I'm back again with another finish. This one definitely wasn't a start and finish on the same day like the ornament I posted yesterday. LOL I actually started this piece back in 2019 when it was released. Sadly, it had been languishing in my WIP pile for months with only about four hours of stitching time remaining on it. After finishing the ornament on Saturday, I decided since I was in a holiday stitching mood anyway, I should pull this one out and get it finished once and for all. As an added bonus, this is finish 21 of 2021 for me!
Design: Away We Go Designer: Country Cottage Needleworks Fabric: 32 ct Blue Spruce linen Fibers: Called For Started: 1 Dec 2019 Finished: 12 Dec 2021 Stitch Count: 129 x 97
The chart called for stitching this on black fabric, but I opted to use Blue Spruce linen instead. I really love this fabric for a wintery sky look and the white floss really pops on it!
Stitch from Stash:
I'm claiming a $16.80 finish credit for this finish. Based on the stitch count (129 x 97), the base credit is $14, but I also get two 10% bonuses for using specialty fibers and specialty stitches (French knots).
Right around this same time last year, I was found an adorable little ornament design called A Very Covid Christmas 2020 Ornament - Santa in the BeverlyStreetShop store on Etsy. As soon as I saw the chart, I just knew I had to stitch him. It was a fairly quick stitch and only took me a couple of nights start to finish.
Well, the same designer has done it again. This year she has released a chart called Christmas 2021 Vaccine. Once again, as soon as I saw the design yesterday, I immediately headed to her Etsy shop and purchased it then promptly sat down and stitched it. This one stitched up even faster than last year's ornament because I started and finished it the same day!
Design: Christmas 2021 Vaccine Designer: Beverly Ellis (BeverlyStreetShop on Etsy) Fabric: 28 ct White Monaco Fibers: Called for DMC Started: 11 Dec 2021 Finished: 11 Dec 2021 Stitch Count: 41x40
In looking back over my blog from last year, it doesn't look like I even posted the finish of my Santa ornament here. I did post it on Instagram, but not on my blog apparently. So, for anyone who may have missed it last year, here's my stitched version of A Very Covid Christmas Santa.
Designer: Beverly Ellis (BeverlyStreetShop on Etsy)
Fabric: 32 ct Lambswool Jobelan
Fibers: Called for DMC
Started: 3 December 2020
Completed: 5 December 2020
Stitch Count: 51 x 51
If anyone is interested in this design, she has an updated version in her shop with the year 2021 on it. She also has variations with a masked snowman and a masked nutcracker. If you like all three designs, you can save a little bit by purchasing them as a bundle. As of the time of this writing, they are currently all on sale for 25% off.
Stitch from Stash:
Based on the stitch count, I'm claiming a $5 finish credit for the vaccine ornament. I'm not claiming any credit for the Santa ornament since it was stitched last year.
As some of you may know, in addition to cross stitching, I also enjoy diamond painting occasionally. Because of that fact, I decided to partake in the 25% off Black Friday sale at Diamond Art Club. I picked up two beautiful canvases that arrived on Saturday. I look forward to working on these beauties at some point in the future.
The first canvas I picked up is called Kristy's Kitty. It's based on original artwork by artist Hannah Lynn. Anyone who is a fan of Heaven and Earth Designs, you are probably already familiar with Hannah's art. I just couldn't resist that sweet little kitty and those pumpkins.
The second canvas I got is Sweet Tooth by artist Myka Jelina. I just couldn't resist all of the amazing bright rainbow colors in this piece. As someone with multiple tattoos, I also love all of her ink on her arms.
I actually didn't make any Black Friday cross stitch purchases this year. Lots of shops were having sales, but I decided to stick with my Stitch from Stash budget since I have so many things fully kitted already.
As I was stitching last night, I was catching up on the last few FlossTube videos from Steph and Pam over at Just Keep Stitchin'. In episode #226, they were recapping their trip to the Stitch Inn at the Farm retreat. As they were driving up to New England for the retreat, they made a stop at Hobby House Needleworks in Pittsford, New York. Steph held up a chart they purchased from the shop which was designed by Kathy, the woman who owns Hobby House Needleworks. As soon as I saw, I immediately paused the video and went to the Hobby House website to purchase it. The chart is called Dasher and Dancer and here's a photo of the model.
