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 Green Bike in Red

Finally finished and framed Green Bike in Red by Alessandra Adelaide Needleworks. Sewn on silvermist opal in Kreinik red. It takes four spools of Kreinik for each bike. It is all ready for my oldest sister for Christmas. That makes two sisters and my parents down; one sister and my mother in law to go.

I have started on Summer Butterfly by Alessandra Adelaide Needleworks for the remaining sister. Hopes are high that this one wont take long. The fabric for my mother in laws has shipped. I calculated if I started on July 1 and stitched 450 stitches a day I could have it finished to be framed October 31. Shipping usually takes a good 10 days coming from overseas so each day adds more stitches to that and I want to start as soon as the fabric gets in.

Oak tree was casting a shadow on the fabric. Babbling Brook by Wichelt

My other two WIPs are becoming UFO. I just don't have time to dedicate to them with trying to get these finished and framed for Christmas. Spent last week volunteering at VBS. The week before that we (me and the two youngest) drove to Colorado to help out little sister with her new baby. So, I have not stitched on them in at least two weeks.

Queen Mariposa by Mirabilia on Quiescence by Chromatic Alchemy

The Heir by Terrence Nolan on Jaded

Updates on WIPs

Lots going on. Start with Green Bike in teal is back from the frame shop. It looks great. My sister is going to love it. Currently I have it displayed on a shelf in my house until Christmas.

Almost completed Green Bike in Red for the other twin. Trying so hard to finish it before I leave for vacation in 9 days. I want to get it to the frame shop before I leave if I can. Then it will be ready about the time I return.

Boy mermaid (The Heir) is still chugging along. The baby is mostly complete. That should complete most of the confetti. So, it should start going faster when I stitch on him.

Lastly is Queen Mariposa, working with limited thread has really held her back. I now have all the DMC threads, it isn't as hard to find a place to stitch. Still need to get the beads and specialty threads.

Finished TEXAS

I have finished TEXAS. Took longer than expected but it is done. Just needs to be washed, and ironed. Then off to the frame shop when Green Bike in Turquoise is ready to be picked up.

 

Texas Panorama by Bestitched designs by Bev

on Smokey White Zweigart 18ct Aida

Two new starts since this one is finished. First Green Bike by Alessandra Adelaide Needleworks. This time in red Kreinik thread. Also, a Christmas gift for the other twin. So far I have not messed up this one, and everything is lining up correctly. Fabric is Silvermist Opal 18ct.

Second is Queen Mariposa by Mirabilia. I couldn't stand not working on a Mirabilia. Only two days progress, with limited thread supplies. Next week I will swing by the LNS and get the remaining supplies need for her. I am not sure which is worse having three WIPs or not having a Mirabilia. Everyday I feel each one needs some love. Currently I am doing 1-2 threads then switching. It seems to be working well.

Coral Charms by Nora Corbett

Last night I finished Coral Charms. I was so delighted to finish my third cross stitching this year. My goal was five this year; may have to revisit and increase my goal. The conversion on this one was simple and manageable. I added simple eye lines and lips to give her more of a face. Coral Charms is stitched on Monet 16 count Aida by Picture this Plus fabric. The conversion can be found on the Conversions Tab at the top of the page or click here.

I finally received my fabric from Hand Dyed Fabrics by Stephanie. I am not fond of writing bad reviews. So, I will start with the good. Stephanie is very quick to respond to questions. I sent an email after three weeks of no update to ask when my fabric would be ready, and received a response with in a few hours. Here is the pictures of what I ordered from her website.

Jaded                                                       Silvermist

Both of these look to be pictured on some sort of linen fabric. The Silvermist is on opalescents.

