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. 

Theme-a-licious Looking Backward and Forward VI

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!

Jumanji June 

Is it a jungle out there in your stash? Give some love to the projects with animals or birds.

This theme was a piece of cake!  Absolutely no shoe-horning required this month.

I started with the JB Alphabet Kitty for June in patriotic red, white and blue for our Queen's Official Birthday and Coronation Diamond Anniversary.  I also finished the May Kitty using the gingham the majority of people liked.  Here they both are:

I used a vintage cotton thread to sew up the little ornie.  I understand those wooden reels are quite sought after now.

Next animals are the Dragon and the Goose, not a lesser-known Fairy Tale but the sixth in the Dragon Dreams 12 Dragonlets of Christmas series.

The third living creature is the fishies on my Hear the Sea Call sampler.  I sourced some little mother-of-pearl fishes from an Ebay shop, the shells came from some old trim in the craft box and the abalone type stones came from the local craft shop.  I framed it in a simple raw wood box frame. 

I decided to use this for my FB profile photo and to my surprise I got a comment from the designer Sue Donnelly of the Stitcher's Hideaway.  She was very interested to see my finish and told me she is putting the kit together very soon so you can all buy it for yourselves.  She also showed us a lovely Autumn design on orange fabric which would make a great companion piece.

In the evenings I've also been stitching a type of fish, a mermaid is a half-fish isn't she?  There was a very interesting chat on FB about mermaids and how they have little mer-babies.  Obviously they can breastfeed so presumably they have live young rather than lay fisheggs!!  Maybe they find them under sea-cabbages. Nora Corbett also told us she's had complaints in some States of America about the lack of clothing on her mermaids.  whatever next!

Anyway, my mermaid is Shimmering Mermaid for Karen's Round Robin.   She is beautiful with her lovely free-flowing hair.  Karen stitched the shells and seaweed first then specified which parts of the mermaids to stitch so they are not confined to boxes but float on the sea of her fabric.

And here is the full piece, only one block to go.  This is a Large Mirabilia RR, each block is 5,000 stitches rather than the usual 2,500 so we have been given longer to stitch each round and there are three groups of four stitchers.  Imagine if all of us were stitching on one piece each with 12 blocks!!  It would be massive and take about 3 years to come back to you!

In the past months I have also stitched an "anti-theme" piece and this month was no exception.  So what's the opposite of animals, living creatures?  Easy, undead creatures!  So here is Mummy Kitty once again:

Jubilee July

It's time to celebrate! What are you celebrating this year? Stitch on your holiday-related projects, OR find some WIPs you know you'll never finish and set them free . 

Not sure what format this will take.  I have some end-of-term present stitching to do, that's a holiday and a celebration.  Also a couple of birthday cards/presents to stitch.  And a wedding sampler.  I think that takes care of the theme for now.

Finally, it's July tomorrow so I'll be starting the Summer Blog Hop very soon.  One lucky participant will be receiving the first emailed postcard to show on their blog.  There's still plenty of time to join in, just click on the link to the top right to find out how.

June WIPocalypse

WIPocalypse is hosted by Measi of Measi's Musings.

The main focus of my WIPocalypse this year will be my "13 in '13" a list of 13 projects I want to complete in 2013, click on top tab for the list.

The only one of the 13 I stitched this month was this design Hear the Sea Call from Stitcher's Hideaway:

The chart was a prize from Riona of Oubliette, the fabric is Summer Sky by Crafty Kitten and the hand-dyed thread is from Jodyri Designs, a new company I found through FB.  They have a monthly thread subscription.  You can pay for either 5 or 10 skeins a months and after 120 skeins you will own the whole collection.  Unless she keeps dyeing more colours in which case it's a lifetime subscription!

I would have finished it but I ordered some little mother-of-pearl fishes from an Ebay shop and they took a week to get here.  I am too used to SewandSo's next day delivery!

I could have finished it yesterday but instead I made a wedding dress and a top hat and tails for a very lucky couple.  Here they are:

My cousin is getting married in August and she posted a photo on FB recently of a chocolate Gruffalo and said how much she loved him.  The toys are sold in our bookshop so I bought them and made up the little outfits on Saturday after I discovered the girls would be popping in today to see us.  The bride's outfit is made from curtain fabric samples and the groom's is some nice black felt.

For those of you unfamiliar with the Gruffalo, he is a character from a children's book by Julia Donaldson and extremely popular with young children (and soon-to-be wed women too).  Here is the Gruffalo website.

For those of you who are familiar with the Gruffalo please ignore the fact that the Bride is actually The Gruffalo's Child.  There is no mention of a Mrs Gruffalo in the books, maybe she was eaten by the Big Bad Mouse?  No-one knows but Mr. Gruffalo does his best as a Lone Parent to bring up his little girl with a healthy respect for the danger of the Deep Dark Woods, which of course she ignores as in all the best stories.

Finally, don't forget the Summer Blog Hop on the theme of "There's No Place Like Home".  Just click on the picture on the top right of the blog for more details of how to join in.