Stitchy Updates

September 5, 2017 My Time Stitching22 Comments

Wow! It’s September 5 and I don’t even know where Summer went. It’s been exactly 2 months since I last posted and I am sorry about that. Obviously life took over, LOL. But I have been stitching and doing I don’t even know what else. I took a little vacation, but other than that, I can’t remember everything else I did the last couple of months. Good thing I have a planner 😉 So, what have I been up to? Well, grab your favorite beverage and pull up a chair. I have a feeling this will be a long post.

I have been stitching mostly on the Mystery Sampler by Linen and Threads. I have been trying my best to get caught up and last night I started the second row of the August section. I am quite pleased with myself for actually having started the August section in the month of August. I am still loving this piece so much. Here is a picture of my entire piece so far:

For those of you seeing this for the first time, it is a FREE SAL from Linen and Threads. They release a section the first of each month. It started in January 2017 and runs through December 2017. If you are interested in doing this sampler, you can go to their website and print off the sections, pick your own fabric and threads and get started. They also have a facebook page you can join and see all the different ways people are stitching this one. I am stitching mine on 16ct Aida Castleview from Silkweaver. I am using Sullivan thread London Fog and DMC 3888. I am hoping to be caught up with this piece sometime this month.

I also took a little vacation with my husband, to Wisconsin. He took me there so I could visit the Paine Art Center and Gardens. A couple of years ago, I fell in love with photos from a wonderful photographer, Kirsty Mitchell. She is from the UK and created a wonderful series of photos for her Wonderland series that are just amazing. When I found out that she was having a showing in Wisconsin, I knew that I had to go. So I mentioned it to my husband and he set the plan in motion. But first, he surprised me with a wonderful gift in July. Her beautiful Wonderland book.

He bought me flowers and gave me the invoice showing he ordered the book for me. I balled my eyes out! I couldn’t believe he ordered the book for me. A week later, it arrived in the mail and it is as amazing as I knew it would be.

One of my favorite photos. And seeing the photos, life-sized, at the Paine Art Center, did not disappoint either.

I was so, so happy to be there, at the Paine, standing in front of this amazing banner that I had only seen on facebook up to this point. We arrived before the Center opened, so we were able to walk around the mansion a little before the doors opened. The Art Center is actually a Mansion that was built by Mr. & Mrs. Paine in 1927. The history about the mansion is interesting and the mansion itself is gorgeous. The different gardens are so lovely, too. I am so glad we visited in the summer while most of the flowers were still in bloom. When we walked into the first room where Kirsty’s exhibit is, it literally took my breath away. It was so emotional. The photos, the video, the music, the lighting, everything was so perfect! Yes, I cried. Her photos do that to me. If you love photography, and Kirsty’s work, you have to see her show. It will be at the Paine until October 15, 2017. I am Not sure where it will go next, but I could not risk it being too far away to drive, and Wisconsin was a day drive for us and one that I would do again in a heartbeat. So we visited the 2 rooms where Kirsty’s photos were on display. We sat and watched the video’s and then we walked around and looked at the entire mansion. I then went back to see Kirsty’s photos. I couldn’t resist a second look. And then we visited the gardens. It was a wonderful day. One that I will remember always. I can’t wait to scrapbook my photos. Here is a layout I did when I received my beautiful book.

We also visited some lighthouses on this trip. Here is the St. Joseph Lighthouse.

And, we visited the Hackley and Hume houses in Muskegon.

I first heard about these houses when I saw cross stitch patterns of them. When I found out that they were real houses in Muskegon, Michigan, I decided if I ever got near Muskegon, I would have to stop and visit them. And so we did and they were amazing. And now of course I want to cross stitch them 😉

Since the drive was a long one, I decided to do some knitting while in the car. On the trip to Wisconsin, I knitted this scarf:

One more ball of scarf yarn out of my stash 🙂 Love the beautiful fall colors. For the trip home, I visited a craft store and purchased a ball of Lion Brand Shawl in a Ball and started this pretty:

At 1/2 off, I couldn’t resist. I even used the hotel computer center to print off a pattern from Lion Brand. I thought it was a shawl pattern, but when it actually came up and I printed it, it is a cowl. It is straight stockinette stitch, so it was perfect for the car ride. I didn’t have much done when we arrived back home. I have been adding a few rows here and there. My needles are 10″ long so I maybe have about 20″ done now. I am looking forward to seeing all the color changes in this yarn. I have a couple of skeins of this yarn in my stash that I hope to knit a shawl with someday. So far I like knitting with it. The yarn is an uneven yarn and has some white fibers throughout. I like the look of it and hopefully I can get it done so that I can wear it this winter.

