cross stitch · Fairies · Hand Dyed Fabrics · Mermaids · Passione Ricamo · Passione Ricamo SAL · Sampler · Shannon Christine designs

Stitching Is Keeping Me Sane

My Time Stitching

Hi!  I am still here, and stitching, packing, getting over a stomach virus and still cleaning out the basement.   Hubby and I just about have the basement cleaned out in preparation for the waterproofing.  Just a few pieces of smaller furniture left to bring up and the 3 bigger pieces that we won’t be able to bring up. Our garage is filled from floor to ceiling with lots of bins and boxes.  A few weeks ago we had new gutters installed and for some reason we are now getting water in the basement when it rains.  Ugh!  We have never had water, just a damp carpet on one side of the basement.  So one night, while hubby and I were both sick with a stomach bug, he had to go out at 10:30 at night to buy a shop vac.  We were up until 1 am vacuuming up water.  And we have bought a dehumidifier to help dry everything up.  I will be so happy when this is all done with.  And then we get to figure out if everything gets to go back into the  basement.  I’m almost  to the point that it can stay an unfinished basement.  We’ll see how long it will be until it is all back to normal.

Through it all, my stitching has been there to lift my spirits and take me away.  So what have I been stitching on?

I finished the peacock on the 2019 Mystery Sampler from Linen and Threads.

peacock sampler 2

I stitched the peacock in DMC 3810 on 16ct Aida Graceful Gray from Wichelt.  I also finished the borders using Gloriana Silk Rain Forest.  I love the colors in that thread!

peacock-sampler-1.jpg

I ran out of thread for the bottom middle block, but I have some on order and fingers crossed it will match what I have done.  And I finished the March block in no time.

Peacock sampler 3

I am hoping I can complete this sampler with just the DMC 310. But if it turns out that I need to add more color, I can pull colors from the Rain Forest thread.  I like the March block and wonder if all the blocks will be similar.  So for now it is tucked away until the April section comes out.  I have decided to work on some of my WIP’s and pulled this one out:

PR 20th anniversary SAL update1

I love this piece and would love to get it finished.  I completed the second block from the left and am working on the 3rd block.  This is Passione Ricamo‘s 20th anniversary piece.  I am stitching it on 16ct Aida Nantucket Sky from Fabrics by Stephanie.

PR 20th anniversary SAL update2

I will stitch on this one until I finish the block I am working on and then pull another WIP out.  I am hoping to finish a couple of projects this year.

This weekend I picked this up from the cross stitch store, all framed up by Way Cool Mats:  Treasures of The Deep, by Shannon Christine Designs.

Treasures of the Deep framed

I thought I captured a good image of this one, but I didn’t.  It really has a lot of beads.  So much so, that in some angles it looks really gaudy, like in the top of the photo.  And then from a different angle, it looks like the bottom of the image.  Sometimes the mermaids get drowned out by all of the beads.  I didn’t think there could ever be too many beads on a project, but this one I think may just have too many.  I do love all the little mermaids though.

March 1 was my 7 year Blogaversary!  I can’t believe I have been posting on this little ole blog for 7 years now!  And I still love it.  I just need to make the time to post more often. I will try this year 😉

So that is all I have for now.  I do have a few knitting projects and crochet projects going on, too.  I will post about them next time.  So what are you stitching on today?

Published by My Time Stitching

I am a wife to a wonderful man and mother to two terrific sons. I love cross stitching, knitting, stamping and scrapbooking. I have decided to start a blog as a way of documenting and sharing my love for cross stitching, knitting, crocheting and anything else I may be up to ;)

27 thoughts on “Stitching Is Keeping Me Sane”

  1. I’m not surprised you’re needing to stitch to keep you sane at the moment with all the work in the basement. I’ve been catching up on reading your last few posts and you really have done so much. The mermaids and the 2018 sampler finishes are spectacular! I love the variegated border you’ve chosen for the new mystery sampler. It looks so good with the matching solid 🙂 Can’t wait to watch it grow.

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    1. Thank you for your sweet comment. Another couple of weeks and the work will start on the basement. Fingers crossed we don’t get too much rain before then. The weather man says there will be rain tomorrow and Thursday 😦 I suspect we will be vacuuming water and trying to dry it out again. Thankfully I have my stitching to keep my mind off of those things 😉

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    1. Thank you, MrsCraft. About 9 more days until the contractor comes to take out the carpet and drywall. I am hoping all will go well and it will be over quickly and we can get back to normal. I am looking forward to the next section of the Peacock sampler.

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  5. Hope you and your husband feel better now. And hope the basement situation improves soon. Keep stitching, and stay sane! 🙂
    I love, love Treasures of the Deep! I think your picture beautifully shows ‘both sides’ of the project – the beads and the stitching. I like how the Linen and Threads sampler is turning out, and I sure hope the blocks differ – it’s a sampler, after all! The Passione Ricamo piece is just lovely, and the mist-like background from the fabric works wonderfully well with the feel of the piece.
    My stitching is not on right now, but the knitting just might be progressing at a slightly faster pace… Hope that’s not just wishful thinking on my part. 🙂

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    1. Thank you, Anita ❤ Hubby and I are both feeling much better and back to normal. The basement situation is there. 9 more days until the contractor comes to tear everything out. And then a few days after that the waterproofing will get done and all put back together. At this point I am not even in a hurry for the painting and new carpeting. I'm sure you will get back to your stitching when the time is right. I do hope that your knitting is going along as you wish. I look forward to seeing your progress.

