Current WIP updates

Just a little update for you.  :0)

I finished the stitching on my Mira, The Rain Queen.  All she needs now are beads.  I have all the bead packs but one which is currently not available.  Hopefully it will be back in stock soon.

Here she is the last time you saw her:

And here she is now:

All of that 1 over 1 skin DONE!  She has been a labor of love.  I must admit, not the most enjoyable thing I've ever stitched.  But it's a gift for my daughter, so I carry on.

I've gotten just a smidge more done on the dragon since you last saw him like this:

And here he is now:

I have to say that when I do have the time to work on him, he works up very quickly.

Not much else to show as far as progress.  I have ordered my *last* piece of carrot linen to finish off the pumpkin needle accessory set.

I still have finishing to do on the scissor fob and the last stitched piece will be the needle book.  So I'm very excited for that to arrive and then get to start on it.  I saved the needle book for last because I knew it would be my favorite piece of the set.

I have several things I want to start, but for many of them I need to order fabric.  The most recent is this Honeyduke's pattern I purchased off of Etsy.  I have a plan to do a whole set of Harry Potter pillows and this will be one of them.

I went fabric shopping to see if I could find a good finishing fabric for the pillow that would go with the candy theme.  I found this one, I think it's pretty good but I'm still going to keep my eyes open in case I find something better.

I also found a good finishing fabric for the Quidditch Pitch pattern that I started last year.  Here is the pattern:

And here is how far I have gotten ~ it hasn't been stitched on in a while.  I purposely used a dark gray fabric to mimic the weather they so often have while playing Quidditch in the stories.

I found the perfect stormy gray fabric for finishing this into a pillow.

I have some other Harry Potter patterns to add into this pillow collection, two of which will be my own patterns that I've come up with myself.  More on those later.  :0)

So that's where I am at the moment.  Still working away on my regular wips and interjecting a bit of work on side wips here and there when I feel like it.

Happy Stitching everyone!!

Finishes

I finished the model stitch.  :0)

The designer is Anna Chern and her Etsy shop is Serenita's Designs.  She already has pictures of my finish on her listing for this pattern.  It's neat to see my stitching in someone's shop.

This piece ended up taking me four full weeks to finish.  The top and bottom borders were more time consuming than you would think.  I recently heard a stitcher say that large sections of white stitches make any mistakes or uneven stitches just jump right out at you.  And she was so right.  Believe it or not, this piece takes three full skiens of white plus a bit on a fourth.  Lots of white, stitched blocked together and I could see every single imperfection in my stitches. But I got it done and I'm happy with it.  Now that the designer has the pictures she needs, I plan to stitch my name down in the corner and add a red Rudolph nose to one of the reindeer.  My plan for finishing this is to turn it into a pillow.  I know I won't do that before this Christmas, but I plan for it to be done for next year.  The trick is going to be finding a nice coordinating fabric for the design.

I also have an FFO to share.  This is one part of the three part pumpkin needle accessory set.  I chose a coordinating wool for the back.

This was actually supposed to be a biscornu but you can see it turned out a regular pin cushion.  I don't really know what happened.  I do know that it was difficult to get the top delicate linen stitched together with the bottom thick wool, all the while making sure that the outside black stitched ruffle didn't get sewn into the middle of the whole thing.  There was just a lot going on there.  So I forgive myself for lack of biscornu finshing.  It's not perfect but I'm happy with it and and it pleases me.  That counts for something, right?

There will be two more pieces to this set when I'm done.

I'll be back soon with some update pictures on my more regular WIPs.  I've been working on my Mira, the dragon, and also some butterflies for a charity piece.  More on those later...

Happy stitching everyone ~ keep those needles flying!!

A method to my maddness

I have a bag where I keep all of my threads for various projects.  

Many of these threads are on rings, with each ring being matched up to a certain project.  But recently I've been having trouble always remembering which ring is for which project.  Some of them I know by sight, but others I've found that I have been getting them confused.  So I needed a way to label these individual rings.  But how to do that?

I decided to take an extra thread bobbin and write the name of the project the threads belong to and then attach the empty bobbin with the name onto the ring.

It's taken away my confusion and it's helping me stay organized.  I wish I had thought of this years ago.

