2026 Year of 100 Starts: Start #18 - Initial This by Nancy's Needle

And now for something completely different. Well, at least somewhat different. I actually know where I picked up this chart, and it's at least 10 years ago at a now-closed LNS in London, Ontario, called Thread & Eye. They had a nice little shop, with framing by the husband of the owner. Lots of great fabrics that were hung up and showcased almost like a clothes rack, Dinky Dyes threads, etc. Sad to have them close, and I haven't checked recently if there have been any new ones, but there are some local-ish online needlework shops that dye their own threads and fabric, so at least there's something to support there. 

The chart cover looks like this:

I phrased it that way since I won't actually be stitching any of these letters. I have lots of leftover Caron Watercolours from various projects and picking them up 50% off or more, again when LNS's were closing. So it's nice to use them for something and I always feel this kind of repetitive stitching is relaxing in a way that is different than cross stitch. 

With the paper chart, you choose your letter and you have to figure out how to center it yourself on your fabric. It gives you some choices for the backing pattern and the fill pattern for the letter, but it is left up to you to figure things out. 

They recommend starting by stitching the letter in a colour that will stand out from the background thread. I was fussing over colours a bit and then ended up choosing one that practically matched the fabric. I wish I'd taken more photos throughout the process, but I did not. After the letter is in, then you start adding the background threads, and that I do have a photo to show you how it's going:

You can kind of see how the letter S is picked out, and as you do the background fill you just have to kind of count around where the letter is to keep up with the pattern. Once the background is complete, then you fill in the letter:

This is for DD and she really liked the background threads and how they worked up. She says her favourite colour is black right now, and I had a dark grey that looks pretty good. There are 4 different fill patterns for the letters and you have to sort of figure out how to fit them in the letter on your own. It's different than what I've worked on before since there were more instructions in the other projects, but I did manage to complete this, with only a little bit of undoing threads. With these thicker threads, it tends not to damage them when you have to unpick a section as well, so that's helpful!

Here's the finish: 

Initial This! by Nancy's Needle

stitched 1 over various on 18ct cream aida

with Caron Watercolours and Impressions

I'm pretty happy with this finish. I think I'd like to do more letters, but only had this on my project list for now. I think it took me 3-4 days total, so it's definitely a quick finish. Possibly with this one under my belt the others would be easier as well. I still have lots of thread left!

I hope you've all had good stitching days!

Happy Stitching,

Tiffstitch

2026 Year of 100 Starts: Start #17 - Mini Block: Canada by Hinzeit

 Although the Olympics are over now, I started this one a few days ago while watching Canada in speed skating and hockey. It was quite the Olympics, and although I'm a little sad Canada lost both gold medal games in hockey to the US, at least both the men's and women's teams played really hard. The men's team sang the national anthem at the end too, and that was pretty amazing to see. 

Here's what it will look like eventually and the fabric I chose for it:

These have been around for a while, and the charms are pretty fun for each individual chart. I believe this was purchased at one of the LNS' that closed here in Vermont, as are so many of my charts. Hard to pass up 50% or so off when they're trying to sell up. 

I was debating on following the straight DMC for this, but instead I think I have enough red leftover from the reindeer finish to do the red in this one. I might choose plain DMC for the letters, or possibly WDW Kohl or something similar. The fabric is very plain, no variegation, so a little in the letters might look nice. You'll see below there is some in the leaves, but they'll mostly be covered by the charms, so I'm not sure how noticeable it will be in the actual finish. 

Here's where I got to:

Mini block: Canada by Hinzeit

stitched 2 over 2 on 28ct Jobelan light blue

with Silks4U advent threads so far

A decent start and you can maybe see that I figured out a kind of rhythm to the red to make sure everything lined up properly. I'll be happy to get back to this one, again, it shouldn't take too long once I can. 

I hope everyone that watched the Olympics enjoyed them! One of my favourite sports that isn't hockey is short track speed skating. It's so chaotic, you really don't know what to expect. Lots of different countries seem to do well in it also, so that's nice to have things spread out. There's an Italian woman that's been to 5 Olympics and has 13 or 14 medals! That's incredible. I definitely wouldn't have been speed skating still at that age (mid 30s), but my fun pick-up hockey groups are great. 

Happy Stitching!

Tiffstitch

2026 Year of 100 Starts: Start #16 - Frogs in Your Underpants by Nebby Needle

This pattern has been around for a while, so maybe you've already stitched it up? I've been wanting to stitch it for ages and finally purchased a few years ago, so now it's time to start!

Eventually it will look something like this:

I wanted something a little more cheery in colour, plus a lot of green since I think it's a cheeky Irish blessing. Here's the floss toss:

I found a lovely parchment style fabric as well, so that will showcase the colours well too. 

I don't have a massive start since I was still trying to get some stitches into the HAED SAL, but this was 2/3 of a full thread length of 6 threads. 

Frogs in Your Underpants by Nebby Neddle

stitched 2 over 2 on 32ct Scroll by BeStitchMe

with Silks4U advent threads

I plan to do the words in blue and the accents and other objects in green. I haven't decided if I'll pull out other colours for the motifs, that will likely wait till I get there. 

This should definitely get hung up when it's finished, maybe in my office? How can it not make someone smile when they read it?

I hope it's been a good stitching day for everyone,

Happy Stitching!

Tiffstitch

2026 Year of 100 Starts: Start #15 Mystery? by FiddlesticksAU

Okay, I have a different idea this time. I've started this chart, and I think there's enough of it completed that if you know the movie, then you can guess what it is. If it's too soon, then I'll get back to it soon I hope. It's a fun stitch and not too complicated. First a floss toss:

There are several words and I think I have a good mix of threads that go together well enough, but are still quite different too. 

