It’s three weeks since I last showed you my etui box, it’s a design in Classic Inspirations by Betsy Morgan. Three weeks ago I was about half way through summer, the frog was leaping from the lily pads and I was just about to start stitching my favourite part…
…the dragonflies! Three weeks later and it’s mini happy dance time!! I have finished summer!
I have to admit I was so keen to stitch the dragonflies I had finished them within a couple of days of the last post, I’m really pleased with them, I love their wings, I used DMC 4030 which has gorgeous shades of blue and green, perfect for a dragonfly! The bodies were stitched on DMC 4515 which is a lovely mix of brown and teal. By chance the first one I stitched had the head in brown and the tail in blue, it worked so well I tried to replicate it with the other three, not so easy with variegated threads!
The top borders stitched up fairly easily, I even managed the numbers without any major mistakes! At the end of the row I could put my initials and the date, I’ve optimistically put this year, so I hope I get it finished in time!
I just need to find some small enough beads for my frog’s googly eyes, otherwise it will be french knots! In the centre of the dragonflies there will be a pearl button too, but I think I’ll wait to finish all four sides before I add them. Apart from those two minor points, summer is complete…
I even managed to stitch the extra frog for the correlating side of the thimbleholder inside, I do like the way the variegated threads change so much around the square, this is stitched using one floss for the big cross-stitch and another for the little embossing stitches at the corners…
I’m really pleased with how the colours worked out in the end, I really wasn’t sure at the beginning, particularly with the purple, but I think it looks very English cottage garden. Next time I post I will hopefully have chosen my colours for autumn and made a start.
The border patterns run around the sides so spring and summer together look like this;
This stitch-a-long is organised by Avis, we post our progress every three weeks, it’s a great incentive to crack on with a project. If you would like to join in please just send Avis a message, otherwise just follow the links to see everyone else’s hand stitching.
Avis, Claire, Gun, Carole, LucyAnn, Kate, Jess, Sue, Constanze, Debbierose, Christina,
Kathy, Margaret, Cindy, Helen, Steph, Linda, Mary Margaret,
Heidi, Jackie, Sunny, Hayley, Tony, Megan, Timothy
Yay for the mini finish! So exciting for you. Those dragonflies and frogs are so cute! This will be such a lovely cut project once finished. Good luck finding suitable googly eyes 😊
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Thanks Catherine, I got some tiny beads at the London Bead Co so hopefully they will be ok 🙂
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Lovely! So delicate and pretty. I’m very much looking forward to seeing the finished thing.
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Thanks Kate,. I think you might be waiting a while 🙂
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That’s OK, it’ll be worth the wait!
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Truely a pretty and delicate and pretty project
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Thanks Debbie, I’m pleased with it 🙂
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both Spring and Summer look “wow!”
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Thanks Claire 🙂
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Love the dragonflies and frogs! You are tempting me to start a cross stitch project! That’s all I need…another project. Ha, ha!
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Thanks Laura, just go for it…just a little one 🙂
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On to autumn, I love how those dragonflies turned out, the threads landed just perfectly!
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Thanks Kathy, I do love the dragonflies 🙂
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Congrats on another seasonal finish! I really enjoyed seeing the Summer colors and those dragonflies are perfect! Can’t wait to see your colors for autumn 🙂
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Thanks Christina, I do like the dragonflies, I’ll be stitching acorns next 🙂
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Acorns are fun! I once did a free motion quilting of little acorns. Can’t wait to see them!
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I love the dragonflies too. The shuttle difference really stands out and makes them more life like I think. Beautiful work!
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Thank you, the thread for the body worked out really well
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Those dragonflies are so lovely! As two seasons are finished does that mean you’re half way to a finish?
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Thanks Avis, in theory yes, in practise I think the making up is going to take a while 🙂
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This is gorgeous. Love the dragonflies.
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Thank you 🙂
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The dragonflies are delightful.
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Thanks Cathy, I’m really pleased with them 🙂
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Wonderful ! Looking forward to seeing your choice of colours for autumn
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Thanks Linda 🙂
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Dragon flies!!! My favorite. I can’t wait to see the rest! Good job!
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Thanks Tony, dragon flies are my favourite too so far 🙂
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Just amazing!
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Thank you 🙂
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The dragonflies are gorgeous. I love all your summer colours. Can’t wait to see autumn 🙂
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Thanks Carole, I’m really pleased with the summer colours 🙂
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Congrats on getting summer down. It looks great! Your colors are wonderful.
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Thank you 🙂
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I love Betsy Morgan designs. Love looking at them but am not proficient enough to tackle them. Your work is lovely.
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Thanks Prue, I really like Betsy Morgan designs but I haven’t found her style of chart easy to follow.
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Oh this is so so beautiful! I love spring and summer together, they look great!
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Thanks Emma 🙂
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This is just gorgeous. I love dragonflies, and the variegated thread is perfect for them. Looking forward to autumn now!
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The idea of using variegated threads on this project is absolutely fantastic. Perfect, I would say!!!!
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I am loving this and cannot wait to see your finish. Its nice to see the two panels side by side too as it shows the lovely patterning at the top and bottom that follows round (I presume every side), just in different shades.
ps and as I am late posting this I have been looking at your garden too – again simply beautiful xx
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This is so pretty. I love all the little dragon flies and frogs. Definitely English garden feel.
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I love the way you’ve chosen your threads — and how lovely both spring and summer have come out! I’m really looking forward to your autumn palette — I think that’s my favorite season!
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Loving your stitches and the color selection. Beautiful work!
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Thanks Michelle
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