Lori (thornton37814) stitches in 2022

My Three Stitching Helpers



I've been enjoying everyone else's threads, but I'm back to regular stitching now, and I have two completions to show off. I really should have taken the time to iron them. I'll probably turn one into an ornament and frame the other. I'll post pictures below.

Pattern: "Purrfect Stockings"
Designer: Swallick Stitchery (Caroline Seldon)
From: Just Cross Stitch, Christmas Ornament issue, 2019, pages 58-59

Pattern: "Cat Crazy"
Designer: My Big Toe
Leaflet: MBT-238

>1 thornton37814: Oh! What are the names of your helpers? They are so adorable!
The projects are cute, too!

>4 lesmel: The orange and white one is Barney. The grayish one toward the front is Mr. B. The grayish one to the right is Sherlock.

These are great! (and what cutie helpers!)

>6 genesisdiem: Thank you! My boys are sweethearts! Barney is especially helpful with batting thread around. I'm sure he's just trying to keep it untangled. (LOL) Mr. B prefers to hold down the pattern. Sherlock usually supervises but if Barney is otherwise occupied, he'll help with thread-batting.

Lovely kitties and super cute stitchings. Nice to see your thread, Lori!

This was a 2021 finish for an ornament exchange at church:



Pattern: "Every Good & Perfect Gift"
Designer: My Big Toe Designs (Deborah Booth)
Located in: Just Cross Stitch, Christmas Ornaments issue, 2021, page 11
Ornament frame from Hobby Lobby

>8 PawsforThought: Thanks!

lovely projects, and lovely cats!

Like seeing some of your projects again, Lori.

>11 al.vick: Thank you!

>12 dudes22: I'm making time to do it. I didn't get much done during lunch today, but I'll be in a webinar this evening and will probably stitch during it. (Of course, I'm working on different things at work and at home.)

Great work! I really like the "cat crazy" piece.

>14 avaland: I loved that one too. It stitched up pretty quickly too. The piece I'm working on at home requires a lot more attention to detail because it changes colors more often--even using overdyed fibers from Weeks Dye Works and Crescent Colors/Gentle Arts/Sampler Threads (or whatever you want to call them). The one I'm doing at work is less demanding, but it will take a little time because I only have about half my lunch time to stitch. If I am watching a webinar, I can sometimes get by with stitching while listening.

Decided I should post some "In Process" projects.
This first one is my "work" project that gets worked on about a half hour each day at the end of my lunch break unless I have something else I really need to do.



Pattern is "Grandma's House" in the Hometown Holiday Series from Little House Needleworks. I plan to do several patterns in the series. There is a way to turn the patterns into a Christmas village, and I plan to do that.

This is my "At home" project. My cats are helping me with it. I still have several people to go and most of the baseball field.



Pattern is "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" by Little House Needleworks

I'm waiting to add eyes which are french knots until I can do them all at once and practice on a scrap first.

Very nice assortment of patterns you have on the go, Lori!

Those are nice, Lori. I know what you mean about the French knots. I can remember from when I used to do cross stitch.

They both look great, Lori.

French knots - that take me back. I don’t think I’ve made those since I learnt embroidery in third grade or something. We had to do a kind of exam to show that we knew the different styles and French knots was one of them.

>18 MickyFine: Thanks!

>19 dudes22: I really don't enjoy doing them. A lot of people use beads now instead of French knots but they would not work well on this pattern.

>20 PawsforThought: I only remember doing embroidery in Girl Scouts. I remember doing a latch hook rug in home ec in middle school. We also sewed an apron.

Love the cats.
French knots are not my favorite stitch, but I still do them on my embroidery.

>22 mnleona: If they are anyone's favorite stitch, I'd be surprised!

I love that little house!

Also, ugh, french knots.

>24 melannen: It will be nice. I'm going to stitch most of the village at some point. I purchased another pattern in the series for my stash when I went to the cross stitch shop today.

Here's the progress on the project I'm working on during lunch. I only managed to work on it 3 or 4 days this past week--and only about 30 minutes at a stretch.



"Grandma's House" in Hometown Holidays series by Little House Needleworks

Here's the progress on the one I'm working on at home with the help of 3 cats. There's a lot of thread changes in these people. It will go faster once I'm back down to the baseball field.



"Take Me Out to the Ballgame" by Little House Needleworks

>27 thornton37814: I love Little House charts. This is beautifully stitched.

>28 beebeereads: I probably stitch more from Little House Needleworks now than any other designer. I used to love Britty Kitty, but that designer just disappeared. My local needlework shop up in Johnson City still had a penguin design when I was there yesterday, but they've been out of the cat ones for ages. I suspect I purchased all or most before they quit designing. They stitched up quickly, and they were so cute. In watching FlossTube, one of the hosts had just done a cat heart chart that reminded me of something that designer would do except with a red overdyed floss instead of the typical "black crow" used by the Britty Kitty designer. She mentioned she paid something like $3 for it, so I went to Etsy and downloaded it. It was $3.70, I think.

Very nice!

The finished projects are lovely, but I am really enjoying the in progress shots as you make progress on the different pieces!

>31 minervasbooks: I took a photo of the work one today since I won't be working again until Monday. I'll probably wait to post it until I post the other one either late on Saturday or sometime Sunday. I was able to cross stitch during faculty meeting today since it was held via Zoom as well as during lunch. I'm probably going to start a new piece over the weekend. I may wait to see if the fabric for one project arrives before I decide which new project to begin. I know what will be my next one for work. I have several options for home projects. A couple are kits that came with Aida. I may regret not replacing the fabric on them. I tried to begin working on one of them about three weeks to a month ago, and all the fibers were breaking so I did replace those. I had a few stitches in the old fiber (but probably no more than a dozen or so) that will need to be frogged.

I’m in awe of your patience and I look forward to seeing the whole thing when it’s finished.

>33 PawsforThought: Thanks. Both projects still have a little to go, but I will probably finish the "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" this week.

Here's the progress on Grandma's House in the Hometown Holidays Series by Little House Needleworks. The house is not quite done, and then the yard (to the side) still needs to be done.

Here's the progress on "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" by Little House Needleworks. It's nearing completion. I have about 3 or 4 more rows of green at the bottom and then need to fill in the sand. Then I have to do all the french knots.

Love both of these works in progress Lori. Beautiful stitching. What count are you working on? I think most Little House are 28. is that right? Your Ballgame photo looks like you might be using a tighter count, 32? The people are adorable!

>37 beebeereads: I think the Ballgame is 32 count linen. The pattern model was stitched in 30 count; I opted for 32. I may get brave enough to try 40 count one of these days. I don't like stitching on Aida. I have a pattern that calls for it. I decided I'd get an evenweave fabric but it would be a higher count. I think my shop had the color I wanted in Jobelan but not Lugana. Hopefully I'll get to it soon. It's down in the project bag somewhere, but I made a couple of online specialty purchases too so I'm not sure what will win as the next project. I'm a little afraid to try a WIPGO board because with a full-time job, it might be hard for me to complete anything in a year. I think I'll probably keep it to a single project at work with the next one for work in the drawer so it's there when I complete it. My time at work is pretty much limited to lunch breaks and Zoom meetings like our faculty meeting this past week. I try to leave as much of lunch break as possible. Some days it is 30 minutes; some days it is 40.

Good for you with your planning time. I am trying hard to organize my retirment time to include stitching. The problem is I come from a long tradition of Puritan values that requrie me to "work" all the time. LOL!! Seriously though I am trying to find the best way to ensure that I get to stitching a bit each day. My day's plans are interrupted on a regular basis by family needs. This is one of the reasons I dropped sewing in favor of cross stitch. It is so easy to set it aside for 5 minutes or an hour and come right back to it.
Sounds like we share views on fabrics. I have not stitched on Aida since I first learned cross stitch. Once I tried linen, I never looked back. I think part of the joy of stitching is the feel of the fabric in your hand. I used to stitch exclusively in hand on small projects. Mostly now I use Q-snaps though. My favorite count is 32, but I am finding 28 a comfort some times. I've never stitched on 40 count, but always intended to try some of those wonderful samplers. My time for that may have passed, but I love seeing them!

