A Shamrock Sampler & Supplies For A Wanna Start

 

I started a new Curtis Boehringer St. Patrick's Day design from the small leaflet which also housed my March finish.  This design is the alphabet which are stitched into the shape of a shamrock.  I am stitching it on a 28-count hand dyed Cashel in the color "Lagoon".  I love the color which is a lovely "bluey" green with a bit of brown swirled in. It has been in my fabric stash for years. The floss I chose is Silks 4 You in white.  Haven't got much done but will be stitching thru the Bills/Bengals game.  I want to see who my beloved CHIEFS will play.

So, I pulled out this gorgeous Rosewood Manor design called "Something Blue" which was in my Lifetime Stitching Box.  It has been on my stitching mind for a few months.  Well, I broke down and ordered the Picture This Plus "Alchemy" fabric in 28 count Cashel. 123 Stitch did not have it in Lugana.  I also ordered the 15 skeins of Weeks Dyed Works "Parchment" cotton floss that it calls for.  The photo on the leaflet is gorgeous and we all know that these photos never do the actual piece justice, so I am stoked.  Oh, I used Christmas money I received to pay for it. 

Tomorrow, I plan on washing up and pressing the March design I just finished.  I like to do those kind of things when hubby is at work.  Have lovely stitching moments this week my stitching friends.

♣ A wee Irish finish!

I finished a little design that was in my Lifetime Stitching Box.  It is an old Curtis Boehringer design from 1998.  You got 3 small designs for $2.00. I want to stitch all 3.  This is called "March" and it is 50x50.  It is stitched on 28count white cashel linen that was in my fabby stash.  I used an Olde Willow Stitchery floss in Frankenstein and a DMC Flower Thread in 2907.  I started it January 15, 2023 and finished it at noon today, January 21, 2023.

I would like to finish it into a small cushion using the fabric you see behind in a green/tan check cotton for the back.  

Snowflower Lace seems to be sitting in the background as I am scratching my Irish itch.

 

My Lifetime Stitch Box

I have so much stash after 37 years of stitching and stashing.  As much pleasure as it has brought me it is paralyzing and ridiculous. How in the heckydoodle can I have nothing to stitch?  Or worse how can I not decide what to stitch with thousands and thousands of dollars in stash?  

I have gone thru what I have upstairs in my happy room and pulled out things that I definitely want to stitch. I have put them in a shoe box.  I have enough in this shoe box to last me a lifetime of stitching.  The rest is going down in the basement.

There are no rules for what can and cannot be put in the box.  I have kits, free designs, magazines and of course charts in the box.  I can take out or add anything I want.  I laughed because as I was sorting it all out to take these pictures, I was wondering why I put several designs in there.  It's madness, it's insanity, it's ridiculousness.  I think of all the money I have spent and I shudder.

I just want to stitch like I did when I first started.  I stayed up way past my bedtime working on a project.  I would go to work dragging because I stayed up thinking "just one more stitch".  I was so passionate about stitching.  I still am however it is more in my head then actually doing it.

Perhaps that is the key. As long as I am thinking about stitching, I really am enjoying thinking about it. I suppose I am looking for the end all answer and I am not sure there is one.  Happy stitching my dears!

 

My very own bead bed

For Christmas I received a gift from my sister that was a presented in this nice wooden box.  My sister paints and some of her paints had occupied this box at one time.  Loved the gift and loved the box.  

I hit upon the idea of making THE ideal bead bed.  I cut out a piece of card stock the size of the inside of the box.  I used double stick tape around the edges and cut a piece of black velvet and secured it with the tape on the back side.  I pushed it into the inside of the box and it fit perfectly. I hot glued a quilter's clip to the inside lid and a needle minder sissy had given me.  

I can put a note with which design the beads belong to, as this one is Snowflower Lace.  On the needle minder I have several beading needles for quick retrieval.  The results are perfection.  The beads are easier to pick up on the velvet and I have everything at my beading pleasure finger tips.  

How I love my homemade tools! Happiness is indeed homemade.

 

Stash buyer's regret!

 

Have you ever bought a chart and when you got home and really looked at it in finer detail you discover you don't like it as much and you won't ever stitch it?

Lavender and Lace design "Michael" from 2010 is one such purchase.  I love Michael the Archangel, however I think Marilyn could definitely done a better job of designing him proportionally. His hands are too small, his head tilts at an awkward angle and his wings just don't look right.  I love the garment with the rich blue and the necklace, but I am disappointed to say the least.  It is quite rare to see males represented in cross stitch designs.  I truly wonder why this design seems not to be up to Marilyn Leavitt-Imblum's usual wonderful standards. I regret this purchase.  

Pay and Free Stitch-A-Longs for 2023

 Big List of Cross Stitch SALs to Join in 2023 - Stitching the Night Away

Huge list of 2023 Stitch A Longs can be found on the Stitching the Night Away website.  These include those that are free and those that entail payment.  Also there are some lovely SAL tips.  Follow the above link to browse the list.

A Wee Bit 'O Stitchin'!

 

Band 2 of Snowflower Lace is complete.  The color is a bit washed out in this photo.  The top and bottom stitched rows in blue are the Chinese Stitch.  The center row is Interlaced Crosses (pinks) and Satin Stitch (green).  I was a bit confused at first with the Chinese Stitch but I caught on after a few of them.  

I did not work on this yesterday (January 3rd) as I did a lot of dishes and I baked some banana bread.  I want to make some Sugar Cookies today.  I made some lovely hamburger stroganoff and have lots of yummy leftovers of it.  I am going to take a mini banana bread to Mom this afternoon along with a bit of the stroganoff.  I think she will enjoy it. I am off for now. Happy New Year!

A New Year Begins!

 

It's a perfect quote from the Bible for the New Year 2023.  I have been working on, for several years, perfecting my mind to embrace only the good of people and the world.  I am not perfect at it yet, but I am improving.  This is a year that I want to stitch every single day, even if it is just one stitch.  I would like to update my blog on a daily basis, but alas I think that is hopeless.  But I will give it a go.

The above image is a 1996 class project from Just Nan called Snowflower Lace.  I have the kit.  I attended the class at the now defunct Just Needlin' shop.  It has been in my stash for the past 26 years.  I laugh heartily at that ludicrous amount of time.  I did start it maybe 2 weeks ago and have failed to work on it daily.  It is a stunning piece as you can see. Here is my progress to this moment.

I am stitching it on 28 count Lugana in the color "wheat" which is similar to DMC 3782.  It is darker then the mushroom lugana that I love. I chose it because it warms the pink and blue tones which I prefer.  The grey fabric called for is lovely but it is cooler.  

So far I am quite enjoying this piece although the Chinese Stitch gave me fits which is amusing as it isn't difficult at all.

My next post I will share with you what my basket of lifetime stitching is all about and what I am doing with the rest of my stash.  Stitch blessings until then.