January smalls 2019 check-in

Good morning everyone,
The fabulous Mary at www.marysthread.com is hosting this wonderful SAL for 2019.  We check in the last Friday of the month and show all of our smalls.  It is a ton of fun and I can't wait to see everyone's work tomorrow.

I thought I would get a jump on posting this today since I have a few things to show you.

First is 2 Stars and a Stag from Blue Ribbons Design.  It is in the Aug 2018 JCS issue. I used the called for DMC colors on 32ct Lambswool Joblean.  I accidentally made the border the darker green so I flipped the greens around.  I love the darker green as the border.

Next, I finished Chilly Frillys from Little by Little Designs and was in the 2009 JCS ornament issue.  I chose this because I participate in the Christmas Ornament SAL by Kaye at Kitten Stitching.  This fulfills the January requirement.

I used the called for DMC threads on a scrap piece of 32ct Belfast linen. 

Next, I am doing the A Year in Cupcakes by Durene Jones.  You can find the pattern in her Etsy shop.  I am doing each month individually and rotating them in this frame.  I am using the called for DMC threads and 28 ct Monaco fabric.

Thank you so much for looking and I really appreciate all the kind comments. 
Mary

Who is ready for Spring?

Good Morning everyone,

I hope everyone had a fabulous holiday and start of 2019.  I really can't complain.  We didn't do anything special, but it was nice to have extra time with the boys and Bill.  He didn't take the week off like he had planned but he still had two 4 day weekends so that was great.  Weather has been strange, as it hasn't felt like winter, but unfortunately, it is not here to last.  Winter will pay us a visit at the end of the week.  Oh well, it was great while it lasted.

So Think Spring by Lizzie Kate is my last finish for 2018.  I just had the chance to fully finish it yesterday and I love how it turned out.  I hand-dyed some 14ct Aida and used DMC and hand-dyed floss from my stash.  Now I only have Think Summer and Think Autumn and then the series will be done.

I do have some other things I have completed within the last month, I just need to ffo them.  Hopefully, I will be back next week with another update.

Thanks for looking and have a wonderful day.
Mary

3 finishes for the end of the year.

Good afternoon everyone.

I hope that everyone is having a wonderful, stress-free December.  We are keeping Christmas low key this year.  Other things that happened in December was a surprise party that my sister gave my mom for her 70th birthday.  I snuck down to Florida for a few days so I could spend it with the family.  I then headed back to Kentucky so I could be here for my son, Brentley's 12th birthday. 

Even though I have slowed down somewhat with my stitching, I still managed to finish 3 things.  Yea! 

Well the first thing I have to show you is the last of the Mini Bunnies series.  February is all set and ready to go.

I just love adding buttons when I can, and this was so much fun to put together.  I used DMC variations #4211 for the border.  Fabric is misc evenweave that was probably ant. white.  I dabbed some Chia tea to make the white bunnies stand out.  I had to be careful because one bunny was already stitched.  I think they stand out more.

The second finish for the month was the Mandala I have been working on.  We decided to paint the frame white so right now I have only pinned it in place.  Once the weather is better, it will get done.  Brentley really liked it.

Fabric is 32ct Belfast linen and Carrie's Creation Thread in Highland Hills.

Lastly, I finished this ornament but haven't had a chance to FFO it yet.  It is called Two Stars and a Stag by Blue Ribbon Designs.  It was in the 2018 Aug JCS mag.  Hope to show it complete next time.

Fabric is 32ct Lambswool Joblean and called for floss.

Thanks so much for the support you have shown me this year.  I hope you have a safe and happy Christmas and New Years and I will check back with you next month. 

Mary

November's Smalls SAL Challenge

Hi everyone,

Hope everyone is doing well.  For those of us who celebrated Thanksgiving, I hope you had a lovely time.  It was just the 5 of us, but it was nice just to hang out together for the weekend.

I have been pretty busy stitching, especially with winter about to set in.  I think autumn skipped us this year.  Oh well, it just means more time to get projects done.

I have finished 3 more bunnies out of the Mini Bunnies series by Handblessings Design.  They are so cute and I have really enjoyed working on these.  I still have half of November and February to do and then the whole year will be done.  Next year I plan on stitching A Year in Cupcakes by Durene Jones.  I am going to stitch them individually and will rotate them out in a frame.  I have January and February all kitted up and ready to go.

Anyway, here is Oct:

Dec:

and Jan:

I also FFO'd Think Winter by Lizzie Kate.  Thanks to Danielle from Stitcherista on Flosstube for the tutorial.  I loved how they turned out.  I am going to work on Think Spring next and finish it the same way.

I also wanted to show you some of the bigger projects I have been working on.
Mandala is about 2/3rd's done.

Darth Vader's head:

and Swans and Shears SAL:

Thanks to Heather at the Stitching Lotus hosting the smalls challenge.  It has been a ton of fun.

Thanks so much for looking,
Mary

Season's In Chalk-Christmas Finish

Good morning everyone,

I hope you have had a wonderful November thus far.  We had about on inch of snow last week, far earlier than normal. Glad it is gone for now but I am sure we will get more once Winter is on its way.

I have a finish that I finished a few weeks ago and I forgot to share it with you all.  I am happy to say Season's in Chalk-Christmas is done.  My son Brentley would like to have it so eventually I need to buy a frame.  I plan on starting Fall next,

I dyed some Opal 14ct Charles Craft Aida black using Rit dye and I just love how sparkly it turned out.  Trying to get into the festive season.

Thank you so much for looking.  For those of us who are celebrating Thanksgiving this week, I hope you have a wonderful holiday.

Mary

October Smalls Check-in

Good morning and Happy Halloween everyone,

I hope you had a really wonderful October.  Wow! it seems this year is really flying by, but then again, I seem to say that every year.

I want to thank Heather over on Stitching Lotus for hosting this fun SAL.

I do have 2 small projects completed but one isn't FFO'd just yet.  

The first one is the October mini bunnies from Handblessing Designs and was in the Sept/Oct 2018 JCS issue. I stitched it on some random 18ct Aida (I forgot the dyer) that I had in my stash for many years.

The second finish is Sugar Skull with Flowers by Medina Designs and it was in the 2016 JCS Halloween special edition.  I loved stitching on this. I just used scraps of floss and fabric from my stash so it isn't the called for colors in the chart.

I wish I had more to show but I am currently stitching Season's in Chalk: Christmas by Hands on Design and it was in the 2016 JCS magazine.  Hope to have a finish for November.

I hope you have a great November and I will check back soon.

Thanks,
Mary

2 framed finishes.

Hi y'all. 

Can you believe I am back so soon?  Well I have 2 framed pieces to show you and I am so excited.

This first one was something I stitched at least 10 years ago, and I finally got around to framing it.  I believe it was in an old US Cross stitcher magazine.  It was done on Sassy Fabby's and she hasn't been dyeing fabric in a long time.  I found a frame at the store and spray painted it brown and took the glass out. 

I just love stitching food.  It is so much fun.

The next thing I finished was The Spider and the Fly Mystery SAL by Tempting Tangles Designs.  It was so much fun to stitch.  I stitched it on some 32ct Belfast Linen that I dyed myself and the called for floss.  I found the frame at Michael's and just love how it turned out.

Thank you so much for looking and I appreciate all the kind comments.

Have a great October and I will catch you back here on October 26th.

Mary