Olympics Wrap-Up and Paralympics Plans

I hope everyone had a chance to enjoy the Olympics if they were interested! Seemed like a great games overall, lots of interesting achievements by athletes and great competition. 

I managed to get quite a few WIPs out, so here we go! (there's quite a few again)

Crossed Wing Collection was a good place to start and we last saw Hummingbird Garden here:

and after one night, there's a decent amount of fill:

Hummingbird Garden by Crossed Wing Collection

stitched 2 over 2 as charted on 28ct Largesse by Chromatic Alchemy

The next one is part of the same chart collection:

and I managed quite a bit of this colour:

Thistle Stop by Crossed Wing Collection

stitched 2 over 2 as charted on a scrap of Cumulus? by Chromatic Alchemy

Then a fun Lizzie Kate one that I'm using stash threads on. It used to be here:

and now:

Normal is Just a Setting on the Washer by Lizzie Kate

stitched 2 over 2 with stash threads

Next up another one with words, also a start from 2021:

The second photo doesn't show the fabric well, but it does show the update:

Warm Winter Wishes by Waxing Moon Designs

stitched 2 over 2 on 28ct Cumailitis by Chromatic Alchemy

with stash threads, DD Down Under Blues so far

Another 2021 start coming up:

and now:

Noel by Bent Creek

stitched on 28ct Chromatic Alchemy fabric scrap

with WDW Fathom and Blue Bonnet, odd Dinky Dyes for orange and the grey is Silks4U PR026, DMC Etoile

Another one with words! Here's where it was:

and now:

Moon and Back by Heart in Hand

stitched 2 over 2 on 28ct linen with Gloriana threads mostly

And now a rare Satsuma Street was here:

and now a bit more:

Happy Halloween by Satsuma Street

stitched 2 over 2 as charted

on 20ct Fiddler's aida?

This next one is sort of finished, but I decided to try and add a semblance of our actual house:

And the garage is almost complete! Haven't decided if I'll sketch in a driveway or not, but the house will be below the letters.

Everyone Brings Joy by Waxing Moon Designs

   stitched 2 over 1 on 14ct Aida I think with stash threads

Next up was a more Herculean effort, I picked up a full coverage, 1x1 project and worked on it for about 500 stitches (3 days). It started here:

and here it is now:

Peacock Infinity Feather by CrossStitch4Everyone

stitched 1 over 1 full cross on 28ct Amethyst Spirit by Chromatic Alchemy

And that's it for Olympics stitching! No finishes, but quite a few projects had progress, which feels pretty good. Next up is the Paralympics and I think I'd like to try and finish Do Not Meddle during that. I'm quite far along and it just needs a push! 

I hope everyone has been feeling well, and having good stitching days. 

Happy Stitching,

Tiffstitch

Gifted Gorgeousness 2021 - March Edition and February Wrap-Up

I'm finally managing to get myself together enough to post for Gifted Gorgeousness! Hosted as always by the excellent Jo, please check her post to get the links for everyone's posts and check out their lovely works. 

I haven't managed many posts this year so far, but I have been very dedicated to keeping up with the huge HAED I started on New Year's Day, Amazing Animal Kingdom. Another WIP was finished this past month, as well as a bit of work on a few others too. I got a little behind in my stitching for Animal Kingdom while I finished Princess and the Dragon back in January, but I'm almost caught up to where I had hoped to be by now, well over 20K stitches! 

Enough talking, what have I been stitching? 

In Harmony - for DH

In Harmony - kit by Dimensions

stitched 2 over 2 or 3 over 2 as charted, tent and full stitches with kit threads and fabric

I started this one many, many years ago, when I was still into cross stitch kits and unaware of any other options. Shortly after starting this, I discovered this whole other world of cross stitch designers and charts and fabric that I obviously had to try! So this hasn't had a heck of lot of work over the past few years, but will get a fair bit this year. One of the Facebook challenge groups wants you to stitch on your oldest WIP if you don't have a WIP that fits that week's challenges and I think this is currently my oldest WIP. 

