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

 

     

Twenty four Hours of Stitching

 The first 24 Hours of Cross Stitch Marathon of 2023 snuck up on me. I thought I had my calendar all set up but I missed 24HOC. I chanced upon a post and scrambled to get my projects together. I spent the weekend working on The Game, Nevermore, Hare's Spring, and As Life Wears Away. 

The Game, Artecy is my 25/7 project. My goal is to work 25 stitches or 25 minutes seven days per week. I've finally got started on Friday. I have a new plan for working this project and spent a lot of time working on the parked threads and setting up my new plan.

The Game

Artecy Cross Stitch

Nevermore is coming along nicely. I'm almost through with the raven.

Nevermore,

Lila's Studio

Hare's Spring is my Year of the Rabbit Challenge project, sponsored by Halloween Cross Stitch Challenge. I know, not Halloween but Ana knows we stitch other things as well. 

Hare's Spring

Plum Street Samplers

As Life Wears Away, what can I say. The top portion is my current goal. It has more stitching than I realized, but  I hope to get it done my my next stitching session on this project.

As Life Wears Away

Carriage House Samplings

The next marathon is April 21-23 I hope I can get at least get this much done again.

Thanks for stopping by,

Gwen

Week 1 of 2023!

 Hope your 2023 is off to a great stitchy start.

I managed a few finishes in 2022 and hope to mark off a few more finishes this year. 

1. Autumn at Hark Run Hollow

Block 3 is outlined and ready for some stitching.

2. Lady Justice

I'm almost finished with the lower right portion of her sash, then I'll continue with her dress.

3. Nevermore

Time to finish up the raven.

4. Cinnamon Stars

5. Outstretched Arms

6. The Game

7. As Life Wears Away

Are the WIPs that are now on the top of my stitching list. I also will be taking part in a few Challenges and SALs, again this year

WIPocalypse 2023

WIPGO 2023

Christmas Ornie SAL  and 

Halloween Cross Stitch Challenge are some that I'm taking part in so far.

Beading has also now a very prominent part of my crafting. I managed to complete a few projects last year as well. The inventory of beads and the pattern collection is expanding. Thus far I've been able to keep them organized so hopefully that will continue. Just need more hours in the day to get to everything.

Here's to a crafty 2023.

Thanks for stopping by,

GWEN

 

Three Finishes and A Marathon

 Brave New Year by Ink Circles,  the designer focus for April, is stitched. This is stitched with DMC 4515. Instead of stitching a year I plan to add this Mill Hill heart charm. Still need to decide exactly how I will finish the piece. 

Brave New Year, Ink Circles

I finally put the last stitch into Halloween at Hollyberry Farm. This was turning into The Neverending Project. So happy to have it done.

Halloween at Hollyberry Farm, Stacy Nash Primitives

My Christmas ornament for April was Yule Flower from JCS ornament issue 2004. 

Yule Flower, JSC Ornament Issue 2004

Fourteen hours, 31 minutes , 15 seconds. My total time stitching time for the April 24 Hours of Cross Stitch Marathon. I worked on Autumn at Hawk Run Hollow, and started a second Ink Circles project, Another Year Creeps By. It's just a small section of the border. I will be stitching this as one piece, instead of individual ornaments. 

Autumn at Hawk Run Hallow, Carriage House Samplings

I didn't meet my WIPGO goals but I did spend some time on The Game and Olive Harrowgate. The numbers for May are 8 (Hello Summer, Plum Street Samplers), 13 Free (Lady Justice, Mirabelia), and 14 (Lady Justice, Mirabelia). I wanted to make some make some real progress on Lady Justice, so I have her on my board several times. For May she got called twice. I'm a little over working on the green in her dress. Switching back to working on the ribbon of her sash seems like a great idea. May work 5 days on dress and 5 on sash. We will see. 

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

October projects and a finish!

 In my last post I showed my FFO'ed Thimble purse. Today I'm sharing two watch fobs. The fob on the left is crossed stitched, on the other fob the acorn is a padded satin stitch and the cap is French Knots. I used some batting when I attached the satin stitched acorn to the base and as a result the knots are a bit compressed and don't show up well.

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 I have been working on Busy Hands by Kathy Barrick and hope to be finished with this one soon.

My other progress has been on Primitive Merry Christmas Pillow by Abbey Rose Designs.

