WIP Wednesday - End of Monochrome May

I hope everyone has had good weekends! Last weekend was Memorial Day in the U.S. and we took a trip to see some friends. Fortunately DD travels really well in the car since this was a 9 hour drive each way. That did allow me to get some stitching done and I brought along Reflections of Canada to try and get it finished by July 1st! 

Here's where it was at our last check-in:

and after a long weekend:

Almost done!! About 3/4 of the way there. I'm about to work on it a little more tonight before bed and then I will put it down for a bit and work on something else. This will definitely come back out in June and hopefully have a July 1st finish! I plan on working on it for my 3rd and 4th weeks of the month, so that should leave me plenty of time. 

I'm stitching this on 25 count ivory Lugana with Jodyri Ruby Slippers 2 over 2. The top photo has more realistic colours. 

Happy Stitching!

Tiffstitch

Top 5 Tuesdays: Top 5 Summer Foods

I can't believe what happened in Manchester last night. My heart goes out to everyone who suffered or lost someone. Take care of each other. 

TOP 5 SUMMER FOODS

Check out everyone's lists over at Kate's blog and see what we've all chosen as our top 5 foods. Maybe I shouldn't be writing this at lunchtime?

1. Ice Cream

Now that Ben & Jerry's has non dairy ice cream, this is so much more dangerous. A lot of non dairy ice cream isn't especially creamy or is so-so, this stuff is fantastic! Plus they have 3 other new flavours this year. So dangerous... 

2. Grilled food

This is kind of a broad category since you can have hamburgers, hot dogs, we had sausages 2 nights ago, vegetables, watermelon, eggplant, so many choices! 

3. Watermelon

All 3 of us really enjoy watermelon, so I'm sure there will be a lot of it this year. Plus it's supposed to be a hot summer, and watermelon is a great way to get cool and hydrated. 

4. Lemonade

Lemonade or limeade, are great summer drinks. I like to make it from home with maple syrup to sweeten instead of sugar so it's a little healthier as well. 

5. Smoothies

I feel like a lot of days last year it was too hot to eat anything, and it was fairly easy to whip up a relatively healthy smoothie for DH and I. DD always has a balanced meal, but sometimes we'll have a smoothie for our meal instead of actual food. It works surprisingly well on the really hot days. 

I hope you enjoyed the list. What are your favourite summer foods? 

Happy Stitching,

Tiffstitch

Theme-tas-Stitch May! - Monochrome May

This time I'm going to post early for Theme-tas-Stitch instead of late. :) Check out Kerry's blog for all the details about Theme-tas-Stitch and the links to see how every one else did this month. 

I worked on Princess and the Dragon and managed to progress past the error I'd made and continue on into the next section.

This is almost the full piece of fabric, which will almost be entirely filled with the design. I'm stitching 1 over 1 (DMC 310) on 28 count Jazlyn Amarinthine by Chromatic Alchemy. 

I also pulled out Reflections of Canada to work on and am about halfway done! 

I've flipped it upside down as well since the stitches will still go the same way, but it's easier to stitch at the top of the fabric with my stand. I'm stitching 2 over 2 on 25 count ivory fabric with Jodyri Ruby Slippers. 

I hope to finish this one by July 1st this year since that's Canada's sesquicentennial celebration! (150th). I always remember that word from one of the Cat Who mysteries by Lilian Jackson Braun. That and anti-penultimate from music class. 

I'm debating about restitching May in some purples for my SIL's birthday. It's later in May, so the card might even get there on time! So Monochrome May will continue until the end of the month, and likely into June for WIP week if I don't get Reflections of Canada finished this month. 

Happy Stitching! And if you haven't checked out Jo's venture, Blogger of the Week, this week is another great time to do so since I'm the Blogger of the Week! :) I even found my very first cross stitch project this week while cleaning up the loft in the garage. 

I used all six strands of thread on each stitch, so it's thick! 

ttyl!

Tiffstitch

Top 5 Tuesday: Top 5 Questions of the Week

We're branching out a little bit this Tuesday, and I hope you enjoy everyone's answers to this week's topic. Check out everyone else's list and our excellent host Kate's as well over at her The Suddenly Kate Show blog. 

