Monday, December 28, 2020

Happy Dance - Snowman Globe

 

 
Started: 11/24/2020

Finished: 12/27/2020

Total Stitching Time: 7 hours 58 minutes

This Snowman Globe was designed by Durene Jones and is part of group of charts called Christmas Snow Globes.

It's stitched on 14-count white Aida with the called for DMC, which probably wasn't the best choice in hindsight.  I changed the outline of the globe from white to gray (415) and the wording at the bottom from "Season's Greetings" to "Joy", because the way it was charted used a lot of backstitch that went into the middle of a stitch.

This was my 24th start for the 2020 Christmasitis SAL on Facebook. It will be made into an ornament for a Ronald McDonald House.

Up next:  Gingerbread Bell


Sunday, December 27, 2020

WIPacolypse - December, 2020

The last Sunday of the month is the posting date for  the WIPacolypse SAL where we post what we're doing to finish all of our WIPs by the end of the world. This SAL is hosted by Measi at Measi's Musings   Click on the link for more information.  In my introduction post, I set some goals for this year.

1) Stitch Deer Scene from Dimensions (New Start)
As of 11/4/2020

2) Finish Let's Learn from Out Cat - Finished in February

3) Finish Big Trees - No progress this year/ not currently on list for 2021

4) Finish Advent Animals by Brooke's Books - No progress this year/I plan to finish it in 2021

5) Finish Tinkerbell - Progress, but not finished/not currently on the list for 2021

As of 1/1/2020


As of 8/2/2020

 6) Finish Leslie Teare's 2019 Owl SAL - August, September, October and November are finished.  December is in progress and should be finished in January.

 
7) Complete the Peppermint Purple Year Long SAL on Facebook - I did fine until I misplace the project. I do plan to locate the project (it's got to be in my office/craft room someplace) and finish it in 2021.
As of 11/5/2020

8) Complete the 2020 Stitcher's Challenge on Q4OC (Quilts for Older Children and Adults). - Completed in November

9) Stitch 12 Furry Tales Female Mice to be sent to WOCS for a quilt.  January through August have have been stitched.  September through December will be completed in 2021.
 
10) Start 31 Mill Hill ornament kits for Stitch Maynia and finish as many as possible - I have completed 11 of the 31 starts from Maynia.  The rest should be finished in 2021

11)  Stitch and finish Ronald McDonald House SAL - The main stitching is completed, but I have to add the personalization which will be done in 2021.
 
As usual, I went into a stitching slump from late August to early November, which is part of the reason I didn't reach all my goals. 

 

Monday, December 21, 2020

Online Advent Calendar Blog Hop - Day 21

Every year Jo facilitates an Advent Calendar Blog Hop where each participant is assigned a day to make a post showing something Christmas-y.  She also provides a conversation topic related to Christmas. This year's conversation topic is - Your Favourite Christmas Book

At first I though I  didn't really have one.  It was never a tradition growing up to read or re-read a Christmas book and I've never done that with my daughter either.  But as I was reading the other posts, it occurred to me that the story of Christ's birth and The Night Before Christmas are both favorites.  I also read a lot of Christmas stories, mostly Cozy Mysteries and Christian fiction, but there isn't one I'd consider a favorite.

I've always stitched a lot of Christmas ornaments throughout the year and this year was no exception, so I've chosen one of my favorites to share with you.

This is Crimson Cardinal from Mill Hill and is ALL beads.

You can visit Serendipitous Stitching. to see what's happening on the rest of the days leading up to Christmas.

Saturday, December 19, 2020

Happy Dance - Away in a Manger

 

 
Started: 11/16/2020

Finished: 12/18/2020

Total Stitching Time: 6 hours 29 minutes

This is the Away in a Manger stocking from an older issue of Cross Stitch Crazy.  It was designed by Diane Machin and was my 16th start for the Christmasitis SAL.  It's stitched on 14-count silver flecked Aida as charted with the called for DMC.

Up Next: Snowman Snowglobe

 

Sunday, December 13, 2020

Happy Dance - We Three Kings

Started: 11/15/2020
Finished: 12/12/2020
Total Stitching Time: 7 hours 10 minutes

This is The Three Wise Men stocking from an older issue of Cross Stitch Crazy.  It was designed by Diane Machin and was my 15th start for the Christmasitis SAL.  It's stitched on 14-count silver flecked Aida as charted with the called for DMC.
 
Next up: Away in a Manger

Thursday, December 10, 2020

Fully Finished Gallery SAL - December, 2020

The Fully Finished Gallery SAL was created by Rachel at Ten Hour Stitcher to encourage us to fully finish our projects instead of just storing them in a drawer or box rarely to be seen again.  Click on the link to see more details and what other stitchers have posted.  

I only managed to finish one project this month and that was a "must finish" for an exchange.  It was the Holly Jolly Peppermint Wreath that I stitched a couple of months ago.  It's finished simply by trimming and fringing the project and gluing it to a card.



Monday, December 7, 2020

Happy Dance - Minnie Ornament

Started: 12/1/2020
Finished: 12/6/2020
Total Stitching Time: 5 hours 50 minutes

This is officially Ornament_3, a free chart from Coconut and can be found at Free Cross Stitch Patterns

It's stitched on 14-count light sea foam green as charted with the called for floss.  It required quite a bit of frogging and should have stitched up much faster.  

This was my 31st start in the Christmasitis SAL, but I haven't decided how to finish it or what to do with it yet.

Next Up: We Three Kings

Wednesday, December 2, 2020

Happy Dance - Festive Woody

 

 
Started: 11/8/2020
Finished: 12/1/2020
Total Stitching Time: 5 hours 1 minute

Festive Woody was my eighth start for the 2020 Christmasitis SAL on Facebook.  It can be found in Cross Stitch Crazy #261 and was designed by Cheryl McKinnon (Tiny Modernist).

