A Great Place for Bloggers Everywhere!!!

Hello Family, Friends, Stitching Buddies and Fellow Bloggers! 

Have any of you ever heard of The Blog Guidebook? I'm sure there are some of you that have. Whether you are new to blogging or have been blogging for a while, you may have questions of need help with your blog, and The Blog Guidebook is where you can find it! Another really great thing about it is this is a site where you can find blogs to read about just about anything. There are listings to search for blogs of topics that you are interested in ... model planes/cars, cooking, being a mom, being a dad, etc. Whatever people blog about! :~) Lindsay and Sarah have created a wonderful resource for bloggers everywhere and of every topic! I, myself, and really looking forward to being a part of it! :~) So, whether you blog, or just like to read blogs, you will definitely want to check out The Blog Guidebook!!! 

Until Next Time,

♥ Margie ♥

 

Progress is Being Made :-)

Hello Family, Friends & Stitching Buddies! 

I hope you are all doing well. We are doing great. Although summer is it still at it's height of temperatures and now humidity due to the monsoon season, summer vacation is nearing the end for my kids. My daughter will be starting 10th grade in just 3 weeks and turning 15 in just over a month. My son will be starting kindergarten in 2 1/2 weeks. They are both very excited to be going to school. I am looking forward to having some time for myself and hopefully getting more accomplished, both around the house and with stitching and sewing. But one thing for sure is that it's definitely going to be weird at first when both my kids are in school. 

So on to my stitching progress so far on the birth announcement for my friends that are having a baby girl. The due date is actually August 30th. I've been working on the piece as often as I can and loving every second of it. Last night the only reason I even put it down was bcuz one strand of the two strands of my floss broke and after being up for around 22 hrs, I just decided it was better to go to bed and then fix it today. Had that not happened I'm sure I would have stayed up for at least another couple hours. I was in super stitching mode and my bug was on fire! Looking forward to that same bug showing it's face again today. :~) 

So here are a couple of progress update photos. The second one is where I was before I started stitching last night. I'll get another photo posted later. I thought with all the pink that I would get tired of stitching the same color for so long, but I'm still very excited and enthusiastic about this piece and the whole design of it. And of course I especially can't wait to hear how my friends like it since I won't be there when they get to see it. I'll be mailing it to them along with lots of other baby goodies. :~) 

I have just a little while before I have to go and run a few errands and will be away from home for a few hours. Of course I'll take my stitching just in case I'm able to get a few stitches in here and there. But other than that I'll be stitching like crazy after I get home. So what do you all think? It's starting to to take shape, right? Can you see the start of the Dallas Cowboys helmet? The difference in the colors of each picture is the first one I used my scanner and the second picture I used my cell phone camera to take the picture. Surprisingly, my cell phone camera took a much truer color photo than my scanner did. The scanner is a new scanner that we just recently got bcuz our other was was so old (11 yrs old) and it would only work on my husband's windows XP netbook and not on any of the other computers in the house that all have Windows 7. It's still a great scanner and works great. Just not with my laptop lol.

Well, I'm off for now. Going to get that snafu out so that I can get back to stitching like a mad woman lol. 

Happy Stitching! 

Until Next Time,
♥ Margie ♥

My Pattern Creation!

Hi there Stitchy Friends! 

So one of my best friends and her husband are having a baby girl. She is due early September and we are all very excited. They have been trying to get pregnant for a long time. And I knew from the time she told me she was pregnant that she would be having a baby girl. So I had been looking at birth announcements on all kinds of sites, and looking thru my pattern books, etc. And of course there were lots of really cute ones. But none of them seemed to fit just right. My friends and I are huge football fans. We always anxiously await the football season all spring and summer long. We also are all fans of different teams, which always makes it interesting. So, Sara is a Dallas Cowboys fan. Spencer is a Green Bay Packers fan. And me, well I am a die hard tried & true Chicago Bears fan! The funny thing is that my friends live in one of the suburb towns of Chicago. And if any of you know football at all, you know the HUGE rivalry between the Chicago Bears and the Green Bay Packers. So originally, I was going to buy the baby a Chicago Bears onesie or something. But then Sara said Spencer would only send it back to me, which was a very good point. It would be too easy for him to return to sender. So that idea was out. Well, I have these patterns of helmets for most of the football teams. And I had planned on stitching a Dallas Cowboys one for Sara and then the Green Bay Packers one for Spencer. And I was still trying to decide on just the right birth announcement for the baby. Then one afternoon the perfect idea hit me. I decided to take both helmet patterns, make them different shades of pink and arrange them facing each other and in the middle put all of the baby's birth info! AND as an extra touch, since the baby will be born in the suburbs of Chicago, I'd add the Bears 'C' and put "Born in"! As soon as this idea came to me, I got super excited about it. It's a secret from them, obviously. And honestly, I think they are going to love it, even with the 'C' on it. So it took some time and work, but here is the pattern that I created! Keep in mind, that the details of the birth of course are not accurate bcuz Baby Audrey hasn't been born yet, but I had to put something in order to get the spacing right. 