Isn't this design stunning?!! If, like me, you love Quaker samplers, I think this is a must stitch! It calls for 40 ct. Antique Lace linen from Seraphim Fabrics, but I'm planning to just use one of the many pieces of neutral 40 ct Verdal (evenweave) fabric I have in my stash already from BeStitchMe. I've been in her 40 ct. neutrals Fabric of the Month club for the past year, so I have quite a few pieces to choose from.
It also calls for Mulberry from Gentle Arts. The listing states the design requires 134 yards of six-stranded floss if using one strand. By my math, that would mean 27 skeins of GAST since it comes in five yard skeins which would cost over $60 just for the floss. So, I've decided to substitute and use one of my favorite reds instead. I'm going to use DMC 115 which comes in 8.7 yard skeins which means I would need 16 skeins. At 60 cents per skein from 123 Stitch, that comes out to $9.60 for the floss which is much better. LOL
Using the DMC 115 will definitely make the overall design brighter than the original, but I'm OK with that. While the Mulberry GAST is beautiful, it was a bit more purple that I wanted for a holiday design.
Given how many WIPs I have at the moment, I have no clue when on earth I will actually finish this piece. All I do know is I will be starting it ASAP once the chart and floss arrive!
Another year is quickly coming to a close. November was a very unproductive month for me stitching wise as I was dealing with some health issues and lost my stitchy mojo for most of the month. Thankfully, it seems to be back, so December should be a better month for me. Here's how things went in November.
Stitching Recap:
Number of Days Stitched: 7
Projects Worked: 3
Stitchy Stars - Lori Holt
Black Sampler 2021 - Whilst Iris Naps Designs (new start)
Since I've been divorced for over 15 years and don't have a partner purchasing gifts for me, each year I purchase a Christmas gift for myself in the $75-100 price range. As soon as I got a sneak peek of this gorgeous autumnal design from Beth Seal of Summer House Stitche Workes a few weeks ago and the Pacific Northwest Stitch Summit (PNWSS) retreat, I knew this was going to be my gift to myself this year. The design is called Emily's Bliss after poet/author Emily Brontë who authored the sentiment in her poem Fall, leaves, fall.
If you would like to see a quick video clip of this beautiful design finished as a drum (finishing supplies provided with the kit), you can see it here on Beth's Instagram account. This design is ONLY available as a kit through the Homespun Needlework (Cross Stitch and Samplers) group on Facebook. Beth designed it exclusively for them and it is being kitted up and sold through Acorns & Threads in Portland, Oregon. Today was finally the day the kits were made available to pre-order through the Facebook group. I ordered the linen option (32 count Natural Light Linen from Wichelt) with these absolutely silks from Gloriana Threads.
Since this is a gift to myself, I am not counting it against my stitch from stash budget. One of my exceptions is gifts and there are only two occasions per year (my birthday and Christmas) when I purchase stitchy gifts for myself, so I choose not to count those purchases.
Now comes the most difficult part. Since this was a pre-order, I have to be patient and wait for it to actually ship to me! LOL
I feel like I had a very productive month in October. I attended the virtual Pacific Northwest Stitchers Summit (see my recap here), had a few new starts, and four cross stitch finishes. In addition to that, I had a diamond painting finish as well. Here's how things went for me in October.
Stitching Recap:
Number of Days Stitched: 24
Projects Worked: 7
The Stargazer - Mirabilia
All the Trimmings - Fat Quarter Shop
Garden Party - Satsuma Street
Two Birds in One Tree - Modern Folk Embroidery
Friendship Sampler - Threadwork Primitivies
Haunted House Sampler - Twin Peak Primitives
Fall Gnomes (Diamond Painting)
New Starts: 3
Seeds of Friendship: The Ball - Summer House Stitche Workes
Haunted House Sampler - Twin Peak Primitives
Quaker Garden - Blackbird Designs
Finishes: 5 (four cross stitch and one diamond painting)
With only a couple of minutes to spare until midnight, I managed to put in the final stitches on Friendship Sampler by Threadwork Primitives to get in a late Saturday night finish. I started this piece in April 2020 as a stitch-a-long with my Instagram friend, @brittneyxstitches.
