Finished!

I finished my Prairie Schooler Bremen Town Musicians yesterday!  I decided to add the year finished in the alphabet/numbers area as there was a huge blank area that just cried out for filling.  I chose the color of the animals so it would stick out from the letters, but not be out of place. 

 

I've started the JBW Alphabet Hearts on the lined fabric.  More on this as I get a chance!

2012 Finished projects

2012 Finished Projects


Year of the Dragon xmas ornie 11/25/12

Glad Tidings xmas ornie 11/25/12

Egg Nog freebie xmas ornie 11/22/12

the other 2 Lizzie Kate extras from the Mystery Sampler 10/12

Lizzie Kate: Scary from Mystery Sampler 10/9/12

Plum something: Home Witch 10/7/12

Souvenir by Blackbird Designs - March 2012

Finished SB freebie with button: Flower Power/new purchases

Saw it framed with what has to be a Jill Rensel design in bright pink with two 3-D funky flowers.  In Stitches framed it in a white and then a bright pink frame to match the matting.  It's so cute!  I stitched it in less than a week and took it back to be framed (6 - 8 weeks) when I went to pick up my Woodlawn pieces.  I had bought the same design, kitted at Stitching Post and I plan to make it an ornament for the spring.  Yes, I know it's almost the 4th of July.  Is there a point here??! LOL

I picked up the pattern and fabric for Jane Tindall 1864 by Needlework Press.  It calls for Confederate Gray, but the fabric cutter said she saw it on Lakside Linens' Vintage Tundra so I bought that.  This should be nice.  I just adore the bottom of the piece; the rectangular patches of grass and all the animals.  Not enough time to get it completed AND framed before fair season starts in August.

I also picked up Rachel Ellicott by R&R Reproductions.  Ellicott City is not far from me and I've seen the original hanging in the Sandy Springs Museum (local girl does good).  This is the second copy I've purchased.  Maybe now I'll stitch it. LOL 

From the recent on-line Needlework Show I ordered Caroline Adler 1828 by Cardan Antiques and Needlework.  It's very bright and seem to have a lot of fushia and orange (an underused color combination IMHO).  Once again, this chart has the "typo" of using 40 count fabric. 

Recent finish: Barb's RR

I used this snowflake


on Barb's RR. Here's the top part of Barb's RR:



It says: Like snowflakes friends come in all shapes and sizes. We decided to stitch her flakes so that they looked unique. I did the peppermints snowflake, another did one all in green DMC 524 as that is her favorite DMC color.
.

Two New finishes

I finished All Creatures Great and Small by Homespun Samplar and a Mosie and Me. I may make the M&M into a box pillow. The other piece I want to frame in a narrow gold frame.

Now to decide if I want to keep working on The Big Zipper by Bent Creek or another WIP, or if it's time to start a new piece. I did receive everything I need to stitch Nora Corbet's Sunflower Fairy.....

Finishes

This weekend I finished JBW's Alphabet Pumpkin using a nice varigated DMC.

I also finished a Pine Mountain pillow wrap (Let it Snow). All I had left to do was the scarf. Seems funny that that's where I put it away. Go figure!

Happy New Year!!!!!!!

The elevators where I work did not make it into the new year in working condition. It's due to the programming. We're experiencing what I call "Y2K + 9". ROFLMEO They have to have an operator stationed in each elevator to take you to your floor. I remember when the department stores would have elevator operators that would close the door to the floor then close the door to the elevator and take you to the floor you wanted. "5th floor housewares." There was a big wheel handle that allowed the operator to make adjustments so the elevator floor and the store floor matched. In the 1950's it was always a woman operator. Equal opportunity for elevator operators has been achieved!! The elevator was literally manned! ;)

I finished a LOT of items while home, but ran out of room in the computer for scanning pics of the finishes. Boo hoo! I'll have to work on that whenever I can pull together some extra minutes.

