WIP update

Hello blog friends. 
Just a quick update on two WIPs:
The Christmas one I started a week ago:

 Not done with all the reds yet, but since it's almost Christmas I have to add some green:

Houses of Peace

Cross Country Stitching Magazine

14ct black aida

 This is how it will look like, hopefully by first quarter of next year😅

And here's Read Between the Lines:

 Focused on the bottom portion:

I got one more which will be finished by today, but that I have to wait a specific day to post about. No progress on SeaLife, may take it up next weekend. I just emailed the supplier again for charts ordered first week of November, which they responded will be mailed last Monday but no tracking given. So I guess no Christmas haul til after the season?
I guess everyone's been busy. And we just had our department Christmas party yesterday too. Had fun. Then it's back to work tomorrow. I hope you're all having a wonderful weekend. 

Thanks for visiting. Happy Stitching.

What I'm guilty of

Hello blog friends! 
I'm back (to blogging). It's been almost three weeks without posting. I missed you. Trying to catch up with the reading.
Frankly, I wasn't too keen with the changes in Blogger, still getting used to the minor changes.
So what have I been doing since Thanksgiving? Gift shopping, wrapping, mailing. Happy to say that all gifts for out-of-state have been mailed, the last batch sent last week. Had to rewrap two of them as the postage went up more than my budget ($46 just for one box going to Canada, oh no, don't want to spend that much on a single package, had to take out some of them). 
What else have I been up to? Hauling! Shopping for my own presents, LOL. Unfortunately, I had to email a seller as it has been more than a month without a word on the status. I got my answer after a week and said they'll be posting it today, well let's see. Why can't they just say out-of-stock on their website before you hit that order button. 
But I'm happy, for I received my Aida fabric order from reliable 123stitch (ordered some more this week):

14ct.vintage blue whisper (10x18), 16ct. pewter (18x21), 16ct. antique white (1yd), 16ct. country french cafe mocha (36x51), 18ct. vintage country mocha (1yd), 18ct. vintage smokey white (36x43)

What's unusual with this line-up? 18count! Yes, my first! Actually I've started stitching on it last weekend. Need getting used to it. 

I couldn't pass up on Joann's Black Friday sale either:

 

DMC - 4 for $1

Threads I bought for patterns I don't have yet, haha. I searched online for each sampler's floss list. 2017 will be a Sampler year for me. I bought books from Amazon as well (forgot to take a picture). Oh, and I also got the JCS Halloween DVD. I'm only drawn to 5 patterns, and started one with the 18 count (!), you'll see it later.

Having said that, let's go to stitching progress. My teeny weeny Christmas tree is now lit up,

and Reindeer is being backstitched,

 more blocks on Read Between the Lines,

 

 

 focused on these blocks,

 and my start from JCS Halloween DVD,

 Spells' Store

by Primitive Hare

JCS Halloween 2013 issue

18ct.. vintage smokey white aida

I felt it's okay to have a new WIP because...

I have a finish!!! But I can't show the whole piece yet for a reason. But here's a peek at the changes I made:

 

Darkened all the colors for the words to make it clear, here's a picture of the words from the leaflet (I changed Noel to Hope):

I'm also guilty of... not doing good on my 2016 goals. Ooopsy, I did great during the first half, had 4 finishes from that list... and was sidetracked with other patterns, haha.

To make up for it, I dug up an old magazine:

 Houses of Peace

Cross Country Stitching Dec.2010

14ct. black aida

I've already put in some red stitches, two shades, no picture. No expectations on getting this done by Christmas!

Lastly, here's the culprit of my blog absence...

After a long while, I was caught up again in the vortex of Korean drama, courtesy of Big niece. Legend of the Blue Sea (teaser on youtube).

Thanks for visiting. Happy Stitching.

Happy Thanksgiving

Hello dear friends.
Just wanted to pop in and wish all of you Happy Thanksgiving (for those celebrating here in the US). But wherever you are, I am thankful for the inspiration you needleworkers have given me in my simple works.
Here's a fitting one for this occasion (finished in September):

"We Thank Thee"

Silver Creek Samplers

By the way, Jo-Ann store is having a sale on DMC this coming weekend (4 for a dollar). So to all stitchers in the US, get your floss list ready.

