Update!

Hope you've got green on! 

Greetings from a soggy Arizona!! The rain and snow has finally stopped. I saw the sun for a little bit yesterday morning after 3 or 4 days of rain or snow. No snow where I live but snow on the mountains that ring this valley.

Let's talk stitching! I have updates on WIPs and a look at a few market purchases, and life. Let's go!

So first up is Jack's Bash by Plum Street Samplers...

I'm still hoping for a finish this month but it's doubtful. I'm now down to Jack and the woman and the over 1 verse! That black spot on the inside of the inner border at left is the beginning of the woman's umbrella. So there's still a lot more to stitch.

Next up is Dog's Declaration by Ink Circles...

I love stitching on this. It will eventually be a framed gift for my daughter. Below and right of Life is a dog and two squirrels, the beginning of many more strewn about on this piece. This page is #1 of 9 I believe. I usually don't go page by page but I think I will on this one.

Now we have Yule by The Primitive Hare...

This has been a WIP for awhile. I was looking through WIPs a couple weeks ago and just pulled it out and put in more stitches. It's intensive being a bricklayer! I'm in no hurry to finish Yule.

On Leap Day I started my project for the SAL hosted by Chris the Camping Stitcher. This is Deer Mug from Shannon Christine...

I kind of wish I'd bought a little darker fabric for this but oh well🤷🏻‍♀️ I was sure all the white in the border was going to kill me but it's not so bad! It's mirror image so it's the same on all sides. I'm still needing 1 DMC which I'll get tomorrow. Now I know I'm not finishing this this month! That's okay as this SAL runs all year long.

Since the Easter blog hop is coming up, I decided to start a design which is super cute but secret! You'll all see it when you stop by on Easter 🐰🐣

I bought 3 charts for market through Garon Stitchery and here they are...

We've got the Mary Ann Aldred sampler by Needlework press, The Dance by the Proper Stitcher, and Tonight We Ride by Autumn Lane. I could've done more damage but can't as I'll explain below. I had been seeing people stitch on the two bigger patterns and wondered why. Turns out they were either retreat or club exclusives. You know me, gotta have a Halloween pattern!

That's it for the stitching. I have finally got the probate wheels going on the family home, hence being careful spending money. I found a paralegal to do an informal probate on the house. Cheaper than a lawyer but not much, lol. At the end of this month is when he'll start processing paperwork. My 2 brothers have to okay my application to being the rep which won't be a problem because my brothers and I get along. Next I have to take an online class on how to be an estate representative. Then, I have to take the class completion certificate, the will, the paperwork, and money to file at the courthouse. Then we wait. Now the will is pretty primitive. With guidance from the hospice nurse, I took a piece of paper and wrote the will with my dad on his death bed (he died 4 days later). Of the neighbors who were witnesses, the husband has since died and the widow moved to Phoenix to live with her son. I am trying to find out if she's still alive.

Wish us luck that the judge will accept the will! It's supposed to take 6-9 months from the beginning to completion but we'll see🤞🏼now the work begins with clearing the house. What I'm afraid of is the tax on the proceeds of the sale of this house. I believe you don't get taxed severely if you take those proceeds and buy another house. I could be wrong.

So that's what's going on in my world! Stitching is keeping me sane, haha!

I will be back on Easter with my blog hop post. You'll get to see the new start. It's just adorable!

Take care! See you soon!

Jack and I

Hi all! Thought I'd get on here and make a post before we move into March! 

First, I want to welcome a new follower here to my blog and that is Mary@Neat & Tidy! Hope you find it interesting here. I show and talk about my stitching, mention road trips when I take them and personal life stuff. She found her way here via Carol at Stitching Dreams. Applause please!👏🏼

Stitching! There's a lot. I have a happy dance and that is These Is My Words by Little House Needleworks...

I believe it's stitched on a PTP and a former WIP for 6 years. I'd have to go back through my blog to see when I started it. I had stitched on this for a Halloween challenge and once I was done I unjoined myself from that challenge. It turned out great and I'm glad she is done🥰

For the whole month of February I stitched on only 4 projects and they are Dogs Declaration by Ink Circles. Bertha Mae Brown by Chessie and Me, and Rose E'er Blooming by Summerhouse Stitche Workes....

This is Dogs and I love stitching on this. That vine and flower border on the left will get you because of the different colored flowers on it. Luckily, there are only 3 more bumps/curves on that vine. That represents almost 1 page of the whole design and it's been designated my Sunday stitch.

Next is Bertha...

I have 2 more rows to go before I can stop stitching alphabets! Whew! I can't wait to start on the flowers, deer, and the house.

And here is Rose, my bday start the end of January...

