Smalls SAL - February

The last Wednesday of the month is time for the Smalls SAL post!  I finished Woodland Splendor, a traveling pattern that was given to me by a stitcher on Facebook, and I have mailed it off to the next person to stitch.  I used Mill Hill beads and a little leaf charm for the center.  I'm not sure if I will frame this or make it into an ornament.

Woodland Splendor - FINISHED!

"Woodland Splendor"
Designed by Sandra Cox Vanosdall
The Sweetheart Tree
14 ct Ecru Aida
Started 1/20/2014, Finished 2/21/2014

This is another finish from the Ultimate Crazy January Challenge, and now my WIP list is shrinking!

I also started and finished this cute vampire for the Hallowe'en Ornie SAL.  Each month is a different theme and February was vampires.

Smiley Face Dracula - FINISHED!

"Smiley Face Dracula"
Stoney Creek Collection magazine, October 2008
14 ct gold-dusted Stardust Aida
Started 2/24/2014, Finished 2/26/2014

Smalls SAL and TUSAL - January

It's the last Wednesday of the month and time for the Smalls SAL!  This is my first finish of 2014, Life's a Stitch by Lizzie*Kate.  This is a traveling pattern and now I'll send the chart to Virpi in Finland.

Life's a Stitch - FINISHED!

"Life's a Stitch"
Lizzie*Kate
14 ct Desert Rose Rustico Aida
Started 1/3/2014, Finished 1/29/2014

It's also time for the Totally Useless Stitch-Along (TUSAL).  Here is a pic of my ORT jar this month.  I'll keep adding all those little bits of floss to it all year long!  Be sure to check in on Daffycat's blog with a link to your TUSAL blog post, too!

TUSAL 2014 #2

Here is a picture of all 3 of my cats, Billy, Blueberrie, and Bubbles (top to bottom). Blueberrie has been wearing a cone for two weeks because he was scratching his ear so much, he broke a blood vessel and got a hematoma and his ear swelled up. The vet had to do surgery on his ear.  We still don't know why he was so itchy in the first place.  No fleas, no ear mites, no infection.  She guessed it must be allergies, but we don't know what he's allergic to!

Crazy January start #16 and traveling pattern winner!

Day #16 of the Ultimate Crazy January Challenge is Jacks are Wild from Waxing Moon Designs.  I won this chart from Ingrid of Mii Stitch blog.  I started to stitch it on off-white Aida, but ripped it out and started over again on 28 ct tan linen over 2.  The yellow swirls and white zigzags will show up so much better!  The finished size will be 12" x 5".  Since it is long and skinny, I have the linen turned sideways and it looks like the lines are vertical instead of horizontal.  Does it look OK to you?  This is the same linen I used for Jolly Jack and Quaker Moon, which used 9" x 9" pieces and this piece is 9" x 18".

Jacks are Wild

The perfect matching piece from my WIPocalypse list is Triple Jack-o-Lanterns, which I haven't touched since last May.  Today I stitched more stripes on the center pumpkin.

Triple Jack-o-Lanterns update #2

The winner of the traveling pattern, Life's a Stitch, is Virpi!  I have left a comment on her blog to send me her address since she has noreply-comment so I can't send her an email.  I hope she sees it and contacts me.  She lives in Finland.  Wow!  This traveling pattern sure gets around!  It has been stitched in Canada, South Africa, France, California, and now to Finland as soon as I finish stitching it myself.

Crazy January start #3 and January YOTA update

Day #3 of the Ultimate Crazy January Challenge is Life's a Stitch by Lizzie*Kate, which is a traveling pattern.  I won it from Annette, California Stitcher.  It has been from Canada to South Africa to France, back to Canada, and then to California.  I'd love to send this traveling chart on its way as soon as I finish.  Please mention in the comment if you'd like a chance to stitch it next and then pass it on to another lucky stitcher.  I will draw the winning name on Sunday, January 19.

