Now there's a humdinger!

Just a quick finish....this is a freebie from Crossed Wing Collection.  I thought I'd just whip it up to see if it might look good on a mask...I like it, but now I have to figure out how to get it on cotton fabric.....

You can find the pattern here.  Have fun if you decide to stitch it!!

Happy Stitching everyone!

Ooooh and then there was the roof of a house!!

I finally found some time to stitch on Gloria!  And look what appeared....the roof of a little house!  Almost every part of this SAL has a surprise, and it's been so much fun waiting for each piece to be revealed.  I can hardly wait for part 16 to see what is in the next line!

DH finally went back to work today after months of being home.  It's with mixed feelings...it's oddly quiet here at DJ's Digs.  I know he was yearning to get back to work, he was bored silly here at home.  I know he'll feel more productive, but I worry for his safety, he was always picking up something at work...like colds and the flu.  Oh well all I can do is pray he stays healthy.

Here's hoping that someday we will be back to some sense of normalcy.  Take care!  And Happy Stitching!

Whew....my fingers have been busy!

It's been a while since I've been able to get some quality stitching done.  I finally have my craft room all organized and it's so easy to find things now!  Yippee!!  The only problem is I promised to do a few things for others, so I can't really stitch for myself now, but that's ok!  I did finish up my 12 Berries of Christmas...and here are the last 4 that I recently finished!  These are designed by Erica Michaels and these are stitched on 32 count fabric over two.

8 Maids a Milking

6 Geese a laying

5 Golden Rings

4 Calling Birds

Now to find time to actually get them fully finished!

I had a day last week when I got some framing done.  I showcased two last week for Gifted Gorgeousness, so here are the other two that I finished up.  They are proudly displayed on my mantle!  

The first is Be Still by My Big Toe.  This was stitched on 28 count Ivory over two and is in a 8X8 frame.

The other is Count Your Blessings by Little House Needleworks.  This was stitched on 40 count Burch over two, and is framed in a 3 X 3 frame.

I finally finished up my Christmas Snowflake by Shannon Christine designs.  It was a challenge to me to get this finished.  I am not a big fan of beading, and this was truly a toughie for me!  But....I love how it came out and now I have to think how I want to frame it...This was stitched on 32 count Midnight fabrics by Stephanie (I love her fabric!!!) over two!

I also finished up 6 Geese a laying and 7 Swans a swimming in the 12 Days of Christmas series published in Stoney Creek Magazine over the 4 issues printed in 2019. 

I also finished up Giving Thanks by Little House Needleworks.  I'm debating on how to finish this off....frame or cube?  Decisions Decisions.  Any ideas?

I guess that's all I've had time for this month.  I need to catch up in Gloria and work on the wedding sampler...but first I have to get started in The Last Supper that I promised to stitch for my church, and get some masks decorated for a friend of mine.  Never a dull moment at DJ's Digs!

I hope all is well with everyone, stay safe, keep well, and Happy Stitching!!

July's Gifted Gorgeousness

My goodness time is flying!  I can't believe this year is half over!!  Seems like the days are long but the weeks fly by!  I will say I've got quite a bit of stitching done lately though, now that my craft room is settled and I can find things easier!

So....if you haven't heard of Gifted Gorgeousness before, this is a challenge that Jo over at Serendipitous Stitching has been hosting for a few years now.  I like it because it challenges me to stitch those patterns that have been gifted, or use the floss or fabric I received.  I also get to showcase those things I've made for others.  If you want the official rules, or to join in the fun (you can sign up at any time!!) stop on over to the sign-up page (click here) and get on board!  Or if you just want to see what the rest of us GGers are doing, you can visit her blog and check us out by clicking (here)

So...what have I been up to since last month?  Let's see....

DH always gifts me the Just Cross Stitch magazine for Christmas each year, so I count anything I've made from the ornament issue as a GG.  This month I stitched Merry Christmas from the 2015 JCS Ornament issue by Samplers Not Forgotten.  It's stitched on 32 count antique ivory linen over one with a charm substituted for the snowflake in the upper right corner.  

From the 2019 ornament issue I stitched Christmas Robin by The Little Stitcher.  It's stitched on 32 count antique ivory over one!  Someone gave me some metal button forms and I wanted to stitch something really small to mount on them.  Hopefully I'll get some finishing done soon!

I was late stitching the ornaments last month so I'm including them in this month's GG as well.  The Stockings Were Hung is also from the 2019 Ornament issue by Rovaris.  I think I may finish this in the oval hoop I stitched it in!  It's stitched on 32 count antique white over two.  My brain is still storming over this one!

I stitched Waiting for Santa by Swallick Stitchery from the 2016 JCS Ornament issue on 32 count natural over two.  I love those cute little sheep butts!!

