Finish #10: November and a Stash Enhancement

Started Feb 12, 2011, Completed Feb 17, 2011

November, a year with charm Flip-It series, by LizzieKate, 

stitched on 28-ct linen, using ST Blue Spruce, Brandy, Cidermill Brown, 

Mulberry, Pumpkin Patch, and Sarsaparilla, and

WDW Chestnut, Hazelnut, and Kudzu

For Valentine's Day, Mom sent me a kitted pattern, All in a Heart, by Miss Crescent's Crowne.  Yay!

Another One Done and More Packing Patterns

Here is Number 24.

A Year With Charm: May, by LizzieKate,

stitched on 28 count linen, 

using ST Barn Grey, Hyacinth, Poinsettia,

Shutter Green, Summer Meadows, 

and WDW Navy. Completed June 19, 2010.

In addition, I have added a couple of kitted patterns to my moving stash. Mom said I did not have enough to keep me busy in the three months it may take for our household goods to arrive at our new assignment!  She's probably right.

So I have added a few more Mill Hill Christmas ornament kits.  Here we have Winter Greetings Charmed Ornaments: Jingle, and 2 more Festival of Trees Charmed Ornaments: Old Fashioned Tree and Victorian Tree.

Also, I have added in The Trilogy Tins: Peace in all things, A LizzieKate Boxers: Friends and Family, and the Annual Christmas Sampler: Holiday Joys Sampler by Homespun Elegance.

If I manage to get all of these things finished before the rest of my stash arrives in Virginia, I guess I will just have to check out my new LNS!

(c) 2010 There A Stitch

Some Stash Enhancing

Lots of fabric squares for ornaments and other small projects

Beautiful floss!

A couple Mill Hill bead ornament kits

Mom is only letting me borrow the LHN pattern, on the condition that I stitch one for her as well.  But I get to keep the Lizzie Kate. Yay!

(c) 2010 There A Stitch

RAK from a friend

I received this gift from Ruth, a member of my on-line cross-stitch group. 

Very thoughtful.  Thanks so much!

(c) 2010 There A Stitch

Goals for 2010

Here we are at the start of a new year.  This is going to be a pretty busy year for my family.  Hubby has a new job lined up.  We will be moving from Maui to Northern Virginia this summer.  It will take 6-8 weeks for our household goods to ship.  So we are going to have a busy summer.

In the meantime, I am deciding what my stitching goals are for 2010.  I am thinking about being a stash-only stitcher this year.  (Of course I have access to my own personal stitch shop through my mom's stash!)  So yesterday I made a couple of quick orders to accumulate some fabric, and also some silk floss.  I think I will also try to work through my freebie patterns.

Finally, I have been toying around with designing my own patterns.  I would like to try to design one a month- I know, in between my stitching and reading and homeschooling and moving and whatever else is going to be keeping me busy this year, I am sure I will find some time!

So here are my specific stitchy goals for 2010:

• 1. Nativity Shepherd 3
• 2. Nativity Camel
• 3. Eagle Sampler
• 4. Cedar Hill- Faith Hope Love
• 5. LK Family
• 6. America- Home of the Brave
• 7. Masquerage- 1 page
• 8. Eloquent Christmas
• 9. Angel of Spring- 1 page
• 10. LK Land That I Love
• 11.Surprise #1
• 12. LK Time for God #141

I think that's enough to keep me busy this year!

(c) 2010 There A Stitch

A Significant Stash Enhancing Experience!

My mom has PAS (pattern acquisition syndrome) really bad.  In fact, there is no cure.  She buys patterns and stash a lot.  She has definitely reached SABLE- stash acquisition beyond life expectancy!

So today, after I helped her clean out a closet, I was rewarded by being able to scrounge through her stash.  She was feeling in a very generous mood. 

I picked up a pink Yazzii! (Mom had 2 so she gave me 1!)