So pretty and not very big, I'm glad I used the fabric I'm using. I did have to change the DMC Ecru floss to DMC Blanc. It's in the snowflakes and the row of snowflakes there at the very bottom. Ecru just disappeared into my fabric. My picture is not so great.

The 4th and last project is Jack's Bash by Plum Street Samplers...

Jack and I, we're getting along good. He's turned me into a monogamous stitcher! I've stitched on him exclusively for a week and a half. But as relationships go, there are a few mistakes, and the biggest is very visible! On the right side in the vertical flower border is the glaringly yellow flower, haha! It's not supposed to be yellow, aka GAST Brandy, but Sarsaparilla. I had stitched 3 petals before finding out I was using the wrong floss! Well, I left it alone and I think it throws in a bit of color amongst the Fall-ish colors. I will continue to stitch on Jack so I can have him finished in March. I think I can do it! Jack is the last of the challenge with the Halloween group.

On the 14th was the Secret Stitching Sweetheart Blog hop. I found my Valentine at Jocondine's blog...

This is The One by Asbery's Echoes Stitches, and I finished it just like the model on the chart. Rusty bell held in place by a rusty safety pin. I stuffed it with sawdust, my favorite kind of stuffing but messy as all get out! But I love it!

The Valentine sent to me has been claimed by Anonymous...

It's so cute! Glad it was claimed by it's maker!

Grace at Needles Pins and Dragonflies had a recent adoption and look who I adopted...

Is that cute or what?! This is Bleu. Tiny little handmade stuffed dog. Love it! Grace is a multicrafter who keeps busy crafting all sorts of pretty creations. I keep Bleu away from my cats! Thank you Grace!

Oh one more thing! On the 29th, those of us who joined in on The Camping Stitcher's leap year SAL will commence stitching on new starts. Here's mine...

I finally decided on the light blue fabric. It's 32ct vintage Blue Whisper linen by Wichelt. It's a bit stiff but not so bad as Lambswool. I'm using called for and substituted floss. The white floss will show up great on that fabric. 

I believe this is it! So I'm stitching on the Christmas Mug and Jack's Bash through March. That's it! It'll be different for sure.

Take care and see you soon!

Secret Stitching Sweetheart Blog Hop 2024

Happy Valentine's Day!! It is time for the Secret Stitching Sweetheart blog hop! We post a picture of the creation of an anonymous sweetheart and then search through the participants to see who has ours. Another fantastic brainchild of Jo's at the Serendipitous Stitcher. Be sure to go to her blog for a list of sweethearts:

https://serendipitousstitching.blogspot.com/2024/02/secret-stitching-sweetheart-blog-hop.html

Here is what I've received:

The sweetheart who made this little cutie is out there somewhere! I'm off to find where mine has landed! But first, I'll leave you with a heartfelt chuckle or two❤️❤️

😆😆

Have a lovely day!!❤️❤️

Freedom!

Hi all! While it's still fresh in my mind, I tried to leave comments on Astrid's and DJ's blogs but Google keeps saying an error occured. Astrid, I'm so sorry on the loss of your furry family member Ming. She had a wonderful life and so will the two new kitties. DJ, your recent stitches are lovely and Anne Thomas is gorgeous 😍

Hope everyone has thawed and/or dug out! Here in the West several cold fronts are supposed to swing down into the SW and who knows what that will entail. Too soon to tell the weather people are saying.

I better start talking about stitching! I have a finish, a couple FFOs, and etc etc. Let's go!

I was surprised to see a few of you were also in the Halloween group that is ending soon. Linda, I knew you were in it and I'm sorry you bought extra Dragon charts to do the one challenge. I think the admin added so many different challenges, it got out of hand. It's like Teri/Dixiesamplar and the exchange she ran. However, it was the participants who probably had a hand in the demise. It's hard to herd people! 

Moving on! I have 2 WIPs I'm doing with the Halloween group. Jack's Bash and These Is My Words. Here's the latter...

I am now in the very last part of this stitch. I have text and flowers/cacti left to do and it'll be a Happy Dance! Can't wait!

Jack's Bash is the other and I feel I've done a lot with it...

Having fun!

I read the comments left at the last post (I always read them) and Honeybee/The Copper Fox said 'Enjoy your freedom!' And you know what? It is freedom! Freedom to stitch on whatever I want with no counting stitches! But first, I up and joined a SAL! Haha! A very informal SAL I might add. The Camping Stitcher on FB is hosting a Leap Year SAL for new starts. Since I planned on starting the Christmas Mug series from Shannon Christine around the same time, it was a no brainer to start on Feb 29. I may take a page out of Carol/Stitching Dreams book and stitch them all on black linen! I do have a small piece of 32ct black linen that I'll stitch a few stitches on to see how it looks.

That's the only SAL that I'm joining!

