A couple of Small Finishes and progress

Well, I was trying to get some research in today, but Google Books kept messing up so I decided to do a little stitching. I am also a bit under the weather as I believe the cold conditions in Florida have finally gotten the best of me. So, here are a couple of small finishes:

First up is Pineapple Cone

Stitched on 18-ct Charles Craft fabric
DMC Floss (came with kit)
Designed by: Barbara Bangser
2007 Posy Collection

Next is a bookmark. Part of the design is my own and part is from a magazine (JCS, June 2009). The poem, or rather haiku, is mine as well.

Stitched on 14-ct Aida fabric
Floss color: Dark Brown (left over from Quaker Medallion)

And I have completed part of HalloSAL part 3. I still have a couple of sections to do, but I need to get the right floss first. I decided I didn't want to try to use something similar.


I do intend to stitch a little on the Christmas Design SAL with Yoyo tonight.

Don't forget to sign up for my giveaway! So far there are two who actually posted a comment on the post indicating which mag they would like to receive.

First Finish of 2010!

Well, I finally finished Quaker Medallion and I have to say that I really like the design. Now I just have to decide how I will "finish" the piece. Will I frame it, turn it into an ornament, something else??? I have seen others' Quaker-style pieces and wasn't sure how I felt about them, albeit their stitch work was/is nice. I may have to find some other Quaker-style designs to add to my stash.

Here are a couple of pictures of Quaker:



When I was adding my initials and the year, I started to put "09". I had to remove the stitches and replace with the "10". The first couple of days I was doing great in writing the correct year, now...fa-get-aboud-it! LOL

I also read on a couple of different blogs where the stitcher is looking for ways of storing their floss. Here are a couple of pictures of my floss storage bins:



The first photo shows a couple of drawers open on each, the second one shows them all closed. I found one of them in Michigan, but I can't remember what store. The other one was bought at a local K-Mart. They are generally in the hardware section of the stores, if you can find them. I prefer the darker (black) cabinet as opposed to the lighter (grey) one. You can see that I still have some cleaning up to do with excess floss!

Soon...a new start

Well, I spoke with my mom today (a few times) and during one of our conversations we were looking around on my blog. She goes to it from time to time to see what I am up to in stitchy things, but this time I was pointing her to specific posts. As she was looking, she came upon the Christmas card (kits) that I purchased a few weeks ago, and the one I finished. She really liked them and [hinted] that she would love to make some cards this year like that but she doesn't stitch. Well, I will be stitching inserts for her over the next few months! She also asked about the design I am stitching in Yoyo's SAL. I pointed her to the original post showing the purchase I made at NeedleCraft World in Kissimmee, FL. She really loved Ink Circles, Cirque des Carreaux, so I ordered the fabric and floss and should get it before the end of the month. It was another subtle hint that she would like it for her west wall. Gotta love subtle hints from mothers!! I don't mind as it will be another big project for me this year. A little variety never hurts!

Nope! I didn't finish Quaker Medallion last night as I thought I would. I will tonight though!!

Don't forget to sign up for my giveaway and tell all your friends!!!

New Start

Well, I broke down and started another, small, project. Quaker Medallion that I picked up while in Virginia in October. I don't really care for the feel of the fabric, but I will muttle through to the finish. It is a brown colored 28ct linen, but it is a rough feeling linen. I do like the design, however, so I may stitch another one later in the year on a different fabric. Here is a pic of what I completed last night:


In other areas of stitchdom, I have a random question about ornaments and finishing. What is your preferred method of finishing?

I am new to ornies and would like to make the best possible ornaments I can. I have read where some are finished using a strong matte board or foam board to keep them firm. I have also read where some are like mini-pillows with a filling inside.

What I want is to make an ornament that will last for a long time. I plan to start stitching a few ornaments each year for each of my nieces and nephews, my mom, my sister, and my step-mom (to start). There are 8 nieces and nephews in total and with the other 3 included I will have to make 11 or 12 each year! When looking at other stitchy bloggers, it's really not a lot.

Away with 2009...

Welcome 2010!

