Theme-A-Licious March Madness (week 4)

The theme for this month is March Madness, "Work on something different every day... it's madness... of the funnest possible kind."  I used the Random Number Generator to pick a number from 1-95 for a WIP from my WIPocalypse list to stitch on each day.  I'll post an update every weekend with the choices for the prior week.

March 22 - #51, Yo Ho Ho Ho:  I stitched the pirate Santa's hat.

Yo Ho Ho Ho update #3

March 23 - #46, Christmas Ark:  I stitched more of the elephant using Victorian Motto Sampler Shoppe overdyed floss.

Christmas Ark update #2

Christmas Ark update #2

March 24 - #87, Best of Friends:  I stitched a little more in the lower left corner. This whole design is printed on the Aida so I don't have to look at a chart. It's so easy! The colors will all wash out with water when I am done.

Best of Friends update #1

Best of Friends update #1

This is how it will look when finished (some day):

Best of Friends

March 25 - #78, Spring Sampler:  I stitched a row using lemon-lime Perle cotton.  All the floss is from Dinky Dyes.

Spring Sampler update #1

March 26 - #85, Believe:  I stitched more of Santa's red coat.  This is on 28 ct black linen.

Believe update #1

Believe update #1

March 27 - #26, Christmas Sampler:  I stitched another reindeer on this Prairie Schooler design.

Christmas Sampler update #3

March 28 - #35, Easter Hang-Up:  I finished the basket and stitched the background using Dragonflylotus Handspun Handpainted wool thread in Sunlit Quackenbush, but the 5-yard skein (1 ply) wasn't enough with only 6 stitches left at the bottom to do, so I'll just change the border design a bit, unless anyone out there has a little 6-inch piece to spare?

Easter Hang-Up update #2

My final Theme-a-licious blog post will be on April 1, with the last 3 days of the month and all the March Madness links.  Happy Stitching, everyone!

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

November 7-9, per Random Number Generator!

You can see current pics of all of my WIPs on my WIPocalypse page.  I let the Random Number Generator choose which one to stitch on each day!

November 7 - #16 I'll Get You My Pretty.  This is a free chart from Sue Hillis Designs.  I started this for Day #11 of the Ultimate Crazy January Challenge.  It is stitched over 2 on 32 ct Voodoo Belfast linen from Picture This Plus.  I stitched a bat and started the witch.  It's too bad I didn't have it finished in time for Halloween, but it will be ready for next year!  Actually, I can display it year-round with my Wizard of Oz collection!

I'll Get You My Pretty update #1

November 8 - #5 Thomas Kinkade's Lamplight Bridge.  I bought this Candamar kit many years ago.  This is an embellished cross stitch, where the picture is printed on the fabric and I stitch over it with full and half stitches, French knots, and backstitching.  I finished the flowers and bushes above the bridge on the left side and the three lamp posts.

Lamplight Bridge update #4

This is the full picture.  I have stitched the left side so far.  The right side will have lots of French knots in the flowers.  This is on 14" x 17" Q-Snaps.

Lamplight Bridge update #4

November 9 - #39 Christmas Sampler.  I am stitching the small square design in the And to All a Good Night booklet by The Prairie Schooler.  This one was started for the Super Duper Ultimate Crazy February Challenge when Linda and I started a new design every day in February.  She's not talking me into it again next year!  I stitched one of the four reindeer.  This is on 28 ct Antique White Jobelan, stitched over 2.

Christmas Sampler update #1

I love to shop for stash at thrift stores, don't you?  On Friday, I found a brand new in the box Edmunds Universal Craft Stand with scroll frame for only $15.  I also bought about 40 skeins of floss for $4.  I really like getting the baggies full of old unusual floss brands, then matching them up to DMC numbers using my DMC floss card, since most of these brands don't have conversions.  The brands are American Thread Co. Star Six Strand, Trebla, Duchess, Sari Sticktwist, Bucilla, J&P Coats, Anchor, Clark's, Peri-Lusta, Lily, Royal Moulon, and Brilliante D'Alger floss.  The best deal I found at a thrift store near Yosemite National Park that had baggies with 100 skeins of J&P Coats floss for $8.  Out of all these brands, I like stitching with Anchor and Peri-Lusta the best!  Here is a pic of some of the floss that I haven't sorted yet:

Santa's 12 Days of Christmas SAL update #5

Santa's 12 Days of Christmas update #5

Santa is finally coming to life!  I still need to stitch the rest of his body and the rest of the tree, before moving on to the 2nd Day of Christmas!  All 12 days will be stitched on one large piece of fabric.

Dance of the Geckos

Day #46 is Dance of the Geckos, designed by Jenny Rasmussen.  This freebie chart can be found HERE.  I am stitching this on 14 ct black Aida with DMC Light Effects floss.  The finished size will be 5" x 5" square.  This will be a gift for my mom.

Merry Christmas

Day #47 is Merry Christmas, designed by Nancy Turner of Victorian Motto Sampler Shoppe.  The finished size will be pretty big at 7.5" high and 19.5" wide on 14 ct ivory Aida.  I won this chart in one of Nancy's many giveaways on her blog.  In fact, she is having another giveaway now with the winner drawn on March 15th.  Tell her I sent you and I'll get another entry!

Christmas Sampler

Day #48 is Christmas Sampler by The Prairie Schooler.  It is the small square design in the And to All a Good Night leaflet.  I am not stitching the large design, but just the small square one that will be about 6" square.  I am stitching over 2 on 28 ct Antique White Jobelan.

Only a dozen more starts to go in the Super-Duper Ultimate Crazy February Challenge!  (I'm definitely not doing this again in 2013.  Hahaha!)  You can see all my starts for January and February (plus a few older ones) on my WIPocalypse 2012 page.  When a piece is finished, I move it to the Finishes 2012 page.