Enjoy your lunch breaks!

I am in awe of your tiny stitches! My current project is 18-count Aida and that still feels too tiny for me.

>39 beebeereads: Yes. There is no return once you move away from Aida.

>40 melannen: Actually, you usually stitch over 2 on 28 and 32 count fabric so they are the equivalent of 14 and 16 count Aida. You just have smaller holes. If you are stitching on 18 count, that would be roughly equivalent to 36 count linen. You should give 28 count a try and then 32. You might want to start with an evenweave such as Lugana or Jobelan and then try linen.

Oh! Okay, that's a lot more reasonable (Although 18-count Aida is still too tiny!)

I've only used Aida for cross-stitch, though I've done a little bit of blackwork on evenweave (it came in a kit so I didn't look closely at the count, I guess).

>42 melannen: It really is not that bad although most people do learn on Aida. I think when you get used to stitching on linen, you'll prefer its feel.

It's a finish! I finished it Friday (Feb 18).



This is "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" by Little House Needleworks. It was stitched on 30 county Old Mill Java linen from R & R Reproductions.

Here's my progress on "Grandma's House" in the Hometown Holidays series by Little House Needleworks.



I only stitched on this 4 days during lunch.

I also began working on the Heartfelt Stitch Along. It's available for quilters or cross stitchers. I'm doing the cross stitch. I've done the left and top borders. I managed do a stitch over 3 which caused me to have to practice the "frog stitch" (rip it, rip it, rip it) on the top border. Unfortunately I had to take out the entire top border--not just a part of it. It would have messed up everything below it. It's correct now, so I'm hoping to finish the border before the next part comes out on March 4. They request a $5 donation per pattern to benefit the Make a Wish Foundation of Central & South Texas.

>46 thornton37814: - I saw that on the blog, Lori, But I have so much going on now and so many ideas of quilts I want to do that I decided to pass.

>47 dudes22: I understand. I thought it might be fun to do, and I really liked that heart design. I planned to download the pattern installments as they came out so I could do it later, but I decided I probably could do it. I got the bottom border mostly done this morning before I needed to go to the beauty salon. I brought it with me to work, but for an entirely different reason. I ordered the fabric from an Etsy needlework shop that had it in stock in a piece closer to the size I needed for the project. Unfortunately they didn't serge the edges. The person cutting the fabric can't cut a straight line either. (I think I wish I'd ordered it from Texas.) I needed to use the fray-stop "glue" on it to keep it from getting out of hand. I ordered a used Singer Tiny Serger which I think will come in very handy, but it won't be in until Saturday. I figured the fray-stop could help in the meantime.

>48 thornton37814: - That's a pain. I can remember when I did a lot of cross-stitching that sometimes fabric I ordered would be cut crooked when I got it.

>49 dudes22: I wish I'd ordered from Fat Quarter Shop now. I marked them down on the Etsy rating. I won't order from that place again. It was cheaper so I thought I was doing a good thing! If I'd ordered from Fat Quarter Shop, I'd have extra fabric for another small project or two. I'll have enough for some book marks, I think.

>44 thornton37814: >45 thornton37814: These are wonderful! If only I "needed" more charts, Take Me Out would be on my list! Will you do your own framing?
I like the Hometown Holiday series as well, but not sure where I would start. Do you plan to make the cubes they suggest?

>51 beebeereads: I am going to do the cube finish. I've seen one Flosstube stitcher (perhaps in Brenda and the Country Stitcher) that just got a really big long piece of fabric. She's doing them in a row and sometimes not doing the entire design or making other adjustments.

>52 thornton37814: It will look awesome! What a great collection to start. Have you done others in this series yet?

>53 beebeereads: I have several, but the house was my first start. I think I had picked a different one to begin, but I noticed a couple of missing fibers so I just grabbed the first one that all were in the bag. I'm sure the cross stitch shop was out of them when I picked them up or that I planned to share a fiber from a different kit. I'll get to many of them. I've been working on the people in the yard. I suspect I'll get to the tree tomorrow. I'm pretty sure it will be finished before the end of the week.

For my next small project, I'm going to stitch a "Halloween" piece, but it's for a gift, and this particular one is appropriate right now for that person because of his research. It may be challenging to find an appropriate print to compliment the design, so I'll likely end up with a solid piece of fabric. I'll need some cord for the edges, and I think I spotted my hot glue gun the other day. The biggest problem is that I cannot find Carriage Black in Gentle Arts fibers anywhere. It appears to be out of stock everywhere. I'll probably need to use the DMC substitution, and it's one I don't own, so I'm hoping the local Hobby Lobby will stock it. If not, I'll get it in a couple of weeks and just work around it until then.

It is Deb of Country Stitchers who is working the Hometown Holidays series on one piece.

As expected, I finished stitching "Grandma's House" in the Hometown Holidays series by Little House Needleworks. I'll probably wait until I have a couple more stitched to begin creating the village.

I went and took a look at the other houses in the series. Looks like it will be fun.

>57 dudes22: I started with the house because I knew if I didn't I would be drawn to the village businesses. There is another house, but I really like the businesses. The others in my stash are The Quilt Shop, The Mercantile, Needlework Shop, Bookstore, and Town Church. I still need to purchase 16 if I am a completist, but I doubt I'll manage to buy them all before the designer retires the series.

>56 thornton37814: Beautiful! Love the redbird on the treetop. That motif always speaks to me for some reason.

>59 beebeereads: I went to the cross stitch store today and showed them a photo of my finished piece. I also showed the "Just One Cat Short of Crazy" which I finished last month. There were several people in the store, and they all had to come take a look--even the customers I didn't know.

The main reason I went was to pick up this needle minder. They posted a photo when it came in, and I really wanted it! I'd never felt the need for one until I saw this one! Who wouldn't want this cute fella holding their needles?

Squee!!! That is so cute!

>61 al.vick: I love it!

Progress on Heartfelt Stitch Along piece by Fat Quarter Shop. This is a benefit for the Make A Wish Foundation in their area of Texas. It's not actually that exciting since it is all border. The first panel of hearts will be released Friday, and my design is ready for that--even if I don't get all the border done between now and then. I've actually made some progress since I took the photo this morning. The next vertical row is over half done. I'm optimistic that even though I started this piece later in the month than many did that I'll have all the border done by the time the first heart panel is released Friday. Fabric is a 32 count pale gray gingham evenweave.

Progress on "Ghost in the Graveyard" designed by Karen Bowen of KEB Studio Creations. In Just Cross Stitch, October 2021, page 56. I began this Friday so there isn't a lot of progress. I spent a lot of time on Friday just trying to get the piece positioned. The fabric is 32 count Haunted Belfast Linen from Picture this Plus. I'd forgotten how difficult it is to see the holes on darker fabrics!

>64 thornton37814: I love this fabric. Yes, the dark ones are hard, but then they make such gorgeous canvases for otherworldly motifs.

>63 thornton37814: Looks lovely, even if it’s just the border.

>63 thornton37814: - It's a simple border but I like it.

>65 beebeereads: They do look nice.

>66 PawsforThought: I'll probably finish all but the right border tonight--and might even get to that--tonight.

>67 dudes22: It is a simple border, but it's going to look great with the hearts in it!

On one of the FB groups I'm in, a Canadian designer posted a link to a free Ukrainian motif bookmark design she'd done. I thought I'd share it for anyone wanting to show solidarity. https://cliffsidestitches.com/patterns/

>69 thornton37814: Thank you for the bookmark pattern. I am praying for them. FOX channel has been covering it day and night and it is heartbreaking.

