January was a very productive month!

I am quite impressed with myself! I'm two weeks into the Stash and Start Restraint Challenge and so far so good. No new starts, no new shopping, even though I did find some kits I would like. I am keeping my head on straight. I can't afford new stuff, and I have so much that needs to be finished. Not the least of which are the 4 afghans in various stages of completion. But that is another story for another day. Look at all these lovely finishes for me this month!

Kitty's Life, Prairie Grove Peddler

recommended threads on Wichelt linen

 

This was a Crazy January 2011 start. I have to say I am really glad to see it done.  Not just because of the Wichelt linen. It was large blocks of color, writing, and long lines with overdyed threads. My favorite combo. And I do like the design. I just . . . I'm glad it's done. And, I mean to make this clear. I know I express a certain amount of loathing for Wichelt linen that borders on obsessive ("I should say so, if you hate it so much, why do you keep buying it?) I think I had this in my stash, but I realize that Wichelt linen is like that super-hot person you liked in high school. You know better, but they look like Paul Rudd and have a motorcycle, and they let you wear the helmet when you climb on up with your fake-Bennetton bag, and you can't help yourself. So you ride home, and court the wrath of your mom, knowing they will just stand you up for your senior prom.  And that is how Wichelt works, it's so pretty, but so skimpy and stiff.  But I keep finding myself looking at it on the bolt. I am trying to use only Zweigart, but I think I just bought some for my CC Dickens ornaments. Oh well . . . .

 

 

 

 

Pumpkin

Whiskerkins, by CM Designs

stitched on Monaco, with the recommended threads

 

I started this last spring.  I love this line of designs. So cute and not that hard to stitch. This ended up a UFO because of the greens she chose. 3815 and 3816. These are not Halloween-y greens, although they do photograph darker. I am happy with the finished project even if it was disconcerting to work with that green. I think this would be so cute as a grouping of pillows across a sofa for Halloween, don't you?

 

freebie, Kissycross

stitched on oatmeal aida, with customized colors

 

I changed this one a lot. I started it this fall, but I put it aside because I did not like the colors the designer chose. They were very light, and I love my foxes red, so changed that out, then realized it's not really fall if the leaves aren't different colors!  So I changed the colors around. I love it!  Oatmeal aida is so nice to do prim autumn designs on. It just feels like a warm and comforting color, and I use it a lot. Over evenweave, but you know me, I stitch on anything!

All Dressed up for Christmas

Vermillion Designs, 2005 JCS Ornament issue

called for DMC and Kreinik 102 #4 on Jobelan

 

 

This is probably my favorite design ever from the JCS ornament issues.  I loved it the second I saw it, even though there are a few errors. One of the symbols shows as a grey and it makes no sense, so I changed it to the darkest gold. I enjoyed stitching this, even though it was a challenge. But it has made me happy during a time I am under a lot of stress. 

The Language of Flowers

UK Cross Stitcher, May 2006

called-for threads on Monaco

 

 

This is another design that ticked all the boxes on first view. Gorgeous colors, delicate design, lovely font. I just enjoyed every second I spent on this. I don't know what I'll do with it, maybe a pillow, but it just enchants me.  

 

 

Not much else worth discussing is going on. We got 3 feet of snow last weekend. The snow was so heavy on my car that the driver's side mirror broke off. Left-brain Gorilla Glued it on til I can call the junkyard and get a replacement shipped, though, really, if the glue holds and the mirror still works, do I really need a new mirror? I mean, do I really want to spend good money on that car? 

 

 

I have been doing really well this month with not spending money. Christmas sort of reinforced to me that things have to change for us to have a better life. I  made a resolution that this would be the year I got myself out of debt, except my job cut off our overtime. I have been bummed out about that, but I realized that that was no reason to stop my efforts to improve our life, so I just have to get a new part time job. And it would be a lot easier if we just stopped shopping and only bought what we needed, got rid of what we didn't need, and appreciated the time we have together. This is quite a shift in my thinking and one I have never been able to keep at this long, but I really feel like this is my time. 2016 is my "fight song"; I don't really care what anyone else believes, cause I still have a lot of fight left in me!

 

So that is that for this month! I hope everyone is having a good week!

