Tuesday, April 28, 2009

Glad to be a member

Hi I'm Jen and I am really pleased to be a member of this SAL. I did my first Spooky project last year. This was Simply Halloween from Waxing Moon Designs. Unfortunately I didn't get it finished in time. Here it is.


This was done on the fabric suggested on the chart, even though the photo that came with the chart showed the background fabric to be a pale purple/lilac colour.


I have lots of other things in the stash and I am looking forward to sharing them with you in time.

Sunday, April 26, 2009

Just Nan's Ghoulies & Ghosties



I've had this as a WIP since last year and finally pulled it back out to finish it. I call it 'this-makes-absolutely-no-sense-Halloween-cross-stitch' because it's the first cross stitch piece that I really don't understand! :-) I think that is why it became a WIP in the first place LOL

If the hat fits....

"Zelda's Fancy Hat" by CrabApple Hill Studio's
Made with different scraps of black fabric, and embroidered with Weeks Dye Works colors
Saying around the brim is "Member in good standing of the Black Hat Society"
Isn't it a scream?!
Hi everyone. I'm not working on anything Halloween at the moment, so this is my first post. I was spring cleaning and pulled out my witch hat I finished last year. It's not cross-stitch, but I thought it might inspire some of you. This was a really fun project to work on. It only took about a week to complete. It is life size! Looks so cute next to some old witch shoes and broom. I can't wait for Halloween to blow around again. (Although I will take the nice weather first!)

Friday, April 24, 2009

A few finishes

Hi,

Here are a few finishes I have. The first one is from last year's JCS Halloween issue. The designer is Monsterbubbles and the chart is called Batty.

The second finish is also from last year's JCS Halloween issue. The designer is Jeannette Douglas and is called Halloween Pumpkin Ornament.

The third finish is from Shepherd's Bush and called Halloween Grins. It is a free chart from them from last year.

I enjoy at everyone else's finishes. Keep up the great stitching.

Happy Stitching
April :)





Wednesday, April 22, 2009

Earth Day recycle

Happy Earth day!!!



I am recycling these charts











Check out my post and leave comment Here only to win
Ranae

Tuesday, April 21, 2009

Do You Hear A Scream?

Sorry if you had to cover your head with your pillow, or stuff cotton in your ears to drown out the noise.

I don't know whether to cry or get angry, and I'm trying SO hard not to clamp my jaw, since I was just diagnosed with TMJ due to stress..and I thought that cross stitching would be relaxing! lol

I had made a lot of progress on my Giving Sisters, enough to post a photo, but earlier today I decided that I didn't like the one color of thread with the fabric, so decided to change it. .and somehow in the process, managed to catch just the tiniest bit of the fabric, and you guessed it. .it frayed. I tried to carefully re-stitch but the fabric completely broke through, making a hole that won't hold the thread. .I thought some unkind thoughts, walked away, and then came back to try and figure out a way to save it, but there isn't. .not without frogging most of everything that I had completed.

Soooooo, I am now starting anew, on a new piece of fabric. And I am truly noticing for the first time, the differences in the quality of Aida. The ruined piece is a dyed one from Silk Weavers (I'm going to remove all of the threads later, cut off the ruined portion and save the rest for another project.), and is soft, but dense. The replacement fabric is a top of the line Charles Craft, but it is stiff at first, and not nearly as dense. I can see my hand through it, where I couldn't the one from Silk Weavers. So, I've learned something from this experience. I need to stash more fabrics that I truly love, not just what is handy! And to be ultra careful in removing my threads. .although, now that I think about it, in all of the over 20 years that I've been stitching, this is the first time that this has happened to me.

For now, I'll have to content myself with enjoying all of your Halloween projects, until I get mine once again to the point of actually looking like something! lol

I wish you happier stitching!!

Sunday, April 19, 2009

Give-A-Way

Just a note to tell you Spooky Stitchers that I'm having a giveaway on my blog (Witchy Stitches) for Shepherd's Bush Fright! Head on over to my blog enter, but here's a pic in case you haven't seen it. It does not include mat, but does include the pattern, fabric, the silks, needles and a sweet little moon button:

Everyone's spookiness is looking so awesome here. I'm itching to do a 'ween project! For some reason, I just could not get into this one, lol. Which is SO NOT LIKE ME! Take advantage of my craziness and Fright can be yours! I'll draw names on Friday, April 24th. :p

Bent Creek's Boo Name Tag


I truly finished this in less than a day's time. I started it on my lunch hour at work and finished it yesterday. Enjoy!

Saturday, April 18, 2009

Materials for my own design

I play around with designing... anyway, I am working on cushion. I haven't started yet but I pulled these materials from my stash... this will be a Spooky Cushion.... I'm in love with the colors. The fabric is Willow Green Belfast. The design needs more work before I start it though.

Friday, April 17, 2009

New here

Hi, my name is Jessica and I am a SAHM of 2 wonderful children. I have been stitching for about 10 years or so...off and on. I haven't stitched as many Halloween projects as I would have liked, but everybody has been inspired me to buy more stash! LOL Here are a few of the projects I have done....

This is by Glory Bee and I made it into my first flat fold.




