Stitch from Stash October, Aarrgh!

Hello!

Lets get the first business of the day out of the way-Stitch from Stash:

Starting Balance: $23.15

  Add in October:   25.00=$48.15

Money Spent: $47.60 

What the heck did I buy?! PSS's Jacks Bash which I showed on a previous post, overdyed thread, two  fabric ornament cuts, two black DMC, piece of linen from Dixie Samplar, and Lady Rachel Ruth by Scattered Seed Samplers. The picture of this chart is below. It's so cute! 

New Starts: Tombstone Angel

WIPs or UFOs worked on: LK Scary Sampler, Dream Big, Pumpkins & Sunflowers, Harvest Delivery, and Early Witches

Ending Balance: $0.55 Yes, just 55 cents!! But! Mel has given us a $50 bonus to spend between now and the end of the year. I may be making the trip to Las Vegas again this year in December and there is a cross stitch shop there which I didn't know about last year; wish I did! I'll save that 50 for that shop.

So here's Lady Rachel Ruth..

So cute. I have the fabric for this, just need to buy the threads.

And here's progress on Early Witches..

There's something to be said for waiting (more like procrastinating!) for all the pieces to be released. The very last section had the entire graph so I didn't have to wait to stitch in sections. There's a method to my madness!

And look at Harvest Delivery..

I've started the horses tail there near that round thing! I'll be done by Thanksgiving like I wanted. See that needleminder? When I opened my exchange package I guess it fell down into the box and I didn't see it. While cleaning up, I grabbed the box and the needleminder fell out! Here's a closer look..

Isn't it cute? It's a bottle cap with the primitive-like picture of witchy owls attached to the bottle cap. It has a good strong magnet on the back. I love it! Thanks again Vickie!

Aarrgh! I received the Traveling Treasure Chest from Linda. It was like Christmas! Here's what I picked..

Both of them have fabric and threads! So the chest goes to Dima of the blog D1D2 

http://d1-d2.blogspot.com/

Thanks Kim for putting this together. I had fun!

Here we are a week from Halloween and nothing will be finished. I haven't even picked up Wicked to frog, I haven't finished Tombstone Angel, Early Witches is nowhere near done. I haven't started stitching on the Christmas exchange ornament yet which I will start this weekend. What I have been doing is putting together two months worth of charts, fabrics, and fibers for the SAL Linda from Stitching with my Furbabies is hosting in memory of SoCalDeb or Debbie. Yeah, I'm Crazy with a capital C! I'll have a nice mixture of BAPs, ornaments both Christmas and Halloween, larger Christmas and Halloween designs, magazine designs, WIPs, freebies. I didn't want to have nothing but BAPs. I would go bonkers without some finishes here and there. The scary thing is I have almost a months worth of charts that are ready to go! With fabric and fibers! Yikes! I sat down and added all my purchases so far and it's an outrageous number! All the charts I have lined up are in my stash and so are most of the fibers and fabric. I have to wait for the new year to buy the rest of the supplies! That's so bad! Have I not learned a darn thing being on a budget! Lol! I'll put up a list of my Crazy 60-something starts soon.

If you made it this far-Congrats! Hope I haven't bored you! I have cut down on the pictures but if you're anything like me, I do like a pic-heavy post. Welcome to the new followers! I appreciate all comments. Take care!

September Stitch From Stash, finishes, road trip pics, the exchange,etc..

Here we are, end of September. It's just going by too fast! Picture heavy by the way.

Friday night I stitched with the Sew-In and stitched right into Saturday and Sunday. There is no loss of mojo whatsoever but I do most of my stitching on the weekends anyway. During the week, I'm either too wiped out or stressed to pick up a needle. I also managed to finish a couple things too. Without further ado, here's SFS..

Beginning balance was: $52.75 with September's $25 added.

Money spent: $29.60 for two designs from the Primitive Hare, Wicked and Christmas Carol Sampler.

New starts from stash: Harvest Delivery

My Saturday and Sunday stitching. I'm stitching this on 32ct Platinum which I love. It's a nice all purpose fabric. It's a lot of fun.

WIPs or UFOs worked on: Exchange projects which is below, School Days, Vintage Stars, Merry Moose Wishes, LK Scary Sampler.

Balance is now $23.15. I could do better but...!

Here are my two finishes..