When I pulled it out this year, it looked like this:

Kiss for a Snowman - for DD

Kiss for a Snowman - Dimensions kit

stitched as charted with kit threads and fabric and a bazillion French knots!

This one has been hanging around since CJC of 2015 I think. I'm so glad to get it finished off. I'm thinking a flat fold might be a good way to finish it, although I might just frame it as well. It's so nice to finish!

Do Not Meddle - stunt stitching

Do Not Meddle - by Dragon Dreams

stitched 1 over 1 on 28ct Monaco with charted DMC

I'm so far behind on finishing this one, but I still have some hope it will happen this year. One whole dragon to stitch, and less than half of another isn't too much stitching to do. 

Twilight LeMans - for DH

Twilight LeMans - by Heritage Stitchcraft

stitched 2 over 2, 1 over 2 on unknown 28ct fabric

with DMC as charted

Another one that's been hanging around since 2015 or 2016 and those Crazy January/February Challenges, and you can kind of see the cars now, which have some weird quarter stitches to try and get the shape. Hopefully they'll turn out okay. 

Moon and Back - for DD

Moon and Back by Heart in Hand

stitched 2 over 2 on 28ct linen with Gloriana threads mostly

This is a long narrow piece, and mostly words, so I don't think it will take too long if I'm able put a little bit of time into it. Plus I'd like to get it done while DD still appreciates this kind of stuff. I know she might not in another few years. 

And now, the project some of you might have been waiting for, Amazing Animal Kingdom! Last time I showed it, it looked like this:

And now, one full page is done and over 3/4 of another is complete, plus some into another 2 pages, and there's a little over 21K tent stitches into this one so far:

Amazing Animal Kingdom by HAED and Aimee Stewart

stitched 2 over 1 tent stitch on 32ct experiment 19 by Chromatic Alchemy

I'm still pretty happy with this one, and it's neat seeing all the animals appear. There's the cockatoo, a gorilla, a parrot or macaw, a cheetah below that and an elephant is starting to appear with a baby right below it. I'll still stick with it and see how it goes. If I use this as a focus piece, it will take a few years to complete, so we'll see if I can stick with it. 

Stay well and happy stitching!

Tiffstitch

Gifted Gorgeousness - August 2020 Edition

I missed last month and am almost missing this month too! So that means lots of photos, hopefully no one minds. :) Please check out the list at Jo's amazing blog if you haven't already, and see what everyone else has stitched.

1) for DD

 Loved You Yesterday by Cherry Hill Stitchery

stitched with stash threads on 14count damask aida

2) for DD

 Mini Winter Magic by HAED

stitched 1 over 1 full cross on 28ct Monaco

3) for parents

 Woodland Santa by Mill Hill 

stitched as charted with kit threads and beads

4) for DD

 mini Faery Tales by HAED

stitched 2 over 1 on 18ct aida as charted

5) for DD

 Moon and Back by Heart in Hand

stitched 2 over 2 on 28ct linen with Gloriana silks

6) for Clare-Aimetu 

 free flower from Durene Jones FB page

stitched as charted to send to Clare for her flower tree

7) for DD

Princess and the Dragon by Charting Creations

stitched 1 over 1 full cross on 28ct Amarinthine by Chromatic Alchemy 

8) for DD

Kiss for a Snowman by Dimensions

stitched as charted with kit threads and aida

9) for Dad

Siberian Forest QS by HAED

stitched as charted 1 over 1 full cross on 28ct Monaco

I was debating about putting the last one as its own post because it's so exciting to have finished it! My first ever HAED finish! But I'll put it in here and work on FFO'ing it for Rachel's FFO post next month. My dad is having a big birthday this year, so I think it will be a good gift. He does love tigers. I also debated keeping it, but I think I'd like to pass it on. I have others I want to finish and put up in our house too. I swear Pattern Keeper is amazing. This never would have been finished without that app. 

I hope you've all had good months! I plan on getting another post up soon with plans for the rest of the year now that we're almost out of August and I feel that I've caught up on some things I wanted to work on. 

Happy Stitching! and stay well!

Tiffstitch