Micro mini mandala!

Hello all! Here is a picture of my completed Micro 01 by Chatelaine Designs. It is still a little crooked before being stretched and framed with it's sister micros to come.



I made a lot of color changes, in fact all of them but one!
The colors I used....
DMC 335
DMC 368 (in place of 3348)
DMC 367 (in place of 734)
DMC 890 (in place of black 310 and pearl gray 415)
Caron Meadow 003 varigated green/pink (in place of SNC 055 Camouflage)
SNC 084 Fairy Rose (in place of SNC Carnation Pink)
PTB 25 gold braid (in place of PTB 36)

My fabric is a 32ct Silkweaver Solo lugana, medium green in color.

The central round area follows the pinker version 2, the interior corners and outer dark band follows version 1, except I used dark green 890 in place of the black 310. Also, I used the green beads (4) in place of the gold beads (1).

Looking forward to Micro 02 now!
There are going to be four in the series, all 68x68 stitches, in different color pallets.

Castles progress pic and another small

So far so good in the stitching department this month! I added part 13 to Castles in the Air last week (the round sections at the bottom edge) and got another small done over the long weekend. Here's the progress pic....

And this is the newest of Teresa Wentzler's freebies...Hummingbird! Stitched on 18ct ice blue linen over 2 and over 1 for the hummer....made it into an ornament for spring....which I hope is going to be early this year! I stitched the border and corner motifs again for the back.

Another small from Just Nan

Another small finished on Sunday before moving on to some SALs....this is Just Nan's Christmas Secret! A small tin liner in redwork was fun to stitch up on a scrap of linen.

Next up, some more stitching on Castles in the Air....we are supposed to get MORE snow/ice today in NC so I should have some good stitching time....as long as we keep the power on!

First finishes of 2011!

Happy New Year to everyone! Starting off the stitching year with some smalls....another Kitty Kalendar for May, and my monthly biscornu. I'm going to stitch all 12 of the Val's Stuff Kitties and switch them out of a single frame monthly (not to mention using them on my Facebook page each month).

This tiny biscornu is another freebie from Tor Rhuann Designs under "Getting Squared Away", which has 4 patterns, this one being the Scissors design. It was stitched on 32ct pearl linen with gold treasure braid and DMC. My college class ring is shown for scale, just so you can see how small it really is! I am starting my monthly biscornus this year with this design and other small designs that I can actually wear as a necklace just by adding a small bail for a plain gold chain.

I was running out of places to put my biscornu (have been making them since 2007) had a brainstorm!

Goals for the New Year

December Recap
WiPs....
~Christmas at Hawk Run Hollow, Block 12 Done!
~Castles in the Air, Pt.13 Boy am I far behind!
~Rose Garden Sampler SAL Another one I didn't get to....
~3 gift ornies finished Done!
New Starts...
~Cardinal Ornament Done!
~Kitty Kalendar-March Done!
~Kitty Kalendar-April Done!
~Wreath Biscornu Done!
~JCS Christmas at Williamsburg class project Started...

January Goals
WiPs.....
~Castles in the Air, Pt.13 Done!
~JCS Class project
~Jubilee Class project
New Starts....
~Kitty Kalendar-May Done!
~Scissors Biscornu Necklace Done!
~Just Nan's Christmas Secret Done!
~Teresa Wentzler's Hummingbird Done!
~Chatelaine Micro 01

2011 Goals
In looking forward to my 2011 stitching, I have 4 UFOs that have not seen action in over a year, and 6 WiPs that I'd like to get to at least once in 2011.
I am also trying to stitch one biscornu a month, and finish the Val's Stuff Kitty Kalendar monthly kitties (on the 5th one now). Then there is the Hummingbird Mandala from Chatelaine, and the micro series, of which I have the first kitted.....and the Winter Watergarden is calling to me too.....will have to see what calls loudest! In the meantime.....

WiPs
~Holland Landscapes, Chatelaine 58% done
~Castles in the Air SAL, Papillon 50% done
~Breaking Dawn, Kustom Krafts--12% done
~Rose Garden Sampler, WDC Designs--8% done
~Tisket a Tasket Pansy Basket class project--begun
~Tree of Life Journal Cover class project--begun

UFOs
~Evening in the Park, Chatelaine--51% done
~Companions, TW--21% done
~New Zealand Map, Heritage Stitchcraft--2% done
~Flower Power, Crossed Wing--1% done

My Webshots WiP album has pictures of all my WiPs/UFOs if anyone wants to follow the link in the right side bar.

