Final Post of 2016

This is my final Small for the Small Sal over at Stitching Lotus  Special Shout out to Heather for hosting this wonderful SAL.  I explored the world of Small Charts in 2016 and had so many wonderful finishes.  This was a freebie from my LNS. It is an Ursula Michael's chart.

I have my two final finishes for 2016.  This is a JBW design - It is still missing the tiny little wheels for the engine and caboose - I am going to try to get them and sew them on this weekend
I started this in August for an Olympic challenge and I included it my Year of WIPs

And Woodland Peace is also finished.  Started this in January 2013 for Debbie's Ultimate Crazy CrossSttich Challenge. Included in my Year of Wips and I am so happy it is complete.  I will not be stitching on dark fabric for a bit.  This was a struggle.  But I have wanted to stitch this since 1990 so it is certainly a happy dance.  I have no real plans for 2017 - accept finishing some WIPS and having new starts. Have a wonderful 1st day of the New Year.

Halloween Blog Hop

If you are here because you are looking for a letter.  The letter is S... Spooky, Scary, Spiders, Skeletons.  

Jo from Serendipitous Stitching is hosting a Halloween Blog hop..  Read all the blogs in the order listed on her blog and you will receive all the letters you need for a special message.

And you will see lots of wonderful Spooky, Scary Stitching.

This is a Primitive Hare design - I found this in the Just Cross Stitch Special Halloween Issue 2012.  It is finished into a No Sew Cube - Instructions from Vonna,   I love Halloween Stitching.  Here are just three of my finishes JBW Halloween Cat on Black with Neon Green Threads, and Hands On Designs Year in Chalk October.  

I am blessed to have lots of little goblins and witches visit me on Halloween.  I just love the whole Trick or Treat thing.


For your next Letter - please go visit:

http://reading--stitching.blogspot.com

Last Thursday of August 2016

Where did August go?  It's the last Thursday of the month and it is the day we share our monthly Smalls over at Stitching Lotus

Here is my Small for August.  This is one I completed for the Olympic Stitching Challenge in the Stitch Mania Facebook Group.  I enjoyed this SAL and would do it again.



So here are the rest of the projects for the challenge

August 15 was stitch White, and August 19 was silver.  I worked on the same project on both these days.  I was going to do this project for my daughter for her wedding - but it's not going to happen.  I hope to complete this and give it to her for Christmas - The dress is DMC Sparkly5200 one strand and one Strand of a sparkly Silver kreinik.
The red bow will be yellow and I am only doing the dress.

I did not stitch on Tuesday August 16 - it was wheel.  But I did work on Celtic Beauty again on August 17th it was Gold.  I was excited to pull this out again to work on because I do not want this to be a WIP anymore.

August 18 was Music or Patriotic so I pulled out Samples Not Forgotten Music Amongst the trees.

Next up was August 20 -Fire or Flames and 8/21 Copper or Bronze.  I started and worked on the JBW Choo ChooTrain.  I figure this is a very old train, so I know it used coal for fuel, and there was a fire going in the engine.  I change the color of the engine and the finally car before the caboose to DMC 921, which is copper.  That was the end of the SAL.  

My daughter asked me for her wedding day to find a special picture of her dad, so she can clip it to her bouquet as she walks down the aisle.  Her dad died of cancer several years ago.  I have the picture and I was trying to figure out how to attach it and I decided to make this little bag and put it in there and attach the little bag.  This is on 40 ct Mello.  This is half of a design from Rosewood Manor.  This chart was a gift I received while attending a Stitching Retreat.  I changed all the colors - the flowers are yellow and purple - the Wedding colors.  I love this quote from Ralph Waldo Emerson.  I have a very hard time with all the wedding samplers out there - for personal reasons, but I love this message and I think it is good advice to share with my daughter and future SIL.  This is very small, the verse will be hard to read - but it will work I hope.  

What lies behind us, and what lies before us, are small matters compared to what lies within us.  

Olympic Challenge

It has been a crazy August so far, Summer Weather, Work and Family have all contributed into making this a great summer and one filled with great memories.

However, I have found less time to stitch, and even less time to blog or post about the stitching.

I joined the Stitch Maynia Olympic Stitching SAL. I have been able to do most of the daily stitching, but the posting of the progress has not happened. Instead I am posting it here.

New Start 1 - I worked on this piece August 5 (Stitch blue), and 10th Specialty stitches.

This is Music Amongst the trees - Samplers Not Forgotten - Not sure if you can see this picture but there are Blue stitches in the band across the top and Rice Stitches at the bottom.  I love stitching on this - first experience with Gloriana  Silks. Its a treat. I was able to complete a lot of this on Day 1, I know very little blue, but - I worked on this Friday night at my Stitchers Retreat Every Other Month !st Friday Night Stitch in,so it was about 5 hours of stitching time.

Day 2 - International Theme - I finished La D Da Peace on Earth.  I sort of looked at this a little different figured Internationally we could all work on Peace. (Very happy)


August 7 (yellow), August 9 (black) and August 11 (green).  This was a New Start I was able to finish working on this for three days.  Glory Bee's Free Summer Chart






I did not stitch August 8, Water or August 12 Triathalon - three pieces  ( I did not stitch at all either of these two days.

August 13 (red) and August 14 Equestrian - I started and finished JBW Hobby Horse - I did this as a Christmas Ornament - I stitched this with Sulky threads Blendables Vintage Holidays.  This was a 12 weight - so one strand is the same as 2 - it is a very different feel.  But I really liked this thread and bought it on a whim and just had to use it.  I would be picky about what I would stitch with these threads because of the look and feel, but I do like it.




So I haven't decided what I am working on from this day forward.  But I am sure I will find something.

The Wedding quickly approaches for DD#3.  I really need to get a dress - I haven't even looked and the wedding is September 3.

Guess I really should stitch some sort of Wedding Sampler?  Maybe?

Thursday Small SAL - Oops its Friday

Heather at Stitching Lotus is kind enough to organize the Small Monthly SAL.  This is JBW French Country Umbrella (without the words).  It is stitched on what I think is 28 ct evenweave - with Fiberlicious Yummy Wildflowers.  The colors are really bright and I really had fun with it.

I never showed you my work from the Class I took the beginning of May on 40 ct silk gauze.
This is quite a process.  First I basted  the gauze to the muslin - so I could put it in my qsnaps. Once it is basted - you cut the whole in the muslin - and if you knew me with scissors this was a little scary.
The picture of my stitching is actually upside down - the one of my stripes so far.  It goes pretty fast - this is a basketweave stitch so you are only doing have a cross stitch -  I picked this for the first project because all the stitches are right next to each other - the counting was still a little difficult.
This is Erica Michaels.  I do plan on finishing this before the 4th of July - and I think I would do one of these again.

This is the beginning of a Holiday Weekend in the States - and the weather in Central New York is suppose to be very hot --- thank goodness as of last week my heat was still kicking on in the night.  I will be enjoying the three day weekend with family and friends and I took an extra day off so I will be relaxing and chilling for 4 wonderful days.    Thanks for stopping by and Stay Safe

Small Sal January 2016

January 2016 1st Small Sal

I am so excited.  Today is my first post in the Small Sal over at
Stitching Lotus  This is from JBW Designs, French-Country Mitten.
I used DMC 400.  I love this type of stitching, and have several more in my TODO bucket.



This is my in between new start.  LHN -- I am feeling the need to step out of my current life, and step into the old one.  The one where things were slow and simple.  I would love a Rotary Wall Phone in my kitchen with a super long cord, that was always tangled - and I could stretch into the other room to have a private conversation.  This is a feel good little stitching project.

It's almost February - my goodness....