Monday, March 11, 2024

March WIPs and Finishes


 Time for the March Check-In for the Fully Finished Gallery SAL.
The goal of this SAL is to motivate stitchers to get their stitched projects fully finished, banishing the stuffed drawers and under the bed boxes that are full of items to be finished.  

I only have one FFO to share. I completed the stitching in February and the finishing in March. Snowmen Are Cool is an older pattern by Waxing Moon Designs. The snowman button from Just Another Button Company was substituted for the one on the model. I wasn't able to find the featured one. 

Snowmen Are Cool
Waxing Moon Designs

I've worked some more on One Dozen Quakers. It's so much fun working on it that is hard to put it down and move on to the next project. 
One Dozen Quakers
Rosewood Manor
The right most motif is done, now to move to a larger Q-Snap to complete the right side border.
Christmas Garden
Blackbird Designs
I worked on the basket/urn of flowers on the top area of Christmas Garden. Hopefully I will have better success when I tackle the top border again. I've taken it out at least three times it seems. Need to work on that counting mojo.
This month I'm also working on 2 Ornaments for Challenges. I working on 2 of my 12 Days of /Christmas Stockings.
 
12 Days of Christmas 
Annie Beez Folk Art

Thanks for stopping by,

Gwen








Tuesday, March 5, 2024

One Dozen Quakers

 One Dozen Quakers

I’m stitching One Dozen Quakers with EJ and others. We hope to have this stitched by the end of the year. This is the proposed stitching order and my progress after our March Zoom session.
'
As you can see I’m not strictly following the proposed guide but I hope to get there in the end. I have a few changes that I want to include so I’ve left off some of the motifs for now. I’ll rearrange and add later.


Saturday, March 2, 2024

January/February 2024

It’s hard to put all that I worked on in January and February in one post, so I’ll just be sprinkling them in as I go along. In the mean time here are the first 4. 

The houses on the left still need their roofs, but I’ve started the antler on right side.
Dancer, Barbara Ana Designs, Punch Needle and Primitive Stitcher Magazine 

The top border of Christmas Garden is giving fits. I think I have taken it out at lease 3 times now. Still working on the top portion of the design and will get back to the border later.
Christmas Garden, Blackbird Designs

Almost met my goal if finishing this block in February, so close.
Another Year Creeps By, Ink Circles
I didn’t take a before picture, but this is my progress so far. The gold on the A is the wing for my my still headless angel. The shepherd and sheep are done and on to the next set of letters.
Nativity, Bent Creek
Thanks for stopping by,
Gwen

 

Wednesday, February 14, 2024

Valentine Blog Hop 2024

It’s time again for the Secret Stitching Sweetheart Blog Hop. This hop is hosted by Jo of  Serendipitous Stitching. Jo has collected theme related stitching and assigned them to a fellow stitcher. On the HOP each  participant will post the photo they received on their blogs. 

     

Please hop around and a take a look at all the 2024 participants. The list is here on Jo’s blog:

Serendipitous Stitching.

Happy Valentine’s Day!


 



Saturday, January 13, 2024

New Year, New Goals

Yikes!
How did we get here already? It seems the year just started. The 10th of the month is the date to post in the Fully Finished Gallery SAL. Thus far I have managed one tiny finish.
   
This tart finish is Frezzie, by Stitches by Ethel. It was a kit in an advent calendar from Needlecraft Corner.

My SALs/Challenges for this year will be WIPGO, Monthly Magazine Challenge and  Year of WIPs (YoW).  YoW is run by Soulful Stitches on FB. The goal is to provide motivation to complete the pile of WIPs. I’ve selected my 8 projects and hope to complete at least 4 of them this year.
Thanks for stopping by,



Sunday, December 31, 2023

New Year's Eve 2023!

Happy New Year's Eve!

It's time to say goodbye to 2023. This year I was able to complete a few projects, start a few and attend a couple of classes. I have no local needlework shop so I was grateful for the chance to visit one of my favorites The Attic Needleworks and a new to me shop Annabella's. Taking part in a few challenge groups kept me on task. I was able to complete more than I normally would. I will continue with some of the groups, dropping a few and adding at least one. Blogging more often is still on the table. Working on it. This year I really got involved with beading 3D objects, it's been soon much fun. Hope to do more in 2024. Looking forward to more completed hand made stitching and beading and hope to learn at least one new technique in the new year.





Thursday, December 7, 2023

2023 Advent Blog Hop


     
Merry, Heart in Hand
  It’s December and time for the Annual Advent Blog Hop. Each year Jo of Seredipitous Stitching is the host. So far we had a full six days of wonderful stories and sharing of projects. If this is your first stop visit Jo’s blog for the first days and the others to follow.