Next I have progress on a few WIPs. Here's Dog's Declaration from Ink Circles ..

I got my order from 123stitch a few days after my last post which had the missing skeins of Valdani floss to stitch the vine. You can see on the chart it goes halfway down on the left. Then I picked up Bertha Mae Brown by Chessie and Me...

She's just pretty with her pinks and reds. I think I stitched the P to the w and then to her name and the sawtooth line. There are 4 more rows of letters to go before the fun stuff i.e. flowers, deer, baskets, and a pink house.

I have a finish and that's the Jingle Ball 2023 ornament and folks, that skirt is no joke filling in that green!

I'm not sure what fabric this is but with the white dots it's pretty. Once I find flat mat board, I'll make it a flat ornament. Designed by Lindy Stitches.

I also had a designated FFO day a couple weeks ago and here's what I have to show...

Feliz Navidad. From a JCS ornament preview issue I can't find as I'm scrolling on my iPad looking for my post of when I finished it. Here it is-July/August 2012. My coworker is Mexican so this'll go to her for Christmas this year. I'm thinking of attaching a hanger on somehow 🤔

My next FFO is a secret that will be revealed Valentine's Day during the Secret Sweetheart blog hop. Stay tuned for that!

Well, tomorrow is my birthday! Sixty years on this earth, man, that's hard to say! I've used up some lives on the way! I will have a bday start and this is it...

So pretty! I just need 2 missing DMC. I'm so excited to start this. It's been kitted for almost 2 years. 

And because I'm turning 60, I'm doing something wild and crazy!! So be sure to come back on my next post to see what that could be!! 😆😆

I believe that's it! At least my phone has cooperated!

I'm  going to stitch on Dog's Declaration the rest of today and get laundry going and mucking out the cat box; fun!

Be well! See you soon!

Left To My Own Devices

Hello! Welcome to my very first 2024 blog post! Let's talk! I see parts of this country dealing with snow and very cold temps, yikes! Hope those of you in it can stay warm and just stitch. We had just gone through our own version of cold here in AZ with temps anywhere from 9-13 degrees with a dusting of snow up to 4 inches in my area. I could not warm up and throw in aching joints and bones, I was not a happy camper😞 but today it's 54, yay, and I have the front door open. Mother Nature is in a fickle mood.

So let's get to the stitching😊

I'm in a group on FB called Halloween Cross-Stitch Challenge. Last week the gal that runs it announced that she is closing the group down the end of March. I was flabbergasted! The group has grown to about 4k members and I can only imagine that it's become a full time job. I'm in 2 challenges, one ends the last day of February and the other in March. After that, I'm left to my own devices! Oh boy, what kind of trouble can I get into! Actually, I felt a little lost. I've had the challenges telling me what to stitch and for how long for a year and a half and that's now about to end. What to do? Unbeknownst to me that this was going to happen, I joined in on Shannon Christine's Monthly Christmas mug club. At $8 a month, you get a new PDF. It's part of their ongoing clubs. Here's the first one...

Cute! Calls for 28ct which would be 5x5 finished but I'll get me a giant piece of either 32ct pearl grey linen or a pretty light blue where the white DMC will stand out. So stay tuned! In April, I think I'm going to start stitching these. 

I still have progress on WIPs...

Jack is coming along. I'll continue to stitch on this after March because I'd like to have it finished before Halloween this year. 

Next is These Is My Words. I'm pushing to have this one finished by the end of this month...

That bottom row with the 5 flower thingies is the last of it with flowers, cacti, and text. I think I can do it!

After we found out the Halloween group will close soon, I grabbed a couple of WIPs that I had no intentions of working on this year. They are...A Sister's Love by BBD and PSS's My Early Days

That left border is at the halfway point. I believe the fabric is 40ct and I was having a heckuva time stitching! I threw away one pair of cheaters and used another that made it easier to see the fabric. That kind of worried me!

And the BBD...

I believe I stitched that line below the alphabet and maybe more of the border. 

I also had a small finish..

The One by Asbery's Echoes Stitches. I have designated tomorrow as an FFO day so this and a few more will be prettied up. I hope to do up more than a few more so keep your fingers crossed!

I have all my obligation stitching caught up so I'm going to stitch up this little cutie from the Jingle Ball...

My fabric is a lot lighter but it has white dots on it so it should be adorable.

So that's all she wrote! Before my phone complains. 

Take care everyone, especially those dealing with lots of snow and bitter temps. I cannot imagine those kind of temperatures!

Happy Stitching and see you soon!

