TTL - TUSAL - November

Totally, Totally Late - TUSAL

I am so sorry. Between packing up, the 10 day trip to Arizona and cleaning out the dust and unpacking here, time just got away from me. I will try to be better about blogging more often.

And so, this post will be full, full, full. Please bear with me.

First up - my TUSAL post
Here is my martini glass with the threads that I have. They are mostly from my trip down. I stitch in the car and what a great stitching trip it was. I have 3 - can you believe it! - 3 finishes.

My finishes.

I finished LHN's Travelling Stitcher.

Now to make it into a project bag.

I finished  Prairie Moon's Merry Xmas.

I loved this one. I smiled at the quirkiness every time I stitched on it. It will now go to be framed and then given to my DIL who loves this sort of thing.

Just as I was leaving town, I received this pattern from my friend Dani. This is a Facebook travelling pattern. It is Lizzie Kate's - Good Things.
Here is my interpretation.

I took part in the Stitched with Love Exchange for the first time. Here is what I stitched for my partner and the goodies.

 

  EDITED: I received the most wonderful thank you note from my exchange partner this morning. I am happy that the package was received and liked.

Here is the lovely package I received from Melissa. I LOVE!!! her choice.

 

 This is from the Fall Cross Stitch and Needlework magazine and I believe it is a Jeannette Douglas design. I looked at the specialty stitches for the pumpkin in the magazine and loved the pattern but didn't want to tackle the stitches. Now I don't have to. Melissa said this was her first time finishing this way and I think she did a beautiful job. I am very happy with my first exchange and will sign for another one. And I certainly acknowledged her lovely package.

I took part in the ornament exchange with my friends from Knowledge and Needles. Here is the ornament I stitched and finished. It was won by my friend Judie. It is from one of the JCS Ornament magazines.

Now, for the extras.

I belong to the Sanman board and they were offering a special on tucks. Look at all the lovely little tucks I received!! What wonderful things I must find to stitch and put in each one.

I purchased these lovely fabrics from a new Fabric Dyer - on Facebook - Leslie of Under the Sea Fabrics. Aren't they gorgeous.

My birthday just doesn't want to end this year. I received this lovely gift from my friend Lynn - a door knocker. It is beautiful and I will hang it in the spring.

My friend Dani found this wonderful fabric for me!

I think my friends know me very well.

Can you believe that when we arrived in Arizona I did not stitch for 4 days!!! I couldn't believe it either. However, I have found my stitching mojo again. I have two round robins that should arrive in the next few days. Since I have three finishes I get to go through my stash and pick out two new starts! I try to keep 4 pieces in my rotation. I have my etui and desert mandala. I have added a nutcracker for my 3rd start. Now, what wonderful thing will be #4.

Until next time, take joy in your stitches and stay frog free!

Wipocalypse October and new treasures

It is Wipocalypse time again.

I have made some small progress but no finishes this time. As you have recently read, I have been suffering from an infestation of frogs.

You can see photos of my progess on Merry Xmas and Travelling Stitcher in my previous post.
I have completed my last Mirabilia RR stitching and sent it home to the owner.
My poor etui has not seen the light of day. Maybe in November?

The most significant progress and lack of progress has been my Desert Mandala.

As you know, I had to remove the black borders on my Mandala as the Black Marlitt just did not lay right.
I replaced the borders with DMC 310. I started stitching the feathers. One feather was in the wrong place and I cut the fabric removing it. I have since restitched that feather. With a couple of carefully placed extra stitches and back stitching, I was able to cover the spot. I added a dab of Fray Chek to the back of the fabric to secure the threads. I think it will be okay now. All the rest of the feathers have been stitched and are in the right place!

I added the beads around the frame of the inside and then all around the beautiful border. I love how the beads just make it pop. The spaces left are for larger beads or bicones and I have left them off as the threads get caught in them.

 

I started stitching  the top left corner. Those cacti are both stitched in Black Marlitt. I have one cactus stitched with a minimum of cussing.  The blobs in the middle are the beginning of a rattlesnake - a beautifully beaded rattlesnake. As I stitched that black cactus, I realized I have some more frogging to do. The black border to the right is off by 1/2 stitch. It cannot stay there as much as I would like to leave it. It will throw off the outer borders if I don't remove it. Can you hear me cussing again?

Have you seen the latest Country Cross Stitch magazine? I had to buy this one!

I have a couple of lovely gifts to show you.

From Marlene at Poppy Patchwork - this lovely Christmas design with thread and beads

From my BFF Beatrice - some wonderful lighthouse fabric. I think I may soon have enough for a quilt.

From my sweet cousin - a new flower frog. Have you ever seen one like this? I never have! It is beautiful. The flowers on the side are hand painted.

 

Well, that's it for this post. Let's hope my frog visit is short lived. If not, I will be tossing them out of my vehicle bodily on my trip to Arizona - two more weeks until we leave.