Autumn Spice, the Stitch Quarterly offering for September, 2021 from Fat Quarter Shop, is the other projects with the most progress this month. I need to stitch few more leaves and the stem. There are some leaves and the word Autumn at the bottom. I'm not sure I'll be stitching the bottom section. I saw a wooden acorn at Hobby Lobby that I would like to finish this one. Unfortunately, I didn't pick up the wooden shape when I saw it. Now the stores out as well as HL online. Here's hoping I can get lucky and find one or something else that I like as well.

I also have two ornaments that I want to work on this month. 

Thanks for stopping by,

Gwen

September Take 2

 This will be quick. I was seconds away from publishing and my entire post disappeared. No problem, I thought, I'll just go to the default backup and finish up. Did you guess? The default saved copy was no where to be found. So here's my second try.

For Sampler September/Sampler September Soiree I started 3 new samplers, Busy Hands, Kathy Barrick, All That Remains, Blackbird Designs, and Luz Gonzales - 1851. 

Busy Hands, Kathy Barrick

I've made the most progress on this sampler. I'm stitching on this one for 25 minutes each day. Since this picture I've finished most of the border and started on the basket the bird is perched on.

All That Remains, Blackbird Designs

Got the border started but needed to see some more so I got one motif and one bird done.

Luz Gonzales - 1851, Samplers Remembered 

This is a small start on a sampler I've had my eye on for awhile. Lots of color and interesting motifs to look forward to.

The WIPGO numbers for September were 15 and 25. My number 15 is Starry Night, Prairie Schooler, and number 25 is Nevermore. I finished Starry Night in June so I concentrated on Nevermore. This is my progress. Still working on the top left motif, it's a big one.

Nevermore, Lila's Studio

I had two small finishes.

Sunflower Seeds, Stitching with the Housewives

I plan to finish this like I did the Zinnia Seeds project, as a seed packet.

The second was the Family Tree, Thimble purse by Brenda Gravis.

Hope to update my WIPS next time,

WIPGO numbers for October are11 and 5. Number 5 is Portrait in Red, Green Apple Designs and 11 is Hands On Designs', 12 Days. Portrait in Red is finished so I'll be working on 12 Days. I have 3 more days to stitch, Days 10-12.

Thanks for stopping by, 

Gwen

August: What I Accomplished

This is the last stitching day in August. What did I accomplish? 

I worked on my Plum Street Designs, Hello Summer; The Game, by Artecy Designs; Tree of  Life Thimble Purse by Brenda Gervais; Hello Summer by FQS; Halloween at Hollyberry Farm, Stacy Nash; and Busy Hands by Kathy Barrick.

I made a mistake somewhere on Halloween at Hollyberry Farm border. I tried to fudge it without a lot of counting. Well that didn't go as well as I liked so....... I frogged all that I had stitched of the fence and bottom right side. I have most of the fence re-stitched and I'm working on the bottom right side, then I will re-stitch the fence posts. Fingers crossed for a better outcome this time.

The Game was one of the WIPGO numbers for August. I was to work on it for 5 days (5 hours this month). I only worked on it 1 day this month, so I missed out on a WIPGO in August. I hope to work some more on this one in September. The colors for The Game are muted as this is a sepia style painting. So I wouldn't be posting a picture just now. I really want to get to an area where the project is recognizable. My second WIPGO project was Hello Summer, by Plum Street Designs. I managed to meet my goal. I'm still working on the leaves, should be able to get a few more xs in tonight.

before

current progress

Yesterday, I started Busy Hands by Kathy Barrick. This chart was gift from by friend CarolB.

I started with an inside  border and wonder of wonders it met up, on the first try. Yeah!!!

I'm stitching this with NPI silks on 36ct Pioneer from Victoria Sampler Threads. The Spool of thread is stitched and the bird started. I'm loving this project.

I'm so excited! I managed two finishes. Yeah and double Yeah!

This has been in my stash since it's release. The Tree of Life Thimble Purse, is finally stitched and ready to be finished. 

The kit came with 2 pieces of fabric so I pulled out my alphabet books and stitched my initial on the second piece that will be the back of the purse. I did leave the alphabet off the front.

Hello Summer, Fat Quarter Shop 's June 2021 Stitch Quarterly Club.

To be finished as a flat fold or pillow for next summer.

WIPGO September : 15 & 25

My projects: 15 Starry Night, Prairie Schooler Completed June, 2021

25 Nevermore, Lila's Studio

This will be my starting point for September, WIPGO.

Thanks for stopping by,

Gwen