I managed to get most of 2 words completed:

Mystery by FiddlesticksAU

stitched 2 over 2 on 28ct Buttermilk by Chromatic Alchemy

with Silks4U advent threads

The second photo shows the fabric a bit better, it's a lovely light yellow, which is similar to parchment in a way, which fits this movie as well. I hope this isn't too vague. I would know it from these 2 words, but I've loved this movie since it came out, which I saw in theatres, even thought most people didn't. My dad read a review and thought it would be a great movie for the family, and it was, and still is. Fantastic movie in every way! Although I believe it fails the Bechdel test. 

Hopefully that's enough hints and you've all had good stitching days. 

Happy Stitching!

Tiffstitch

2026 Year of 100 Starts: Start # 14 - Michigan by Print and Decor

Today's new start is one of the ones I've intentionally bought to finish and gift for someone. We met this family at pre-school story time at the local library many years ago. DD and their second daughter became fast friends, meeting for the first time when they were only a few months old. They were in pre-school together, but didn't have classes together after this since teachers noticed they tended to distract each other from paying attention in class. 

They spent tons of time together over the years, but they had to move to Michigan to look after a family member a few years ago, so we don't see them as often. DD and her friend do video chat sometimes and we've managed to squeeze in some visits over the years as well. 

This chart seemed to encompass Michigan pretty well, and I can't remember if these were designs on quarters in the US or not. They've come out with several designs, and this might be one of them. 

This company still exists on Etsy and you can find other fun charts here. 

I found a nice variegated dark silk in my Gloriana stash, and a kind of stormy blue which fits Michigan well. Lake Michigan gets some truly epic weather. 

Again, this is a lake, but a Great Lake, so they can have some severe weather events. I grew up near Lake Huron, and it does not have the same extreme weather as Lake Michigan or Lake Superior. Even in areas of Lake Huron you can't see the other side though, so it's still really big. 

Random Lake Superior fact, it has an island in the middle of it that also has a lake in it! It's called Superior for a reason, it's the largest and deepest of all five of the Great Lakes. 

Back to stitching though, here are the materials:

And I managed to stitch on this for 2 days and got a decent amount completed:

Michigan by Print and Decor

stitched 2 over 2 on 28ct Rai by Chromatic Alchemy 

with Gloriana #001

I made an error somewhere on the right, but I think I can frog it and manage to keep it looking like the chart by the end. Hopefully I'll remember that when I get back to it too!

Fortunately this is on Pattern Keeper as well, so that makes it easier for me to keep track as well. 

I hope you've all had good stitching days!

Happy Stitching,

Tiffstitch

2026 Year of 100 Starts: Start #13 - Get the F*@! Out by Taylor and Cromwell

Okay, so there's definitely a curse word in this pattern, and I left it out of the title, like it is in the old comics, etc. It's perfectly okay if you don't want to read this post because of it, I know we all have different sensitivities, triggers, etc. The actual chart I'm going to stitch is meaningful at this present moment with all that's going on in the US, and we all react differently to stress. This one felt right to start at this point. 

Here is what the chart looks like:

I purposely tried to find the most rainbow fabric I could for this one and with DH's help, chose a single thread colour for this one, so it will be another monochrome. 

Here's my start:

Get the F*@! Out by Taylor and Cromwell

stitched 2 or 1 over 2 on 28ct Chromatic Alchemy fabric

with Silks4U advent threads

I don't know if I'll ever hang this one up, but it feels good to stitch it right now. Hope all your loved ones are safe and keep them close. 

Happy Stitching,

Tiffstitch

2026 Year of 100 Starts: Start #12 - Burlington by Awesome Pattern Studio

Time for a sort of local cross stitch. I forget where I came across these city patterns, but they have one for the closest large city to where I live. I purchased this way back in 2018 and had not taken time to start it yet, so here we go! Eventually it will look like this:

 And the shop is still around, so the link is here to get it or something similar. 

Since this design is so colourful, and Burlington is on the waterfront, I chose a fairly plain blue/green fabric, again from Chromatic Alchemy. 

I didn't get a huge start, but it's definitely started! 

Burlington by Awesome Pattern Studio

stitched 2 over 2 on 28ct Eden by Chromatic Alchemy

with DMC threads as charted

If anyone is familiar with Burlington, technically the whale tails are in Williston, and they were originally moved from near Randolph (1+hr south), but you definitely see them on the way to Burlington on the northbound main highway. They even have lights on them now, which is kind of fun. When my mom first saw them, she thought they were like modern art cats, which I can kind of see now. I think I had been told they were whale tails, so that's all I could see before she said that. 

Also, there was this whole big deal that the artist didn't want them near the "big city", but they were purchased by someone who moved them, so the artist made new ones in Randolph. 

Here's what they actually look like:

Reverence by Jim Sardonis (1989)

and the new ones in Randolph:

Whale Dance by Jim Sardonis (2019)

They're made of granite, about 36 tons, and if you're curious why whales in the middle of landlocked Vermont, over 10,000 years ago this area of Vermont was under water. In 1849 the bones of a beluga whale were found in a swampy area a little south of Burlington. Since then, they've found 20 or so ancient beluga fossils. 

The artist's intention seems to be to show the fragility of nature. They're very beautiful. 

If you ever come to Vermont, try and see at least one set of them!

Hope your stitching day has gone well,

Happy Stitching!

Tiffstitch