Autumn, Stitching and Stash

It is November and in two months it will be a new year.  Anyone started their Christmas shopping? Not me. I am one of the weird people who likes the crowds and shopping in decorated stores.  One of my favorite things for Christmas.  Funny thing is I will be stitching Halloween for the next few months.

I did finish page 4 on the Fright Night Friends and on page 5.  I just finish the sign last night, all Kreinik thread.  Kreinik and I are just barely getting along, and as soon as I am done, the next time using the Kreinik again will be too soon.  I hate DMC Light effects more than Kreinik.  I have another sign to put on under the shoes and the E will stitched next week. I know I will finish it this year.  I want to do the Christmas banner too, but I think I will wait a couple months before starting that one.

I am doing this lovely sampler from a French designer, Jardin Prive.  I didn't show the first part so the above picture is part 1.  I am stitching it on a  6 inch stitch band.  It is a little tricky  to stitch on it by the edges.  I love the color of it but I notice under the lights in my kitchen, where I sometimes stitch, parts of the band gives a "dirty" look, like car grease was spilled on it through out the band. I know it is the lightening.

Last night, I finished part 2, just in time, since part 3 came out this morning.  I have decided to redo the hearts and flowers. The pinks are very light and almost whitish color.  I had order the threads this morning and when they come in, I will frog and restitch them.  There are mistakes on this section too, but they are spacing mistakes and I can't tell the difference.

 I got some lovely new stash this past month.  My friend, Karin, rak'd me these lovely gifts, Christmas mittens ornaments, a Christmas card magazine and some variegated threads.  I love the  gifts and I know I will be stitching from a couple patterns soon. Thank you Karin!

 I had signed up for the Kustom Krafts Stitch A Long and I am stitching Autumn Encounter.  I admit I haven't touch it in a couple weeks (no update) but will be working on it this weekend.  I was one of the winners in last months raffle and I was allow to pick a pattern from their site.  I fell in love with this tiger, called Blue Eyes. I am not sure when I will get to it, but it will be gorgeous when I do finish him.

Last June, I had participated a online retreat with one of my Yahoo groups.  I had won a prize was told I could pick 2 patterns from the X'x & Oh's site.  I picked Big Trouble and Shall We Dance.  It was the perfect treat for this stitcher on Halloween.  Thank you Vickie!

On the 15th every month, Nora Corbett releases at least one new pattern . The Mirabilia Minions (which they like to be called), stay up late to 1 am to see the new pattern.  Then the next few days, the talk is about what is the perfect fabric and who can get the pattern first, etc.  If I am awake around 1 am, I will check out the new patterns, but I usually don't go out right away to buy it.  When this mermaid, named Azure, came out, I said it was pretty but I can wait. so I thought,and when a friend, who model stitched Azure, showed some close ups of the model.  What I saw were beads and bling which I didn't see when seeing the whole picture.  My heart literally fell in love with her.  I actually had a physical feeling of my heart falling.  Needless to say, I brought the pattern and beads but will be getting the threads and fabric in a couple weeks.  I know when the rest of the stuff comes in, I will be stopping the rest of my stitching, because I want her on my wall.
 I will leave it here for now and leave you with some more Autumn scenes in Southeast Connecticut.

 This one was taken from the highway we were driving on.  My aunt stopped on the side for a minute and I snapped a few pictures.  We actually felt the bridge sway as the cars were whizzing by.

 This one is when the sun was blazing on the trees at sunset.

Love the blue sky!

Have a great week!
Until next time,
Vicky

Halloween exchanges and Autumn

Double Double by Lizzie Kate

JCS Halloween issue 2013

14 count Grasshopper (left) and Potter Purple (right)

DMC threads

Past week, I send some exchanges and a few had reached their new home.  The Double Double  ornaments above is designed by Linda Elbright of Lizzie Katie in the JCS Halloween issue. The grasshopper aida was send to RavenSong in the Stitching Sisters group. The purple aida, called Potter Purple, was send to Jennifer in AZ from The Stutcherhood group. I used the DMC threads.

Halloween by Glory Bee

JCS Halloween issue 2013

28 count Delicate Teal by Silkweavers

DMC threads

Halloween is stitched by Glory Bee for Mary Louise in IN.  The design was stitched on 28 count Delicate Teal using the recommended DMC threads. I do need to center my pieces a little bit better and stay away from the binders clips.  They are leaving indents on the ornaments and I don't know why.

