Fuzzy Red Puppy II

So here's Red Puppy from Nora Corbett's Red Ladies Collection all stretched and laced - still no frame though.  You can just barely see the fuzz on the little dog and the white fuzz on the trim of her coat and hat.  The Red Lady and her dog are all set until the frame arrives here.

Now I just need to pick my big spring project - and maybe some smaller filler projects for spring too.

Happy Stitching!

Fluffy Red Puppy

My Red Puppy from Nora Corbett's Red Ladies Collection is finished.  Well I'm finished stitching anyway.  It still needs to be laced.

It is really cute but that sure is a lot of black Wisper thread and it leaves little black fuzzes everywhere - much like the little black dog would.  The trade off with Wisper thread is that you have to use short lengths to save yourself from dealing with shredded and breaking thread.  But, using really short lengths means that you have to thread the needle more often and threading with Wisper is a bit of a challenge.  I do like the effect it has though.

I stitched it on Platinum Belfast linen rather than the recommended fabric and I plan to mount it in a crimson red frame.  I'll post a full picture once I have it laced.

Happy Stitching!

Blizzard stitching

We had our blizzard.  Fortunately, the most exciting part was the depth of the snow.  We didn't lose power. We ended up with about 30" of snow in places that it didn't drift.  Some of the drifts are seriously deep.

Overall, the blizzard made for a good stitching day.  I worked on Red Puppy from Nora Corbett and Dressmaker's Daughter also from Nora Corbett but under the Mirabilia label.  Here's a photo of my progress on Red Puppy.  (The progress on Dressmaker's Daughter so far is a big lavender rectangle.)  I love stitching with the Waterlilies in Red Puppy.  The Wisper thread isn't awful but so far I've only stitched with the white Wisper.  I'm not so sure that stitching with the black Wisper will be as easy.

Happy Stitching!

Super Bowl stitching

Happy Super Bowl Sunday!

I hope everyone is enjoying their weekend.  I'm stitching away and occasionally looking up to watch a commercial or some fray on the field.

I really like this design.  It's cute and it's a quick stitch - except maybe for the Wisper.  Just threading the needle with the Wisper is half the battle and since you use such short lengths, I feel like I'm threading the needle all the time.  I love stitching with the the silk Waterlilies though.

I think I'll be able to finish the lady tonight.  Sadly, I can't do the dog tonight.  I ordered lots of white, brown and black Wisper from my distributor.  Unfortunately they sent 2X lots of white wisper and no black so I'll have to hold off there.

Enjoy the rest of your weekend. 

Happy Stitching!

Magic Reindeer

I thought I posted a pic of my finished Magic Reindeer but I can't find the post so apparently it was a dream.  This is Magic Reindeer from Alessandra Adelaide Needlework.  I stitched it over one with one thread on 32 count Jobelan.  Even over one, it is a big design - more than 8" on each side.  It is almost all one color - except for his nose.  The beads called for Mill Hill Frosted beads but those seem a little big - however the bead color perfectly matches the floss. It was pretty easy stitching and I love the little ornaments and snowflakes hidden in his body.  I plan to finish it as a pillow with a border to match the thread color and maybe a bit of red trim.

I really enjoyed stitching this and I'll look to stitch more of her designs.  Maybe the Luck Banner with shamrocks or one of her Halloween designs.  Her Skull Banner and Spider Banner have been really popular.

Both of these designs as well as many more of her designs are available at NeedleartsGallery.com.  However, there are a number of her designs - especially trees and some more abstract designs that you'll have to order from European shops.  They are definitely worth checking out.

Happy Stitching!

Kelly

Snow Angels

I've told my younger son that making a snow angel and then getting up from making a snow angel without messing it up with a footprint or a handprint in the middle of it is an important life skill.  The cool part is that my entire backyard will be covered with snow angels - some better than others.  And, my boy will sleep well tonight.

This is my Giggles in the Snow finished into a wall hanging.  There aren't many cute boy designs out there so I really like this one.  I like the colors in the girl counterpart too so I'll probably stitch her at some point as well.

The Giggles in the Snow chart is from Mirabilia Designs and it is still available.  Here's a pic with both the boy and the girl.  You can get the chart at NeedleartsGallery.com.

Happy Stitching!