So, that is what I have been up to. I told you it was going to be a long post. If you are still here, I thank you for reading all about my vacation and what I have been up to. I have also collected more things to cross stitch in the last couple of months and I have to admit that I am anxious to start something new, but I have been a good girl…so far, sticking mainly with the sampler 😉 So, what are you stitching at the moment and because it is September, do you feel like starting a new project?

Afghans · Crochet · cross stitch · Fairies · Hand Stamped Cards · Passione Ricamo SAL · temperature blanket

Crazy Busy, But I’m Still Stitching

July 5, 2017 My Time Stitching30 Comments

Wow! I can’t believe it’s been so long since my last post! And where did June go? I swear just the other day it was June 1 and now here we are in July! Summer please slow down 🙂 So even though I have been going at full speed almost every day the last few weeks, I have managed to get my regular stitching in 🙂 So here is what I have been up to:

Here is where I am with Moon, Sweet Moon, Mystery SAL by Passione Ricamo. I am stitching her on 16ct Aida OOAK from Fantasy Dyed Fabrics. It is actually a gray color with hints of purple. Bad photo, sorry. It is really beautiful in person. Unfortunately, this is no longer a SAL. Someone has passed the first few sections onto the internet, illegally, so Laura ended the SAL. So sad for someone to do this. She has released the full pattern to each person that signed up, with watermarked pattern in their name. This is how it will look when finished:

It is so beautiful and I am so sad to see it end as a SAL. It is now available for purchase on Laura’s website if you are wanting to stitch this beauty. You can find it here. I am waiting on threads for the moon, so I have put her aside and picked up this one:

This is the Linen and Threads Mystery Sampler. I can’t begin to tell you how I much I LOVE stitching on this piece. I have just started stitching the April section, so I am a bit behind. But it is such a relaxing stitch. I am using Sullivan’s variegated thread London Fog and DMC 3888. The fabric is 16ct Aida Castleview by Silkweaver. I am hoping to get this caught up before getting back to something else or starting something else. If you would like to stitch this piece, it is a FREE SAL put out by Linen and Threads and the January through July sections are on their website. Here is another view:

I have also been adding a row or two, now and then on my Temperature blanket. I am somewhere at the beginning of April and here is how it is looking so far:

I’ve added another row of yellow and a row of light purple. Hoping there will be more of these colors as I am really getting bored of the darker ones. This is nice to work on when I have a few minutes here and there. It is getting too big to carry around, so I will keep adding to it now and then and hope to also get caught up with it, too.

In my last post I told you briefly about a new stamp obsession of mine. Here are some cards using products from Heartfelt Creations:

Here is a close-up of those beautiful 3-d flowers!

And this one is my favorite:

I am having such fun making 3-d flowers with glitter, and frosting and beaded centers. I need to play more 🙂 I have also added these 3-d flowers to my scrapbook pages. I will have to get photos of those for next time. Right now it’s time to go play 🙂

What are you busy playing with these days?

cross stitch · Fairies · Nora Corbett · Passione Ricamo

My New Look And An Update

May 23, 2017May 23, 2017 My Time Stitching47 Comments

If you have been following my blog and are visiting today, you will notice my blog has a new look. The theme I was using has been retired, and I thought I needed an update. I spent hours this morning looking at themes WordPress has to offer. I just couldn’t find what I wanted. Or let’s just say I am not a big fan of change. I think that is more the issue than finding something I liked. I’m not that great of a computer user either, so the choice was hard. I have settled on this look for now. I am still looking 😉 So now for an update on what I have been up to.

