Floral SAL - January block - Happy Dance!!

This is my first finish of the year, January block is complete.  I think my fabric is 32ct green/grey coloured evenweave (sorry don’t have the colour name).  I originally bought it for my 3D garden chair.

Floral SAL - update #4

Here is my progress with the back stitching.  I still have a butterfly to stitch in the top left corner, which I hope to complete tonight.

Floral SAL - update #3

I’m almost finished the January flower.  Here was  my progress as of Friday night.  I forgot to take a photo today after I back stitched.  I will do it tomorrow.

Floral SAL - update #2

I finally got a bit of time to stitch.  Here is my progress photo.  I didn’t get as much done as I wanted after ripping out the orange flower 2 times.  I just couldn’t seem to count tonight.

Floral SAL - update #1

I stitched all the grid lines with a light blue floss.  I wanted the grid lines to be light but still a different colour than the light green/grey evenweave fabric.  I took a photo with the grid lines, but they are so light you cannot see them.

The grid lines were very helpful.  It was so easy to find the right place to start stitching each flower since the design will overlap through the months.  Here is my start for the January flower.  I think the blue is a butterfly wing in the bottom corner.  You can see the grid lines in this photo.

More changes

I have added 2 new pages this week, Animal Crossing and the 2019 SAL.  I still have a few more pages to add, but that will be later this month.  You will find 3 new photos on the Card Making page, if you are interested.  This afternoon, I will be starting to stitch on the LJT Floral Cushion SAL.  This will be the first time I baste stitch a grid, because the pattern over laps into different areas each month.

I have pulled all the DMC floss colours needed for the Floral Cushion SAL.  I chose a mystery fabric from my stash.  It is a very light green/grey hand dyed.  I think it might be from Picture This Plus, but not positive.  I'll let you know what count it is after I stitch the grid lines.

Organizing stash

I spent the whole morning (about 4 hours) sorting and reorganizing all my 12 x 12 scrapbook cases full of cross stitch supplies.  The last 6 months, I have been pulling out patterns/magazines, floss and fabric to make all the ornaments.  Today I sorted and put away all the floss (bobbins and extra floss in floss away bags).  Reorganized each case because sometimes I just throw things inside whatever case is handy.  I found all my FFO (Fully Finished Objects) and put them all together in one case (40 projects).  Then put all my Just Nan kits (20) in one case so they will be easy to find when I am ready to start a new one.  Here are a few photos showing how I sort each scrapbook case of cross stitch supplies/tools.  I didn’t sort the blue ones because they are just my colouring books/Zentangle supplies.

I even dusted off the black shelf that houses the coloured cases.

Spring Mouse in a House - update #10

I finally put some stitches in for 2019.  I spent more time organizing my sitting area, than I did for stitching.  After looking over the pattern to see where I was and where to start, I realized that I forgot to stitch the outline (backstitching) for the bottom of the house and the inside rug.  So that is all I did.  I have been working on the other pages for my blog (which will be added soon) and also watching some you tube videos on hardanger (almost ready to start an ornament).

Before I added the back stitching.

After I back stitched all around the bottom of the house.

Before I added the back stitching.

After I back stitched all around the rug inside the house.

Not just another SAL ...

Rachel over at Ten Hour Stitcher  http://tenhourstitcher.blogspot.com/2019/01/new-sal-coming-soon-fully-finished.html  has created an SAL that will motivate you to Fully Finish your cross stitched projects.  This is an SAL that I am definitely joining because it will encourage me to finish all the Just Nan 3D Miniatures that I have stitched (and will continue stitching throughout 2019), but was saving to finish them all together.  Instead I will finish one or two each month so I can have them all done by the end of the year.  Who else is up to the challenge?  You have nothing to lose, except maybe a few unfinished projects.  :)   

Please go check out her post for all the details.  I hope to see some fully finished projects on February 10.

I guess I should go and cross stitch or maybe even start finishing something.

Sorry no stitching photos today, but hopefully tomorrow.  :)

Birthday card for my friend Kim

Last year I started with making Christmas cards.  Here is my first card finish for the year.  I hope to make more throughout the year for my friends and families for their birthdays, and other celebrations.

  

I spent some time making a birthday card for my good friend Kim.  Her birthday is on Thursday, but I needed to make it today so I can mail it tomorrow. She lives in Cambridge like I do, so I’m hoping it will arrive on time.

I made it with Stampin’ Up daisy punch, scalloped circle punch, jar stamp and die cut.   I also used other brands of flower stamp.  I added some gem stones to the center of the flower.

On the inside I used a combination of Stampin’ Up stamps and other brands.

Adding pages to my blog

Hi everyone,

As you can see I have changed the name of my blog and added a new tab (page) Organization of Hobby Supplies.  I am working on a page for each of my hobbies.  Cross Stitching is still my favourite hobby of all, but I would like to share my other interests here as well.  I hope to inspire others to try new hobbies.

I have also made some changes to the side bars.  I like clicking on labels on other bloggers sites and decided to do the same on mine.  Wow I didn’t realize how many times I have duplicates because I forgot to add an “S”.  Great another thing to try and clean up because those things bother me. 

