Eek-stravaganza!!

Welcome to my 2nd annual Halloween party! Anybody who's followed me here in stitchy blog land knows I love Halloween 🎃👻

Grab some finger foods and let's celebrate!

Last year I had several Halloween FFOs, 8 of them. This year not so many. This was a weird year for stitching. I didn't have many spooky smalls to FFO!

Let's looks at them...

Here's Vintage Witch by The Little Stitcher on Etsy. She's an Italian designer...

She's on 32ct linen I believe, a mystery piece. I bought the frame from Hobby Lobby. I was going to paint the frame black but once I got her in there, I thought it looked nice. The design pops!

Next up is this pin pillow that I cannot remember who designed it!...

Or the name of it! It's on linen and I probably finished it a year or two ago. I tweaked the man's clothing to be a black dressing coat with tails and gray trousers. The pattern had him wearing what looked like a robe! That would not do! I added a black bat pin and a black button in the top left corner. They have reunited in the afterlife, aww❤️

Last but not least is Halloween...

From a JCS Halloween preview issue, she's a long one! Another finish that sat and sat and waited to be FFO'd. If you look closely, you'll see the orangey ric rac that I sewed in between in border and the top of the cotton fabric. That was horrifyingly stressful! I had forgotten how to sew ric rac onto a piece of fabric. I don't think there's any one way to do that though!😂 The backing fabric is the same as the front. 

There you have it! Just 3 FFOs but I'm happy just the same. If you'd like to know the details of which designer and which JCS issue those last 2 came from, let me know in comments 

I also had a spooky finish and that is Halloween Delivery by Plum Street Samplers...

Oops, looks like I forgot the small crow on on the back tire! I don't know how many times I posted a picture of this and forgetting that I needed to stitch the crow! Anyway! I used called for colors and a 36ct linen that I can't remember! The brain fog is alive and well! This is the 2nd stitching of this design, it's a favorite. I'll either frame it or turn it into a medium sized pillow.

I also have 2 WIPs that I worked on. It's Fall Frolic by the Scarlett House...

On 36ct Vintage Cedar Plank by Lakeside linen and called for floss except one, the white was supposed to be CCW Baby Chick. I didn't have it so I used DMC 3865. I almost made it because the end of the key is 3 or 4 stitches from the zigzag border. So much going on here. See the 4 stitch thingamajiggers strewn about, like that to the left of the moon? There were more! I'm leaving a few of those off. I marathon stitched this piece hoping to have another FFO for today but it'll be ready for next year🤞🏼🤞🏼

Onto a WIP that I picked up here and there....

Witch Hill by Ship's Manor. Last time I had the house and a few rows of the hill, may have had tops of a few gravestones. I'm now down to the pumpkin garden with all the oranges. 

That's it with stitching.

Onward with the party!

I have 2 poisonous plants growing in my yard. First one is Sacred Datura...

Isn't that pretty?! Blooms at night and then dies when the sun comes up. Perfect Halloween plant. Don't get too close though, the entire plant is poisonous. If you touch it anywhere, its toxins can be absorbed in to the skin. They are hallucinogenic and in larger doses, like eating it, can cause delirium, convulsions, and death. It's native to AZ and the Southwest. I read they will grow in the same spot, they really do, every year! I guess you can call them a perennial😳

The last BAD plant is the Silverleaf Nightshade...

A nasty weed, they grow in my yard every single summer. My yard man hates them because the stem is nearly as thick as a pencil. His weed wacker cord breaks everytime. Look at how pretty those flowers are! Ingesting the flowers or the seed pods (see bottom of plant for the pods, they are green) will cause gastrointestinal irritations and nervous system effects like trembling, labored breathing, and paralysis in both humans and livestock. It's also native to AZ and comes from the potato family!

How about some laughs? This one is my favorite!

🤣🤣🤣😂😂😆😆

And the party is over. Thanks for joining me! Please take some candy home with you. I have tonight off from work so I'm buying Chinese takeout later and watching an old Vincent Price horror movie and Hocus Pocus, both on DVD. We don't get trick or treaters on my street so it'll be peaceful and spooky!

Hope you get more treats than tricks!🎃

See you in November! Eek!

Long time no see

Hi all! It's been almost a month since the last time I posted. I'm stitching of course but pretty much only on 2 projects so that was all l had. Today I'm starting a new piece which I'll talk about below.