Yup, that about sums up how I feel about the past year. I didn't have a great year, not one of the best years of my life, but it's over and I will move on! There is about 7 hours and 37 minutes left in 2009 and I have been counting down for about a month now!! LOL

On the stitchy front, I did manage to complete a few things:

• Polska Sampler
• Apples
• Lucky Pillow Wrap (although it still needs a pillow, but the stitching is done and it counts!)
• a couple of Blackwork pieces
• Elvis
• Nautical Sampler by Bucilla
• Zanesville (one of my own creations)
• 4 Christmas Cards
• A Christmas SAL (thanks Threadbasket.com!)
• Astral Lion
• Reindeer ornie (again, the stitching is done)
• Makin' New Friends (an old WIP)
  

There may have been a couple of others that I have no recollection nor picture of.

I am working on another Christmas Design SAL with Yoyo and that won't be completed until the end of 2010 sometime. Keep checking in on here for updates! I also intend to work on some more Christmas cards, and maybe throw in a couple of birthday cards for a kick! And I am taking part in the HalloSAL, which is still in progress...as well as the TUSAL!!!

As for my WIPs posted on this blog:

• Cat on Chair (needs to be re-started as the fabric is icky)
• The Siesta
• '68 Charger (may need to be re-started)

I am determined to complete those as well!

I have many items listed in my Future WIPs section, and may start one of those over the weekend, or I may start the Austrian I from the latest JCS magazine. I haven't decided yet which way I will go!

As always, I am a graduate student and must devote much of my time to the writing of my Master's Thesis, thus the first half of the year may not see much stitch work.

I am planning to go through my many magazines and booklets to find other projects that I want to do in the near (or not so near) future. Look for that list to appear sometime over the next couple of weeks.

So with that, I will close 2009 and look ahead to a bright and healthy 2010!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

A card and an ornie

Just a couple of quick finishes to share.

I finished "Joy" a couple nights ago. Here is a pic:


Last night, after much fighting with the fabric, I finished the reindeer ornie (well, as finished as it is gonna get for now). Here is a pic:


As you can see, I used beads for the eyes and the dot on the "i" in Christmas. I still have one leg to complete, and that is where the fighting came in. I must have stabbed myself a half dozen times trying to get the darker brown outline and legs completed. Those stitches go through the center of the square instead of in the holes already there. I didn't like doing those stitches.

The stars were simple, but a lot of work. You have to start and finish each star individually or there will be a lot of "tails" showing through.

The border is done using backstitching instead of the called for "Blanket stitch".

I am not sure if I will frame the little guy or turn him into an actual ornament. Either way, that part will be finished over the weekend.

Now, it's back to the Christmas SAL that I am doing and Chapter 3 of my thesis.

Happy New Year to all!!!

New Stuff!

I did a little last minute shopping a few nights before Christmas and came upon some cool inexpensive/clearance items at JoAnn's! First, I must tell you that they already had their Valentine's stuff out, so I was a little disturbed while shopping. All that pink! Ugh!! But, as I moved back toward the stitchy stuff, I noticed an end cap display with several cross-stitch card kits for $1.99. I picked up four of those.

Then, I got back to the stitchy area and looked at their clearance stuff and came upon several items that I really liked. I only picked up one though that spoke to the sailor in me.



I looked without much luck for the Learn-A-Craft kits as my niece wants me to teach her how to stitch. I decided to head over to Michael's hoping beyond hope that they still carried kits. And yay! They have them still at that particular location (the one I normally shop in does not carry kits, but they do have all the other bare necessities - and I do mean bare)! I found a few LaC's and a couple of other simpler kits for her (I don't have a pic though as they are wrapped and awaiting to be opened).

At the check out (in JoAnn's) I found the latest import issue of a cross-stitch magazine that I enjoy and picked that up as well. There was a cute reindeer kit included, which I began that night. Here is how far I got:

I also started one of the cards, hoping that I would have 2 of them completed for Christmas, but alas I failed in that attempt! My eyes and hands were just not cooperating after working all day in the floral shop. Here is how far I got on "Joy":

Joyeux Noel...