I've been keeping up with Gloria by Tempting Tangles.  This is a current SAL that DH bought for me for Christmas last year.  I've been working really hard to keep up to date so that I will finish it in time for Christmas this year.  It's been a challenging piece because I'm stitching on 32 count white opalescent over two and my thread keeps tangling.  But I LOVE how it looks and can't wait to get to the next level and see what unfolds next!  Isn't it lovely?  I love Deborah's designs!!

DH also surprised me with another SAL called Birds and Blackwork Flowers by Lesley Teare.  Each month she publishes the next bird in the series.  I have stitched both June and July since the last GG post so here they are!  Both are stitched on 28 count white over two.  First is June...

Then July...

I've made a couple of gifts and I recently got them framed!  These are now in the postal system on their way to their recipients.  They each know what I've made so it's not a surprise.  I cut off the bottom of the baby sampler to keep their name private, but the first is Jungle Baby by Imaginating.

The second is Take Time to Stitch by Jeanette Douglas.  This is the third time I"ve stitched this piece and give each one away.  I'm going to stitch one more....but keeping that one for me!!  LOL  I love this design!  I love challenging pieces like this!!

And I guess that's all the GG I have to show this month.  I have others that I have finished stitching but I'll share them another time.  I hope you all are staying safe and keeping well.  Happy Stitching everyone!

Procrastination...

Yes, I have perfected the art of procrastination...LOL   I really should be upstairs finishing off my stitching room which I have been working on for 3 weeks now.  I've hit a roadblock...I need some hanging file folders so I can sort and organize and store away all my patterns.  Ok, don't laugh so hard!  I think they might all fit in the filing cabinet I have...and I've sort of sorted them...into accordion file folders ...well some of them anyway, the rest are in boxes...but I'm stuck for the moment.  And then life happened.  Ben had a birthday... the big 25!  And then it was my Mom's birthday...and then Father's day, so the weekend was pretty much a blur.  We actually went out to a restaurant for Ben's big day...the first day they were open for business to eat inside.  Yep, we took the plunge.  It was a fun evening, honestly.  And nice to spend time with the kids.  We still kept our distance and wore masks, but it was almost like being back to normal.

Because I'm waffling about how to sort and store my patterns, I decided I needed to stitch...so I started finishing up some small projects I had going that I found while I was sorting.  

I should have taken pictures where I had left off ages before...but here is Live Laugh Love by La-D-Da.  It is stitched on 35 count straw over one.  I love the colors of the silks I used in this piece!! 

I also finished up God in my Garden by Tempting Tangles.  This was a SAL that recently published the last part of the pattern last week.  This is stitched on 32 Antique Ivory over one.  It was a pretty quick stitch!  I used silks on this one too, but not the recommended Dinky Dyes it called for.

I have wanted to stitch this ornament for ages.  It's from the 2016 JCS Ornament issue and was designed by Swallick Stitchery and it called Waiting for Santa.  I stitched this on Mocha 32 count over one.  Love those little sheep butts!  LOL

I was able to stitch the Birds and Blackwork flowers SAL for this month also.  This was designed by Lesley Teare....I just love these designs.  This was stitchedon 28 count over two!

Last is The Stockings Were Hung by Rovaris.  This was from the 2019 JCS Ornament issue and was stitched on 28 count lambswool over two.  I think I might leave it in the hoop to finish it...I'll have to think a little more about it before I completely decide.  

I've been asked to stitch The Last Supper again...so I've been gathering materials.  Once I get a little more of the things I want to finish caught up I'll get started...so watch this space!  

And now it's back to the sewing room...let's hope I get some file folders soon!!  I hope you are all getting your home improvement projects finished before we are allowed out of our houses!  Keep safe everyone and Happy Stitching!

June Gifted Gorgeousness

Hello Fellow Stitchers!  

Yes, it's that time of month again when we showcase our needlework that have been or are gifts.  Jo, over at Serendipitous Stitching hosts this lovely challenge where we showcase our work that has been gifted.  You can read about the rules and sign up to take part in the challnege here  (click here)  and see what others are posting here  (click here).  

Last month was a bit crazy as I participated in Maynia...where I made up my own rules.  I started out thinking I would stitch only on things I had already started and choose a different WIP each day, but I tired of that quickly...and then just started stitching on things I had kitted too.  I was able to stitch on something new every day, and if I finished something, then I would go back and try to finish up another small project I had already worked on that month.  I got so much stitching done, but I think I burned out a little bit too.  Still, it was a productive month...but once that was over, it was time to buckle down and get some work done around the house...so I haven't stitched much since then.  So...let's see...where should I start?

