2026 Year of 100 Starts: Start #76 - Santa Stocking by Durene Jones

I'm sure we all know Durene Jones' patterns. She has a flair for creating colourful designs and I have so many of her patterns. She also often has 50% sales at her Etsy shop and I've purchased patterns from there frequently. I'm glad to be starting another one, even though this is a big one!

You don't stitch the beige colour, and I think I found a pretty good match for the pattern image. I also like that this doesn't have as much backstitching. I didn't get a lot of stitching into it, but that will come. Everyone else has a handmade stocking from me, so it's time to make one for myself as well. There's so many choices out there, but I'm happy with this one. And there's not a ton of colour changes, so that will help when I get back to it. Here's my start:

Santa Stocking by Durene Jones

stitched 2 over 2 on 27ct "370" by BeStitchMe

with DMC as charted

I think you can tell by this photo that I've started in the toe, but just in case, this is the very bottom part of the toe on the left side of the pattern. I was debating about how to start, but in the interest of less counting to find the right spot, I figured I'd start at the bottom left and work my way up. 

This pattern is somewhat okay in Pattern keeper. You have to do a little finagling, and add the thread colours into PK, but there's not too many, so it works out well. I really love being able to use PK again after using some paper charts. 

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

Happy Stitching, 

Tiffstitch

2026 Year of 100 Starts: Start #34 - Halloween Dress-Up Mummy Cat by Durene Jones

I think most people are familiar with Durene Jones' patterns. Many of them are small, but often time-consuming because of the colour changes and backstitch. They're so fun though, and I've stitched several of them. One of my favourite finishes was the Halloween bat, which I think was a freebie from her Facebook group. 

See? So cute, but lots of colour changes to give it that look. Very worthwhile though. 

Today's project is a sort of small like this one where it's full coverage in a smallish design. However, since it's full coverage with a decent amount of backstitch, it will take a while. Eventually it will look like this:

And I found a fun Halloween style fabric scrap I'm going to use for this one, and I've finished one colour so far. 

Halloween Dress-Up Mummy Cat by Durene Jones

stitched 2 over 1 on 14ct scrap aida

as charted with DMC

These patterns will go in Pattern Keeper. What you need to do is select only the pattern you'd like to stitch and not the other 3 that come with this one. I purchased this from Durene Jones' Etsy site and there are 3 other characters that might get stitched at some point. This was my favourite one, even with all the backstitch! 

I don't know if I can make this into a Halloween finish, but there's always a chance. For now it's back in the big box of WIPs that I've kept separate from all my other WIPs. 

Hope your stitching days have been favourable!

Happy Stitching, 

Tiffstitch

February Update

Hello again! Here we are partway through March, so definitely time for a February update. I got a little behind in things after catching cold after cold most of the month of February, but I'm caught up again somewhat. I hope everyone else  has been staying healthy!

First off, my Starry Night full coverage blackwork SAL progress. This is week 8:

And the whole project so far:

Starry Night SAL by Urban Stitches

stitched 1 or 2 over 2 as charted with DMC threads

With being sick, I didn't get much stitching accomplished otherwise, but did manage to finish these 2 smalls:

Birdhouse Cards by Durene Jones

stitched as charted  2 over 2 on  28ct scrap evenweave

from WOXS, not sure which issue, printed in 2016 from zinio

I didn't progess on Witch's Gate, but I did get some knitting done:

    

Summer socks by Laines du Nord

Very Merry KAL by Claire Slade

knit with Fiberstash and on part 3 now

Sockhead Hat by Kelly McClure

knit with Noro Sonata Shima col. Chaigasaki

Pretty straightforward knitting for the 2 projects I finished. I usually knit those while watching the PWHL hockey games so I can pay attention to what's going on. The colourwork still slows me down in the cowl, but it's growing slowly. It's time to cast on another pair of socks now that these are complete. And I have a shawl I'd like to knit with Noro Sonata as well. It has silk, so it's not as scratchy as wool. 

I hope you've all been having good weeks of stitching!