I found this little pumpkin in a sampler that I found in an old magazine. I changed the colors and made it into a magnet for an exchange.
I started this one in 2004 and had finally framed it earlier this year. This was another magazine pattern.
I also have Winifred Witch from Shepard's Bush that I am going to be making into a drawstring trick or treat bag for my daughter. I still need to buy and stitch it's companion, Vlad the Vampire, for my son. I hope to get that done this year. I also have been eyeballing the Tiny Treasure jack 'o' lanterns patterns from HAED. I don't know what I will make out of those, but They will look so cute when they are done.
Thank you for letting me join this group. I absolutely love love love Halloween and everybody has such cute things they are stitching. I already have a mental wish list for a bunch of patterns. Thank you.

Hi there! New here!

Oh my goodness... I'm so excited to get to join all of you... I LOVE Halloween designs. Granted I don't do very much on Halloween other than try to think of different things I can dress my dog up as... (I have a Standard Poodle... thinking we could go as Little Bo Beep and her Sheep this year... LOL) But, I adore stitching Halloween designs! I have Blue Ribbon Designs Creepy Crawly as a WIP and I'm itching to start Sam Sarah Frankenflora which is done on 30 ct R&R Busy Bee. Not to mention... LK Spooky Club which I have... and many more....

Thanks for including me!

Stacy

Monday, April 13, 2009

2 Halloween WIPs

Saturday I stitched some more on M Designs Halloween Tree. Maybe I can finish it this Saturday.
Then yesterday I started Boo Needleroll by Down Sunshine Lane.

Progress On Trick Or Treat Fairy


This is my progress on the Trick Or Treat Fairy. I'm loving stitching her and her dress is growing at a satisfying rate. When she is finished I think she will be taking up permanent residence in the house....not just at Halloween.

Saturday, April 11, 2009

Progress

Hi everyone, I hope your weekend is going well. I have made some progress on my Lizzie Kate Double Flips. I have finished the first book and half of the second one. Everyone's progress and patterns look very nice. Hopefully I will have some more progress to share next week.

~*Candi*~

Friday, April 10, 2009

The Giving Sisters


Hi!

I wanted to be further along so that it would hopefully be more interesting to look at, but I have made a promise to myself to post a progress on all of my projects at least once a week. And I'm late on this one!

I've made a discovery that is going to make my stitching a little more of a challenge, but one that I'm willing to accommodate at least for now. My eyesight is such that even with readers, I'm not comfortable with working with the larger counts of fabric, so I have to limit my stitching time in the morning to before I put my contact lenses in (I'm both near sighted and far sighted. .how's that for fun! lol). Only then, with my fabric practically up to my nose, can I see what I'm doing, clearly. Unfortunately, everything else is a complete blur!! lol

But, I've gotten a start on The Giving Sisters! I've added a little extra fun for me, since I've never stitched on custom dyed fabric before, or used custom dyed threads. I love the earthiness of the colors that seem so perfect for a Halloween primitive pattern, so decided to take the plunge!

I'm stitching them on "Days Gone By", by Silkweavers, and bought a number of threads from Weeks Dye Works, Crescent Colours, and The Gentle Art, Simply Shaker Sampler Thread line. I'm going to match and replace a number of the DMC colors that are standardly used.


Here is a closer look at the pattern itself!






I've noticed that HAED has a few Halloween patterns. Is there anyone here who is working on one?
I hope that everyone has a beautiful weekend!!

Tuesday, April 7, 2009

Good Evening!

I got a nice package in the mail today! From 123 Stitch. Since I've started on my The Giving Sisters, it moved up in status, from Stash, to WIP, so by the Laws of Cross Stitchers everywhere, I had to replace the gap in my stash lineup, pronto! However, I ran into a slight snag. I had several Halloween patterns on my wish list, and they were all arguing with me as to which one was on there the longest. I couldn't remember, so they all insisted that I buy them all at the same time. What else was I to do? lol

My existing Halloween stash consists of:

The Primitive Needle's - Halloween Parcheesi & Hallow Game Board
The Prairie Schooler - When Witches Go Riding & Pumpkin Patch
The Cricket Collection - Two Familiars
Lavender Wings - Witches' Dance & Witches Riding By


And to that, I've now added

Waxing Moon Designs - Black Cats' Halloween
La-D-Da - Something Wicked
And Primitive Needle's - Salem Remembered

Has anyone here stitched any of these patterns?

Everyone have a beautiful evening!!

Sunday, April 5, 2009

2 more finishes



This is finished now. I only had to do the last 2 rows on it and that worked up quick. This is Halloween Pumpkin ornament by Jeanette Douglas. From the JCS October 2003 issue.


















Then I pulled this out that I have had kitted up since 2000. it is a freebie by Lizzie Kate. it is Spooky Time and I need to get 2 googly eyes where the Os would go.

This is Lizzie*Kate's Velcome that I stitched up a few years ago. I added little fangs to
Dracula and I just love is 'blood tipped' finger! LOL Frankie has Rainbow Gallery Artic Rays in black for his hair! Shocking! (lol) and it's matted with a velvet green mat with a purple frame. This piece stitched up SO quick; I believe it's done on a 10 count but I couldn't tell you which one!

Progress on Trick Or Treat Fairy


I’ve finished all the fiddly stitching on the Trick Or Treat Fairy…..It is pretty much blocks of solid colour now….plus specialty threads and beads. I had a whole night of NO frogging last night….it was GOOD!

Saturday, April 4, 2009

M Designs Halloween Tree


I stitched on this most of the day. Hoping to finish it next Saturday, if not then the following one.