tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22460228254191325552024-03-15T18:09:30.335-07:00CraftyCatCathy http://www.blogger.com/profile/09757756214407560921noreply@blogger.comBlogger338125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2246022825419132555.post-72411151103425136042023-12-05T09:48:00.000-08:002023-12-05T09:48:18.464-08:00Stitching, Christmas, & A Star<p>It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas around here, and I'm sure it is by you as well. It seems like once Thanksgiving is over, it's everything Christmas. I'm not complaining. It's just different from what it was like when I was a kid. We didn't start decorating until about mid-December back then. As I get older, I'm finding that the concept of "editing" my decorating helps. Over the years I've collected a LOT of decorations and it's just not realistic to put everything out. So I edit. And it's sort of a relief to say "OK, it's enough". </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNOyfNlCX9ra_GEpdx0fgyJRihGjHxDMOQEet6b6mGHCYRrw-UxdZlZb5qey1PVyafMbslHIiyKzT2dvntFLi9D_7VmofTrBfqJoD1TnqnaE46v70-l9fcONG0vmfit7mZ0DiR9nZgqm_grykzh1l4XEpKHz_8JlDB6-BF_deHaNY4pZFwZQQ8QTynVpg/s4000/IMG_20231128_185148843.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNOyfNlCX9ra_GEpdx0fgyJRihGjHxDMOQEet6b6mGHCYRrw-UxdZlZb5qey1PVyafMbslHIiyKzT2dvntFLi9D_7VmofTrBfqJoD1TnqnaE46v70-l9fcONG0vmfit7mZ0DiR9nZgqm_grykzh1l4XEpKHz_8JlDB6-BF_deHaNY4pZFwZQQ8QTynVpg/s320/IMG_20231128_185148843.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This year's tree<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p>But we still decorate because it makes us happy. Here's a little cat-proof decoration.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho8Ey72ek_CyjS3H7L-vzglq1qQcgKmwaIgk3M5Vn5BhwxRWSqKGMhHQ_vOSn-B9MPEyDqUVHeyBrGYHRzs6C6WLQmFm5zuQ0Qz-inpb-m3WEbwdhARcvCw-IBShNC5t8ezCrv4C2TcmL6Pwz8V4rKJ5jNA7wh1yoXAWzuRqVXXw3gKgfbYb2IOg9_hsA/s1080/IMG_20231202_183524_301.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho8Ey72ek_CyjS3H7L-vzglq1qQcgKmwaIgk3M5Vn5BhwxRWSqKGMhHQ_vOSn-B9MPEyDqUVHeyBrGYHRzs6C6WLQmFm5zuQ0Qz-inpb-m3WEbwdhARcvCw-IBShNC5t8ezCrv4C2TcmL6Pwz8V4rKJ5jNA7wh1yoXAWzuRqVXXw3gKgfbYb2IOg9_hsA/w200-h200/IMG_20231202_183524_301.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnCwXABl_ml-X0TzIgPFL46yL0HQRMkDB7qsGBFae3vgcE6uH7idaUYEqpR0G-h83KbLk6ss0Kkq9pPxikINoxHauf-Vw0IdsnJ8pn8o5t7JXD5kJZqF9p09VCQ1MzH_mbYAt6n-5OH3gLd4fZjf81fM4pAv-sUH9hp9HtMXNCpeML_y6wqJSECF0XOHY/s1080/IMG_20231202_183524_543.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnCwXABl_ml-X0TzIgPFL46yL0HQRMkDB7qsGBFae3vgcE6uH7idaUYEqpR0G-h83KbLk6ss0Kkq9pPxikINoxHauf-Vw0IdsnJ8pn8o5t7JXD5kJZqF9p09VCQ1MzH_mbYAt6n-5OH3gLd4fZjf81fM4pAv-sUH9hp9HtMXNCpeML_y6wqJSECF0XOHY/w200-h200/IMG_20231202_183524_543.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><br /> I've also been stitching.<p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxubbHWPebJSmPqMMK0mnXnWdFqTMLeff2dveSDGsMY6HT_voyNZv_nYeJhc_EHMn4Xy7sT9L3U7NdCZkF7SMRV62DwgQZ5bCpCJ7ZNieic5-kqFod5cCVJkUwKHGg8SruNh7EnvbsgHnItwtbPDVYgWP9SfKVKFwyCJkSy7kFuQXx6t1t3q4flAfZA-0/s4000/IMG_20231127_150735360.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxubbHWPebJSmPqMMK0mnXnWdFqTMLeff2dveSDGsMY6HT_voyNZv_nYeJhc_EHMn4Xy7sT9L3U7NdCZkF7SMRV62DwgQZ5bCpCJ7ZNieic5-kqFod5cCVJkUwKHGg8SruNh7EnvbsgHnItwtbPDVYgWP9SfKVKFwyCJkSy7kFuQXx6t1t3q4flAfZA-0/s320/IMG_20231127_150735360.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Apple Blossom Sampler by The Drawn Thread</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbE1GgnWipQN71C9n3kL_0cAjF0UbsRYAdsIDfj98R3whItnLNqSrkQmGdeyYhyphenhyphen3uJgu9rT0opZP9QmJBrnv_n_jbXvsz8-tBQxsX1fk33WU3gZp0tLz13pavGhSoN4aiH4wfRFPIxPasZlkekjcql-rV_ib7E0sbPR0qPVZMLGoXBX9L7hZuobYSOzNU/s4000/IMG_20231203_132615308.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbE1GgnWipQN71C9n3kL_0cAjF0UbsRYAdsIDfj98R3whItnLNqSrkQmGdeyYhyphenhyphen3uJgu9rT0opZP9QmJBrnv_n_jbXvsz8-tBQxsX1fk33WU3gZp0tLz13pavGhSoN4aiH4wfRFPIxPasZlkekjcql-rV_ib7E0sbPR0qPVZMLGoXBX9L7hZuobYSOzNU/s320/IMG_20231203_132615308.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Basket of Cherries by Blackbird Designs</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0SUj__1tSLXXP7s0fzXKi6EhACpmYanJ8GNLpHW6x3HtX5KTGbu_nqdi3bFoZE3QCH0luh6WB9vcYnC2DkgOtIqcObOMvwBNb3iyHU98lLdXyY9bWXSU3JGbI4VFoJmNcnqKK8gwoQ-w5Vm_3UQNaj-NroojJEbwIz8G9d_CvqW3SlRGWJ0AB-wPGvnQ/s4000/IMG_20231205_114014855.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0SUj__1tSLXXP7s0fzXKi6EhACpmYanJ8GNLpHW6x3HtX5KTGbu_nqdi3bFoZE3QCH0luh6WB9vcYnC2DkgOtIqcObOMvwBNb3iyHU98lLdXyY9bWXSU3JGbI4VFoJmNcnqKK8gwoQ-w5Vm_3UQNaj-NroojJEbwIz8G9d_CvqW3SlRGWJ0AB-wPGvnQ/s320/IMG_20231205_114014855.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Quaker Diamonds by Rosewood Manor<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p>I'm using the Lowery Stand for Quaker Diamonds. This stand has proved to be a huge help for me. No more having to hold the scroll frame! Rolaframes are very light but the larger size can be a little awkward to hold and stitch at the same time. </p><p>And for a little different crafting, I made this little star ornament.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjINJo46w0G-MdZ22yaQNyxYCdOlXGL4nda6FoXBq298294f7RXoq03kfcC1LojF-324H99yzLefwdKHlWdybJFoOYYWLjMf7VnzrlAhWyFx2XEjrzXOE11HebCdxqLhsZhHl8Ec-Fg6Dl_eZOi6_PBO4QkyMgGrrcDOrAMz_6ikEbbmKsP6jmece6qzgQ/s1600/IMG_20231120_114230086.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjINJo46w0G-MdZ22yaQNyxYCdOlXGL4nda6FoXBq298294f7RXoq03kfcC1LojF-324H99yzLefwdKHlWdybJFoOYYWLjMf7VnzrlAhWyFx2XEjrzXOE11HebCdxqLhsZhHl8Ec-Fg6Dl_eZOi6_PBO4QkyMgGrrcDOrAMz_6ikEbbmKsP6jmece6qzgQ/s320/IMG_20231120_114230086.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>I enjoy making these, but they take quite a bit of time. This is only the second one I've made and both were for gifts. I will be making one for me next!<p></p><p>A sewing project was up next, but since this was for a gift that hasn't been given yet I can't post a photo. That will happen in my next post!</p><p>Another thing that I'm working on is forming a local stitch group! I became aware that there are stitchers in my county who want a group to get together with other stitchers. So to test the waters, I formed a Facebook group and very quickly we had 33 members! Sheila (my sister) is working on this with me. We quickly found out that finding places to get together to stitch that don't cost anything is very difficult. We talked to a very nice library employee who explained how to reserve a meeting room there. She told us that the library is the only place in our county to reserve a no-cost room! Thankfully, our library system currently has four branches, so the chances of getting a room on the date we want it is pretty good. So we have our first stitching meetup on January 20. I'll keep you posted on that.</p><p>I may not be back here before Christmas (but you never know), so I hope you have a wonderful, blessed Christmas and a Happy New Year. And I hope you find time during this fun and busy season to relax with some stitching! Until next time!<br /></p>Cathy http://www.blogger.com/profile/09757756214407560921noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2246022825419132555.post-78551867918497733432023-10-30T10:37:00.004-07:002023-10-30T10:44:33.976-07:00October Stitching & Much More!<p>What I'd like to know is where October went to. Here we are, right at the end and I don't know how a whole month flew by. But happily at least I got some stitching and crafting accomplished.</p><p>I did quite a bit of stitching on Rainbow Row by CW Designs.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV-y4XMxKCdG4At0xDUYVGjAPKD_ih62uzMrSnsDqtw6SD5U_eODaJzTCENIz4u-KZ56co8Dn7GapT9M0Nasj7LQgo77HU48iTp7GmKDdHAYt0cdhLKJPgK_kq2kDRSk85fryiIbMii2YxE1TkKVglm_HPjA-wodSQg8PG8duyIZOu4vR5iHLetXQ3oFM/s4000/IMG_20231029_144048042.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV-y4XMxKCdG4At0xDUYVGjAPKD_ih62uzMrSnsDqtw6SD5U_eODaJzTCENIz4u-KZ56co8Dn7GapT9M0Nasj7LQgo77HU48iTp7GmKDdHAYt0cdhLKJPgK_kq2kDRSk85fryiIbMii2YxE1TkKVglm_HPjA-wodSQg8PG8duyIZOu4vR5iHLetXQ3oFM/s320/IMG_20231029_144048042.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />I am currently "building" the yellow house and stitching that tree in front of it. Of all my WIPs, this is the one that's most like coloring to me. Like Crayola coloring. Maybe it's because there is so much shading. I love it. I'm stitching this on 32 count white Jobelan with all of the (many) DMC flosses.<p></p><p>Bee...Biscourno! by Crocette a Gogo was up next.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7_JJi_WP92JNJCt7bgTMJl3-f3fwkQIvrjOi1D0RLoHCn-EcN2mhououSvE7lv_MWsK-fV_5wZuymUc_XdsCdqewlDYhjN82lPEohC5Iof24oJw9TXFDU8p9S24DAUeYb55FE5XRqFerTHH-dumPodKIFLjg0njXfBxcZJqUu8kZyqCIgfLL2H8hji4o/s4000/IMG_20231029_143928621~2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7_JJi_WP92JNJCt7bgTMJl3-f3fwkQIvrjOi1D0RLoHCn-EcN2mhououSvE7lv_MWsK-fV_5wZuymUc_XdsCdqewlDYhjN82lPEohC5Iof24oJw9TXFDU8p9S24DAUeYb55FE5XRqFerTHH-dumPodKIFLjg0njXfBxcZJqUu8kZyqCIgfLL2H8hji4o/s320/IMG_20231029_143928621~2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p>It's the first biscourno I'm attempting. The fabric is some kind of overdyed 36 count evenweave and the threads are all DMC. </p><p>Are you ready for some finishes?</p><p>I completed the ornament for my son and daughter in law. It's a tradition for me to stitch an ornament for them each year. This one is called Christmas Bullfinch by Punochka. You can find the chart in the 2019 issue of the JCS Christmas issue.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD8HRSfDm_hxd06VzDib_-_9kQ9dmWMQkaksM4NgrlalNFb0rt4AHDpjoMVcjN01M5yFf_aBhYxtSqBNJ2WVz4q_VOyQzegtRqiSv9j-Yj_5DtcE5rfA0q_tzXRoxUbDvo4E_Q77iw1AMct1tBXyyKkgW35cuU7LIh_BafzeQjVmg2IHSWXb6ud-pNoxg/s1350/IMG_20231023_221534_840.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1350" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD8HRSfDm_hxd06VzDib_-_9kQ9dmWMQkaksM4NgrlalNFb0rt4AHDpjoMVcjN01M5yFf_aBhYxtSqBNJ2WVz4q_VOyQzegtRqiSv9j-Yj_5DtcE5rfA0q_tzXRoxUbDvo4E_Q77iw1AMct1tBXyyKkgW35cuU7LIh_BafzeQjVmg2IHSWXb6ud-pNoxg/s320/IMG_20231023_221534_840.jpg" width="256" /></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlzx9tIhfrc8Dm0pWGrxDd8pS3zSJs2Qk06PvuzIb0EEYDB7D-3IcLzYQnYB2WmUVZoG-hP17V8Hs-6F3G1FflHw8bu9q-QDnNuT6mNW37_5fUq3HfmCeaAP76WwqaY2l7kKCcpqN4UI3G3xAexrmdawg_LE_t8PuMKUEU9kHpx5mlxy5wsPsY7Y0JvBM/s1350/IMG_20231023_221535_206.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1350" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlzx9tIhfrc8Dm0pWGrxDd8pS3zSJs2Qk06PvuzIb0EEYDB7D-3IcLzYQnYB2WmUVZoG-hP17V8Hs-6F3G1FflHw8bu9q-QDnNuT6mNW37_5fUq3HfmCeaAP76WwqaY2l7kKCcpqN4UI3G3xAexrmdawg_LE_t8PuMKUEU9kHpx5mlxy5wsPsY7Y0JvBM/s320/IMG_20231023_221535_206.jpg" width="256" /></a></div><br /></div><p>I stitched this with all of the called-for DMC on Vintage Country Mocha evenweave. I did use two strands of floss for the snowflakes, even though it called for one strand. I really like that Christmas-y plaid I used on the back. The chenille trim is by Victorian Motto.</p><p>And a bonus FFO ornament! I'm giving this to Matt & Steph as well.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTG1uT6N8oENGKD2BgaHJ0DkAJwRWvUV9ul8FiUZ61uqwrw6ojwAj895L8NZ_yxlAGGKVpf0CsYDYTbbKzoEM7v0legXmMT3zgz5cRtZvdIA6YvW8j9m2fh6I4yecRQZmKdeYPY8iPEwIFFp1NWApGuGGmg26wOGrGer244HyBmnYhIOqHfx2l6xAqrVU/s4000/IMG_20231029_121833931.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTG1uT6N8oENGKD2BgaHJ0DkAJwRWvUV9ul8FiUZ61uqwrw6ojwAj895L8NZ_yxlAGGKVpf0CsYDYTbbKzoEM7v0legXmMT3zgz5cRtZvdIA6YvW8j9m2fh6I4yecRQZmKdeYPY8iPEwIFFp1NWApGuGGmg26wOGrGer244HyBmnYhIOqHfx2l6xAqrVU/s320/IMG_20231029_121833931.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><p>This is God With Us by A New Creation, and you can find the chart on Etsy. You should go there and see all of her beautifully designed patterns. This one is stitched on 28 count black Jobelan with DMC. And it <i>just </i>fit into this little hoop. I wanted to cover the wooden hoop with ribbon like I saw someone had done and posted a photo on Instagram. Just by accident, I bought elastic ribbon which made wrapping it around the hoop so easy! Happy accident! I also glued a tiny jewel in the center of the star. </p><p>One more finish.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUKVNvLbvBEyFpA5WOlGPCIBAvmodZgaiKNXjW89rtN0-CKu_l2hpGnsK5YqobD0n5wdwYjP4NDkJXK9cr18F78dLBEGOxySf8VbluZYdBiirm4QrXyMTua8IJP_Hld31-eoBjx8XhtaojGJIfL5lB_9SPROR4AshuR8fp7nYOG-LxVkVds-I3UxWdIFI/s4000/IMG_20231030_124223776.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUKVNvLbvBEyFpA5WOlGPCIBAvmodZgaiKNXjW89rtN0-CKu_l2hpGnsK5YqobD0n5wdwYjP4NDkJXK9cr18F78dLBEGOxySf8VbluZYdBiirm4QrXyMTua8IJP_Hld31-eoBjx8XhtaojGJIfL5lB_9SPROR4AshuR8fp7nYOG-LxVkVds-I3UxWdIFI/s320/IMG_20231030_124223776.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><p>I got it done. It's my crochet project, the Perfect Pockets Shawl by Sonja Hood on Etsy. The fact that I'm a loose crocheter AND that I'm short made this extra long on me. I'm thinking that this will be an "around the house" shawl for me. I do love it though and feel confident that I could make another one and make it so that it's a better fit for me. </p><p>Oh wait! One more FFO!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpWaBAy9kXcNUEWN9CuZ75jb5V_CTD9Om2fQkpCqJf26hUrV5nXbcw0KihYiFTENPrjgvtSTnihwJPDhf6qOo1tWLx3f8wisixYmaK4gnFCKRhMzQnd1qr3WG6bxYvp-6Oft9ERl4P6R6yvx67GfQJOB3D4B1CbJykn3OBSiLhXLHN8vPvhHTnfc9K6Ag/s3000/IMG_20231025_105329_665.