A list of my new stash:

Shepherd's Bush: Land That I Love
Lizzie Kate: Children are People
Something in Common: Cabin Fever (I'll give this one to her when I am done)
M Designs: Floral Fun #1
Three Blessings: Pumpkin Tower
Glory Bee: Cabin Sweet Cabin
The Sweetheart Tree: Chili Pepper Fob
Bent Creek: Snappers Happy Thanksgiving
Banar Designs: Welcome Amigos
Hillside Samplings: Jack's Bat
Heart in Hand: Wee One Blessings
Lizzie Kate: Snippet Gather a Harvest
Sisters and Best Friends: button borders pumpkins
Heart in Hand: Wee One Favorite Hearts
Sisters in Stitches: The Bunnies
Bent Creek: Bad Hare Day
Ewe & Eye & Friends: Be Mine, Valentine
Pegasus Originals: Country Cluckin'
Angel Stitchin: doodle Doo
Maggie Bonanomi: Grand Old Flag
Sam Sarah Design: Full Moon Pumpkin Farm
Heart in Hand: Wee One Flags
Twisted Threads: Itty Bitty America
Lizzie Kate: Snippet Land That I Love
Lizzie Kate: Celebrate!
Lizzie Kate: A Slice of Freedom!
Hinzeit: Charmed Old Glory
Bent Creek: Cat-o-Lantern
Lizzie Kate: Snippet: Winter Wishes
4 My Boys: If  I Only Had  A Brain!
Lizzie Kate: Snippet Housework Never Killed Anyone
Little House Needleworks: Music and Books
Little House Needleworks: Plant Kindness
Waxing Moon Designs: Boo Spider (freebie)
Bent Creek: The Black Cat
Lizzie Kate: Halloween Flip It
JBW Designs: French Country IV Pumpkin
My Big Toe Designs: Housework
Erica Michaels: Hospitality
Bent Creek: Snow
JBW Designs: Christmas Tree Collection II and IV
Stone and Thread: Snowed In!
Lizzie Kate: Snippet Happy New Year!
Lizzie Kate: Snippet By Golly Be Jolly Santa 2000
Lizzie Kate: Snippet Winter ABC's
Lizzie Kate: Snippet Just Be Claus! Santa '06
Heart in Hand: Wee One Little Snowman in the Drifts
Bent Creek: Joyous Noel
Lizzie Kate: Snippet Wanted! Santa '02
Cedar Hill: Shaker/Country
Hizeit: Charmed Peace on Earth
Plum Street Samplers: Fruit of the Spirit
The Drawn Thread: There's No Place Like Home
Blackbird Designs: Home of the Brave
Midsummer Night Designs: A Patriot's Sampler
Bucilla: Blue Jean Bear Birth Record

Wow-that's a huge list!  I think I will have plenty of stuff to stitch for the next few years!  Plus I have a bunch of patterns at home.  Nothing better than free stash enhancing! 

(c) 2009 There A Stitch

UFO Completed

So, after a long week of stitching (and school with the kiddos), I decided not to stitch on Saturday night. Instead I inventoried my stash! Woo Hoo- sounds like fun you say? Well, I am kind of twisted like that- I love organizing and making lists and getting rid of stuff, and all that.

Well, during my inventorying (and watching Star Wars: Attack of the Clones with Hubby), I discovered that I had 2 duplications on patterns. I also marked the patterns for which I have fabric and floss. Plus I put aside the ones I want to have for my goals for next year. And I found a few UFOs.



This is called "Creepy" by SamSarah Design Studio. It is a free pattern that I received at a cross stitch retreat I went to in 2005, I believe. The ladies at the shop changed up the threads called for in the pattern. It is also supposed to have a cat button on the top of the pumpkin, and a face stitched into the pumpkin with the word creepy across the bottom.



I actually started stitching this at the retreat. Then it got put aside. I didn't want to add the word to it, and I didn't like the pumpkin face, and it got buried in my stash when we moved in 2007, not to be rediscovered until last night.


Here is the design finished with my alterations.

Creepy, by SamSarah Design Studio
stitched on 32 count natural linen
Sampler Threads Ultraviolet, Fragrant Cloves, Pine and
Kreinik Star Yellow #4 braid.

I didn't like the kitty on top of the pumpkin because then you can't see the shimmery thread of the moon, so I put it off to the side.

