Old WIP's

Well, this is Mirabilia's Fairy Flora. I started her so long ago that I can't even remember the year. My daughter was about 14 I think, and now she is 24, so maybe 1998?
This is the first Mirabilia I ever bought. My DD and I saw it in a patchwork shop of all places, in the South West of W.A. while we were on holidays. I had never seen anything like it. It took me years to get up the courage to start stitching her. For a start, I had never stitched on linen. Secondly, I had never use metallics or beads. And I had no idea where to get the supplies. ( I was told that "grey" linen could not be got in Australia).
Well, this chart started a long and steep learning curve!

I started a Just Nan on linen to practice before I started stitching the large piece.(Ebony Heart, which is also a WIP). My Mum was visiting Sydney and happened to pass Tapestry Craft where she saw a model of Fairy Flora in the window. After a phone call to me she bought up all the supplies including the required Barnwood linen! What a great Mum! I would never have thought back then to alter the fabric from the recommended colour. As it happens, I really like this pattern on the barnwood.

My DD has moved on from wanting this piece on her bedroom wall- especially as she has left home and shares her bedroom with a guy who probably doesn't want a fairy anywhere! (Her current request is for Deco Spirits). I do like FF, although she is VERY colourful. I stopped stitching her because the fabric is very slubby, and one of the slubby bits is right in the middle of her face, and it seems a bit distorted to me. I'm sure after being washed it will look o.k. but it did put me off for a LONG time. The point of airing some of my old WIP's here is to spur me into some action.

So maybe sometime soon I will post a pic with some progress. I am better at managing large projects like this now. I have started quite a few Mira's since. Once I had this chart in my hands I found the website online, and the rest is history as they say! I enjoy beading. The blending filament is bit of a pain, and the wings are huge. The newer Mira charts seem to use braid rather than BF.

Anyway, that's "old WIP" number 1. (Maybe she is even in vintage category!) She's not a UFO. I would like to get her done. As I continue my pictorial record keeping(I don't have photos of most of my stitching) I will give you a virtual look through my WIP shelf. If nothing else the experience will make you feel very productive and well organised- I don't know too many people with WIP's as old as mine!

Happy stitching,

Susan.