FINISHED NEEDLEWORK: Just Nan Pincube

Four Just Nan free patterns (with purchase of the charm) from 1997-2000.

I have been able to find two of the patterns online - "My Fair Ladybug"

And "Noah's Rainbow"

The other two sides are unknown pattern names (if anybody recognizes them, let me know)

Pincushion fabric is a scrap from my quilting stash

I'm debating if I want to add cording, but I rather like it plain.  I have thoughts around making other cubes that open or have scissor slots, but I have to get better at cartonnage (box making).

Slow Sunday Stitching - May 4, 2025

 Happy Star Wars Day!  May the Force be with you.....

Busy Week this last week, with several doctor's visits and other distractions, but things got accomplished anyhow.

Since it's the first Sunday of the month, the first thing to report, is the Temperature Stitches Daily Log project.   Pattern by Sarah, Stitchin Mommy (on YouTube and Etsy).  April's specialty stitch was Satin Stitch, two strands done in an alternating brickwork pattern.  Up close, there are issues with coverage.  The 28 count Cashel Linen is irregular enough to cause some gaps, even though I was very careful to lay the threads side by side.  

But when you look at the whole piece from actual viewing distance, it's acceptable to me.   I love that the one unseasonably warm day we had mid- month makes a fun little 'bullseye' in the pattern.  So nice when Mother Nature cooperates!

Next monthly project is the Mead Dragon.  See the monthly report post for the comparison picture and all the stats.   This piece is also my "Pictorial" project in my rotation.  

Some FFOs (always fun to log a finish).   The Mill Hill "Bell Ringer Santa"

And the "Wildcat Hat" for charity.  'Wildcat' because it's in the Kansas State University colors. To be fair, I should probably do a blue and red one for KU, but I don't have the materials so phooey to the Jayhawks!   (Can you guess where my loyalty lies - I met Walt at the KState Union😍)

In addition to the FFOs, I did work on the finishing for the Just Nan Pincube made of four small ornament freebies.  Here's what it looks like with all four sides attached to the base.  Four more seams on the sides and it will be a cube!  I still need to make the pincushion top and install it for the April WIPIGO calls, but I'm very close to being caught up with the calls to date.   And I've rearranged my board (starting after the May calls) to include the KC Plaza Stitching Bag.  So good progress on reducing the inventory in the 'under the bed box'.

And I finished up Rotation #2 with the Majestic Eagle crewel piece (changeover post here).  Got the upper pine branches finished except for the little bullion knot pinecones that will need to go in at the end. 

On to Rotation #3 for this year.  

1.  "Temperature Stitches" Daily Log remains my top of the morning stitch with one specialty stitch each day.  I have the first couple of days of May done - Rhodes Hearts this month.  I love them.
2. "Mead Dragon" continues in the Pictorial slot with a daily goal of at least 100 stitches.   Andrew @TheRunnerStitcher has a 'marathon training challenge' that starts next Tuesday.   He's challenged his followers to stitch 10 stitches for every mile he runs working up to his next marathon.  So I'm going to tack those stitches on to my '100 a day' goal.  Easy enough in the early stages, but I reserve the right to cut back to my original goal if the total gets overwhelming.
3. WIPGO (Finish and Frame Board) - The goal for this rotation is to complete the Just Nan Pincube. I want to get it out of the way so I can focus on the KC Plaza Sewing Bag assembly.
4. "Majestic Eagle" comes back in the Not Counted Thread slot.  Really hoping for a finish on this one; there's only the three smaller pine needle clusters and some bullion knots left to go.  (Hope I didn't just jinx myself since this is the 'cursed project'.)
5. New Start in the Modern Slot "Butterflies, Blossoms and Bees" by Just Nan.  I'll be mounting the linen and getting the first stitches in this afternoon.  It's small and will be a pillow finish or a doorhanger pillow finish (the only difference is a hanging loop). 
6. Historic/Vintage slot remains Black Bird Designs "Blessings and Kind Wishes". I'd like to get this one finished by the end of June.  There's a BBD with a Christmas theme that I'd like to start for 'Christmas in July'. 