Designer is Plum Street Samplers, I think the chart is called My Pretties. I stitched this up a couple years ago as a huge pillow but it just looked terrible. So I cut it down and did this to it. I just noticed that a stitch is real loose, I'll have to fix that. And that PS ornament that is found in a JCS ornament magazine..

I need more Christmas ornaments! 

I just got an email from Joan who blogs at Stitching Squad (didn't get a link) that she received what I sent for the Harvest Exchange 2014. Besides a WTNT chart, floss to stitch it, scissors, needles, linen, wool, etc. I made these for her..

On the left is a door hanger. The design is from an older JCS issue. I also made the two wool leaves that are attached to the wire. I felt that wasn't enough so I stitched up the Scarlett House design and made the crown pin that is attached to the pillow at the upper left. She likes what I sent..woohoo!

As if my life isn't already busy, I up and joined the First Annual Christmas Ornament Exchange hosted by Angela at Hooked on Stitching http://hookedonstitches.blogspot.com/2014/09/first-annual-christmas-ornament-exchange.html

I think she has openings yet so go check it out. You make an ornament and send a card! That's it! 

I took some time off of work last week and my daughter and I drove to Jerome, AZ. for lunch at the Haunted Hamburger. It's named that because of the shenanigans something was doing with tools, noises, and such when the owners were renovating? Jerome is a ghost town that is still alive with about 300 people living there. The whole town is said to be haunted!

Our trip begins not too far from my home.. And into Jerome with its skinny roads

You can see the red rocks of Sedona in the distance. That's where we're going. The next pictures are entering or through Sedona. I love Sedona, it's so pretty there but their summers are pretty warm, in the low 100s most of the time but they also get some snow in the winter. Here we go..

This area has had a couple fires in the last year and you can see how the pines are burnt up, leaving just the tops. It's really greening up though because of the amount of rain we've had.

This would be my dream home!

This is Slide Rock State Park. Oak Creek runs through this portion, making the rock slick and its like a slide.

Lots of views.

See the rock above the white thing on the roof in the center of this pic? It's called Coffeepot Rock. Here's a better picture of it without the buildings..

See how it looks like an old style percolator coffee pot? You have the spout, the round thing on top, and the handle. On the other side of town, heading out toward Interstate 17, is Bell Rock which looks like a huge bell.

Now here's a picture that could answer a trivia question..

The only McDonald's in the entire US that doesn't have the yellow arches! They're turquoise. Zoning laws in Sedona allows only colors that reflect the area of the red rocks. Everywhere you go here, you notice the buildings, light poles, retaining walls are all a sandstone, brown, beige, or this turquoise color. It all looks very nice with the red rocks.

So I believe that's it. Hope you enjoyed the road trip. I'm hoping my iPad doesn't have too much trouble uploading all these pictures. I'm back to stitching on the LK sampler, determined to finish the thing before Halloween. Do I sound disgusted with the sampler? I am because its become a pain in my butt. I could've stitched more on the roof because now the satin stitches may be long in the lawn and I'm close to running out of the WDW Cadet for it. Grrr. I'll keep plugging away. Virpi's book she won is on its way to Finland and I'm crossing fingers it gets there. And Mary will soon be receiving her book too. All my business is done and I'm going to stitch! Take care and thanks for visiting!

August Stitch from Stash, Finishes, another book giveaway!

It's SFS posting time as I watch these last months slip away. I walked around in Hobby Lobby yesterday and they're in full Christmas mode! Over on my TUSAL dates at the right on this blog, I see only 5 dates left! Yikes!

On to SFS-

My beginning balance for this month was $52.75.

I spent: $3.16 for DMC

              5.97 for trims for finishing (though I could swear Mel stated that finishing items are exempt)

After that, all you-know-what broke loose! Market is its name and selling to a hapless stitcher on a budget is its game! I've asked Mel for my first Free Month which we're allowed when the willpower has all but disappeared. I've got to ask 'Have you seen the new Blackbird Designs?!!' I ordered 4 charts, 3 with fabric and fibers. Not to mention, Terri from Dixie Samplars has hand dyed fabric and they are scrumptious. I bought two pieces at great prices and they look and feel great. So, hence the Free Month!

