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!

Crazy January start #28

Day #28 of the Ultimate Crazy January Challenge is Heaven and Nature Sampler from Cross Stitch Gold magazine, issue #18.  This design caught my eye because it has so many different animals in it, like a moose, porcupine, bobcat, meerkat, bat, raccoon, wolf, fox, etc.  Santa's sleigh and reindeer are at the bottom, too!  I started by stitching the two hanging pinecone weights under the cuckoo clock. I'm stitching over 2 on 28 ct white evenweave and it will be 12" x 16".

Heaven and Nature Sampler

Another WIP I started last January with forest animals is Picnic Area from The Prairie Schooler.  Today I stitched the letter A.  The fabric is a dark green 14 ct Aida, but it looks brighter in the photo.  This will be 9" x 7".

Picnic Area update #6

September WIPocalypse update

It's time for the WIPocalypse SAL update!  You can see current pics of all of my WIPs on my WIPocalypse page.  Check in on Measi's blog with your WIPocalypse update, too!  This month the theme is Designer - Heaven and Earth Designs (HAED), Project Theme - Specialty Stitches, and Focus Colors - Brown and Green.

My Heaven and Earth Designs (HAED) chart is Flaming June, painted by Sir Frederic Leighton in 1895.  The actual painting is in a museum in Puerto Rico.

 

This is how far I have gotten, only halfway through the first page, which is the sky in the top left corner:

Flaming June update #

For specialty stitches, I stitched LOTS of French Knots on Thomas Kinkade's Lamplight Bridge and there will be a lot more!

Lamplight Bridge update #7

Lamplight Bridge update #7

For the Focus Colors of Brown and Green, I stitched the bear on Picnic Area by The Prairie Schooler.

Picnic Area update #5

I stitched the skeleton on Halloween House.  I have to finish the tree, add smoke and spiderwebs all around the border.

Halloween House update #40

August WIPocalypse update

It's time for the WIPocalypse SAL update!  I really do want to finish all my starts (some day), but I'm still enjoying stitching everything.  You can see current pics of all of my WIPs on my WIPocalypse page.  Check in on Measi's blog with your WIPocalypse update, too!  This month the theme is Designer - Long Dog, Project Theme - Smalls, and Focus Colors - Blue and Red.

I don't have any charts by Long Dog, but I have some smalls to work on, and some blue and red stitching, too.

Here's a brand new start and finish!  I made this bookmark for my daughter, who knows some French but wants to learn more.  "J'aime lire" means "I love to read." This is a freebie from a French blog, Les petits bonheurs de Miss T (The Simple Pleasures of Miss T).

J'aime Lire bookmark - FINISHED!

"J'aime Lire" bookmark
Designed by Malile
Les petits bonheurs de Miss T
Started 8/16/2013, Finished 8/19/2013

I stitched more blue on Red Cat, a freebie from Cross-Stitchers-Club (I think the website died), using Victoria Clayton silk HDF on 28 ct antique white Jobelan.  I think the color is Aquamarine.  This is for a cat quilt by World of Charity Stitching.

Red Cat update #2

I stitched more dark red on Santa Hang-Up.  This is a SAL with Linda.

Santa Hang-Up update #4

Picnic Area by The Prairie Schooler has more border stitched.

Picnic Area update #4

I started stitching the spooky tree on Halloween House.  You can also buy this chart in PDF download HERE on Crosstitch.com, so you can have it instantly and not have to worry about postage!  Linda finished hers and Joyce and I are close behind!

Halloween House update #39

I posted a pic of my Cut Thru' Igloo progress on the Cut Thru' SAL page and the Facebook group last week but not in a blog post.  I finished the snow on the left side under the penguin and more water.  I think this will be done in a few more weeks. Then I'll start stitching on my Cut Thru' North Pole House or Pirate Ship next.

Cut Thru' Igloo update #19

Happy Happy Stitching, everyone!

June WIPocalypse update and a finish!

It's another full moon (did you see the super moon?) and time for the WIPocalypse SAL update!  The focus colors this month are black and green. You can see current pics of all my WIPs on my WIPocalypse page.

