SAL Update: Ornamental Pumpkin 1

2019 wrapped up with the completion of the Cactus and Owl cross-stitch for my daughter in Okinawa, Japan. While I missed my Christmas gift deadline, she’s been boxed and mailed to welcome the new year. With light shadows and a bit crooked, here she is framed…..

 

2020 welcomed the new year with a decision on what I would start for my next project. In our last posting, I needed to make a decision on what to tackle next. I had two choices .

After some thought, I decided on the Ornamental Pumpkin. With quite a few other projects on the table I wanted something a little easier, mindless so to speak, to tackle.

The kit called for this to be stitched on 28 count ‘Goldspinner’ Luguana from Silkweaver. Finished this will measure 4 1/2″ x 5 5/8″, its not large and one of the reasons for my choice –

I looked into ordering the fabric but while at our local Joann’s, I picked a Charles Craft 11 count Aida cross stitch fabric in beige. I wafted between 11 and 14 but decided I wanted a really airy look. (I haven’t tackled a 28 count ever 🙂 

I was able to find all the recommended DMC threads that were recommended with the exception of 3 out of 10. It will be my color choice with those.

Here is my start 🙂

I began with the middle column, a little less than half way down.

 

A big welcome AJ to the group 🙂

Please also enjoy the latest SAL project updates from the rest of the group by clicking the links below. We live all over the world so you may need to allow for time differences. Posting takes place every third Sunday, local time. Our next updates will be posted on the 26th January 2020. If you would like to join with us, please contact Avis at the link below and she will walk you through.

Avis, Claire, Gun, Carole, Sue, Constanze, Christina, Kathy, Margaret, Cindy, Linda, Heidi, Jackie, Sunny, Hayley,Megan, Deborah, Mary Margaret, Renee, Jenny, Carmela, Jocelyn, Sharon, Daisy, Anne, Connie, AJ

SAL: Project Choice

 

Last posting of 2019 ~ I can hardly believe how quickly the year has passed. At my last posting I had finished ‘The Owl and Cactus’. Sadly it is still in the shop being framed. I had hoped to have this done and in the mail to my daughter, living in Okinawa (Military) for Christmas. That didn’t happen but something else did. My daughter surprised me the other day and I learned she is actually following the blog. I had no idea! In fact I said “you never comment and say nice job mom” lol ~ her surprise became my surprise.

I’ll be sure to post the framed finish before I send it off.

Before moving on to my next project for this SAL, I finished up a few gift giving projects I had started. A cross stitched greetings card for my favorite uncle and a bunch of lavender infused 3.5 sachet pillows. Bagged in baggies to let their fragrance steep 🙂

 

Now to decide on my next project for the SAL

I thought I should get a jump on projects for next fall because considering how fast this year went by ….

The first is this Pumpkin cross stitch.

The second choice is this absolutely adorable “Trick or Treat” Victoria Sampler

Notice the bottom section ~ Hardanger, I knew I should joined in when Kathy (below) hosted her Hardanger stitch along ~ darn it ~ this just might determine my choice.

To everyone ~ I wish you lots of great projects, good health and lots of laughter in the coming year.

This stitch-a-long is organised by Avis, we post our progress on our chosen project every three weeks, please follow the links to see what every one else is stitching.

Avis, Claire, Gun, Carole, Sue, Constanze, Christina, Kathy, Margaret, Cindy, Linda, Heidi, Jackie, Sunny, Hayley, Megan, Deborah, Mary Margaret, Renee, Jenny, Carmela, Jocelyn, Sharon, Daisy, Anne, Connie

 

 

Christmas Card Cross Stitch

 

In a world with virtual cards for every occasion, I still send out Christmas Cards, do you? I picked up this sweet kit at the Goodwill for $1.99

Setting out straight a way to get it started, it took me some time, extra strong reading glasses, and good lighting.

Recipient is my one and only Uncle who is extra special to me

What is really funny about this card is he loves virtual cards, and I mean LOVES them. In fact, starting Dec. 1, have been sending him a virtual card every morning almost like an advent calendar of sorts. He may love virtual cards but I think he may like this one better.

SAL: OWL & CACTUS Finish

I am thrilled to report I have a finish with my Owl and Cactus cross-stitch.

At our last check in I was here

Finish

I decided not to backstitch around the flowers. Attempting it a few times, I just could not get a smooth soft curved feel. One to take things quite literally, including directions and not working outside the box, I threw caution to the wind and left the flowers alone. I think it looks ok. Now to have it blocked and framed and it will be ready for gift giving.

For those of you celebrating Thanksgiving I wanted to wish you a wonderful day next week filled with lots of love and laughter and for those of you who aren’t, my wish for you is the same  🙂 Ours will be a quiet day as all the children are scattered into the cosmos of life outside of Washington state with their children. We have decided on 2 cornish game hens in an orange marmalade glaze, wild rice and a favorite shredded carrot soufflé.

