Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!  I'm sure this project will be done in time to display for Thanksgiving next year!  Here is my progress on Fall Welcome by Diane Arthurs. This is a SAL with Linda and Kaye.  I finished the squash and did some backstitching.

Fall Welcome update #4

~Happy Thanksgiving~So Grateful for you! MAY YOUR STUFFING BE TASTY, MAY YOUR TURKEY BE PLUMP. MAY YOUR POTATOES 'N GRAVY HAVE NARY A LUMP. MAY YOUR YAMS BE DELICIOUS. MAY YOUR PIES TAKE THE PRIZE, MAY YOUR THANKSGIVING DINNER STAY OFF OF YOUR THIGHS!! HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO ALL!    Click on Pumpkin Pie below for a special Thanksgiving greeting!  PUMPKIN PIE

Nancy from Victorian Motto Sampler Shoppe is having another giveaway!  She will send 10 winners three skeins of her 20-yard over-dyed floss.  Drawing on December 10.  Enter HERE and tell Nancy that I sent you!

Stitching Get-Together Progress!

Six members of the SoCalCrossStitchers Yahoo group met at the food court of the Fashion Island mall in Newport Beach yesterday to sit and stitch all day!  Another 7th stitcher who just happened to be there stitching came over and joined our group, too!

I only seem to stitch on Very Scary by Lizzie*Kate when I'm at a stitchy get-together. It's like a chore I have to do before I can really enjoy myself.  LOL.  I still don't like the Tin Roof linen fabric or the dull colors of the WDW floss.  Oh well, I'll get it done eventually!  Since my last update, I added another purple Quaker star, the little black star, and the border on the left side.  Those satin stitches weren't too fun, either!  I think they were slipping in the linen but it seems to look OK now.

Very Scary (Part 1) update #8

Then I stitched the outline of the letter G on Thankful Critters by Ursula Michael.  It will say Give Thanks.  I'm sure it will be done by NEXT Thanksgiving instead!

Thankful Critters update #9

I also added another bottle on "99" by Ink Circles and finished the top shelf! Only 8 more shelves and 88 bottles to go!

"99" update #7

Bottle #11 is Pipeline Porter, Kona Brewing Company, Kona, Hawaii.

Stitching black on red!

Just for fun, I'm going to post updates on my WIPs that have something in common. Here are two designs that I started last February 2012 that are both stitched with black floss on red 14 ct Aida.  They are darker than this, but it's really hard to get an accurate picture of red with my camera!

Quoth the Raven, a freebie from Lady Kell of Kincavel, will be a gift for my nephew.  I stitched more of the border.

Quote the Raven update #4

Leo, a freebie from Stitch Alley, will be a gift for my daughter.  I stitched his chest and front paws.

Leo update #2

I'm actually caught up on Mary's Sampler II, the free Mystery SAL from Plum Street Samplers!  I added two crowns and a cross for part 8.  This Sunday will be the 9th and final part!

Mary's Sampler II (part 8)

Today I'm going to meet up with some other ladies from the SoCalCrossStitchers Yahoo group for a stitching get-together.  We'll be stitching at the food court of the mall by the beach today!  We usually like to stitch outside, but it might rain, which is pretty rare for Southern California.  Check out this TV news video about our terrible weather the other day! 

Christmas stitching!

I backstitched Santa's elf in the gift wrapping room in the Cut Thru' North Pole House. Isn't he a cutie?  Linda, Justine, and Eva are way ahead of me on this one.  Check out their progress on the Bothy Threads Cut Thru' Monday SAL page!

North Pole House update #5

I'm almost caught up with Mary's Sampler II, the free Mystery SAL from Plum Street Samplers.  For part 7, I added 7 stars, the heart, flower, and leaves.  Part 8 will be quick, just two crowns and a cross.  This Sunday will be the 9th and final part!

Mary's Sampler II (part 7)

Happy Holiday Stitching, everyone!

More great giveaways!

Heather of Heather's Stitching Story is having a wonderful giveaway of charts and floss on her blog.  She didn't say when the drawing will be, so hurry and enter HERE now!  Tell Heather that I sent you and good luck!

Nancy of Victorian Motto Sampler Shoppe is in the holiday spirit with her giveaways! Several winners will get a Sewing Necessaire in their color choice.  Drawing on December 1st.  Enter HERE and tell Nancy that I sent you!

Nancy is having another giveaway of this Christmas Ornament chart pack.  Drawing on November 30th.  Enter HERE and tell Nancy that I sent you!

Here's another giveaway from Nancy of a Primitive Merry Christmas Hanger with Bells kit.  Drawing on December 1st.  Enter HERE and tell Nancy that I sent you!

Good luck to all the stitchers out there in blogland!

November WIPocalypse update

Another full moon and time for another WIPocalypse update!  Check in on Measi's blog with your November update, too!

