Sunday stitching

Hi everyone! Hope things are well, just a few days off Thanksgiving for those of us who celebrate. Hard to believe we're nearing the end of another year. Yikes!

I just want to say thanks for the welcome back comments you all left on my last post. I see a few of you agree that IG and FB just doesn't stack up to blogging. I hang around on both but on FB much more because I'm in a bunch of stitching groups. I like them but I miss the heydays of stitching blogs.

And thank you for the kind words on my granddoggie Hunter. Bette, I'm sorry for the loss of Sam from the same thing! It's terrible. It's like a death sentence for a dog, getting Valley Fever. I'm sorry you had it too. I have heard it stays with you for a long time. And Carol, I hope your son's cat is okay. I don't have grandkids yet, so these pets kind of take their place.

So I have newer finishes, 3 in the last week, to show plus all the others I had since last June. Turns out there were more than 11 I mentioned. I'm nearing 29 finishes for the year!

Lets get started! First up is Christmas Fruit Basket by Threadwork Primitives, the 2nd time I've stitched it..

I used a silvery pink 36ct fabric from Dixiesamplar, color is not showing up, and the called for GAST floss. When I get my hands on some wood shavings, it'll become a pincushion.

Next up are the 3 designs from Christmas is Coming by Plum Street. I have finished 2 and have started #3...

I'm stitching them on 40ct Flax which means the Ecru stitches are not showing up too well but that's okay! I hope to have the 3rd one done by the end of this month.

Now here are more finishes I had since June, in no particular order...

Colonel Sammy, a freebie by Notforgotten Farm...

The Silkweaver Gingerbread fabric is really washed out. He turned out really nice. I can't remember what floss I used but our Uncle Sam has been getting some sun!

Next is Grimalkens Apothecary by The Woolly Ewe....

Wow, it's really washed out! The fabric is 36ct Straw which is a bit dark. I really want to have this one framed.

The next one is a freebie from BBD, Souvenir de France without the words though! I needed it done...

The floss is WDW Peony, a very pretty pink. The fabric is washed out too but it's the Gingham fabric 28ct. I have a really pretty backing fabric for this, I just have to decide if I want to make this a flat ornament or a pincushion. Stay tuned!

This next one is Stage Coach in the Woods...

By Wild Violet Cross Stitch. All 310 DMC on 32ct Queen Anne's Lace, Lugana maybe? I love that fabric and how this turned out! I'm on the lookout for a black ornate oval frame; just have to figure out how to stretch and lace an oval shape! 

This one is Christmas Boughs, pattern found in the 2020 Christmas/Winter Punch Needle & Primitive Stitcher magazine...

On 32ct Vintage Pear linen by Lakeside. It's darker than in real life. I had been hoarding this piece of Lakeside! It was perfect for this piece! I want to FFO it just like the model, a wooden dowel run through a pouch sewed at the top and then glued to an actual tree branch. It'll be beautiful!

The last finish for the day is Santa's Ride...

On 36ct Ale PTP, I had to change the floss for the word Christmas because GAST Endive disappeared into the fabric. I don't know what the substitute floss is but it was Pewter-y. The first reindeer has the requisite red nose! It turned out beautifully! This design is found in the 2019 Christmas/Winter PN&PS magazine.

No worries, I have more finishes for the next post, haha.

Stitching plans for the rest of November? Continue on the 3rd pattern from the Plum Street Samplers chart, then FFO them and my other finish in time to be displayed. I've put all my Nutcrackers out but have yet to set up my mini trees with all my stitched Christmas ornaments. I'll do that after Thanksgiving.

Thanks for visiting, commenting!

Happy Thanksgiving to all who celebrate and Happy stitchy week to everyone!

See you next time

 

Like a bad penny...

I'm back! I missed blogging so much. Posting on all the various Facebook stitching groups is not the same. I kept my blog because I like to go back in the early days to see what I was stitching. Of course, half of the pictures are missing because of the different platforms I used to upload pictures; some were discontinued, and the devices I used went from a desktop computer to an iPad, and now my cellphone! Gotta love technology, lol!

I'll start first by saying that on that day I announced I was quitting blogging, some of you said you should've commented. Please don't feel you have to! I am an introvert, so a lot of blogs I read I didn't comment, just for that reason. I force myself out of my shell to comment! Just keep doing what you were doing. 

Life update? Same old same old. I'm still working; that's a given. We had a sad time in August. My daughter had to put my granddog Hunter down.

