Mad Stitching in March

Most of my stitching in March were for challenges. I doubled up on some and managed to get 3 finishes. WIPocalypse's March Challenge was to make at lease one stitch on a WIP each day of the month. Halloween Cross Stitch Challenge (HCSC) had a challenge to stitch at least 100 stitches per week on a project for their "Haunted New Orleans Tour Challenge". I used Nevermore, Lila's Studio for both of these challenges. Nevermore was also my project for  HCSC's Big Spooky 3 in 2023 Challenge, stitch 3 larger Halloweenish projects through the year. This was my project for the first quarter. As a result the bottom border of Nevermore (that I was dreading) is done.

My starting point.

My progress. 

Nevermore, Lila's Studio

I finished Spring Has Sprung, Country Cottage Needleworks, HCSC Year of the Rabbit SAL. I wanted to get this one done for Spring this year. I was able to complete the stitching. Now I'm on the hunt for a suitable frame.

Spring Has Sprung, Country Cottage Needleworks.

I also finished stitching the last three hexes from American Patchwork Quilt Magazine. 

Now that I have all six done, I'm all set to put them together. I think I will finish them on a pillow as Cathy Haberman finished hers in the magazine.

As Life Wears Away has some other colors (aside from green). This Carriage House Samplings chart is all cross stitch and packs a lot of stitches in to achieve the bargello look. It was designed for satin or cross stitch. I choose cross stitch. Carriage House Samplings was the Designer Focus with GaRon Stitchey for March.

As Life Wears Away, Carriage House Samplings

I will continue this one in April. My other plans include Blooming Tiny Town, Heart In Hand, Strawberry House, Scarlett House and my WIPGO #5, Prince of Peace, Erica Michaels, and #17 Mabel Tuke 1991, Sassafras Samplers

.

My final finish for March was my ornament.

12 Days of Christmas Stocking,

Annie Beez.

Thanks for stopping by, 

Gwen

 

     

2March,2023

My February Smalls Finish were three of the six hexes from Hands on Design. Hope to complete the others in March then work on the pillow. Well at least I think I will finish them into a version or the pillow that Cathy did.

Petals and Plume, Hands on Designs

WIPocalypse: Goal to work on and share the projects we want to complete before the 'End of the World. Our host on this quest is Mel of Measi's Musings. 

Mel's February question to fellow stitchers was:

 

What stitch-a-longs (SALs) are you participating in this year?

1. Magazine Monthly Cross Stitch Challenge

2. Halloween Cross Stitch Challenge

3. WIPGO 2023

4. Christmas Ornie SAL 2023

5. Cross Stitch 25/7 

This Month I will also add GaRon Stitchery Designer Focus of the Month. I am already working on a project by Carriage House Samplings.

I managed to get in a few more stitches on Nevermore and Blooming Tiny Town.

Nevermore, Lila's Studio

Blooming Tiny Town, Heart In Hand

I have a few new starts that will be popping up in a post soon.

My WIPGO projects for March are:

#2 Monica

#22 12 Days of Christmas Stocking

Thanks for stopping by,

Gwen

 

September-October 2022

Winter Wonderland was my start for the September Designer Focus. Designer is Glendon Place. I only managed a portion of the border and a start on the antlers. I have a bit more of the border on the right than this picture. Will continue working on this to see how far I can get.

I also worked on Monica, Mabel Tuke, Cinnamon Stars, and Lady Justice. I had a start and finish on Hands on Design Hello September. 

October's start and finish was Cricket Collection's Why Is It? Cricket Collection was GaRon Designer Focus for October. 

Why Is It?

Cricket Collection

This year I was able to attend Friendstitch. This Zoom retreat held by Heart in Hand and Bent Creek was a blast. I was in the morning session. The projects, videos and swag made it a great experience. I look forward to attending next year. 

Christmas Bird - pre-stitched project

 Two ornaments from the Friendstitch Retreat.

I stitched and finished some Halloween pieces most are in the previous post. I also finished the last part of Casting A Spell, Blackbird Designs. It's now ready to be fully finished for next year. My box is painted and ready to go.

Thanks for stopping by,

Gwen

 

Treats No Tricks 2022

B O

Enter if you dare!!

Welcome to Jo's Halloween Trick or Treat 2022 Blog Hop.

Mummy's Favorite was one of three Just Cross Stitch Halloween Ornaments that I stitched this year. Mummy's Favorite and Spider were from the 2022 Issue and Spooky Cat was in the 2021 Issue.

 I also stitched Trick or Treat from Signs of the Season by Hands On Design.

Did you get the Clue? My letter for this Hop is the letter:

'O'.

Hope you will Hop on over to : 

Visit Mouse for the next letter. : https://talesofastitchingmouse.blogspot.com/

All Treats no Tricks!!!

