Shush starts stitching

Hello everyone. I have been so distracted the last little while, I haven't got around to blogging. But this time, I can't blame work. Nope. I have been sucked into the vortex of vanished time that is caused by cross stitch. But before I go into the gory details, I will show you at least something quilty that I have managed to progress.

This is my appliqué for one of my Citrus Sweet Love blocks. I haven't put the remainder of the block together, but that doesn't take long, so I'm waiting until I have all three done and then will do all of them together. I suspect that won't be done before next month's blocks arrive in the post, but we can all imagine how exciting that would be. *fantasy*

Citrus Sweet Love:  appliqué block 2

This appliqué isn't quite as tidy as my first attempt, but I still think it doesn't look too bad. I'm certainly not inclined to unpick it and do it again.  After the block is put together, there is some hand quilting to mark in the stem and to detail the flower.  That will be something else to learn ...

And this is what has been taking up all my spare time since. Cross stitch from Frosted Pumpkin Stitchery.  This is the Once Upon a Time monthly sampler and overall cuteness extravaganza.

That would be the dwarves doing the washing while Snow White supervises.

I think I should explain further.  I did some cross stitch many years ago - 20 at least. I gave it up because I thought it was dumb. I couldn't understand why you would do anything that required two stitches per square, when you could do needlepoint, which only took one stitch and therefore half the time. So then I moved on to Jennifer Pudney postcard sized needlepoint, which I enjoyed very much. In fact I still have a kit lurking around in the spare room somewhere which I can get out once I've finished my quilting to-do list *laugh at the futility of that comment* *snort*.

But Lucy had been doing the Woodland Sampler last year and showing her progress every once in a while.  When she posted it completed, I completely caved and went to buy it.  It was just too cute to resist.  That's when I discovered Once Upon a Time and the rest is history.  The final deciding moment was realising that the recommended linen has an opalescent thread in it so it sparkles in the light, just like little crystals. *uh-mazing*.  Oh, but expensive.  I nearly had to sell Princess and the wee man, but it was so worth it.

I am a total convert.  But it turns out I am really rubbish at cross stitch.  However Megan is a closet stitching guru and has given me a couple of great hints which I will share with you next time.  It turns out that cross stitch is a bit of an art.  Not as much as quilting, of course!  So every spare moment has been spent trying to get January finished and doing NO sewing.  My cross stitch is improving pretty quickly though, so that's good.

As further evidence of the lack of sewingness, here is my EPP kit.  It was a pleasant surprise to open it and remember I had some more diamonds basted, but no sewing has happened!  I was intending to write a post to link up with Hydeeann's monthly party, but the cross stitch intervened.  Sorry Hydee!

Liberty and Heather Ross and other diamond treats

In all the rush, I have forgotten the ABC quilt weekly link up.  Given we are half way through the week, I figure we can do Q and R this Sunday.  I won't forget *fingers crossed*.  I hope you are still enjoying it.

Linking up with Freshly Pieced, Needle and Thread Thursday and Show and Tell.  Howdy visitors!