...in all it's framed glory! Here are a few pics at different angles/zooms.



Note: the cars in front of the frame are from a casino in Las Vegas. My dad won them (too bad they aren't the real thing) playing video poker when he lived there several years ago. The monkey is playing golf. It is a statue I picked up at Heilig-Myers back in 1997 or so when I worked there. He's draped in the lei's from my dad's 60th birthday party earlier this year. And yes, that is our little Christmas tree. Since we live in a single wide, there is really no room for a tree. I found this at a dollar store and love it!

I decided to pick up a frame for this stitched piece while at Wal-Mart today. I chose a darker wood color as I felt it would better accent the fabric of the piece. I am really pleased with the outcome! I may have to stitch this one again and again for friends and/or family!

Thanks Valerie for allowing me to partake in this SAL and I hope to join you all on another SAL in the future!

Old Finishes, New Beginnings

Well, I managed to turn in a rough draft of one chapter of my thesis, so I have turned my attention to Christmas. Over the next few weeks I will be working on another chapter as well as a SAL for Christmas 2010. I began stitching this piece on the evening of Dec 5th. Here are a couple of pics of what I have done so far:



The top picture is what I completed on the first night. The bottom is what I did last night. So far I am pleased with how it is turning out!

I also managed to get a couple more pillows made from old designs that I finished stitching a while back. The first on is the Polska Sampler. I used a bright (Christmasy) red as the backing fabric. The second one is Forever Wild, which I used a blue backing fabric. Here is a pic:



These, along with Astral Lions, was sent off to MI this morning to be distributed for Christmas.

I almost forgot! I have completed the 2nd part of the HalloSAL Sampler. Here is a pic:

Astral Finish!!!!

I am finally finished stitching Astral Lion and am so pleased with the outcome! Here is a pic:


I only have to turn this into a pillow and then wrap and send it off to Michigan for my niece.

Now I will take a bit of a break from stitching to concentrate on my thesis the remainder of the week. Over the weekend, I intend to work on Part II of the HalloSAL and begin the Christmas 2010 SAL. I am doing Coming Home for the Holidays; a Dimensions Gold Collection kit.

I will post a pic of Astral Lion as a pillow once it is complete (probably tomorrow)!

Christmas SAL Finish

I have finished the last two parts of the 2009 Christmas SAL (began November 1). Here are the pics:

We had a choice of language for the wording. I opted for the French language. I think it makes it a bit classier!

Photos

I still don't have my own pc back, so I decided to download the pics onto my dad's pc so I can upload them here.

First up is HalloSAL. I decided to go with beads for the owls eyes instead of continuing to fight the french knots.

While I am waiting for part II on HalloSAL, I decided to stitch Fraidy Frog from the JCS Halloween 2009 Issue. The first image is in normal settings on my camera and the second is in the "pop art" setting. I really like how the colors look in the second image!

And finally, an update on Astral Lion. I am almost finished (have stitched much more since this photo was taken) and will post another update on it soon. I am now all the way across the bottom, have the smaller lions done (except for the backstitching), and most of the purple area complete.

Now to get my pc back from that blasted Geek Squad! I will have an update on the Christmas SAL over the weekend as I have the 4th part to complete and the last part will be out soon (Sunday, I think). Until then...

Christmas SAL - 2009

Here is the third section all stitched on this SAL:

TUSAL November Report

Well, I guess it's that time again! Here is my November report for TUSAL:

I am also making some progress on Astral Lions. I will post a picture of that later in the week.

New Friends Made and new stuff from JoAnn's!

