Stitchy Stitcherson

Devilishly Adorable

2012-02-01T11:03:00.000-08:00

It's February! You know what that means...another DESSERT! ♥

Haven't joined the club yet? It's okay, you can still sign up! It won't take long for you to catch up 'cause these sweet treats are quick to stitch--perfect for both those who are just beginning to cross stitch and experienced stitchers who are looking for some instant gratification.

Being the pattern tester for the Dessert of the Month club has its perks, people: I know what's coming in advance! I've stitched March's dessert, and ooooooh, is it ever cute!

I know, I am such a meanie for teasing you like this. ;)

In the meantime, enjoy this pic of February's dessert. Or, better yet, stitch him up yourself! He's devilishly adorable!!

Lovely Lemons

2012-01-27T14:01:00.000-08:00

Hooray! I finished the Lemon WIP!

How cute are these lemons?! I can't stop looking at them. They're just so stinkin' CUTE!

May: Lemon pattern by The Frosted Pumpkin Stitchery

And how pretty is this fabric? I wish I knew more about it, but I inherited it without tags, so I have no idea what it is. I think it's hand dyed, and I think it's 32-count. Maybe. I suppose I could have used my cross stitch gauge to figure out the exact count, but that would have meant trying to locate the tool, and since I haven't actually used it, I'm not sure where I put it after I bought it years ago. ;) What I do know for sure, though, is that it's very sparkly (unfortunately, the sparkles barely show up in the pic) and very pretty. It looks like a sparkly sky. ☺

I tweaked the pattern ever so slightly when it came to the backstitching. For starters, I wasn't supposed to backstitch the eyes on the lemon slice, the pattern didn't call for it. Also, I used one strand of white thread instead of the suggested two for the lemon slice. I tried it with two, but I had issues with my thread being too twisted. I usually don't have problems with twisted thread, but I think because I was making such looooong stitches, my thread was being naughty. I wonder if something like Thread Heaven would have helped. (I've never used it.)

I was kind of sad when I finished this project. I LOVED stitching this, and I've missed working on it. Does anyone else experience that? It's similar to when I finish a really good book; I am glad that I've finished the story, but sad that the story has come to an end. There's a feeling of emptiness. It's a mild feeling, but it's there nonetheless.

But! I have plans for my next project, and it's a cutie. I am on a citrus kick right now, so next up is February: Grapefruit, another pattern from The Pumpkins. Eep! ♥

Lemon WIP

2012-01-21T15:08:00.000-08:00

The Lemon WIP is coming along quite nicely, if I do say so myself.

May: Lemon pattern by The Frosted Pumpkin Stitchery

Sparkly fabric! ♥

I hope you're having a fabulous weekend!

Serial Starter

2012-01-15T13:31:00.000-08:00

My eyes needed a break from the seriously small stitching I've been doing lately, so I decided to start something new. Something two-over-two.

May:Lemon pattern by The Frosted Pumpkin Stitchery

I bought this pattern some time ago, probably last May when it debuted. Upon my purchase, I dutifully printed out the pfd pattern, gathered all the necessary floss (this included a trip to the store, as I did not have all the colors in my stash), and put everything together in a bag so I'd be ready to stitch at a moment's notice. Then I promptly lost the bag. Grrrr. I spent months trying to locate the darn thing. I kept looking in a different bag, thinking the supplies were in there, even though many searches revealed that they were NOT in that particular bag. (Brilliant plan, I know. *rolls eyes*)

Luckily, I found the correct bag yesterday. It was right under my nose the entire time. Oi. ;) Ain't that the way it always goes? Glad to have found my supplies, I eagerly started stitching this new project last night, despite the fact that I have many wips in the closet that could use some of my attention.

I don't even know how many wips I have; I've never counted them. I don't think I want to know. I don't really consider myself a serial starter. I have several seasonal wips, things that I can only work on for a couple months leading up to a particular holiday/season. Once it has passed, I move on. (I am the same way about burning candles. I burn seasonally. I can't burn a pine-scented candle in July, and I can't burn a honeysuckle-scented candle in December.) I also have many non-seasonal wips, things I started but got bored with and abandoned, always with the hope that I will someday find them interesting again. So maybe I am a serial starter.

I guess it doesn't matter, though, because I stitch what makes me happy. I figure there's no point in doing this if it doesn't make me happy. :)

Seriously Small

2012-01-14T16:54:00.000-08:00

This house is seriously small, you guys.

Seriously.

There is still much to be done on this piece, and let me tell you, at the rate I am going, it is going to be quite a while before it's done. This is slow-going. It takes time, patience, and a really bright lamp to work on this.

I feel badly about something. When I first posted about this project, I failed to mention that I have, in fact, stitched over-one before--just once. And it wasn't an entire project done over-one, it was just a few words. In my defense, I had forgotten about all about that one time, and only remembered it when I came across this pic in my Flickr photostream:

Friends Are Like Angels by Lizzie*Kate

The words "are," "like," and "on" are done over-one. I don't even know when I stitched this. It was before 2003, I do know that. I don't recall having any issues with stitching over-one. My eyes were much younger then. ☺

Anyway, I feel like my post was misleading. I am trying something new in that I have never done an entire piece over-one. And it feels like I've never done over-one before, since it was so long ago that I did it that I can hardly remember it.

One more thing. This house is small. Seriously small.

ETA: I almost forgot! I need to give a big thank you to Glenda for the great tip she gave me about making each stitch individually. It's been much better since I switched! ☺

Join the Club...

2012-01-05T21:10:00.000-08:00

..the 2012 Dessert of the Month Club, that is!

I have the extreme honor and pleasure of being the pattern tester for The Frosted Pumpkin Stitchery's Dessert of the Month Club, and I even got to stitch the cover model you see up there. Isn't he just adorable? As you may recall, I stitched the January: Orange pattern last year, and it was awesome. (I LOVE that orange! And I LOVE this dessert club!)

Remember me? :)

If you sign up for the Dessert of the Month club before January 10th, the price is only $10. That includes 12 kawaii dessert patterns (one per month, delivered as a pdf to your inbox), along with instructions & ideas. Oh, and CUTENESS, which, as you may know, is one of my favorite things in the world!

Oh, and guess what? I have already stitched up February's dessert! I obviously can't show you what it is, but I can tell you it's SUPER cute!

Sign up today, friends! You will be SO happy you did! And be sure to check out The Frosted Pumpkin Stitchery's Flickr group for inspiration. There are already pictures of January's Champagne Truffle popping up!

Tiny Stitches

2012-01-01T22:40:00.000-08:00

I decided it was time to branch out and try something new: one-over-one stitching.

Oh my. Am I crazy? These are some seriously small stitches. (This is 28-ct evenweave.)

That's the beginning of a little house. A very little house. See the tiny window?

Wish me luck. Also, let's hope my eyesight can withstand this new adventure. ;)

Stitching 2011

2011-12-31T12:30:00.000-08:00

Well, I didn't think I'd have much with which to make a mosaic, but I was surprised when I went through my pics and found more than I remembered stitching. I've blogged about much of what you see in the mosaic, but not all. Maybe you see an unfamiliar piece or two...?

Anyway, stitchy friends, I hope 2011 was as kind to you as it was to me. Thanks for being here to share it. ☺

Christmas Eve Stitching & Sewing

2011-12-24T13:19:00.000-08:00

I, in my infinite wisdom, decided that I didn't have enough to do before Christmas Day, and started a new project last night (a gift for a family member). I was up a couple hours past my bedtime working on this:

Design by Sublime Stitching

I kinda (okay, totally) wish I were keeping this tea towel for myself. It's really cute! As you can see, I still have some work left to do (the starburst thingies), but I plan to finish this after dinner tonight.

AND--the "L" is almost done! As in, almost completely sewn! There is just a little bit left to do. Hooray!!

Okay, I've got to get back to work. Wish me luck getting everything done by (gulp!) tomorrow. And Happy Holidays, everyone!

Ballet Slippers (and a WIP)

2011-12-20T15:01:00.000-08:00

I am almost finished with the handmade Christmas gifts. I didn't make as many as I would have liked, but oh well. There's always next year, right? :)

I made another ornament much like the last one, but this time I traced the pattern onto tracing paper instead of transferring it, as the instructions recommended. It worked well.

From the 12 (Days of Christmas) pattern set by Wild Olive

As you can see, I strayed from the instructions just a bit by adding a border to the ornament. I hadn't planned to add it, but it just needed a little something, ya know what I mean?

Anyway, I hope this little ornament reaches its destination before Christmas! Perhaps its chances would be better if I'd sent it out yesterday...or last week...luckily, it doesn't have too far to go. The recipient lives in the same state as I do.

Oh, and see that piece of embroidery under the ornament? That is for my baby niece. I made an ornament for her older sister, Z, last year, before Baby L was born. (If you click the link, be sure to scroll down the page, the pic is toward the end of the post.) It's only fair that Baby L has one, too. :)

I started the "L" embroidery last night, and I am pleased with the progress I made. That took...let's see...two episodes of Antiques Roadshow and two Christmas specials (one of which was Charlie Brown, yea!). Not too shabby. All I have left to do it fill in the "L" with satin stitches, and then stitch the whole thing into an ornament. Wish me luck getting all that done by Christmas! This week is a busy one!!

You can find the Monogram for Hand Embroidery: Letter L pattern here.

I've done a lot of cross stitching this year, and it was nice to sit down with some hand embroidery for a change. I love cross stitch (love love love it!), but it's slow-going. It's nice to sit down for a few hours and see some real progress occur. (All you cross stitchers know what I mean!!)

Well, my friends, I hope your holiday season has been merry and bright! ♥

~~~Linking up with:~~~

Wild Olive

Coffee

2011-12-12T15:29:00.000-08:00

I made an ornament for a friend, using this pattern and these instructions*.

How is your holiday season so far? Are you working on any handmade gifts?

*I used a Sulky iron-on transfer pen instead of stitching through tracing paper.

(By the way, Sulky needs to make a fine tip iron-on transfer pen. Seriously.)

~~~Linking up with:~~~

The Shabby Nest
Wild Olive

A Little Fall Must Rain

2011-11-10T15:22:00.001-08:00

I stitched this years ago, in the late 90's, I believe. It was before I'd ever stitched on linen, which I first did in 1999 (New Year's Eve, actually), so...yeah. Late 90's. Probably.

I got the pattern from a craft magazine, one that wasn't specific to stitching. It was a craft magazine that just happened to have a cross stitch pattern in it. I remember I fell in love with it instantly. I don't know the name of the magazine, or if it's still in publication. I do know that the pattern was printed on pages that were like newspaper. It was very smudgy, so I handled it as little as possible. It didn't occur to me to put it in a protective sleeve.

I can't say that I would stitch this patten today if I were seeing it for the first time. It's not my "style" anymore; it hasn't been for some time now. I still like it. I think it's quite cute. Charming, even. But probably not something I'd choose to stitch today. And if I did, it would definitely be stitched on linen or evenweave. I can't seem to work with Aida anymore.

I'd heard that would happen once you started using linen, but I didn't believe it at the time. I do now. ;)

Anyway, since I can't share much of my current WIP with you, I thought I'd show you a little something from the past. Even this pic is old, though; some of you may recognize it from my Flickr photostream. Maybe I should dig through my container of old projects and snap some pics to show you guys. That might be fun....

Glimpses of a Gift

2011-11-09T13:23:00.000-08:00

Well, shoot. I don't have much to show you guys right now. I've put away the Halloween project (if you consider covering it up with charts and other projects while it remains on the ottoman in front of my stitching chair "putting it away") and have begun working on Christmas gifts. That means I can't share my progress, though, for I don't want to take a chance that a gift recipient will get a peek.