Please take a moment or two to stop by the others in this SAL. There’s a lot of great projects in works. And if you would like to join along ~ please contact Avis at the link below and she will be happy to give you the details. It’s easy and fun!

Avis, Claire, Gun, Carole, Sue, Constanze, Christina, Kathy, Margaret, Cindy, Linda, Heidi, Jackie, Sunny, Hayley,Megan, Deborah, Mary Margaret, Renee, Jenny, Carmela, Jocelyn, Sharon, Daisy, Anne, Connie

 

SAL: Cactus and Owl Update

Halloween down, Thanksgiving inching its way into our hearts and another chance to post an update on my project.

Last posting the cactus and owl looked like this.

Progress was made and it felt good to put in the last stitches of the third cactus. Just a few more stitches to finish him up, the thorns, backstitching, then flower with its stem and I’m done 🙂

 

Welcome Back Connie 🙂 I am excited to hop on over to your page and see what you’ve got in the works.

Not part of the SAL but in these past 3 weeks I made these two sweet little ornaments to go on top of a special gift. Both ornaments are backed the same. The quilt they are on is one I made many years ago, well over 20. It’s my Christmas quilt, all hand pieced and quilted.

Please enjoy the latest SAL project updates from the rest of the group by clicking the links below. We live all over the world so you may need to allow for time differences. Posting takes place every third Sunday, local time. Our next updates will be posted on the 24th November 2019.

Avis, Claire, Gun, Carole, Sue, Constanze, Christina, Kathy, Margaret, Cindy, Linda, Heidi, Jackie, Sunny, Hayley,Megan, Deborah, Mary Margaret, Renee, Jenny, Carmela, Jocelyn, Sharon, Daisy, Anne, Connie

Braving the Madness for Estate Sale Finds

A few weekends ago I hit an estate sale, lured in by pictures on a FB post. I am not a huge estate sale goer as the vendors usually get in there first, fast and furious and the things I love are usually snatched up before I even get in through the door, but this sale …. a light rain, a long line for a 10 am entry time and I was in.

Gorgeous hand stitched vintage quilt $45  

I also picked up a second quilt for $15 well it was marked $15 – a cutter quilt but when I got to the check out, the crush of the crowd, the exhilaration and overload of massive antique finds, we couldn’t find the tag so I said “I think it was $35” “ok” the checker said, “no problem $35” … I later realized the $35 went with another I was considering and later found the $15 tag and thought ….. well you know what I thought 🙂

Two NeedleCraft Mags ~ 1932 & 1929 

 

If anyone is looking for a new old recipe for their upcoming Thanksgiving Feast how about trying the White Corn Pudding this year

I also picked up an old wooden ironing board and this fabulous phone below for $25 (I was a GTE operator in the late 70’s)

The crowning glory of my weekend of estate sale madness was returning on the 3rd and last day @ half off prices to see if something I really, really, really wanted was still there.

Now I must tell you this estate sale was in one of the older historic neighborhoods, the streets are very narrow, ‘no parking’ signs line one side, yet people ignored the signs reducing a section of road to only one way passing. Massive older tree’s canopied both sides of the curved and wavy roadway, there was a light rain and my husband did not take me on this return trip (waiting patiently for me while I was inside) so I had to brave the madness and parking nightmare on my own as well as wait in line to get in again

But there she was, in all her beauty

Little Red Riding Hood by Hull 

SAL: Cactus and Owl Update

It’s check in time and I was actually anxious for this 3 week period to arrive. I made some great head way on my cactus and owl cross-stitch. Here is where I was at our last check in – a hint of the owl was showing.

ta daaaaa Owl is done and backstitching started

I wasn’t happy with the choppiness of the backstitching on the flower so I am going to try redoing it. Backstitching the owls head I realized once I got started that I had used double thread when single was called for. I wrestled with taking it out and then decided it will be fine. I think it gives a bit of depth to the head sitting on the body so I will leave it as is.

 

 

Remember the Barbara Lavalle cross-stitch I was working on for gift giving to my daughter up in Alaska?

Finished, framed and on its way

I was really pleased with the framing that I had done at the local Joannes. I’m sorry I didn’t get a better picture that showed the black frame all around * dark frame light background 🙂 With the present in route already, I had my daughter swear an oath to wait for opening.

Birthday celebration on the 25th.

