Coffee and Cross Stitch

Bewitching Pixies | Cross Stitch

Summer is holding on for dear life as we round out August here in VA.  It hit 100 degrees the other day and I about melted walking to my car from work.  Quite honestly, I can't believe this is the final few days of August already.  Where has the time gone this year?! Literally everyone I talk to, particularly at work, cannot believe the year has completely flown by.

The heat had me contemplating fall, and even though I'm already working on Autumn at Hawk Run, I wanted to do something that wouldn't take me decades to finish.  Let's be honest, the Hawk Run series is incredible, but those blocks take an insane amount of time to finish.  So, I decided to pull out one of the Bewitching Pixies by Nora Corbett.  This one is called Witching Hour.

I was drawn to it because of the purples, the books, and, of course, the black kitty that she has as a steadfast friend.  

How do I know they're friends?  The kitty is guarding her book stack.

I think, too, that the bottom of her dress reminded me of Morticia Addams' dress in the old tv show and I used to love that show.  

Also!  I had a swatch of Picture This Plus Haunted leftover from when I did Skeleton Crew, and clearly it was perfect for this piece.  The model was stitched on a creamy color, which made the owl blend in and almost disappear.  This fabric allows you to see all the colors and is a much better compliment than a lighter color.

I need to stretch the piece a bit so the beads lay in straighter lines, but for now, she's done.  

Stay cool out there, friends!  Soon it will be time for sweaters and heavy blankets and I'll be dreaming of this warm weather!! 

Happy stitching!

Halloween Fun | Cross Stitch

Good morning, fellow stitchers!  I felt the need to write "good morrow" as if I was in merry ol' England, but then didn't, because I'm confident at least one of you would question my lingering sanity, so that's where we're at today.

Aaaanyhooter.  Here we are, a week after Halloween, which is the time of year when you sneeze and it's Christmas Eve.  I feel like I just put out the fall decorations, and it's going to be time to pull out all the red and green and gold and decorate the treeeeee!  I. Love. Christmas.

But! Before I start showing you what I've been stitching for Christmas, I managed to finish a Halloween piece that's been in my stash for literally almost 20 years.  Maybe 15. I don't know.  It's been a long time.  

This one was a kit from Pine Mountain, and is cute Halloween quilting fabric stitched with a square of 10 ct. stitching fabric for you to put a cute little Halloween design on (graph included) and then wrap it around a little pillow.

Sounds totes cute, amiright?

Well, yes.  Now that I'm done stitching it, it's adorable.  Do you want to know why it's been unfinished for a solid 15 years?  Because the stitching fabric made me BATTY.  Ha.  Batty, Halloween pattern.  Ahem.

It's crooked, first of all, which is a stitcher's nightmare.  Second, it's not graphed as a perfect square. So....it's taller than it is wide, and since the fabric is crooked I stitched and ripped it out three times (15 years!) before I finally just decided, screw it, it's gonna have to stay uneven because I just can't anymore.

But! Now that it's done, it's super cute and I need to dust off my sewing machine and make a cute little pillow to wrap this around.  Hopefully before Halloween of next year.  Because, goals.

I hopped online to see if these kits are still available in case any of you wanted to stitch this, but didn't see any.  There are others available from Pine Mountain from online shops, so perhaps if you pull out your Sherlock Holmes hat and pipe and do some sleuthing, you'll come across one that needs a home!

Happy stitching, friends!

 

Summer is Here! | Cross Stitch

Hello, friends! Our weather went from cold and rainy straight to the heat and humidity of July, all in a matter of days.  And it's not even Memorial Day!  Perfect to sit inside where it's a smidge cooler and catch up on some stitching.

What have you guys been working on?  I've seen so many gorgeous stitched pieces on the good ol' Instagram, from samplers to patriotic to Christmas.  I love seeing what everyone is working on, since much of it is so different from my own stitching style.  

The big piece I'm working on right now (since you all know by now I have at least one gigantic piece going at a time...sometimes two) is Dressmaker's Daughter.  I posted about it a while back, and honestly, didn't realize just how long I've been working on it - over a year!

I think the Winter dress is still my favorite (the first one on the left), but the colors in all of these dresses are just gorgeous.

I mean, those fall reds and oranges!  Could you die?!

I absolutely love these apples!  I can't wait to add the beads!

I'm on the final dress, which is Autumn.  I usually wait to go back and fill in the Caron silks after I do all the DMC stitching, but since there was so much in the background that was stitched with two of the silks, I decided it was easier to stitch those first, then go back and fill in the background.

The best part is going back and filling in with the silks and, of course, the beads.  There are two Kreiniks in this piece, which I'm not excited for, but they always make a big different in the finished piece.  

The next few weeks will be busy, so we'll see how far I get on the background.  Hopefully, it won't take too long, especially now that I've become better at the sewing method! It makes all that solid stitching go SO much faster!

Happy stitching!

