Ending 2018 With A Bang!

Hi stitchers, my last post for 2018. I'm sure every year goes faster then the one before. 

How was everyone's Christmas? Mine was ok, it could have been worse. 

I did get a great money box, I put my $5.00 in for my New Years start.

It's a little like a picture frame at the back, with glass in the front. I'm thinking I could put a nice picture on the back if I wanted to. Love it.

Talking about my money box I'm adding that if I start a mill hill kit it's just 5 cents and not $5.00 as they are small. Only mill hill kits though.

So I'm all set for my money box for 2019.

Let's get into this week before the end of year stuff.

Just before Christmas I got a stitchy gift from Kay and oh my god

She gave me the Christmas elf fairy chart that I was going to get in 2019 after seeing it a lot this Christmas. How did she know? How did you know Kay? I'm still amazed by it and so thankful. Thank you again Kay. 

Just before Christmas I also got my beads that I've been waiting on sooooo

I have a finish Miss Black Swallowtail by Nora Corbett is done, yay happy dance!!!

Here's before 

A bit dark so took another photo. I tried to take a few close ones too but too dark. Sorry. 

I love her. Not sure if I will get any others now I've stitch the two.

Over Christmas I stitched on Minerva by Nora Corbett. I had a little goal to finish the side I was working on and I did. When I reached that goal I didn't want to stitch on her anymore.

Here is before 

And now

I love the colours in her the teals and dark blue.

Next I wanted a new start but the one I picked I should not have started. 

Oh well I saved myself $5.00 ha ha

It was Earth Angel by Lavender and Lace. (I just was not in the mood for her)

Stitched on 32ct evenweave rainbow cloud by sew it all

Not a lot got done.

The weather has been up and down but it got hot by the end of this week and so I wanted to stitch something summer.

Mill hill kit shades and I finished it yesterday after stitching it most of the day with the fan going. Love how bright it is.

Like I said finish 2018 with a bang!

I would like to now say a big huge thank you to everyone that has come to my blog to look at what I'm stitching. Who has become a follower of my blog. Everyone that has taken the time to leave me a comment and a huge thank you to the lady's that comment on every post that I put up. 

I would also like to thank the lady's that have given me a stitchy gift this year. Oh my god, I was so touched that you would do that for me. I feel this year I have made some really great stitchy friends so a big thanks to everyone and I hope your all back with me in 2019.

Looking back on 2018.

I stitched my heart out this year lol.

I joined the smalls sal but sadly could not log in the last 3 months because of changes.

It was fun to do but looking back, it has turned my year into stitching a lot of smalls. Not that it's a bad thing but my normal is medium and big charts with only a few small ones in the mix. I started buying a lot of smaller charts and stitched a lot of them. 

Looking back I haven't touched a lot of my bigger charts, Wips that I love. 

I guess you could say 2018 was for stitching smalls.

Now the following is not 100 percent but it's close.

In 2018

I had 58 New Starts

I had 34 Finishes (the 12 months I did is counted as 1)

Right now with the end of 2018 I have 63 Wips but it might be less because of ones that are on a big hold or I what to re start at a later date. I'm one that keeps it until.... So it all gets counted.

Lots of stitching people, lots of stitching.

In 2019 I want to get back to my bigger projects and get my Wips down too. 

I will still be starting things. I don't think you will see as much finished. 

My plans are to stitch what I want and get things done. 

And my money box, notebook fun.

A few days left until the new year, I will make sure I don't start or finish anything lol. 

I wish you all a Happy Safe, Lots Of Stitching New Year!!!

See you in 2019 and Happy Stitching!!!!

Bewitching Christmas

I wish you all a Merry Christmas!!!

I'm doing my weekly post tonight as I'm busy tomorrow, but I'm sure you don't mind about that.

How has your week been? Hope you are finding a little time to stitch.

As in my last post I said the app wheel picked Renaissance mermaid and so I stitched her over the weekend and went up to the top so I can work down. I got her face done but for backstitching and a little hair. She has a lot of hair in 4 dmc colours. 

Here's before 

And now

Monday I woke with a just there headache and by the time I got home it was a chop my head off full on headache so went straight to bed. No stitching.

Tuesday I was lucky the headache was gone and when it was time to stitch I got out my tropical Christmas but just couldn't stitch it or anything Christmas. I was in a Halloween mood. 

Looked at my list and got out Minerva, not that I've stitched much on her this week. 

Here's before 

And now

Over Christmas I'm going to stitch on Minerva or get out my Halloween Quaker, it's what I'm feeling right now. That's when I have the time of course.

I'm weird but I'm not in the Christmas stitching mood this year.

Mum made gingerbread cookies and I just had to show you, they are yum.

I also got a stitchy gift from June that I keep forgetting to show you until now. Thanks again June.

