Quick stitchy update post!

Hello All,

So I havent stitched on Faery 66 since IHSW and I think I will save her for IHSW only, and so I decided to pick up on an old stitch from a kit that I one in a giveaway.

A recap of this is that, its a nightmare!

Okay, maybe it isn't so bad....but it is stitched on black aida and I find black is best to stitch on for smaller pieces. I am probably not helping myself by not using a frame.

It is an alphabet sampler, and the original kit came with a single colour (a maroon) in which to stitch it all - but as all you long time stitchers know, that won't cut it and when you see that I know your first thought is...I shall pick my own colours. That's exactly what I thought I would do.

I'm not sure if I have said before but for those who don't know....I love orange...I really do...I think my soul is orange or at least a part of it. So with this I started by selecting an orange thread, but not just any, no no...variegated. I don't know if everyone stitches the same with variegated as I do but I top and tail the thread...for example...if the thread starts dark and goes lighter I will stitch dark to light, then the next strand I will flip and stitch light to dark. I like that this gives larger areas of light and dark or at least I have convinced myself it does. It is however, something I have to remember to do, but the end result is nice...as you see in the picture below, this shows where I got up to last time I posted about it:

The lighting in the pic isn't great, but the second picture is more true colourwise. The top alphabet is a straight orangey colour (I shall find out the numbers before I post another update on this), then I have ecru for the tiny alphabet beneath the A and a green for the single strand alphabet.

Here is where I am currently at:

The fabric was slightly squished, its not really that crooked. The blue-purple LA I am still not sure about the colour of. However, the A of those two has been stitched and frogged three times! First time I used another colour and didn't like it, second time I grabbed a thread that turned out not to be DMC and more like rope and now this colour. 

This is actually page one and there are three more quarters. There are some more letters that are different in style and I will need to pick a colour - so suggestions in the comments please for a colour that will match the above.