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="3000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpWaBAy9kXcNUEWN9CuZ75jb5V_CTD9Om2fQkpCqJf26hUrV5nXbcw0KihYiFTENPrjgvtSTnihwJPDhf6qOo1tWLx3f8wisixYmaK4gnFCKRhMzQnd1qr3WG6bxYvp-6Oft9ERl4P6R6yvx67GfQJOB3D4B1CbJykn3OBSiLhXLHN8vPvhHTnfc9K6Ag/s320/IMG_20231025_105329_665.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p>Berry Heart by UB Designs is finally framed! This one had been sitting in my "Finished Stitching" box for far too long. I didn't want to spend a lot, and was happy to find this whitewashed frame on Amazon for a great price. I have glued a red ribbon on it for a hanger after taking this photo.</p><p>I also baked some jalapeno cheddar scones. New territory for me - I've never made scones.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw-jJr8F6UACUt6JEYa4tGNdyzVzz6_lU_WhQSZdaMBw3OOqteYRU6cHQg-fSFc8QJ7Lpno2l_AfPNfYGNGE8WwGyYvcoBdLze1mQIRHoMwL4DIjyREKL8N1se-kav2BvlAGXz-KFoGQQTUdg28-jxc8wde8nE7L-dBLzTdpgCUOwaalBEFVycdF7ndEI/s4000/IMG_20231025_130705577.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw-jJr8F6UACUt6JEYa4tGNdyzVzz6_lU_WhQSZdaMBw3OOqteYRU6cHQg-fSFc8QJ7Lpno2l_AfPNfYGNGE8WwGyYvcoBdLze1mQIRHoMwL4DIjyREKL8N1se-kav2BvlAGXz-KFoGQQTUdg28-jxc8wde8nE7L-dBLzTdpgCUOwaalBEFVycdF7ndEI/s320/IMG_20231025_130705577.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p>They're very good, and even better re-heated in the oven! Here's a link to the recipe if you're interested: <a href="https://www.kneadsomesweets.com/jalapeno-cheddar-scones/">Jalapeno Cheddar Scones</a>. </p><p>Last weekend Mark and I went on a drive. We started at a coffee place in Ball Ground, GA, then went to one of our favorite farm stand places, and ended up having an early dinner in Jasper, GA. We basically made a loop around a section of North Georgia. The fall colors were beautiful.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU0-u-mj5dS9YURDCmBG1Jfcv7KXQ-Cnh4kPFeBsZLWNAUu_zyKW3sWAoThaMmR_Ggra1JSfkCAXe5zpNXWjMb1YNC31I_E-1jtClhh7mk_TgJQcnD039ino5McrfCbrWOh03a1Pig96uP-n4p9mPisWFQBtZuvS1jeBvrTXgYoEOpJYWrykePq40BDDE/s4000/IMG_20231022_140152190.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU0-u-mj5dS9YURDCmBG1Jfcv7KXQ-Cnh4kPFeBsZLWNAUu_zyKW3sWAoThaMmR_Ggra1JSfkCAXe5zpNXWjMb1YNC31I_E-1jtClhh7mk_TgJQcnD039ino5McrfCbrWOh03a1Pig96uP-n4p9mPisWFQBtZuvS1jeBvrTXgYoEOpJYWrykePq40BDDE/s320/IMG_20231022_140152190.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpIN5aczRjTrt5_R4gNunFu5H6F9_WwMNgPNaOSNlgtHHP2ksLvgjC4C7kZN0op73ctqbU0Cz16-w3qALWg-oSSugoMsxUBNwrK0bnuQuzNWIqeUqjei-HYPPnHkxEPpEy5NwGzSJa7L5G2UpOksyFvtysIhCtzcQ8LaxzIDTvv43RYBwIjl7ggkgyhio/s4000/IMG_20231022_151836705_HDR.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpIN5aczRjTrt5_R4gNunFu5H6F9_WwMNgPNaOSNlgtHHP2ksLvgjC4C7kZN0op73ctqbU0Cz16-w3qALWg-oSSugoMsxUBNwrK0bnuQuzNWIqeUqjei-HYPPnHkxEPpEy5NwGzSJa7L5G2UpOksyFvtysIhCtzcQ8LaxzIDTvv43RYBwIjl7ggkgyhio/s320/IMG_20231022_151836705_HDR.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p>I have no idea where this bottom photo was taken. I was just snapping pictures as we went. </p><p>Thank you for visiting today! I hope you enjoyed seeing what I've been up to in the past month. Happy stitching!<br /></p>Cathy http://www.blogger.com/profile/09757756214407560921noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2246022825419132555.post-15215380630494625422023-09-30T11:31:00.000-07:002023-09-30T11:31:02.123-07:00September Stitching & A Tale of Woe<p>And here's my September post, just under the buzzer! September has been a good month and strange month all wrapped up in one.</p><p>My stitch group had our monthly stitch day and it was kind of low key with just four of us. But enjoyable nonetheless. I worked on Philanthropic Pumpkin by Hands on Design.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjokIN4sMXzRTFCRLFD-rEICE0OL5YkUgbhgAjlt35BEGcf-_rEqSoyILZPYyKWOYEHLSGFHdjelxVTja6oE-Sk6VSOQuYxhPNWNYN1wqA2NOdv0rSql_g-ZVZRjfwlMhKoBEu7ul2ZD4E8Qc38QpBwYO8kC_VN8-Y1MMfvYSDZ6Xhc2LooVA9KlJhIrDY/s4000/IMG_20230930_115906141_HDR.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjokIN4sMXzRTFCRLFD-rEICE0OL5YkUgbhgAjlt35BEGcf-_rEqSoyILZPYyKWOYEHLSGFHdjelxVTja6oE-Sk6VSOQuYxhPNWNYN1wqA2NOdv0rSql_g-ZVZRjfwlMhKoBEu7ul2ZD4E8Qc38QpBwYO8kC_VN8-Y1MMfvYSDZ6Xhc2LooVA9KlJhIrDY/s320/IMG_20230930_115906141_HDR.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p>Even though I'm making good progress on this, I doubt I'll have it done to display this autumn season. That's ok. It's a fun project to stitch and I'm looking forward to finishing it into its pumpkin shape using materials that I'll gather.</p><p>I also worked on my biggest project, Cardinal Points by Long Dog Samplers. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-8Jo7QHDSsb-b2kXGqUujBqesdlR_dEYONhJSdgOpXuhm_EG_SkzgRjtF8FOJ_Zk1D0DkeELOnenOqXsJRzWEH-9rHXOh9JyDBI7i_EHJnlTYSGFSOlAxmmKsaJeZwZG9HD1ZhzRrh3hXPIV9BT4Ll3kPzWbmdxbQpyz7CN7N1bbcHY7THgqlhU4PbhE/s4000/IMG_20230930_120015479.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-8Jo7QHDSsb-b2kXGqUujBqesdlR_dEYONhJSdgOpXuhm_EG_SkzgRjtF8FOJ_Zk1D0DkeELOnenOqXsJRzWEH-9rHXOh9JyDBI7i_EHJnlTYSGFSOlAxmmKsaJeZwZG9HD1ZhzRrh3hXPIV9BT4Ll3kPzWbmdxbQpyz7CN7N1bbcHY7THgqlhU4PbhE/s320/IMG_20230930_120015479.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>This one is being stitched on 36 count white linen with all of the called-for Gentle Arts threads. I use my Lowery stand for this project and it really speeds up the stitching. I can stitch two-handed and not have to constantly keep shifting the Rolaframe. Even though I stitched a lot on this, it will definitely be a long term project.<p></p><p>I did a little finishing as well. I previously showed you Gathering Acorns by Luminous Fiber Arts. As fall was approaching, I wanted to get this one fully finished!</p><p><br /> <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimRqM3GTsLHRsbl9f5RcFaBs44S9ORCvcmof6TQLWGYXpPkuZkXNpEtJdaxBhaa92nJr9mzjinGE40Sa6Lc0QIFndbhoRETOD2fx6RyOpO0w-1ZPi_v8jysDR4gosTAzl3e6mbvVjnfux1cX_02l64e0mv0W51AzYRQUrZ3iU86wvNUtRf9Ov373jNvog/s4000/IMG_20230930_115811168.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimRqM3GTsLHRsbl9f5RcFaBs44S9ORCvcmof6TQLWGYXpPkuZkXNpEtJdaxBhaa92nJr9mzjinGE40Sa6Lc0QIFndbhoRETOD2fx6RyOpO0w-1ZPi_v8jysDR4gosTAzl3e6mbvVjnfux1cX_02l64e0mv0W51AzYRQUrZ3iU86wvNUtRf9Ov373jNvog/s320/IMG_20230930_115811168.jpg" width="320" /></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuPmdexAl3jsIXJV2btkt-PKlPSYaJP7vb8lKj7_SvJ9l293CkdeD1GA_7KQYDkaWkkB4tbIATN_zqOzyG0DO8in9SRscJrq1-5LOlBNwOWa9WgCn-hVGhS_I9onm9m40RSBSZ0yolnGcdR_CKo_AHVZo-95Is-sn01qjM8kV8Gyy2G_3PCpgbGPgSS4g/s4000/IMG_20230930_115818417.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuPmdexAl3jsIXJV2btkt-PKlPSYaJP7vb8lKj7_SvJ9l293CkdeD1GA_7KQYDkaWkkB4tbIATN_zqOzyG0DO8in9SRscJrq1-5LOlBNwOWa9WgCn-hVGhS_I9onm9m40RSBSZ0yolnGcdR_CKo_AHVZo-95Is-sn01qjM8kV8Gyy2G_3PCpgbGPgSS4g/s320/IMG_20230930_115818417.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /></div><p>It's a cute, simple little pillow with a fallish backing. Just in time to display for the fall season.</p><p>Next is a stitching finish! It's Christmas Bullfinch by Punochka. I found the chart in the 2019 Just Cross Stitch Christmas Ornament issue.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxWR6qM2movE2j8bZufkawfPwkBG7nYdkNzjwfKKu2TlqzUWlGMK4bCaoNsWJE_-6HEb6aa8GQY80LtfPcRFoX62C8_KpbApmMNdtfqzFkbkHVwVzXcu4ZqTiP7BFA999071knLuzTzY8WZyfMF6xKk8W2LTI60E4HpYwPs8HabUSAFM5LNnhnYYymj40/s4000/IMG_20230930_115617712.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxWR6qM2movE2j8bZufkawfPwkBG7nYdkNzjwfKKu2TlqzUWlGMK4bCaoNsWJE_-6HEb6aa8GQY80LtfPcRFoX62C8_KpbApmMNdtfqzFkbkHVwVzXcu4ZqTiP7BFA999071knLuzTzY8WZyfMF6xKk8W2LTI60E4HpYwPs8HabUSAFM5LNnhnYYymj40/s320/IMG_20230930_115617712.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p>This sweet little ornament was stitched in the called-for DMC on 32 count Vintage Country Mocha Lugana. I'm thinking about finishing it as a pillow ornament. Not sure yet. That bird is the cutest.</p><p>So I said that September was both good and strange. We finally got to go on a vacation with our son and daughter in law. The last one we planned was to Hawaii in March of 2020. Yes, March of 2020. Well, that one never happened and circumstances prevented us from going on any vacation til recently. Luckily United Airlines let us use our credit from the doomed trip. So we got to go to Maine. I found something out -- I love Maine. I want to move there. We spent a few glorious days in Boothbay Harbor, just seeing the sights and eating seafood. It was wonderful spending time with Matt & Steph. Then Hurricane Lee threatened and cut our trip short by a day. This is where the "strange" starts. We had to hurriedly book an earlier flight back home and so did everyone else. Super crowded flights, everyone tense, to the point of obnoxious. I was so glad when we landed in Atlanta after a stop in Newark. Did I mention how crowded these flights were? Ugh. That was on a Saturday, and by Monday afternoon I started to feel sick. On Tuesday morning I tested positive for covid. Ugh again. This is the first time I'd had it. I have to say that while it was yucky, it really wasn't much more than a bad cold. Mark got sick too, but negative for covid. His was diagnosed as a sinus infection. So we're both recovering at the present time. I continue to feel better each day with only some lingering tiredness. OK, so now I got that over with and can get back to my regular life! But I will say that was one great vacation. We'll be going back.</p><p>Now we move to October. Where has this year gone? Family members are already talking about the upcoming holidays. We're making plans. I'm going to keep stitching and will keep you updated. Oh, and my shawl is coming along nicely. I just have to do the rows of trim on the other side, the pockets, and the fringe. I'll be sure to post a photo next time.</p><p>Thanks for visiting and listening to my tale of woe. I hope you enjoyed the stitching photos. I will see you soon!<br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Cathy http://www.blogger.com/profile/09757756214407560921noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2246022825419132555.post-70505989235892640572023-08-30T11:19:00.000-07:002023-08-30T11:19:51.038-07:00All Kinds of Crafty Starts<p>I wanted to get in another post before the end of August and I'm almost at the wire! Aside from stitching, I've also started a crochet project and wanted to show that to you. Let's get started.</p><p>First is a finish! It's Gathering Acorns by Luminous Fiber Arts. I stitched this on a neutral linen in 32 count. The floss I chose caused some drama because it was kind of old. OK, maybe really old, I think about ten years old. Plus I didn't plan ahead. I just chose the floss because I liked it. It's Terra Cotta by Weeks Dye Works. So the old dye lot didn't match the new ones and I knew I was going to run out. After pleas to fellow stitchers to see if they in fact owned old Terra Cotta floss by Weeks, I received some from a kind person. But it was still very light. Then the light bulb went on in my head: why not do color blending? I found some Terra Cotta by Gentle Arts which was too dark, combined the two and there it was! The perfect solution!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqG5P6DiHh4XCrbBiTErmYPd9SFWcvJ6QJgu_Y7kgB2p_rLjKkGHJfclSW-4IWqoIvZrHRN7Fs1keoVTFA9B5eZ1VHr8oCZB2swjbe2vassRjieHKUIA55yHkAOXMqG6ASzK-BAtkNg65AWbPP-OkNV_hmsjukznKcm1afj_N3_KxKyQ6ZtUgiRROhYE8/s3136/IMG_20230830_132445863%20(2).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3136" data-original-width="2987" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqG5P6DiHh4XCrbBiTErmYPd9SFWcvJ6QJgu_Y7kgB2p_rLjKkGHJfclSW-4IWqoIvZrHRN7Fs1keoVTFA9B5eZ1VHr8oCZB2swjbe2vassRjieHKUIA55yHkAOXMqG6ASzK-BAtkNg65AWbPP-OkNV_hmsjukznKcm1afj_N3_KxKyQ6ZtUgiRROhYE8/s320/IMG_20230830_132445863%20(2).jpg" width="305" /></a></div><p>The difference is not noticeable at all. So, after that long explanation, lesson learned. Plan ahead. Sorry about the non-ironed status of this project. I think I'll finish it as a pillow. I've already looked in my fabric collection and found a couple of good possibilities for the backing.</p><p>Next, a new stitching start. This is the time of year I start thinking about what kind of ornament I'll make for Matt & Steph, my son and daughter in law. As I flipped through the 2019 issue of the Just Cross Stitch Christmas Ornament Issue, I found this sweet little bird. It's Christmas Bullfinch by Punochka.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUo4EYDDdBPEK3tjAKdjK4vZrFjwMLpGPGGNup_j_iAV9sfCwrp9-85-TR2Fp57wyEZJ30mdxLSB56PW2Ww9edtZ-0spNjXdYdOO37UI82B0ZaphFR2FbtqPrbERiDx7eN1dn79xPKMG5Q4lAcjDClG4U92VZ05cqNMJtk2f5jcXfROvBD0UGx8FpXwnU/s4000/IMG_20230830_132356661.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUo4EYDDdBPEK3tjAKdjK4vZrFjwMLpGPGGNup_j_iAV9sfCwrp9-85-TR2Fp57wyEZJ30mdxLSB56PW2Ww9edtZ-0spNjXdYdOO37UI82B0ZaphFR2FbtqPrbERiDx7eN1dn79xPKMG5Q4lAcjDClG4U92VZ05cqNMJtk2f5jcXfROvBD0UGx8FpXwnU/s320/IMG_20230830_132356661.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><p>It's being stitched on 32 count Vintage Country Mocha lugana in the called for DMC. I think that the snowflakes will show up really well on this fabric. What a sweet, simple pattern. Not sure how I'll finish it yet.</p><p>I remembered this project that I started a few years ago. Fresh Pumpkins by That's So Kelly is such a cute fall pattern that uses a very unique color, a kind of turquoise-ish blue.