Truth be told, I've been a little under the weather. Although I live in AZ, I still get the seasonal blues. I'm also stressing on a few things. All I'm doing is stitching and not doing what I should. I mean, I go to work but on the weekends I get very lazy. 

I finally FFO'd a couple things yesterday after getting after myself! However, I can't show them because they're Halloween pieces. I have a few more to do before Halloween.

So let's take a look at my stitching:

Since the last post, I've only stitched on 2 projects- Disturbed Women and a new start after putting down Women. I think I showed the new on Instagram. Here's Disturbed Women with a few more stitches...

I need to finish the 2 borders and the rest of the words. This is kinda big and it's on 36ct! It'll be framed and hung near the door of my future craft room.

After looking at kitted (trying not to kit still!) projects, I started Halloween Delivery by PSS, the before picture....

and after...

This is the 2nd time I've stitched this and for some reason it feels and looks small! It's on 36ct🤷🏻‍♀️ I think I used a 30 or 32ct fabric for my 1st Halloween Delivery. As you can see, I've done a lot to it. I'm pretty sure I can finish this by Halloween. 

Buuut, I'm starting a new piece today, something I've also stitched once before! A couple weeks ago, my daughter was over to grab junk to haul to the dump. We were inside talking and she saw my FFO from the last post, the Santa's Ride cube. I left it on the shelving after I took its picture. She wants one!! Same colors, same final finish. So off I went to the PN&PM magazine's website to purchase a digital copy. I bought another piece of 36ct PTP Ale and 2 flosses I was missing at 123stitch. I still need more straight pins and a hard styrofoam form to use. I hope I can have it done by the last week of November. Here it is again...

I feel that when your kid asks for something stitched, you gotta drop everything to start it!

I'm lucky she likes my stitching❤️

Also happening soon is my Halloween party here on the blog. I FFO'd 2 Halloween finishes yesterday, can't show them, and have about 3 more to do. Two pieces, and 1 is the Vintage Witch I showed my last post, may get framed in black ornate oval frames. Off to Hobby Lobby to look for oval frames. I figure if I can't find them black, I'll paint or spray paint them black. I found 2 but after getting home, 1 is not going to work. The frame for the Vintage Witch works but needs painting....

While there, I walked through the needle arts section looking for mat board because I want to finish some things as flat ornaments. Look at what I found....

See the mat board and how curved it is? Big no for me. I was thinking if I cut down from the long side as it's pictured, I may avoid the curving opposed to cutting down from the shorter side after turning it a quarter turn. I didn't buy it.

Then I realized I needed foam board for the back of my laced pieces, my first time lacing, btw. I went to the framing section and found a big sheet but it was over $11! Not in my budget. Asked the clerk about smaller pieces and he says no. I'll figure something out. Got any tips, Carol? 😉

That is it for my stitching.

It's Jingle Ball ticket time this coming Friday! Anybody going? I am and I'll be taking Liz Mathews class for the snow globes. I also have to have the Stacy Nash Gingerbread House PDF that's being released at the Ball. I'm looking forward to that! 

What other things have I been doing?

We dealt with the remnants of Hurricane Priscilla. It began raining last Thursday and stopped early Saturday morning. The sun came out yesterday! It was a nice rain but some areas were flooded. I haven't heard of any losses or deaths though. And that's good.

I bribed my daughter again to go watch the last movie of Downton Abbey. They said to bring tissues and I'm glad I did. The ending parts will get you😂

So last post I ended it with an announcement. I am moving! Possibly around the beginning of November. Have I begun to pack? Nope! The procrastination is large and in charge! I'm moving 45 minutes away. I won't have to deal with scraping iced up windshields or sketchy driving on snowy roads. Where I'm going it gets almost as hot as Phoenix during the summer though. I'm worried about that. It hit 110 a couple times in July and August. I am welcoming the change. Probate on this house I'm in will have to wait. I need to sit down with the paralegal and have him walk me through the paperwork. Last October the probate was declined for various reasons and I have to do it all over again, ugh.

I think this is it! I'm parked in the library's lot typing this out using their free Wi-Fi. It's a good place. I'm starting Santa's Ride as soon as I get home.

It was good to visit with you all. Be sure to drop in on Halloween Day to see my Eek-stravaganza!

Stay safe and I'll see you soon😊

Starts and an FFO

Hi all! Hope you're well and enjoying some cooler weather. Here's to hoping my phone will cooperate!

A little housekeeping first. I want you all to know I've tried to comment on your blogs but it's a no go with this phone. It just doesn't run good without wifi. The only place I can get wifi is the library and I can't get over there all the time. 

