WIPOCALYPSE OCTOBER 2014

The question asked this month is "Are you a Halloween or Christmas stitcher?" My answer is I can't decide, it kind of depends on which charts I see first. The stitching magazines for both usually come out around the same time and most of the local shops have Christmas in July and Halloween in May or June. As far as stitching goes I love both so which ever I see first that's which one I'm stitcher for the year. Like this year is Halloween.

 I stitched another Halloween ornament but it's for an exchange and can't share just yet. I have also been working on my Joan Elliott Mystery SAL this past month. Due to so much skin showing on this one and I'm stitching one over one it has taken a little longer but I'm loving every stitch.

 Almost done.  Then there are of course my Sept. Calendar Girl and Cake.

I love the little bee made of beads.  I managed to finish Katie Kitty from Brooke Books Productions.

None of my other wips have been touched but I'll give them all a little love soon. Until next time thank you all for stopping by and welcome to all new followers. Going to make some wonderful little xxs.

I Missed Wipocalypse Again!

I know, I know... it has been forever since I've been here or at least it feels like it to me. You all may not agree.  Well as always it's because I've been stitching a little. For some unknown reason I have become addicted to SALs. I finally finished the very first one I started, it is "Around the World in 80 Stitches" by Papillon Creations.  All of the stitches are done but here are about a million beads to be added.  I will get to them some other time.

This is stitched with all DMC flosses, the white is DMC 8 & 12 perle cottons, the fabric is a 28ct Jobelan in "Dusty Green", I even used DMC Jewel Effects (E130) as my metallic. The charts are still available, but I don't know for how long.

This one is a little in-between chart that I liked and stitched  up, it is "Love Never Fails" from The Primitive Hare. I stitched it on a scrap of fabric and I forget what it is but the floss is DMC variations # 4240.

This will eventually become a small decorative pillow.  Next is another update of yet another SAL, this is my "August Birthday Cake" from Brooke's Books Publications...

followed closely by "August Calendar Girl" from Little House Needleworks.

Another stitching finish that has been a long time coming is "Idelia Mae Rich", from Little by Little. This is only one of two charts that I know of, that are like this where the head is printed on paper and attached with glue before framing. From the chart this is how some pieces were done in the early 19th century.

Ms Rich was stitched on 36th ct Vintage linen in Butter-creme with DMC and Gentle Arts theads. I will have to find the perfect frame for her. Here we go again... 

another SAL. This one is "Early Witches" Halloween Mystery SAL from The Primitive Hare. This one is so much fun, it's not just the stitching but learning the history behind the Witches. You can Google their names and read their stories.  I can't wait for the next one. This next picture is an up-date of my World Cross Stitch Day project. It is my traveling project and I only get to stitch on it while riding with my hubby or waiting at the doctor's office. So not a lot of progress, but some.

It will be finished before the next WCSD (2015).  It is now September so of course I've started on the September Calendar Girl from LHN.

I just love her little basket of apples and her green pants.  Last but not least is the start of Brooke's Books "Advent Animals Collection" this is #1 of 25 so stay tuned for more up-dates.

I am stitching these on this one piece of fabric which is actually a kitchen towel.  

I am loving the way the colors (DMC) are popping on the Robin Egg Blue. So now you see why I have been missing.  I hurt my right shoulder back in late April or early May and finally found out that it is a torn rotator cuff. I've started physical therapy which has improved my range of motion already. It's a complete tear so I don't know if surgery will ever be in the plan but for now it's PT twice a week. Okay, enough jibber-jabber  it's time to go make some more wonderful little xxs.  Thanks for stopping by.  