 





Weekend works

It was a stormy weekend here in Crazyville. We got remnants of the devastating storms from North Carolina. While we did not get damage here, there was a tornado warning for the greater metropolitan Crazyville area, and I did spend a few minutes downstairs on Saturday evening. I realize I could never be a storm chaser--the second a warning is issued, I freak out. Yesterday was a little nicer. When I left the house for church, there was a rainbow in the sky to the west, the trees and flowers finally are letting loose and coloring up the landscape, and it was a bit warmer. We even got a small concert at church yesterday for Palm Sunday; the City Band of Washington, a bagpipe orchestra, played for the 9:15 service, but we heard them in the parking lot on the way out from early service. I'm a sap anyway, but it was so joyous to hear such beautiful music on a beautiful morning.

I did make some progress this weekend. I FINISHED Plummy Fairy. I'm not happy with her French knot eyeballs and may pick those out and redo them, but I love this finish. Adore it!




5 Crazy January starts are now finishes. Woo hoo!


I worked on this as well. This is something I started in December. I know, I know. What is it? No, it's not a map of the Washington Metro system. It's Autumn, a freebie by Minguistitch.


Yes, it's tricky. Yes, I wish I was stitching a facial detail. But really, anytime you start a new design that has a lot of color changes, there is a moment where you have to wonder how the mass will eventually relate to the picture as a whole. It's getting easier-ish. I am relying heavily on a highlighter to let me know what I've finished. and I think I've done the hardest part. The pink blob to the left top are the goddess' lips and I'll soldier through. I'm enjoying the challenge and moving around so as not to get too frustrated.

Lastly, my kitties.




We have bad light in the master bedroom, which is where we basically hunker down to watch TV when it's too cold to go downstairs--basically October to May. It's workable when I'm working on something in white, but this black has proved to be a challenge. We were working on shifting lamps to provide better light, but I was whining. Left-brain came home on Friday with a clip-on lamp for me. I attached it to the headboard, and got a lot of progress done. All the new parts of the kitten were done in 2-3 hours, serious progress for me!

I hope this week is kind and gentle to us all.

A finish, two WIPs, and a wonderful gift

I finished my third UFO of the year. Autumn Leaves is done, and will be off to the framer's. I'm thinking nubbly, woodsy, pale for this piece. I think a roughish, prim frame will really highlight the loveliness of the fabric and floss, sort of like when you see someone wearing a luxurious sweater with perfectly aged jeans.






I'd like to believe my WIP bin looks noticeably emptier, but who am I kidding? Although, I am taking it as a sign that I've not started anything new in over a week, and focused on things with stitches already in them.



Barn Kitties is coming along, if you can see it in this blurry picture. The half-stitches are all 4 strands, except one symbol which is 5 strands. What.The.Floss? Why is it necessary for them to do this?

Though, when you think about it, it's no wonder people don't like the floss in Dimensions kits. They say it frays. If you have to tug 5 strands of floss through aida long enough, it will fray. Mine did. I'm hoping enough survives to finish this.

And my lovely little Sugar Plum Fairy by Country Cottage Needleworks. I've had a very stressful week, and it was a delight to pick her up yesterday and work on her.


Simply a delight to work with the candy-colored flosses! I did swap her metallic out for Kreinik. I prefer them over DMC metallics. I think she looks adorable.


And lastly, I went out to the mail on Monday, and this was waiting for me. I won this in a contest from Riona.



It is so pretty, and Riona's finishing is wonderful. I've already started using it. I have a shameful confession to make. I usually toss my orts on the floor, and then vacuum them up later. My side of the bed is shamefully hairy with orts, but now, I've been so good about putting them in the jar. Riona just may have made me turn over a new leaf! Thank you so much, my friend.

My Spooky SAL for Lisa

I didn't post my progress on this yesterday, as I thought I would be able to. Here it is.




I got started pretty late, but I made a bit of progress. This is "No Scaredy Cats" by Waxing Moon. The cat is Gunmetal, not the color called for in the chart. I didn't have the color, and figured if he was a smoky black, not a black black, no one would really mind. It will help soften when I do the other kitty in Amber, so I am hoping it looks good.

Another reminder for my Betsy PIF. Remember, you have to leave a comment in the PIF post below to be entered. Good luck.