I'm grateful to the folks at the Slow Sunday Stitching link up party each week for motivation and accountability.   I have finished and fully finished so many more projects since I started reporting there. (Link to the current round up.)

FINISHED NEEDLEWORK: "Bell Ringer Santa" by Mill Hill

 Next perforated paper ornament.  This is a "family ornament" and it's representing ME!  Bell Ringer, of course, since there isn't a needleworker one.

This one went FAST - less than a month start to FFO.  All as charted, using the kit perforated paper, DMC floss and Mill Hill beads.  

FINISHED NEEDLEWORK: "Timberline Santas: Norway Spruce" by Mill Hill

Last of the three Timberline Santas that the grandkids gave me for Christmas 2023.  All designed by Sandra Cozzolino for Mill Hill.

I especially enjoyed the beading on the sled runners and ropes on this one.   

I have six 'family ornaments' kits in the stash and another three for my grandparents on my 123Stitch wish list.  Plus, I need to find ones for my sister, son, daughter in law and both grandkids.  So many more of Sandra's kits in my future LOL.

FINISHED SEWING PROJECT: "SnowStitcher" stand up (self designed)

One of the two projects that carried over from last year's WIPGO board to this year; it was called for January WIPGO #20.  It's very appropriate to the season 😄☀☃.  This project comes from a retreat class in 1998 at my old (and very much missed) local needlework shop - The Needle Nest.  We were given a 'blank canvas' chart of a generic snowman shape.  Then we added our own take on features, accessories, backgrounds, beads, threads and embellishments.   It gave me some very good tools to modify existing patterns and encouraged me to 'make it my own' in a way that I had never tried before.

The "scroll frame" is made of toothpicks and hot glue and is stitched over one.  Finished as a stuffed stand-up piece.  My first attempt at this finish.

Final FFO picture to be posted later - I'm going to re-do her.   She is lopsided!   Totally user error, the tutorial from Helen D was very detailed and accurate.

FINISHED NEEDLEWORK: "Timberline Santas: Douglas Fir" by Mill Hill

 Second of the three "Timberline Santa" perforated paper kits by Mill Hill. Designed by Sandra Cozzolino.  I love the little bunny on this one.  So cute.

Next up is the last of the three Santas in this series.  I got these kits for Christmas in 2023 and it will be nice to have all of them on my tree in December. 

This was also my first call for WIPGO for January (#11 - finish an ornament)

FINISHED NEEDLEWORK: "Heirloom Santa: Feline" by Willmaur

The fourth and final Animal Santa - this one has cats! Designed by Sandra Cozzolino for Willmaur

"Feline Santa" on perforated paper, kit floss as charted.   Modifications: I stitched on the beard and cat whiskers instead of gluing them on.  Ran out of lighter rust floss before I got to the fish, so did the head and tail in the medium rust floss.   Also stitched the fish on a scrap of cream perforated paper so that it would stand out more as a distinct separate element. (It's free hanging, attached by a floss 'stringer'.)

Next up on the travel stitching is getting back to the Timberline Santas from Mill Hill.  Also designed by Sandra, but with beads!   I have the Norway Spruce and Douglas Fir ones in the stash, so I need to pick which one to work on next.

Slow Sunday Stitching - November 3, 2024

It's been a very busy week this week.   Halloween falling on a weeknight really made things all out of whack.   Speaking of Halloween, I'm trying very hard not to be that grumpy senior who yells "get off my lawn", but I DID have an area of new grass (clearly taped off) that now has a squished set of muddy footprints right through the middle.  It had rained on Wednesday and the very fragile new grass shoots were just poking up before they were rudely flattened.  How does one miss knee high neon yellow 'caution' tape (even with just the light from porches and the streetlight) is what I want to know.

I put some new seed down in and around that area (and some other patches where the coverage was a little light) and Mother Nature is doing a good job of watering it in!  It rained off and on yesterday and will be today through Tuesday.   We have had a dry autumn up to this week and can certainly use the precipitation. 

