January Update

It's been a busy couple weeks since my last post, and I finally have time to get another one up! I hope you've all had good stitching successes, whether it be meeting goals or finishes or just being able to stitch as much as you want. 

I've managed some good progress on Triumphant Ride and 2 finishes of WIPs over the past 2 weeks. I'm quite happy with that, although I always wish I had more time to stitch. Fortunately it's been -10C most days, so it's a good excuse to stay in and get some stitching done. 

First up, here's how Triumphant Ride looks now:

Triumphant Ride by Charting Creations

stitched 1 over 1 on 28ct Vincent by Chromatic Alchemy

This has been very enjoyable so far and it's nice to just use black sometimes. This is almost 4500 stitches into this one of slightly over 50K total. If I can manage 1000 stitches per week I'll actually finish this one this year. That almost never works out, so we'll see how it goes. 

I managed a finish on Simply Christmas!

Simply Christmas by WBTW

stitched 2 over 2 on 28ct Lazurite by Chromatic Alchemy

with Soie Cristal green, WDW Turkish Red and Caron Snow Canary Yellow

This was a very pleasant, relaxing stitch. The repeated motifs and pattern made it a nice one to work on after long days at work. The Caron Snow isn't too difficult to work with either and adds a nice sparkle. The original pattern calls for more gold colour, but I thought the lighter colour worked here. 

The second project I finished is by Handblessings:

Soccer Player by Handblessings

stitched 1 over 1 on 22ct Sky by BeStitchMe

with WDW Lavender and Ultraviolet

Another nice, almost monochromatic finish. Hmm, I couldn't be trying to avoid anything complicated this month could I? I like that these often have the option to add longer hair to somewhat tailor them to the recipient. I haven't made a Valentine's gift for DD yet, so I'm wondering about using this if I get it finished. 

I worked on one other project so far, Mini Winter Magic. It used to look like this:

and I managed about 1000 stitches:

Mini Winter Magic by HAED

stitched 1 over 1 full cross on 28ct Monaco

I'm working on filling in the right side first to try and get that whole side finished, then will continue on to the left. You'll see this fairly often in February because I'm going to try and work on it every day during the Olympics! It would be amazing to get another full coverage project finished this year. It's been a couple since the last one. 

I hope you're all staying well!

Happy Stitching,

Tiffstitch

New Year, New Start(s)!

I hope you've all had a good start to the New Year and thank you for all your lovely comments throughout the year! A very big thanks to all the comments on my 2021 round-up post as well. 

As at least 2 of you guessed, that lovely fabric, Vincent by Chromatic Alchemy, is for another silhouette. It is the sequel of Princess and the Dragon, called Triumphant Ride:

It's charted by Charting Creations if you're interested and is a little over 50K stitches. It fortunately works in Pattern Keeper, which makes these so much easier to work on. I won't say frog-proof, but much less likely to make an error with how they're charted. 

Here's how much I managed, a little over 1K stitches:

Triumphant Ride by Charting Creations

stitched 1 over 1 on 28ct Vincent by Chromatic Alchemy with DMC 310

In case you're interested in the fabric, I don't believe Sam can make this any more because of how she had to change up her business over the last couple years. Perhaps sometime in the future. 

The needle minder is technically just a magnet that Santa brought and I put a strong magnet on the back to make it into a needle minder. 

I also started a 2nd new project on New Year's Day 2022 but don't have any progress photos yet!

A third new project I started for Jo's Facebook Ornament SAL from the JCS Ornament issue. I think the group is called JCS Stitch Along if you search for it, or use the link above. This is the January ornament:

The Robin's Gift by The Little Stitcher

stitched 2 over 1 on 18?ct Nimbus? by Chromatic Alchemy

stitched with stash threads, including Etoile (red gift) and DMC metallics (snow)

This was a fun little stitch. I changed up the colours to whatever I had hanging around in my stash threads box. Whenever I use any variegated or non-standard DMC threads I put them in a bobbin box and use them for these small ornaments. There are some leftover kit threads too in there sometimes. The green gift is one of the DMC variegated threads that had such wild shade changes, but I folded it in half and made it look more reasonable to my eyes. 

I haven't even posted this on FB yet, but I will Jo! :)

Lastly, I dug out a WIP that I started last year to work on till the end of the week:

Simply Christmas by WBTW

stitched 2 over 2 on 28ct Lazurite by Chromatic Alchemy

with Soie Cristal and WDW Turkish Red

I have so many WIPs to choose from and have a sort of loose plan of working on 1000 stitches of Triumphant Ride per week, maybe the 2nd project too, and then spend the rest of the week on either a WIP or SAL. I have a lot of those to work on. I chose this one for a couple reasons. One, it was nearby on my stitching stand and not put away like some of the others, and two, it's a nice, simple repetitive pattern that is easy to get some progress into each evening. This is only a couple days of work and I didn't even have the top row done before. There are 5 total rows of the green "stars" with red ribbon between them, and lastly will be some gold accents. They will likely be with PTB if I have some around. That's a pretty easy metallic for me to work with. 

