New Start - Princess and the Dragon - EDIT

I did it! Another new start. I'm happy I stuck with my goal of finishing 2 more projects before I started this one. This is after 3 days of stitching:

EDIT - 1 over 1 DMC 310 on 28 count Jazlyn in colour Amarinthine by Chromatic Alchemy

I'm starting in the middle on this one because I'm paranoid I'll miscount on my fabric like I almost did on Dog Lessons. This is the start of the dragon and one paw. I plan on stitching one page at a time-ish. 

By that I mean I'll extend bits that don't fit on the page, like a few of his fingers on the top claw that isn't stitched yet, and his spikes extend across a few pages. I've already extended his neck out to the end instead of stopping at the page break. 

I hope to get about one page done per week. This week might take a little longer because I've come down with either bad allergies or a cold. 

Happy Stitching everyone!

Tiffstitch

Box of Delights is Complete!

I'm very happy to announce I finished Box of Delights last night. I stayed up only a little later than usual to finish off the last box. Unfortunately I didn't get a great close-up photo with my phone, it really washed out all the colours and seems to have an unfortunate pink cast to the whole photo. 

The whole piece shows off the colours much better. 

This was a good adventure for me. I mostly enjoyed it, but I did find having to outline the borders and boxes got repetitive. I'm not saying blackwork isn't for me or anything, but it got to be somewhat of a slog near the end. I really liked the process of picking out colours, and it's possible it only felt like a drag at the end because I'm so excited to start my next project. :)

I do think my next blackwork piece, Fleur de Lys by Brodeuse Bressane, is a little smaller and definitely has more variation, so I hope to enjoy it more. That will be in 2016, so you'll have to stay tuned for that one. 

Happy Stitching!

Tiffstitch

WIP Wednesday - So close...

Things have been busy so I haven't had as much time to stitch at night as I would like since I'd really love to get Box of Delights finished! 

I have 4/6 of the last part complete:

I found a box of threads I'd been keeping for another variegated project, so these are some of my favourites so far. I have 2 more to go and I'm hoping for a finish tonight. My MIL is visiting, so it may or may not happen, but I really hope so. 

I have Friday off so I'm keeping that as my day to start Princess and the Dragon if I don't have the chance to start Thursday. 

Happy Stitching!

Tiffstitch

Top 10 Tuesdays - Fears!

Check out Kate's blog where she's hosting Top 10 Tuesdays and join us!

So fears, I have a few easy ones, but coming up with 10 will be a bit of a challenge for me. Let's see where we get to.

FEARS

1. Drowning - especially in ice

I've had a long time fear of drowning ever since I was a small child. There could be a couple reasons for it. I watched a "scary" movie when I was supposed to be in bed, and a swimmer was caught under a hard cover in the pool and it was a very tense moment. I feel like it's possible the swimmer survived after all, but the fear is still there. 

Another time I was horsing around with my siblings in the pool and was being kept under as a joke, and I'm sure I wasn't close to drowning, but I started to panic, so the fear could come from that as well. 

I'm, or I was, a decent swimmer. I was on the swim team all throughout elementary school and some of high school as well and we had a in-ground pool while I was growing up. 

I'm mostly afraid of falling through ice and being trapped under it. I won't be in a vehicle driving on frozen water, even if there's tons of trucks out from the shore while their owners ice fish. I can't tolerate it. I wasn't even able to walk on ice until a couple years ago. DH thinks it's a silly fear because the ice is so thick there's no risk, so he jumps up and down to show me how solid it is. :) I'm a little easier with it now, but it's still not something I'm excited to do. 

2. Ladders

I don't mind heights so much, but I hate using ladders to get up to them! I get really shaky in the legs so I become a danger to myself. I like being in planes, no problems with tall buildings or the clear floor at the CN Tower in Toronto, but show me a ladder and I'm all shakes. 

3. Leaving the Oven On

This is a completely rational fear because I used to do it frequently. I'm mostly better, but it's something I'll check and re-check a little obsessively. That's even more likely now that DD can reach the handles for the oven, although she can't open the doors yet. 

4. Fear of Disappointing People

Like most of us, I like to be seen as competent at my work and project a friendly environment. I think I mostly succeed, but this is always in the back of my mind. 

from reactionface.info

5. Failure

I think many of us have this one too. I have it a little more now because of the new business and wanting to be sure we succeed. Things are improving and we're busier this year than last year at the same time, but again, this tends to sit in the back of my mind. 

from USA Today

6. Spiders

This is less of a fear than it used to be. I was really panicky about it in high school, but now it's more intense dislike if they're anywhere I want to be. I'm perfectly happy to leave them alone in the corner of the ceiling in the back room that we're never in and they can eat all the bugs they want, but the one over the bed needs to go outside. 

from boredpanda.com

7. Going Blind

I have a strong history of macular degeneration in my family and my grandmother is already mostly blind in one eye. I'm waiting to see if my father also gets diagnosed at some point because that will give me a good idea of my risk. It tends to run in families, but women tend to get it more than men. 

normal view

how macular degeneration affects your vision

And it tends to hit you when you're in your 50s or later, so maybe by the time I hit that age they'll have better treatments or even a cure.

