Peppermint Purple (Green) - week 18

Now I’m all caught up with this project.  

Peppermint Purple (Green) - week 17

Tonight I just finished stitching week 17.

I’m all caught up until tomorrow when the next block is released.

SYOA - Stitch Your Own Adventure continues

Here is the whole project so far.  I love all of the colours.  The top portion of mine is a little different than the original was created.  I decided to place the Hogwarts Castle in the middle, since it is called "Letters from Hogwarts".  I'm not using the owls.  I will be adding a phoenix to the left side of the castle and possibly another transportation item, but that depends on what is in the other 4 chapters.  I don't want to duplicate an item since there are so many other things I could add to this project.

Here is Stewart's original layout.

Waiting patiently for Chapter 3 to be released this Friday, May 1.  In the meantime, just designing future possible items and their placement at the top or bottom.  I still need to decide where to put my wand and if I'm going to use the one that chose me (by rolling 3 dice one at a time) or making my own like some other stitchers have done...  I'm thinking using the one that chose me.  I can spend more time creating other items instead. :)

SYOA - Hogwarts Express Train - Happy Dance

I have just completed the Hogwarts Express Train.  There was no back stitching instructions on the chart Stewart created.  I had to put them where I thought they should be.  I followed what some other stitchers did and I also added some extra lines myself.  I will leave it for now and look at it for awhile to see if I need to add anymore back stitching.  Some stitchers have added smoke I’m not sure if I will or not.  If anyone has any suggestions, let me know.  As I’m typing this I realized I forgot to add the 5972 number of the train.  I will add that tomorrow.

SYOA - Hogwarts Express Train - update #6

Last night I started back stitching.  No stitching tonight.

SYOA - Hogwarts Express Train - update #5

Last night, I got about 95% of the train done.

SYOA - Hogwarts Express Train - update #4

I have stitched about 1/2 hr tonight and realized that I didn’t post a photo from last night.  Tonight I added the gold areas.

SYOA - Hogwarts Express Train - update #3

I got a little bit more done on the train.  

SYOA - Hogwarts Express Train - update #2

Last night I did a little more on the train.

SYOA - Hogwarts Express Train - update #1

Last night, I did a little bit more stitching on the train.

SYOA - Hogwarts Express Train

Last night, after finishing week 16 of Peppermint Purple I put a few stitches in the Hogwarts Express train.

Peppermint Purple (Green) - weeks 15 & 16

All caught up again, I just finished weeks 15 & 16.

Here is the whole project so far.

Peppermint Purple (Green) - week 15

I didn’t have much time to stitch tonight.  Here is my little progress on week 15, almost finished.

Peppermint Purple (Green)

Last night I decided to work on Peppermint Purple.  I had to fix mistakes on week 12 before I started the new blocks.

As you can see, I have completed week 14 and started week 15, which is about half way through.  I still have week 16 before I’m caught up again. 

Another Birthday Card

Today is my baby sister Denise's birthday (she is 42).  There is 12 years between us. We have 1 sister and 3 brothers between us.  I'm closer to my 2 sisters (Pam & Denise) now that we are all adults.  We are all creative, but in very different ways.  I cross stitch, make cards, and scrapbook.  Pam loves to crochet and read.  Denise makes stuff with her Cricut (mugs/glasses/shirts) and makes the most beautiful cakes & cupcakes.  I try to make cards personal to the person, so I chose baking as my theme for Denise's card this year.  Denise has a great sense of humour, so she wasn't offended by my card.  The card reads My desserts don't look as good as yours do … They look better!  Too bad we can't eat them.

Front and Back of card

Inside the card looks like a kitchen

The card standing up

SYOA - Hogwarts - Happy Dance

Last night I finished all of the back stitching.  No stitching tonight, I’m tired from staying up late too many nights in a row..

SYOA - Hogwarts - update #4

Last night I tried to finish all of the back stitching but my eyes were getting sore and I was seeing double.  I thought it was best to stop before I had to pull out everything today.  I wanted to finish it today, but didn’t have time because I was playing video games.

As you can see, I only have one tower left on the right side and the slopes on the ground to back stitch.  I plan to finish this tonight.

SYOA - Hogwarts - update #3

Yesterday I finished all the cross stitching on Hogwarts and started to back stitch everything.  You can see where I back stitched already on the left side.  It really makes the windows stand out.

Happy Easter

I’d like to wish all of my stitching friends a Happy Easter!!  Here is the card I made for my Mother-in-Law for Easter.  It is my first Easter card.  We are not religious so I went with the rabbit and egg theme for the card.

Today is also my husband’s brother Bob’s 60th birthday.  The Dave & Bob have been Boston Bruin fans since they were kids, so I definitely had to make this card.

SYOA - Hogwarts - update #2

I know yesterday was the Eater Treasure Hunt Blog Hop,  but I didn’t think that was an invitation for the frogs to hop over for a visit.  The frogs came for a short visit.  I had to frog several of the roofs before I got them correct.  Sometimes I shouldn’t watch TV while I stitch because I can’t count properly.

Here is the whole project so far.

Easter Treasure Hunt Blog Hop

I’d like to say Thank You to Jo for hosting the Annual Easter Treasure Hunt Blog Hop.  Please go to Jo’s blog Serendipitous Stitching to start at the beginning of the Hop.

I’d like to share with you an Easter/Spring Exchange item I stitched back in 2014.  Here are a few close ups of the basket I created.  I took the flowers from one of my books, the 2 rabbits with the heart from another book and finally the egg shape from a third book.  I did my own design on the egg.  There are purple beads for the centre of the pink border flowers.  The bottom is stitched with the same 28ct coffee evenweave as the rest of the basket.

