WIP Wednesday a Day Late, The Attic and Stash!

Alrighty, I'm back and I'm done travelling for the foreseeable future... as far as I know!  Where to start... stitching, my trip to The Attic in the Phoenix area or my new stash???

I think I'll get the stitching part out of the way first.

Before I left for my March Break trip to visit with Kathy in Southwestern

 Yule: Winter Solstice

The Primitive Hare

stitched on 40ct linen with DMC 

Arizona I started and finished my March Ornament.  I pulled out yet another freebie that I've had set aside to stitch.  Since life was so busy it was easiest to stitch up something that wasn't too big or complicated.

During my week in Arizona I focused solely on Cirque des Carreaux by Ink Circles.  I am very impressed with the progress I managed to make in a week. I've finished page one and there's not left to go on page 2.

Of course who doesn't want to see The Accolade?

Now onto the FUN, FUN, FUN stuff!!!  I do have other pictures from my trip, but not to overload you right now I just want to share my trip to The Attic!

Kathy and I set out for a little road trip during the last days of my visit with her.  We stole the car and drove the 3 hours up to the Phoenix area where we met up with Terri who was so kind to put us up overnight.  I had first met Terri years ago during my first trip to visit Kathy in Arizona, but at that time she was living in California and I was flying in and out of San Diego.  It was so nice to reconnect with Terri!

Later that afternoon she too us to her LNS, and one with quite a reputation, The Attic!  No wonder, look at this shop!  Its big and every nook and cranny is filled with models and charts to look through.

Terri stitching away

Not only were we able to shop to our hearts content (and boy I did some serious dammage), but it was stitch night too!  I must admit I couldn't really settle down to any stitching, I was too distracted by the shopping!

Me & Chris

While I was puttering around the store I had the best surprise on Earth!  I hear my name and I turn around, it was Chris of the blog Tot Hill Farm Stitches!  Oh my goodness!  What are the chances we would be not only in the same State (as you know I'm up here in freezing, cold Canada), but the same City, or even that we managed to be in the same store on the same day at the same time!  It was just so nice to get to meet Chris!  I sure hope our paths will cross again in the future... or maybe we need to arrange that, Chris?

As you can see I did very well at The Attic... lots of charts, fistfuls of floss, and some fabric.

During my first days at Kathy's she finished up the stitching on the Chatelaine, Desert Mandala!  During the rest of our stitching time she was madly beading away.  As you can see that's how she wisely spent her time at The Attic (though I do know she made a few purchases).  Terri and I were there to witness her full on, Happy Dance!!!!  Here it is in all its glory.

Then on the drive back South, I told Kathy we needed a picture of her in the desert with the cactus and her Mandala.  So here she is!  We found the perfect Saguaro to accompany Kathy and her Desert Mandala.

I had an amazing week with Kathy and I got to spend some time with a lot of fantastic people!  I wish every March Break could be like that!

A Long Awaited Stitchy Post - WIP Wednesday A Day Early

Have you missed my WIP Wednesday posts?  Have you missed my stitching... have you missed me?

The week leading up to this year's DR Experience trip was beyond hectic!  I was trying to get so much done before I left.  Not just my home life, but my work life, and of course the kids! I should of gotten stitching pictures up last week, but well there's recovering from said trip.

 I don't get a lot of stitching done during my DR Trips, but I did have a new start that I worked on during my flights.  I did more stitching during my return flight than I did on the way down.  That might of had something to do with the fact that I had to be up before 3am to be at the airport for 4am!  My new travel project (not to be confused with purse project) is Ink Circles, Cirque Des Carreaux.  Like the previous two in the series I've stitched this one is also on 32ct Queen Ann's Lace Joblean, the floss is ThreadWorx "foxy".  This project will be getting A LOT of needle time this Saturday, while I fly down to Yuma, Arizona for my March Break trip to visit Kathy!  I've got about 12 hours of travel time between flights and layovers, lots of stitching time!  We've got a trip to The Attic planned, I can't wait!

Green + White

by Bent Creek

Stitched on: 32ct white lugana

Stitched with WDW & Crescent Colours

Before I left I had a little happy dance!  Its another seasonal small, this time for St. Patrick's Day.  Of course there's no time to actually get it finished finished to be on display in time for this years St. Paddy's Day.

Heart Of Flake

Freebie by Madame la Fée

Stitched on 32ct Raging Storm Belfast Linen

Stitched with ThreadWorx 1124

After my return I had another happy dance, this piece is my February ornament which I started shortly before leaving for the DR.  I want to try to get back to stitching at least one ornament a month.  Besides this sudden need I have this year to stitch seasonal smalls.  I quite like this little heart I stitched up.

Before I picked The Accolade back up upon my return, I put a few stitches into Michael Powell's Mini River Cottage.  As usual his pieces are so enjoyable to stitch!  The only reason I decided to pick this up is because I couldn't get fabric sorted for my March ornament so I kinda gave up for a bit.  I wasn't feeling an ornament at the time anyhow.  I finally got my ornament sorted today, you'll see it in a near future post.