TOP 5 QUESTIONS OF THE WEEK

1. Given the choice of anyone in the world, whom would you want as a dinner guest?

This is a tough one. I think I'd have to choose Nathan Fillion or my Grandpa (died in 2002). 

I'd choose Nathan Fillion because he seems like a really approachable and fun person despite being a celebrity and my Grandpa because most of the big successes in my life came after he had died. 

2. When did you last sing to yourself? To someone else?

Tonight, as I do every night I'm home I sing to DD. I sing:

Stay Awake
Frere Jacques

Au Clair de la Lune (1st verse)
Twinkle Twinkle Little Star
The Itsy Bitsy Spider
and

Sing A Song 

3. If you were able to live to the age of 90 and retain either the mind or body of a 30-year old for the last 60 years of your life, which would you choose?

I feel like I've become more relaxed with myself in the last 5-7 years and at 30yo I was still stressing over little things. Therefore, I'd have to choose the body and energy of a 30 year old. 

4. If you could wake up tomorrow having gained one quality or ability, what would it be?

I'd like to have good rhythm and the ability to dance, I don't think I dance well and I can't stick to a rhythm. I think the abilities are the same, as you can't dance without good rhythm and if you have good rhythm you can dance. :) 

5. If a crystal ball could tell you the truth about yourself, your life, the future or anything else what would you want to know?

I feel like I know myself fairly well now, and I don't really want to know the future. I think I'd rather know if DD stays her happy self. 

Great idea Kate and I hope you all enjoyed the lists. Feel free to answer any questions you're interested in below in the comments!

Happy Stitching!

Tiffstitch

Gifted Gorgeousness - May Edition

Today is the 15th, just barely still the 15th, so I'm not too late getting my Gifted Gorgeousness post up. Hosted as always by the hostess with the mostest, Jo of Serendipitous Stitching. Sign up if you'd like to join in this month!

Since last month I've worked on:

Princess and the Dragon

I finally got past the area of the mistake! It's all fixed now, thankfully. I did have to frog a little bit, but that's okay. 

May

Love this one for my Grandma, and I still need to send it! Jodyri Over the Rainbow is the thread. 

Peonies

This is a new start when I felt like stitching something new. I was going to stitch it 1 over 1 on 25 count sky Lugana, but there are a lot of blended threads and I might have to start over on different fabric... boo...

I haven't had as much time to stitch as I would like, so that's all the GG things I can shoe-horn in this month. I've been stitching on another project, but it is in no way a gift, so I'll have to try and remember to post about it on the 21st for Theme-tas-stitch.

Happy Stitching!

Tiffstitch

TOP 5 Tuesdays: Top 5 Stitchy Sites

Hello again Top 5 Tuesday people! Make sure you check out our excellent host Kate's page to find out topics and check out the links of the other Top 5 participants. This topic might lead you to some new places, or maybe we'll all have similar lists, let's find out! 

TOP 5 STITCHY SITES

1. Cross Stitch Forum

This was my first foray into Internet cross stitch things and I so wish I'd found some places earlier before certain charts were discontinued, designers stopped designing, etc. However, this was a great place to start! Everyone was very friendly, and they still are if you're looking for a non-Facebook place to chat and share your work or check out other people's stitching. 

I haven't been on the forum as much as I used to be, but there are still lots of great people on there and new members are always welcome. 

2. Facebook

It feels like stitchers have really found a home on Facebook in many ways. There are tons of different groups celebrating many different types and ways of stitching. I still feel Facebook takes too much time away from my stitching, so I don't post too much on there, but it can be a great place if you find the right group to join. Also, if you're stitching gifts for anyone, make sure you only share them on a closed group and not a public group. :) 

3. 123stitch.com

123stitch generally has pretty fast shipping and the one time they made an error and sent me the wrong chart, they said I could keep it and sent me the correct one as well. I have a long wish list there since every week something different is at least 20% off and I keep adding things I'm interested in to the wish list. Since I won a gift certificate from Rachel, I need to decide what I'm going to get! 

