2026 Year of 100 Starts: Start #70 - Haunted Library by Lola Crow

Of course charts can't travel alone, even when they're purchased online, so I had to pick up another couple charts from the Lola Crow site. If you like gothic style, there's a lot of options. I went with this one:

I didn't see this one during the SAL, but it is very fun. Lots of nods to different authors and gothic tropes, etc. It's going to be another massive project, but it does go into Pattern Keeper, so that helps. With her charts, because of the backstitch you have to use their legacy import instead of the newer one.

I found some fun fabric for this one and stitched over a couple days to get about 500 stitches in:

Haunted Library by Lola Crow

stitched 2 over 2 on 32ct unnamed fabric by BeStitchMe

with DMC as charted

This is going to be another epic stitch with lots of colours, etc. I think this is a good start to get it placed well on the fabric and it will come out again at some point. 

For next year, I've been looking at how Flosstubers use their wheels to select projects and I might do that. Possibly a wheel for unfinished SAL, which I'd add this one to since it was a SAL, another wheel for full coverage, and then a wheel for the rest? Possibly just 3 projects in a week to work on as much as I can, with a goal for the full coverage of at least 1000 stitches. 

Anyway, that's still some time away, but I've been considering how to get everything worked on since I'll have a lot of new WIPs now. Suggestions always welcome!

I hope it's been a good stitching weekend for everyone. 

Happy Stitching!

Tiffstitch

2026 Year of 100 Starts: Start #69 - Museum After Midnight SAL by Lola Crow

Okay, I caved. I've seen a few Flosstubers stitching this one and I decided I needed to get it after I saw the dimetrodon! My favourite early dinosaur! Here's what it looks like so far, it's not quite complete. 

I've been disappointed by some SALs in the past, but this one is looking better and better, so I'm hopeful and love enough of it that I will finish it at some point. 

I managed about 600 stitches into this one so far:

Museum After Midnight SAL by Lola Crow

stitched 2 over 1 on 14 count Aida

with DMC as charted

Not a huge start, but it's a start! And I'm looking forward to getting back to it. 

I hope you've all had good stitching weeks. 

Happy Stitching!

Tiffstitch

2026 Year of 100 Starts: Start #68 - Delivering Tricks by Country Spirit Collection

I really don't remember where I picked this chart up. It could be from one of the LNS's that closed in Vermont, or it could be from a destash. It's definitely a fun one though:

And the first, and possibly only chart I'll be stitching by this designer. It may be the only one I have. It is a paper chart, but is well marked and easy to stitch from. 

I had taken this with me while I was on a small vacation at my parents, but didn't actually get any stitching done there. So this was started just last night. I debated a bit on colours, etc., but then decided to just put a full thread length of black into it. Here's what it looks like now:

Delivering Tricks by Country Spirits Collection

stitched 2 over 2 on 28ct gray evenweave

with DMC 310 so far

The chart calls for Weeks Dye Works threads, so I might pull out some of them for some parts of it, but haven't yet. The black is technically supposed to be Onyx, but I think if I use DMC 310 and try some specialty threads for the rest, that will help those threads stand out a bit better. That's my idea at least. 

It will be good to get back to this one. Probably just a few days of stitching would see it completed, so that would be fun. I'm going to have a lot of these kind next year I think. "just a few days", but those will add up!

I hope it's been nice weather where you're at, although let's all hope for rain out Clare's way. It's been almost 2 months with no rain there!

Happy Stitching, 

Tiffstitch

July 2026 Stitching Update

It was a busy month, lots going on and not a lot of time for stitching other than the daily starts. However, I did get 2 small projects that had been lingering for years finished off. 

I believe the last time I touched this project was in January 2016, which means it's been lingering over 10 years!! Here's what it looked like then:

And it's now a finish!

December cat by Happiness is Crossstitching

stitched 2 over 1 on 14ct aida tea towel

mostly with DMC as charted

This was part of my 2015 Crazy January Challenge and it's nice to have it finally complete! The towel had yellowed a bit, unsurprisingly, so I let the whole project sit in the wool wash I use for socks and knits and it came out very well. 

The next project was also from that same Crazy January Challenge in 2015 and I managed to complete it as well. I had left it here when I got fed up with stitching on afghan fabric:

And it's also complete!

Day 4 Dragonlet by Dragon Dreams

stitched 4 over 2 on afghan fabric

with DMC as charted and some Kreinik in the dragon

It was nice to see this one completed and finish another afghan one. I'm debating about the sixth one. I still don't love it, but then the entire row would be complete, and that would be a nice accomplishment. 

They're smallish as well, so even though they're a pain to stitch, at least they don't take too long. We'll see how the rest of the year goes and how I feel. 

I did start a new pair of ankle socks, but haven't taken a photo, plus another dishcloth mostly finished. I'll add those to next month when they're actually completed. 

I hope you've all had some good stitching days!

Happy Stitching, 

Tiffstitch

2026 Year of 100 Starts: Start #67 - The Gores by Sonova Stitch

This one is a little different. I've had at least one Sonova Stitch pattern on here this year, but this is a special one! 

You can order a custom design from Sonova Stitch for the sprites with whatever name you choose and what sprites you'd like. One year for Halloween, I dressed as Mario, DH as Luigi and DD as Toadette. That made this a perfect idea for a stitch! I'm looking forward to having this on the wall. 

I can't find the photo of the 3 of us together, so you get me (and Max) with DH. 

And here's the start:

The Gores by Sonova Stitch

stitched 2 over 2 on 28ct Minthe by Chromatic Alchemy

with DMC as charted

It's not a big start, but it is a decent one. I had planned to make Toad into Toadette, but not sure if DD will still want that. I'll check with them first before stitching in the colours. I have room to add Toadette's braids behind if needed. 

Hope your stitching has been treating you well!

Happy Stitching, 

Tiffstitch

2026 Year of 100 Starts: Start #66 - Summer Bliss by Cottage Garden Samplings

This might be the last of these patterns for this year of starts! I can't remember if I have any more of the birds, but I do have some of the animals. 

My mom and Grandma both love orioles, and Grandma had this great peony bush near her walkway at her house. This is another one that has some good memories attached, so I'm looking forward to getting back to this one as well. 

Summer Bliss by Cottage Garden Samplings

stitched 2 over 1 on 14ct Aida, unknown name and designer

with WDW 

I really like how this has stitched up so far. It's fun to get to the words first, that's a change from the other designs. Also getting some of the bird started is fun as well. 

I'm looking forward to getting back to these next year. I think I'll try and finish one at a time, because a few of the WDW threads are shared between patterns. The gold colour in this one only uses that colour for the fill in the letter B, otherwise it's not used any more, but it's in at least one of the other patterns I've started. 

I hope you've all had some good days of stitching!

Happy Stitching, 

Tiffstitch

                                                                                                                                                             

2026 Year of 100 Starts: Start #65 - In Another City by Lindy Stitches

Today's start is a very fun design. It definitely fits a lot of people I know. I'm going to change up the colours a bit, maybe make it rainbow? 

I used the other bit of fabric that has the blue dots on it in hopes that this pattern will cover the spots. They're fairly light, so I don't think it will detract from the eventual finish. 

In Another City by Lindy Stitches

stitched 2 over 2 on 28ct Weeping Wisteria 

with WDW Onyx so far

I'm sharing a larger photo than usual so you can see where the dots are. I think the pattern will cover most of it. If you have any colour ideas, I'm happy to hear them, but still thinking about a rainbow idea. 

I hope you've all had some time to get good stitching in!

Happy Stitching, 

Tiffstitch