Stitch from Stash June (broke the budget!)

Mel from Epic Stitching started a Stitch From Stash group to encourage us to stay on a budget of $25 or less per month for cross stitching.  Click the link to see the list of blogs that are participating.

We can skip one month out of the year, so I broke the budget for June and followed Justine's suggestion:

3) My tip is: if you are going to use your free month, spend loads!!! - Justine @ justinescrossstitch.blogspot.com

I double-checked the rules just to be sure!

Remember you have one month you can not participate and cheat (lol). :) 

My carry over from May was zero for a total budget of $25 this month, plus a bonus $50 that we could spend, which I still went over, but I'm skipping this month so it doesn't count!  Here is my check-in for June:

Amount Spent:  $$$$$

Four Vervaco car kits from Herrschners

Riolis kits:  The Kiss by Klimt and Orange Poppies cell phone/camera bag from Herrschners

The Wizard of Oz chart from Little Stitcher Shop on Etsy

NASCAR and NHRA charts by Cruisin' Cross Stitch

Charts from Noahstitcher's Stash for Sale Facebook group

Fabric from Stash Unload Facebook group

I was in a gift exchange in a Facebook cross stitching group and I bought charts, fabric, and floss for my partner and she sent this to me:  Army Emblem chart, Halloween Memories chart, Wire Whimsy Snowman, fabric, and an armchair pouch that she made herself.

While I was at the LNS buying my partner's gifts, I picked these up for myself!
Just Nan & The Sweetheart Tree charts with charms and beads.

New Starts from Stash:  None.  I'm in a challenge on a Facebook cross stitching group to finish my oldest WIP and not start anything new, which is certainly a challenge for me!

WIPs or UFOs worked on: Fall Welcome, Santa's 12 Days of Christmas (Day 6), Picnic Area, Leo, Thankful Critters, Universal Unity, Cut Thru' North Pole House, We're Off to See the Wizard, Harley-Davidson, Orange Poppies, "99", Majestic Eagle, The Sorcerer, The Sorceress, Boo! Club (Fright).

Finishes:  The Sorcerer, The Sorceress, Leo.

What I was tempted to buy but didn't buy this month:  Nothing!  I bought it ALL!

Theme-A-Licious Menagerie May

The theme for last month was Menagerie May, "Is it a zoo in your stack of WIPs? How many projects can you find that include animals or birds?"

I have lots of WIPs with animals and birds and this was just the right incentive to stitch on some of them that have been ignored for awhile!

On Bird Nest (No 2), I stitched more of the pretty pink bird from Yiota's XStitch.  I started this one in the Ultimate Crazy January Challenge 2012.

Bird Nest (No 2) update #3

Yiota's XStitch kits come with all the floss on bobbins already.  Isn't this nice?

I stitched the other back leg on Leo, a freebie from Stitch Alley.

Leo update #5

I stitched an owl on Picnic Area.

Picnic Area update #7

I stitched another little bird on Thankful Critters.

Thankful Critters update #13

I also started stitching another crow and the basket on Fall Welcome.

Fall Welcome update #12

And here's another bird, a goose on Santa's 12 Days of Christmas!  The gap in the middle is where Santa's arm is holding him.

Santa's 12 Days of Christmas (Day 6) update #2

Santa's 12 Days of Christmas (Day 6) update #2

I filled in the rest of the raccoon and started the zebra on Universal Unity. This is on a 14" x 17" Q-snap.  Since I'm right-handed, I turn it upside-down to stitch the zebra so it will be closer to the right side.  Do any of you stitch your designs upside-down, too? 

Universal Unity update #17

Check in on Heather's blog, It's Geek to Me, to see links to more blog posts with the animals theme this month!

Heather sent me this amazing prize package for suggesting the theme for April Showers.  All the goodies have the "water" theme.  She sent an April Showers chart from Country Cottage Needleworks and a kit to make a Lighthouse scissors charm. The fabric colors are Seafoam and Neptune blue.  But the most amazing part is the floss with names like Tropical Ocean, Mediterranean, Seafan, Silver Icicle, and Sea Turtle!  She included a vinyl project pouch to protect my WIPs from getting wet! Thank you so very much, Heather!