>70 mnleona: It really is heartbreaking. I'm glad someone else was interested in the bookmark.

I had the border on the "Ghosts in the Graveyard" piece nearly done, but it isn't aligning. I haven't figured out where the problem is yet. I'm thinking it may be on the downside which means I've got lots more frogging to do. I took out the side I was going up because I thought it might be off. There's one of those "wider" threads in the linen I thought could be causing it, but that doesn't seem to be the problem. I think I'm going to end up having to take all but one border off and redo the rest of it. Sigh!

Ack! Sympathies on all the frogging. I hate when that happens.

>72 thornton37814: - Oh, Oh, Oh - that's so not fair. I've been there. Try a magnifying glass and see if you can find out where first.

>73 MickyFine: I know.

>74 dudes22: I tried doing that. I think it's got to come out. I can save either the top or bottom row of the border. I like the stitching on the bottom better so that's the one I'll likely save.

>75 thornton37814: - I figured you might have.

I'll try to post my stitching progress after I get to Cincinnati. I failed to photograph the piece I was doing at work before I left on Friday, so I'll try to take a photo of it when I return in a week. The others are packed up for the trip.

My LNS posted photos of some of their haul, and the two charts I pre-ordered were among those they posted. I know I want a couple of the others, but I didn't want to order them all at once. I did request that they add the market cookbook to my "haul" though since they usually get lots of copies of it. If I don't hear they've added it to my stash, I'll probably pick one up at Keepsakes in Cincinnati if they purchased them. I can always find someone else who would enjoy the cookbook as a gift if I end up with two.

Lori, what takes you to Cincinnati? That's my hometown. Have you been there before?

>78 lauralkeet: I lived in Cincinnati 12 years. I just miss it and decided to take advantage of spring break to visit friends and hit some favorite spots.

Nice! I guess I don't need to tell you to go to Graeter's, then. 😀

>80 lauralkeet: It's already on my list of musts! ;-) (along with Skyline, Frisch's, La Rosa's, Busken Bakery, Izzy's, etc.) I haven't decided if I'm going to do the Boathouse this trip or not. I'll also hit Jungle Jim's before I go home.

This was a UFO I found in my stash and began to finish. It's called Panda Pals. Designer is Michelle M. Lash of Brittercup Designs. The fabric is whiter than the lighting makes it look.

Pattern 2 in the Heartfelt Stitch Along came out Friday, but I haven't had a chance to add that panel of hearts yet. I brought it with me so I'm hoping to get to it this week. Here's the finished border though.

The border is FINALLY done on this. I had to frog 3 sides to get it to match up correctly. The stitching does look better this time around though, so I suppose there was a benefit.



"Ghost in the Graveyard" designed by Karen Bowen of KEB Studio Creations in Just Cross Stitch, October 2021, page 56.

>84 thornton37814: Looks great! This is one I am eager to see as you progress...so wonderfully eerie!

>81 thornton37814: OMG yes. All of those. Also Montgomery Inn!

When I was traveling to Cincinnati regularly due to my parents' care needs, I would stop at a Skyline in Kentucky shortly after leaving the airport. They lived in a retirement community just off Hyde Park Square, so I could stop at the Graeter's there later in the day.

Thankfully, these days I can get a couple of Graeter's chip flavors in my local supermarket.

>86 lauralkeet: I can get a couple Graeters varieties (including black raspberry chocolate chip) at my Ingles, but the Kroger in Sevierville stocks about eight varieties. (They have the black cherry chocolate chip and the Ohio Buckeye flavor. I always get my freezer bag out when I order ice cream from their curbside pick-up. It works fine even if I do have a half hour drive home.) I did LaRosa's tonight. I planned to stop at Frisch's, but the one I went to was doing drive thru only, and I thought I'd see if a different one has dine-in. I wasn't prepared for a drive-thru order because I needed to look at the menu. The LaRosa's was off the same exit so I just went there. It was so good!

I'm so jealous!

>88 lauralkeet: I suspect you'll be jealous all week. I'm planning to avoid restaurants I can eat at in Morristown. I told someone that my list doesn't include expensive restaurants for the most part (although everything has gone up over the past few months); however, I'll enjoy every one of them.

>87 thornton37814: - I usually make our ice cream, but I checked their web site and the store I usually shop at does carry their ice cream. I'll have to check out the flavors next time I go.

>89 thornton37814: I'll enjoy living vicariously through your trip.

>90 dudes22: Betty, as Lori will undoubtedly attest, all of their ice cream is good but their chip flavors are the best, with large irregularly-sized chunks of chocolate.

>90 dudes22: They make it in small batches. It's really yummy!

>91 lauralkeet: I will attest! I love those flavors, and black raspberry chocolate chip is probably my favorite. Ingles also stocks the Mint Chocolate Chip. "Chip" is a misnomer because it is definitely "chunk."

I went to Keepsakes in Cincinnati today. I got to meet Steph of "Just Keep Stitching" flosstube. She was hard at work checking on inventory and stuff. She did tell me the layout of the shop so I could find things. They had all the market pieces in one place. Because I wanted to hit the bookstore, I only had a little time to visit today, but I'll go back Wednesday. I purchased two charts from market. I realized that I need to see if they also have the "part 2" chart of one of them that was released as 5 squares and 4 squares. I got part 1 which had 5. They were really cute stitched as little pillows. With all 9 squares, you can stitch them as a 9 square. It's cheaper fabric-wise to do that, but I may want to do the single squares any way. They were just so cute. I decided not to purchase fabric until I decide what to do and whether or not I like working on high count fabric. I've got a 36 count fabric on order from my LNS for one of the charts I did. After that, I'll try a piece on 40 count before I decide about the one chart I purchased. The other was one that was already on my radar, and I decided to purchase it from Keepsakes since they had it. I will have more time on Wednesday to just look around. The room where people usually sit and stitch is taken over by the market stuff. I suspect a lot will still be there Wednesday and that they still won't be stitching in the room, but I think I'll take one of my projects along to stitch and leave it in the car. I can always go out and get it if it looks like people are stitching there.

I didn't get a photo of me with Steph. I did take a photo of the sign, but I think I can get a better shot so I'll wait to post that. Maybe I'll get a photo of Steph on Wednesday. We'll see.

Steph wasn't working today--and they are closed tomorrow. I need to get out of town Friday before the predicted snow arrives so I can get to East Tennessee before the predicted snow arrives the following day.

Here's a photo of the shop sign.



Here's a photo of the shop. They have both floors filled. I love all the models they display on the walls, tables, shelves, and other surfaces. My favorite part, of course, was the shop cat.



Here's my haul from Monday and today. It's possible I put one or two fibers with things I brought along with me. The chart of their shop was the only local Cincinnati design they had. However, they are going to investigate availability of some they knew about that used to be in production, and if not, one of the ladies who works there may try to chart some herself. I gave her a couple of ideas of charts I'd like to see. I did find an older chart on Ebay, and on Etsy I found a couple of Cincinnati skyline patterns that feature Union Terminal and Music Hall respectively.

Here's this week's progress on "Ghost in the Graveyard."



Design by Karen Bowen of KEB Studio Creations, in Just Cross Stitch, October 2021, page 56

I'm stitching it on 32 count Haunted linen from Picture This Plus in the called-for Gentle Arts threads except for one for which I'm using the DMC substitution. (I have not been able to find that one color in stock anywhere in a bricks and mortar or online store.)

You should be able to see evidence of my frogging on this one, but it should be covered over with new stitches next week. I decided to concentrate on building up the main part of the bear to make sure it was going to match this time. It looks like it will. The error was actually in the bottom of the main part of the bear. I'd just missed a row, and it was easily remedied by adding a few stitches here and there. I did, however, have to remove the outline of the bear's back side because it had been measured from the row above. I fixed it and managed to make progress. My biggest concern is possibly running out of Raven. It's hard to find right now. If I find it in stock before I begin the pal to this panda, I'll get a couple floss drops of it so I can stitch the companion bear in the same dye lot in case I run out. So if anyone spots "Raven" (Gentle Arts) somewhere, let me know. It's as hard to come by right now as the "Carriage Black" I couldn't find for "Ghost in the Graveyard." (Why the run on black fibers?) I can always put this one back in my stash until I find it available. I think the logical thing to do when I might need to mix dye lots is to stitch one bear in one lot and the other in the other.

