Sheltering & Stitching

It'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.

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!

I worked on "Holiday Cheer" by Sugar Stitches (on Etsy). It's the first chart in the 2019 Christmas Club.

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.

"Tulip's Praise" by Gracewood Stitches got a few stitches.

It's always nice to see more progress on this big project. The fabric is 18 count Jobelan in off white.

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.

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!". 

"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.

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.

I had another start and finish in March!

This sweet little free chart came from the blog La Comtesse & Le Point De Croix and you can find it HERE. 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.

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!

Stitching Update

My 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.

It's being stitched on 32 count Silvery Moon Lugana.

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.

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.

Next, I worked on "Berry Heart" by UB Designs.

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.

"Salute To Abigail" by Blackbird Designs was up next.

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.

More Christmas! Little House Needleworks' Farmhouse Christmas "Grandpa's Pick-up" is a fun stitch.

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.

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.

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!

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.

I'm enjoying this project and learning new crochet stitches in the process.

So not bad for a few weeks of stitching! Just a reminder. I have a Flosstube channel called CraftyCat Stitcher, which you can find HERE.  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!

Lots 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.

I started out with "No Bees No Honey" by Birds Of A Feather.

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.

"Quaker Diamonds" by Rosewood Manor was next.

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.

The next project I worked on is a real cutie. It's "Small Animal Sampler" by Bobbie G Designs.

This design is perfect on 28 count black Jobelan. Again, I'm using all DMC in the called for colors.

I spent a few days stitching on "Rainbow Row" by CW Designs.

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!

Last Saturday was a stitching meet-up nearby. I'm happy to report that I had an actual finish at the meet-up!

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.

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 "Finishing - A Simple Flatfold With Vonna, The Twisted Stitcher" and followed it step by step.

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!

Thank you for visiting today! I'll be back with more stitching progress, so please stop by again.

Stitching Rotation Explanation

January 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.

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.

So what is the result of all of this rotating? Just look!

I worked on "Tulip's Praise" by Gracewood Stitches.

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?

"Angel of Divinity Stocking" by Dimensions was up next.

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.

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!

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.

I picked up Linen and Threads Mystery Sampler 2017. Yes, I know it's 2020.

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.

I got a little framing done.

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.

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.

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.

Thanks for visiting today! Happy stitching!

New 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.

The winner is Faith!

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!

Now back to that routine. I haven't made too many crafty resolutions (and no regular resolutions!) this year. I do want to:

• Organize my overdyed floss better.
• Stitch every day.
• Quit looking at my phone during stitching time. I know, I know. That one sounds familiar.
• Go back to my WIP rotation.
• Try try try to stitch from stash.
• Finish something already.

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?

 

 Ha ha ha! Just a thought.

I have been stitching! I worked on "Bluebird Garden" by Artful Offerings.

Significant progress was made on his tail and into that blue checker-y area.

I also worked on "Life Tree" by Rovaris.

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.

I also did a little finishing since my last post.

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.

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.

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.

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. 

All Things Christmas

So 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.

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.

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.

More Christmas stitching followed!

This is "Holiday Cheer" by Sugar Stitches. This is also a series called the 2019 Christmas Club and it can be found HERE 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!

I made a couple of cute little zip bags to use as gift card holders for my nieces.

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 HERE. 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!

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.

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.

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!

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.

Holiday Spritz, Fruitcake Cookies, Chocolate Krinkles, and Coconut Cranberry Cookies filled the bill.

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.

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!

December 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.

I started with UB Design "Beerenherz im Winter", which I have been told is "Berry Heart".

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.

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.

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.

Next up is Dimensions "Believe", also a kit.

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.

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 here. This super easy project bag is my favorite out of all of them.

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.

Here's my annual ornament for my son and daughter-in-law.

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.

Finally, I wanted to show you my stitched ornament display.

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.

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 CraftyCat Stitcher. So whether you visit me there or here on my blog, I hope you find something that you enjoy in what I present.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. I will be back soon.