April Showers Theme-a-licious prize package!

The theme for this month will be June Jolt, "School's out for the summer! Let's work on things with sunshine in them or REALLY bright colors.  Summer is here!" (Northern Hemisphere... LOL)

My WIPs with sunshine and bright colors are Stained Glass Nativity, The Sorcerer and The Sorceress, Flaming June, Pac-Man, Holiday Cheer, Thankful Critters, Fractal 156 bookmark, Dance of the Geckos, Triple Jack-o-Lanterns, Beach Babe, Basket of Fruit, Orange Poppies, Jacks are Wild, Trick or Treat Greeting, and Believe.

I'm looking forward to making some progress on these to share with you on July 1! Happy Stitching, everyone!

Stitch from Stash April

Mel from Epic Stitching started a Stitch From Stash group to encourage us to stay on a budget of $25 or less per month for cross stitching.  Click the link to see the list of blogs that are participating.

My carry over from March was $2 for a total budget of $27 this month.  Here is my check-in for April:

Amount Spent:  $27
$11 - More Starlite Aida cross stitch fabric from MCG Textiles for the Brooke's Books Advent Animals.

$13 - DMC floss on sale at Michael's for 27 cents and Hummingbird Quartet booklet. (I've been watching Preeti stitch one of these beautiful designs on her blog and was so excited to find this chart!)

$3 - Predator chart for my son.  I sent him the link to Pyrodogpins and asked him to pick one!

I spent my entire budget so now I have nothing left to carry over to May!

New Starts from Stash:  Katie Kitty.

WIPs or UFOs worked on:  Christmas Sampler, Easter Hang-Up, Disney Princesses, Fall Welcome, Remember the Alamo, Santa's 12 Days of Christmas (Day 5), Uber Christmas Tree, Universal Unity, We're Off to See the Wizard, "99", Alice from Resident Evil, Happy Easter.

Finishes:  Katie Kitty, Santa's 12 Days of Christmas (Day 5), Happy Easter.

I also bought this Wedding Tango kit by Riolis but it doesn't count in the budget since it is a gift I'm stitching for my daughter's friend who is getting married soon!

Wedding Tango kit by Riolis

Stitch From Stash March

Mel from Epic Stitching started a Stitch From Stash group to encourage us to stay on a budget of $25 or less per month for cross stitching.  Click the link to see the list of blogs that are participating.

My carry over from February was $24 for a total budget of $49 this month.  Here is my check-in for March:

Amount Spent:  $47
$10 - Neighborhood Friends chart by Little House Needleworks for animal care fundraiser.

$5 - Forever in my Heart chart by The Sunflower Seed

I'm going to stitch this with both my dogs' names and frame it together with their photos. They both went over the rainbow bridge in 2010.

Brandy & Norman, age 15

$32 - Cross stitch fabric from MCG Textiles (They were having a sale and I couldn't resist!)

I'm going to use the Starlite Aida to stitch the Brooke's Books Advent Animals. There will be 25 free charts, from now until October 2015.

Now I only have $2 to carry over to April.

New Starts from Stash: St. Patrick's Day, Best Witches.

WIPs or UFOs worked on: Santa Hang-Up, Santa's 12 Days of Christmas (Day 5), Universal Unity, Fall Welcome, Thai Dancer, Boule Pastel, Alice from Resident Evil, Cut Thru' North Pole House, Beach Babe, Leo, Lamplight Bridge, Halloween Happiness, I'll Get You My Pretty, Out for a Ride, Pac-Man, Harley-Davidson, Thankful Critters, The 12 Days of Christmas, The Wave, Flaming June, Black Cat Alphabet, The Wizard of Oz, Trick or Treat Greeting, The Sorcerer, Snow Bear and Sleigh, Boo-gie Fever, Star Wars, Yo Ho Ho Ho, Christmas Ark, Best of Friends, Spring Sampler, Believe.

