Lost Bug, Did you find him?

I lost my stitching bug!

For a long time, 3 years, I lost my stitching but. I have quietly been watching and looking at other peoples cross stitch on facebook groups, but had no desire to pick up and stitch myself. I found diamond painting and absolutely love converting my full coverage pieces into diamond art. Unfortunately it is costly to order the canvas and drills from China so they are far a few between.

With the stay at home orders, house completely clean, and kids happy doing their own things my stitching bug has returned. In the last few months I have finished 2 Mirablilia's and started an Alessandra Adelaide.

Keep an eye out, I will be updating here soon with pictures and more conversions.

Free Heaven and Earth Design Pattern Earned

Heaven and Earth Design (HAED) has a challenge going in their Facebook group to earn a free chart. They are currently on their fourth challenge of six. There is still time to participate. This challenge does not end until April 7th. I discussed the rules for this challenge on my February 1 post. You can find it here. Now, I am happy to say that I have completed challenge #4.

She has an eye. Chart is Glowing Dreams by Selina Fenech charted by Heaven and Earth Designs. Now comes the hard part of the challenge. Waiting until it is over to see what chart they will be giving us.

Earn Free HAED Chart

Heaven and Earth Designs (HAED) has several ways to earn free charts. Today I am going to touch on one of them. For this way you need to be a part of their facebook group. If you are not already you can join here. Currently HAED is running challenge #4. Each challenge has a set of requirements that must be followed. The first one I did not know, but you had to work in 10X10 squares in a checkerboard pattern. The second one was going on when I joined HAED's facebook page. For it you had to do cross country. Unfortunately I came in at the end of it and didn't have time to participate. The third one was parking. Although I was working on a Heaven and Earth Designs piece at the time it did not have a full clean page for me to participate. Now they are on challenge #4 and I am taking part. the requirements are simple.

• Choose a clean page- Minimum 7300 stitches (must equate to a full page if you are doing an SK, Large Format, etc.), no min number of colors
• Runs January 1st and ends April 7th (midnight PST)
• Post your Email in the Sign up thread
• Take a photo Jan 1st of your blank fabric space and blank chart page(s) (Do not post until finished)
• Take a photo of your work at about the halfway mark (Do not post until finished)
• When you are complete - Post your blank fabric pic, blank chart pic, your halfway pic and finish pic in the Finish thread
• You may use ANY type of technique that you like
• Tenting is allowed
• Participants that complete the challenge will receive a prize chart!

It is that easy. One page with 7300 stitches anyway you want to stitch them. You don't even have to purchase a chart you can use one of their free download charts off the Heaven and Earth Designs website. Catch. Always a catch isn't there. You don't know what chart is the prize. It is a surprise. It has taken a bit but I have moved over to a clean page. All signed up in the correct thread, and I am finally there and ready to start. Here is the piece I am working on:

Glowing Dreams by Selina Fenech

Of course I am doing the no background. This saves months of stitching. While some will not look right with no background when it comes to water, sky, or solid type using a nice hand dyed fabric looks just as good if not better.

This is my starting point for challenge #4

My page will starts to the right of the dark purple.

Better Stitches

Ever looked at someone's cross stitching and wondered how they got such pretty flat stitches?

If you ask stitchers with beautiful close ups what their secret is answers range from letting thread untwist every few stitches, to laying tools, to type of frame/hoop used. After years of envying others close up and, trying different tools, hoops, frames etc., I have found the answer. Bee's Wax. Yes! Bee's Wax. While looking around on the Heaven and Earth Designs website I found Bee's Wax. So I said what the hay lets give it a try. So, with my last order from HAED I added on a bee's wax. Do to not wanting half my last piece to be done with wax and half without I didn't try it right away. Actually it just sat for months in my thread box. Now it is out and used with every string. It is easy to use. Gently pull tread between thumb and waxer two times, then pull thread between thumb and finger to smooth. That easy. This will strengthen the thread, smooth floss and reduce tangles. Wow what a difference it makes.

Close up without wax

 Close up of Snow with no wax. Stitches are uneven, and crazy. This is why most of my pictures are of full pieces from a distance.

Close up with wax

Close up of new start The Glowing Dreams with wax. Stiches are even, flat, beautiful stitches. These are close ups I would post anywhere. I am such a believer in using the Bee's Wax for cross stitching it is now available in my Etsy store. HERE. For a limited time get 10% off our purchase at check out with code: STITCHESANDTHINGS expires Mar 31, 2017.

Are you using any tricks to get your stitches flat? Comment below and let us know.

Snow Finished

SHE IS FINALLY DONE!!

Snow by Maxine Gadd (no background) charted by Heaven and Earth Designs. Fabric is by Chromatic Alchemy called Amortentia Opal Aida. Started on July 14 finished November 8. Even though it was a week after my deadline, the frame shop has not gotten a Christmas rush yet. So she will be done before Thanksgiving. Then, I can put her on the wall and enjoy her for a bit before having to wrap her up for my MIL. Was starting to wonder if I was ever going to finish. The wing just kept going and going. So happy with how she turned out.

Never, I repeat NEVER, was your hand dyed fabrics. I spritz mine with water to iron them. This is what happens:

Yes, that is dye on my ironing towel. Excess dye seeped out. Once, I made the mistake of washing hand dyed fabric. I almost had to throw the piece away because the dye got on the stitching. Quick thinking and lots of praying and I was able to work the piece so that it looked like it was supposed to be that way.

Now that she is done and at the frame shop I can clean my house. It is driving me crazy. The dogs keep bringing chunks of dirt in. Then I am going to bring out my Mirabilia UFO, and turn it back into a WIP.

Queen Mariposa

Finished?

Well here it is November 2. Am I done yet? No. Life just wouldn't cooperate. Kept getting notions of being able to complete it in time. Then something would happen. Monday my husband asked me to go do a few errands that should of only taken an hour. Four hours later, made it back home. Yesterday I knew I wasn't going to have much stitching time. Our 12 year old had two doctor appointments and they are both between 30-45 minutes away. That took most of my day. However I did manage to finish two colors. Hoping to finish by the end of the week. I will keep you updated on my progress.

 

Confetti Head Done

Confetti head is finally finished. That took way longer than it was supposed to. Lost my stitching bug for 3 days. Husband new something was wrong. He asked on the third day what was wrong and why hadn't I been stitching. I just kept getting lost and having to frog stitches. Was getting very frustrated and didn't want to do it any more. So, I worked on bobbinating my next project. I so want move on and start my next one and pick up my UFO. Now to finish out the wings and be done.