The fabric was ordered in Adia on March 15; shipping notice was received on April 12. It took a month to get the fabric. When the fabric arrived the envelope was in pretty bad shape. The corner was ripped up and I was concerned that the fabric was damaged. (If I was shipping I would have put it in the padded envelope which is the same shipping cost.) Open the package and nothing was damaged. Thank goodness. I had been waiting a month and needed to get started on the Silvermist fabric for Christmas gifts this year, and did not want to wait another month. All of the fabric was in one bag. My personal preference is separate bags for storage with their project. That is neither here nor their. Just cost a little extra for me to get big ziplock bags for each. The fabric is very stiff. At first I thought maybe it is just the Silvermist because it is opalescents, but the Jaded was stiff as well. Not as ridged as the Silvermist but stiffer than my other hand dyed fabrics I have received recently. Finally here is what my fabric looks like:

What are your thoughts of how what I received compares to the online pictures?

Start Coral Charm by Nora Corbett

Our eleven year old son is a boy scout. From time to time we will schedule a merit badge he wants to take at the museum. While the class is fairly inexpensive, it does take an hour to get down there. The classes are four hours long. Being that we have done several scout classes including tours, what am I to do for four hours while sitting waiting for him. That's right cross stitch. While it wasn't a start I did get quite a bit done with what turned out to be three and a half hours of no interruptions.

Today I took a break from cross stitching and from almost everything else, and made a baby quilt for one of my husbands employees whos wife had a baby girl last month. I know I am so behind, I should of had this done and to them before the baby was born. First, husband didn't tell me one of his employees was expecting a bundle of joy until the week of. Second, his employee has been off and then allowed to work remotely from home to enjoy his baby girl for the first few weeks. Makes me feel not so bad, but still not a good excuse. Need to get a couple of girl and boy ones made up so when someone says oh John or Jane is expecting I can just pull it out. Maybe one day. Here is the one I whipped together today. I did a 'rag' quilt so I didn't have to wait for it to come back from the quilters.

Put a nice boarder around it for a finishing touch.

While I had the sewing machine out I also put binding on one of two quilts that have been waiting for two months now. In need of getting one completed as a gift for a dear friend we will see at the end of May, and the other is for our daughter.

Finished Mediterranean Mermaid

Woohoo! Second finish of the year, and it is only the beginning of April. Mediterranean Mermaid by Nora Corbett was a fast stitch. She is very Shinny with all the Kreinik thread and Mill Hill Beads and Treasures. The major conversion on her was her skin and hair.

We have two children that are adopted with darker skin. All of the beautiful pieces by Nora Corbett are fair skinned. I want our adopted children to be able to look at the pieces I have done and see that their skin is beautiful as well. Our daughter really loves this one. I might have to hang it in her room after it is framed. You can find the conversion for her on the Conversion Tab at the top of the page.

Other news: I ordered needle minders for the first time from Gina's Unique Boutique on Etsy. Even though I free stitch, with out a hoop or q-snaps, I am loving these. Instead of holding my needle in my mouth, sticking it in my pants/shorts, or stabbing it into the bead I attach this to my pattern holder and when I need to change thread color it keeps my needle safe. No more coming back going where did I put that needle now?

Mermaid Undine is back from the frame shop. :)

Already found her a home on the wall.

Fabric I need to start Christmas gifts still hasn't come in. So, next project will be a Coral Charms by Nora Corbett. I am going to do the same skin conversion on this one. I think the darker skin will be radiant against the bright colors of her tail.

Finished Skin Mediterranean Mermaid

I didn't get a whole lot of stitching done on Mirabilia Mediterranean Mermaid while the kids were on spring break last week. Go figure. I did manage to sneak in a few minutes here and there and finished her skin and hair. Also, managed to take a good picture of her and the fabric too.

She is stitched on 14 count Zweigart Frenzy.

I am hoping this week to get the file up on my conversion page for this project.

The hair has the dreaded 2 strand blend in it. (You know where you take one strand of one color and one strand of another color and put them together.) On top of being my least favorite thing to do; they are small stitch areas with only 1-4 stitches, then a huge gap. So, you have to end and start again. I save blends until they are the last thing in that area. Sometimes, I will even move to a new area and skip the blends. What is your least favorite part? Comment below.