I purchased this beautiful sampler as a kit from Tomorrow's Heirlooms Needlework in Glen Ellyn, Illinois as they have the exclusive rights to this design. If anyone is interested, the kit is still available on their website with several different configuration options, including both linen and Aida.
Design: Friendship Sampler
Designer: Threadwork Primitives
Fabric: 36 ct Oaken from Picture This Plus
Fibers: Called for (WDW & Classic Colorworks)
Stitch Count: 129 x 156
Started: 4 April 2020
Finished: 30 October 2021
Stitch from Stash:
Based on the stitch count, I'm claiming $24 for this finish ($20 base plus a 10% bonus each for hand-dyed fabric and fancy floss). This brings my current balance to $15.46 and gets me back out of the red again. Woo hoo!
I'm back with another finish. This is Quaker Garden from Blackbird Designs (BBD) which I stitched in memory of Barb Alan who was half of the BBD duo. This piece was designed by her many years ago and has always been one of my favorite BBD designs, so this seemed a fitting tribute to her. I've wanted to stitch this design for a long time, but was never able to find the chart. Thankfully, a very dear friend of mine generously loaned me her copy of the chart so I could stitch it.
Since this piece was a tribute to Barb, I left her initials in place as charted rather than replacing them with my own as I would typically do. I also added the years of her birth and death in backstitch below her initials.
Based on the stitch count, I'm claiming $26 for this finish ($20 base plus a 10% bonus each for hand-dyed fabric, fancy floss, and specialty stitches). This brings my current balance to -$8.54. I've made several purchases this month which has put me slightly in the hole, but not too much, thankfully.
I had the wonderful pleasure last weekend of attending the Pacific Northwest Stitch Summit (PNWSS) virtual retreat hosted by Acorns & Threads. This was my fourth time attending an Acorns event, three of which have been held virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Jeannine (the shop owner) said she is hopeful they will be able to start offering in-person events again next year (2022), but also hopes to continue offering virtual options as well since that gives people who might not otherwise be able to attend a chance to participate. While I love attending in-person events, having a virtual option is nice as well. It's makes it so much more affordable since I don't have to worry about transportation or lodging costs.
The designers for this year's PNWSS event were Cathy Habermann of Hands on Design, Tracy Horner of Ink Circles, and Beth Seal of Summer House Stitche Workes. I'm not quite as familiar with Beth's work, but Cathy and Tracy are definitely two of my favorite designers.
The three pieces they designed for the retreat are called Seeds of Friendship. Under that main umbrella, there is Seeds of Friendship: The Book, Seeds of Friendship: The Basket, and finally, Seeds of Friendship: The Ball. Here is a photo of the three pieces in their intended configuration.
Aren't they lovely?! While designed to go together, each piece could also be used independently. In addition to the Aztec Red linen from Weeks Dye Works and Gloriana silks being used on all three pieces, another cohesive element to the designs is the use of some simple embroidery details on each piece. I haven't done any embroidery in over 40 years, so it should be interesting when I get to that part. LOL (Note: I didn't link to the Weeks Dye Works site because I was getting a certificate error when I tried to visit their site.)
The Book was designed by Tracy (Ink Circles) and includes a pattern for the stitch book as well as for a fabric pillow to sit inside to help the book hold its shape. Alternatively, instead of using the pillow, you could place any 4x6" item inside the book instead (photo album, journal, an actual book, etc.).
The Basket was designed by Cathy (Hands on Design). Each section of the basket has a repeating cross stitch design on the inside and the embroidery on the outside. It's not visible in the photo, but in the inside bottom of the basket has an adorable little scene with squirrels and spools of thread.
The Ball was designed by Beth (Summer House Stitche Workes). The top linen section has a really pretty little leaf motif and each of the wool sections around the sides has a repeating embroidery pattern. There is a small washer whip stitched to the inside bottom of the ball which can be lined up with a coordinating magnet hidden in the bottom of the basket to secure it in place and prevent it from falling out. Very clever!
