Too Exhausted To Be Frustrated

I started this angel as part of a HAL and it's just been so frustrating. The instructions say to stitch the outline first. I started too close to the edge so I had to rip out an hour of work.

The second time I managed to squeeze in one side with a margin of ~6 threads. See bottom left.

I finally finished the outline and started the inner part only to realize that it didn't line up with the outline. See the upper right.

Sniping the outline is not an option because I'm running low on the floss, so I have to figure out where the error is and then unstitch. And I can't find the error.

The current plan is to stitch the inside and thereby find the error.

I knew there was a reason to start things in the middle.

A new start and a question

I first saw this on Michelle's blog where she's doing two, one in ecru and the other in blue-grey. I've done a few small hardanger pieces but since this didn't look too difficult I decided to join in.

It's a SAL conducted by Mamen (I knew two years of Spanish would come in handy!). It's at part 6 right now. I just finished part two.



I wanted to do it in non-traditional colours. This is black on pale grey-green. The photo is pretty bad, but the thunderstorm isn't great for lighting!

I knew from the start that I wanted it in not-white colours. It was a toss up between red or black floss, and I eventually went with black. The fabric? That's a pretty funny story. I was at my LNS and she had this lovely pink fabric and I was leaning towards that.
LNS: What are you starting with that choice?
Me: A hardanger bag.
LNS: Black on pink fabric? Who is it for?
Me: Me
LNS: Pink fabric?
Me: Yes
LNS: No, that won't work.
Me: Why not? It'll look great!
LNS: Definitely! It'll be gorgeous. But it'll never be used.
Me: ?
LNS: Honey, you're not a pink kind of girl. Can you honestly see yourself carrying a pink bag?
Me: But it'll look gorgeous!!!
LNS: But will you carry it in public?

We decided on a grey-green!

As to the question: I'm having trouble picking something to work on. Bluebeard's Princess is waiting for beads, Elemental Dragons is on semi-permanent hiatus, and the others aren't calling very loudly. So I thought "Why not let others choose?"

There's a poll up by the side. What would you like to see? Either finished or just a lot more stitching? Progress pictures are in the sidebar. Let your voice be heard! Exercise your right to vote!

Some old finishes

of which I have finally taken pictures...

One was started in August of 2008 and finished at some point in time that I have not recorded. My first piece of hardanger. At least, the first one I started. In the middle I went on to make quite a few hardanger bookmarks, but I eventually finished it. The pattern is from one of those "Beginner Hardanger" books.
It has the standard Kloster blocks, buttonhole edging, eyelets, Algerian eyelets, woven bars, picots (I hated every single one of those), Dove eye variation and spider wheels. Everything from the basics to the frustrating.



It was supposed to be wrapped around a small potpourri bag-type item. I thought for all of two seconds and decided to make another tote bag to add to my growing collection of shoulder bags.



It was the first bag I made and there are quite a few errors. A majorish one being that the bottom black panel and the middle blue panel are actually not connected at one corner...And the shoulder strap is far too short. I had fun making it and will probably make more bags, but not anything soon since none of my finished cross stitch work is suitable.

The other one is my SALexandre wallet which I finished in May, but still have as a WIP because I've been far too lazy to take pictures. I put it off till it slipped my mind. Or at least that's my lame excuse.

It was a free SAL from Tempus Fugit in 2008. It's on 28 count black in two DMC variations. The different blues show up very well and I love the effect, but the cream all looks the same and I can't help but feel that I might as well have saved myself the trouble.



That's what it looks like all folded and tied up.



The outside is of four different alphabet samplers. I don't really care for samplers and I don't think I'll be doing any more ABC ones.



From left to right, the inside has a pouch to put patterns/papers. I don't use it. The bit with the button covers up pieces of felt that hold needles. The third is a scissors holder with a motif that repeats as my scissors fob. And the last, extreme right part is actually supposed to be horizontal, not vertical and is to tuck floss in. My floss is wound around bobbins and the strap is actually too long to fit horizontally so I just put it vertically. Technically I can still stick floss under it so it works for me.

Due to the pain of having to undo ribbons, open it, take what I want, fold it up trickily, and tie the ribbon (yes, a most Herculean task), it's mostly an ornamental piece. Extra needles that I'm not currently using and my most pointy and best hardanger scissors are in it. My more everyday stuff is in less beautiful holders.

That's all for this dig from the near past. Soon there will be a few pieces from the ancient past. Over 8 years ago...