Check-In Post - July 26th 2025

[badly_knitted]

Hello to all members, passers-by, curious onlookers, and shy lurkers, and welcome to our regular daily check-in post. Just leave a comment below to let us know how your current projects are progressing, or even if they're not.

Checking in is NOT compulsory, check in as often or as seldom as you want, this community isn't about pressure it's about encouragement, motivation, and support. Crafting is meant to be fun, and what's more fun than sharing achievements and seeing the wonderful things everyone else is creating?

There may also occasionally be questions, but again you don't have to answer them, they're just a way of getting to know each other a bit better.


This Week's Question: What do you like to listen to / watch while crafting?


If anyone has any questions of their own about the community, or suggestions for tags, questions to be asked on the check-in posts, or if anyone is interested in playing check-in host for a week here on the community, which would entail putting up the daily check-in posts and responding to comments, go to the Questions & Suggestions post and leave a comment.

I now declare this Check-In OPEN!

Comments

[badly_knitted]

Finished the fifth hearts and flowers design, and started the last one, but only did about 50 stitches. Long way to go on that one. The backstitch on the one I just finished was really fiddly ion the flowers, and there was one are which seemed to have no point until I realised it was in the shape of a flower petal, but the printed chart had missed out all the actual cross stitches for it, so I had to improvise and stitch a suitable petal for that area. I would have thought whoever stitched the set for the pictures in the magazine would have realised there was an error, but no.


One of the tapes I played today came adrift AFTER I played it. At least I got to listen first.

[wiseheart]

That is annoying, on both accounts. But 50 stitches are a proud number anyway.

[badly_knitted]

There's a sort of checked band along the bottom of each design, 5 x 5 stitches to each square, so I got two squares stitched. It's a start.

[peaceful_sands]

Very frustrating to have part of a pattern missing! Well done on your progress so far though. Did you enjoy the tape before it died?

[badly_knitted]

It was easy enough to figure something out, I new which colours to use so I just worked inside the area the chart showed as backstitch and made it look similar to the other petals. It looks fine to me.

Yes, there were some good tracks. But I now have 7 tapes to repair =/

[wiseheart]

Today I did a tiny bit of crafting, still working on the dollhouse quiet books. Not too much, just sewn on the headboard of the bed and the pillow. I hoped I'd finish the bed today but it was simply too hot; after I dealt with all my chores I simply collapsed and slept for two hours instead of returning to my sewing.

[badly_knitted]

You can only do so much when it's so hot. Well done for making progress despite the heat!

[peaceful_sands]

Sometimes rest is needed more than crafting. Well done on making some progress.

[peaceful_sands]

I did a bit more cross-stitching - I hope to finish Eeyore in the next couple of days - he's the final character in the piece - then I'm left with a few bees, some grass and the adding details (fringing on the rug, backstitching, oh and french knot eyes - urgh! I can never get them to land right or be a consistent size). I'm over the bit where the pattern has been folded so long that there are stitches where it's not clear what the pattern wanted them to be - fortunately I was able to figure it out. Maybe a week's more work to go if I can stick at doing a bit every day?

[badly_knitted]

Folded charts are such a menace. I know it has to be done in kits, but it makes them so hard to read!

Using a sharp needle can help with getting better French knots. I always wind the thread around the needle three times and pull it tight then keep a thumb on it as I slide the needle and thread through. Mostly the knots turn out okay. It's a bit of a juggling act, but it works for me.

Good luck with getting the design finished!