Stitched a few lengths of thread on Which Witch? by La-D-Da last week.  There's not that much more to go and I'm quite happy stitching on it.  I do need to remember to finish her hair!  That part keeps getting overlooked.  Once the lacy section of the dress is finished, it will move along quite quickly, I think.

There was also some hand quilting on Cutting by Sarah Fielke and Amy Lobsiger in perle cotton.   It's neither my favorite project or The Best Thing I've Ever Made, which is fine, as not everything we make needs to be quilt show standard, does it?  

I am enjoying the hand quilting process as I listen to Dear Theo by Irving Stone and Jean Stone, narrated by Clive Chafter.  It's an edited version of the letters written by Vincent Van Gogh to his brother.  The narrator's voice took a bit of getting used to, but the content is interesting to listen to.

It was a case of Amazon to the rescue when it came to finding perle cotton.  The nearest big box stores are 40 minutes away and they're a bit hit and miss when it comes to perle cotton.  It seems to get snapped up as quickly as it goes on the shelves.  

I found a ten pack of ten 47.5 yard balls in different shades of blue on the colored bird store and I'm using six of them.  It's soft and a little bit fuzzy, so might not be the best choice for something that will be washed frequently, but will be fine to complete this project. 

 

This book followed me home from Michaels last year.  It's been earning it's keep ever since.  lol  All the animal bodies and legs are the same, which provides plenty of repetition, which I find extremely helpful as a newbie.  The projects become more advanced as the book progresses and all of the techniques look achievable with a bit of practice.  We shall see as I work my way through the book!  

Since then, the pile of disembodied heads and legs has grown.  There's been tension issues, weird stitches, a squirrel that turned into a wonky blanket for Bailey.   This lot was gleefully tossed in the bin yesterday, as they were practice pieces.

Snapped this pic before tossing the rejects to have a reminder of how much I've improved.  The blue body is the latest.  The yellow is the second one I crocheted.  The yarn is Walmart's brand and is pretty stout.  It needs to be for the amount of ripping that's been going on!  There's just 2 1/2 ears and a tail to make before stuffing and stitching everything together.  With any luck, there'll be a finished project to show you next week.