Stars by Jojo Mojes and oh, my goodness. What a book!

It was nominated for Best Historical Fiction in the 2019 Goodreads Awards, and I really thought it would win. Alas, it didn't, but it swept me away. It's set in 1930s Appalachia, where an English woman moves after impulsively marrying an American man from there. The marriage doesn't really go well, but she finds a sense of purpose in being one of the librarians of the "pony library" that's just opened in her town: she rides her horse up the mountains and delivers books to the people who live there. That's the premise of the book, but of course the story offers so much more: strong friendships among women, a glimpse into post-depression rural America, the grit and strength of mountain people, and the ways in which we keep going in life in spite of difficulties, all against the background of coal mines and gorgeous mountains. 

Anyway. That long paragraph just to say: go and read this book if you haven't already! (And if you have, do leave your opinions below!)

I hope you're all doing well and are enjoying your week so far, until next time, happy stitching :)

Guardian Spirit: Week 3

Well, good evening everyone! How are you all doing? I wanted to show you my progress on Guardian Spirit this week, because lo and behold, we have a face!

I know, right?! She's looking amazing,if I do say so myself. I'm loving the gloss in her hair, earring, lips and cheeks, it's so lifelike. Speaking of which, there's also a whole complete feather, and an earring! I can't wait to backstitch them to give them extra pop.

Stitching the face was... interesting, to say the least. I was so close to the project that I couldn't see the whole picture and I kept thinking it was going to be a disaster. And there were times when she looked, well... absolutely terrifying:

I showed the above picture to my husband as he was passing by one afternoon and his eyebrows shot all the way to his hairline. Thankfully, however, she turned into this beauty:

So I am very pleased!

Today is a holiday here in Spain, so we made the best of it and drove over to the national park nearby to go on a hike. We chose a trail that goes along the mountainside, with the sparkling blue Mediterranean sea just to your right. 

The trail finishes off in a small cove that's perfect to sit in and have a picnic. We even got to feed some curious sparrows that wanted to share our meal. The weather was beautiful, a real spring day in the middle of winter. All in all a great day. Picture time:

How is your week going so far? I hope you're enjoying it and have some crafty project or other between your hands! Until next time, happy stitching :)