I have finished Ella, the Frog Princess. I finished her on May 8, and am so pleased with how she turned out. Have a look:

She is not heavily beaded, but enough to add some sparkle to her. She is a Mirabilia pattern and is stitched on 16ct Aida Pandora from Hand Dyed Fabrics by Stephanie.

I have also started the Passione Ricamo Mystery SAL, Moon Sweet Moon and am loving this one.

This will be a fairy and a very large moon. I can’t wait to see if the fairy will be sitting in the moon or flying in front of it. I believe that Laura has re-opened this one for purchase if you want to get in on this one. Click here for the info on her site. I am on section 3 and have section 4 to do before section 5 comes out next week. I am stitching her on a 16ct Aida fabric that was special made for me by Fantasy Dyed Fabrics. I love it. It has a bit of a purple hue to it that the photo doesn’t show, but I think it will be perfect for a night sky.

I have also put a few stitches into the Mystery Sampler from Linen and Threads.

I am afraid I am quite a bit behind on this one. I am still working on the February section. But that’s ok. I am totally loving this one, too. I am stitching this on 16ct Aida Castle View from Silkweaver. I am using Sullivans Variegated thread London Fog and DMC 3888 (which is not part of their line, but a specialty thread).

So that is what I have been up to aside from making cards with some new products I found at the local Scrapbook convention. More on that in my next post 🙂 So what are you working on these days?

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AAN Chandelier · cross stitch · Hand Dyed Fabrics · Mirabilia · Passione Ricamo · Passione Ricamo SAL

A Framing, A Start, Ready for a Start and Progress!

April 27, 2017 My Time Stitching20 Comments

Hello Bloggers! I think it is finally Spring here. In fact, this was happening outside my front door in my Rhododendron bush:

This Mama was so busy making this nest. It was wonderful watching her. Then last week I noticed a broken egg on my porch. So I frantically tried looking in the nest to see if there were any more eggs and yes, there were 3 more.

I do hope that nothing gets to the other eggs and I can see little baby birds soon. So exciting.

More excitement…look what made it home from the framers yesterday:

A Journey Into the Deep by Passione Ricamo. She is soooo beautiful! And so big! And already hanging on the wall. Right at the end of my hallway, so everytime I go upstairs, I can look at all her gorgeousness! She was stitched on 28ct Lugana Pixie Dust from Silkweaver. So happy to have this awesome mermaid finished and hanging up. Here are a few more pictures of her:

I am making slow progress on Ella. Other things have been occupying my time lately, so only a few stitches here and there. Here is how she looked after I put her down last night:

I couldn’t resist starting a little bit of that sweet frog. I will save him and his crown for last 😉

I also started a new project. A Chandelier SAL from AAN. I’m not sure about the metallic threads. I have chosen a suggested fabric, 16ct Aida Winter Solstice from Hand Dyed Fabrics by Stephanie, but the threads are not showing up very well. So, when I get back to it, I will finish the whitish stitching and then decide how I want to add the metallic threads. There will be lots of jewels, too! So excited for the end of this one. I LOVE chandeliers. I have a whole board devoted to them on my Pinterest – Ginny Schleich if you want to check it out. So here is my start on this one:

And lastly, I am getting ready for a new Stitch A Long to start on Monday! It is Passione Ricamo’s Mystery SAL 5. It seems like I have been ready and waiting for months!

My fabric is on the scrolls, marked and ready to go! It is a beautiful hand dyed that Johanna from Fantasy Dyed Fabrics made for me. It is gray with hints of purple. I think it will be perfect for Moon, Sweet Moon. From the sneak peeks from Dawn, the model stitcher, It is going to be a Fairy and a crescent moon. If you want to do this SAL, you have until April 29 to purchase the SAL. You can find it by clicking on the link above or here.

So, that is what I have been up to among many other things. I’d love to hear about what you are working on. For now, Keep on Stitching and Enjoy Every Stitch 🙂

cross stitch · Mirabilia

Winners and Ella Update

April 5, 2017 My Time Stitching30 Comments

Good morning, blogging friends. Another cold, cloudy day here and snow on the way…in April! Though that is not so unusual here in Michigan. But I was really hoping for Spring.