Thanks for visiting. Happy Stitching!

Sea life progress

Hello dear blog friends.
Did you have a satisfying stitching weekend? I hope so, or if it was something better then that's great. The stitching spot is where I spent most of mine, I don't mind. The Big niece is back home for Thanksgiving break, so I wanted to have a week's worth of progress before everything gets busier. 
Here's Sea Life:

 

 

Stitched on the seahorse, seashells and the sand. Pretty much done with the darker tones. After all the white stuff comes the backstitch, which isn't really bad because there's not much of that, good for me😆.

I also managed to work on my small reindeer last week:

 

 There's a boo-boo here. I started with 3 strands on the antlers and hooves. When I got back to do the body, I used the 4 strands that was on the bobbin of the tan floss, no wonder it was tight to pull and started to get uneven stitches. Realization came too late. I didn't want to frog because of the big holes it would leave. Anyway, a hunkier deer is fine with me.

On other stuff, does anyone know if there will be any huge sales this week on cross stitch sites?

That's it for now.

Thanks for visiting. Happy Stitching!

Christmas stitching

Hello dear blog friends.
Someone's name is inching up Santa's "nice" list😇. 
I spent last weekend stitching on Christmas Eve:

 I was able to complete the snow on the ground. The camera can't capture the sparkles on fabric. By the way, this is light blue, not white. 

Words on the ground are next. I will be changing the colors to more attractive ones or a shade darker.

Meanwhile, my tree has grown:

 

 Only til now when I'm adding the picture that I noticed I missed to complete that one X on the leaf near the trunk. That's what I get for nightstitching, I'll get back on that soon. 
Since the tree is almost done, I started another small one. It's a reindeer:

 I still haven't told you where these new designs came from, it's from a very old book (unearthed from my recent book and magazine decluttering). I'll tell you once it's finished because I'm "shrinking" this pattern by a long mile.
I also needed a bigger ORT jar:

 

Isn't she cute? Got this at Michael's after Halloween and it was 80% off, of course she had to come home with me! It only cost me a dollar. I'm feeding this owl to keep both of us happy.

Thank you for visiting. Happy Stitching!

Little Progress, Small Start

Hello blog friends.
Only few x's made on RBL, I wasn't able to finish the mermaid in the blue box, started putting the leaves on the pink flowers (the ones I didn't like as of my last post). 
Here it is:

I have also decided to grow a Christmas tree...on fabric. I'll keep the title secret for now because I don't know how this will turn out. There will be major changes on the total design size. I hope it works out fine.

 For the weekend I'm planning to sit down with the much ignored Christmas Eve by Prairie Schooler. I hope I'll have that finished before November comes to a close. Have a happy stitching weekend.

Thanks for visiting. Happy Stitching!

Sea Life

Hello blog friends.
Nothing much going on (busy at work still), so it's a short update again.
Here's Sea Life:

 Added more on the boat and boathouse. 

 I had to frog that anchor on top, moved it up and closer to the boat so I can add that other design from the booklet.
Ooops, I almost forgot to tell you, I recently won (yay!!!) cute Gnome patterns from Tangled Threads (check it out). So adorable! Thank you so much Rhona.

Thanks for visiting. Happy Stitching!

Read Between the Lines

Hello friendly bloggers.
Just a quick update on RBL:

 Got bored with all the lines so I decided to put some elements in these boxes. Wasn't quite happy with the pink flowers, but I don't want to frog just yet. Maybe it will all come together when more things are added.

I'm back on Sea Life now. I'm really enjoying that one.

Many thanks for the comments last time, "Jo's Halloween blog hop," I surely enjoyed that one! Now I keep thinking of getting another Halloween piece, better plan ahead right?

Thanks for visiting. Happy Stitching!

Hallowe'en Trick or Treat Blog Hop

Happy Halloween!
It's time for Jo's of Serendipitous Stitching - Halloween Blog Hop! It's my first time to join the fun and this post is brought to you by the letter:

 

 That's a capital "I," as in "I" know it's blurry and "I" don't have much large alphabet stitches, "I" apologize.
Anyway, I've been wanting to join since last year but didn't have enough Halloween finishes then. Needless to say, I can't be satisfied with a spectatorial role anymore, haha. 
This is my latest finish (just last week!)