I think I start the new week on Saturday so I'll work on this again tonight and then likely put it away for a bit until I get at least another 1000 stitches into Triumphant Ride. I haven't decided if I'll pull out the same WIP each week until it's finished or switch it up. I wouldn't mind having some more of these finished this year because I have a big project planned for next year. 

And I'll leave you wondering there. :) I hope this New Year brings us all less stress and more stitching!

Happy Stitching and stay well,

Tiffstitch

2021 Wrap-Up, Man I Have A Lot of WIPs!

This year I went off the rails a bit on starts. There were a few reasons for this, one the end of Stitch Maynia by the people who started it off, Olympics and Paralympics and Mischievous March and Naughty November. I'm sure I snuck in a few other starts just for fun as well. The #nonewstarts group is never going to be one I'm up for, I enjoy starting things too much. 

Let's have a look at all the projects I started this year and please check out the WIPs or Completions page if you're interested in seeing any progress or finishes. 

1. Amazing Animal Kingdom by Aimee Stewart/HAED - 35802/374500 (9.56%)

2. Love by Durene Jones - completed

3. Canadian Hero by Stitching Jules Designs - 401/53850 (0.74%)

4. Mouse Trilogy Mill Hill 19-2013 - completed

5. Mouse Trilogy Mill Hill 19-2011 - completed

6. Blackwork Easter freebie - completed

7. Flower Pattern #1 - completed

8. Flower Pattern #2 - completed

9. Flower Pattern #3 - completed

10. Flower Pattern #4 - completed

11. Soccer Player by Handblessings

12. Christmas Assisi Sampler by Kincavel Krosses - completed

13. Shamrock by Erica Michaels - completed

14. Irish at Heart by Jennifer Akon - completed

15. Spring Hare by Erica Michaels - completed

16. Kathleen and Summer by Hannah Lynn/HAED - 550/200000 

17. Halloween Freebie by Passione Ricamo

18. Universal Monsters B&W by Witchy Stitcher

19. Easter Bunny and Moon by Chatelaine - completed

20. Stocking #1 by Jane Henderson

21. Stocking #2 by Jane Henderson - completed

22. Stocking #3 by Jane Henderson

23. Snowball Fight by Gitta

24. Oo-de-lally by Circus Stitches - completed

25. Deck the Halls Christmas Sampler by Kincavel Krosses - completed

26. Noel Tree by Kincavel Krosses - completed (and FFO!)

27. Samurai by Fire Wing Designs

28. Bibliophile Bookmark by Kincavel Krosses

29. Bibliophile Bookmark by Kincavel Krosses - completed

30. Joyeux Noel by Jardin Privé

31. Believe in the Magic of Christmas by Durene Jones

32. Assisi Tree (unknown designer)

33. Simply Christmas by Whispered by the Wind

34. Patch Christmas Tree by Angie Designer - completed

35. Christmas Birdhouse #1 by Durene Jones

36. Christmas Birdhouse #2 by Durene Jones

37. Stormlight Archive Quotes by Taylor and Cromwell - 6745/13532 (49.84%)

38. Holiday Quaker by Lila's Studio

39. Noel by Bent Creek

40. Ondulations by Jardin Privé

41. It's a Wonderful Life Mill Hill 14-2035

42. Symphonie Romana by Summer House Stitche Workes

43. Normal is Just a Setting on the Washer by Lizzie Kate

44. Pumpkin Patch by Lois Winston

45. Joyeux Noel #1 by Hands on Design

46. Joyeux Noel #2 by Hands on Design

47. Joyeux Noel #3 by Hands on Design

48. Winter Feast by Mill Hill

49. Zelda Cross Stitch 

50. Warm Winter Wishes by Waxing Moon Designs

51. Thistle Stop by Crossed Wing Collection

52. Hummingbird Garden by Crossed Wing Collection

53. Happy Christmas by Prairie Schooler

54. Motherhood by Selena French/HAED - 1955/58013 (3.37%)

55. Jim Shore Nordic Santa by Mill Hill 20-1911

56-67 - Dragons 1-12 by StitchItPicasso

68. Skating Snowman by Mill Hill 16-2133

69. Trick or Treat by Anne Stokes/Paine Free Crafts - 4531/126400 (3.58%)

70. Spring Snapperland by Bent Creek - completed

71. Cryptid SAL by Witchy Stitcher

72. Moonrise Ornament #1 by WBTW - completed

73. Moonrise Ornament #2 by WBTW - completed

74. Moonrise Ornament #3 by WBTW - completed

75. Moonrise Ornament #4 by WBTW - completed

76. Vermont Zentangle by crossstitch4everyone - 3109/23502 (13.23%)

WIPS carried forward and completed this year with the year they were started, if I could find it:

