An Update

Hi everyone.

I hope you all have had a great couple of weeks. I haven't been able to spend much time (really any time) catching up on everyone's blogs lately. Things have been a little hectic at work.

I was able to finish stitching Mikey Jr.'s name piece. Now I just need to cut the fabric and start piecing the quilt together. I really like the way the colors look.

My plan is to use the fabrics below in his quilt.  I really like how these colors look together. I hope that they look as good once they are sewn together. I think I need to pick up at least one or two more pieces of fabric this weekend. I love these colors but the pattern I want to do needs at least one or two more.

I was also able to finally finish White Willow's Tribal Sand Dollar. I did change the colors up just a little, but it does look pretty good. I was having a hard time trying to finish this one. I think it is because I had just finished the Tribal Pumpkin and I was using too much of the same color. I am so glad that it is finished.

I finally received part 3 of Lizzie Kate's Things Unseen Mystery Sampler and am enjoying working on it again. I forgot to take a picture of it when I moved the hoop last night. Am about 1/2 way done with the stitching in part 3 and will just need to add the embellishments. That will be a first for me. Hope it will go as smooth as the rest of the piece. :)

I haven't really been in the mood to stitch much this week because I have gotten caught up in a book series. Hopefully I will have another finish this weekend.

Ta Ta for now,

Angela

Happy Dance!!

Just finished another project.

 

Spooky Welcome by Stoney Creek

I loved working on this and am sorry to see it finished, but on the other hand it is nice to have another finish so early in the year.

I plan on making this into a wall hanging (sometime in the future). Right now I just want to continue stitching. I have another couple of months before it needs to be finished finished.

I picked up my cat collage last night. After three tries, I am still one thread too high, but I refuse to take it out again. The cat will just have to walk on air in this box. :) Hopefully I will be able to get one or two more cats completed before I get distracted again.

Ta Ta for now,
Angela CG, otherwise known as the crazy cat lady by her daughter.

Cat Colage and 1st Finish of the Year

I was able to get a couple more cats done last month...

4 more cats completed

I needed to put this one down for a little bit. I enjoy being able to feel like I had a finish with each box but I wanted something bright to work on... So just before Christmas I picked up Ursula Michael's Trick or Treat.

My first finish of 2014

I tried to get it done on the first but I didn't make it. I was able to get all the back stitching done on the hat and the web done on the second.  I just loved these colors.

I am not yet ready to go back to the cats yet so onto another Halloween stitch. I picked up Spooky Welcome when Stoney Creek was giving it as a free chart. I just love that site!!

I am not a big orange fan so I decided I wanted a purple background. I figured that I could stay with the program of using black but why be normal? lol

I decided to stitch this using DMC 796.

I think the blue will look great with this piece. I figured that I will stitch the words "EEK" and "BOO" in black along with the spider web and the vine near the bottom of picture.

It is time for me to check on my house full of teen aged girls (DD is having her birthday party/sleepover tonight) then make a start on Spooky Welcome.

Ta Ta for now,
Angela

Let Us Begin Anew

This post has been a long time coming but work and life seems to have gotten in the way of posting online. I have not even been able to keep up with any of the blogs I have been following. I am still having some hard times but I am going to concentrate on what I already have and what is currently good in my life rather than things that I can not control. That means going back to the beginning and remembering what I have loved about my craft and my life. This will be a picture heavy post so if you have the time please continue, but if not that is okay too.

There have been quite a few small finishes for the charity groups I belong to...which of course I don't have any pictures of with me today. I have had to made the hard decision to stop stitching for them for a while (not forever, but just until I can get myself back on track both financially and emotionally). I tend to try to bite off more than I can chew (both money and time wise) and my sewing skills do not seem to be up to par. The last time I tried to make some bags, I messed up my fabric twice. Good thing that I did not yet try to sew the stitched pieces onto the fabric. So I have sent off (or am sending off soon) those pieces I have already completed and going to concentrate on the things that I already have in the house.

I do have some pictures of my recent finishes.

I participated in a SAL with one of the Facebook groups I belong to. I sorta enjoyed the stitching, but love the result. I still need to figure out how I am going to finish this little piece.

I actually tea stained the fabric (using a berry tea). I really like the pink of the fabric. It helps the variegated threads stand out.

Next up is the newest STNA October Ornament. This one was completed on 28 ct Christmas Green Jobelan that was in my stash. I don't remember where I received it, I am just thankful that it was there. Well...I was going to add, but for some reason this one picture will not upload. Maybe next time.

 

 

Next is a quick Christmas ornament from JCS Christmas 2011 issue also stitched on the Christmas Green Jobelan. Plan on making both of these up into pillows to display in a bowl on the counter.

I finally finished my Oriental Butterfly. To remind you where I was at last time I picked this up...

 

And where I finished. I decided that the characters on the side would make the piece too busy. I have not decided how I will finish this so into the finish pile it goes. :(

 

 

 





 

I won an autographed chart of Rosine's Sampler by C Street Sampler works from Norden Crafts Ltd on Facebook. This was stitched on 18 ct Aida that I dyed myself using The Gentle Art Sampler Threads Deep Sea. I decided that I wanted a more personal sampler so I added the current year in the center and used my initials instead of Rosine's. I plan on framing this piece eventually, but until I get the courage and or money to get it done, it will have to wait.

 

 

 

After this I picked up what I call "Cats Collage". This is where I left off last time....

 

 

 

I finished the cat that is in the empty square but forgot to take a picture before I moved the hoop to start another cat. I will get a picture of the two of them together once I finish this one.

 

Just one last note...

 

Nancy at Victorian Motto Sampler Shop is hosting another wonderful giveaway. Please stop by and let her know I sent you.

 

Hope you have a wonderful stitch filled day.

 

Ta Ta for now,

Angela

My first Scarlet Letter Sampler

I have to say that I never new I would need a magnifier. I always figured my eyes were good enough for any fabric. That is until I started SL's ABCD 1817 on 30 count unbleached linen with every stitch one strand of floss over one thread. After the first row (where I am still not sure if I crossed every "X") I put this on aside. A week later I finally purchased my magnifier and worked on a valentine exchange to allow my eyes time to adjust. I completed the piece. Then I picked this one back up. I only put it down one night as my eyes decided they were too tired. I have to admit that I enjoyed every stitch. The only problem I had is that I used the wrong color on two letters and didn't have enough for another letter later on. I had to substitute another color. I don't think that the color change on the one letter detracts too much. Now onto the finished picture:

Since this piece is so small I think I am going to make a pillow out of it. Now I just have to decide if I am going to start SL's AW 1662

or An Acrostic Sampler

Any suggestions?

Ta Ta for now,

Angela CG