<br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSE2G2efHRypGW6bp2JPXk3DrqvyzZMMzBcEDkofPupJqtmFUA0CUajpDhViLVIGU2uditwLwY1Em5NenplP5sBjhQVtDIcdyauXCyXEOTtHCm7IMIyFimwwEYTWGfptA3N28QcQ3Yyr2SOVHf9VVuHuTkUDUG6DMxdRzxoTzt_uCH8BbYdJ0043RJ2zc/s4000/IMG_20230830_120354876.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSE2G2efHRypGW6bp2JPXk3DrqvyzZMMzBcEDkofPupJqtmFUA0CUajpDhViLVIGU2uditwLwY1Em5NenplP5sBjhQVtDIcdyauXCyXEOTtHCm7IMIyFimwwEYTWGfptA3N28QcQ3Yyr2SOVHf9VVuHuTkUDUG6DMxdRzxoTzt_uCH8BbYdJ0043RJ2zc/s320/IMG_20230830_120354876.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p>I'm stitching this on a light color lugana and it <i>might </i>be 36 count. It actually seems somewhere in the middle of 32 and 36 count. I really need to keep better track of the fabric I use. I did a major color conversion to use flosses I had. It will be finished very similarly to what's pictured.</p><p>Last but not least is my crochet start! This is Perfect Pockets Shawl by Sonja Hood. It's still available on Etsy. I saw this online last fall and bought the pattern right away. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2qbxfNfxxA9ZKacquV3PXBoZMWnaxIFKz-sf52HKfnVCnNkmJHsMrdsHpjagqmlPPOkW5QhzusqVgi_5aDLJ-OS4Mh3JBO83RiV3LtkUZkd1i3zNJbTivcng4epQuVuwEia68w0NQhJTOrQJoLIIqe9U4D7eWbFsKXhNCj4oi7zpyhIuE3i5_v1kQPhA/s4000/IMG_20230830_132112654.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2qbxfNfxxA9ZKacquV3PXBoZMWnaxIFKz-sf52HKfnVCnNkmJHsMrdsHpjagqmlPPOkW5QhzusqVgi_5aDLJ-OS4Mh3JBO83RiV3LtkUZkd1i3zNJbTivcng4epQuVuwEia68w0NQhJTOrQJoLIIqe9U4D7eWbFsKXhNCj4oi7zpyhIuE3i5_v1kQPhA/s320/IMG_20230830_132112654.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjchixCbrNf6B1VmwslLxx38dJyv3x2z66kahkrSk6Yhut-YXyJ2eLIwJ1JMlR8RmTgJrHMMEMCiJT9ZCNYgkIqLaDrETr6dEYy_3e5GPGgz4eRybm_we37JxztMoUGSG97FeQZ6BBcvJ-fDIMTXJBARkt9kUQjBs-0M-9sHJDwFchnQGyIAvBp4GcHUls/s4000/IMG_20230830_132118218.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjchixCbrNf6B1VmwslLxx38dJyv3x2z66kahkrSk6Yhut-YXyJ2eLIwJ1JMlR8RmTgJrHMMEMCiJT9ZCNYgkIqLaDrETr6dEYy_3e5GPGgz4eRybm_we37JxztMoUGSG97FeQZ6BBcvJ-fDIMTXJBARkt9kUQjBs-0M-9sHJDwFchnQGyIAvBp4GcHUls/s320/IMG_20230830_132118218.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p>It uses half double crochet and double crochet stitches and is so easy so far. Yay! Perfect for a non expert crocheter like me. The yarn is a taupe color Yarn Bee yarn from Hobby Lobby. I'm going to put it away for a while because it's pretty hot here and as this shawl grows it's extremely warm on my lap!</p><p>Finally, Rigby had a rough day yesterday. Her day started off with a routine vet visit that included three shots. I was told that she might be lethargic. Then, to top it off, we got some stormy weather that included a LOT of thunder, one of her least favorite things. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHDMpg7vlzAqTX9Nqgp9LurOuywOVl38CgPAmxC6N3qLulnPL2HkjOYDAQK0y_xKWgT651-rOu8lUpkLUqpj2sFpPrid4k3cXOBGmxVExhqWtv5dmLDEMyHIYx59oMI_btfcdJxrmhzO5gk8tI8Iymp32V4_-SkDP4p8gAsg_OVW0YJezIzrzdyVg4Nbk/s4000/IMG_20230829_152742292.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHDMpg7vlzAqTX9Nqgp9LurOuywOVl38CgPAmxC6N3qLulnPL2HkjOYDAQK0y_xKWgT651-rOu8lUpkLUqpj2sFpPrid4k3cXOBGmxVExhqWtv5dmLDEMyHIYx59oMI_btfcdJxrmhzO5gk8tI8Iymp32V4_-SkDP4p8gAsg_OVW0YJezIzrzdyVg4Nbk/s320/IMG_20230829_152742292.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p>She hasn't been a lap cat at all since coming to live with us, so this was a surprise. She's back to normal today. But this was kind of sweet.</p><p>I hope you enjoyed this post. Feel free to ask any questions and leave comments. Thank you for visiting!</p><p>Cathy<br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Cathy http://www.blogger.com/profile/09757756214407560921noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2246022825419132555.post-45664406993034104462023-08-02T07:22:00.001-07:002023-08-02T07:22:13.324-07:00Finishing Frenzy!<p> I've put in a lot of stitches on a lot of projects lately, but today I'm going to show you some finishes. Yes, finishes plural! These three projects are ones I've been working on for a while and could see the finish line on each. So once I picked it up to work on it, I decided to stitch to the finish!</p><p>The first is Christmas Tiny Town by Heart In Hand.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxebHMM199uRueXP3g8vqWlo0Xcm_DMgp9FLO0AKXJd6xkQK-Zr9tgM8pp9ZwfqOoaTT5dRKzjVT2eWpETErYiKn0cKQXxStleJOkrgeEdM9JMsAuP5s-P4twJJHqCtfWi7D0rx6h9XrKpKnEnODVlq8MROosbwq7rJq_-3ZTXKP9b03nMXtq1a9BVCTk/s4000/IMG_20230731_110301356.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxebHMM199uRueXP3g8vqWlo0Xcm_DMgp9FLO0AKXJd6xkQK-Zr9tgM8pp9ZwfqOoaTT5dRKzjVT2eWpETErYiKn0cKQXxStleJOkrgeEdM9JMsAuP5s-P4twJJHqCtfWi7D0rx6h9XrKpKnEnODVlq8MROosbwq7rJq_-3ZTXKP9b03nMXtq1a9BVCTk/w400-h250/IMG_20230731_110301356.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p>I stitched this on some kind of linen in the called-for flosses. Do you think I can get it fully finished before Christmas?</p><p>The next finish is Seasonal Bouquets by The Sunflower Seed. This pattern is an oldie and I don't know if it's available anymore. Charts for a bouquet for each season are included, along with little triangle buttons to decorate the vases.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtenHV3gwdsSiww4v0fpnV8uU20PebTR4xdw_EwDoZ8Fl2IttKU2fRB36gz3RFR_cVot0FdLD3AcoKIG0gXnQLABCRlGiPWKqUz6eh82-eipQBh0H8gujupuV0ujDlwqqXLVLesIl0eASb0mpRifGRIVBChwdmCY2qgmYBjCeyx9dKYXoBWjs882tQyv0/s4000/IMG_20230731_110348322_HDR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtenHV3gwdsSiww4v0fpnV8uU20PebTR4xdw_EwDoZ8Fl2IttKU2fRB36gz3RFR_cVot0FdLD3AcoKIG0gXnQLABCRlGiPWKqUz6eh82-eipQBh0H8gujupuV0ujDlwqqXLVLesIl0eASb0mpRifGRIVBChwdmCY2qgmYBjCeyx9dKYXoBWjs882tQyv0/s320/IMG_20230731_110348322_HDR.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p>This is my first project on 40 count linen. I wanted to see if I could do it. It's by Colour & Cotton and the color is Taupe. I know. It looks light gray. But I like it a lot and I think that the light color of the fabric made it easy to stitch on the 40 count. I used the called-for DMC flosses. It's so tiny. I painted a little square frame white and this will fit perfectly. My plan is to stitch each season and change them out accordingly. I hope to have a full finish for my next post.</p><p>And last but definitely not least is Small Animal Sampler by Bobbie G Designs.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSU9L1YJjdmf0FYFKv3FMbegCiysQMDOKxQcAwaS1gDoGRzC11isc551-f5eLQOVC5GZSI2E_U0e6JW18qoPst2oIYTZUNR_dvrYNcIejq9CCB7TeEgO2B5UCx60X755klXx86t_6goPPKOjt_bTL-tao34fTS_TNMhjhOQfzeIuPBiRxq7w-LDGG_afc/s4000/IMG_20230731_110106166.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSU9L1YJjdmf0FYFKv3FMbegCiysQMDOKxQcAwaS1gDoGRzC11isc551-f5eLQOVC5GZSI2E_U0e6JW18qoPst2oIYTZUNR_dvrYNcIejq9CCB7TeEgO2B5UCx60X755klXx86t_6goPPKOjt_bTL-tao34fTS_TNMhjhOQfzeIuPBiRxq7w-LDGG_afc/s320/IMG_20230731_110106166.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p>I'm so glad to have this done. It's stitched on 28 count black Jobelan which is the perfect fabric for this. Buy I'm not gonna lie - stitching on dark fabric is not easy for me. It was so easy to get one thread off and there are a few mistakes in this project. It's stitched with the called for DMC. I'll frame this one.</p><p>Now that I have more finishes, I really need to get to fully finishing these and the other projects I have in my "Finished Cross Stitch" box. Yes, there are a few more in there!</p><p>For those of you who like Flosstube videos, I just posted my video #84. Hard to believe that I've been making videos for 6 years. So if you're interested, I'll post my channel <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCRiQh6gYo6XYdR8wvSfhFrA">HERE</a>.</p><p>Thank you for visiting today. I hope you liked seeing my finishes. See you soon.</p><p>Cathy <br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Cathy http://www.blogger.com/profile/09757756214407560921noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2246022825419132555.post-4907362643738087412023-07-17T10:00:00.001-07:002023-07-17T10:00:46.935-07:00The Block 8 Conundrum <p>This blog is a place where I post about all of the crafty type of things that I do. It's heavy on the cross stitch because that's my main hobby, but you'll also see sewing, crochet, beadwork, and whatever else I'm working on.</p><p>Today I want to talk about crochet. You see, I've come across a little issue in a project that's currently in my crochet WIP pile. A few years ago, I subscribed to Annie's Block of the Month Stitch Sampler Afghan Club. Each month they sent yarn and an instruction booklet for three crocheted blocks. The initial kit also contained the crochet hooks needed for the project. I chose the beige colorway which is made up of four different shades. The kit even included a board for blocking.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfbfxwzisgZBpP4KAw4xu-Ka8x7C9qg1J27iODzeWHUUZKEioU6P53g7ow6jnPKOTw6vrdgDp1ojL3bLgD7HX44scoExayCE7LEuu3x_sfR2EaYVF5a9cLad3bB-EK8O4aQaGpNcj2GECONMU1VLj-mnL_nE6dZ6hriUIC39B7MkAIog6phvlYbGQ2ZUw/s4000/IMG_20230717_121907375.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfbfxwzisgZBpP4KAw4xu-Ka8x7C9qg1J27iODzeWHUUZKEioU6P53g7ow6jnPKOTw6vrdgDp1ojL3bLgD7HX44scoExayCE7LEuu3x_sfR2EaYVF5a9cLad3bB-EK8O4aQaGpNcj2GECONMU1VLj-mnL_nE6dZ6hriUIC39B7MkAIog6phvlYbGQ2ZUw/s320/IMG_20230717_121907375.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p>I consider myself a solid intermediate crocheter and this project seemed like a perfect fit for my skill level. So I got started and whipped up blocks 1 through 7 with no problem. In fact, it was a lot of fun watching each one form with its own unique crochet stitch. Let me add right now that there are instruction videos for each block that are very helpful. Until I came to block 8.</p><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig-bKTFq8VyYjjKr-L3WyJXV2PD53WmRT4Ccgon8O0YjMrC5_ci4qLPASTQRl2GEwkmTvUs0RmclAVEBeZ1hF0ocRmsZYLTSAFCTy_MoaTmGWok7tKhRpApJmVkafiLgwQidrPyG6C5qE_0wQRRtPKB5ZuuUwl_p0ddoiafDs9qhlSxCZkQt3gVZlryRQ/s2048/blocks.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig-bKTFq8VyYjjKr-L3WyJXV2PD53WmRT4Ccgon8O0YjMrC5_ci4qLPASTQRl2GEwkmTvUs0RmclAVEBeZ1hF0ocRmsZYLTSAFCTy_MoaTmGWok7tKhRpApJmVkafiLgwQidrPyG6C5qE_0wQRRtPKB5ZuuUwl_p0ddoiafDs9qhlSxCZkQt3gVZlryRQ/s320/blocks.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Blocks 1-7, and 9, in no particular order<br /></td></tr></tbody></table> </p><p>Block 8 confused me from the very start. I followed the written instructions. I watched the video. Watched it again. And again. Still my block looked like a confused mess. I asked people who completed this afghan and got some good advice. One person told me to write the instructions in list form (in the instruction booklet they're in paragraph form). Another advised me to skip this one for the time being and go on to block 9. I could go back to it at the end. Someone else said to just crochet this block using the instructions for one I already did successfully in the block 8 color. </p><p>So I went on to block 9 with great success! I will go back to #8 at some point and if it doesn't work, I'll substitute a different one. But I'm asking anyone who is reading this if you've crocheted this afghan, and if you also had trouble with this difficult block. Or is it just me? Please let me know. I will keep you posted.</p><p>After I put my crochet away, I decided to do some stitching. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJJKsfbhujzPSjlJ285Bv6HUaDRx1jpE-pkEalqTM1dVc8oAecDJWKHrww94Ond4_jUBCvI6jTEMSvMjbqXdF5WMk-afEQtl1yY3OOfDaq-Bfa0BGfsyvxypc9ODoipNLTQVzmCk5QtjtjdU2PEzHBOvbHXiuweKWFVpsMwXcRKF323sV90VE0R8b0DNE/s4000/IMG_20230717_122706594.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJJKsfbhujzPSjlJ285Bv6HUaDRx1jpE-pkEalqTM1dVc8oAecDJWKHrww94Ond4_jUBCvI6jTEMSvMjbqXdF5WMk-afEQtl1yY3OOfDaq-Bfa0BGfsyvxypc9ODoipNLTQVzmCk5QtjtjdU2PEzHBOvbHXiuweKWFVpsMwXcRKF323sV90VE0R8b0DNE/w339-h285/IMG_20230717_122706594.jpg" width="339" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHXpmUOBA4DnqWbzTC9mtF6gmSYmy9j25CqI-jbtB-7JHJyCgL5zNRa382e4-jcAmXi4NEXhyBAi6aY22eTVRg4lLbwZ4lp7yPCMaFQb904N0fjrBDxWgVSdR9TbU6TZ9hOT7XAotJisj1U4p9kkyRerew0dmHTO584HXYWggzeq3TkmHsHUq0KGiUKXM/s4000/IMG_20230717_122714986.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="284" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHXpmUOBA4DnqWbzTC9mtF6gmSYmy9j25CqI-jbtB-7JHJyCgL5zNRa382e4-jcAmXi4NEXhyBAi6aY22eTVRg4lLbwZ4lp7yPCMaFQb904N0fjrBDxWgVSdR9TbU6TZ9hOT7XAotJisj1U4p9kkyRerew0dmHTO584HXYWggzeq3TkmHsHUq0KGiUKXM/w228-h284/IMG_20230717_122714986.jpg" width="228" /></a></div><br /><p>I've been working on Small Animal Sampler by Bobbie G Designs for quite a while and I'm ready for it to be finished. So I think I'm going to stitch til I finish it. It's being stitched on 28 count black Jobelan with the called-for DMC colors. Only some of the border and all of the backstitching in the border left to do!</p><p>Thanks for visiting today and letting me vent about the elusive Block 8. I'll take any advice, even if you haven't crocheted this particular afghan. I plan to be back soon with more stitching goodness. Until then, happy stitching!</p><p>Cathy<br /></p><p><br /></p>Cathy http://www.blogger.com/profile/09757756214407560921noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2246022825419132555.post-37775607962547277422023-06-28T11:02:00.001-07:002023-06-29T10:22:56.846-07:00Back To Blogging!