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  6. I hope you and your hubby are feeling better. I know it didn’t help matters having to clean out the water in the basement while you’re both sick. You both must be about to the end-of-your-tethers with the basement issues.
    Your peacock is wonderful. The first corner compliments it beautifully.
    Passione Ricamo‘s fairies are pretty. I do admire your gift for stitching on such tiny 16ct fabric.
    Treasures of The Deep, by Shannon Christine Designs that you made is so enchanting. I can imagine in real-life the beads with it are gorgeous. You chose the perfect frame for it too.
    Happy 7th Blogaversary! That’s so awesome! I look forward to many more years blogging along with you.

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    1. Thank you, E.C. ❤ The basement issues are very nerve wracking, but we are almost through it. At this point, I just want everything ripped out, the waterproofing done, and the dry wall put back. We will deal with finding a painter and getting new carpet later. Right now we are just hoping we don't get too much rain between now and the 28th. Fingers crossed 🙂 I am looking forward to many more years of blogging with you, too 🙂

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    1. Thank you, Salpal1 ❤ 8 more days until the contractor comes to start tearing everything out. If we could just not have any rain until the work it finished, that would be great. But we are expecting rain today, and next week. Fingers crossed it does not make it's way to our basement 😉

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      1. Oh, and usually I am happy with rain – my favorite saying is “you don’t have to shovel rain,” but truly, if it helps you out, snow is good!

        At least you have most everything out if you do get water!

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  8. Oh wow! As always your stitching is amazing. I’m so glad you took out the fairy piece to work on, I love seeing it coming together, it is so delicate. I think the mermaid piece with all the beads looks great,maybe a little bit too much around the mermaids, the the border and the beads in the mermaids seem to have the perfect amount of beads. I also think that maybe the reason you think the piece has too much beads is because they are all different types therefore giving off different effects.

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    1. Thank you, Ivydade234. I do love the fairy piece, but have put it away for now. I am trying to rotate all of my WIP’s about every week so I have put that one away and pulled out a mermaid 😉 I agree with you that the beads about the mermaids are what is making it look “cluttered”. I think a gold thread would have looked better. Oh well. I still love all the little mermaids and hopefully I will find a place to hang it that when I look at it, the beads don’t overwhelm the piece.

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  9. I hope your basement troubles are resolved soon.
    i know what that is like!
    Love the colors you are using for the peacock SAL, so pretty.
    The PR anniversary piece is beautiful, as is Treasures.
    Love the fabric color, frame, and all of the beads! 🙂
    Happy 7th Blogaversary!
    I am finishing Hester Biddleton, and then I am going to start Bloom Where You Are Planted by Brenda Gervais.
    Thought it would be a good start for Spring.
    Have a great weekend!
    Marilyn

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  10. Wow,still working and busy with the basement. It is all coming along just fine, and soon it will be getting better. Take your time and decide as you go, on what goes back in, and what not. 🙂 It is a good reason for a bit of a make over even maybe?
    Love the new peacock, that colour is so pretty. And the new WIP too, lovely fairies, different from your usual tipe of works.
    The mermaids are just perfect, and I love all the beads, they are maybe many, but so very very delicate, I can hardly see them all, unless like you say, you get the angle and light just right. 🙂 I love the detail in this piece, it really makes it extra special.
    Take care there, happy crafting and look after yourself, during all the basement work and all too.
    Hugs. xx

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    1. We pretty much finished getting things out of the basement this weekend. Just 4 bigger pieces of furniture there that we can’t bring up, so the contractor will do it. Thursday starts the ripping out of everything. I think I am prepared for all of the noise and dust, but I am sure I am not. I will be happy when it is all done and the drywall is all back up and we can decide if we really want a finished basement again or not. Thank you for all of your sweet comments on my stitchings. The fairy piece I just love and really would like to finish it this year as well as getting more of my WIP’s finished before starting new ones. The sun is starting to come out more and the temps are slowly getting warmer. Hopefully that means Spring is arriving. It will definitely help my mood 😉 Take care and happy stitching.

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      1. Hi, good to hear the basement is going to be “on the move” soon, and getting it all done. Indeed, noise and dust is a lot to endure, and I know myself, I would constantly have to check myself from not starting to want to clean up before the work is done. Having a basement is still very nice though, it adds so much space to your home.
        Glad Spring seems to be coming along too. It is still hot here, and green and we still have some rains now and again. The lawns still needs regular mowing. 🙂
        Happy stitching there.

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  11. Thank you, Joey. The process begins tomorrow and I have to remind myself (constantly) that this will pass. Today we get a tease of Spring with temps going to 51. But the next 3 days will be cooler and rainy with snow on Sunday 😦 Spring will arrive in time. Enjoy your summer 🙂

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