Happy Halloween!

Pattern: Tea Time Pumpkin Coasters by Ira Rott
Yarn: Caron Simply Soft
Hook: Size H
Start/Finish: 9/23/2017

Good morning everyone! "Another glorious morning! It makes me sick!!" LOL Had to throw in some Hocus Pocus humor since it's Halloween today :)

I sent a small Halloween package to my friend Amanda this year. I found a cute DIY wood canvas kit at Target that I thought she'd have fun working on. I also sent her a Disney die cut that she was looking for and two books by Patricia Briggs that she hadn't read yet. I found the books while on one of my used bookstore jaunts. I knew I hadn't read them so I picked them up and as luck would have it I could pass them on to Amanda because she hadn't read them either ;)

In September I was looking on the Internet for a cute Halloween/Fall crochet pattern to make for Amanda's package. I found the pumpkin coasters pattern on Ravelry. Aren't they adorable? I love the ruffle edges.

I was hoping to get a better picture of the coasters, but my cell phone camera has trouble taking accurate photos of crocheted items. It will either make the picture darker than real life or wash out the colors completely. I just can't seem to win with it.

In other non-Halloween related news, I ordered fabric from MCG Textiles website. I got it in yesterday. I had sent a comment in with my order requesting a more creme colored fabric instead of their 'new' version of antique white evenweave. Well, they tried to help, but it still doesn't match what I had used previously. The color they sent was creme, but it was a dark creme instead of a light creme.

So on to Plan B.....well, I really don't have a Plan B.......but it will probably involve going to the store and buying some creme colored linen......assuming I can find it since Hobby Lobby has cut down on their selection of linens and evenweave in the needlework dept.

Anywho, I hope everyone has a wonderful Halloween!!!

Until next time ^____^

Crochet Wave Scarf - Rainy Day Crocheting

Pattern: Crochet Waves Scarf by Michael's
Yarn: Caron Cakes Bumbleberry
Hook: size I
Start/Finish: 10/21-22/2017

I broke out my crochet hook this weekend and starting stitching on a freebie pattern that I found at Michael's last weekend. I have several Caron Cakes sitting in my yarn stash and I finally used one on this lovely wavy scarf pattern.

I chose the bumbleberry color because purple is one of my favorites. I sent a few hours on Saturday crocheting and all of Sunday as well. I find it amusing that the 'completion time' on this pattern is supposed to be 4 hours...........I'm convinced that maybe my aunt can finish it in that amount of time, but I'm slow when it comes to regular, non-amigurumi crocheting. LOL

All in all, a perfect way to spend a extremely rainy Sunday. Crocheting, drinking tea, and eating an absurd amount of Oreos!!

I hope you guys have a great week! My coworker and I will attending a workshop in FL later this week. Work away from work!!! Fantastic!

Until next time ^____^

Christmas stitching in October?!

Pattern: Nutcracker Ornament by The Frosted Pumpkin Stitchery
Fabric: 28ct crystal mello Cashel opalescent linen
Threads: recommended, except for yellow threads
Start/Finish: 10/6-7-2017

Pattern: Snow Much Fun at the North Pole by The Frosted Pumpkin Stitchery
Fabric: 28ct crystal mello Cashel opalescent linen
Threads: recommended
Start/Finish: 10/8-10/2017

Pattern: Frosty Friends by Blue Ribbon Designs
Fabric: 28ct lambswool Jobelan linen by Wichelt
Threads: recommended
Start/Finish: 10/11-19/2017

I know, I know....what happened to fall stitching in October? Or at least normal stitching in October? I have a completely valid excuse, I promise, I can produce a doctor's excuse if I need to.....I'm pretty sure I can, anyway ;)

I was hoping to start on Jardin Prive's Eiffel Tower design using the same color thread scheme that was called for in the Marquise design. I was even hoping to use the same color fabric for the design. And that's when the universe went frolicking off into a field of rainbows without me.

So checking my fabric (28ct antique white evenweave by MCG Textiles), I noticed that it didn't match my Marquise design. I thought okay, maybe it's just mislabeled. Went by Hobby Lobby and Joann's Fabrics....and no, it wasn't mislabeled. I think they have changed the dye lot of the fabric so instead of a creme colored fabric called antique white, it is now off white colored fabric called antique white.

I've been online to see if anyone is selling the old color and looking at MCG Textiles' website, it looks like they might.........so I am going to have to buy some. I really want the Eiffel Tower to match the Marquise design......I know, I'm a glutton for punishment by insisting on this fabric color, but what I can say......nothing except I'm a glutton. LOL

So while searching for fabrics, I have been stitching several Christmas designs to past the time. Two very cute designs by Frosted Pumpkin Stitchery and a lovely snowman design by Blue Ribbon Designs :)

I'll probably make the Blue Ribbon Designs piece into an ornament and save the Frosted Pumpkin designs for a future finish.

Until next time ^____^

Fall and Halloween stitching!

Good morning, everyone! Long time no blog, right?! I haven't been lazing around since the last time I posted. Just busy with crafting, reading, etc.

During the month of September and October, I was busy stitching a lot of mini designs by JBW Designs. There are from her Fall Collection and the Halloween Ornament series. I used 28ct antique white M.C.G. Textile evenweave for the Halloween designs and 28ct Jobelan lambswool linen by Wichelt for the fall designs.

Do you guys remember the Christmas ornaments I made last year for my friends? Well, I am hoping to turn the fall/Halloween designs into ornaments for myself.

I've been on the lookout for finishing trim, but the only thing I have found so far is a pack of trim at Hobby Lobby. I was hoping to find some fall colored trim for the other ornaments, but no luck. A lot of the trim was way too big and would look weird around the cross stitch piece.

I haven't had any luck on finding ribbon to go inside the ornaments either....sigh....

I'll keep my eyes open and see if I get lucky, but I doubt I will this year. A lot of the stores are already putting out Christmas crafts. I might have to put my ornaments away until next summer (cuz that's when the crazy stores put out fall merchandise) and see what I can find.

Until next time ^____^