cross stitch · Cross Stitch Patterns · Fabric · Fox and Rabbit · Hand Dyed Fabrics

Catching Up On What I Have Been Stitching


Hello Blogging Friends! So I feel like I am getting a handle on things and thought I would catch you up on what I have been stitching the last few months. Back in March, I made a very small preorder from the long list of wonderful things that came out at the Nashville Market.

Yep, that is all I ordered and it arrived pretty quickly. And I started one of the projects right away!

I was so anxious to start this project even on 30ct linen! I was also on the hunt for the box that she was finished in. The pattern stated it was purchased at Hobby Lobby, but my local Hobby Lobby had never seen it before. I did end up finding someone on Poshmark that was selling it. I was so excited to have found it and it arrived in perfect condition.

It only took me a week to stitch this and stitching on 30ct linen wasn’t too bad. I wouldn’t do it all the time, but for a smaller project like this I would do it again. The pattern is Keeper of Secrets and the fabric is Underwater 30ct linen; both by The Primitive Hare. The Underwater design is printed on the fabric and I believe it was made for this pattern. I really enjoyed stitching this.

I used all of the called for threads and stitched 2 over 2.

I wish I had stitched her more to the left instead of in the middle of the fabric so more of the fabric background would show in the finished piece.

The framer did a very nice job and I am really happy with how it turned out. I don’t have anything in the box yet, but one day it will be filled with some “special secrets”.

I then pulled out the Rainbow Dice piece and stitched on it as much as I could, trying to get it finished.

I was able to get it finished in time for my son’s birthday.

He loves it and is going to try to find a frame he likes and I will get it framed for him. The pattern is from Rack & Pinion on Etsy and the fabric is 16ct Aida Everything Else from Mystic Fabrics.

This next project has been in my stash for a very long, long time. I am talking like 20 years maybe. I purchased it to make for a long time friend, and somehow it got buried in a bin. Her birthday was coming up, so I decided to get it done in time to send it for her birthday.

It was a pretty quick, tiny stitch. I stitched it on 28ct Lugana white 1 over 1. Then I had to fully finish it. That took me about a week so sit down and get to fully finishing it. It is so hard for me to cut into a finished cross stitch. I am always afraid I am going to ruin it. Anyone else feel like that? Anyway, I had put the project on hold for long enough. I needed to get it finished and in the mail to the recipient, so I was finally on a mission.

I think the top of the that wooden box was about 2″ square. So tiny! I finished the stitched piece the best that I could and glued it on top of the box. I have not done very many finishes myself. But I think it turned out pretty good.

I tucked in a pair of earrings in her favorite color.

It has been sent and was received in time for her birthday and she was happy ❤

For my current stitching, I am all caught up with the Fox & Rabbit Mystery SAL, Faith Hope Love.

I can’t believe that this one is over half finished. Just a few more months left to this one. I am stitching it on 18ct Aida white. The blue floss is Mermaid from Forbidden Fiber Co. and the other colors are DMC. I can’t recall the numbers, but if you want to know what they are you can leave a comment or look back at a previous post.

And the last project I will leave you with today is The Deadly Aquarium by Lola Crow Cross Stitch.

I finished Exhibit 10 this week and exhibit 11 comes out today. I am looking forward to seeing what that is and stitching it up. Just 2 more exhibits left after today. I cannot believe this one will be over in just a couple more weeks. The time sure did fly by. I am stitching this one on 16ct Beanstalk from Fiber on a Whim. The fabric is actually a beautiful darker blue, but I have not been able to photograph the true color at all.

So, that is a good chunk of what I have been up to this summer. I do have a few knitting projects to share and a few more cross stitch projects as well as a storage update. They will have to wait for my next post. This one is already a bit long. So, what have you been up to? Let me know in the comments. I’d love to hear what project you are working on.

Happy Stitching!

Bella Filipina Designs · cross stitch · Cross Stitch Patterns · Fox and Rabbit · Mermaids · Mystery Stitch A Long

Happy Leap Year, No New Start


Hello my blogging friends! Happy Leap Year! We are finally to the end of February. People say that January is the longest month, but I think that January flew by so fast. February, on the other hand, has been so slow going. Maybe it’s because I injured myself and spent a lot of time inside and not doing much other than sitting and getting up to walk every hour. I am much better now, so we won’t dwell on the stupid thing I did to cause myself so much pain. I did get quite a bit of cross stitch and knitting done, so let me get into what I have been stitching.

First up, I finished the Pocohontas section on my Epic Storybook Princesses piece.

That piece was my birthday start in January and once I finished the Pocohontas section at the beginning of February, I put it away for now. It is so cute though and I will enjoy stitching on the next movie characters when I get back to it. The pattern is from Cloudsfactory and I am stitching on 16ct Aida Aeriel’s Grotts from Fabrics by Stephanie.

The next piece I picked up was the 2024 MSAL from Fox & Rabbit, Faith Hope Love. This is a FREE SAL so if you want to jump in you can. Once I figured out my color placements, I stitched this section up pretty quickly.