That makes for a pretty boring stitchy blog, don'tcha think?

So, I've decided it would be safe to show a sneak peek pic now and then. Nothing too exciting, mind you, but just a little glimpse of what I am working on. Here is what I am currently stitching:

I can't wait until I can give you the full scoop about this project! It's super cute, and the linen I'm using is really pretty. This pic does NOT do the linen justice. At all.

So!! That's all I have for now. I'd say I am about 1/3 to 1/2 of the way done with this piece, so hopefully I will have something new to show you next time. Or maybe I will take more pics of this piece at a different angle after I have some more work done on it. We'll see. Either way, I won't have much to share until after the new year.

Oy! The new year!! I can't even think about that now! I need a pause button for my life. ;)

A Little Bit of Progess

2011-10-24T12:21:00.000-07:00

I wonder how many more titles I can come up with containing the word "progress" before I run out of ideas and start repeating myself. Hmmm....

Progress as of 10/24/11

This project is still coming along nicely, albeit slowly.

Mr. Bones is pretty cute:

I am almost certain that I will not be done with this by Halloween. And I am fairly certain that I won't be working on this come November 1st. I have a hard time working on holiday/seasonal projects once the holiday/season has passed. I actually have a nice Winter Stitching project planned. This pattern should be arriving in my mailbox any day now. Isn't it adorable? Those little pine cones are too cute for words. :)

In the meantime, though, I will continue to work on my Halloween ABC's piece. After all, I have a whole week before it's time to put it away. And you never know, I just may give in to the urge I've had lately to stitch up something Thanksgiving-related. It's been a while since I've stitched a turkey.

A Finish and a Progress Pic

2011-10-17T09:54:00.000-07:00

Hooray, this project is finally done. (The details about it, like what kind of floss I used, and what the heck that fuzzy stuff on Santa's hat is, can be found in this post from last month.)

"Ready or Not--Santa '01" by Lizzie*Kate

I really don't know why it took me ten years to do this. I'm glad it's done now, for it is super cute and will look great with my other Christmas stitchy pieces. I would like to do more Lizzie*Kate Santas, and even found two patterns in my stash. I had forgotten I had bought the patterns (this one and this one), so it was a nice surprise to find them.

And of course, no post would be complete without a progress pic of my current WIP.


Progress as of 10/17/11

The chances of this being finished before Halloween are growing quite slim, but it's ok. Just working on it has been fulfilling enough. :)

Not Much Progress

2011-10-11T14:50:00.000-07:00

Progress as of 10/11/11

Cloudy days are horrible for picture taking, but wonderful for stitching. Too bad I've haven't been able to do much stitching, though, for my college courses started again last month and I've been busy with homework. Oh well! I've managed to get a little bit done on this project. It's still SUCH a fun piece to stitch! :)

More Progress

2011-09-26T11:11:00.000-07:00

Are you tired of these updates yet? I've been posting an awful lot of the same thing lately. But it's the only thing I've been stitching for the for the past couple weeks, so I have nothing else about which to write.

I'm ok with it, though. I really love this project.

I also like looking at the pics I've posted and seeing the progress I've made since day one.

It's my own little stitchy journal, here for you to read. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do. :)

My friend Amanda (hey porkchop!) is also stitching this. We're having our very own stitchalong! Fun stuff. Take a peek at a post she did about her progress HERE. We've been each other's personal cheerleaders for this project, and it's been so fun!

Progress Report

2011-09-19T11:19:00.000-07:00

I love love LOVE this project!

Pretty Ugly

2011-09-16T17:46:00.000-07:00

I've really enjoyed working on the Lizzie*Kate ABC Halloween kit that I posted about recently. Here's my progress as of this afternoon:

Working on this has been really fun. The stitching is simple, and I can do it while I watch Arrested Development on Netflix. (I am pretty late to the party on this, but oh my gosh, talk about funny. Why was that show canceled?)

It wasn't so fun, however, when this happened:

I was running the needle under a row of completed stitches on the back when the eye of the needle snapped! What the heck?!?

Things got pretty ugly around here for a while. Broken needle = cranky Kristi.

Ok, so it wasn't really that bad; a broken needle isn't that big of a deal. It was just a minor inconvenience. It's not like I don't have dozens of needles stashed away.

But speaking of pretty ugly, isn't this the prettiest "ugly" you've ever seen?

I know I've said it many times before, but I'm going to say it again: I love overdyed floss. It's just so pretty! The "S" is done with Pumpkin Harvest and the "U" is done with Mulled Berries, both by Crescent Colours.

Wish me luck with the rest of this. I'd like to get through it without breaking any more needles!

Ready or Not (WIP)

2011-09-12T12:37:00.000-07:00

I am not ready for Christmas stitching, though now is the time that I ought to start working on it. I am still having a nice time working on Halloween stuff. But before long, ready or not, December will be here, and I will undoubtedly find myself wishing that I had worked on this wip from years ago.

"Ready or Not--Santa '01" by Lizzie*Kate

I started this ten years ago, when the pattern was released. Poor Santa, he keeps getting stashed away in a dark closet while I work on other things. The last time I worked on him was a couple years ago. 2011 really ought to be the year that this jolly guy gets finished.

This pattern calls for a lot of Weeks Dye Works overdyed floss, which is SO fun.

A floss named after booze has got to be good, right? ;) Except, unfortunately, the thought of Whiskey makes me queasy. *shudders*

It's still a really pretty color, though. It's very variegated, which I love. I love the lettering, too, which is also done with a highly variegated color.

Besides the cool WDW floss, this project uses a bit of blending filament to add sparkle to the snow.

It's difficult to see the sparkles in this pic, which is unfortunate. It's really quite pretty.

This pattern also uses something really neat called Wisper thread, which is a one-ply, super fuzzy floss from the Rainbow Gallery. I've used it before in the past, and I really like it. It's fun stuff.

Just look at how fuzzy it is!

The pattern calls for this Wisper to be used on Santa's hat trim, beard, and cuffs. I, however, chose to stitch his beard with white cotton floss instead, for I didn't know if I would have enough Wisper to complete the beard. At the time I made that decision, I was packing Santa up to take along with me somewhere, and I didn't want to risk getting halfway through the beard and running out of Wisper. The thought of putting Santa on hold, beard partially completed, while I waited until I could get my hands on more Wisper, was something that I just couldn't bear. That was two years ago. Clearly, I could have waited to get more Wisper, seeing that I put Santa back in the closet yet again. Oh well! Santa's beard is a few shades whiter than his cuffs and hat trim, which I think says a lot about Santa's grooming habits. The man likes his beard to be clean & bright at all times. :-)

I'm so close to being done!

As you can see, I am this close to being done with Santa. All I have to do is finish the hat trim, and then do a little bit of backstitching. (Also, I think I will re-stitch his eyes; the perfectionist in me doesn't like the way I did them.) Maybe I will actually finish Santa this year. I can't turn this into an eleven year wip! Ten is enough!!

The Halloween Fairy is Done!

2011-09-08T15:50:00.000-07:00

Yes, that's right. The Halloween Fairy is DONE.

Halloween Fairy, designed by Nora Corbett

Soon, I hope to find the perfect frame and add this gorgeous gal to the Wall o' Halloween Stitchery.

I haven't even taken her out of the q-snaps yet. Here she is, lounging on the floor near a basket of unfolded laundry.

I like to keep it real around here, people. ;)

This gal didn't come without issues. As you may recall (scroll to the bottom), I ran out of floss for one of the wings when I was close to being done. A visit to my local needlework store didn't solve my problem, as I'd hoped, for even though they had the correct color, it wasn't really correct. Since this project was stitched with hand dyed floss, the new color I picked up was from a different dye lot and looked NOTHING like the one that had come with the kit. It was much lighter and had very little variegation.

Anger and panic ensued. Was my whole project ruined? Even though I had tried tea-dyeing the new floss, it wasn't right. What was I going to do?!?

That's where Tracy, aka besomom, comes in.

Tracy, a fellow blogger (House of Hodgepodge--go check it out!) and super talented stitcher, read of my woes and graciously offered to send me the leftover floss from her kit. (Did your kit come with 2 skeins, Tracy? I forgot to ask how you had so much leftover while I didn't have enough.) "Hopefully it will be what you need," she wrote to me. And guess what? It was PERFECT.

Tracy is an angel, people. She saved my project. :)

Here, take a look at this:

That's the new floss I bought, and the one Tracy sent me. "Do you see how different these are?" I asked my husband as I compared the two skeins. "Isn't is crazy how different they are?"

"I dunno, they look the same to me," was his reply.

"The same?? No, no, no. They are different. Very different!" How he didn't see that is beyond me, though I am pretty sure he didn't really look at the skeins. The TV was on, and you know how that goes. ;)

Anyway, it doesn't matter anymore, because the project is done. The skein Tracy sent me was a great match, and I am so grateful to her.

How 'bout a few more pics of the fairy, hmmmmm?

I love the beaded wand. I love all the beads, really.

The beading went quickly, as there really weren't that many to attach. I love the way they form a fringe near the bottom of the dress. And they sparkle so nicely when the light hits them.

One thing I should tell you about this is that I deviated ever-so-slightly from the pattern. The fairy's skin color was supposed to be Crescent Colour's Bella Rosa, but it was just way too pink. I changed it to DMC 948, which worked out quite nicely. My little fairy is very pale, just like me. I don't tan whatsoever, boo. Even if I burn, I don't fade into a nice tan like some people do, I go from red back to pale. But I digress. I did end up using the Bella Rosa for this project, but only to attach the beads. The stitching instructions didn't specify what I should use (in fact, there was no mention of the beads at all in the instructions), so I had to wing it. It turned out well, I think, and you can hardly see the thread where the beads are attached. I can only assume that's the way it was supposed to be done.

Now that she's done, I kinda miss working on her, despite the fact that I have so many other awesome things I want to stitch (and am currently stitching). Does anyone else ever feel like that after completing a large/involved project?

L*K WIP (aka My Current Project)

2011-09-07T10:11:00.000-07:00

I love Halloween stitching. Love it. In fact, I have been working on few different Halloween pieces for a while now. The Halloween Fairy I've been doing is finally finished (more on that in a day or two), so now I can devote more time to this Lizzie*Kate kit I started a few weeks ago.

ABC Halloween Kit by Lizzie*Kate

As you can see, I don't have much done. I hope to put a dent in this project in the upcoming weeks. It would awesome if I could complete it by October 1st (the official day that I decorate the house for Halloween), but I don't think that is going to happen.

I am stitching this on a gorgeous piece of hand dyed lugana by Picture This Plus. I just love the variegation of color! Hand dyed fabric is such a treat. ♥

Ok, so as I mentioned above, I am DONE DONE DONE with the Halloween Fairy, and am so excited to share it with you! But first I need to take pics. Stay tuned!

Goodbye, Hello

2011-09-06T15:01:00.000-07:00

Goodbye summer. Though technically you are still here, and holding on with a vengeance, you are on your way out. And while you were nice, and fun, and lazy, and all the things that summer is supposed to be, I am very happy to see you go.

Summer Mini Block by Hinzeit

Time to take down the warm weather stitchery. Goodbye, goodbye.

Goodbye, beehive.

Goodbye, butterfly.

It's time to adorn my home with Fall stitchery. Hello, Autumn.


Autumn Mini Block by Hinzeit

Hello, pumpkin.

Hello, horn of plenty.

Hello, acorn.

Hello, happiness. :)

Pink Ice Cream

2011-08-26T14:01:00.000-07:00

One of my nieces is turning two soon, and the theme of her birthday party is Ice Cream Parlor. I deemed it necessary to make something special to go along with the theme.