1. Dragon in the Round by point-de-croix (2015?)

2. Winter by Bent Creek (2019)

3. Full Moon by Cute Patterns by Maria (3/2018)

4. Princess and the Dragon by Charting Creations (8/2015)

5. Kiss for a Snowman by Dimensions(1/2016)

6. Blackwork Poppy by Jodyri (2019)

7. Loved You Yesterday by Cherry Hill Stitchery (2020)

8. Twilight Lemans by Heritage Stitchcraft (2/2016)

9. In the Gloaming by WBTW (2020)

10. Spooky Halloween by Durene Jones (2017)

There are also 43 other WIPs that were not completed this year, some weren't even worked on and some may never leave UFO status. So, let's do some math!

I have 49 WIPs left from 2021 from all the projects I started, plus the 43 I have listed in my WIPs page. There may be more somewhere that I've forgotten, but why don't we leave it at that since that's a grand total of 92!! Not quite triple digits either, just like Rachel. :)

That's actually less than I thought. I really thought I was over 100, but maybe finishing those last few before the end of the year helped get my numbers a bit lower. Perhaps that's why I had a bit of a frenzy to get those few finished. 

The New Year will bring at least one new start. Probably not tonight since I'm pretty tired after working, but I'll give you a little clue on what the fabric will look like. 

Any guesses? It's a companion piece to something I finished this past year. 

I hope you all have a very Happy New Year and may 2022 bring us some relief from the pandemic. 

Until then, at least there is cross stitch. Happy Stitching!

Tiffstitch

End of 2021

Here it is, the last post of 2021! And onto a New Year with lots of new stitching and some plans? First, I managed 2 other finishes and one is almost done, so we'll pretend it's a finish for the end of the year. I will get it completed before the end of the year EST. 

The 4th Moonrise ornament was finished earlier, but I forgot to post about it:

Moonrise Ornament #4 by WBTW

stitched 2 over 1 on 14ct Illusion Aida by Silkweavers

with DMC 167, 738, 3823, 3865 as well as RG blending filament in the moon

It's so nice to have all four ornaments complete! I also managed one more smallish finish from my myriad of starts this year:

Irish at Heart by Jennifer Akon? (have to check spelling)

stitched 1 over 1 with WDW Okefenokee and Cactus, unknown Soie Cristals and Waterlilies Plum

on 16 or 18ct light blue Aida

My parents went on a bus tour of Ireland a few years ago, well pre-COVID, and loved it so much! I think I'll try and manage to make this into a St. Patrick's Day card for them. My dad has become somewhat obsessed with Irish music, which isn't a bad thing. I surprised him this year though when DD and I were talking about the song Miss Fogarty's Christmas Cake and he hadn't heard of it. I sent him the link to watch it, since it's another great holiday one like Christmas in Kilarney. 

And the last one which is almost a finish, and would have been if I didn't have to get up to get to work early this morning, this is another Rainbow Gallery freebie when they had a bunch back in 2015(?). 

Easter Freebie by Erica Michaels through Rainbow Gallery's website

stitched 2 over 1 with Carrie's Creations Jellyfish for the border and unknown Dinky Dyes for the bunny, Glinda the Good by Jodyri for the ears, WDW Purple Haze for the eyes, 

WDW Camellia for the nose, and an unknown for the blue/green background 

on 16ct or 18ct light blue aida

So close!! But it was 12:30am by the time I took this photo and I need to be up by 6:45am at the latest to get to work on time. I have at least a 30 minute commute on a good day to get to work on time. 

My best friend from undergrad got a quarantine pet bunny over a year ago and he's just about this colour, so I might send this as a birthday card next year when I get it finished. Or maybe Easter?

I definitely won't have any more finishes than this before the end of the year, and I'll try and update my finishes page to show all of these. 

New Year's plans can wait for another post. Happy New Year!

Tiffstitch

Finishing Frenzy?

I hope everyone that celebrates Christmas had a nice, relaxing day. We had lots of fun at our house. 