<p>I'm back. I know, I know. How do I explain an almost three year absence from blogging? Not going to make excuses. It seems that blogging has somewhat fallen out of favor with some crafters. I say <i>some</i> because when I look at my list of blogs I'm following, I see many that have been blogging for a long time and still are keeping this mode of communication alive. So I'm jumping back in with a tiny splash.</p><p>I've updated the look of my blog (that took a while because I haven't done any layout fixes in a long time and Blogger has changed some of their methods), and am now ready to get back into blogging regularly. Oh and I know that my Cat of the Month already says "July" but it will be July soon, and I couldn't find my June cat. I'll get better.<br /></p><p>Since I last posted, a lot has changed in my life. I'm now retired. Hopefully this time it will stick. We've come out of the pandemic, thank goodness. That was getting really old. We lost our little cat, Moxie and then adopted two more cats because we didn't like being cat-less.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8XAk92AYbctl8G_z_pPfn2N4LvFsDMqRKjYbHLKP1qYBzfC-ROPIALKnkkq6BatCM6_Q6fB9xXsDGdPQe-qQ7sbZNN1_n1qenbp_LoZv9HjrbLktJqYahagy0aiuc4hc1kGUwEJWje-KGU9z9LOF8lcTW5bDfzUkTHp1c53vNctVK1g9tyk50d3IO8Ds/s1764/IMG_20220601_122634_663.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1764" data-original-width="1764" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8XAk92AYbctl8G_z_pPfn2N4LvFsDMqRKjYbHLKP1qYBzfC-ROPIALKnkkq6BatCM6_Q6fB9xXsDGdPQe-qQ7sbZNN1_n1qenbp_LoZv9HjrbLktJqYahagy0aiuc4hc1kGUwEJWje-KGU9z9LOF8lcTW5bDfzUkTHp1c53vNctVK1g9tyk50d3IO8Ds/s320/IMG_20220601_122634_663.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rigby and Casper<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p>Rigby is three years old, and Casper is a year and a half. They're both very good cats with personalities like no other cat we've ever had. We adopted both of them from the Feral Cat Program of Georgia. </p><p>One thing that hasn't changed for me is stitching and crafting. As some of you may know, I have a Flosstube channel. Now I know that not everyone likes Flosstube and that's fine with me. I get it. I still enjoy reading stitching blogs as well as watching Flosstube videos. Here's the link to my Flosstube channel, CraftyCat Stitcher: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@craftycatstitcher6658/featured">https://www.youtube.com/@craftycatstitcher6658/featured</a> .</p><p>So as far as the stitching goes, it's still my favorite hobby and I devote lots of time to it. I still consider myself the slowest stitcher in the world. Ha ha. But that doesn't put a damper on my enjoyment of cross stitch! I also continue to collect new charts because there are soooo many beautiful ones out there. Do you agree?</p><p>Sewing and crafting are also favorites of mine. I consider finishing a cross stitch project in a non-framed way pretty crafty. And I enjoy it. My latest sewing project is this lovely flag.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyRT7OoqJ-lkk66Y5fqF73Arb7t7ldjMXCbOTKuodA62YmgOdQ8osmx8zQdnej0L67B2FprI4sSG4WNXFnbwVcLgk4f0q_sRopk4dFhboQvVgcAC86uPlKPPQr84n6aUxGOYndQYUg-DaiXEX-Wfy7_7yGrOfa2K12qzc7QxgHoU0Aw-9OEn1aAoILxpo/s720/Screenshot_20230628-125641~2.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="525" data-original-width="720" height="233" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyRT7OoqJ-lkk66Y5fqF73Arb7t7ldjMXCbOTKuodA62YmgOdQ8osmx8zQdnej0L67B2FprI4sSG4WNXFnbwVcLgk4f0q_sRopk4dFhboQvVgcAC86uPlKPPQr84n6aUxGOYndQYUg-DaiXEX-Wfy7_7yGrOfa2K12qzc7QxgHoU0Aw-9OEn1aAoILxpo/s320/Screenshot_20230628-125641~2.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br /> <br /><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioxPnZt6st5Dxsb-fgJV7FLUKHJtnrqCLK6V0WdpiYEuGEx5HldAT-juUk4zSECBngKNMav1r5gED0pwqBNIs1AoddOPukGNvkzqvd-dB5r8knUPGloVtyEccMekzGWKcxvdujlQSXYbNOnxsDE5e6uhVKBu2809kRbji2142re2hh2ZHYPvckXpnfAR8/s713/Screenshot_20230628-125628~2.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="522" data-original-width="713" height="234" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioxPnZt6st5Dxsb-fgJV7FLUKHJtnrqCLK6V0WdpiYEuGEx5HldAT-juUk4zSECBngKNMav1r5gED0pwqBNIs1AoddOPukGNvkzqvd-dB5r8knUPGloVtyEccMekzGWKcxvdujlQSXYbNOnxsDE5e6uhVKBu2809kRbji2142re2hh2ZHYPvckXpnfAR8/s320/Screenshot_20230628-125628~2.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p>It took only an afternoon to make this, and what took the most time was sewing the buttons on. I was very happy that I had all of the materials in my craft room for this. Would you like to make one? You can find the instructions for this on the Instagram page @teamegner. It's in her DIY section on her profile page. The one shown in the instructions is quilted and is lovely. However, I'm not a quilter and just wanted this to be an easy project for me so I opted to skip that part. </p><p>So this is my comeback to blogging. I hope you enjoyed what you saw here. My goal is to share all of my stitching with you, along with anything else crafty that I do. If you're reading this, please leave a comment so I'll know I'm reaching fellow stitchers. Please consider subscribing as well. I do appreciate it.</p><p>I'll see you soon. Happy stitching.</p><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: small;"><i>Cathy</i></span></span><br /></div><p><br /></p>Cathy http://www.blogger.com/profile/09757756214407560921noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2246022825419132555.post-31774059316309306362020-07-19T11:52:00.000-07:002020-07-19T11:52:07.147-07:00At Least I've Gotten Some Stitching DoneI've been away from my blog for far too long, so it's good to be back with a post. I haven't slacked at all on my stitching though. The rotation is still going well and really seems to be working for me.<br />
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I participated in a "Christmas In July" exchange in a Facebook group. We were to stitch an ornament and send it to our exchange person during the month of July. I chose this little Blue Ribbon Designs piece that I found in the Just Cross Stitch ornaments issue 2019. It's called "Trimming The Tree".<br />
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I enjoyed stitching this and it's one that I would stitch again for me.<br />
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"Bluebird Garden" by Artful Offerings is nearing a finish!<br />
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I have a bit more to do on the pedestal and then the border, and that's it. I'm using the called for colors on 32 count Jobelan in a khaki color. Fabric names escape me and this is one of them.<br />
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"Salute To Abigail" by Blackbird Designs also received a few stitches.<br />
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I am SO happy with this project. It's being stitched on 32 count linen in the color Mink by R&R. I remembered a fabric name! Congrats to me. I did do a floss conversion from the called for silks, and I think it's a pretty good one!<br />
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Here's Plum Street Samplers "Clementine".<br />
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Clementine looks a lot like a cat I used to have. The threads are a mix of DMC and overdyeds, but mostly the called for. The fabric is ???? Jobelan, 32 count.<br />
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It seems like I've been working on "Tulip's Praise" by Gracewood Stitches, Kathy Bungard for a loooooong time.<br />
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It's just a big project. I'm maybe 2/3 of the way done. It's being stitched on 18 count Jobelan in antique white and I'm using all DMC, which is what it calls for.<br />
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My former "unicorn chart" is up next. This is "Easter Parade" by Blackbird Designs.<br />
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Isn't he the cutest rabbit? The fabric is 28 count Jubilee in the color "Northern Skies" by Sugar Maple Fabrics. I have never used Jubilee fabric before but I like it. It's pretty heavy, and reminds me a little of canvas. I chose it because I can't look at this fabric without thinking Easter!<br />
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And then we have an actual FFO! I finished stitching "Fragments In Time 2018" by Summer House Stitch Workes.<br />
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Then I finished it into a little pillow/pincushion! I'm very happy with the backing fabric because it goes so well with the design, AND it was in my fabric stash. I trimmed it with some chenille trim and filled it with crushed walnut shells, which is my filling of choice. This will be a gift.<br />
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I also did this.<br />
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When was the last time I planted flower seeds? This really brightens up my deck.<br />
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So that's all of the stitching for now. I am working on a non stitching project that I'll be back soon to tell you about. Until then, happy stitching!Cathy http://www.blogger.com/profile/09757756214407560921noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2246022825419132555.post-80465412223684230102020-06-06T13:32:00.000-07:002020-06-06T13:32:25.270-07:00Stitchmaynia My Way<div>
So Stitchmaynia 2020 is now in the books. For those who aren't familiar with this yearly stitching event, I'll explain. Stitchmaynia was created by a couple of stitchers (who I believe run the Stitchmaynia Facebook group) in 2015. Its purpose was to encourage stitchers to start a new project each day in May. </div>
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Now many of us stitchers love to start new projects. For me, though, 31 new projects is just too overwhelming. Last year I did WIPmaynia, where I worked on a different project each day. Other people also modified their Stitchmaynia plans to, for example, starting new projects on the first 15 days. This year I decided to do what I did back in 2018 -- start a new stitching project on the first of May, and then another one on each of the Mondays in May. Five new starts sounded perfectly reasonable to me.<br />
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My first new start on May 1st was "Gathering Basket" by Blackbird Designs. I chose 28 count Jubilee fabric in the color "Rendezvous" by Sugar Maple Fabrics and I'm stitching it in most of the called-for colors. I love this project and cannot wait to get back to it.<br />
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The first Monday project start was "American Coast", a kit by Chessie & Me. It came with 36 count linen and all of the threads, which happen to be silk. I didn't put a big dent into this start even though I stitched on it for several days. Cute project though.<br />
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The next Monday I started "Fragments In Time 2018" by Summer House Stitch Workes". By contrast to my previous Monday start, I made considerable progress on this! I would say that I have probably 75% of it done. No idea why. I'm stitching it on 32 count evenweave in a neutral beige color. I have a lot of unidentified fabric in my stash that I use even if I don't know the name of it. I'm using a combination of overdyeds and DMC for this one.<br />
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Monday #3 was time to start "Clementine" by Plum Street Samplers. Oh, that teeny-tiny start. I was working on another project at the time and was glad to get this much done! It's being stitched on another unidentified fabric, 32 count neutral and I changed many of the colors to what I had "in stock".<br />
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Finally, on the last Monday in May, my project choice was "Seasonal Bouquets" by The Sunflower Seed. I've had this pattern for a long time and have always intended to stitch it, so now was the time. I'm stepping out of my stitching comfort zone for this one, stitchy friends. That fabric you see is 40 count! I'm such a daredevil! The color is Desert Taupe and it's from Colours & Cotton. Really, though, the color is a pearl gray to me and a beautiful color to stitch the summer bouquet on. I'm using all of the recommended DMC threads. The pattern comes with little triangular buttons to sew onto the flower pots, but I don't know if they'll fit because I'm stitching it on such a small count fabric. It's fine either way. <br />
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Here's what I have decided about 40 count fabric. I think I can stitch on it comfortably in a light color, but probably not a darker color. That's fine. I really like the tiny stitches and the way this is coming out.<br />
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Here's to a successful Stitchmaynia, done my way. These five new starts brings my WIP total to 23 and that's about all I can handle comfortably. I need to get some finishes in! Actually I do have a finish that I have not shown here, so I'll save that for next time. I hope you enjoyed seeing these new starts! Happy Stitching!</div>
Cathy http://www.blogger.com/profile/09757756214407560921noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2246022825419132555.post-79924945865600598312020-05-07T07:12:00.000-07:002020-05-07T07:13:18.544-07:00April Stitching Wrap-UpHere's what I want to know: Just where did April go? How could it fly by so quickly? I must have had my nose in my stitching the entire time because I have no idea.<br />