Pattern from Ice Cream Socializers by Wild Olive

I used one of my favorite techniques, crayon tinting, on this project. I really can't express how much I love crayon tinting! It supplies a lot of color with minimal effort--which is great for when I'm running short on time.

After I was done with the embroidery, I pulled out my sewing machine and transformed this ice cream cone into a little stuffie. It's not the best example of sewing, but in my defense, I hadn't sewn anything that wasn't shaped like a square or rectangle since I was in the 8th grade. (We're talking over 20 years, people! That was a long time ago!)

I sure hope my niece likes it! I don't know why she wouldn't, though...it's pretty darn cute, if I do say so myself. :) And besides, what little girl wouldn't love her own ice cream cone stuffie? :) :)

Wedding Gifts, Onesies, and One Really Cool Craft Book

2011-08-25T13:20:00.000-07:00

I've been promising for some time now a peek at some gifts I made. Unfortunately, when it came down to it, I didn't get good pics since I was in a hurry to wrap the gifts and send them on their way.

First up is the wedding stitchery I hinted at a while ago. It's not traditional in any sense of the word when it comes to weddings. I did not do a sampler or anything even close to it. In fact, if it weren't for the fact that I was telling you that this was given as a wedding gift, there would be absolutely no indicator of it being marriage-related. ;)

I am admittedly not a Star Wars fan in any way, shape, or form, but my brother and his bride are. It was odd for me, the girl who loves to stitch cuteness, to stitch up Yoda stuff, but it was fun nonetheless. I found the Yoda pattern here, and made the phrasing up myself, using as a guide a letter chart from an old craft book I found it in the used book store earlier this year. It's a cool book, and was a total bargain at six bucks.

Seriously, this book is awesome. Inside the pages is 50 years worth of crafting goodness, with patterns dating from 1926 to 1976. Check out some of these projects:

I'd love to make these someday! And maybe someday I will. But for now, I have a lot on my stitchy to-do list, and it doesn't include any of these projects. I can, however, scratch off one thing my list: onesies. My brother and his wife (not the aforementioned Yoda recipients) recently had their second daughter, so I, of course, had to stitch up a couple onesies!

Pattern by Sublime Stitching

Ok, let me tell you something about these onesies. I loathed them. Not the design, not the colors, no, but rather the onesies themselves. I couldn't find my preferred choice--Gerber Organic--here in town, so I settled for non-organic. MISTAKE. They were such a pain to work with! So stretchy! So prone to rips, tears, and holes! The organic onesies stitch up like a dream, and I've been spoiled by that. I suppose if I had used stabilizer with these I would have had an easier time, but honestly, I am not a big fan of the stuff.

So, there are the stitchy gifts I promised to show you. I am currently working on a couple different things (as always!), including the Halloween Fairy I showed you recently. I would have finished it last week except I ran out of floss for the wings. Grrrrr. It was a kit, so I was especially mad because a kit should come with a sufficient amount of floss! When I went to my LNS to get more floss for the wing (I suppose I could have written the company who made the kits and asked for another skein, but I was too impatient to wait for the floss), I saw a kit there and what do you know? It had TWO skeins of the wing color. Gah. I got the necessary floss to complete the project but since it's an overdyed floss from a different dye lot than what I have (after all, I bought my kit when it was first released five years ago), it's not the same shade. Gah again. In fact, there is hardly any variegation to it at all. I will be doing my best to remedy that by pouncing my skein with a wet tea bag. Wish me luck!

The Queen of Halloween

2011-08-10T10:49:00.000-07:00

***I've had some issues with Blogger lately, which has led me to change the way I post pictures. They don't link to flickr anymore and are larger than before. I think I like it. Let me know if you do, too.***

As promised in my last post, here is a look at what I made for Amanda. What's funny is we didn't plan out a swap or anything; we both had some floss that the other wanted to try and decided to send each other a package of goodies. We both just happened to include a little handmade gift.

Design by Helga Mandl; stitched 2 over 2 with DMC and Crescent Colours on 28-ct Crystal Monet Cashel by Picture This Plus

This is just a bitty little thing...about 2.5 inches square. It was fun to make! Look at that pumpkin, how cute is he?! I especially like the spider, in part because of his petite seed bead eyes, and partly due to that fact the I designed him myself.

Here's the original design:


source

I didn't care for the wording. "I am the Queen of THE Halloween" sounded sort of odd to me, so I tweaked the design a bit. I like the way it turned out.

It wasn't until I was about to pop this cutie in the frame when I took a really close look at it...and realized I had to make another change. Do you see it? Here, let me give you a side-by-side look at the before and after. See if you can spot the difference (please ignore the discrepancy of the fabric color).

Uh-oh, I see a problem!

See it? The candy corn? Every traditional candy corn I've ever seen is, from top to bottom, white-orange-yellow. That was not the case with this pattern. So, I had to frog the candy corn and redo them. It bothered the stitchy perfectionist in me too much to leave them. Luckily, it was a super simple--and quick-- fix.


Ahhh, problem solved!

I think it looks like Mr. Spider is giving Mr. Pumpkin the side eye. Hahaha!

I have other Halloween projects in the works, in addition to other things (gifts, yea!). That means I have stitchy goodness to share with you in the near future. Stay tuned! :)

Good Mail

2011-08-09T10:44:00.000-07:00

I recently received an awesome package in the mail from my friend Amanda. Just look at all this good stuff!

Cosmo floss, stitchy patterns, and more...all wrapped up in ribbons! She even made me something!

How cute is that needlebook? I just adore the fabric, it's so adorable. The ghosties! The candy! And...

...THE CUPCAKE BUTTON!!! *squeal*

Thank you, Amanda, for such an amazing gift! And come back soon, darling readers, to see what I made for Amanda. It's an itty bitty Halloween-y stitchy piece! :)

Technical Difficulties

2011-08-09T10:14:00.000-07:00

Blogger is being fussy. Sorry if your readers have shown a couple of now-deleted posts. I can't seem to get the HTML to turn into anything. Pics won't show up. It's very frustrating, as I have two posts I want to share with you.

Has anyone else ever had this problem? I usually post my pics from Flickr via copy & paste, but since that isn't working I tried doing it from Blogger's compose page ("insert image") by pasting the URL into the box (prompt?), but it says it's invalid. WHICH IT'S NOT. Boo.

Sorry if this doesn't make much sense...I am not very tech savvy! Hopefully this will get straightened out soon, though I honestly don't know how to fix it, or even if it's up to me to fix. :P

Progress (and a Sneak Peek)

2011-07-26T20:03:00.000-07:00

Here are some pics of the Halloween Fairy I showed you last time. She's coming right along. One more wing, some backstitch, and the beadwork, and she'll be done!

And below is just a little sneak peek at something I've been working on lately. I'll show you more soon.

Talk to ya soon, darlings! ♥

Halloween Fairy WIP

2011-07-12T13:48:00.000-07:00

I seem to be in the mood for two things lately: cross stitch and Autumn. More specifically, I am in the mood to stitch up some Halloween goodies. It happens every summer. Once the 4th of July has passed, I am ready to move on to chilly nights and frosty mornings. I am ready for fall. :)

But it's not fall. However, that doesn't mean I can't work on some Halloween stitching. The piece I am showing you today is a WIP from several years ago. (I want to say 2006, but don't quote me on that.) I usually get the itch to stitch on it each summer, but end up putting it away after just a few week's worth of work. Hmmm. I'd like to break that cycle this year and actually be able to display this beauty come October, but with all the other things I need to work on, I don't know how successful I will be. ;)

(Halloween Fairy limited edition kit by Mirabilia)

Poor thing, she hasn't a head.

Crescent Colours are so fun & pretty, don'tcha think? I love overdyed floss.

Her pretty dress will eventually be accented with beads. I just love the colors.

My favorite part, though, isn't the pretty dress. It's the treat sack.

Seriously! How cute is that?!

So, please wish me luck with my goal of completing this Halloween Fairy this year. It would be nice to add her to my collection of Halloween stitchies. :)

L*K's Liberty Sampler

2011-07-03T13:36:00.000-07:00

I hope everyone is having a safe, happy, and fun Fourth of July weekend! I thought I would share with you a little something I stitched up in 2003.

(Liberty Sampler by Lizzie*Kate)

I remember stitching this as I was house hunting. I finished it in the midst of buying my house, and was excited to get it framed and ready for hanging in the new place. :) It used to hang in the hallway year-round, but as years passed and I had my babies, stitchy pictures like this one were replaced with portraits and candid shots of my little ones. I had all but forgotten about this particular stitchy piece, but upon finding it recently as I was rooting around in the storage box where I keep my seasonal stitchy pieces, I decided to add it to the line-up of rotating holiday/seasonal stitchy pieces with which I decorate my house. It doesn't hang on the wall (I can't take down my kids' baby pics, no way!), but rather is part of a Fourth of July vignette in my kitchen.

I had such a hard time getting decent pics of this thing! Seriously!! I tried four different times to get good shots of this little sampler, and these that you see here are the best of all those attempts. Boo. They're not horrible shots, but I've done better. Oh well. I guess I am a bit out of practice. ;)

I am so in love with that "MADE IN U.S.A." charm. This pattern came with three charms, actually, but this one is by far my favorite of the bunch.

**********

So, last time I mentioned that I would be sharing some wedding stitchery with you, but I spoke too soon about that. I can't share it until it's been received by the bride & groom, so it'll still be a bit before I will be blogging about it. But it's coming, I promise. :) And who knows, I may even have something else to share with you before that. I have been sitting on some pretty major news for a while now, and the time to talk about it drawing near. So stay tuned for that. :)

Happy Stitching, my friends! ♥-♥-♥

Berry Small, Berry Cute

2011-06-14T17:13:00.000-07:00

I made this for my son's first grade teacher:

I plan to frame it in this wooden hoop, with this swatch of fabric as a backing:

This strawberry is so teensy-weensy! I didn't whip out the measuring tape, but I estimate it to be about 2x2 inches. I am such a sucker for anthropomorphic fruits & veggies, especially when they're so tiny and cute! How 'bout you?

Next up: wedding stitchery. Stay tuned!

The Orange is Done

2011-04-24T20:10:00.000-07:00

The orange is done! Hooray!

(Pattern by The Frosted Pumpkin Stitchery)

All stitching was done with DMC floss, 2 over 2 on 28-count Opalescent/White Lugana fabric, except the eyes, which are 4 over 2.

This feels like a rushed post, and I guess it is. I have homework to do (what's new?) and I really shouldn't be on the computer. (Facebook doesn't count, though, right? I can still do Facebook and not be slacking on my homework, right? ;)) Anyway...my next project is school-related. Stay tuned! ♥

One Little Onesie

2011-04-04T09:44:00.000-07:00

I stitched this onesie recently. It's for my brother's wife's younger sister, who recently gave birth to her first child.

(Design by Sublime Stitching.)

Who says blue is just for boys?

Lately, I have been semi-obsessed with blue & green. I think they look nice together, especially turquoise and bright green.

This onesie worked up very quickly, which was great since I didn't have much time to stitch it. I, unfortunately, was rather ill during Spring Break, and all plans I had for stitching fell to the wayside. I managed to put the final stitches into this onesie just hours before I gave it away. That's what I love about embroidery. I can give someone a handmade, one-of-a-kind gift that doesn't take too long to complete. ♥-♥-♥

Spring term has begun, and I have more classes than I did last term. Sigh. I see very little stitching time in my immediate future. There is another baby on the way in my family, so I hope to be able to do a little something for Baby Girl...but we'll see. It just depends on how this term plays out. Wish me luck!

