Stitching!

Hi everyone! It's update time, albeit a short one before my phone acts up. The Trick or Treat Blog Hop is coming soon so I thought I'd get on here before that. Okay, enough talking!

I have progress to show. First up is Jack's Bash by PSS..

It's looking blurry or maybe it's just my eyes! I spent some time last weekend stitching the inside border there on the left. I once again stitched Happy Hallowe'en at the top center 1 over 1 tent stitch. It's been a while since I've done over 1 but got through it. GAST Walnut is used for that house on the right and it sure looks different than the Walnut I used on my first Jack which I finished 6 years ago!  I like it though. 

The next progress is on Bittersweet and Broomsticks by Brenda Gervais...

I'm having fun stitching on this. All the colorful pumpkins there on the bottom. Can't wait to stitch in the witch! I'll stitch on this one to the end of this month.

Those 2 pieces were the only things I stitched since my last post! I've had some distractions.

I mentioned joining in on the Jingle Ball. Here's my class that I'm taking...

I ordered 28ct Aerial by PTP there on the right, to stitch the Winter bookmark, just a half of a fat eighth so it was $5 and change, and then ran to Hob Lob this morning for 2 DMCs I was missing. I'm ready! Stitching will commence on the 1st of November. Do I sound excited?! I am! So excited, I went through my stash for a small Christmas project to also stitch in November and this is it...

Is this cute or what?! By Verbena on Etsy, it's been kitted and ready for at least a couple of years. I have the taupe 32ct evenweave to stitch it on with DMCs.

Hobby Lobby is in full Christmas bloom right now and I'm looking forward to Christmas stitching. 

The month of November is going to be unusual in that I'm not stitching for a SAL or a challenge! What will I do with myself!!! Well, I'm going to keep stitching on the Brenda Gervais above, the bookmark class, and the Christmas Lodge. I'll pick out a longtime WIP to do, a non-Christmas piece so I don't over do it. 

It all sounds like fun to me!

An update on the finger, lol! I saw an orthopedic doc the other day and he said they wouldn't do surgery on it because nerves will grow back, eventually. They think the nerves in my finger probably were traumatized. Every now and then I get tingling in the numb area which is half of my finger lengthwise. It kind of hurts. It's like building snowballs without gloves and they go numb but when feeling comes back you get the tingling. The doc said nerves grow back a millimeter a day. I have one more appointment in 3 months and there should be progress with nerve regeneration and I think we'll just agree on ending the work injury claim. It hasn't interrupted my working at all, it's just disconcerting to stick my needle into the numb part and not feel it, hahaha!

On a nicer note, I bought myself a car! My Honda Civic had 132k miles on it. It's still a good car. I gave it to my daughter. I bought a newer Honda Accord, has all the bells and whistles. Has the push button start which is taking me a little to get used to!

Well, I think this is it. I can't remember if there were more things to talk about or show. Whatever they were, they'll go on my first November post!

Take care, stay safe and sane in this confusing world we find ourselves in! Cooler heads need to prevail somehow.

Black, orange and a hint of red

Hello blogger buddies! Hope you're fine and stitching up a storm but not a real storm, lol. Today's post is brought to you by the colors orange and black and a smidgen of red. I have progress and a couple of new starts (new starts?!), and an FFO. Due to my phone's issues with memory, I'll have to keep it sweet and small. Let's go!

I made a detour! Well, I made 2 detours! First one is A Sister's Love by BBD. This pattern is found in the Winds of Autumn book. This will be the 3rd design that I've stitched from it...

I'm using a remnant of 36ct Parchment, the non-Zweigart version. I have had to hog tie this thing to my snaps, it sure is wiggly. Now, since I've had this book, I've gone by this pattern dozens of times and it never spoke to me. After organizing my cross stitch and running into that piece of Parchment, deemed it to be suitable. The design is just 8 1/4 x 8 5/8 finished so I made sure to center it on my fabric. What you see is 3 + hours of stitching. I'm enjoying it!