If you would like to hear the designers talk about their projects, be sure to check out Cathy's FlossTube #61. Tracy and Beth were still at her house and made a special appearance in her video. They did a bit of a recap of the retreat from the designer/teacher view and showed off each of their designs.
A couple of people have asked me on Instagram about whether these charts will eventually be released for general purchase. On the final day of the retreat, Cathy stated there are no plans at this time to release these designs publicly. That's not to say it couldn't potentially change at some point in the future, but for now, it seems retreat participants will be the only stitchers with these designs. Take heart though, there is a way you CAN get one of the retreat charts!
The three designers also collaborated on this beautiful set of circular designs titled Around My Friends. The set was created to celebrate and honor the 25th anniversary of Acorns & Threads this year. Jeannine didn't know anything about this extra project and as a surprise to her, they gifted her with the models during the retreat. Her face when she opened the box and pulled out the models was priceless!
If you would like to get your hands on these three beautiful designs, the chart will be available exclusively at Acorns & Threads. It is charted for Gloriana silks, but also includes a DMC conversion. Click here for all the details and to purchase online.
Each retreat participant was gifted not only the chart, but a full kit as well! These designs use the same Gloriana silks used in the Seeds of Friendship designs, so there wasn't any floss included since we had it already. The kits we received included the chart, linen (36 ct Platinum), red trim from LadyDotCreates, a little make & take kit to make the "acorn" pins, as well as a full finishing kit with precut mat board for each of the three designs. How incredibly generous!! I just want to send a big thank you to each of the designers for the extra kit!
In closing, I also want to thank all of the crew at Acorns & Threads for putting on such a wonderful event! Of course, we have to start with Jeannine as the shop owner who is at the helm of everything at Acorns & Threads. Up next is Jeri who always does such a great job as the event manager. Tasha has been a big part of things as well since they've moved to virtual events. She takes care of helping everyone on Zoom with any technical issues that arise as well as things like helping people change their name on Zoom reminding people to mute, etc. Of course, we can forget Jenn who does such an amazing job with the giveaways. Finally, there is everyone else who works behind the scenes putting together the kits, getting them shipped, sending invoices, holding down the fort at the shop during the event, etc. Events like these wouldn't be possible without the entire team, so I just wanted to publicly say thanks!
Speaking of the giveaways, I was actually one of the lucky giveaway winners during the retreat! The prize package I won included the Be a Pineapple chart from Hands On Design (shown above) and the Chronicles of Oline Marie - Volume I by Summer House Stitche Workes (shown below).
All in all, I had a great time! I'm already looking forward to the next one!
**PNWSS logo image used with permission of Acorn & Threads
Thanks to the generosity of a very dear friend, I am currently in temporary possession of one of my long-time unicorn charts. Woo hoo!! Since I haven't been able to find a copy to purchase, she is loaning me her copy so I can stitch it. The package arrived today along with another purchase I made last weekend during the Pacific Northwest Stitch Summit retreat hosted by Acorns & Threads.
Not only did my sweet friend send me the chart and a lovely card, but she also included a piece of the called for fabric! It's 30 ct Garden State Java by R&R Reproductions. She said she decided not to use it after she got it, so she sent it along to see if I might want to use it. I agree with her that this is a SUPER stiff fabric. I might try doing a small test swatch in one corner to see how I feel about stitching on it. If I decide I don't like it either, I'll just substitute and use one of the myriad neutral fabrics I have in my stash. Now I just have to be patient waiting for the threads to arrive. LOL
The other package I received today was the beautiful PSL/coffee-themed project bag. I ordered it last weekend from Denise at DotDotGooseDesign on Etsy. She was also attending the PNWSS retreat and graciously offered all attendees a 10% discount. I had already been eyeing this bag in her shop, so I immediately went and purchased it before they were all gone! I'm glad I did because, as of this writing, they are all gone! She has lots of other cute bags available though. I have several of her bags and absolutely love them. They're vinyl front bags and very well made. If you haven't checked out her shop already, you should!