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I do know that I've done a lot of stitching. Oh, and cleaning and going through stuff in my house. I think a lot of people are doing that. I've seen questions online about where to take donated items right now. I even cleaned out my laundry room. I planted flower seeds and am attempting to "root" romaine lettuce. I'm watching old episodes of Project Runway and Top Chef. <br />
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But back to the stitching. I found an old project that I totally forgot about. It's the Tortoise and The Hare by Prairie Schooler. I don't know what happened there, if it just got misplaced or what. But it's a cute design and I had enough done that I was interested enough in continuing it.<br />
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Plus, the colors are so pretty! I'm stitching this on 20 count white Jobelan, with DMC in the called-for colors.<br />
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I worked on one of my favorite WIPs, Bluebird Garden by Artful Offerings.<br />
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The entire body of the bird is finished. Now I just have to stitch his pedestal and the rest of the flowers. Oh, and the border.<br />
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Just for fun, I decided to start something. This is Turkey Bay by Plum Street Samplers.<br />
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<i> </i>I originally saw this on the wall at Dyeing To Stitch in Virginia Beach, VA. It was stitched one over one on 25 count fabric, and I just loved the way it looked and instantly purchased the chart! I'm stitching it two over one on 20 count evenweave. I was happy with my progress after only two days of work.<br />
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How about a finish?! I finished stitching Little House Needleworks Sampler Month July.This chart came in a pack of two charts, July and August, and included the floss for both projects.<br />
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It was stitched on a 28 count mystery linen in a neutral color. I know exactly how I would like to finished this, so stay tuned! The "August" chart will be a start in the near future.<br />
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I framed my Barn Cats finish.<br />
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This Prairie Schooler finish is so cute, and I found the perfect frame for it in my stash.<br />
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And last but not least is my birthday start. Yes, I had a birthday last week and decided on a major start.<br />
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It's Cardinal Points by Long Dog Samplers. I'm stitching it on white Edinburgh 36 count linen, 2 over two in the called for Gentle Art threads. It doesn't look like much, but I'm really happy with my start.<br />
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So now on to Stitchmaynia. I'm doing my own version. I started a new project on May 1st, and then will start a new one on each Monday in May. I'll include those in my next post. I'll also continue working on a WIP rotation in between starts, so I'll also be doing WIPmaynia. It keeps it interesting and fun.<br />
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I hope you're getting in some stitching and enjoying the process as much as I am. It's good to have something to focus on, especially right now. I hope you're doing well, and you come back to visit my blog again! Cathy http://www.blogger.com/profile/09757756214407560921noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2246022825419132555.post-10072510371978522592020-04-04T11:37:00.001-07:002020-04-04T11:37:30.388-07:00Sheltering & StitchingIt's hard to believe how much everything has changed since my last post. Just like all of you, we're doing everything we need to do to stay safe. The only place I've been to in the past two weeks is the grocery store. Because I qualify for the "senior hour" at our Kroger, I'm taking advantage of it. It's like that show Supermarket Sweep except I'm not knocking stuff off the shelves. I go in there armed with a good list of what I need and then I go through the store as efficiently and quickly as I can. No more leisurely shopping, looking at what's new, and accepting a sample of something delicious. It's a whole different world.<br />
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I feel lucky to have our hobby of cross stitch. I never get tired of it because I have different projects to work on. So as you can imagine, I've put in quite a few stitches in the past weeks!<br />
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I worked on "Holiday Cheer" by Sugar Stitches (on Etsy). It's the first chart in the 2019 Christmas Club.<br />
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I'm stitching it on the called-for fabric, 32 count linen in the color Gingerbread which looks a little more gingerbread-y in real life. These charts are going to make cute little ornaments.<br />
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"Tulip's Praise" by Gracewood Stitches got a few stitches.<br />
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It's always nice to see more progress on this big project. The fabric is 18 count Jobelan in off white.<br />
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Given the weird circumstances, I've given myself the license to start anything I want. I figure that would be a good treat. So I started "Easter Parade" by Blackbird Designs.<br />
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This was my "unicorn chart" for a long time and I was delighted when Blackbird Designs re-released it! I'm stitching it in the called-for colors, but the fabric is a bit of a departure. It's 28 count Jubilee fabric in the color Northern Skies. When I saw the fabric for the first time, I immediately thought "Easter!". <br />
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"Barn Cats" by Prairie Schooler was the next project I worked on. I started a SAL, but didn't have many takers to join me. I do understand that Barn Cats isn't everyone's cup of tea! But I love it and started and finished it in record time.<br />
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He's so cute! I stitched it on 28 count mystery linen in a beige color and used all Victorian Motto threads. Today I found a frame in my framing supplies that is going to be perfect for him. So the next time I post, I should have an FFO to show.<br />
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I had another start and finish in March!<br />
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This sweet little free chart came from the blog La Comtesse & Le Point De Croix and you can find it <a href="http://lacontesselepointdecroix.blogspot.com/2015/03/easter-bunny-free.html">HERE</a>. While you're there, take some time to look at the beautiful work she does, both in her stitching and her finishing. There are a lot more cute free charts in her blog too. I stitched this one on 25 count natural linen one over one using Victorian Motto floss.<br />
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I plan to keep stitching away for the duration of our shelter in place. I am so optimistic that this will be over before we know it and slowly, slowly we will get back to normal. I hope that you are well and stay well. See you soon!Cathy http://www.blogger.com/profile/09757756214407560921noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2246022825419132555.post-62777407631109012382020-03-07T10:02:00.000-08:002020-03-07T10:02:24.370-08:00Stitching UpdateMy rotation has kept rotating right along since I posted last. I restarted Country Cottage Needleworks' "Frosty Forest" in a way that I like a little better. I'm omitting one of the designs and an stitching it on one piece of fabric in two rows of four. Here's my start.<br />
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It's being stitched on 32 count Silvery Moon Lugana.<br />
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I also had a new start. Yes, I want to start everything. These Little House Needleworks charts have been calling to me for a while.<br />
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Each chart pack contains two month charts plus the floss. I've had these for a long time and thought that it was about time I stitched them. I started with July because I'm pretty sure I'll have it done before July. That's the theory anyway. I'm stitching this one on 28 count natural linen.<br />
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Next, I worked on "Berry Heart" by UB Designs.<br />
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I'm ok with stitching Christmas in March. In fact, I'm ok with stitching Christmas all year round. The trees are mostly done and I've started the vine which makes up the actual heart. The fabric is 28 count Sandcastle Jobelan.<br />
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"Salute To Abigail" by Blackbird Designs was up next.<br />
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I'm so happy with the way this one is looking. It does look a little washed out in this photo, but you can see the color variations. I'm stitching it on 32 count R & R linen in the color Mink.<br />
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More Christmas! Little House Needleworks' Farmhouse Christmas "Grandpa's Pick-up" is a fun stitch.<br />
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This is number three in the series. It's being stitched on 30 count linen, but I don't know the color name. I ordered all of the charts complete with the floss and linen.<br />
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I finished and FFO'd "Believe" by Dimensions! That makes two FFO's in two months. Let's see if I can keep that up. Never mind.<br />
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I used a frame that I bought at Joann's right after Christmas in their sale section. It had a wooden board that was imprinted with something Christmas-y, but I bought it mainly for the framing options. The piece itself is laced onto mat board. I covered a piece of foam core board with fabric and then put the stitched piece directly on that. A little red trim and then it was done!<br />
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I'm also working on an afghan. I've just completed blocks 5 and 6. That's out of 30 blocks, so I have a long way to go.<br />
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I'm enjoying this project and learning new crochet stitches in the process.<br />
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So not bad for a few weeks of stitching! Just a reminder. I have a Flosstube channel called CraftyCat Stitcher, which you can find <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCRiQh6gYo6XYdR8wvSfhFrA?view_as=subscriber">HERE</a>. I have fun making these videos, just as I enjoy posting on my blog. I know that some people enjoy the blog more and some prefer to watch the videos. Either way, I hope that you come back to visit. And thank you for all of your kind comments! Cathy http://www.blogger.com/profile/09757756214407560921noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2246022825419132555.post-74992682874194157022020-02-17T12:02:00.000-08:002020-02-17T12:02:13.787-08:00Lots Of Stitching & A Finish! And An FFO!After a pretty good few weeks of stitching, I have a couple of accomplishments! My WIP rotation is going well and I was able to put stitches into several projects.<br />
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I started out with "No Bees No Honey" by Birds Of A Feather.<br />
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Getting to the wording was a big deal. All that's left inside the box are the initial box and the date box. Then will be the outer wording and another border. So I can see a finish in this project's near future! The fabric is 20 count Jobelan in off white. All DMC threads.<br />
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"Quaker Diamonds" by Rosewood Manor was next.<br />
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Starting in the center with that biggest diamond makes it seem like I'm getting nothing done. But really, this section is a major area of the design. This is being stitched on 30 count linen in the color Flax. I'm stitching this with Gentle Arts threads instead of the called for silks.<br />
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The next project I worked on is a real cutie. It's "Small Animal Sampler" by Bobbie G Designs.<br />
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This design is perfect on 28 count black Jobelan. Again, I'm using all DMC in the called for colors.<br />
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I spent a few days stitching on "Rainbow Row" by CW Designs.<br />
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I am determined to get this page done, backstitching and all, before I go on to the next page. I'm using 32 count white Jobelan and the called for DMC for this. This is as close to full coverage as I want to get!<br />
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Last Saturday was a stitching meet-up nearby. I'm happy to report that I had an actual finish at the meet-up!<br />
