New Starts

There have been quite a few new starts, including just about everything in the last post. The only ones I will be including here are the projects still in progress.

Autumn Prince – HAED – Kayomi Harai

Not much to see yet, but 2,100 stitches is a pretty good start! Rather than grid the whole (MASSIVE) piece of fabric, I decided to stitch it block by block on the diagonal.

DMC on white 18 count Aida

Autumn In My Garden – Mirabilia – Nora Corbett

I fell in love with the seasonal garden pieces from Mirabilia. I was attempting to work on each one in its season, but due to the next project I’m going to show you, it got put on hold.

Moon Pool Unicorn – Mystic Stitch Inc – Robin Koni

This is a commission-in-progress from one of my coworkers for his daughter. It was started November 13, 2018, and I’ve been stitching like a mad-woman on it ever since. I’m hoping to get it done by November this year.

DMC on 16 count Aida – and the floss skein numbers are OFF. The recommended fabric is 14 count, so I can’t even imagine how much more floss I’d be buying if I were stitching it on that.

The sparkle in the first picture is from the Sulky Sliver I used for gridding.

So there you go! All caught up on progress.

Happy Stitching!

Advertisement

Finished Stitches 2018 – Now

WARNING: Picture-heavy post!

Cat Lessons For People – Lizzie Kate

This one made me giggle, and kitties are the most perfect pet out there imho, so there you go. More variegated floss, which I am slowly starting to get over my aversion to.

Butterfly Profusion – Dimensions Kit

In spite of my loathing for 14 count, it doesn’t look half bad. The backstitching helps.

Hardanger Diamond

I have the four Victorian Sampler elements patterns that require extensive hardanger, so this was a test piece to see how that would go. I found it very enjoyable, although my specialty stitches are going to require practice….. I even managed to clip two threads that Should Not Have Been Cut, and this had the hair raising experience of fixing my first hardanger oops. It wasn’t as bad as I expected.

Letter R – Letters From Nora – Nora Corbett

These stitch up quick! More variegated floss, to the point that I’m actually starting to enjoy it. 😳 This one is going to another friend once I get it FFO’d.

Joyful World SAL – The Snowflower Diaries

I started these on a linen burlap and I don’t like it. It’s too coarse and dark (the bottom photo is the most accurate for color) and it overwhelms the stitching. Back to the drawing board.

Here Comes Treble – Ink Circles

First in a set of three including the alto and bass clefs.

As you can see, I’ve been busy. But that is not all, oh no! I have a few more starts to show you yet, so don’t go too far.

Happy Stitching!

Things Have Happened

It’s been a while! Much has happened! More or less, work and life got the better of me, and any stitchy blogging went by the wayside, so brace yourself. There’s a lot of updates coming.

FFO’s first, I think.

These guys are finally framed! I didn’t end up taking them to a framer – I’d stumbled across a square frame and it was a perfect fit. The backing was NOT square, so I stretched it over the glass instead.

It Calls Me

This was a bit of a journey to put together. I had no clear idea what I wanted it to look like, so it began with trips to the various craft stores in the area to see what sea-themed items were available. It’s finished in a mini poster frame with two different spray paints – a matte blue and a sand textured one. For as unorganized as the finishing started out, I love the way it ended up. It has since been given to its intended recipient.

Letter S Mermaid – Letters from Mermaids – Nora Corbett

This pretty one was started sometime in February or March of 2018 and finished in July. First time using variegated floss, and it was …..interesting. I learned a few things. While variegated flosses are far from my favorite to work with, I do appreciate the detail they can add. She was gifted to the same friend that got It Calls Me.

Footprints

This one got a frame, too!

I have several more finishes from the last year and a half, but I’ll add them in another post later.

Happy Stitching!

New Year, New Starts, and some Finishes!

Happy New Year! Here’s hoping it’s a good one.

Things went kinda crazy at the beginning of December, what with the particularly virulent strain of flu going around. I haven’t been sick yet, but about half of my coworkers have, and that makes for lots of overtime and not much else. There’s no end in sight yet, either.

I still managed to find stitching-time, though. Or forcefully carve it out of what little free time I had, as it were, and finished a kit from my stash and a quick stitch for my mother.

TA-DA!

Hedgehogs in Ligonberries – Alexandra Gusarova – Riolis kit

I like the detail in the kits from this company, but the threads took some getting used to. They’re a lace weight yarn, rather than floss. These guys need ironed, and then I’m possibly taking them to a craft store/framer in town. Dimensions are 9 3/4 x 9 3/4 inches.

I’m particularly fond of this, as I had an African Pygmy Hedgehog as a pet when I started it. He developed wobbly hog syndrome and has since died.

Lily of the Valley – Ida Shtandel – Riolis kit

A quick stitch for my mom; one of her favorite flowers. It’s around 5 x 6 inches on 16 count (63 x 77 stitches) with yarn again, instead of floss. I’ll probably end up mounting this on foam board and adding a hanger on the back.