2023 recap, Updates

Good morning! Here we are on the cusp of 2024 and it's time for my look back at this year. First up though is Christmas. I went to my daughter's place for for the day. I made pumpkin bread and breakfast burritos of eggs and Chorizo, a Mexican sausage. We don't do formal dinners for Christmas day, just finger foods that we can graze on all day. It was pretty iffy as both my daughter and her roommate were sick but 6 days later I'm not sick at all. Just a touch of my friend Vertigo. It's been a couple years of being fine but now I'm pretty lightheaded, ugh. I'm taking it easy the rest of the day  

Alright, let's look at my recent finishes, progress, and a new start. I'm hoping my phone memory cooperates!

I have 2 more finishes for this month...here's Christmas Lodge by Verbena on Etsy...

How cute is this?! On 32ct Taupe lugana. So I have a couple possible ways of FFOing this. As an ornament with a large bead at the top with a trim as the hanger, or put on a wooden shape from Hob Lob or a wood bird house shape using mat board with magnets. Stay tuned!

Next finish is Moonlight by LHN...

So pretty! My cell camera washed out the pic. I used the called for Belle Soie in Icing. That whole skein was used and I ran out of it at the N and the whole last border portion above the N. I decided to ransack my floss stash for a matching DMC or overdyed, and guess what? CCW Bamboo was the perfect match!! I can't see a difference at all. I love it!

I had a Christmas Day start and that was Dog's Declaration by Ink Circles....

Just a tiny start. I am missing 3 of the 6-strand Valdani floss and put in a 123stitch order which arrives on Tuesday. 

I have progress on 2 pieces that I'm stitching for a challenge and they are Jack's Bash and the Noel Sampler...

Jack has gotten some pretty good progress but I've already made a mistake in the sawtooth border beneath the alphabet. I'm leaving it!

And on Noel....

I'm looking forward to the big house that's kind of started to the right of the bird and flowers. I'll continue working on Noel whenever I can in '24.

I also had a tiny start...

This is The One by Asbery's Echoes Stitches on Etsy. If you like primitive style designs, she's a good one. Since this picture was taken, the heart is now at the halfway point. I hope to have it finished by tonight so I can count it in my Stitch from Stash numbers. The fabric is shown as super dark but it's not. It's Parchment from Zweigart.

Time to talk about 2023. The phrase for me in 2024 is Taking it Easy! From my stitching to books on Goodreads, I'm not signing up for a bunch of SALs or joining the reading challenge on Goodreads. For reading, I read 6 books but at the end I powered through the last book to  make it to 6 but I don't like reading books that way! So for 2024, I'm not signing up and I'm reading what I want....

These are it! My umpteenth reread of the Outlander series and Mexican Gothic, a scary story that I bought myself for Christmas.

I had 25 finishes this year! Twenty six if I can finish the tiny Valentine's start. Some were large like Song of the Seasons and Frosty Forest. I also made the mistake of counting the pile of unfinished things and that number is 46! They're big ones that need a frame or smalls that need to be a flat ornament or a pin pillow.

I'm doing just one Challenge in 2024. It's called the Big Spooky 4 in 2024. All 4 designs need to be bigger than 100 x 100. In the first quarter, Jack's Bash is the first project, and 3 new Halloween starts for the remaining 3 quarters in the year. Last year, I took on 4 challenges or SALs. That was a bit too much!

I'm continuing with Stitch from Stash next year. While I'm stitching the big pieces, I'd like to finish some smaller WIPs and SFS helps with that. I'm ending this year in the black with a positive balance of $16!

My last post of 2023! 

Here's to a fantastic 2024 to you all!! A year of wellbeing, prosperity, family happiness, and lots of great stitching!! Thank you for following me all year long and watching me keep up with all the projects I stitched this year. 

See you in 2024!

Winners!

We've got winners from the giveaway on my last post!

For the $13 e-gift card from 123stitch, you were to guess which of the 5 motifs on the Christmas is Coming pillows: holly, tree, Santa, quilt star, or the goose, is my favorite. 

Santa is my favorite!! Carol and Jenn K guessed correctly, then I drew your names and Jenn K is the winner of the $13 e-gift certificate!! 

Congratulations Jenn! Send me an email at azcampis@yahoo.com with a working email to receive your gift certificate.

I wish I could've sent all of you an e-gift certificate!

For the chart giveaway...

Linda and Carol put in for it, I drew your names and Carol has won the chart!

Congratulations Carol!

You can email me at azcampis@yahoo.com to leave your mailing address and I will have it in the mail this coming week. 

Thanks for playing everyone!!

So I found the picture of my daughter on Santa's lap about to lose her head! I wanted to use it on the Advent Blog Hop...

Which reminds me, I need to get caught up on the Advent posts.

It's Christmas Eve, I am ready for tomorrow; things are wrapped, food is bought, and a few baked goods will be baked tonight✔️✔️✔️

Wishing you all a