I actually finished the America Pattern in 2005. I needed one more charm to have a complete set. I finally decided that I would take off the charms that I didn't really like and just leave the 3 remaining.

America Mini-block, by Hinzeit
Sorry I don't have any idea what fabric or floss I used!

(c) 2009 There A Stitch

A New (To Me) Pattern

I am very excited about this pattern. I saw it on Ranae' s for trade stitch blog. I think it is beautiful, and it turns out it is also OOP (out of print). Double score for me!

As a trade I am sending Ranae this LizzieKate Halloween pattern, My Other Car is a Broom. Enjoy!



Plus I got a new start last night, while my girls were at a make-up gymnastics class. It is Love is the Greatest Gift, by LizzieKate. It was a pattern in Just Cross Stitch ages and ages ago. I have had the fabric and floss together for at least two moves with the Air Force, and I just thought, "Enough! Start it already!

More New Patterns

Shhhh! Don't tell Hubby, but I have been ordering cross stitch patterns. All sorts of patterns! Of course I _had_ to get the patriotic pieces for the american soldier memorial project. But then, I found all sorts of pretty patterns that I want. My mom would claim victory, that's for sure! She finally got me buying lots of patterns. As she always says, "The one who dies with the most stash wins!" Not exactly...but it is still fun to collect'em.

Here are the new ones that came in the mail today.

Quaker Seasons by My Big Toe Designs, A Grateful Nation by Cheryl A Granda, and Americana Welcome by Poppy Kreations.



And I got another box in the mail, the finishes of my completed goals. A friend in Las Vegas did the finishing for me, and they turned out great! I can't post all of them just yet, but soon....

Here is Friendship Knows No Season. It is finished as a flat-fold. It looks great!



The last one I can post a picture of is a patriotic heart. It is actually a piece my mom finished. I have had it for a long time because I was going to practice framing with it. Instead I asked my friend to finish it for me. I think it looks great!

Stashy Stuff

Yay! I got my order from 123Stitch.com. I am very excited because now I can get started on my American Soldier Memorial piece. I was waiting on some colors and some Aida fabric.





I ordered more Q-snaps, I always need more! LOL Plus a pair of purple scissors, because purple is the coolest color ever. Q-snap covers- I haven't tried these before, but they look like a good idea. Finally my God Bless America pattern has arrived, so I can start my memorial for TSGT Scott Eric Duffman.

New Stash

I placed an order with 1-2-3Stitch! and got it yesterday. Joanne does such a good job of getting things in the mail. It only takes 2-3 days to get to Hawaii! Yay! So I have a new patriotic pattern that I will probably be starting very soon.

Beachy Keen by Homespun Elegance, Merry Christmas to my friend by Carriage House Samplings, and USA Heart by The Sweetheart Tree.


My stitching week was a little productive. I now have less than 1/4 left of the first page of Masquerade.




Plus I have a new start. I have discovered that the large patterns I am trying to finish do not transport well for working while I am waiting on the kids at gymnastics or at the doctor's office. So I need to have a couple small WIPs to grab on those days.

Saturday update

I did not get much stitching done this week. I had a lot of house stuff to take care of and the kids just seemed extra busy. My youngest, BearLover, wanted me to read to her a lot this week, and I obliged. My oldest, Miss TwinkleToes. bought herself a 550 piece puzzle that Hubby and I ended up finishing!

But I did get an unexpected stash bonus. A family friend sent me her Hawaiian patterns, since we live on an island. Fun! I am tempted to add some of these to my 2009 goals list, but I must keep working on the nativity set. It will have to wait....

A little Stitching

I managed to get a little stitching in today. Hubby is leaving for the mainland tonight and I have a Pampered Chef show to do tonight (I am a consultant). So I only got a few minutes of stitching in on my angel. I guess tomorrow should be my oldest WIP- that would have to be the shepherd. Of course.

I was very excited my order from 1-2-3 Stitch came in today! I heard about the shop on my yahoo group and placed the order. Of course, this pattern is going to be waiting for a while, since I am on a mission to finish my nativity set before my kids leave for college!