I pulled names for my blogaversary give-away and they are as follows:

The Knitting give-away: Nicola Florence

Cross Stitch give-away: Gretchen Parker

Congratulations, ladies. Send me an email at ginny@mytimestitching.com with your addresses and I will get your prizes out to you. So sorry for the delay.

Now for an update on my stitching. I have been steadily stitching on Ella and am making pretty good progress on her.

I am almost finished with the ruffles and then I can move onto her waist and arms and I am so excited!! She is really beginning to come alive.

In case you are seeing her for the first time, she is Ella, the Frog Princess by Mirabilia. I am stitching her on 16ct Aida Pandora from Hand Dyed Fabrics by Stephanie. Just LOVE how she is turning out.

I also have a new app I have been playing with on my phone. It is called Xstitch. Have you heard of it?

I heard about it in one of the facebook groups and it sounded like something I needed. So I bought it for $2.99 and started playing around with it. It was a little confusing, because I wanted it to do somethings a little different. You can keep track of your WIP’s and supplies, keep an inventory of fabrics and threads you have. It doesn’t have a list for Sullivan Threads or Mill Hill beads and treasures. You can keep track of charts and kits and wish lists. So I have been adding things little by little to the app so I can keep track of what I am working on, and where all of my threads are. I also am going to add all of my inventory and projects that I have kitted up and ready to go and to keep track of charts I have and any supplies that I have for that chart. It will be nice when I go to the cross stitch store, too. I can keep a shopping list on it, too. So have you heard of this app or are you using it? What do you think of it?

Crochet · cross stitch · Mirabilia · Sampler · temperature blanket

PROGRESS ON MY WIP’S

March 28, 2017 My Time Stitching22 Comments

As promised, I am here to update you on the projects I am working on. First up; The Linen and Threads Mystery Sampler:

I have finished the January section on this Sampler and am loving how it turned out! My threads finally arrived, so I will be able to continue on when I am ready. I am not sure how I want to stitch the February and March borders. I am even thinking of adding another color. This is a FREE SAL, so if you are interested in doing it check out the Linen and Threads website for all the details. Until I decide, I have set it aside and have continued on with Ella.

I finally finished that gap in the bottom of Ella’s dress! Yay! I actually finished a bit more, too and here is how she looks today:

I am actually enjoying working on her. All the colors of the flowers are breaking up the yellow, so I will continue on with her for now. If you are seeing this for the first time, it is Mirabilia’s Ella, the Frog Princess. I am stitching her on 16ct Aida Pandora from Hand Dyed Fabrics by Stephanie.

And lastly, my temperature blanket. I ran out of teal yarn about a week ago, so this is how I left this project:

I’m not completely thrilled with the colors so far. But it is still winter. I think I finished with the temp’s on March 17. I have more yarn on order, so as soon as it arrives, I will get back to it.

So that is what I have been up to. I have a few projects that I am kitting up to get started, but that is for another day. What have you been up to? What is the longest project that you have had in your WIP pile?

Crochet · cross stitch · Fabric · storage bags · Uncategorized

So Many Projects!

March 2, 2017 My Time Stitching34 Comments

Hello my blogging friends. Happy March! Can you believe February passed us by so quickly? Spring has to be just around the corner for my neck of the woods, though we had a bit of Spring last week with one day reaching 70 degrees! In February! Usually a month when we are covered in snow that doesn’t start to melt until that first week of nice spring weather. So what have I been up to?

I have been slowly stitching on Ella. But that gap at the bottom of the dress is getting close to finishing! So excited about that. Then I can move my scrolls up. I was working on Ella while waiting for my Sullivan thread order to come into my LNS. Thanks to a wonderful stitching friend, I will be able to continue on my Mystery Sampler possibly tonight 🙂

Yep, a wonderful stitcher in the Mystery Sampler SAL group offered to send me 3 skeins of London Fog so that I can continue stitching. I am hoping to pick it up tonight, if not tonight, then on Sunday. Thank you so much, Heather. You are a sweetie!

And did you happen to notice the cute scroll covers on my scroll frame? Yep, I had to buy a new bag and covers to fit this project. Let me show you a better picture.

My new Deanna bag and grime guards. They have little birds and Eiffel Towers on them. And the lining is a beautiful pink! Love them!! If you are interested in Frame covers or bags for your scrolls or Q-snaps, check her out at Deanna’s Frame Covers and Storage. She is awesome.

