Happy New Year

Christmas magic!  I finished these in time to give away.

 

 

Mickey is from an issue of Cross Stitch Card Shop and the cactus is from Cross Stitcher’s Countdown to Christmas.

The end of another stitching year.  I think it was a pretty good one overall and hope 2015 will be just as good for me and everyone else.

Happy stitching World

Happy New Year!!

Stitch from Stash December 2014

So here we are at the end of Stitch from Stash 2014.  I’ve been spending more time making plans for next year than stitching.  But there was still shopping.

 

Actually, this was all purchased with the gift certificate I won from Pull the Other Thread. Outside of that I’ve picked up some fabric pieces from EBay and a couple of magazines.  I’m using December as my exemption month.  That gives me room for that and whatever else comes along.  Like the sale at Artecy or the next issue of Cross Stitch Collection.  The CSC would be good because it has the last part of the Maria Diaz pattern, which is what the fabric in the picture is for.

Happily the month hasn’t been completely stitch free.  I have a finish to share.

 

I call it Penguin and Snow penguin.  It was designed by Lucie Heaton.  I’m hoping for one more finish by Christmas.  Of course it’s one of those last minute things that I just decided to start on Friday.  Still, it could happen.

Happy stitching World

Smalls SAL November 2014

In preparation for Sprite Pattern December, I give you this.

 

The 9^th Doctor as designed by Dork Stitch.  Her annual pattern celebration starts tomorrow, so be sure to check it out.

Happy stitching World.

Stitch from Stash November 2014

So November seems to have more about shopping than stitching.  I’ve started a little Christmas tree piece but it’s not much more than a blob of purple right now.  Also I’m saving a sprite finish for my Smalls SAL post later.

Shopping though, I’ve excelled at shopping. J  While I was waiting for these.

I picked up these.

 This one my daughter bought for us.

 

It has the first part of this really cute piece by Maria Diaz.  Why they split this picture into three parts I don’t know, but they did.

 Just for fun one morning, I picked this up from the clearance bin at ABC Stitch Therapy.

 

I kind of think the Prairie Schooler pattern could have been cheaper, but it wasn’t full price.  The Santa’s Village piece came with the button so that was nice.

What was the total of all this shopping?  $70.45. So, I guess I’m using my bonus this month.  Next month I may go over, depends on how many more magazines come in.  J

Happy stitching World

MMMM #5

Funny, you’d think anything would make white stand out and yet.

My final post for the month and the SAL adds a little blue to the white.  Soon it will become something more.  Thanks to Pull the Other Thread for hosting the SAL, it’s been fun.

In the meantime

 

Happy Halloween!

Happy stitching World

Smalls SAL - October

Here’s my finish for the month.

 

It was part of a free kit that came with the July issue of Cross Stitcher last year.  Angela Poole’s design has a little more backstitch than mine, but I like my funky flower.

Happy stitching World

Stitch from Stash October

What did I do this month?  As reported earlier, I finished the Santa & Reindeer.  Before that though, there was Batman.

 In the WIP’s and Starts column we have these.

Starry Night with Tardis is on the left.  The start is Reflections of Paris by Ink Circles.  I started it because I bought some Carrie’s Creation Thread online for a Halloween picture.  Turned out Midnight was blue not black.  So I started this instead.

Purchases.

 A magazine, a pattern and 3 skeins of the aforementioned floss.  Total spent $22.00.  I’m going to claim this as budget not bonus.  That way if I find the other British Cross Stitch magazines I think I want; I can use the bonus then.

Speaking of British Cross Stitch magazines.
 

A blog friend of mine, Kate from The Suddenly Kate Show, was clearing out some of her stash.  So I immediately asked for half. (Such restraint, Ha)  She agreed to send them and I paid the postage. Most of it I think, exchange rates you know.  Thanks Kate!

Happy stitching World

 

 

 

 

 

MMMM #4

So I finished Santa.

 

My pattern came from the book “365 Quick Christmas Cross Stitch Designs by Kooler Design Studios.  Though there was an earlier comment on a post that says you can get the pattern on Kooler Designs website.

Next start more white on white at the moment. Hopefully more color next week.

Happy stitching World

MMMM #3

What’s smaller than this mini?  The amount of time I’ve had to work on it. Ha.  Still the back stitch on the outside is done so I think the end may be in sight.

 

Happy stitching World

MMMM #2

Let’s face it.  If this week had gone as well as last week, I probably still wouldn’t be done with this.  But it is progressing.

 

Here’s to a great stitching week ahead.

Happy stitching World.

Mini Mega Madness Post #1

The madness begins.  I had to get some color onto Santa because white on white is as hard to see as it is to stitch.

 

This little Santa and reindeer (yet to come) are from Kooler Design Studio’s 365 Quick Christmas Cross Stitch Designs.