 I received a couple ornaments too.  This pumpkin was stitched by Jennifer from IN. She used a velvet ribbon for the inside trimming.  On the back she machine embroidered my name and hers.  Awesome idea!  Thank you Jennifer!

This beautiful ornament was stitched by RavenSong in CA. I loved how she put it together. I love it.   The thread she used for the lettering is gorgeous.  I won't be surprise if it came from her own hand dyed threads. Thank  you RavenSong!

Last week I showed my progress on Autumn Encounter by Kustom Krafts. Well it was the only piece I stitched this week, but I made good progress.  I am pass the  half way point. Page 2 is coming out on Tuesday, so I am hoping to catch up by the time page 3 comes out. I am loving the colors!

I did take a few pictures of my area. Part of a a highway route goes through some mountains.  I took some pictures as we were driving by and no, I wasn't driving.  As you will see a lot of yellows and oranges and lots of greens still. The reds are not ready to come out yet, very late this year.

I hope you have a great week!

Hugs
Vicky

I Got Mail and update

Hi!  Parsley from Seasons of My Mind,  put a challenge for her readers to show a picture of ourselves.  So I figure,  what the heck, why not? I rarely put pictures of myself because majority of the time I am the one taking the pictures, even at family gatherings. This is my recent picture of me when I was at Sandwich, Cape Cod, taken by my aunt this past August.

I did some more fabric dyeing a couple weekends ago. It has been gorgeous lately on the weekends.  I went with a blue theme.  The fabric on the left  was dyed with Rit Evening Blue, the middle one was brush painted with Mediterranean Blue acrylic paint and the right fabric was Rit Aquamarine Blue with a dash of Evening Blue.  I wanted more of  a bluish color, instead of a blue-green color. I love how they came out.

 On October 15, my nephew, Anthony, turned 7 years old. My sister hired a magician for Anthony and his friends.  The magician put Anthony in this get-up. Doesn't he look ridiculous? Of course, I had to take a picture. I think its my favorite one.  I going to get a 4x6 picture for this one to  put in my room.

 There was cupcakes instead of a cake this year.  Dawne made the cupcakes, Amy frosted them and I decorated them.  There was a pinata,too, a SpongeBob Squarepants.  There was one last year and they weren't going do another one but the night before, Anthony started bawling because he wanted a pinata again.  So his dad went out to  get one. When it came time to hit Sponge Bob, Anthony went first and then the next kid went and gave it a big whack, and BOOM!, candy went flying out.  No other kid got a chance to whack it,but they did get candy!

Here is Anthony right before we sang Happy Birthday to him.   The balloon next to him also sings and Anthony kept hitting it.  He loved it.  When I got home, there was a package waiting for me.

Meet Carver the Pumpkin!  He is adorable!  My Secret Pen Pal send it to me.  He is now sitting in my basket with my other stuffed toys.  Thank you so much!  Than Monday came along, and I had went to the store and came back, and there were 5 packages waiting for me. It was Christmas in October for me.  One was a small order for a couple gifts, and another was a secret exchange which I can't show until I get the word its okay to do so. However, here is the other 3 packages.

This  lovely package came from Carissa of the i-love-cross-stitch Yahoo group for the 10th Anniversary exchange.  The group  has been  around for 10 years and I have been a member since 2003.  It was the first group I ever joined and I had met so many friends in  this group.  Carissa send me DMC satin threads(which I never used before), 2 Carrie's threads, Stitchy Kitty "The Hamster Did It" pattern, Angel Stitchin  "Long May She Wave" pattern, a Silkweaver solo piece with a needle, a card she made and a bookmark, which is in a book I am reading and didn't made in the picture.  Thank you Carissa!

 This package came from Mary from The Stitcherhood group.  The exchange was a Halloween Treasure hunt which we had to find items to represent Halloween from a list we were given.  For the pumpkin, it was the Pez candy which cracked me up, plus it glows in the dark.  For the witch was a Mill Hill needleminder,   candy corn  was a dish shape as a candy corn and a bag of candy corn, cats was a pair of cat earrings.  (Sorry Mary I have to give them to someone else.  I am allergic to earrings),  And for Happy Halloween saying was a spool of ribbon. I love everything and it was so creative.  Thank you Mary!

 This package came from Cindy B.  for the Fall Exchange from the ILCSing Yahoo group.   She send 2 patterns, Lizzie Kate Flip-Its October and November and a package of needles.  She had 123Stitch send them to me directly and when I opened it, I was thinking it was my order.  I am looking at the items and thinking "This is not what I ordered", then I looked at the slip and saw Cindy's name and I went "Duh!"   Just a senior moment for me,  lol!  Thank you Cindy! 

