Love Quilts UK start and bag of goodies

There wasn't much time for stitching this weekend due to family gatherings and a bit of gardening - both very enjoyable.

I did work out the design for my Love Quilts UK square which I have signed up to stitch.  The theme is superheroes and I am using a Superheroes alphabet design I bought from Etsy and used for a nameplate.   The great thing about Etsy downloadable designs is that you can print them out when you like so I printed a new copy and cut out the 5 superheroes I wanted to stitch.  I then cut off the letters and played around with the layout until I was happy and glued the 5 pieces to make one overall design.  

Then I cut the fabric to size (standard white 14 cont aida as requested) and pulled the DMC threads.  All of this took time so I was only able to make the first few stitches.   This will be The Incredible Hulk in the centre.

I also fitted in time to go through a bag of stitching goodies given to me on Friday by a friend who said she had had a sort out and had a few bits and bobs of cross stitching stuff for me.   It turned out to be a wonderful assortment of threads, fabric bits, charts, a couple of kits, buttons, charms, needles and to my amazement some UFOs.  I plan to finish at least 3 of them and one of them has already been added to my current WiP list as I love the design, lots of it has already been completed and it was easy to find in my stash the DMC threads needed to complete it.  It is called Christmas Village by The Prairie Schooler and is stitched on evenweave.  

Christmas framing collected

LCollected 2 pieces of Christmas stitching from the framers.   I have quite a collection of Christmas stitched pictures, ornaments, cushions and quilts so even at that time of year it is obvious that "a stitcher lives here"

Both of these were completed a while ago.

This one is a design by Passione Ricamo.  It is stitched on rustic aida.  If I was stitching it now I would use Evenweave but it looks ok

The smaller piece was finished on 24 12 12.   The chart which came with the buttons was a gift as part of a stitching exchange from many years ago.   I remember getting the chart and pulling the threads and fabric immediately.   I stitched about 2/3 and then it became a UFO.   Don't know why.  Probably because other projects with deadlines took precedence.  After I joined the Cross Stitch Cafe on Moneysavingexpert I made more of an effort to finish some of my UFOs and this was one of them.

It is stitched on dark teal Belfast linen (32 count) with DMC for everything except the red border and door which is a Needle Necessities variegated cotton plus heart and star buttons and white seed beads for the snow.  I know that  Needle Necessities are now ThreadWorkz but mine is NN so must be quite old.    

I keep being distracted by all the activity at the bird table since I added a suet and fruit tray.  Avian squabbling broke out but I don't think there have been any casualties.