WIP Pictures: Samplers

I was a bad, BAD person and started "Cirque Des Coeurs" and I must say that I love stitching it.
Even one might no believe it, but it's a multidimensional design which changes its message as you stitch it. And I am happy that I also have the triangle version and use affordable, easily accessible floss as I have had an insane thought to stitch all of them over undefined period and make them a matching set.

When I retire, or so. *grin*

The colours are way off, thanks to taking pictures nighttime under artificial light.
I am using Anchor's variegated cotton for this and it looks just fabulous, but, for understandable reasons it's impossible to take pictures during the day....

But, insane plans aside, I have also stitched some CJC pieces!

"Christmas Sampler" has got quite much attention and looking at it now makes me want to stitch it again, it looks so beautiful!

I have also stitched fair bit of "This Too Shall Pass" which is one of 2013 crazies.

The colours look very mismatched in all the pictures despite looking lovely in real life. I have Avocado and Cherry Wine on (I think) Amsterdam Blue linen.

"For This Child" has also grown bigger!

Even the silk is absolutely beautiful its colour changes are so frequent that stitching with it is slow and taxing if you want to have something that even remotely resembles logic in those colour slides.

Crazy Finish!

As shocking as it is I actually have a FINISH!
Yes, you read it right.

I. Have. Stitched.

Despite Tiny's best efforts to keep me entertained during the night (he has slept badly last two nights - or rather has not slept, but woken up at night and then stayed up for hours).

I am participating 9 Days Christmas Challenge at Facebook and decided to pick San-Man Original's "Kisses From Heaven" as my challenge piece (started from this)... and three days later it was finished!

• Design by: San-Man Originals
• Design: Kisses From Heaven (OOP)
• Fabric: Silkweaver's "Midnight Fantasy", opalescent 28 count Cashel linen.
• Floss: misc. DMC and Anchor.
• Notes: colours are not as charted. This was first Crazy January 2013 piece I finished.

Yes, I am proud of myself.

Stash p0rn!

I am incurable! Luckily I won't afford new stash before spring so this stash p0rn will stop for a while after ALL that stuff I have ordered arrives to this side of the pond... and that is quite a reasonable pile of stuff.

But, without further ado: stash!

I managed to snatch two BEAUTIFUL Solos from Silkweaver's Facebook sale. Or three. I am not sure is that brown one solo or a regular, but it is really pretty too. Chocolatey brown with slight, but noticeable variation.

And apparently they think that I am a good customer as I got an extra with the fabrics:

And naturally I have received yet another envelope from One Star's Light (liquidation sale is still on, -40% with TheLastHurrah in your shopping basket!)

I have hoarded those LHN chart packs as they are practically free! What I have paid doesn't even cover the price of the floss so I had no excuse to leave them at OSL. *grin*
But admittedly all this saving is rather expensive... Anyway, I also ordered some HDF silks for "For This Child..."

"Robin Egg" and "Dragon Hoard" and I think I'll choose dragon one as Tiny is a dragon AND that is FAR more pretty.
Now I just need to decide on fabric... like for every Crazy January Challenge 2013 project. Even for Flora McSample one as one of the flosses is exact match for the fabric. Or maybe I change the green floss.

And now I am off to stalk our postie, there is a lot of stash waiting to arrive and I am certain that postie holds my stash hostage and fondles it without my permission....

Heaven/ I'm in Heaven

In stashy heaven, to be precise.

One of those bazillion stitchy groups I belong to in Facebook is strictly Stitch-A-Long group and those evil people scheduled a "Cirque de Coeurs" SAL starting from coming Valentine's Day and... My reasoning ended at that point where I found pretty and cheap floss perfect for it. *grin*

Said floss is Anchor's variegated 1206.

And naturally I justified postages while at it and got these from 1-2-3 Stitch!'s Clearance section.

Tiny loved the caterpillar design when he saw it so I guess I must stitch it for him. Though I'll modify the fairy child's skin and hair colour a bit.

I have also managed to kit DMC part of all of my "Crazy January Challenge" projects (and I was told that it was originally a Finnish idea so I kind of have another excuse here). Luckily floss is cheaper in Tallinn as there's 40 skeins for CJC projects (and four skeins of Variations).

I also found this 40% off.

If I am not completely mistaken the design has all St. Petersburg's famous churches pictured.

And my friend Niina came to visit couple of days ago and brought me lovely housewarming gifts!

But now I must (oh yes, dreadful) start stitching! I managed to misplace my almost finished ornament exchange piece during the move and have to stitch new one. And of course as I am in a hurry (mail-out was yesterday) I chose to stitch it over one...

2013 CJC: Designs Chosen! (Picture heavy!)

Ladies, gentlemen and crazy stitchers, we have a list!

1. "Beach Cottage" by County Cottage Needleworks



2. "Acorns" by Little House Needleworks



3. "Comfort" by LHN



4. "Elizabeth Ann Bremer Sampler" by Beehive Needleworks



5. "Women Are Angels" by Periphaeria Designs



6. "EduCATed" by Bent Creek



7. "St. Basil's Cathedral" by Dimples Designs


(For clarity, picture has been snatched from Sewandso's site, but I host it. I just was too lazy to start taking pictures in this murky weather.)

8. "Scissors By Any Other Name" by The Cat's Whiskers Design Studio



9. "Snowman Stocking" by Bent Creek



10. "To Laugh Often" by Twisted Threads



11. "This Too Shall Pass" by My Big Toe



12. "For This Child" by My Big Toe



13. "Kisses From Heaven" by San-Man Originals



14. "Persian Proverb Sampler" by Moira Blackburn



15. "Flora McSample Heart Sampler" by Lizzie*Kate

I know I said something about small designs and all that bullcr*p, but I went with those designs that screamed most. And nicely enough four of them has either floss or fabric so kitting won't be as expensive (like it matters *grin*).

Tiny Things and CJC

Where did my little man go? He had his first (two!) teeth day before yesterday and will soon be crawling on all fours... not to mention that he wears 1-2 year old's clothes already. An average 6 month old, yes.

This morning he took his toothbrush and put it in his mouth. I just needed to move it.
And he wanted that I brushed his gums too before he let me take the brush out of his mouth... Attaboy!

2013 Crazy January Challenge

I started a list of designs to my sidebar to keep track of my own thoughts. It's not carved in stone yet, but one needs to start from somewhere.

2013 Crazy January Challenge aka. "Startitis, it is a serious illness"

(© CCN)

I have found an excuse reason to start from 10 to 15 new projects in the month of January!
Country Cottage Needlework's "Beach Cottage" is surely one of them as this just strikes my fancy at the moment and the design only takes 4-5 hand-dyed flosses and some more basic DMC so this is an easy peasy el cheapo project.

Actually I already eyed few designs couple of days ago and noticed that I will have a HUGE problem... I only browsed through one magazine box and already found 15 of them - and I still have 5-6 times more. Excluding books, magazines and all digital patterns - and some designs which are in the storage room. And my own designs.
And some more on the way from One Star's Light sale... ooops.

One of the wonderful things in this challenge is that now I have a great reason to shop as I need to kit these babies up before January as I need to start all the projects in as many consecutive days as I have chosen projects.

Startitis, who needs a cure?