I have also re-started my Temperature blanket and it is going much better. I switched to all half double crochet, since that is easier for me to keep track of the stitches. Though I have already lost 4 stitches somewhere. Probably in the ends, but I am not going to worry about it. Carole gave me a tip: put a marker in my last stitch, so I know where to put my hook when I turn. It has helped tremendously. Thank you, Carole. I am on row 25 so far. I am not too fond of the colors, but it is winter. I can’t wait to get to some happy colors.

Just look at all those yummy colors I will be getting to someday 🙂 All Stylecraft DK yarn. Love working with this yarn. So soft and doesn’t split when I crochet or knit. I still have a lot of catching up to do. Row 25 means that is the 25th of January. I should see some nice color changes when I get through February. As I said in the beginning of my post, we have had some nice, spring like temps.

And lastly, let me show you some pretty fabrics I received last week:

Sorry about the sideways photo. But they are beautiful any way you look at them. All are from Fantasy Dyed Fabrics. So pretty! I had plans to use the one on the right for Mirabilia’s Snow Queen, but it is a bit too small. I didn’t have anything in mind for any of them when I bought them. I am sure I will find something wonderful to put on all of them some day. If you would like to see more of Fantasy Dyed Fabrics, check out her facebook page and Etsy shop. She posts new fabrics at least once a week, but I will warn you, they sell out almost immediately.

At the end of this month, my little old blog will be 5 years old! I can’t believe I have kept up with it for 5 years! Not as much as I would like, but as much as I can. And it has been so much fun and I have met so many wonderful people. So watch out for my next post. I will be posting a give-away to celebrate my 5 wonderful years 🙂

Well, that is about all I have to share today. I am also getting ready for a scrapbook fundraiser that I give a make n take class at, twice a year. As you can see, I have just a little going on, and can you believe that I want to add a few more projects to my ever growing list? But not until at least next week 😉 So how many projects are you juggling these days and are they all the same hobby or all different hobbies? I’d love to hear all about them.

Afghans · cross stitch · Elegant Ladies · Fairies · Hand Dyed Fabrics · Mirabilia · yarn

My Framing is Such Joy

February 23, 2017 My Time Stitching37 Comments

Hello blogging friends. Hubby took 1/2 a day off today and he surprised me by taking me to the Rocking Horse to pick up my latest framing.

Isn’t it lovely? I was so afraid of how it was going to turn out because my framing session was not enjoyable. And I didn’t have it framed like the model in the store because I felt it was too much green. My fabric is a darker green than theirs, and I am not a fan of green. So I went with the red mat. And then I was afraid it wouldn’t match the stitching, but I really like it. The frame was my first choice. I didn’t even look at any others and I think it is perfect. So now to find a temporary hanging place for it. Just for a while so I can enjoy it a bit. So sweet.

I am still waiting for threads for the Mystery Sampler. My LNS says they are on back-order from the manufacturer, so no telling when I will get them. However, a very sweet gal on the sampler group has offered to send me 3 skeins that she has as she is undecided about her sampler. Stitcher’s are such sweet people ❤ While waiting on threads, I have been working on Ella. Here is where I left her last night:

Not too much added since my last post, but every stitch counts, right? The empty area in the dress is getting smaller, so I am excited about that. Once I finish the bottom of the dress, I will have to move the scrolls up and work from the middle up. But that will be a lot less stitching than the bottom. This photo also represents my fabric perfectly, as it is a beautiful sunny day with 60 degrees! It is 16ct Aida Pandora from Hand Dyed Fabrics by Stephanie.

