Fractal White Tiger May 2016 Update

This month I finished page 1 on my Charting Creations Fractal White Tiger cross-stitch based on artwork by Ricky Barnard! 

8,042 stitches have been added and the project is 4.61% complete.


(You may click on any photo for a larger view.)

This is how it looked last month.

My goal is 900 stitches per month. 4,500 stitches would be on track. I am thrilled to have surpassed that goal by over 3,500 stitches. 

Once I finish page 2, odds are high I will move down to finish page 6. Why? To see that blue eye appear!

Please note: the colors are more true in the first photo.

On January 1st, I began this piece as a part of A New Stitchy Start. I do hope you will visit to see what everyone else is working on.

I am linking up with the Monday Stitchery Party #60 at Super Mom - No Cape! Please drop by to see the fun stitching projects others have shared.

It is Memorial Day in the USA. It is a day we take to remember all of the lives lost defending our freedom. I have friends and family that have lost loved ones. My heart goes out to them today and to each of you that may have lost someone dear defending your nation. 

1 X-mas Item a Month - May 2016

In April I did not manage a lot of stitching or crafting; so, I did not share a post for the 1 X-mas Item a Month blog. 

This month, I am happy to say I finally stopped procrastinating and finished the embroidery on the crazy quilted Christmas stocking I am making for my husband. 

Last year, I pieced this Santa cross-stitch into a Christmas stocking to be crazy quilted. 

I finished the cross-stitch section over ten years ago.  (Procrastinate? Who? Me?) I no longer have the book, but am fairly certain it was stitched from a pattern in Alma Lynne's Country Cross-Stitch.

I had tried making it into a wall quilt for my husband, but did not know what I was doing and needed to frog the whole piece before I could continue. I like it better in a stocking, so I think the time spent in a drawer paid off in the end.

Here is a close-up of the top. You may recognize some of the seams from various TAST (Take a Stitch Tuesday) stitches I have shared over the past year.

I did worry the bells and the star "Believe" button made the top of the stocking a bit off balance, but I think they are growing on me. My husband likes the bells. I like the way they will make the stocking jingle.

Here is a close-up of the bottom. The trees were another TAST stitch.

That row of gifts beneath Santa started out as fun, but after the 3rd one, I am afraid I set the project aside. I did not want to finish the last 2.

I was also having a really hard time with the way I pieced the block. I could not figure out how to best fill in the big blank area to the left of Santa. Yesterday, I discovered the star-shaped "Believe" button in my stash and knew it was perfect for that spot.

My goal for June will be to sew this into a finished stocking and to complete one more Christmas item.

Thanks so much for stopping by! 
Renee

TAST 2016 Stitch 38

TAST 38: Cloud Filling

I must admit, I really enjoy using the cloud filling stitch!

I worked it onto a crazy-quilted Christmas stocking I am working on. 

To keep the stitches even, I basted waste canvas onto this section of the stocking and then added the small straight stitches with a strand of size 8 Anchor pearl cotton #00134. I laced the foundation stitches with the same color.  

Because I was using the cloud filling as a background, I wanted it to be subtle - thus the blue on blue.

I cut two candy canes from a piece of candy cane trim that was sent to me as a gift in a previous round robin and stitched them onto the block with clear quilting thread. A strand of size 8 red pearl cotton added a bow with 2 detached chain stitches and 2 straight stitches.

The first time I used this cloud filling was on my CQJP 2014 February block. I used EdMar Iris pink floss #218 for the foundation stitches and EdMar Iris blue floss #100 for the lacing. Pink and blue seed beads dressed up the area.

I have also used this stitch (intentionally not lining up the foundation stitches) to create a net on an under the sea themed crazy quilt block in a round robin. (You may see more pictures of Barbara Nicki Lee's block here.)

I have fallen a bit behind with my TAST stitches, but hope to catch up soon.

Thank you for stopping by!

Renee

Please note: TAST stands for Take a Stitch Tuesday. It is a personal stitching challenge offered by Sharon B. on Facebook and on her blog, pintangle.com. You may read more about it here. If you follow the TAST Facebook group, you know there are some incredibly inspiring examples of these stitches being shared. Anyone may join at any time during the challenge. Thank you, Sharon, for offering TAST!

Edited to add this link to Wikipedia, as I personally find it very fun and exciting! If you do not care to follow links, I encourage you to go to Wikipedia and look up "embroidery stitches". 

Beautiful Gifts from Kim

A while ago I mentioned my friend, Kim, at Wisdom with Needle and Thread was celebrating her 60th birthday this year. Giving to others makes Kim happy, so she decided to celebrate by mailing out 60 RAKs (random acts of kindness.) 

