Lily Pad Frog stitch-a-long

Hi everyone! I've decided to make a switch in the hopes that I will finish my new project in time for Kaffe Fassett's lecture in October. But before that, I decided to get my Christmas Holly piece past the halfway point. 

Here's where that was last time: 

There wasn't much stitching needed to get through half of the pattern. 

I'm going to set this aside until mid-October, which probably means not finishing it in time for Christmas. But Christmas happens every year, right? 

As I mentioned last time, my new project is this lovely Lily Pad Frog, an Ehrman kit. 

I started working on it a couple of weeks ago, and the stitching is GLORIOUS. It's 10-count fabric, which is huge... and it's just one stitch rather than cross stitch. The wool is lovely, too. Sure, identifying the different greens will be challenging, but so far I'm really enjoying it. 

By our next check in, I hope to have finished the pale yellow stitching, and the next darkest green as well. I also want think about what stitch to do on the background... I love the idea of adding texture and not just a sea of tent stitch... but I don't want it to overwhelm the frog. We shall see.

In the meantime, don't forget to check out the amazing projects my fellow stitchers are working on -- I love seeing what they're up to! Avis, Claire, Gun, Christina, Kathy, Margaret, Heidi, Jackie, Megan, Deborah, Sharon, Daisy, Cathie, Linda, Helen, Cindy, and Mary Margaret.

13x13, July Edition

June's project was to revisit a project I started back in 2021. I ice-dyed some Aida and then stitched two of these lovely motifs from a set called Dark Shadows. And then, well, nothing. 

This year I decided to stitch another of the motifs -- the crows on a candelabra -- and make all three of them up into ornaments. I didn't really know how I would finish them... little pillows? Mounted in tiny frames? In the end, I mounted them on and old cereal box and then on some black felt. I added some fancy trims from "the weird box of fancy trims" and, well, here they are. 

Of course, I look at them now and think how uneven they look, but I actually like them. I still have one more piece of purple Aida that I might use to stitch a fourth, but these were my three favorite motifs so I might stop there. 

For next month, I'm going back to my beloved Mill Hill Beads kits. These are so compact and so satisfying, and I always enjoy stitching them. I like how playful and bright Eyeball Martini looks!

As usual, I'll check back in on August 13 to share my finished ornaments, as well as my next project. I'm really pleased with all the projects I have completed so far this year... I'm already thinking I could extend this project into next year, too. Heaven knows I have plenty more things to work on, and I love making them!

Christmas Holly Stitch-a-Long, part 5

Hi everyone! Summer gets so busy it feels like I don't make the time to stitch. But I've had a good couple of evenings at home, stitching, so I'm happy with my progress. 

Here's where I was last time: 

I love these berries!

And here's where I am now: 

I still didn't finish the berries in the lower left -- I ran out of floss and only just got more. But I really like the greeny colors of the new sets of leaves. I'm missing a couple of berries and a little bit of the leaves toward the bottom, but other than that, this piece is halfway done!

Now, normally that would mean that I would feel pretty positive that I could get the top finished before Christmas. 

But I've found a distraction. 

I've been a fan of Kaffe Fassett for years and years. I've never actually made any of his quilts or any of his needlepoint pieces (let alone knit anything...), but I have acquired books and tried to decide what to do FIRST. This resulted in not doing anything. Ah, the paralysis of choice!

I didn't let myself buy any of the needlepoint kits because, well, I had a lot of kits to get through. But you all know that I have diligently been stitching them up ... since 2018 when I joined this SAL I've completed (and made up!) Fox, Swans, Acanthus, and Tiger. 

But it turns out that Kaffe Fassett is coming to do some classes and give a lecture at the giant amazing overwhelming (and aptly named) Quilting Mayhem. I decided against taking a day off and going to a quilt class (one pattern felt really simple, the other really complicated), but I think I'm going to attend the lecture in October. The event info says "stay after and get Kaffe's autograph" which seemed sweet and silly. 

So I decided that I am going to ask him to autograph a piece of fusible interfacing, that I will then use as a pattern to embroider it on the back of something. But what?

Well, what could I do but decide to add to the green-tinged menagerie in my living room? I have loved this fellow for years, and he seems like he'll fit right in: 

Amusingly, it's 10-count fabric. TEN COUNT. I think my eyes are doing their own happy dance at the prospect of 10-count rather than 18-count. 

I've decided to go full-on fangirl and attempt to complete the stitching before the lecture on October 8. At least to complete the frog and his lilypad. I don't know why I think he'll find it amusing, a stitcher showing him a project at a lecture hall full of quilters. But I am hopeful. 

So I'm going to spend a few days getting to halfway on the holly piece, and then set it aside to stitch Mr. Frog. I haven't stitched tapestry since... February of 2021! I think it will make a nice change. I'll report back in three weeks with my progress!

In the meantime, don't forget to check out the amazing projects my fellow stitchers are working on -- I love seeing what they're up to! Avis, Claire, Gun, Christina, Kathy, Margaret, Heidi, Jackie, Megan, Deborah, Sharon, Daisy, Cathie, Linda, Helen, Cindy, and Mary Margaret.