And I went on the heaven and earth designs website, I don't know why as I'm trying to stay away and have for most of this year but they have a new freebie chart and had to share with you. If you want it go to heaven and earth design under free charts.

Here's the picture of the chart. Great for Christmas.

I had to have a look and found 3 charts I like 

Fairies welcome

Follow the butterflies 

Smiles in my cup

Maybe in the next sale I just might get them, we will see. I'm sure I would find more but stopped looking after an hour or so. Ha ha.

That's it I think. Have a great Christmas and I will do my last post 28th December.

 See you all then, happy stitching !!!!

Double dip

Hi stitchers, thank you for all your comments and your well wishes for my dad.

He's back home but still unwell. Christmas is a bad time to be sick with everyone going away on holidays. What can you do.

It's been a busy week for me so very little in the way of stitching.

Over last weekend I stayed with forever and ever

Here before

And by Monday I think.

Like I said not much.

Monday or Tuesday I made my 2019 plans, changed all my project bags and such.

I also wanted to stitch a mermaid. You know when you get a feeling that you want to stitch a subject or a designer. 

I started Sea Flora by Nora Corbett

Fabric 32ct evenweave Rainbow ocean by sew it all

Sadly I was so tired by the end of the day, that not much was done on her.

Evenweave is harder to stitch on when tired then Aida I found out this week.

Here's the photo of what she will look like

And the very small start.

You don't see how gorgeous this fabric is as it has a bit of a rainbow on it but I hope, as I stitch her it will show up for you.

Because I was so tired and busy a lot this week. 

I didn't stitch Wednesday and not much the rest of the week, but I went back to something easy my forever and ever. 

Here's what is looks like now

This week I think I will have more stitching time and not be soooo tired.

I got my app wheel to pick and it did Renaissance mermaid so that's what I'm going to stitch today.

That's it until next week, happy stitching!!!

Miss Black Swallowtail

Hi again. Time for my weekly post and I only stitched on 1 wip.

I had a very up and down week this week with a few days that I didn't stitch. 

I think I will just keep going on miss black swallowtail until she is a finish as I'm so close.

Here is before

And now

I looked at the beads for her and had to send away for one colour, hope I get them before I finish her as they are in her wings and I can't wait to see what her wings will look like all done. As you can see I'm going to fill the wings up last, it will give me something to look forward to after stitching the boring grey of her dress. Maybe next week I will get all the stitchin done on her. We will see how it goes.

That's it this week. 

Thank you for all your comments and happy thanksgiving to everyone that has that holiday. 

Until next week happy stitching!!!

A Little Christmas and A Little Miss

Hi my Stitchy friends, thank you for all your comments. I'm glad you all like my Christmas stitching.

This week I started holiday Quaker by Lila's studio. 

I wish I hadn't started it. I say that because as soon as I did I felt guilty because I haven't finished the Halloween Quaker yet and I guess in my mind I need to finish the first one before I can work on the next. So it's only a very small start .

It will look like this

And my small start. 

Fabric is 16ct Aida Mirage. I had got the called for fabric and it was too light for my liking.

As I wanted to stitch Christmas I picked another new start and I got it finished too.

Kringle's Crow by Threadwork Primitives. I did it on 18ct or 16ct Aida called wren. Lost the tag.

Here is what the picture is

And my finish. I have seen this made into a Halloween one to but I think I will just keep it this way.

Next i have plans to stitch the songbird's garden series by cottage garden samplings.

I just got the weeks threads for the first one forever and ever and waiting on my gray fabric in the mail. Maybe it will come next week. 

I want one of my project bags to keep all 12 in and the thread as I buy it. I could buy a new bag and have looked but I thought if I finish a wip that would save me money right. I would love to get another 3 bags but right now that's not going to happen. The other 2 I would use for 2 new heaven and earth I want to stitch soon, maybe next year. Never know maybe Santa is listening ha ha.

Anyway so I looked at my Wips in the project bags to see what I feel like stitching and started working on Miss Black Swallowtail by Nora Corbett. I can't put her down. 

Here she was before 

And now

The wings feel like they are taking forever to stitch but how cool are they. When I put in the kreinik and beads the wings are going to be so pretty. 

That's my stitchy week my friends. I think I will keep going on swallowtail for now. 

See what next week holds. Happy Stitching!!!

Witches, ghosts, spiders oh my

Hi stitchers, how was your week? 

Let's see this week I started off with A Wip Minerva by Nora Corbett 

Before

And now I love the colours on her.

Next I started Witch Way by Just Nan. Fabric 28ct evenweave black holed sun by colour cascade. I love this fabric, it's so witchy. 

Here is what it will look like

And so far

Next I started another new one but can't show you my start yet.

Wicked Christmas by Sara and fabric ivory evenweave 28ct I'm doing it 1 over 1.