I finished another ornament for the kids for Christmas.  This was a Shannon Christine design stitched on 40 count natural linen.  I really need to get busy and fully finish so many of the things I've worked on!  I love how this one came out though...

I also wanted to finish one of the #Be well freebies that was floating around out there.  I have so many that I would like to stitch...just no time at the present, but I did finish this one by Hewitt Hill Samplers while we were still in quarantine.  This is stitched on 40 count vintage mocha.

I finished the "under top side " of the casket from Sarah Elliott's Sewing Chest.  This whole kit was a gift from a friend who was downsizing her stash.  There are tons of pieces in this chest, and I'm trying to finish a few here and there before I do the final assembly.  This was stitched on 36 count dove linen.  The mermaids were stitched over one!

I made a little progress on Flowers and Lace by Kooler Designs.  This was a gift from DH one year.  He bought the pattern and found all the floss for it as a gift for Christmas.  Yup...I'm truly spoiled!!

I also made a little progress on Oh Holy Night by Heaven and Earth Designs.  This was also a Christmas gift on a different year from DH.  Again, he bought the pattern and all the floss.  Isn't he amazing?  I wish I made more progress on this...I truly love this design.

Rummaging through my closet I found this half finished piece that was gifted to me at a retreat.  This is called My Scissors by Not Forgotten Farm.  How do you think I should finish this?  Maybe a sweet little pillow?  It's also stitched on 40 count over two.

I started a Dimensions kit that had two bookmarks.  A friend of mine had picked this kit for me to stitch for her as a gift.  That was a couple of years ago...I finally got started on it.  Hopefully I can finish it for her for her birthday in January...wish me luck!!

I'm caught up on Gloria so far.  This was a Christmas gift from DH this past year.  I love this design, and each piece that is published (it's an ongoing SAL) has it's own surprises and delights.  While it's a PAIN to stitch on the opalescent, I can't not stitch this, it's really a feast for the eyes.

I guess that's all the most current GG things I have.  I'm sure next month it will be slim pickings as I seem to have lost my mojo a bit.  It's been a challenge this month as I've been going through stash, moving things out of my sons room to make it my new sewing room.  I've determined I might be a cross stitch hoarder...that's the first step to recovery right?  It's a little disconcerting, as I've found things from my mother, things from Katie, and even things from my Dad...it's heart wrenching, I'll be honest.  I did find cards from when I turned 50...and they had me laughing and crying and remembering all the fun I used to have in the Yahoo groups I belong to.  Going through Ben's room is like a time capsule from the last 25 years.  Whew...I have to stop I'm probably boring you guys to tears!  LOL  Let's just say the past two weeks have been quite the walk down memory lane.  Time to wrap this up and call it a day.  I hope you all are staying well and finding joy in your stitching!  Till next time, Happy Stitching!!

Whew....I made it!

And I lived to tell the tale!  LOL  I made my goal of stitching on something different every day!  Yay!!  Now to go back and finish up the things I started...and get my June stitching done too!  This month should be a piece of cake!  (I hope I didn't jinx myself!)

The last two days of May were a blur because so much was going on here in real life...haha.  I never though I would be this busy during a quarantine...but this is ME we are talking about...haha.

So on the 30th I stitched on Santa Basket.  This is a piece from the Cross Stitch Christmas 2003 issue.  When I started I thought he might be a quick stitch...man was I WRONG!!  I know you can't see it in the picture, but his beard has pearl Kreinik blending filament in it...I HATE that stuff but LOVE the way it looks.  I read a little while ago to stitch the cotton floss first, then just do the half stitch of the blending filament over the top.  I have to say it really does look better to me, so have been doing it that way since.  Keep in mind that almost doubles your stitching though.  UGH!!  His beard took the longest of everything!  I was going to give this as a gift to a friend of mine who likes Santas, but I fell in love with the little guy...so don't tell my friend...but I'm keeping him for myself!  LOL!!!  (I really doubt I'll stitch that little time sucker again!).  He is stitched on 40 count white over two, so I'm wondering if the jingle bell is a little too big for him...but I'm leaving him just the way he is!  I only got this far...

But I loved him so much that I worked a few more days and finished him up last night.  So now he looks like THIS!  The reason he's called Santa Basket is because he's supposed to be finished on top of a basket...but I think I'll finish him as a round ornament.  Watch this space, hopefully in a few weeks I'll be getting some finishing done!

On the 31st I pulled out Kringles from Little House Needleworks.  I LOVE this pattern...but I HATE working on this blasted roof!  My patience can only handle so much of this part of the pattern.  I'll nibble away until I have the roof done, then hopefully the rest will come along quickly.  I didn't get far this day, and went back to the Santa.

And that's a wrap for Maynia.  Hopefully June will bring a lot of finishes, fingers crossed!  Happy Stitching!