Story Time Sampler - January

January's frame for the Story Time Sampler is Alice in Wonderland. It was such a cute fun little stitch. I did however make a couple changes. I moved the rabbit's eyes up one row, and moved Alice's mouth down one row. Then, Melissa had the idea to add a little black belt on Alice's dress, so I copied her and did the same. I am really looking forward to February's frame!

Aubrey has been working on hers a bit too and got the pocket watch and part of the cat done. I am having her save the fancy frame for last. She is so proud of how much she has gotten done. Makes me smile to see her enjoying it. 

Story Time Sampler - Supplies

I can't resist the super cute patterns at the Frosted Pumpkin Stitchery. The Story Time Sampler for this year's monthly mystery stitch-a-long just sounded so cute, and then the preview for it sealed the deal. Originally, Aubrey and I were going to read the book associated with each month's block, but then Aubrey decided she wants to try to stitch it too!

The picture isn't the greatest. Thanks to the Pacific Northwest winter's lack of sun!

I will be using the gray fabric and fancy (and not cheap!) flosses on the left and Aubrey will be using the blue fabric and DMC ones on the right. I think it is very ambitious of her to want to try it. We did a little cross stitch practice and she did really well, so hopefully she will stick with it.

15 Projects

I found this group on Ravelry that is 15 projects for 2015. They have some different themes, 15 pairs of socks, 15 hats, 15 sweaters, etc. I am going to do 15 projects of whatever type strikes my fancy. However I am setting the rule that they are 15 projects for myself. Out of the 20 knitting/crochet projects I completed in 2014, only 1 was for me. I don't have the numbers on the sewing projects, but I know those wouldn't be in my favor either. So, I feel like having a “selfish” year. :)

I have a few things I would like to do but the rest will probably just be spontaneous.

1. Pomme de pin Cardigan - I bought lovely yarn for this one, just never got around to starting it.
2. something pretty - Ordered yarn to start this. I want to do one square a day until it is done.
3. Celestarium - I love this so very much.
4. Something from lalylala. They are adorable. I keep saying I am going to do one and then not doing it.
5. Gloves. I badly need some. Probably these ones or these ones.
6. I should probably make myself a hat. I hate hats but it rains a lot here, and my coat doesn't have a hood and umbrellas are inconvenient sometimes. Done!
7. Sew myself a new purse, I have this fabric and this pattern waiting to be made. Done!
8. The Frosted Pumpkin Stitchery Story Time Sampler cross stitch. Decided I don't like it. Need something different.
9. This fun Firefly inspired cross stitch.
10. Paper Pieced Hexagon quilt for the living room.
11. Socks. Done!
12. Nessie Done!

13.
14.
15.

I'll have to update this post again as I decide what other things I am going to do. I am also hoping that putting this on the blog will help hold me accountable, so that I actually get it done.  I am also going to add the projects I complete over on the sidebar.

Futurecast

I have never been ambitious enough to try a Teresa Wentzler cross stitch design. They are beautiful, but large and complicated. But then I found out that she has some smaller free designs. I picked "Futurecast" because in addition to being free, it has instructions on how to pick your own colors. I went with purple and green, imagine that.

All the light green in the border is beads. So many beads. Never again. I like how the beads look, but the border took forever to put all those on. If I was to do it again, I would still do beads on the dragon, and just plain cross stitches on the border.

This is why I shouldn't cross stitch at night...

See the yellow, orange and top three row of white  on that unicorn? It has to go, all of it... I got to the bottom of the yellow and realized that I stitched some of the white a stitch too far to the left. Then it occurred to me that not only is the white in the wrong place it is a different color too! I guess I used a different white, and that they can be very different from each other. Blah.

I admitted defeat and pulled a long neglected pattern out instead. A very pretty butterfly kit that I bought just over 2 years ago.

Which has made me realize two things, I am a much better stitcher now (if I ignore the above stupid mistakes anyway) and I really don't like working on Aida now. But it is such a pretty kit that I really want to finish. Even though I am tempted by other fun patterns.

Woodland Sampler - Finished

I finally finished my Woodland Sampler. Only about a month late, oops. It needs a good pressing and to be framed still, but I am still calling it done.

I changed the house in the December square to look more like our house. I thought it would be extra cute since we also moved in during December of 2013. I love how it turned out so much. 