We have our first word and I am assuming Hope and Love will be added in future sections. The 2 motifs on the bottom right were also added. Fabric is 18ct Aida White. So far I am happy with this Quaker looking piece. I do believe it is my first Quaker piece. I do have 1 other Quaker piece that I want to stitch up and hopefully it will be my first finished Quaker piece. It has a mermaid in it 😉

Next up I pulled out the Mermaids of the Seasons Piece from Bella Filipina Designs. I had finished stitching the Spring and Summer mermaids previously. So I stitched on the Autumn Mermaid.

Then I stitched on the Winter Mermaid.

I finished all of the stitching and backstitching and then it was time to bead! Yay!

I loved working on these mermaids and they turned out so sparkly and beautiful. Again, the pattern is from Bella Filipina Designs. It was a SAL from September – December 2023. Not sure if it is available to purchase now or not. The fabric I stitched on is 16ct Aida Adventurous Alice from Those Missing Stitches on Etsy.

My current piece that I pulled out to add some stitches to is Rainbow Dice by Rack and Pinion on Etsy.

I am not a big fan of blocks of color, but I am pushing through, LOL. This piece was requested by my oldest son and when a child asks for a cross stitch, I will do it. I am pretty sure that I can get it finished in a month’s time. I think there are 27 more dice to do and if I stitch one every day, I can get it finished by the end of March. I started this March 21, 2023, so I would love for it to be finished in March of this year. I am stitching this one on 16ct Aida Everything Else from Mystic Fabrics.

So that is what I have been cross stitching. I have a new knitting project that I will talk about next time, but no new start for Leap Year. I thought about it. Some people on Flosstube are starting a Long Dog Sampler today and shooting to finish before the next Leap Year. I thought about doing a that. I also thought about starting my first Modern Folk Embroidery piece, “No Time Like the Present”. But my thread choices fell through and I just didn’t bother trying to come up with new colors. Then I thought about joining others in starting a new Mirabilia. I have so so many I want to do. But I already have 4 Mirabilia’s started. And I am still working on getting through all of my WIP’s, so I am ok with not having a new start today.

This weekend is the Nashville Needlework Market, so a lot of shops are closed and designers and dyers are either already there or are on their way. I have usually only preordered a couple of things over the years. Most of the designs are not my thing, though my tastes have changed a little and I have been looking more at samplers and Quakers and a tiny bit of the primitive designs. This year I preordered 4 things; 3 items are from Fox & Rabbit and 1 is from Autumn Lane Stitchery. Fingers crossed that my chosen shop is able to grab them for me this weekend. There are some other patterns that are on my wish list and I hope to be able to pick them up throughout the year. Did you preorder any items? Do you have a wish list? I’d love to hear what you are looking forward to getting from the Nashville Market and what you are currently stitching on.

Happy Stitching!

Bella Filipina Designs · Country Cottage Needleworks · cross stitch · Fabric · Hand Dyed Fabrics · Knitting · Mermaids · yarn

Lots of Stitching Going On


Hello my blogging friends! Another post before the end of July! I am on a roll, LOL

Where to start with my stitching…I stitched a little on Rainbow Dice.

Not much added. Blocks of color really bore me. I wonder if I will ever get through this one. Then I pulled out Esmerelda from Bella Filipina. This is where she was when I pulled her out.

And here is where I am now. Fabric is 16ct Aida Oberon from Fabrics by Steph.

A little bit of progress, but still progress, right? And then the Beach Boardwalk series came out from Country Cottage Needleworks and I finally received my Ice Cream Shop. When I first saw this one would be coming out, I knew I was going to stitch it. So I ordered everything and was all set when my pattern arrived.

The fabric is 16ct Aida Friendship Greene from Fabrics by Steph and I will be stitching all 7 shops in a row on this one piece of fabric. I will be using all of the called for Fancy Flosss.

And since I loved stitching with the Nirge Hoop, I decided to go that route rather than putting the fabric on a scroll frame and stitching it sideways.

I am totally in love with all of the colors in this one. My fabric looks blue on the screen but it is a very pale green. And then I realized that I needed a grime guard for this size hoop. Not only to keep my fabric clean, but to help hold all of the extra fabric. So I pulled out my sewing machine and all of the things.

I also made one for my largest hoop for whenever I decide to use that one. Back to stitching 🙂

I couldn’t put this one down!

And I finished it in about a week. Now to wait for the next shop to come out, which should be pretty soon.

In June I also found a project to put on my knitting needles. In one of my previous posts, I mentioned that I had been wanting to make a summer top and for whatever reasons things were not coming together with a couple of different patterns. I finally found a pattern that was going to work out.

I chose the Minka Top from Berroco. I really would like sleeves added to this one, but not sure if I will or not. I also plan to make it just a little bit longer.

The yarn is Medina, also from Berroco. It is mostly a cotton yarn and it is a striping yarn. And it is Green. I am usually not a big fan of green, but my eyes are green, so occasionally I do wear it. But it seems that the universe has been pulling me to green. My travel knitting project is also green, I have recently purchased a couple of green tops, and fabric I have chosen for a future project also has a lot of green in it.

