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

March WIPs and Finishes

 Time for the March Check-In for the Fully Finished Gallery SAL.

The goal of this SAL is to motivate stitchers to get their stitched projects fully finished, banishing the stuffed drawers and under the bed boxes that are full of items to be finished.  

I only have one FFO to share. I completed the stitching in February and the finishing in March. Snowmen Are Cool is an older pattern by Waxing Moon Designs. The snowman button from Just Another Button Company was substituted for the one on the model. I wasn't able to find the featured one. 

Snowmen Are Cool

Waxing Moon Designs

I've worked some more on One Dozen Quakers. It's so much fun working on it that is hard to put it down and move on to the next project. 

One Dozen Quakers

Rosewood Manor

The right most motif is done, now to move to a larger Q-Snap to complete the right side border.

Christmas Garden

Blackbird Designs

I worked on the basket/urn of flowers on the top area of Christmas Garden. Hopefully I will have better success when I tackle the top border again. I've taken it out at least three times it seems. Need to work on that counting mojo.

This month I'm also working on 2 Ornaments for Challenges. I working on 2 of my 12 Days of /Christmas Stockings.

 

12 Days of Christmas 

Annie Beez Folk Art

Thanks for stopping by,

Gwen

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

 

     

31 January, 2023

WIPOcalpyse hosted by: Mesai

 My January focus pieces for WIPOcalypse were Hare's Spring, Nevermore, Cinnamon Stars, and The Game. I completed the body of the raven. Just a few more rows and my raven will have claws. Hope to get that done tonight. Then on to the bottom border.

Nevermore, Lila's Studio  

I stitched more of the stars on Cinnamon Stars. I can get on a few more before I will need to move the Qsnaps. I think I will work some more on the fence and pumpkins before I make my move.

Cinnamon Stars, Plum Street Samplers

Hares' Spring is under 100 stitches so I guess it qualifies as a small. It's finished and so is my stocking from Annie Beez's, 12 Days of Christmas Stocking Ornament Club. One down 11 more to go.

Hares' Spring, Plum Street Samplers.

12 Days of Christmas Stocking Ornament , Annie Beez

Thanks for stopping by,

Gwen

June 2022

 I managed a lot of stitching days in June, but I only have three finishes. 

Blackwork Angel, Prairie Schooler

Noah's Christmas Ark I, Plum Street Samplers

Six Geese, Celebration of Needlework 12 Days of Christmas SAL

My Second Fully Finished was Hello Summer a Fat Quarter Shop Stitch Quarterly Cross Exclusive from 2021. It's mounted on a board from Shantell 141.

My WIPGO Number 16 Hello Summer, Plum Street Samplers was finished. No progress on Ann Rogers, number 9. 

July's numbers are 11, and 18. 

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

Some Christmas Stitching

It's the 15th of July. 

While I haven't stuck to my original plans, I have stitched Christmas every day so far. I plan to keep it up for the next 15 days.

My two finishes are Star, and Wish, both Shepherd Bush patterns. They are stitched on 10ct Lambswool Betsy Ross Linen using the recommended DMC. I did substitute white for the 712. The 712 didn't show up well on my fabric.

Both need their buttons added then they will be ready to fully finish.

My new start is Christmas in Red by Sue Hillis. These sled ornaments were charted for fabric but I'm stitching them on perforated paper with DMC 321. I plan to add a hanger and back them, for hanging ornaments. Hopefully I can get a few of these stitched while working on Day 9 of The 12 Berries of Christmas.

Progress on Day 9 The 12 Berries of Christmas

I would like to work on my name ornaments this month but the desire to work over one is eluding me. I  have two that I really want to get done. One just need beads added. Keeping my fingers crossed. 

Thanks for the visit.

Gwen

May Days

I squeaked in two more finishes last week to end the month. In addition to last week's finish of Month Markings, I finished Starry Night, and Pumpkin Spice a freebie from 21 Halloween Cross-Stitch Projects in 2021. I really love the look of the WDW Autumn Harvest thread.

Starry Night

Prairie Schooler

Stitched on black 28ct Lugana (I think)

A tad too big for an ornament, possibly a pillow or flat fold finish.

Pumpkin Spice

Hel Panda Ross

FlossTube/Instagram made me do it:

I pulled out Just Add Tinsel, Blue Ribbon Designs to stitch along with Lorrie of Mischievousstitches and friends. I finished the front and back of the Star Pinkeep. I had to made a design modification (wink, wink) since I had made the stars' outline too small and didn't want to frog. (Full disclosure, most of these two were already stitched. I just added the flowers etc.) The next piece I will be tackling is the scissor fob. One of the birds is almost done. 

Just Add Tinsel

Blue Ribbon Design

Laura and Brenda of Laura and  the Serial Starter have challenged the lovers of  Blackbird Designs to stitch a Blackbird Weekend on the first weekend each month. I have several started and a lot more planned, Soooo..., this past weekend pulled out  Casting A Spell. This is also on my WIPGO board so thought I could kill two birds with one stone. I worked on the border for the Halloween sign.

Casting a Spell

Blackbird Designs

SPEAKING OF:

The WIPGO numbers for May were posted last week and they are:

 

My projects are 22: The Game, goal stitch 5 days this month (about 5 hours)

My minuscule start.

The Game

Artecy Designs

My progress on Sunday after spending some time wrangling my threads and attempting to get better organized.

This sepia toned cross stitch is from an antique print. I'll have to make it about a 3rd the way down the left side (top of the chair back/top of girls head) before I can see any definition.

19: Hands on Design 12-Days  I have only 4 more of these ornaments to stitch. I have been stuck on Ladies Dancing for far to long. Not sure what my problem. Hopefully this will get me over the hump and I'll get the last 4 at least stitched this year.

12 Days

Hands on Designs

I will see if I can fit any of these into the May Acrostic on 24 Hours of Cross Stitch. 

Thanks for stopping by,

<span style="color: 41383c; font-family: VIVALDI; font-size: 40px;">Gwen</span></div>