Another finish

My camera battery needs recharged, so I haven't taken a picture yet, but I finished Patriotic Summer last night. I took it to work with me, along with a UFO from the bin, but forgot the floss at the house, so I wasn't able to work on it til I got home. But I have three Crazy January finishes now. Woo hoo!

I'm baking today. I found a recipe for Zesty Lemon Cookies on Full Bellies, Happy Kids (the blog link is to the left), so I'm going to make them. I want something light and springy for dessert. Hopefully these will turn out yummy. This is my second try wrangling the big stand mixer, so I am hoping it plays nicely with me.

A Crazy January finish, a WIP, and a new start

I was a busy stitcher this weekend.

I had to get out of the house Friday night. I hadn't left it since Tuesday afternoon, thanks to a 13 inch snowfall, and we were starting to run low on food, so Left-brain got my car out of the space and I went to what was, to me, the happiest place on earth, the grocery store. It was a joy, especially because I got to see people I'm not related to. I stocked us up for the storm that is supposed to come through tonight through Wednesday, and came home to stitch.

I finished Hope Perches. I'm happy with it. It will look fantastic when it's finished into a pillow, something fresh and springy to remind me that better times are ahead. This is the second Crazy January start I've finished. Woo hoo!



With the finish, I rotated in another Crazy January start on Saturday. I had thought about doing another little one, but I know myself well enough to know that, if I do all the smalls first, I will be stuck at the end with the big projects and a chip on my shoulder, so I'm going to go back and forth with them. I think that's a more efficient way to do it. I chose Patriotic Summer to work on.



I had to frog out one of the flowers--the colors and symbols were very close, and so I, given a 50/50 chance of getting it right, got it wrong. But I got a little progress done. We went to my in-laws' house to celebrate his dad's birthday, so it wasn't a lot, but every little bit helps. I don't think this will take that long to work on, it's fun, like all of Midsummer Night Designs' pieces. And the colors are so pretty and fun to work with.

Yesterday I started Dimensions' Barnyard Kitties. It's my projects for the special contest at the state fair. I'm hopeful the judge won't nitpick that these are 'kittens', not 'cats', but if I don't win, it's OK.


I really like working on this project. Most of what I've gotten done was in a 5 hour stitching session. For a Dimensions project, this is a lot of progress, and it didn't feel like a hassle. The fabric is 14 count, and so it's not that hard to pull the floss through (nothing like trying to jam 3 strands of floss through 18 count aida to get the ol' heart pumping). They even cut the fabric decently--it's two inches on each side, so it shouldn't be too bad to frame. I do need to have good light, though, in order to work. This may be a lunch time and high daylight project. And, when I scrunched it to remove the sizing (I normally don't do that anymore, but I had to with this), it left white marks on the fabric. I think they'll wash out fine, though.

So that's my weekend. I appreciate all the comments on Betsy. I am beyond pleased to have her done and done well. Now to cross fingers that she'll look good in the frame.

Hoping everyone is having a great start to their week.

Fly Like a Needle--picture post

I was not able to take pictures yesterday. I had to go to our office in Northern Virginia near Dulles Airport, and then come back home in North Central Maryland. It was a 130 mile commute day. On the way home, it started to snow, and it wasn't lasy or pretty snow. Rather, the fast and furious persuasion. Plus, I had to eat because I forgot to eat from lunch on Sunday through all day yesterday (I know, it shocked me too. And then I ended up wanting a salad. Scary stuff is going on here). So, til I was done all that, it was bed time.

Without further ado, these are the things I have been working on.


My Day 14 start, Schipperke, by Pegasus Originals. There isn't much to say about this.


My Day 15 Start, Kitty Cat's Life, by Prairie Grove Peddler. I'll pick this one up back again soon. Just not now.



And my two finishes for the weekend.

First, a Challenge finish. Yankee Sittcher's A Nuisance of Cats. I like this chart a lot. It was a quick stitch. A good start to the year.


And my Santa's Bunnies, which I stitched for the Brides Tree SAL. A finish like this just reinforces how amazing our hobby is. I love this piece. I love that we can make pictures like this with floss. Yes, I'm happy dancing.


