Jack and the Beanstalk... June and July...

 Not much stitching got done in May.  I did attend a class at Celebration of Needlework in Nashua, NH.  The class was taught by Lauren Sauer.  I should have taken a photo, as I got a bit done at home after the class...  next post, for sure...  I did manage to finish the May block for the Once Upon a Time Sampler... super cute, here is Jack and the Beanstalk. 

 and... how the sampler is coming along now.  Received the June chart today...  I must say, this sampler is getting cuter and cuter each month.  I love what they did for June!!  For those who do not know, this is Once Upon A Time Sampler by The Frosted Pumpkin Stitchery...  stitching it on PTP 40 ct Gold Doubloon linen with called for Weeks Dye Works and DMC Floss.

 Also finished in May...  the next two blocks of A Year of Celebrations.  Here is June... time for the beach!

 And July...  oh, a patriotic block, I see!

And here I am so far.  When the next issue of Cross Stitch & Needlework comes in, I can stitch three blocks. Since the December block was released in the first issue, I can stitch it under September once that is finished.  More than halfway home now with A Year of Celebrations by Hands On Design, 40 ct Vintage Country Mocha Linen, using the called for Weeks Dye Works, Gentle Art Sampler Threads and Crescent Colours flosses.  Still really loving how this one is coming along as well.

What Month Is it?

It is March, and it is very early into spring here... and a possible "snow bomb" to hit us tomorrow night because... well... Mother Nature is angry with the Northeast US?? I dunno, cannot figure any other logical explanation. Some day, if I ever dig out of the cold and the snow here, I shall wave and say hi to you all..

In the meantime, I received some beautiful Halloween ornaments from exchanges this week...  

This beauty is from Roberta for the current round of the HoE Halloween Ornament Exchange. I think this must be by Notforgotten Farm... just LOVE it!!! Thank you so much Roberta! Wow!

And another BEAUTY from my dear friend Karen - we decided to do our own personal Halloween Ornament Exchange... she stitched this colorful delight for me. I think it is from a recent JCS Halloween issue... I shall say it again... LOVE it! Thank you my friend!!! Cannot wait to hang these for Halloween!!

And on Monday the 17th, the new May 2014 issue of Cross Stitch and Needlework arrived.  I was waiting on this!!  I ran upstairs, pulled the floss, got online and ordered the WDW Boysenberry that I did not have, and worked on this all week as I got a moment here and there... and finished it right before bedtime last night.  I love, love, love this sampler!!!  I am almost half way through now, and no block has been a disappointment!

Happy Spring... to those who have spring weather! We will catch up with you in August, I suspect... 

A Year of Celebrations

I decided to start something fun that will carry me though much of the year...  Hands On Design has a project entitled A Year of Celebrations currently running in Cross Stitch & Needlework.  As each square is only 50x50, I figured I could easily pop this into my life and do this.  I decided to use 40 ct Vintage Country Mocha linen and am stitching it 3x4 on a fat eighth.  She started with the Dec/Jan charts first, so I have December put aside and will have to wait until I at least have September in place before I can place it properly on the linen.  Lots of colors in this one...  WDW, GAST and CC floss.  Three squares done and so far only CC Snowball and WDW Pumpkin have been used in more than one block, so I am wondering how many flosses I will end up needing to get this done.  Unfortunately, this is clearly designed for the Northern Hemisphere, and we will see if July is Independence Day and November is Thanksgiving... which would make this exclusively US oriented...  think international stitchers would have enjoyed this as well.  I love how each block has a little word to describe the month. 

OK, I hesitated but will share this bit of info... I chose this because the colors remind me of this incredibly colorful set of coffee mugs I recently bought for the kitchen.  I am making this small as I just miiiiiight choose to hang it near the mugs.... so, I have heard of buying an outfit to match a new pair of shoes, but a needlework project to match a new set of mugs?  That is how I roll...