12 Days - Update 21

Just around the corner. Literally. Then the beads and to have it finished.

12 Days - Update 20

The 12 days part of 12 Days has been backstitched! I still have to do the rest of the red robe, but at least you can tell what each of the days are now. The cow was a little lost, and the goose just looked like a smudge on leaves (maybe leaves).

The gold trim outside of the purple border is proceeding. After that, beads!

12 Days - Update 19

The filling in is complete for the 12 days, and I am working on the pattern outside the purple border and will start completing the backstitching.

12 Days - Update 18

The 8 maids are finished - now to finish the 6 Geese.

12 Days - Update 17

Well, I took the cow by the, uh, horns, and the 8 Maids are almost complete - just a matter of filling in with white and then backstitch, of course. Started on the leaves for the 6 Geese.

12 Days - Update 16

Productive weekend. Even did some stitching outside. Stitched to football games, while my daughter played in the treehouse at my place, and even while trick-or-treaters knocked during a Mel Brooks marathon at Lexy's house on Halloween. And all to absolutely gorgeous weather.

SO here we are. Two turtle doves, 6 geese a-laying, and 8 maids a-milking left to go. I finished the Space Invader Flowers on the bottom. I may leave the robe for last - those swirling reds are really annoying.

12 Days - Update 15

Working on the remaining border. The blue should be finished tonight. The purple should be finished tomorrow. Then probably the rest of the flowers and then the robe. Then the maid a-Milking and the Geese a-Laying.

Of course, I would not post this without a full shot of the project without the q-snap.

12 Days - Update 14

I had an unexpected pattern interruption, but I still managed to get most of the remaining backstitching completed for this section of the pattern.

Wedding Announcement - Heart Swirls

So, late Monday night we got word that one of Dorissa's cousins got married, and that a gathering was going to be in two weeks to celebrate it. Dorissa said it would be nice if we could whip up an announcement as a gift. So, after going through the patterns I had on hand as well as scouring the internet for a quick, yet nice, announcement pattern, we found an item in the just Cross Stitch magazine from January/February 2013 (Heart Swirls by Sharon Pope). The pattern is a lot larger and quite ornate than the finished product. However, this is the center of a much larger heart, and seems to have been included as a smaller variation of the pattern. Interestingly, the example of the pattern included the smaller version, framed, done with DMC 127.

I had DMC 127. I also had plenty of white Aida to choose from. So I went with 18 count. I finished the letters with DMC 823.

Here is the finished product. I will take it with me Friday evening to pick out a frame at The Crafty Framer.

12 Days - Update 13

Backstitching the bottom right of the pattern. Seems a lot more intricate than the top was, even with Santa's face - lots more going on. But it is coming along nicely. Maybe by the end of the week I will be able to shift the fabric again and start on the bottom left corner.

Also, while backstitching the flowers on the bottom, they started to look like something else.

Innocent flowers (St Francis of Assisi would approve)

OR

SPACE INVADERS (St. Francis has the high score)

Teresa Wentzler Patterns

One great thing about out of the way sewing shops is the possibility to pick up out-of-print patterns. In Franklin, NC, there is a shop called Sew Creative. There is no doubt that the shop is primarily geared towards sewing patterns for clothes or table cloths or even quilts (though Franklin supports a shop specifically for quilters as well).

At one time, though, the shop had more of an interest in catering towards cross stitchers. However, most of the current clientele has ignored this, as well as the few items that remain in the shop. We managed to pick up 19 of the Sue Hillis states there (the OLD ones from the late '70s it looks like). Also, we picked up some great Teresa Wentzler patterns. I have attached them to this post. I look forward to making most of them. "We" would be my mother and me, though she did pick up the TW patterns displayed here.

I know some of these are available through various online outlets, including Patterns Online. And, while I totally support the idea of stitching from a pdf file (and have, loading them onto my iPad), there is something about having the pattern in your hands that makes it....a different kind of exciting.

The Fantasy Collection includes: Rapunzel, Day, Night, Magical Night, Carousel, The Castle Sampler, Stroke of Midnight, The Castle, Pegasus, and Unicorn.

12 Days - Update 12

I got a LOT of stitching done Saturday, but not so much Sunday, but in all it was a good weekend. Of course, in packing for work this morning I left my needles and floss for 12 Days at the house, so no stitching at work today. I did bring the supplies for an upcoming project with me, so maybe I will cut down the fabric in preparation for that instead of stitching today.

However, here is a pic of the progress. it goes slower now that I have to change colors every dozen stitches or so.

12 Days - Update 11

More background, and starting in on this side of the robe. I was hoping to be finished by Halloween, but I am starting to doubt that. Maybe Thanksgiving.

