TUSAL - July and a big finish!

Here is my Totally Useless Stitch-a-Long (TUSAL) update for July!  Check in on Daffycat's blog with a link to your TUSAL post, too!  Alice is posing again with the ORT jar, but this time she is finished and framed and matted and ready to go to my son at last!

TUSAL 2014 #8

Alice from Resident Evil - FRAMED!

I also added mats to the frame for Dog House Sampler, which I finished in 2011.  I found this perfect blue wood frame at a thrift store.

Dog House Sampler - FRAMED!

You might have noticed some yarn bits in the ORT jar.  They are from the Stained Glass Nativity needlepoint, which is finally finished after 34 years!  The framer has it now and is working her magic on it to get it blocked and framed just right!

Stained Glass Nativity - FINISHED!

"Stained Glass Nativity"
Designed by Wayne Maurer
Sunset Designs needlepoint
10 ct cotton mesh canvas, 100% wool yarn
Finished size 10" x 20"
Started 1980, Finished 7/23/2014

Whew!  I'm out of breath after doing that big happy dance!

Another FINISH and Prairie Schooler SAL progress!

Please join me in my happy dance!  I finished Singing the Blues, just a week behind Linda.  I used DMC variegated blue, Anchor variegated green, J&P Coats variegated red, and Anchor white Marlitt floss for the border, since I didn't have the Crescent Colours or Belle Soie silk floss listed in the pattern. I'm passing the chart on to Ruth next.  I wonder which floss and colors she will use!

Singing the Blues - FINISHED!

Singing the Blues
Little House Needleworks
Started 1/15/2012, Finished 3/4/2013

Big thanks to Annette, who sent me some B5200 for my Prairie Schooler July design.  I'm lucky to live close to JoAnn's and Michael's and Hobby Lobby, but they always seem to be out of black and white floss.  I even checked at Wal-Mart too, with no luck.  One of these days I'll get lucky and stock up!

Summer & Winter (July) update #2

Isn't it fun to be in a SAL with someone else and they start the design in a completely different place than you?  Linda started Santa at the top and I started at the bottom and am working my way up.

Santa's 12 Days of Christmas (Day 4) update #3

I told my kids that I'll display these 12 Santas every year for Christmas, so when my "future grandkids" come over, they can sing the 12 Days of Christmas song and follow along with each Santa square!

Just a few SAL updates!

It's always fun to be in a stitch-along when you know someone else is stitching the same design!  My Friday SAL is Halloween House with 10 other stitchers. You can see their updates HERE.  I finished the green roof on the right side, but I still need to do the left and middle green roofs, too!  The Q-Snap cover is a perfect match for this design, isn't it?  It is from Christine's Q-Snap Huggies.

Halloween House update #25

My Saturday SAL is the Spring & Fall and Summer & Winter designs from The Prairie Schooler with Linda and Rosemary.  I finished the red and blue parts on July.  I'm still trying to find B5200 to use for the white, but Michael's, JoAnn's, and Wal-Mart are always out of this color!

Summer & Winter (July) update #1

My Monday SAL is Singing the Blues by Little House Needleworks with Linda. We're already planning what to stitch next when this is finished.  She is farther ahead than me.  I stitched the white border using Anchor Marlitt floss, which I bought a long time ago for a wedding design that I made for a coworker.

Singing the Blues update #5

I almost finished part 3 of Boo! Club by Lizzie*Kate, but I misplaced the orange floss for 4 little stitches in the middle between the words.  I suppose I could have used any color orange but I'm determined to find it!  This is a SAL with Linda, Lesleyanne, and Angela.

Boo! Club (Black Cat)

Teresa from At Willow Tree Pond is having a wonderful Third Blogoversary Giveaway!  Sunday the 24th is the last day to leave a comment on her blog to enter!

A little finish and SAL updates!

I finished part 2 of 12 on Boo! Club by Lizzie*Kate!  This is such a fun design to stitch!  I wonder why I let it sit for so long.  Now I'm in a SAL with the Southern California Cross Stitchers Yahoo Group, where we choose any project and post updates every Wednesday.  So now I'll be even more motivated to stitch on this one every week.  I'm also in a SAL with Linda, Lesleyanne, and Angela.

Boo! Club (Treats) - FINISHED!

"Treats"
Boo! Club Series
Lizzie*Kate
Started 2/1/2013, Finished 2/6/2013

I finished the letters on Singing the Blues.  Visit Linda's blog to see her progress on this design, too!  This is our Monday SAL.

Singing the Blues update #4

My Sunday SAL with Linda and Kaye is Santa's 12 Days of Christmas.  I stitched Santa's boots and one of the four calling birds, which is a pretty blue and green parrot!

Santa's 12 Days of Christmas (Day 4) update #1

Happy Stitching, everyone!

My first Christmas ornament finish for 2013!

I joined the 2013 Ornament SAL.  We stitch an ornament each month and post a picture on the last Wednesday of the month.  For my January ornament, I finished Noel, which I started last year.  This kept me busy when I was getting my oil changed and sitting at the DMV!  It's always good to have a small WIP that fits in your purse!  It is 2.5" square and came with its own handy frame!