Yes, that does mean I have finished Makin' New Friends (well, as finished as it's gonna get)! Instead of french knots, I used black colored beads. I opted not to do all the "beadwork" because I felt it would look better without all the clutter. There should be white and red beads as well on the buttons and one of the scarfs. Here is a pic:



Earlier today, my father and I were out and about and we stopped at JoAnn's so I could get some fabric for a project I am going to start for one of my graduate school classes. I am making a chapbook, of sorts, using my own poetry translated into Arabic. I plan to write the poems in calligraphy and then bind the book in a traditional (as traditional as I can get, anyway) medieval Islamic fashion. It will be a lot of work, but I am sure it will look great when I am done! Here is a pic of the fabric I chose (Yes, that is my kitten, Sandy, "modeling" with the fabric - it's hard to believe she is almost 7 mos.):



I also needed to pick up some seed beads to do the beadwork on Friends and while I was in the needlecraft aisle I got side-tracked by the display of kits on sale (50% off). I picked up three new kits: A Cat's a Cat, Lion, and Dreamkeepers. A Cat's a Cat is stamped fabric, but I will use counted fabric. I am not much for the stamped cross-stitch. Lion is similar to Astral Lions, but it appears the larger head in the sky will be more subtle. Both of those are Janlynn kits. Dreamkeepers is really cute and is a Bucilla design by Kathy Fincher. Here is a pic:

Updates

Here are a couple of pics of Makin' New Friends:



I only have the lower border to finish and some of the detail (french knots - faces).

Here are a couple of the Christmas SAL:

HalloSAL Part 1

I have almost completed the first part of the HalloSAL I am participating in. Here is a snap of what I have done so far:


I also decided to participate in a Christmas SAL. I will show my progress once I have actually done something on it; I only just signed up today and it started on the 1st. I intend to work on that one over the weekend.

Zanesville update and a WIP

I was hoping to show a picture of Zane receiving his birthday gift from me, but out of the 100+ pictures I took at the party on the 7th, wouldn't you know it, that was the only one that didn't turn out! Ugh!!! I will have to ask my cousin to ask around and see if anyone else who took pictures has one of that and if they will email me a copy. I will keep you posted...

In other news, I picked up Makin' New Friends and am determined to finish it off before Christmas this year! There really is not a lot left to do on it. Just a little bit of the border and those dreaded french knots. I am seriously considering using beads instead as I find the knots difficult to do. And I really don't have the patience to keep messing with the thread to get the knots just right. Maybe something I can practice doing after the holidays! I will post a picture when it is completed.

Christmas Cards

I have completed 3 Christmas cards (minus the inside saying) so far. I am enjoying making these; more than I thought I would. Here are a few pics (information beneath them):

Tinsel Cat
14ct. White Aida
Stitch Count 37h x 24w
Cross Stitch Cards ~ Joanne Sanderson

The next two are from Cross Stitch Crazy magazine's add-on 126 Xmas Designs:

Snowman, p19
14ct. White Aida
Stitch Count 40h x 48w (max)

Three Kings, p16
14ct. White Aida

Stitch Count 40h x 48w (max)

I used scraps from my scrapbooking supplies to accent the designs and Staples brand Card Stock in beige. I have a couple of more that I want to make and then we'll see how the time is from there (as to whether or not I make more).

New Stash!

Well, I went to Kissimmee, FL today to visit NeedleCraft World. It is a wonderful little store with lots of neat stuff! I mainly went to get some fabric that I need for a couple of projects, and since it is the closest stitchy store near me (about an hour East), I gave myself a little spending limit. I managed to pick up a few patterns and a kit. Below are some pics:

The top fabric is "Peoria Purple" by Week's Dye Works. This photo does not do justice to the actual color, but it is the closest I could get to showing you. The bottom fabric is a 28ct Linen (can't remember the color), which it turns out is not long enough, so I will have to reorder in the correct length. Such is life, I guess! lol...it also means I can get the rest of the floss I need to begin the HalloSAL.

Starting from the top left: Rosewood Manor's Medallions by Karen Kluba (2008), The Cricket Collection's The Great Pumpkin Conspiracy by Vicki Hastings (2009), Ink Circles' Cirque des Carreaux by Tracy Horner (2008), Stoney Creek's Hanging Around for Christmas (2009), and Dimensions Gold Collection's Coming Home for the Holidays by Nicky Boehme (2004). Since I have enough going on right now and don't want to get behind in my Master's program, I will put these in the future WIPs section. I may not actually start any of them until mid-2010, but just having the pattern is enough for now.