I'm mostly afraid of losing my eyesight in case I won't be able to stitch any more!

That's all I can think of, so the last 3 will be random fears:

8. Black Cats

I think is something from the 1700s or so when people were afraid of witches and their familiars, which were commonly black cats. But I ask you, how can you be afraid of this face?

9. Triskaidekaphobia (#13)

Fear of the number 13 apparently arises from the 13th person at the table at The Last Supper. The 13th person was Judas, the betrayer of Jesus Christ. There is some talk that the Last Supper took place on a Friday and that's what arose the fear or superstition around Friday the 13th. However, this is a fairly recent conjunction according to Wikipedia. 

10. Fear of heights (acrophobia)

DH has this to some extent, although I don't know if it's a fear or some sort of inner ear imbalance. He tends to get really dizzy, even if he's in a place with no windows and it's difficult to tell how high up we are. 

I don't think he'd ever want to visit the CN Tower and walk on the glass walk with me. 

A fear of heights was often though to come from a conditioning experience, like a fall as a child, etc., but recent thought leans toward an evolved adaptation because falls can cause serious damage. Who knows, but it's a very common phenomenon and varies widely in how it affects people. Women tend to be more affected than men, but 2-5% of the populations suffers from some fear of heights. 

That's it for my list and I hope you enjoyed it!

Tiffstitch

IHSW Part 2 - August Conclusion

I didn't meet my goal of finishing Box of Delights, but it's really close! I only have one more part to go. This is part 5:

And the whole thing so far:

I ended up being a little distracted after I discovered this website full of great recipes. Of course I had to try some of the no-bakes out since it's still pretty hot up here and so far everything has turned out really well! 

I hope everyone had a great IHSW! 

Happy Stitching and see you tomorrow for Top Ten Tuesdays - Fears,

Tiffstitch

Stitch From Stash Part B - August Edition - Update!

Month:     $25 for August
Spent:      $16 at The Wooden Needle
                 $6 at Charting Creations
Earned:    $14 for Midnight Manor
                 $14 for Dog Lessons
Carryover:$23 from July
___________________________________
Total: $54 to carryover into September

This is my second SFS post and if I can improve it in any way, please let me know! I'm really happy to be so far into the black. I think if I can keep it this way I'll be in for a nice splurge at the end of the year. 

I purchased these at The Wooden Needle in Stowe, Vermont:

And I purchased the companion piece to The Princess and the Dragon:

The Triumphant Ride:

I'd like to stitch it on a new colour Chromatic Alchemy came out with, Vincent. It's so new it's not on her website yet, but I think I need it for this one! The owners of both stores were nice enough to show me an overlay:

Isn't that awesome?? I love it and can't wait to get there. But Princess and the Dragon will be first on Chromatic Alchemy's Amarinthine. I don't have an overlay of that, but I do have Triumphant Ride on Amarinthine, just to give you the effect of the two together. 

Try and picture the bottom silhouette on the upper fabric colour. 

I love the moodiness of the Amarinthine and the uplifting colours in Vincent for the different charts. 

I hope everyone had a good month and Happy Stitching!

Tiffstitch

P.S. Esmerelda pointed out I forgot to add photos of my finishes! Here they are:

WIP Wednesdays

Box of Delights is moving along well and I'm hoping for another finish over this IHSW weekend (part 2). 

I had to start a new skein of DMC 820 since I ran out of the one that was bobbined. They were purchased at the same time and I don't think I'm seeing any colour change, so that's a good thing. Only 4 and a bit more boxes and a little bit of border and then the filling in will begin. 

I'll admit to stitching less than normal the last few days since it's been incredibly hot and humid and I haven't felt up to stitching. It's supposed to cool down Friday though, and rain, so staying in to stitch sounds like a good idea. 

I hope you're all having a good stitchy week!

Tiffstitch

Top Ten Tuesdays: Choose Your Own Theme Day - better photos

Check out Top Ten Tuesdays with Kate at The Suddenly Kate Show and join us for a weekly top 10 post!

This week we got to choose our own theme, and I got busy and almost forgot, so I went to my garden for inspiration again. 

This week it's the top 10 blooms in my garden. I took most of the photos in twilight, so I apologize that they're dark. If I get home early enough I'll get new ones up tonight. 

10. Sebum (I think) that grows in the back garden. It's spread really well and has kind of interesting flowers. 

9. Hydrangea - Annabelle. We inherited this bush with the house and it's nice. I'm somewhat blasé about hydrangeas though. I like the colourful ones, but these are just nice. 

8. Blanket Flower aka "pom-pom flower" and I may be the only one that calls them that. When all the petals fall off you're left with a pom-pom in the middle, so that's why I call them pom-poms. I really like this flower, but it didn't make it through winter last year. I planted it in the same garden area, but in a different spot and I'm hopeful it will make it this year. 

 6 &7. Petunias and Marigolds - we purchased a lot of these when a local garden center was having an annuals clear-out. I had marigolds last year that did really well and the petunias are new to me this year, but I really love how well they've flowered. 