Yes it's a Christmas one but it has witches flying in it, so it's still a little Halloween right!

Here's what it looks like

As I was stitching on the fabric the edges were fraying so I got all my new evenweave and took them to get sewed. I will get them back Monday. Aida frays but not so much or so quick. Wish sew it all did the edges for us.

Next I started Spirits and Spells by with thy needle and thread fabric 18ct Aida confederate gray.

Will look like this

And last night.

For the rest of October I'm going to try and finish this one. 

I'm stitching in dmc and having to pick my own colours.

I have more Halloween ones but I'm not feeling them. I think I'm now over stitching witches and ghosts. I want to get back to mermaids and add in Christmas.

A friends mum give me some cross stitch she found. I don't know how but it looks like I'm having to stitch her the butterfly kit by dimensions. One minute I'm looking at them and the next my friend said I would stitch the kit for her mum, I don't even think I said yes. lol. It's pretty so I will, it's a nice thing to do anyway. Guess it gets added to my growing Wips soon.

Here's a photo of what she gave me

I love the wizard in the Stoney creek book, will be on my list for sure.

That's it for my stitching this week. I now have 64 Wips so I only added 4 new starts in October, or is it 3. Anyway not bad. I have a lot more to come in the next 2 months, new starts that is. Most are Christmas charts. Until next week happy stitching!!!

3 Wips, New Start and a Finish

Hi my stitchy friends.

Thank you for all your really nice comments and all your encouragement with evenweave. I haven't been able to play much yet maybe this week, but I think you will see evenweave next year in my blog posts for sure.

My little Halloween giveaway goes to Katie. I know from your blog you are on holiday and a stitchers retreat so when you have time or get back home can you send me your full address with country to tigersactivewinter@gmail.com and I will send the magazine chart to you.

My week started with one of Jessie's balls missing a big thing for her ( long story) which we found under one of the beds. 

Also a missing cross stitch wip.

I had a wip in my head to start off the week stitching and going over all 58 Wips and not finding number 59 was not a good feeling, and of course it's the one I wanted to stitch on right. It took me being pulled away as you are with life, and having lunch to think it might be at the back of the drawers. So I had to pull everything out and the drawer. Found my wip, pens, a cross stitch print out from a book year ago, a writing book and Scap paper. 

So now I could stitch after putting everything back in the drawer. 

The wip was Renaissance mermaid by Mirabilia 

Here is before

And now

As you can see not a lot. It very kreinik heavy her tail and I found out I wasn't in the mood for kreinik.

After stitching on my pirate last week and all the color changes I thought maybe I need to stitch something that used just one thread.

So got out Damask Square by ink circles

Before

Now

I got bored and found myself looking at cross stitch online. 

I ended up looking at cross stitch kits on Etsy. I couldn't believe what I was seeing. I have a kit in my drawer that was going for $300.00, I had stitched a kit that was now $600.00. Not only that but kits that are still easy to get, that I have are now $60/$70 and I got them a while ago for $30.00. Wow!

Cross stitch is now like a house, the price gets better with age. 

Makes me wonder just how much for everything I have that's just waiting to get stitched.

Looking at kits I remembered a kit I saw....somewhere and thought I would look it up. It's called kingdom of books and I did find it at a good price but the postage to get it to me was way more then the kit. I like it but not that much.

Still looking around I got the shock of my life. The best of Teresa wentzler book that I have was going for $3000.00 you see all those 0s on my god. I know it's now rare but oh my god that's a lot of money for a cross stitch book.

After the fun of finding all that online I got out Miss black swallowtail by Nora Corbett 

Before 

Now

I was going to stay with her for the rest of this week as I really got into stitching on a project finally but then the mail was in and a kit I had brought was here.

I couldn't wait to get stitching on it so now I'm back to 60 Wips and counting.

My new start Enchanted Luna by Bothy Threads

She will look like this, you see why I had to get her!

Now on the printed 14 count Aida 

No head and sitting in the air right now but I love her. It's a very easy kit with only a few colors and I will get back to her in November.

I have let go of my goal with mini pirate to finish her by the end of the year. 

I didn't want to stitch her. I think because of the goal I set and how close the end of the year now is I was feeling like I had to and had a weight on my shoulders about it. When I got my new kit I let go of stitching on my pirate and feel lighter for it. If she gets finished in 2019 or even 2020 so be it. 

I realized I want to stitch other projects not be forced to stitch something because of time. 

So that was my week. Oh and just after posting my October plans I found 2 more Halloween charts, one I will be starting. 

Opps forgot one I also stitched a gift this week which goes somewhere in this post I think Wednesday.

Anyway it's from a free chart I got from a blog called the snow flower diaries you should look it up as there's a few free charts that are cute. The one I stitched was little mermaid.

How cute is she. Well happy October stitching!!!