I haven’t stitched at all this year.  I am job searching and working on my blog.  I hope to stitch tonight or over the weekend.  I will continue to stitch on Spring Mouse in a House.  Last time I left off I had this much stitched on the rug.  

Happy Stitching!

Ann

Christmas ornaments I made in 2018

As I mentioned in yesterday’s post, I made 14 ornaments.  I will now show photos and tell you what DMC colours I used.

Samantha loves purple as much as I do so her ornament had to be purple.  She is married to Rob and they have 4 cats.  I made a cube ornament on 28ct Lavender Lugana.  I made the cording with DMC 3887 purple floss and DMC 52 variations purple floss using the Kreinik corder.  I had so much fun making this one using different patterns I found in my books or online.  I also signed it with my initials and date.  I LOVE how it turned out! I think I will make one for my son Jordyn and his fiancé Sarah sometime but in red and/or blue.

Kristine loves pink.  I found the pattern on line, but I changed the arrangement so the second side wouldn’t look exactly the same and I added my initials and date.  I don’t like how it lost it’s shape when I assembled it into an ornament.  I only made the one because it took too much time to make.  It was stitched on 28ct white Lugana using DMC 315 floss.  I made the cording using DMC 99 pink variation floss and DMC E316 pink metallic.

Jaimie also likes pink, but I didn’t want them to look exact.  I found an ornament that didn’t take as much time to stitch.  This one I created the pattern as I stitched, that is why the center isn’t square, but no one else will notice after it was assembled.  Cording was made from the same DMC 315 pink floss in ornament and DMC 316 pink metallic floss. 

Jaimie is a single mom to an 8 year old girl named Avery.  As you can see I made 2 smaller ornaments.  I gave one to Avery and I kept the other one for my tree.  I stitched both on 28ct white evenweave.  Cording was made from DMC green floss 319, 367, 369 and DMC E699 green metallic floss.

Nathan also got the same shaped ornament as Jaimie but in red.  I stitched it in red because it is a Christmas colour.  I created this pattern myself and signed it with my initials and date.  I stitched it on 28ct white evenweave using DMC 321 red floss and DMC E321 red metallic floss.

Patricia loves blue so I knew what colour to use.  I found a pattern online that I liked.  Both sides are supposed to be the same but I made the front with 3 shades of blue and the back with only 2 shades.  I signed the back with my initials and date.  I’m not happy that it didn’t keep it’s shape when I assembled it into the ornament.  I stitched it on 28ct white evenweave using DMC 825, 813 & 827 floss.  Cording was made using DMC 121 variations floss and DMC 824 floss.

Sue - I didn’t know what colour was her favourite.  I really like humbug patterns and wanted to stitch it.  By the time I was finished I knew it would be perfect for Sue.  I stitched this on 28ct blue linen using DMC 825 floss.  Cording is made with DMC 825 blue floss and DMC E825 blue metallic floss.

David I stitched 2 squares (modified from a pattern found online) and sewed them together and shaped it like a bell.  I added some beads and a bell.  It was a little bulky when you have 6 layers in the corners (2 squares and trim on 2 sides of each corner).  I only made the one using DMC 3848 & 3849 floss.  Cording was made using DMC 3848 floss and DMC E3849 metallic floss.

Melanie loves purple and I already stitched a purple ornament in June but still needed to be assembled.  After I figured out how to assemble it, it became my last minute ornaments to stitch.  I LOVED how this pendible ornament turned out, I will be making another one for myself this year.  I stitched it on 28ct white Lugana using DMC 211.  Cording is made from DMC 211 floss and DMC E211 metallic floss.  I forgot to sign it when I stitched it, but I added my initials and date after it was assembled.  It was harder to do, but not impossible.

Jim got a red pendible ornament because it was easy to make at the last minute.  I stitched this pattern on 28ct white Lugana using DMC 321 floss.  Cording was made with DMC 321 floss and DMC E321 metallic floss.  I used the same squares in a row like the purple one for Melanie above, but the rest is my own creation.

Chris also got a pendible ornament because it was easy to make at the last minute.  I stitched his on 28ct white Lugana using DMC 3886 floss.  Cording is made from DMC 3886 floss and DMC E718 metallic floss.  The pattern is the same one I used above for Jim.  I made Chris’ this colour because he lives with his wife and 3 daughters, so I figured their tree would be more feminine.

Adam I made another pendible ornament but in blue.  I found a pattern in one of my magazines for a corner motif which I used for the front of the ornament, but the back I used the same small snowflake from Melanie’s purple pattern above.  This was stitched on 28ct blue linen (like Sue’s ornament) using DMC 825 floss.  Cording is made from DMC 825 floss and DMC E825 metallic floss.

I was worried I needed more ornaments so I stitched an extra one in red and green.  This pattern is another one of my creations, it is similar to Jim & Chris’ ornament.  I stitched it on 28ct white Lugana using DMC 321 & 319 floss.  Cording was made using DMC E321 & E699 metallic floss.