CROSS STITCH DIARY: September Starts and Finishes

Finishes!!!!

Singing in the Rain Stitchalong with Flamingo Toes

I was very excited to finish this Stitch-A-long on time. This is my second finish this year. Being new to cross stitching in this modern age, I am learning the expected etiquette. So this was 28 count and I used Kimberly’s aurfil floss colors. This was my first time to use aurifil floss. I will get better with providing the information everyone expects.

Now I need to learn some new finishing techniques for my projects. It’s a nice spring picture so maybe I will either frame it or make it a wall hanging. Stay tuned for the final finish.

Mistletoe Lane Mystery Stitch-a-Long with Fat Quarter Shop – Jolly July

This was my third finish this year and my first of September. I stitched this one according to the chart except for the presents. I changed up the little pink present to have a blue bow and the dark pink box with a red shadow. There was a lot of yellow with this one.

Unfortunately, I did not record the fabric used but I used the Fat Quarter Shop Week’s Dye Works fabric pack.

Another one to ponder how to have a final finish.

August Truckin’ Along by Stitching with the Housewives

When I started this project, I struggled. Working with black aida was more difficult then I expected. On top of that, I found the header extremely boring and the sunflowers and bees harder than one would think. This project really started moving when I moved on to the border and truck.

I am signed up for the club on this one. They send fabric, thread, and pattern. I do know we used Classic Colorworks thread (called for) on 14 count Witchel aida cloth. (Yea me!). This is a twelve month series that started with June. So….This is my first finish of this series, fourth for the year, and second for September. I do know I will be doing these will be mounted on foam board with fabric background. I hope to make them interchangeable.

With all these recent finishes, it looks like I need to make a trip to a craft store to see how I will be mounting and finishing. Hmmmm.

New Starts in September

October Truckin Along by Stitching with the Housewives

Since I finally finished August, I pulled out the latest one in the series that I have received. I had hoped that November would come, but no such luck. This border looks simpler and hopefully will go faster.

I zigzagged the edges of the fabric and will be using Classic Colorworks thread. I will be starting this sometime during this Labor Day weekend. Once again the plan is to stitch it all as one piece Month and Truck combined.

Snow Village by Country Cottage Needleworks

I have seen this one being stitched this year and decided I wanted to do this one really bad. Kimberly Jolly from Fat Quarter Shop just finished it and had put together a DMC thread pack so I went ahead and bought it. There is a total of 11 patterns for this Village. I have been buying them. I have the first 6, thread pack, and decided to use Flair Fabric 14ct Snow on Blue fabric. I also have decided not to start in the middle but top left which happens to be pattern number 3.

So I could start this sometime this holiday weekend, I zigzagged my fabric tonight. I will need to purchase the last five patterns and scan into my iPad. Meanwhile, I am very excited to start this one!

What’s in my hoop?

Bloomtopia Mystery Stitchalong with Fat Quarter Shop

This stitch-a-long started in January but I didn’t start until the end of May after I received my supplies. By that time stitch-along was almost finished. So maybe I should not call this a stitch-a-long. LOL!! This one took so long to come, that I finally ordered something else to work on in the meantime from JoAnn’s and Amazon. I am not sure who thought light blue on gray was a good idea. I really wish I had been more confident at the time to switch that color out.

Anyway, I am anticipating finishing this one in the next couple of weeks. I have been working on it one or two nights a week. The border actually goes pretty quickly. I have been stitching it as I work on other parts since I had the whole pattern already. This is my preferred method. It is easier for me to catch mistakes when I do that.

I have been thinking about what I want to do with this one when I am finished. While hanging it on the wall would be … cute, I think I may attempt to make a project bag with this one.

Butterfly Dream by Dimensions

This was the first project that actually showed up in May when I decided I wanted to cross stitch again. I got it from JoAnn’s. I remembered why I am not a big fan of the Dimensions with all the threads on a card and not well labelled. But the project itself is adorable. The backstitch will be crucial to this looking fantastic! There is only a little left to finish with the actual “cross stitch” stitch.

I am focusing on finishing Bloomtopia, then I will switch to finishing this one. I have tenative plans to give this to my sister Dorothy who is a huge fan of lighthouses and butterflies. I have to decide do I frame it for her? Do I make it into a pillow? Wallhanging? First, I have to finish it. LOL:)

Feels Like Home May Mystery Stitch-a-long hosted by Fat Quarter Shop

You know those projects that you start and make a mistake right off the bat? This is it. Not only did it arrive too late for me to stitch-a-long with everyone, but first time out, I screwed up the bird. Now I have to decide whether to undo or just “fix” it. I really lost my momentum with this one when I realized I messed up. Here is to hoping that this month I get back on track with this one!

Prim Stitch Series by Lori Holt

This series started in July. I didn’t realize that I had the border already so I didn’t start it until the first month release came. This has turned out to be a good thing. Many people who did the border first found themselves in trouble because they missed a “hump” in the border. I would have been so derailed.

I would like to finish the top border and the release 2 border before the next release arrives – Peace & Plenty. It is shipping soon!

Upcoming Projects

With October around the corner, there is a number of projects that I want to start. I am in the process of gathering supplies for another FQS Mystery Stitch for Halloween, Country Cottage Needleworks Cottage of the Month – November, Lori Holt’s Pumpkins for Sale, and Lori Holt October Mix and Match project.

This wraps up today’s post. I’m going to leave you with a picture of my biggest crafter – Nala.

Peggy