October Update

Before I start on my update, I have to share a brilliant idea.  I am always looking for a way to make my stitching a little easier and my stitching time more effective.  I love Thread Heaven thread conditioner, especially for DMC and metallic threads.  I do not usually use it for silks for some reason.  Not sure why, I am just not comfortable putting on a project I know that I cannot launder.  Anyway, we all struggle with using that last bit of Thread Heaven and taking it out of the little box to run the thread over it when it is not new......well, I saw these little baby wax things for quilters and ordered them.

Then, I took the wax out, put half a container of Thread Heaven and a washer (so it will stick to a magnet) in the little container and voila!  I am lovin it!  They have the notch in the container so the thread can be run through.    No clue what I will do with the wax I removed, but I have used it in the past as a thread conditioner so I will hang onto it.  I am not sure how this will work out, but time will tell.

Now on to progress:

Be Thankful:

Perhaps because of the fabric I chose, I made a couple of changes to the recommended floss.  3865 was too white, the yellow and green were too bright.  So I used 3866 which is creamier.  I also just picked a softer yellow and softer green.

For some reason this piece is becoming a little tedious.  Perhaps because I do not like doing "words". Who knows.   I sort of fell out of love with it somewhere right after halfway.  So it is packed away and perhaps I will finish it next year.

Patterned Gourds

Finished this project in about 36 hours of stitching.  I really like the Chai Tea fabric that I used.  I will probably make this into a cube of some sort by mounting it on a piece of foam.  I like the argyle look of it.  It kind of screams autumn without being in your face.  Really like it.

Heaven and Nature, With Thy Needle and Thread

Have really been surprised at how much I enjoyed this.  While I am still not convinced this is the best fabric for it, it is working well for this piece.  I made a few tiny changes to what I am assuming are supposed to be snowflakes.  Just added a stitch in the middle of the small ones.  I like the trees and really like the red poinsettia at the bottom.

I know I mentioned the threads before, but I really love the subtle variegation of the Gentle Arts threads; particularly for this piece in the dress and the reindeer.

Now to make it a pillow without wrecking it!  I learned from this project that I cannot sew and really don't enjoy it.  Measuring and pinning and stitching and turning, oh my.  Not a fan.  Perhaps I just need practice.......

Stitching this project took about 28 hours, but the pillow making.......felt like it took every bit of that although I know it was only a few hours!

Nora Corbett Letter "A"

Am enjoying this one as much as the previous letter.   I am not crazy about the fabric, but it will work out just fine.

Ink Circles Mandala RYOB series

Made a little progress on this project.  One quarter done.

Books Reading Books, HAED

This project is going slower than I would like.  So much confetti, so many color changes1   I am trying to devote an hour or so a day.  I am wishing I could get the hang of the parking technique.  I have not been able to make it work for me and I truly admire anyone who can master it.

While I do not need any supplies (other than some substitutes for discontinued threads on my Chatelaine that I will do next year) I am wanting to visit Stitches from the Heart in San Antonio next week.  It is an hour away, but something is just calling me to go.

That is it for this busy October.  Lots of stitching due to trying to get my silly foot o heal up.  I do not like being "down" for what feels like weeks on end.  Especially since we will be on the road in a few short weeks and I have to get this house ready to be left for a few months.

Thanks for visiting.  I have some really nice things planned for December along with the on-going projects so don't forget to stop by in a few weeks.

New Starts for October

I have great plans for the rest of the year.  I am doing a few smallish projects for people that I think will keep me working on those large projects between them.  I spent the last couple of days kitting up projects that I want to do in the next two months.

I started Heaven and Nature Sing by With Thy Needle and Thread.  I am not thrilled with the fabric.  I think I would have preferred a more creamish color, but I got the recommended fabric ( two pieces of it as a matter of fact) so I am going to use it.  It is 39 count line in Cafe Kona.  It is a goldish brown.  I hope it will go with my sister's decor.  It is a Christmas theme so I guess it does not really have to "go".  It is a pretty fast stitch, so I hope to have it ready to give her by Thanksgiving so she can have it out for the rest of the holiday season.

 This project uses Gentle Arts Threads.  The angel's dress is done in Simply Shaker Lexington Green.  I bring this up because this is not the first time I have used this brand, but it is the first time I have really appreciated them.  The varigation in this dress is just amazing, and the subtle, faded look of the threads make this look really nice.   Perhaps there will be more primitive type projects in my future.


I started the Nora Corbett letter A for my grandgirl to get it done and framed for Christmas.   I am using the recommended fabric this time.  It is a 32 count  Water Lily linen.  It looks to have alot more beading than the "R" I just finished.