Aubrey's Sampler - Border Done!

I have been stitching up a storm and got the whole flower border done on Aubrey's sampler today!

I am super excited that I get to move onto the middle part now. I am still working out a couple of the details of what I am going to do for it, but it is coming together nicely.

When I showed Sierra that I was done with the border she looked up at me and said "Now, you make mine?" It was super cute, and hopefully she will still want one by the time I get Aubrey's all the way done. lol

Aubrey's Sampler Progress

I have been working on Aubrey's zodiac sampler on the last couple weekends, and have made some good progress.

I have the flower part of the border done to the bottom middle now! Just 1/4 of the flowers left to go and the annoying metallic border, then I get to work on the middle!

Woodland Sampler - March - May

Last week I got THREE month blocks done on the woodland sampler!

March, April and May. I just have June, July and August left to go now to get caught up.

And here it is all of my progress so far. I need to add in the border for August, but I will just do that when I stitch the block.

Woodland Sampler - January and February

After working on it a TON this week, I made some good progress on my woodland sampler. I got the frames for January - July done. And the stitching on the January and February blocks.

The "January" shows up a little better in person, and I added a single strand of dark blue backstitching around the letters that overlap the moon on the February block. I was hoping to help them stand out a better, and I think it helped a little bit.

Ahem . . . is thing thing on? . . .

I haven't posted here in an embarrassingly long time, so it is only fitting that my first post back be about a project I also haven't worked on in an embarrassingly long time. :D

I started this cross stitch way back in Jan. 2012 (yikes!). It is a birth zodiac sampler for my oldest daughter. She turned 5 this year. I am just a bit behind. I have a cross stitch from the same pattern book that my mom made for me. I have always loved it and am trying to make them for my kids. Trying being the key word there. In 18 months I have finally finished half of the outside flower border.

Half of what I have done I did back in 2012 and the other half I did in the last week or so. It is coming out so pretty! I hate working with the metallic floss I am using in the gold and silver borders though. Blah. Good thing it looks super nice in person.

I have a feeling progress on it is going to stop for a while again though. I just found a super cute woodland sampler project. I got all my supplies over the weekend, so that is what I am starting on today. :)

June Color Challenge: Finished (Finally!)

I fell just a bit a lot behind on the Crafty Sheep June Color Challenge, but I finally got it finished!



I love how it turned out! I used DMC floss in colors: 3348, 987, 744, 977 and 3777. The pattern is from Sewing Seed. I LOVE her patterns, so show her some love and go buy something! (Well, if you cross stitch anyway, the rest of you are out of luck. lol)

The colors also conveniently matched the fabric that I want to make some cloth napkins and other kitchen miscellany out of. Yay!

Not a perfect color match, but good enough for me. Now onto the July Challenge!

Cross Stitch Cottage of the Month

I started on (and then fell woefully behind) the monthly cottage cross stitches from Country Cottage Needleworks. I got January and February done and then had to move clear across the country. Which really interfered with my stitching time.  I am trying to get back on track a little this month. I am skipping ahead to June, so I can have it displayed this month (hopefully).

I got my supplies in the mail this afternoon and now I am super excited to start on my June cottage!

 

I am using all the called for colors and fabric with the exception of the roof colors. It calls for 434 and 436 and I am using 435 and 437 because that is what I already had.

I also ordered the stuff to do the March cottage. I really really want to get it done, it has cute little sheep on it!

 Again, I am using the called for fabric and colors, but not the peachy pink for the flowers. I don't know what I am going to do for them yet. Maybe purple? I REALLY like purple.

May Color Challenge: Finished!

I got my May Color Challenge project all finished, with three days to spare!

 

I am super happy with how it turned out!

 

 

 

It was so fun to make! And I am already planning another one. This could become a problem, I only need so many pincushions.

May Color Challenge

My sister turned me onto the May Color Challenge over at Crafty Sheep, and I decided to join in the fun too!

Since I am joining in late and don't have much time left I decided to cross stitch a quick little biscornu to use as a pin cushion.

I found a pretty pattern and have gathered my supplies:

(Antique white 28 count Jobelan, DMC floss in 3053, 3761, 3750, 402 and 676 and some pretty buttons)

I have never made a biscornu before, and honestly the name makes me laugh a little. I am a process crafter though, so I'm sure I will enjoy it.