The fabric is 14 ct Rustico Aida by Zweigart and the color is Desert Rose.  I'm using Dragonflylotus Designs Handspun Mulberry Silk thread in Aurora Borealis.  It will be about 4" x 4".

Life's a Stitch

Since I started a new Lizzie*Kate design, I also stitched a little more on another Lizzie*Kate chart, Very Scary.  I haven't stitched on this since last November. Now I started the border on the right side.

Very Scary update #9

It's also the first Saturday of the month and time for the YOTA (Year of the Acronym) UFO SAL update on Universal Unity.  Here is how I left it in September (the last time I stitched on it).

(before)

I stitched more blue on the Earth this time.  The pattern calls for 3 blended threads in different colors in half-stitches for the Earth.

Universal Unity update #12

Tardy TUSAL and Turtle Trot SAL - October

For the Turtle Trot SAL, we choose 13 WIPs to work on and post progress pics on the 13th of every month.  I only stitched on three of them since September.  You can click on the picture to see it bigger.

The Sorcerer:  I stitched the book and more purple on his cloak.

The Sorcerer (before)

The Sorcerer update #8

Majestic Eagle:  Just some more stitching on his wing.  It will really look nice when I add the backstitching on the feathers!

Majestic Eagle (before)

Majestic Eagle update #5

Canyon Waterfall:  I stitched more clouds and sky.

Canyon Waterfall (before)

Canyon Waterfall update #3

Here is my tardy TUSAL (Totally Useless Stitch-A-Long) photo of my ORTs!  Check in on Daffycat's blog with a link to your ORTs photo, too!

TUSAL 2013 #10

Big thanks to Justine of Justine's Cross Stitch for sending me a traveling chart, Be Naughty, by Lizzie*Kate.  I will stitch this one soon and then have a giveaway drawing to send it on to the next stitcher.  She also sent ribbon with bunny rabbits and Stitched With Love and a fuzzy pink sheep magnet.  Thank you also to Kate of By the Babbling Brooke for sending the Loon Lake chart and an Uncle Sam booklet!  It was so nice to come home from vacation to find international packages in my mailbox waiting for me!

New start, TUSAL, and more stash!

I just found out about this new free SAL from Jardin Privé!  It is called La Pensée Positive (Positive Thinking).  It comes in five parts, one each month, and just started in September.  You can find it on the blog, Les Marottes de Nathalie.

La Pensée Positive

It will have this quote from the book, "The Power of Positive Thinking" by Norman Vincent Peale:  "The way to happiness:  Keep your heart free from hate, your mind from worry.  Live simply, expect little, give much.  Scatter sunshine, forget self, think of others." 

The chart comes in English and French versions.  I'm going to stitch the French version for my daughter.  I'm stitching it on baby pink 18 ct Aida using DMC and Victorian Motto Sampler Shoppe floss.  The flowers are supposed to be pink, but I'm using a pink/purple over-dyed floss instead.

Here is a picture of my ORT jar for the Totally Useless Stitch-A-Long.  Check in on Daffycat's blog with your September blog post, too!

TUSAL 2013 #9

I'm happy that I bought this Disney cross stitch kit from someone on Facebook.  It is called Family Dinner and features lots of Disney characters having Thanksgiving dinner together.  Maybe I'll start it next year.

I was so lucky to get the traveling pattern, Life's a Stitch by Lizzie*Kate from Annette, California Stitcher.  This chart has been all over the world, from Canada to South Africa to France, back to Canada and then to California.  I'll have a giveaway when I'm finished and pass on this chart.  Annette was so generous that she also sent me a Joan Elliott alphabet book and a pretty zippered pouch full of Cosmo floss and handspun silk thread from Dragonflylotus, and a beautiful handmade card!  Thank you so very much, Annette!

A friendly stitcher on Facebook also sent me the chart, Woodland Splendor by The Sweetheart Tree.  It is a heart with acorns and oak leaves.  I already have the name of the next stitcher who gets this traveling pattern after I finish.

