Weekly Rotation #6 ~ Rules for Life 11/29-12/04

Hi there Friends, Family and Fellow Crafters! 

Great news! As you can see, this isn't my normal Saturday post following a full week of stitching. The reason for that is ... I HAVE A FINISH!!! Yes, that's right, I have finished Rules for Life by Kincavel Krosses! I finished it last night. This is Finish #5 for 2014! I am loving the progress that I am making on all of my projects by doing this rotation! It is really working out well for me. 

Without further delay, here is my finished Rules for Life! 

Since this piece is finished with a day left to spare in the weekly rotation, I was trying to decide what to work on. I thought about working on one of my other projects. I also thought about starting a new Rules for Life, but in different colors, which I do want to do anyway. I also thought about just starting on Queen Bee a day early. After all that thinking, I decided that just adding the extra day to my Queen Bee rotation is best. 

So next up on the rotation, Queen Bee by Unconventional Cross Stitch! 

Until Next Time,

♥ Margie ♥

So Much Has Been Happening!!!

Hello Everyone!!! 

Wow, I can't believe that I haven't posted to my blog since July! There has been a lot going on, including LOTS of stitching updates!!! First off, I haven't made much progress on the LTT Mermaid. Other projects were a higher priority, I guess. I started a few new pieces and even have a finish! So let's get to the updates, shall we?! 

First off, my new start and finish, is another Ursula Michael design, called Let's Hug Brother. I stitched this piece for my brother and gave it to him this past week when I got to see him again, after not seeing him for 4 years. He has been away and is now back home! The design called for just using DMC 310, but you all know me, and I like to do things differently, most of the time. So I used ThreadworX 1025 for the main color, which is a variegated blue. Then for a few of the phrases, I used ThreadworX 11213, which is a subtle variegated black/gray. And for the frog, I used ThreadworX 11611, which is a variegated green. I also added his name at the top, so that it looks as though it is part of the design. Below are photos of what the original design should look like, what my finished design looks like, and my brother with his gift! 

Next, some of you might know, that September 19th is International Talk Like a Pirate Day. So in honor of that fun day, I wanted to work on a piratey themed design. My family and I are fans of the 1985 movie, The Goonies. So I started a design that says Goonies Never Say Die and has a skull with crossed swords. The pattern calls for stitching black on white fabric. Instead, I decided it would look WAY better if I stitched it with white on black fabric. I haven't finished it yet, but it's looking great so far. Below is a picture of what the design is supposed to look like and a picture of what mine looks like so far. 

Next, I joined in on a cross stitch challenge by a cross stitch designer called Unconventional Cross Stitch. She has some fantastic designs! The one for the challenge is called Queen Bee. It's a cute design that is going to look great in my kitchen! The challenge started on October 1st, but due to travelling for a week, I haven't gotten very far yet. But I do love stitching it. Below is a photo of what it will look like and a photo of where I am so far. 

And last but definitely not least, although I haven't started it just yet, my next start will be HAED's Queen of Hearts. It was the first HAED design that I ever bought and it's the one that made me discover HAED to begin with. The reason that I am going to be starting this design is bcuz a very good friend of mine has been working on it. I got her to start working on the Monopoly Game Board. So she says it's only fair that I need to start the Queen of Hearts. I don't have the fabric for the Queen yet, but as soon as I do, she'll be a new start and an addition to my WISP list. Below is a photo of the Queen of Hearts. 

Well, I think that is everything that I have to report for now. Quite the list, I think. I am certainly not going to allow myself to go so long without posting to my blog from now on. LOL! 

Until Next Time,

♥ Margie ♥

All the Frogs are Finally GONE!

Hi Everyone!!! 

I am happy to report after a couple of days of frogging, I am done and very ready to get back to stitching!!! I am really happy that the idea someone gave me about only frogging the right side of the border looks to be working out perfectly. Now just to extend the border by 10 stitches and then back to filling in all the words! 

So here it is with all the frogs gone away ... 

Now to get back to stitching! 

Thank you all for stopping by & reading my blog. I love comments, so please feel free to leave one on any of my posts or pages. 

Have a wonderful day!

Until Next Time,

♥ Margie ♥

Update on Rules for Life By Kincavel Krosses

Hi there Fellow Stitching, Crafting & Blogging Friends! 

Well I hope you all are doing great! I on the other hand, have had a very frustrating day. I was moving along really well on Rules for Life and making some great progress. And then I got to this point ... 

