Top 5 Tuesdays: Top 5 Projects to Work on in July

Since Kate is basically just back from vacation, I'm going to do my own Top 5 Tuesday list today. I'm really interested in trying to progress some WIPs next month since aside from my small calendar pieces I think I only have 3 finishes this year... 3!! That's such a puny amount. Plus I haven't even told you about the 3rd one, and that is:

Reflections of Canada!! Finished over this past weekend

Started January 19, 2016 and finished June 25, 2017

Stitched with Jodyri Ruby Slippers 2 over 1 on 25 ct ivory Lugana

I'm so excited with this finish! I can't wait to try and find some coordinating fabric and make this into a pillow. I had wanted my stitching to be done by July 1st, Canada Day, and it is!

Therefore I can go into July with a clear conscience and try and decide what might be possible to finish next month. Just One July is the theme if you've joined the Theme-tas-stitch SAL, which is open to everyone. :) 

TOP 5 10 PROJECTS TO WORK ON IN JULY

1. Boo House

Not much to go on this one, it should be an easy finish, maybe a week or so?

2. AAN Spider Banner

Also, I feel like another week or so might finish this now that I have more of the thread I need. Please, please let the dye lot match!!

3. Frosty Friends x 2

DD will be heading the pre-school this year, so it might be nice to get a couple of these stitched up for her teachers. I think there's 2?

4. Joy Snowglobe

DD has expressed interest in this one, so another one it would be nice to get finished. Plastic canvas isn't my favourite to stitch on, but fairly easy to fully finish, so there's that. 

5. Letters from Nora - L

I need to get 'K' framed and this one finished and framed as well so I can finally give them to my friend. 

6. Letters from Nora - H and G

Getting these finished for DD's bday (November) would be pretty amazing!

7. Helene et Mahlia Xmas SAL

I just need to finish this one. It's been sitting in my drawer for over a year now, waiting, waiting..

8. Twilight LeMans

DH would love this, and it would make a nice bday gift. His is at the end of the year as well

9. Tree of Stitches

I need to get this one finished. I had thought it might be nice for my Grandma, and now that she's in a nursing home, maybe a nice pillow? 

10. Ocean Curiosity

This could be an easy finish since it's all monochrome too. 

You could say I'm spoiled for choice with WIPs. And this is provided I don't start something new. You might also have noticed there are no dragons in this list, because August will be the dragon SAL and I plan to work on a few more there. Possibly finish Tribal Dragon if I'm lucky? 

Clearly I have too many WIPs, and too much stash, but let's not dwell on that. :) Let's see what July brings and I think if I can finish at least 3 projects I will reward myself with a new start. 

Happy Stitching!

Tiffstitch

Theme-tas-stitch - Jardin June

It's time again for the monthly Theme-tas-Stitch link up! Head over to Kerry's blog to view everyone's flower/garden themed stitching for this month's Jardin June. 

I managed a little bit of work on my Letter H, and I've picked up Reflections of Canada again, so it has a little bit of progress, and hopefully will still be a finish by July 1st! 

Here are the photo updates:

The fairy has a little more of the letter H again, the darker purple near her wing, and there are some sort of flying leaves with all the scattered green in the center.

Reflections of Canada is stitched 2 over 2 on 25 ct ivory Lugana and it's about 3/4 or more done! I'm using Jodyri thread Ruby Slippers and there was some dye lot issues, but since I'm using 2 threads, I joined up one from each batch and I don't think the difference will be very noticeable. I'm pretty sure this will be finished in good time, maybe this week if it's not too busy. I don't have hockey this week, so I have one more night of stitching. Btw, the central motif is a dogwood blossom, plus there are maple leaves and oak leaves in this one, so I'm shoe-horning it in this month's theme. :)

I'm really excited to be finished this one and move on to another WIP, or possibly catch up on some SALs. Next month's theme is Just One July where we focus on just one project. I could maybe finish up my Letter H and Letter G to be completely finished with the Letters, or I have a Letter L to finish for a friend as well. Hmm.. perhaps July can be a month of letters! 

Then stay tuned for Animalia August that a few of us are going to dedicate to dragon stitching! 