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year everyone.  I hope everyone had wonderful holidays and is settling back into the old routine.  It is cold here and we've already had some snow which makes it more wintery than last winter ever got.   The only snow we had last year was in October and it knocked out our power for more than a week!

I still have to get photos of the little bit of stitching that I was able to do during the holidays.  We've had the flu make its way through the whole family and it really knocks you for a loop.  It took nearly two whole weeks to feel mostly better and I still can't get rid of the "lingering cough".

I'm planning for evenings at home stitching and maybe a few snow days at home stitching and stocking up my stash.  I've found a few good projects and I'm fishing around for a few more.  I hope lots of folks out there are hunkering down and doing the same.

Off I go to sift through the stash for more ideas.  Happy New Year!

Still reindeer-ing

Boy! I thought I was going to finish the reindeer last week during the storm.  Fortunately, for us the storm wasn't too bad here.  After being without power for 10 days after last year's storm, we were better prepared for the huge storm last week and this week's nor'easter.  We've shared what supplies we could with folks who need them far more than we do.  Our generator is better-traveled than we are lately.

Here's what little progress I did make on Magic Reindeer.  I still hope to finish it soon!  Thank goodness I stitched it over one or it would have been huge!  I know I should have digested the information on the chart a little more before starting.  For some reason I was picturing a cute little piece like the JBW designs.

Rather than finishing this as an ornament (because it would be huge), I think I will finish this as a pillow front.

I still want to stitch Nora Corbett's reindeer on either a mantle scarf or a treeskirt.  Clearly, that won't happen for this year but I still haven't decided which project to make. I think I'll have to make a model out of  paper for each project and see which one works better.  Stay tuned.

Happy Stitching!

Kelly

Reindeer Plan

We fared well through the storm.  We didn't even lose power.  Such a huge difference from the 10 days without power last year.

The pictures that we've seen and the stories that we've heard about people on the shore are heartbreaking.  I can't imagine what those people are going through.

So today is the last day of my Reindeer month and my reindeer is not done.  But I am still forging ahead with my reindeer plans.  I will finish the Magic Reindeer - hopefully this week.

My other reindeer plans involve the Christmas Eve Couriers from Nora Corbett.  My mantle is about 74" wide.  Each reindeer is about 5" wide and there are 8 tiny reindeer - actually nine including Rudolph.  Then there is Santa's Sleigh which is also 5" wide.  So, I will (eventually) have 10 5" wide pieces.   So the question is - Do I make a single long mantle scarf or do I go with my original plan and create individual little pennant shaped pieces for each reindeer - minus Rudolph - and the sleigh and separate them by a little bit?

Or - if I can't make that work I could go with a tree skirt.  Then I could stitch each of them on a wedge-shaped piece of linen and construct the circle.  Then I could even string some bling between each of them like reins.  Has anyone seen a finished tree skirt or mantle scarf with Nora's Christmas Eve Couriers?  I need to decide which route to take before I start so I make sure to have enough linen.

Decisions, decisions...

Prayers for those recovering from Sandy.

All prepared - mostly

Well the hatches are battened down and the gas cans are full.  It is definitely windy and quite dreary looking outside.  We live at the top of a good-sized hill in the foothills here so flooding in the house shouldn't really be a concern.  Flooded roads and downed trees in the area would be a concern.  We're really worried about the folks on the coast - both Connecticut and New Jersey as well as nearly all of the folks on Long Island.  And I can't even imagine trying to evacuate from a big city like NYC.

We have milk and cereal and canned soup.  I have projects to stitch and books to read.  The only thing that iIwanted to do and didn't quite get done is the laundry.  Last year for "Snowtober", which struck on a Saturday, lots of people were doing their weekend chores when the power went out which means lots of people had laundry in their washing machines.  A number of friends warned me after that storm that the front-loading washer that I want is not a good idea.  They had their clothes fermenting in the washer for 10 days until the power came back on.  By then the clothes were ruined and they still haven't been able to get the smell out of the washer - and it's been a whole year.   My washer is still the old top-loader - so I could pull the clothes out without the water pouring out if the power goes out.  But I'm pretty sure I would be tempting fate if I even started the washer.

