No rest for the crafty

Don't think I was resting on my laurels this weekend just because I couldn't carry on with Mum's blanket. I'm a dedicated little monkey you know and the Christmas crafting carried on unabated.

I have bought some cotton bags off tinternet with the aim of embroidering some up to give to people as Christmas presents and first up is one for my Mum's friend.

I've had the Sublime Stitching craft pad for almost a year after one of the Stitchettes gave me it for Secret Santa last year. I periodically get it down and flick through it and then reluctantly put it back on the shelf because I can't find anything nice enough and deserving enough of its beautifulness.

But this little fairy would be absolutely perfect for Mum's friend so I got my sister's iron out and my book of embroidery stitches and set to with gusto.

At the moment this is what she looks like and I'm incredibly pleased with her. Especially the toadstool which is outlined in red glittery thread and red satiny thread, which is making it look like it's shining out at me.

I've tried out a couple of new stitches, my embroidery repertoire is pretty limited as it's totally new to me and I've never even attempted it before, preferring to stick to the cross stitch I know and love well. This piece has seen me try out a couple of different chain stitches and I've been pretty pleased with how they've turned out, I have plans for more chain stitching when it comes to her hair.

This has made me feel pretty excited to tell you the truth. I've got that giddy feeling you get when you do something new and you get all carried away with it, I need to be careful to not get so carried away that I forget my crochet duties.