February TUSAL

Here is my TUSAL blog post for February!  Billy approves of my ORTs!  Be sure to check in on Daffycat's blog with your TUSAL post, too!

TUSAL 2013 #2

I bought these towels on eBay to cross stitch on the Aida band.  I also bid on some pastel colored towels, but I was outbid.  Now I just have to find the perfect designs!

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!

Hummingbird finished and more stash!

Come join me in my happy dance!  Hummingbird is finished, so now I can move it from the WIPocalypse page to my Finishes 2013 page instead!  This was one of my Ultimate Crazy January Challenge starts from 2012.  I haven't forgotten any of them and I still want to finish them all!  I used 16 ct pink blush Aida.  The leaves and flowers are stitched over 2 and the hummingbird is stitched over 1. This is my first time making lazy daisy stitches, and there are gold Mill Hill seed beads on it, too!

Hummingbird - FINISHED!

Hummingbird - FINISHED!

Hummingbird - FINISHED!

"Hummingbird"

Designed by Teresa Wentzler

Started 1/3/2012, Finished 2/4/2013

I've been stocking up on fabric.  Look what I found on eBay!  Lots of Aida 14 ct and 18 ct and Hardanger 22 ct.  The two big rolls of dark Aida are from the trade/giveaway pile at our cross stitch get-together last Saturday.

Now I need to build up my floss stash next!

SoCal Cross Stitchers GTG!

I had a great day on Saturday!  Nine of the members of the Southern California Cross Stitchers Yahoo Group met at We, of the Needle for a get-together.  Kathy, Susan, Shaunterria, Sandy, Mindi, Cherise, Ruth, Janis, and I stitched and shopped and traded and ate and talked and talked all day!  I brought six different WIPs to stitch, but only did four of them.

I started Treats in the Lizzie*Kate Boo! Club series.  This is part 2 of 12.  I stitched some of the border and one of the candy corn pieces.

Boo! Club (Treats)

I did ONE row on my Lizzie*Kate Very Scary Mystery Sampler.  This is the first time I used Weeks Dye Works floss and was happy to see the changing shades of color in that dark green line!  Several of the other ladies in the group are also stitching this one.

Very Scary (Part 1) update #1

I finished the corner flower motifs and the lazy daisy stitches (my first time) on Teresa Wentzler's Hummingbird.  Now that all the over 2 stitching is done, I can start on the hummingbird in the center, which is stitched over 1.

Hummingbird update #5

I bought some Gentle Arts Sampler Threads (GAST) at the LNS for Quaker Moon.  This is also the first time I've used GAST.  I stitched the owl's eyes in Gold Leaf which is so nice and shiny!

Quaker Moon update #1

Then when I got home, I stitched on All's Good in the 'Hood from Kincavel Krosses.  I stitched more of the border along the corner and bottom using DMC 115, variegated garnet.

All's Good in the 'Hood update #2

Happy Stitchy February, everyone!

Crazy January starts 28-31

Is the Ultimate Crazy month of January over?!  I have started something new every day, and now it's time to stitch, stitch, stitch away for the rest of the year! Lucky for me, I'll get to meet the stitchy ladies of the Southern California Cross Stitchers Yahoo Group on Saturday for a get-together at We, of the Needle, a LNS that has a wonderful stitchy room reserved for us!

Day #28 is Quaker Moon by Bent Creek.  I bought this chart on my last outing with the SoCalCrossStitchers group last October.  Isn't the owl just adorable? I'm stitching over 2 on 28 ct tan linen and the finished size will be about 5.5" square.

Quaker Moon

Day #29 is Orange Poppies by Thea Gouverneur.  This is a wonderful kit!  The chart pages are nice and big and clear.  The floss was presorted on cards with the color symbols.  They do not provide any floss names or numbers, so I could never pass the chart on when I'm done.  I bought this kit from 123Stitch.  It came with a huge piece of fabric, so I'm glad I can roll it up and tuck it into the Q-Snap huggies.  I'm stitching it on 18 ct black Aida and will be 17.7" x 18.5".

Orange Poppies

 

Day #30 is Christmas on the Beach, a Dimensions Gold Collection kit.  I also bought this kit from 123Stitch.  You can find almost everything there!  I'm using the 18 ct white Aida in the kit and it will be 7" x 5".

Christmas on the Beach

Day #31 is Cut Thru' Pirate Ship from Bothy Threads.  This is a restart from 2012.  I had to rip out everything I did, since the fabric was turned the wrong way!  (see previous post here)  Has this ever happened to you?  Sharine asked if it counts as a new start, so I've been thinking about that ever since.  I'm going to consider it a new start effective today!  I am stitching on 18 ct light blue Aida and it will be 12" x 9".

Cut Thru' Pirate Ship

I won the chart, Let's Do Coffee, in a giveaway, so I added it to my UCJC list. The chart is on the way so I'll start it when it gets here.

Have a great stitchy February, everyone!

My friends are having giveaways!