Heartfelt Stitch Along is organized by the Fat Quarter Shop as a benefit for Make A Wish. I'm stitching mine on the called Pale Gingham Fabric, but I'm using evenweave rather than the called for Aida. I'm really loving this. The border came out in February. The first panel of hearts came out March 4. I finished it this week. I have to wait until April 1 for the next installment.

That's really pretty, Lori. Does the heart theme extend across all the panels?

That's coming along really nice, Lori. Looking forward to seeing more.

>98 lauralkeet: It does. The order of the hearts and the colors in each varies, but it uses the same palette across all of them.

>99 dudes22: Thanks. I got the backside of the bear re-stitched this morning, but it's almost time to head out towards work because I need to make a stop or two on the way and still get to work at a time I can find a parking spot. I'm taking the Ghost in the Graveyard piece back to my office desk.

I'd intended to start Bobby by Kathy Barrick last week, but I never pulled it out. I found what I had going was enough rotation. I may begin that later in the week or next week. With the Heartfelt Stitch Along part 2 done, I pulled out the Ukrainian bookmark I wanted to do. (I'd taken a pre-made bookmark with me, but I discovered it wasn't long enough for the design, so I couldn't start it last week without an unnecessary run for fabric.) I had some fabric stash at home and grabbed a piece of Aida and cut it down. It's got a big margin although much smaller than my usual margin, and I'll need to cut it down again to bookmark size, but I won't need to worry about fabric fraying as I'm stitching. I'm eager to stitch on it again, but I don't think I'll have time to do so today since this is the day I cover evening shift. I'll have stitching time once I get to work until it's really the time I'm supposed to be there, and then I'll have stitching time during supper. I'll work on the Ghost piece there.

lovely projects!

>101 al.vick: Thanks!

I went to my LNS which isn't really all that local--about an hour and 15 minutes away--to pick up my Nashville market pre-orders--and the market cookbook I'd told them to add to my order when they posted it. I picked up a few fibers while there, but not many. I should have taken a photo of my haul, but I've already kitted one of them and put one with what I have in another bag. I had to order the called for fabric from 1-2-3- stitch because they didn't have "lilac" linen in stock. I'd gotten the fabric for the other pattern in Cincinnati because my store had warned fabric was usually hard to get at market--and I saw some on the table just begging for me to purchase it in Cincinnati even though I knew there was a chance my store would get it. I'm now very glad I took the chance of a double order because now I can begin it. I did let them know I'd managed to get the milk and honey linen in Cincinnati so they wouldn't special order it. I saw two of the 3 patterns I acquired in Cincinnati in their market haul. It was the busiest I've ever seen it today. A lot of folks were picking up market pre-orders since the snow affected travel last weekend. I had taken some stitching with me and was prepared to sit and stitch at the table, but it was just too full. One lady was picking up one of the patterns I eventually want to get. I told her I wanted to work that one eventually, but that I just couldn't afford to buy everything at once.

After I finished there, I ate lunch at a place a colleague told me about--Cootie Brown's. It was really good. Then I came home. I was too tired to stop in at the used bookstore this trip (and I have a Thingaversary coming up for which I should be shopping).

Wow! Sounds like a great time. I don't think we have anything like that here anymore.

Here's this week's progress on "Ghost in the Graveyard," designed by Karen Bowen of KEB Studio Creations, Just Cross Stitch, October 2021, page 56



I have a little more at the top and on the right side of the tombstone and the ghost to go! Then I'll need to finish it.

My next project of the week was a new start. It's the Ukrainian motif bookmark designed by Cliffside Stitches. It's stitched on 14 count Aida with only 4 DMC colors. The colors really pop in person. When you look at the photo on the chart and at the bookmark itself, you would say, "The photos don't do it justice."



If I'd had a white 28 count evenweave in my stash, I probably would have used it rather than the Aida. However, I really like this one's look on Aida (which I haven't stitched on in a long time).

Last but not least is the "Panda Pals" piece I resumed stitching. I found it unfinished when I was inventorying things. Designer is Michelle M. Lash of Brittercup Designs. I'm getting close to done with the large panda. I frogged a couple of times so I'm afraid I won't have enough of the "Raven" Gentle Arts color thread to complete the smaller panda. Unfortunately "Raven" is out of stock everywhere I've looked. I desperately need a couple of thread drops of it. I want to make sure all of each panda is done in the same dye lot. I will finish the nose, ears, and some other stuff that I can and then put this piece away until I can find more of the Raven color. My LNS is going to call me when they receive some.

I found one small error on Panda Pals and went back and corrected it in the area just coming down to the nose. It wasn't a lot of stitches to frog. However, I've got some sort of error. The eye isn't aligning properly. It needs to be higher. I have a feeling it is a very old error. I need to do a lot of counting to see if I can figure out where the problem really is, and see if I can easily fix it. I've got an idea that may be a workaround, but I'd rather get the bear's height correct.

You're making great progress on all your projects. Love the bookmark colors.

Are you going to make a bookmark on the Ukraine project? Colors are pretty.

>109 dudes22: The colors really pop on the bookmark.

>110 mnleona: Yes. I'm making a bookmark. I started at the middle and am working down. Then I'll go back and work up.

Good news! The mouth area of the big panda is one row higher than it should be so I can easily frog that small section and get back on track. The nose (which I added since the photo) will also need to come out, but it's only a few stitches too. So relieved it isn't a big problem! The mouth was already stitched when I picked this piece back up, so I was correct that it was something I'd stitched a long time ago. I'm just glad it was not an impossible problem to correct!

>106 thornton37814: Ooh, I really like the look of that, Lori! Can't wait to see the final project.

>113 MickyFine: I think it will be nice.

>112 thornton37814: - It's always nice when it's a localized problem and not something that leads to something else....

Time for the weekly progress photos. I worked on 5 projects this week. I failed to take a photo before I left work Friday of "Chimney Tops" which was a cross-stitch piece I downloaded soon after the Chimney Tops fire in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. I'll try to upload my progress on it tomorrow night. The other 4 will follow this post.

First up is a finish!

"Ghost in the Graveyard," designed by Karen Bowen of KEB Studio Creations, Just Cross Stitch, October 2021, page 56.

I have all my finishing materials now, but I'm "scared" to try. I've never used a rotary cutter, but I purchased one with the self-healing mat, extra blades, etc. I think I'll try it on something that won't matter as much as this piece which will be gifted. I also need to iron interfacing to the back of the design so that the stitching stays in tact when I "stuff" it. I'm not planning a huge stuff, but it will have a little. I have two options for cording because I found the called for cording at Walmart when I was picking up interfacing. I'll see which I like best.

I noticed there is a real cat hair on the stitched cat!

Next up is "Panda Pals," designed by Michelle M. Lash of Brittercup Designs. It's on a white evenweave, but I no longer have all the fabric details. I will not be stitching the other Panda until Gentle Arts gets Raven back in stock. I contacted them, and they said the base fiber is now in stock so it should be available in my LNS in a few weeks. In the meantime, I'm trying to finish up some of the other design details that can be done.

PS - There are two shades of green in those palm fronds, but I don't think there is enough contrast. The two are shutter green and avocado.

Here's the progress on the "Ukrainian Bookmark" free design by Cliffside Stitches. I love the motif and the way the colors "pop."

