Stitching Blogger's Question of the Week: Speciality Stitches?

What is the most challenging specialty stitch you have ever stitched?

The most difficult piece of work that I've attempted has to be Lavender Spray [left], a hardanger sampler piece that I started working on during the Stitching Retreat that I went to in March. The good part of the retreat was that I was learning new stitches and ways of stitching and I would have never attempted something like this off my own back. It's been a WIP (or UFO) since I got back from the retreat though. Maybe I'll find the time to complete it someday.

I've commenced stitching on Kiwi Jo's Stitching Blogger's RR piece of material. I'm stitching Solo the Cat. The Anchor design featured in Cross Stitcher Magazine in May 2005 [image borrowed from Angel San's Blog - read her whole magazine review].

I loved this cat from the moment I saw him, and this RR seemed like a good opportunity to stitch him. My Stash Buddy Dawn Munday kindly sent me a kit of Solo too, so I've got another Solo design ready to stitch after I've finished him.

I also mailed the Nicole's Cattitudes RR material today. It seems we are finally seeing movement again, the whole RR has been on hold for what seems like six months, allowing a couple of members to catch up. I've had Nicole's fabric all that time, (Ursh gave it to me by hand during our stitching retreat in March, it shows how long the project has been on hold).

It's a bit disappointing really, as I love stitching the Cattitudes, but everyone's drive and enthusiasm seems to have gone out of the project, which has been ongoing since December 2002. If we had stuck to our schedules, the material should have been completed by the end of last year, and now it is still probably going to be yet another year until it is completed. Nicole's fabric is looking really good though, with 10 out of the 12 cats now complete. In a way I'm almost eager to get my fabric back so I can crack on and stitch the missing cats myself - at least I know it will be done then.