Crazy January starts 19-21

I'm still keeping up with a new start every day!  The rest of the year will be so much fun when I can stitch anything I want.

Day #19 is Yo Ho Ho Ho by Sue Hillis Designs.  It's hard to see, but I started with Santa's white beard in the center of the design.  I also stitched the fur on the cuffs and hem of his coat.  I am stitching it on 14 ct gold dusted Stardust Aida and it will be 4" x 6". You can click on the picture to make it bigger and then maybe you can see my stitches!

Yo Ho Ho Ho

Day #20 is Circle of Songbirds, a kit by Janlynn.  I bought this about 15 years ago and I'm finally starting it now.  I decided to use 28 ct linen instead of the white 14 ct Aida that came in the kit.  The finished size will be a 12" circle, so I need to find a 14" square frame.

Circle of Songbirds

Day #21 is Autumn Heart, a freebie from Anne les Petites Croix.  I am stitching it on 14 ct white Aida and it will be 6" x 5.5".

Autumn Heart

Only 10 more new starts in the Ultimate Crazy January Challenge!  I wonder which one I'll finish first!

Crazy January starts 16-18

The second half of the Ultimate Crazy January Challenge has begun!

Day #16 is Shiver Me Timbers by Sue Hillis Designs.  I started with the parrot but didn't do the backstitching yet.  It is stitched on 18 ct light blue Aida and will be 5-1/2" x 7".

Shiver Me Timbers

Day #17 is All Hallows Eve by Glendon Place.  It is like the 12 Days of Christmas, but for Halloween!  It took me over 2 hours just to do these letters! I'm stitching over 2 on 28 ct Queen Anne's Lace Jobelan.  The finished size will be 12-1/2" x 21".

All Hallows Eve

Day #18 is Santa Hang-Up by Diane Arthurs.  This fabric is really sparkly but it's hard to get it to show up in the photo.  It is stitched over 2 on 20 ct Valerie Gold/Cream fabric and will be 5" x 12-1/2".

Santa Hang-Up

I wonder what the Random Number Generator will choose for me to start tomorrow!  Happy Stitching, everyone!

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!

125 year old sampler on eBay!

Isn't this a wonderful story?  A school won the eBay auction for this 125-year-old sampler stitched by one of their students in 1889!
Ebay buy reveals links to school’s past - News - North Devon Gazette

Crazy January starts 13-15

Well, I'm halfway through the Ultimate Crazy January Challenge!  Some stitchers start 15 new designs for the first 15 days of January, but I'll do it all month long!

Day #13 is Christmas Ark by The Prairie Schooler.  The chart gives the option of stitching Santa or Noah, and I chose Noah.  I finished half of one wave, from the center to the left edge.  I'm stitching on 18 ct Pale Delft Blue Aida and the finished size will be 11" x 8.5".

Christmas Ark

Day #14 is Vinney Reindeer by Fresh Threads Studio.  The red blob is an ornament. There will be three ornaments hanging from his antlers.  It is stitched on 18 ct hand-dyed Aida in a greenish-bluish color with sparkles and will be 3" x 3-1/4".

Vinney Reindeer

Day #15 is Majestic Eagle, a kit by Sunset that I bought 14 years ago.  My son picked it out when he was 14 and now he's 28!  I started with the bald eagle's head.  There are lots of blended floss colors.  It is stitched on 16 ct Dove Grey Aida and will be 16" x 9".

Majestic Eagle

This is also one of my Turtle Trot SAL pieces, so I hope to post updates on it once a month.  It's not the usual bright colors I like to stitch, but I think it will look very realistic.

Always read the directions!

I always follow the directions in everything I do, or at least I thought I did!  I started Hummingbird by Teresa Wentzler last year for Day #3 of the UCJC 2012.  You can find the free chart HERE.  The flowers and leaves are stitched over 2, and the hummingbird will be stitched over 1.  I finished all the flowers and leaves and was just about to start the backstitching, when I realized that it was supposed to be stitched using 4 strands of floss and not just 2!  The hummingbird will use only 2 strands.  So I stitched over the flowers and leaves all over again with 2 more strands, to make a total of 4.  I didn't want to rip everything out and start over!  I'm making this for me so I don't mind if it's not perfect.  Can you tell the difference by using 2 strands and 4 strands?

Hummingbird update #3

Turtle Trot SAL - January

Claudette of BAP-Attack has started a new stitch-a-long called the Turtle Trot SAL.  You can sign up on her blog HERE.  Just post pictures of 13 projects you would like to work on in 2013 (not necessarily finish).  Take your time and stitch how much or little you like.  Then post progress pics on what you have done by the 13th of each month.  Very simple and no pressure!  Here are my 13 that I have chosen to make some progress on this year.  I will also keep pics of them on my Turtle Trot SAL page.