 

Thank you for stopping by. Please take a moment to visit the pages of the other amazing crafters in the group. And if you would like to join along please contact Avis below and she will be happy to walk you through the process. See you next time 🙂

Avis, Claire, Gun, Carole, Sue, Constanze, Christina, Kathy, Margaret, Cindy, Helen, Linda, Heidi, Jackie, Sunny, Hayley, Megan, Deborah,Clare,Mary Margaret, Renee, Jenny, Carmela, Jocelyn, Sharon, Daisy, Anne

About the SAL

This SAL (Stitch Along) is slightly different to other SALs in that we don’t all stitch the same design at the same rate. We choose ONE unfinished project, or ONE new one, and show progress of its completion over a series of three weekly updates. There are no deadlines and no set amount to stitch. The result is that the space in our drawers full of WIPs (works in progress) is gradually being freed up to store lots of new crafty goodness.

SAL Update: Desert Cactus

September 1st and I am feeling the crunch to get this finished. I had initially thought a Christmas gift for my daughter but a Nov. 10th birthday may be possible, maybe not, as she is living oversea’s in Okinawa (Military family) mailing times at best are usually slow and spotty for a timely arrival. Either or ….. time will tell on this one.

Where I was last time 

Where I am now 

Once I posted this photo I saw my mistake clearly, those last dark forest green crosses have to go. WRONG 😦  I’d also like to get some backstitching done for our next show and tell.

Where I was,  where I am now, finished project 

It’s not a cactus but it’s green. I caught diamonds nesting in a plant in the garden after a summer rain.

 

If you haven’t already please take a moment to visit the pages of the other crafters in this SAL. There is some amazing projects in the works. Thank you for stopping by 🙂

 

Avis, Claire, Gun, Carole, Sue, Constanze, Christina, Kathy, Margaret, Cindy, Helen, Linda, Heidi, Jackie, Sunny, Hayley, Megan, Deborah, Clare, Mary Margaret, Renee, Jenny, Carmela, Jocelyn, Sharon

About the SAL

This SAL (Stitch Along) is slightly different to other SALs in that we don’t all stitch the same design at the same rate. We choose ONE unfinished project, or ONE new one, and show progress of its completion over a series of three weekly updates. There are no deadlines and no set amount to stitch. The result is that the space in our drawers full of WIPs (works in progress) is gradually being freed up to store lots of new crafty goodness. It’s surprising how much motivation I’ve gained from being in this SAL. If you’d like to finish a project you’ve left unfinished for a while, or start a new one with us, you can join us by sending me an email. The address is on the right of this page. I’ll send you a few simple rules to agree.

Quilting and Cross~stitch

Always checking in at our local Goodwill store for a treasure or two, I spotted the sweetest framed cross stitch project I just had to rescue.

Quilts and Cross~stitch, can it get any sweeter? 

Sadly this beauty was not signed and is a reminder to me to sign and date; somewhere! A lot of work was put into this and the backstory and maker has been ‘lost’ while she sat in the picture bins of this thrift store. Who knows how many Goodwill thrifts she sat in before making her way to our corner of the country.

Her new markings read: Found August 9th 2019 at the Bellingham, WA Goodwill store.

SAL: A Summertime Finish

At our last update I had posted that I had basically finished my project, with the background sky completed I just had the border to finish.

Last posting

Grand Finale

A big thank you is in order to everyone in this SAL ~ with out your comments and encouragement this project would never have been begun neither the less completed. It was a total group effort 🙂

Now for some blocking and then framing and this will be ready for gift giving this coming holiday season. My daughter is going to love it!

In fact, I wanted to share that on her last visit to the lower 48 with us, on a thrift store excursion, I found 2 ceramic Barbara Lavallee coasters. One for her and one for me. Once home in Alaska she shared with me that she decided to created a kitchen backsplash using coasters designed by Barbara. So far she has these six.

I love the idea ~

 

So now what?

I have this sweet little project I would like to finish for another daughter.

 

 

 

If you have a project and would like to participate in this SAL please contact Avis at the link below and don’t hesitate to follow all the links to the work of some amazing crafters and their projects.

 

Avis, Claire, Gun, Carole, Sue, Constanze, Christina, Kathy, Margaret, Cindy, Helen, Linda, Heidi, Jackie, Sunny, Hayley, Megan, Deborah, Clare, Mary Margaret, Renee, Jenny, Carmela, Jocelyn, Sharon

About the SAL

This SAL (Stitch Along) is slightly different to other SALs in that we don’t all stitch the same design at the same rate. We choose ONE unfinished project, or ONE new one, and show progress of its completion over a series of three weekly updates. There are no deadlines and no set amount to stitch. The result is that the space in our drawers full of WIPs (works in progress) is gradually being freed up to store lots of new crafty goodness. It’s surprising how much motivation I’ve gained from being in this SAL. If you’d like to finish a project you’ve left unfinished for a while, or start a new one with us, you can join us by leaving a request in the comments below or sending me (Avis) an email. The address is on the right of this page. I’ll send you a few simple rules to agree.