IHSW August 2014

As this month's IHSW comes to a close I have a few things to share even through I didn't stitch as much as I would have liked to.  Normally Saturday evening is when I get the most stitching in but this Saturday night was Cirque Du Soleil "Amaluna", this was suppose to be hubby's birthday gift last Saturday but sadly he was sick as a dog and we missed it. Thankfully I was able to reschedule for last night's show and it was FUNTASTIC!   Now I didn't exactly stitch this during IHSW but I did finish part two of the Joan Elliott Mystery SAL, as I mentioned before this is what Joan called "Cottage Cat", who us stitchers named Hayzie Elliott.

As you can see I stitched his eyes, ears and nose 1 over 1.  I just love the way the eyes turned out, and here is the over all picture.

After that finish I decided that I should really get to work on the August Birthday cake but this is as far as I got.

And this other mystery SAL started calling me... it is "Early Witches" a Halloween Mystery SAL from The Primitive Hare. I actually haven't gotten too far on this one either.

   As I say,(and I'm making this up right now) any stitching is progress. And with that little pearl of wisdom I'm off to make some more wonderful little xxs. Thanks for stopping by.

August WIPOCALYPSE 2014

It's WIPOCALYSPE time again and I think I can dig up a few things to share to show that I haven't just been sitting around doing nothing. Lets see shall I start with my big finish for the month:

"Africa" is designed by Joan Elliott and is stitched on 28ct Jobelan, the color is Light Moss with DMC,  Kreinik and Mill Hill beads.  As soon as I find a frame worthy it will be framed.
Next up are my once-a-monthers, July Calendar Girl from LHN

 And of course my July Cake from Brook's Books Publishing, I think it's gorgeous.

Next is the next to last part of AW80S, it's part 23 but has to parts to it

                                                      

Just one more and it's a done deal. The next item is a new start, yes, I started something else. It is "Love Never Fails" by Isabella Abbiati from The Primitive Hare, stitched 28ct Cashel linen color Light Mocha with DMC color variation #4240 (Mid Summer Nights).

And another new start is "World Cross Stitch Day" this is a compilation of several designs by my good friend Phyllis Grundy. She along with several other friends in our Facebook group decided that we wanted to extend our SWAT (Stitch Week A-Thon) to everybody and created an annual WCSD. We started promoting it for the 2nd Friday, (08-08-14) in August. For a short notice event I think it was a great success and we hope next year will be even better. Next year WCSD will be 08-14-15 so mark that day on your calendar or you can pick up a button that you can add to your blog.  On this design I will stitch the dates of each WCSD.

Unfortunately I didn't finish yet but it's coming. The picture for your button is here

and the link is www.facebook.com/worldcrossstitchday

 Last but not least as you remember I am stitching the Joan Elliott Mystery SAL on Facebook and I shared the first part (Guardian Angel) a couple of post ago, here is the beginning of the second part (Cottage Cat) "Hayzie Elliott".

This months question or topic was "Tell us about your oldest and newest wips.  Well I really can't remember which is the oldest but "Africa" was one and then there are 

Rose Sampler

Three Kimonos

these poor babies have been neglected for some time now and  you've seen my newest above.  I know you are probably tired of me by now so I will stop here and go back to making some of those wonderful little xxs.  Thank you all for stopping by.
                                                       

   

July TUSAL

All of the goodies I shared pictures of in my last few posts produced lots of orts and they had to have somewhere to go, so they were collected in my little ball jar to become my July TUSAL. Actually I missed posting my June TUSAL so this is a double dose.

I know this is not the same without Mr. Jenkins, he had another engagement and couldn't make this post.  He will be here next time.
I wanted to share my "Guardian Angel" the first face in Joan Elliott's (facebook group) Mystery SAL.  The skin is stitched one over one on 28ct evenweave.  One over one stitching took longer but it was well worth the time.  Of course now all the other faces will have to be stitched one over one.

There are beads to be added in the empty spaces at the end.  I love this one.

