October Stitch From Stash and Pie

It's time for some Pie:

I decided to just do one day on Halloween at Hawk Run Hollow this month so I could focus on all my other Dark October projects.

I'd made a small start on Block 9 in September:

and now I'm here:

stitched over one on 25 count Cassia Rose evenweave from Chromatic Alchemy

So far the number of days is:

Block 7 - 13 days

Block 6 - 16 days

Block 2 - 19 days

Block 3 - 20 days

Block 4 - 15 days

Block 1 - 19 days

Block 5 - 25 days

Block 8 - 15 days

Block 9 - 3 days and counting

The Mani di Donna Halloween Sewing Basket is a fun little project.  There are two identical short sides, as below.  Then two identical long sides.  I'm thinking about making it my Dark 13th project in 2023.  I've never done that before but it would be a good way to get 12 days stitching in before next Halloween.

I've kept my usual bath-time stitching pie as well.  

The Cabinet of Curiosities has dominated!  Every single evening since the SAL started in September.  It is almost done now, only the lettering and the centre block with the charm to do now.

Finally, Stitch from Stash:

I started with my usual Shannon Christine 12 Days charts and then an impulse purchase of the new Mirabilia chart, Portrait Queen:

Isn't she just gorgeous?  I could really annoy Kate from Sparklies by asking her to hand-dye the fabric so the centre rectangle is a paler colour than the outside!

Halloween Trick or Treat Blog Hop 2022

  

 Welcome to the spooky hallowe’en mystery phrase blog hop!

All you need to do is visit each of the following blogs in order, jot down the letter displayed with their Hallowe'en stitched picture then return here and leave a comment telling me the Mystery Phrase.

It'd be nice if you left a comment on their blog too, especially if it's new to you.

I have "moderate comments before publishing" enabled so no-one can copy anyone else!

So without further ado,

start the blog hop – enter if you dare…

An Arizona Stitcher

Life Outside the Washing Basket

Needle, Pen & Sword

A Patchwork of Crafts

Mary's Thread

Jocondine

Aimetu's Stitching

Books, Crafts and Other Procrastinations

Guava Gems

Tales of a Stitching Mouse

The Flashing Scissors

Dragon Stitches & Stuff by Astrid

Tickled Pink in Stitches

Today I Found

and then back to me to comment with the phrase.

Hope you've worked it out!

I've been working away on my Spooky Stitching this month which included a finish for Just Nan's Scream House, a Just Nan Mouse I really need to make up, one roof piece for my 3D Spooky Mansion (which was incredibly tricky) and some lovely progress on my Mani di Donna Halloween Sewing Basket. As well as a whole shop completed for my CCN Spooky Main Street Conversion.

Which now looks like this:

stitched on 32 count Charcoal Slate Murano from Sparklies

I decided to turn the Grocey Store in the Potions Store. I did consider Pumpkins because it would have been easy to change the fruit into orange pumpkins. But there were two little bottles in the window of the original shop so they became potion bottles.

I added the side extention to the shop to replace the outside fruit displays. It reminds me of a Chemist Shop from the part of town I lived in as a child. The shop was on a corner and down one side wall was a totally enclosed window space which had an enormous glass bottle inside. To a child, there was no way they could have got out of there so obviouslt it had been sealed in for some reason. As an adult, I guess the back wall was actually a door and could be opened!

Just for fun, I Googled the shop and look - they have bricked up the window!! It's on the left of the photo.

Also, it's a Bridal shop now. I don't think my witches need one of those! But the style of the building would not look out of place in my Main Street.

Here are some more photos of my Spooky Stitching on display this year:

 

Finally, don't forget, some of us are on different time zones so if you visit a blog and can't find a letter or picture yet, pop back later in the day.

The phrase will stay a mystery for one week then all comments will be shown from 7th November, 2022.

happy hunting!

        

all from Hyraea

October WIPocalypse Halloween Stitching

        

WIPocalypse is hosted by Measi's Musings

Each month we have to share the projects we want to complete before the End Of The World.  Since 2011 I have chosen a number of projects to focus on that year, starting with my "11 in '11" and increasing to "22 in '22" for this year.  Since my last post I have stitched on 3 of them, although I will get a day on Halloween at Hawk Run Hollow tomorrow.

4. Bothy Threads 12 Days of Christmas

stitched on 32 count grey-blue linen

10. Stitchonomy Cabinet of Curiosities

stitched on 28 count tan evenweave

15. CCN - Main Street Grocery Store

stitched on 32 count Charcoal Slate Murano from Sparklies

The full list can be seen here - WIPocalypse and 22 in 22

Measi always gives us a topic to discuss too.

October - Do you prefer Halloween or Christmas stitching?

Mwah ha hah - what do you think?

According to the Happy Dance Blog, the totals are now:

Christmas - 47
Halloween - 95

Finally, here's another sneak peek of my Halloween stitching decor.  The rocks are ones I painted and can't part with just yet!

October Smalls

         

The Smalls SAL is hosted by Mary's Thread

This year my Smalls are supposed to be the Jardin Prive 12 Days of Christmas which I started on Boxing Day 2021 for the 12 Days of Stitchmas.  But it's Dark October and the Stitchonomy Cabinet of Curiosities has been my priority for that time-slot.

