YOTA Check-In

Another fun SAL check-in!   All you have to do is stitch on a WIP.  You can focus on one, or like me, lots and post once a month - easy.  It's fun to see what everyone is working on and, of course, cheer them on.

I worked on several pieces this month, but will show Dimple Designs' Twilight of the Tsars.

Here's where I was when I started:

And here's where I left off:

Not a lot of cross stitch left, but there is quite a bit of backstitching and some beading so one, maybe two rounds in the rotation before a finish.

If you'd like to participate in the YOTA SAL, you can sign up here. 

I have taken next week off from work and have put a very old WIP on the frame.  The weather is supposed to be beautiful so there probably won't be as much stitching as I had planned when I first decided to take the week off, but some is better than none - especially when this what you are starting with:

This is as far as I got on Just Nan's Enchanted Swans when I started it in 1999!  The project is one of Just Nan's class project series and is one of many that I took as an on-line class through Tapestry of Dreams in Rhode Island a quick search did not find a listing for the store, so I suspect it is closed now.  Each week Kelly emailed you the directions for a different band and in a few months you had a completed sampler or at least that was the idea.  This is one of the few WIPs I can actually date with any precision as I have a copy of the email that was sent on March 4, 1999 with the directions for band 5.  Please do not post comments saying it is older than you are, the poor thing has a very bad complex as it has been sitting with other, younger, WIPs that are much further along!! 

Ornament and Beads

Three months into the year and I have actually kept up with all of the SALs that I joined while caught up in new year excitement.

I promised I'd show my March ornament after the official posting date my other ornaments can be seen in the 2013 Ornament tab above and here it is:

Sunday Spooky SAL 2011 by San-Man Originals
Stitched on 28-count Haunted by Picture this Plus with DMC

This was a very fun stitch and was also the first Halloween ornament I've ever stitched.  I have several more in my stash and am looking forward to working on them.

I spent the better part of two days beading part 1 of Serengeti.  I still have quite a few Delicas to add but am glad to have completed as much as I did.  I was holding my breath while beading as I am stitching this on a 32-count fabric and Martina recommended that it be done on 28-count due to the heavy beading.  I was prepared to leave a few beads out if necessary, but I am happy to say that it wasn't needed.  There is some crowding but I think it will be straightened out during the stretching for framing step.  Talking about framing already!  How optimistic is that?!?!

Here's my before: 

And here's what it looks like today: the fabric color is closer in this one but still a bit dark. 

Serengeti by Chatelaine
Stitched on 32-count Summer Sky Jobelan with recommended fibers and beads.

 

I have started a Little House Needleworks ornament for my next ornament and will put Twilight of the Tsars on the frame for my weekend stitch. 

IHSW

I had a very productive IHSW.  I was able to finish my March ornament, but won't show it until the official posting date.  My focus piece this weekend was 99 by Ink Circles.

I was able to finish the shelf and the 4-1/2 bottles sorry Jo, couldn't get to 10 on the top. 

This is the piece that I made the huge counting error on when I started it, so the top row is everyone else's second row.  I don't think I will have to make any additional changes but will see soon.

TUSAL and Eyelets

I am late with my TUSAL posting, I had grand plans of writing it on Sunday and doing the delayed post thing but completely forgot about it until Tuesday morning at around 1:30. Why my brain thought it was such an important event that it deserved to be remembered right then I have no idea but I was not going to get up at that hour - 4:00 is plenty early thank you.  I am putting it all down to stress because it certainly CANNOT be age!!!

Before it gets any more delayed, here is my March TUSAL photo:

I really do have to learn to stage these better.  Lots and lots of white in there this month.  The majority of it is from frogging the whitework portion of Christmas Elegance and there are a few bits of perle cotton from the doily but mostly frog fuzz.

Speaking of the doily.  Here is my progress on that:

They are hard to see, but if you look closely you can see eyelets - lots and lots of eyelets.  I am getting rather good at stitching eyelets - lots and lots of eyelets.  And the best part?  There are still lots and lots of eyelets to go as the halfway point is still on the upper scroll bar.  I did develop a rhythm that made them go quickly but I am really not sure I am cut out for this style of stitching. I will finish this but I don't think I will be doing another one at least not until I get over the trauma of eyelets in the near future.  I have learned one very important lesson from this piece - Do not cut until you have finished all the pulled stitches, like eyelets.  See those two diamonds on the left and right with the fabric partially cut and pulled?  There are eyelets around the outside and around the motif in the center please repeat after me "lots and lots of eyelets" It was a challenge to get the thread tight enough to hold the eyelet hole open without pulling the the threads away from the stitching. 

