Stitch from Stash # 2 - Update and Finish!!

Hi everyone!  

I'm back with my second Stitch from Stash update.  Here's my report since my last SFS post...

First, a finish!!

I finally finished the Dimensions Heart and Soul kit that I started as one of my crazy January projects in 2012!! : )  WOO HOO!  I am SO excited to have this one done!

I'm not sure what I'll work on next, but I'm leaning toward finishing the Lizzie Kate "Promise Me" that I have started.  It's 28 ct over 1, but I've had a nice break working on this 14 ct project, so I think it will be a good change.

Second, my spending report...

I bought something!  Michaels had a 25 cent bin of leftover Christmas goodies and this sweet Mary Englebreit ornament was in there.  I think I'll switch out the fabric and make it for Christmas. :)

Stash to Spend Total:  $0.25

I didn't spend anything on the free weekend.  More because I bought some stamping supplies instead, so my balance forward is $49.75.  YAY!!  I'm going to be visiting Cecilia's Sampler in Branson later this year, so I'd like to have a nice chunk saved up so I don't have to use my free month of overspending.  :)

And lastly, a sweet blog win from Maggee !

Now for this month's wish list.  I figure if I have them all written down it will make it easier when I finally go shopping for new stash.  Hopefully I'll have a LOT more finishes before then, though!!

18 ct - 14 x 18
For HAED Ornament
Larger size for Mini Christmas Mailbox

I want to get some of this Magic Guide fabric to stitch my HAED Mini Christmas Mailbox on.  Of course, I need to finish my Little Drummer Boy stocking first, so it might be awhile.  And I might change my mind and get the 25 count and stitch it tent stitch instead.  Decisions, decisions!

Love this!!!

Lizzie Kate

So Sweet!

Lizzie Kate Snowy String

Cute, cute, cute!!

Lizzie Kate - A Little Snow

Shepherd's Bush Fobs are adorable!

Shepherd's Bush - Harmony Fob

This one, too!

Shepherd's Bush - 2014 Fob and Scissors

Shepherd's Bush Happy Snowman -
I have the free chart, but I'd love to have them kit it up!

I saw this on someone's blog...  we used to live in a little cabin in the woods and had deer on our property, so I really like this one!!  ETA - Maggee is sending this to me from her stash!  THANK YOU, Maggee!!! : )

That's it for me this time!  I'll try to drop in again at the end of the month.  Maybe I'll even have another finish!!

TTFN!

Tricia

The Joys of January

I am loving this Stitch from Stash challenge!  For some reason it is really motivating me and I have three small finishes - wait, FOUR finishes since last we spoke - two were WIP's and two new starts.

First, my valentine exchange ...

OOPS!  I can't show you that!  But I can show you the one I received from Joyce.  She made me such a pretty hand towel and sent a handmade card and some silk floss as a sweet extra since my allergies made the other "extra" options not such good choices. : )

After I finished Mitten Friends, I pulled out a sweet Margaret Sherry ornament that Mouse had sent me two years ago.  I made a promise to myself that I would never again do a MS piece on aida.  That backstitching is a killer!

BTW, please excuse my pictures today.  I couldn't get good lighting no matter how hard I tried!

Next I started LHN Sheep Virtues "Patience"...

Just pretend it isn't shaky...  It's really pretty! : )

Then I pulled out a sweet LHN ornament - Good Tidings that I had won when Vicki was doing a blog giveaway last year.  Thanks Vicki!!

Last night I pulled out another UFO - WIP that I started a few years ago during the January Crazy Challenge - Dimensions "Heart and Soul".  Maybe I can finish this by the end of February, or maybe even by the end of the Super Bowl... who knows!! :)

Now a note to some dear sweet stitching angel who sent me this pattern off my wish list and didn't give her name....

THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!!

It was my favorite of the patterns I listed and I am SO excited to stitch this!  I'm going to put it in my "to do soon" basket and use some of my budgeted $$ to kit it up sometime this year when I have the urge to spend.

That was SO sweet of you to do for me.  You really, really were an encouragement to me today, and I thank God for you!!!!!! 

Thanks for stopping by today.  I always read and enjoy your comments, even when I don't respond.  I appreciate each and every one of you!

Happy Stitching!

Tricia

NaCroStitchMo - Day 5

Well, NaCroStitchMo has turned into NaBlowNoseMo due to the arrival of a cold/flu bug at my house.  Uggh.  Funny thing is that when I did the January Challenge a couple of years ago, the exact same thing happened!!  Hmmmm....  So, let's see.  Sunday I was just coming down with it.  I started LHN's Glad Tidings that I had won from Vicki's blog.  (Thank you, Vicki!!)  I thought it would be a nice easy stitch.  HOWEVER, "nice and easy" and "coming down with the flu" translate into "frogging most of what you stitched".

