Two Finishes For WIP Wednesday!

Two happy dances to share with you all today. I could not decide on what to put up above the main body of the design I was stitching, nor could I find an appropriate font, this baby is finished as of now. I may go back at a later time and stitch a saying that is appropriate for the design, but as I have been waffling on whether to do it or not, I am keeping this as is. I truly enjoyed stitching this guy and I plan on stitching it several more times as the design is perfect for fall. 

Here is finish number one:

Design: Autumn's Bounty

Designer: Marva Owen for Black Star Designs 

Fibers Used: Crescent Colours cotton floss in Toasted Marshmallow. The Gentle Art Sampler Threads in Black Crow, Buttercrunch, Dried Thyme, Maple Syrup, Nutmeg, and Sarsaparilla. 

Fabric Used: 32 count Belfast linen in Legacy  by Picture This Plus, from their Crystal line.

Accouterments: Mill Hill beads in #03049 Rich Red 

Stitchers' Notes: Began Friday, August 3, 2018. Finished Monday, August 20, 2018. Changed pumpkin from orange to white. Substituted Algerian eyelet stitches for  Mill Hill beads in #03049 Rich Red  seed beads. Please note that this chart is OOP and very hard to find. Please also note that this chart is not for sale/trade. 

As of Wednesday, August 15, 2018:

Finished Monday, August 20, 2018:

Finish number two comes in the form of a Mill Hill kit that I purchased on a buy/sell group on Facebook. It was a bargain at $2.50, IMO. This was my first time using the included perforated paper. I am not sure that I like stitching on paper. The floss got caught in the corners an awful lot, which became annoying after a while. 

Here is finish number two:

Design: Caramel Apple (MH18-9203)

Designer: Mill Hill

Fibers Used:  DMC Embroidery Floss Art. 117 as called for in the chart

Fabric Used: 14 count Antique Brown perforated paper by Mill Hill

Accouterments: Mill Hill beads as called for in the kit. 

Stitchers' Notes: Began Tuesday, August 21, 2018. Finished Wednesday, August 22, 2018. Left off beadwork at the top of the design. 

Time for me to be off. I need to clean up my area and check on dinner. Hope everyone is having a great week. Happy stitching!

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Respectfully submitted,

C. 

Woohoo! Another Finish!

I am very, very happy that I managed to finish this little guy up before the end of the month. It went a LOT quicker than I had anticipated and I had a lot of fun stitching it. I am not sure how I will finish this off, but for now, the stitching is done and I have my third finish of the month. 

Design: Keep Love

Designer: Shepherd's Bush

Fabric Used: Weeks Dye Works' 30 count linen in Charlottes' Pink

Fibers Used: As provided in the kit. 

Stitchers' Notes: Kit purchased complete from a Facebook cross stitch selling group. Left off wording. Third finish of 2018.

Time for me to be off. I hope everyone is having a great weekend. Happy stitching! :)

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Respectfully submitted,

C. 

Victorian Thistles Bookmark Finish

I have managed to finish up my second project of the year. That is one per month, which is ok, considering that work has been crazy busy here lately. I purchased this on one of my selling groups on Facebook. The kit generally retails for around $15.00 US. I managed to snag the entire kit for around $5.00. I had a lot of fun stitching this. I am waiting on the glue to dry on the felt backing, so that it may be included in my bookmark collection. 

Well, at any rate, here is February's finish. And actually fully finished this time! :D

Design: Victorian Thistles bookmark

Designer: Textile Heritage

Fabric Used: 15 count aida band

Fibers Used: Unknown. As provided in the kit.

Stitchers' Notes: Finished Wednesday February 21, 2018. Complete kit purchased from a cross stitch stash selling group on Facebook. Second finish of 2018. 

Well, time for me to be off. I hope everyone is having a great month. Happy stitching! 

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Respectfully submitted,

C. 

Faded Glory Framed And A New Finish

It took almost two years to finally get this one framed. I had wanted to get this professionally framed, however, after doing some pricing, I could not justify the cost. I decided instead to frame the piece using a nice frame purchased either secondhand or from a shop. I finally found the perfect frame and today was spent getting it centered just so. It reminds me of the Victorian Mourning Frames that were used long ago. 

As the piece was both a gift for my father on his last birthday and had become a mourning piece, I think it is fitting. 