And the two WIPs I'm switching between for a few days. Sheepish Designs' Betsy is here. I really need to focus on this piece, because I've been working on it for two years. I think all the little motifs intimidate me. But I'm halfway finished now. I can do this!


And my WIP for the Ice Dragon's Kingdom SAL with Riona. I am doing this on a hand-dyed evenweave. It's something about Stormy Skies. I wonder if I maybe should have done this on a sparkly fabric, but I think that might have clashed with the braid and rayon in the dragon, so I think this is best.


I can't wait to see how this develops. I love Dragon Dreams designs and this is one of my favorites.

Keep warm today, particularly if you are in one of the icy/snowy/wintry mix areas.

Day 13: Icky Icky Spooky Spooky

Isn't that a fun thing to say? It's what's written in the chart, which is actually called Icky Spooky, the Hobgoblins. I did manage to make a good start on this yesterday. I worked primarily on Icky's side of the chart, but I didn't get too far on her because her dress is 964, and they didn't have 964 at Michaels when I went. I'm going to check again, but I'll probably end up at Joann's. It's a really fun stitch--the colors are fabulously bright and cheerful, perfect for the January doldrums. I'm using Ray of Light fabric in 28 count. The fabric in the chart picture is not yellow, but it looks that way, and I figured I might as well go with it. I do see that I will have to change out the floss for Spooky's outfit. It photographed a pretty golden yellow, and my skein of Gold Leaf is dreary gold. Why embarrass Spooky with a drab party frock when I can brighten that little dude up? :)

Today's start is Schipperke by Pegasus Originals. I'm a bit intimidated by the chart because of the amount of black it calls for, but I've been wanting to do this for a long time, and so, I'll suck it up. One thing, if I stitch around the twins, I don't have to worry if a stray hair (or 100) get in the project. I actually wouldn't mind that, it's their contribution to their mummy's work.

I still have to kit up the last project. I bought the specialty floss last month, but haven't gone through the boxes to get the regular floss. I'll have to do that today. I'm going to take a leap with this last project and stitch it on a green fabric, not the natural that the project calls for. I thought it would look like grass and there's a line in the poem on the piece about kitty in the grass. I'm usually really pleased with how things turn out when I take a leap of faith--I just worry incessantly til I have floss to fabric and see it will be OK.

Have a great weekend!

Brave Kitties

This is my start on "No Scaredy Cats Allowed," by Waxing Moon.



Not a bad start, considering I didn't get started til late, and I didn't have the Charcoal floss I needed. I kitted this up at Halloween, and the LNS was out of Charcoal, and it just escaped my mind to make sure I had it. I didn't want to just stitch around the part that used the color, nor was it feasible to run to my LNS and pray they got another shipment of Weeks in. I found a very dark skein of Gunmetal in my floss box, so I'm using that. And that spurred a bit of creativity. I collect black cats for Halloween for my Lily and yellow tabby cats for Gus for the rest of the year (yes, Felix gets kinda messed over when it comes to being collected, but they don't make a lot of black and white spotted cat things--I can't collect what they don't make), but a lot of times I see black cats and yellow tabbies together, so . . . since I have both a yellow and a black cat, I'm making one of the kitties into a tabby, for Gus. He'll be the kitty peeking out from behind the ghost, since my Gus is a bit less brave than his sister; he's not scared, he's just shy. I think this will be a sweet personalization and I'm sure Gussie would approve.

Keeping in the Halloween vein, today's start will be Mosey N Me's Icky Spooky. I've had this design for probably 7 years, I just never stitched it, and it probably is my most favorite MNM design. So I'm just ecstatic to get started.

I did work a little bit on Santa's Bunnies last night. Iron Man was on FX, so we watched that. It was an OK movie, good for stitching, because I didn't have to really pay attention to it. Or think about the plot. Left-brain wanted to watch the Patriot the other night, and I told him I could not bear to watch it. The villian in that movie is so good, he just upsets me, so I have to watch something else.

Do you have any good "stitching" movies you like to watch?