Update on Mediterranean Mermaid

This week the kids are all on Spring Break not sure I will be able to get much stitching done but I am going to try. I am really enjoying stitching this one. The skin conversion I am making is turning out wonderful. Here is how far I am now.

Again not the best of pictures. I am going to have to go back to using the big camera the little one just doesn't take the same quality pictures.

Happy post came in. (Well mostly happy) Start with a pattern. Received Green Bike by Alessandra Adelaide. I am going to make two of these for my older twin sisters which are both avid bike riders. I ordered the fabric to go with it last night. One's favorite color is red and the other turquoise. I am thinking of using Kreinik#4 floss for them.

Next is fabric. Remember I ordered online for the first time ever. The pieces from Picture This Plus have arrived. First is Gothic. I am going to stitch Mirabilia Startgazer on it.

The other piece of fabric is still gorgeous fabric; I just don't think it is going to work for what I wanted to stitch on it. It is Monet again by Picture This Plus. I was going to do Mirabilia Red and convert it to purple. The way the dye pattern is I just don't see it looking right.

So, I am going to split the fabric and stitch two Nora Corbett's on it. The Rain Queen and Coral Charms.

These will be my next two projects unless the post comes before I finish Mediterranean Mermaid.

Start on Mirabilia Mediterranean Mermaid

I officially have a start. Mediterranean Mermaid by Mirabilia. The picture isn't the greatest, but here she is.

The fabric is 14 count Zweigart Frenzy. This is the first color conversion I have ever done, and I picked the colors. Hopefully her skin will turn out okay and not all crazy.

Finish Mermaid Undine

Finished Mirabilia's Mermaid Undine earlier this month. She looks amazing with her feathery tail. The fabric is actually a pail blue hand dye color that I could not get to show up with the camera. I have modified her from the original pattern by taking some of her frills that are coming off the 'leg' area. You can find my conversion here.

The long beads were hard to place. They took up more space than the three slots allowed for on the pattern. I tried to center them by going out one stitch each way. This made five spaces for the bead and it really needed about six.

 This week I also got the remaining beads, and thread needed to start Mediterranean mermaid. Have to love a sale at the local cross stitch shop.

For the first time ever I ordered fabric online. Two pieces from Picture This Plus and 4 pieces from Chromatic Alchemy. I have in my mind which pieces I want to cross stitch on them, but have to wait until they come in to see if I change my mind.

Started Mermaid Undine

I have two projects going on right now, and am excited to start another. Usually I only do one project at a time. When I finish that one then I move on to the next one. Some how now I have two going at once. Never know which one I should work on when I sit down. First is I started Mermaid Undine from Nora Corbett's Mirabilla line. She is going really fast.

I don't like all the extra swirls and attachments coming off of her fin; so I am modifying the pattern slightly to cut those out.  All of her upper body is done. Just fin and tail left.

The second project I am working on is my four year old convinced my Mom to long arm a quilt top for him. Now it is quilted and I need to sew down the binding on it. I am almost half way done with it. I am trying to work on this only while he is in gymnastics so it is taking longer than usually to turn it out and be done with it.

Lastly I am so excited to start my stitching the Mediterranean mermaid I can hardly finish Undine fast enough. I have already gone through my thread boxes and pulled out all the colors I need for her. On this piece I am going to do my first conversion. We will see how it turns out.

Finished Mirabilia 'Siren and the Shipwreck'

Just before Christmas I finished Mirabilia's 'Siren and the Shipwreck'. Here she is:

The fabric is 16 count Zweigart Aida Frenzy. This is my first time using hand dyed fabric. When I went to wash and iron it the fabric started discoloring the water. Thank goodness it did not discolor any of the thread. Here is a closer look at the beading on her.

The pattern called for Mill Hill bead 02098 (dark green from dorsal fin) on the bottom of her tail. Personally, I thought it made her tail look like it had green algae growing on it. Instead I used Mill Hill bead 00020 (navy blue that is used in her lower body).  Now she is in line waiting to go to the frame shop, and I have started my first cross stitching of 2016.