Updates and a New Start

Hope everyone's January is going well. This should be a semi-quick update.

I've been working on the Glendon Place's Plum Pudding, here's were I'm at as of Sunday.

Glendon Place - Plum Pudding

Glendon Place - Plum Pudding

Glendon Place - Plum Pudding

I ended up needing to do some frogging because one of the blocks was over a page change. At least I noticed before I went ahead and did a bunch more! Plus one for me!

I started this cute Lizzie Kate pattern, Winter Wishes. I like to have something small that I can take with me places, like the sofa, to the chair, over to the bed. You know how it is.

Lizzie Kate - Winter Wishes

Lizzie Kate - Winter Wishes

No firm plans on what I'll do with it when it's finished though. Maybe I'll try my hand at another flat fold! I made a 123stitch order and in it will hopefully be a snowflake charm it put on the little house. The Lizzie Kate one was $11! Instead I bought the Mill Hill version where I got 4 snowflake charms for like, $4. Hopefully they'll be a good size!

Also, my friend came over and we exchanged Christmas presents. She made me this awesome pillow with my last name on it. She crocheted the white background then cross stitched the purple. Isn't it super nifty?!?! I love it.

I think that's it for today! I'll be back tomorrow with a Glendon Place specific update. :)

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October Mini Mega Madness II

If you recall I joined a challenge for October, Mini's! While I haven't gotten much stitching done, it was on a mini! Go check everyone out on Pull the Other Thread's blog.

Here she is:

Wee One - Pumpkins - Heart in Hand

Wee One - Pumpkins - Heart in Hand

I am using the recommended threads, but it's turning out a lot darker than the model picture. I did wonder that when I was looking at the threads when they arrived in the mail. I'm not upset, just surprised. I like it. I think it will get made into a mini pillow as well when I am finished. I'm hoping to finish it up by next week.

I haven't been able to do much stitching lately because my left hand has been hurting. I think it's a combination of typing at work all day and holding a hoop. I am really considering buying a Lowery stand. Or a Needlework System 4. Or a Needle Needs frame. I think I'm leaning towards the Lowery because of the three it takes up the least amount of space. Do any of you readers use any of these? I did order some crafting compression gloves as well so I am going to try that first. Much cheaper at only $12. Fingers crossed it will solve the problem.

I did manage to stuff my Lizzie Kate finish that I showed last week:

It still needs a good pressing to get out the lumps. Next time I have the iron on I'll do that as well.

I posed it with my very own blown glass pumpkin! My husband and I took a 2 hour glass blowing glass back in 2012 and we each made 2 pumpkins (this one is actually my husbands'). I love taking them out every year and thinking about how much fun we had. My husband actually bought us a glass blown Christmas ornament making class for my birthday (which is later this month)! I can't wait to go, but I'll be waiting until December when it's offered.

While out at TJMax I found this little guy and I had to have him. I haven't found a place to keep him yet, but he is so cute!

That's all for now, hope everyone is doing well! How is everyone else coming along with their Mini stitching?!

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Halloween Madness

Hello everyone! I hope you are having a wonderful October 1st. The Halloween season is fast approaching (though I've had my Halloween decor up for a few weeks now) I did reach my goal of finishing Happy Halloween before today!

Happy Halloween - Silver Creek Samplers - JSC Halloween 2013

I finished all the stitching! I also "signed it" after I took this picture (in the bottom right corner, DNA 2014 in the same color as the N). Now I have to decide how to finish it. I was originally thinking a flat fold like the one further down in this post, but I don't know if I could do it justice. Then I was thinking about framing it, but it's 6 x 7 inches. So while I could put it in an 8 x 10 frame, I would want a mat too and I don't think that's enough room. Dilemma! Let me know what you would do in the comments!

My super awesome friend (Kathleen, no blog) came over last night for a crafty night! She is working on a baby blanket that she is crocheting and then doing cross stitch on! It's actually super cool and I had never thought about doing that! We might make this a weekly or bi-weekly thing! Which would be super cool.  We would both be motivating each other.

