Mid March Update

Wanted to get a post in before we head off to Texas for the year.

Had a finish early this month:

Home of a Needleworker by Little House Needleworks

Thanks to Sampler Sundays at the Little House/Country Cottage facebook challenge this has finally been finished.







WIP Progress:

Coffee Quaker by Heartstring Samplers

I gotta tell ya, this project is really giving me fits.  After stitching one of the motifs three times, I found out it was in the wrong place....so time number four a moved it to its proper location....then, as I was preparing for the far right motif, I discovered I had done the "problem" motif in the wrong color....I am leaving it and adjusting the colors as needed.  Holy cow this project has become a pain.  But I am sticking with it.





The Library by Little House Needleworks

This is not on the Sampler Sunday list, but I am still working on this on Sundays




Linen & Threads 2020 SAL

Part 3 for March all done (the bottom three motifs).  I have still not decided on the initials at this point.  Perhaps if someone expresses an interest in having it when completed I can put in initials that have meaning for them.  Who knows.

A Perfect World by The Scarlett House

This project has lead me to discover I am not so fond of stitching houses.  It gets alot of attention, but is slow going.





Tis a Lovely Bird by Homespun Elegance

Thanks to a couple of hours in a waiting room this bird is coming along nicely  Would like to finish it this month but we will see.



Frances Pool by Brenda Gervais

Once again I am finding the colors a little strange, but I am going to stick with it as charted.  Sage green birds seem a little off to me, as to Red Rock colored squirrels!!  I am enjoying this very much.  I like that is not a huge sampler as some of the projects I have in the wings.

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Extras:

Another great find that my Mother-In-Law stitched from a Paragon kit in the mid 60's.  I feel so lucky to have it.  It fit perfectly in a frame from Amazon and hangs in the dining room with her other piece.






Most projects will be packed away during our trip and I will work on a select couple.  

We are planning a stop at The Attic needleshop in Mesa, AZ if time and weather permit.  Since I rarely visit an actual needle shop I am looking forward to it.  The last time I visited one many years ago I was so overwhelmed I did not buy anything!  

Thanks for stopping by.  I have still not mastered the "comments" section of this blogging thing so please know that I read the comments and I do reply, but my replies do not seem to show up!

January 2020 Recap WIPocalypse

Stitch-A-Longs in 2020:

I am participating in the Linen and Threads 2020 SAL which looks to be a Quaker Motif sampler.  We will see.  I have done the first part so I am caught up.  Doing this on one of the only pieces of fabric I thought would be large enough and am using Sulky #12.  I am enjoying working with the Sulky...



I am also going to participate in a SAL with Sitching Mae (UTube).  She is doing the Vintage Birds by Jeanette Douglas for her birthday.  I wanted to do this project this year so I am going to hold off starting it until April 15 or so.


New Starts this month:


Easter Parade by Brenda Gervais, Country Stitches

This is a "rest" project for me.  It is on 28 count Faerie Wispers from two over two so I don't have to have a magnifier!  It is also on the small side so I hope to have it finished this month or early February.






The Library by Little House Needleworks

Making progress participating with the Sunday Samplers at Little House Needleworks face group.  Thanks to Vonna for this wonderful idea.







A Perfect World by The Scarlet House

Using threads as called (Gentle Arts and Weeks) and doing it on 40 Ct. Flagstone linen by Lakeside Linens (I think this is the only Lakeside Linen I own!)

I am obsessed with this project for the moment, but I must admit that I cannot work on it for very long.  It is my first 40 count in a while and the first couple of days were a bit of a struggle.   it IS getting easier the more I work on it.




Progress on longstanding WIPs:

Knot Garden by Chatelaine Designs

Not making as much progress and I would like, so I am going to dedicate a day to work on it for a couple of hours.  I do enjoy putting the beads and specialty stitches in so I am not sure why I am avoiding this project.

Mini Mandala 01 by Chatelaine Designs

Have made a little progress here.  Got the DMC borders almost done.  Every time I work on this I wonder why I don't work on it more...I really like the colors and it is really sparkly with beads and crystals.



Home of a Needleworker by Little House Needleworks

This is my Sunday sampler project so it is coming along nicely.

Abandoned/Removing from Rotation this month:  These were just weighing on me so they are getting a time-out.

Quiet Harbor, Permin

Gardens of London, Chatelaine

Kitted and Prepped:
(meaning I have put on a frame and marked the center/starting location and organized all the threads and put it in a project bag)

Elizabeth Poole  by Threads of Gold

Elizabeth Jones by La D Da

Will fill in more details once I start them.....soon I hope.


Finishes for January

Bluebird Out My Window by With Thy Needle and Thread


Mary Oakley, 1818 by Pineberry Lane

Beggars Valentine by Threadwork Primitives

I am really pleased with how this came out.  It is "larger" than called for because I used a lower count linen so not sure how I will FFO it!  But I do like it.  Oh, I changed the locks and arrows from 310 to 3799 because I just didn't want that much black on it.



I am doing well with my goal of 20 finishes for this year....if I average 2 finishes a year I will meet that goal.  So far I have just finished relative small pieces (kind of like cheating) so I am going to concentrate on some larger projects to finish.

Thanks for visiting.   I hope you are had a fun and productive January.

Finish Just in Time for Halloween

I finished the Pumpkin Patch Quilting Shop from Cross Stitch and Needlework Magazine, 2010.  I had alot of fun doing this project because I have a specific recipient for it.  It only took about three weeks (68 hours or so) to complete but I was kind of on a mission to get it finished.  I was going to frame it and give it to the local quilt shop here in town, then I decided they might rather finish it themselves as a wall hanging.  The ladies in there are so nice.  The shop carries DMC and Cosmo threads as well as a few speciality threads that quilters use.  I try to buy a few skeins a year there just to help the local economy.  Selfishly, it keeps DMC close in case I run out!

It was a fun stitch and I am looking forward to seeing how they finish it.  

I also finished the Nora Corbett Alphabet R

It was a quick stitch that only took about 26 hours to stitch and bead.  I am really happy with the outcome and will be starting the "A" letter on the recommended fabric.

On our way to the DFW area we stopped by Fancy Stitches in Cleburne, Texas.  It is a great shop but was overwhelming.   I got a couple of charts that I had not seen on line anywhere

Two patterns are Halloween based that I will do next year:

Ghouls Night Out by the Trilogy (this one is a kit)

 Flight School by Just Nan.

I picked up Heaven and Nature Sing by Brenda Gervais.  I am going to do this one for my sister as a Christmas housewarming gift.  Already ordered the materials from 123 Stitch and hope they will arrive in the next week so I can get it started.  Hope to get it done by November.  I am not sure I am going to finish it as it is suggested, I may just make it a normal pillow.  It does comes with all the finishing instructions to make this pillow with a pocket on it as it is pictured.

Finally, I took advantage of a sale somewhere (Stitchery I think) and got a Christmas project just for the heck of it.  It is called Snoozin Santa by Holly Gordon.  I have someone in mind for this also.

It is a kit that include 14 count white aida and leaves the white portions of the pattern un-stitched.  I am thinking of changing the fabric and doing the white portions in stitching.  Or I might get a sparkly aida cloth in a 16 or 18 count.  Have not yet decided.  If I have no other Christmas project that calls to me I will do this one when I finish the Heaven and Nature pillow.

That is the update for this week.  Am hoping to do some work on the larger projects that are on-going.  I am kind of burned out on Gardens of London at the moment and have put it away for a while.  I was enjoying it so much I am a little surprised

Thanks for visiting.