I've been somewhat distracted by finishing off some smaller projects these last few weeks, and it's been nice to whittle down the WIP list a bit. I started on finishing off the Hands on Design ornaments that are in French because we were supposed to see some of DH's family. It ended up being canceled because of the increased COVID-19 cases, but I continued on to finish all of them. Here they are:

Hands on Design Joyeux Noel

stitched 2 over 2 on 28ct grey/blue fabric, unknown designer

with DMC 310, WDW Okeefenokee on the top one and Etoile C321

These were fun little stitches and I recharted the top 2 red ornaments to have words in French as well. They're originally charted in English and I'm not really sure why when the large words are charted in French, including all the accents. I couldn't think of a good word for the bottom ornament, so just decorated it. 

Next I decided to try and keep finishing off the ones that are cluttering up my stitching stand, so that was one version of Bibliophile:

Bibliophile Blackwork Bookmark by Kincavel Krosses

stitched 1 over 1 on 28ct white Monaco

with Jodyri HunniBee

And I've started working on a couple other of the smaller ornaments I started for the various new start frenzies I had this year. I might pick up the Vermont one and try and get a few more thread lengths in before the end of the month as well. I didn't meet all the goals I had originally set at the start of this year, but a lot of them morphed into new ones, and that's okay too. 

Hope you're all having an enjoyable Boxing Day!

Happy stitching and stay well!

Tiffstitch

Advent Calendar Blog Hop 2021

Here it is again, time for Jo's annual Advent Blog Hop! I hope a lot of you have joined in with Jo's wonderful idea again this year and let's cheer on everyone's holiday-themed stitching. Click on her name to visit her page and start the blog hop. 

This year I managed a few Christmas and winter related finishes, and of course started several so there are still a lot of WIPs to work on. 

Jo's theme this year is our Christmas tree, and here's ours this year:

We always have an artificial tree. I always did as a child as well, except one year we had a real tree. I forget why we never did again. This is the first year we've put lights in the windows, and I've had the big blue Santa for the last two Christmases. It was one I gave to my Grandma over a decade ago and she always had it out in her room at her nursing home until she died. 

You can also see a small green 3D printed tree to the left of the large tree, that was a new addition last year when DH became obsessed with 3D printing. He also made a pink one for DD. Rudolph and Clarice were gifts from my Dad. 

We usually have our tree up some time in November, we love having it up and tend to leave it up till March as a "winter tree" :D You can just see Santa on top. That's a family thing, my Dad grew up with a light up Santa on top of the tree and we used to use a similar one, but it was a little damaged through age, so now we use this Santa. 

Some special ornaments are Scarlett O'Hara from Gone with the Wind, which was my Grandma's and we've all gained a few ornaments since she passed, so we hang those in her memory. You can see 2 basset hounds there, one stuffed and one ceramic. They're special because of the basset hound we had for 13 1/2 years. DH loves to add the stuffed bassets to peek out at you. 

Here are a couple stitched ornaments, one a gift and the other I stitched, plus another hidden basset!

And now that DD is more capable of making ornaments, the penguin was from last year and the flower was painted in school, and you can order the ornament with the art from a school-related website. She was also very helpful decorating the tree this year. 

On to the stitching, keeping in the tree theme, here's my alternate Christmas colours tree:

Patch Christmas Tree 1 by Angie Designer

stitched 1 over 1 on 28ct white Monaco with stash threads

 unknown Dinky Dyes, Caron Waterlilies parrot, Dinky Dyes Down Under Blues and Jodyri Oz the Great and Powerful, another unknown Dinky Dyes, DMC 3799 and Kreinik gold start, Etoile 699 for the lines

I hope you all have a wonderful holiday season however you choose to celebrate it! Stay safe out there and Happy Stitching!

Tiffstitch

December Update 2021

You might think today will be a post about finishing up the last November start. And that's not exactly correct. I will post an update, but I've been a little distracted by the latest new shiny thing. And that is this zentangle design by crossstitch4everyone. 

It will eventually look like this:

The reason I wanted to start this one was I managed to find this gorgeous fabric from BeStitchMe, called Autumn. And with a nice DMC 904, This is where I'm at so far on this project:

Vermont Zentangle by crossstitch4everyone

stitched 1 over 1 full cross on 28ct Autumn by BeStitchMe

There's a challenge to stitch 30 minutes on this every day during December, so I've been doing a thread length a day. It's led to some decent progress and fortunately the chart shows up on Pattern Keeper, so that makes it easier as well. 

And here's where I'm at on ornament #4!

Moonrise #4 by Whispered by the Wind

stitched 2 over 1 on 14ct Illusion by Silkweavers

with DMC 310, 3799, 168, 735, 3865 and some RG blending filament on the moon

I need to get this one finished, but keep going back to the other project as well. I do need more DMC 904 since I only had one skein and I'll run out soon. 

Stay well and happy stitching!

Tiffstitch