Final stitching of 2010

Christmas and the week after were busy as I had relatives in town so I didn't have much time to stitch. I dug out a little NeedleMagic kit that I could carry around with me and stitch whenever I had some time. Finished just before midnight on December 31st! Here is my little Christmas Cardinal, with a bell to ring in the New Year.....


I have a hockey game to watch tonight, my Carolina Hurricanes against NJ Devils....go 'Canes!
Tomorrow I'll post my wrap-up of 2010, and my goals for 2011, in the stitching category anyway! Other resolutions hardly make it a month, but somehow I keep on stitching....;-)
Hope everyone had a wonderful holiday season, and may you all have a productive and safe New Year in 2011!!

More kitty kats....

I've been stitching the monthly Val's Stuff Kat Kalendar series and here is March....they are very quick to stitch and I'm already half-way done on April, but I don't expect to have much more time to stitch until after Christmas.

And here is April!

Here are best wishes to all in the holiday season, and have a very Merry Christmas!

Christmas ornaments!

I can now show off the three Christmas ornaments I made for my small stitching group!
The first one is from Elizabeth's Designs, A Dog's Christmas. This is an older one I believe, because I don't remember ever seeing it before. Stitched on 18ct davos. I used a different finishing technique on each one, the first being the easiest!


The other two are from JBW Designs, French Country Mitten in red, and A Nordic Mitten (with greeting added) in green. The French Country one has a beaded edge, and the Nordic one has been mounted (front and back) on mat board and whip stitched together.



Now, I only need to finish assembling about 3 dozen more ornies.......maybe next year!

Christmas at Hawk Run Hollow done!

Yahooooo! My version of Carriage House Samplings' Christmas at Hawk Run Hollow has it's last stitch! You can see a close up of the final block as well. I made changes or additons to at least seven of the blocks....see if you can find them all! This was a great challenge stitching it on 40ct silk gauze over 1, and a few changes had to be made because of that. Some were just for fun, especially the singing kitty! Each block in a little over 2 inches square, making it about 7"x 9".

I still need to trim out stray thread tails on the back and have it blocked and stretched for framing in the new year, but for now I can say it's DONE!

My December Biscornu

I have completed the 4th year of monthly biscornu stitching with this freebie design from Tor Rhuann!

The Wreath Biscornu was stitched on 32ct pearl linen with stash on hand, including Kreinik and DMC. The candle flames in each wreath are 4mm bicones, and I added a chain so I can wear it during the holiday season! It's only about 2 inches across. I also finished stitching the last of the gift ornies, just need to do the ornamentification on them and deliver them later this month. Then I can post pictures! For now, I'm working on the last block of Christmas at Hawk Run Hollow, so watch for a Happy Dance soon!

November Recap
WiPs...
~Christmas at Hawk Run Hollow, Block 11 Done!
~Castles in the Air, Pt.13 Still on hold...
~Rose Garden Sampler SAL Third page done!
~Quaker 31, San-Man Orig. Done!
New Starts...
~Rainbow Vignette Box Done!
~Pearls & Roses Biscornu Done!
~Christmas gifts to be started....three are done!

December Goals
WiPs....
~Christmas at Hawk Run Hollow, Block 12 Done!
~Castles in the Air, Pt.13 Nope!
New Starts...
~Cardinal Ornament Done!
~Kitty Kalendar-April Done!
~Kitty Kalendar-March Done!
~Wreath Biscornu Done!
~JCS Christmas at Williamsburg class project Started...

Keeping it simple this month!

Christmas at Hawk Run Hollow report

Here is a quick update on Christmas at Hawk Run Hollow as the last hour of November comes up on the clock....I am actually keeping up on this, with a block a month all year and have finished the 11th block! Only a couple of small changes...I replaced the year 1802 on the sail with a crown motif from the first block, and rather than the black, I changed the background to dark blue as in the previous block 6. The last block is mostly lettering, so it should go fast.

I have also finished three Christmas gifts I will post later, after they are delivered!

I'm leaving Thursday for the JCS Christmas in Williamsburg stitching seminar with my friend Carolyn, and I'm going to relax and enjoy it before the holiday season goes into high gear.

Happy Stitching!