My finishes include:
Balloon Woman by Tina Richards (ready to pick up at framer)
Cherish Sampler by Shepherd's Bush
Cherish Sampler bracelet by Shepherd's Bush
Christmas sheep necklace by Shepherd's Bush
Eccentric needlepoint
Wanda Witch by Shepherd's Bush
Welcome Bellpull by Calico Crossroads
June Be Cool by Pine Mtn Designs
Nativity Globe (without the globe so I can make it an ornie) by Bent Creek
Blackbird House by Bent Creek
fall freebie
Is It Too Late? by Lizzie Kate
2005 Sampler Ornament: Oh Holy Night by Homespun Elegance


I also started a couple of things:
3 wise men needlepoint kit by Bucilla that I've owned AT LEAST since 1985
Teresa Laymen knotted sheep necklace (I love making French knots!) started 12/31/08
Rose Garden Sampler from Cross Stitch & Country Crafts magazine (if I'm remembering it right)
Dimensions crane needlepoint kit with sunset background
Band Sampler by ??? using Caron Waterlilies Java started on 1/1/09


My unofficial New Year's Resolutions (because if I make them official, I'll never stick with it) is to:
1 - not buy cross stitch every month
2 - stitch on stuff I already have

Another quick finish

This was the kit of the month at The Stitching Post for November. I started and finished the piece last Sunday. Love these quick stitches!!!

Lizzie Kate Big Girl Panties....done in 2 days!!

This crazy, funny design only took me 2 days to stitch! I sewed the yellow buttons on at quirky angles. I also made a color change! If I stitched it as charted, the panties on the right would have a purple band at the top not yellow. I substituted DMC 745 since it was handy from the bee CEC Easter ornament. Now my piece matches the picture!

Fun weekend

I went to my first retreat! So much fun. :) After checking in we were handed a quick make-it/take-it project to work on. We found a place at a table with some other ladies and started our project. We thought the boutique was "view", but when we saw people come back to their tables with bags we knew it was "purchase"! Off we went! Good thing we did, too, as there wasn't enough of everything for everyone to take away (could purchase and have it mailed later, which was great!!!). We came back to the welcome project and started on it. Here's a pic from the kit of the front and back of the project and my finished piece:



In the stitcher's lounge, I sat next to someone who finished theirs this way. Great idea!

At the boutique, one of the little kits I picked up was this quick stitch:

It was nice to get another project finished. I like this "finish a project a day" I was doing. LOL

I'm trying to finish up my car project: a Bent Creek zipper kit of a big Jack O'Lantern and bats. It's going quickly, thank goodness, because I want to start seriously stitching on some of the other retreat pieces. Not the big ones, but the smaller surprise pieces.

Stitching Festival at Hershey and some finishes

Pat and I went to Hershey, PA, on Friday to attend what has turned out to be the last of the Stitching Festival (formerly CATS). :( Attendance was low, maybe because it was a Friday and people couldn't get off of work. We were just as glad it wasn't crowded because it makes it easier to see things, make selections and check out.

Silver Needle from Tulsa was our first stop. I was going to go to this other shop that has great ideas for changing fabrics/threads, but they weren't there. That bumped Silver Needle up to our first stop. They brought tons of goodies, including Nan C. (Just Nan). She had a new design, Frost on the Pumpkin, which I bought. Cute snowguy on top of a pumpkin! I love looking at their Mill Hill wall. I got the great idea of stitching MH designs on fabric and making them into standups or hanging pillows from them. I wonder. How they stuff them so fully and smoothly??

Picture This Plus was across the way and had to be my second stop. They have great colors on their dyed fabric and I usually just buy to have some on hand. I like to listen as people ask questions because you never know what you'll learn. The lady across the table from me was getting fabbie for Wave Dancer, a pattern I'd picked up earlier this year. Jazz was the best selection for me and I was lucky to see the model stitched up at the Dinky Dyes display in another booth on the solid color. I would've picked up Phantom to stitch Cross Eyed Cricket's Skeleton Crew, but there wasn't a big enough piece on hand.

From that point Pat and I started at the back corner and worked our way, row by row, to the front. Lorri Birmingham was there with deep discounts on her cross stitch designs which were displayed in plastic tubs. Her booth was displaying jewelry that she made. I walked by after superficially looking through the tubs; I already had everything and I wasn't there for jewelry.

I picked up 3 skeins of GAST that I needed. I needed Mulberry for Prairie Moon's Flower Waltz and I finished the piece Friday after getting home.