Finishes: I'll Get You My Pretty, St. Patrick's Day, Best Witches.

What I was tempted to buy but didn't buy this month:

This looks like a great Halloween design, but I'll wait until I finish a few of my Halloween WIPs before I buy it.

Halloween Eve chart

Stash enhancement! (picture heavy!)

Last month I won Kate's Easter Giveaway on The Flying Needle blog of a $50 gift certificate to 123-Stitch! I finally made my choices and all my goodies have arrived!  The Ink Circles chart, "99" has been on my Wish List since the first time I saw it, and now it's mine!  Some other ladies in the SoCalCrossStitchers Yahoo group and I will have a SAL of this chart and get to watch each other's progress.  I also got The Final Frontier booklet by Stoney Creek and black linen for this.  I also got pink opalescent fabric for a Disney Princesses chart and glow-in-the-dark and metallic Kreinik floss for a Halloween chart.  Thank you so very much, Kate!

I also won these two charts and six skeins of GAST floss from Nancy at Pickle Barrel Designs!  Thank you, Nancy!

I won the Let's Do Coffee chart from Regge at You Got Me in Stitches blog. Thank you, Regge!  I traded two charts I had finished for some floss from someone who contacted me after seeing my blog.  I only expected 3 or 4 skeins, but she sent me a whole pile!  Thanks, Shelly!

I won this DMC linen floss from Brenda at The Dropped Thread in her "From My Hoard to Yours" Giveaway.  Thank you very much, Brenda!

I won these two charts from Darlene Lara, the designer from The Marking Samplar, when I stopped by her booth at The Online Needlework Show!  Thank you so very much, Darlene!

I've also been buying charts and kits here and there, all over the internet! These two Wizard of Oz designs will go nicely with the chart shown in the header on my blog, which I bought on eBay.

I fell in love with these charts from Sue Hillis Designs and the Polar Bear pulling a sleigh Dimensions kit:

I bought these kits and charts from Christine's Stitching Stash on Facebook. The Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter needle roll kits from Dinky Dyes Designs came with floss, ribbon, and beads for only 50 cents each!  The Chickadee and January charts were only 25 cents each, Halloween Cats and Max in His Birthday Suit were 50 cents, and the Frank-n-Stein kit with fabric, floss, and charm was $1.00.  Thank you, Christine!

I always look for stitchy stuff at the thrift stores and found these goodies recently: a cross stitch book, Santa's Cuisine cross stitch kit for $1.50, a 15" x 18" piece of orange 14 ct Aida for $1.25, and a fat quarter of flag fabric for 35 cents that I could use for a patriotic ornament some day.

What do you think about these director's chair replacement covers?  They look like they could be used for cross stitch or needlepoint!  I bought some for me and the others in my SoCalCrossStitchers Yahoo group for $1.99 each.  One of them goes to dog shows and will stitch the name of her kennel club on the seat backs.

About six members of the SoCalCrossStitchers Yahoo group went to a stitchy garage sale together and I was lucky enough to add all of this to my hoard stash, too!  I bought an afghan to stitch (someday), 3 big pieces of Zweigart 14 ct E-Z Guide fabric, 32 ct white Belfast linen, 20 ct black Valerie fabric, 14 ct brown Aida, 14 ct white Aida, gold and white perforated paper, and a bookmark.  I only bought 2 spools of gold Kreinik, even though there was a lot more in the basket, a spool of multicolored thread, Mill Hill beads, and 200 skeins of DMC floss!  I also got a new 8x10 picture frame and a tote bag, all for $30.

I also rescued these four finished cross stitch designs at a thrift store and will donate them to World of Charity Stitching.  They can be sewn onto a tote bag, walker bag, pillow, or used to start a new quilt theme!

Happy stitching and stash enhancement to all!