At any rate, here is the finished product:

Design: Faded Glory from Portrait of the Civil War Book #119 (an OOP booklet)

Designer: Jeanette Crews Designs

Fabric: 26 count undyed natural dirty linen

Fibers: DMC 347, 415, 762, 930, 931, and 3328

Stitchers' Notes: Frame by Green Tree Galley, Oklahoma City, OK. Frame is 10 by 8 inches. Frame #829135; PO W0178685. 

I really do think that it sets off the piece nicely. The piece is now on one of my bookshelves where I can see it every day.  

I also have a finish for today. It is not a patriotic piece, however, I did have a lot of fun stitching this design. I purchased the kit at 40% off the price, so that was nice. I also substituted the 18 count aida for linen as I did not like the way the aida was preconfigured to make it into a potpourri bag. There are three designs in the kit, and I chose my favorite one to stitch:

Design: Flowers and Butterflies Tulips (Kit #PN-0154964)

Designer: Vera Verachtert for Vervaco

Fabric:  36 count Edinburgh linen in Antique White

Fibers Used: DMC Embroidery Floss Art. 117 in 445, 742, 946, 963, 957, 601, 600, 747, 157, 3838, 791, 211, 340, 333, 550, 907, and 906. 

Accoutrements : Mill Hill beads in #40252 Iris, #40479 White, and #42101 Purple. 

Stitchers' Notes: Converted kit floss to DMC colors. Substituted 36 count Edinburgh linen for the 18 count aida that was included in the kit. Will stitch remaining designs at a later date. 

I must be off. It's time for dinner and I need to clean up my stitching area in order to start my next project. I hope every has a Happy 4th of July!

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Respectfully submitted,

C. 

Morado Calavera*

*Spanish for Purple Skull


I am really loving these Mill Hill kits. They are at a good price and contain everything that you need. They are very generous on the amount of floss and beads in the kit and best of all, they provide the DMC and Mill Hill numbers that were used. I appreciate this information, as I have, at times, run out of materials and need to get more. I also have a tendency to stitch a design more than once, so it is nice to be able to stitch the kit again without having to purchase a whole new kit. 

This is another piece that I took my time stitching. I suppose in the long run it does not matter, as I have made my unofficial yearly goal of 12 projects completed.  I have two more projects planned for these last two months of the year, one more fall related piece for the month of November and a Christmas one to stitch the day after Thanksgiving. I do not think I will be able to finish any more from the Bin O'Shame this year. I did manage to finish 7 of those projects this year, and that is 7 more than I had at the beginning of the year. 

At any rate, here is another small finish. I think this would make a really neat box topper or possibly even a fabric ornament. 

Design: Morado (MH16-1621)

Designer: Mill Hill

Fabric Used: 32 count Cashel linen in Fog by Picture This Plus from their Crystal (opalescent) line

Fibers Used: DMC Embroidery Floss Art. 117 in 165, 310, 340, 550, 718, 720, and 3809. 

Accoutrements : Mill Hill beads in #00479 White, #02033 Brilliant Orange, #02077 Brilliant Magenta, #02089 Brilliant Sea Blue, #40252 Iris, #40479 White, #42031 Citron, #42101 Purple. 

Well, I had best be off. Lots to do today. I hope everyone is having a fantastic week! 

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Respectfully submitted,

C. 

Under The Wire

I have always been fascinated with the origin's of phrases and words. In this case, the expression 'under the wire', is believed to have originated from horse racing, where a wire was hung up over the finish line to help determine a winner. Thus, races that were extremely close could be described as "coming down to the wire," quite literally.

In my case, this means, I have managed to sneak in yet another completed stitched piece before the end of the month. After I had finished up the Easter Fairy, I went through  Kit Mountain,  Leaflet Silo and on with the Bin O'Shame again to see if anything was grabbing me. I decided to go ahead and bite the bullet and stitch this one up. I think this series has the distinction of being both in Kit Mountain and in the Bin O'Shame, simultaneously. The kit was purchased around 2003 or 2004 and had left to rot until I managed decided to get off of my duff and finish the stitching on the Winter Cat in July of 2015. This was followed by the Summer Cat in August of 2015 and then the Autumn Cat in September of 2015. I think very much like Christmas At Hawk Run Hollow, it is both UFO and finish at the same time. Schrödinger's projects, if you will. 

The Spring Cat was left to languish until now. I have no idea why. It is quite possible that I was just not 'into' the coloring of this cat. I really should have changed the coloring to that of my beloved and much missed Ozzy. I think it would have popped better on the fabric. Ah, well. As is my custom, a day late and a dollar short (any action that was taken too late and is too feeble to be of any use, for the curious :) ). 