12 Days - Update 10

I am working my way through the background color where the rest of the 12 Days will go. Lots of color changes in the 12 Days, so I am getting the background outlines finished so the boundaries will be easier to discern.

12 Days - Update 9

I am ready to move to the bottom two pages. There is still more to be done on the top, but it can wait. I am still not sure if I am going to be doing the background pattern on the outside of the purple border. That will depend on what the recipient wants.

Here it is, out of the q-snap.

12 Days - Update 8

The blue background pattern for the upper pages is complete. I may have mis-measured the starting point - I am not sure how the gold/beige background will look, or even if it will fit. I may leave it off entirely, and this may not be a bad thing.

I have started on the back stitching, as you can see, it is written all over his face...

12 Days - Update 7

The background stitching is coming along nicely. I love single color repeating patterns - I fly through them.

12 Days - Update 6

The bag are packed. but he isn't ready to go just yet. I want to get the design patterns in around the torso before I begin backstitching, since I don't want to possibly go over the backstitching with more stitches. Guess I will do that while the game is on tonight.

12 Days - Update 5

Well, the Halloween Skull is complete, time to get back on this WIP. Not too much to report, but the Santa on the top 2 pages is nearly complete - just his bag of toys to go and then I can get to the bottom 2 pages. I will fill in the pattern around him, at least the blue design, after I get Santa complete, including backstitching.

Halloween Skull - Complete

I put the finishing stitches into this Saturday evening while watching, I think, Georgia and South Carolina. I will make a second one, but first I want to get back into 12 Days. I also have Ornaments to make for my office. Last year they got the Partridge in the Pear Tree. This year - Two Turtle Doves.

Halloween Skull - Update 3

Not too much to report. I did get some filled in and I am now on the last (actually first) page to complete.

Halloween Skull - Update 2

Moving right along. Football season has helped - since I am planted in front of the TV watching the games anyway, I may as well stitch. Unlike Hockey and Basketball, Football does not take constant attention in order to follow the game.

At this rate, there may not be a third update, just a finished one. And I will be making this one again - my boss has requested one, too.

Halloween Skull - Update 1

Ever since I got my copy of the Just Cross Stitch Halloween 2014 magazine, I have not been able to stop thinking about getting several of the patterns in here finished. Therefore, I have put down 12 Days for a bit and have really delved into the Halloween Skull pattern by Alessandra Beretta of Alessandra Adelaide Needleworks. The colors remind me, for those of you who remember such things, of Dynamints, specifically the variety pack. Google it.

Anyway, during a trip to JoAnn's I was lucky enough to come across some 22 count Hardinger fabric, 18X15, for a buck each. I bought all 13 they had. And I started making the Skull.

I am doing 2 over 1 on the 22 count, and it seems to be flowing very well. I want to say I started this project on the weekend of August 16/17. So this is just over 2 weeks in.

12 Days - Update 4

The last two weeks have been daunting. A lot of upgrade and post-upgrade preparation, reaction, and additional configurations and patches. Been nuts. not much time for stitching, and even less for updates.

But, the upgrade is mercifully under control, so no more excuses for a while.

Here we are.

12 Days - Update 3

Been a week or so, and I have been very busy at work (where I normally post before I start my day) and the time just hasn't existed to get the pic and post an update. Big upgrade planned for this weekend, so things should slow down in a week or two and I can get back to a normal stitching and posting schedule.

That does not mean that I have neglected my stitching project. My first pic of the starting stitches shows a time/date stamp of July 23, so in 2 weeks or so I have completed what you see. My goal is still the end of August, but that may be a little optimistic.

12 Days - Update 2

Not as far as I imagined, but the shape is starting to come in. Rather than a weird Portuguese Man-O-War, which is what it looks like now I think, this is the beginnings of the sleeve, the bottom of the belt, and some of the background for the 12 days items. After the sleeve I will probably get the belt in place. The belt is lined with gold filament, so that will be fun.

12 Days - Update 1

Christmas stitching is in the air, and I have started working on my major Christmas project of the season. This year it is "12 Days" from DesignWorks, and it is a Jim Shore Santa with the 12 Days of Christmas. I picked it up in Las Vegas back in April, and it is one I Was looking for and just sort of lucked into while at Stitcher's Paradise.

This is going to be at least a month-long project, but here are the starting stitches. I am pretty sure it is the partridge...

Below is what it will look like when complete.

http://www.34westcollectibles.com/wp-content/uploads/Design-Works-Jim-Shore-12-Days-Of-Christmas-Cross-Stitch-Kit-0.jpg

Who Are These [People]?

I made this for my boss (she has 3 of my pieces now). I got the kit from my mom's stash, and I immediately thought of my boss. Of course, that is because she has 3 kids and we (her minions) are ALWAYS telling her, for any little illness or unexpected absence, that she is pregnant. This joke never gets old. However, since this is a workplace piece, I changed the statement from "kids" and "mom" to "people" and "boss." I also added 3 kids (since she has 9 minions). I also had to do French knots, which I get better at as I go, but are still not my favorite.