I got some happy mail today.  I had ordered this little silhouette of a lady stitching.  She is sitting atop my little box I've been making stitched pieces for.

Isn't she the cutest?

And lastly ~ I finally got my Honeybee Happening piece framed.  I might be as happy as a chubby lil' peacock can be, lol.

That's all I've got for the moment.  More wip updates to come soon. ~~~

Miras and quidditch and finishes

I've started my first Mira.  It is Rain Queen.  I'm using fabric from Angel Wings Mermaid Tails and I won it as a door prize at the Nashville Retreat.  I chose this Mira for a couple of reasons.  One is that as far as Miras go, this is a fairly small one.  I didn't want to take on something huge.  And also ~ this Rain Queen looks like my daughter.  If someone were to make my daughter into a cross stitch, she would look like this ~ perhaps not with floating flowers all around her, although she would love that if she could manage it, lol.  So this will be a gift to her once it's completed.  

She works up quickly, but I had one major frogging session.  Actually, it was caused by what *I* (personal opinion) consider a mistake in the charting.  There is a vertical line charted for a thread color and then a horizontal line charted as a bead.  However, the horizontal lines are sometimes turned around so that they are vertical!  So of course, I thought that was a thread.  I was wrong.  The horizontal line gets turned around into different directions all over this chart.  I had another stitcher tell me they had the same issue.  Gah.  And grr.  Ok - done complaining.

So I had to frog quite a bit when I realized this issue.  You can see exactly where the problems were.

I also started a Harry Potter piece that I've had for a long while, just needed an excuse to get on to it.  The FB group Stitch Maynia hosted a Harry Potter themed SAL day, so when I found that out I lined this one up to start on that day.  I had already purchased fabric for it when I first bought the chart.  My fabric is a gray color, that's actually called Twilight Blue.  I wanted the background darker and gray because so often when quidditch is being played the weather is dank and rainy.  I didn't think a bright white or blue sky would be right.

This one is working up quickly as well, although I am missing two thread colors to finish.  My local fabric store doesn't have them, so I'll either pick some up the next time I leave town and go to Hobby Lobby or the next time I order from 123Stich - whichever comes first.  This pattern can be found here on Etsy.

I also finally got my approval to get onto the Flossible website!  I had been pretty confused because I applied very close to the beginning when beta was opened and then...nothing.  I really thought I'd be among the first ones in.  It was Tuesday of last week when I finally got the link I needed to get in properly.  The owner does have a post written on the site explaining what happened and why it took so long for so many of the beta users to be let in.  So it's ok ~ life happens.  :0)  I'm enjoying add my WIPs to it.  I decided to simply add projects to my account as I go instead of trying to load up all the finishes I already have.  That would just be too much.  So right now all I have on there is my quidditch piece and I'll add Rain Queen soon.

Oh!  I do have finishes to share!  This is one of the freebie patterns we were gifted at the retreat.  It's designed by White Willow Stitching.  I really love it and can't wait to get it framed.

This is a stitched piece I finished last year ~ originally started by a friend who then gave it over to me.  I finished it into a pillow using red checked picnic cloth.  I knew when I was stitching this one, that this was the fabric I wanted to use for making the pillow.  It turned out super cute.

So that's what I've got going on at the moment.  Happy Stitching everyone!!  :0)

First try at Hardanger and Carrot fabric

So.

In an effort to continue growing and expanding my stitchy skills and knowledge, I decided it was time to start tackling Hardanger.  I own a lot of Hardanger books and patterns, but....Hardanger.  

Know what I mean?

I did at least understand the process and wasn't at all afraid of the cutting.  I totally understood how and why it works, so the cutting isn't scary if you understand and trust the process.  It was just an unknown territory.

And I decided to dive in.  

I'm using a pattern from this book.  Who knows how old it is?

And this is the pattern I chose.  It seemed like the easiest one.

I'll admit I'm fudging a bit on this project because I decided to just start it on a whim.  So I didn't have the pearl threads called for.  So I'm using regular DMC cotton, three threads.  This is just a learning experience, so I'm not picky.  I will probably turn the finished product into a Christmas ornament.

But we're not finished yet.  Not nearly.

