A little bit of this and that ...

Good Morning everybody! Today it is a beautiful morning promising a beautiful sunny day. Too bad that I cannot really enjoy it. It caught a flu or better to say a bronchitis and running around outside might not be the best idea, warm sunny weather or not. So I will enjoy the day from my big living room windows.

I wish I could show you some progress on my Mary Wigham Sampler but I have to admit that I was too lazy working on it. From time to time I get this disliking of big projects and than do only very small ones for a while. So I did also last week. I finished the Bergamot that I started already in the airplane and also finished a Freebie called Chocolate Covered Cherries. I really love the colors of this one. After finishing up those small ones I usually just store them in a box and than once a year I mount them into greating cards.


I also received an email from my Fair & Square Summer Round partner Malinda. My Squares for her arrived a little while ago, so now I can share the pictures with you.
I picked a design from By the Bay Needleart because it is one of my favorite designers without even knowing it is one of Malinda's favorites too. The design has been a Freebie and can be found on by the bay's blog.

Airplane stitching

Last week the Mr. and I have been on a short vacation trip to visit my parents in Germany. I haven't posted about this visit earlier, because it was mend to be a surprise for my mom, who's birthday was last week. My dad was celebrating his birthday as well. They gave a big Barbecue party and my sweetheart finally met the rest of my family. 7 remaining from 11 siblings of my dad and a brother and a twin sister of my mom. The party was kept to the closest family and a few friends only, because all my aunts and uncles have children that have children that are almost grownups and that kind of family party would burst every budget.

It takes only 2 hours by plane to get from Finland to Germany, but that time is long enough to get me bored out of my scull. So I always take some cross stitching stuff with me. I like to stitch very small designs on an airplane, cause they are very handy and don't need much space.

I stitched the chamomile on our way from Helsinki to Germany and almost finished it all up, but 30 min before landing we had turbulence due to bad weather and after poking the needle several times into my fingers I had to stop.
The second one I started is the bergamot flower from the same design pack, but due to I kited it up to myself I ran out of thread and had to stop. I will finish it sometime during upcoming week.

I also started this little angel during our stay at my parent's place and finished it up yesterday night. It is called "Candle Light" and a design from Hummel. My aunt (she came to the birthday party) gave me again a big bag full of cross stitch kits and this one is one of them. I like the colors very much of this one.

Lily of the Valley

Here's another little finish. The design is from Madame la Fée and called "Lily of the Valley of May". It is stitched with DMC floss on cream 18ct. Aida

I think I stitched this one because I like the scent of Lily's so much. There is nothing more beautiful having a walk in the nearby forest to our apartment and walking through a field of Lily's and nearly drowning in it's strong scent.

Quaker Flower

Here is a picture of the finished Quaker Flower, that I have shown you already a couple of days ago. The design is a freebie from The Workbasket.
I love this design very much and I am thinking about keeping it for myself. But I have no idea how to finish it up. Honestly, I have never finished things into anything else than greeting cards. I do love all this little pincushions and fobs, but I think one doesn't need more than 1 cushion. So what to do with all the others?

Flamingo

Here is another freebie I stitched right after the little frog. I wanted to show it a lot earlier, but the batteries of my camera were empty, so I couldn't take a picture. I love this little guy, as all the Quaker inspired animals from Aury.
The flamingo is stitched with DMC color variation thread no. 4190 on 18ct. cream Aida. I think this color is suiting so well, couldn't have picked any better.

No Frogging!

Here is a little project I stitched and finished a couple of days ago. It used to be a freebie from Cross Eyed Cricket, I downloaded years ago. There is supposed to be a small fly button close to the frogs tongue, but I rarely read through the charts prior stitching, so I missed the little part with the aquired button. Guess I got to go and buy one.

I stitched this little fellow on 18 ct. babyblue aida with DMC thread.

Love Ewe

A little while ago I bought and downloaded a few issues from the Cross Stitching online magazine "The gift of stitching" And here is the first piece stitched from the issue 25. This is a design from Deanna Carter of Carousel Charts. It is so adorable. I like it so much that I stitched the first to the last cross without a single break.