 

Now, I know this is kind of small to see, but if you're on my friends list on Facebook, you can see it larger here.  For the backstitching, I will use 2 strands of floss for all the names and then 1 strand for everything else in order to make the names pop a lil bit. So what do you think of it? I welcome all feedback and look forward to hearing any suggestions or ideas you have. I had so much fun putting this pattern together and can't wait to stitch it and then of course send it to my friends and hear how they like it. :~)

That's all for now! Happy Stitching Everyone!

Until Next Time,
♥ Margie ♥

Has It Been Another Year Already?!

 

Hi there Friends, Stitching Buddies & Blogging Followers!!! 

WOW! I can't believe it's been another year already since I first began my stitching blog! I hadn't even realized that today was my blogoversary until one of you had sent me blogoversary wishes! Thank you for that! :~) 

 

So It's All About Cross Stitch has been around now for three years. I really love my blog and being able to share my stitching with all of you. I love the support I get and encouragement to keep going on the pieces I'm working on. The feedback you give me on finished or pieces I need help on is the best! :~) I don't know what I'd do without you! I do know that I wish I had more posts than I do, however maybe between now and next year's blogoversary I'll have more posts more often. :~) I do think the longer I have my blog the more posts I seem to be making. I have seen that some blog authors have giveaways now and then. Hopefully, I'll get to where I'm doing that as well lol. I had thought about doing that this year for my blogoversary but as I said the date snuck up on me. So I'm marking it in my calendar and setting up a reminder so that I can definitely set up a giveaway in time for next year's blogoversary. :~) 

 


So I thank you all for helping make my blog what it is today. And here's to it only getting better! 

Until Next Time,
♥ Margie ♥

An Update on Henry

Hi there Stitching Friends! 

So I've been working on & off on Henry and I have an update to post. I have been having fun with it! I'm really looking forward to getting this piece finished. The backstitching, when I get it finished is really going to make the piece pop I think. Plus when I add the beads to the center of the flowers and the eyes of the bird and Henry. 

So here he is so far ... 

So what do you think? The blue half stitches are supposed to be going the opposite direction. But I didn't realize that until after I had already started stitching them. I had gotten about half of them done on the right side and then I looked at what the finished pattern is supposed to look like in the picture and that's when I saw it. I asked the opinion of several of my stitching friends on Facebook what they thought I should do, and based on that I left the stitches and just kept going, rather than take them out and start the half stitches over. 

So that's where I'm at! 

Until Next Time,
♥ Margie ♥

Time to Get Back to Henry!

Hi there Friends! 

Yes, believe it or not, this is my third post TODAY! I am so happy to report that my stitching bug is BACK and in full force!!! So now that my bug has come out of hiding and back with a vengeance, I have a plan to get some things done that should have been done long ago. 

First and foremost, ya'll remember Henry, right? If you don't remember Henry the Snowman, well here is a picture of what he will look like all finished ... 

Poor Henry has been in the works for way too long (about a year and a half) and it's way past time to get him finished. So I am taking full advantage of how strong my stitching bug is right now to get this piece finally finished and back to it's owner. I know she will be so happy to finally get it back and see it. :~) She is an amazing person and friend and has been so patient during everything that has kept me from finishing Henry up until now. I just hope she loves it. 

So the last updated picture that I posted of Henry was this one ... 

There is a bit more that has been done since this photo. But I want to get a lil bit more done before I post a new update photo. 


So this will be the last post for today and I'll post again really soon with a new and updated photo of Henry the Snowman!!! :~) 


Until Next Time,
♥ Margie ♥

First Non-ATC Finish of 2011

Hi there Friends!!! 

Well, as you can see, stitching beat out sleeping lol!!! I just couldn't resist finishing this cute lil frog piece when I was so close to getting it all done. :~) So now all I have left is washing & ironing the piece, then put it back inside the hoop and trim off the excess aida and he's COMPLETELY FINISHED! :~) 

I can't wait to get this sent off to my niece and hear if she likes it. So here he is ... 

 

It was kind of weird stitching the 2011. I have been trying to come up with some cute way to do my signature on my finished pieces, but so far haven't found the right way to do it that I really like. 


Well, that's all for now bcuz now I really am off to get some sleep lol! Thank you so much for following! 


