Christmas Holly Stitch-a-Long, part 3

Hi everyone! Not sure where the last three weeks went... perhaps I was abducted by aliens??? But I did do some stitching. 

Here's where I was last time: 

And here's where I am now:

I finished the first color leaves, and added some of the branches to help move me across the fabric. And, frankly, the branches really help the leaves feel, well, like leaves. I also started a bluey-green leaf at the lower left, so I'm hoping to get those stitched by next time. 

In the meantime, don't forget to check out the amazing projects my fellow stitchers are working on -- I love seeing what they're working on! Avis, Claire, Gun, Christina, Kathy, Margaret, Heidi, Jackie, Megan, Deborah, Sharon, Daisy, AJ, Cathie, Linda, Helen, Cindy, and Mary Margaret.

13x13 May edition

In April I finally tore open this (faux) Vintage Halloween kit from Bucilla. The felt-and-sequins vibe is right up my alley!

My play was to make just the skull and the cat -- I didn't think I could get all six done, and those two were my favorites. So I did!

Cute, right? When I eventually go back to this kit I think the pumpkin or the ghost is next. We'll see. 

However, for the next month I'm going to stitch another lovely Satsuma Street kit, appropriately titled "'til death": 

Her work is always so pretty and the colors so vibrant. These are stitched on perforated paper, and the hat / headpiece are stitched separately and attached after. 

As usual, I'll check back in on June 13 to share my finished ornaments, as well as my next project. I'm thinking of something new!

Christmas Holly Stitch-a-Long, part 2

Hi everyone! It's been a busy three weeks -- amusingly, I felt like I hadn't gotten much done, but when I compare my "before" and "after" pics, I feel pretty good. 

Here's where I was last time: 

And here's where I am now:

Thanks for the feedback from my last post -- where I didn't like the colors and thought the leaves felt washed out. I think you're right, that when I get more of the leaves stitched I'll feel happier with it. The different leaves represent different types of holly, and by our next check in I'll have finished all the leaves in this color, and will be moving on to another type. 

In the meantime, don't forget to check out the amazing projects my fellow stitchers are working on -- I love seeing what they're working on! Avis, Claire, Gun, Christina, Kathy, Margaret, Heidi, Jackie, Megan, Deborah, Sharon, Daisy, AJ, Cathie, Linda, Helen, Connie, Cindy, and Mary Margaret.

May OMG - Traffic on Safari

I've been working on my first large quilt -- queen-sized! -- in years. 

So far -- with the encouragement of One Monthly Goal -- I have stitched most of the top, and I am THRILLED by it.

In May my goal is to finish the top (which is close, I just need to trim it up and sew on the top and bottom sashing) and... and this is the "hard" part... arrange to have it quilted by a longarm machine. 

I'm absurdly anxious about finding a longarm quilter. Not the cost (though I know it's expensive), but finding the "right" person, doing the "right" things feels daunting. That's why I'm setting this as my goal, to keep myself accountable. Any tips from the quilters in the house?

The One Monthly Goal link-up is organized by Elm Street Quilts and Stories from the Sewing Room with the idea that we can just focus on one task and make progress. You can see all the monthly projects on the May Link-up Page. 

Elm Street Quilts One Monthly Goal May Link-up