For some reason it makes sense to me to do Thanksgiving themed projects in October so here they are:

Thanksgiving themes for October:

Be Thankful by Country Cottage Needleworks

I will be doing this on 28 Count Coffee evenweave by Fabric Flair.


Giving Thanks by Not Forgotten Farm

I will do this on a 32 Count Ivory Lugana that I already have.  I may be able to get two of the little pillows out of this piece.  I am thinking of changing the wording to Give Thanks rather than Giving Thanks.  Not sure as I have not started this one.


Patterned Gourds by Sharon Pope from Just Cross Stitch magazine.

This is on a 28 count Jobelyn in Chai Tea.  I really love this fabric.  I have had it for a while and think it is perfect for this project; must more subtle than the orangy fabric in the photo.

This is a great piece to work on outside since the weather has cooled off quite a bit.  It is done in DMC from my inventory so I will be able to launder it once it is finished.  I like the way it is finished in the photo of the piece, just stretched over a canvas, no frame.  I think that is how I am going to finish it.

I am realizing that a week of October is already gone.  The good news is that I should have alot of time for stitching.....the bad news is that I have a foot injury that is not healing very rapidly so I am doing alot of sitting.

I gotta get busy!

Hopefully I will have a couple of finishes this month.

Thanks for visiting.

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.

Halloween Finish and Christmas Plans

Here is Wicked Wanda all done.  I made a couple of minor changes to the pattern.  I did not want to do the wording, so I added the bat, and I changed the border.  Using a Cosmo variegated thread I did some stitches I learned doing my Chatelaines; Rhodes stitches I believe they are called.   I am really happy with the finished product.

The materials and patterns for the Nora Corbett alphabet came.

I am not aure about the fabric.  The suggested fabric is 32 count Water Lily linen.  It is extremely stiff.

Depending on timing and how things go I may do the "H" for their last name.  Have not decided if I will do it for Christmas or later.

For the 'R' I am using 32 count linen in Silver Moon which is a very pale grey.  It is a really fun stitch that is working up really fast.  Of course it has lots of beading that will take some time.  I will be doing an "A" also.

In the suggested supplies from 123 Stitch they included a spool of thread for beading,  here it is.

It is awful stuff.  It shreads like crazy and  is impossible to thread on a needle.  I am trashing this and using the nymo thread I prefer.

I have also made some good progress on Pumpkin Patch Quilt Shop.  I think I will finish it before October.  That is the plan anyway.  I made some changes to the pattern.  I did not think the ghost on the left side of the roof needed a heart; and I replaced the heart on the shop to the State of Texas since I plan to give this to the local quilt shop.  I will also change the wording on the sign so it meets the local shop a little better.  It is going pretty fast and I am about half way through the project.  This project has a lot of outlining but I am doing it as I go so it is not too bad.

I have made more progress on the Ink Circles project.  I have not decided if I will finish all the black outline work for the whole piece before I add the color, or if I will put the color in as I go from page to page.  So far, I am not yet sick of the black. Photo is a little blurry but you get the idea.

The good news is that I got a new laptop ....actually an Apple Airbook...and so far it is working like a charm.   There is a really large learning curve (especially in the photo portion of the program) but since it is so much like an IPad it is not too bad.  Not nearly as frustrating as the Windows 10 so far....

That is it for this week.  Thanks for visiting.

Computer Woes

I recently had a crash on my laptop computer.  It is in the lab now where they are attempting to retrieve my data files.  I have lost everything.  Sad as that is, it is not the end of the world.  I can re-purchase the patterns from Chatelaine that I lost.  Not optimal, but does take my to-do list down a bit.

The biggest problem is that Windows 10 is on most new computers.  It does not work with Blogspot.  Photos will not load from the computer to the blog, so any photos I took with a camera cannot be posted.    I am going to attempt to use my IPad for future postings until there is a fix or I get my old computer back without the new Windows 10.  The funniest thing is that for some reason I cannot type on my Ipad without a thousand errors!  Who knows what I might post!

And while I am on the subject, the photo program for Windows 10 is just terrible.  You cannot organize your photos into files or folders where you want them.  It seems they all go into one place by date I believe.  It is interesting to me that microsoft had such an easy photo program before, and they just chucked it and put in something unusable.  I guess there must be a crisis in Silicon valley.

So that is my tale of woe for today.  I am hoping the issues will be resolved but I am not holding my breath!

