Spooky Hallowe'en Blog Hop

Hello there, blog hoppers and minions!  It's that magical time of year for Jo's Hallowe'en (look I put the apostrophe in) Blog Hop.  I've scheduled this post to appear in the wee hours of the morning here as many readers are from the future... Or at least from over the puddle.  If you're stumbling onto the game from my blog, please head on over to Jo's blog to start!

Google-y Oogley

This year I have a Shiny New Finish, full of firsts!  It is my first time stitching on black fabric (I've done black perforated plastic), my first flatfold finishing, and my first Frosted Pumpkin Stitchery (finally)!  So much YAY!

not a whole lot of border fabric -- whoops

Technical Details

• "All Hallows Eve" pattern by Frosted Pumpkin Stitchery, found here.
• 2-over-1 on a 14-count black Aida.
• Backing material: Holiday Showcase™ Halloween Cotton Fabric 43" - Candy Corn Dot, remnant purchased at JoAnn Fabrics, and stash black felt.
• Finished stitching size: ~3" (7,6cm) square.
• Started October 4, 2017, finished October 15, 2017, unknown hours.

🎃💀👻🎃💀👻🎃💀👻🎃💀👻🎃💀👻🎃💀👻🎃💀👻🎃💀👻🎃💀👻🎃

small kine goodies

Because I stitched on black, I made a few adjustments to some of the charted colors.  Ms. Witch is in a fabulous navy dress, and Sir Mittens, her trusty familiar, is a dark grey gentlecat with dainty white paws.  The stars were stitched with E940 which is the wonderful glow-in-the-dark DMC.  I was surprised how... fluffy? this floss is.  It's in the light effects line so I guess I was expecting something more stiff.  But the coverage is great, even for 14-count!  Other than that, there were a few other tweaks, mostly involving the charted black floss.  I was not overly enthusiastic about stitching black on black and then not having it show up!

cell phone didn't like pretty glowing things

The tutorial I used can be found here on Meari's blog!  I am also big on recycling and using what stash I've accumulated/inherited.  I do not have any batting so I used some of my ample felt stash, in black.  This doubled to provide a dark background so nothing shows through the 14-count fabric holes!  Of course, since it was my first attempt, it's not quite perfect.  Mostly because my "flat" fold is not very flat at almost an inch thick lol.  Lesson learned, use pasteboard thickness!  What I used was not corrugated cardboard but more like two pasteboards pasted together... Still too thick apparently!

help yourself to healthy(?) snacks

I found the finishing fabric on sale in the remnant bin. It is partly responsible for the choice of black Aida.  I was waffling between it or a navy.  Can't say I much like to eat candy corn (says the sweet tooth) but they do look cute~  I left one back piece as exposed felt because it wouldn't really be seen at any point.  The "cording" is three pieces of yarn twisted together.  Orange, black, and some really strange hairy black stuff (like eyelash yarn but... hairy) that is rather creepy all on its own haha.

And here's what you've all been waiting breathlessly for: The letter!

the letter B - more Google-y Oogley

Your next stop is Le Coeur Celtique so keep on hopping (ghosting?  zombie-ing? witching?) your way along!

HAPPY HALLOWE'EN!

Birthday Rambles and FotM - May Edition!

Hi! Did you survive May? Do you believe it's June? I'm still in denial. :b

I have safely made it through another birthday and even managed to get stitchy related stuff this year which is really exciting! I am never sure if gifters want to be announced "in public" so I have left out the names but I LOVE YOU GUYS! ;u;

The first was so completely unexpected that when I received the package I didn't understand why it was even coming in the first place haha. I opened it up and saw the little parcel wrapped in lovely blue paper and my husband, being the kind derp he is, decided that he needed to open it even though it was clearly addressed to me. o well, he opened it and I just gasped.

crystal whirlpool by picture this plus

:D Isn't it lovely?! I tried so hard to capture its loveliness but those of you with special fabrics know how that goes. It's a Picture This Plus fabric in Crystal Whirlpool, 28-count Lugana. My friend decided I needed it in my life and she was right!  It's such a big piece too! With SPARKLES~!  :D  Will I stitch one big thing? Will I stitch a million little things?! The possibilities are amazing! :D  I can even use this for Gifted Gorgeousness once I figure out what I'll put on it, eeeee!  :D

I may have blown up her Twitter feed in my excitement lol.


Next, way back in January I was RAK'd a $10 gift certificate to Frosted Pumpkin Stitchery! I knew (hoped) that they'd have their sale around this time of year and they did (code is SUMMER if you want to join in the fun too wink wink)! I have been wanting the Christmas Celebration Sampler since forever and figured since I had the gift certificate I might as well splurge a little and get one of the minis (lookit the kitty!). I did debate getting one of the SALs but I am very fond of display typography so the Christmas Sampler won out.  But when I went to check out, there was no where to enter the gift certificate code!  I think PayPal was glitching as it also said that I'd have a chance to review my order but nope, it just ordered directly.  I emailed them immediately after purchase because I was so puzzled why I didn't get a chance to enter the code. They were super sweet and applied the gift certificate amount after I sent it to them. 10/10 will definitely do business with them again!

three varieties!

Lastly, these aren't exactly crafty items though it is another hobby I love. I was complaining to my mom about a particular part of the yard that is awkward to mow/trim yet stays shady for about 80% of the day. She thought hostas would do well there so that's what she got me!  I look forward to mostly ignoring that corner now haha.

Also these lovely new pots. I teased my husband that I need more plants for them and he teased me that I should give the ones I have upgraded homes lol. We'll see who wins this battle. ;)

before

after

Now enough bragging and a shameful update on the still-incomplete February Violets. I did work on them more since Muppets are done.  I don't know what it is about this piece but they are very stubborn to stitch!  It's not a super confetti piece.  It looks cute.  What is it?!

I have also ran into a snag -- Hobby Lobby no longer carries the showcase huck towels! I liked buying them there (not only because they are the only store in ~50 miles to have anything needlework) because I could use the 40% off coupon. Now they don't have them! And they're not on the website! I have tried searching online at other stores with the cheapest being $6-8/towel. I feel unreasonably grumpy when supplies I like go out of production, how about you?

Hmm.... I almost feel like a new start...