1. Stained Glass Nativity

2. Universal Unity

3. Thomas Kinkade's Lamplight Bridge

4. The Sorcerer

5. Flaming June

6. All's Good in the Hood

7. Merry Christmas

8. Disney Princess Birth Announcement

9. Passione Ricamo Fairy Mystery SAL

10. Day of the Dead

11. Majestic Eagle (haven't started yet)

12. Orange Poppies (haven't started yet)

13. Canyon Waterfall

Thank you for watching my progress!  Happy Stitching, everyone!

Crazy January starts 10-12

I'm still having fun using the Random Number Generator to choose a new start each day from my UCJC 2013 page!

Day #10 is Fall Welcome, an Imaginating chart by Diane Arthurs.  I started with one of the pumpkins.  It is stitched on 14 ct Lambswool Aida and will be about 4" x 15".

Fall Welcome

Day #11 is Halloween Happiness, an Imaginating chart by Sandra Cozzolino.  I stitched the dark part of the moon.  It will be 3.5" x 11.5" on 18 ct Davos fabric. I don't know the color name, some kind of brown.

Halloween Happiness

Day #12 is Hamburger & French Fries from the Incredible Edibles designs.  I started stitching the top and bottom bun on a Charles Craft huck towel with a 14 ct Aida insert.  I might give this away as a gift.  It all depends if I fall in love with it or not!  LOL

Incredible Edibles (Hamburger & French Fries)

I bought an 11" x 14" red metal frame at Joann's for So Many Tools.  I didn't want to get something too big with a mat.  Red is my dad's favorite color!

So Many Tools - FRAMED!

Happy Birthday, Dad!

Big Happy Dance and TUSAL #1 for 2013!

Hurray! My first finish in 2013 is this gift for my dad.  It wasn't done in time for Christmas, so it will be his birthday present instead.  I will give it to him tonight.

So Many Tools - FINISHED!

"So Many Tools"
Designed by Peggy Murray
Design Works
Started 1/28/2012, Finished 1/9/2013

I bought a 4-pack of glass ornaments to save my ORTs.  I copied someone else's blog where I saw that she wrote the year on each one.  These are my ORTs from 2011 and 2012, and my start for 2013!

TUSAL 2013 #1

Be sure to check in on Daffycat's blog with your TUSAL posting, too!  Happy Stitching, everyone!

Crazy January starts 7-9

Day #7 is Picnic Area by The Prairie Schooler.  I am making this for my friend who loves to go camping.  She always posts a menu of all her planned meals on a tree, so I thought this Picnic Area sign would be a fun way to decorate her campsite!  This is stitched on 14 ct dark green Aida and will be 9" x 7".

Picnic Area

Day #8 is Out for a Ride by Diane Arthurs.  I only stitched the snowman's carrot nose tonight.  This is stitched on 14 ct gold dusted Aida Stardust and will be 10" x 8".

Out for a Ride

Day #9 is Basket of Fruit by Bobbie G. Designs.  I bought this kit many years ago at the Quilt and Craft Show that comes to the Los Angeles Fairgrounds twice a year.  Bobbie G. Designs is one of the few cross stitch booths at the show.  There are 54 different floss colors.  It is stitched on 14 ct ivory Aida and will be 13" x 10".

Basket of Fruit

Last weekend I went for a walk by this lake with my boyfriend.  He lives up in the mountains and I live down here.  Whenever it rains down here, it snows up there.  I took this picture with my phone.

I stitched a tool box!

The big tool box is finished!  Now there is only one tool left plus the words at the bottom, "So Little Time."

So Many Tools update #17

I love seeing everyone's new starts in January!  I'm happy with everything I stitch, but I'll be glad to get this one finished and out of the way so I can give more stitchy attention to all my other WIPs.

If anyone is interested in this design, I see a kit is for sale on eBay right now: So Many Tools by Design Works

Happy Stitching, everyone!

Crazy January starts 4-6

I used the Random Number Generator to choose my starts each day from my UCJC 2013 page.

Day #4 is Canyon Waterfall by StitchX.  This is a picture of Upper Yosemite Falls.  My boyfriend and I have visited Yosemite National Park twice and hope to go back every year.  It is such a beautiful place.  I am stitching 2 over 1 tent stitch on 25 ct white evenweave.  It has 24 pages and the finished size will be 14" x 10".  I used Cajun Line red fishing line for the gridding.  It was only $5.99 for 300 yards at Bass Pro Shops, which is a much better deal than about $8 for 100 yards of Easy-Count Guideline.

Canyon Waterfall

Day #5 is Beach Babe by Diane Arthurs.  Linda gave me this chart for Christmas since she already stitched it.  She looks like the sister of BBQ Queen, or maybe she's the same woman in a different outfit!  This is stitched on 14 ct white Aida and will be about 6" x 8".

Beach Babe

Day #6 is Candy Cane Christmas by Ursula Michael.  I only stitched a little bit of the bottom of the M.  I'm using 14 ct Aida, Charles Craft Stardust silver dusted. It's really sparkly but it didn't show up in this picture.  This will be 11" x 8".

Candy Cane Christmas

I bought all the Q-Snap covers from Christine's Q-Snap Huggies.