Happy Stitching,

Tiffstitch

Summer Olympics 2024 WIP Update

I decided to work on a bunch of WIPS over the Olympics. Not necessarily one per day, but I'm trying to get at least 2 hours on each WIP if I can. I don't have any particular order, basically the first one I get to in the case that holds all of them. 

The first one I came to was Winter's Feast, which used to look like this:

and now looks like this:

Winter's Feast by Mill Hill

stitched as charted with kit threads and beads on perforated paper

Next up was one that hasn't been out of the WIP box for a while (2020). It looked like this when I got it out:

and now it's  here:

2009 Santa by Prairie Schooler

stitched 2 over 2 with DMC blanc, 816, and 890

on 28ct Haunted by PTP?

Next up was another Mill Hill kit, I have a few of those on the go! Last time it looked like this:

and now you can see a bit more of the project:

Skating Snowman by Mill Hill

stitched 3 over 3 as charted with kit threads and perforated paper

And there's these little birdhouses by Durene Jones that I started a few years ago and didn't have many stitches then:

and now you can see a bit more of both of them:

Christmas Birdhouse by Durene Jones

stitched 2 over 2 on 28ct Monaco

with DMC as charted

And another one from 2020 came up in the WIP pile, it used to look like this:

and I'm posting this photo first because of the ironic mistake I made:

Can you believe it? How could I misspell school?!? Anyway, I couldn't leave it like that, so this is what it looks like now:

Official Snow Guide by Lizzie Kate

stitched 2 over 2 with random stash threads (DD, WDW)

I dug out another "small", because it's not small in 1/4 and 3/4 stitches and very fiddly, but I got quite a bit done. Here's where it was:

and now:

Honest Santa... I Didn't Do It by The Sweetheart Tree

stitched 2 over 2 with charted DMC

And lastly, I picked up this one this morning:

And added almost all of one more colour:

Stocking ornament by Jane Henderson

stitched 2 over 2 as charted

on 28ct scrap evenweave

And that's where I'm at so far. And it's only been 3 and a bit days of Olympics. Of course this was while DH and DD were away one evening and while I was off work, so the next few days probably won't have as much stitching. That's partly why I tried to get a lot done this past weekend. 

Hope you're all enjoying the Olympics, there's been some amazing performances!

Happy Stitching, 

Tiffstitch

2024 Plans

Here we are with potentially a good year of stitching, unlike the last couple. I think starting the New Year with positive thoughts, without pressuring yourself is always okay. 

I'd like to try and focus on 12 WIPs next year, one each month. It's okay if I don't finish them, but it would be nice to catch up a little. Also, there are Olympics next year, so I'd like to join Rachel in stitching something unique or special for the Olympics. I'm debating about a new start that I keep stitching on, or find one of the BAPs that really needs some love. It's the Summer Olympics and Paralympics this year as well, July 26-August 11 and then August 28-September 8. Plus I can pick up smalls any time if I need a break from the focus piece. 

Here are my thoughts for 12 focus pieces:

In Harmony by Dimensions

Do Not Meddle by Dragon Fire Designs

Believe in the Magic of Christmas by Durene Jones

Universal Monsters by Witchy Stitcher

Stormlight Archive by Taylor and Cromwell

Quaker Christmas by Lila's Designs

Symphonic Romance by Summer House Stitche Works

Ondulations by Jardin Prive

Happy Christmas by Prairie Schooler

Witch's Gate by Whispered by the Wind

Evening in the Shire by Cute Patterns by Maria

My first project will be to locate all of these, then I can sort out the order for next year. 

These are my thoughts so far, what does your New Year look like stitch-wise?

Happy New Year everyone, and may you never break a needle!

Tiffstitch

Witch's Gate Update

Thank you for all your lovely comments! I always appreciate them. I am so happy to be done In The Gloaming, it was a very enjoyable stitch despite the initial frogging to get the colours just right. I love the finish and will be looking for a frame soon. 

