It’s three weeks since I last showed you my Tall Year Square Etui, it’s a design by Betsy Morgan which I’ve been working on for what seems like ages! Well I finally feel I’m almost there!! Three weeks ago I was just finishing the lid…
I’ve made a concerted effort to get the stitching finished and I’m almost there. I completed the lid, each quarter is a different season, they are not all exactly the same colours as the sides but I think they blend well together.
I back-stitched round every piece, that’s four sides and four pin cube sides. I found that my counting at the beginning wasn’t perfect so spring and summer are an odd thread out here and there, some I’ve left, some I filled in where a line was a stitch too short and some shouldn’t make a difference, like a side being one thread taller! I found the charts very difficult to read at first as they are written completely differently to a standard cross-stitch chart. Usually each square represents one stitch and the symbol is in the middle, with these charts each line is a thread of linen with the stitchlines drawn in colour. It clearly took me two seasons to get used to how to read them! I think the summer stitching below is the most off, but at least the frogs now have their googly eyes 🙂
As I back-stitched each season I also stitched the inside pockets, these were fairly simple to do with nun stitch top and bottom and the pretty border stitch all round. A couple of these still have a little more stitching to do but I have to wait until I’ve interfaced the back of them for extra stabilising.
I’m stitching the base at the moment, I was briefly tempted to leave it plain, as it’s underneath anyway. Luckily I thought better of it, as I rather like it now. Betsy suggested just picking our favourite colours for the base, so that’s what I’ve done. I can put my initials and the date in the triangles too. Once that is complete I just have the pincube top to stitch which is only little so it shouldn’t take long.
Then comes the scary bit of constructing it all! I’ve bought my buttons and various interfacings and interlinings, I’ve had a read through the instructions, fingers crossed it all comes together 🙂
This stitch along is organised by Avis, we post our progress every three weeks which is a great motivator! If you would like to join us just drop her a line. Please follow the links to see what everyone else has been stitching.
Avis, Claire, Gun, Carole, LucyAnn, Kate, Jess, Sue, Constanze, Debbierose, Christina, Kathy, Margaret, Cindy, Helen, Steph, Linda, Heidi, Jackie, Sunny, Hayley, Megan, Catherine, Deborah, Connie, Clare
I’ll also be linking up with Kathy’s Quilts for Slow Stitching Sunday, a celebration of all things hand-stitched.
thecraftycreek 
It’s lovely to see all the pretty pieces in one post. It’ll probably be fiddly to make up but well worth the effort. Happy Christmas!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Your etui is really coming together, such a pretty thing with beautiful stitching. This will be a treasure when it is done.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’m sure once you begin assembly, it’ll be easier than you anticipated
LikeLiked by 1 person
Just beautiful! I am in awe!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Cruising right along! Have a great week.
LikeLiked by 1 person
You are getting close the the construction phase, scary and exciting, best of luck as you tackles putting the pieces together. I can’ t wait to see it!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hopefully the Christmas holiday will let you make lots of progress with all your projects, or are you planning to concentrate on just one or two? This one is so nearly finished…
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’ve just made a little list of my priorities for the next two or three weeks, you’re top of the list, followed by finishing this, then a few quilt blocks, a baby quilt…
LikeLike
Oh good, but do finish this lovely thing soon….
LikeLiked by 1 person
Wow, this looks lovely! I had never seen anything like this before so I had to google what it is going to look like once constructed. It’s very interesting, can’t wait to see the finished piece!
(visititng from Slow Stitching Sunday)
LikeLiked by 1 person
Wow, you’ve got so much done to it. I can’t wait to see it assembled. It’s going to be a real work of art.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Very pretty
LikeLiked by 1 person
You’ve made great progress! Love the eyes on that frog! And I’m drooling over that blue fabric! I love seeing those pockets together; they are all beautiful! Merry Christmas!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I had to look up etui to see what you are making. Your stitching is beautiful. I doubt one stitch here and there will make any difference when you put it together. I’ll be checking back to see what it looks like when put together. Merry Christmas!
LikeLiked by 1 person
My goodness, that looks like a lot of stitching since last time! You’ve been very industrious – and with good results. This is going to be a treasure when it’s finally assembled. I’ll hold a good thought for you during the assembly process. 🙂 In the meantime, I hope you and yours have a happy Christmas and New Year!
LikeLiked by 1 person
The stitching looks perfectly spectacular!
I can’t even imagine how you construct 3D projects… I’m always amazed by your photos!
Merry Christmas!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Your stitching is so lovely and I can’t wait to see it when you’ve constructed the etui!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’m so excited to see you put this together! Your stitching is beautiful and it will look wonderful.
LikeLiked by 1 person