The next piece is is not autumn or Halloween, hence the bit of red mentioned. It's A Christmas Sampler by Blue Whale Designs...

There are no dates on the chart. I don't think the designer designs anymore. I'm using a mystery piece count of fabric which I'm pretty sure is Goldfinch by R & R Reproductions. The color matches DMC 3828, a really pretty med beige/gold color. Using DMCs but for Santa's coat, I'm going to use GAST Antique Rose. I'll stitch a few to see if I like it.

I have progress on a few other pieces. Here's Clementine...

She's coming along nicely. I'm not sure I'll finish her by Halloween though. 

Next bit of progress is on Bittersweet and Broomsticks by Brenda Gervais...

The fabric color is much nicer in real life, it's Sheeps Straw by xjudesigns in 40ct. I struggle at night stitching this even with my floor lamp at my shoulder! So I stitch during the day. 

I had one FFO last Sunday and it's the Banshee by The Little Stitcher...

Just a pillow finish with chenille trim. 

Short and Sweet! 

Oh! Who's going to the Jingle Ball? I am! I'm buying into the bookmark class by Tiny Modernist.

Sign ups are tonight! Check out jingleball.net for info. Tonight at 7pm EST is when you can buy an entry ticket and then a class or 2. I can't wait!

How's my finger? I haven't heard from a hand specialist so I think the insurance company feels it doesn't warrant a specialist🤷🏻‍♀️ it's still numb. I have another appointment at the urgent care tomorrow so I'll find out.

I'll be back with Jo's Halloween blog hop at the end of the month but I may get back here sooner.

Happy Fall y'all!

Finishes and Plans

Greetings from a blustery central Arizona! Finally, the temps have gone down around here. Phoenix and the deserts are still toasty though. For the last couple of weeks I have changed my cotton sheets to fleece, given up my shorts at bedtime for sweat pants, and the fan is off! I'm in the process of decorating for Halloween. I feel the holidays go by so fast so I'm decorating early.

I'm not sure how my phone will act but I have a lot to show and talk about. Let's get going!

I have 3 finishes from September, yay! First up is Mighty Acorn by BBD..

Love it, especially the house and it's mustard color! I stitched my initials there at the right bottom. Eventually I'll get this framed along with everything else that is too big to be turned into a pin pillow, lol. I think the fabric is 36ct antique lace by Seraphim.

Next is Wicked Night by The Primitive Hare...

I don't remember the fabric but it's 40ct. It didn't shrink much but I'll make it into a pillow. It would be a nice easel-type finish but I don't know how to make one. 

And last but not least is All Hallows Night..

From the 2020 JCS Halloween issue. I had my doubts about this one. It's looking kind of big, bigger than an ornament. It's 6.5" x 4 3/8" on a mystery linen. But I love it now! It's pretty cute.

I also have progress on 2 items...Clementine..

By Racquel Blasco. Stitching that border is no joke but luckily as you can see on the model, that's it. It's also going to be a big piece when I'm done. She deserves to be finished.

Moonlight is next...

By LHN. I worked on this the entire last week. I've put it down for now but will pick it up throughout October so I can have a finish which is self explanatory down below! Haha!

The last 2 posts I've tried to show these 2 things but my phone says it's running out of storage but here goes anyway! The last of the wanna stitch is this cutie..

So cute. It's called Hello Pumpkin and it's by Salt and Pepper Stitching on Etsy. This link might work...www.Emilycall.Etsy.com. It's hard to read the PDF I have. I would use an overdyed floss in Orange for that or how about black floss?! 

So most would know I don't collect scissors. That might be ending!

A recent purchase is the cute kitty scissors. I already had the two gold colored scissors.

I bought these at the Victorian Rose shop.

Stitching for October is all Halloween so if you are not crazy about Halloween I would beware!