I love this one

I love stitching samplers, mono colored designs and smalls. This one here is so perfect, because it is all in one. A mini sampler stitched in just one color and finished in a one-night-stitching-session. And over all it is a freebie.
I found this design on the home page of à mon ami Pierre. They have so many beautiful designs. This is one is the first one but definately not the last one I stitched by this designer.

I stitched on white 18ct Aida with the color variation thread no. 4040 from DMC

Renne de Noel

Here is something small I stitched in between my bigger projects. The design is named Renne de Noel and I found it on a French blog called Bonheur de brodeuses. I couldn't resist to stitch this little fellow. I just love reindeer and mooses.

Quaker style ewe

Again I needed a quick project that can be finished up fast. Lately I have trouble finding the motivation on stitching on any of my SAL projects. It might has to do with the start of the dark season. In Finland finally winter arrived. It is snowing already for a couple of days and today it got a bit stormy too. But also we have quite a lack of daylight, what makes it difficult for me stitching on my one over one SAL. So I picked something small again. This Quaker inspired sheep is a design from Aury and is available on her homepage Acerca del Borado. I downloaded the sheep already a while ago, as well as all the other Quaker Style Animals on her page. I just love them so much. Now that the first one is done, the others will follow soon.

Fall Depression

Do you know those days were you are hanging around in your PJ all day long. Lounging on the couch, being bored for no reason but also don't get the motivation for doing something? That's what hit me today. I kind of blame it on the bad weather here in Finland. It isn't fall anymore but not yet winter. It is dark, cold and rainy. So while whining about myself my lovely DH-to-be caught me in this picture.


I think it is hilarious and made me really laugh about myself. So finally I got my boody up and did some stitching, though I wasn't in the mood at all for any of my SAL stitching (they take for ever to finish). I started something small and fast to finish to cheer myself up.

I picked this lovely Christmas pattern from Prairie Schooler which is their latest freebie. I have no idea yet how to finish it up, probably I make a Christmas greeting card.

Paradiesvogel

The "Paradiesvogel" from Kissy-Cross, which has been one of my November goals is stitched up. I changed some of the colors. The original colors where hard the see on the fabric I have chosen.

This is already the second piece I stitched by this Designer. It is a freebie and can be found Kissy-Cross's homepage. There are also many other beautiful designs more, as well in December is starting a brand new Sampler SAL. It's worth taking a look.

cute little blue bird

This little bird is so cute. I just love it. The patterns is from a French homepage called ABC Broderie and is available as a freebie. Check it out! They have many more beautiful designs there.
I stared stitching this one already beginning of this year, but for some reason it ended up under a big pile of other stitching projects in my "in progress basket" and I forgot that I still have to finish it. Maybe because I am stitching it on 22ct. Aida and that is sooooo small. While cleaning out my basket a couple of days ago, it fell back into my hands and I decided to finish it right away.

Preview

Christmas Cards

These are the first 4 Christmas Cards that I stitched form one of the kits I got from my aunt. The designs are quite simpler but I like the blue and silver combination. It gives it a nice touch.

Borduurblog Challenge

Miriam from the site Borduurblog set up a challenge to stitch one of her Freebies. The winner will get a gift with stitching goodies. The challenge will run until 1st August and this is my entry.



I stitched her Cross Stitch Butterfly pattern and mounded it in a greeting card.



Butterflies are my favorites and this one I stitched in my two favorite colors purple (DMC 3834) and green (DMC 3819)

Lady in Purple

I got totally hooked on all these little monocolor pattern. For this one, a Freebie from Feutrine et Petites Croix, I used my favorite color purple.

Simply beautiful!

I made this card for a good friend of mine. She is invited to a wedding next week and asked me if I could make a little gift for the bride and the groom. I just love the simplicity of this design. The pattern is from Kissycross and can be found on her homepage.

I did it!

I finally mounded all the little cross stitch projects I made throughout the year to greeting cards. It comes to a total of 28 cards.

Here are also some closeups

Tantes Zolder

Last night I had two premieres at ones. I stitched for the very first time with Color Variation floss and I stitched my very first piece of a Tantes Zolder Design. I picked a little pattern to try it out, but I can promise there are lots more to come. This is truly one of my favorite Cross Stitch pages.

Santa's Head

I finished yesterday the pattern of the little Santa's Head and it turned out so nice. It's a real jolly one.