Cross Stitch Update

I’ve been wanting to be working on fewer projects so I finished a couple this week. Well, I finished the stitching…not fully finished them.

The first one I finished was my Birds of a Feather from Blackbird Designs. I am stitching this on 40-count Doubloon by Picture this Plus. It is a favorite linen on mine. I had a little left. I needed to finish the bird on the right. I had to do the chain stitching around the top center flower and I needed to personalize it.

I screwed up on the bird and had to rip out a lot. I worked on it a second night and finished it. YAHOO!! That’s another off my list.

I had to do the chain stitching at the top flower. I almost didn’t do it but I am so glad that I did. I also personalized it putting my husband’s initials on the left and mine on the right. I also added our wedding year near the birds.

Many thanks to the blog reader, Sueann, who sent me the pattern. I so appreciate your kindness.

I used letters and numbers from this book to personalize it.

That’s not the only time I used that book this week. I also decided that I would finally finish another project I had here. This has been sitting around for a couple of years. The piece says Pins and Orts on it. I had always thought I would put my initials there instead but I just never finished it. As long as I had the book out, I thought I might as well finish this too. I found a box that I’ll use for finishing it but stopped there as I needed dark blue paint to paint the box. I’m excited to see this project moving along.

I was closing in on the finish of this trio. I only needed to finish the pillow that says Goodness and Plenty.

I did that. YAHOO!! Now I need to fully finish these. Soon I hope. The chart is from Plum Street Samplers and is called Goodness and Plenty. I stitched them on Picture This Plus Heartland linen in 40 count. I used the called-for threads.

Here is a closer look at the last piece of the trio.

I worked on another trio. It is my trio of strawberries for the Quaker Wisdom Berry stitch-along. Last week I had stitched the first berry and didn’t know when I’d get the next one started.

I ended up starting and finishing the whole berry last week. YAHOO!! I only have one more left.

Now I just have one more left. I’m secretly hoping to finish that one this week…that would again have to be a start and finish. Then I can check that project off of my list too. I am loving that I’m getting the stitching finished on these.

I also worked on Pet All the Dogs. I would like to get back to this and I think I will. It is going to be the bigger piece I work on besides Consider the Lilies. I am stitching this on 40-count Seraphim linen in the color Boston with the called-for colors. Here is where I was when I last showed this to you. I really don’t think it would take terribly long (except maybe that house) if I would just buckle down and concentrate on it. But we all know how I do with concentrating on any project. HA!!

I do want to work a little on this and get the house completely outlined so I can take that to my doctor appointments and then I can just work on the fill-in stitching. That’s the current plan for this anyway. We’ll see. I finished the red triangles along the bottom. I am trying to make a commitment to work on this one night every week in an effort to try to get it moving along.

I can make all sorts of plans and then not do any of them. UGH. I’m a great plan maker and a medium follow-througher.

See what I mean…I wanted to have fewer projects in my stitching rotation so what do I do…finish two projects like a good girl and then start a new one. UGH.

I just barely started. I’ve been wanting to stitch this ever since it came out at market. It’s Mender and Maker by With Thy Needle and Thread. Pat at the stitching retreat finished it and that made me want to stitch mine. The other day I was thinking about what project I would do for a birthday start. In the years past, being my birthday is in December, I started thinking about all the projects I got done and all the projects I wish I had gotten done. Then I pick a project that I haven’t started but had hoped to have stitched during the year and that’s my birthday start.

I was thinking the other day about what this year’s project would be and I really think it will be Though He Seemeth Sleeping (if I don’t start it before my birthday) but then was pretty sad that it wasn’t Maker and Mender. That’s when I decided to start Maker and Mender now. So I did. It’s only a small start. You can see a few stitches in the lower left-hand corner.

Well, that wasn’t enough for me. I started even ANOTHER project!! UGH. Oh, Jo. I always like a small project that is easy to pick up and work on went the grandkids are here, to take to the doctor, or grab quickly. This project, Tom Turkey Sampler, from Heart in Hand, was the perfect fit. It only uses one color of floss. I’m stitching it on a 40-count Heartland by Picture This Plus linen.

If anyone wants to stitch along with me. You certainly can. The Stitchery Nook has the pattern. You can find it HERE. I am stitching mine with the color Used Brick. I was tempted to stitch it with silks but didn’t want to make an order for one skein of floss. HA! And I’m trying to be good about my purchases. I have plenty here to stitch and don’t need to buy anything else!!

That was a busy update…finished projects…new starts. I wish every week was like that!!

Before I go, I want to remind you about the next stitch-along project…Redwork Pears. Of course, you don’t have to stitch your pears with red. You can use any color you want. HERE is the link to order the goodies you’ll need.

I did a full blog post about it HERE. I hope you’ll stitch along.