I FFOd the cube that I asked for help choosing the fabric for the backing and the sides. I just finished and here she is

 

I used the fabric that was my first pick. The wire ribbon has a linen feel to it and is darker than my picture shows. Just a simple bow this time. 

Warning! From this point on it's all Halloween! 

Bwahaahaaa!

First up is...

Dr Raven! I have the mask completely stitched. I still need to find a substitute for WDW Sand for the lining of his ears. It's just a strip of color, not worth buying a whole skein. So put him down to work on...

Witch Hill by Ship's Manor. I was going to join the SAL that a flosstuber started, hashtag with witch in it but I decided not to. On 36ct linen. I've had this kitted forever! It takes some backstitching. I have floss substitutions for this one too because some areas are just a few stitches.

Next is You're Freakin' Meowt...

I have all the wording stitched, the spider in, and the top of the cats head. It's a lot of stitching for the head.

And if all that wasn't enough, I started this witch by The Little Stitcher...

I'll get this framed in a black oval frame.

Truth be told, I'd like to get back to some WIPs but I'll try to hold off!

That's it for the stitching.

This past week has been stressful that I've been hermitting this weekend. Thursday it was 9/11 but my dad died on the 11th also in 2007 . It takes me a couple days to get on. Then the goings on in this country have me upset. I won't get into that!

I guess this is all I had. Next time I post I'll have big news and I'll share it then.

Take care! It's a perfect time to practice kindness with such other❤️‍🩹❤️❤️❤️

The 'ber' months!

Yay, the ber months are here! Happy Labor Day to all although I know some of you are retired. It just means cooler weather is near. I see some of you out East are getting cooler weather already. It did cool down here the first part of last week but the last 2 days we roasted! Around August 13 or 14, our monsoon came back and it rained for 4 days straight! Sometimes twice a day. It also meant being devoured by mosquitoes, ugh. Today it's nice.

I have a bunch to share so let's get going!

So the last post I mentioned starting a little rotation...that flew out the window! I was working on A Bit of Spring by BBD and I thought I was going monogamous. Here is what I stitched so far...

This is why I didn't do a blog post because all I had been working on was this.

Here's how it was before...

A good amount of progress.

After I put down A Bit of Spring, I picked up Martha Richardson...

She's not a big sampler and only uses 4 flosses. I extended the right border vine and put in the color for the flowers. I'm sure I can get this finished this month but Halloween and Fall stitching is beckoning!

Next WIP I worked on is my Merry Christmas Sampler...

Part of the alphabet is in and the entire band of gold and white stars. On the left, I started the flowers. 

Then I abandoned my WIPs for Halloween stitching!

Here's Dr Raven, an animal cracker from Stacy Nash. A PDF, bought it during Jingle Ball last year. I just started him last night...

On the called for fabric, but a 36ct grey by WDW. I watched a bunch of flosstubes while stitching the Dr. Before him though, I started this cutie...

My fabric is not the called for but all the floss is. I have the button eyes for the cat. Stinkin' cute! How do you like my needleminder? I have another Halloween piece waiting in the wings.

Being that it's a 3 day weekend, I decided to FFO a few things and also because I said I would last post! 

This is Merry Winter by I think Homespun Elegance. I don't know what the fabric is, it's stiff, and I used silk floss, Belle Soie. So I admit I'm sawdust snooty! I love sawdust in my pillows but I also have a 5 qt bag of lizard sand and used that on this...

It's fine, it really is, lol! This is a finish from a while back. I used seam ribbon for a bow with a rusty bell. It's nice 🙂 

Next is a small cube with a freebie, I think, from Shepherd's Bush. The hard styrofoam I cut off a long piece which you'll see below...

Is he cute or what?! The top decoration is temporary for now until I find something better.

Another view.

Now I need audience participation!

Here's a Christmas piece from a Punch Needle and Primitive Stitch magazine. I can give particulars later. I found 3 seasonal fabrics to go with but can't make up my mind. Help me choose!

First up...

Be sure to let me know what you think. Too bright for this one?

2.

Maybe too shiny?

3.

This fabric is the forerunner for me. The colors match something in the stitched piece. I have the piece amounted on the hard styrofoam already. I'll show it next post in all its shining glory!

I also won a PDF from Stitching With the Housewives. I went to their Etsy shop and chose this chart because I stitch into the wee hours! I get off work at 11 pm so I go to bed around 12:30 or 1 am.