I lined the bottom and inside with purple fabric to match the purple on the bow and on the egg.  I added green buttons to the end of the handle for decoration, and a cable tie inside the handle to make it stand up.  I presented it inside a round easter tin from the Dollar Store.  I love how it turned out.

Here is my letter ...

\

The next blog is ... The Alchymyst’s Study

SYOA - Hogwarts - update #1

Last night, I finished the green grass and started the left side of the Hogwarts castle.

SYOA - Hogwarts grass

I was going to wait to do the top portion of the SYOA Letters From Hogwarts SAL, because I don’t want to duplicate any items.  I will stitch only the items that I know will not be duplicated like Hogwarts Castle and the Hogwarts Express train.   I’m stitching the alternate version of Hogwarts designed by Robyn Davis for the Facebook Group.  This version is more detailed than the original one Stewart designed (shown below)

I have moved Hogwarts over so it is centred above the Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff House Colours Swirls instead of above Gryffindor/Ravenclaw/Hufflepuff.  I am also stitching the ground below the castle in shades of olive greens to represent Spring grass.  This will add some more colour to the project.

I borrowed the photo below showing two different versions of the alternative castle stitched by Facebook Group members Pamela Barrier Reynold (top).

She changed the castle colours to browns from Stewart’s original castle chart.  I love how it looks, so I’m doing the same thing. 

Dawn Allen (bottom photo), she used the greys as charted in the alternative castle.

Here is mine.  I should be able to finish the green grass on the left side tonight.  Maybe start the castle above. 

SYOA - Swirls - Back Stitching - Finished

Last night, I finished the Hufflepuff and Slytherin House Colours Swirls.  I’m glad I took the time to back stitch the swirls, now they look finished and stand out.  Here is what the whole project looks like so far.  Next I’m going to work on the Hogwarts Castle.  

SYOA - Swirls - back stitching

I got all the back stitching completed not the Gryffindor and Ravenclaw House Swirl Colours.  Tonight I will back stitch the Hufflepuff Swirl.

SYOA - Swirls - Slytherin House Colours - Finished

Last night I finished the grey swirl and restitching the green swirl.  Tonight I’m working on backstitching the Gryffindor Swirl.

SYOA - Swirls - Slytherin House Colours - update #1

Last night I thought I was going to finish the Slytherin House Colours Swirls but when I started adding the grey colour I noticed that all of the green on the right side of the swirl was off by one stitch.  Hope to finish it sometime today/tonight.

I’m fixing the green swirl as I add the grey one to it so I don’t have to frog again. :)

SYOA - Swirls - Slytherin House Colours

Last night I finished the Gryffindor house colours swirls.

Then I started the Slytherin house colours.  I got all the green part outlined with half cross stitches (some full cross stitches).  I will finish them tonight and start the grey colour.

Here is a photo showing where all 4 house swirls are placed on the fabric.  I love how all the colours look on the taupe fabric.  I decided that they should be back stitched, so I will use one of the dark colours that will be used in the Hogwarts castle (which I will centre above the Ravenclaw & Hufflepuff swirls) and the same colour I back stitched the bludgers/clubs and broom.

 

SYOA - Swirls - Ravenclaw House Colours - finished

Tuesday night I finished the Ravenclaw House Colours swirl.

Last night I worked on Gryffindor House Colours swirls.  Almost done, just need to finish the yellow/gold colour on the right side.  I should get this done tonight.

April Goals

April Stitching Goals
Start & Finish SYOA - Swirls/Hogwarts castle/Hogwarts Express Train
Peppermint Purple (Green) - stay caught up

Other Hobbies Goals
Card Making
Make 3 cards for May.
Make 3 cards for June.

Continue reading and playing Animal Crossing New Horizons.

March Stitching Review

Start & Finish SYOA - Chapter 2 was released yesterday - YES, working on the top while I wait for Chapter 3 to be released May 1.

Peppermint Purple SAL - catchup (9 weeks) and finish each week on time - YES, caught up (13 weeks) just released week 14 today.

FFG - assemble Summer Mouse & Spring House - YES, I finished Summer Mouse. NO, I didn't assemble Spring House.

Smalls SAL - stitch another Just Nan mouse - NO, I stitched a flower for Clare's tree instead.

Blog everyday - YES

Other Hobbies Review

Card Making

Make a birthday card for my husband (March 24) - YES, I made the snooker card.

Make 2 birthdays cards for April - YES, I will show them on the dates of their birthdays

Make a card for my friend Lisa (right knee replacement surgery on April 8). - YES, but her surgery was cancelled for April 8 and she took someone else's spot on March 12.

Try to make all the cards needed for May (3), June (5) and July (5) that I need. - NO = 0 for May.  YES, but only 2 (of 5) for June.  YES, but only 1 (of 5) for July.

Video Games

Complete as many goals as possible by March 19, in my old town Animal Crossing New Leaf on Nintendo 3DS. - YES, I played a bit but not as much as I wanted to. 

I’m so excited to start playing the new deserted island get away Animal Crossing New Horizons on Nintendo Switch March 20. - YES, but I had to share an island with my son Jaspar for 10 days because Amazon didn't ship my new Nintendo Switch on time.  It arrived on March 30, so I just started playing my own game this week.

Not sure if I’ll want to do anything else after March 20th.  Anyone else going to be playing this game??

While I waited for my own game console to arrive, I did a lot of stitching and card making.