Be sure to check out the other participants here.

Happy stitching World

Stitch from Stash September

A good month. I finished Batgirl the other day.  Captain America (Dork Stitch) is finished too.

  

I made a small start on another long term project.  This is “Starry Night with Tardis” charted by Skitzz.

 

Leave it to me to start something I haven’t gathered all the floss for.  Guess I should have started the HAED.  Too bad I couldn’t decide which one. J

My LNS order from last month finally came in.

 

Little House – Route 66

Imaginating – Let’s Be Wicked

Waxing Moon – Midnight Manor

Total spent - $24.00.  More good stitching to look forward to.

In my never ending search for reasons to start things I’ve joined a new SAL.  Pull the Other Thread is hosting a “Mega Mini Madness” SAL.  I’ve been going through my stash trying to decide what to do and what to start first.  I’ll either decide by Wed or just open a book and start there. (not likely)

Happy stitching World

Smalls SAL September

Na na, na na, na na, na na, na na, na na, na na, na na

 

Batgirl.

Design by Dork Stitch.

Happy stitching World

Stitch from Stash August

I did get some stitching done this month, among all the unpacking.  It was kind of fun to open a box and go “What’s this?  I should work on it.”  So I made a little more progress on Bienvenue.

 

 

 

My shopping has picked back up too.  I tried to take Mel’s advice and pick up some new market releases.  But my LNS didn’t bring home any of my choices.  There’s next month taken care of though, because I left the list with them to order.  Fear not, for in its place there’s this.

 

The JCS Halloween Special, the July – Aug. issue of Cross Stitch Card Shop and some Carrie’s Creation Threads.  The pile on the left is the colors for Hawaiian Mandala and the pile on the right I may use in Quaker Gone Tropic.  Total purchases $39.98.

Happy stitching World

Smalls SAL

Figures right?  You get everything moved and you’re ready to sit down and stitch, when you find out you’re expected to unpack.  Geez.  Still, the new place is looking pretty good.  There was some small progress on a couple of things.

 

Why that sprite isn’t done I don’t know.  Mostly because the colors I needed were not in the box like I thought.  There’s a three day weekend coming up and then I might find the rest of the threads and a finish.

Happy stitching World

Stitch From Stash July 2014

No stitching or stashing for me this month.  My time has been spent moving.  I’d like to say we’re finished, but at least we’re in the home stretch.  If the internet service switch goes well (don’t laugh) everything should be up and running by the weekend.  And hopefully I’ll be back to stitching by Friday night.

Happy stitching World!!

Smalls SAL and Stitch from Stash June 2014

Wow is June almost over?  I have to say I had a pretty good time.  Hope you all did too.

Smalls SAL wise, I have more small starts than finishes.

 

The explanations/excuses for this lack of finishes could go on forever.  Now on to more fun stuff.

Comic Con (the local one, or as they’ve taken to calling themselves DCC) was two weekends ago.  I decided that would be a good time to start on one of my SFS purchases for the month.  This is also my first ETSY pattern purchase.  I’m making it for my nephew. (If not this one, the next oneJ),

 

I also did some shopping on EBay.  I found a deal and purchased some Ivory 18 count. 2 yards for less than $10.  I’m planning on using it for a Mystic Stitch pattern and one from Witchy kit Designs.  Both are solidly stitched in, so I didn’t think the fabric color would matter.

 

My other EBay purchase for the month was some 16 count fabric.  Not quite the deal as the 18 count, but I did get free shipping.  Don’t have that in yet, so no picture.

Last Saturday was fun.  There was lots of stash building.  I picked up 2 magazines I wanted.  Then I used a gift card and coupon I had for Michaels to get another piece of 16 count fabric, some needles, floss and floss box.  The floss and box I’m dedicating to my future sprite stitching.

 

 

 

But the epic find of the weekend came when I was out to lunch with my friend.  I noticed there was a craft store on the corner, so after lunch we went in.  Nice place, but it wasn’t until we left that I found the cross stitch in this cart on the sidewalk.  And the best deal I may find in a long time.  Because in the bag with this sticker:

 

Was all of this.

How cool is that!!  Those pieces are still folded too.  Trust me, they’re large and I’m excessively pleased with myself.

So, Etsy, EBay, Michaels, the LNS and my new favorite craft store.  And thanks to Mel’s extra $50 bonus for the month, my total came to $72.57.

Not much stitching, but as I said, a pretty good time.

Happy stitching World

May SALs - Smalls and Stitch from Stash

Do you know what happens when you spill cherry kool-aid on white cross stitch fabric?  It turns pink of course.  Fortunately it’s far enough down that I think it can still be used.  Handy since I was making this at the time.

 

Cyberman by Dork Stitch.  That and L*K May earlier make for 2 completions this month!!