Day 11 and a WIP

I am almost ashamed to post this photo because, as little as I got done Monday, I got less done yesterday. I was worried about the snowstorm that came through, and was trying to make sure we had what we needed, and was pretty busy. Plus, it wasn't the easiest start on this one. But I got a few stitches in. As long as I got one stitch in, it's a start. This is his belly (I'm going to assume it's a him--the horse has that bantam rooster quality about him that pony stallions tend to have). This is a Silkweaver solo I got from a stitching friend at Sue Hillis' GTG last spring. I'm excited to see how the design translates on this fabric.



Today's start will be from Mostly Ghostly by Waxing Moon. It's funny how fast this widespread, highly-controlled case of startitus has gone. It's hard to believe I've started 11 projects in a week and a half, and that I only have 4 more projects to choose from. These last ones are the ones that might not be the most well-planned out. I still have to pull floss for one, pull fabric for another. I had to find fabric for today's start in order to actually start it, and I maybe didn't make the best choice, but I'll live with it. I love the little design I chose, "No Scaredy Cats", so I'm sure it will be fine.

I also thought it's time to show my other WIP, an ornament I started Christmas week. It's one I've had kitted up since the summer as part of the Brides' Tree SAL. It's called Santa's Bunnies, and is by Vermillion Stitchery.
It's not an easy project, lots of fractionals and backstitching, but I think it's so pretty. And it's a great size for an ornament, not so big that it has to be draped over the branches of the tree, not hung. I'm hoping to get the stitching done tonight and then the backstitch by the end of the week. I have the fabric to back it already, a pretty woodland wintry print that I thought would go nicely with the bunnies. I think this is going to be my fair entry for the ornament class; it has everything going for it, at least in my opinion. I think it will come down to how well it's finished, but I'm willing to spend money to make sure it's finished in the way it deserves. It's that important to me.

I am starting to pull together my fair entries. I'd like to start taking things over for framing when I get my tax refund back. That way, I'm not running around at the last minute and I can enjoy getting ready for the competition. I think that's the way to go, but I think I need to get some things finished first, right? :)

I hope everyone is having an enjoyable day. The snow came through last night. I think we got 4 inches, but I do believe there is some ice mixed in with it. Left-brain stayed home from work, which is probably for the best. I don't worry about him on the road, it's everyone else that scares me. I'm trying to decide what to make for our dinner now. Never too early to plan for that, is it?

Day 9: Patriotic Sheep Start

The camera battery recharged, so here is a posting of my Day 9 progress. This is stitched on Bay Rum something fabric with Crescent Colours and DMC floss. I am pretty tickled with myself for how I handled the sun with the CC floss. I was pretty careful to keep the dark gold in the middle and at the bottom, with the lighter being more of the outer rays. I wanted some symmetry on this one. Perhaps I may end up running out of a color for my efforts, but I liked how it turned out. I'm pretty happy with the progress. I got a lot done, considering that we left in the middle of the day to go have Left-brain's birthday and didn't get back from that til 10. I have high hopes that this will stitch up quickly. This is why I chose small projects; I figure that a lot of progress, seeing things visibly take shape after a day of stitching helps keep my interest. It will offset the distress I know I'll feel when I stitch on something all day and just have an eyeball completed.

Day 10--Arrghhh and Blarrrghhh

Diane Graebner does beautiful work. I LOVE her Amish designs--they make my heart happy. I chose Sharing with Our Deer Friends as my Day 10 start, because it's calming and beautiful.

Can I just say I hate the way she charts the designs?

They're hand-drawn, which does something to me. Something bad. It makes it hard for me to stick with them.

That happens quite a lot with hand-drawn charts. I know it's a rather silly tic I have, because, when I started stitching, there were a lot more hand-drawn charts being sold than not, but I guess, as I've aged and my eyesight worsens, I just can't do it well anymore. And that bums me out because I love these charts and I collect them. I wonder why she still does them this way? I would probably stitch all of them, joyfully, if they were just charted using software. But maybe I just need to get new glasses now rather than later. I'm going to get this done, but just don't expect a lot from this start today.

I will have to post a photo of Patriotic Summer a little later. I worked on it a lot yesterday and it works up quite quickly, but I left the camera on all day by mistake and lost the charge in the battery. I am a bit concerned because I'm stitching it on 32 count, not the 40 that the chart calls for, so I'm a bit concerned I'm going to run out of overdyed floss, but I'll just have to cross that bridge when I come to it. I should have put a bit more thought into it when I was buying the supplies, since I don't use 40 count. But I'm going to cross my fingers and hope she didn't really need the entire skein of floss when she designed it.