I'm getting brave. I just began my first 36 count fabric project. This is "Berry Patch" designed by Liz Matthews of Hello from Liz Matthews! It is stitched on 36 count Milk and Honey linen from Fiber on a Whim with DMC fibers. Finished design will be 95W x 95H. I started it Thursday and basically did a row of border per day since it was mixed in with other projects. I can't wait to get to the cute bunnies and strawberries!

Wow! You make a lot of progress in a week. The bookmark is really nice.

>121 dudes22: I really did. I just did a little at a time, but I managed to make progress. I worked behind the scenes at an online conference Friday and Saturday, and although I had things to do, there was enough downtime to make some progress--even when I kept having to frog one small section. (I managed to get on the half-stitch instead of the main one once and was a line off another time. I think those were actually reversed, but you get the picture. Third time was a charm though!) I've been working on Berry Patch so far today, but I think I want to work on Panda Pals for at least an hour. I'll see if I get to the bookmark tonight or not.

Wow! You've been very busy! They all look great, but I'm especially fond of the Ukrainian bookmark - it's so pretty.

All your progress looks great.

I am forever having to pull cat hairs (and occasionally my own) out of my projects. They're easy to spot on the cross-stitch project at least as both our cats are black.

>123 PawsforThought: I'm loving the way the colors pop on that one too.

>124 MickyFine: I'm guessing that was one of Barney's hairs although it could have been Mr. B's. All three of mine have white hair, but Sherlock rarely gets in my lap while I'm stitching. He might curl up beside me, but he doesn't try to interfere. The other two constantly want attention.

As promised, here's "Chimney Tops." The progress is as of last Friday (March 25). It was a free download shortly after the Chimney Tops fire. I purchased fabric back then but just started it this month.

So much done...congrats. I love the panda...beautifully stitched. Have fun with your ghostly finish...can't wait to see it.

>127 beebeereads: The second panda is waiting for the shops to get the floss back in stock. The manufacturer gave me hope I might see it in a couple months, and my LNS knows I want some when it arrives. I'm scared to try finishing the ghost, but I'm hoping to get up the courage this weekend!

>94 thornton37814: Looks like quite a haul! You'll certainly have fun with that.

>119 thornton37814: Beautiful bookmark!

You are certainly keeping busy.

>129 avaland: It's a very small haul in comparison to many! I'm getting a bit distracted by the 1950 census now, but I have two cross stitch projects I think I can complete this weekend, so I'm going to try to squeeze those into my census browsing. LOL

Two finishes this week. First up is the Ukrainian Bookmark. Designer is Cliffside Stitches. It was stitched on 14 count Aida from Charles Craft with the called for DMC fibers.

Next up is Chimney Tops, designed by Don Allen of Designs by Don (1983). Chimney Tops is where the 2016 Gatlinburg wildfire started. It's a beloved picnicking spot in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. I used a 30 count evenweave fabric from my stash.



I also stitched a tiny bit on Panda Pals and Berry Patch, but not enough progress to post new photos this week. I really focused on completing these two.

Love the bookmark! It looks so great!

>133 MickyFine: I'm pleased with the way it turned out. Everyone I've shown it to loves it!

Time for the weekly progress report.



Panda Pals. Designer: Michelle M. Lash of Brittercup Designs.
Stitched on evenweave fabric.

Until Gentle Arts gets "Raven" floss back in stock, I've done as much as I can. There is another tree behind the Panda and a pink heart on the Panda, but I don't want to take a chance on positioning either incorrectly. It will be easier to work off the stitched bear for both.

Chart 3 of the Heartfelt Stitch Along was released Tuesday this week. I've stitched 4.5 of the hearts in the panel and have 1.5 to go. I should finish this panel early in the week and be ready for chart 4 when it is released in early May. It's stitched on pale gray gingham evenweave.

>136 thornton37814: - I really like this one.

This one is "Berry Patch" designed by Liz Mathews of Hello from Liz Mathews! It's stitched on 36 count Milk and Honey linen from Fiber on a Whim. I have two more daisies in the top and then I get to move onto the fun part with the berries and bunnies! I don't like working on 36 count very much. I'm not sure if it's because I'm using two threads over two or what. I just feel the stitching is a little tight. Perhaps I should have used one thread?

>137 dudes22: I really like it too, Betty! I find that piece pretty relaxing to work on.

One of my favorite hymns is "At Cavalry." This piece called "Mercy and Grace" by Sweet Wing Studio (designer: Susan O'Bryant) takes some of the lyric of the hymn and uses the three crosses on a hill with doves above it. It's stitched on 32 count lilac linen by Weeks Dye Works. My batch was obviously a different dye lot than the model was stitched on because mine is a darker lilac. The model is almost an orchid color of lilac. You'll see my yellow floss I used to measure the 3 inches at top and left side so I would start in the right spot. I need to pull the threads out since I don't need them any more, but I kept them mainly to make sure the top was good. I started this one this week, and I think it will be a favorite piece.

I have a question for all you quilters out there. Do you know of a good video tutorial that shows how to measure and hold in place a piece of cross stitch using one of those rulers that go with the rotary cutter and mat? I found a YouTube video, but the person does it at a dizzying speed for someone who has never used such a gadget. I'm wanting to leave 1 inch around the design on all sides. I have a piece of coordinating fabric that needs to be cut to the same size.

>141 thornton37814: What video did you watch? I like Karen from Just Get It Done. She has a good video on tips for using rotary cutters: https://youtu.be/aCPw7I0qJrI. If you are worried about fraying, you can get a pinking blade for a rotary cutter.

>142 lesmel: I don't know which one I watched, but whoever it was did it so fast, I couldn't follow along. I'll check that one out.

On Monday, I finished part 3 of the Heartfelt Stitch Along. The next part is released May 6.

While I did stitch a little on Berry Patch, there was not enough progress to make it worth showing. I decided to focus on stitching "Mercy and Grace" (designed by Susan O'Bryant of Sweet Wing Studio). This 2022 market release design was stitched on 32 count lilac linen from Weeks Dye Works.

>144 thornton37814: - I really like the colors in this.

>146 dudes22: I'm loving the piece. It will be July before it is completely stitched, and the finishing instructions come out in August. Of course, it can be finished many ways. I'll see what they suggest, but I'm leaning toward framing it.

>144 thornton37814: This is so pretty, Lori. Who knew so many different designs could be made with hearts? The colors are gorgeous too.

>148 lauralkeet: Thanks! The designer did a good job. They also have a quilting Heartfelt Stitch Along. I don't know what the suggested donation on it is. I do think they offer quilt packs just as they offered stitch packs (although I had most of the fibers). I wanted a 28 count evenweave rather than Aida so I ordered the fabric from another vendor who had what I wanted. It's a benefit for the shop's local Make a Wish Foundation. (Shop is Fat Quarter Shop.)

>143 thornton37814: I have no advice on rotary cutters, but did you know it's possible to slow down a youtube video? If you click the gear symbol on a video there's a playback speed option, you can go all the way down to 1/4 speed (I usually go at least down to half-speed when I'm watching instructions for something new.)

>150 melannen: I'm not sure that would help in the case of this video. I think I need a better one. I think I stumbled across one I'll try to watch when I get a chance this week.

I just had a thought, do you mean rotary cutters as in, the circular blade, straight ruler, and mat....or do you mean the cutting tool that allows you to cut perfect circles (and still needs a cutting mat)?

With the straight ruler and mat. There are grids on the mat. I'm just trying to figure out how to make sure everything is really right where I want it. The ruler, like so many now, has a little extra room before the measuring part begins. How do I ensure all my margins are the same? I just wish I knew someone local I could ask to show me live and in person. ;-)

Ok. I trust my ruler before I trust my mat. Not that my mat is off; but my fabric might be. I haven't worked with cross stitch fabric before; but it all looks very even and tidy.

My suggestions:

* Know what finished sized you want for your piece. You say 1" around the finished design. "Ghost in the Graveyard" says it's 2 7/8" x 4 1/8". You will be adding 2" to the overall size -- 4 7/8" x 6 1/8". Personally, I would base my measurements on the actual piece and measure from 1 stitch row above the finished design.