I love it!

Carol, this holiday season take in a ballet of The Nutcracker. You'll love it! When my daughter was 7 or 8, she and I saw the Moscow Ballet's Nutcracker and it was magical. I think that's when I became enamored with all things Christmas Carol and nutcrackers😊

Well, this was a fast posting! I'm at the public library using their free wifi to post this while fighting off mosquitoes!!🤣🤣my phone just doesn't work well without wifi! Library is closed but we can access the wifi.

I might have had more to talk about but I'll find out and be sure to post next time 

You all take care and we'll see you soon!

Smitten

Good afternoon! For the record, I am not smitten with another human! I am smitten with Primrose Cottage🩷🩷🩷 

We'll jump right in! I have 2 finishes for July, 1 I think I forgot to show, and that's Hello Summer by Primrose Cottage!...

If you sign up for their newsletter, you receive a free Friday design but 2 weeks before, you can order the kit which is fabric, floss, and a gift and/or the finishing supplies. That's what I did for this one, the July stitch, and the May which is a patriotic stitch. And because Carol/Stitching Dreams showed her Bee display, I have to stitch the Primrose Cottage free Friday piece for August, a Bee design! Lol. I'll always love Lizzie Kate but I have room to do Primrose Cottage too!

My 2nd finish is Clara's Christmas by Hands on Design...

The colors are pretty washed out. The dress is pinker and the fabric is more blue with some red in it. It's pretty! I made a few changes, a few mistakes, haha. A change was leaving off a green line running through the bottom of her dress. I love the nutcracker too! The designer released this during Jingle Ball 2024 but I haven't checked to see if it's on her website.

I have progress to show...

Noel Sampler by WTN&T. I got the the roof in and started the red walls below it.

I've come upon a rotation of sorts, and that is to look at a WIP and decide what big section can I work on to make some progress. Some progress is better than no progress, right?! So with Noel, I did the roof and then moved onto something else. That something else was Morticia's Second Line, my #spookysummer piece....

Last week, I stitched up the parasol and started on the dancing skeleton. Just last night I finished the skeleton and then had to finish the flowers on the horse's rump. Then the reins and the line going to the funeral coach, see the pic above. That dancing skeleton and parasol were my plans for this new rotation. Today, I've started back on Merry Christmas Sampler...

Directly below the white zigzag border are gold and white star motifs; you can see the gold ones easily. Stitching the white stars and the first row of alphabet will be on the drawing board for today and the week. 

l'm liking this rotation plan!!

I have another WIP I want to work on after Morticia and it's this Blackbird Design...

So pretty! It's in the Ooh La La book.

But that's not all!

I want to start Halloween Delivery by PSS sometime...

So I've stitched this once before🤷🏻‍♀️but this will be mine. It'll be part of the #spookysummer stitching.

Has it ever been hot!! High 90s, low 100s, I'm weary of it. Today, it actually rained for 10 minutes but the sun is out again. It's definitely the dog days of summer!

Well, that didn't take long. 

I hope to have some final finishes to show next time. I was watching a flosstube and she showed mat board that she ordered from 123stitch! How come I didn't think of that?! I'm hoping it's not bowed.

Take care, stay cool, and see you soon!

Post!

Happy Monday! A couple days ago I thought of a clever title for this post. I even wrote it down on a post it note but lost it! That's how my life has been lately. Which is why I've had my nose in my cross stitch for the past couple of weeks. Seems to be the only thing normal right now.

I'm at home smelling wood burning coming through my door. Everything seems to be on fire out this way. Two big fires way in northern AZ. I'm sure you've heard of the one that burned down the Grand Canyon North Rim lodge and historic cabins. Washington state, Idaho, Nevada, and California all have some large fires. 

Back to the fun stuff! Lets take a look at what I've been stitching on😊

Carol said in her comment last post that it would be nice to see Winter at Beacon House more often. I agreed. Here's how it looked before...

And the progress I have now...

I got the lighthouse in but not the rest of it at the top. I need GAST Wrought Iron for all the black in this piece like the inside border. I ran out and will eventually order a couple of skeins as I'm doing 2 over 2. It'll get easier once I get to the ocean. There's more of the sand/snow stitching but not as much as the left side took! After that it'll be smooth sailing (pun intended😊).

After that, I picked up Noel Sampler by WTN&T...