 

And that's when I realized, I messed up my count on the border length from side to side and it was 10 stitches short. Once I figured out my error, I was super frustrated thinking I would have to rip out all of my stitches and start over in order to correct it. Stitching the words on the inside of the border has been a lot of fun, but stitching the border was a bit on the monotonous, so the thought of having to stitch the entire border all over again was dreadful. And then someone suggested that I simply remove the stitching on the right side of the border and the Love part, and then just restitch that where it was supposed to be. I counted everything out to make sure there wasn't more that I needed to stitch and figured out, that suggestion would work! What a relief! So now, I am frogging like crazy to get back on track. But I feel so much better knowing I don't have to frog & restitch as much as I had originally thought. I mean I've done nearly 3000 stitches and really didn't want to have to restitch all of it. 

So that's today's update on Rules for Life! 

Happy Stitching & Crafting Everyone! 

Until Next Time,

♥ Margie ♥

Rules For Life Update ...

Hello Friends and Fellow Stitchers and Crafters! 

Here we are nearing the end of September already! Seems the closer we get to the end of the year, the faster it goes by. 

I still haven't started working on the WWS Tribal Cat as I just found the floss I'm going to use a couple of days ago. I'll be using ThreadworX Indian Tapestry. Once I get it stitched, I'm going to give it to one of my Mom's best friends that I've known since I was a little girl, who loves cats. I think she'll really like it. 

What I have been working on is Kincavel Krosses Rules for Life.  I've gotten the entire border stitched and have started on the words inside. The border, which is nearly 2000 by itself, was a little monotonous, but I'm glad to have the words started, which has made it fun again. Here is my progress of the border so far ... 

I also have an ATC that I stitched for one of the ATC swap groups that I am in on Facebook. But can't post that pic just yet as she is on my friends list on Facebook and might see this post. And I don't want to ruin the surprise. The theme we were stitching was Jobs and so we had to stitch something that represented the job that the person has. What I stitched was something that I designed myself. I'm really excited about it and so happy with how it came out. Can't wait till she receives it so that I can post a pic! 

Well that's all I have for now! Should be posting another update very soon! 

Happy Stitching and Crafting Everyone! 

Until Next Time,

♥ Margie ♥ 

August Stitching: A Finish, Progress, A Start, & Plans

Hello Stitching & Crafting Friends & Followers! 

So here we are, already 5 days into September! Only 111 days until Christmas, and I'm sure that will fly by! 

So I am very happy to show you the finished piece of Coffee Motto that I made for my Grama and her new husband. Here it is before and after matting & framing ... 

You'll remember on my last post how I mentioned about one of the groups I am in on Facebook doing a different White Willow Stitching tribal pattern SAL each month. Last month (August) was the Tribal Cauldron. Since I was using the size 5 cotton perle black floss and had never used it before, even tho I am stitching it on 28 ct evenweave, it is proving to be quite the challenge to stitch with. But I am getting thru it very slowly. This is the only progress I've made on it so far ... 

The pattern that we are doing for the September WWS Tribal SAL is the Tribal Cat. Originally I hadn't planned on stitching this one, but once it was added to the SAL list, I thought why not. I still haven't decided what fabric or floss to use for it, so I'll keep thinking about it. This is what the Tribal Cat looks like ... 

Towards the end of August, I decided to start working on the Kincavel Krosses Rules for Life. My dear friend that passed away, Momma Anna, I showed this pattern to her after I bought it. All the many years we've known each other, she had never asked me to stitch her anything specific before. But as soon as she saw and read the Rules for Life design, she said to me, "I really like this one. Please stitch this one for me." I had never gotten to get it stitched for her before she passed. This of course saddens me. So I am stitching it. And I am going to give it to Momma Anna's daughter after it's finished. I am stitching it on 14 ct light oatmeal aida and using ThreadworX 10342 Earth Stones floss. I think the fabric & floss combination is looking really really good. I'm still doing the border of the design so I don't want to post an update photo yet, but here is what the design looks like, as well as the floss & fabric together right before I started it ... 

Also during all of this, I am also trying to completely revamp and reorganize my entire craft room. That in itself is quite a job & quite time consuming. But it's going to be so worth it once I have it finished. 

Well that's all I have for this time. I should be posting some update photos soon! Thank you, as always, for reading and following my blog! 

Happy Stitching & Crafting to One & All!

Until Next Time,

♥ Margie ♥