Monday was filled with aches and pains and a chiropractor appt.  No stitching.  It hurt to  even think about holding a needle.

Yesterday was a little better.  In between sneezing (hard enough to scare my dogs and my daughter!), blowing my nose and moaning, I was able to put in a few stitches on "Glad Tidings" while watching Feel Better Little Bear.  Some people have comfort food, I have a comfort movie... or perhaps movies, because then I stitched on Heart and Soul later in the evening while watching Pride and Prejudice.

Here's my progress on them both....

I just got a package from 123 Stitch with some fabric and a few charts that I ordered with a gift certificate that I won from Mary Ann a while back.  One chart is for my daughter's Christmas stocking, but the other two will probably be my next two starts.  You'll have to come back tomorrow to see the first one! : )

So... just so I can keep track... here's what I'm working on so far...

1.  Dimensions Heart and Soul

2.  L*K Promise Me

3.  LHN Glad Tidings

4. ???

5. ???

6. ???

7. ???

Thanks for stopping by!

Tricia

NaCroStitchMo

Well, my DD is participating in NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month), and I see some people are doing NaBloPoMo (National Blog Posting Month), so I've decided to start something fun for me... hence NaCroStitchMo -- (Not Quite) National Cross Stitch Month. : )  Why wait until January to give myself a challenge????  I haven't decided yet what my end goal is.  Will I start 15 pieces?  Will I start 31 pieces?  Will I cross stitch for a certain length of time each day?  Will I post each day?  Don't know.  So, since I didn't have time to map it all out, I decided to start the month by working on Heart and Soul for a little bit.  I've completed a nice chunk since last time I posted, though...

Hopefully by tomorrow I'll have my plans mapped out for the month. : )  See you then!

Time Stitched Today:  35 minutes

Time Stitched this Month:  35 minutes

** This really doesn't mean anything, I just want to see if I can get in a habit of keeping track of it! **

Catching Up

Hello again!

It's time for a progress report!

First up...  HAED Little Drummer Boy Stocking

It's coming along!  I got most of the next column done.  Now i'm back in the solid confetti section, but most of my threads are parked, so it should go fairly quickly... as long as I parked them in the right place, which is sometimes a question!

Next...  Dimensions Kit:  Heart and Soul

More flowers and outlining done.  I'm definitely in the mood for a new start from my basket, so I need to really, really work on being good and sticking with these until one is complete!

Then there is this Margaret Sherry kit called "Good Heavens" that is calling my name, but I can only find it in the UK...

http://www.dkhcreations.co.uk/margaret-sherry---good-heavens-1380-p.asp

If anyone happens to have it in their stash and wants to find it a new home, let me know.  I should really be sure I have all my Christmas presents bought before I buy myself any more cross stitch! : )

Thanks so much for stopping by!  I know I've been horrible at keeping up with everyone, but I do read your blogs, I just don't always find time to comment. : )

Have a lovely day!

Tricia

Working on WIP's and Lots of Goals

Hello friends!!

First ... Congratulations to Carol!  I'll be passing the Give Thanks chart on to you to stitch next. : )

In other stitching news...

No finishes to show this week.  I actually pulled out two WIP's from my piles (GASP) and set one in each of my "relax in the evenings" rooms.  My HAED stocking is in the Living Room where I watch football with DH on Sundays and Mondays, and sometimes baseball during the week.  Remember this stocking?

 I haven't stitched on it since April!  Here's my progress now... (It's a crummy picture... SORRY!)

I only managed 400 stitches or so, but I am so glad to have finished that chunk of confetti stitching at the bottom of the column!!  YAY!

The next WIP I pulled out I hadn't touched since February... of 2012!!!  It's the one in the upper left.  This is the one I stitch on when DD and I have Jane Austen or old movie marathons.  I remember why I stopped working on it.  It's a kit and the floss is definitely NOT DMC.  It shreds horribly!!! : ( 

Here's my progress...

I do love the colors in that one! : )

I went through my patterns and WIP's and such the other day and picked out a number that I would like to work on this next little while.  I definitely couldn't finish all of them in that time since a number of them are bigger projects, but maybe if I finish a few of them before Christmas I'll have my Crazy January 15 all picked out.  I didn't do the Crazy January challenge last year, but looking back at 2012, I really did well on completing most of those projects, so I think I might try it again this coming year.

