Belated photo of a finish!

I meant to post this ages ago, but I've been very busy and then I had some computer issues (back light went out on my laptop... which makes it pretty useless!). But now everything is back up and running.

So, here is the completed Texas Panorama, although the mounting and framing still needs to be done. I have in mind the kind of frame that I want for it, but I need to write down some measurements and then catch a sale on frames.



I did a little Mill Hill beads snowflake ornament kit last weekend, but I haven't finished it yet (I'm thinking about doing a fabric backing on it), so no photos.

My next big project is a Heritage Stitchcraft kit that I bought a few years ago. It came with 14 ct. Aida, but I've switched it out with a 28 count evenweave (just a generic one from Michael's, I think). I actually started it over Christmas, but I'm going to wait until a bit more is done to post a picture. In the meantime, here's a link to the kit at a UK Cross Stitch catalog.

Cross stitching finished on Texas Panorama

Now on to the backstitching. I finished most of the backstitching around the "S" last night, but my eyes were burning so I didn't get far. I had a horrible allergy attack late Tuesday/early Wednesday and I'm still recovering. At first I thought it might be a really short cold, but then several people at work were having the same symptoms at the same time and the pollen count was high during this, the notorious "cedar fever" season in Texas. (I put that in quotes because it is actually not cedar and you rarely get a fever from it!) So, I'm finally starting to feel better and the weather is supposed to be nasty for the day off tomorrow for MLK's birthday, so I hope to get a lot of stitching done.

Another Texas Panorama update

Just a quick post with Texas Panorama, now with the T complete... so I guess it's TEXA panorama at the moment. :)



I've started into the S just a little. After that, lots of backstitching to finish! The X in particular has a bunch, so it's going to take a while to get to the point of putting in that final stitch.

Last finishes from 2007 and Texas Panorama update

I made a few ornaments late in 2007 to include with some gifts, but being sick and having a broken computer conspired to keep me from posting pictures at the time. Unfortunately I forgot to take a picture of one of them before I wrapped it up in its box, but here are the other two. The poinsettia ornament was sort of my trial and error one that I was going to keep for myself. The other was a gift. I was really happy how the stitching came out on the Santa, since I was trying really hard to keep the white stitching clean and even. Both of these designs came from a book of quickies (sorry, I don't have the exact title handy!).



This is another ornament that I finished at the end of the year that I thought I had posted, but I didn't see it. It was originally a little kit that came with a plastic round frame, but I decided to make a little pillow out of it instead. The design also called for French knots as the garland on the tree and I substituted some old leftover red beads instead. I also stitched the yellow accents with some Kreinik gold braid instead (I have several partial spools left over from Celtic Christmas).



And last but not least, here's an update on Texas Panorama, although it's already out of date, since I finished the "T" last night. I'll post that picture later.

Texas Panorama update and a recent finish

First up, a progress report on "Texas Panorama":



The "A" is finished now (although still no backstitching) and I've begun the "E" (although no photo of that yet). This project has been on hold for a week or so as I've stitched up some Christmas ornaments to include with some gifts... at least I hope so! I have been pretty picky about choosing patterns and I might not get them finished at the rate I'm going.

I was originally planning on doing 3 or 4 of Theresa Wentzler's "Peacock Tapestry Ornament", but the first one took me long enough that I was pretty sure that I wouldn't be able to finish all of them in time. But I do have one! And I think I'm going to keep it for myself. :)



This is actually the first TW I've ever stitched, although I have several of her leaflets in my stash, along with most of the excellent freebies from her website. I love how it turned out, and it certainly won't be the last of her designs that I stitch! Now to figure out how to finish it... I'm leaning framing, even though I was really hoping to start trying some other finishing techniques. But I think this would look great in a frame (and on the wall in my office!).

Texas panorama - first photo

Here's the first photo of the progress on "Texas Panorama" after about two weeks. A lot of it was done this past weekend. The flower parts on the lower section of the X took a while, but the rest has gone very quickly. I still have all the backstitching to do, but I might wait until all of the cross stitches are done first. I've never actually done that on a medium-to-large project before... I'm usually a "backstitch as you go" type.

Recent finishes

I've been meaning to post these for over a week!



This is one of the last of my Textile Heritage miniatures that I've bought on my various trips to the UK. I think I only have one left and they'll all be stitched!




And this is the Winter piece of the Four Seasons design, all finished.



(here is the leaflet and the previously-finished Fall section)

I'm now working on Texas Panorama from Bestitched. I bought this at the LNS years and years ago and I have been intending to start it for ages, but just now finally got around to it. I'm starting with the letter X in the middle and I'm about 60% through that. I might even get the X finished this weekend, but it has a lot of backstitching around the flowers in the bottom half, so maybe not. Maybe I'll scoot over to the E or A next and go back and do the backstitching later. :) I'll post a picture of the current progress soon.