It's Here, and It's Pink

 

Y'all, the final installment in the Stitches Through the Years Mini Quaker series is out and it's pink! Summer is Coming Mini Quaker:

Do check it out at the link because my photo doesn't do it justice... it's gorgeous. I just got my threads (still waiting on one, Weeks Sanguine) and hope to make this my holiday weekend project. 

I have loved this series and I'm a bit sad to see it end. You can see my finishes of Autumn, Winter, and Spring in this post.

Tea & Coffee Series: August

Link to this series at the end of this post.

BONUS! See all the new goodies from the Fall Needlework Expo! (Keep checking back as more are added.)

A Wee Bookmark

 

Made myself a little Chow bookmark. The puppy is from this Etsy shop and she has quite a few breeds available (as well as other cute designs). I improvised the bottom part to make the bookmark. Stitched with DMC on perforated paper. The sparkly thread used for the bottom is Kreinik Ombre 1700. 

For easy instructions on how I finish perforated paper, see this post. 

Happy Stitching!

Summer of the WIP: Autumn Sampler (and fabric thoughts... and cake)

 

Still poking along on my Autumn Sampler. I have been finding it difficult to settle to stitching over the last few weeks so I haven't made as much progress as I had hoped. I've also been trying to do some longterm stitchy planning because 1) I have ideas, and 2) I have concerns. I have ideas about the next couple of Christmas Open House themes (yes, I think about it that far in advance), and I have concerns about being able to get what I want, particularly fabric. I was spooked by the recent flooding in Europe and its affect on flax crops (flax = linen). Getting certain types of fabric has been challenging during the pandemic, with many dyers completely unable to keep up their stock. Will the flooding affect the supply of linen coming out of Europe? I don't know, but I do know that the supply chain is already stressed and any extra complication can't help. Plan accordingly. 

Which leads me to...

...a mini fabric binge. Let's be honest. A fabric binge (mini or otherwise) is always a good thing, whether you're worried about supply or not. It's just really nice to get a fat little package of beautiful fabric in the mail, and then carefully lay it away for future projects. It's a bit of hope, that you'll actually get to those projects at some point, and a bit of security, that if things go pear-shaped, at least you've got the fabric you need. Kinda like disaster prep for stitchers. Which seems relevant right now. Yikes.

Anyway, the deliciousness, top to bottom: Valor (PTP), Wood Violet (Wichelt), Vintage Sahara (Zweigart), Flax (Zweigart), Raw Natural (Zweigart).

By the way, that lovely soft violet is for a Christmas project, if you can believe it. 

Things have been a bit challenging lately, and if you're feeling that too, I hope you can find some peace in your stitching. 

Also, here is some cake. Highly recommended.

And a beautiful kitty.

Hang in there, and Happy Stitching.

Pink & Green Christmas Tree

For a closer look at individual ornaments, click on the Christmas Ornament SAL label at the bottom of this post.

For a closer look at the pink Mrs. Claus tree topper, see this post.

A Little Christmas in July

If you've been here a while, you may remember back in 2019 when I was preparing to move halfway across the country, I did the very sensible thing and joined a monthly SAL. Because why not? The theme of the SAL (hosted over at the Christmas Ornament SAL blog) was an ornament a month from selected years of the annual Just Cross Stitch Christmas Ornament issue. I thought this was a brilliant idea for a SAL and decided to stitch my ornaments in pink and green for a Christmas tree in my pink and green sewing room. Shockingly, despite moving and other nonsense, I actually got all twelve ornaments stitched that year. Finishing, however, was another story (which we all know too well). 

I'm proud to say, as of last week, they're all fully finished. These are the last five. If you want to see the previous finishes, click on the Christmas Ornament SAL label at the end of this post. I think the JCS issue information for each ornament is included, but if you don't see it, just ask in the comments and I'll find it. 

More soon...

Mid-Summer (and a peek of Fall!)

Taupe checked 32 ct. fabric by Artiste from Hobby Lobby (made by Zweigart).

Fox pumpkin from Hobby Lobby.

Autumn Sampler WIP available here.

(Please note Tiger Lily's magnificent floofy tail.)

Tea & Coffee Series: June & July

 

Above: June & July

Below: January through April, then April through July

Thoroughly enjoying stitching this series from Punochka every month. Really looking forward to the fall cups and the finale in December. I can't wait to see what she comes up with.

Fox Family is Finished!

 

My first Summer of the WIP success! Yay, me! This is The Fox Family by Filigram, stitched on 28 ct. Vintage Country Mocha with the recommended Dinky-Dyes silks. Can't remember when I started (and put away) this project but it's been several years. And now it's a finish! 

Small break to catch up on the tea & coffee series I'm stitching this year, and then on to the next WIP. My goal is to finish three long-standing WIPs this summer. Happily, my next target is an autumn project, because as y'all know, I'm an autumn girl and once I'm past Independence Day, I am done with summer! Onward! 

Summer of the WIP: Fox Family

 

Making progress on my first project for my Summer of the WIP, wherein I'm spending the summer knocking out a few long-standing WIPs. This is The Fox Family by Filigram and I'm stitching it on 28 ct. Vintage Country Mocha with the recommended Dinky-Dyes silks. I had stitched mama fox some years ago and then put this aside for some reason (didn't care for one of the colors, I think) and just never got back to it. It's now first in line for a finish this summer.

Hopefully, I'll be able to finish this up during the long holiday weekend. Then I'd like to take a quick break and catch up on my monthly tea and coffee series before tackling my next WIP, which will be an autumn project, which I'm very much looking forward to. Stay tuned!

Have a happy and safe Independence Day, and Happy Stitching!