I thought that the Stockinette Stitch would be too boring, but I am actually liking it. I am still dealing with some health issues, and knitting on this sweater has been comforting and relaxing. And I love how it is looking.

Almost to the armhole shaping! Yay!

I finished the back and started the front. I also switched to a bigger bag to hold all of the yarn, just in case I want to take it somewhere and stitch on it.

And here is my progress on the front. I may actually finish this top in time to wear it this summer! I am still wanting to figure out how I can add a small sleeve or sleeve cap. But I still have time to think about that.

During June, I also put my Dragon Princess Diamond Dotz in for framing. Finally.

Hubby and I chose a black frame with a goldish filler frame for inside of the black frame.

And here is my hubby with his newly framed Dragon Princess. I am so pleased with the frame choices we made. She looks amazing. And so sparkly.

And here she is hanging over my husband’s desk in his office. She is perfect 🙂

That is all I have for now. Next time I will show you a new cross stitch SAL that I finally bit the bullet and purchased and started and now I am addicted. So, what have you been up to?

Happy Stitching,

ginny

Bella Filipina Designs · cross stitch · Cross Stitch Patterns · Fabric · Hand Dyed Fabrics · patterns

Finish One, Start Another and My Blogaversary


Hello my blogging friends! How are you doing? The sun is partially out today, making my craft room bright. The perfect place to type out my post today.

So let’s start with my Blogaversary! Tomorrow will be my 11 year blogaversary! I truly cannot believe that it has been 11 years since I started this little ole’ blog of mine. I originally started this blog as a place to document my crafting and share with others. I can’t tell you how much joy it has brought me and how many wonderful people I have met. I appreciate each and every one of you that has stopped by to take a look at what I have been up to. I have enjoyed reading all of your wonderful comments as well. So for the next 6 days I will be having a giveaway. Each day I will post a picture of a giveaway and a code word for you to leave in your comment. On March 31, 2023 I will post the winners of all of the giveaways. I will post more at the end of the post. Now let’s get to my finish!

I have strictly worked on Holly Berry Pixie the last few weeks. This is where I was the last time I posted.

I finished all of the stitching and was so excited to start beading that I forgot to take a picture before the beading started.

So many beautiful, sparkly beads! I beaded the top portion while on my scroll frame. Then I switched to a large Qsnap.

When adding my beads, I use a thread that matches the color of the bead. If the beads are clear, then I use a thread that matches my fabric. I put a half stitch to attach my beads, from lower left, through the bead and down through the top right. This way my beads sit at an angle. It is not the only way to attach beads, but my preferred method. Putting a full cross stitch through the bead will attach the bead sitting straight up and down. Whichever way you want your beads to lay is totally up to you. The tray I use to hold my beads is a Tacky Bob. The name has changed to Tacky Bill. Not sure why, but the ones that I have are Tacky Bob’s. It looks like a small CD case with adhesive foam on both sides of the inside. I have always beaded with these and love them.

A picture of my stitchy spot. She is looking so beautiful! Almost done with this beauty!

And she is finished!! Sorry for the dark image. I had so much difficulty getting a good picture of her and the fabric. I am so happy with how she turned out. I will be looking for a framer this year to get her framed before the holidays. Now for all the details: She is Holly Berry Pixie from Bella Filipina Designs. Fabric is 16ct Aida, a One of A Kind from Fantasy Dyed Fabrics (she is no longer dying) and she is stitched as charted.

Once I finished Holly Berry, I immediately started a new project that has been ready for the last month.

This one is not my style of stitching, but it was a request from my oldest son. And when a child requests a cross stitch for his gaming room, you ask excitedly “what would you like?” He chose this design from an Etsy designer, Rack & Pinion. So I immediately purchased the PDF, went stash diving into my fabrics and pulled all of the threads. Everything was all ready to go. Here is my small start.

I am stitching this on 16ct Aida Everything Else from Mystic Fabrics. It is more of a cream color, not white like it looks in the photo. I will admit that this project is a little boring. I am not used to stitching just blocks of color. My son is in no hurry for it, so I can see myself doing other things in between stitching on this. Like some smaller projects. I have fallen down the hole of the Flosstube world and have seen so many smaller designs that I want to do. Well, I will be honest, I want to start all of the things!! But that would be a lot of WIP’s so I am restraining myself…for now. More about the flosstube world in another post, but how do you feel about flosstubes? Have you watched any? What are your favorites?

Now to that giveaway. Again, tomorrow is my 11 year blogaversary. So fun! I want to share some of things that make me happy. Bella Filipina has quickly become one of my very favorite cross stitch designers. So how about one of his beautiful designs?

This one is a beauty and she is in my stash to stitch someday. So if you would like a chance to win this pattern, put the word Reina in your comment on this post. I will choose a winner next Friday.

So that is what I have been up to. What are you creating?

Happy Stitching!

Ginny