Ok, I've been putting off my homework long enough. Time to wrap up this post and hit the books. I'd rather throw the books out the window and pick up my needle and thread, but that won't get me a degree. ;)

Happy Stitching, everyone! I'll be stitching vicariously through you. :-)

PS I don't know if anyone noticed, but I've posted a link in the sidebar for Pinterest. (It's right below the Feeling Stitching link, up near the top of the page.) Oh my, how I love Pinterest. Check out my pins when you have time. :)

Orange WIP

2011-02-26T13:51:00.000-08:00

School. It's ridiculous how much of my time it consumes. It's amazing how much time I spend doing homework instead of stitching. But that's ok. I will eventually be done with my studies, and then I will be able to stitch as often as I'd like.

Well, maybe not as often as I'd like, but definitely more than I do now. :)

Here is a little peek at my current WIP.

This pattern was designed by my current stitching obsession, The Frosted Pumpkin Stitchery. They offer some seriously cute stuff, people.

I am stitching this little orange with DMC floss on 28-count Opalescent/White Lugana fabric. It's sparkly and delicious.

This is such a fun project. I can't until I am finished! I have a super cute rainbow I want to start.

Just as soon as I finish my homework. :P

Good Stuff

2011-01-04T20:15:00.000-08:00

Hot cocoa with marshmallows and a side of cross stitch. Doesn't get much better than this on a cold January night.

Happy New Year

2010-12-31T22:11:00.000-08:00

Looking back at 2010:

It was a good year.

Happy 2011!

The Ornaments

2010-12-30T14:34:00.000-08:00

Hey there, Stitchy Peeps!

As I mentioned before, I made Christmas ornaments this year for my family. A couple of the ornaments actually morphed into pillows, 'cause I thought it'd be fun to make pillows. :)

There was a lot of sewing involved:

I'm not so great at sewing, but I am learning. I don't like to do complicated things, like measuring and using a pattern. ;)

Cute, right? I just can't get enough of Mollie's patterns.

The backs:

I loooooooooove this one:

It's mostly satin stitched, which wasn't at all tedious like I thought it would be.

And here is the biggest thing I made, a pillow for my owl-loving sister in law:

That's all for now, my lovelies. I will be back next year with more stitchy goodness. Until then...

Happy Stitching!

Beads of Salt

2010-11-27T10:41:00.000-08:00

Hey there, Stitchy Peeps!

I am making ornaments for each member of my immediate family this year. Here's the latest one. As you can see, it's a work in progress.

(Pattern from Dough by Wild Olive)

I need to add the rest of the beads (I used these Mill Hill frosted glass beads), but that won't take long. Then it's just a matter of sewing this cute little pretzel into an ornament.

Speaking of beads, don't they make the cutest little bits of salt?

I attached them the way I do when I attach beads to a cross-stitch piece: bring the floss (two strands) up from under the fabric, thread the bead on the floss and go down through the fabric like I am making a half-stitch (the bead is now lying flat against the fabric), and then come back up and secure the bead by splitting the two threads, placing one strand on either side of the bead, and going back down through the fabric like I am completing an X. Sorry if that's confusing. I guess writing instructions/tutorials isn't really my forte. Anywho, for this piece, the second stitch probably isn't necessary since it won't be handled much, but I like the added security it gives. Those suckers ain't goin' nowhere.

Well, that's all for now, my lovelies. I have been putting off my schoolwork in order to stitch, but with finals coming up I don't think that's very wise. I hope to be back soon, though (the term is almost over, yippee!), so stay tuned for more stitchy goodness. Until then...

Happy Stitching!

Giveaway at Wild Olive!

2010-11-26T15:36:00.000-08:00

Go here to Mollie's blog, and enter to win this tea towel I made:

Good luck!

Little Aqua Ipod

2010-11-24T11:43:00.000-08:00

Hey there, Stitchy Peeps!

Every year, I get a new ornament for the Christmas tree. This year, I decided to be thrifty and use what I have on hand to make one. I've yet to actually sew this into an ornament, but I decided to share it with you anyway:

Eeeeeeeeeee! So cute, right? I am in love with this little aqua ipod.

This little music note is just too cute:

Earbuds!

I crayon tinted this cute little aqua ipod, and I love the way it looks. The earbud wires are done with DMC's Jewel Effects floss. (No. E3849 in case anyone wants to know.)

He's just a little guy, as you can tell by this next pic, so it shouldn't take me too long to sew him into an ornament.

I have a few different fabrics in mind. I don't know yet which one/ones I will use.

This adorable pattern is by my friend Mollie of Wild Olive. As those of you who've been reading this blog for a while know, I adore Mollie's patterns and have done quite a few of them. (Just click on the "Wild Olive" tag in the label cloud in the sidebar to see 'em all, or go to my "Wild Olive Goodness" set on flickr.) So when Mollie asked me take part in her first ever blog party, I was ecstatic! There will lots of goodies, including a little something I made to be given away to one lucky reader. Here's a little peek at it:

Be sure to visit Mollie's blog this Friday for lots of fun AND for a chance to win something made by me. :)

Well, that's it for now, my darlings. I will be back soon with more stitchy goodness. Until then...

Happy Stitching!

PS Happy Thanksgiving!

Satin Stitched Butterfly

2010-11-14T20:08:00.000-08:00

Hey there, Stitchy Peeps!

WOW. It's been a loooong time since my last post. School keeps me busy! I don't get to stitch nearly as often as I'd like, but I've managed to squeeze in a little time for stitching lately. Most of what I have been working on can't be shared until after Christmas, but I do have something cool to share with you right now. The butterfly tea towel WIP I showed you last time is done!

There is A LOT of satin stitching on this thing. :)

Originally, I hadn't intended to fill in everything. But as I finished the outline of the butterfly, I realized that it needed to be filled in. If I were to do this over, I would outline the whole thing in black, giving it a tattoo-like quality.

Oh well! I still like it. And so does the sweet-as-pie woman I stitched this for, which is all that really matters. :)

That's all for now, my darlings! I hope to be back before Christmas to share with you one little thing I've been working on. (It's super cute, if I do say so myself.) Until then...

Happy Stitching!

A Glimpse

2010-09-26T21:08:00.000-07:00

Hey there, Stitchy Peeps!

The card reader issue I mentioned in my last post has been fixed, so here is a pic of my current WIP:

This is just a little sneak peek, my lovelies. I have made some decent progress since this pic was taken six days ago, but I am reluctant to take any more pics until I am completely done with this project. So hopefully I will be back soon with some stitchy goodness to share with you. Until then...

Happy Stitching!

Gather a Harvest

2010-09-23T13:11:00.000-07:00

Hey there, Stitchy Peeps!

Wow, it seems that more & more time passes between each of my posts lately. Sorry 'bout that. I am still here, stitching away! I'm also doing a lot of other things, which is why I am not posting frequently. But there's some bad news: my card reader is being temperamental, so I can't share the pics of what I've been working on. Bigfoot is progressing nicely (but slowwwwwwly), and I have a cool butterfly tea towel I'm making for an awesome new friend. It stinks that I can't share pics with you! So....until I get things figured out, please enjoy this oldie:

(Gather a Harvest of Love by Lizzie*Kate)

I blogged about this a couple years ago, but for some reason it says the pic is unavailable and doesn't show up, even though my settings for this one are and always have been public. ??? Anywho, sorry for the repeat, but I figure it's better than nothing, right? Plus, it's appropriate, what with it being Autumn now. :):)

So, that's it for now, darlings. I hope to get that stupid card reader figured out soon so I can share pics with you. The tea towel is cool and I can't wait to show it to you. Until then...

Happy Stitching!

Bigfoot Sighting

2010-08-10T22:10:00.000-07:00

Hey there, Stitchy Peeps!

This summer has kept me very busy--with non-stitchy things, boo. But I did sit down last night and put a few stitches in a new project:

("Bigfoot" pattern by Badbird.)

This one's for my husband, an avid believer in Bigfoot. I am not such a believer. But I really like this pattern, and the moment I saw it in Badbird's Etsy shop I snatched it up. I was going to surprise my honey with it (you know how much I love top secret projects!), but I was anxious to show it to him. His happy reaction was worth it. ☺

Anywho, here are a couple more pics:

As you can see, I am using DMC 610. So far, that's the only floss I've tossed for this project. I usually select all my colors before I start, but I dunno, I was feeling impetuous last night and didn't plan this one out. Tee hee. I will keep you posted on how it goes, and will be back soon (ok, eventually) with pics of this guy. Until then...

Happy Stitching!

Shimmer & Shine

2010-07-15T20:19:00.000-07:00

Hey there, Stitchy Peeps!

Can you believe it's been a month since my last post? Sorry to have left you hanging for so long in regards to my Sparkly Mermaid WIP. I have been done with her for a while now, and even uploaded the pics to flickr last week (where they were left private until just now). Ooops. Anywho, here she is:

(From the "Mad Ink" pattern set by Sew Lovely Embroidery.)

Pretty, ain't she? Here's the story of how Sparkly Mermaid came to be:

Last year, the sweet gals of Sew Lovely Embroidery, Katy and Maureen, contacted me and asked if I'd be interested in receiving a set of their iron on patterns. Um, yes please! They generously sent me a full size pattern sheet, and WOW! Talk about some awesomeness. The details of their patterns are stunning. And these gals know their way around a needle & thread. Check out their blog, and be sure to also check out their embroidery set on flickr.

See? What did I tell you? Amazing. :)

Anywho, here are some more pics of Sparkly Mermaid:

Gosh, her mouth just isn't what I wanted it to be. I always have a hard time with mouths. Her lips are supposed to be slightly parted, but I think I completely missed the boat on this. Oh well. I think the sparkly seashell makes up for it.

I used both braid (very fine and medium) and blending filament on Ms. Sparkles. (I am allowed to call her by more than one name.) Both are by Kreinik, and I highly recommend checking out their website if you're not familiar with their products. There you will also find tips about how to use this stuff, which can be frustrating if you're not used to working with it.

Ok, more pics:

This next one is blurry as heck, but I included in here to show you the power of the braid. Oh, the power...

Look at that shimmer! Look at that shine! Gosh, I do love me some shimmer & shine.

Well, that's all for now, my darlings! I will be back soon with more stitchy goodness to share. (And I hope it doesn't take me a month before I live up to that promise!) Until then...

Happy Stitching!

My Latest WIP

2010-06-16T13:37:00.000-07:00

Hey there, Stitchy Peeps!

(From the Mad Ink pattern set by Sew Lovely Embroidery.)

More on this coming soon...stay tuned! Until then...

Happy Stitching!

Flossie Flosserson

2010-06-06T15:23:00.000-07:00

Hey there, Stitchy Peeps!

Looooooong time no see, my friends! Sorry 'bout the absence. School is keeping me very busy--too busy for stitching! I have so many projects on the back burner right now that it's not funny. But I do have something totally awesome to show you today.

Introducing...

FLOSSIE FLOSSERSON!

(From the pattern "Stitchy Friends!" by Amy Bindel.)

Isn't she just the darling?! This is part of a set of patterns designed by my friend Amy, better known 'round the internet as Early Bird Special. Amy recently started selling her sweet designs in her Etsy shop...be sure to check it out!

(Amy, I hope you don't mind that I named her. :))

I used variegated floss for the bulk of the design, and silver metallic floss for the needle:

I know it doesn't show well in the pic, but the metallic floss really adds some shimmer and shine.

Well, that's it for now, my darlings. I wish I had more to share! Hopefully after this term is over I can get to some of those aforementioned projects...after all, I will have a whole month off before summer term begins. Let's keep our fingers crossed, shall we? Maybe soon I will have some stitchy goodness to show you. Until then...

