Slow Sunday Stitching - March 22, 2026

 I'm just linking up the goals that got accomplished this week: the changeover on the "Not Counted Thread" slot for the vintage needlepoint "Old Farmhouse", and the "Modern" slot's Finished Object of the "Garden Santa" ornament.  Things have been rather crazy around here - we have had a record low temperature (which turned all my spring bulbs into mush) and a near record high so far this month!  The flowers, fruit trees and birds are all so confused. Plus Daylight Savings Spring Ahead last weekend - so the people are all jet lagged LOL.  AND Spring Break for the kids in school was this week.  Which for teens equals sleeping all day and gaming all night (at least for my teen 😕).

To add to the general feeling of being quite unsettled, I am now in a very weird spot for my rotation.   The "Modern" slot only needed about three hours to get to an FFO, so it really needs a new start.  And I'm in the process of setting up the Santa for the "Pictorial" slot (I have sorted the floss and set up the floss away bags, but that's it so far).  And I'm trying to make a linen decision on the next Blackbird Design for the "Historic/Prim" slot so I can get it set up.   See a theme here?  I seldom have three-fourths of my rotation all in the set up phase at the same time.  It's very disconcerting when what I want to do is just sit down and stitch!  I did NOT plan this well at all! 😖

And honestly, the setup is not my favorite part of a project, though I do love how tidy and full of potential a new project is as you put in those first stitches. 

Here's a materials shot before I sort floss, and get the linen mounted for the next 'Modern' project.  It's the "Violet Roll" by Shepherd's Bush.  I love their tiny band samplers that are made up into needlerolls.  I've done several in the past and there are two more in the stash.  There are beads, a charm, specialty stitches and lace, hemstitching and ribbon.  All sorts of fun stuff packed into a very tiny project. The cover photos do not do them justice!

In knitting news, I'm at 22 inches on the scarf.  Still working on the first ball of yarn (of two).

Linking up with the SSS crew (this week's roundup)

FINISHED NEEDLEWORK: "Heirloom Santa: Garden Santa" by Willmaur

 The ornament in honor of my dad is finished.  This is a slightly modified version of the "Garden Santa" by Sandra Cozzolino for Willmaur before she moved to Mill Hill.  I did add a few beads Mill Hill petite black (#42014) to the butterfly antennae, standard 11/0 red beads (#02013) as the berries in the greenery, and brown beads (#02068) to the seed head of the sunflower.  Beads attached with Nymo dark thread.

2026 Rotation #2, Slot #2 (Not counted X stitch) Changeover

 It didn't take me long to finish up 10 hours on the vintage needlepoint this week.  There is a total of 30 hours in this landscape so far.  I got the rest of the pine trees on the left done (and finished up my thread over on the right) on Sunday and put in the left side meadow area on Monday (again finishing up on the last thread over on the right).  I'll work on that area on the right when I pick this project back up for 2026 Rotation #3.   

And the back so you can actually see the progress - basically all mountains and trees this time around.  

And where I was at the beginning of the rotation for comparison

Slow Sunday Stitching - March 15, 2026 AND 2026 Rotation #2 Slot #1 (Historic) Changeover

 Well, I don't know if it was because I let the ruined Blackbird Designs piece dry between attempts at fixing it or if I inadvertently set the dye that bled out, but that project is toast.  I'm actually not all that upset now that I've had time to process; it was 28 count two over two and a size that would have needed a custom frame.  I'll restart it on 36 or 40 count at some point in the future with the goal of making it into a bell pull or wall hanging.  I think I'll actually like it more.   So the pattern (which is still readable - more splashed than drowned in the disaster) and the leftover floss is back in the 'to be kitted' stash and I'll happily get back to it at some point.   

But what that means is that I have not finished a Blackbird Design, so I picked out another one of their projects - "It's Berry Time".  It is another one of the original Loose Feathers designs (#37 from 2009).  Kitted by Old Mill Stitchery, which was my favorite semi LNS.  I wanted something with an actual alphabet for the 'year of the alphabet - 26 letters for 2026' and I don't have a monochromatic sampler on the go right now.  I AM going to bleed test and possibly vinegar bath that floss, though!  I'm a bit disenchanted with fancy floss after the last couple of weeks.  I'm also going to run the numbers for either working it over one or putting it on a much smaller count linen with the idea of a drum or spool finish.  Until I make that decision, I'm not ready to set it up and put the first stitches in, so I'm calling the "Historic or Prim" slot done for this rotation.

 

But the BIG news this week is that I finished Mead Dragon!!!  See the Finish post for all the stats, but I can't help showing her off again.  She's getting a well needed bath (which should also erase the grid marks), blocking and the basting removed; then she's off to the framers.  I'm not going to try to frame her myself!  I'm thinking maybe a chunky dark frame.