This weekend is IHSW and I am very much looking forward to it.  If you're interested in playing along, jump on over to Random Ramblings and sign up.  No competition, just three days of stitching for the sake of stitching.  I am hoping to finish my ornament for this month and get some quality time with 99 by Ink Stitches which has NO eyelets.

What a difference a few days make

Here is the back deck Wednesday:

High winds and a total of about 4-1/2" of snow.


And today?

It is bright, sunny and a forecast high of 55 F.  Tomorrow is supposed to be even warmer.

A few days also makes a difference in stitching.  The snow and cold of Wednesday seems to have chased the frogs away and I as able to finish Just Nan's Christmas Elegance.

I finally have a photo that accurately shows both the fabric and fiber colors, and Blogger doesn't want to orient it correctly.

Elegant Doily is on the frame for this weekend. Lots and lots of Algerian eyelets are in my future.

Frogs and YOTA

They're back......

Yes, they look cute and sweet, but they are evil, just plain evil.  Every stitch I did last weekend had to be frogged at least once.

The nastiness of the frogs was greatly mitigated by the wonderfulness of stitchers.  Jo at Serendipitous Stitching posted her finish of Joyous Noel by Elizabeth Designs a few weeks back.  I commented on how much I liked the pattern and it showed up in my mailbox yesterday!!!  Thanks, Jo!!

I am putting this one in the rotation soon.  I have the threads pulled but need to dig through my fabric stash for the perfect piece.

I also found out that I won a fabric give-away that Julie the Red Couch Stitcher hosted.  As I said, stitchers are wonderful people.

Yesterday was the first Saturday of the month, so it is time for my YOTA post.  I don't have a specific focus piece, as my rotation plan this year includes WIPs almost exclusively, but I spent most of February working on Just Nan's Christmas Elegance.  

Here's where I was at the beginning of the month:

And here's where I am today:

Yes, the whitework at the bottom is the frog playground.  A few more stitches, some backstitching and  beads and this will be done.  I am, again, going to hold off on switching pieces and continue with this one until it's finished.  I am sure that statement is an invitation for the frogs to stick around.

IHSW and Not IHSW

Between my telework day on Thursday, my non-work day on Friday, the weekend and the President's Day holiday, I almost feel like I have a normal life! I leave the house at 4:45AM and don't get home until around 7:30 most week nights so have very little time to do, well much of anything during the week.   I did a lot of stitching, found a new to me show, DCI Banks, and watched every episode I could find, and read.   There was some boring housework and cooking thrown in there too - oh and my car had to go in for some repairs - fortunately *that* wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be.

We also had a minor invasion the last few days.  Two or three times a day we hear birds, LOTS of birds chattering in the trees around the house and then a black cloud descends on the yard.  Here's just a small portion of the yard just as they are starting to land, by the time they are all landed, there is hardly any grass to be seen just lots of twigs and leaves being thrown in the air as they look for food.  They're grackles, which I think are rather pretty birds, and don't mind them in ones or twos which is what we usually have but I am not so fond of the flocks as they chase all the other birds away.

Please excuse the trash can..

So stitching wise - I have two sets, all that I did last week the non-IHSW and all that was part of the IHSW.  

My non-IHSW piece was Dimple Designs' Twilight of the Tsars.  Here's where I left off last time it was in the rotation:

And here's where I left off Thursday evening:

Dimple Designs Twilight of the Tsars
Stitched on 32-count Belfast with recommended fibers and beads

This project is getting to the point that lots of stitching time doesn't equal lots of progress as the large sections of color are mostly completed so I'm down to confetti- and back stitching.

For IHSW I worked on two different projects, an ornament and my Just Nan.

Here is my progress pic for the ornament:

The Nutmeg Company's Oranges and Lemons Gingerbread House
Stitched on 14-count yellow Aida and 18-count white Aida with DMC and Mill Hill beads

I finished the roof, one side wall and the front wall, and made a start on the second side wall.  I don't think I'm going to get this one finished for the ornament SAL, but I do still have a few days until the end of the month.

My second IHSW project and still on the frame, so hopefully there will be more progress by the end of today is Just Nan's Christmas Elegance.

Here's where it was a few weeks ago:

And here's what it looks like now:

Just Nan's Christmas Elegance
Stitched on 32-count Antique White with DMC and recommended beads

The "Christmas" was all over 1 and took the better part of yesterday afternoon thank goodness for my Mighty Bright magnifier - not affiliated just a very happy customer - and new glasses.  I am hoping to finish one band today.  If I can do that, there will be two bands and the beading to finish next rotation.