On the positive side of the storm, the kids are both sick so they would have missed school anyway.  And, we are fast approaching the end of my reindeer month so I better stitch fast while I have light.  I had hoped to finish 2 reindeer designs but it looks like I will barely finish 1.  Here's my progress as of last week on that reindeer.  Now you can begin to tell that it is a reindeer without stretching your imagination quite so far.

I'm off to ponder the laundry a bit more, back up all of the computers and hunker down with my stitching.  

Prayers for all of those who are in the path of this storm.

Kelly

Reindeer Month progress

Reindeer month is half over and I don't have nearly as much progress as I would like.

You still really have to use your imagination.  It's a lot like looking for constellations.  Those drawings where the details are all filled in somehow always lead to disappointment when you find out that Orion is really just 7 stars.  In this case, I am going to keep going and fill in those details and head-off that disappointment.   You will see a reindeer - I promise.

Happy Stitching!

Kelly

Happiness - a new Mirabilia release

The newest Mirabilia design is out and it is a big design.  Sleeping Princess is beautiful.  Lots of beads.  Not too much metallic thread - not that I mind regular metallic braids.  I'm not a fan of blending filament though.  The colors in this design are beautiful.  I really like this one.  I'm sure once we see a better/bigger picture of the model or a stitcher's progress it will be even more stunning.

Happy Stitching.
Kelly

Reindeer Month

I think this is going to be reindeer month.  And I think it will probably spill into next month.

I looked at all of the designs that I had kitted and packed up and lo and behold they are all reindeer.  Here's the first one.  You have to use your imagination a bit.

Even stitching over one, this looks like it will be a quick stitch.  Then I'll move on to my other reindeer - there are 10 in my stitching bag!

Happy Stitching!

Kelly

Great display for ornaments

Check out this tree.  It is lit with LED lights and stands about 6 feet tall and you can use it indoors or outdoors.  Wouldn't it make a great display for cross-stitched ornaments?  Assuming you use it indoors, of course.

This one is from Amazon but I first found an LED tree at Costco which is where I got the idea.  The one that I ordered online won't be here for a few weeks so hopefully I'll have some ornaments finished before it arrives.

Off I go to stitch ornaments.

Happy Stitching.

Kelly

Inspiration

Just a quick post because I really don't have anything of my own to share.  If you happen to be looking for inspiration - check out LisaUT's photobucket.  She has some of the most beautiful stitching - many (if not most) of the Mirabilia Designs stitched beautifully as well as some Marilyn Leavitt-Imblum designs and others.

Happy Stitching!

All pinned and ready to go

It raining and windy today.  Its actually a nice change of pace.

I worked on pinning Whoo's There.  He's all pinned and ready to lace up.

I just need to find a good trim and he'll be all set.

Happy Stitching!
Kelly

Forest for the Trees or Squirrel for the Nuts

So can you see the forest for the trees - or in this case, the squirrel for the nuts?  You might have to squint and cross your eyes a bit.  Oh - and imagine the front part of him too (which is currently missing).  This is French Country Squirrel from JBW Designs.  Like the other French Country designs it is made up of a bunch of small motifs. In this case there are a bunch of autumnal designs - the tiny squirrel is especially cute.

The weather here has been just perfect.  It has been very dry and crisp.  And - the leaves are starting to change.  Thank goodness.  I was beginning to worry that we might have a fall and winter like last year.  I don't think I could handle another Snowtober.

When picking up our CSA share at the farm last week I was chatting with a friend.  It is a small farm with a small dirt parking lot.  We were amazed at the trouble people were having driving through the parking lot because they were having to dodge the crazy squirrels and chipmunks.  We were joking around about it when the farmer walked by and asked - "Didn't we chat about the chipmunks last year?".  We had chatted about the chipmunks last year because they kept eating my cherry tomatoes.

So we all sat down and continued our chat while eating some the best apples ever.  Russell, our favorite farmer, pointed out that it was very late in the season when I was complaining about the chipmunks - late September.  The squirrels and chipmunks that we were watching in the parking lot and scampering over the stone walls were all carrying nuts or one kind or another.  Russell pointed out that the squirrels should be gathering nuts at this time of the year.  Last year the squirrels were still eating fruit (my tomatoes) at the end of September.  They hadn't switched over to nuts to prepare for the winter.  In hindsight, its pretty clear that the squirrels knew we weren't going to have a real winter.   So, if we are going to learn anything from that, I would say we're going to have a humdinger of a winter this year.  I haven't seen the squirrels gathering nuts this frantically in years.