Dressmaker's Daughter | Cross Stitch

Well, here we are, folks.  Right smack in the holiday season.  I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving!  I managed to find some time to stitch this past weekend, and finished up the second dress in Dressmaker's Daughter.

This is another gorgeous Mirabilia piece that's been in my stash for far too long, and so over the summer, I finally got some fabric for it and got to work.

The piece features four dresses, each one representing a season beginning with Winter.

That blue dress!  The fur trim!

I cannot wait to put the beads and treasures on this dress!  It'll be gorgeous!

Purple is my favorite color, but....I still think I like the blue "Winter" dress better.  Maybe it's the style?  Or the ruffles?  Not sure...although the shades of purple are to die.

The beads will be beautiful on this dress, too.  Two dresses down, two more to go!  "Summer" is up next!  I'm taking a short break from this one (it is...gigantic...and I need a sense of accomplishment...haha); I started a Prairie Schooler Santa on Sunday (Santa Sunday!), and may work a little on that for a bit before coming back and starting the next dress.

I hope you're all having a wonderful holiday season so far! May your cups of coffee, tea, and hot cocoa always be warm :)

Snowy Night | Cross Stitch

I used to stitch a lot of Mill Hill buttoned and beaded kits, mainly for gifts at Christmas.  I loved how the beads buttons would add so much life to the stitching, giving it an extra layer of beauty.

While I got away from them for a few years, I've recently picked up a few of their newer kits.  I stopped using the perforated paper, and instead use 32 ct fabric that I have on hand.  Luckily, for this wintery scene, I had a leftover piece of (what I think is) Dusk from PtP.  It was almost an exact match for the perforated paper that came with the kit!

I know we're all desperate for spring, warmer weather, and sunshine, so this winter scene probably makes most of you want to run for the hills.  I started this while it was still frigid out, and messed up BAD with the colors.  Since this is a kit, they give you all the thread, but they're not numbered.  I told myself I should go into my DMC stash and match the threads so I knew the difference between "very, very dark", "very dark", and "dark" blue.  But.....I didn't, and had almost half of this stitched before I realized my mistake.  I had to rip it all out and start over, this time, making the effort to match up the colors with my stash.

And that's my story about how I finished a winter piece in spring.

The beads always take longer than I anticipate.  I think because you have to stop at each half stitch and attach a bead, rather than just keep right on moving down the line with stitching.

Well worth the effort, though.

All of these are tiny beads, attached with a cross stitch so they lay upright on the fabric as opposed to on an angle.

Looking at this, I can almost hear the church bells in the background as the snow falls over the town, the moonlight glistening on the snow.  A quiet night with hot cocoa or tea warm in your mug as you settle in with stitching or a good book :)

I have a frame for this piece, so hopefully I can set aside some time to frame this prior to next winter.  I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!  Happy stitching!

Beggar's Christmas | Cross Stitch

I'm on a wintery, Christmassy roll here so far this first week of spring!  haha.  I've had the Beggar's Christmas piece kitted for what feels like decades, so recently, I decided to start it and get it out of my "you're next" pile.

I stitched Beggar's Halloween and 4th by Threadworks Primitives already (did I show you guys the 4th? i think i need to do a post on that one...), and decided it was high time I finished the series.  But! Did you guys see the Beggar's Luck that just released?  I'm not one to stitch St. Patty's Day pieces on the reg, but I will have to get that since it's a companion to these three.

I stitched this on 40 ct. vintage Exemplar with the called for DMCs, which gave it that perfect old-timey Christmas feel.

The tree even has that vintage feel to it.  Maybe it's the colors of the threads.  Or the slight curl of the tree.

One day, I will fully finish all these smalls I stitch when I need a sense of accomplishment between large projects.  I started Dressmaker's Daughter by Miribilia about two weeks ago, and it is way larger than my brain originally pictured.  Much like her lovely ladies I've stitched in the past. Larger than life, and absolutely stunning.  I have ornaments and smalls that I do when I need a break from those, and Beggar's Christmas was a lovely break.  

I hope you're all having a wonderful week so far!  Winter will be returning to our neighborhood this week, but spring will hopefully push through again over the weekend.  Happy stitching, friends!

I've Got My Love To Keep Me Warm | Cross Stitch

I'm absolutely one of those stitchers who stitches Christmas all year round.  I don't have too many winter-themed pieces, however, so I've been starting to stock up on those.  I want to remain festive after Christmas, but don't necessarily need to keep all my Christmas pieces out through February.

Although, I have been known to keep my Christmas tree up at work year-round...

Ahem.

I don't remember where I saw this graph, but I fell in love with it and had to have it.  It's a Heartstring Samplery graph, and was modeled after traditional Blackwork embroidery.  The stitched model is done in black with red hearts, but I chose to make it softer for winter, and used dark blue and a rosey color instead.

I stitched this on 40 count Pewter from Picture This Plus, which was perfection for this piece.  The graph calls for WDW threads, but since I went with different colors, I decided to use NPI silks instead.  Silks are glorious to work with (albeit expensive! so they're a treat), and these particular colors turned out fabulous on this fabric.

