Critters, Igloo, and Beer!

Here's a little progress on three different designs.  I finished the sunflower in Thankful Critters.  It will say "Give Thanks."  You can buy the chart in a PDF file HERE and save on postage costs!

Thankful Critters update #8

I stitched more water and fish on Cut Thru' Igloo.  This will be done soon.  Then I'll start stitching the Cut Thru' North Pole House for the Bothy Threads Cut Thru' Monday SAL.

Cut Thru' Igloo update #21

One more bottle of beer on the wall in "99" by Ink Circles.  There will be 11 bottles on each shelf and 9 shelves total.

"99" update #4

Bottle #7 is Sapporo, Sapporo Breweries Ltd., Tokyo, Japan.

August Ornament SAL

After skipping a few months, I'm back in the 2013 Ornament SAL!  I started and finished this cute design in one day.  It is part of a bigger design called Merry & Bright, a freebie from Erynne Chard.  I plan to sew it into an ornament (some day).  Check out the other ornament designs this month on the Stitching Lotus blog!

Merry & Bright (Peace) - FINISHED!

"Merry & Bright" (Peace)
Designed by Erynne Chard
Started 8/25/2013, Finished 8/25/2013

The finished size is 3" square.  I had a little 6" square piece of 28 ct hand-dyed light blue linen that was just the right size.  I used random floss from my stash, including DMC, J&P Coats, American Thread Star Six Strand, and Cosmo floss from Japan. Now I know why Shaunterria loves Cosmo floss!  It is so soft and silky!  I'll have to use it more often!

Northern Lights over Igloo

I finished stitching the sparkly Northern Lights on my Cut Thru' Igloo!  I'm using DMC Light Effects sparkly floss in lavender and pink.  Now the water and fish is all that is left to stitch!

Cut Thru' Igloo update #20

Have you seen this amazing video of the Northern Lights in Sweden?

http://www.space.com/22407-virtual-real-time-auroras-over-sweden-in-amazing-new-video.html

We have two more members of our Bothy Threads Cut Thru' SAL, for a total of 26! Would you like to join us?

August WIPocalypse update

It's time for the WIPocalypse SAL update!  I really do want to finish all my starts (some day), but I'm still enjoying stitching everything.  You can see current pics of all of my WIPs on my WIPocalypse page.  Check in on Measi's blog with your WIPocalypse update, too!  This month the theme is Designer - Long Dog, Project Theme - Smalls, and Focus Colors - Blue and Red.

I don't have any charts by Long Dog, but I have some smalls to work on, and some blue and red stitching, too.

Here's a brand new start and finish!  I made this bookmark for my daughter, who knows some French but wants to learn more.  "J'aime lire" means "I love to read." This is a freebie from a French blog, Les petits bonheurs de Miss T (The Simple Pleasures of Miss T).

J'aime Lire bookmark - FINISHED!

"J'aime Lire" bookmark
Designed by Malile
Les petits bonheurs de Miss T
Started 8/16/2013, Finished 8/19/2013

I stitched more blue on Red Cat, a freebie from Cross-Stitchers-Club (I think the website died), using Victoria Clayton silk HDF on 28 ct antique white Jobelan.  I think the color is Aquamarine.  This is for a cat quilt by World of Charity Stitching.

Red Cat update #2

I stitched more dark red on Santa Hang-Up.  This is a SAL with Linda.

Santa Hang-Up update #4

Picnic Area by The Prairie Schooler has more border stitched.

Picnic Area update #4

I started stitching the spooky tree on Halloween House.  You can also buy this chart in PDF download HERE on Crosstitch.com, so you can have it instantly and not have to worry about postage!  Linda finished hers and Joyce and I are close behind!

Halloween House update #39

I posted a pic of my Cut Thru' Igloo progress on the Cut Thru' SAL page and the Facebook group last week but not in a blog post.  I finished the snow on the left side under the penguin and more water.  I think this will be done in a few more weeks. Then I'll start stitching on my Cut Thru' North Pole House or Pirate Ship next.

Cut Thru' Igloo update #19

Happy Happy Stitching, everyone!

Turtle Trot SAL - August

For the Turtle Trot SAL, we choose 13 WIPs to work on and post progress pics on the 13th of every month. Now I'm down to only 12.  I didn't stitch on all of them like Linda did!

I skipped the update in July, so here is my progress since June.  You can click on the picture to see it bigger.

Universal Unity:  I stitched the tiger's other front leg.

(before)

Universal Unity update #10

The Sorcerer:  I stitched his smoking crystal ball.

(before)

The Sorcerer update #6

Flaming June:  This is my first HAED chart.  I stitched more blue sky.  Next time I'll get down to the water.

(before)

Flaming June update #4

Merry Christmas:  I stitched the letter "i" on Christmas.  This chart is from Victorian Motto Sampler Shoppe.

