Happy July

I’ve got a finish-finish from way back when. I gave myself a chocolate chip cookie.  Mmmmmm.

July sampler by La Broderie, from a Just Cross Stitch Sampler in the ’90’s, stitched in 2008. 😳

Happy Flag Day

I’ve stitched a couple of flag-related smells recently.

This is part of the Glory House kit by Chessie & Me. I didn’t stitch the lawn. While I was finishing this, I thought it was a great size for a needlebook. Still love this the way it is.

This is Tiny Flag kit  by  Shepherd’s Bush. It’s so cute. I set up a small patriotic display for Flag Day/summer.

Happy stitching!

Bargello Symphony Redux, Part 4.5

Here is my current progress on my sister’s Bargelo Symphony. I’m about halfway through part five, and still have so far to go. It’s the background stitch, the Victorian step stitch that’s the biggest part of what’s left.

I had some anxiety about the colors of the step stitch. I tried another color combination, but instead of easing my anxiety, it gave me a stomachache. Nerves are a much more tolerable form of anxiety to manage than stomach pain. As long as my sister is satisfied, I can let my uncertainties pass.

Time for the next motifs of part five and the little bit of step stitching. 😀

Happy Stitching!

Spring into Summer

I’ve been keeping busy with small projects. I had a crisis of indecision with the modified Bargello Symphony, so I’ve been distracting myself.

I decided on a way to finish my Year in Chalk designs. I’m really pleased with the results.

I found a lasercut plaque I liked and painted it white. I stuck a Pro MAG magnetic card to the front. I mounted the finished piece on a piece of comic book backing board and put another magnetic card on the back.  It was tricky for me to get the piece to center on the plaque the way I wanted, so I added a few tiny rare earth magnets to the plaque’s magnetic card, et voila! A happy stitcher.

I’d say luck was with me with this finish. I prefer the magnets to Velcro. I also put a magnetic card on the back of the plaque so I could put it on my magnetic wall. The card wasn’t strong enough to hold the plaque and finished design, so I glued a few rare earth magnets to the card with much success.

I had some fun with my magnets.

What’s that, you say? Spring is almost over? I mentioned summer in my blog title? Memorial Day weekend is the traditional start of summer? All true. Here’s A Taste of Summer by Shepherd’s Bush. I didn’t stitch the words.

I hope you have a good weekend.

Happy Stitching! 🙂

Halfway

I’ve completed half of the Book Riot Read Harder Challenge. I’m not reading them in any particular order, but I’ve listed them according to challenge number here.

Challenge nos. 1, 2, 4:

The Heart is a Lonely Hunter by Carson McCullers (challenge 1)

A Mercy by Toni Morrison (challenge #2)

Black Hat Jack by Joe R. Lansdale (challenge 4)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Challenge nos. 5, 6, 11:

Fingersmith by Sarah Waters (challenge 5)

A Brief History of Seven Killings by Marlon James (challenge 6)

It’s Kind of a Funny Story by Ned Vizzini (challenge 11)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Challenge nos. 13, 14, 17:

Lorna Doone: A Romance of Exmoor by R. D. Blackmore (challenge 13)

All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr (challenge 14)

Citizen: An American Lyric by Claudia Rankine (chalenge 17)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Challenge nos. 19, 22, 24:

All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque, translated from German by A. W. Wheen (challenge 19)

The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket by Edgar Allan Poe (challenge 22)

The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo (challenge 24)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Happy Reading! 🙂

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

Another Year in Chalk design I needed to stitch. I stitched the clovers in green rather than the diamonds. Good thing, too. It used the full skein of chalk as is. I’d’ve needed to buy another if I’d stitched the clovers in white.

Vitals:
Design: A Year in Chalk: March by Hands On Designs
Stitched on 30-ct. Gunmetal linen by Weeks Dye Works as recommended, using recommended colors.
Changes: Stitched clovers in Avocado and diamonds in Chalk instead of the reverse.

Have a lucky day!

Pi, er, Squared

Happy Pi Day! I stitched a little pincushion for the occasion. At 9:26:53, it will be/was an auspicious Pi Day, indeed, if you write your dates in the American fashion. It will be 3/14/15, 9:26:53, the first ten digits of pi. Fun! Where’s the confetti?

This is Pi, er, Squared, a freebie by Tor-Rhuann Designs, which you can download here. In case you need your math refreshed, pi x r squared is how you find the area of a circle, with “r” representing the circle’s radius. I call mine Cocoa Bean and Cherry Cobbler, um, “Pi, er, Squared,” because those were the names of the Classic Colorworks floss I used. Yes, their names did influence my choices. I enjoyed stitching this so much. Also, Sir Cumference has asked me to remind you that you can determine the circumference of a circle by getting “pied,” that is, multiplying the diameter times pi.

