End of Summer Stash Update

My Year of Winter stitching has been on pause while we moved and I put the house back together. With all of that going on, the only stitching time available had to be devoted to Christmas Open House, which I'm happy to say is coming along nicely. I'm not quite where I wanted to be by the end of summer, but I'm not far off. Given the circumstances, I think I'm okay with it. It's just so annoying when responsibilities get in the way of stitching!

I've been stash shopping here and there since the spring and have accumulated some goodies, so it's time for an update. Let's see what's new in the sewing room!

First, the kits I got to celebrate surviving yet another move. This is my "Yay, Me!" stash. Can you tell I'm missing fall and winter? These are from some Ukrainian shops on Etsy. They take a while to arrive for obvious reasons, but I've found them to be reliable.

Next, I did something I haven't done in years. I bought a copy of the Just Cross Stitch Halloween special issue. Years ago, back when JCS was still owned by Hoffman, I bought the Christmas ornament and Halloween issues every year, and usually one or two regular issues a year. I stopped buying the Christmas ornament issue after 2020, after having bought them every year since the first one in 1997. I hadn't bought a Halloween issue since 2017. I flipped through this year's issue and was pleasantly surprised to find a few little things I would stitch so in a wave of nostalgia, I bought a copy. I miss getting those every year, but for me, the magazines just aren't what they used to be.

I especially like this little guy. Such a unique combination of weird, spooky, and cute. I don't know if I'll be able to do any Halloween stitching this year; it depends on how the rest of the Christmas Open House stitching goes. If I'm close to being finished in October, I might sneak in a project or two.

Of course, with Halloween on my mind, I had to lay in some spooky fabrics. Top to bottom (all PTP fabrics from 123 Stitch): Monster Mash, Mirage, Murky.

Of all the stitchy things to hoard, I tend to squirrel away fabric more than charts or threads. Especially in the last few years, fabric availability seems to be hit or miss, so when I see something I know I'll need for a future project, or even just something I really like, I get it and lay it by. Here are some fabrics I got recently with spring and summer stitching in mind. Left to right: Zweigart Orchid and Lemon, and Sherwood Forest from this Etsy shop. Isn't that a pretty green? I cannot resist green fabric and let's be honest, I don't really try.

Back in the spring I found this little case in the knitting section at Hobby Lobby. It had a plastic insert in the middle with holes in it but I surgically removed it. It's perfect for an ornament-sized project. The front and back have very roomy zipper pockets that will hold a 6" qsnap, and the inside will also hold a 6" qsnap and 12 floss bobbins. For its size, it will hold a lot of stuff.

Lastly, a sunny little bauble. A lot of Etsy shops have these and they are actually supposed to be thread keeps, but I use them to decorate my project bags. Not essential, just pretty. Sometimes you just need to go to the mailbox and have something cheerful waiting for you. And really, one of the best things about a hobby is the toys that go with it!

So that's what's new around here. Thought I'd show y'all some goodies since I can't show you stitching (it's a surprise!) and you may be getting tired of kitties! This is still a stitching blog, after all! 

Happy Stitching!