What's up next in the pictorial category?  Meet "Santa of the Forest" designed by Marilyn Leavitt-Imblum of Lavendar and Lace.  He's stitched on 32 count two over two.  There are blends, and I'm replacing the scattered metallic one-stitch 'stars' with beads, so I can't easily downside it. The called for fabric is "Natural" by Wichelt.  I'm using "Raw" Belfast by Zweigart, because I don't care for the more open weave of Wichelt linens. I did not purchase the metallic thread when I kitted it up c 1995, but DMC still makes it (it's the 284Z on the short wide spool, not the skein sparkly stuff or the Diamante on the long skinny spool).  I need to order that and get the floss away bags set up and edge my linen.  I have a cut of linen that's 18 x 27, so it's going to be a bit tight on the side margins.  Once I straighten the fabric, it will be closer to 17.5 inches wide, but if the framer needs me to, I can add muslin on the sides.  I've taken the time to put the pattern into Pattern Keeper, and I can't wait to get it started - trying to enjoy the set-up process, it's part of the journey.

I concentrated on the Dragon after last Saturday's disaster, but she was done early Wednesday morning.  So I pulled out the "Old Farmhouse" vintage needlepoint and have been working on it since then.  I have about six hours in so far.  I've finished up both the mountain peaks and started in on the forest along the ridgeline on the left side.

As usual, a look at the back so you can actually see the progress.  I think I'll continue down this area until I get to the lilac bush/tree by the house; that should keep me busy through the end of this rotation.  Then next time around I will move over to the distant trees on the right behind the barn.  Lots of trees LOL.  

In house and garden news, this week I have had contractors in.  I am getting a new deck!  The old one was built by my dad in the early 1980s (so fifty years ago!) and had some areas where the joists were failing - not good; I didn't even trust it to hold the grill.  Dela keeps growling at the workmen out the sewing room window but loves on them when I let her out into the back yard. Silly🐕

And then there was this.  New travel project cast on - a charity scarf in seed stitch rib this time (link to my Ravelry page).

A travel project in its native habitat.

Linking up with the SSS crew (this week's round-up).

FINISHED NEEDLEWORK: "Mead Dragon" by Paine Free Crafts

 

Pattern: "Mead Dragon"

Art: Stanley Morrison

Charting: Paine Free Crafts

Fabric: 28 count EZ Grid evenweave by Zweigart

9 inches wide x 12.25 inches high

Threads: DMC as charted - 50 colors

Stitches:  Cross stitch one over one Full Coverage - 94,500 total stitches

 

Started 1/31/2024, needlework completed 3/11/2026

Framed  - pending

Slow Sunday Stitching - March 8, 2026 - It's a DISASTER!

 First of all, everything is OK on the Mead Dragon.  I've been back to doing 100 stitches or so a day, and there are just 600 stitches to go.  I am on the last color!  Should be a finish this coming week, providing I do not have another disaster.

This week, my focus has been on Blackbird Designs "And to All a Good Night".  I had put in about six hours and had gotten to around the 85% mark, BUT.

Yesterday I was in a hurry and left a can of Dr. Pepper near my Blackbird Design piece.   I know better, I do.   I did not get a picture of the mess when the soda got knocked over.   Cue the panic, ripping it off the scroll rods and into a cold-water bath with SOAK needlework and yarn soap.

I knew it was a huge risk as this project has overdyed cotton floss and overdyed linen.   And there was a lot of bleeding.   And worse, a lot of dye migration as it dried. 

It doesn't look so bad in the photo, but there is a halo of red everywhere along the bricks and a swath of blue grey all around the roof.  The Cherry Bark in the door frame and letters ran too - more reds.

So much work ruined by just a second of inattention.  Just due to putting my drink down on the left side of my stitching chair near my workspace instead of over on the right where it would not have spilled down onto my work.  

I'm heartsick.   I'm not sure if I should try to rewash it with color catchers and a vinegar rinse.   Or to just trash it and start it over at some point with new floss and fabric.   Has anyone successfully rescued a project when the floss ran badly?   

If I can't get the disaster fixed, I will eventually restart it.  I do love the design, and I know it's a lot of people's "unicorn chart".  I was hoping to pass it on to someone in a RAK when I got it done, and that's not going to be able to happen now (the soda hit the chart, too.  At least it's still readable for a second attempt, though not in condition to pass on.)

Linking up with the SSS crew for sympathy or solutions - I'll take either!

Slow Sunday Stitching - March 1, 2026 AND 2026 Rotation #1 Slot #4 (Pictorial) Changeover /Full Coverage February Wrap-up

Well, I didn't quite finish the Mead Dragon during February, but I got darn close!  I have only 1,587 stitches left or less than 2%.  This week I completed 1,518 stitches, bringing the total for the month to 5,811, YTD to 9,451 and project total to 92,913 of 94,500 (98.32%).  I finished off four more colors this week, leaving only two colors left!

Filling in all but two background colors means that the entire center section of reflections is complete.

Last week for comparison

And the beginning of the month

I am so tempted to just keep working on this instead of going back to just 100 stitches a day.  But I miss my other projects.  There WILL be a finish on this project in the next couple of weeks, even at the slower pace.  The finish will actually be the next time I post about this project!

So this afternoon, I'm picking up the Blackbird Designs project.  I'll be working on windowsills, so still stitching with grey LOL.

Linking up with the SSS folks (who are probably cheering that they get to see something other than the Mead Dragon for a while)!