TUSAL Double for October

Better late than never right.

Here is my TUSAL frog. He is full, full, full and there is lots of fluff. Wanna know why?

My Chatelaine - I took out all the Black Marlitt and replaced it with DMC 310 - fluff.
I stitched a feather in the wrong place and had to remove it - fluff.

and I CUT the fabric!!! I hope I can stitch over it.

 My Merry Xmas - her head and hat were 1/2 stitch out and so I had to remove that - fluff

I stitched his suit in the wrong color. It was supposed to be red and I stitched it in green - fluff

The latest Mirabilia RR - I had to unstitch most of her neck and redo it - fluff!

Christmas Elegance - Mirabilia

My frog is happy but I am ready to retire from stitching.

This is my container after my 6 month stint in Canada. We are getting ready to pack up and head to Arizona for the winter. Back to the martini glass and a fresh start - hopefully frog free.

And I have a second TUSAL container.
This one comes from my sewing room.

 My mother who is 78 cross stitched these blocks for her youngest granddaughter and asked me to make them into a quilt for her. This is what I came up with. I designed it myself.

Mom's beautiful cross stitched blocks

Disappearing 9 patch

Well, that's it for this post. I have lots more to share - next time.

Wipocalypse Post for September

Ok - so I'm a little late. The story of my life lately. I have been dealing with some medical issues and just haven't felt like posting much. I have taken much comfort in my stitching though.

WARNING: Photo intensive

My progess since the last Wipocalypse -

Finished Just Nan's True Blue Heart - photo in previous post
Finshed Las Vegas Tree - photo in previous post.
I have now completed 12 of the 24 stitches on my list.

I stitched some more on Desert Mandala - photo previous. I think I am going to rip out the Black Marlitt border that I stitched and restitch it with DMC. I used two strands and it does not lay nice at all. It has bothered me ever since so it is time for it to go.
Stitched Parliament Building on 2012 RR - photo previous.
I have two secret stitches done that cannot be shown for now.

I started LHN Travelling Stitcher - a little worried that I started too close to the top of the fabric lol.

 I stitched and restitched Merry Xmas - I had her head and hat over 1/2 stitch and had to restitch all that.
Then I realized I had stitched his outfit in green instead of red and had to restitch all that - frog infested or what!

I stitched part of The Sweetheart Tree's Sentimental Heart Sampler on Angi's RR. Another frog-infested stitch. I had the alphabet and all the vines over by 4 stitches and had to remove it and stitch it again.  It is such a beautiful RR. My photos do not do the fabric or beautiful silk colors any justice.

Thanks to a facebook friend, I did a little wander around Ebay or "Bay of Evil" one day. $60 later - this is my new stash! Considering that all the charts have the charms, it is a pretty good deal.

This past weekend my DH and I went up to our cottage to close it for the year. These colorful trees were photographed on Hwy 11 between Washago and North Bay in Ontario.

These photos were taken at the cottage that day. It was such a beautiful fall day. There is the cutest little bunny on the road. He walked right up to us and kept on going. 

Until next time, take care one and all. Be sure to enjoy the lovely change in weather. I am HAPPY this time of year! I love these temperatures.
DH and are are starting to make our plans to head to Arizona for the winter.  I look forward to the trip - 5 days of uninterrupted stitching in the car. YEAH!and no frogs allowed!

TUSAL for September and what filled the frog!

Well September it is. What a month I am having! I have stitched like crazy over the past moon phase and have plenty to show you!

Check this out - these are the threads that filled the frog!

 Just Nan - True Blue Heart

Ginny's Mirabilia Round Robin
I stitched Midsummer Night's Fairy. This one was frog-infested. What a time I had with her and all the Kreinik.

M Designs - Las Vegas tree

First Section of my Etui done.

Victoria Sampler's O Canada on 2012 Round Robin - her theme was souvenirs and so I stitched the Parliament Buildings in Ottawa, a Canada Goose and our national symbol - the beaver. I hope she approves.

My Desert Mandala

 188 Algerian Eyelets, 212 Dense Rhodes Stitches, 40 Rhodes Stitches and 16 Algerian Eyelets - all around that gorgeous border. Now I'm working on those black borders. The inside one is all Black Marlitt and it makes me cranky. It is awful stuff to work with even heavily coated with Thread  Heaven. And I just had to do one of those pretty, pretty feathers - only 7 more to go.

 I had some help from another wonderful stitcher and quilter - Barb - and we made my Band Sampler Round Robin into a bell pull. It is so pretty done and hanging.

And someone recently introduced me to the evils of Ebay and look what I bought. These are brand new - in perfect condition and cost me $10. How could I resist?

I will post some photos of the stitching get together at my house for the first weekend of September in a few days.

I am stitching now on a secret project! What fun and I'm making great progress.

Until next time, I hope those blasted frogs that infested my Mirabilia are now toasted and a delicacy for some one LOL.