Noel - FINISHED!

"Noel"
NeedleMagic, Inc.
Started 2/21/2012, Finished 1/29/2013

Here is my progress on Singing the Blues, my Monday SAL with Linda.  I stitched the letters G-N.

Singing the Blues update #3

Boo! Club - Spooky is finished!

Linda and I started stitching the 12 designs in the Boo! Club series by Lizzie Kate last year and never touched them again after the first day.  Now we joined Lesleyanne and Angela in a SAL so we'll try to finish one part each month. Hurray!  I finished the first design, Spooky.  I am stitching all 12 designs together on 28 ct Prairie Grain linen.  The finished size will be 5-1/2" x 24".

Boo! Club (Spooky) - FINISHED!

"Spooky"
Boo! Club series
Lizzie Kate
Started 2/4/2012, Finished 1/17/2013

Linda and I also started Singing the Blues by Little House Needleworks last January and didn't touch it again after the first day.  Now we're having a SAL by stitching this design on Mondays.  I'm using DMC 91 blue variegated floss on 28 ct Platinum linen.  The finished size will be 6" x 6".

Singing the Blues update #1

Even though I'm still starting a new project everyday, I haven't forgotten about my starts from last year!  I'm happy to stitch on something new and something old everyday.  I told my boyfriend that I'm a "manic stitcher."  LOL.  I hope my stitchy bug doesn't wear off anytime soon!

We had a few unusually cold days here in Sunny Southern California, but now the weather is back to normal!

Day #15 - Singing the Blues

Day #15 of my Ultimate Crazy January Challenge is Singing the Blues by Little House Needleworks.  I substituted variegated DMC floss instead of using Belle Soie or Crescent Colors as listed in the chart.  The bird didn't turn out the way I expected because I was stitching back and forth in rows.  Do you think I should rip it all out and start over and stitch diagonally instead?  I was also thinking of using variegated green floss for the branches and leaves, instead of leaving everything blue.  I am stitching on 28 ct platinum linen, 2 over 2.

Sunday is the SAL day with Linda and Kaye for Santa's 12 Days of Christmas.  I worked on the pear tree today (partridge to come next).

Two finishes and two new starts!

I finished the Dog House Sampler one day early! I should have waited for our SAL day on Wednesday, but I was just so close to finishing that I couldn't wait. Now I can stitch on Trick or Treat on Wednesdays with Linda also. See her progress HERE.

"Dog House Sampler"

Designed by Diane Williams

Little House Needleworks

Started 10/12/2011, Finished 11/29/2011

I bought the kit for this cute little Martini ornament to make for my friend who always orders dirty martinis! I will send it to her with her other Christmas presents, since she lives in another state now.

"Martini"

Designs for the Needle - Janlynn

Started 11/27/2011, Finished 11/27/2011

I am making this for my son's girlfriend. I saw a pattern on spritestitch.com for a picture that says "Home is Where the (controller) Is" with a picture of an X-Box controller, or you can use an N64 or Super Nintendo controller.  But she plays video games with Sony Playstation instead, so I found a pattern with the PS3 controller and looked at pictures of the controller and made some changes to get it just right.  It is stitched on yellow 14ct Aida.

I am stitching this Harley-Davidson logo for my boyfriend for Christmas.  I will also put together a Harley-Davidson puzzle to go with it.  I got this free pattern from a French website HERE.  It is stitched on hand-dyed orange 14ct Aida.

I only got the letter "R" done on Trick or Treat this week!

All of the cute Q-Snap huggies are from Christine's Q-Snap Huggies.

TUSAL #12 and SAL update

Here is a pic of my ORT jar for November! I have so many projects planned for next year that I'll need a bigger jar for the 2012 TUSAL, or empty this one more often.

The Dog House Sampler SAL with Linda is almost done. I need to finish the roof and some flowers in the top right corner.

Happy Stitching, everyone!

A finish, a new start, and a SAL update!

I finally finished this double light switch cover for my mom!  I bought the book, "Stitches and Switches" by Fond Memories way back in 1997, with the plan to have cross-stitched light switch covers all over the house!  Thanks to the Crazy January Challenge 2011, I finally made one!  This is for my mom's kitchen.

"Plymouth Rock Chickens"
Designed by Laura Doyle
Started 1/12/2011, Finished 11/16/2011

This Happy Easter Snow Globe is a new start for World of Charity Stitching as a quilt square.  They are making a quilt of Snow Globe designs by Vee and Co Cross Stitch.  Vee donated the designs for us to use.  She has lots of adorable patterns for sale on her website!

On the Dog House Sampler SAL with Linda, I finished the fence and a few more letters.  Linda is way ahead of me, so I have to hurry and catch up!  When we are finished, we will stitch on Trick or Treat on Wednesdays too.

Two finishes and two SAL updates!

Hurray!  I know it's creepy, but I cross stitched the Ant for my aunt!  (She collects them.)  Now I just have to find a frame.  I found this free pattern on http://cross-stitch-pattern.net/.