It's stitched as charted on white 14-count Aida with the called for DMC.

Next Up: Christmas_Ornament_3



Monday, November 30, 2020

Naughty November - Part 4

Naughty November is the brainchild of Rachel at Ten Hour Stitcher  and Tiff at  Tiffstitches  where you work on a new project every weekend in November.  You can go to Rachel's blog (click the link) to see what others worked on.  I'm also doing a start every day in November and December so here are my starts for the week.

11/24 & 11/25 - Christmas Snow Globes (Durene Jones)

 11/26 - 11/29 - Christmas Kittens (Design Works Kit)


I also had two finishes this week.

Winter Retro Car - Start #4

Santa Paws - Start #11

Well, Naughty November is no more, but I still have 32 starts left til the end of the year.  I'm choosing them as I go so I'm always looking forward to see what I choose next.


Friday, November 27, 2020

Smalls SAL - Catch Up Post

 It's the last Friday of the month so it's time to post the small projects we've stitched during the month.  This SAL is hosted by Mary at Mary's Thread.  Thank you Mary for continuing to host this SAL.  You can click the link for more information and/or to see what small projects others have stitched.  

I haven't posted for this SAL since August, so I decided to post all four months together. 

August, 2020 - This was a normal stitching month for me as I hadn't lost my MOJO yet.

October Owl - Leslie Teare

Crimson Cardinal - Mill Hill

Rainbow Dash - My Little Pony

Merry & Bright - 2017 JCS Ornament Issue (Lucie Heaton)

November Owl - Leslie Teare

Snow Fun - Mill Hill

September -This was a Mill Hill only month with very little other stitching.

Violin - Mill Hill

Reindeer Games - Mill Hill

Dracula - Mill Hill
 

October - I did even less stitching in October, but did manage to finish two that were needed for gifts.

Welcome Owl for Q4OC

Tea Mug for Astrid's Dad

November, 2020 - I regained my Stitching Mojo in November by joining the 2020 Christmasitis SAL where we start a new project everyday in November and December.  You can see my starts in  other posts, but here are my finishes.

 
Started: 5/28/2020
Finished: 11/3/2020
Total Stitching Time: 6 hours 21 minutes
This is Holiday Panda from the Mill Hill Winter Holiday Collection.  It's stitched on the provided white perforated paper as charted (except for a couple of unintentional customizations) with the provided floss.

Started: 11/7/2020
Finished: 11/8/2020
Total Stitching Time: 3 hours 47 minutes
This is the Christmas Roadster from from Cross Stitch Crazy #261, designed by Cheryl McKinnon.  It was my seventh start for the Christmasitis SAL on Facebook.  It's stitched on white 14-count Aida as charted with most of the called for colors.  I did change the color of the car, the trunk of the tree and the tail light.

Started: 11/6/2020
Finished: 11/11/2020
This is the Jolly Pickup Truck from Crazy #261, designed by Cheryl McKinnon.  It was my sixth start for the Christmasitis SAL on Facebook.  It's stitched on white 14-count Aida as charted with the called for colors except that I changed the color of the truck from yellow to red.
 
Started: 11/12/2020
Finished: 11/14/2020
Total Stitching Time: 6 hours 13 minutes
This is The Holly and the Ivy stocking from an older issue of Cross Stitch Crazy.  It was designed by Diane Machin and was my 12th start for the Christmasitis SAL.  It's stitched on 14-count silver flecked Aida as charted with the called for DMC.

Started: 11/2/2020
Finished: 11/16/2020
Total Stitching Time: 4 hours 54 minutes
This is Gingerbread Santa from the Winter 2015 Cross Stitch and Needlework magazine.  It was designed by Barbara Sestok and was my second start for the Christmasitis SAL.  It's stitched on brown perforated paper as charted and with most of the called for DMC. The only exception is that I couldn't find my 435 so instead of the borders being 435 and 436, they're 436 and 437.
 
 
Started: 11/11/2020
Finished: 11/23/2020
Total Stitching Time: 6 hours 52 minutes
Santa Paws was in Cross Stitch Crazy #260 and was designed by Lucie Heaton.  It was the 11th start for the Christmasitis SAL.  It's stitched on white 14-count perforated plastic as charted with the called for DMC.  The only change I made was to stop the whiskers at the edge of the stitching so it would be easier to cut out.    This one will definitely be staying here with me!

Started: 11/4/2020
Finished: 11/27/2020
Total Stitching Time: 4 hours 8 minutes
This is the Winter Retro Car, better known as a Volkswagon Beetle.  It's also from Cross Stitch Crazy #261 and designed by Cheryl McKinnon.  It's stitched on white 14-count Aida as charted with the called for DMC, except that I did change the color of the car from orange to red.  In retrospect, I should have left it orange and made it into a Christmas card for my brother who used to own an orange VW.












Monday, November 23, 2020

Naughty November Update - Part 3

Naughty November is the brainchild of Rachel at Ten Hour Stitcher  and Tiff at  Tiffstitches  where you work on a new project every weekend in November.  You can go to Rachel's blog (click the link) to see what others worked on.  I'm also doing a start every day in November and December so here are my starts for the week.

11/16 - Away in a Manger (Cross Stitch Crazy #? (Diane Machin) 

 11/17 - O Christmas Tree (Cross Stitch Crazy #? (Diane Machin)

 11/18- 11/21 - Season's Greetings (Enjoy Cross Stitch Christmas #? (Debra Page)

11/22 - 11/23 - Christmas Snow Globes (Durene Jones)

 I only had one finish this week:

Gingerbread Santa