Cross Stitch Update

I didn’t get a lot of stitching time this week. I worked extra last week. I am working Saturdays to help cover some maternity leave and someone had a vacation day on Friday so I covered part of the day too. I don’t mind. I still love work but it puts me a little behind at home and that makes me have less time for stitching. It’s all good and only temporary. Plus the evenings before I work, quit stitching at 9:30 pm vs the 10:30 or 11 pm on nights I don’t work. It’s all good…

Anyway…here’s what I was up to this week. I had planned to stitch a lot and finish Maker and Mender by With Thy Needle and Thread. That didn’t happen. Here is where I was last week.

I’m stitching this on 40-count Alcott Linen from Needle and Flax. I’d like to find more of that linen. I think I would completely splurge and buy a 1/2 yard. I really love it! I am using all of the called for colors.

I only stitched on it one night and got this far. That bird took longer than I expected…and it’s still not done.

I’m not going to say I’m going to finish it this week because who knows what mood will strike me! HA! I don’t have a lot left though. We’ll see.

I did more than I expected on my Red Pears. I was working on the first one…the one on the far left in the picture last week. I was frustrated as I had some counting errors.

I ended up giving up and just mirror-imaged the stitching on had done of the left and stitched it on the right. It’s all good. No one will know except all of you. HA!

I am stitching mine on 40-count Eureka by Fox and Rabbit. The true color is more like what you see in the photo above.

I ended up picking up the Red Pears another night and got this far on the next pear. This is the one on the far right in the pattern. I’m over half done.

If I put my mind to it, I could finish this one and the alphabet one this week…but who knows what I’ll stitch. I’m kind of naughty that way. I do feel better about this project. If you follow the Stitch Along Facebook group, several people are finishing up the trio and I felt behind. Now I’ve stitched enough that I don’t feel way behind.

Most of my time went into Pet All The Dogs by Teresa Kogut. I’m stitching this on the color Boston from Seraphim Fabrics in 40 count linen. Mine is a little different dye lot from others I’ve seen. Here is where I was last week.

Here is where I am now…I mostly worked on the left-hand side.

I finished the letters on this side. I did the big stars and other do-dads and started the tree.

One night I was tired and only had a little time to stitch so I just put two threads into the house. Every little bit sure helps. I feel like I didn’t get a lot of stitching done for the amount of time I put into this. The reason is there are numerous color changes in those little motifs.

I’ll admit, stitching those trees isn’t for the faint of heart. There are two colors to the trees. There is a lighter colored quilt type pattern and then the darker color is the rest of the trees. I’ve been trying to stitch both colors at once. Not fun.

I decided I’m going to go in and stitch all of the light part first and then I’m going to go back and fill it all in the dark green.

The problem is that there are two trees on the other side of the house so after I get the one stitched, I have to go stitch two more. I think it will be a grin-and-bear-it situation. Hopefully, I can get the gumption up to stitch the tree this week. I hate saying that because I’m so bad at making myself do something. HA!

I’m really pleased with how these pieces are coming along. I’d really like to get red pears finished. I am announcing the new stitch along tomorrow evening and it’s always nice for me to have one finished before the new one begins!! It’s a small easy one that you can have stitched before Christmas rolls around…that’s your hint. It’s a Christmas piece.

That’s all I know for now. I have gotten several questions about cross stitch, lighting, and magnification. I’ll be answering questions about that in the next “Ask Jo” on Tuesday. Stay tuned!!