I'm passing the word on to everyone... Heather is having an awesome giveaway of six Little House Needleworks and Country Cottage Needleworks charts.  Just visit her blog HERE.  Drawing on February 12.  Good luck!

Melissa is having a giveaway to celebrate her birthday and reaching 200 followers on her blog! The prize is a $15 gift certificate to 123Stitch and a Blackburn Designs chart.  Just visit her blog HERE.  Drawing on February 17.  Good luck!

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

Crazy January starts 25-27

Only four more new starts for the Ultimate Crazy January Challenge!  I have 2 charts and 2 kits left for the Random Number Generator to choose for me.  I chose one of the charts because I won it from a blog giveaway, but I haven't received it yet, so I might have to substitute it with something else from my stash.

Day #25 is Ring Around the Rosie by Sister M. I. Hummel, a Needle Treasures kit.  The floss colors in the chart don't seem to match the picture at all.  There are a lot of dreary grays and browns, which are not the usual bright colors I like to stitch with.  I'm using the 14 ct Aida from the kit and it will be a 10" circle.

Ring Around the Rosie

Wouldn't it be nice if I had the matching "Ring Around the Rosie" Hummel figurine?  I would love to display it on a shelf right under this finished cross stitch picture.  But they cost $500-$1850 on eBay, so that's not going to happen!

Day #26 is Bear by Roger Reinardy, a Janlynn Wildlife Series kit.  I'm using the 14 ct white Aida from the kit and it will be 5" x 7".  I plan to stitch more animals in this series in the future!  Linda also started this kit today.

Bear

Day #27 is Blessings Hang-Up by Diane Arthurs.  She will be cute to hang on the handle of my china cabinet in the dining room next fall!  I started a little on her basket.  It will be about 4" x 9" on 14 ct white Aida.

Blessings Hang-Up

Happy Stitchy Monday, everyone!

My first WIPocalypse update for 2013!

The apocalypse didn't happen on December 21, 2012, after all, so we still have time to finish all our WIPs.  You can sign up for the WIPocalypse on Measi's blog and then post progress photos on your blog on the Full Moon of each month.

I started 2013 with 49 WIPs and have added 26 more, since I'm starting a new one every day in January for the Ultimate Crazy January Challenge.  A picture of every WIP is on my WIPocalypse page.

I finally made some progress on Universal Unity, a Dimensions Gold Collection kit that I started in 1998.  I stitched the grass under the deer.  This kit is on eBay right now! You can buy it HERE.

Universal Unity update #2

Universal Unity update #2

I also stitched some black outlines on Stained Glass Nativity, a needlepoint kit that I started in 1980.

Stained Glass Nativity update #2

I did the backstitching on the leaves and flowers of Hummingbird by Teresa Wentzler.

Hummingbird update #4

I stitched the letters Q-Y on Singing the Blues, a Monday SAL with Linda.

Singing the Blues update #2

I stitched the outline for Santa's 12 Days of Christmas (Day 4), a Sunday SAL with Linda and Kaye.

Santa's 12 Days of Christmas (Day 4)

I stitched more green on the roof of Halloween House, a Friday SAL with Linda and 10 others.

Halloween House update #24

Since the last WIPocalypse post, I finished So Many Tools and the first part of Lizzie-Kate's Boo! Club (Spooky).

So Many Tools - FINISHED!

Boo! Club (Spooky) - FINISHED!

Now you can see that I'm still trying to keep up with all my WIPs and not just starting something new everyday!

I bought all my Q-Snap huggies from Christine's Q-Snap Huggies.

Happy Stitching, everyone!

Crazy January starts 22-24

Only one more week of January to start something new everyday!  Then I'll have a fun year of stitching all these, plus the WIPs from 2012!

Day #22 is Black Cat Alphabet by Isabelle Haccourt Vautier, a freebie chart I found HERE.  The cat is missing a leg!  I stitched the fourth leg twice and ripped it out twice because it looked funny.  Oh well!  I like these simple designs when I can choose any floss and any fabric.  I'm blending black and DMC 53, steel gray variegated floss on 14 ct orange hand-dyed Aida.  The finished size will be 8" x 3.5".

Black Cat Alphabet

Day #23 is Cut Thru' Igloo by Amanda Loverseed from Bothy Threads.  I bought the pages torn out of a cross stitch magazine, the December 2006 issue of UK Cross Stitcher, on eBay in the UK.  You can find this magazine on eBay HERE.  You can also buy the chart with specialty floss HERE.  I'm stitching it on 14 ct hand-dyed lavender Aida and the finished size will be about 9" x 9".

Cut Thru' Igloo

Day #24 is PTP Special Delivery by Heaven and Earth Designs (HAED).  Isn't that a cute baby?  This petit point chart is only 120x120 stitches (small for a HAED).  I am stitching 2 over 1, full crosses on 22 ct white Hardanger fabric, so it will be 5.5" square.

PTP Special Delivery

My daughter took these pics with her cell phone yesterday of our cats, Billy, Blueberrie, and Bubbles:

 

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!