Pincushion stitching finished...

Today the pincushion is now finished and I'll start on the needlebook next. This was a lot of fun because of course I had to change it up  and add lots of sparkle that wasn't there before. I used DMC and Anchor Satin thread for the waterlilies as well as the dragonfly wings. In the waterlilies I used two strands of the Satin, and in the wings I used one along with #4 braid in pearl which has an iridescent look to it. It didn't translate to the photos well but it is there. I also added some 093 Kreinik blending filament to the outline of the wings and used a more purple instead of pink (not a fan of pink). I think it came out pretty good. The body of the dragonfly is outlined in #4 braid 339 which matches the dark turquoise pretty well.

This second one shows the satin texture of the thread a little better.  The pattern called for white and cream which kept reminding me of a satin wedding gown. The individual stitches are sort of plump, cushiony and oh so shiny!

Progress pic

A good start on the pincushion so far. I plan on adding some sparkle to the dragonfly, so I went to my local cross stitch store the Middleford Yarn Shop here in Medford. I found a few of the Kreinik blending filaments I was looking for and some #4 braid as well. Can't have too much sparkle as far as I'm concerned.
This kit is from Anchor and I've not used their threads before but I must say I like the feel and look of them. Recently I ordered from Sewandso.co.uk which is a wonderful British needle and sewing supply website. I got some lovely Anchor color bend threads, which are their versions of DMC variations. I highly recommend them, they are wholly different color combinations than variations but just as lovely. I'll post some photos tomorrow of the threads and sparkley bits.

Got the starting bug..

Despite still working away on What Lies Within I  couldn't stand it and wanted to start some fun smaller projects. I got out my Anchor Treasures kit of three to work on, as well as a Textile Heritage bookmark.

As usual I am changing things a bit to personalize the kit. I plan on using Kreinik Pearl blending filament in the dragonflies wings, as well as some on the dragonfly himself, Krenik 093 blending filament. Also the tassels and cord included aren't anywhere near the right green so I'm making my own cording and tassels out of DMC 4050 Variations Pearl Cotton. I think it'll make it pop.
The bookmark I'm also working on is the Textile Heritage Medieval Garden bookmark kit. I swapped out the blue bookmark included for a white one of the same count as the blue seemed too dark for me. I'll post pics of progress and finishes of these soon.

Finished Sunshine

Finished Sunshine today, with another few color changes. I used DMC Variations 4020 and 4240. I really love how they came out instead of the regular background. Since I changed the background colors I also had to change the color of the french knots around the sun. I went with the yellow and light yellow included with the kit that I didn't use for the background. I think it works. Here is the finished piece.

You can see the french knots a little better in this one. Now my next project is a UFO from a few years ago that I just love. No idea why I started and didn't finish. It should go fairly fast as it is a good bit of half cross stitches. It's called "What Lies Within Us". It's another Dimensions kit from a few years ago. The artist is Jody Bergsma.

So far I started the little bird at the bottom then left it for a few years, but now he's finally getting finished. Hopefully I'll be done with this one by the end of June or sooner.

Nearly done with another one!

I am on a roll I think, I have another cross stitch nearly finished. I had to go on a break for a day as my finger was getting sore. I am developing a nice callus! Here are some photos of the project.

I went ahead and changed the colors to personalize it a little more. I used DMC Variations and really like how they turned out. Should be finished tomorrow.