With all that in mind, I am stocking up on projects.  I found the most gorgeous sweater pattern on Ravelry - called Fireside Sweater designed by Amber Allison.  I haven't knit anything that intricate in quite a while - but it is really beautiful.  That could very well take me all winter without doing any other projects but I fully expect to be stitching as well.  Now I am choosing my stitching projects for autumn and winter.  It is certainly easier now that so many of the fabrics that had been back-ordered for months are available again.  I am trying to decide between a big project or maybe a bunch of smaller ones.  Either way - I'm not planning anything on fabric that is very dark just in case we lose power for great lengths of time again.  It is brutal trying to see that dark linen with only a few light bulbs running on a generator.  And, who knows, we might be needing that generator again.  I'll have to see what I can come up with.

Happy Stitching everyone!
Kelly

Goodbye Summer

Goodbye summer. Even though our kids were among the last to go back school (at least for the public schools around here), I still wasn't really ready to call it quits on summer vacation. But, now it is pretty quiet around here and it looks like it is going to be cool outside all week and I guess I have to accept that summer is done.

 I have really no new stitching to show. For the last two weeks of summer we had a lovely visit from my Mom and we kept really busy. One of the highlights of her visit was a trip to New York City. Boy did we cram a whole lot into just a couple of days - Grand Central Station, American Museum of Natural History, Empire State Building, New York Public Library, Rockefeller Center, St. Patrick's Cathedral, Central Park - and more. I can't remember the last time my feet were that tired. We all had a great time though - especially the boys.

 My finishing month didn't really qualify as a finishing month. Other than my Moonlit Kitties, nothing was completely finished. I tried mounting my dragonly twice - neither method really worked. At this point, I'm not sure I am going to be able to frame it. I'm open to other ideas for finishing it. Both mounting attempts took a long time and there was the time required to undo my first attempt. My second attempt still needs undoing.

 I still have Whoo's There to finish but that should be easier. Here's a pic of Whoo's There waiting for the iron to warm up.  (Please excuse the poor photo - my phone takes better pics than my camera.)

I wish I had used Cocoa Bean or Tangerine Crescent Colours floss for the brown or orange.  Then I could have used the coordinating rick-rack which would have been really cool.  But - I didn't think of that until it was done.  I do plan to stitch one of the JBW Designs Christmas trees with Poblano Pepper floss so that I can use the rick-rack when I finish it into an ornament.  

I hope everyone has had a lovely summer and Welcome Fall!

Happy Stitching

Kelly

Poppies biscornu finished!

I finally finished my Poppies Biscornu.  I rather like the way it came out.  It doesn't have a poppy button in the center yet.  I'll make that the next time I take out the polymer clay.

As I predicted, I didn't love stitching with the DMC metallic.  It wasn't awful but I wouldn't call it fun either.

Poppy Biscornu from Faby Reilly

Poppy Biscornu from Faby Reilly

I still need to massage around the fiberfill to even out the corners a bit.  But, otherwise, it's a finish!

Now - the big dilemma.  Do I really have to wait until next month to start August Peridot Fairy since I designated August as a finish month?  She is absolutely gorgeous and I want to stitch her even more than Dressmaker's Daughter (which has a lot more sparkle).  Of course, I still have to finish lacing my dragonfly and finish the cording for my Boo Club banner - but when it comes to actual stitching...

Here's August Peridot Fairy from Mirabilia Designs if you haven't seen it yet.

August Peridot Fairy from Mirabilia Designs

I hope everyone is enjoying their back-to-school preparations.  

Happy Stitching!

Kelly

Well - it counts (barely)

So finishing the stitching on my Poppy biscornu is taking longer than I expected.  Somehow I didn't catch that the stitching is over one with two plies of floss.  Not tough but taking longer than I expected.  It does look nice though.

I tried a few things regarding my Emerald Dragonfly.  I read Jill Rensel's blog where she talked about how she beautifully frames beautiful cross stitch.  (I really recommend that you check out her blog for incredible inspiration.)  I think I have an idea how to go about lacing it and framing it now.

But - since I didn't actually finish anything this weekend - I took the easy way out.  I popped my Moonlit Kitties into its frame.  There!  A finish!

Happy Stitching.

Kelly