I stitched the rest of the border in from where that 2nd chimney is and turned the corner. I think I'm using a 36ct linen. I then started on the roof. The whole house is scaring me, haha! Also, for the snowflakes scattered about, I need a different white because the called for DMC is getting lost in my fabric. I haven't looked just yet. My MO stitching a sampler is jumping around, especially if I'm filling in a large flower or stitching the border; I get bored. I like to go in and start filling in smaller motifs amongst the flower vases, etc, then start moving down and to the right. 

Alrighty! Next up is...

No rhyme or reason 😅 I have more progress, not a lot but some. It's a pretty piece, in line with my Christmas Carol by Dickens kind of decorating.

 Here she is...

I nearly have the border done and I've started the caroler. I think I'm using 36ct and doing 1 over 2. She'll be a pin pillow.

Next is...

Deer Tier, and she's done. It's smaller than the first one I stitched. This didn't take me long. Can you see the huge difference between the picture and the floss I'm using? That middle section, I had to backstitch the tops. I think they're supposed to be roofs but the two CCW floss used blended in. They don't on the model. I'm not crazy about the dark color of the deer on my piece but I'll live with it. So this is 2 out of 9 in this series. I have another chart and will need to buy the other 6. Hopefully, I'll keep at it and have them ready for the holiday season. Fat chance though because I'm feeling Autumn and Halloween!

After I push publish I'll tackle more roof on the Noel Sampler and watch flosstube.

The weather has been nice. The monsoon storms have made an appearance, knocking down the temps and making things humid but not a lot. The saying for us in AZ is "But it's a dry heat"!! It's still hot in the deserts though.

I think that's it. Anybody starting patriotic stitching for our country's 250 year bday next year? I think about it and then say nah! Lol.

Take care, and see you soon!

Independence Day!

 

Happy Friday! I am in my stitchy spot about to stitch and thought I should do a blog post. It's weird because it's been over 2 weeks since the last post but it feels like it was just a few days ago! 

In reading your comments I see a couple of you are fans of Mike and Ike's! I myself like hard candies, like Jolly Ranchers, lemon drops, etc. 

Today, I have a new start and progress to show. So let's do it!

FOMO. We all know what it means. I'm in a FB group called Fans of Blackbird Designs. I was scrolling through it looking at all the pictures. I have one I've been wanting to start so that's what I did! 

On 36ct Patriot's Brew by R & R. I love this fabric! It has a great handle to it and the color is perfect. The called for fabric is a 32ct but you know me, I like to shrink sizes down. It's been fun. I substituted some floss for the ones I didn't have. BTW, the book this design is in is calked Ooh La La. There are 3 other designs I want to stitch from it. 

WIPs

I'm still working on wips! I think my 61 new starts is over😁I'm having a blast just stitching on whatever. Here's a spooky one that was my 2nd new start in January. As you can see I have a lot more stitching to go. The moon is made up of 5 or 6 colors so it's been a slog

The next one is O'Tannenbaum...

by WTN&T. I finished it! On Brenda's blog, she has a layout on how to stitch this. She says to stitch them vertically. If you look at the symbols on the graph you'll see they're vertical. I don't know if that makes sense! What's funny is that since finishing this piece, I've confused myself stitching horizontally now! I want to turn whatever I'm stitching sideways! Anyway, I might start the 2nd design in the pattern which is the words that are shown in the picture on the lower right. I also have the box for this. 

Then! From the Halls of Time, I pulled out Winter at Beacon Hill by Praiseworthy Stitches...

My fabric is actually bluer than the picture. It's Winter Sky by Lakeside Linens, when it was so easy to find Lakeside! Do you long timers recognize this? It's from the Jan/Feb 2011 JCS magazine and it's been a WIP for that long. It lives in its own plastic storage container and I pass by it several times a day. I stitched just a row and a half of snow coming off the deer's leg where it's bare of stitches. Later on today I will continue filling in that bare area and then fill in the snow around the alphabet.

Here's how it looks finished...

I also had a finish!

It's darker in real life. Flowers of Freedom by Samplers and Stitches. Cute little design🙂

On the home front, nothing much going on. I'm going to my daughter's place for a cookout tomorrow. Tonight I will be home to watch over my kitties when the fireworks go off. My Mama cat is deaf so the boom doesn't bother her but they do Momo who can hear. My cats are now 17 and 16.

And that's all she wrote! I'm watching a Harry Potter movie bug I see Sully Stitches has a new flosstube out so I'll grab my stitches and get with it!

Thanks for stopping in! We will meet again in a couple weeks. 

See you soon!