Cross Stitch Update

Oops. This was supposed to publish on Friday morning but it didn’t. Thankfully a blog reader asked me why there was no Cross Stitch Update. It was a scheduling mix-up. I am putting it in today so you don’t miss what I was up to. Here’s the post…

Memorial Day weekend happened since my last update. I did have a little extra time away from people and for me, that means more stitching or quilting time or gardening time. I took advantage and did some of all of it! Later in the week I had grandkids here and then I had ZERO stitching so it all balanced out.

I’m writing this on Thursday night at 9:30 pm. I have grandkids staying overnight and it’s past their bedtime. I didn’t take the time to iron the cross-stitch pieces…Sorry. I’m sure you understand. Onto the report.

I finished my Black Dog Sampler from The Scarlett House. I started this as my New Year New Start. Several of you stitched along with me. My original intention was to stitch a section each quarter. Well…this last month or so I’ve been on a push to finish anything that might go quickly. This was on that list so I decided to just stitch it and finish it.

Hopefully, that won’t be a disappointment to any of you.

I opted to change up some of the yellow. In some places I used the conversion but other times, for this yellow, I used Needle Point Inc silk in the color #474. I just wanted the piece to be a little “warmer”. The original yellow is what my daughter Kelli calls poison yellow.

I stitched mine on 40 count Dirty Tea Cup from Needle and Flax Linen. I very much liked the linen. Happily, I stitched this on a fat quarter and have enough to stitch another piece on it.

I looked and looked through my stash for frames from the thrift store and just didn’t have anything that I was happy with. I ended up taking it to the local framer and we picked out a frame for it. It is something she had on hand. It will be a couple of weeks before this one is done as the gal that does the lacing will be out of town for a bit.

I am so happy to have this one finished. I’m still working on not having too many UFOs…but then the first of June rolls around and there are more things to start…right?? I put away all of the threads for Black Dog Sampler. Then I pulled out these two and got them ready to start stitching. For me, that means labeling and putting the threads into Floss Away bags. I’m a gal that bags everything up. I started that way and honestly, I like this method a lot.

I ended up starting the Snip, Snip chart first. These are really going to stitch up fast.

Not too long ago I bought a Nurge Embroidery Hoop. I had heard two different Flosstubers talk about them. I think it was Mischievous Stitcher and Antique Needleworkers. I thought I would give them a try.

I just order the smallest one first to test them out. It’s only 3 47/64″ x 4 21/64. I stitch with a hoop and prefer a hoop. I think it’s because I started out embroidering first when I was a teenager and I think it just feels natural. I also like the surface of the linen laid out before me. I feel like I see the holes better. Keep in mind, 99% of the time I’m stitching on a tightly woven linen with small holes. It’s what I like.

I wanted this hoop so I could stitch in the corner more easily. With a circle hoop, it can be a little challenging to get right up tight into where I want to stitch…especially borders. I ordered the smallest-sized hoop with the intention of stitching the corners of borders using it and then switching to my favorite Morgan hoop as I stitch the rest of the border.

It turns out the linen for the Snip, Snip piece is narrow…and again, I wanted to use a hoop so…I grabbed this little Nurge Hoop and gave it a try. Hmm…

I love it. The hoop is especially perfect for this project. The linen fits perfectly with it. I very much enjoyed this hoop.

I think I’ll like it for other projects too. I ended up liking it so much that I ordered the size up from this one and hopefully it will be here next week for me to give it a try. If you are interested in the Nurge Hoops, you can find them HERE. I’ll try out the size up and let you know what I think. I don’t ever plan on going the size up…the small and extra small are the only sizes I’ll use. I really don’t like a much bigger hoop.

Here is where I ended the week on stitching Snip, Snip. If I keep going I will have these stitched in no time. I only stitched one evening and then one afternoon when I was sitting with one of the grandkids to get them to sleep.

I am LOVING this stitch. I’m actually super excited about it. I wouldn’t be surprised if I finish this one next week. I had trouble putting it down. I can’t believe I am already over half way done. After this one, I plan to start the next one, Itch to Stitch.

There is still time to join the stitch along. You can order the supplies HERE. If you only ordered one of the charts and want to stitch the other one too, you can also do that.