I tweaked my list for the 2 SALs I'm following and Jack's Bash by PSS will be on the snaps but I can't find a picture of it. 

I'm also starting 2 new Halloween pieces...

By WTN&T, it's been kitted up for a couple or 3 years, time to stitch it!

And...

I love her cat patterns. This big cat afraid of the spider! I think my fabric is Carrot by WDW.

My phone is behaving itself so let's go on.

Stitch from Stash was deadly in September. Lol! I spent almost $54 on patterns and a fabric. I mean, it's almost Halloween and I've got the Obsessive Halloween Disorder!

Here's my new stash!

The new Kathy Barrick and Ink Circles with fabric. I couldn't upload a picture but it's 2 HOD White Christmas patterns. They're super pretty.

As I knew it would, phone says I'm running out of memory. So I better get. I'm on my way to the local urgent care. I got a work injury end of August. I cut the skin between my ring finger and middle finger and my finger went dead, no feeling. One month later, half of my finger is still numb. I may have nerve damage. Today I'll find out if surgery is in the cards. Wish me luck!!

Take care, we'll see you soon! 

Post

How can it be the 10th of September already??!! We're almost at the middle of the month! Before you know it, it'll be Thanksgiving. 

I have progress, more on the radar stitching, and 2 FFOs. Yes! Let's go!

I'm still following along on 2 year long SALs, unofficially. The first one is Clear the Deck and the project is Mighty Acorn by BBD...

Folks, I can finish this in one week, I bet! I stitched more last night after I took this picture. The top 3 window panes are filled in and I have the squirrel's outer stitches done, below the house. I'm getting that familiar feeling of tunnel vision that happens when I get close to a finish. I'll stitch on this for the rest of the day.

For the #idareyousal, I pulled out Clementine, my much ignored WIP...

Since the last time I showed this, I've added 3 more diamonds on the left. For sure, she won't be finished by the end of the month.

Over at the FB group Halloween Stitch Challenge, I'm stitching 2 pieces, one was a new start and the other is a WIP. Here's Wicked Night...

Mr Headless has his head! I love this pattern. Somebody on FB asked about my needleminder. It's a turtle and Claudette at BAP Attack hosted the Turtle Trot some years ago. I won floss and the needleminder from her giveaway. 

My WIP for the Challenge is All Hallows Night...

from the Halloween issue of JCS 2020, which turned out to be a pretty scary year, as we all know. Anyway, I don't remember what fabric I used. It's definitely bigger than ornament sized. I don't have a picture of the model.

From the same FB group, I joined the FFO Challenge. Friday-Sunday, we FFO our finished stitches. Last week, I did these two...

Nothing fancy. These are 2 freebies from primitivebetty. Christmas designs on black fabric are always amazing.

So I watch flosstube and Carol the Saltbox Stitcher is a favorite of mine. Her latest video, she went on a new start frenzy. I thought if Carol can do that, so can I! Well, it was hard but I refrained from new starts and instead looked through my WIPs and pulled out Moonlight by LHN...

So pretty! I bought this sometime last year and because 123stitch makes it so easy to order the needed supplies right from the item page, bought the silk and the fabric. Once I stitch the deer's body, I'll be at the halfway point. I'll get back to this when I finish one of the above projects.

This is the longest time spent on what I call obligation stitching. Usually, I jump ship within the first 2 months of the new year. It could all self-implode tomorrow and start dozens of new things but I'm enjoying stitching and finishing my WIPs. I have 18 finishes.

So here's the rest of my potential new starts...

I've had this in my stash for quite awhile! The pattern calls for his fabric called Mummy Wrap which would be fun to buy and use but I'll find something in my stash. I really should try to start this sometime.

Next...

Love this! The sign post says Bourbon Street which is in NOLA. We stayed in a BnB not far from Bourbon Street when my daughter and I flew to New Orleans 7 years ago for Mardi Gras. Love the dancing skeletons and the old-time hearse.

