30 Numbers Completed!

First of all, a request to all the people who Follow my blog via Feedly or Bloglovin' -

Please could you also click on the Google Join This Site button just above all the smiling faces to the right of my blog?  This button is how I count my Followers and return the following if they have a blog.

Margie brought this to my attention last post, she follows me via Feedly and said she hoped I had a way of verifying that.  Unfortunately Feedly doesn't have any way of finding out who your lovely followers are.

So please show yourselves by using the button!  It means I can find your blog and also, another 15 followers will trigger a 500 Followers Giveaway.  Only people listed under my Followers will be eligible for the Giveaway.

Back to stitching.  I have completed the 30 number blocks in the Primitive Hare Spooky Countdown I am SALing along with Giovanna.  Here they all are:

Blocks 1 to 6

Blocks 7 to 12

Blocks 13 to 18

Blocks 19 to 24

Blocks 25 to 30

Now I have the header and footer to stitch, mount the blocks onto little gravestone markers and I will be all ready to count down from the 1st October.

How long does it take to attach a leaf charm to a design?  10 months!  I completed this design Oh Glorious Fall on 3rd November 2013, all bar the leaf charm which I finally attached this afternoon.  And framed it so it is up on the wall next to Just Nan's Autumn Typography.

Sue Donnelly from Stitcher's Hideaway designed this as a companion piece to Hear the Sea Call which I stitched last year.  I used the supplied 3371 for the verse and Threadworx Chilli Peppers which is a great variegated green, orange and red colour.  The fabric is 32 count Belfast Linen in Tobacco, the same fabric I used for Autumn Typography,

Finally, I seem to have found myself signed up for the DUCJC 2015.  What is the DUCJC I hear you ask?  Well - 

CJC = Crazy January Challenge, one new start for the first 15 days of January

UCJC = Ultimate Crazy January Challenge, one new start for all 31 days of January

DUCJC = Debbie's Ultimate Crazy January Challenge, stitch 31 projects one per day for January

Linda Stitchin' with my Furbabies is organising this in memory of SoCal Debbie who passed away recently.  Thankfully Linda is not making us attempt the SDUCJC (Super Duper Ultimate Crazy January Challenge) or 60 starts throughout January and February which she did with Debbie in 2012.  Please feel free to join us!

November TUSAL

It's TUSAL time again!  For those of you new to blogging, the TUSAL is a project run by Daffycat, click on the button on the right hand bar for more details.

This month's TUSAL features Silver Cute Dwarf's Pumpkin Kitty (stitched earlier this year), Drac-in-a-Box and my current piece Oh Glorious Fall by Stitcher's Hideaway.

The TUSAL photo was taken this morning and since then I have completed the Fall design, all bar the little leaf charm:

Sue Donnelly from Stitcher's Hideaway designed this as a companion piece to Hear the Sea Call which I stitched earlier this year.  I used the supplied 3371 for the verse and Threadworx Chilli Peppers which is a great variegated green, orange and red colour.  The leaf will fit in the gap next to the word Blanket.  The fabric is 32 count Belfast Linen in Tobacco.

I had a nice surprise in the mail on Friday, a prize from Heather of It's Geek to Me.  A while back she posted about some of the problems she was having with her computer and sighed about "First World Problems".  Then she asked us to share some of our's.  Frankly I think Marsha deserved something for her comments (read it and you'll understand!) but my name was drawn and this is what I got:

Seasonal pumpkin pincushion kit, variegated DMC (including everyone's favourite 115), spooky spider web scissors and the Lazy Girl's cushion, simply slip the finished stitching under the margins and voila!  a no-sew pillow.  I can even change the design whenever I get bored with it!

Here is my winning comment:

First World Problems? The "touchscreen" screen isn't working on our new touchscreen computer.

The 3D glasses for the TV don't work with my varifocals.
The food item I want is always in the OTHER freezer.
The closest remote control is never the one I need.
There's never anything to watch on TV until I try record something then three programmes clash and it deletes my favourite one. 
I've need more passwords than I have relatives to name them after.
When I set up an online account for my MIL she chose the name of her favourite grandchild as her password - and it wasn't one of my children!!!
Last time we had a scheduled power outage hubby hired a generator to run the big freezer and one kettle!
Gosh I have a hard life!!

Finally, does anyone know where I can get some firework print fabric in the UK?  I want some to back the JBW Alphabet Kitty ornie this month and haven't been able to find any yet.  I only need a small piece.  If all else fails I will just use black evenweave and stitch some fireworks myself!

Theme-a-licious Looking Backward and Forward X

Theme-a-licious is hosted by Heather of It's Geek to Me

Each month Heather thinks up a theme for us to stitch to, or in my case, a theme to somehow shoe-horn my existing stitching into, no matter how tenuous the link!

This was the theme for October:

Opulent October
It's time to don your tiaras and bring the bling! Stitch on projects with sparkly fibers, beads or charms.

The main piece I have been stitching in the evenings has been Titania, Queen of the Fairies for the Mirabilia Round Robin.  I finally managed to actually stitch some bling on her this week.  Mind you, the fabric is sparkly itself so maybe that already counted?

The interesting thing about Miras is that you stitch away for evening after evening and sometimes don't see alot of progress then all of a sudden you're on the last colour (white for me) and it's time for the bling!  You look at all the empty places and realise those are all for metallics or beads!  There is silver blending filament on the edges of the wings and the inside is solid Kreinik which I will be starting tonight.

The other blingy piece I stitched in about two hours was the Needlecraft Haven Challenge for October.  Christine has chosen a very small and sweet Christmas piece.  I'm not feeling very Christmassy yet but thought it would fit the Opulent October theme so here it is:

The mount is an old Christmas card.  I keep alot of my cards, either as gift tags or stitching mounts.

And here is a side shot so you can see how I made this one.

Totally beaded, not a stitch in sight!  Even the fabric is sparkly.

Looking forward to November we have

No-Xs November

What can you make without making an X?? Blackwork, hardanger, embroidery, needlelace, and the list goes on! Don't panic...you can even backstitch for the month!

Oh, I could have had the NH challenge for that too LOL.

And by lucky chance this new start fits in perfectly.  Serendipitous or what?!!

This is stitched on 32 count Belfast in Tobacco, the same colour I used for Autumn Typography.  The design is Glorious Fall by Stitchers' Hideaway.  A while back I stitched Hear the Sea Call by the same designer (see this post for my finish).  I changed my FB profile picture to the design and Sue the designer got in touch to find out how her pattern had reached across the sea to me!  She also told me she was bringing out a companion piece which, of course, I had to buy.  She sent me the chart and the threads, so far I have stitched the poem composed by Sue herself in pure backstitch.  The border will be a in lovely variegated thread.

Finally, the Hallowe'en Mystery Phrase Blog Hop is still open for entrants, you must leave a comment on that post before 7th November.  I know alot of people catch up with blogs at the weekend.  And Mr Boo is by Val of Val's Stuff.  Before another persons asks me!!  He was in last years JCS Hallowe'en special and has been very popular.