Happy Halloween

Happy Halloween!   I finished my "Halloween Pumpkin" a couple of weeks ago, but just got around to posting.  Stitched from a chart in the 2012 Halloween issue of Just Cross Stitch.  It is stitched on 28 ct Cashell linen, 2 over 2.  Glad I had it done by Halloween this year!

I am steadily working on my pile of WIPs, and making progress.  I hope to have at least one more finish by the end of the year.

My neighbors have put up a display on their front steps:

Have a safe and happy Halloween!

Trick or Treat Halloween Blog Hop

Welcome to my stop on Jo's Hallowe'en Blog Hop!

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.

My latest piece of Halloween stitching is this cute little ornament by Katia Potrich:

I stitched the ornament on 14ct plastic canvas, added a satin ribbon, and backed the ornament with purple felt.  I made a few small changes, but you can find the free chart here: https://potrichina.com/171-2/#jp-carousel-192 

Trick or Treat?  Here is what you have been searching for .... 

The secret letter is "S".

Now fly off back to Jo to finish the blog hop: www.serendipitousstitching.blogspot.co.uk

Happy Halloween!
 

 

 
 

August WIPocalypse Update

Long Dog Samplers - Pandemic

 

I'm a little bit slow getting my WIPocalypse update posted, but here it is.  I stitched on my "Pandemic" sampler.  I always work more slowly on a project when I have to choose colors and placement ... but I do love the way it is evolving.

I also did a bit of stitching on "Victorian Charm".  Not much progress, but any progress is good. (And the cat in the window now looks like a cat.)

Here is where I left off last time:

I stitched on my "Halloween Pumpkin":

You can actually see the progress on this one - here it is from last month's update:

Finally ... I stitched quite a bit on my 'Spanish Sampler".  I finished the 3rd and 4th corners, and completed the "4-sided stitch" border around the entire piece.  You'll just have to wait in suspense for photos - as I didn't get a good shot.  But it is moving along nicely.

The question this month was about online meet-ups ... and my answer is "nope".  I think it might be fun, but I haven't ever tried any of those apps & I am an extreme introvert.  So, I will just say "maybe, in the future I will give it a go."

Thanks for visiting. Happy Stitching!

Trick or Treat Blog Hop

Welcome my dearies ... Come on in ...

You have arrived at my stop on Jo's annual Trick or Treat Blog Hop.  I promise not to trick you, but please mind the cat.  He's around here somewhere. 

I'm feeling a bit "witchy" this year, so I will share some "witchy stitchy" that I have stitched over the years.

Halloween Witch

by Terrie Lee Steinmeyer

from Sept 88

"For the Love of Cross Stitch"

Ghost Witch by Jessica Tromp

Isn't It Fun to Be a Little Witch?
by Giulia Manfredini
JCS Oct 2014 Issue

Freebie by me: http://www.hobbyloco.com/patterns/witchmoon.html

Here is the treat you have been searching for ...

If you are graphically challenged ... the letter is "E".   

Now please roll along to the next stop on the blog hop: http://tiffstitch.blogspot.com/

I hope you enjoyed your visit.

WIPocalypse Update for July

The time sure does fly by, especially with the days feeling "all the same" for the past several months.  Anyhow ... time for another WIPocalypse update.

This month I stitched mainly on my "Berry Patch Rooster".  I filled in stitches on the feet and legs, and stitched a large amount of the yellow in the border.

Here is where I left off last time:

 I also stitched a bit on my "Halloween Pumpkin" - I stitched some grey/black on the cat and a bit more of the moon.

And, I stitched a bit on Teresa Wentzler's "Castle Sampler", working more on the border. (Pardon the bad image - my camera batteries are dead, so I had to use my scanner.)  I will be working on this one for a long time to come.  Lots of blending and lots of details.  I do love to work on it, though.

Question of the Month: What new charts or designers are catching your eye this year?

Sad to say, but I have not looked at anything new.  I have been focusing on my current WIPs.  I am interested to see what charts and designers everyone else is stitching.  Maybe I will find a few to add to my holiday wish list.  (hee-hee)

That's all for me.
Happy Stitching!

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!

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!

August WIPocalypse Update

Time for another WIPocalypse update.  These are projects that are in progress, that I hope to finish before the world ends.  

I have a finish this month!  I managed to complete my Winnie the Pooh project, "A Chirpy Sort of Place".  This was a fun stitch!  With just a handful of colors, it was easy to stitch and follow the chart while watching TV.  This was a kit that a friend found at a church sale & sent to me a few years ago.

I completed the August section of the "Linen and Threads 2019 Mystery Sampler".  I'm sure that September's section will be released this weekend.   

I also managed a bit of stitching on my current favorite project, Bothy Threads "Cut Thru' Haunted House".  I just love this one so much!  I stitched more of the roof area and bedroom.  I am always smiling when I stitch on this.  The ghosties seem to keep the frogs away as well.  It is an easy chart to follow!  Big print, no partial stitches and separate pages for the back stitching.  

Question of the Month: What do you have on your stitching bucket list?  (for example, specific projects, designers, fibers, etc)  

Wow!  I want to stitch so many things!  I would love to stitch the Bothy Threads Cut Thru' North Pole House, Magic School, and Castle.  I would love to stitch a Long Dog Sampler.  I would love to stitch a Glendon Place dessert project (they are all so lovely).  I would love to stitch a Chatelaine.  That's my "short" bucket list off the top of my head ... I am just happy to be stitching at all!  And if I don't manage to stitch these, it's still fun to see other people stitch them.

Wish I had more time to stitch ... maybe next month.
Happy Stitching!

the Hallowe'en Blog Hop

Welcome to my stop on Jo's Hallowe'en Blog Hop!

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.

As part of the blog hop, I am featuring some Autumn and Halloween stitching that I have completed.  This year I have decided to showcase a Parliament of Owls.

I recently finished an adorable little project: "Mini Banner Fall" by Debbie Mumm.  This was a fun stitch, and I love the cute little hangar that came with the kit!

"Mini Banner Fall" by Debbie Mumm

 Here are some owl projects I previously stitched:

Owl-O-Ween by Marie Driskill : 2013 JCS Halloween Issue

Owl : Elizabeth Spurlock

Spell of the Moon by Blackbird Designs

Little Owl Sampler by Knotted Tree NeedleArt

(freebie) Owl chart by Aliolka

Which brings me to the last little owl ... He is a tough little bird and is holding your secret letter:

In case you are graphically challenged, the secret letter is "T".

I hope you enjoyed your visit ... now I must send you off to the next stop in the Hallowe'en Blog Hop: http://astridxstitching.blogspot.com/