My advice, for what it is worth, is that if you like the way your photos are organized, do not upgrade to Windows 10.

Plans for the Rest of 2015

Before I get into the WIPs and planned projects for the rest of this year, I have to share a "gadget".  I have tried every type of eye assistance to enable me to stitch without sitting under my Mighty Bright light.  I LOVE my Mighty Bright light and have several of them as a matter of fact.  I have tried many types of magnifying lamps and it is by far my favorite.  That said, I have tried many, many things that might help me stitch during the day in different places...like in the car, on the patio (stitching outdoors is one of my favorite things), on the porch, in a waiting room, etc.  Over the years I have tried it all, clip on magnifiers (I have every strength they make I think), the kind that are like headgear (once again I have every strength), the one that is supposed to hang around your neck and sit on your chest.....none of them worked.  I recently purchased BIG Vision from one of the thousand catalogs that I get.  They came in a few days ago and I used them this evening on the patio.  THEY ARE AWESOME.  They are plastic so I want to make sure I don't scratch them.  I cannot remember what I paid for this pair, but I went on Amazon and they have them for about $15.00.  I am definitely going to order at least one more pair.  They fit over my glasses and work like a charm.  So far, I am sold!  Here is a photo.

 

On the Cross Stitch stuff.

I have decided on my projects for the rest of this year.  Well, for the time being anyway.
In addition to Books Reading Books (HAED), Pumpkin Swirl (Glendon Place), Gardens of London (Chatelaine), the Ink Circles, and all the rest,  I have added a few more.


I want to do a couple of Halloween themed projects.  These two patterns are from the September 2010 issue of Cross-Stitch and Needlework magazine.   I plan to do these in DMC.  Just what I need, more WIPs, right!  I think that only bring me to 7 or 8.

Wicked Wanda:  I am going to use a variegated thread for the border rather than all the color changes and because I am not that crazy about 'words' I will probably leave that off.  For this project I decided to support my local quilt shop that carries DMC and Cosmo threads.  It is quite a shock to pay so much for DMC floss but I need to do my part to keep the local shop in business.  I suppose it works out since the pattern was relatively free from an old magazine.  I am doing this on 28 count ivory Jazlyn.

Here is the progress so far:

This is a really fun project.  She is turning out to be larger than I had anticipated and I am enjoying it.


Pumpkin Patch Quilt Shop:  I want to do this for the local quilt shop here in town.  The ladies there are so nice and supportive.  They are always trying to get me to quilt!  I am using a piece of 32 county DMC linen that I dyed myself during my dying phase. 

Here is my progress so far:

I got a little carried away with the Halloween theme.  I also have my first Alessandra Adelaide pice called Haloween Tree.  I think I am going to do it on a 28 count linen from Dye Stitch Love called Key Lime.  It was the April 2015 fabric of the month selection.  It is a color I would not usually choose, so I thought I may branch out a little.

I may not get to the AAN this year.  That should give me time to change my mind about the fabric!


I also decided to do a piece for each of the Grandgirls for Christmas.  I decided to do a Nora Corbet Alphabet design for each of them.   I will post them when the patterns and materials arrive.

That should keep me busy for the rest of the year!

Thanks for visiting.

A Finish and a New Start to end August

Finished the Grace project for a friend of mine.   Framed it and got it in the mail.   It took about 9.5 hours of stitching.  I did not follow the pattern as written.  I changed a couple of the bands and used a couple of variegated threads I got in an ebay purchase of Caron some time ago.  I really enjoyed using the silk threads.  They are heaven to stitch.

I also decided to try one of the cards that come with the World of Cross Stitching magazine.  They are really small and I discovered that it makes my hands cramp if I do it in one sitting.  If I do another I think I will baste it to a larger piece of fabric so I can put it in a hoop.

While my friend was on my mind I started the Ink Circles pattern she saw while she was visiting this summer.  She loved the colors.  It is on 28 count dyed fabric Queen Anns Lace.  A very nice light green.  It should turn out well.  I am enjoying it.

I watched some videos on the you tube and it inspired me to do the new start.  Although I have several projects in the works, they are quite large so I am going to start a few smaller ones that I have kitted up and ready.  I also feel inspired to do a Halloween project for some reason.  I broke down and ordered a couple of patterns today.  I will share them when they arrive.

I am making use of the hot weather to get some stitching done!

I am finding that while I love stitching with the silk threads, I am going back to DMC cottons for many of my projects.  I am concerned about washing them once they are finished.  I know I cannot wash the silks so I try to be more careful with them and do not work on them outside or in the car. 

Thanks for visiting.