At any rate, this series is now completed in its' entirety. I am thankful for that. Now, I need to find a frame that will show all of them off. I am thinking of just one frame for all four projects. This way, I can pop them in and out of the frame at will. I seem to be one of these stitchers that is more interested in making sure money is spent on stitching projects, rather than using money to complete them. :)

Design: Cats For All Seasons Spring Cat (4 of 4)

Designer: Nancy Javier and Barbara Finwall of Banar Designs

Fabric: 14 count khaki aida of unknown manufacturer

Fibers Used: Unknown as provided in the kit

Bling Used: Mill Hill beads #42014 Petite Black seed beads

Stitcher's Notes: Kits previously purchased around 2003 or 2004. Substituted beads for cat's eyes and nose. Left off wording at the bottom. Seasonal cat number four out of four. Series completed as of Tuesday, March 29, 2016. 

Finished Tuesday, March 29, 2016:

Well, time for me to go. I hope everyone is having a great week so far!

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Respectfully submitted,

C. 

Overnight Shift Weekend Finish

I am so happy this one is finished. While it went quite quickly, I didn't really enjoy stitching it. The symbols that were used were a bit confusing, so I wasn't able to rip through it as quickly as I could have. Still in all, it *is* finished, and that is all that matters. 

Design: Antique Roses (greeting card kit)

Designer: Hallmark

Fabric Used: Unknown 16 count. The nearest approximation is Stoney Point by Wichelt

Fibers Used: Unknown as provided in the kit. It is probable that it is DMC Embroidery Floss Art. 117 

Stitcher's Notes: Kit included in a birthday card for mom. Card purchased in Virginia in either 1995 or 1996 at a Hallmark Gold Crown store. Returned to the project on Thursday, January 14, 2016. 

As of Friday, January 15, 2016:

Finished Sunday, January 17, 2016:

It is a bit overcast today, so the picture is not as nice as I would like it. The fabric is actually the exact color in the first picture. It's more of a seafoam green, rather than the sage color in the finish picture. DH remarked on the very Victorian feel to it. I think once I get my sewing machine, this one will be turned into a small pillow. I am picturing lots of lace and things. 

Well, I had best be off. A headache has now set in and I am in need of a nap. I hope everyone is having a great weekend.

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Respectfully submitted,

C. 

First World Stitcher Problems

One of the downsides to having only one hobby is the accumulation of so. much. stuff! over a very long period of time. Occasionally, I love to paw through it to see what I have. It's like shopping at home without having to change out of your jammies :D. 

And then there is the flip side of the coin. Where one runs into abandoned projects that are so old that they can be carbon dated. It is really not fun when it is a kit and there are no DMC numbers involved. Which is frustrating. The good news is, I had the foresight to purchase a second one of these because I was terrified that I was going to run out of floss. Even pre-internet days, word had gotten around that the floss amounts in kits was not so great! 

Here it is. Number three from the Bin O'Shame projects and another 20+ year UFO at that!

Design: Antique Roses (greeting card kit)

Designer: Hallmark

Fabric Used: Unknown 16 count. The nearest approximation is Stoney Point by Wichelt

Fibers Used: Unknown as provided in the kit. It is probable that it is DMC Embroidery Floss Art. 117 

Stitcher's Notes: Kit included in a birthday card for mom. Card purchased in Virginia in either 1995 or 1996 at a Hallmark Gold Crown store. Returned to the project on Thursday, January 14, 2016. 

Project as of Thursday, January 14, 2016:

As of Friday, January 15, 2016:

I have the weekend which is good. I should be able to make some serious headway on this piece. Michelle Sayetta of Heaven and Earth Designs has issue another challenge on the official Heaven and Earth Designs Facebook group. This challenge is 1000 stitches in stair step stitching. The challenge begins today and runs until March. I did sign up for the challenge as the QS Evil Queen could stand some attention. However, I am not too entirely certain that I am going to enjoy this type of stitching as it leaves other blocks unstitched. I prefer to stitch all of one color whenever there are huge blocks of color. I think it will be annoying to have to go back and fill all that other stuff in. Still, in all, the point of the challenge is to think outside of the box and grow a bit as a stitcher. Even at my age, that's never a bad thing.

Well, I had best be off. It's time for breakfast and there are chores that need attention. I hope everyone has a great weekend! 

