Update at the end of the weekly SAL

Since school started I don´t have the time or energy to stitch as much as I want. However, I am telling myself it is more important to enjoy the stitching, than feeling sad about the small amount of stitches I get to do.

My sweet little dragling is comming to life!

Train of Dreams ~ 1st of September

Train of Deams ~ Themed sal this weekend

Since the themed SAL this weekend included animals of any kind, I desided to join with my Train of Dreams. I have finally reached the first little dragling on the train and I am looking forward to see how it'll look like.

However Iam starting school tomorrow, so I won't get that much time left for stitching and reading, but I am in no hurry. A grid every now and then together with an audio book will be good therapy ;)

Here's the before picture:

Traon of Dreams ~ 27th of August

Astranaithes ***UPDATE***

I have finnsihed the first 1 % =) 4490 stitches, which is the first top row of grids of the six pages.

The stitching on this chart is so much different compared to the Train of Dreams. The train has alot of confetti (in y opinion) and Astranaithes is such easy stitching. Few colours, lovely greens and browns, so the stitching was pretty fast.

Looking forward to continue with the second top row od grids, but first I am going back to stitchign the train. I simply missed it too much and I might need to finnish it before going back to Astranaithes, because I found it very difficult to get the fab on the frame this time =(

Astranaithes 18th of August.

Train of Dreams 13th of August



Train of Dreams ~ 13th of August

6 pages done! Wow! I am still loving the design and it will be hard to do a rotation now, but I am eager to try out Astranaithes on my new frame =)

I tried some new way to end and start threads by simple using waste knots. It has worked perfectly when starting a thread, but I can't say it's working when ending them aswell. Well, it's not working for me, so unfortunatlly I have to go back to running the ending threads under the stitched area after finnishin a grid or column. I hate it! It is so time consuming, but what should one do? It has to be done!

20% done on the train *shoo-shoo-oo*!

Train of Dreams update

I wish I had more time to stitch! I love every little stitch I make since they have their own purpose.

My Traini of Dreams is comming along, but since I am workiing fulltime and have a family to love and take care of, I have only little time left for stitching. However I do try to get some stitching done when I am having a day off from work.



Train of Dreams ~ 3/8-2011



I am fascinated by the colours which makes the magic smoke comming out of the chimney of the locomotive. I had been wondering about how it would look like and, as always, I am stunned!

Now I am looking forward to see the finnished locomtive and t omove on to the waggon behind it.

And tomorrow it will arrive! My Millenium frame with a floor stand! It is a birthday gift from my hubby, mom and myself =) I have high expectations on this product. I just hope I won't be dissaointed like the last time, when I ordered the DMC floor stand.

There was a sale on the Heaven and Earth designs website and I simply couldn't resist it this time. I had to buy one of the dragon designs I have fallen inlove with:



Michele Lee Phelan's Rebirth



I joined the HAED SAL with Nene Thomas' Astranaithes

I had looked forward to start this chart and at the same time I was hesitating because of the colours. They aren't as joyful as the colours in Train of Dreams. However I find the design beautiful and so I knew I would love it as much as my little dragons on the train =)

I have only stitched 800 so far. I couldn't deside of a rutine for the rotation so I went back to ToD. But now I know how to do it. Every time I have finnished 3 pages of the Train I will stitch one page of Astranaithes. I think that will do them both fair =)

Here's my WIPs!

All good to go!

Close-up



Wow, the colours makes such a beautiful pattern! I can't wait to stitch some more on her =)





Starting a new chart together with this weekends HEAD SAL

I went all day discussing with myself wether I should start a rotation, meaning I would start a new chart this weekend. And I ended up joining the SAL with Nene Thomas Astranaithes

I will be stitching her on a 25ct evenweave. I haven't desided yet if I will be stitching 1 over 1 full X or 2 over 1 tent /.

Oh and I finally got my money back from the bad floor stand I ordered, so now I am on the lookout for a new floor stand. I asked for some advice on the HEAD BB. I hope there are some nice ladies and/or gentlemen who can give me some experienced advice.

Train of Dreams ~ Spangler 2011-07-17



ToD ~ 17th July

It is time for an update. I have hardly had time or energy to stitch this mounth, so the progress isn't going as fast as last mounth. However I rather take it slow than stitching when I am tired with a resault of a lot of mistakes.