I'm sure you're dying to see how The Accolade is coming along, slowly but surely.  I've found myself more distracted than focused in the last week and a half.  I hope when all of my travel is done, I'll be able to buckle down and happy dance this BAP!

Another Happy WIP Wednesday

Another week another WIP Wednesday, and... another Happy Dance.  Happy stuff first of course!

 Stained Glass Holly

Just Cross Stitch Ornament Preview Issue 2014

Ink Circles

Stitched on 25ct Potato Lugana

Since my last update I finished last week's WIP, this over one ornament.  I haven't done the finishing on it yet, but I already have ideas.  I think eventually I'll pull out and stitch the tree by Ink Circles and in this year's JCS Ornament Issue, there's a Stained Glass Mistletoe too!

After this Christmas finish I moved onto Halloween.  I saw a couple of ladies working on this piece on Instagram (follow me @tkd_chick), and decided it had to be my next stitch!  I picked a hand dyed piece of fabric that's been in my stash for a long time... the company hasn't existed for years now.  I used the required threads where I had them, and DMC where I didn't.

What do you, as my reader think of what I've been doing for the last few weeks?  Do you enjoy these once a week WIP Wednesday posts and weekend PhotoHunts?  Would you like posts more often, less frequently?  Or are you enjoying what I've been doing?

WIP Wednesday, Stash and Gifts

Its Wednesday!  Which means its WIP Wednesday!

My stitching has suffered this week, I started coming down with a cold on Thursday and for the week leading up to that I was tired and cranky.  I just thought it was the pace work has been going at, now I know my body was fighting not to get sick!  I've not had a cold in a long time!

After last week's finish I pulled back out an ornament I had started this past summer when I got my copy of the Just Cross Stitch Ornament Preview Issue.  I couldn't help myself I had to start Ink Circles, Stained Glass Holly ornament.  Of course it has to be stitched over one on 25ct.  I hope to finish it up before my next WIP Wednesday report.

On Saturday Christin and I decided to do a bit of a daytrip to one of two LNS's that are close to us.  The two LNS's that are "close" are both about a 3 hour drive! We packed our Passports and drove to the Syracuse, NY area to visit Stitcher's Garden.  We of course hit JoAnn's and I found a dress for a wedding next month.  A great roadtrip.  I picked up a few more charts, a zipper mesh bag, and two small pieces of linen.  We also managed to score copies of the Just Cross Stitch Ornament Issue!  Yay!

I have two things I should of shared with you back in the summer.  I got busy with holidays and travel, going back to work, and work being insane for the last two and a half weeks!  Back in the summer I got two very lovely and generous gifts from fellow bloggers.

From my good online friend Dee... who I must meet in person some day!  We've had some great interactions through e-mail/blogs and social media for quite a few years now!  I had seen some knitted dishcloths she had made on her blog.  I not so subtly told her I might need one!  Not too much longer lately a lovely parcel showed up on my doorstep with two dishcloths she made and some red floss!  Dee I know I thanked you personally ... once again I really appreciated your parcel.

For a little while now I've been reading Jacquie's blog who is a lovely stitcher in the UK.  One day she e-mailed me and asked for my snail mail address.  I didn't have to wait long before this adorable pincushion arrived in the mail!  Thank you Jacquie!

Happy WIP Wednesday

Its Wednesday!  Aren't you excited its Wednesday?  I am because that means its WIP Wednesday and I can show you what I've been up to!

Stitching Forever

Lizzie*Kate

Stitched on: Goldspinner 28ct Linen from Silkweavers

Stitched with a combination of recommended threads and DMC cotton

First of all I had a Happy Dance on late Monday night.  Since I had just posted some ornaments I wasn't going to overwhelm you with another post.  This chart was a travelling pattern on one of the Facebook groups I'm part of.  It was a super quick stitch, I started it on Saturday but I didn't reallly stitch much all weekend.  I slept a lot and I even asked Todd to take me out fishing!  If I had put my mind to it and got my stitch on, I probably could of stitched this in a day!  This LK was a little tough to photograph for some reason, just imagine the yellow fabric being richer and deeper.

Now onto what I'm stitching NOW!  I didn't really have the heart to pick up something big just yet, so I pulled out an ornament I had started at the end of July.  When I got my copy of the Just Cross Stitch Ornament Preview Issue I just had to start Stained Glass Holly by Ink Circles.  I had stitched their Tree a few years ago for an exchange... I'm thinking I need to stitch it again, for myself.

Here's a few pictures from my day out fishing with Todd...

Todd was teaching me a little fineness fishing, learning how to "wacky rig"

Bass fishing!

If you'd like to see more of my stitching pictures as I work on pieces, start following me on Instagram @tkd_chick I'm having a lot of fun with it!

Happy Dance!