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Respectfully submitted,

C. 

Christmas Day Ornament Finish

This was one of those projects that probably should have taken an hour, but wound up taking four. Ah, well. It still managed to be a one day start and finish, so there is that. This was a cute piece that I picked up on clearance at an LNS for about around a dollar if memory serves me correct. Yes, the whole kit! Ornament, fibers, and beads. I had to supply the fabric and needle. I really do like the way this turned out. It's also ready made for next year, so there is that! :)

Design: Snow Bunnies Ornament (Possibly discontinued)

Designer: Praiseworthy Stitches

Fabric Used: 40 Count Vintage Country Mocha Newcastle linen by Zweigart 

Fibers Used: Probably  DMC Embroidery Floss Art. 117 in Blanc, 815, and 819. DMC Light Effects in Pearlescent White.  

Stitcher's Notes: Unknown beads as provided in the kit. One day start and finish. 

Started and Finished Friday, December 25, 2015:

Well, I had best be off. Tons to do today. Hope everyone had a fantastic Christmas! 

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Respectfully submitted,

C. 

Christmas Goodies

I had to get up at Oh, my God-thirty this morning in order to be at work today. DH and I are working the holidays this year, so that we can take time off when the rest of the world goes back to work. :)

We opened up presents as soon as it was light out and I am so excited about mine. DH received a map of the US National Parks, a camping pillow, and a solid t-shirt to hike in. I had him open his first because I just could not contain myself. He loved everything and was very pleased with my choices. 

Then I opened mine. This is the box that was presented to me:

I immediately had this spring to mind from The Nightmare Before Christmas:

What's this?

In here they've got a little tree, how queer

And who would ever think

And why?

They're covering it with tiny little things

They've got electric lights on strings

And there's a smile on everyone

So, now, correct me if I'm wrong

This looks like fun

This looks like fun

Oh, could it be I got my wish?

What's this?

I managed to preserve the bow, as it is just too pretty to throw out. I am certain that I can find a use for it. 

And then came the unveiling:

:O

Yes, folks, that is the semi kit Arezzo 2014 from Casa Cenina! It is only available from this shop. DH, Lord love him, even managed to snag this on sale so the final price with shipping was not *too* bad. I will be playing around with The Viewer today to see which fabrics will show her off the best. So exciting!

Well, I had best be off. I hope everyone is having a great Christmas and getting the stitchy stuff of their dreams!

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Respectfully submitted,

C. 

Zoom!

Well, I suppose I should find projects that do not take so long to finish. I started this latest one in the morning on Friday, and managed to finish it up as the buzzer was about to ring in early Sunday morning. I should probably dig out another Bin O'Shame project, but today I don't think I am feeling that. I may kit up and start  Plum Pudding Needleart's Blessed Be instead. I have the perfect fabric for it. I just hope I have enough for it, and the Seafarer's Globe by Maria Diaz. I probably will not start the Seafarer's Globe by Maria Diaz as Ozzy is not doing well at all. We took him to the vet yet again yesterday and one of his kidneys has gotten even larger than the last time and he has lost a little over half a pound in a week and a half. The vets are convinced (in theory) at least, that it is cancer, which even with treatment, means a 6 month reprieve and massive expense. My heart is breaking, but we do what we can, when we can do it for our loved ones, yes? Until then, we carry on with the knowledge that we are soon to lose those we love and ask Whoever Is In Charge to make it peaceful and merciful on all of us.  

Well, at any rate. Here it is. Another ridiculously quick finish. 

Design: Cats For All Seasons Autumn Cat (#3 of 4)

Designer: Nancy Javier and Barbara Finwall of Banar Designs for Better Homes and Gardens

Fabric: 14 count khaki aida of unknown manufacturer

Fibers Used: Unknown as provided in the kit

Bling Used:  Mill Hill beads in #02031 Citron

Stitcher's Notes: The Spring Cat is the last in the series to stitch. At this time, I do not know if I will post the charts for sale or not. The Winter Cat is my favorite of them all, and I can see myself stitching that one again and again. And I really do think these need to be sold as a whole set. I will figure it out at some point, I suppose. :)

Began Friday, September 4, 2015:

 Finished Saturday, September 4, 2015:

Well, I had best be off. I need to go get more coffee and figure out which 'coloring with needle and thread' project will be next. I bid you all a peaceful Sunday!

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Respectfully submitted,

C.