Photo is from this last Christmas. He was a rescue from the Phoenix area. My daughter adopted him 6 years ago here where we live. He was 10. Late July he started stumbling, he quit eating, and was losing his bowels. After many vet visits and testing, it was determined that he had Valley Fever. It's a fungus that grows in dry, dusty areas. These spores grow in the dirt and get kicked up into the air. Humans get it too. The vet was worried that it was settling into his spine, hence the inability to stand up or walk. He was on steroids and pain medication. The vet warned that the meds would not save him, just make him comfortable. The pain meds began failing and the tough decision to let him go was made. He was a laid-back dog, half German shepherd half lab, he never barked. A sweetheart of a dog. 

Life goes on, doesn't it? They still have King the dalmatian and may add a puppy but that's in the future. My 3 elderly cats are still with me, Mama is 14 and her kittens are 13. They are doing fine.

So what have I been stitching on lately? First up is Christmas Fruit Basket Pinkeep by Threadwork Primitives, the 2nd time I've stitched this ...

I'm using a 36ct fabric so it'll be smaller than the other one. That is 2 hours of stitching last night.

I've put in progress on a couple WIPs too. Here's Frosty Forest. Yep, still working on it..

That blue house square on the left is what I stitched. Six down and 3 to go! I ought to just sit down and get it done but there are just too many other things to stitch on. Lol!

Next is the Mighty Acorn by BBD..

I'm so happy to get down into the lower parts because there is more solid stitching! There are several little flower buds that took 2 different floss colors, lots of floss changing going on.

Since my last post, I've had 11 finishes! Yes, 11! And half are Halloween, of course. I'll show a few here and the rest on another post. In no particular order...Crone on the Hill by PSS..

I bought this as a kit from Needlecraft Corner so it's on 36ct vintage beehive. Love that fabric. Last time I showed it on this blog, I had about half of that house. It's a big 'un! 

Next is Believe in your Elf by Myfanny on Etsy..

I had to make changes to this one because I used a white fabric. There were white single stitches curly q'ing throughout the pattern but they weren't going to show up. The white stitches in his socks are hardly visible. It's cute.

The last one for today is 29th December 1925, another Myfanny design...

This was a WIP since last year, maybe before that. See the single white stitches above the houses? Those we're supposed to be on the Elf piece. When I look at this, I feel a sense of peace and comfort. I used 32ct pearl grey fabric, a favorite fabric because white floss shows up on it.

So that's it for now. The rest of my finishes I need to get info on because some are from magazines.

I have a few FFOs too that I'll show on the next post.

And that's it! It feels good to get a post in. I'm still doing Stitch From Stash 2017-22. I was up to $124 in the red in September but a Halloween mystery box purchase from Kittenstitcher used up some of that. All my finishes are a credit against what I spent, and I've had quite a bit as mentioned above.

I'll keep stitching on the Fruit Basket piece, and then move onto another Christmas project.

Take care and thanks for stopping by!

Halloween Trick or Treat Blog Hop 2022

Welcome to the Halloween Trick or Treat Blog Hop 2022, hosted by Jo at Serendipitous Stitcher. Be sure to visit the blog hop page to find links to others taking part:

http://www.serendipitousstitching.blogspot.co.uk/

I love Halloween so I'm taking part in it again! If things sound stilted, it's because I'm out of practice so please bear with me.

My stitching today is the Good Witch, just newly FFOd. She is sitting on her backing fabric. Good Witch comes from the 2017 Fall issue of the Punch Needle and Primitive Stitcher magazine, using 36ct Straw linen with the called for floss. The white dots in her dress are eyelet stitches which I was horrified to find that they were used! I mostly avoid specialty stitches but I put on my big girl panties and just did it!

Mwahaha, with gnashing of the teeth!!

Your next job is to collect this letter

And to head on over to:

https://lifeoutsidethewashingbasket.blogspot.com/

to collect another letter to solve the Mystery Phrase.

Happy Halloween!!

Decisions

Hello! 

Lee, if you should see this, you should be getting a notification soon from 123stitch for a little electronic gift card for winning the contest from a couple weeks ago. Enjoy!

After a few days of some serious thinking, I have decided to stop blogging. Why, you ask? Because no one is reading my blog anymore and/or commenting. I know a few of you do, like Linda, and Jo. I thank you two for that. I will miss it.

Take care everyone! Hope you're all healthy and continue to stay that way. Thanks for coming along on this stitchy blog ride!