And here's my progress:

stitched on 28 count tan evenweave

I have stitched half the last block for Day 31 but now I'm focusing on the frame to get that done.

The Haunted Mansion roof pieces are all stitched now, ready to assemble:

Just Nan's Scream House got FFO'd:

I even managed another day on my Mani di Donna Halloween Sewing Basket:

stitched on 32 count grey linen

I haven't quite got round to FFO'ing Miss Stitchy Witchy Mouse yet, maybe a job for the weekend.

Finally, the Halloween Trick or Treat Blog Hop will take place on Monday 31st October.  Thanks to everyone who signed up.  You should be receiving an email tomorrow, so keep your eyes open!

 

October TUSAL and Stitching Library

      

It's TUSAL time!  

Here is my TUSAL jar with my current project:

Those small pieces of blue stitching are all the roof sections for my 3D Haunted Mansion building.  I already completed the building and now I just have to make three roofs and it will be done.

Here's the main building:

What's on my Shelf?

This is a feature I'm going to include on my TUSAL post until I run out of books! I started a Page on my Happy Dance blog for my Stitching Library and realised what a huge task it was so decided to break it down to one book per month. For the next four years...

Title: Cross Stitch Myth and Magic

Author: Various

Publisher: David & Charles
ISBN: 9780715322109

This is a very eclectic collection of subjects and designs!  

The cover is Merlin by Maria Diaz

This one is The Princess and the Unicorn by Susan Penny.  

There's an unusual technique to making the mane and tail which is very effective.

This one is why I bought the book - The Princess and the Dragon by Teresa Wenztler.

This would look great framed with Dragon Rider which I stitched some time ago.

This one is another Susan Penny, called Frost Fairy there are some interesting techniques used here too. Plus a beaded border!

There are a couple of Asian designs, this is Oriental Dragon by Rungrat Puthikul 

The Dolphins come under the Mystic Deep section and are designed by Sue Cook

(like I said - eclectic!)

The final Sue Cook design is fabulous, Celestial Heaven features a very nice Zodiac with a fancy border all around.  You can also finish them as individual ornaments.

As well as the large designs for each chapter there are plenty of smaller charts which haven't been stitched as models so I can't show them!

I did stitch this blackwork castle as a Teacher Gift a few years back:

I must have really liked this teacher as that is all metallic!

Finally, there will be a Hallowe'en Trick or Treat Blog Hop as usual this year. I am sure you all know how it works but for those who need a reminder - here's a link to last year's:

2021 Hallowe'en Trick or Treat Blog Hop

If you want to take part, just leave a comment here or email me if you are a "no reply" person. I need an email address for you to take part in this hop.

October IHSW

 

IHSW or International Hermit and Stitch Weekend always starts on the third Friday of the month.  It's a chance to lock yourself away and focus on your stitching for the weekend.  You can take part on your blog or via the Facebook page - IHSW on Facebook.

So the big excitement for the weekend was an FFO!  A long awaited FFO too.  This design was my "unicorn" chart for so long and I was lucky enough to nab one in a destash post.  I started stitching for Dark October 2020, continued in 2021 and actually finished the majority of the stitching then.  Just a base left to be completed this year.  Which is why the tombstone says MMXXI.  

Once I completed the stitching, I had to mount 18 pieces onto thin card, whip stitch them in pairs and then attach the roof pieces to the walls and the walls to the base.

This weekend I just got on a roll and finished the lot off:

Front Door

I used a little key to hold the ribbons in place.  

A witch would keep her spare key on the roof, not under her doormat!

Spider charm on the roof

Back

There will be a piece of black ribbon around the top of the walls to stop the gaping once I buy some.

Inside the house

Netty Nightshade

This was a piece of chenille fabric sampler stitched in place

This is the needle minder from the Stitchonomy Cabinet of Curiosities.  

I stuck one magnet to the inside of the paper when I mounted this wall.

The other magnet is this side as I can change the needleminder if I want.

I was so excited to get this finished in time for Halloween I got all my other spooky projects out and redid the living room ready for the 31st.  Here's a sneak peek, more photos to follow on my Blog Hop post.

The other two projects I worked on were my Cabinet of Curiosities and my spooky conversion of Main Street by CCN.  

I have built all the shop except for the last two rows of the roof.  Then it will be on to the fun part of stocking the shop.  Any guess what this one might sell?

stitched on 32 count Charcoal Slate Murano from Sparklies

The Cabinet of Curiosities is the latest Stitchonomy SAL and probably my favourite one so far.  I have stitched some of the next block but here is the last photo I took:

stitched on 28 count tan evenweave

There is one larger block in the centre that I am looking forward to, then it's just a case of finishing the framework of the cabintet and deciding how to FFO it.

Pretty successful IHSW this month.

Finally, the next IHSW will be 18th - 20th November so make sure you note the date in your diary or come and join us in the Facebook Group - IHSW on Facebook. If you don't do Facebook then you can check in here by leaving a comment on my post.