I'm using such contrasting colors in order to make everything easier to see.  And it's already painfully obvious that I need sharper scissors.  I need a pair of scissors specifically for Hardanger.  But for now, like I said, I'm just trying to learn and I'm not being picky.

I will also say that one of my first impressions is that Hardanger is even more time consuming than cross stitch.  This piece, once done, will have satin stitches, woven bars, and dove's eye specialty stitches.  And the initial stitching part isn't too bad.  (Once you realize that one square on the pattern is equal to two squares on your fabric - and they *don't* tell you that.  You're just supposed to know it by some special mojo osmosis or something.)  But the cutting and then the weaving - oh my mercy, it does take up the time. 

I'll get it done though.  Because I'm stubborn like that.  In the world of stitching there is so much to learn and so many ways to expand your skill set.  I love that.

I have a new project that I am going to start kitting up.  This was on the cover of Cross-Stitch and Needlework magazine last year in the Fall issue.  As soon as I saw it, I fell in love.  I love it all ~ the colors, the pattern, the edge work ~ all of it.  It is intended to be a jack'o'lantern pattern but truthfully that doesn't jump out at me.  I have to look at it a bit before I even see the little faces.  I just think it's a stunning set.

I went to 123Stitch to see about finding the fabric.  I don't want to change anything on this.  I was it exactly as shown, so the 30ct Weeks Dye Works fabric in the color, "Carrot," is exactly what I want.  

And let's just say....CHA-CHING $$$$$$.

The entire set requires two pieces of fabric 16X16, two that are 12X12, and two that are 14X14.  Now, of course, they are not sold in those exact specific sizes.  So to get what I need, I'll have to buy two that is 13X17 and four that are 17X26.  

And that, my dears, will run close to $110!!!

Wowsers.

So I'm just going to go at it a little bit at a time.  Eat the elephant one small nibble here and another there.  I really can't wait though.  I'm just itching to work on this.  

That's all now my dears.  I'm off to stitch a bit and read some stitchy blogs.  

Hugs and kisses and busy needles to you all!

:0)

2015 was a red letter year for finishes for me!

I had more finishes in 2015 than in any year I have stitched yet ~ and there have been 31 years!  I'm going to list out all my finishes for the year here, if for no other reason than to keep track of them in my own mind.  ;0)

#1 ~ For Love Quilts USA

#2 & #3 ~ The first two ornaments in the T'was the Night Before Christmas series

#4 - #8 ~ 4 Baby bibs & 1 blanket for The Legacy of Dorcas Stitching Charity

#9 ~ A Harry Potter Stitch

#10 ~ Plastic canvas tote

#11 ~ Lemon-Aid kitchen towel

#12 & #13 ~ Bluebird pillowcase pair

#

#14 ~ Monogrammed needle book

#15 ~ Honey Bee Happening

#16 - #19 ~ Cherry napkins, donation to a raffle

#20 ~ Coaster set for Legacy of Dorcas project

#21 & #22 ~ Towels for Legacy of Dorcas project

#23 Plastic Canvas wall hanging for Legacy of Dorcas project

#24 - #27 ~ Napkin set, donation for a raffle

#28 ~ Pillow ornament for Legacy of Dorcas project

#29 ~ The Beekeeper

#30 & #31 ~ Ornament made twice, one given away, and one for me to keep

#32 ~ Plastic Canvas, The Grinch wall hanging

#33 & #34 ~ Ornaments for our tree

#35 ~ Edwardian Lady Victoria

#36 & #37 ~ Pillowcase pair for Legacy of Dorcas project

#38 ~ Needlepoint eyeglass case

#39 ~ Frosty Friends

#40 ~ A UFO project, gifted to me partially finished.  I completed the stitching, did the backstitch, and signed both of our names to the piece.

#41 ~ A quick little stitch on the last day of the year

#42 - #44 ~ Halloween coasters

#45 ~ A stitching rescue, from a thrift store for .25 ~ I finished it into a coaster.

45 finishes!!!  I can't quite wrap my head around it.  It didn't feel like I did that much.  I had no clue it was adding up to that number.  I guess I can stop giving myself ANY grief at all for not stitching enough, lol!