As you can see I have finally reached the train and the details of the locomotive is amazing! The detail means confetti stitching, but it is worth it because confetti is what gives the WOW feeling =)

It is amazing how wonderful one can feel because of stitching such a beautiful piece. Is it the colours? Is it the expetation? Is it the eager to reach the dragons? =) I don't know, but I hope I will enjoy stitching the other designs as much, since they doesn't include such colours, nor dragons.

Now, you will have to excuse me, but I need to get back to my stitching. I am almost done with another column!

Train of Dreams ~ Spangler 2011-06-29

I have now innished three pages of the 32 of the pattern. I am very happy with the result, considering it is my first heaven and earth design.

ToD ~Spangler



I ordered a floor stand roller frame, from DMC. I received it after five weeks of waiting and when I finally got it, had put it together I got sooooo dissapointed. It was a waate of money. Everything was wrong about it. It couldnät even keep the fabric nice and tight. I am sending it back and getting my money refunded. I am seriously considering adding a bit of cash and order a millenium frame with a lapstand.

Progress

I took some pictures yesterday of my progress on the train. Today have made a bit more, about 400 stitches. It is such an enjoyable design, with lovely colours.

ToF, Spangler ~ june 18th, 2011






Look at the detail!



Train of Dreams, june 18th

I am stitching on the Train of Dreams every day. I am having some time off before starting my summer job, so I wont be making such fast progress after next week. But I guess every gridd of 10x10 is a progress. It is more important to get a nice result, me think.

I ordered a Q-snap from 123stitch.com and I have now switched my wooden hoop with this magnificent q-snap frame. It keeps the tension just right. Unfortunatly I don´t have some kind f stnad for it, so at the moment I am usning some stacked puzzle boxes to put the frame on to be able to work with both hands. This solution also lets me not hold the frame which is quite heavy.

The design of the ToD is so wonderful! I love the colours and every stitch has it''s own purpose, really. Even f it is alot of confetti!

I am at the moment, however, fighting with a nice way to start and end threads. I find it all to be a big mess and time consuming, unfortunatly...

Train of Dreams, june 8th

I can't imagine how fast some of the crafters are, who's stitching the HAED:S. The few stitches I have made in one week is nothing compared to those who stitches a whole page in 7 days. Amazing!

However, here is my progress and I have enjoyed it every stitch along the way =)

June 8th ~ Train of Dreams

I decided to use the wooden hoop and that has worked pretty well so far. I was afraid it was going to leave marks, but it hasn't so I am glad I didn't sit around waiting for my frames to arrive by mail.

I also tried parking and gridding and that has worked wonderful! Makes stitching so much easier and fun.

I am now a H.A.E.D. stitcher!

I started today. Gridded and mounted the weave om the wooden hoop, which I covered with paper tissue to protect the weave.

I made 100 stitches and it is petit!

Spanglers Train of Dreams stitched on 25ct evenweave 1 over 1 full cross (X)



Gridded page one and ten



First 100 stitches

Country companions ~ DMC

Well I simply couldn't help myself! I wasn't supposed to start any new designs before I could start the Train of Dreams. But after reading on the BB I was so inspired to try out a new way of stiching so I simply had to start this little simple piece.

5"x7" aida 14, using 2 strands and I am doing full cross stitches (X). I am using a wooden hoop and I am parking threads. No gridding.

I stiched about a 100 cross stitches. I enjoyed myself alot and I am seriously thinking of simply just start the Train of Dreams with out floor stand and gridding. However I am afraid the wooden hoop will ruin the evenweave so I don't have the gutts to do so. I wish they had q snaps in a store here in Sweden, but no. Everything has to be ordered.

My mystical night butterfly is done!

Finally it is done! It is such a joy when you finally finnish a cross stitch design. It didn't really take a long time to finnish, it was done in 2 to 3 mounths.

There are some flaws but I hope that will change now that I am to mount the weave on a roller frame. I am also going to give gridding and parking a chanse when starting on my heave and earth design. All I need not is the floor stand to arrive and the gridding guide threads! Hurry, hurry!

Mystical butterfly - Lanarte, 2011/05