Cross Stitchers are such wonderful people!

Jolly Jack is finished and on his way!

Jolly Jack - FINISHED!

"Jolly Jack"

Designed by Bonnie Sullivan
All Through the Night
Started 10/3/2012, Finished 10/9/2012

I finished this adorable traveling pattern and sent him on his way to the next stitcher.  Visit Nancy's blog, A Lil Bit of Stitching, to watch her progress and sign up to be the next one to stitch Jolly Jack!

Jolly Jack is traveling soon!

The traveling pattern of Jolly Jack will be on his way to Nancy of A Lil Bit of Stitching in just a few days as soon as I finish!

Jolly Jack update #2

I have also been stitching on Santa's 12 Days of Christmas by The Prairie Schooler.  He will have three French hens soon!

Santa's 12 Days of Christmas (Day 3) update #2

Jolly Jack is almost done!

Do you want to be the next stitcher who gets the traveling pattern of Jolly Jack?  Just leave a comment on my previous post and I will draw a name on Monday, October 8.  This is how Jolly Jack looks today!

Jolly Jack update #1

I blended DMC variegated Steel Gray and black 310 to substitute for WDW Charcoal, and I used DMC variegated Terra Cotta instead of WDW Tobacco Road for the leaves.

I've also been trying to keep up with So Many Tools, so I will have it ready in time to give to my dad for Christmas.  There are still 30 more tools to go, plus the words.  Only 11 weeks until Christmas, so I still need to finish about three tools each week.  There was a TON of backstitching on this tray of nuts and bolts and screws and nails!

So Many Tools update #3

I went to the Quilt, Craft and Sewing Festival at the Los Angeles County Fairgrounds on Saturday with four other stitchers from the SoCalCrossStitchers Yahoo group.  Then we went to lunch, had a quick stop at a LNS, then back to the group leader's home to stitch.  Three more stitchers joined us there.  I bought a new pair of stork scissors and three cross stitch kits by Bobbie G Designs at the fair, then bought a Bent Creek chart at the LNS.  What a perfect stitchy day!

Jolly Jack after one night of stitching!

This is such a fun chart to stitch!  I didn't want to put it down until I finished the pumpkin!

Jolly Jack update #1

Instead of using Weeks Dye Works floss in Sweet Potato color, I blended DMC variegated Burnt Orange with an old skein from American Thread Co. Star Six Strand.  Can you see the 10 cents price on the label?  I like to buy random floss on eBay and then convert it to DMC colors.  This one is close to DMC 900, Dark Burnt Orange.

I'm giving away this chart when I'm done because it's a traveling pattern! If you would like to be in the drawing, leave a comment on my previous post.  Drawing on Monday, October 8.

Happy Stitching, everyone!

Halloween Stitching!

I haven't touched my Halloween House in a month! Now it looks like this:

Halloween House update #21

I finished all the purple on the house, stitched the third floor window and the orange shutters.  I wonder who will be peeking out of the windows at the next update?! You can click on the picture to see it bigger.

Lucky me!  I received the traveling pattern, Jolly Jack!  I am stitching him on 28 ct tan linen over 2.  Instead of using Weeks Dye Works floss, I am using my own variegated DMC and some other colors that I chose. I hope it looks OK when I'm done.

Jolly Jack

Devon at Devon's Quiet Corner in Florida stitched him first, then she sent him to Amanda at Samplers, Silks and Linens in Taiwan.  She sent him to Denise at Country Stitcher in South Dakota, who then sent Jolly Jack to me in California!  He has been traveling all over the globe and I would love to send him off to the next stitcher to see how many Jolly Jacks we can stitch before Halloween.  Please leave a comment if you are would like a chance to get the traveling pattern of Jolly Jack.  I will choose a winner on Monday, October 8, and send the pattern as soon as I finish stitching.

Katy at tadamama is having a giveaway on her blog to celebrate reaching 50 followers!  Please tell her that I sent you!