Slow Sunday Stitching - November 10, 2024

It was a good crafting week this week.   I finished off five hours on the new Blackbird Designs piece, "Blessings and Kind Wishes" and got the left half of the border done (see the changeover post for a photo).  That five hours and the finishing and FFO work on the older Blackbird piece finished up the first chunk of the current rotation, which is the Historic Inspired slot.

Then I moved over to the KC Plaza Sewing Bag in the Modern Slot.   Since I finished the cross stitch on the fountain area, it's time to tackle the border stitching.  There are five repeats of the border motif on each side of the bag - three for the large side and one on each end for the short sides (each of which will have a side seam down the middle).   When I glanced at the chart at first, it looked like a very simple area.  I spent the first hour and bit basting verticals through the border area to show the edges of each repeat and confirm that I had enough space for the side panels, which I do.  You can see the yellow basting between the trumpet shaped flowers and just before you get to the edge basting; the side motif starts three stitches before the actual corner (basted in red) on each side.

Then once I started stitching, I realized that the major section in the teal green is composed of Rice Stitch.   If you haven't done Rice Stitch, this specialty stitch is composed of regular over two cross stitches, then all four of the corners are tacked down by diagonal half cross over one stitches.  So, six up and down per individual stitch.  And I've discussed at length about my struggles with over one on this project!  Oh so slow.

Five additional hours got me almost to the end of repeat two.  So much for finishing the five repeats on this part of the bag this rotation.   I'll be lucky to finish the three repeats across the main face of the bag.  This project is never ending.....

I did manage to get over to the framers and pick up the framed Birdhouses project I finished in at the beginning of October.   I think it turned out lovely.

As usual "The Frame Warehouse" in Topeka KS made my work look even better.

The hat is also ticking along.   I'm about 3/4 of the way through the straight section.  I'll probably not post a photo until it's done.   Currently it's in a rather awkward in-between blob state.  I'm going to go to Alexis' gymnastics meet next Saturday, so hopefully I'll have an FFO to show by Sunday.   Nothing like being stuck in the bleachers for several hours waiting for the few minutes that she's actually competing LOL.  Good crafting time, though.

Linking up with the SSS crew for this week (link party is here).