The kit is from the Dolly Mamas collection from Janlynn ("Who Are These Kids?" #019-0405). I did it in about a week. I think. Maybe 10 days. My boss will have it framed, I am sure.

Cancer Matters - Completed

I have completed Hinzeit's Cancer Matters pattern. I have not added the charms to it yet, as I want to do that right before pin stretching and framing. Since it is tucked safely away in a paper towel cardboard roller, I figured the charms could wait. The charms go just above the fold in the ribbon, and look like small silver ribbons.

But here is how it looks. I want to use the same frame as I did for Always Kiss Me Goodnight, but I have an idea to make this into three smaller framed pieces connected by chains for wall hanging. Both projects use Cushel Monet 28 count, so I know the frame will look as great with this project as for the other one.

Always Kiss Me Goodnight - Framed Project

This is a project I completed last year, but I finally got it framed. It is completed on Cushel Monet 28 count. The frame is by Rick at The Crafty Framer over in Largo, FL. After looking over frame ideas (I am a matte black kind of frame person), we decided to give this combination a shot, and I am glad we did. The silver lining on the white frame makes the fabric pop. Rick tells me that he showed the framed project to another customer who had purchased the same fabric and was looking for a frame to match it. According to Rick, the customer will be bringing back her completed project to be framed the same way as this one.

Works in Progress

I don't normally run two projects at once, but the ones I am working on are quick hitters and I should be finished with them by the end of the month. Possibly by the end of next week.

One is Hinzeit's Cancer Matters. I am working it on 28 Cushel Monet, and it is over 1/3 complete.

The second is Believe by Sue Hillis Designs. This one is part of our Friends All Stitchin' Together (F.A.S.T.) 28 count Christmas-themed Round Robin project. I am proud to be the third of us to work it, and it will be finished by next week for sure, to be sent back to Peggy at The Crafty Framer, and prepared for the next stitcher. We are also doing a 16 count round robin, and I would like to get a shot at that one, too, once everyone who wants to work the 16 rather than the 28 gets their turns.

I won't post pics of the Christmas round robin because I want each stitcher to be surprised when they get it. I followed two wonderful patterns, one of which was completed as 1 over 1. Mine is over 2, but very light-hearted.

I will include pics of the Cancer Matters project. The person I am making it for wanted the general ribbon colors, which are lavender. She chose the fabric as well.

Mardi Gras Mask - Complete!

Finished! The back stitching here adds a subtle sharpness that actually makes a difference in spite of the dark fabric.

Mardi Gras Mask - Update 18

And now, all but back stitch.

Forgive Quickly

I was going through my stash on Saturday, and I found this pattern that I had forgot I purchased. Stash can be funny that way, right? Anyway, the Forgive Quickly pattern is just one color, and I had the supplies and a frame for it to fit in. And therefore....

Mardi Gras Mask - Update 17

Has it really been 2 weeks since my last update? I have been insanely busy with real life issues, and just this weekend seemed to find my needle, thread, and q-snap. I am stuck in, as a good stitcher friend of mine puts it, "back stitch hell." I have run out of 032 Kreinik Citron blending filament, and am trying to find a good time to pick up some more. But the beads are complete, the border (sans a few fleur de lis in the corners - they look like penguin silhouettes without the thread) almost so, and I need two more gold bells. But the back stitching is almost half way complete, and possibly this will be finished by July.

Mardi Gras Mask - Update 16

The face of the mask is complete - including back stitching. I rarely see the difference in back stitching on dark fabrics, and this isn't any different. But the eyes with the back stitch do look cleaner than the eyes without. To me, they do, anyway. I think i am going to have to add the rest of the gold bells before I back stitch the rest of the mask itself. Beads and the rest of the border are still last on the list.

Mardi Gras Mask - Update 15

It looked ridiculous all off-kilter like that, so I rearranged it last night and got back to the mask. As you can see, the outline is complete, and I will fill in the spaces starting today at lunch.

Mardi Gras Mask - Update 14

I hate going a week between updates, but the rest of last week was extremely busy. I did get some stitching in, but most of it was from this past long weekend.

The mask itself is starting to take shape, and the next big challenge is going to be the beads (which have been removed). Likely the beads will now be the last thing completed.

The image is kind of funny all stretched out of shape. Looks like the complete side of the mask is weighing it down...

Mardi Gras Mask - Update 13

Just keeping on the border. I considered alternating the corners purple and green with the yellow fleur, but my eyes can't make out the contrast between the yellow and green very well, so I decided against it. Still need more 028 Citron Kreinik.