Stitch from Stash was good this month.  Or maybe I should say I was no worse than normal.  I spent $17.09.  Early in the month I bought “Surfing the Web” by Randall Spangler during the HAED 50% off sale.  Last weekend I hit the floss sale at Joann’s.  Restraint came from their limited stock and my lack of time to go to any other stores.

At the end of April 123-Stitch had a sale that enticed me to use my Christmas gift certificate.  This is what I decided on.

 

American Flag Quilt Sampler, Quaker gone Tropic and Faith (love the little black sheep).  I really want to start the Quaker piece.  Just need to decide if I like the color variations floss I picked out.

Here’s a nice surprise.  I finally worked on something larger than a small. J

 

This is my Ballroom picture by Sandy Littlejohn.  I took it out one day to put a few more stitches on it and went a little farther than that.

So that’s May all stitched up.  Here’s hoping June is as nice or nicer to us all.

Happy stitching World

Just Because

Because I couldn’t let May go by without this seeing the light of blog. J

 

 

This is Lizzie Kate’s May Flip It done with DMC variegated and color variations floss.

Happy stitching World

Small SAL April

Here’s my entry for the month.

 

This little turtle was designed by Fiona Crouch. It was from an issue of Cross Stitcher last year.

Happy stitching World

Stitch from Stash April

Bought this month: 2 DMC Color Variations sets. Reason: I want to use them in place of the hand dyed floss in Lizzie Kates and similar patterns.  And because I was dying to use these half off coupons for JoAnns. J So, total spent: $10.

Projects worked on: I finished the rune which I posted earlier this month.  In a day or so I’ll post the Smalls SAL piece for April.  Since I still can’t seem to get back to working on my big projects I’m jumping in to the small ones.

 

More news on these when they’re farther along.  But joining them sooner rather than later will be these.

 

To prove that when I’m not stitching I’m looking for more things not to stitch on. J Not to worry, I’m only starting one new thing (from each).

Happy stitching World

A finish to share

It’s late Sunday night and there are the usual million things to do.  But I wanted to end the weekend by sharing my latest finish.

 

This is the Angelic Rune designed by Dork Stitch.  The inspiration comes from the Mortal Instruments books and movie.  I did this on 11 count Aida with 3 strands of purple “craft” floss.

Happy stitching World

Stitch from Stash March 2014

So I splurged this month too.  My LNS was having a St. Patrick’s Day sale – you know, 17% off.  I went there to look for one of the Little House sheep and came away with this.

 

This is far more impressive than it looks.  The Lizzie Kates were full price, less the 17%, but all the other were 50 cents each.  I know!  It’s amazing what you can think you need at that price.  Which came out to be $14.52.

On the plus side, I did resist a sale on some Disney patterns on Etsy.

Not a lot of stitching this month.  I finished a Santa piece for the Smalls SALL and started a rune pattern Dork Stitch made.  I’m aiming for more stitching and less shopping next month.  Unless there’s another splurge weekend of course.

Happy stitching World

Small SAL March 2014

My life has been taken over lately by extraordinarily mundane things.  But I see a light at the end of the tunnel when Anomaly Con rolls around this weekend.  Before the mundane attack there was what has to rate as a perfect cross stitch day.  I was sitting by the window watching it snow and playing some Martin Denny (think Tiki musicJ). Then I managed to finish this.

 

It’s called Relaxin’ Santa from Tropical Christmas by Stoney Creek.

I haven’t decided what to do for next month yet.  But I’m sure something will turn up.

Happy stitching World

Stitch from Stash February 2014

I told you I’d get around to spending money.

Total February purchases: $4.01.

This includes 3 skeins of floss which I thought I needed.  Until I found where they had gone.  One only took a day to turn up.  The other one took a little longer.  So the only remaining mystery is why I thought I had to buy 2 skeins of 761.  Just beat having to choose another color I suppose.  The rest of the money is for 3 packages of bobbins.  Because if I’m going to impulse shop at least I know I can use them.

And then there was splurging!!!

Splurge Weekend purchases: $42.62.

What a fun weekend.  I bought two magazines, two patterns and a piece of tropical orange fabric for a pattern I got for my birthday.

New starts for the month were two sprites, my piece for the Smalls SAL and what I think may be by first Teresa Wentzler piece “You were hatched”.

 

This is Mina, one of the Dork Stitch sprites.  The other one and the smalls piece are pictured in earlier posts.  If/when I make it farther than the corner border I’ll post a picture of the TW piece.

I was going to say I hadn’t worked on any WIPs this month.  Happily that’s not true.  I did finish Lizzie Kate’s Thankful String during IHSW.

Some time on my bigger pieces would be nice, but if next month only goes this well I’ll be happy.

Happy stitching World