Can you believe it? I'm back with another finish. This was my fourth oldest WIP started back in 2018, so it feels really good to get this one done.
Design: Garden Party (Cool Colorway)
Designer: Satsuma Street
Fabric: 32 ct Antique White Jobelan
Fiber: Called for DMC
Stitch Count: 109x127
Started: 2 March 2018
Finished: 6 October 2021
Stitch from Stash:
Based on the stitch count, I'm claiming a $14 finish credit for this piece. This brings my current balance to $11.86 which means I'm now officially out of the red! Woo hoo!!
WIPs-B-Gone:
I forgot to post about this a couple of weeks ago when it started, but I'm participating in the WIPs-B-Gone 2021 challenge over on Instagram. It was organized by Leanne of the Devoted Quilter. You can find her on Instagram and over on her blog. You can click here to find all the details about this challenge.
I selected three of my older WIPs to focus on between September 23 and the end of the year. My goal is to get the stitching completed on all three of these WIPs during the challenge. I'll worry about FFOing them another time. As my friend Abi would say, "That's a problem for future Melissa." :)
I completed this adorable free design today as part of the #AllTheTrimmingsSAL hosted by the Fat Quarter Shop. You can find this free chart on their website on their All the Trimming Mystery Sew Along page. In addition to the free cross stitch design, they are also offering a free quilt design. You can find full details about both projects on the Jolly Jabber blog.
Design: All the Trimmings
Designer: Fat Quarter Shop
Fabric: 28 ct black Jobelan
Fiber: DMC (conversion included with chart)
Stitch Count: 92x120
Started: 7 September 2021
Finished: 5 October 2021
Stitch from Stash:
Based on the stitch count, I'm claiming a $14 finish credit for this piece. This brings my current balance to $2.14-. I'm almost out of the red!
I can't believe it's October already! As slowly as 2020 went, it seems 2021 is going by super quickly. Since we are in a new month, I'm back for another monthly recap. September wasn't a very productive stitching month for me. I started off strong, but then didn't do much stitching in the last couple of weeks of the month. Here's how things went.
Yesterday was 1 September 2021, so that means it's time for another monthly recap and Stitch from Stash update. I did a LOT of stitching in August. My Stitch from Stash took a bit of a hit due to ordering two fully kitted designs released at the Needlework Expo, so I ended up in the red. I should be able to get things back on track this month.
Stitching Recap:
Number of Days Stitched:
I stitched every single day in August for a total of 31 days. I spent the first eight days of the month wrapping up the Stitching Olympics event in the Stitch All the Things group on Facebook which ran from 23 July through 8 Aug to coincide with the sporting Olympic Games. I also worked in a few projects I was behind on for my WIPGO board this month. I'm actually almost caught up!
Projects Worked:
Quilting Bee by The Blue Flower for the Stitching Olympics & WIPGO
Sarah Spencer c. 1870 by Hands Across the Sea Samplers for the Stitching Olympics & WIPGO
Henna Mandala by Ink Circles for the Stitching Olympics & WIPGO
United We Stand by Teresa Kogut for the Stitching Olympics & WIPGO
Adjust Your Sails by Little Dove Designs for National Lighthouse Day & WIPGO
I finished this lovely free design today called Quaker Heart as my August project for #CrossStitchCamp. The design originally appeared in PieceWork magazine several years ago. They now offer it on their website. Here's the link: Quaker Heart
I'm claiming a $9.60 credit for this finish ($8 base + 10% bonus for hand dyed fabric + 10% bonus for specialty fibers). This brings my current Stitch from Stash balance to $82.48.
It's hard to believe another month of 2021 has come and gone already! I'm stitching my third month of my Stitch from Stash challenge and have been doing really well thus far. Even though I've stayed within my budget since starting the challenge on 1 June, I did a much better job in July at curtailing my expenditures. I'll give more details about that later in the post. For now though, let's get to the details of how my stitching went during July.