I finished Quaker Moon during the GTG (get-together) on Saturday with seven women in the SoCal Cross Stitchers Yahoo group.  We stitched at the food court in the mall for almost 8 hours!

Quaker Moon - FINISHED!

"Quaker Moon"
Bent Creek
Started 1/28/2013, Finished 6/22/2013

I'll pass this chart onto another stitcher (worldwide) and hopefully the winner will give it away when she's finished, too!  Just mention in the comment if you're interested.  I'll draw a name on Sunday, June 30.

I started the next part (7 of 12) of Boo! Club by Lizzie Kate by stitching the word Pumpkin in green.

Boo! Club (Pumpkin)

I stitched the black jaw line on the Day of the Dead skull from the Twisted Stitches book.

Day of the Dead update #7

I stitched the black letter P and some of the border on Picnic Area by The Prairie Schooler.

Picnic Area update #3

I finally started stitching again on Santa Hang-Up, which I started for the Ultimate Crazy January Challenge and haven't touched it since the first day.  I'm stitching on sparkly 20 ct Valerie fabric, 2 over 2, so the X's are pretty big (10 ct size).  This is an every other weekend SAL with Linda.

Santa Hang-Up update #1

Remember to check in on Measi's blog with a link to your WIPocalypse update, too!  Next month's theme is Designer - Glendon Place, Project Theme - Animals, and Focus Colors - Red and Yellow.  I'll try to do some stitching in those categories, too!

Stitching crows, ravens, and bats!

Just for fun, my blog post has a theme today!  I worked on some of my WIPs with crows, ravens, and bats!

I stitched two crows and the tree on the Lizzie*Kate Very Scary Mystery Sampler, then rewarded myself by stitching more crows/ravens/bats on my other WIPs instead!  I'm stitching over 2 on 30 ct Weeks Dye Works Tin Roof linen.

Very Scary (Part 1) update #6

I'm stitching this Edgar Allan Poe inspired design, Quoth the Raven by Kincavel Krosses for my nephew.  This is a free chart.  I finished the word "more" and now all that is left to do is the border.  I'm stitching on 14 ct red Aida.

Quoth the Raven update #3

I stitched the bats on Quaker Moon by Bent Creek.  Isn't this one cute?  I'm stitching over 2 on 28 ct tan linen.

Quaker Moon update #4

There are also some crows flying around Picnic Area by The Prairie Schooler. This is on 14 ct dark green Aida.  The flash makes it seem brighter than it actually is.

Picnic Area update #2

Here are a few more bats on I'll Get You My Pretty by Sue Hillis Designs.  This is a free chart.  I'm stitching over 2 on 32 ct Voodoo Belfast linen by Picture This Plus.

I'll Get You My Pretty update #2

I finished all the backstitching on the top window and stitched the bats on Halloween House.  Check out the Halloween House SAL page!

Halloween House update #35

This sure was fun to get a little bit done on lots of different WIPs.  Happy Stitching, everyone!

Stitching bears!

Linda and I have a new Monday SAL, The Bear and the Bees by The Prairie Schooler. We started this last February 2012 and haven't touched it again until now.  I stitched the bees last year and now I'm starting on the bear.

The Bear and the Bees update #1

I've also been stitching on some other WIPs with bears.  I started Bear Hug in 1988, when I bought the kit at a Creative Circle home party.  I'm going to donate this to World of Charity Stitching and they can sew it onto a pillow or tote bag.  It's a great charity to stitch for, since you don't have to wait for a quilt theme to stitch something.  They make all kinds of things with cross stitch designs.  I finished stitching the bears and now all that is left is the border.  It will be great to get this old one finished!

Bear Hug update #2

Picnic Area by The Prairie Schooler was started in the Ultimate Crazy January Challenge this year.  I stitched two more letters and started stitching a bear. There will be bears on both sides, and a fox chasing a rabbit on the bottom.

Picnic Area update #1

Bear in the Janlynn Wildlife Series was another start in the UCJC this year.  He got the rest of his nose done but still only has one eye!  I have other kits from this series that I will stitch some day.

Bear update #1

This was fun to have a "bear" theme on my blog post today.  I have more ideas for future blog post themes by grouping some of my WIPs together.  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.