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.

Weekend Update

I am almost positive I did not stitch anything from Thursday night until this morning. That doesn't mean I wasn't crafty, however. I spent part of a drippy, dreary Saturday at The Crafty Framer in Largo, talking with Peggy and Lexy about getting some things framed. The rest of the day I spent pin stretching items with Lexy.

I have a number of finished projects that are sort of languishing in paper towel rolls, waiting for frames. Obviously the Pelican and Elemental Cosmos are among those. I discovered a 12X12 black frame I picked up a while back as a clearance special at Michael's, so I needed a foam board to use to complete it. Into that went Elemental Cosmos. Still not sure where I will hang it, but it is ready.

I also got quotes for the Pelican, a project called A Room With a View that is a lighthouse cross stitch, and a piece I did called Always Kiss Me Goodnight (pictured below, pin stretched) that I purchased at the 2013 Market Day sale at Crafty Framer. I completed the project just a month or so after the sale, and there it sat, all rolled up, waiting to be remembered.

We also talked about the FAST event that is next Saturday, and called and recruited a fellow stitcher and veteran of FASTs past, to come and join us. Lexy will not be able to make this FAST (boo) but she will be there in spirit.

Pin stretching a 28 ct piece of fabric, as I learned, can be tricky. It does not take a lot to throw the design off center, or pull it out of true. My first attempt was not very successful, so I went home and removed all of the pins. Last night I gave it a second attempt, paying a LOT more attention to detail and trying very hard to keep a straight row of pins. It isn't perfect, but it does look better than it did.

Also, I managed to acquire more Kreinik #4 Very Fine Braid 001 and Kreinik Blending Filament 032. I bought all that Peggy had, just in case. So now I can get back to the mask (I hated knowing I needed colors even though I could do other portions of the project).