August WIPocalypse and SAL updates

It's a full moon and time for the WIPocalypse update!  The topic this time is: "Tell us about your oldest and newest WIPs."

My newest WIP is Wedding Tango, a Riolis kit, which will be a gift for my daughter's friend's wedding in September.  I've known her at least 10 years.  The color of the shoes and bouquet will be changed to match the bride's colors.  I'm also stitching it on 28 ct white linen instead of the 14 ct white Aida in the kit, and I will add their names and date at the bottom.

Wedding Tango

Wedding Tango

Since I recently finished my oldest WIP (Stained Glass Nativity, started in 1980), my oldest WIP now is Universal Unity by Dimensions Gold Collection.  I started this one in 1998 and was making great progress on it for a few months, then it got put away and never touched again until 2012.  Now I have cross stitch friends all over the internet encouraging me to keep stitching until this one is finished!  I post an update on this one in the YOTA SAL on the first Saturday each month.  Here is the pic from the last post, when I started stitching the zebra stripes.

Universal Unity update #19

Since the last WIPocalypse update, I have had 3 more finishes, but the list of WIPs on my WIPocalypse page is still at 90.  I finished Stained Glass Nativity, Mary Mouse, and Boo!

On my Saturday SAL with Linda and Kaye, I stitched 5 rows of the basket on Fall Welcome.

Fall Welcome update #13

On my Sunday SAL with Linda and Kaye, I finished the 6th day of Santa's 12 Days of Christmas!  Now the whole project is officially halfway done!  We have more members in our Prairie Schooler Santa's 12 Days of Christmas Sunday SAL Facebook group, too!

Santa's 12 Days of Christmas (Day 6) FINISHED!

Santa's 12 Days of Christmas (Days 1-6)

"Santa's 12 Days of Christmas" (Day 6)
Book No. 126
Designed by Pamela Byrd Smith
The Prairie Schooler
28 ct mushroom evenweave
Started 5/4/2014, Finished 8/11/2014

In the Bothy Threads Cut Thru' Monday SAL, I reached the bottom left corner of Cut Thru' North Pole House and stitched some water.  I'm looking forward to using the variegated floss in the water, which is the same color floss that I used for the water in Cut Thru' Igloo.

Cut Thru' North Pole House udpate #12

Be sure to check Measi's blog for a list of other bloggers with WIPocalypse updates this month!

YOTA - August

Today is the first Saturday of the month and time for the YOTA (Year of the Acronym) UFO SAL update hosted by Pull the Other Thread.  Universal Unity is a Dimensions Gold Collection kit that I started in 1998.

I missed July since I was on vacation, but here is the before pic from the June YOTA post:

Universal Unity (before)

I started filling in the stripes of the zebra.  You'd think they were only white, but there are actually 5 different symbols and some of them are tweeded (blended) colors of different strands of floss!

Universal Unity update #19

My goal is to finish the zebra and the grass around him and the backstitching for the next YOTA update!

YOTA update - June

Today is the first Saturday of the month and time for the YOTA (Year of the Acronym) UFO SAL update hosted by Pull the Other Thread.  Universal Unity is a Dimensions Gold Collection kit that I started in 1998.

Here is the before pic from the May YOTA post:

Universal Unity (before)

Almost everyone voted that I stitch the zebra next.  The black stripes are done but there is so much more to stitch!

Universal Unity update #18

I hope to have a full zebra next time!

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!

YOTA Update - May

Yesterday was the first Saturday of the month and time for the YOTA (Year of the Acronym) UFO SAL update hosted by Pull the Other Thread.  Universal Unity is a Dimensions Gold Collection kit that I started in 1998.

Here is the before pic from the April YOTA post:

Universal Unity (before)

I stitched more grass under the tiger.  There are many different symbols for the grass with 3 strands of floss, blending 2 of one color and 1 of another color. I love the effect!

Universal Unity update #16

Which animal should I stitch next, the zebra or the ram?

YOTA update - April

The first Saturday of the month is time for the YOTA (Year of the Acronym) UFO SAL update hosted by Pull the Other Thread.  Universal Unity is a Dimensions Gold Collection kit that I started in 1998.

Here is the before pic from the March YOTA post:

Universal Unity (before)

I finished the fox and stitched more on the raccoon.

Universal Unity update #15

I should work on all the grass under the tiger next time.  Happy Stitching, everyone!

YOTA UFO update and TUSAL - February

It's the first Saturday of the month again and time for the YOTA (Year of the Acronym) UFO SAL update hosted by Pull the Other Thread.  Universal Unity is a Dimensions Gold Collection kit that I started in 1998.

Here is the before pic from the January YOTA post:

Universal Unity (before)

I finished stitching the Earth and started the fox!

Universal Unity update #14

It's also time for the Totally Useless Stitch-Along (TUSAL).  My ORT jar is starting to fill up!  There are bits of yarn in there too from the Stained Glass Nativity needlepoint. Check in on Daffycat's blog with a link to your TUSAL blog post, too!

TUSAL 2014 #3

Grow Your Blog giveaway winner!

I finished stitching the Earth on Universal Unity.  This is a Dimensions Gold Collection kit that I started in 1998.  It's about halfway done now!

Universal Unity update #13

I'll post another update on March 1 for the YOTA SAL.  The animal I'll be stitching next will be the fox.

The winner of the Grow Your Blog party $20 gift certificate to 123Stitch is . . .

Sheryl of Sewing After Seven!

 Sheryl S. said...

Hi Debbie, Returning your visit. I´m still making my way through the GYB list. Your work is lovely and I will follow your progress on all the new projects. be back to read more.

February 3, 2014 at 9:18 AM

 

I was also a winner of the Stitch From Stash drawing last month.  I received all the Prairie Schooler alphabet charts!  Has anyone else stitched these?  Is there a SAL group?  Shall we plan one for next year?

The Prairie Schooler alphabet series

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

Turtle Trot SAL - September

For the Turtle Trot SAL, we choose 13 WIPs to work on and post progress pics on the 13th of every month.  I finished another one, so now I'm down to only 11.

Here is my progress since August.  You can click on the picture to see it bigger.

Universal Unity:  I stitched more grass and the raccoon.

Universal Unity (before)

Universal Unity update #11

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

The Sorcerer (before)

The Sorcerer update #7

Flaming June:  I stitched more sky and started some water.  Page 1 is halfway done!

Flaming June (before)

Flaming June update #5

Merry Christmas:  I stitched the letter S using DMC 115, variegated garnet.

Merry Christmas (before)

Merry Christmas update #6

Disney Princess Birth Announcement:  Cinderella has more hair and a blue ribbon.

Disney Princess Birth Announcement (before)

Disney Princess Birth Announcement update #5

Passione Ricamo Fairy Mystery SAL:  I stitched more rows of blue background.

Fairy Mystery SAL (before)

Passione Ricamo Fairy Mystery SAL update #4

Day of the Dead:  This one is finished!

Day of the Dead (before)

Day of the Dead - FINISHED!

Orange Poppies:  You can barely tell any difference, but I did 32 more stitches of orange!

Orange Poppies (before)

Orange Poppies update #4

Canyon Waterfall:  I filled in more confetti in the trees and started the clouds.

Canyon Waterfall (before)

Canyon Waterfall update #2