Here’s the bottom, with some Cocoa Bean pis.

I’m going into pun timeout now.

Vitals:
Pi, er, Squared by Tor-Rhuann Designs.
Stitched 2 over 2 on 28-ct. linen (a light yellow shade closely resembling DMC 746)
Threads used: Classic Colorworks Cocoa Bean and Cherry Cobbler.

I hope you have a wonderful Pi Day. Happy Stitching! 🙂

 

Stitchier

Typing “stitchier” will get you a “that’s not spelled right, or something” red line. Stitchier, stitchier, stitchier. March isn’t half over yet, and I’ve already stitched more than last year, so stitchier it is.

Here’s what I’ve been up to–Oh, wait! I forgot to share this last year–

 

This is Just Nan’s Gingerbread Jingle Mouse, stitched on 32-ct gingerbread fabric (I want to say Picture this Plus?) with recommended DMC fibers. I stitched it for a friend for Christmas. It’s so freaking adorable. You know how sometimes you stitch a gift and don’t want to give it away? Yeah, that. I gave it to her, but it wasn’t easy. OK. Now for 2015 stitchier stitching.

Last December I was in AZ, and visited the Attic Needlework shop in Mesa. Yes, it’s as wonderful as you’ve heard. It was more wonderful than I expected, honestly. I relieved them of much stash when I was there. The Just Nan mouse above was one item that left with me. Another was this Rovaris pendant, which I stitched in January.

 

I completed the stitching fairly quickly, but I haven’t assembled it yet, because it went missing twice. The first time was in my stitchy trash can (gasp!). The second time was because I have too much stash. I rediscovered it yesterday. I’ve got to get busy with the assembly.

Next came Leaping Cat by La-D-Da. I stitched this over one over one on 40-ct. Light Exemplar as an experiment. There are counting errors that I learned to accept, though I wouldn’t have on another project. It was just too small and confusing to find the errors.  I love it anyway, so the experiment was a success.

 

What this project needs is an image that gives perspective. Trust me, it’s small. The framing was unexpectedly expensive. It deserves the extravagance.

I did some work on a WIP, too. Going to Market by Dimensions. The mother and child are walking to market, waiting for the background stitches. I’m stitching this over one on 32-ct. It’s challenging, but much easier than over one on 40-ct. linen.

I have strong magnifying lenses I clip to my glasses.

 

I also finished the January design of A Year in Chalk by Hands On Designs. I couldn’t resist. I couldn’t wait to stitch it. I haven’t decided how to finish it. I don’t plan to stitch every month. I have March on order at my LNS. They are very cute designs.

 

I’ve also been working on a bigger project–Bargello Symphony by Loretta Spears. I’m not stitching this in the original colors. My sister saw my original Bargello Symphony and asked me to stitch it for her, but not in pink, as she doesn’t like pink. She ultimately decided on taupe and cream colors. My sister once asked me to never stitch anything for her, which, OUCH! But really, better to know beforehand, yes? I got over the sting quickly. More stitching time for presents for me. 🙂 When she asked me to stitch her something I was surprised and flattered. It’s really important to me that she likes it. I’ve been sending her progress pictures.

 

Fabric on the stretcher bars!

 

First stitch!

Part one (of six) complete.

 

Part two complete.

I have to wait to complete the third part. The instructions say you only need one spool of metallic, but I used it up already. Maybe I cut the pieces too long. I don’t know. But I’ll be able to complete part three when the spool comes into the LNS, as I had to order it. It’s so weird to be stitching this again. I never expected to.

I hope you’re warm and dry. Happy Stitching!

End of year report

This has been a rough year all around. No stitching or blogging mojo was just the start. On the plus side, I’ve had a sleep study and discovered why my CPAP machine wasn’t helping me. 🙂 Now I have a new machine, with a new pressure, and I’m sleeping better. I’ve decided it’s a sign of good things to come in the New Year.

On the stitching front, I’ve received a sweet, sweet ornament from Wendy. She and I have had a private ornament exchange the past couple of years, and I was determined not to miss it this year. Here’s what she sent me–

I always enjoy reading her blog posts about her garden and the birds that visit there. She made this one because she has robins visit her, and they make the sweetest song. I loved the ornament without the story. It’s that much more special now.

This is what I made her–

It’s a freebie I found on a blog somewhere. I’m not sure where. I’m usually better about noting sources. Wendy was organized and early with my ornament. I was unmotivated and late with mine. The good part about that is that after I finished my ornament, I was able to photograph both of them together.

I love that I was able to get this photo.