(before)

Merry Christmas update #5

Day of the Dead:  I stitched the jaw and chin and yellow on the mouth.  I'll start on the forehead next time.  This design is from the Twisted Stitches book.

(before)

Day of the Dead update #8

Orange Poppies:  I stitched two more strands of orange around the edge of the poppy.  This Thea Gouverneur design will be huge!

(before)

Orange Poppies update #3

More SAL updates!

I stitched more water and little red fish and the seal's flippers!

Cut Thru' Igloo update #18

I finished another tombstone and ghost on Halloween House.  Check out Linda's blog to see this one all finished!  Joyce is not far behind!

Halloween House update #38

I started stitching the sunflower on Thankful Critters.  Linda is stitching this design, too.

Thankful Critters update #7

I finished two more bottles on "99" by Ink Circles.

"99" update #3

Bottle #5 is Guinness, Guinness Ltd., Dublin, Ireland.

Bottle #6 is Widmer Hefeweizen, Widmer Brothers Brewing Co., Portland, Oregon.

August TUSAL and Stitching Santas!

Oh fun!  It's time for another themed blog post!  Here is my progress on my WIPs of Santa designs!

On Sundays, I stitch on Santa's 12 Days of Christmas by The Prairie Schooler, a SAL with Linda and Kaye.  I work on Sundays and it used to be slow so I could stitch at my desk, but now we're busy every Sunday, so no more stitching on company time!  I stitched the four calling birds.

Santa's 12 Days of Christmas (Day 4) FINISHED!

Santa's 12 Days of Christmas (Day 4) FINISHED!

"Santa's 12 Days of Christmas" (Day 4)

Book No. 125
Designed by Pamela Byrd Smith
The Prairie Schooler
Started 1/21/2013, Finished 8/5/2013

I also stitch Santa Hang-Up by Diane Arthurs for an every other weekend SAL with Linda.  These X's are so huge, because I'm stitching over 2 on sparkly 20 ct Valerie fabric.

Santa Hang-Up update #3

I started Yo Ho Ho Ho by Sue Hillis Designs in January for the Ultimate Crazy January Challenge, but haven't touched it since the first day.  Now I started stitching some red of Santa's coat and pants.  This is on 14 ct gold-dusted Stardust Aida.

Yo Ho Ho Ho update #1

I also started Out for a Ride, an Imaginating chart by Diane Arthurs, in January, but only stitched the carrot nose on the snowman.  This time I stitched the red trim on the snowman's hat and his face.  This is also on 14 ct gold-dusted Stardust Aida.

Out for a Ride update #1

The next WIP with a Santa is Christmas Sampler by The Prairie Schooler.  This is the smaller design in booklet #167, And to All a Good Night.  Linda and I extended the UCJC 2012 last year into February and started something new everyday.  I've only touched it once since the first day until now.  Today I stitched another reindeer.  This is on 28 ct Antique White Jobelan, stitched over 2.

Christmas Sampler update #2

It's also time for the Totally Useless Stitch-A-Long (TUSAL) where we share a picture of our ORT (Old Ratty Threads) jar each month.  Check in on Daffycat's blog with your August blog post, too!

TUSAL 2013 #8

I bought the Christmas Q-snap cover from Christine's Q-Snap Huggies!

Now I think I'll get back to stitching Halloween designs and beer bottles!  LOL

Three more giveaways!

Chris, who is Always Smiling, is having a wonderful giveaway on her blog to celebrate her 5-year blogoversary!  She stitched (and finished) a beautiful little pillow and is including Country Cottage Needleworks and Little House Needleworks charts! Drawing on August 9.  Enter HERE and tell Chris that I sent you!  Good luck!

Nancy of Victorian Motto Sampler Shoppe is having an incredible giveaway of floss, trims, and charts with 100 winners to celebrate her own birthday!  Drawing on August 14.  Enter HERE and tell Nancy that I sent you!  Good luck!

World of Charity Stitching is having a giveaway of two Vee and Co Cross Stitch designs.  Just visit Vee and Co Cross Stitch Designs and look at all the charts, then enter on their blog HERE.  Last day to enter is August 16.  Good luck!

YOTA UFO update - August

It's the first Saturday of the month again and time for the YOTA (Year of the Acronym) SAL update!  I skipped the July post, since I didn't have any progress to show. Universal Unity is a Dimensions Gold Collection kit that I started in 1998.

Here is the before pic from the June YOTA post:

(before)

Now I have stitched the tiger's other front leg and started a little on the next animal, but I need to stitch a lot of grass under the tiger and not leave all that until the end.

Universal Unity update #10

Last week I stitched more water under the Igloo.  I love using this Anchor multicolored floss in blue, yellow, and green.  It changes colors often.

Cut Thru' Igloo update #17

You can see everyone's progress in the Bothy Threads Cut Thru' Monday SAL page.