December 31

Happy New Year!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Smalls SAL - November

The holiday season begins.  Happily the stitching continues.

 

Lots of plans for December.  We’ll see what happens.

Happy stitching World

October SAL Update

Stitch from Stash

Spent $0

Earned $4

No progress on any large cross stitch projects this month.  But at the last possible moment, I did finish this.

 

The wedding gift I’ve been working on for my nephew.  From the story I heard after, they seem to like it. J

Smalls SAL

October is finished.

 

Next: November and a Christmas ornament.

Happy Halloween!

Happy stitching World

September SALS Update

Smalls

Stitch from Stash

Spent $12.00

Earned $4.00

There was stitching this past month.

I finished September.

 

I put together a biscornu.

 

Plus, I started on October and put a few more stitches on my HAED SAL piece.

There was a detour to crochet land.  It proved to be more distracting than entertaining.  I think I have my problems about worked out now.  This would be a good thing because I need it for a wedding present next month.

Oh yeah, I got the world’s greatest birthday present.

 

Happy stitching World

SAL Updates - August

It’s one of those “never seems to fail” moments.  Again.  When I should be working on my SAL projects, I’m busy stitching on anything else.  As a result, my stitching progress looks like this:

Stitch from Stash – August

$ spent $14.80

$ earned $8.00

Biscornu Days here at the Tiki Hut.  I’ve finished ½ each of a green one and a purple one.

 

The green one goes with the part I had done before.  The purple one still needs the bottom.  The designs come from Au Pays des Biscornus, a fabulous blog with hundreds (really) of biscornu patterns.  Also worked on (but not pictured here) were the Retro Cat, Santa’s House (Country Cottage Santa’s Village #1), Christmas Presence (HAED SAL), and A Day at the Beach.  The beach picture is a kit I won in Crafty Rahenna’s giveaway earlier this year.  The rules were that it had to be started, not stashed.  My excuse for not starting sooner is that the kit came with a nice piece of linen, which I don’t work with much.  In honor of Disneyland’s 60^th Anniversary, I bought a pattern on Etsy, which I started.  It’s the Opening Ceremony poster pattern from New York Needleworks.  So far there are two (nearly complete) red lines.

 

 

 

 

 

My other purchase was this:

 

Pretty sweet right?  Especially at 60% off.

Smalls SAL

This one is coming along well.  August is done.

 

Only 5 more months to go!  I have to go back and finish/do January at the end.

So on to September.  May it be full of progress, finishes and not too many new starts.

Happy stitching World

YOTA August 2015

I told myself I was going to make this post yesterday.  Before it becomes tomorrow, here it is. J

 

Admittedly, most of the progress on this happened Friday night and Saturday, but there is progress.  I’m hoping by the time I get the large fireplace section done, I’ll have decided on the color for the little stones.  Hmm, maybe light and dark, I’ll try to keep that in mind.

Check out Pull the Other Thread for more YOTA posts.

Happy stitching World

July SALS Update

Christmas in July Sales.  I’d be so much richer without them. J  Still, I did pick up these.

 

The Halloween issue I got a discount on by signing up for the Christmas issue.  The Santa’s Village patterns finish off my set, so it seemed like a good investment.

London is starting to break out in words.  Either that or it’s the top of a train that’s making a trail of white puffy clouds. J

 

I didn’t finish a Christmas piece for the Smalls SAL but there are these.

 

The palm tree design is from the book, Rainbow of Stitches.  I used some old stash floss.  This is J & P Coats Pastelles #557.  Good thing I didn’t run out of floss because I only bought skein way back when.  Next I have my eye on a floss color by Six Strand Sweets called Chocolate Covered Cherries.  So the big question is – cupcake or ice cream design?

With a little luck and a lot more stitching, I’ll be back on Saturday with a YOTA update.

Happy stitching World

June SAL Updates

Here we are at the end of June.  With an epic burst of speed stitching and an extra day off, I have something to show.

Stitch from Stash
Spent $25                                                                                                                           Earned $6

Yes, I picked up the two magazines I was after.

 

So now I have the 3^rd part of the dollhouse Maria Diaz did for CSC.  I also have this cool beach picture she did in Gold.  Jeez, you’d think I was a fan or something.  But just to prove it, I stitched down to the start of the letters in London! (M. Diaz, CSG USA Issue #37) And the center top is finally finished.