4. Herrschnerrs

This is another dangerous site. They also tend to have some great sales, especially seasonal things that are now out of season. If you sign up for the newsletter/sales then they send coupons every week I think. I had to stop because the temptation is so great. But I have picked up some great deals. There's also a section of pdf charts that are inexpensive, so it's much too convenient. :D

5. Etsy

It feels likes stitchers have also done well at Etsy in being able to display their patterns to a much wider audience. There are several great designers on there and it must be going well as they continue to add to their designs. I think you have to be careful as there are likely some people that just slap cross-stitch software on any image and don't take care as well as some of the other designers. It's a great resource though, and not a bad way to waste an hour or two if you can't stitch. 

I hope you enjoyed the list and I'm curious to see how closely we all match this week. 

Happy Stitching!

Tiffstitch

Top 5 Tuesdays: Top 5 Books on Your Must-Read List

Kate has picked another good topic today, and I might have to add some pre-orders in this list as there are some upcoming books I'm really excited about. Check out Kate's blog to check out what the other list-makers chose as well. :) 

TOP 5 BOOKS ON MY MUST-READ LIST

1. Oathbringer (Stormlight Archive book 3) by Brandon Sanderson

I love this series so much! Book 2 (Words of Radiance) was possibly even better than book 1 (Way of Kings). I have enjoyed everything Brandon Sanderson has written since I first discovered his writing about 8 years ago. This series is the pinnacle for me though. If you have any interest in fantasy novels at all, start with Way of Kings and continue from there. Be warned, these books are long! But so good! 

The world described is completely different than our own, but has some basic similarities to lords and peasants at the roots. There is a type of magic that only a few people can use, and the first book follows a peasant that has become a slave (Kaladin), and a lord that is having visions (Dalinar). The magic had seemed to have left the land when the Radiant Knights abandoned the people, but maybe the Radiants are coming back? 

There is so much going on that I don't know if I'm describing it well, and it's such a good series! All of Brandon Sanderson's books are well written and have a decent amount of humour, not Terry Pratchett style, but definitely there. 

2. The Thorn of Emberlain (book 4 of Gentleman Bastards series) by Scott Lynch

Another fantastic fantasy series. You really have to like this series to stick with it as the author has had severe bouts of depression and these books do not come out very often. I've enjoyed every one as well, and am looking forward to seeing where the 2 heroes, Locke Lamora and Jean Tannen go next. The first book is The Lies of Locke Lamora. 

The first book follows some thieves, the Gentleman Bastards, who are in a sort of Venice/Italy type land. They're trying to pull off a big theft, but there is another faction trying to take over all the thieves, so Locke and Jean are pulled in a few different directions. 

3. Arcanum Unbounded by Brandon Sanderson

This is a little embarrassing, but we've had this book for a few months now and I haven't read a single page. DH has, but I haven't had time to sit and read. I'd much rather stitch, so unless this gets into audio book form, I don't know when I'll actually read it. 

It's loosely a short story collection that takes place in the fantasy world Brandon Sanderson calls the Cosmere. A lot of his stories take place in different parts of the Cosmere. There's characters from an early book called Warbreaker (also love!) that have showed up in the Stormlight Archive as well. The stories are somewhat part of the same world, but you might never know it either unless you watch for it. 

4. Mary Russell's War by Laurie R. King

This is a short story collection from the Mary Russell series. I've read only one of the stories in the collection and would like to read the rest as I'm a big fan of the series overall. Whenever I can't decide what I want to read/listen to, I'll choose one of these stories, whether I start from the beginning with The Beekeeper's Apprentice, or choose a random story as I am currently (Garment of Shadows). 

The premise behind this series is Mary Russell meets Sherlock Holmes when she's a girl of 15 and becomes his apprentice. Many adventures ensue in the books and they're well worth reading if you have an interest in detective stories. The Sherlock Holmes of these is a little different than the classic misogynist as well since he grows to respect Russell, a feminist if there ever was one. :) 

5. Solutions and Other Problems by Allie Brosh

If you've read Hyperbole and a Half, then you'll be anticipating this book as much as I am. Allie Brosh has had some personal issues from what I've heard, so the release date was pushed back a year. Hyperbole and a Half was fantastic and I'll still go back and read that one, so I'm looking forward to reading this one when available. 

I hope you enjoyed the list and let me know your must-reads too please!

Happy Stitching, 

Tiffstitch