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Monday 18 April 2016

Elizabeth in the Hermitage


Back in 2011 Joysze of Random Ramblings coined the phrase International Hermit and Stitch Weekend where you spend as much of the weekend as possible stitching.  It always commences the Third Friday of every month and there is a sign-up post on Joysze's blog.

Here are the guidelines for IHSW and here is April's sign-up page.  You can also copy Hermie the crab onto your blog to show everyone you have joined in.

The focus of all my IHSWs this year has been Elizabeth Shephard by The Scarlet Letter.  This is a long term project started back on Day 14 of the DUCJC 2015 and worked on each month since then.  She is a Quaker so you get a mini Happy Dance with each complete motif.

This is the part I focused on this weekend:


These brown motifs are in the bottom right of the design.  So I have completed 3/4 of the whole piece now,  Just one more whole motif and a few half motifs round the edge.

The centre six motifs are stitched in green with the edge ones in brown.  I wonder if this was a deliberate design choice or if Elizabeth ran short of the green thread?  She couldn't take advantage of next day delivery from SewandSo like we can!

Here is the full piece so far.  Next month I'll finish the current motif and start the final whole one which features a traditional swan.

stitched on 30 count linen

I've been making steady progress on Just Nan's Spring Typography too.  The next step is to find my graph paper and rechart the animals to be over one like on the other Typography designs.  Here is the part I have been focusing on:

stitched on 32 count Dark Reed Green linen from Willow Fabrics

That is a white bunny appearing behind the pink I and N, not a ghost; this is Spring not Hallowe'en!

Finally, I was rather enabled this weekend.  Kaye from Kitten Stitching had shown us a picture of a Map of Westeros she had recently bought and I commented that I had never stitched a map although I do enjoy drawing them.  And then this popped up in my newsfeed on Facebook:



Isn't it awesome?  Bonus points to anyone who identified it without reading on.

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It is designed by Lyndisfarne Cross Stitch Designs and is on special offer until 25th April.  You can buy the chart, the full kit or a partial kit which doesn't include all the blue of the sea so you can stitch it on a hand-dyed fabric.  There are More photos on Facebook.

Of course, I sent the photo straight off to Dawn from Crafty Kitten.  "I need a blue gradient fabric, light blue in the centre getting darker as it spreads to the edge."  It won't have the distinct line between the two blues but that would be almost impossible to get in the right place.

I have also emailed the designer (who is lovely) and checked that it is charted by eye and not CGI.  You know how much I hate the confetti style computer generated stitching.  There are 32 pages of chart and on 28 count it will measure 60cm square (24 inches).  Slightly smaller on the 32 count I plan to use.  A page a month will mean a three year project!

Have you guessed yet?   It is the Discworld as created by Sir Terry Pratchett, map assistance from Stephen Briggs and drawn by Stephen Player.  And once payday arrives on Wednesday it will be mine!


26 comments:

Lili said...

How gorgeous quaker! Very beautiful progress, Jo.
It will be fun following your progress on the map ;)

Kerryp77 said...

Wonderful progress on ES. I wonder about the brown too - perhaps it was bad light she was stitching under. I've stitched the wrong colour like that before with just the lamp on.

Mii Stitch said...

Oh dear, I better not mention that map to hubby!!
He will want me to stitch it :)

Barb said...

Elizabeth is getting prettier with each added part. I love Quaker designs for the very reason you suggested, a happy dance with each little finish. Good luck with the map it will be quite a project.

The Knitting Cross Stitcher said...

Your Elizabeth project is gorgeous,I love Spring too.
The map is going to be awesome,our younger son would love it!

Tiffstitch said...

Good thing you're almost done your Quaker piece so you'll have an open slot for Discworld!

gominam said...

Lovely progress. I bet you can't wait for that beautiful map design to be in your rotation, lol. That will look so awesome, keep us updated:)

Renee said...

Beautiful progress! I love the Spring Typography piece. Have fun with the Discworld!

Linda said...

Great progress on both pieces Jo. I love your soon to be new design.

Linda

Katie said...

Love your WIPs. Spring is looking fantastic! I had to look up Discworld. I've heard of it just never read it. I'll enjoy watching your progress though!

Kaisievic said...

So glad that I was able to enable you! lol! It will be a great long term project for you - 'cos you needed more of those, just like me! Elizabeth Shepherd is looking great as is Spring Typograpy.

Bea said...

You're so close with Elizabeth, which looks lovely, and how serendipitous to have a wonderful new project to pop in her slot. giggle

Claudette497 said...

Elizabeth is really coming along! The map looks like a fun stitch!

Heather said...

Ooo cool design! I'm very interested to see how the fabric turns out. I can think of two ways to do it and one would give a better circle. Thanks again for the birthday card I love the charts!

Preeti said...

Great progress on your stitching!! Good luck with your map. First cities(satsuma street) now the world; you are making a good progress:)

Christine said...

I claim my bonus extra points! I knew what it was right away. By the way have you seen that Neil Gaiman is talking about a TV adaptation of Good Omens?

Sarah in Stitches said...

Lovely stitching! Can't wait to see how your new project turns out :D

Unknown said...

I am anxiously waiting to see all of your updates on your great new project. It looks amazing. Both your Spring and Quakers look so close to being finished.

Beth in IL said...

I am looking at the map and thinking, " A page a month? More like a page a year for me!" But I can't wait to see your progress!

Julie said...

Will have to tell one if the ladies at my Craftshare group, she's a huge TP fan.
Quaker is looking stunning

Rachel said...

Lovely progress Jo. It'll be interesting to see what Dawn can create in the way of a gradient fabric and how your page a month will pan out. Another WIP is always a good thing! ;)

Justine said...

I can't wait to see what Dawn comes up with! This looks like a great stitch for a Discworld fan. I once queued for almost 4 hours to have a book signed by Terry Pratchett for my brother. The other people queueing couldn't believe I would wait that long never having read any of his books and amused themselves and me by deciding which of his books was best. I found him charming and he spent time to talk to everyone even though the queue was enormous.

Brigitte said...

Such nice progress on your Quaker over the weekend. The change of colour is really surprising and you might be right assuming that she ran out of the green she used before. This sampler seems to be very authentic sticking with the girl's stitching choices. Nice progress on your Spring piece as well. It's fun to stitch on different pieces with such different styles.

My one son would have identified that map immediately as he owns one. He's a passionate Terry Pratchett reader. I'm very curious to see the fabric that will be hand-made for this project.

diamondc said...

Jo: Wonderful progress on your Quaker Design, love it.
The map is very interesting, I need to look this up.
Spring is such a pretty design I love the little bunny hiding.

Blessings
Catherine

Stitching Noni said...

I can't believe you found a Discworld Map! I can't wait to see this stitched... and after reading the post before this one I am mind-blown by the number of pages in the chart!! :o)
Stitching progress is great... I so love that bunny hiding behind spring!! :o)
Hugs xx

Joysze said...

Ooooh, that's a NICE map!!!! Looks like you have the next 3 years of stitching mapped out. HAHA!!!