* Your ruler should be marked in 1/8" increments. Look at the length of the ruler. Find the mark for 0. If it's similar to my very first rule, you have an extra 1/2" on either end of your ruler. My 12" x 3" ruler is really 13" x 3" -- which is dumb and confusing, and yet, I love that ruler like a baby. Now look at the width of the ruler. What is it? Ruler widths are almost always in whole numbers.

1. Layout your cross stitch on the mat.
2. Start with one side (such as the right short edge of the design). Lay your ruler so that the 1" mark is on top of the outermost edge of your stitch line OR 1 stitch row beyond your outermost stitch line.
3. Use firm pressure to hold the ruler in place. Don't put your full weight on it. You will make it slide if it doesn't have the fancy grippy bits like newer rulers have.
4. Engage your cutting blade (it's wicked sharp and should never be engaged unless it is in your hand for cutting), run the blade along the edge of your ruler.
5. Disengage your blade and lift your ruler.
6. Repeat for sides 2 - 4.

You may want to conserve fabric depending on where the piece was stitched. You can adjust your ruler placement to account for this.

I made a video, but it's taking awhile to load to Flickr. Once it does, I'll post it here for you.

ETA: Link to video! https://flic.kr/p/2nfkwgv -- Too tired to edit the bit where I walk away completely. LOL

>154 lesmel: Thanks. I'll take a look when I get home!

>154 lesmel: That was nice and slow! Hopefully I can get it done!

I forgot to upload photos of my Works in Progress yesterday. I did remember to take photos before working on a project at lunch today though.

This is a new start from last week. It's what I'm working on during lunch time at work. It is part of the roof! It is the Bookstore in the Hometown Holiday series designed by Diane Williams of Little House Needleworks. I managed to get the rest of the roof done during lunch.

Here's the now familiar "Berry Patch" designed by Liz Mathews of Hello from Liz Mathews! There are more daisies at the bottom of the design, but I'll begin working on the berries, bees, butterflies, etc. soon. I'll definitely finish the left border first. I don't want to get too far along on the bottom border until I see things are matching up.

Another new start! The fabric color on this one is not photographing well. The fabric is called "Jade," and it is green. This is "Pot of Gold" designed by Susan Bates. It appeared in the October 2021 issue of Cross Stitcher.

I began the week working on Pot of Gold and Berry Patch, but I ended up shifting focus. My progress on Pot of Gold was so minimal I'm not posting a new photo. I didn't make tons of progress on Berry Patch either, but I'll show it in the next photo.

I did begin a new project for lunchtime stitching at work. It is the bookstore in the Hometown Holiday series by Little House Needleworks. I'm stitching the series on 28 count Natural linen from Zweigart.

Berry Patch designed by Liz Mathews of Hello from Liz Mathews!

This next one is a start and finish. I needed to do it quickly so I barely began Wednesday night. I was too tired after choir to do much. I worked on it with the time I had Thursday and Friday and finished up on Saturday (although Saturday was a very full day for me with a trip to the needlework store in Johnson City and a church choir picnic. The bookmark will be gifted to an intern who is finishing up her time in our library this week. The designer is Alida (TweLoQ). It was found on her blog at some point in the past in PDF format. I downloaded it.



After I finished it on Saturday night, I got the next project ready to begin on Sunday because it needs to be finished quickly too. I'm happy to say I made excellent progress today and will add a photo when I finish it in the next day or two. I only have letters and borders remaining, but some of the letters are pretty good-sized.

Love that little bookmark. Do you listen to books while you stitch?

The Snoopy bookmark is very cute, Lori!

>163 dudes22: I generally watch FlossTube episodes while stitching. I suspect I will listen to audio books in the summer when I'm caught up on FlossTube episodes. I've been experimenting with different ones. There are a few I really enjoy, but there are some that I don't enjoy as much. Some of them will probably come off my list in the next couple months.

>163 dudes22: >164 MickyFine: Our intern loved it!

I started and finished this small piece for the lady who ran the coffee shop/cafe in our library. She retired last week. She absolutely loved this!



"World's Longest Coffee Break" from Retirement Crazy Leaflet by Lizzie Kate Designs. It was stitched on 32 count natural linen. I omitted the border I wasn't sure I liked and that might have made it harder to fit in the 5 inch frame.

I'm making good progress on "Berry Patch" designed by Liz Mathews of Hello from Liz Mathews.

I finished, except for the outline backstitching that I want to do a little later so it flows a little more smoothly with the rest of the pattern, one of the sunflowers in "Pot of Gold" designed by Susan Bates in Cross Stitcher, October 2021.

I finished the top half of the "Bookstore" in the Hometown Holiday series from Little House Needleworks. Besides the bottom half, there is also a lawn out to the side to be stitched.

I downloaded the next part of the Heartfelt Stitch Along. I'd planned to stitch on it during the Zoom Genealogy Chat last night, but I could never get comfortable holding the Q-Snap, and this is the panel that is split over two pages in the chart so it will require a little more concentration. I just barely got a start before putting it to the side. I'll just show the progress next weekend. Hopefully I'll have all the hearts in the panel stitched!

>170 thornton37814: - I saw that completed on the web site. It will be nice.

>171 dudes22: It will be. It's hard to wait for the next installment sometimes--and to be honest--I could probably figure out the pattern and finish it if I wanted to do so badly enough. As it is, it gives me a nice motif to stitch each day for most of a week. Although it called for 14 count Aida, I picked the 28 count evenweave. After you've stitched on linen and most evenweaves for a while, Aida feels too stiff to stitch on. I know they do make some softer Aida fabrics, but it's hard to know what it will be like until you have it in hand.

I have a friend at church that wants me to teach her how to cross stitch sometime. I want to give her a choice of several easy projects so I'm going to be looking at free charts and charts in my stash to see what might work. I've thought about getting her to watch the series Elaine from Anabella's is doing for beginning stitchers right now. I think the 3rd one in the series comes out this week. I rarely stitch across a row and come back across it any more because I use so many overdyed flosses. You are supposed to make the x's as you go with those fibers. I probably need to show her both ways and explain when not to use the first method. The x's work any time. They do use a little more floss, but it's a price I'm willing to pay.

>172 thornton37814: I rarely stitch across a row and come back across it any more because I use so many overdyed flosses. You are supposed to make the x's as you go with those fibers.
It's been years since I last cross-stitched, and I'm enjoying learning things about the craft from your thread. Q-Snaps are one, overdyed flosses are another. I don't remember ever seeing anything other than basic DMC floss and always used the "stitch across a row and come back" method. Yarns have evolved over the years too, with interesting fiber blends and new ways to spin and dye. It just never occurred to me that floss would also experience its own evolution.

>173 lauralkeet: - I too am amazed at how much cross-stitch has changed since I used to do it. I think it was just DMC and maybe one other kind when I was stitching too. I recently bought a pattern to do if you go away next winter for a couple of months, and I'll be looking for some advice before I buy my threads and linen.

>173 lauralkeet: People are stitching with so many different fibers. The most popular overdyed flosses are Weeks Dye Works, Gentle Arts (Sampler and Simply Shaker threads), and what used to be called Crescent Colors (and I can never think of its current name--something like Classic Colorworks). Then there are specialty fibers like Wisper that are fluffy. There are other brands like Jan Karon's collections. A lot of fabric places also manufacture flosses now. (They have clubs to acquire both fabrics and fibers. Most are monthly or quarterly.) Then there are all the silks. A lot of cross stitchers are using silks now. They sometimes go to needlepoint stores to get them, but there are lots of brands of these too. Needlepoint Silks are supposed to be really nice from what floss-tubers tell their listeners. I purchased one silk that I'm going to use on a single color project. (I've been told you only use one strand when using silks.)

