Cross Stitch Update

It’s going to look like I stitched a lot this week, but I really didn’t. I had several small pieces that were close to a finish and I was able to finish them. That makes it look like I stitched a lot…I only had one night of stitching which was over 2 hours. Most of the time I just squeezed in a few stitches here and there.

First up I worked on The Itch to Stitch from October House. This has been our stitch-along piece. I’m stitching it on everything called for.

I took grandkids to swimming and day camp and had stitching with me three of the days so I had an extra 30 minutes or so then.

I ended up finishing it. I really like it. I think it’s a perfect stitch-along piece, especially for beginner stitchers.

I already stitched the Snip-Snip piece so now I have both of them done. Now I need to figure out how I’m going to finish them.

You can see they didn’t take long for me to stitch so you can still easily get them stitched. HERE is the link if you’re interested in the charts and supplies.

For Summer Stitch Camp with the Colorado Cross Stitcher, I’m stitching Patriotic Rose by Threadwork Primitives. I am stitching this on 40-count Lakeside Vintage Meadow Rue. Here is where I was last week…

I ended up only filling in the leaves and not adding the stars. I tried to stitch the stars but realized I am off a bit on the right wing of the eagle. Without the stars, I don’t think a person really notices it unless I point it out. If I add the stars, I think it would be noticeable. So, I’m calling this finished. The color is more like the photo above.

I have another finished piece. I started this back in April and only stitched on it one day. Then I set it aside. I’m stitching the piece I Collect by With Thy Needle and Thread.

I wanted this as a companion piece to my Keeper of the Pins display.

This chart isn’t made to go with the display but it’s from the same designer and I thought it would look great with it. I changed some of the colors to coordinate with the other stitched pieces.

I set the piece aside because I wasn’t hot on the color of the jar. Then the piece sat and sat. I’ve been wanting to finish up some UFOs. This was close to a finish. I had debated about starting over but I finally decided to just stitch down the side and get to the other colors and maybe the piece would get some life. That’s what happened. It did start looking better. I ended up outlining everything then the next day when the grandkids were out playing on the swing set, I sat and filled in the outlined pieces.

I’m so happy I finished this. I have the buttons glued down but I need to stitch them down and finish it into a pillow. Many thanks to the blog reader who met my daughter Kayla in Manchester and gave her goodies. I used some of those buttons on this.

Here is where I was last on Lady Liberty by With Thy Needle and Thread. I am stitching this on a scrap of Lakeside Vintage Meadow Rue in 40 count.

I only worked on this one evening so I don’t have a lot of progress. I worked on the vase of flowers but didn’t get it finished.

My linen is darker than the original and I’m glad because I think the white skirt will show up better.

When I was at the Stitchery Nook last weekend, I was able to pick up the blue color, Freedom. Now I can really get working on it as I have all the needed flosses.

The last thing I worked on was Birds of a Feather by Blackbird Designs. A kind blog reader gave me the pattern. THANK YOU!

I started working on this and was so excited but then UGH. I couldn’t get the border to come together. I was so frustrated. I thought I had it fixed but then didn’t. Then it got set aside.

I love the piece and really want to get it stitched…but the borders were killing me. I told myself the next time I get a chunk of time to sit down and work on it, I would. That happened on Wednesday night.

I told myself the goal was to get the border together even if I had to fudge it. I did some ripping and some restitching. In the end, I added one extra stitch that was three threads high. I don’t love it but no one will ever realize it..truthfully even if I point out exactly where it is, they might not notice it. I just don’t want this piece sitting around longer. I hate when pieces are in “time out” as this one was.

I am stitching this on 40-count Doubloon by Picture This Plus. I have the called-for threads. After the border came together I did a little more stitching to finish out the night. This is going to be a piece that’s a little tedious. I almost wish I had it on a frame and there are three stitches here of this color and then six stitches of the same color in the middle on the other side. It’s going to be a lot of stops and starts.

My plan is to put a few stitches in this every week. Maybe stitch on it at least one night a week. Right now I’m still a little mad at it and am worried the piece might have a curse on it…kind of like my Come to the Garden did. I’ll take it gradually…

When I was Stitchery Nook I got the threads for this. It is My Heart Can Rest by Blackbird Designs. I love this piece. I’m thinking about picking it as my Summer Cross Stitch Camp piece for July. The prompt for that is to pick something that grows. This is a little ambitious. It to me is a “medium” project. I like picking small projects. Regardless…I want to stitch this and it will be a soon-to-start piece.

For not I have Shriek’s Tan by Needle Bling Designs picked out as my linen. 40-count of course.

I ended up un-kitting two cross-stitch projects. I kitted them up (Got all the supplies together) back when I first started cross stitching and didn’t realize how long it takes to stitch something. I thought I could pick everything and stitch it. Both pieces are large patriotic pieces. I haven’t once even thought about stitching them in the last two years…so no. I don’t need them to be kitted. It would be much better for me to put that floss into rotation.

I want to get through and un-kit a couple of other projects as well. My interest has changed and that’s totally okay. In general, I just don’t want to have as many projects kitted. It’s a waste of money to have projects kitted up that I’m not stitching. If I have 10 projects kitted up, that’s plenty.

I also emptied the project bags from the four most recent projects I finished. I laid all of the floss out and had a little “put away floss party”. A good time was had by all!!

I’m still debating on my start for July Summer Stitch Camp. I have a couple of bigger things I’d like to start. But..am thinking I should maybe err on the side of caution and pick a smaller project. I’m also really starting to thing of the retreat I’m going to in July…what do I want to stitch on then? I’ll have 3+ days of non stop stitching…what do I want to make that much progress on. Last year I worked on All Creatures Great and Small. It was an AWESOME push to get me going on it. Hmm.

One more thing…did you see the new stitch along? I wrote about it HERE. The project is Quaker Wisdom Berries by Erica Michaels.

They say, “Live Simply”, “Expect Less”, “Give More”. I loved that!!

These will be my first berries and my first Erica Michaels project!! We’ll start stitching on August 1st. Liz already has everything in stock so order away. HERE is the ordering page.

Lots to think about in my cross stitch world!! I love it!!