And now for the starts!

Butterfly Profusion – Dimensions kit

Attempted gridding with 5lb fishing line. Still not sure what to think of it. Either way, one more kit from the stash is in progress, and I am reminded of why I loathe 14 count Aida. 2 strands of floss just won’t provide satisfactory coverage, and with a kit, I’m hesitant to increase the number of strands in use at a time. So! I grit my teeth and deal with it, and remind myself that from a proper viewing distance, it’s not going to be as bad as it looks to me while I’m working on it.

Neglected Floss SAL– Magical525 – deviantART.com

This NFSAL is ongoing over at the Stitching Pirates group on dA. I chose the option to do it as one big piece instead of 12 small ones. The fabric is MCG Textiles 28 count evenweave in natural, with DMC 597, 3808, and 3825. Stitched 2 over 1 so that the stitches would stand out a bit more.

So far, I’ve spent almost as much time frogging as I have stitching on this one. 😑 That left side? Still needs redone. Somehow I managed to flip the x-es the wrong way, all the way down. For now I am ignoring its existence.

In other stitchy news, I’m working on kitting up for a few projects that are going to be rather cost heavy. Two of them are the Small Spices blocks from Martina Rosenberg over at Chatelaine designs – Black Pepper and Ginger. They use almost entirely the same flosses and beads, but the majority of the flosses are silks.

Also in the works is Blackwork Journey’s Save the Stitches. I only need one more color of beads for that and it’ll be ready to go.

And Autumn Prince (HAED – Kayomi Harai) is ready to go! It’s sits there on top of my stash box, giving me incentive to finish my kits.

Cross Stitch Tag

Here, have another Flosstube Tag. 🙂

1. How did you start or who introduced you to cross stitch?

My mom cross stitched, so I was introduced to it by the pieces she had hanging up at home. My first kit was given to my for Christmas by one of my uncles, and it all went to x-es from there.

2. Do you have a favorite theme or designer?

Not really. I’m an equal-opportunity stitcher. I don’t care for samplers, or stitching people or buildings. I prefer landscapes and animals or stillife type pictures.

3. What floss brand do you use?

DMC. 

4. What is your fabric of choice?

25 or 28 count evenweave. I prefer Lugana or Jazlyn over Jobelan.

5. Do you use a needle threader or are you a “floss licker”?

Licker! 😛

6. What kind of stitching frame do you use?

My primary frame is the Lap Stitch Doodler Plus from Images Stitchery Design on Etsy. I also have used hoops (didn’t like how they warped the fabric) and currently have two q-snaps that i use for my more portable projects.

7. How many projects have you finished?

7ish. It may be more than that, but I can remember 7 of them.

8. How many completed works do you have currently displayed in your home?

None. I haven’t actually FFO’d any of them yet. That needs to be rectified.

9. Do you do more stitching for gifts or keep them for yourself?

Most of them I stitch for myself, but I have given a few away.

10. What is your favorite project or finish you are most proud of?

Footprints, a Bucilla kit. My first time stitching on evenweave.

11. What has been your least favorite or worst experience while stitching?

The weird linen-wannabe that i used for Geisha. Nasty stuff.

12. What do you love and what do you hate about cross stitch?

I love the ‘zen’ of it. I hate that it takes so long to stitch a larger piece. I currently have a massive piece in progress that I started two years ago, and will likely be in progress for about 4 more.

13. Have you introduced anyone else to cross stitch?

Yes! Ishly. I am responsible for pulling some of my older friends and coworkers back into it. They’d been stitchers in the past and for whatever reason stopped.

14. What was your first project and did you finish it, if not what was your first finish?

My first project was a cat in a windowsill, that kit that was given to me for Christmas. I never finished it due to a massive counting error and running out of floss. I gave up on it. My first finish was a Hummingbird with morning glories that I no longer have, and have no idea where it went.

All Stitched!

Time for some finished objects!
Hummingbird and Hollyhocks

This was stitched for my Grandma. She provided the pattern, floss, and cloth and I the eyesight and needlework. It took about 5 years, and was rather ambitious for me at the time with the confetti-heavy background and the fact that it is full coverage. Before this I had half-heartedly stitched on a few kits that were given to me, and finished only one of them. The rest will be forever lost to the UFO pile due to some glaring miscounting errors.

Footprints

My second finish, ever. This is a Bucilla kit, stitched on evenweave. If I remember right, it came with this fabric. It was an interesting experience, being as inexperienced as I was, and attempting to stitch over two. I consider it a success, as there was very little frogging involved, and I can recall only one major error. Once I got going on this, it took me about 9 months.