Happy Stitching!

A Slight Departure from the Norm

2010-05-08T21:23:00.000-07:00

Hey there, Stitchy Peeps!

So, I did a little stitchy project last night, and it's an ever-so-slight departure from my normal stuff. I tend to stitch on plain fabric, usually muslin. I enjoy the way things look when stitched on patterned fabric (like this little slice of cuteness, for example), but I just haven't been able to find the right pattern & fabric combo...until now.

Take a look at what I stitched last night:

(Restless Violet, courtesy of Wild Olive.)

I am SO in love with this little violet! I call her Shy Violet (yes, sometimes I give my projects names, so what??) because of the way she's almost hidden in the pansy print of the fabric. I've never done anything like this, and I love the way it turned out. Shy Violet worked up quickly, too. Quick and cute, win-win! :)

Here she is chillin' on my desk:

And here is a close-up shot of her sweet little face:

And here she is, looking sideways toward the window. It was sunny today, and Shy Violet was enjoying the view.

Ok, I made that last part up. Despite the fact that I have given her a name, I am well aware of the fact that Shy Violet is an inanimate object and is incapable of seeing things, such as a nice view out of a window on a lovely morning in May. ;)

Well, that's all for now, my lovelies! I will be back soon with more stitchy goodness. I'm excited about the next project I have in the works and can't wait to share the details with you. Until then...

Happy Stitching!

My Stitchy Story

2010-04-27T16:41:00.000-07:00

Hey there, Stitchy Peeps!

So, yours truly was asked by the talented Mollie to write a guest post on her blog, Wild Olive. I was more than happy to oblige. :) Be sure to check it out!

And since I don't like to post without at least one picture, here's a couple from the vaults. It's just close-ups of floss, but..it's all good, right? 'Cause floss is awesome. Yup.

Well, that's all for now, darlings. I hope to be back soon with something fun to show ya...but first I have to finish some homework. Yup, homework. I've decided to go back to college. That doesn't leave much time for stitching, but it doesn't mean I won't try to work on stuff when time allows it. So stay tuned, I will have some stitchy goodness to share eventually! Until then...

Happy Stitching!

Cutest Cactus Couple EVER!

2010-04-10T16:56:00.000-07:00

Hey there, Stitchy Peeps!

First off, what do you think of the changes I made here to the blog? I don't know if I am entirely sold on it yet...I think maybe the background might be a bit distracting...? Maybe. I dunno. I like it, I think.

Now, on to things that matter. I finished the swap piece! WOO HOO! Here, take a peek:

("Love Hurts" by Sew Charitable.)

Now, a closer look. Please ignore the wrinkles.

I am totally digging the french knots in the middle of the flower on the lady cactus. But then, of course, I really do love french knots.

By the way, you need to check out Sew Charitable's blog. She not only has this cute pattern there--for FREE, I might add--but lots of other cute patterns--FOR FREE. Gosh, I love free patterns. Maybe even more than I love french knots...

Anywho, check it out. I really want to do the gnome pattern, too. Cuteness, people. Total cuteness.

Well, that's all, folks! I will be back soon with more stitchy goodness for you to enjoy. Until then...

Happy Stitching!

Love Hurts WIP

2010-04-08T15:06:00.000-07:00

Hey there, Stitchy Peeps!

Here is a peek at one of my current WIPs. This is for the swap I mentioned:

("Love Hurts" by Sew Charitable.)

That's all for now, folks. I plan to wrap up this cute little project this weekend, so stay tuned for details & pics. Until then...

Happy Stitching!

Teeny Tiny Undies

2010-04-07T11:41:00.000-07:00

Hey there, Stitchy Peeps!

This post is just a quick one to show you a little something I whipped up right before I stitched the Easter Egg Sampler. And I do mean that literally. I finished this teeny little project and started the egg sampler in one fell swoop. :)

Ok, here it is:

('Underwear' by Wild Olive.)

These are some really small undies, people!

Well, I am sorry that I don't have more to say right now, but even if I did I wouldn't have the time! I have tons of non-stitchy (boo) things to do...though I am still working on that swap project I mentioned a bajillion years ago, so stay tuned for pics of that. (It's pretty darn cute, if I do say so myself!) Until then...

Happy Stitching!

The Floss

2010-04-01T17:44:00.000-07:00

Hey there, Stitchy Peeps!

I had a couple people ask me about the floss I used for the Easter Egg Sampler I showed you last time. I wasn't quite sure what it was since I had tossed the wrapper, so I did some investigating.

It turned out I hadn't tossed the wrapper after all, hooray! But that doesn't mean I come bearing good news. The company that produced this floss, Needle Necessities, is no longer around. I found a little blurb on CraftGossip.com that provided links to a substitution for Needle Necessities if you're interested. (Here is the sub for the floss I used.)

That's all for now, my beauties. I'll be back soon! Until then...

Happy Stitching!

'Egg'-cellent

2010-03-29T19:36:00.000-07:00

Hey there, Stitchy Peeps!

Just in time for Easter, I present to you this lovely Egg Sampler:

(Easter Egg Sampler by Wild Olive.)

This was the first time I'd ever done an embroidery sampler. Yes, I've done some of these stitches, but not this many! Surface Blanket Stitch? What's that? Oh yeah, it's a piece of cake! Herringbone? Fern Stitch? BAM! Not a problem. I've always been intimidated by the thought of these 'complicated' stitches, but it turns out they're not so bad. I had a couple of stitch books with illustrated guides to help me, and I was able to knock out this sweet little egg in a couple evenings. This sampler challenged me to try new things and I am SO glad that I did. Stitching this was a blast! Of course, using variegated floss helped make it easy, too. So many colors with so little hassle. ♥

Well, that's all for now, folks! I still have to show you the swap piece I mentioned a while ago, so stay tuned, it's coming soon. Until then...

Happy Stitching!

Looking Back

2010-03-10T22:43:00.001-08:00

Hey there, Stitchy Peeps!

So, I know I should have done this on January 1st, but I am a little slow.

1. 2009, 2. all done..., 3. sad apple, 4. happy apple pillow, 5. pinup for brook, 6. cherry pair (WIP), 7. 'a place we call home', 8. pizza, 9. doggies, 10. details, 11. 12 missing drummers drumming, 12. french knots in a flower, 13. advent (wip)

Looks like 2009 was a busy stitchy year for me! I didn't realize it until I made the mosaic. I've been a little slow so far this year; I better kick it up a notch if I want to make a mosaic for 2010! (But let's hope I post before mid-March right? Lol.)

Sorry for posting a bunch of old pics, my darlings. I hope you will stay tuned for some new pics, for they are coming! Until then...

Happy Stitching!

Upside Down WIP & a Pin

2010-03-06T14:00:00.000-08:00

Hey there, Stitchy Peeps!

So, last night I decided I NEEDED to make a pin. I needed to, people, really. NEEDED to. I was up way past my bedtime working on it.

It's imperfect, wonky, and oh-so-wonderful. :)

(Cross stitch pattern by Country Cottage Needleworks; Embroidery pattern by Wild Olive.)

This cute little crab was stitched on some printed fabric I found in the bargain bin, stuffed with a little Fiberfil, and attached to some sparkly black felt with embroidery floss. (I think the felt looks like a peanut butter cup wrapper. Yum.)

That's all for now. I know it's not much but I really wanted to share it with you. I'll be back soon with pics of the kawaii stitchy piece I mentioned last time. Until then...

Happy Stitching!

Miss Pretty

2010-03-04T16:19:00.000-08:00

Hey there, Stitchy Peeps!

So, I showed you a WIP back in October of last year. Last night, I finally finished it.

I call her Miss Pretty:

This is obviously the safe, edited version of Miss Pretty. I like to keep this blog family-friendly, ya know. :) If you're interested, you can see the dirty-birdie version here.

Ok, ok, so it's not that risque...I've seen (much!) racier stuff in embroidery than this lovely little lady...but I've got two youngsters and I don't need them asking questions! Hence, the black bars. :)

Anywho...

The shoes on this gal DON'T glow, by the way. That's just a result of poor lighting and even poorer photo editing skills.

Good thing this beauty's face, unlike her shoes, photographs well.

Uh oh, naughty snake! He's gonna bite Miss Pretty!

(Naughty version here.)

Well, that's all for now, folks! Next up is a kawaii stitchy piece for the final installment of this swap. I have a super cute (of course) pattern picked out...a cute-as-can-be cactus couple. ♥ I can't wait to show you! So stay tuned! Until then...

Happy Stitching!

The Rain Fell

2010-03-01T08:34:00.000-08:00

Hey there, Stitchy Peeps!

Happy March!

(Design by Lizzie*Kate)

I've got a little cross stitch finish to share with you...unfortunately the pics are less than stellar, but after many attempts to get great pics, I gave up. There's only so much I can handle. ;) Anywho, here's a project I started so very long ago, finally complete:

("The Rain Fell" by Little House Needleworks)

I hope everyone is having a great year! I am soooooo looking forward to Spring, as I am sure you are too, bloggy friends. Even though my allergies drive me mad, I can't wait to get outside and plant flowers, and maybe a veggie garden too. We had one last year, and I gotta say, having fresh sugar snap peas several times a week made me one happy lady! :)

So, that's it for now, darlings! I have two swap pieces in progress, so stay tuned for pics. Until then...

Happy Stitching!

Blog? What Blog??

2010-02-02T16:27:00.000-08:00

Hey there, Stitchy Peeps!

So, it's been a while, hasn't it? Hard to believe it's February!

(Design by Lizzie*Kate.)

2010 started off with a bang for me & my family, and things have been hectic! I haven't had much energy for stitching lately, which explains my lack of posting. Jeepers creepers, I am a lousy blogger! Bear with me, Stitchy Peeps. :-D

Despite a lack of what my friend Panda calls embrojo, I have been putting in a little bit of work here and there on a WIP I first showed you last July. Here's the most recent pic:

(Design by Little House Needleworks.)

Sorry I don't have more to share with you today! I feel so bad about neglecting Stitchy Stitcherson. I appreciate all of you who read, follow and leave comments on this little blog o' mine, and I love getting to share my projects with you. I hope to have more to share in the coming weeks. In the meantime, check out this link. Did you know that February is National Embroidery Month? How cool is that?

Stay tuned, my dear bloggy peeps! If I drink enough coffee this evening, I just may be able to finish a project...and then I can actually share something with you before March! Hahaha! Until then...

Happy Stitching!

Last Project of 2009=First Post of 2010

2010-01-01T20:30:00.000-08:00

Hey there, Stitchy Peeps!

Wooooo hooooo! It's 2010! Hard to believe 2009 is over. It's also hard to believe that my last post was a month ago. Yikes. Sorry about that. December was a busy month for me, as I am sure it was for all of you.

I only have one picture to share with you today. Some of you may know that Mollie graciously shared advent patterns with her readers during the month of December. Here is my take on the them:

There are 24 individually stitched pieces. There is actually a 25th pattern, but it wasn't on Mollie's website yet when I snapped this pic. Though this project isn't technically finished and is therefore a WIP (nothing has been sewn together yet), I was still VERY proud of myself for getting this much done by Christmas Eve.

