Some Saturday stitching!

Day of the Dead update #1

I clicked on the Random Number Generator again and it chose #54 of my 55 WIPs (see my WIPocalypse page) which is a flowery Day of the Dead skull from the Twisted Stitches book.  It is on 18 ct white Aida.  The flower is an eye, and the upside-down heart is the nose.

The mama bird is coming to life on the June square of this Prairie Schooler Summer & Winter design!

Summer & Winter (June) update #4

The background is a printed fabric. It had a blank circle in the middle but I cut it into fourths and decided to stitch right over the printed design.

Who is peeking through the windows?

Halloween House update #22

It looks like more ghosts and an escaped convict! After the backstitching, you'll be able to see their faces even better.  I still have a lot of green roof to stitch!

Christmas Cactus update #2

I stitched the medium green around the cactus.  There will be more dark green on the edges, and then the Christmas lights and a star on top!

WOCS - Cherry update #1

Would you believe this Cherry has 14 different shades of pinks, reds, and oranges?  I hope this one really stands out on the Fruits & Berries quilt for World of Charity Stitching!

Nothing but green stitching last night!

I used the Random Number Generator to choose one of my 55 WIPs, which are all shown on my WIPocalypse page, and it came up with #24, Christmas Cactus.  I started this in January for the Ultimate Crazy January Challenge, when we started a new project every day in January.  You can see all the projects I chose to start in January on my UCJC page.

Christmas Cactus update #1

Don't you love the Bright Chartreuse on red Aida?  I'm going to use DMC Satin floss for the lights.  I found this free Christmas Cactus chart on an Italian website, http://www.il-mondo-di-ezechiele.com/

I also started a new square for World of Charity Stitching.  They are making a fruits and berries quilt.

WOCS - Cherry

I found this free chart on Ann's Cross Stitch Patterns in the Fruits category.

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!

Blogoversary Giveaway winner!

The winner of the $10 gift certificate to 123-Stitch is

RITA E. in AZ!

Congratulations, Rita!

WIPocalypse update #10

BBQ Queen update #19

Well, I didn't finish BBQ Queen like I thought I would by this WIPocalypse update.  I did all the backstitching on the bottom and added the grass.  The last part will be a flag that says "Summer" and purple backstitching on her dress.  This is a SAL with Linda, who is stitching Lady Liberty, another design by Diane Arthurs.

Summer & Winter (June) update #3

Since the last WIPocalypse update, I have added the sunflowers and leaves to this June square.  The mother bird will be on top, feeding worms to her babies.  I plan to make flat ornaments of all these monthly designs by The Prairie Schooler.  This is a SAL with Linda and Rosemary.

So Many Tools update #2

I'm trying to finish So Many Tools by Christmas or January for my dad's birthday.  There are 32 tools in this design, so I need to stitch 3 tools each week to have it done in time for Christmas.  There is A LOT of backstitching!

My only new finish since the last WIPocalypse update is Burnt to Perfection, which I stitched for my brother's birthday gift.  I gave it to him tonight!

Don't forget to check in on Measi's blog with your WIPocalypse update, too!

Happy Autumn to everyone, or Happy Spring down under!  It is still HOT here in Sunny Southern California.  Today was 102 degrees and tomorrow will be even hotter.  The forecast is 106 degrees for the first day of October!

Happy Blogoversary to me!

Today is my second blogoversary!  I started this cross stitch blog in 2010 when I began stitching Wedding Ride for my best friend's wedding gift.  I hadn't been stitching for over 10 years and was excited to find so many blogs to follow and meet other stitchers all around the world!

This is the piece that got me back into cross stitching:  Wedding Ride.  

You can find just about everything at 123-Stitch, so I will have a blogoversary giveaway of a $10 gift certificate to this website.  Just leave a comment below and I'll draw a winner on Sunday, September 30.

Nancy at Victorian Motto Sampler Shoppe is also having a giveaway of an Autumn gift bag of goodies, drawing on October 15.  Enter HERE and tell Nancy that I sent you!

I was a previous lucky winner of one of Nancy's giveaways of hand-dyed floss.  I plan to use the dark green floss she gave me for the leaves of the sunflowers on my June square from the Prairie Schooler Summer & Winter booklet.

Summer & Winter (June) update #2

Burnt to Perfection finished!

Burnt to Perfection - finished!

Burnt to Perfection - framed!

"Burnt to Perfection"
Designed by Sue Hillis
Sue Hillis Designs, Inc.
Started 2/16/2012, Finished 9/22/2012

I finished this fun gift for my brother's birthday.  I hope he laughs at it!  I quickly folded the edges and tucked it into the frame to see how it looks, but I will still wash it and iron it and mount it correctly.  I used 28 ct tea-dyed Monaco fabric from a kit with a design that I didn't want to stitch, so I gave the chart away and kept the fabric for myself.  It worked out perfectly for this design.