Mermaids of the Deep Blue

Now I promised myself that I wouldn't start any new projects until I have completed some but I was silly and started looking through my Mirabilia patterns. I came across Mermaids of the Deep Blue all kitted up and ready to stitch so there was nothing holding me back!

Just to refresh people's memory here is the finished pattern:

Mermaids of the Deep Blue by Mirabilia

I have spent the past day stitching and working on them so this is as far as I got:

Day 1 progress August 12, 2012

This cross stitching is rich in beads and sparkles. Everywhere you look on the pattern there is either a bead, treasure or Krienik! I don't mind though, just look how gorgeous it is going to be when finished!

Well this is just a quick update. I haven't forgotten about my Christmas Angel and Victorian Lady, I plan on taking those with me when I go to visit family at the end of the month. They are easier to keep track of and are more transportable than a Mirabilia.

Emerald Mermaid is Complete!

I took over from my mom on this cross stitching of Emerald Mermaid by Mirabilia on February 19, 2012. I finished it at 4am on March 21, 2012. That was with a week and a half of not working on her because I wasn't feeling in the mood to put the beads on her. It took about three days to put the beads on but to be fair I was distracted by watching hockey games on the weekend (Go Canucks!!) She is done on 32 count linen and has almost a total of 3 packages of Mill Hill beads in her. Here is the finished photo:

She is so pretty! I can't stop looking at her. My nan is going to be super happy with it once we get it framed. My mom pointed out after I finished her that even though her and my Auntie both cross stitch as well that this is the most ornate stitching in the family! Sure is going to be an amazing heirloom to pass down to future generations.

After finishing this one though it has inspired me to pick up my Midsummer's Night Dream Fairy by Mirabilia to work on once again. I have found in the depths of our storage room that we actually do have a q-snap frame!! I currently have my Cinderella by Heaven and Earth Designs on it at this moment to finish a page but once that page is done I am going to do the fairy. Having the frame will make it easier to work with the huge fabric piece and is more handy than a hoop. I used a hoop with the mermaid because it made counting the linen so much easier. I couldn't use it though when attaching the beads so I wish I had found the frame sooner!

Here are some bonus photos to show all the details of it!

Emerald Mermaid

Here is my latest almost finish. I plan on working on the beads this weekend and hopefully be able to call it another 2012 finish.

She is Emerald Mermaid by Mirabilia. My mom had done the upper part of the garland in her hand then put her away for a few months. I then decided I felt like starting a new project. I picked this up off of the table and decided I would finish it. The stitching part took me about two weeks to finish it all up. I took over from where my mom started her on February 17, 2012. It then took me about two weeks of stitching to call it done. I put it away for a few weeks while I did other hobbies but I came back to her this weekend and decided that I will finish her all up.

This project was started for my nan. She had bought the pattern over two years ago expecting my mom or I to do it for her. We don't know if she remembers buying it so she will be in complete shock when she gets it for Mother's Day all framed and ready to hang!!

I want to note that the pattern calls for two spools of #4 very fine braid...I only used half a spool of it. I like using long lengths of it to prevent the back from getting bulky with all the startings and finishings. It did take a little longer to stitch but I figured I would have been using the same time with constantly finishing off and starting a new thread. For fun here is a picture of the back of my work!!

I am now considering doing this pattern again but switching up the colors so that way there are two different ones in the family instead of two of the same ones. I also plan on doing Mermaids of the Deep by Mirabilia as well since the colors are all very similar and complement one another so well. I already have everything for that project!