While I can't work in the soggy garden, rainy weather makes perfect time to work on my crafting.  I did meet my monthly goal on the Mead Dragon (link to the month end report for October).  Plus, the finishing frenzy is continuing!   Finished this week, left to right:  Spring Promise Project Bag, Keepsake Pin Pillow, Irish Eyes flat finish (links to finished project posts with all the details).   That's two more things off the WIPGO board and one current project FFO for those that are keeping track 😄.

I also managed to get the new Blackbird Designs piece started.   This is "Blessings and Kind Wishes", LF #31.   One over two on 36 count linen from Picture This Plus (colorway is "Legacy") with the kit floss, which is a mix of GAST, WDW and CC overdyed cottons.  

So far, I have the entire left side border completed and I've turned the upper left corner. I'm going to put in a couple more hours on it before I swap out the rotation slot.  The border is not the same all the way around; this border variant reaches to the halfway mark across the top.   I'd love to get that far before I put it away.   Look for a changeover post later this week to see if I managed to make it.

Bells play for the 'All Saints' mass this morning, so I'll check in on the SSS crew later today.  (Link to current round up.)

NEEDLEWORK FINISHING: "Irish Eyes" by Sunflower Seeds

 

Pattern: "Irish Eyes"

Designer: Sunflower Seeds (shop exclusive)

Fabric:  28 count Zweigart "Antique White" Cashel Linen 

(kit fabric, so not 100% sure of colorway)

Threads:  kit floss

 

Stitches:  two over two full cross, backstitch

Charm by Charland Designs

Chenille Trim by Lady Dot Creates

 

Stitched 6/2003

Slow Sunday Stitching - September 15, 2024

Well, look at that, an old friend has come out of hibernation and back into the rotation.   My poor vintage crewel project "Majestic Eagle" is back on my floor stand.   I don't know why I've shorted or skipped this project each time it's come up in the rotation since March.  I've been very bad about keeping to my Rotation Rules!  So, I'm going to try to give it 15 hours instead of 10 to sort of catch up a bit.  I want to at least finish off all the tail feathers and get to the pine needle background.   The needles are in two layers - long and short stitch where the solid orange is on the pattern, then long straight stitches and bullion knots over the top to make up the actual greenery.   I also have some backstitching to make the center spines of some of the flight feathers stand out.   This may look very close to being done, but there's lots yet to do.

I have had a productive week, though.   Two finishes (one an FFO) and two things framed and off the WIPGO board.  The project bag is still a heap of pieces on my table, though.  I need to get back to working on that.   And I still have one of the September WIPGO calls to do - it's a flat finish, so should be fairly quick once I figure out the fabric for the backing.

Tiger, Buffalo, Wildlife Santa ornament, Birdhouses SAL (links to finish posts with the details).

As promised, here's the next perforated Santa ornament.   The "Feline Santa" is the last in the "Animal Santa" series.  I haven't really started it yet, but I did get the center of the perforated paper ground established and all the flosses sorted.   It's ready to go when I have an appointment or wait time.  This one is unique - the fish is a separate piece that's free standing on a floss 'stringer'.   I was thinking that I might do it on a different colored paper to highlight that.

Linking up with the SSS crew.

FINISHED NEEDLEWORK: "Heirloom Santa: Wildlife" by Willmaur

PSA:  Opps, I originally inadvertently posted this without the picture.  Thank you, Gail for letting me know!   Don't know what happened on Blogger's side, but deleting and re-attaching seems to have solved it!

The third of the four "Animal Santas" by Willmaur.    These kits have been in the stash since the 1990s.   I discovered when doing some googling to see if there are any available kits to use for JC, Angie and the kids that the designer, (Sandra Cozzolino) moved to Mill Hill in the mid 1990s.   That explains why the design style is so similar.  The Mill Hill designs just added beading, of course.  That certainly expands the options a great deal.  

No major changes on this one from the pattern in the kit.   I was short on the floss for the beard, so subbed in DMC 3865 since I didn't have any ecru floss in the stash (I did have ecru perle cotton, but the texture wouldn't be right).