Here's my list...  (The ** are WIP's)

1.  HAED Little Drummer Boy Stocking**

2.  Dimensions Heart & Soul **

3.  Stoney Creek Winter Sanctuary Stocking (Need fabric)

4.  LHN Patience Sheep (Kitted)

5.  LHN Wisdom Sheep (Kitted)

6.  LK A Good Marriage (Need fabric and floss)

7.  Precious Moments January Snowdrop (charity) (Kitted)

8.  PM March or November (charity) (Need fabric)

9.  Bent Creek Gobble (Need fabric)

10.  HE Ornament - Along for the Ride (Kitted)

11. Live Within Your Harvest Bookmark (Kitted)

12.  LK Promise Me (Need fabric)

13.  Stoney Creek "O Holy Night" **

14.  HAED Christmas Mailbox (Need fabric & floss)

15. MS Ornament **

16.  Dimensions Twilight Bridge **

17.  LHN Acorn Hill **

18.  LHN Kindness (Kitted)

On target and a Yiota's Cross Stitch Review

Hello friends!

I've taken little bits of time to stitch this past week and really feel like I've accomplished a lot.  This coming week I'll need to concentrate on a few things to meet my February goals, though.  I'd like to have this page of the Dimensions Cabin 2/3 done, finish my February ornament, and make some sort of sewn or quilted project by Friday.  It's too bad that I can't sit and stitch all day this week, but I seem to have some other deadlines this week that are a little more important than cross stitch! : )

Let's start with yesterday... my daughter brought in this long-awaited parcel from www.yiotas-xstitch.com.

I say "long-awaited" not because it was slow in shipping, I think it came from the UK in 5 days, but because I knew it would be coming in February and I didn't know when, so I was thrilled to finally see it!  You'll see the Post Office didn't quite get the "do not bend" idea, but that's ok - it was well packaged and not damaged, and  (drum roll, please) out came my pattern...

After looking closely at other reviews and at the patterns themselves online, I realized that these cross stitch kits from Yiota's were not going to be as detailed as, say, the HAED ones.  That was OK with me, as those have so many color changes to achieve that look that they can be overwhelming.  But, because of that I chose a piece that I would love even if there wasn't a lot of shading.  Let me show you what I mean....

This is a corner of the picture on the front of the pattern.  Do you see that there are definite lines in the color changes in the sky?  It isn't a problem at all and it going to be so fun to stich, but it can be different than you'd expect just by looking at the patterns online.

Here's how the kit was packaged...

Don't you just love those bobbins?  I put them on a ring and started to work right away.  I didn't use the enclosed 14 count aida - although it was soft and would work just fine - but after working on "Eye on the Sparrow" I decided that I would like to try to stitch this over one instead.  (I should've just gotten it with the evenweave, but I figured it would all be covered and wouldn't really matter which I stitched it on.)  The pattern is "large print" - the symbols are twice as big as the Dimensions kit pattern that I've been working from - so it seems like it will be very easy to work from.  Here's as far as I got in my little chunk of time I allotted to it...

Now when I got to this point and shot the picture I realized that the length of my fabric was going horizontally across my lap, rather than vertically.  AAAARRRRRGGGGHHHH.  Well, I measured carefully, and because I'd left so much on each side, I can continue and it will still fit, I'll just only have an inch or so on the bottom when I'm done.  I know most of you die hard stitchers would have frogged it and restarted, but I can't stand frogging unless there is no other way around it, so I choose to pretend I meant to do it in the first place.

Anyway, keep watching to see my progress!  I'd love to have this done by Christmas, as I really want to add it to my decorations!

Whew!  Long post!  OK - here's a group shot of all my other projects.  Maybe you'll notice some progress on a few of them!

And there you have it!  

Thanks so much for stopping by, and HAPPY STITCHING!

Weekly Update and Giveaway

 Greetings, friends!  Here's my update for the week!

Cabin Fever...  Not as much done this week as I would've liked.  I had some trouble with my shoulder at the beginning of the week so I stitched on my "easy" pieces more than this one.  It's doing better now, thanks!

Twilight Bridge...  Just a thread length or two on this one.  I'm in no hurry, I just have to stitch on it a little each week. : )

February Ornament... It's coming along nicely.  I stitch on this when I need something ... ummm... brainless.

UFO Heart and Soul...  Lots of border and a little bit of flower this week.