I also started my Temperature blanket the other day. What is a temperature blanket you ask? Well, it is a blanket that is crocheted or knitted, with each row based on the high temperature of where you live. So I found this color scheme on-line and tweaked it a bit for my blanket:

I ordered my yarn from LoveKnitting and if finally arrived on Thursday. I am using Stlyecraft DK instead of worsted weight. Here is my start:

I am using a G hook and chained 250 stitches. I decided to do my blanket 3dc, sk 2. Then do 3dc in the skip 2 space of the previous row. Today, while in the car, I noticed my blanket is bowing and my ends are not even. I should have started with maybe an I hook and then switched down to a G after my foundation row. I will have to brush up on my chaining on the ends and where to stick my hook for the first stitch. So today I will be ripping this out and starting over. I will probably be doing a different stitch, too. Something where I can make sure I have the right amount of stitches every row. My crochet skills are still not very well without a specific pattern and some visual tutorials, so I will be sure to have all that when I re-start. It will be a fun blanket to stitch on every day or do a couple of rows once a week, based on the high temps. If you are wanting to get started on your own Temperature blanket, you can knit or crochet, whatever pattern you want, whatever yarn and color scheme you want. I do believe that Lion Brand also has some info on their website. For the high temperatures, there is a website called weatherunderground.com that you can get the history of high temps in your area.

So, what are your needles creating today?

Elegant Ladies · Mirabilia · Sampler

I HAVE RUN OUT OF THREAD!

February 15, 2017February 15, 2017 My Time Stitching29 Comments

Well, that one skein of London Fog variegated thread didn’t take long to use up. I finished page 1 of the first section and now have to put this project aside and wait for the other 28 skeins that I ordered, to come in. Here is where I left off:

I am really loving this project and I am not happy that I have to put it aside for now. Here is a close up so you can see what the colors are in the London Fog by Sullivans floss:

So while I wait for my LNS to call me and tell me my threads are in, I have picked up Ella, The Frog Princess and will stitch on her until I get my threads.

I stitched on her a little bit last night, but looking at all that yellow makes me feel I will never get it done. But today I am thinking that every stitch I put into her is one stitch closer to a finish, right? So tonight I am hoping to put many stitches into her.

Is there a particular color of thread or yarn that you hate stitching?

Fairy Letter · Nora Corbett

Brought to You by the Letter “Y”

February 2, 2017February 2, 2017 My Time Stitching46 Comments

Catchy title, huh? Last night I finished the letter “Y” to complete my JOY project. This one turned out just as cute as the rest. In the original conversion, there are no red beads, but I felt as if they needed some. In this one, I added the beads to look like she is blowing the peppermint like you would a dandelion. All the red beads look like “petals” falling off or magic from the peppermint. I wish I could capture the true color of this fabric, as it is a beautiful shade of green, but as much as I tried (with all 3 letters) I just could not get it right.

So here is my completed JOY all together. Such sweet, sweet fairies. And all together, it took me only 32 days to stitch them all! So if you are looking for a quick project, this is it! My first Christmas piece to hang in my house during the holidays. I cannot wait to get them in for framing. In case you are seeing them for the first time, they are Nora Corbett’s fairy letters. I stitched them on 16ct Aida Sage, from Hand Dyed Fabrics by Stephanie and I used the conversion from The Rocking Horse.

So now what am I going to stitch, you say??? Can you believe I have already started a new project? Yep, a few night’s ago I put the first few stitches into a new project. It is a SAL Sampler and can be found at Linens & Threads. And guess what??? It’s FREE!! Now I have never done a sampler before as I am not a sampler kind of gal. But this one really appealed to me. A new section will be introduced at the beginning of each month. You come up with your own fabric and thread colors and do whatever you want. My scheme was determined by the only piece of fabric that I had that was big enough. It is 16ct Aida Castleview from Silkweaver. I have decided on doing all the stitching in DMC 310-black. Here is my start:

I am already second guessing my choice of black threads because I can see the fabric in between the stitches. But I am going to stick with it. My fabric is blue and gray and cream, like sky. Black was the first thing that came to me. I will see how I like it as I go on. If you are interested in doing this one, the January and February sections are on the website. There is also a facebook group you can join; Linens and Threads – Mystery Sampler. There are so many beautiful versions of this on there. Some using variegated threads, all one color, silks, everything!

This last week has been a week of seeing all kinds of new projects I want to start. The sampler, a Temperature Blanket, an Afghan, an Owl blanket. I have started the sampler, but I see a Temperature blanket in my future. Like as soon as I can get yarn 🙂

So, what new projects have you started or want to start? Or are you being good and working on WIP’s? I’d love to hear all about it 🙂

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