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Sunday, October 1, 2023

Lily Pad Frog Stitch-a-Long, part 4

Hi everyone! I'm hoping you will join me for a HAPPY DANCE, as I finished Mr. Frog!!!

Here's where I was last time: 


I was nearly done then, and really just had a tiny bit of small stitching and then filling in the lily pad before turning to the background. 

I wanted to choose a stitch that would give some texture without overwhelming the frog. I have some wonderful needlepoint books from the 1970s, one of which had a stitch sampler pattern that featured, among a couple of dozen stitches, a diagonal version of the cashmere stitch. I tried it out and was pleased that it gave a nice, ripply texture... and stitched up really quickly. How quickly?


Even though the stitch is "thicker", it still feels like the frog floats on top of it. 


I really, really love this! 


I'm so happy with this piece, and thrilled that I've done the stitching in time to take it along to the Kaffe Fassett lecture next week. (Just typing that fills me with anxiety, for some reason...)

Now that I've stitched the lovely Mr. Frog, it's time to return to my holly cross stitch. Here's where I'm up to: 



I'm just past the halfway point, but of course that means there's a long, long way to go. I can't imagine wrapping this up in time for Christmas 2023, but, hey, Christmas happens every year. 

I love seeing all the amazing projects my fellow stitchers are working on -- check them out if you need some inspiration! Avis, Claire, Gun, Christina, KathyMargaret, Heidi, JackieMegan, Deborah, Sharon, Daisy, Cathie, LindaHelenCindy, and Mary Margaret.

15 comments:

  1. I love that background stitch. It gives the impression of rippling water. Your Lily Pad Frog is so pretty. I am looking forward to seeing your future progress on the Christmas cross-stitch. Enjoy your lecture!

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    1. Thanks Cathie! It's so satisfying when something turns out the way you want it to. As for the Christmas holly, I think my speedy stitching will slow WAY DOWN as it's much smaller scale.

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  2. A grand finish on the frog and you picked the perfect stitch. It looks wonderful :) Love the holly on that blue background.

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    1. Thanks Sharon! We had some gorgeous days over the weekend and then the rain came back. I can't really fault it though, it's nice to see how quickly everything goes from brown to green again.

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  3. Darn that anonymous .... the above or below is from me Sharon (nwpaintedlady) oh and boy have the last few days been beautiful up here in the 'ham. The same for you?

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  4. Looks beautiful!! Well done on getting the frog finished on time. As for the stocking there's indeed more Christmas to come, that's why I slowed down making mine year after year !

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    1. Thank you Megan! It's nice to switch things up a bit, even if somehow I feel a little hesitant to go back to the smaller stitches.

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  5. That background stitch is perfection! So happy for you to have it finished in time!

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    1. Thank you Kathy! I'm trying to stop myself from immediately buying another one of his kits as it was such a pleasure. But I'm trying to stop myself from buying more kits, in general, until I get through some of the stash next year.

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    1. Thank you Claire! I'm really happy with how he turned out.

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  7. Your frog is fabulous! I love the optical illusion of the water. I hope you get an autograph when you go to the lecture. Enjoy your happy dance. Well deserved.

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    1. Thank you Avis! I'll be sure to report back next time about the lecture.

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