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This is "Believe" by Dimensions. Sorry that I didn't iron it, but I was so excited to have an actual finish! This was a kit and I used the threads in it, but switched out the fabric for 28 count Jobelan in the color Lambswool. I'm in the process of deciding how to FFO it.<br />
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And now for the FFO! I had finished stitching "A Bluebird's Salute" by Luminous Fiber Arts and wanted to finish it in order to display it for patriotic holidays. I've always wanted to learn how to make a flat fold, and this seemed to be the right time. So I went to The Twisted Stitcher's tutorial <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ii5zFwHokO0">"Finishing - A Simple Flatfold With Vonna, The Twisted Stitcher"</a> and followed it step by step.<br />
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I used fabric and trim that I already had in my stash. This was a fun process and I am so happy with the way it turned out. I would definitely do another flat fold. Just go to Vonna's tutorial to find out how and give it a try yourself!<br />
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Thank you for visiting today! I'll be back with more stitching progress, so please stop by again.Cathy http://www.blogger.com/profile/09757756214407560921noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2246022825419132555.post-24179396030682108562020-01-26T13:36:00.004-08:002020-01-26T13:36:55.226-08:00Stitching Rotation ExplanationJanuary has been a very good stitching month. I've been rotating my projects with great results. With 15 WIPs going on right now, the rotation is the best way to manage them all. I read someone's comment (not on this blog) that a rotation was too confining. The way I rotate couldn't be farther from that definition! Let me explain how I do it. I stitch on a project for about three days, then choose another one. Stitch on that one for three days, then go on to another. That's it. Not complicated or confining at all! And guess what. If I want to go back to the first project next, then I do that. Oh, and if I want to stitch on something for four days, I can! Wow, I'm such a rebel.<br />
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Stitching is supposed to be fun, and a rotation is just a way to get a little stitching in on all of your projects. Make up your own rotation "rules". My "three days" time frame is just my own thing. Yours could be one day or two - or a week.<br />
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So what is the result of all of this rotating? Just look!<br />
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I worked on "Tulip's Praise" by Gracewood Stitches.<br />
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Yes, it's a huge project, but I'm now on the top row of tulips. It's stitched on 18 count evenweave in white or off white. Maybe a finish this year?<br />
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"Angel of Divinity Stocking" by Dimensions was up next.<br />
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I got a lot done on the back half of the lamb. Lots of light, pale colors in there! This is a kit and is being stitched on 18 count white aida.<br />
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I worked quite a bit on "Bluebird's Salute" by Luminous Fiber Arts at my last stitch day. Then I was really motivated to finish it!<br />
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So I have a finish! I know how I'm going to FFO it and will be able to show that in my next post. The fabric is 28 count white Jobelan.<br />
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I picked up Linen and Threads Mystery Sampler 2017. Yes, I know it's 2020.<br />
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I like this project a lot but am going to be so glad to get to the February portion. I'm stitching this on 32 count white Jobelan with my own DMC color combination.<br />
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I got a little framing done.<br />
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This is "The Light Upon The Lawn" by Blackbird Designs, and I finished stitching it late last year. I put it into this thrift store frame. Wasn't sure I was going to like the light frame color and thought about painting it, but I really like it! It's very nice to get something totally finished and ready to hang.<br />
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So January was a good month for stitching. There are a few days left. Let's see how much more progress I can make. How is your January going? Cold? Snowy? Maybe you need a dose of spring. These daffodils bloomed just before it was going to freeze so we cut them and brought them in.<br />
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It was a way to bring a little spring into the house when there's still about two more months of winter. These are just early daffodils. They always come up when winter is in full swing.<br />
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Thanks for visiting today! Happy stitching!Cathy http://www.blogger.com/profile/09757756214407560921noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2246022825419132555.post-53257159283252633072020-01-10T09:00:00.002-08:002020-01-10T09:00:48.717-08:00New Year, Resolutions, And A Winner!Happy New Year! After the excitement and busyness of the holidays, it's nice to get back into a routine. And first, as promised, I'm going to announce the winner of the assortment of six lace zippers.<br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #073763;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">The winner is Faith!</span></span></span></div>
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Faith, I will leave a comment on my previous post to notify you. Please email me with your mailing address and I'll get these cute zippers sent to you! Congratulations!<br />
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Now back to that routine. I haven't made too many crafty resolutions (and no regular resolutions!) this year. I do want to:<br />
<ul>
<li>Organize my overdyed floss better.</li>
<li>Stitch every day.</li>
<li>Quit looking at my phone during stitching time. I know, I know. That one sounds familiar.</li>
<li>Go back to my WIP rotation.</li>
<li>Try try try to stitch from stash.</li>
<li>Finish something already.</li>
</ul>
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OK, that's a lot of resolutions. But they're all pretty sensible and doable. That phone one though. Ugh. Why is it so important to keep checking my phone? It isn't. Do I need something like this to put my phone in while I stitch?<br />
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Ha ha ha! Just a thought. </div>
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I have been stitching! I worked on "Bluebird Garden" by Artful Offerings.<br />
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Significant progress was made on his tail and into that blue checker-y area. <br />
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I also worked on "Life Tree" by Rovaris.<br />
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This is one of my favorite projects. I'm stitching it one over one on 25 count Lugana in the color Potato. I lightly tea-dyed it. Very lightly, just to give it an antique look. When this is done, I know exactly how I'm going to finish it, AND exactly where it's going to go. <br />
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I also did a little finishing since my last post. <br />
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This chart is by Little House Needleworks from the Farmhouse Series. It's "Horsin' Around". I finished the first in this series as a little pillow, but wanted to do something different with this one. I used the exact same materials that I used in the first one and will continue to use the same fabric and trims for all of the charts in this series. <br />
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With all of the Christmas decorations gone, the house looks a little..... bare? blank? stark? So I tried to liven things up a bit with some wintery decor. <br />
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I have found that the secret to decorating the three-tier tray is to not overthink it. I have a container that has all of the Christmas and winter decorations for the tray. As I put the Christmas things away, I took out the winter pieces. I think I arranged this in about ten minutes. Another tip: elevate small items by hiding small boxes (like the boxes that jewelry comes in) under fabric. <br />
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Thank you for visiting today! I hope you like the craftiness that I have to offer. Please consider following my blog if you haven't already. I hope that you have the happiest of new years. Come back and visit again.<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #073763;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"> </span></span></span>Cathy http://www.blogger.com/profile/09757756214407560921noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2246022825419132555.post-17944966004404041912019-12-28T10:10:00.000-08:002019-12-28T18:36:37.525-08:00All Things ChristmasSo Christmas 2019 has come and gone, but I still consider this little space between Christmas and New Years the Christmas season. When you think about it, things aren't back to normal yet. There's still a holiday feel, at least to me. I kept up my stitching during the month of December, only stitching on Christmas-themed projects! I didn't even plan this. It just fell into place.<br />
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After I put away "Believe" by Dimensions for the time being, I had a new start! This is "Grandpa's Pick-up" by Little House Needleworks.<br />
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Yes, I was really motivated and got a lot done! I'm stitching this on a 30 count linen, but I'm not sure what the color is. I had signed up to get these charts as they were released and I opted for the linen to be included.<br />
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More Christmas stitching followed!<br />
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This is "Holiday Cheer" by Sugar Stitches. This is also a series called the 2019 Christmas Club and it can be found <a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/731825844/2019-christmas-club-12-exclusive-charts?ga_order=most_relevant&ga_search_type=all&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_search_query=sugar+stitches&ref=sr_gallery-1-1&bes=1">HERE</a> on Etsy. Two of them have been released as of this post and they're both very sweet. I'm stitching it on the called-for 32 count Gingerbread fabric from Picture This Plus, which I found at 123Stitch. I'm using the Lugana instead of linen. I also am trying something new in the form of a little stretcher frame that I had in my stash. It's simply a wooden frame that you tack your fabric to. So far so good!<br />
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I made a couple of cute little zip bags to use as gift card holders for my nieces.<br />
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These are made with lace zippers which are decorative as well as functional. The tutorial for these bags can be found at Jean Truelove's YouTube channel <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SX2xX-QnPWA&list=LLRiQh6gYo6XYdR8wvSfhFrA&index=6&t=0s">HERE</a>. I had a little trouble with these thick seams. It seems that both of my sewing machines are wimps when it comes to sewing through a lot of layers of fabric. They did turn out pretty nice though. If you like the look of these lace zippers, please keep reading. There's going to be a giveaway!<br />
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Our neighborhood had its annual Night Of Lights, in which we put luminary bags out at the curbs and decorate our homes. Then we invite everyone to drive through and donate to the charities which were chosen for the year.<br />
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Our 1967 Ford truck (complete with Christmas tree) continues to be a hit during this event. This photo was taken right when cars started to come through. The sheriff's department estimates that 5,000 cars drove into our subdivision on this one night! We collected an amazing amount of money and 100% of it went to the recipients.<br />
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My Christmas cactus has been a mystery to me since I got it two years ago. However, this year it showed me that it is indeed a Christmas cactus!<br />
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I think I was in a baking kind of mood this holiday season. I baked four different kinds of cookies I was sure the guests at our Christmas celebration at my sister's house would enjoy.<br />
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Holiday Spritz, Fruitcake Cookies, Chocolate Krinkles, and Coconut Cranberry Cookies filled the bill.<br />
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<span style="color: red;"><span style="font-size: large;">I'm going to do a giveaway for six of the lace zippers! I will choose six different colors of these 12 inch zippers. If you'd like to be entered in the giveaway, please let me know in your comments. Also, please make sure that there is a way that I can contact you if you win. I will choose ONE winner on Friday, January 10th at 12:00 noon EST and then announce the winner here in a blog post. I will ship anywhere. </span></span><br />