I followed my mother's advice and cut all the petunia blooms off after I planted them and they bounced back amazing well. 

 6. Marigolds - another style. I like marigolds a lot because they tend to keep away bugs and they flower really nicely. They have a strong smell that isn't exactly pleasant, but I think that's what keeps away the bugs!

5. Coneflower - I love this one! It survived the winter after being planted late last summer and it's come back with a vengeance this year. There are at least twice as many blooms as last year and they last so long. DD loves touching the pink flowers too and it's hardy enough to survive her tugging at it.

4. Hostas - We have tons of these in our yard. We inherited some very healthy ones and a few different varieties. I hope to pass some on to neighbours or friends next year because they're getting really big and should be halved soon. The bees and hummingbirds love these and we've had hummingbirds ever year drinking out of our backyard hostas. 

I think we have 15 or 16 individual plants and several are big enough to at least halve next spring. 

3. Geraniums - I love geraniums. My mother has always grown geraniums. She'd have them outside when the weather was warm enough and bring them inside during winter. It seems like when I was younger we always had red ones, and maybe that's all there was? There have been beautiful cultivars (?) around and I really like these pink ones we picked this year. I'm thinking about trying to bring them in the house this winter, we'll see.  

2. Coreopsis - This is a new plant to me. We also purchased it late last summer and it came back really well despite the long, harsh winter. I don't really know if it needs to be dead-headed or not since it has so many blooms, but I did try this year. 

This strikes me as a happy flower for some reason. Possibly the yellow colour, or the abundance of blooms, but it makes me smile when I see it in the front garden.

1. Phlox - I love phlox because they remind me of my grandma. She always had creeping phlox in her front garden and I have some in my back garden. These are an annual phlox and a beautiful blue-mauve colour. I'll try and get a better shot if it's still light when I get home. Grandma loves light blue, mauve and pink and that always seems to be the colours I find in phlox, so they always make me think of her. 

 Honourable Mentions:

Bleeding Heart - dying off

One lonely pepper growing on our plant. 

I hope you enjoyed the list and feel free to join Kate and I!

Happy Stitching,

Tiffstitch

IHSW the Conclusion - August Edition

It happened, a finish!

A couple close-ups of Dog Lessons:

I reversed the colours on this. It's charted as white with blue stripes, but I thought blue with white striped tied in a little better to the paws in the title. 

I'm so happy my modifications worked out and this looks like a basset. I wasn't confident in my ability to modify LK's great charting. 

This means 15/30 of my Crazy January Challenge projects are complete! That's a huge milestone for me. Because I also signed up to Debbie's Ultimate Crazy January Challenge I have 15 more projects to work on. Not to mention the new starts. 

Box of Delights is next up. I left it here last:

and I'll be finishing it before I start my new start - Princess and the Dragon from Charting Creations. 

I hope everyone had a great IHSW and don't forget to check everyone's progress here.

Happy Stitching,

Tiffstitch

A Finish Over IHSW?

I'm well on my way to finishing Dog Lessons. I think I may even get back to Box of Delights this weekend.

We'll see what the weekend brings and I hope you all have a great IHSW - part 1! 

Happy Stitching,

Tiffstitch

WIP Wednesday and IHSW

Joyce over at Random Ramblings is progressing beautifully on her Serengeti Chatelaine Mandala and she's hosting IHSW this weekend and next! I definitely agree that we should take advantage of 5 weekends in a month to make 2 of them IHSW. Especially since I have to work this weekend so there won't be as much hermitting and stitching as there will be next weekend. 

I'm hoping by the end of the second hermit-and-stitch weekend I can finish my 2 current WIPs, Dog Lessons and Box of Delights.

Dog Lessons is moving along well and I managed to sub WDW Grasshopper for the WDW Moss. I don't think I can really tell much difference between them. 

I am using the loop start and stitching continuously instead of one stitch at a time, so that might be helping it blend better. 

My next new start is calling to me, but I will resist until I finish these 2. If I can stick to finish 2 before I start 1 then maybe in several years I'll finish all of my UFOs. :)

Happy Stitching,

Tiffstitch

Turtle Trot - August Edition

It's Turtle Trot time again! I've heard nothing from our host, Claudette of BAP Attack, and I hope all is well and she's just taking a break. The goal is to work on 10 big projects throughout the year so that they progress somewhat. I decided to use Turtle Trot to focus on projects that I hoped to finish and I've been doing well. Check out my Turtle Trot tab for everything that has been finished so far. 


On to the projects that I worked on this month:

4. The Good Life is finished!

14. Midnight Manor is finished!

Glow in the dark photo:

15. Butterfly Quote got a little love from here:

to here:

and 2. Dog Lessons is almost complete as well:

and I need to add 1 more project to my list of 10 WIPs for Turtle Trot:

Song of the Weather afghan:

I might complete 2 more TT projects this year which would mean my 10 for next year are already selected. I like the idea of adding more WIPs as I finish the 10 I started with and I hope to see Claudette back online soon, or hear she's doing okay. 

Happy Stitching,

Tiffstitch