WIPocalypse Update for February

Bothy Threads Cut Thru' Haunted House

Hello!  This is my February WIPocalypse post.  Things have been pretty brutal here the past few months, but I still managed a bit of progress since my last update.

I stitched on (my favorite) "Bothy Threads Cut Thru' Haunted House". I am adding the back stitching to the roof and bedroom, on which I completed the cross stitching.  So I am moving right along.

I also stitched a bit on "Berry Patch Rooster".  I have made a lot of progress with this one and plan to keep on going.

 This month I had a request for a pattern featuring a camel ... so I whipped up this chart: "Scenic Camel", which I am sharing on my hobby site as a free chart.
  http://hobbyloco.com/patterns/camel.html

I did finish my "Linen & Threads 2020 Mystery Sampler" the first week of January - I just hadn't posted since December.  So here it is:

 And I stitched a little Halloween ornament in January:

I do think I will try the "March one stitch per day challenge".  Most likely I will keep working on my "Berry Patch Rooster".  I would love to have a finish soon!

Question of the Month: In honor of “Leap Year,” tell the story of a time you had to make some sort of a “leap” in stitching – taking the chance on a new style of stitching, attending a meetup or class, etc.  

My latest leap would be the leap into fabric dyeing that I made last year.  I hadn't ever dyed fabric using actual dye. Just a few coffee and tea experiments.  However, I has terrific results using a small tie-dye kit when I dyed the fabric for my "Linen & Threads Sampler" (shown above).  I loved it so much that I took a chance on the fabric from my Bothy Threads kit (it was originally a pale blue), and couldn't be happier with how it turned out!

That's about all for this update.  
Happy Stitching!

WIPocalypse Update for December

The year is drawing to a close, and it is time to post my December WIPocalypse update and year end recap.

The past few months have been busy for me, with not a lot of stitching time.  However I did manage to stitch a cute red beaded snowflake.  The original pattern (found in "Cross Stitch for the Holidays" Winter 2011) called for French knots - but I used some glass seed beads that I had on hand for a little bit of sparkle.
I made some progress on "Berry Patch Rooster":

"Women of the Mayflower": I'm not happy with the colors I used on the last motif ... I have to think about this a bit more.

"Linen and Threads 2019 Mystery Sampler": I kept up with this all year ... I should have it finished very soon, just a few more butterflies to go.  This is the last picture I took of it (it is not really THAT blue).

On a Christmasy note ... I pulled some boxes out of storage and found two needlepoint stocking that I stitched years ago.  I did not add a date to them, so I can only guess that I stitched them in the mid-90's.

I stitched on 37 different projects in 2019.  I finished 8 projects, and I made some great progress on a few of my old WIPs. 

And ... (drumroll, please) ... Here is my little montage of finishes for 2019

I managed to finish 5 small projects and 3 of my old WIPs!  I did start 3 new larger projects - so my  WIPs count is still sitting at 42.  Not my best year of finishes, but I am happy to have completed the ones I did. 

Wishing all of you a safe and happy new year!
Happy stitching.

Trick or Treat Blog Hop

Welcome to my stop on Jo's Trick or Treat Blog Hop!

I hope you are having a Happy Hallowe'en.  This blog hop is being hosted by Jo of Serendipitous Stitching.  Please visit the start of the Hallowe'en Blog Hop if you would like to collect the letters for the mystery phrase.

I have stitched a few Halloween ornaments this year ... my most recent finish is this little cutie:

This is a freebie design by Durene Jones is called "the witches cat".  You can find the chart on her facebook page (in the photos section).  

I stitched the chart on 14 ct plastic canvas using floss I had on hand (changing up the colors a wee bit).  I trimmed the plastic canvas in a scalloped shape following the border, backed it with felt, and added a ribbon loop for hanging.  Sweet!

Here are some more Halloween kitties that I have stitched over the years:

Mr. Whiskers by Charlette Dockens

"Majestic Cat" designed by Sandra Sullivan

Yeow! by Pamela Byrd Smith : The Prairie Schooler

DMC freebie - (relocated chart - unable to locate info)

"Stitch-an-Inch Halloween" by Donna Bayliss

And here is what you are searching for ... the next letter in the blog hop. If you are graphically challenged, the letter is "G".

Please complete your journey by returning to visit Jo at
http://serendipitousstitching.blogspot.co.uk/  

Happy Halloween!

 

Gifted Gorgeousness for October

It's time for the October Gifted Gorgeousness update.  This stitch-along, hosted by Jo of Serendipitous Stitching, features projects that in some way have been gifted -or- are being stitched to be given as gifts.

I stitched a couple of Halloween ornaments this month.  "Black Cat Alphabet" by Judy Whitman is shown above.  Well... it is a black cat stitched in variegated orange.  The chart was featured in the Just Cross Stitch Halloween issue of 2012 (magazine gifted to me).

I also stitched this cute bat by Durene Jones.  This is one of Durene's many freebie (gifted) charts that she has posted on her facebook page here: https://www.facebook.com/DureneJonesCrossStitch/

I attempted to stitch on "Berry Patch Rooster" a bit every day ... but I missed a few days here and there.  I did make progress, however:

 

Here is where I left off last month:

I also stitched most of this month's section of  "Linen and Threads 2019 Mystery Sampler" (free "gifted" stitch along).  I only need to add the other squirrel.  

I spent a lot of time restitching the lower border.  When I first stitched it, I got carried away and stitched too far down.  I fixed it once & wouldn't you know that I stitched it 2 threads too far down on the second go 'round.  The third time was the charm, and now I have a proper border.  For the November and December updates, there will be 2 additional borders added around the project - so I wanted to be prepared.

Whew!  That's all I have for this update.
Happy Stitching!