Jo has asked us to share a Santa story or Christmas tradition. I don’t have a Santa Story but I love making Christmas Ornaments for myself and family. The first project in this post is an ornament I made and gifted to my sister over the Thanksgiving weekend.
 
Next is a small sampling of some of my hand made ornaments.

Below is my pillow that I stitched and finished this year. 

                                   

Hares' Christmas, Plum Street Sampler

                         Merry Christmas!


Friday, November 3, 2023

October Progress

During October the WIPocalypse SAL Challenge was to select a WIP and do a minimum of one stitch per day, every day for the month. My choice was What Remains, Blackbird Designs.

This was my starting point.

I missed a few days but was able to make some real progress.
What Remains, Blackbird Designs
I worked on the left side and got most of the border done. The central flower also got some attention. Now that I have moved the QSnaps I will complete the flower and the pot. The flower in the upper left is done. I decided to wait and do the satin stitches later, I don’t want to snag them.

What Remains was also one of my WIPGO calls for October. The other WIPGO call was As Life Wears Away, Carriage House Samplings. And I have a finish.
As Life Wears Away, Carriage House Samplings
Very pleased to have finished this one.

My WIPs with the most progress were:

Halloween Delivery, Plum Street Samplers

Hares’Christmas, Plum Street Samplers
Just a few more snowflakes and this will be complete.
Mabel Tuke 1779, Sassyfras Samplers
The month was a very good one for my stitching. Along with the five large pieces I have several smaller projects that I made a lot of progress on. Hopefully I can continue with my progress in November. I also got a chance to visit two cross stitch stores, had a great time visiting with some stitching friends, and attend two classes. Yes, it was a very good month. 

Thanks for stopping by,
Gwen

Monday, October 2, 2023

Sampler September

 For Sampler September 2023, I’ll be focusing on Mabel Tuke 1779 and Margery Dean. Possibly 2 weeks on each.

Week1:

I started here with Mabel Tuke.

Mabel Tuke 1779 
She is being stitched with the called for NPI silk.
This was my progress at the end of week 1.

 
On Saturday I had a finish!
As Life Wears Away, Carriage House Samplings.
Stitched on 40ct fabric with DMC floss.
Week 2:
This was my second week working on Mabel. 
I chose to change the Algerian Eyelet stitches to Smyrna Crosses. My eyelets are not the best and this fabric is bit loose. Not sure I could get my eyelets looking as good as I would like them too.

For the next two weeks I want to work on Margery Dean. This is were I left off the last time I worked on her.

Not sure why I stopped working on her but I hope to get a few motifs done in the next two weeks. 
Sampler  September 2023 is over. Here is my progress on my two focus pieces.
I managed to complete most of the top section of Mabel. Just a matter of finishing up the lower case alphabet and a small border; then the fun portion on the bottom.
I worked on Margery Dean the second part of the month.  The second tree on the bottom section is now complete and I worked on the left border. One more flower on that side and on to the bottom and right side flowers.

Thanks for stopping by,
Gwen

Sunday, September 10, 2023

FFO Frenzy Part 1

 I haven’t done much finishing lately; but I now have a few over the last two weekends.

First off I stitched 2 items from the 2023 Just Cross Stitch Halloween Magazine. Seasonal Celtic Knot was presented as an ornament. I finished the ornament and a partial knot  and used them to make a biscornu. 


Seasonal Celtic Knot
Just Cross Stitch Halloween Magazine 2023
This pillow is a portion of Spooky Greetings project.
One last fully finished was Strawberry House by Scarlett House. I used the supplied kit materials to make the pillow and adapted the fob to a mattress pin cushion.
Strawberry House,
Scarlett House

Thanks for stopping by,
Gwen



Monday, September 4, 2023

August Progress

I started 2 new projects that took a lot of my stitching time in August. Book of Spells and Book of Shadows. Book of Shadows is a current SAL from Living on the Rainbow, Etsy. The covers of both books are full coverage. Book of Shadows got a little bit more stitching time, as I wanted to be in a good position to work on the pages for this book. I want to be able to complete at least 2 of the pages during the SAL.

Book of Spells, Living on the Rainbow
Book of Shadows, Living on the Rainbow

As Life Wears AwayCarriage House Samplings is on track for a finish soon. 

I also worked on Hares' Christmas by Plum Street Sampler, and Halloween Delivery. Both are part of  year long challenges on FB's Halloween Cross Stitch Challenge. 

Hares' Christmas, Plum Street Samplers

Halloween Delivery, Plum Street Samplers
For Sampler September I will be working on Mabel Tuke 1779 and Margery Dean.