When I commented on Kim's post to wish her a happy birthday, I pointed out that she had just spoiled me with a generous giveaway, so if I was one of the first 60 to reply, she could skip my name and spoil someone else. (You may see the giveaway goodies here.) Of course, Kim replied that she added me to her list.

Last week, I received the box in the photo above filled with beautiful fabrics, threads, shell beads and these hand crafted treasures.

Kim created this darling needlebook for me. My love of seahorses and under the sea themed projects did not escape her notice. It is a bit difficult to see in this photo, but the seahorse she cross stitched is darling! There is even a small bead for the eye.

The fabric used to create the book also has darling seahorses. The fabric ribbon ruler is the top of a pocket. And the pins all have shells on them. Too sweet!

And just look at this scissors fob! The seahorse charm is so much prettier in person. The beads and shells all work together beautifully.

Kim, thank you so much! I smile every time I clip my threads, thinking of you. You are just too sweet! I hope you have an amazing 60th birthday. (((Hugs)))

If you are not familiar with Kim's blog, Wisdom with Needle and Thread, I encourage you to check it out. Her work is fabulous! If you would like to read about the other RAKs she has sent out, you may check them out on this page on her blog. 

Happy Wednesday!
Renee

CQI UTS RR #2 - My Blocks are Home

A few of you may remember seeing these blocks in a post back in August of last year. This was the set of blocks I sent out for the 2nd Crazy Quilting International Under the Sea Do Your Block Round Robin (CQI UTS DYB RR) I participated in during 2015.  

Well, the embellished blocks made their way home to me in March. However, I waited to share them because one of the seams was entered in the Crazy Quilting International Spring Challenge. (You may see all of the seams entered in the challenge here.)

When piecing the blocks, I decided I wanted to make 2 wall quilts with 3 blocks each. Above is the first set before they were embellished.

And this is how they returned home! The block remaining for me to embellish was in this set. (You may click on any photo for a larger image.) This is going to be such a fun wall quilt!

The second set of blocks is above. This is how they looked when they were mailed out.

And this is how they returned to me. There are so many beautiful embellishments. The ladies all did such fun and lovely work!

Last August, I mailed my blocks to Sandy. She chose to embellish the block with the treasure chest.  I absolutely love the lace mermaid with the lace lobster. There are other fun laces, beautiful shells, beads, fish and stitches that bring this block to life. 

Sandy mailed my blocks to Mary and she chose this one to embellish. I just love the clusters of shells and the texture of the trims she used for seaweed. The sun is a perfect touch in the sky. Do you see the octopus?!

Annette was the next to receive my blocks. She chose this one and added one of her beautiful mermaids! This is another block full of fun texture and clusters of shells. I love the dolphins and seagulls in the sky. (I am not affiliated, but here is a link to her Etsy shop.)

Kathy received the blocks next. She selected the sunken ship block. I love the green trim along the sandy shore. The starfish are fun. The seam treatment beneath the trio of fun jellies is so pretty, too. Such fun!

Barbara (Nicki Lee) received the blocks next. I love that she beaded the purple seahorse I had added to the block. She added many of her pretty hand-dyed laces to the block, creating more gorgeous texture.  (I am not affiliated, but here is a link to her Etsy shop.)

I truly enjoyed participating in a round robin with these lovely ladies. They are fun, encouraging, supportive, flexible and all do such lovely work.

Embellishing the remaining block and sewing the two wall quilts are projects added to my growing "to do" list. I will be sure to share them when they are done.

For those that may be wondering...

Crazy Quilting International (CQI) is a group that meets on Facebook and on Yahoo! You may see some of the work members have done at the CQI blog.  

If you are curious about round robins, this post may help.

Thank you so much for stopping by!
Renee

Twilight Duel Update #9 May 2016

It is the 2nd Monday of the month, so it is time for an update on my Heaven and Earth Designs Twilight Duel cross stitch, based upon artwork by Ruth Thompson.  

Here is how it looked on April 10th.

This is my 8 month progress photo, showing work completed between August 30, 2015 and April 30, 2016.

I am still working on the Heaven and Earth Designs challenge I mentioned last month and just completed the 22nd color on page 4. (See picture below.)

This is how it looks today.

I added 4,496 stitches since my last update.

For those that like the statistics:

Percent complete:
Project: 12.61%
Page 1: 100% - Done!
Page 2: 58.15%
Page 3: 8.53%
Page 4: 71.47%
Page 5: 1.62%
Page 7: 2.7%
Page 10: 0.22%

I am linking up with Stitchery Link Party #57 at Super Mom - No Cape! I encourage you to visit to see the free cross-stitch alphabet and to see what other bloggers have been working on this week. 

If you do any hand embroidery and have a blog, I encourage you to link up and join the fun!

Thank you for stopping by!  -Renee