The one thing I managed to do last year was read, quite a bit more than I normally read. It’s nice to feel I accomplished something for myself during a rough patch. This year, I’m going to participate in Book Riot‘s Read Harder Challenge. There are 24 tasks, that run the gamut from reading a book according to an author’s age when published, to where the book takes place, to specific genres, to self-help (traditional to non-traditional, which is inspiring people in the Goodreads group to read cookbooks to help them and other non-traditional books to help themselves). It’s a very loose challenge, so if you don’t normally read 24 books in a year, a book can cover two or more categories to accomplish all the tasks. It’s entirely up to you. I’ll have the hardest time with the poetry task.  I’m excited for the New Year to begin so I can get started. Like cross-stitch, I seem to think I can finish the challenge in five minutes. I have a list of selections for each category (with some books listed in multiple categories). My goal is to read books I already own or to check out titles from the library. I don’t want to purchase books specifically to complete a task. Unless I simple can’t resist…

Happy New Year to all and happy stitching!

🙂

I completed something

It’s tiny. Don’t laugh. It’s something.   It’s called Vive Noel. It’s a kit I got on one of my stashquisition adventures. It’s a mysterious item. It appears to be part of a series called Miniatures d’Alphabets by a French company called Alphabets. What I do know is that it’s stitched over one on 40-ct. linen with the included supplies, and I didn’t stitch the entire design for two reasons–I made some sort of counting error and my project is two stitches too narrow and I didn’t feel like dealing with figuring out where to make the compensation in the bottom portion of the design, AND it seemed done to me. This was the part of the design I was drawn to. I guess maybe I should have found a place for my initials and the year, but, meh.

Vitals: Vive Noel kit by Alphabets Stitched one over one on provided 40-ct linen

 

P.S. WordPress seems to have gotten buggy in my absence. It didn’t accept my photo opening in a new window, like it invited me to request, and then it squished everything into one paragraph. Rebellious little platform, isn’t it? 😮

Happy Stitching! 🙂

MIA

I haven’t been stitching much this year.  I’m in a major slump. I think it’s been close to a month since I’ve stitched.  Here’s a couple of WIP photos I took in February, I think. The lighting was horrible. So was the weather in January and February, am I right?

272 Words WIP

Going to Market WIP

Going to Market WIP with clock

I received this Olde Colonial clock for Christmas so I can insert Going to Market. I hope it’s as lovely as I imagine. Looks like it probably will. 🙂

I hope you’re not in the slump I am, and are having a grand stitchy time. Happy stitching! 🙂

Final sharing from 2013

It’s time to clean up the hanging threads of 2013 and make sure I’ve shared everything I’ve meant to share. I’ve been a neglectful blogger this year, so I have a few pictures I haven’t yet posted.

Bone Appetit from Lizzie Kate’s Halloween Thrillogy. I finished this a few days after Halloween.

Later in November, I got Pieta framed. I took a quick picture to show my father before Christmas. He was traveling for the holidays, so I’ll be sending this off to him shortly. I never did get a better picture than this. Dad joked I should take a picture with my phone. I thought it was a good suggestion. That one wasn’t better.

After I sent Wendy her ornament, I started working on ornaments for myself that I’ve wanted to stitch for a very long time–Brightneedle’s “To Thee” stockings from JCS Ornament issues. I stitched them on 28-ct. Country Cream Vintage linen. I used all DMC for each ornament.

           

To Thee Love, from the 2004 JCS Ornament Issue, and To Thee Hope, from the 2006 JCS Ornament Issue.

                     

To Thee Peace from the 2003 JCS Ornament Issue, and To Thee a Very Merry from the 2008 JCS Ornament Issue.

I rotated the colors in Peace to give her a pink dress instead of pink accents. For A Very Merry, I added the year and moved around the eyelet stitches above the year to fit. I also had fun with the eyelets. Many of them are off center.

Finally, I made progress on 272 Words by Primrose Needleworks. I’m not quite done with the first page. Instead of GAST Nutmeg for the text, I’m using soot by Nina’s Threads, which I ordered from The Thread Basket.

That does it for 2013. I’m going to participate in the Sampler World Snoot Parrots SAL 2014 on Facebook, so I’ll have another WIP very soon.

Best wishes for a happy, healthy New Year.  Happy Stitching! 🙂

Merry Christmas

I participated in an ornament exchange with Wendy this year.  She sent hers early, but I had to wait to open it. Like all things this autumn/winter, finishing and sending Wendy’s ornament took longer than it should have. Here’s what she sent me:

It’s the gorgeous Fresh Fallen Snow by Little House Needleworks, which was published in the JCS 2011 Ornament issue. It was quite easy to verify the particulars, because this was on my list of ornaments to stitch–

I’ve got a few ornaments rated 10 before I move on to the ones I’ve rated 9 (or lower), but I don’t have to wait for this one. I’m so lucky! Thank you, Wendy. I love it.