It's a companion piece to Prairie Moon's Moon Dance that I finished a week ago.



I can't remember the name of each booth I stopped at or where I bought everything. I do remember getting a fob kit by Fern Ridge Collections called Scardey Cat which I started and finished stitching yesterday and assembled into the fob today.



Earlier in the week I placed an order with Traditional Stitches in Canada and my order arrived Saturday. In addition to the Sampler Cove design I'd ordered were the Tool Tron scissors I'd been wanting: Ice Cream Swirls. They are prettier than I thought they'd be and are pictured above with the scissors fob.

I also bought a needle case kit called Sneaky Kitty by Fern Ridge with a cat on the cover. Noticing all the cat things I was buying, the cashier pointed out that they were selling black scissors with a cat design. They had one there. Uncommon Scissors?? Something like that. I ordered a pair (almost ordered two!) and should have it within 2 weeks. The scissors also come in silver and gold, but those weren't there to show me.

At the JAR Designs booth I got a wonderful chart by M Designs called Floral Fun #2 and the JAR Designs thread pack for it. It's on an apricot-y colored fabric by Picture This Plus. What luck!! Pat was looking in the booth so I sat down to wait. I happened to see a fabric in the JAR booth that looked like what I needed. Nope! Too bright. I went back to PTP's booth to get the fabric (Flash). I already knew this would be my next project. Unfortunately, I wanted a count that they'd sold out. Bummer.

I saw the new Bothy cut-thru design "Cottage", but decided to wait for a sale. Stoney Creek always has a big display and it was good to see the models for charts I have. (Note to self: do Fish City!)

I found a great new haunted house by Brittercup, and some halloweeny green fabric (JAR??).

Pat wanted to check out the line where she'd seen a chart and I wanted water. They provide water coolers and cups, tables and chairs. The water tasted sooooo good! I should've pulled my chair up to the cooler and just kept my cup full! LOL While waiting I played a little game I like to do. I imagine that I've left and am not coming back. What do I regret not purchasing? Surprisingly, I had a regret! I decided to go back to JAR Designs and get the bright orange fabric so I did. Here it is:



After finishing the stitching of the fob last night, I needed a new project. I pulled out the M Designs chart, the floss and the bright orange fabbie. When I opened the fabbie I was delighted to see that the reverse side was almost a perfect match to the fabric called for!! I've started it and here it is:



I also bought Tequila and Salt by The Sunflower Seed and the JABC button pack, Toil and Trouble by Erica Michaels (my favorite!!!!) and the fabbie, Haunt the Night Away by Brittercup Designs (mentioned above), Blue Marble fabbie by JAR Designs, and MH pin kit called Boo Ghost. And a great time was had by all!

Pic of Nathan's Sampler

The piece is bigger than the scanner! Here's a good portion of Nathan's Sampler showing the wonderful quilt square border in the vibrant colors.

I still love it after all these years!

It amuses me greatly that the fruit basket on the right took 3 hours to stitch in 2007 and the fruit basket on the left took 5 years to finish!

WAHOOOOO!!!! I FINISHED!!!!

I'm so excited that I finished Nathan's Sampler a Bernat kit I bought brand-new-out-of-the-box in 1984 and started that night. I finished it on August 1, 2007 after working on it every summer (plus odd times in between) since 1984.

I'm amused by the back of the piece. I started cross stitching in 1980 so I was still relatively new to it in 1984. Now, 23 years later, I'm quite accomplished at many counted thread stitches and "expert" at cross stitch. ;) I had some cherries and stems left to do and I did them as I would do any isolated stitching by tying the threads off after each motif and not dragging the DARK RED and DARK GREEN threads from one cherry to the next. However, back in 1984 or so I was not fettered by such constraints! LOL Drag-drag-drag away! I considered "fixing" them, but it is visual proof of my journey in stitching, even if I'm the only one who knows after it's framed.

I'd show a picture, but webshots wasn't uploading pics quickly last night. I'll try again this weekend. In the meantime, here's a link: http://albums.photo.epson.com/j/ViewPhoto?u=4026843&a=32420222&p=75751214