FRAMED NEEDLEWORK: "Buffalo" by Gloria and Pat

 

Another one out of the "under the bed box" and off the 2024 WIPGO board.  This one is a bittersweet finish.  It was started in about 1999 by my late husband, Walt.   He finished most of the bison over the next couple of years, putting in a few stitches every now and then.  I finished it after his death in 2004.

Pattern: Buffalo

Designer: Gloria and Pat in "Wild Animals of North America"

Fabric:  Aida 14 count "white"

Threads:  DMC as charted

Stitches: Cross (two over one Aida square)

Framed by me in 10 x 10 frame from Michaels

FRAMED NEEDLEWORK: "Tiger" by Ross Originals

 

Working on getting some old things out of the "under the bed box".   This one is from 1994.  For the record, I also have the pattern for a white tiger by the same designer; I'm putting it on the "want to kit" list.

Pattern: Tiger

Designer: Ross Originals

Fabric:  28 count Lugana 'white'

Threads:  DMC as charted

Stitches: Cross (two over two)

Framing by "The Frame Warehouse" - Topeka Kansas 9/10/2024

Slow Sunday Stitching - August 18, 2024

I'm feeling better overall, but the first part of the week was a bust on crafting as I was still feeling pretty icky with whatever that virus was (not COVID, I tested negative but rather nasty nevertheless).  

The latter part of the week hasn't been better as I have had contractors in to do some drywall work and painters will be here tomorrow.   All in all, between feeling under the weather and the hustle and bustle of people coming and going, I haven't really been able to get into the groove of stitching this week.   We also had a big storm come through on Wednesday night, lost power for about six hours and this was what my front stairs looked like!

That's about a third of a large tree from my neighbor's easement.  Luckily, by the time it got to my side of the property line, it was just the skinny upper branches and didn't do any damage.   JC and Carl (son and grandson) came over with chainsaws and a woodchipper and reduced the downed stuff to firewood and mulch.   No damage to either my car or the neighbor's - it came down precisely between them - our guardian angels were working overtime!

What DID happen this week was finishing!  I was in the mood for something that I could do in small bursts.   This cleared a big chunk of my WIPGO board!

Front to back:  "Two Hearts Needlebook", "Wooly Mittens Pin Drum", "Peaches and Cream Sampler" and hiding in the back are the parts of a project bag which is up next.

I'm going to enjoy the urge to finish things while it lasts!   

Linking up with the SSS crew.  Finishing still counts, right?

NEEDLEWORK FINISHING: "Peaches and Cream Sampler" by Victoria Sampler

 

Pattern: "Peaches and Cream Sampler"

Designer: Victoria Sampler

Fabric:  28 count Zweigart "Lentil" Cashel Linen

Threads:  Perle Cotton, DMC, silk ribbon, wool floss

 

Stitches:  one over two full cross, satin, eyelets, hardanger, drawn thread cutwork, Smyrna cross, tied cross, French knots, ribbon work, lazy daisy

 

Stitched c1998

Flat finish over peach cotton.  

I may go back and put some cording or chenille on the edge. 

FINISHED SEWING PROJECT: "Shear Along the Dotted Line" Pin Drum (The Cricket Collection)

 Pattern: "Shear Along the Dotted Line"

Designer: The Cricket Collection

Fabric:  unknown - scrap of acrylic basket weave 16 count (36 thread count).  It has little tweeded bits of grey and gold incorporated into the weave.

Threads:  DMC - own color conversion

 

Stitches:  cross stitch 3 strands over one block

 

Stitching completed in 2013

Finished height of drum is 4 inches (10.9 cm) 

Diameter 3.5 inches (8.9 cm)

Quilting fabric used for top and base is a vintage Debbie Mumm print from my stash.  Tried to match the dark red and teal shaded blue of the threads and a bit of gold to pick up the gold flecks in the fabric

Stuffed with fiber fill and crushed walnut shells

Tutorials used:  Vonna Pfeiffer (Twisted Stitcher) and Helen D

thoughts for the next time I do a drum.   

