Friday 29 January 2016

UFO's


I am joining in with Amy from Love Made My Home again with Five on Friday.


My Five on Friday this week is all about my UFO's - no, not the unidentified flying ones, but my unfinished objects (in this case cross stitch ones) that have been stashed away for a few years. 


I used to cross stitch all the time but struggled to get motivation after my Dad passed away nearly five years ago now and all the stress that went with that. Over the last couple of years crochet has become my all consuming passion and apart from a couple of very small designs my cross stitch has been abandoned. However I thought that if I got some of the designs out and photographed them for Five on Friday my motivation might come back - it is not that I don't want to stitch but somehow can never find time for both my crochet and cross stitch.


I have always been a bit of a serial starter, starting on several projects and not finishing one project before moving onto the next as you will see in the photos below - hence the number of UFO's I have (not just in cross stitch but in knitting and crochet as well).


Well here I go with my five UFO's (please excuse their crumpled appearance but they have been tucked away out of sight for far too long):






A long way to go on this one, I really must finish this one day as the specialist threads and beads used in this design cost a small fortune. It is Winter Garden and is a beautiful design but quite complex using several different stitches (not just cross stitch).



 I have the Hampshire village design (not started yet) to go alongside this one.




 This was designed by my lovely and very talented friend Colette Robinson and is a Hardanger design (this is a stunning design so why have I left it lurking in a box for a few years)! Colly - you need to nag me about it, you know if you nag enough I will eventually spring into action (remember the cushion)!!!!



 Perhaps this is the one I should start back in on first because it is a straight-forward design using only one colour of thread.



This is one that I attempted to stitch to get my motivation kick-started again a couple of years back - as you can see I didn't succeed!




21 comments:

  1. Visiting from 5 on Friday. Lovely to make your acquaintance Jan. Have a good weekend.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I am just the same! I have a huge pile of cross-stitch magazines I really must get rid of and a few UFO's too, I used to love it but it does take ages and my eyes are not as good as they used to be. I would like to do a tapestry as it doesn't take as long but I need to find the right canvas, all your UFO's are beautiful I hope you manage to get them finished one day. :) xx

    ReplyDelete
  3. I admire your talent - and patience!!!

    ReplyDelete
  4. I've never really tried to cross stitch but I think I would enjoy it. I hope you can stop by:

    http://collettaskitchensink.blogspot.com/2016/01/tea-time-operation-and-snow-12916.html

    Colletta

    ReplyDelete
  5. Oh but they are so beautiful, I hope you find the motivation again. The Devon village and lilac designs are particularly stunning. Have a lovely week end xx

    ReplyDelete
  6. Your stitching is gorgeous. You've put so much work into all of your projects I hope you can get started again. I love the lace garden one and the one with the mauve stitches. I have one unfinished counted cross stitch picture that I would have tried to finish, but I don't think it'll be possible since my eyesight has got worse.

    ReplyDelete
  7. I know NOTHING about stitching etc. But these are beautiful things; look forward to seeing the first one completed...thus qualifying as an FO, presumably?

    ReplyDelete
  8. What lovely designs, I'm sure that taking them out of storage and photographing them is the first step to begining work on them again:)

    ReplyDelete
  9. Yay good on you for getting them out again, you will be so happy once you have finished them xxx

    ReplyDelete
  10. They're beautiful, Jan - you must have such patience! My favourite is the second-to-last one in pink thread - so pretty.
    Cathy x

    ReplyDelete
  11. My goodness, how complicated - and beautiful - designs! You must be really skilful!
    Winter Garden is my favourite and I too am looking forward to seeing it completed.
    Thank you for sharing and have a lovely weekend! xx

    ReplyDelete
  12. You have some really beautiful UFO's! They will be stunning when they are done. My thoughts would be to choose one and work on that and then another and so on, and to start with the one you love the most of all to get you back into it. It is hard though when you have so many things you want to do isn't it! Thank you for joining Five On Friday, happy weekend! xx

    ReplyDelete
  13. Oh that really resonated with me...a serial starter. The things you've started are so so pretty! Have a wonderful weekend!

    ReplyDelete
  14. I too am a serial starter!! It is difficult to find time to do all that we enjoy. The secret I think is not to stress about it and take it as it comes. Showing t here is a great start. I love the hard anger one especially x

    ReplyDelete
  15. Wow! They really are incredible, you must finish them.

    ReplyDelete
  16. I am constantly tying to keep myself in check with starting new projects. Your UFO's are very pretty. Hope you will post which one you choose to work on first.

    ReplyDelete
  17. Your stitching projects are beautiful!

    ReplyDelete
  18. Aren't they wonderful. I can't see you ever finishing them, they are so detailed and there's always another one to start!! Maybe you should pick one and do half an hour a day. x

    ReplyDelete
  19. They all look soooo complicated. I think you have to bite the bull let, choose one and go with it! I'm expecting an update soon. Devon village would be my choice :) Barbara x

    ReplyDelete
  20. I always love to loom at other stitchers' UFOs although I have enough of them myself, lol. You have some very beautiful projects started. I particularly love the Devon Village. So very beautiful.

    ReplyDelete
  21. WOw! Girl - you need to get working on those. They are too gorgeous not to finish! Each is special in its own way and would display beautifully in your home where you could show off your stitching talents. Now get off of the computer and get stitching - start with the white one- it's my favourite! :) Have a wonderful weekend!
    www.queenbcreativeme.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete