Boo!

That is what ghosts say, so it seemed a fitting title for this post since I finished Ghostly Mandala by Ink Circles this week:

The pattern can be found in the Just Cross Stitch 2014 special Halloween issue. I stitched mine on PTP Mire Cashel, using Mill Hill beads (requires 5145 beads). While the beads look black in the picture, they are actually rainbow black; this picture shows the different colors a bit better:

I have now moved on to my Lizzie*Kate Tingles WIP. Today I finished up part nine, so there are three parts remaining:

This one is being stitched on PTP Cauldron Belfast. Depending on how much stitching I get done this weekend, it might be close to finished by Monday. Ever since I finally finished the model I was working on for two months I've been loving getting to decide what I feel like working on; so many projects are calling to me!

Hope everyone has a great stitchy weekend!

Model is finished!

This past Thursday evening, I put the final stitches in the model for Judy Odell. On that Monday she told me that she had decided to enter the Online Needlework Show, so she wanted me to get as much done as I could, and send whatever I had done back to her in a week (i.e. tomorrow). The thought of sending it back unfinished bothered the heck out of me, so from Tuesday to Thursday I stitched for probably 30 hours to get it done. I was headed to my mom's house for the weekend, and I knew I wouldn't get much done there. So Friday, on my way out of town, I mailed the finished piece to Judy, and in a few weeks you'll be able to see it in the show at the Just A Thought "booth".

As you might imagine, I was a bit burned out after my marathon stitching sessions, so this weekend I didn't stitch at all. I did, however, get all the floss for Michael Jolly's Little Women wound onto bobbins. Tonight, after I got home, I went through my fabric stash and found a pretty blue and white piece of opal Belfast to stitch the design on, which should look like a beautiful summer sky:

I'm not sure when I'll start this one, but it's nice to know that it's ready to go when the urge strikes.

I have two pieces in line that I want to finish before I start anything else; they are Ink Circles Ghostly Mandala and Lizzie*Kate Tingles:

I'm thinking I'll finish the mandala first, just because it's so much fun to work with beads. :)

Hope everyone has a great stitchy week!

They're home!

My framed pieces, that is. For me, seeing a framed piece for the first time is almost as exciting as finishing the stitching; framing just adds that little bit extra sense of accomplishment. The pictures aren't the best, as it's difficult to not get glare from the glass; they look better in person!

First up is Nora Corbett's Red Kitten:

If you've been reading my blog for a while, you'll remember that I stitched this when my black cat, Tailor, was undergoing radioactive iodine treatment for her thyroid last year. I am happy to report that she is still doing well, and will have her 14th birthday later this month. I will always think of her when I look at this piece. :)

Next up is JBW Designs French Country Scaredy Cats, stitched on a piece of PTP Haunted linen:

The final stitched piece is Nora Corbett's Gigi, stitched on a Silkweaver solo:

I also had Nora's watercolor framed, and I wish I could get a picture that does this one justice; the outer mat is suede, and the frame has a great texture to it that really enhances the black swirls in the picture:

On the stitching front, I'm still working on the model, and didn't even take a day to work on anything else. I'm horrible at estimating stitching times, but I'm hoping to have it done in two to three weeks; then I'll have more stitching pictures to share.

Hope everyone has a great stitchy weekend!