New Starts from Stash-Merry Moose Wishes ornament, and exchange projects, which I cannot show. Speaking of this exchange, I have finished up the handmade item and have ordered and about to receive some goodies to ad to the package. We're to keep the goodies to $15-20. All of this is exempt from SFS because they're gifts. My time has been spent stitching this item. I wanted to slow down my new starts and am doing that.

WIPs or UFOs worked on-Lydia Broome Sampler-finished, LK Scary Sampler, Pumpkins and Sunflowers, and Winter Wind Sampler, here it is

I love stitching houses. Here's what I had last time

Pitiful, right?!

I spent almost all of yesterday doing some finishing. When I got out of bed, I thought it was a good day to do some finishing. As fleeting as that thought is, I grabbed it by the tail!

I finally stuffed it. Love all the skeletons.

Remember this, the Ruby Pemberton Sampler Pillow? I had run out of a GAST for it, and when I got it, it was darker than the older. Thanks to Annette who commented and said just finish it! Haha. Sometimes my indecision paralyzes me and now you can't even tell the difference! I decided to use a mixture of lizard sand and balsam to fill it and I used vintage seam tape to trim it. I ran a running stitch along the edge of the tape for the ruffle look. That took some time because not only did I have it sandwiched wrong between the front and back, I misplaced my seam ripper so off to Hobby Lobby to buy another! Here's what I have on the back

I'm lousy at whip stitching so I open a place in the back to stuff and slap a woolfelt heart to cover the opening! I love it and it smells so good from the balsam.

Remember the Mystery Christmas Sampler from Plum Street Samplers last year? Here she is

Kind of wonky at the lower left but oh well, it's not leaving my house! I decided to trim with the gold stuff because of the gold stars in the piece. Here's the back with my woolfelt heart!

One of the fabrics I also bought from Terri. It goes perfectly with the stitched colors.

Whew! I'm about to make my first cube finish and its going to look great! I've been checking out some tutorials on how to. I was supposed to do that and then post but forgot.

No one wanted the book in the last giveaway so how 'bout this one? :)

Chock full of Christmas designs. Here are some examples

Well taken care of. So follower or not, comment that you Want It and if at 7 days end, no one else wants it, you win! If more people want it, I'll draw names on the 31st. I'll ship overseas.

Another pic heavy, wordy blog post! Maybe I should post more in between my SFS and Turtle Trot posts. Tomorrow is TUSAL, so I'll be back for that. Thanks for coming by. I'm doing better at replying to comments I feel. Oh and please say a prayer for Debbie at Debbie's Stitching (I apologize if I have that wrong). She was said to have had a heart attack last Thursday evening and is in the hospital. Take Care y'all.

July's TUSAL and Stitch from Stash, progress, a finish, and stash!

How's everyone doing? This is going to be a long post with lots of pics. Just thought I'd warn you all! First I saw this over at 123stitch, borrowed the picture. I can say yes to 6 of these! Honestly now, what's your count?!

This is a new pattern on the New Items page at 123stitch.

So I'm doing double duty today for TUSAL and SFS. Here's my ort jar for the month of July

I have been stitching everyday, maybe a one day break when I finished my latest ornament. I took one ort out to show you how far down I go! I've looked at others and they're so long! Lots of blacks from Early Witches. 

SFS:

My ending balance from June was : $32.73

Add $25 for July:                               25.00

                                                       =57.73

Money Spent (I tried my best to make this a free month!):

$1.68 on GAST to finish the Sampler Pillow

  7.20 on LK Hats Off chart

  3.52 LK embellishment pack

  9.99 JCS Halloween issue

  2.20 on Colourworks thread (formerly Crescent Colours) for-

  5.39 LHN Red House in Winter

= $29.98! 

Ending balance is now $27.75 to carry over. I'm still buying too much I feel. I just need a couple skeins of an overdyed for a project I want to start in the next couple of weeks. After that, who knows?! Haha.

My new starts from stash were: Early Witches, the Mystery SAL with the Primitive Hare

I'm doing my best to get caught up but that's a lot of black! I'm using 32ct French Vanilla and I added some splotches with coffee and vanilla extract. So when I ironed this for its intro, up wafted the scent of warm vanilla! I know there's alcohol in the extract so I didn't use a lot. I'm taking this design almost right up the edges. Isobel did say that if you're going to frame, it'll have to be close without much border. I'm worried about how much length it'll take! 

