In just the past week, I've been a stitching machine! After all those months at the beginning of the year not getting a lot of stitching done, it feels good to actually see some progress! I've been rotating things around a bit, trying to finish up some challenges and some REALLY old WIPs.
I'm really hoping to finish up Christmas Quaker Bellpull from Weihenburg designs before Christmas this year. I think I started this back in 2010 or 2011 (I'll have to go back and look that up). I'm almost down to the last page. Here is where I am right now....
I've also been working on this freebie I found on Charting Creations Facebook group. I love this design (even though you can't see all of it here, I think you can get an idea what it will look like finished...think Santa and his sleigh). I signed up for the SAL but it looks like I won't finish by the end of the challenge. *sigh* I have finished pages 6, 11 and 12. It's called Merry Christmas Freebie.
I finished Take Time to Stitch by Jeanette Douglas. This is the third one I've stitched and I still have to make one more for me! I'll probably be posting this picture again in September for the Gifted Gorgeousness post. I made this for an exchange for St. Michaels last year. One lady loved it so much that I promised to make one for her in exchange for something she would stitch me. I tried to have it finished and framed for her for our monthly stitch day last week, but didn't finish it in time. Hopefully I can get it framed and back to her for the next stitch day in September. (I'm hoping I'll be around for that one....now that most of the work is done in NY, my husband has been making plans for trips here and there.) This is actually a fun thing to stitch, I love all the different stitches and it really doesn't take much time. I love that I've been able to stitch all these on one package size of material, and there was enough silk floss to make all the ones I've stitched!
I've finished two Christmas ornaments too! But I'm not going to post them until next month as they are all part of a challenge I'm participating in. Next up will be a wedding sampler the kids have picked out. Back to work on another ornament I started. Happy Stitching everyone!!
My goodness this year is flying by at a fast and furious pace! I can't believe it's August already. I feel like I've been on a treadmill travelling 90 miles an hour and getting absolutely NOWHERE! Oh well, on with the show!
If you haven't got a clue what Gifted Gorgeousness is, why haven't you visited my blog before?? Just kidding!! I enjoy this challenge so much! We are encouraged to showcase stitching things that are gifted. It could be fabric, a special floss, a pattern, something we made for someone else or something someone made for us. Pretty much everything goes in the gift department! If you want the official rules, head on over and see Jo from Serendipitous Stitching. If you click HERE it will take you to the page where you can sign up. But....if you click HERE, you can see the amazing things Jo is stitching and find the links to see what everyone else is stitching too! The reason I love this challenge so much is because it encourages me to sift through all that stash I have hanging around and stitch something someone has generously given me. (My husband likes it too, because it keeps me out of the LNS and out of his pocket! LOL) I rarely go to the store anymore, and that makes me sad because I've become good friends with most of the ladies who work there! Gee, I keep taking tangents...ok....on with the show (where have I heard that before?)
Let's see....first up is Christmas Morning Goodies by The Frosted Pumpkin. This was an ornament from the 2018 JCS Ornament Issue and is part of a challenge I'm doing. I didn't stitch the border because I really didn't like it that much, and I decided I would finish it in a circular manner and the border would have looked a bit odd. The fabric for this was a gift from my friend Mouse who lives in England. We've exchanged Christmas and Birthday gifts for years. Thanks Mouse!! This was stitched on 32 count Glacier Blue Sparklies fabric over one.
Next is 8 Maids a Milking from the 1989 May issue of Cross Stitch and Country Crafts Magazine.
Next is Snowman Mitten by Ursula Michael from the 2005 JCS Ornament issue, part of the same challenge as above.
Last is 1999 Christmas Ornament by The Vermillion Stitchery from the 1999 JCS Ornament Issue. It's still a work in progress but I hope to finish up in the next day or so. Can you tell what it is?
All four of these are stitched on 28 count over one except the first which was stitched on 32 count over one and the magazines were gift subscriptions from my husband over the years. They are all challenge pieces and you can see which areas they are from by visiting the 2019 goals page above.
Ooops, I almost forgot!! My son's fiance was here a week or so ago and told me she was having problems with her scissors poking through her bag while she was carrying her project back and forth....we can't have THAT now can we? I had this Alice Peterson Kit on standby for emergencies when I have to quickly make a gift for an exchange...so that weekend I whipped this up for her. Now this is needlepoint, and it's already made into the scissor case, all you have to do is stitch it up and zip it up and voila! Hopefully now she won't have any more mishaps with her scissors poking through her bag!
I'm editing this to post this last item that was a gift from a friend. I have only stitched the top portion, there is more in the pattern to do. This is Sarah Elliot's Sewing Chest. I just love this serene scene! All the sheep were supposed to be white, but I couldn't resist putting a little me in there. Can you find the black sheep? Don't confuse him with the black dog...hahah. I took a poll and it was unanimous that I put a little black sheep in there to represent me. This was my LNS challenge piece for July and I finished just in time! I will be doing more from the series as time allows. I'm having so much fun! Thank you to my friend who gifted this to me. I'm honored, and so excited to finally be working on it! It has so many things in there that I love. A light house, whales, and that beautiful tall ship.
I'm still working on the challenge my LNS is hosting, but trying to finish up WIPs we've had going or new patterns we've had lying around for ages that we truly want to stitch. So far I've finished all but one! I'm still working on that and really hope to finish before the year is up!
Til next time....Happy Stitching everyone!
Whew....my last post had me secluding myself and having a bit of a hermit moment from society...or what I thought would be hermitting...haha. I should have known better than to think I could hide myself away for any length of time. I have made stitching more of a priority, do you find it clears your mind too? Something about creating something out of a few fibers and scraps of fabric just seems to sweep the cobwebs away, bring out the sunshine, and soothe the soul. Anyway, I should have known my family wouldn't let me tuck myself away for long!
Wedding plans are in full tilt, and no, Jo I haven't found a hat yet...haha. They are planning a beach wedding, and I can just see myself charging full tilt down the beach with my skirt hiked up around my knees chasing a wayward hat into the surf. Which makes me think, should I wear flats, high heels, or flip flops to a beach wedding? I'll have to ponder that for a while. The lovely bride found her dress, and she is going to look FABULOUS!! We all laughed when she went in with a list of things she didn't want and found that THAT was exactly what looked best on her. Once she picks her colors, then we can discuss decorations....and what dress I should wear.
You may wonder why I'm posting a day ahead of Gifted Gorgeousness. Weeeeellll.......I have a finish that I want to polish my dancing skills over and since she wasn't a gift in any way shape or form, I can't post about her tomorrow....can I? This is Chanson de Noel by Ekatrina Chaykouskaya. I've had her in my stash for quite a while, she was a chart I found at a retreat some time ago. I don't remember when I started her, it was quite some time ago as well, and it feels good to have a long time WIP finished.
Don't you just love her face?
I would love to thank the designer, but I don't speak Russian! She is an amazing designer!
So....I guess I'll have more pictures for you tomorrow. Back to my stitching spot to work on my Wednesday WIP. I'll have pictures another time of my Christmas Quaker Bellpull which is my Wednesday WIP for now until I finish it. It was my challenge piece for June when I was in NY and couldn't finish. Happy Stitching everyone!
