Cross Stitch and Flap the Owl

My first attempt at cross-stitchery was a cartoon bee when I was 11. To this day it remains incomplete and I have no idea of its whereabouts, but as I plan to head off travelling in the near future I thought it would be a good idea to take up a hobby that is more portable than a sewing machine, so I decided to give cross-stitch another try.
I've been inspired by a lot of random designs on the internet, especially those that reference fandoms I belong to. Big fan of Mr X Stitch and I got a bit carried away when I found Subversive Cross Stitch and may have ordered two of their designs. While I'm waiting for them to arrive I'm trying to remember what it's all about by trying my hand at Flap the Owl. This is my progress so far.

Apparently I'm stitching it backwards, going from the bottom up instead of from the top down which has landed me a few problems but I'm going to switch over tomorrow and see how it goes.

Kevin the Koala

I got bored last week and decided to attempt a Koala toy. This little fellow is the result!

Yes, I gave him the apparently Australian name of Kevin, even though his bow-tie suggests a classier kind of creature. If I were to do it again I'd fold the middle of his ears before I sewed it and make his legs come straight out at the bottom, rather than sideways. Other than that, I'm a fan, especially of his lovely nose :)