Here's my ornament, from stash also. I tried to find a website for Cherrywood Design Studios. It's a real mystery because I printed the freebie from somewhere last year and I can't remember!

Isn't he cute?! I may make him a flat ornament with pins on the side. I'll just have to look for pins that'll match these colors.

And the last new start is from Pineberry Lane, the Lydia Broome Sampler

I'm using DMC on a mystery 36ct. I'll frame it for my mini wall.

WIPS or UFOS worked on: yes! Wicked, School Days, LK Scary Mystery Sampler, RP Sampler Pillow, and Dream Big.

Here's Wicked just recently

Before

I love the crow with his crown. I've made a mistake on the key handle, a miscount and I'm frustrated. The miscount is at the top, just to the right of the crow. I stopped at the bottom of that curve when it didn't meet up perfectly. I don't know whether to frog the top where the original problem started or leave it and adjust the bottom. It won't screw up the body of the key whatever I do. So I just dropped this and moved onto something else!

Here's School Days now

Those birds and the darker leaves are a bit darker than in real life. I'm about ready to add my initials and a date below the bird at the left of the trunk, and the trunk. The roof of the schoolhouse starts below those three birds. Can't wait!

Here's what I had before

And the last of the pictures, the RP Sampler Pillow, and the skein of Claret that I had to buy to finish this but I have another problem

See the W? The right leg is the newest skein of Claret and the older skein on the left. That older skein I've had for years! And it's so much lighter than the newer. What to do. Ugh, I hate that. I get a little persnickety from time to time and if I said I'll keep stitching it just to have a finish and that I'll use it just stinks to me! We'll see!

Any temptations this time around? Everything's a temptation right now! Anything that is Halloweenish/Autumn, is. Maybe because its been so hot here. This past week it's been 97 or so, and then our monsoon rains finally came back Thursday and yesterday with a vengeance, knocking out a transformer near work. I got to come home early yesterday!

I finish finished an ornament too

I had it sewed up a couple weeks ago and needed more stuffing. I used the fabric it's sitting on as the backing and used the ric rac to trim it. It's a keeper. I have more things to be finished so I need to get my butt to the sewing machine.

Want to see my stash?

I see about 5 designs in the Halloween mag that I want to stitch. And of course, Praiseworthy Stitches always has worthy designs in these issues that I want to stitch. And then the LK design and the LHN one. I've seen that one stitched up before on blogs but never thought much of it. This time, had to have it! That red of the house is beautiful.

I believe that's it! Thanks for hanging in there. I'm hoping to have more finishes by the time Turtle Trot day comes around. I need to justify the stashing and all I keep doing is starting stuff! Then there's more of my 2014 new starts that I haven't touched in months that I should be taking care of. What I really need to do is win a lottery worth a couple hundred million and then, I can stay home!

Take care! I appreciate your comments!

Stitch From Stash June

For this months SFS, we were given a $50 bonus of which I took advantage of! Thanks Mel! It's quite convoluted though and I just hope Mel can figure this one out!

Beginning Balance was $33.13

Regular June amount-   $25.00=$58.13

Add $50 bonus =$108.13

I spent $14.00 on Miss Baxter's House by Stacy Nash

               0.46 on a skein of DMC to finish Fancey Blackett

              22.55 in fibers for Miss Baxter

              15.90 for the patterns for the Primitive Hare Mystery SAL

              11.09 fabric for Miss Baxter

              11.40 fabric for the PH SAL

for a grand total of $75.40 in purchases! I now have a new balance of $32.73 (108.13 - 75.40).

I had 2 new starts from stash: Happy Bunny Bunny Day by the Trilogy (which i showed on a previous post) and Wicked by Barbara Ana Designs. Here's what I have for Wicked

WIPs I worked on were Fancey Blackett, Snowy Night, R.B. Sampler Pillow, Dream Big, LK Scary Mystery Sampler, and School Days. Here's progress on Dream Big

And what it looked like before

Here's School Days before

And now

The colors of this sampler are what it really looks like. 

I really blew a hole in my budget so I've got to watch it from here on out. In July the new Halloween JCS issue comes out and I've reserved a copy from 123stitch and that will be the end of the money leak. Well, until I see what kind of things are in the Halloween issue!

I'm off to stitch. Take care!