I am pleased with my choice to do everything in red. It not only looks so cheery and Christmas-y, but it made for some very easy stitching. See that tree there on the right side of the pic, about halfway down? I whipped that up in 8 minutes. I timed it. :)

By the way, I recommend viewing this pic on Large in flickr to see everything better. It's not the greatest pic in the world, as the light--or lack thereof--was very poor, but it's worth seeing, in my humble opinion. ;)

Oh, and before I forget, check out this interview that the super rad Pam (aka Faster Kittykill) did with me on her blog. And while you're there, be sure to take note of all the other cool things Pam blogs about. She's got quite a few interviews with some mega talented people, along with movie recommendations, drink recipes, and cute dog tales. Pam is the coolest kid on the block, folks!

Well, that's it for me, my beloved darlings. I hope you aren't mad at me for taking soooooo much time in between my last post and this one! I will try harder to post more often now that the hustle and bustle of the holidays is behind me. After all, I have a trillion projects to work on, so there will be plenty to blog about. So stay tuned! I will be back with something soon. Until then...

Happy Stitching!

Something Silly

2009-12-02T13:42:00.000-08:00

Hey there, Stitchy Peeps!

Last year, I doodled something silly. This year, I turned that silly little something into a piece of stitchery:

Meet Darlene. She's a dancing queen.

Mind you, I am not an artist. I do not draw anything but stick figures.

It turns out that transforming doodles into embroidery patterns is best left to the pros. :)

That's all for now, folks! I will be back soon with some, ahem, real embroidery pics soon. Until then...

Happy Stitching!

JOY

2009-12-01T20:27:00.000-08:00

Hey there, Stitchy Peeps!

Wow, can you believe it's already December?

(Design by Lizzie*Kate.)

I am not here today to tell you how I cannot believe that the year is nearly over, and that I have so much I'd like to stitch for the holidays but I've been playing silly computer games each night instead of stitching, or to show you a picture of a cross stitch that I did many years ago and is in my sidebar anyway so you can see it any ol' time you want to...no, I am here because I want to talk about this:

Last month I promised you that I would give you the details on a swap I was doing...and now I am here to make good on that promise. Take a look at this:

Isn't that just the sweetest? It was designed and stitched by Paloma, known on flickr as threekitchenfairies.

Check out these details:

Not only did Paloma send me this gorgeous piece of stitchery, she also included the pattern and a pretty piece of fabric. Thank you, Paloma! :)

Do yourself a favor and visit Paloma's blog. You will see that she is a super talented woman!

Well, that's it for me, darlings. I will be back soon (ha ha, I use the word 'soon' loosely here...have you noticed the infrequency of my posts lately?) to show you what I've been working on. Until then...

Happy Stitching!

Bright & Cheerful Stitching on a Rainy & Gray Day

2009-11-09T17:00:00.000-08:00

Hey there, Stitchy Peeps!

Here's my piece for the aforementioned swap I'm doing:

Ok, so that's not the greatest picture...it's rainy and gray here today...

It's hard for me to take good pics on rainy, gray days.

The macros turned out ok, though, right?

(Pattern by Andrea Zuill [Badbird], available here.)

This piece was fun to stitch. I love all the french knots! I really hope my partner likes it. It's a blind swap, meaning I know who I am stitching for, but I don't know who is stitching for me. Fun stuff!

And I actually DO know who is stitching for me...I got my piece in the mail last week! It's simply gorgeous, and it deserves a blog post all its own. Unfortunately, I don't have time for that right now...but I will be back soon to tell you all about it--promise. And it's worth waiting for. It's that fantastic!

So stayed tuned, my lovelies! I will have pics and details soon. Until then...

Happy Stitching!

Pink Ribbon Pinup

2009-10-28T12:14:00.000-07:00

Hey there, Stitchy Peeps!

I've been working on several things lately.

Unfortunately, that pic above has nothing to do with any of my current projects. I was supposed to make a new Halloween cross-stitchery for my walls, using those gorgeous Fall colors you see above, but I never got to it. It's a cute pattern; take a peek at it here. It will have to wait 'til next year, I suppose.

One thing I have made progress on is this pinup piece for a swap:

As you can see, this little lady is serious about Breast Cancer Awareness Month and hopes you are, too! Get the girls checked, ladies. :0)

(There is a NSFW-ish version on Flickr if you're interested. I don't really think it's too scandalous, but I don't like taking any chances, so that's why I edit the pinups for my blog. :))

I am also involved in another swap, and will have more on that for you soon. I expect to be finished with the piece in a few days, so stay tuned for pics. I am pretty excited about this project. :)

I also recently purchased a super-cute ornament kit from Wild Olive's Etsy shop. Oh my, I am in love! I can't wait to get started on these.

Well, that's all for now, my darlings! As you can see, I have TONS of work to do, which means I will have lots of stitchy goodness to share with you soon! Until then...

Happy Stitching!

Twelve, Eleven, Eight, Seven

2009-10-19T08:36:00.000-07:00

Hey there, Stitchy Peeps!

Wow, I am such a slacker lately about blogging. Yikes, sorry. What can I say, I've been busy with non-stitchy things.

I did, however, do some stitching a couple weeks ago. The super talented Mollie of Wild Olive asked me if I could do her a little favor. She was busy preparing for her Etsy shop update, and asked if could help her out by stitching a new pattern for her. Well, when Mollie comes a-calling, I answer!

Eeeeeeh! The cuteness! Go to her shop & get these patterns! All twelve days of Christmas are represented, and the things you could do are endless. Ornaments, stockings, banners...hmmm...

Speaking of Mollie, she recently tagged me. She included pics with her answers when she did this, but I am ~~feeling pretty darn lazy~~ really super busy today so pics won't be included in mine.

1) What books are on your favorite shelf?

**My books are scattered throughout my house in different rooms, but my current favorite books are on my sewing desk. All my stitchy books are there, including three Japanese embroidery books (squeal!), Stitched in Time by Alicia Paulson and Embroidered Effects by Jenny Hart.

2)What DVDs are on your favorite shelf?

**The Office, Friends, and tons of stuff for my kids.

3)What are your two favorite cookbooks?

**I have a little notebook that has family favorites in it. I refer to it again and again. It's small, worn, and about 13 years old, but it's definitely my fave. :) My other favorite is...um...I dunno! I really like my Taste of Home magazines. Does that count?

4) Select 1-3 recipes that you will cook for your special guests.

**Well, special guests rarely include anyone outside of family members (Candi, you're considered family around here), so anything I prepare for them is gonna be pretty simple. Enchiladas! Yum.

5)What will we be drinking that's available?

**Tequila!! Just kidding. Milk & water, we've always got that. Soda if you're lucky. :)

And because I am ~~feeling pretty darn lazy~~ really super busy today, everyone who reads this is tagged! If you play along, let me know so I can take a peek at your answers.

Well, that's it for now, my beloved bloggy friends. I am currently working on a couple of swaps that I hope to be able to share with you soon. Until then...

Happy Stitching!

Sugar Skull Stitchin' on a Saturday Night...

2009-09-27T19:33:00.000-07:00

Hey there, Stitchy Peeps!

It all started with this trivet:

I acquired it on a recent trip to Old Town San Diego. It was love at first sight.

What's not to love??

Anywho, this beautiful trivet stirred up an urge in me...an urge to stitch this:

I did this last night in just a couple of hours, and I loved every minute of it! This was such a blast to stitch, and now I can't keep my eyes off it. It's just so...cool. And colorful. And...cool.

I got this rad little pattern from the newly released book Embroidered Effects by Sublime Stitching. (I am soooo loving this book, by the way.)

I used several different stitches on this piece. Click on the pic above to take you to Flickr, where you can get the lowdown on all those stitches.

With the exception of the french knots around the eyes, the white parts are done with glow-in-the-dark-floss. (It's rather slippery stuff, and I didn't have the patience to use it for the french knots. It would've looked so cool, though.) I tried to get a pic of it 'glowing,' but it just wasn't happening...every picture I snapped was too dim. It glows nicely in real life, though. You'll just have to take my word. :)

Well, that's all for now, my lovelies! I've got more stitchy goodness in the works (when don't I, lol?), so I shall be returning soon. Until then...

Happy Stitching!

I Got a Rock

2009-09-14T19:01:00.000-07:00

Hey there, Stitchy Peeps!

This post is going to be short on words, for yours truly is tired. I was on vacation last week and had too much fun! I've been trying to play catch up...rather unsuccessfully. ;)

Anywho, here's a peek at a little thing I did recently:

Cute, eh?

This was designed by Wild Olive (who, as you know, I love love love!), and it's inspired by It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown.

Hey, look at that chain stitch, would ya? Ain't it grand?

Ok, I will admit, it's not the best example of chain stitching you'll see, but it's not bad. Right? ;)

This was a fun piece to stitch. :)

Well, that's is for me, darlings! I will be back soon with more stitchy goodness to share. Until then...

Happy Stitching!

Three Out of Four Ain't Bad

2009-08-30T18:39:00.001-07:00

Hey there, Stitchy Peeps!

So yeah....I was a bad little stitcher and only got three of the four onesies done in time for the shower.

By the time I put the last stitch in the third onesie at 10:30 pm Friday night, I knew I wouldn't be able to stitch the fourth one. I couldn't keep my eyes open! I miss the days when I could stay up half the night, stitching my heart out....

Oh well. ;)

I suppose I could still stitch up the the fourth one and give it to the baby after she's born, right? You know, when I visit her for the first time. Yeah. I think I'll do that. :)

(Pattern by Sublime Stitching.)

Well, you know how it goes, my darlings...I will be back soon with more stitchy goodness! Until then...

Happy Stitching!

Me+Onesies=Procrastination

2009-08-26T20:25:00.001-07:00

Hey there, Stitchy Peeps!

I don't what it is about onesies that makes me wait until the very last minute to stitch them.

See these? Notice how not one single stitch has been made? I ironed on the transfers a few hours ago...but I still haven't started stitching. Which wouldn't be a problem if I didn't have to have these done by this Saturday.

Yup, that's right. The shower is this Saturday and I've barely started the onesies.

I'm not too worried, though. I've done this before, and the results were fabulous, if I do say so myself. ;)

So stay tuned, darlings, for I shall return within the next couple days with pictures of completed onesies. Until then...

Happy Stitching!

Paste Pillow

2009-08-20T18:21:00.000-07:00

Hey there, Stitchy Peeps!

I haven't done much stitching lately. Ugh, I know. It's either been uncomfortably hot or I've been too darn tired. However, I did manage to get a wee little bit of sewing done.

I love this pillow. As you may recall, the fabric came from my grandma's house. So did the buttons! Yay!! I love me some vintage buttons. Yes indeed! :)

Well, that's it for now, darlings. No stitching=nothing to blog about, boo. But I do have a lot on my to-do list, so I plan to be back soon with info on that. So stay tuned! Until then...

Happy Stitching!

Please Don't Eat the Paste

2009-08-10T20:27:00.000-07:00

Hey there, Stitchy Peeps!

I finished what I started last night:

Well, mostly finished what I started. I still have to sew this into a pillow. Hopefully I won't get ~~lazy~~ sidetracked and put it off too long.

This was a quick, fun stitch. Very fun. The only problem I encountered was with my stupid needle. Oh, how I hate stitching with new needles. The one I used last night was slippery and didn't want to cooperate. It made my thumb hurt! Stupid needle. I finally wised up when I was 99.9% done with the stitching and ditched my stupid embroidery needle for a well-worn cross stitch needle.

Anywho...

Here are some more pics!

I've never used such a bold color for embroidery before! I think it works. I find myself looking at new colors, patterns, and types of material lately and wondering how embroidery will adapt to them. I am, for the most part, a gal who uses plain muslin for everything. It's fun to break outta that mold every once in a while. ;)

(Don't forget, if you want this pattern, go here and follow the instructions for how to obtain it.)

Well, that's it for now, my lovelies! I have some cool stuff that I will be working on soon, so stayed tuned for more stitchy goodness. I will have some cool pics to share with you. Until then...