Precious Moments ... I haven't done a charity quilt block yet this year and I've wanted to start this PM for awhile.  I do wish I would've started this one on evenweave, though.  Lots of fractional stitches in it, which I didn't think about until too late.  Next time I'll remember!! : )

 

Here's a virtual card for Mouse... since I missed her birthday...

and, last but not least, a little giveaway!  

I made this little pillow for an exchange, and ended up stitching and sending an entirely different one!  Plus a magazine and some candy... and I'll add a few of my handmade cards, as well! : )  Just mention you'd like to be included in the drawing in your comment and I'll add your name.  I'll draw the winner when I make my next update, so it might be 3 days, or it might be a week.  

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Be a blessing!!

Tricia

A Windy Day!

Hello, hello!  It's windy outside today.  I need to run out to the post office, but I really don't want to set foot outside, so I'll do this weekly wrap-up first! : )

First - my favorite card from this week...

The stamp is from My Favorite Things, and the layout is the My Favorite Things Wednesday Sketch Challenge from this week.  The little girl is colored with copics and is sending all my readers some well wishes!!

Now onto this week's stitching...

Heart and Soul from UFO Thursday...

Today's progress on my SAL with DD - Dimensions Twilight Bridge

This week's progress on my BHP... Dimensions Cabin Fever

And, finally, my first finish of 2012.... Lantern Santa (JCS 20011)

I'm tucking this away in a box for later.  I'd like to have some things done ahead for Christmas this year, which is why I'm trying to stitch an ornament and quilt something each month.  

I did get the little quilt layered and quilted, but I haven't sewn the binding down yet, so you'll have to wait until next week for a picture of that one.

Don't forget that I have a few charts for sale or trade in the post before this one.  Let me know if there is something you would like!  You can contact me at inkystitcher @ yahoo.com 

This Week in Pictures

Hello friends!

I got such a fun surprise in the mail today!  Over Christmas I won a drawing during our Stitched with Love exchange and just look at all the fun things I got today from Colleen!  I *love* the Santa pillow she stitched for me!  Thank you, thank you, thank you!!

Have you gotten a lot accomplished this week??  Here's my week's work...

BHP for Becky's Challenge - Dimensions Cabin Fever...
I've stitched on this almost every day.  It is slow going, so I switch it up with the exchange piece that I'm working on.  You can start to see the reflection of the cabin in the water!

SAL with DD - Dimensions Twilight Bridge...
Just 45 minutes or so on this one this week.  I filled in a window and that was about it.

UFO Thursday - Dimensions Heart and Soul...
A little backstitching and more done on the rust colored swirls.

Scrap Quilt...  I'd love to put together a scrap quilt or table runner each month so I have some gifts ready at Christmas time.  This is some leftover fabric from a quilt I made for DD a number of years ago.  The top is all sewn together now and next week I'll sandwich, quilt and bind it.  It's definitely cuter in real life! : )

 And my favorite card this week!



A sweet little "hello" using a stamp from Verve and the adorable Mouse who is now available as a digital stamp from Whimsy and Stars.  I followed the Mojo Monday sketch for my layout and colored Lucy Mouse with Copics.

Have an amazing week!

Blessings!
Tricia

Time for an Update!

Hello again!

I definitely didn't have as much progress this week as I might have liked, but I can't blame that on anyone but myself.  I spent time relaxing instead of stitching a few times this week.  Well, either relaxing or doing bookwork, which isn't quite the same thing!  But I do have a little progress to show you, and I also worked on an exchange piece that must remain invisible for a time. :)

First, my UFO.  Not too much progress, but any is better than none! :)

Then my SAL ornament.  I tried to do this while I watched the Packer game yesterday.  Sigh.  I was too distracted to get anymore stitched, so I finally just gave up!!

And my BHP for Becky's Challenge...  I really did get a lot done on this, and, of course, made a few mistakes along the way.  Nothing I'm going to fix, though.  With all the confetti stitching, I can't imagine that a stitch or two out of place would even be noticed!!  I have lofty goals for this one, this week.  We'll see how much time and energy I have to accomplish them. : )

Here's a question for you all.  I am looking for a nice quiet, relaxing, not super expensive vacation spot for my husband and I to celebrate our 25th anniversary this year.  We have gone nowhere and done nothing, so we are really clueless.  I mentioned going overseas, but since I've only flown once, I don't think I'm ready for that yet.  And since we've seen next to nothing in the US, it would be nice to do something here.  We'd like somewhere quiet, relaxing, with things to do if you wanted, but not in a crazy busy city.  If we could have the best of both worlds, I would like a cross stitch shop and he would like a trapshooting range. : )  Let me know if you have any ideas!!