• You need more stuffing than you think.  This fairly small drum took about a fourth of a 12 oz / 340 g bag of fiberfill and a full cup of walnut shells to provide weight in the base.  
• Give myself an extra 1/16 of an inch / 1.5 mm for the body.  Even though I did my math correctly and cut accurately, the top and bottom of the 'tube' part are pulling in just the merest little bit.   Snug more than tight next time!
• I was going for a 'prim' look to complement the rustic fabric and folk-art vibe of the needlework.   Not sure I really like the exposed stitching, though.   I did the base with an invisible ladder stitch and actually like it better. 

FINISHED SEWING PROJECT: "Two Hearts Needlebook" by Blackbird Designs

Pattern: "Two Hearts" Loose Feathers #34

Designer: Blackbird Designs

Fabric:  56 count Zweigart "Cafe au Lait" Linen

Threads:  Classic Colorworks (CC) as charted 

 

Stitches:  one over two full cross (28 stitches per inch)

Pattern mods:  did smaller version, outline cuff in DMC 415

 

7/29/2023 - 1/27/2024

Finished size of needlebook 3 x 4 inches (7.6 x 10.2 cm)

WIPGO Calls for March 2024

 WIPGO called slot 1 and 10 this month.

#1 was supposed to be a framing project, but I don't feel up to doing that quite yet (especially since I need to shoehorn in the finishing on the BBD "Two Hearts" Needlebook), so I swapped slot 1 and 2 and so I'll be doing two of the Victoria Sampler ornaments turned quilt blocks.

Each of the blocks will get a lining fabric, a backing fabric, borders of a Christmas theme jelly roll and assembled "quilt as you go" style.    I'll wait to trim them until they are all done.

First step is to match up each block with a border strip and figure out a layout.   Well, I know it's going to be a Three by Three layout for the nine blocks and the four 'carol' blocks will be in the corners.   But this is going to take a little thought.

Slow Sunday Stitching - February 11, 2024 AND WIPGO square #24

 It's been a great crafting week.   I got the first of the February calls for WIPGO finished.   This is the next two sides of the Just Nan smalls pin cube.   I am padding the sides with a layer of thin cotton quilt batting (Warm and Natural Classic) glued to the mat board.   It doesn't make the sides 'puffy' at all, just softens the edges a bit.   (Hat tip to Mona of the Silver Needle - one of the best parts of the SN camp is Mona's finishing demos.)

I also finished the February section of the Birdhouse SAL.  See a close up here.  And here it is all laid out flat when I moved the q snap.

I'm really focusing on my new full coverage piece.  (See latest daily update here.)  I'm at about 2.7% completed, which is pretty decent for a piece I just started on the first.  Not sure how long I can keep up that pace, though.  I will have to stop and do some stuff around the house soon 😁.

Linking up with the SSS crew (current roundup here).

NEEDLEWORK FINISHING: "Night at the Museum Band Sampler"

WIPGO 2024 Square #9 was to FFO a very old retreat piece.  By very old - read 10/1994!  "Camp Needle Little Vacation" was sponsored by my LNS at the time, The Needle Nest in Wakarusa, Kansas.   I miss that store SO much!  This particular retreat was hosted at the State Historical Society Museum in Topeka, We were allowed to camp out in the education gallery, had a tour of the museum's textiles collection and conservation lab, catered food and unlimited access to the public displays for the two days we were there (including overnight, which was quite frankly a bit spooky!).   Plus several projects and classes.  This was actually my very first retreat and I had a blast.

"Night at the Museum Band Sampler"

Retreat Exclusive (designed by the shop staff)

DMC floss and perle 

Stitches: cross over two, cross over four, Smynra cross, backstitch, double running stitch, interlaced herringbone stitch, satin stitch, French knots, beading

Figuring out how I wanted to finish this took a while.   I originally though about finishing it on a board, but I couldn't find a backing board that looked proportional.  So I ended up doing it as a flat finish to use on the little easel that my late father in law made me.  That way if I do eventually find (or have my son and grandson make) a backing board, it will still work.

I will get a faux flower/fall leaves pick to put over the join in the upper left when autumn items come back into stock at the craft store.