Days 6 through 8

Just a quick drive-by posting to show you the past three days.

Thursday's Sugar Plum Fairy start. I forget what fabric I'm using. I think it's Lambswool Jobelan, but not too sure on that one.


Friday's It Snowed Last Night start. I really can't say enough how I love this chart. I already know I want it framed with a double mat, white on top with a line of red.



Yesterday's A Nuisance of Cats. I worked on this when I got home last night. It's probably two-thirds of the way finished, which makes me happy! I love stitching it.


Today I am starting Patriotic Summer, as soon as I find my pack of needles. CBS Sunday Morning is coming on in a few minutes and I can't think of a better way to spend a frosty Sunday morning than to watch that show and stitch.

Hoping your day passes splendidly.

R is for . . .

Reindeer boy


I started Miss Mitchell's First Grade Christmas pageant yesterday on some ivory aida I had in stash. I liked working on it so much that I worked on it all day long. I figure if I can get a kid done a stitching session, this will go quickly. The backstitch is not easy, though, and there is a lot of it. I'm really excited about this chart. I know I keep saying it, but this is probably the one I wanted to start the most out of everything, and now I've done it! Woo hoo!

Today starts "Sugar Plum Fairy by CCN. I've already decided this will be finished into a cube, which I'll put under the cross stitch tree next year, along with some other Christmas finishes, so that they'll look like Christmas gifts. I think it will be a cute way to display them, and, if I set my mind to it, it's not that hard to finish. I already have the fabric for finishing this one.

Well, have to go. I will try to get on tomorrow to post. I have the day off, but I'm not sure. I plan to be busy--I'll be at the laundry mat, washing comforters, and then going to try to get most of the Christmas decorations taken down and put away--not looking forward to that. I did finish taking the cross stitch tree down last night. It was much easier to pull apart than to put together. I appreciate that. Maybe they realize no one wants to fool around, putting the decorations away. Meari had asked for photos of my model horses, so I will try to post some snaps of those before I put them away, as well.

Otherwise, have a great Thursday!

Winter Row--Day 4

I didn't have a lot of time to work on this chart, and spent a lot of that fighting the M. The frog came visiting, and I had to keep picking it out. This may not be the walk in the park I anticipated. I was pretty glad to put this away last night, but I'm not going to give up on it. This will probably be the first one I pick back up after the 16th.

Today's start is Cross n Patch's Miss Mitchell's first grade Christmas pageant. It's a pretty large start, but I think it won't be so bad if I stitch one kid at a time. It's a very cute project, and I think I would give it to one of the teachers in my family, but none of them teaches in a school that has a Christmas pageant. Life has changed so much since this chart was published . . . which must have been at a time when you didn't have a lot of choice in hoops because they're advising to put a 25 inch piece of fabric in a 3"-4" hoop. I couldn't imagine how annoying that would be--I am using an 8" hoop because it's so big.

Are your Christmas decorations still up? Our large tree and the decorations are still up, but I undecorated the cross stitch tree. I still have to put it away, but I'm ready to be finished with the holidays. They were joyful, but they're over. I did manage to score some clearanced out holiday craft supplies at Michaels on Friday. I think we need a wintry wreath next year, so bought some things to get started. But other than an ornament or two and some candy canes, I didn't go crazy after Christmas. It seemed like most people shared my sentiment because there was still a lot of stuff in the stores even on Friday.

That is all for today. I appreciate the kind comments you have been leaving about my starts. I know they're not much, but they'll grow through the year, and I appreciate the support!

Hope Perches--Day 3 Start

This is my start for yesterday, "Hope Perches" by the Sampler Girl. I am using HDF on DMC marbled blue aida. Right now, it doesn't look like much, but I think, when I'm done, it will look fresh and springy. I think I am going to make a pillow out of it, like the one on the pattern, with a brownish wool or velveteen for the front, and my robin fabric on the back. It's a fun stitch.

I have chosen to work on BC Winter Row for Day 4. It's been kicking around my to-do pile in kitted up form for almost 4 years, so it's time to get it done. From past experience, the Row charts don't take that long to stitch up, and I'm doing this with DMC floss, so it should be a quick, fun stitch.