 

I was so pleased; I almost kept working on it.  But then I never would have gotten this post written.  As for what I earned, it came from these.

Smalls SAL

 

The sun piece I finished earlier this month.  June I finished earlier today.  Then I started on July.  I may try to do a Christmas piece next month too.  If I can decide on one in time. J

CSC SAL  

 

Not breaking any speed records with this one, but there is progress here too.  More on the fireplace and above.

That's all for now.  Hope it's a good week for everyone.

Happy stitching World

 

 

 

YOTA June 2015

Look, more fireplace:

 

I think I’ve found one of the many reasons I don’t get more stitching done.  Or maybe, just the newest reason on the long list.  Board games, specifically, The Settlers of Catan.  At least I won tonight. J  Who knows what will happen when we get Pandemic in.

Happy stitching World

May SALS Update

This was a month full of good times and shopping.  But not a lot of stitching. 

I did finish May.

 

This keeps me current and gives me $4 credit towards this.

SFS – May

$100 spent (!)

$4 earned

Seriously, I did not think I had that much to spend.  But when it goes out in smaller chunks I guess you don’t notice.  And no, I’m not sorry because I ended up with this.

 

The balance was floss to start some of the patterns in them.  Possibly Baked Alaska as well, if the Threadworx floss I ordered looks half as good in person as it does on the computer.

Speaking of new patterns, Mother’s Day was nice.  I got 4 patterns total.  Two from Artecy : Hawaiian Beach and Space Rocket.  The other two were HAED: In the Sunshine and Get Your Kicks from Route 66.

I’m off now to gaze at my patterns, sort through my floss and see if I can stitch any faster.  Have to try to fill in the hole I dug a little.  There are two more magazines I want to look for next month. J

Happy stitching World

YOTA Anyone?

Too little, hopefully not too late.
Does Free Comic Book Day count as a good excuse?
How about seeing the Avengers. (twice!)
How about I just show you that there's a little more fireplace.

Happy stitching World

SALS April Update

Stitch from Stash
$42.00 spent
$10.00 earned
After I bought Baked Alaska, I kept looking for the other pattern I “needed” Rainbow Parfait.  Thanks to one of those magical EBay moments I found it.

 

And along with it I got these.

 

For the price of two patterns.  Like I said, magical. J

Now I haven’t started any of these – yet – but there has been some stitching.

 

My stitching fingers led me to work on the left hand side while the rest of me wondered why I wasn’t finishing that middle section.  No matter, sooner or later it will all get done.

There was another purchase.  I bought this issue of Cross Stitch Gold for the Italian picture by Maria Diaz.

 

In addition to the little bunny I finished earlier and the Smalls piece below there was one more finish.

 

This is the First Doctor as designed by Dork Stitch.

Smalls SAL

I have a finish!

Cross Stitch Collection

A few more columns on the fireplace.  Moving along. J

Happy stitching World

YOTA update April 2015

I’m behind the times (again).  Let’s keep this brief.

YOTA progress:  more fireplace.

 

And a finish.

 

Hope everyone had a great weekend.  And a great week ahead.

Happy stitching World

March SALs Update

I guess I’m into minimalism at the moment.

Stitch from Stash – March

$ spent 20.78

$ earned 0

It seems I have a thing for the sales at 123-Stitch lately.  This time I picked up Baked Alaska by Glendon Place and Spot On by Ink Circles.

London moves along.  I made it down to the bottom of the orange on the top right.  Now if I get tired of orange I can start on some blue.

 

Cross Stitch Collection

Three rows this month!  Still waiting for the elves to come and make progress on this.  Until then, this is more than last month so that’s good for me.

 

Smalls SAL

Not so good for me on this.  April isn’t finished yet.  Neither is the little piece that distracted me.  Looking for a finish on at least one by the end of the month.

So, lots of things to work on.  And that’s not counting anything I haven’t started yet. J

Happy stitching World

YOTA March 2015

Time for another YOTA update.  I’ve made a start on the fireplace.  The colors are going to be different from the pattern but I think it will work.

 

Happy stitching World

My SALS Update for February

It seems like just yesterday I had enough time to make all these poses separately.  I think all the snow lately has been too distracting.  Or at least hard to drive through.