In my last post you saw I was THIS close to finishing Cirque Des Coeurs!

 Cirque Des Cirque

by Ink Circles

Stitched on 32ct Queen Ann's Lace Joblean

Stitched with DMC 115

Well I finished it in the wee hours last night, I stayed up until 1:30am stitching despite the fact that I had to go to work in the morning.  I knew I wouldn't be able to sleep with just one and a half hearts to go.  So I stuck it out and Happy Danced at 1:30am all by myself.  I didn't even put a picture up on Instagram (@tkd_chick ... follow me!) or Facebook, just went to bed.  Of course that's one of the first things I did this morning before I went to work, put some so-so pictures up on Social Media, lighting isn't the best at 6am.

I started this piece on July 23rd and finished it on September 5th, it took me just over six weeks to stitch up.  I loved every stitch of it.

Cirque and Coeurs

For my next trip, in February of 2015 I plan on starting Cirque Des Carreaux and I've already got my threads picked.  I'm just waiting for them to arrive so that I can see if it'll work on the same fabric as both Cirque Des Circles and Coeurs or if I need find something different.

I haven't really figured out what my stitching plans are next.  I've got a few ideas, I've got a travelling pattern to stitch up from one of the groups I belong to on Facebook.  I am also toying with the idea of maybe doing a few Halloween Smalls I've also got a few Christmas ornaments I've got my eye on.  Of course I should also get back to The Accolade, which got put aside in March for Zachary's Birth Announcement.

So I've got ideas.

WIP Wednesday

Its mid-week again which means its time for WIP Wednesday!  I'm still going strong on Cirque Des Coeurs!

Don't pay attention to the colours here this is a late night shot and not under a great light!  Its looking quite warm and pinky!  I'll have some spectacular true-colour pictures soon!

Not a lot of time to type... I've got an imminent Happy Dance!

WIP Wednesday

On social media I've been participating lately in WIP Wednesday and I thought why not bring it over to Blogland?

Since I started my holidays back at the end of July I haven't been able to put Cirque Des Coeurs back down!  I've been back to work for two weeks away and I don't have the "heart" to put it away!

So here it is at the start of my holidays.

Progress just over a month later.

I'm loving this project, I'm stitching it on my favourite fabric with my favourite floss!  I'm using Queen Ann's Lace Joblean (32ct) and DMC 115.

I do have pictures from my summer travels but I've got so many to sort through it may be awhile before I can share them with you.

Travelling Pattern... The Pattern That Travels With ME!

There has been an awful lot of chatter about travelling patterns on my blog lately.  Today's entry is about a different kind of travelling pattern... one that is going on the road with me!

By the time you're reading this I'm working my way through security and customs at the airport, I'm on my way to the Charleston, S.C. area!

I'm excited not only to see my BFF from high school, Claire but the new man in her life, Zachary! The little man I stitched up Teresa Wentzler's Birth Announcement for.

I've decided while I travel this summer (I have more than one trip planned), I'm going to work on just one project.  Last summer I worked on Ink Cirlces Cirque des Circles so this summer its going to be Cirque des Coeurs.  One colour projects are just so much easier while on the plane or in the car.  I made a small start on it back in February when I was flying to the DR and haven't touched it since.  We'll see how far I get on this first trip... I've got a lot of stitching time, as I'm going to be stuck at the airport in Detroit for over 5 hours!  When I booked my flight, initially I had a barely 2 hour layover but Delta decided to change my departure time from 9:30am to 7:00am and since this is not a domestic flight, I need to be at the airport 2 hours early, which means 5:00am!  I've got to get up at stupid, dark, o'clock since the airport isn't right around the corner!

Sulky Blendables

I mentioned in my previous post that I had gotten some Sulky Blendables to try stitching with. I had first heard of them on two blogs about a month ago. I read about them on Tracey Horner's Blog (designs for Ink Circles), and also on Anette's blog (Anette's Acre). 

I had checked a few quilt stores in the area with no luck, I couldn't find them in 12 weight. I had mentioned them to Bonnie and she had seen them in a nearby quilt store, so she picked me up a few colours I had seen online that I liked. 

I was anxious to try them out, so once I finished my flurry of Lizzie Kate ornaments, I picked a small Ink Corcles design I had (Piccalilli) and a piece of white 28ct evenweave.

 According to what I've read, this thread works great with either 28 or 32 count fabric. As I hope you can see from this close up, it looks more like a perele cotton, but it's got a nice sheen to it and it's a little on the slippery side. I did have to use a bigger (smaller numbered) needle. I do really like working with the thread itself, you can easily use long lengths, it doesn't tangle easily, and the fact that it's on a spool is quite nice. 

Now I'm not sure if it's the colour I've picked (changing quite quickly) or the design... I'm not too happy with how the design itself is turning out. I think I should of used something with out so much variation. It's just too busy. I'm. To giving up on this thread, I just don't think it's right for this design. 

Oh what's a stitchy post without a furry purry?