Geisha

A Janlynn pattern that I picked up at some point between the Hummingbird and Footprints. This was my first attempt to stitch on linen. I thought that since I’d stitched on evenweave it would be a walk in the park. Wrong! I’m blaming it entirely on the fabric, though, as it is truly awful stuff – something synthetic and slippery and not actual linen. It was cheap. The next time I use linen, it will be a proper linen, thank you. 

Whisper of God

This was a kit, and a very quick stitch. After Geisha, I was sick of french knots, so I attempted some beading. It……worked. Sort of. I learned a lot about beading, and have been considering going back and redoing the beads, but I don’t like touching a finished project, so we’ll see. Most of the beads are in the blackwork on the edges.

Beaded Strawberry

A Riolis beading kit. This was the first serious beading I did, and once I got into the rhythm of it, I loved it. I’ve also done a dandelion beaded piece that I forgot to take a picture of before I gave it to the friend it was intended for.

It Calls Me

This is a pattern from Cross Stitch Quest, done on a remnant of that awful linen from Geisha. This is going to a friend that loves Moana once I get it finished entirely. I’m not sure if I want to frame it, mount it like a canvas, or turn it into a flatfold. Decisions, decisions…..
So, 7 finishes over about 8 years. Considering that I have a great fondness for large projects and full-coverage pieces, not bad.

Plans for the future – stitching up all the kits I have on hand (all 6 of them) and then starting on my Heaven and Earth Design stash. I have several patterns I’ve made myself that I’ll fit in as well.

Know Your Needleworker

Flosstube tag time! I am not on Flosstube, and have no intention of ever filming myself. That said, a lot of the tags that come up while I’m watching are intriguing. I’m not entirely sure where this one originated.

Without further ado:

 

Where do you live?     The Ozarks in the south-central US. I’ve been here for almost 7 years and my accent is having an identity crisis.
What do you do for a living?     I’m a nurse.
Do you have any children?      Nope. I’m one of those rare women that has never wanted any.
Do you have any pets?       Currently, a tank of golden Mollies and one lazy bristlenose pleco.
What are your other hobbies besides stitching?       Knitting, reading, drawing, haunting Etsy and EBay for patterns/floss/stitchy stuff. Also fond of extensive walks/hikes in the mountains.
What is your favorite movie?       Lord of the Rings. (Not one, I know. If I absolutely HAD to choose, it would be The Fellowship of the Ring, but I don’t think you can take one without the other two.)
What is your favorite TV show?      American: Grimm, interchanged with Agents of Shield. British: Doctor Who, up through 12’s first season. I haven’t watched any further than that yet, and I don’t think I’m going to even start the upcoming season. I’m not impressed with the previews I’ve seen. Sherlock may usurp top spot yet.
What is your favorite book?      Arena by Karen Hancock.
What is your favorite music?      Um….it would be easier to tell you what I won’t listen to. For stitching, however, I prefer soundtracks, classical, and the likes of Audiomachine and Two Steps From Hell. A little easy listening or dubstep will do in a pinch. I don’t like rap, jazz, opera, or most pop/country. I have a fondness for symphonic rock that mystifies me.
 What one word best describes you?       That depends on who you ask. An acquaintance would say something like ‘quiet’ or ‘smart’. A close friend would say ‘loyal’ or ‘unwavering’ and it would be a lot closer to reality

My Stitchy Corner of the ‘Net

Hello all!

I plan to use this as a means to share my stitching journey with anyone interested enough to stop by, or lost enough to stumble through. I hope that what you find here may inspire you in your own crafting, or help you find a new relaxing hobby of your own.

I’ve dabbled a bit in just about every needlework craft there is available, but cross stitching and knitting were the two that took root and grew. I am by no means a master of either, but I enjoy them both as a tension-reliever from my high stress job.

Knitting I don’t do as much, since I live in a warmer part of the US and for a greater part of the year, sitting with a lap full of wool is not particularly advisable even WITH the air conditioning on. Cross stitch is a full-time, year-round thing with the occasional hiatus when I get side tracked.

As for my projects, I do the occasional quick stitch or knit, but I am inordinately fond of massive pieces. I have more lined up than I will likely finish in my lifetime.

I work third shift/night shift/insert other term here. In other words, my shifts run from 7 PM to 7 AM(ish). Instead of  flipping my sleep schedule at the end of my three day work week I remain mostly nocturnal, much to the bemusement of my family, friends and coworkers. Being an introvert, this works wonderfully for me – I get to pick and choose when and where I have human interaction. If I want to avoid it altogether by doing my grocery shopping at Wal-Mart at two in the morning……then I do my grocery shopping at two in the morning.  Those curious wanderers visiting here will probably learn more about me than anyone meeting me in person ever will, as I communicate much more through written word than speech.

Am entirely new to this blog thing, so tips and advice would be welcome. We shall see if any type of regular posting schedule emerges, but my crafts are slow and sometimes tedious.

Rambling aside, take a look around and enjoy your visit!