Happy Stitching!

Sunday Night Start

2009-08-09T20:22:00.001-07:00

Hey there, Stitchy Peeps!

The last thing I need to do is start something new...I have plenty of wips right now, not to mention a few gifts & swap items that I need to be working on.

But when I saw this cute freebie from Wild Olive, I knew I needed to get started on it right away!

What's especially neat about this project is the fabric I'm using, both the solid and the print, came from my grandma's house.

I can't wait to sit down this evening and put some stitches in this! I foresee great cuteness in my future... :)

That's all for now. I'll be back soon! Until then...

Happy Stitching!

Finally, Four Onesies

2009-08-05T21:01:00.001-07:00

Hey there, Stitchy Peeps!

I finished the other three onesies Monday night.

They're all ready to be gift wrapped. I think they look so cute in their little box.

I love each little doggie. Look at how cute they are, all lined up!

They stitched up in a snap. I don't know why I kept putting them off.

Just look at that face!

I used Gerber Organic Onesies. I love these 'cause stabilizer is unnecessary, in my opinion. I am not the only one who feels this way; check out this post from Amy of Early Bird Special. She feels the same. :)

Anywho...

I am relieved to be done with these onesies, 'cause the shower is this weekend! Talk about waiting 'til the last minute. In all honesty, though, I probably could whip out ten more of these onesies by Saturday if I had to. That's how much I enjoyed stitching them.

That's it for now, my darlings! I have a mile-long list of stitchy items I need to do, so I will be back soon with more goodness to share. Until then...

Happy Stitching!

One Onesie

2009-08-03T14:47:00.000-07:00

Hey there, Stitchy Peeps!

One down...

...three to go!

I will be back soon to show you the other three onesies...until then...

Happy Stitching!

Mystery WIP Revealed!

2009-07-30T15:56:00.000-07:00

Hey there, Stitchy Peeps!

So....I was going to wait to reveal the project I'm about to show you until the recipient has, er, received it. But I am just too gosh darned excited to do that! I want to share it with you NOW!!!

And so, without further ado, I present to you...

I've mentioned this project before, both here and here. I still am not ready to reveal who this is for...and I haven't even gotten it in the mail yet. And I don't want to ruin the surprise. (Oh goodness, I hope I don't ruin anything by talking about it here!) But I am not one who can sit on a surprise for very long, so I am taking a chance and sharing these pics with you.

But first, lemme give you some info on this piece. It was designed by the talented Ellia Hill, aka greenbeanbaby. Ellia amazes me with her skill! I have purchased a few items from Ellia's etsy, and I can't believe how much time, thought, and detail go into each piece.

Anywho, the pattern was not intended for embroidery, but rather for a cut paper art tutorial. But since I am better with needle & thread than an x-acto knife, I decided to embroider the pattern instead.

I am pretty pleased with the results. :)

Look at the sweet little mouth:

The hair was done with a split stitch, both for outlining and filling:

I'm pretty crazy about the little dolly. Isn't she cute?

Here are some more pics for you to enjoy. :)

So there you have it! This was so fun to stitch. I am a little sad that it's all done, even though I am relieved 'cause now I can send it out to a very deserving person. But, as always, I have tons of stuff in the works, so I will be back sooner or later with more stitchy goodness to share with you. Until then...

Happy Stitching!

Avoiding the Onesies

2009-07-09T17:38:00.001-07:00

Hey there, Stitchy Peeps!

So, I've had this WIP for a while now...not a whole lot of progress has been made, but I did put a few stitches in it last night. Here it is:

(Pattern by Little House Needleworks.)

I really love the bluish-grayish evenweave and overdyed floss.

There is something about the ankles that I find adorable.

Does that make me weird?

Like I said, I haven't gotten much done on this project, but so far I am really enjoying it.

There is just something about flowers made up of little x's...they really make me smile! :)

This is going to be for me. All mine!! I still have a bunch of other things I should be working on (onesies, for example), but sometimes I just don't want to do what I should do. Eh. I know I will get everything done, in due time...which is in less than a month. Hmmm, I really ought to get started on those darn onesies!

So, apparently I will be back soon, beloved bloggers, with pics of onesies to share! Until then...

Happy Stitching!

Venturing Out

2009-07-06T22:04:00.000-07:00

In some non-stitchy news...

I've decided to write a second, non-stitchy blog. You can read the reasons why here.

Check it out!

POP

2009-07-03T17:32:00.001-07:00

Hey there, Stitchy Peeps! Happy Fourth of July!

(Design by Lizzie Kate.)

Have a safe and happy weekend! And as always...

Happy stitching!

Two Teeny Tinies

2009-07-01T21:14:00.000-07:00

Hey there, Stitchy Peeps!

So, I've been busy busy BUSY with non-stitchy things lately. But I have had time to whip up two teeny tiny little things.

First up is something with which I am not quite finished. I will be making this into a brooch. But the stitchy part is complete. Have a look:

It's realllllly tiny.

See? Tiny.

(Pattern by Wild Olive.)

The other project I recently did can be seen here. It's far from perfect, but it was a blast (get it??) to stitch.

That's all for now, my darlings! I hope I can find a free hour or two this week to get some stitching done....and if I do, I will be back soon with more stitchy goodness to share. :) Until then...

Happy Stitching!

Nothing New

2009-06-25T22:37:00.000-07:00

Hey there, Stitchy Peeps!

So, it turns out that the month of June has proven to be quite busy for me...it seems like every day I've got something going on! Except stitching. Boo. :(

I have a mile-long list of WIPS and projects I need to start, including a set of onesies for a baby shower I'm attending in early August. I've got to get busy if I want to give them to the mommy-to-be before the baby is born! Especially if July flies by as quickly as June has thus far. Can you believe there are only a few more days left of this month??

So anywho, sorry for the random (not to mention old) pics. I will be back soon (hopefully!) with some cuteness to share with you, my beloved bloggy peeps. Until then...

Happy Stitching!

The Obsession Continues

2009-06-14T16:20:00.000-07:00

Hey there, Stitchy Peeps!

So, I can't get enough of Wild Olive's super cute patterns:

And I've got more in the works!! I will be back soon with pics to show you. Until then...

Happy Stitching!

One More WIP

2009-06-03T13:28:00.001-07:00

Hey there, Stitchy Peeps!

Remember when I spent an afternoon transferring patterns to fabric, thus creating a bunch of new WIPS/potential WIPS? Well, here's a pic of one of the projects that I'd started, then forgot about.

(Pattern by Wild Olive.)

I had totally and completely forgotten that I'd started this little cutie, until I saw this adorable pic today on Flickr. Mollie's idea of turning embroidery into something wearable is so cool, don'tcha think? I won't be able to that with this particular project because I didn't leave enough space in between the individual jordnots...but that's ok since I'd planned to turn this into a wall hanging. But it's an idea that I will keep in mind when I am making future projects... :):)

Does it seem like a am doing a lot of Wild Olive stuff lately, along with a lot of gushing? I can't help it. I think Mollie's stuff is so cute!! I want to stitch all of it. ALL OF IT. If only I had time...sigh. ;)

Anywho, I hope all this gushing and ooohing and aaaahing over Mollie's stuff doesn't make me sound like a stalker, lol. Sometimes I find stuff online (well, on Flickr) that is just so flippin' cute, and I feel like I might be commenting on the photos too much, or scaring the person who took the pics. Does anyone else ever feel like this? (Please say yes. I don't wanna be the only one!! Haha.)

That's it for now! I will be back soon!! Until then...

Happy Stitching!

Two Finishes and a Mystery WIP

2009-06-01T20:39:00.001-07:00

Hey there, Stitchy Peeps!

So, I finished not one but two projects last night. Yay me!

First up, 1+1=one:

I just love all the french knots:

(Pattern by Wild Olive.)

I also finished one of my Mystery WIPS. Hooray!

(Pattern by Country Cottage Needleworks.)

And today, I made a little progress on another Mystery WIP:

That's all for now, my darlings! Hey, have I mentioned lately how much I appreciate your kind comments? 'Cause I do! :) You rock, stitchy peeps! ♥

I will be back soon with more stitchy goodness to share. Until then...

Happy Stitching!

French Knot Cherries

2009-05-27T16:16:00.000-07:00

Hey there, Stitchy Peeps!

Ok, this is gonna be a super short post, made up mostly of pictures instead of words. That's not a problem, is it? ;)

I haven't done much stitching this week, but here is a peek at what I've managed to accomplish:

(Pattern by Wild Olive.)

I should have this finished soon (fingers crossed, for I have ten million other things I need to be working on right now), so I will be back with more pics for you. Also, I will fill you in on the details of this piece. Oh, and I am almost done with one of my Mystery WIP's (a top secret project), so be on the lookout for pics of that. Until then...

Happy Stitching!

Triple L WIP and a New Start

2009-05-18T14:27:00.000-07:00

Hey there, Stitchy Peeps!

There's been very little stitching here in the last few days...but I do have a few WIP pics to share. Enjoy!

See the frog holes? I meant to stitch the inner ear pink, not brown.

I hate frogging. Luckily, there wasn't much to rip out.

Anywho...

In addition to Triple L (Lovely Little Lion), I recently started this new project:

That pie lattice was a lot of fun to stitch...

...and so were the cherries!

(Pattern by Wild Olive.)

I am close to finishing this piece up...and I am still working on a few top secret projects. Also, I have an ever-growing list of things I want to make soon....so stayed tuned, folks! I will be back soon with more stitchy goodness to share. Until then...

Happy Stitching!

Lovely Little Lion

2009-05-13T16:47:00.000-07:00

Hey there, Stitchy Peeps!

Here's my newest project, freshly transferred and ready to go:

(Image found in Hoop Love.)

I am pretty excited about this. I can't wait to see how it progresses. I haven't even picked out colors yet, but I've been planning it in my head for a while and I have a pretty good idea about what I want.

Be back soon with some update pics. Until then...

Happy Stitching!

Strawberry Stitchy

2009-05-10T21:48:00.000-07:00

Hey there, Stitchy Peeps!

So, as you may recall, I've been working on some top secret projects. I find this rather exciting. :) As anyone who has ever crafted something knows, giving a handmade gift is rewarding. Very much so.

However...

I can't share my progress with you! Well, not much, anyway. A few 'mystery' pics here and there gets kind of old after a while, am I right? And since I am working on several things that I can't share for fear that the recipients of these gifts may stumble upon my blog someday, I have very little to blog about. So I thought I would show you something I stitched many, many years ago.

This little Lizzie*Kate design was a freebie in my LNS's newsletter. It was one of the first times I used overdyed floss, and I immediately became addicted to the stuff.

Look closely. See the variegation of the pinks and greens? Isn't it pretty?

Wait. No, don't look closely. If you do, you will see how LOUSY of a framing job I did!

What's that? It's too late, you've already noticed how truly awful the finishing job is? You've seen how poorly the thing is mounted and how the sides are uneven and...wavy?

Well, er, um....I don't know what to say. I was careless. And I can't redo it, 'cause I cut the darn thing too small and it's barely bigger than the frame's opening.

Ooops.

Anyway.....

Here, more pics!!

Cheer Bear, how'd you get in the pic? Silly bear.

Well, that's all for now. Sorry if this was a bit boring. I really can't wait to be able to show you what all I've been working on. I wish I could say it will be soon, but that would be a lie. I guess that means I just need to throw a couple new, non top secret projects in the mix, ones that I can share with you. :-D Until then...

Happy Stitching!