"Ant"
Designed by Ann Logan
Started 10/21/2011, Finished 11/9/2011

When I visit my aunt, I will also visit my grandma and give her this walker bag sewn by Dona with the finished Violets Teacup cross stitch that I made from a free pattern from Vermillion Stitchery.  There are four pockets in the front and two in the back and a big one in the center.  It hangs on the walker and the ties are attached at the sides.  I bought the purple roses fabric and purple corduroy at Jo-Ann's.  Dona sews a lot of these walker bags with cross stitch pieces made by members of World of Charity Stitching to donate to nursing home residents.

Now for the SAL updates!  Linda and I are stitching Dog House Sampler on Wednesdays.  I didn't make very much progress, only stitched the big dog bone.

This is update #8 on our Friday SAL of Trick or Treat by Ursula Michael.  I stitched the letter K and some spider webs.  Next week I plan to do a few more letters.  When we finish the Dog House Sampler, we will stitch Trick or Treat two days a week so we can finish it before January.  You can see Linda's progress HERE.

If you're interested in the Q-Snap huggies, I buy them from Christine's Q-Snap Huggies.  She sews them up in a jiffy!

Chickens, Ant, and Dog House updates!

My mom's kitchen is decorated with chickens, so this will be a perfect gift!  This will be put into a clear plastic double light switch cover.  There will be a chicken coop and barn in the upper corners.  The bottom half is completely finished.  I'm using a hoop for this one since it's too small to fit in my Q-Snaps. It is stitched on 14ct Fiddler's cloth.

My mom's sister (my aunt) actually collects ants, so I'm stitching this one for her!  I found the pattern at http://cross-stitch-pattern.net/.  The rear and middle part of the ant are finished and now I'm starting on the head and front legs.  It is also stitched on 14ct Fiddler's cloth.

Linda (Stitchin' With My Furbabies) and I are both stitching Dog House Sampler on Wednesdays.  It looks like I have a couple more Wednesdays to go before this is finished.  It is my third project that is also stitched on 14ct Fiddler's cloth!

Here is a pic of Teddy all dressed up for Halloween!  He also greeted the trick-or-treaters at the front door!

Trick or Treat SAL - update #6

On Fridays, Linda and I have a SAL of Trick or Treat by Ursula Michael. I'm almost finished with the second witch hat and I plan to fill in the spots next Friday and start on a letter or two. You can see her progress HERE. I did all the backstitching on both hats, except where they touch a letter or another hat. This is so bright and colorful and fun to stitch!

We also have a SAL on Wednesdays of Dog House Sampler by Little House Needleworks. You can see Linda's progress HERE. When we finish this, we will stitch Trick or Treat on both Wednesdays and Fridays, so we can finish it by the end of the year. Then our plan is to have a SAL of Halloween House by Ursula Michael on Fridays starting in January. Linda is having a giveaway on her blog for two of these charts, so pop on over and sign up! The drawing will be on Halloween. We hope the winners will join us in our Friday SAL next year, and anyone else who has the chart is welcome to stitch along too!

Violets Teacup - Finished!

 

I finished the Violets Teacup freebie from Vermillion Stitchery!  The picture was taken outside so you can see the actual color of the fabric is mint parfait, a very light green.  I bought fabric at JoAnn's and my friend Dona has offered to sew it into a walker bag for my grandma!  Another pic will be posted when it's finished.

"February Violets - Teacup Posies 2011 Series"
Designed by Donna Vermillion Giampa
Started 9/17/2011, Finished 10/20/2011

This is my progress on the Dog House Sampler for my Wednesday night SAL with Linda.  She started on the letters first, and I started on the dog.  She is also stitching the companion piece, Kitty Cottage Sampler.

Now that I've posted my updates, I can start stitching on my Friday SAL, Trick or Treat.  Happy Stitching!

New Start - Dog House Sampler, LHN

Linda and I started a new Stitch-Along last night of the Dog House Sampler from Little House Needleworks. I bought this chart from Tricia, and Linda already had it, so we decided to stitch it together on Wednesdays!

I haven't stitched a sampler yet, with ABCs.  This one caught my eye because it has words mixed in with the alphabet (Bark, Fetch, Leash, Paws, Woof).  I am stitching it on 14ct Fiddlers cloth.  I am getting tired of this zebra stripe Q-Snap cover.  I only have 2 of the 8x8 size and I'm using the other one on the Violets Teacup. It's time to order more from Christine's Q-Snap Huggies!

Here is my inspiration for the Dog House Sampler!  His name is Teddy.  My daughter picked him at the animal shelter because he was the biggest dog they had.  He was a year old in this pic and weighs 100 pounds.  They told us he is a Yellow Labrador, but I think he has some Mastiff mixed in there too.  He has amazing yellow eyes.  The big baby sleeps at my feet under my desk all day and is snoring there right now!

Have you noticed that most cross stitchers have cats?  I wonder why dog charts aren't as popular as cat charts. On the HAED website, there are 201 cat charts, but only 6 dog charts!  What a difference!