Sunday, June 1, 2025

May Stitching

 During May I touched quite a few projects. Unfortunately, no finishes. I worked some more on My Stitching Treasures. I’ve stitched a few more boxes and worked on the border. Once I complete the top border I’ll just need to fill the remaining boxes.

My Stitching Treasures

Jeannette Douglas

I’m about a month behind on my goals for Put A Bird On It, but I’m sure I be able to catch up. I will miss this month’s Zoom Stitch-In but will make it up soon.
Put A Bird On It
Modern Folk Embroidery
I had a new start as well, Organized Stitchery, by Shaded Stitchery.  I’m stitching on 32ct  PTP Fog with the called for DMC. I stitched this with my friend for Mental Health Care Awareness. The affirmations are really inspiring and I love the layout.
  
Organized Chaos
Shaded Stitchery
I’ll be continuing with my WIPs, Day of Jubilee, I Love Fall Most of All, Another Year Creeps By,  and try to get some stitches in on Simple Gifts. I think it’s time to add this one to the rotation.
Thanks for stopping by,
 Gwen


Thursday, May 1, 2025

Catch Up Time

Time to Catch Up

In March I worked on about 10 of my WIPs. I completed the stitching and fully finished my Easter Babies Berry from Erica Michaels in time for Easter.

During April, I continued working my WIPs with only one new start. I started The Beaded Dragonfly Tile, Chatelaine Designs. I’m stitching it on 32ct black lugana. Lots of light needed while working on this one. I’m loving the colors on the black fabric, there will be lots of beads on this also.
Beaded Dragonfly Tile
Chatelaine Designs
Working on Day of Jubilee by Silver Creek Samplers, and hoping I have started on a piece of fabric that’s large enough.  After measureing at least twice or 3 times now I’m wishing I had chosen a larger piece of fabric.
Day of Jubilee
Silver Creek Samplers
Almost at the half point with My Stitching Treasures, Jeannette Douglas. This is finally showing a lot of progress.
My Stitching Treasures
Jeannette Douglas
April finishes were block 3 of Autumn at Hark Run Hollow, Mill Hill Snow Angel, and Peacock Pincushion, Cottage Garden Samplings.
Autumn at Hark Run Hollow,
Carriage House Samplings
Mill Hill Snow Angel 
Need to attach the wings and add a bead wreath to the arms and this will be fully finished.
Peacock Pincushion,
Cottage Garden Samplings
***


Thanks for stopping by,
Gwen









 






 




Thursday, March 6, 2025

February, Part 2

While I’m anxious for Spring I’ve been working on Winter Wonderland, a freebie from Primrose Cottage.
Winter Wonderland
Primrose Cottage
My Stitching Treasures, Jeannette Douglas is one of the projects on my Year of WIPs. Hope I can find some of the right size.
My Stitching Treasures
Jeannette Douglas
For March I plan to work on the lower left area next.
After frogging several rows of the peacock; I was able to restitch and make some progress on Peacock Pincushion. I still need for stitch some more feathers and fill the others. Hope to finish this in March.
Peacock Pincushion 
Cottage Garden Samplings
I didn’t meet my February goal for Put a Bird On It or The Watergarden. I will need to put in quite a few stitches to catch up. 
My new start was Quiet Strength, Keslyn’s. I picked this pattern up when I visited Acorns and Threads back in August. 
 
I’m working her on 40ct white with the called for DMC. 
Thanks for stopping by,
Gwen

Sunday, February 16, 2025

Mid February Stitching

 Most of my January stitching was on BRRINGO calls. This year I did my first BRRINGO challenge, the brain child of Carolyn and Robyn - FB Magazine Monthly Challenge. The projects selected were based on prompts from Carolyn and Robyn. Each numbered project was randomly placed on a Bingo board.  Each day as a number was called the challenge was to work on the called project for 1 hour or 100 stitches. At the end of the month I had a Blackout.


  I’ve finished 2 projects from my BRRINGO  board and made some progress on a few others. 

Get In The Spirit - Brittercup Designs
Just Cross Stitch Ornament Issue 2009

Told In a Garden Angel - 1986 Freebie
Motif from Simple Gifts - Jeannette Douglas
This finish was a needle book for an exchange.
I thought I took a picture of the finished project before mailing, Can’t find it in my photos so I guess I didn’t.

This is my current progress on Put a Bird On It, and The Watergarden. 
Put a Bird On It -Modern Folk Embroidery
SAL with EJ of Sunshine Stitchers (FB)
The Watergarden - Chatelaine
SAL with FiberartsAmy and Maggie (FB)
I’m also working on Peacock Pincushion and Moonstone Garden. Pictures with next update.

Thanks for stopping by,
Gwen




Tuesday, January 7, 2025

Auld Lang Syne

December’s stitching was extremely unfocused. Most of my December stitching was on my reproduction sampler, AD 1757. I managed to stitch and fully finish one ornament, and had 3 starts.

Oh Holy Night, Shepherd’s Bush Kit
One new start was Simple Gifts Scissor Spool. This Jeanette Douglas design was kitted by Shepherd’s Needle for the FB group Homespun Needlework (Cross Stitch and Samplers) hosted by Julie Kursave. 