 

 Away We Ride

by Blackbird Designs

16ct. tea-dyed Aida

Shades of gray on the neverending border

Not spooky? This piece actually gave me a fright. More than the panic of trying to finish before the hop. Courtesy of my DH as usual... Proud as I am upon completing the task, I held it in front of him, "ta-da!" He looked at it and recited "Away we ride till it's dark as pitch, to find A home FOR the wicked witch." Aaahhh! Goodness, I thought my eyes would fall out. Since when have we decided to do social work for witches?

Here's another one made early this year:

 

 Pumpkin Hollow Farms

by Little House Needleworks

14ct. antique white Aida

And here was last year's: 

The Branch

(Come with me All Hallow's Night)

by Barbara Ana Designs

16ct. natural Aida

 There you have it, I'm a Halloween Hop virgin no more! So run along now, your next letter is from Leonore of Needle, Pen & Sword. Have fun!

Thanks for visiting!

Just the Sea Life

Hello friendly bloggers. 
Another weekly post, really wanted to stitch and post and read more but didn't have much spare time (and energy) after work, been busy lately, sigh:(
I'm only showing the Sea Life progress here. But don't be fooled, for I did a happy dance this week (despite aching legs and feet!), which you get to see next post (the finish, not the feet!) Oooh, I'm excited.
So here's Sea Life and all the blues in it:

 

 The blues provided a relaxing break from all the grays on my latest finish (hint, hint!). I'm spending time this weekend on the neglected WIP - Read Between the Lines, while digging some flosstube I've missed the past two weeks, I hope I can catch up with blog reading too (while stitching? haha). I have also tweaked my wishlist recently in time for holiday stashing. Looks like a Sampler year ahead...

Thanks for visiting. Happy Stitching!

Weekly post

Hello blog friends. It's been a week since I last posted.
Will try to keep up with the reading too. But there was definitely lots of stitching done.
Look who decided to pay me a visit at the stitching spot:

Santa's back!  You can see how long he's been off here. I put in the gray smoke and light green on his blanket first, then proceeded with the abominable snow - white! I'm using B5200 instead. I purposely made the picture dark so the white can be seen - it's on the houses, trees and the ground, still lots to go:

Prairie Schooler's Christmas Eve

Next up is Sea Life by Lanarte:

I got carried away with that lighthouse. Still saved white stitching for last. I finished the starfish and wait, I changed something on the bottom left:

The chart had 3 fishes in backstitch next to the lighthouse. It felt mediocre to me. So I found one in the book that met my impeccable taste, LOL.

Aside from stitching, I continued thinning more magazines. I'm feeling more guilty than ever for stashing and not stitching some wonderful designs inside. 

This one is calling out to me more than the others:

Here's the thing though, I'm not a coffee drinker. But I do sip tea once in a while. I'm also thinking of making one in blue. Aaah, plans... 

Ooh, I almost forgot, I've been stitching overtime on my Halloween WIP, I definitely see that flicker of light at the end of the tunnel, yes, just what's left of the border and the windows then it's another happy dance!

Thanks for visiting. Happy Stitching!

Sea Life

Hello blog friends. 
A rainy afternoon we had and now it's raining again, setting the mood for more stitching! Thanks so much for the kind comments on my latest finish (with my Christmas story too!)

I'm dedicating this weekend to Away We Ride, which you get to see on Halloween, hopefully that it gets done by then (such a tall order for a short stitcher). I can only tell you that I've moved on from the grays and browns for now. I'm doing Mulberry and next will be an orange hue, how exciting!

But during the work week I had two pieces on the table. My new start, which I'm rather enjoying than the second WIP. Here is the dark picture:

 

 Sea Life 

by Lanarte

16ct. White Aida

This is how it should look when done:

 Let me repeat that- "should look". Again, I'm planning to do some changes along the way. The booklet showcases more patterns, and there are some neat elements I really like to add on this one.
Here's the other WIP, Read Between the Lines:

 

 

 I know it looks boring, I felt bored stitching those lines too. But as much as possible, I'm trying to finish that stuff first:(
This is all for now. I hope you're all having a lovely stitchy weekend.
Thanks for visiting. Happy Stitching!