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I hope that you had a wonderful Christmas. Now we're heading to a New Year and I hope that yours is a good one. Keep enjoying the season and get some stitching and crafting in!Cathy http://www.blogger.com/profile/09757756214407560921noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2246022825419132555.post-85868648195438999332019-12-17T14:01:00.000-08:002019-12-17T14:01:00.249-08:00December Stitching Etc.Starting right after Thanksgiving, all I want to stitch is Christmas! I'm a stitcher who doesn't mind stitching Christmas in June and Halloween in March. Makes no difference to me at all. I'm also a slow stitcher so I know that if I want to get something done in time for a certain holiday or a gift, I have to start early. But this month I am so in the December/Christmas mode! So let's take a little look at what I've done.<br />
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I started with UB Design "Beerenherz im Winter", which I have been told is "Berry Heart".<br />
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This is the central part of the design. I haven't started stitching the actual heart of berries yet, but I will once I finish that tree on the right. I love the snow effect on those trees. Stitched with DMC on Jobelan in the color Sandcastle.<br />
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The "Angel Of Divinity Stocking" by Dimensions is a project that had the sad designation of UFO for a while. Then I was encouraged to pick it up again.<br />
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I'm now working on the little lamb at the bottom left. It's quite the challenge with its pale colors. But I am so glad that I resumed working on this piece. I'm going to finish it. It's a kit and is stitched on white 18 count Aida.<br />
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Next up is Dimensions "Believe", also a kit.<br />
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It's about 3/4 complete! I love this project. I switched out the fabric for some 28 count Jobelan. I think the color is Lambswool which is very close to the Aida that came in the kit.<br />
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This month I also worked at the sewing machine a bit. I made a Christmas-theme project bag using the instructions provided by The Twisted Stitcher. The tutorial can be found <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gcKataMO7Vo&t=716s">here</a>. This super easy project bag is my favorite out of all of them.<br />
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I've tried several different closures for this type of bag starting with the velcro that Vonna uses in her tutorial. Then I tried a magnetic snap, also with good results. For this one, I did a little double button and a piece of twine that wraps around the buttons.<br />
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Here's my annual ornament for my son and daughter-in-law.<br />
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I used part of the design from "Frosty Weather" by Blackberry Lane Designs. I needed something I could fit into this little pocket watch (by Tim Holtz) frame. One over one on 32 count fabric proved to be a challenge, but I did it! I added some micro-beads to add to the snowy effect, which are tiny beads with no holes. These were barely bigger than grains of sand.<br />
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Finally, I wanted to show you my stitched ornament display.<br />
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We have a rather skinny Christmas tree and lots of ornaments that I like to put on it. So any stitched ornaments (which tend to be larger) have to be displayed elsewhere. I took this wooden tray, added some wide ribbon, my ornaments, and some small Christmas floral items. My husband said "You put the ornaments in the trough!" Yes, it is kind of like a trough.<br />
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I hope you are enjoying the Christmas season if you celebrate. It's been going well here. My life has changed a bit since I've been here last, but I can say it is for the better. I hope to keep my blog up to date in conjunction with my YouTube channel. If you don't already know, I do Flosstube videos and my channel is <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCRiQh6gYo6XYdR8wvSfhFrA?view_as=subscriber">CraftyCat Stitcher</a>. So whether you visit me there or here on my blog, I hope you find something that you enjoy in what I present.<br />
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Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. I will be back soon.Cathy http://www.blogger.com/profile/09757756214407560921noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2246022825419132555.post-5664706614943641552019-07-09T05:07:00.000-07:002019-07-09T05:07:56.587-07:00We Have A Winner!The winner of the chart, "A Bluebird's Salute" is:<br />
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<span style="background-color: #a64d79;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span>Vickie (From the blog "A Stitcher's Story")</span></span></span></span></div>
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Congratulations to Vickie! I'll be emailing you for your address and sending your chart soon!<br />
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Thank you to everyone who commented and entered this giveaway! I'll be doing more giveaways in the future. Stay tuned!Cathy http://www.blogger.com/profile/09757756214407560921noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2246022825419132555.post-42478941059592825392019-06-26T15:48:00.001-07:002019-06-26T15:48:49.506-07:00Cross Stitch Surprise And A New DesignerI'm glad that my last post helped solve the mystery of the little holes in shirts! I thought you all would think I had lost my mind with that different kind of post, but I'm happy that it proved helpful. Now let's get back to stitching.<br />
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I want to show you a sweet little project that I've been working on.<br />
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Cute, isn't he? This is my newest start, a pattern called "A Bluebird's Salute" by Luminous Fiber Arts. I'm stitching it on 32 count off white Jobelan. I'm mainly using the called-for colors with a couple of substitutions. That's my effort to stitch from stash.<br />
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The designer is Misty Pursel who I became acquainted with through our Flosstube channels. Misty is an avid multi-crafter, talented in cross stitch, knitting, crochet, quilting, and weaving. Last year, she delved into the design world and now her charts are available at her Etsy shop, <a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/LuminousFiberArts?ref=simple-shop-header-name&listing_id=691487320">Luminous Fiber Arts</a>, as well as other sources. <br />
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Now you can see how adorably my bluebird is coming along. Misty's other charts currently include two more in the bluebird series, along with some holiday-themed designs. Other designers' charts, hand-dyed fabric, floss assortments, and needle minders are also available at her Etsy shop.<br />
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There are a lot of stitchers who prefer reading blogs over watching Flosstube, and I'm thankful for every one of my subscribers. However, if you'd like to check out Misty's Flosstube channel, go <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeli6vcwMrrpBk0LnsXl6gQ">HERE</a>. And you can locate my channel at <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCRiQh6gYo6XYdR8wvSfhFrA">CraftyCat Stitcher</a>.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #cc0000;">Now for the surprise! I'm going to do a giveaway for this chart, "A Bluebird's Salute". Here's all you have to do:</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: blue;">- Be a subscriber of my blog. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: blue;">- Be 18 years old or older.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: blue;">- Make a comment ON THIS POST.</span></span><br />
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That's it. Easy, right? Also, make sure that there's a way that I can contact you. I will pull a name from the comments on Monday, July 8th and I'll post the name of the winner on that day.<br />
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Before I go, here's a picture of a sweet cookie jar that I have.<br />
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I see a little resemblance, don't you?Cathy http://www.blogger.com/profile/09757756214407560921noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2246022825419132555.post-6719626373259967142019-06-15T09:45:00.000-07:002019-06-15T09:45:20.998-07:00Holey-Moley! This Really IS A Thing!This may be the most unusual blog post I've ever written, but I'll keep it relatively short. I've been noticing little holes in the front of my shirts near the waist. This has been going on for quite a while, and I could never figure out why this was happening. I got pretty good at mending these holes and can say that I had better luck on dark color shirts or shirts with a busy print. The mended spot on light color shirts pretty much scream "look at me!". <br />
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One day a couple of weeks ago, I was being particularly domestic. I put dinner in the crock pot, baked a loaf of chocolate banana bread, and did a good clean up in the kitchen. When I finally took a break, I looked down and saw a bunch of these little holes in my t-shirt. They weren't there earlier!<br />
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What?!! I guess this was the straw that broke the camel's back. I Googled "why are there tiny holes in my shirt?" and couldn't believe how many articles came up! Here's <a href="https://www.wardrobeoxygen.com/how-to-prevent-holes-in-t-shirts/">one of them</a>. Other people actually had this same issue. They questioned whether their wash machine was the culprit, or maybe it was sneaky moths. One mom thought that it was from her toddler's shoes when she carried him. How about seat belts? I always thought it had something to do with leaning up against the counter top in the kitchen and have felt the underside edge of it to see if there was anything sharp there. Nope.<br />
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Here's the issue. When you're a particular height and your waistband hits the counter edge, your shirt rubs against the button your pants resulting in a hole. This mainly happens in lightweight knits. As it turns out, I am that very particular height for this to happen. The article I linked above has hints on how to prevent this from occurring. There are even little covers for your jeans button. My solution: I tuck my shirt into my jeans in the front when I'm working in the kitchen. Some might say that this is trendy; on me it looks ridiculous. But I don't care if it will save my shirts.<br />
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I hope you liked this little public service message. I know it was kind of strange but I felt I needed to get the word out. Oh and that chocolate banana bread was delicious. I really wish I had taken a photo of it, but here's the next best thing: <a href="https://sweetandsavorymeals.com/chocolate-banana-bread/">The Recipe! </a><br />
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Enjoy! I'll get back to our regular programming soon. Thanks for visiting!<br />
<br />Cathy http://www.blogger.com/profile/09757756214407560921noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2246022825419132555.post-62965030366590349072019-05-23T14:17:00.000-07:002019-05-23T14:17:27.125-07:00Stitching Up A StormMy original plan for Stitchmaynia was to stitch on a different WIP each day, and just keep rotating them. That worked for a while, but then I'd get stuck on a project. You know the feeling: "I like stitching this chart so much I can't put it down!" And really, when you think about it, this isn't such a bad thing.<br />
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This is the project that started it, or should I say stopped my plan.<br />
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This is "Quaker Diamonds" by Rosewood Manor. I'm stitching it with overdyed floss in a color conversion shared with me by another stitcher. The fabric is 30 or 32 count linen in the color Flax. I had been stitching it using a hoop, but switched over to a Rolaframe and this has made my stitching on this project easier and more enjoyable.<br />
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I also worked on "Tulip's Praise" by Gracewood Stitches.<br />
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I'm glad that this is my focus project because I'm making so much progress on it. The fabric is 18 count Jobelan in off white and the threads are the called-for DMC.<br />
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At stitch day I made a little progress on "Bluebird's Garden" by Artful Offerings.<br />
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This is such a cute project. I'm stitching it on 32 count Jobelan in a light beige-y neutral. OK, I don't know the color. The called-for threads are all overdyeds.<br />