Love the tree. Here's something interesting about this chart. It is copyrighted 1995 but the called for fabric is a 36. I didn't know there was 36ct anything offered 28 years ago! I thought it was just Aida being sold! It's so cute, lots of fill-stitching for that tree. I think I'll start this in December.

Such a pretty winter stitch; I need to get my hands on a charcoal-y fabric. I have more SubRosa patterns to stitch. Maybe next year I'll have a SubRosa month where I stitch all the charts. Hmm.

I had 1 more to show but my phone is showing low memory. 

I'll let my phone recover, lol, and get back to it next post 

Hope you're all doing fine and stitching all the things!

See ya next time!

Something different!

It's me again, just 6 days after my last post! 

So I like the ideas of choosing the color for the frame of my pretty Christmas card in the last post. Astrid sealed the deal noting the little bit of red in the artwork. I agree, a red frame would pull out the red on the candy cane. Thanks ladies!

I'll show you progress on Wicked Night. I think on the last post I said Wicked Ride but it's Night. Anyway, Mr Headless and his steed are taking shape...

Designed by The Primitive Hare. His arm is shown holding onto the rein, his shoulder and his leg on the other side of the horse. It's looking pretty good.

So last night after I got home from work, I took my plastic bin full of charts and went through them. That's a dangerous thing for me to do because I'm like oh I want to start that, I want to start this, and so on! At any rate, I found radar stitching as in on my radar to stitch.

Let's take a look at them. Picture heavy and click on the pics to see them better. First up is...

S.A.'s Steamer Trunk, from the 2022 Christmas/Winter issue of PNPS magazine. I have the trunk and the fabric and floss that came in the trunk from Theresa Venette. That might take 3 days of stitching. I would FFO that just like the model.

I'm a fan of Val's Stuff Halloween designs. I'm waiting on the GAST Old Purple Paint for the giant cat. Adorable!

Now here's a chart that I've never seen before. I would like to make this stocking for my daughter

for her birthday. I would have to send it out to be FFO'd by someone as I've never sewed a stocking together.

Next...

You might know of my love of all things Christmas Carol! I wished I had printed out this PDF in color. Someone in a FB group I'm in made this into a long sampler by moving over the bottom portion. I'm too chicken to do that! So stocking it will be!

Witch Home. It would take me 3 hours tops to stitch this. I should, then I'd have 3 finishes to show for Stitch from Stash, haha.

 

An old chart book, I want to stitch the top piece with the words but just the Believe. I'll stitch the scene with Santa with the trees and the elf and keep Believe directly below. It'll have a rounded top. I may use 32ct fabric because at full size it comes out to 4 5/8" x 11 3/8" on 32. It's cute!

And I have had this pattern since 2016! Love the colors used on this one.

I'm getting that Christmas stitching itch but for something bigger than an ornament. In 36ct, it works out to a little over 7" x 4". The designer has an Etsy shop.

From the Little Stitcher, another Legends for Halloween design. I stitched one other called the Banshee already. I have cube plans for these. I think she has 1 more Legends design. I'll have to go check it out.

I'll continue the others on the next post. My phone has been acting up lately; might be time for another!

Nothing much going on here. The tropical storm Hilary didn't do much of anything but left it soupy here. Imagine Bride of Frankenstein with her hair left loose, that's how I looked! Haha.

Time to get lunch going. Thanks for your comments, I always appreciate it. I'm off to read any new blog posts from us sticklers. I still enjoy blogging!

Take care, see you soon!

All Things Stitchy

Well, it's the middle of August (seriously?), so I thought I'd post a newsy kind of post. I do have stitching!