On  the 15th I started a new SAL with EJ of the Sunshine Stitchers. We have a great group of stitchers working on this 2024-2025 SAL, Put a Bird on It by Modern Folk Embroidery. This is my progress so far.
Put A Bird on It, Modern Folk Embroidery
My third start was The Watergarden, a Chatelaine mandala! Yes, I’ve started by first Chatelaine mandala. I have avoided these for many years but, I caved and will be working this with StitchingArtsAmy and Maggie in the FB group Chatelaine Watergarden SAL 2025. This was to be my New Year start but Maggie posted the first stage early so I took advantage and got an early start. 
The Watergarden, 
Martina Rosenberg, Chatelaine
I’m stitching on a 32ct fabric that I dyed.
Happy stitching in 2025 and thanks for stopping by,
Gwen



Wednesday, December 11, 2024

November Update


 So I ran out to steam last month. I did a lot of stitching (at least it seemed that way to me). I didn’t do a very good job of recording what I worked on. One thing for sure was that I worked on was AD 1757. This reproduction from my class at Sassy Jacks has caused me a lot of pain in the last few weeks. I had to made some modifications in order to get past a major mistake that I made. There was to reversing (frogging)for me, I had done to much when I realized my error. Just today I completed Section 4 in a manner that was acceptable to me. Now on to the Dividing Bands and Section 5. Fingers crossed that I’ll have better success from here on. Yes, I know that Band 3 isn't complete. I'm not a fan of that stain stitch alphabet, but I'll come back to it and get it done

AD 1757, reproduction
Black Swan Studios
Some of my stitching time was spent on Peacock Pincushion, Cottage Garden Samplings and my Fall Soiree piece from Sassy Jacks.
Peacock Pincushion
Cottage Garden Samplings

Fall Soiree, Dutch sampler
Sassafras Samplers
 My only completion was Doodles: Thanksgiving, Heart in Hand.  
Doodles: Thanksgiving
Heart In Hand
Not sure how I will finish it yet.

Thanks for stopping by,
Gwen

Wednesday, November 6, 2024

October

I had a chance to shop in a physical store in October. While visiting a friend in San Antonio we went to Comfort, TX to visit The Tinsmith's Wife.

Knitting, crocheting, needlepoint, and  punch needle are some of the craft supplies carried at the store. There are also lots of models for inspiration and an area for classes. If you are in the area it's well worth the visit.

 Along with my Mill Hill cats and beaded Jack from last post I managed two more finishes. I finished Autumn Row by Bent Creek and Pumpkin Row by October House Fiber Arts. I'm not sure how I will finish Autumn Row; must likely some type of framing. Pumpkin Row will be finished as a skinny mini pillow.

Autumn Row
Bent Creek
Pumpkin Row
October House Fiber Arts

My new start is Thankful, Bent Creek. 

Would like to finish this one this month.
My progress on Peacock Pincushion. I'm loving the colors on this very much.
Peacock Pincushion
Cottage Garden Samplings
I need to get some stitching done tonight.

Thanks for stopping by,
Gwen 

Wednesday, October 30, 2024

BOO!

 BOO!

It’s the Eve of Halloween.

Not much Halloween stitching got done in 2024.

My 2 Mill Hill cats and a beaded Jack were the only things that were completed.

Mill Hill Magic Kitty
Mini Jack, Cheryl Bryan, Hooking to the Beat
Mill Hill Haunted Kitty
Something of my previous finishes.
I’m still working on Another Year Creeps By. I’ve a small start on Halloween Square Dance 2, Heart  in Hand. I need to stitch Halloween all year long to make a dent in the to-be-stitched pile.

Sunday, October 6, 2024

September 2024

September turned out to be a very good stitchy month for me. For the first time I tried ABCingo. This stitching challenge is the brain child of CZook stitch and Robyn on the Facebook page Magazine Monthly Challenge. I selected 10 projects for this challenge; the goal being to stitch 1 hour or at least100 stitches on each project on the day it was called.

I was able to keep up and managed a Blackout!
For Sampler September, I pulled out Past and Present, Rosewood Manor and made some progress on it.


I think I’m working this on the called for 28ct Cream Cashel linen. Also using the suggested DMC and Weeks Dye Works, Pelican Gray. 
Will continue to work on the alphabets then the Blackwork and Darning Sections.
In addition to Sampler September I worked on a few Sunflower projects. I was able to complete a set from Creative Angle Crafting and Bumble Bouquet by Hands On Designs. 

Sunflower Star, Sunflower Beaded Scissor Case, Sunflower Scissor Fob, Creative Angle Crafting: Bumble Bouquet, Hands On Designs
I’m thinking of finishing Bumble Bouquet as a pillow.
Gwen














Sunday, September 1, 2024

August 2024

 The Summer Olympics 2024 was held July 26 - August 11, 2024. I took part in #stitchthesummerolympics on Instagram. I was able to stitch on all most all of the suggested prompts. I have completed the stitching on two of these projects and I’m in the progress of fully finishing one.

American Strawberries, Prairie Schooler
Soon this will be a strawberry, I just need to made and attach the top.
Prompts: Stitch something patriotic, Stitch with floss from a color in the Olympic rings
A Summer Road Trip, Silver Needle
Prompts: Stitch something related to Summer
I had some new starts, Peacock Pincushion, 12 Days of Christmas Stocking 7 Swans, and Slice of Harvest. 
Peacock Pincushion, Cottage Garden Samplings
Prompts: New start in 2024, Something round, and Something with an Animal

12 Days of Christmas-7 Swans
Prompt: Something with water
Slice of Harvest, Erica Michaels
Prompts: Something that is part of a series, and Something you can’t “weight” to work on.
Day of Jubilee was another of my SSO. I started stitching this with one strand but didin’t like the coverage so I’m stitching to 2 strands.
One Dozen Quaker, Rosewood manor was the project with the most progress and one of my finishes for August. 
One Dozen Quakers,
Rosewood Manor 
My other finish was Prince of Peace by Erica Michaels.
Prince of Peace
Erica Michaels
Thanks for stopping by, 
 Gwen