Here is the ornament I stitched for Wendy. It arrived before Christmas, and we opened our packages sort of together on Facebook. That was nice. 🙂

A “Tweet,” Merry Christmas and Healthy, Happy New Year to you and your loved ones.

Happy Stitching. 🙂

Cat Pumpkin

I frogged the cat’s original 844 as planned, and left the tail with the “old” thread.  Then the boy let me know I finished it too late, what was I thinking stitching on it in November? I love having a supportive family. He’s a sweet child.

Because my fabric is brighter than the fabric used for the model, I decided to change some colors to a lighter version. In the case of the cat’s bow, I changed it entirely.

Vitals:
Cat from Pumpkins by Prairie Schooler
Stitched on 30-ct WDW linen with DMC threads
Changes: 166 for 300, 613 for 611, 581 for 3012, and 677 for 3046

Happy Stitching! 🙂

Joint Project

After my sister repinned this pin from one of my Pinterest boards ~~

She asked me to stitch a couple of circles so she could make each of us one of these pincushion jars. So, I did.

I used the color placement of this classic Quaker motif in the June 2010 issue of Gift of Stitching magazine from the Tropical Quaker Sampler designed by Wal D’Champs. I used Dinky Dyes Mango Tango silk and Caron Waterlilies Flamingo Pink.

This is chart #569 from the French book Repertoire des Frises. I used Thread Gatherer’s Silk ‘n Colors Picadilly Circus and Tidal Pool.

I just need to iron and mail them, and then…wait…

Happy Stitching! 🙂

UGH

So much for consistency between dyelots in DMC floss. I ran out of floss while stitching. Off I moseyed to the craft store. I recommenced stitching. The next day…

I find it’s easier to notice when the image is smaller. It took the boy a while to discern the difference. He agreed that once seen, it can’t be unseen. I’m tossing it in the naughty pile. If I were to frog, I wouldn’t frog the tail (who cares if a tail is darker?), but if I frog, I fear it could lead to more stitchy misadventures. I’m not in the mood. I have other things to do, and a series of unfortunate events have robbed me of enough stitching time.

Onward.

Happy stitching! 🙂

Pumpkins for Cathey

Today is Cathey’s (Pumpkin Patch & Co) fourth blogoversary, and many of us in the blogosphere are celebrating Cathey with pumpkins, thanks to Daffycat’s coordination. Surf over to this page of Sharon’s blog to see more pumpkins, and check the comment section for links to more Pumpkin Day blogs.

Pumpkin Bunny by CondemnedWire @ Deviant Art

I

       

 

Mario pumpkin shelf made by the boy many, many moons ago

I was inspired to stitch a few pumpkins in Cathey’s honor. I didn’t factor in the husband’s homecoming into my timing, so nothing is finished-finished. Plus, I bit off more than I could chew. As usual.

Halloween Pumpkin Ornament by Jeannette Douglas Designs

Pumpkin Flower Sampler by Bent Creek

Pumpkins by Prairie Schooler

Lost Spirits by Birds of a Feather wip

Jacks are WIld, completed 11.11

Now, lest you think I don’t finish anything, and to extend the celebrations, here are some oldies…

October Tuck by Pine Mountain

Pumpkin House by Kreinik?

And last, but by no means least–

Pumpkin Sampler

PHOTO BOMB!!

All the best, Cathey. We love you, and are praying and pulling for you.

With much love,

Happy Stitching! 🙂

Oh, my Giddy Aunt

I am finished!! I thought this day would never come. I feel free.

Vitals:

Pieta Detail by Cross Stitch Collectibles
Stitched one over one on 25-ct fabric with DMC threads

Happy Stitching!

Pieta, pt. 16

Oh, yeah, that’s right. Fourteen pages done. Go, me! In the wrong light, a photo won’t really show the progress. It does here (mostly), so this pic’s the winner. Ding, ding, ding!

Progress stats, according to Terri Reckoning (tm  ):
Completed rows: 183/235, or 78%
Completed pages:14/16, or 87.5%  It’s actually 89%, because the design isn’t a square.
Completed stitches: 39024/42300, or 92%

   

Before/After

Happy Stitching! 🙂

Berry Emery

I stitched Blackbird Designs Berry Emery over the last couple of days. I used the charted fabric and fibers.

Just a quick cutie to break up the Pieta stitching.

I’m getting a full fruit bowl. 🙂

Vitals:
Berry Emery by Blackbird Designs from It’s Berry Time
Stitched with recommended fibers and fabric

Happy Stitching! 🙂