PS If you're curious about those books you see underneath the stitchy piece, I highly recommend you go to the author's website. You won't be disappointed! :)

Something Old, Something New

2009-05-01T19:41:00.000-07:00

Hey there, Stitchy Peeps!

So, here is a picture of that WIP I showed you last time, all finished. I know I posted this pic on Flickr ages ago so I am a bit late with this post, but...oh well! Here it is:

This is one of four motifs stitched on a tea towel for fellow Flickr-ite kittykill. I didn't think to take a pic of the whole towel, but if you'd like to see the other three parts, click here, here, and here. Pretty cute stuff, eh??

Hey, while you're over there on Flickr's website, be sure to check out Wild Olive's group. Mollie is putting out a call for photos. Read more about it on this blog post. Oh, and please take the time to read this one too. Mollie's doing a really generous thing. :)

And now, another WIP. This is only an obscure lil sneak peek at this WIP, for it's a surprise thank you gift for someone...or as I like to say, a TOP SECRET PROJECT. Tee hee.

Well, my lovelies, that is gonna do it for me! I will back soon with more stitchy goodness. Until then...

Happy Stitching!

Wednesday WIP

2009-04-22T16:28:00.000-07:00

Hey there, Stitchy Peeps!

Here's a quick peek at my current project:

This is for the swap I am doing with a few of my Flickr friends. I had to do a bit of frogging on the tomato, but other than that it's going really well. I will be back soon with more details and a picture of the finished project. Until then...

Happy Stitching!

Keeping My Promise

2009-04-15T12:39:00.000-07:00

Hey there, Stitchy Peeps!

Ok, so I am finally going to make good on my word and show you some of the loot I scored during my trip to Portland.

First up is my Taterpot. He is too cute for words, am I right??

He came from the Japanese bookstore, along with everything else I am going to show you. He is supposed to be growing oregano but.....all he managed to produce was mold. No worries, though. I just transplanted a little grass that my oldest had planted in a Dixie cup at preschool and--voila!--instant cuteness.

Next up is what I consider to be THE CUTEST BEAR on the entire planet.

That's a close-up shot of a cell phone charm. See?

It's way too cute to use, though. I know it would get ruined if I put it on my phone. I haven't decided what to do with it, other than to stare at it and squeal with glee at the sheer cuteness of it.

I also got these really cute erasers:

They twist so you can line the heads up with the other bodies. Neat-o!

Oh yeah, and I thought this was particularly cute:

Now I will show you something that I am SUPER DUPER excited about. I got three Japanese embroidery books! WOOT!!

I took some pics of a few of my favorites designs inside the books and made this handy-dandy mosaic for your viewing pleasure:

And here's one that I really really really need to stitch ASAP, 'cause it's just so darn cute!

(If you want to see individual shots of any of the pics in that mosaic, click here.)

Whew!!! That's about it for me, except for these two pictures:

I couldn't wrap this post up without showing you some actual stitching! This is the top secret WIP I showed you a while back. It's coming along nicely. :)

I will be back soon with more stitchy goodness to share with you! Until then...

Happy Stitching!

'Nother Nude

2009-04-14T18:58:00.001-07:00

Hey there, Stitchy Peeps!

I don't have time to post much right now, but I wanted to show you something. I'm in a swap with some Flickr folks, and here's the first thing I've made for it:

This, obviously, is the clean version. I like to keep it nice and safe for the kiddos, ya know? But if you're interested...click here to see the unedited version.

Here's a close-up of her face. Ain't she purdy?

And one more pic:

(Unedited version here.)

Ok, that's all for now! I hope to be back soon with more goodies to share, including the loot I got on my recent trip to Portland. (You know, the one I promised to tell you about two weeks ago. Ooops. My bad.) Until then...

Happy Stitching!

Happy Easter, Stitchy Peeps!

2009-04-11T19:52:00.000-07:00

Thank You Amanda!

2009-03-30T15:45:00.001-07:00

Hey there, Stitchy Peeps!

So, I mentioned in my last post that I have some braggin' to do about my friend Amanda. She recently sent me some super-awesome napkins that she stitched just for me!!

The pictures I am showing you do not do these beauties justice. Despite repeated attempts to get a good shot, all I have is a couple of blurry, crummy photos. Eh. I implore you, my friends, please click here to check out the pictures Amanda took of these napkins before she shipped 'em to me. I especially love this picture.

Ok, here are the pics I took:

Amanda is talented, ain't she? Hard to believe she started stitching just a little over a year ago. :) She's also generous. These lovely napkins weren't the only things she sent me. Check out the list of cool stuff I got:

Mo's Bacon Bar--an exotic chocolate bar that sounds wacko but is oh-so delicious.
Naga Bar--another exotic chocolate bar, with curry. Yes, curry. OH MY GOODNESS, SO DELICIOUS!!
Red Fire Cookie--a chocolate cookie with cinnamon and chilies. Sinfully delicious.
Fresh Strawberry Flowers--Amanda introduced me to the Fresh line of cosmetics/skincare back in October when we swapped. And I fell in love. :) This fragrance is hard for me to describe. It's light and summery and perfect.
Fresh Hesperides Soap--Fresh has the best soaps! In fact, I won't allow anyone else in my family to use my special soap, lol.

Did I miss anything, Amanda? I know I am a bit late posting this so please forgive me if I overlooked anything. I can't believe how much you SPOILED me!! Love ya!!!

So, bloggy buds, that is it for me for today. I have some fun stuff to show you from the recent trip I took to Portland, but that must wait for another day. (Hint: I went to the Japanese bookstore.) And I still have fun stitchy stuff to share. I can't wait to show you what I've been working on! Soon, I promise. Until then...

Happy Stitching!

Checking In

2009-03-20T15:45:00.001-07:00

Hey there, Stitchy Peeps!

Thank you so much for all the love you showed me regarding Happy Apple! You guys rock. :)

So, it's been a while, hasn't it? I've been a naughty little Blogger. I've also been a naughty little NON-stitcher lately. I've been doing a little here and there, but not as much as I'd like. I do, however, still have a couple things to share.

First, I have another top secret project that I'm working on. It's secret 'cause I don't know whether or not the recipient of this piece reads my blog, so I gotta keep the details about this one hush-hush for a while.

Also, I have another new wip. I know, I know, I haven't finished the old wips, nor have I taken pictures of them to show you like I promised I would. (Please don't hate me.)

(Patterns by Sublime Stitching.)

That will eventually be a pillow (I sure do make a lot of pillows these days!) for my older son. I have the cutest vintage-looking cowboy fabric for it. :) :)

And here's a pic of the nearly-completed Wow! Wow! Wubbzy pillow.

(I ran out of Poly-Fil, grrrrrr.)

That's it for me for now, my friends. I have some MAJOR bragging to do, but the pics I took didn't turn out, so I will have to blog about it another time. My awesome friend Amanda made me an amazing set of cocktail napkins, and I can't wait to share them with you and give her the recognition she deserves. In the meantime, here's a little sneak peek:

Amazing, am I right?? Here's a link to her stitchy album, where you can find pictures that she took of the napkins before she sent them to me. While you're there, be sure to check out all her work. The girl can stitch.

Anwho, like I said, that's it for me! I will be back soon, hopefully with some good pics of the beautiful napkins Amanda sent me, along with some of the stuff I've been doing. Until then...

Happy Stitching!

Happy Apple Pillow

2009-03-09T21:31:00.000-07:00

Hey there, Stitchy Peeps!

Ok, so this is going to be a short post--I am super sleepy on account of Spring Forward. I love the longer days, but am still adjusting. Yaaaaawn.

Anywho...

Happy Apple is now a pillow:

This is the last time I talk about this project, I promise! I realize that this the fourth post in a row pertaining to Li'l Miss Happy Apple. Sorry 'bout that. I will be back soon with something new. Until then...

Happy Stitching!

Happy Apple Fabbies

2009-03-03T14:53:00.000-08:00

Hey there, Stitchy Peeps!

So, my sweet stitchy friend Bethie reminded me today that I mentioned that I need to visit the fabric store to pick out the perfect material for Happy Apple...and I realized that I had indeed gone fabric shopping and hadn't taken any pictures to share with you. Ack! Sorry, my bad. ;P Anywho, I found a few I liked and have narrowed it down to this:

The fabby looks a little busy in the pictures, but in real life it doesn't. And the red is 'redder' and more vibrant and not as warm-toned as it appears here. The green fabric is a strawberry print, but the berries are so small that I don't think it seems odd being used for an apple design. And even if it is kinda odd, oh well, I don't care...'cause I like it! Tee hee. ;-D

That's really all the stitchy-related things I have to share today. I know, I promised new stitchy goodness that last time we spoke. It's coming, I swear! We had some decent weather last week and I found myself outdoors more than usual. But it's raining like mad right now, and that always makes me want to stitch. So don't despair my friends (*snort*, like you really despair when I don't have pics to share, lol), I will be back soon with some goodies to show you. Until then...

Happy Stitching!

Happy Apple is Done!

2009-02-27T16:00:00.000-08:00

Hey there, Stitchy Peeps!

So hey, I finished the Happy Apple:

(Click on the pic to get to my Flickr, where you can view the photos individually if you'd like.)

I took my friend Amy's advice and added a white french knot to each eye. They are twinkly and cute as can be. Thanks, Amy! :)

I decided against giving her a nose. After I re-stitched her mouth, I was pleased with her face just as it was. Also, I left the bee's wings alone. I couldn't bear the thought of changing them. Ok, I couldn't bear the thought of frogging them.

I guess that's it for now. Oh, except one thing: Have I told you how much you rock, my bloggy friends? 'Cause you do! I am so grateful for your kind comments and stitchy advice. I am still kinda surprised that there are people out there that actually read my humble little blog. Thank you! *kiss-kiss*

Well, that's it for me. I will back soon with more stitchy goodness. Until then...

Happy Stitching!

Happy Apple WIP

2009-02-23T19:05:00.000-08:00

Hey there, Stitchy Peeps!

Ok, here's another one from the WIP pile:

There are some things you should know:

I am going to frog the mouth and stitch it in a darker shade of pink. I think. I've already frogged it once, and I don't want to do it again, but since I am unhappy with the way the mouth looks, I don't have a choice. I also don't know if I am crazy about the wings. I free-handed the detail with white rayon floss (slippery stuff, folks! But shiny & fun and not too hard to work with in small doses.), and I think the wings now bear a great resemblance to leaves. Tee hee. But I am 99.9% sure I won't be changing the wings. They are kinda cool.

I also think I am going to add a nose to her face. I think she needs one. There's a lot of empty space on that face! The dimensions of the piece are approximately 6 inches wide by 9 inches tall, with her face being about 4.5 inches wide. Most of the examples I've seen of this piece (or any vintage pattern, come to think of it) appear to be smaller...If anyone has done a vintage pattern, what were your measurements? I'm curious. Elizabeth, how big/small is your Happy Apple? Maybe I should've made her smaller so her face wouldn't look so empty.

Ok, that's if for me, my darlings. I hope you are having a good week! And also, I hope you are getting lots of stitching done. :) I plan to work on this Happy Apple WIP tonight, so hopefully I will back tomorrow (or Wednesday...or Thursday...) with pics to share with you. Until then...

Happy Stitching!

Sad Little Apple

2009-02-20T16:51:00.000-08:00

Hey there, Stitchy Peeps!

I picked out a little somethin' from the WIP pile last night and actually managed to finish it. Whaddaya think?

(I just love his little cheeks!)

This pattern is from my friend Julie's Etsy shop. Isn't he just the cutest little sad apple you've ever seen? :)

After I finished stitching this little guy, I picked up another WIP and got to work...which means that soon I will have pics to share with you. Until then...

Happy Stitching!