July has been a wash-out so far - rain, rain and more rain! Are we in for a repeat of last year's "non-summer", I wonder? I do hope not!
On the plus side, rain means more time for stitching! My needle has got me through several days of aching joints - I don't know what I would do without it. Here are some updates . .
Here is the 2nd patch of Homespun Elegance's "Spring Patches' cushion. You can see how the GASthreads work well with the blended Anchor threads, as the blue bird is in GAST, and the peach one in two colours of Anchor, blended together in the needle. The hollyhock flowers are worked in french knots, and the top of the birdhouse worked in straight stitches with 2 colours of Anchor. There is a button to go in the centre of the plum-flower but I will add this after the rest of the stitching is complete.
I also picked up the Drawn Thread's Sampler of Stitches, and finished 'P' which had quite a few different stitches:-
'P' is for . . Parisian stitch (shades of pink); Pekenese (gold), Persian Cross (top left); Pineapple Stitch (blue); Perspective stitch (browns/olives); Point Russe (with pearls beneath, in burgundy); Punch stitch (pulled); Plaited Cross (in green), and Plush Stitch (in blue).
The Plush Stitch isn't shown to it's best - it's usually worked in rows, one above the other so that the loops overlap one another, creating a 'carpet' type effect. I think my favourite of these was Persian Cross; it was easy to work, and when worked in off-set rows, created a lovely, dense texture that really showed off the Soie Perlee silk to it's best.
The Friendly Stitchers Summer Stash Exchange came through today; mine came all the way from Joy Brooks in the USA! Like all of us, she had no idea who would end up with her parcel, but perhaps 'someone' guided her hand as I am SUCH a floss-aholic! Here is a picture of what she sent me!
There are hand-dyed silk ribbons, hand-dyed cotton threads, space-dyed silk and space-dyed cotton threads, DMC jewel-effect threads, Rainbow Gallery 'Frosty Rays' (a flat braid with with a sparkle, which you can stitch with), plus assorted beads - all in a little fabric bag! 
Thank you so much, Joy - I will have great fun trying them out, there are several in there I've never seen before. I've already got itchy fingers!
Well that's it for now - Mouse will be here in a few minutes and no doubt we shall have a fabulous, stitchy weekend, including the Counted-Stitch Guild Class with Jane Greenoff on Saturday, yeay!
Happy stitching everyone!
Buzzzzzzzzing off . . . . . .
10/07/08 @ 17:19