Winner winner chicken dinner!

Hello! Yesterday was the last day to make your guess of which vase/flower is my favorite and today I have a winner. Here's Christmas Garden with it circled...

and the winner is Lee!! She picked my favorite right off. So Lee, contact me at azcampis@yahoo.com with your working email so I can have your gift sent to you! 

Thanks for playing along everyone!

Happy Independence Day to my fellow Americans!

I will be back soon with Stitch From Stash numbers, and what I've been stitching. Take care!!

Squirrels Run Amok

Hi everyone! Hope you're all doing well. Hope Mother's Day was a good one! I got a gift which will be below. You should probably grab a comfortable chair because this post will be picture heavy! As my title suggests, the month of May was a crazy one. I jumped from WIP to new start and then back, and just couldn't stay with anything. So let's do this!

First order of business is Stitch from Stash:

Beginning budget-$69.17 (carryover from April and the 20 I allow myself each month). I had 2 finishes-31 October by Heart In Hand, picture at last post, and Lucky Love by Primrose Cottage, I think, all for $4.00 credit. Then the $59.99 for joining the Primive Hare Early Stitchers club,  subtracted for an ending balance of $13.18.

I have FFOs, progress on WIPs, new starts, finishes, and more!

So a week before Mother's Day, my daughter and I were in downtown Prescott walking through a couple antique stores. In one I saw a real nice flower frog with the bottom in amber colored glass. I told my daughter that they were all the rage sometime back because you can put embroidery scissors in them. I wasn't buying anything so we just walked on. Lo and behold, on Mother's Day, in walks daughter with the frog we were looking at, just for me!

Is that pretty or what! The bottom portion is like a sunflower. And she bought me two embroidery scissors too!

They're nice and sharp. Here's everything together...

The smaller scissors I already had. It was a great Mother's Day!

On the last post I mentioned I use scissors that are falling apart. Here they are...

See how the rubber has worn off? I'm still using them, haha.

Last month I took a couple of hours to count my WIPs, I have 26. Not too bad but 1 caught my attention and I thought I'd give it some attention. This is These Is My Words by LHN..

I stitched in the entire door and the whole right side of the cabin. It looks great. Then I stitched more of the quilt there at the left. After that, I was to find something else! So I picked up Mighty Acorn by BBD...

I extended the outer border and stitched in the inner portions. I'm missing Schneckley for some of the leaves but using a different DMC substitute for that. It's a doozy.

After that, I decided I needed a new start! So here's Lucky Love by Primrose Cottage, on 32ct black linen....

Just DMC used. It looks better in person. I'd like to get St Patrick's Day and patriotic designs stitched for a basket display. I don't have enough but I'm working on it.

I also started Grimalken's Apothecary by The Woolly Ewe...

On 36ct Straw linen, using GAST floss. My head is straightened out enough to join a SAL again, and it's working out. It's at Halloween Cross Stitch Challenge on fb called the Road Trip. It's been fun.

Speaking of patriotic, Notforgotten Farm  posted a freebie at her blog of Colonel Sammy aka Uncle Sam...

I'm using 36ct cinnamon roll by Silkweaver with half DMCs and hand dyed floss. I nearly have his face done. 

Today I decided to FFO a few things. First one is Land That I Love by not sure. It might be Mosey 'N Me...

My stuffing leaves a lot to be desired! I took a length of that rayon DMC floss and tied little knots on it, then used a dot of Aleene's on each knot to secure it to the fabric. It turned out cute. The FFOing continues tomorrow with this recent finish...

Freebie by PSS. The house color matches the background of the cotton fabric. Then I'll trim it with the chenille.

Slowly, I'm tackling all the finished stitching I have. Some I'd like framed but that will take awhile.

I thought it was a good time as ever to have a contest! Take a look at Christmas Garden and guess which is my favorite flower and vase duo. I always have a favorite motif! If there are more than 1 correct guess by the time the contest is over on the 24th, I'll draw names and send the winner a little something. You must be a follower of my blog and leave a working email because you'll get a notification. Sorry to say, this contest is only for US residents. If I could think of a way to buy a gift card from an overseas ONS for an overseas stitcher, I'd do it. I'll figure something out! Here's Christmas Garden, be sure to click on picture to zoom it. 

Good Luck and have fun!!