I am a member of several facebook stitching groups and the group that has the SWAT (stitch week -a-thon) several times a year decided that maybe cross stitchers should have an annual World Cross Stitch Day it is   the 8th of August. Hopefully this will help preserve the art of cross stitching and show the designers that we love what they do. If you are interested and have a facebook account go to the WCSD page www.facebook.com/worldcrossstitchday and "like" the page. Join in the fun of stitching with other people all around the world.   Now back to making those wonderful little xxs. Thank you all for stopping by.

July IHSW 2014

With all of the stitching I shared in my last post this one is really light.  For the IHSW I concentrated on my Faces of Joan Elliott Mystery Stitch Along.  It is being stitched on 28ct DMC Charles Craft Monaco in white, all of the flosses are DMC.  I am trying to decide if I should stitch the skin 1 over 1. I want to but if I do all of the other faces will have to stitched that way too.  Anyway here is as far as I got.

Thank you all for stopping by, got to go make some more xxs.

M. I. A.

Not to worry, I have returned to my previous activities. Since I have some very important things to do on Saturday I will share my WIPOCALYPSE report today, first to answer this months question:  Do you start your holiday stitching this early?  Well I don't normally do holiday stitching unless there is  a specific ornament I want for myself or someone ask me to stitch one for them.  So the answer is no.   I do like to stitch for Halloween and this year I have already stitched two Halloween ornaments one I can't share yet it's for an exchange and the other is:

Double, double...

This is by from Prairie Schooler and is stitched on 32 ct Belfast linen (Limestone) with DMC black and RG Silk lame' braid for the eyes and flames. I stitched my June Calendar Girl from LHN with the suggested threads with exception to the skin tone.

June is my birth-month so she had to be a little like me.  I of course completed the 22nd part of AW80S, I can almost see the light at the end of this very long tunnel.

There are only three empty spaces left.  The backstitching on the these Ladies was completed.

This one was so much fun to stitch. I showed you the beginning of a set of cat names I was making for my sister, here is the finished set.

In case you can't read them, they are Mahogany, Lucky, Willow and Lourdes. She loves her Persians, they're her babies. I also finished another gift for a friend's birthday, you've seen it before but not like this.

She loves turtles and I think this was perfect for her, it even has a turtle charm at the bottom.  I gave another oldie a little attention and this one is nearly done.

Last but not least is a chart I saw in one of my Facebook groups and I fell in love with it as soon as I saw it.

This is by Primitive Hare and is named "Freedom 1865".  My version is a little different.

I wanted it to have a little more detail. so I changed the font so everything would match and added the complete date and the name of the holiday. It isn't a federal holiday but is recognized and celebrated in some parts of the country. This design is stitched on 28 ct PTP  (Ale).  I plan to make this one into a pillow.  Well I hope my returning post was worth the wait, thank you all for visiting and I hope you come again.  I'm off to make some more wonderful little xxs.

  

WIPOCALYPSE JUNE 2014

I will start this post by answering the question for this month, which is “Have you ever been to a stitching gathering such as a retreat or a festival? And I am to tell you about it. Well unfortunately I have never attended a retreat or stitching festival, but I do go to a stitch night at my local needlework store. It’s on the first and third Wednesday nights.  We have lock-ins about 3 times a year where stitchers from all over the area come and we stitch, we eat, there are drawings and special discounts on charts and fabric.  Well that’s my answer for this month now for some progress pictures.  

This month "Africa" got a little attention, there is only one corner of border and the last basket to finish and then the back stitching and beading fun can begin.

I completed the 21st part of AW80S, WOW! surprisingly I am still up to date on this one.

Here is my June birthday cake, compared to the others this one is really plain, I may have to bling it up a little.

I started this project for my sister (name pillows for her 4 Persians),Lucky is the first, three more to go. I can't remember where I got this chart for the cat letters, but I think it is so cute.

I just today finished up the first part of a Facebook based Joan Elliott Mystery SAL. I can hardly wait for the next part.

I now have about two weeks to start and finish my LHN June Calendar Girl, so I best get started making those wonderful little xxs.  Thanks for stopping by.