>174 dudes22: It really has changed a lot--even in the last six to eight years since One More Stitch in my town closed due to the owner's retirement.

I apologize for no photos, but I've got a lot of my stuff already packed for my trip. I did finish the middle panel for the Heartfelt Stitch Along. It took me about twice as long to do it because of the way the panel was split over two pages. I also stitched on Berry Patch from Hello from Liz Matthews. I got more of the vines and berries done. I made a little progress but not much on the Pot of Gold sunflower piece. I also made good progress on my lunch break piece--the Bookstore from the Hometown Holiday series. Since I'm not working the next month, I brought it home and will hopefully finish it soon.

I'll be presenting at a conference in Sacramento next week. I've got the last 3 mentioned pieces packed in checked luggage, but I've got new starts that are mostly single color (or maybe two colors) for stitching in the airport and on the plane. I've got some of my better cheap scissor packed in checked and a travel pair in carry-on. Size 26 and 28 needles are stuck in the fabric of the carry-on pieces--a couple for each piece. I've got spare needles in checked. I put a needleminder on one of my pieces in checked, and I may regret not having it in carry-on, but I didn't want the magnet near my electronic devices.

Finished 6-3-2022. Hummingbird Sampler, designed by Cecelia Turner of Heart in Hand Needleart. Stitched on 28 count Vintage Smokey White Linen by Zweigart.



I managed to drop one of the buttons. I can't figure out where it bounced off to -- or where a cat batted it to -- when it dropped to the floor. The button manufacturer has not responded, but someone who isn't planning to use the button pack offered me hers via the designer's "friends" page where people post their finishes. I plan to finish it as a pillow. (See the finish here: http://www.heartinhand.com/designs/full-size-charts/hummingbird-sampler.html) I'll take a photo of that finish along with me to help me as I choose fabrics/borders. I really like the way that one turned out. I don't know that my sewing skills are up to the task, but I can try.

Here is my progress (up to Sunday) on the Hometown Holiday series pattern for "The Bookstore." Designer is Diane Williams of Little House Needleworks. It is stitched on 28 count natural linen by Zweigart using DMC and Classic Colorworks fibers.



It will have some stuff to the side of the house, but I'm finishing the house before moving to that part. Who knows? I can see myself finishing the house in the next couple of days. Not sure I can finish the entire piece before I leave for the library conference, but I can see myself finishing it while I'm there. (It uses too many colors to stitch on the plane, but I can stitch on it once I get to the conference during down times and perhaps even during sessions.)

I'm loving "Berry Patch" by Liz Mathews of Hello from Liz Mathews more and more. I have to change fibers often so progress is slow. It is stitched on 36 count Milk & Honey linen from Fiber on a Whim with the called for DMCs.



I purchased the needleminder from our local needlework store. I don't know where they get theirs, but I love the cat!

Those are all looking good. Takes me back to my cross-stitching days. Love the needle holder.

All looking great, Lori. I think Berry Patch is my favourite. Also, love the needle minder!

Lori, your cross stitches all look great! And the bookshop in >178 thornton37814: is absolutely adorable! I imagine they have a bookshop cat sleeping in an armchair there.

>180 dudes22: Glad you are enjoying them. The needle minder was irresistible for me.

>181 MickyFine: I really should have used one fiber over two, but I had stitched 18 count Aida with 2 fibers and thought 36 count linen should be similar. I think the weave tightened during the dying process. I commented about how tight the stitches were, and someone told me most people only use one fiber on 36. I enjoy it, but you have to be ready to pay attention because it changes colors so often and so many motifs are small. I can't wait to get to the bunny!

>182 PawsforThought: I'm sure there probably is one that you could see if you poked your head in the window. I'm looking forward to finishing these pieces. They are supposed to be pretty easy because you are just pinning--no sewing!

Today I "started" 3 projects--mainly so the initial counting was out of the way before my upcoming trip. Two are ornaments. One is on 32 count linen with a variegated floss from DMC cottons called "elves." One is on 40 count linen with "holly" from Weeks Dye Works. I intend for these to be my plane projects. The third project I started is "Mountains Birth Sampler." My niece's second little boy is due in just under 2 weeks. I want to get the non-text parts done before he makes his appearance if I can. I'll probably shift a lot of my work from other pieces to this one. I will probably put "Berry Patch" on hold until this one is done unless I just can't resist doing a small piece motif or two. I'd still like to finish the Bookstore so I may work on it to give me a break. I plan to stitch on it some this evening. I only have one more heart to go on this month's Heartfelt Stitch Along. I've been doing one per day so I should get that one done in the morning. The final stitching installment comes out next month. I think there's a finishing installment after that, but I'm not sure. I need to decide if I want it as a pillow or framed piece. I'll take the two ornaments, birth sampler, bookstore, and Berry Patch with me on my trip. I don't foresee trying to add anything else to the stash. The ornaments will be on the plane. Everything else will be in the suitcase with sharper scissors!

I realized I failed to post this before I went to Kansas. This is the Heartfelt Stitch Along, completed through part 5. Photo taken 10 June 2022.

While in Wichita, I made a stop at Heart's Desire, their local needlework store.



Here are some shots of the inside of the store:







Here's what I brought home--mostly grab bag fabrics marked to 50% off, but also a bookmark pattern, the spring issue of Punch Needle and Primitive Stitcher, and a free Lizzie Kate design.

When my accumulated mail was delivered this morning, I had a couple of grab bags from Colour and Cotton that I'd ordered in the mail. They also sent a free yummy-looking fiber.

Tuesday night, our librarian group went down to see the lighting of the Keeper of the Flame. Unfortunately it was a little too windy in Wichita that evening. Apparently they don't light it if winds exceed 20 mph. Here are shots of the statue early and later in the evening as well as a photo of downtown Wichita as seen from the monument. You can see the pots that are lighted.

Each day the pet resort posted photos of my boys to Facebook. I'm including one shot of each of them during their stay.

Here's Barney:



Here's Sherlock:



Here's Mr. B:

I also went to visit my 2g-grandfather at his cemetery near Inman, Kansas.

Here's the cemetery sign:



Here's his marker:



Here's his marker in context:

I so wish I had a nice needlework shop like that. I have to drive a little over an hour to get to a good one. I order online but it's sure not the same. We had a great shop for about 15 years, mother/daughter owners. When it opened the daughter had 2 babies and brought them to the shop with her. When they started high school she thought it was time to stay at home and her mother didn't want to continue on alone. That was probably 20 years ago and I still mourn their closing.

Even though I don't do cross stitch anymore, I wish we had someplace near here. There used to be a place about an hour away but I don't think it's there anymore. And my eyesight isn't what it used to be which is why I gave it up, I did recently buy a pattern and, when I get to being ready to do it, I'll be looking for advice about fabric and thread. Thread, mostly, because it sounds like they have so many newer, better threads than when I was doing it.

>191 clue: I'm fortunate to live close to two LNS shops. The one in Pigeon Forge is closest but tends to cater to the tourist crowd so I mainly use them for fibers or really popular designer charts. The one in Johnson City is about an hour away, but it's absolutely wonderful! They cut fabric to size and serge it. They stock lots of fibers. They get the latest patterns from a variety of designers--not just the ones that will sell well to tourists. We had one here in Morristown until the owner retired several years ago. I'm glad I was part of the group that discovered the shop in Johnson City.

>192 dudes22: I'll be glad to help as much as I can. I use a lot of Weeks Dye Works, Classic Colorworks, and Gentle Arts fibers. Sulky is a popular cotton thread brand although I haven't used them. There are a lot of smaller companies that produce fibers as well. Then there are silks. A lot of people really like the NPI or Au Ver A Soie silks. I purchased one of the DMC cards with real fiber samples on it so it is easier to match a color from one of the other companies to them. You can find conversion charts online for many, but it really ends up being a matter of personal preference. A lot of times people adjust fibers based on their own fabric choice too.