I think that's all, folks. It's the first week of June and not terribly hot. On Wednesday though, it's supposed to get to 90, so here we go! What's my stitching plans for June? In between stitching for the Road Trip SAL I want to get Sammy finished and FFOed so I'll have some patriotic decorations for the summer. I'll FFO the Christmas piece tomorrow. I have laundry to wash tomorrow too. 

A picture of a thistle that has grown in my yard..

Pretty in pink!

See you all next time! Take care!

Happy May!

Hi all! First of all, Happy Mother's Day and greetings from a blustery central Arizona! We're in the midst of the 2nd season of 6 here in my corner of AZ. Yes, 6! Windy, Spring, Fire, Summer, Autumn, and Winter. 3 weeks ago a wildland fire started in the forest south of me, 10-14 miles as the crow flies. 

This picture was taken in the morning by my daughter after the winds shifted to straight out of the south and blew the smoke into our communities..

That red circle is the sun! Luckily, firefighters were able to hold the lines and it's nearly contained. Our fire season usually doesn't start until June so for this to happen in April is worrisome.

An update: I stayed home for 5 days after Covid and then went to work wearing a mask for 3 days. I never really lost my taste as it came back in 3 days. I am still dealing with some congestion but that could be allergies and/or this wind, ugh.

Now, onto what you came to see...stitching!

I have my Stitch from Stash numbers, finishes, and progress on WIPs. Let's go!

Stitch from Stash 2017-22

April 2022 check in

$20.00 April budget

  25.52 brought forward from March

 (16.35) expenses-needed floss

  20.00 finish credits-2

Ending bal-$49.17

So glad I've kept my purchases down to a minimum but May will be different as I joined a club this month, more on that later. 

My three finishes are...

Salem by The Bluebird Needleworks. On 36ct WDW Beige with the called for floss. 

Next is Holy Night, a freebie

by PSS, on 32ct Stone Grey linen. The color of the linen matches DMC 452. I really like this fabric. This looks so much prettier in person.

I joined a month long maynia, the Hallo-Maynia. For five weeks we start a new Halloween project or work on a WIP. Here's a finish for the group..

31 October by Heart in Hand on a scrap of PTP linen. Took about 4 hours to stitch. Tiny little thing!

Here's what I started and stopped because I just wasn't feeling it..

Not even ironed!! It's on 28ct linen. It's from a JCS Halloween issue. There was more to it but I stopped. I can still make a round ornament out of it though.

I also had progress on two WIPs..

A Bee in Your Bonnet. I stitched in that green leaf to the right of the crown. The right side will have the flower/vine border like the left but a bee skep will go in the area below the new green leaf and a little above my needleminder. And it's all done in eyelet stitch!! I'm not a fan of specialty stitches but the bee skep will look great. Gotta do it!

My other WIP is Tombstone Angel for the Hallo-Maynia..

I am working on the angel's wings. Tedious work but it has to be done. I would say that whole top third is intense with lots of fill in stitching but going down the sides are leaves which need filling in too. The whole middle portion is text which I find easy to stitch. I have put this away to start my next Maynia piece..Haunted Castle..

On 32ct Blue Spruce. The white portions on the model are glow in the dark floss but I don't have any. I'm pretty much winging it! The orange on my work is the window below the tower. I don't know if all the white windows will be orange. I may stitch a few in black. The moon will be some sort of pale yellow, I think. Stay tuned!

So I won a drawing on Halloween Cross-Stitch Challenge! Halloween floss drops!

I never win anything so this was cool! The card is cute. I'm not much of a floss drop user but I'll use these on a special Halloween project. I am a bare bones stitcher who doesn't use a lot of accoutrements. I mean, the scissors I use to cut my floss are losing the rubber parts on the handles and they're grubby, lol! The tools I use are my Bohin needles, my grubby scissors, Hob Lob qsnap-like frames, and a scroll rod bought from a second hand store! Oh well, haha.

So as mentioned above, my purchase into The Primitive Hare Early Stitchers Club will throw me into the red this month!

We got a membership card, a sample fabric piece, and yes, floss drops! I think someone is trying to tell me something! But I'm excited. We'll be getting 4 patterns this year and can't wait to see the first one. I'm calling this my Mother's Day gift! 

I think that's it! I have really got to get back to reading blogs again. That's my goal for the month of May. As for stitching, I'll keep stitching or starting for Hallo-Maynia for this month. I'm finding out that if I make plans for stitching, it goes to heck quickly! 

Thanks for coming along for the ride! Take care!