I won't have this one ready to hang up for Autumn this year, but definitely next!  This is Fall Welcome, a Saturday SAL with Linda and Kaye.  I stitched the post of the scarecrow, the stems of the pumpkins, and most of the squash.  I am using 14 ct Aida Lambswool and it will be about 4" x 15" when it's finished.

Fall Welcome update #3

Here's another one that I haven't touched in a few months.  This is Santa's 12 Days of Christmas by The Prairie Schooler, a Sunday SAL with Linda and Kaye.  I started Day 5 with the backstitched border and part of Santa's hat.  I should have this done by Christmas 2014.  I'm stitching them all together on one piece of 28 ct Mushroom evenweave and the finished size will be about 12" x 22".

Santa's 12 Days of Christmas (Day 5)

I finished parts 5 and 6 of Mary's Sampler II, a free Mystery SAL from Plum Street Samplers.  I added 6 more stars and 2 angels for part 5.

Mary's Sampler II (part 5)

Then a shepherd and another star for part 6.

Mary's Sampler II (part 6)

I was missing DMC 611, the color for the shepherd, so I went to my brand new JoAnn's which is only a mile from my front door, and bought just ONE skein!  It was on sale for 35 cents so I couldn't use a coupon.  Next time I'm sure I'll have a bigger purchase.  LOL!

Another Christmas design is Santa Hang-Up, which Linda already finished.  I stitched a lot of white for his beard, trying to get up to his face!  This is stitched over 2 on 20 ct sparkly Valerie fabric and the finished size will be 5" x 12".

Santa Hang-Up update #6

I stitched more yellow walls on Cut Thru' North Pole House.  I'm going to backstitch the elf next, so we can see him more clearly.  Check out all the great Cut Thru' designs everyone is stitching on the Bothy Threads Cut Thru' Monday SAL page.  I just bought another Cut Thru' kit from the UK for the Vintage Car!

Cut Thru' North Pole House update #4

I had already finished the Cut Thru' Igloo, but it didn't have the stars yet.  Now I've added the 12 sequin stars.  I found a frame for it at a thrift store and will get it framed soon.

Cut Thru' Igloo - FINISHED!

Thank you so much to Ingrid of Mii Stitch blog!  I was a winner in her giveaway of this great chart. It flew very quickly from the UK to my California doorstep in only a week!

Turtle Trot SAL - November

For the Turtle Trot SAL, we choose 13 WIPs to work on and post progress pics on the 13th of every month.  Claudette of BAP Attack is hosting this SAL.  Next year, we'll choose 14 WIPs and post progress pics on the 14th of every month.

I finished two of them, so now I'm down to only 11.  This is my progress to show on some of them this month.  You can click on the picture to see it bigger.

Stained Glass Nativity:  I finished the green grass under the wise men.  This is a needlepoint kit that I started in 1980.

Stained Glass Nativity (before)

Stained Glass Nativity update #4

Thomas Kinkade's Lamplight Bridge:  I stitched lots of French knots for the pink flowers.

Lamplight Bridge (before)

Lamplight Bridge update #7

Lamplight Bridge update #7

 The Sorcerer:  I finished the right side of his cloak and some backstitching.

The Sorcerer (before)

The Sorcerer update #9

Flaming June:  I started stitching the water.  I'm still on page 1.

Flaming June (before)

Flaming June update #6

How cool!  The actress Jessica Chastain on the cover of Vogue is posing just like this picture that I'm stitching!

Flaming June by Sir Frederic Leighton

Jessica Chastain as Flaming June

Majestic Eagle:  I stitched more of his wing.

Majestic Eagle (before)

Majestic Eagle update #6

November TUSAL and more SAL updates!

Stitch-A-Longs are so much fun, especially since you know someone else is stitching on the same thing that you are!  It helps motivate me to keep on stitchin', even when I'm left in the dust.  Linda already finished Thankful Critters and Santa Hang-Up, but I'll get them done eventually.

We started a new Saturday SAL with Kaye of Kitten Stitching to stitch Fall Welcome by Diane Arthurs.  I already had the pumpkins done before, and now I stitched one of the blackbirds.

Fall Welcome update #2

I'm also stitching Mary's Sampler II, a mystery SAL from Plum Street Samplers.  I stitched the star and an angel for part 4.  Parts 5 and 6 are already out and ready to be stitched.  There is a new part every Sunday until November 24, so we can have the sampler done in time for Christmas.

Mary's Sampler II (part 4)

Part 3 of the Jardin Privé Positive Thinking SAL is ready, and I haven't stitched part 2 yet!  There is a new part on the first of every month.  I'm stitching the French version, but I think I'd like to stitch the English version, too!  Nathalie also made Spanish, Italian, and German versions!

There are stitchers all over blogland in the Totally Useless Stitch-A-Long.  Here is a photo of my ORT jar for November.  I woke up Teddy, who was sound asleep, just to pose with my ORT jar.  Be sure to check in on Daffycat's blog with a link to your ORTs photo for the TUSAL, too!

TUSAL 2013 #11