A whole lotta stuff

Howdy! Here we are on the cusp of saying goodbye to another summer! Bye bye! I am looking forward to cooler temps. Right now outside, the wind has come up and a thunderstorm is trying to form. I am watching Catching Killers on Netflix, a recent new addiction! Last week, I watched Worlds Worst Ex's and Worlds Worst Roommate; wow! These shows really get your attention but they're not good to watch at night!

Let's get to the stitching. I have progress, finishes, and September plans. Let's go!

Since the last post, I put down the Jenny Bean Halloween Sampler and picked up a WIP...

Sorry for the crooked photo. This is Unwrap the Joy - Santa '12 by Lizzie Kate. I started this more than a few years ago. It's in 28ct Amber, the called for fabric with a mix of called for and substituted floss. Soooo..... Santa's beard is stitched with white Wisper thread by Rainbow Gallery and all other white is DMC Blanc. I don't have the Wisper so I thought well, what about a very light grey? Nope, it just won't look good because his beard is white and if I used white DMC, his beard would blend into the white of his stocking cap above his eyes! The finish I was hoping for is not going to happen. I'm going to order the Wisper so it'll be a finish for September. I still have more stitching to do at the bottom.

The next WIP I've worked on is my Sunday Stitch. A couple months ago, I think I said Dogs Declaration will be my Sunday Stitch. I finally brought it out two Sundays ago and have some progress to show...

Everything to the right of 'Life' is what I stitched. The middle of that large flower on the top border is the middle of this piece. It's a good size but it's nice to stitch on it. I'm using Valdani floss which is the called for.

I also managed to finish a couple of things too. First is Kringle's Coal...

The fabric is a tad lighter than my picture shows. It sure is cute. The white snowflakes show up better in real life though. I get a kick out of Santa's outfit!

Next finish is my Deer Cup by Shannon Christine. I just love it...

My fabric is a little more blue. I basically lost all the floss for this! What else is new! Lol. Since I used DMC substitutes for a few overdyed flosses, I could fill in a few areas. Couple days later I found the bag of flosses. The white lacey border looked hard but because all sides were mirror image, it wasn't bad at all. On Shannon Christine's FB group, I see quite a few people stitching these mugs on one piece of fabric with an additional border in between each mug. I want to make mine cubes. I have 6 more mug patterns to go and they all have the lacey white border. I believe I'll take a small rest from the border! 😜 

I have two new starts planned for September. Here's the first...

Sweet Autumn Vine. This design uses only 4 colors and it's on 36ct fabric, a mystery color. Can't wait to start this. 

Next is another Christmas ornament from the 2014 JCS ornament magazine...

The called for fabric is 40ct but I'm using a 32ct so it'll be a little bigger than shown. 

And now, the FO parade continues!

Early Witches by The Primitive Hare. This piece is probably my most coveted finish. I'd like to have it framed but not sure of what kind, black frame or dk brown frame? Skinny smooth or a gothic look? 

Next up is...

By Sheepish Designs called Red House or Little Red House. Loaded with satin stitches, the uneven border was fun to stitch. I really like this designer and I have more charts from her that I'd like to start some day.

Town of Halloween! Designed by The Primitive Hare, of course! This might now be a stand alone pattern but mine I stitched from a JCS Halloween issue. Eventually, I'll have this one framed too. 

And the last for today is this one, not sure of the name but I do know it's from a JCS magazine. I stitched it on an evenweave. It's just perfect for Autumn.

That's it for the stitching.

If you didn't know, I'm 60. I am seriously considering early retirement in 1 and a half years. I have a few bills that need to be paid off first. I want to be able to still do things, travel a little, and enjoy myself while I still can instead of waiting for 67 and a higher SS check. One never knows what could happen waiting for 67 to come! But I look forward to leaving my physical job for something part time that's easier on me. Wish me luck!

On a sad note, my 89 year old uncle passed away last week and we are heading to his funeral tomorrow. He fell in the shower and had a brain bleed and never recovered. All that's left of my mother's siblings are my 95 year old uncle and my 81 year old aunt. 

So that is what's going on in my corner of the world. I am starting my 4 day weekend today. Stitching wise, I'll get back to the Lizzie Kate WIP, and actually FFO a few things before I go back to work on Tuesday. Stay tuned!

I also wanted to recommend a flosstuber I've begun watching. She's a Brit and she goes by Flossy Grows and Sews. She likes Halloween and she stitches the variety of designs like me. Go check her out!

Take care and we'll visit again soon🙋🏻‍♀️