When we last saw Witch's Gate, it was not very far along:

and will eventually look like this:

The chart is separated into 4 pages and I thought I might try and finish one full page, but I ended up skipping around a little instead. I didn't have a designated stitch count on this one. Instead, I realized I had just a few thread lengths of the C3799 left in Etoile for the gate, so I could finish up the skein and call that a good place to stop. That meant I worked across the top all the way to the other side of the gate, and a little bit into page 4 on the bottom right. This is where it is now:

Witch's Gate by Whispered by the Wind

stitched 2 over 2 on 28ct Mirage by PTP

with DMC 167, 738, 3823 and 3866 as changes to the original colours

I'm happy with this progress so far. The bats in the gate will be normal 3799, like the gargoyles. The gate gets the extra pizzazz though. I think the amount of stitching definitely makes a page, so we could call this at least 1/4 complete. I doubt it will come out again this month or the rest of the year though. 

Next up I'm hoping for another finish with this 2017 SAL by Lakeside Needlecraft, designed by Durene Jones:

If you note the date on top, I think if I finish it this year I won't have to frog the skull I've already stitched in. Here's where it looks now:

Spooky Halloween by Lakeside Needlecraft and Durene Jones

stitched 2 over 2 on 28ct Icarus by Chromatic Alchemy

with DMC 310, Purple Planets by Jodyri and various GITD Kreinik

The far right is the end of the piece and the missing area above is all part 6. I had finished part 5 the last time this one came out and worked some of the border. Now it's just part 6 and the rest of the border to finish the black. It's mostly filling in after that, and part 1 and 2 might have been completed already, so a finish definitely looks possible. 

I hope you've all been staying well and enjoying your stitching.

Happy Stitching!

Tiffstitch

Dark October Plans

Hello again! Although we're well into October, I'm going to let you in on what my plans are/were for the month. I plan to do a Dark October and work on Halloween or black stitching as much as possible. My first priority is to finish In the Gloaming! Here's where it was when we last saw it:

And I'd like to try and progress on Witch's Gate:

There's so much left here that I don't think a finish is possible, but I'd like to get maybe at least one page out of 4 completed. 

And I'd really love to finish this one!

This is the Happy Halloween SAL by Durene Jones that was put out by Lakeside Needlecraft way back in 2017! I would like to finish it this October so I can have it off by WIP and SAL list. 

The other project I'll try and sneak in is the new Witchy Stitcher Cryptid SAL. Have you all seen this one? Lots of black, so it fits for that part as well, but the theme is a bit spooky too. So far the cryptids are all North American, and there's some hope that the Loch Ness Monster will be one of the creatures. If so, I might have to call it Champ after our local lake monster. Supposedly Champ was seen by Jacques Cartier when he first explored the area, so he is technically older than Nessie. :) 

I hope you have all been having a good month!

Tiffstitch

Stitch Maynia 2021 Start #30

 It's the penultimate post of Stitch Maynia! Here we are, almost another month complete. Thank you again for sticking with me through this whole process and all of these starts. As I mentioned yesterday, I planned to work on a second birdhouse to have a smaller WIP in the works than those larger Christmas ones I'd started. I don't have a mock-up for this one, so I only have my small start:

Christmas Birdhouse by Durene Jones

stitched 2 over 2 on 28ct Monaco

with DMC as charted

I managed a bit more on this one, mostly since it has less colour changes and a lot of B5200 on it. I don't think these will take too long, maybe a day a piece with all the colour changes and back stitch? Certainly not very long to get these complete. I'm also stitching them on the same piece of fabric, so when I finish the colour on one, I can use it on the other one if it calls for the same colour. 

Sorry this isn't a great photo, I didn't realize I wanted to share how I was stitching them until just now. Clearly I got my phone shadow in this shot. ;)

Tomorrow is the last day and I already have my post scheduled, so this is the last one I'll be writing in May. I would like to think I can keep up at least weekly after this until the Tokyo starts with Rachel. We'll see. Those kind of sound like famous last words to me. :D

Happy Stitching!

Tiffstitch