Gwen

 

January 25, 2022

I have another Valentine finish. I stitched a second heart by JBW. This one is the Scalloped Heart from French Country Hearts I.

                                                 

Scalloped Heart

JBW Designs

The first 24 hours of Cross Stitch Marathon for 2022 was this past weekend. I managed 22 hours and yes, I'm still Team Sleep, that's not going to change. My focus piece was Lady Justice. She is also number 2 on my WIPGO board, so she helped with both challenges. I started the sampler Olive Harrowgate 1737, from Punch Needle and Primitive Stitcher Magazine and Love You a HOD freebie. My start on Olive Harrowgate is very small but it's a start. She is not a very big sampler (160x72 stitches) and is stitched with only 4 colors so it shouldn't take to long to complete; if I get back to her soon. By the time I started the HOD chart the frogs came for a visit. I frogged at least 3-4 times before I gave up. It's a lovely piece and a quick stitch so I will finish stitching it this week and hopefully FFO it this weekend.

Olive Harrowgate

Punch Needle and Primitive Stitcher Magazine

2021 Spring Issue

Lady Justice- before

Mirabilia

Lady Justice- after

Love You

Hands on Designs

Thanks for stopping by, 

 Gwen

Mid-November Progress

Do you see what I see? 

Name Tree

M Designs

A near finish on my ornament for DN!

I just need to finish the first letter of her name and the tree stand. Then on to the beading.

12 Days

Hands On Designs

I finally finished stitching day 11 of Hands On Design's 12 Days. I used Kreinik #4 Braid  to give the pipes a brass look. One more to go and this 12 Days of Christmas series will be done.

Nessie Michell

Michelle Baddeley

Jacob of Modern Folk Embroidery and many other IG stitchers have been stitching #blacksamplernovember. I am stitching Nessie Mitchell by Michelle of mommalovesyougb (IG) for this hash tag. My goal was to complete the first row this month. Well I managed to get the first and second rows done.

Earlier this month I finished The Cat from Casting a Spell by Blackbird Designs. I am so close to having all the projects done from this book that I decided it was time to paint my box.  

The Cat - Casting a Spell

Blackbird Designs

The box has 1 coat of black and 2 coats of Burnt Umber. I wanted my box more dark chocolate than black. Next up I plan to do some distressing and then adding some wax to seal the box. 

Today I received fabric and spool for the IStitch Advent Stitch. I got some of the plain white and a piece with a green edge. I just need to pull threads. 

Thanks for stopping by,

Gwen

October2021

 In October I was able to make some real progress and got some projects finished. Yeah!!

Autumn Spice, Fat Quarter Shops', Stitch Quarterly for Sep/Oct is done. 

I dunked my fabric in some weak tea to bring down the brightness. I thought the fabric was a little to white for an Autumn piece. I stitched it with the called for DMC. I left off the bottom leaves and the words.

I am so loving Primitive Christmas Pillow, by Abbey Rose. The font is fabulous, and the colors are so rich. I wish she would chart the whole alphabet in this font.

My Christmas Ornaments for Oct. were 10 Lords, 12 Days by Hands On Design, and 2 more name ornaments. One name ornament is finished and beaded and the other is close to a finish. The Ten Lords was my WIPGo number 11.

I'm still working on this one for my DN.

Name ornaments, by M Designs

One other finish for the month was Busy Hands by Kathy Barrick.

So happy to have this as a finish.

November's WIPGo Numbers are 14 (Halloween at Hollyberry Farm, I'm so close to a finish) and 16 (Hello Summer). That leaves just 2 more numbers to be called in December. I will post an updated board here as soon as I can get it updated.

Thanks for stopping by,

Gwen

Lots to Share

 As we head into June I've a few finishes to share. 

First up is a finish on Hands on Design 12 Days, 10 Ladies. This has been languishing for some time now. I was finally able to finish the stitching. That leaves just three more in this series. HOD, 12 Days and The Game were my WIPGO numbers (#19 and #22) for May. I was able to complete my 5 hours  of stitching on The Game. 

12 Days

Hands on Design

I also stitched the Halloween block from Casting a Spell.

Casting a Spell

Blackbird Designs

 
My second 12 Days of Christmas Series is the 12 Berries of Christmas, Erica Michaels. I completed the stitching on berry number 4 and stitched berry number 5.

12 Berries of Christmas 

Erica Michaels

 The Shepherd from Starry Night, Blackbird Designs is done. 

Starry Night 

Blackbird Designs

The fob for my Blue Ribbon Tax Day SAL on IG is stitched and I have a small start on the needlebook. I will need to decide about the container soon. I will not be doing the tree. It would require too much to get it just right. I 'll be opting for something simpler. I have a few ideas just need to decide on one.

Just Add Tinsel

Blue Ribbon Design

The main finish for May was Portrait  In Red. Love, love her. I've already started working on her companion Portrait in Blue.

Thanks for Stopping By.