As I said June 1st kicked off a few things besides our stitch along. I’m also doing Summer Stitch Camp with the Colorado Cross Stitcher. For that, we were supposed to stitch something with a bird. I debated for the LONGEST time on what to stitch. Pretty much 75% of the charts I have include some type of bird. I could stitch virtually anything. I didn’t think I wanted something too big…I didn’t think I wanted something too small and it wouldn’t be a challenge. I thought about something patriotic because I have ZERO patriotic pieces stitched and I have several options that include a bird. Oh, my word…too many choices.

I finally settled on (I’ve typed a chart name in here several times and deleted it.) The final choice is…Threadwork Primitive’s Patriotic Rose. It’s a small stitch. I didn’t have a few of the threads and subbed in something I had. I didn’t make a single stitch in it. My son Buck’s kiddos came yesterday and will be here for the weekend so little to no stitching is going to happen.

I plan to start it this week. I might just stitch it until I’m done. I’m not super hooked on any of the projects I’m working on currently so stitching until I’m finished might be kind of fun.

I told myself if I finished the Black Dog sampler by the end of May I could start a new project on June 1st, I accomplished the goal so I had the option to start something new. I was so excited. I ended up not starting anything new besides the stitch alongs. I was a little disappointed with myself but hey…I still have it in my head that I want to keep working on my UFOs.

So…in light of that, most of my time went into Birds of a Feather by Blackbird Designs. This is where I was last week.

I am stitching this on 40-count Doubloon by Picture This Plus. This piece is actually much smaller than I anticipated. I am using the called for DMC. I didn’t want to pay the money for the silks. I love stitching with them but not enough to stitch this project with them. Plus this is an older chart and dye lots changed. I didn’t want to be frustrated with colors after I had spent the money on silks.

Here is where I am now….

So far it is going absolutely terribly. In fact so bad that I’ve ripped out much of the border TWICE and it’s still not lining up. UGH> I was so frustrated that I set it aside and left it for a few days. It’s hard to stitch on something three separate nights and really make ZERO progress on it.

My daughter Kelli is coming home today. She’s also a cross stitcher. I’m going to hand this to her and see if she can figure out where the mistake is.

In light of that, I set the whole thing aside and stitched on Pet All the Dogs by Teresa Kogut. I’m stitching this on Seraphim’s color Boston in 40 count. I started stitching the outer border on this one. So far, so good but It’s not matched up-I’m trying to be optimistic. Happily, this one would be easier to fuge should it not match. UGH…what is it with me and not matching borders lately.

I’m thinking I would like to get this one into a good spot and take it with me when I go to a retreat in July. There is a lot of fill-in and repetitive work so it’s a good candidate to take to a retreat. In the meantime, I need to get some of the bones in place.

I am telling myself, once I get one of these pieces stitched, I can start a new project beyond Stitch Camp and beyond our stitch-along. Like a big project…like something I have kitted up that I’ve been dying to stitch. Something that is calling my name. Something that I’ll likely take a year to stitch. I can start something new…right?! Can you tell I’m trying to get the gumption up to start a new project? Oddly, I don’t like starting new projects.

I hate putting in the first new stitches. There are so many decisions to make. Where should I start the project, the upper left, the middle, the bottom? Are the colors and the linen working together? Should I make a plan for the project like stitch the border first? Should I do a motif each week…

Then beyond that, the first stitches are always the hardest. Every hole has to be counted. Every stitch needs to be placed correctly. Once the foundation stitches are in, my eye can more easily see where the needle needs to go.

UGH. I don’t like starting new projects.

The New Hampshire Stitcher on Flosstube has just announced in her latest video that she is hosting a stitch along starting in September I believe. She is encouraging others to start a BIG project they’ve been wanting to start but haven’t. Hmm. That has me thinking.

Who knows what I’ll do or where I’ll go in my stitching? Whatever I end up picking up I hope it goes more smoothly than my Birds of a Feather project did this week. Fingers crossed I can get the borders figured out…or fudged it. Right now, I’m super frustrated with it.

What are you stitching on? I’m hoping you are having better luck than I am.