Last night I got my Halloween ornament from Viv of UK from the ILCSing group. She stitched me a Mill Hill Spooking ornament and included a Mill Hill Kitty Treats with some candy and a card filled with Halloween confetti.  I have the ornament hanging from my bookshelfs.  Viv knows I love Mill Hill kits and  I love it.  I can't wait to start on the Kittys.  Thank you Viv!

I can show you a finish. I stitched this for Mary from KraftersKorners group.  We had to stitched a freebie, finish it off and add 3 specialty threads. I found this SanMan Autumn freebie in my stash and I finished it as an ornament.  I  uses Carrie's threads Autumn for the wording and gold beads for the hanger. 

This finish is Sandy's RR, the Snowbaby from Ellen Maurer-Stroh.  I had this done awhile ago, but I forgot to post it.  I used the beads instead of confetti stitches for the snowflakes.  I think it came out wonderful.  I sure hope Sandy likes it.

I want to thank all of you for your good thoughts on my upcoming surgery.  I appreciate all of them.  I saw the surgeon on Oct 6th.  The surgery has been delayed for 6 months, but for a good reason.  The doctor, also,  does the gastric bypass but won't be taking my insurance for another 6 months to do the procedure.  I do want to  have the gastric bypass done and trying to avoid to put me under twice, it will be better to wait.  However,if my gallbladder does act up too bad before than, he will do the surgeries separately.  It makes sense to me.  I do need this gastric bypass done because I know it will change my life for the good of  things.  I have told my family  and I have their support and love.  I know I can do this, just playing the waiting game for now. 

I will be going to Virginia after Christmas. My friends are going to Florida in January and they want to house and pet sit for them.  They said I could come  even if they do not go, so my trip has been delayed for another 2 months. That means I could save up more money.

I have reached 200 followers, so I will be doing a Christmas giveaway in a couple weeks.  It will be so much fun!

.

Autumn and Halloween Stitching

I was very busy stitching my exchanges I had to do to make my deadline on October 15. I made it with a couple days to spare plus I added one more exchange. Now on to a couple SALs. But I want to show you what I got and did for my partners.

The picture above the blog post is the Autumn ornament I did for Debbie Jo. The pattern is from Stoney Creek. Debbie Jo was the same partner I had in the Summer exchange, so I decided to use the same type of pattern. I did use Carrie Creations Autumn for the border, but the rest was done with DMC. Here is the ornament I got from Debbie. It is very beautiful and in my basket with my other goodies.


The next exchange was Christmas in September from the KraftersKorners yahoo group. I stitched a snowman from JCS Christmas 2009 magazine. I just got my 2010 issue about a week ago. The pattern is from Val's Stuff and I stitched him on Sassy's Fabbys Snowflake 14 count aida. I added a blue bead hanger and the fabric in the background in the picture, is the same one I used for the back of the ornament. Mary sent me this cute little angel. She is adorable.


This Halloween card was another exchange. I have not heard from the person if she received it yet. But I thought I would show it off. It is design by Ursula Michaels. The pumpkins glow-in-the-dark and looks so awesome in the dark. My brother wants me to make one with a skull with the neon threads.
This Santa ornament was for a Blind Swap Exchange. An ornament of your choice is stitched and finished. All of ornaments are send to the modator, Rene, with a S.A.S.E. and she will swap an ornament from another stitcher. So you wont know what you will get, plus you dont have to worry if your partner goes awol. This Santa is design from Praire Schooler on 28 count evenweave.



This was the Halloween pin I stitched for Katie from KraftersKorner. The pattern was a freebie from CyberStitchers. The designer is Angelic Stitches by Velda. It was orginally an ornament but I stitched it one over one on 25count evenweave. This is the first time I did one over one and it was very easy and fun. It took about 4 hours to make, including making it into the pin.

This roly-poly Santa is Sandy's ornament RR. He was easy to stitch. The backstitch really makes him come to life on the fabric. I sure hope she likes it. I am done with all my exchanges except for the Ornament RR. But the pressure isnt there to stitch to make the deadlines. My next project is Little House Pumpkin Hollow Farm. It is one of the new ones from Little House and I had to do it this year. I will have an update in a few days.

Thank you so much for stopping by and for making it this far.
Enjoy the fall before the snow gets here.