Until Next Time,
♥ Margie ♥

Update on First One to Smile

Hi Stitching Friends! 

How are you all doing? I am doing pretty well! :~) I got a little bit of stitching in on Thursday and Friday nights after running around getting everything together for my son's birthday party. I stitched the rest of the X's on the frog. Then Saturday was the party and by the time we got home, I was WIPED OUT! So Sunday and Monday I didn't get any stitching done, but tonight I sat down and did all the backstitching on the frog. Now all I have left is the lettering and he'll be all done! :~) I think he's turning out really cute and I just hope my niece likes it and it makes her smile every time she looks at it. :~) 

So here is what he looked like before I did any backstitching ... 

And here is what he looks like right now, with all the backstitching done on the frog. 




When I look at this frog, he looks to me like he's being mischievous or up to something and it makes me laugh. :~) 


So what do you think so far? It's nearly 3am and even though I really think I should be heading off to bed, I also want so much to get this lil guy finished. So I'm torn between my comfy bed and catching some good Zzzzz's and getting some good stitching and quiet time in. Do any of you ever have that problem? 


Well, I'm off to decide ... stitching or sleep ... 


Until Next Time,
♥ Margie ♥

A New Quick to Stitch Project for My Niece ...

Hi there Stitching Friends! 

I hope you are all doing great! I seem to have found my bug again, forced that little bugger out of hiding I did! LOL! I found the cutest little frog pattern that I'm stitching for my niece. Her favorite color is green and she likes frogs and with all that she has been thru I am really hoping that this helps to bring a smile to her face every time she looks at it. It's so cute! It's called "First One to Smile". 

Here is what it will look like all finished ... 

And this is where I am at so far on it ... 




I just started the piece a couple of days ago, and I think I should have it finished by the weekend! :~) I really hope my niece likes it. 



Well back to stitching! Happy Stitching Everyone!

Until Next Time,
♥ Margie ♥

Just a Little Finish ...

Hello Friends ~ 

I forgot to post this before but wanted to share with you my first finish of the year. It's just a small ATC, but at least it's something. I think it turned out pretty cute and I hope the recipient likes it. The theme was Irish for March. 

So what do you think? Think she'll like it? The backstitching of the letters is in DMC Light Effects to give it a little bit of flair. 

So that's it for now. 

Happy Stitching, my friends! 

Until Next Time,

♥ Margie ♥

All Mistake Stitches Removed ...

Hi again ... 

Ok, it took two hours, but I removed all the mistake stitches on my piece for the fair. My goal for Monday was to finish all of the cross stitches of the outer boxes, but with the mistakes issue, that's definitely put me behind. I should be sleeping right now but I only have 3-4 days to get this piece completely finished and ready to drop off at the fairgrounds. 

So here is where I am now as I'm about to re-stitch a bunch ... 

Obviously, you can still see where the stitches were, but soon that will be all different. Hopefully by morning (it's 2:45am here) I'll be back where I was before I had to take all those stitches out lol. 


So here we go!

Until Next Time,
♥ Margie ♥

An Update on Today is Not Your Day ...

Hello Again Everyone ~ 

I wanted to post a picture of the progress that I made so far since last night. I actually made some great progress I think with nearly all of the actual cross stitching done. But then I noticed something ... I noticed the mistake that I made and how now I have to take out nearly all of the stitches in the bottom left corner. I'm so frustrated about it, but have to push forward if I want to get this done in time to enter into the fair. 

So here's where I'm at ... 

If you look closely, you can see where along the frame around the words along the bottom, it's not going to line up like it's supposed to. It took a little while to figure out where the mistake was that I made. In fact, my husband helped me look at it to figure it out. And the red box on the left side just above the blue box, I stitched one square too low. I left one extra space between the red and pink boxes. 

So I'm off to take out some stitches and will post another update picture tomorrow night. 


Happy Stitching!


Until Next Time,
♥ Margie ♥

Change in Plans ...

Hello Stitching Friends ~ 

So the plan for finishing Elemental Cosmos in time to enter it into the county fair didn't work out. When I posted last time on March 21st, I was very optimistic and excited about working on that piece in time for the fair. About a day or two after that post, I asked my husband what he thought and if he thought I could get it done in time. He said he didn't think it could be done. And in his defense, as disappointed as I was with what he said, he wasn't trying to deflate my enthusiasm, but was being realistic about the time frame left until it had to be turned in. I did work on the piece for a couple of days, and friends, I'm here to tell you that stitching white on white is hard enough, but stitching black on black evenweave is INTENSE!!! However, I have to admit it does look really good. After a couple of days I began to lost my enthusiasm and kept thinking about what my husband said. So back to the back burner Elemental Cosmos has gone. And then a few days ago, I remembered a piece that I had started for my mom. I keep this piece in a ziploc back in my purse so that I always have something to stitch for like at the doctor's office or any place where I have to sit & wait. The piece is probably about halfway finished and it's only a 7"x5" piece. It's a simple design and on 14ct white aida, so I think to myself "I can do this!" It's not a big or fancy piece by any means. But at least it's something. And since the piece is for my mom, I know she will be happy with no matter how it does at the fair. Sometimes simple is best right? 

