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

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

 

 

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

 

 

 

 

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