Stitching Recap:
Number of Days Stitched:
I stitched a total of 25 days during the month of July. I had a few days in the middle of the month where I was in a bit of a funk and just didn't feel like stitching. Thankfully, I found my mojo again by the time the Stitching Olympics event kicked off on 23 July in the Stitch All the Things group on Facebook.
This is a piece I started back in 2019 as part of the Baby It's Cold SAL in honor of Leanne of the Lost in Floss channel. Leanne and Barb (Leanne's friend and FlossTube cohort) started a SAL for this design not long before Leanne lost her cancer battle and passed away. After her death, Jen of Quirks and Stitches along with Julie of Gulf Coast Stitches paired up with Beth Twist of Heartstring Samplery to refocus the SAL for Barb in memory of Leanne which is when I started this piece.
Several stitchers, myself included, decided to add a cardinal to the design in Leanne's memory. If you aren't aware, the cardinal has been a long time symbol of loved ones who have passed on. It was thought when you saw a cardinal nearby, it was a sign that your deceased loved one was thinking of you. This is why you will often see cardinals incorporated into holiday decorations. It's a way to honor your loved ones during the holiday season. With that in mind, I stitch a tiny little cardinal one over one sitting on the roof of the house on this piece.
I'm claiming a $20.40 credit for this finish ($17 base + 10% bonus for hand dyed fabric + 10% bonus for specialty fibers). This brings my current Stitch from Stash balance to $69.72.
Since my other two finishes so far this month were also new starts, I decided to grab a project from the WIP pile this time. I'm not sure why I left this piece languishing in my WIP pile for over a year considering it only took a little over three hours of stitching time to have it finished.
I'm claiming a finish credit of $8.80 for this piece. That's the $8 base credit plus a 10% bonus for using specialty fibers. This brings my current balance to $48.82.
Since I'm working on winter/holiday stitcher this month, I grabbed an ornament from my pile of kitted projects. This sweet little bird house is from the 2018 ornament issue from Just Cross Stitch magazine.
Design: Merry Christmas Designer: Cherry Hill Stitchery Fabric: 32 ct. Taupe Linen (Zweigart) Fibers: Called For Stitch Count: 78x97 Started: 1 July 2021 Finished: 5 July 2021
Stitch from Stash:
I'm claiming an $11 finish credit for this piece. The base finish credit is $10, but I get a 10% bonus for using specialty fibers. The red and green flosses are from Weeks Dye Works.
I thought it would be fun to post a recap each month showing how my stitching month went, not just with my actual stitching, but also how I did on my Stitch from Stash challenge. I have a dedicated Stitch from Stash page, but it gets cleared out at the start of each month, so I thought this would be a nice way to capture the information in case I want to look at it again in the future. Since a new six-month round starts July 1, my balance will zero out that day.
Stitching Recap:
Number of Days Stitched:
I only managed to stitch a total of 20 days this month. If you've watched either of my FlossTube videos from June, you know I started having issues with back spasms in the middle of the month which made stitching very uncomfortable. I ended up going 10 days without stitching due to that.
Projects Worked:
Since I missed a third of the month, I only managed to work on eight projects this month. I did manage to finish three of the nine though, so that's good.
Taj Mahal Mandala by Chatelaine Designs for #257challenge
Stitch What You Love (freebie) by Jenn Dewey for #CrossStitchCamp
Rainbow Mandala by Shannon Christine Designs for #stitch4pride
Midnight Ride by Blackbird Designs for #bbdweekendsal
Stitchy Stars by Lori Holt
Jane Marshall by Hands Across the Sea Samplers
Needle in Hand by Hello from Liz Mathews for #Acorns25th
Garden Party by Satsuma Street
New Starts:
I had a total of three new starts during June, one of which I started and finished. The other two are still WIPs.
Stitch What You Love (freebie) by Jenn Dewey (this was my project for #CrossStitchCamp)
Stitchy Stars by Lori Holt
True Colors (freebie) by StitchLife Magazine
Finishes:
As I mentioned earlier, I had a total of three finishes for the month.
That's my recap for the month of June. It was fun tracking all the details throughout June knowing I was planning to do this recap. I hope you all enjoyed seeing it, too!