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"Rainbow Row" got a little attention. I'm currently working on the green house. All of the subtle shading in this project is so worth it.<br />
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"The Light Upon The Lawn" by Blackbird Designs is turning out really nice. I'm stitching it on fabric that I coffee and tea dyed.<br />
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It's a 28 count fabric that got slightly stretched or something during the dyeing process, so when I started stitching this, the stitches looked huge. So I made the executive decision to stitch it one over one. We're talking teeny-tiny stitches!<br />
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And last but not least, I have a new start. I figure, why not. It's "Small Animal Sampler" by Bobbie G Designs.<br />
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Stitched on 28 count black Jobelan, I need really good lighting for this one! I'm using the DMC that the pattern calls for. This is just adorable.<br />
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Thanks for visiting with me today, and letting me show you what's going on in my stitching endeavors. I hope to be able to post about a lot more stitching next time because I plan to keep up with my "WIPmaynia" even into the month of June!<br />
<br />Cathy http://www.blogger.com/profile/09757756214407560921noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2246022825419132555.post-11608724200091693152019-05-13T15:58:00.000-07:002019-05-13T15:58:22.030-07:00A Lot Of Sewing Going OnI had a "craft room day" today. It was my day off so I dedicated it to doing stuff in my craft room. Sometimes I get so busy that I just pass that room by and look in longingly. So today was the day. I organized my cross stitch fabric, kitted up a new project, and did some sewing.<br />
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I'd been ignoring my sewing machine for a while and wanted to do a small project so I made a lined zipper pouch. I followed the complete and easy to follow instructions on the video <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_TLCx197YoQ&list=LLRiQh6gYo6XYdR8wvSfhFrA&index=15&t=314s">"How To Make a Lined Zipper Pouch"</a> on the channel "Needlepointers" on YouTube.<br />
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If you've been following my blog for a while, the fabrics might look familiar to you. I made a larger project bag out of them last year. But this small bag is for a **giveaway** on my YouTube channel, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCRiQh6gYo6XYdR8wvSfhFrA?view_as=subscriber">CraftyCat Stitcher</a>. I figure the recipient won't mind the repeat fabric performance.<br />
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This bag is fully lined and has no raw edges. The only change I made was to add some medium weight sew-in interfacing. I sewed it close to the edges of both lining pieces as the first step, then followed all of the other instructions. I love it! I will be making more of these. They recommend using a zipper the exact width of the bag, but I bought a bunch of 16" zippers on Amazon for a good price. Sixteen inch zippers can be easily cut down to whatever size you need. Just don't use your good scissors to cut them!<br />
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Previously I had made a vinyl-front project bag using the instructions from Calico on <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DgKkInH-8bs&t=1380s">this video</a>. This will also be part of the giveaway. You can see photos of it on my <a href="http://cathycrossstitch.blogspot.com/2019/05/a-fresh-start-and-stitchmaynia-maynia.html">previous post</a>.<br />
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Here's what I came away with after today: I need to do craft room days more often!<br />
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Please come on back and visit again! I appreciate all of my blog followers and enjoy each and every one of your comments. See you soon!<br />
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<br />Cathy http://www.blogger.com/profile/09757756214407560921noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2246022825419132555.post-54209867881035879942019-05-04T10:46:00.000-07:002019-05-04T10:46:08.977-07:00A Fresh Start And Stitchmaynia MayniaI think that this is the longest I've gone without posting since I started this blog almost ten years ago. Maybe I just needed a breather, or wasn't feeling super creative. I don't know.<br />
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This is a good time to refresh the look of my CraftyCat blog and start posting again. With spring come new things, right?<br />
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It's May and many of you know what that means -- Stitchmaynia! Stitchers do Stitchmaynia in many different ways. Some start 19 projects during the month, because it's 20<b>19</b>. I've heard stitchers say that they want to start a new project each day! I don't know about you, but that would freak me out a little. For more info about Stitchmaynia, go to the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/StitchMaynia/?ref=bookmarks">Facebook group</a>.<br />
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I'm still an avid stitcher. That hasn't changed. I think that the idea of Stitchmaynia is a great motivator if you can figure out a way to do it that suits you best. My plan is to work on a different WIP each day of May. I have 15 WIPs so I know I won't get bored.<br />
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On Stitchmaynia day #1, I worked on "No Bees No Honey" by Birds of a Feather. I <i>love </i>this chart. I'm stitching this on 20 count Jobelan in off white, one over one. Teeny-tiny stitches, pretty colors, all DMC.<br />
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On day #2 I stitched on the 2017 Linen and Threads Mystery Sampler. I'm still working on January. It's a HUGE chart, friends. I chose the DMC color combination and the fabric is 32 count antique white Jobelan.<br />
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I worked on my focus piece on day #3. My focus piece is a project I select to put into my rotation more often to see it finished quicker. So normally I stitch on a project for several days, choose another one to stitch on for several days, then go to my focus piece for several days. Then I repeat the sequence with two more projects and then my focus piece again. My current focus is "Tulip's Praise" by Gracewood Stitches.<br />
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Once again I'm stitching it in DMC in the suggested colors. Another big project, this is only the bottom half and even that half isn't complete! It's being stitched on 18 count Jobelan 2 over 1.<br />
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Right now the view out of the window to my left is a bit scary. Dark skies, wind, and rain. Oh yeah, let's add in some very loud thunder. Last week at this time, this was my view.<br />
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We took a little trip to Orange Beach, AL for my birthday. So relaxing, good food, and I got in some stitching and reading.<br />
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If you follow my Flosstube channel, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCRiQh6gYo6XYdR8wvSfhFrA?view_as=subscriber">CraftyCat Stitcher</a>, you may know that I have gotten to 1000 subscribers. This is a big deal to me, and I'm going to celebrate it. I plan to have a giveaway and I'll announce the details in my next video which I will upload early next week (the week of May 5th). The giveaway will include, among other things, a project bag which I made especially for this occasion.<br />
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I hope you'll consider watching my video and finding out more! Thank you for visiting me today here on my blog. I've been away from it for a while but am glad to be back. My plans for the next week are to continue my Stitchmaynia stitching and attend my stitch group's May meet-up. So stay tuned to see what else I've been up to!Cathy http://www.blogger.com/profile/09757756214407560921noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2246022825419132555.post-23039993848746718492018-11-06T09:22:00.001-08:002018-11-06T09:22:10.334-08:00Fabric Dyeing For BeginnersI've been seeing all of these cross stitchers dyeing their own fabrics with wonderful results, so I wanted to give it a try. I already attempted coffee/tea dyeing and talked about that <a href="http://cathycrossstitch.blogspot.com/2017/05/the-oven-its-not-just-for-dinner-anymore.html">right here in my blog</a>. But the many colors of Rit Dye were calling me.<br />
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I started with Peacock Green, Royal Purple, Sunshine Orange, and Teal. Please understand that I'm a beginner at dyeing and haven't yet attempted the blending of colors. I tend to start out slow and figure out my limitations with a project like this. Therefore, think simplicity.<br />
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Purple was the first in this experiment. I used 28 count Monaco fabric, and did a few different dyeing times to get some varied results. I mixed the dye with warm water and some salt. The salt part isn't in the dyeing instructions on the bottle, but I have heard that salt can help to set the color. <br />
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I ended up with three different shades after dyeing them 5, 10, and 15 minutes. Also, the colors are slightly darker in real life than you see in the bottom photo. The top photo shows the fabric wet, and the bottom pieces are dry. I was very happy with the mottling I achieved, especially in the largest piece of fabric.<br />
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Next up were the green, orange, and teal.<br />
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I used both Jobelan and Monaco for these. The orange was dyed on a pale yellow color Jobelan. The Monaco took the dye better and that resulted in a darker fabric. The teal is next to the orange. And the other color? The one that looks blue? Well, that's the Peacock Green. Yes, you read this right - green. I don't know what happened! Maybe I didn't shake the bottle enough, or it could have been a mismarked bottle. But it was a happy accident because I like the color, kind of a purply blue.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This photo shows the fabrics dry.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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So fabric dyeing was a good experience, and yes, I would do it again. Maybe some multi-colored fabric is in my future. All of these fabrics will be good for future cross stitch projects. A few tips:<br />
--I used a plastic tablecloth to protect my countertops. Dollar store tablecloths are perfect for this.<br />
--I used a plastic storage container for the dyeing solution. Just one of those storage things that you can buy at Wal-Mart.<br />
--Get some plastic gloves unless you like blue hands. Or purple.<br />
--To get the mottling effect, scrunch your fabric up in different areas before putting it into the dye.<br />
--Wear old clothes. <br />
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Let me know if you have any questions. Keep in mind that I am no expert at this, but it really was a fun project. Thanks for visiting today!Cathy http://www.blogger.com/profile/09757756214407560921noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2246022825419132555.post-63619199665652748442018-10-18T11:49:00.000-07:002018-11-07T04:44:11.691-08:00Three Tier Tray, Autumn StyleRecently I brought my three tier tray out of hiding and spruced it up for the fall. I thought I'd share some pictures of it in all of its autumn finery.<br />
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I bought my tray on Ebay, but a lot of stores have them now. I've seen them at Hobby Lobby, Wal-Mart, and Amazon to name a few. I lined the two bottom trays with plaid cloth napkins in fall colors.<br />
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Let me tell you a little secret. Most of the items in here came from the Dollar Tree. Yes, the Dollar Tree. These owl salt and pepper shakers, for example. The fabric leaves too - a pack of 50 for $1? I'll take it!<br />
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The glass turkey candleholders were found at an antique place, and that art glass pumpkin was something I had for a while.<br />
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Only one stitched piece?, you might ask. Yes, and I didn't even stitch that. I think I got it as an exchange, or maybe a giveaway. It's cute though. I will be working on some fall-themed smalls for future displays.<br />
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Who can resist a sparkly beaded pumpkin? Yep, another Dollar Tree find! And so is the mirror-glass one behind it.<br />
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And just because it's cute, a dough bowl filled with faux gourds and leaves. That little owl seems pretty interested.<br />
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I hope you liked this little three tier tray tour. Before you know it, it's going to be time to fill it with Christmasy things! Thank you for visiting, and thank you for all of your sweet comments! Til next time.Cathy http://www.blogger.com/profile/09757756214407560921noreply@blogger.com9