Alrighty. Carol asked if we hang around in the AC here in AZ. Yes, we do! Haha! I feel for the people who live in the hotter areas here like along the Colorado River on the western border, the deserts south of me. Elevations differ heavily here. I live at 5100ft elevation and Phoenix is at 1,000+ I believe. The drive back to home from Phoenix is usually an ear-popping excursion, and vice versa. You need AC in the car, in the house, and at work. The temps have dropped though in the last 2 weeks because of our monsoons. In the last couple of days it's been soupy and we can blame it on Hurricane Hilary or by now she's Tropical Storm Hilary. We've had thick cloud cover as she moves north through Baja California but today the clouds are looking different! I think we're catching the outside bands of Hilary now. The worst of it will go through southern California and those people have my thoughts and prayers for sure! 

Let's talk stitching!

I joined up with Stitch from Stash 2017-23 again for this 2nd half of 2023. I ended July with a balance of $58. I gave myself a monthly budget of $20 plus I had 3 finishes in July and the credits were $38. This month is another matter!!

Haha!

I have 2 finishes so far...this one is Bee in Your Bonnet

designer is Summerhouse Stitche Workes. It was a WIP for at least 4 years. I stitched 1 over 2 on 32ct. Once again, I had white DMC issues with the very light honeycomb you can barely see. So I did a bit of frogging and used the right white to match the other 2 honeycombs. That bee skep is all Algerian eyelets which wasn't bad at all! I tend to build mountains out of mole hills! 

I'm so glad to get some of these old bigger WIPs finished. 

One more finish was a start last week and it took about 4 or 5 hours to stitch...

Salt of the Earth by Lucy Beam. Last weekend I was going through my stash and I saw this and decided to start it. I bought it as a kit last year from the website. It came with the 40ct white linen and 2 little buttons for the salt. I don't know if the kit is in stock. The designer says the little frame on the model can be found at Hobby Lobby. I now have 18 finishes on the year.

Now this start was something that was yelling at me to start! Over on Becky Nolan's FB group, this woman posted her finish and framed piece and I couldn't purchase the PDF fast enough! Here's her framed piece with her permission..

I had the perfect piece of fabric for this but didn't have the 2 floss for it so ka-ching! Here's how the chart model looks like ...

Please excuse the lamp reflecting on the left. I had to take a picture of the PDF on my iPad which is dumb because..well that's a story for another time...here's my start...

I'm not sure of the name but it's from the Atomic Ranch fabric line, 36ct using 2 skeins of GAST Cucumber and 1 of Purple Haze. It's funny how a pattern that you've seen doesn't stir up excitement until you see it stitched! I'm framing mine like hers and will hang it on the wall of the next place I live. I think we can all agree that we're a bit crazy for cross stitch!

Hmm, what's next? 

Oh, my regular stitching for the month. Roseannah Tindale 1840 is a start for summer camp on IG. She's on 32ct vintage country mocha using Flower threads. I mostly stitched in that left side border and then a little of the letters...

IRL, the border shows up better than my picture. The border is the first page of the graph. She might turn out to be a big girl! We'll see.

And here's Wicked Ride by The Primitive Hare...

I'm stitching this for a challenge and I count stitches that I make each week. Fun fact: an ancestor of mine in the late 1600s in Rhode Island is named Ichabod! 

Next up is a non-stitchy question...

This is a Christmas card that I bought from Country Sampler in Wisconsin. I thought it was pretty and that I could frame it for the season. I'm having a bit of trouble deciding on what color I should paint my frame. Click on the pic to see it better. A red matching the red in the candy cane or white or a rich green that matches her beautiful dress? It's just a pretty card. Leave your opinion in the comments.

Linda and Lee, I hope you've gotten your packages by now. Enjoy!

And that, my friends, is all she wrote. I did all my laundry for the new work week on Friday so I get to stitch all day today! I am getting things in the house together for a yard sale, or the 2nd hand store, or just trash. Moving is still on the cards within a year or two so I'm just getting a head start on organizing things. My craft room/bedroom is going to give me heartburn because of my books and all my cross stitch i.e fabric, pincushions, stash, cubes etc. I'm seeing lots of plastic totes in my future!

Take care and stitch a lot! See you soon🙋🏻‍♀️