So here is what the piece will look like when it's finished ...

And here is where I'm at with the piece right now ... 






The reason that I've already stitched the backstitching in the middle is bcuz that was the easiest way for me to find the center of the design on the fabric. So just a few more two-toned "squares" and then back stitching and I'm done! I am giving this to my mom to hang in her office at work. I think it's so perfect for her office and I know she'll get such a kick out of it. :~) 

So it's Sunday night ... entries must be turned in either Friday between 3-8pm or Saturday between 10am-3pm. Of course the ideal goal would be to have it finished and turned in on Friday. So ... 5 or 6 days ... do ya'll think I can do it? Please send support! I can definitely use it. 

Happy Stitching, my friends! I'm off to stitch my tush off lol! 

Until Next Time,
♥ Margie ♥

Countdown to the County Fair!

Hello my fellow stitchers & friends! 

So yes the county fair is coming to town! And it's just around the corner (yikes)! Time goes by too fast and here it is now just 18 days until entries must be turned in (gulp). I don't know if I'll get anything done in time, but I've decided to give it a shot. Along with entering something into the fair, I can also purchase 2 tickets that will give me free parking and entry all 11 days into the fair for only $20! That's a great deal. 

So, what piece am I going to scramble to get finished in time? Well, I decided working on one of my WIP/UFO's would be best. Do you remember Elemental Cosmos? Here is a picture of what it will (mostly) look like finished as well as where I was when I picked it back up again just a couple days ago ... 

So what's left is filling in all the sections within the star and circle. Where the stars are I'm planning on adding some iridescent beads to give that little something extra. The challenge with this piece is stitching on the black evenweave fabric. And in some places it's black floss ... so stitching black on black is a HUGE challenge. But I have to admit I really like how it looks. :~) So I'm starting with the bottom section and will work my way around. Do you all think I can get it finished in time? I sure hope I can. Just 18 days (maybe 19) to get it completely finished, washed, ironed and framed. The entire design is 135 stitches wide by 146 stitches high. That doesn't sounds like a whole lot, but it's solid stitches. And like I said the black evenweave is a challenge. 

So that's the agenda for the moment. If you see me on Facebook, please send me a shoutout to get back to stitching so I keep on track lol. I can use all the support & encouragement & motiviation that I can get to get this finished in time lol. 

Thank you my friends!!! 

Happy Stitching!

Until Next Time,

♥ Margie ♥

A Great Surprise in the Mail for ME!

Hello My Friends! 

I hope you are all doing well and that the year so far has been very productive and fun for you. I myself haven't done any stitching since my last post. My bug has just disappeared completely. Well that's not completely true. I did do an ATC a couple nights ago. I can't believe it but it only took me 2 nights to do it. And it was a blackwork/backstitch design. It was a lot of fun. I used a variegated red. 

Here is how it turned out ... 

I put it on a foil/metallic card stock which I think really helped bring out all shades of red in the ATC. So what do you think? 

So ... my great surprise that came in the mail for me today! :~) You might remember a while back when I posted about my missing RR piece of the cute lil stitch devils. Well one of my online stitching friends that was part of that RR, who was also very upset that mine never made it back to me, she got three other ladies to help her out and together they stitched a new lil stitch devils RR piece for me! It made me feel so special and good inside. What a wonderful surprise and totally made my year. :~) 

Here's what they made for me ... 

How cute is this?!!! And you can't really see bcuz for some reason my scanner doesn't pick up on it, but the three other than the one with the basket all have sparkly floss in part of them. The blue floss has sparkles, the scissors have sparkles and the sewing machine too. And on the one with the sewing basket has 3D floss in the basket and real buttons just below it. Didn't they do an awesome job?!!! :~D I'm so excited about it and can't wait to get it framed and hung up. I have to measure it, but if it fits in a 12"x12" frame, there is a red metallic frame that I think it will look perfect in. :~) 

I am so thankful and lucky to have such wonderful stitchy friends like them. Thank you to Peggy, Cei, Carol and Kitty!!! 

Until Next Time,

♥ Margie ♥