Some of these patterns have such intricate details, almost like lace, that it took much longer to stitch than I anticipated.

Worth all the work, however.  I love this piece, and can't wait to have it framed.

I hope you guys have a great weekend, and are staying safe and warm! 

Shores of Hawk Run Hollow | Cross Stitch

Friends, it's been a while since we chatted.  I am very much a homebody, but I gotta tell ya, being home a lot for the past foreverandaday is taking its toll.  One good thing about being home more, is that I've been able to finish up some very long-standing WIPs.  Shores of Hawk Run Hollow is, by far, the longest WIP I've ever had.  I moved to the DC area in 2015...and brought this WIP with me.  That's a long time to have something in progress.

This past year, I treated myself to the NPI silks to do Autumn at Hawk Run Hollow, but absolutely refused to start it until I finished Shores.  One of the main reasons that it took me so long to finish it, is because I made a counting error on Block 1, which caused me to be off in Block 2.  I didn't catch it, however, until I was almost done Block 2, since I'd stitched the blocks going down before going across (if that makes any sense at all).  So, I had to rip out ALL of Block 2 and restitch it once I figured out what my mistake was and where, but was SO mad at myself, I left Block 1 alone until I was ready to deal with restitching it.  Turns out, I wasn't ready to fix it until I was done all the other blocks.  I didn't fix it until after I put the final stitch in Block 12.  And even then it took me about 2 weeks to get myself together and rip out half of Block 1 to fix and redo.

I think the middle block is my favorite.  I love that anchor.

Block 1.  My nemesis.  How funny is that seagull, though?  Just chillin on the rocks.

The finished piece!  Now I can move on to another gigantic project.  I'm not sure if Autumn will be next, or if I'll move to another Mirabilia...decisions, decisions....

I hope you all have a fabulous weekend!  

Mychal's Prayer | Cross Stitch

Hello!  Happy Thursday! Man, what a state we're all in, huh?  I've been teleworking for what feels like decades.  Although I am fortunate in that I have the ability to work from home, it has absolutely taken its toll.  There's something to be said for getting up and going to work each day.   This is an entirely different kind of exhaustion.

Anyways...onto more fun things, like stitching!  I chose to start (and finish!) Mychal's Prayer from Silver Creek Samplers a couple weeks ago, since I was in a patriotic mood.  I took out my remaining piece of 32 ct PtP Heroic and got to work.  I used all the called-for threads - of which, you'll need 2 skeins of Ruby Slippers and 2 skeins of Picket Fence, if you choose to stitch this using the overdyed threads.  I used what was in my stash first, but quickly ran out since I didn't have a full skein of either, and had to place an order with my LNS for additional thread.  So, to be on the safe side, I recommend getting two of each, just in case..

I love this angel - she reminds me of the Jim Shore angels.

I also love how the words alternate between red and white, as the stripes on the American flag, with the blue square in the corner.  And Sam the Eagle!

This was a cool piece to stitch, and took me longer than I anticipated.  I'm glad I got this one - I would pick it up almost every time I was in my LNS, and finally one day, I just bought it.  

The designer's inspiration for this sampler was a prayer said by Father Mychal, a Franciscan friar and Catholic priest.  Here is what the designer wrote regarding Father Mychal:

    "Mychal Judge (11 May 1933 - 11 September 2001) was a Franciscan friar and Catholic priest who served as a chaplain to the New York City Fire Department.  While serving in that capacity, he was killed, becoming the first certified fatality of the September 11, 2001 attacks.  The inspiration for this sampler came from a prayer said by Father Mychal: 'Lord, take me where you want me to go, let me meet who you want me to meet, tell me what to say, and keep me out of your way.' "

Stay safe out there, friends.  I think we're in this quarantine mode for a long time to go yet...

Mrs. Claus's Cookie Shop | Cross Stitch

Happy April!  Yesterday was a rainy, gloomy day, and today isn't looking much better.  Here's hoping April showers bring those May flowers!  I could use some color and cheer these days.

Speaking of cheer, one thing that does make me happy is stitching all things Christmas.  I can't help myself.  I love Christmas and all the nostalgia.

I picked up Mrs. Claus's Cookie Shop from Country Cottage as something quick to stitch, plus I loved the bright red and white on the border and the awnings.  It looks just like a candy cane :-)

With all that's going on right now, the sudden change to teleworking every day, stores closed, shelter at home orders, it's all a lot for us to handle.  So, stitching something cheerful was what I needed.  Also, cookies.  Because, yum.  Btw - I saw online that the Girl Scouts extended their online ordering for their cookie sales! Is that true???  I miss Thin Mints....I used to put them in the freezer....they were so good cold...

Aaaaaanyhooter...

I stitched this on 36 count Antique Ivory, which I think helped bring out that vibrant red.

Isn't that little cookie button so cute?! 

I hope you're all doing something each day that brings you cheer during these trying times.  Stay safe and healthy, friends.