PIF's & SAL's

I have stitched part three of Alla Turca and am really loving it. It will seem like forever for the next part now, lol!

I started the alphabet book some time ago and only stitched the first page before setting it aside. Now our guild has picked it up as a group project and we have a goal to get one page (two letters) done between each meeting. Here is my page for this month. I am using Splendor silks and they are stitched on cream Belfast linen. I purchased all of the kits at my LNS so I have no excuses not to finish it!

Finally, my PIF's are done and sent, except for one person I am still waiting for an address. I am going ahead and posting a photo because the two that were sent have been received and maybe if my third person see's this she will send me her address, lol! If I don't hear something pretty soon then I will have a drawing for it.

I have been working on several things and will post more photos when I get stuff back from my finisher. She has a Blackbird Stocking and a couple of pin cushions and I can hardly wait to see them done. I plan to stitch all of the stockings and stitched another one yesterday. They work up really quickly and are soooo cute!

Have a great day!

Please, don't faint!

Woohoo! I am finally stitching again! The photo above is the January pin cushion challenge piece from my LNS. Each month we will receive a pattern that is charted with only one symbol. The challenge is to stitch it how we "see" it using whatever threads and fabric we wish. By December we should have them all finished into some sort of pin holding small and there will be a drawing for a prize =) It is a really fun challenge and I am actually keeping up with it so far. I saw a delft pattern in an older issue of JCS magazine and thought it would be neat to stitch my challenge piece like a delft tile.

Here is the February challenge piece. I used a piece of 28 count Daily Grind linen and some threads I had left from the tulip and star pin keep (Blackbird Designs) I made for my friend Kim. I think we get the March pattern this weekend and I can hardly wait to start it!

Here is my very first Mystery SAL. It is "Alla Turca" by Pelin Tezer and you can find the info on it here . I am using Lakeside Linen Chantilly Creme and GAST Simply Shaker Weathered Barn. I am so loving this piece! Any other time I have tried to start a mystery sampler, I have ended up waiting until all the parts are out and then decided it is too big and don't do it. I even started one with my LNS and then stopped working on it before I even finished part one.

I am also working on several other projects which I will try to photograph and post about over the next few days. I signed up for another finishing class which is next month at my LNS. We will make a fob/ornament and learn to do ruched ribbon on the edge, and a tri-fold. I am doing the pre-stitching on those now.

I have updated my beaded creations album, see the link in the side bar.

Those PIF's I owe are in the works too! I will post again once they are mailed. I do still need to hear from Sharon so I can get your address. Please email me if you read this. I tried posting to your blog but haven't heard back from you. I hope everything is okay.

Have a great day!

Stitching by the light of the moon...

Can often lead to ripping by the light of day. I have the pattern and the stitching in the above photo. Can you see where I went wrong? I guess I was thinking I would just get that border stitched and just fill in with the design - what a quickie... It sure would have helped to take a good look at the pattern and maybe I would have noticed that the border wasn't a solid stitch? My first thought was to just pitch it and start again, but because of the price of gas (that is what we blame everything on right now, isn't it? LOL!) I ripped it out and have stitched it correctly. Hopefully I will have a photo of the stitched piece to post tomorrow.

Here is the adorable Santa floss tag I received from April from the Prairie Schooler Small Santa exchange. I love it! Thanks April. I need to do the finishing on yours so I can get it into the mail.
Have a great day!

My latest projects

This is Night Owl from the latest issue of Just Cross Stitch. I stitched it on a hand-dyed lugana from my stash and used GAST Butternut Squash, WDW Sweet Potato, and GAST Ltd Edition Witches Brew. I love how the black has the blue in it. It makes be think of a cold foggy evening. I have not decided how I will finish it yet. I'm thinking maybe a pin keep. I bought the RIT dye in black and orange and some pins to dye. I hope to try that later this week when it is cooler.

Here is my Christmas hat and scarf I knit about two weeks ago when it was much cooler. Can you tell I am ready for Fall and Winter? I am just not a fan of the hot weather.
Here is the needlepoint project we started Saturday at the SFNG (Spokane Falls Needlework Guild) meeting. It will be a frame weight. The background is the brown but will be stitched over with the watercolors. I haven't decided if I like needlepoint yet but I am very glad that I get to try it. I love trying new things because you can always learn something!!! We have until the next quarterly meeting, which is in November, to finish the stitching so we can learn how to put it together.
I'm afraid I can't show you the rest of what I have been stitching because they are for exchanges. I can say that there are three Christmas projects I need to do the finishing on. When it gets cooler later in the week.
Have a great day!

Ultimate Needlebook Update and Summer Squares

Here it is! My Ultimate Needle book in the process of being finished. The class was yesterday and I had everything but the inside spine piece and a bit of the pin cushion stitched, which I made myself finish last night. I was able to get started but still have quite a ways to go with the remainder of the finishing work. I will go to the shop tomorrow and Wednesday to work on it and I REALLY hope to have it ready for show and tell on Friday night. I absolutely LOVED working on this project and I think it is one of my most favorite things I have ever made.
Kendra received the squares I stitched for her in the Fair & Square Summer Round. This was a fun pattern to stitch! I have a couple of other exchanges that I need to get busy on but today I am going to START another project. The LHN Neighborhood SAL starts today and I am very ready to begin this project.
Have a great day!

I'd LOVE to stitch that!

Here are the projects I have recently started. The top right is my Ultimate Needlebook SAL through my LNS. It started last Fall. I started too, but decided I didn't like my fabric, (too light), so I changed it and started over a couple of weeks ago. The finishing class is in July. Think I'll make it?
Top left - I went to a guild meeting in Idaho because they do a lot of fun stuff and I don't want to miss anything. So I bought the newest SAL they are starting right now. "Love & Wisdom" by Drawn Thread. They will stitch parts of it between meetings, and demonstrate some of the stitches at the meetings so it will be lots of fun to do. Of course, I started it right away. Don't want to get behind on anything else, lol.
Center project in the pink binder - The latest SAL though my LNS. It is a French Sampler and it will officially start next week. I went ahead and picked my fabric and threads. Can you tell I was in the mood for PINK?
Right in front - "P is for Paradise". My LNS owner designed this alphabet and I offered to stitch a couple of letters for her. I really need to get my needle in gear because what you don't see are all of the smaller works in progress that are for all of the awesome exchanges I have signed up for. So far, I am keeping up with those. So far...
About the previously mentioned yardwork. I did it myself. Saved some money AND have a sense of pride in the fact that I have not received any yard tickets. I live on a military base and we have standards, ya know (LOL). My goal is to not get any yard tickets while my husband is gone. Now if I could just figure out why I have a pansy plant blooming in my front lawn and not in the flower bed.
Have a great day!