SMALLS SAL

I’m working on what I call my seaside calendar.  March is finished.

 

Hopefully before next month is over, it will end up looking like these.

 

I haven’t found the right trim to use as hangers for the monthly pieces yet.  Meanwhile I think the mini easel works well.

 

Stitch from Stash

February spent $16.00, earned $4.00.

This month I spent $16.00 buying some Anchor floss on EBay.  I credit this purchase to not being outbid as much as wanting it.

There’s a little more progress on London to show.

 

Once I realized I wasn’t going to get to the lettering this month, I tried to finish more of the sky across the top.  Here’s what it’s meant to look like when finished.

 

This is part of a series by Maria Diaz that was published by Cross Stitch Gold.

Cross Stitch Collection

For this SAL, I’m supposed to be working on my Ballroom picture.  You may not be able to tell, but there was some small progress this month.

 

There’s some light gray running down the side.  Still looking for the bottom.

Random Things

There were a couple of other things I finished this month.  One was this piece.

 

It’s part of the Redwork Santas series by Prairie Schoolar, Book # 102

Last, but not least.

 

This little bird perches on top a purple mason jar.  It is part of a design by Linda Gillum from the book, 99 Cross Stitch Luvable Pets.  Lots to learn about finishing yet, but I like it.  So does my daughter, which is handy because I gave it to her for Valentine’s Day. J

One last spending note.  I decided what to get with my Christmas gift certificate!  Thanks to the sale at 1-2-3, I’m getting the new Ink Circles Reflections of London, a Whispered in the Wind quilt pattern, a Lizzie Kate Easter pattern and some Threadworx floss that might mean a new start!

Happy stitching World

YOTA February 2015

Hi there World, how was your day?  Mine was good, chores in the morning, stitching in the afternoon.  No stitching on the YOTA picture today but there is progress.

 

I’ve finished the largest purple section and the white on one of the other hanging lamps.  They are in front of a fire place which I’m going to change the color on.  So as soon as I’m sure I have enough floss I’m going to start on it.  The fireplace that is.

Check all the other YOTA participants at   Pull the Other Thread .

Happy stitching World

Smalls SAL January 2015

This year I decided to make a calendar of sorts.  These designs are all from the book “Sand, Sea and Cross Stitch” by Anna Field.  In the book the designs are in groups of four.  I’m going to do one at a time.  Here’s February.

My plan for starting here is to turn them into pillow ornaments and hang them up in the proper month.  I’ve even found some backing fabric.  This might just work. J

Happy stitching World

CSC SAL January 2015

I heard about this SAL on another blog and decided I had to join.  There are two options, large or small.  Ok, three if you do both.  For January at least, I’m going with large.  CSC is very kindly offering The Edwardian Garden Party pattern by Sandy Littlejohn and Deb Lester.  Never being one to turn down a new start, I still decided to go with a different picture.  My Large picture will be the Summer Ball by Sandy Littlejohn.  I started this a long time ago and never worked on it much.  So this is what it looked like at the beginning of January.

 And this is what it looks like now.

 

I’ve almost made it to the bottom of the picture! J

Happy stitching World

SFS January 2015

Report for January

$ spent 19.00

$ earned 4.00

During the “break” last month, I signed up for the Frosted Pumpkin SAL for the year.  So I spent $11 to get the fabric they suggested.  And I was disappointed because they cut it badly.  I’m pretty sure I can still use it, but I haven’t started yet.  The balance was spent on floss.

What I have started are a lot of SALS.  And then I had to figure out what project to do for each.

YOTA – Retro Cat

SFS – London

CSC – The Summer Ball

FP – Storytime Sampler

Smalls – Monthly Calendar

 

Since I decided to work on The Summer Ball for the CSC SAL, here I’ll be working on London.  This is a part of a vintage poster set by Maria Diaz.

 

My finish, which can be seen on my Smalls SAL post (when I make itJ) is the first part of a series.  Size is around 50 x 50.  I’m not claiming anything for the sprite and sandcastle since I started those last year.

Happy stitching World

This is not a SAL post

Once there was a Time Lord in search of a companion.

 

He met Rose.

 

They went on to have many great adventures, fighting enemies like

But they also found time for fun.

 

Like building sandcastles on the beach.

All sprites designed by Dork Stitch.  Sandcastle design by Diane Machin.

Happy stitching World