Happy Stitching,

Tiffstitch

Gifted Gorgeousness - June Edition

In the "late but not least" category, here is my slightly delayed GG post! Check out all the info over at Jo's amazing blog, and everyone else's more timely GG posts too. :)

This month I worked on Princess and the Dragon again:

1 over 1 DMC 310 on 28 ct Amarinthine Jazlyn by Chromatic Alchemy

I decided to go all the way down on the left side to show where the very bottom will be. We're getting into CFL (Canadian Football League) season and stitching a long line of black might be the smartest way to stitch and watch at the same time. Hopefully it will prevent frogs that way. :)

June card for Grandma:

2 over 1 Caron wildflowers (a creamy white colour) on 14 ct Phlogiston by Chromatic Alchemy

Letter H for DD:

2 over 2 charted threads on 28 ct Jobelan Nuriel's Forest by Chromatic Alchemy

That's all for this month! I hope to get H finished up soon, but first I'm going to concentrate on finishing Reflections of Canada for July 1st. That will be Canada's 150th birthday and a fitting way to celebrate. I'm going to wait on fully finishing until I visit my parents and find some Canadian themed fabric to make it into a pillow. 

Happy Stitching!

Tiffstitch

Letters from Nora Update

Wow, it is warm here today! 37C/98.6F... so body temperature out there today. There was a bit of a breeze, and it wasn't as humid as it will get in late July/early August, but it was still a hot one! It will cool down a little bit this week heading to Father's Day over the weekend, and I'm looking forward to that. 

I'm not sure if I'm going to be able to stitch tonight. We don't have A/C and sometimes it's just too hot! Therefore, I thought it was time for an update, besides the weather report, on some of my other stitching. 

Geeky Heather and I are doing a SAL for Letter H of the Letters from Nora series. If you remember, I was in the midst of unpicking my misplaced letter when I last showed a photo:

April 12, 2017

The bit on the left is new stitching, all the stuff to the right had to come out... 

And it did, eventually:

and then it grew:

and it grew:

and it grew a leg:

and it grew a head:

and more wings:

and the last of the wings:

and that's where she is for now. The finished model will look approximately like this:

only I'm using the charted colours on 28 count Jobelan called Nuriel's Forest from Chromatic Alchemy. 

So there's a decent amount left, but also a decent start. I try and get it out for a few stitches at least on Wednesdays. How's yours coming along Heather? 

Happy Stitching!

Tiffstitch

TOP 5 TUESDAYS: Top 5 Vacation Destinations

Kate is on vacation this week, so I thought I'd make up my own topic about vacations. Feel free to join in if you like and let me know your favourite vacation places. 

TOP 5 VACATION DESTINATIONS

1. Alberta/Rocky Mountains

My older brother lives in Alberta and I've been out a couple times, but not for over 10 years. DH and DD have never seen the Rockies, so I'd like to take them out some time soon. Probably this will wait a couple years until DD is older and might travel more easily on a plane. :) Pictured above is Moraine Lake. 

2. Walt Disney World/Epcot

This might happen next year. I would really like to take DD here while she's young and hopefully enjoys it immensely. I have never been to WDW and by the time I was old enough to go on my own the crowds kind of put me off. I have been to the Animal Kingdom, but am looking forward to trying out some of WDW with DD and DH. DH has been to WDW twice, but not in over 20 years. 

3. UK/Normandy/Europe?

Almost 25 years ago I was in Normandy for the 50th anniversary of D-Day and the celebrations. My younger brother would like us all to try and get there for the 75th anniversary (2019) and his 40th birthday which happen to be around the same time. I think DH and DD would get a lot out of the trip, and it will be easier to get around with them because DH is bilingual in French and English and by that time DD will have far surpassed my small amount of French. 

I'm not sure what the scope of the trip will be, but it would be nice if I can get a month off work at that point and see a lot of the UK and some of Europe. I've never been to the UK or Ireland, although oddly my parents are vacationing in Ireland this year. That would be about 2 years away, so there's a good chance I'll at least be able to get a couple weeks. Maybe DH and DD can stay longer? We'll see how it plays out when we start planning next year. 

4. Quebec City

I've never been to Quebec City and we live somewhat close to it (4+ hours drive) so it would be nice to go up for a few days or long weekend at some point. DH has been, but not in years and wasn't favourably impressed. However, I think he was a teenager and it's hard to impress teenage boys with beautiful scenery, etc. The challenge will be deciding when to go, for the Ice Festival in winter? Or for the cooler weather in summer?

5. Parc Safari

This is a neat little zoo type area where you can drive around and feed the animals. There are various types of antelopes, deer, cows, bison, etc to feed and there are also other animals to see, elephants, a rhino, tigers, lions, wolves, bears, in separate enclosures to walk around. They also have a water park, so that would be fun for DD. I hope we make it there this year, because we didn't last year. 

I hope you enjoyed my list and Happy Stitching!

Tiffstitch