I know I'm probably not doing as much stitching on these as the other participants. I have to admit I don't work on them on all day or evening long. I start them, then go back to my WIP, an ornament from the 2000 JCS issue that I'm doing for the Brides' Tree SAL. I don't want to lose momentum on that one, and it is creating a bit of continuity while I keep jumping back and forth. I'll focus more intently after January 15th.

I've been finding some older finishes at my mom's lately. I will try to post pictures of them one of these days. If I do say so myself, I did some pretty impressive things in my younger years, before I let myself know stitching could be intimidating, LOL. This is the year I'll get those finally framed and up on the wall.

Thank you for the help with where to find the rotary cutter. I know where to look now.


Updated: I have had some questions about the floss I'm using for Hope Perches. It's Hand-Dyed Fibers in Robiness and Midnight. "Feathers", "Hope" and "Soul" will be in Robiness with the other wording in a matching color, the name of which escapes me. The birds are Midnight with French Artichoke feet. Sorry!

2 Days, 2 Starts

Here are the photos I promised of my, as yet unimpressive, starts for the challenge. I am going to try to label the posts to be a little more organized as I stitch these projects this year.

First up are the Winter Horses. I am calling them that, as they appear to have no name on the kit, other than a line number. And they're so pretty, they need a name. I like this design because it reminds me of the work of Sam Savitt, who was a well-known horse illustrator, along with Wesley Dennis, and CW Anderson. I don't know if this is his work, charted to cross stitch, but it has the feel in the friendly faces of the horses. I wish the work of those great illustrators would be licensed for stitching. I fell in love with horses because of their works, but to buy a print is a dream. I do own a portfolio of Anderson's work, but only one.




My progress on Official Snow Guide by Lizzie Kate. This should be a cute addition to our holiday decorations next year. Perhaps it will be a reminder of how we should approach snow, instead of running around, screaming. I did find out last night, though, it has buttons, but the designer didn't say WHICH buttons. I'm going to email her to see if she can tell me.


Today I am working on "Hope Perches," by Sampler Girl. I am using HDF and DMC marbled blue aida. If this works out, I hope to finish it into a pillow like the photo with some bird print fabric I bought a few years ago and couldn't figure out how to use. Maybe it was just waiting for me to stitch this? I will post a photo tomorrow.

And my last "finish" for 2010. I finished Snowy Pines into a felt-backed ornament last week. I need to figure out where I can purchase a fancy rotary cutter to make the pretty edges for these ornaments because I like them a lot. Pinking shears just aren't cutting it. Does anyone know? I know it's not the best finish possible, but it's pretty good, and I can't learn if I don't try, right?


I'm really hopeful about this year, stitching wise. I know the year never ends up being as long as it seems it will last in January, but I think I can get some really fun projects started and completed. I have a few SALs to do this year and I think it will be fun! I have a good feeling about 2011.

Needles up, y'all!

Photos of the Final 15

I did a lot of thinking over the weekend. The Winter Blackwork, while I love it, requires JAR threads, and I don't want to order those, or try to work out a conversion. At least not right now, so I changed to Patriotic Summer by Midsummer Night Designs.

Here are photos of the final pictures. Some of them are not the best. Beazer was assisting me and he didn't warn me, LOL. He did get himself into the pictures. Pardon his nose . . .


A Nuisance of Cats.


Icky Spooky, by Mosey N' Me.


Sugarplum Fairy, by Country Cottage Needleworks


Pegasus Originals Schipperke


Eva Rosenstad kit, which I will stitch on PTP Crystal Mercedes.


Bent Creek Snowman Row


Midsummer Night Designs Patriotic Summer


Lizzie Kate Official Snowguide


Ms. Mitchell's First Grade Christmas Pageant (I'm really excited about this one, LOL)


Prairie Grove Peddler A Cat's Life


Diane Graebner Taking Care of our Deer Friends


Sampler Girl Hope Perches


Jeannette Crews Pinto from the book, "Wild Horses."


Waxing Moon, No Scaredy Cats.


I also have It Snowed last Night on the list, but I don't have a picture of the finish.