I was able to get a lot done on my finishing. Keep in mind that both of these are only partially finished. The Jolly Jack needs cording around the edges to make it look neater (I'm thinking of making some in orange colors) and the pillow needs stuffing. 

Jolly Jack

Lizzie Kate - Flip It Halloween

I'm not totally pleased with the A frame flat fold, but for my first time I think it was pretty good. And I had to sew the ric-rak on by hand for the pillow and I think it turned out super well! Once I have both totally finished I'll probably share them again. They are both so cute. I'm so excited to actually finish-finish things! I don't have a big drawer filled with unfinished but totally stitched things. I do have a drawer with unfinished cross stitching though. Everyone does. Right?!

I also bought some more Weeks Dye Works thread for some additional small patterns in the Just Cross Stitch Halloween 2013 magazine. And a pattern just fell into my cart. I have no idea how that happened! The pattern called for some Just Another Button Company buttons so I bought two in case I decided to make it twice, once for myself and once for my MIL. We'll see.

123stitch.com order

Oh for my Ocober Mini Madness I think I'm going to work on those various Halloween pattersns I mentioned earlier. :) I don't know if my finishing of that Lizzie Kate counted, but yeah, I'm ready!!!

How are you coming along with your Halloween stitching (if you do any)? And what are you thoughts on finishing my Happy Halloween? Let me know in the comments!

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Haul and Finishes

I just got a bunch of things in the mail! Happy mail dance time!

First off is my bingo winnings from Debby (from a cross stitch website I belong too), I've actually met Debby in real life when my husband & I were on vacation in Colorado. That made it even better.

This awesome owl card (I LOVE owls):

This cute booklet of snowmen designs:

Mill Hill - Frosty Friends

This awesome piece of crystal lugana (which is super difficult to photograph), I can already see some of those snowmen designs on it:

Light Blue Crystal Lugana

And my favorite, Fleur de Lys Christmas tree chart which I WILL be stitching this year. Debby said it was a pretty quick stitch and I think I already have some variegated floss for it.

Scissor Tail Designs - Fleyr de Lys Tree

I love love LOVE everything she sent over. I knew we had similar tastes!

I also received come charts from etsy that I purchased, each were $3 or less:

Lizzie Kate Winter Sampler, Winter Wishes, December Flip-it, Autumn Sampler, Spring Sampler and January Flip-it

anddddd the Leisure Arts Back-stitch alphabet (I had found #705 (More Backstitch Alphabets which I showed you in this post) at my mom's house, so I clearly needed the first set too):

Leisure Arts Leaflet 407 - 20 Backstitch Alphabets

I also got a piece of Crafty Kitten fabric in, but it's also a crystal and realllly hard to photograph. I plan to use it to make the Frosted Pumpkin Halloween Sampler at some point. I have the cosmo thread for it, which I am really excited to use! I'll try to do a floss toss in the sunlight this week.

Clearly I was busy online.... I should have my wallet taken away from me I think! The Lizzie Kates all came to $15 with shipping and the LA leaftlet was $6 with shipping, the others were gifts so I don't think I did too poorly.

While I was busy online I was also busy finishing ornaments!!!  I got my sewing machine back on Tuesday and whipped these up in the days since then.

Fronts:

Top left clockwise: Little House Needleworks (LHN) freebie Seven Pines, LHN Gingerbread Cookie, LHN Snow in Love, LHN Hot Cocoa, Freebie found online, LHN Season of Love)

And the backs:

Ornament backs (fabric from my mom's stash)

It was my first time finishing them into pillows! I had done some quilting when I was a kid, but I hadn't done anything in a long time. I'm pretty proud of them. Are they all completely square? No. But that's ok! :) Some of them are to be gifts even though I find it quite hard to part with them. I also finished another one, but it was for my swap, so once it's safely in their hands I'll post pictures!

I'm planning some finishing ideas for my Halloween projects too. I need to get some orange thread first for the Lizzie Kate one for sure. I'm still trying to come up with something for the Jolly Jack pattern. I'm open for suggestions, leave your suggestions below! :)

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