>191 clue: I sympathize with the loss of your store and nothing nearby. In our case, the owner's husband was much older and needed too much care. I was so hoping someone would step up and buy the business, but no :-(

>177 thornton37814: >178 thornton37814: >179 thornton37814: >185 thornton37814: As always your work is stunning!

>194 beebeereads: To be honest, the aging husband was a factor in our owner's retirement too. She still has a pretty good stash of stuff from the store according to her daughter. I'm sure she stitches some, but I get the impression she's not stitching as much and that her daughter wishes she'd sell off some of her stash. I'm enjoying stitching more again. I've found it provides needed computer breaks for me. I've got a lot of genealogy stuff on my plate between now and the end of the year, so I'm sure I won't get quite as much stitching time as I might like, but I need to keep both going. It's just a matter of finding the right balance.

I'm still loving that heart quilt. Even though the blocks/strips are the same, the different colors really mix it up.

>196 dudes22: It's really a nice design. The final block comes out in early July. I think there are finishing instructions scheduled for August, but I'll probably just frame mine.

"Modern Nordic," by Tracy Horner of Ink Circles, in Just Cross Stitch, Ornament issue 2017, page 63. Progress to 19 June 2022. Stitched on 32 count Platinum linen from Zweigart with DMC 4517 (Elves) Coloris Cotton Floss.

This was my plane piece on the way to Wichita. I didn't get much stitched other than what I did on the plane.

"Amazing Star," designed by Lynda Keske of Keske's, in Just Cross Stitch, Ornament issue 2016, page 62. Progress to 19 June 2022. Stitched on 40 count Platinum Newcastle linen by Zweigart with Weeks Dye Works Holly fiber.

This is my first time to ever stitch on 40 count, and I actually am enjoying it. You stitch one over two with this small of a count. I don't think I'm ready for 56 count, but I don't think 46 count would scare me off.

"Modern Nordic," designed by Tracy Horner of Ink Circles, in Just Cross Stitch, Ornament issue 2017, page 63. Progress to 19 June 2022. Stitched on 32 count Platinum linen from Zweigart with DMC 4517 (Elves) Coloris Cotton Floss.

This was my plane piece going to Wichita. I didn't work on it much after that flight. I want to get back to it. I love the way the variegated floss works on this ornament.

My niece is expecting her second child--another boy--tomorrow. (C-section) Needless to say, I won't be quite finished with this birth announcement, but I'm making good progress. She's decorating the room with a National Parks/State Parks theme so it won't become dated as he grows.



"Mountains Birth Announcements," designed by Inna (a Ukrainian designer), downloaded from Stitches Lovers Shop on Etsy. Progress to 19 June 2022. Stitched on 32 count white Lugana with called for DMCs (blanc, 310, 318, 415, 470, 762, 937, and 3078).

The black is the beginning of a bear.

>201 thornton37814: Looking forward to seeing this progress. I love the idea for her baby decor.

>202 beebeereads: Thanks. I'd love to finish the top this week. I'm not sure if I can do that or not. This is what it should look like when completed: https://www.etsy.com/listing/785213485/mountains-birth-announcement-counted

>203 thornton37814: It's perfect! Have fun stitching it and knowing it will find a place in his room for some time to come.

>204 beebeereads: Well, Silas Reed Smith made his way into the world this morning! I'd better get to working on that birth sampler so he's not grown before I finish it.

:-)

>206 beebeereads: He's such a cutie (from the hospital photo)!

I failed to upload photos of stitching progress yesterday, so I took this photo sometime this afternoon. I've made more progress now, but this is the progress through yesterday plus a little bit on the Mountains Birth Announcement Sampler.

Here's the progress on The Bookstore in the Hometown Holiday series by Little House Needleworks. I haven't worked on it at all since Thursday. My boss let me close the library at 12:30 Friday. I've focused most of my attention on getting the birth sampler done. I need to finish the snow across the bottom, put in another smaller tree on the side, and stitch a few large snowflakes and one more bird, I think. It's nearing completion, so I'll take a break at some point to try to finish this.

It's always nice to see the progress you're making. The groups been kind of quiet lately. I know I've been spending more time reading and very little on quilting now that summer is here.

>210 dudes22: They have been quieter. I'm secretly hoping to finish the top section of the birth sampler today, but it could be tomorrow. I'll have to chart the words for all but the birth city (which I knew in advance) for the next part. Then I can move to stitching that (along with the arrows between lines/sections) and get the bottom done and eventually the piece framed.

>211 thornton37814: - I think I did one or two birth samplers when I was still cross-stitching and remember having to figure out the placement of the name being the most difficult. I think the pattern I used had the months and numbers so they fit over the same number of threads, but I think I used some graph paper to make sure the name worked out ok.

>212 dudes22: I got the centering off earlier this morning because I went down off the wrong bear paw. I had to rip out 2 hours worth of work. His first name is finally stitched. These are larger blockish letters. Each letter took a couple strands of thread. I'll aim for the middle and last names tomorrow. The letters are a little smaller for them than for the first name. I'd like to also get the arrows in below the name. The birth date will go in next. Those are big block numbers. Hopefully I can get those and the next group of arrows in Friday. The birth info and city might take longer than Sunday, but I still think I can finish it next week. I also need to begin the American Trilogy stitch along on Friday and download the final section of Heartfelt Stitch Along on Friday. I will probably wait until next week to try to fit it in. I may not get much done on Lady Liberty in the American Trilogy Stitch Along, but I'll try to find time to get the top border and the arm with the torch done while I'm working on the birth sampler. I don't want to fall too far behind on it. I know a lot of the stitchers will make much better progress than I will. I also need to update a genealogy talk and handout next week so I am not doing it the following week at night while I'm working. At least it is just updates instead of a new lecture!

I'm terribly behind here, but lovely work, as always. I like

>188 thornton37814: So cool!

>190 thornton37814: I love that grave marker...something about the style. I love old cemeteries. I just asked my husband if we could go to specific very old cemetery outside of Boston (a bit south from where we were yesterday for a medical appt) as it's supposed to be where Frances Cook, my 9th great grandmother, is buried (so says FAG).

>208 thornton37814: The state park theme is interesting...love the bear...!
This is the visitor my next door neighbor had last week ....(they left their feeder up)


>209 thornton37814: I love the little bookshop. I'm going to imagine it has books downstairs and fabric upstairs....

>185 thornton37814: - I decided to download the quilt blocks for this project and might try to incorporate at least one in the memory quilt I'm making.

>214 avaland: Glad you are enjoying my stuff. My new start for July won't be very exciting when I load photos tomorrow unless I do a little stitching off the border on it today. I've still got some stuff to do in the top border, but it can wait until I get a little of the design done, I think.

We have the same problem in our area with bears. My niece wanted a theme for the room that would not become dated as quickly for a growing boy. I think it was a nice choice. They do a lot of camping as a family with their now 3-year-old, so I think this boy who will grow up doing a lot of camping in a state park near their home will appreciate it.

Be careful about using that abbreviation for Find A Grave too publicly. Some people take great offense at its use. I love the old New England graveyards though.

>215 dudes22: I'm glad you did. I hope it works out to use it! I downloaded the final installment of the cross stitch, but I won't start it until next week.

I have a friend who does estate sales. She posted some photos from this weekend's so I'm planning to stop by there soon. I noticed there are lots of buttons pictured. I also saw what appeared to be finished needlework behind something. I'm hoping I was correct--and I'm hoping this person might have some interesting stash. If the price is right, I might even try to "salvage" a piece of needlework. I've seen some interesting things to do with some of these.

I'm thinking about going to the cross stitch shop in Johnson City, but mainly because I need to go to a Petsmart. Sevierville is closer for Petsmart, but traffic will be a nightmare this holiday weekend. I'm thinking I can hit Petsmart, Crumbl cookies, and the cross stitch shop. I'll do that after stopping by the estate sale.