Adopted WIP

It has been a busy few months filled with good times and a few trying events. Grateful for all, that's for sure.

Several weeks ago I adopted three WIPs from a local craft thrift store. It was thrilling, to say the very least. 

Evidently the very capable stitcher had to downsize his living situation, so he donated them to this store. As luck would have it, I walked in there the day after they were donated. 

This one is from Hands Across the Sea and it is called When Thou Art Rich. 

I purchased the project, scroll frame, silk threads, and chart. It is a real beauty! 

Everything was so neatly organized in labeled Floss Away bags. There were even extra AVAS silk skeins that were unopened. It was easy to pick it up and get going after I changed a bit of  the chart. 

This is how it looked when I purchased it!

I am okay with satin stitches, but just the same I instead recharted the upcoming satin stitch ones into cross stitches. 

Upon close inspection at home, I saw that what I thought were cross stitches were actually tiny algerian eyelets. The fabric is 42 count.  The scripture in the piece is done in algerian eyelets and one-over-one stitching. Thus I removed the writing that had been done, and recharted the band to an undulating vine and flowers. The stitcher had done such a beautiful job on the letters he had done, but there was no way I wanted to carry on with the same stitches. 

I really enjoyed using graph paper to rechart all of the things I wanted to change. I marvel at what designers do. I see how hard it is!

Here is what I have done so far: 

Progress is slow. I do find 42 count to be a bit of a challenge due to my eyesight at this point.  Nonetheless I will carry on with this lovely piece. 

I find lately I have been working much on a different adopted WIP that I have also recharted a bit. I will share more on that here another time. 

At this point I am up to seven WIPs. I had just three WIPS going  for quite awhile, but that amount has increased quite a bit! This is due to adding a SAL piece that I am doing with my dear friend as well as my three adopted WIPs. 

Have you adopted any WIPs? Please tell me how that went, I would love to hear your stories. 

Thanks for stopping by today. 

A Small Update - Yvonne Le Clerq 1905

Time has passed quickly and several months have come and gone. 

I wanted to visit several times and share photo updates of some of my WIPs, but I think my blogging goals are too lofty. 

With that being said,  I will share just a small update on Yvonne Le Clerq 1905. I sure love this piece! It is so colorful and full of happiness to me. 

A close up of the proud rooster

I stitch slowly and I realize I won't be done for a long while, but that is okay. I currently have just a few other WIPs, but more on my other WIPs another time. 

Do you like to have lots of WIPs or just a few? Perhaps you prefer having only one WIP? It is interesting how we are all different, but that is just fine. 

Thanks for stopping by today. 

New Lovelies to Stitch

 I would be a bit embarrassed to share my collection of charts waiting to be stitched. But as others have said, half the hobby is stitching and the other half (or more) is collecting things to be stitched. 

My collection includes dozens of leaflets as well as full collections of three no longer printed magazine series. Everything is stored in plastic totes on bookshelves.  It brings me joy to look through these once in a great while, and choose a new project. 

In 2025 I started just one new counted project, and that was Pretty Little Los Angeles from Satsuma Street. I did not purchase one chart in 2025, in fact. 

Unlike many stitchers, I do not enjoy starting new projects much at all. I don't like kitting them up, either. I realize that makes me quite odd!  I just enjoy stitching, and many of mine seem to take a long time to complete.  I wish I had more of a spirit to quickly start a new project, but I instead plod along on my established ones. 

I also did several stamped projects in 2025, and they have been a nice thing to do rather than counting. I turn to those when I want to stitch but I don't want to count or look at a chart. 

At one time I had about eight to ten WIPs. Some of them were close to twenty years old, but now I am down to just three of them. My oldest one was started in 2023, I think. 

With that being said, I received a gift certificate for Christmas for a designer I enjoy, but her company only sells needlework charts.  I thus had to buy some charts, and it was a great activity for me! 

On a side note, I used to call them patterns, but someone complained vehemently online in a stitching group about this "error"  that so many of us seem to make. I am now trying to call them charts. But really, does it matter? Not to me.  I feel that communication is the part that matters, and we all know what is meant by calling it a pattern. 

So out of curiosity, do you call it a pattern or a chart in regards to counted cross stitch. I truly don't judge either way, just wondered! 

The gift certificate was for TinyModernist, and I ordered these beautiful charts. 

This is "Woodland Christmas Cross Stitch". I am not sure if I will do the whole piece, or break it into ornaments. Knowing my stitching habits, I will probably stitch the whole piece.  I love the look of this one.

I also purchased this beautiful "Mini Christmas Banner". I love the colors in the design, as well as the fabric. 

Another purchase was "The Magic of Christmas". I will most likely change it to a lighter fabric due to my eyesight. I do adore this color, however. 

Just for fun, here they are in a beautiful arrangement of color and design. 

I hope to stitch one of these in the upcoming months. 

If you have time, please let me know if you call it a "pattern"or a "chart".  I also would appreciate suggestions for fabric colors for the Magic of Christmas, since this one is so dark for my eyesight. '

Thanks for stopping by today. 

Welcome, 2026!

It is hard to believe that we are already getting close to the midpoint of January. Time is flying by so quickly, it seems.

 Last year brought extensive water damage to our home, so we are glad that those repairs are finally completed. It is disruptive to have a portion of one's house unusable, but we made it through just fine. The repairs took 1/3 of the year, and they were finished less than a week before Christmas. 

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I am starting out 2026 with just three WIPs.  

The oldest one was started in June of 2024, and it is Yvonne LeClerq 1905 from Reflets de Soie. I am using DMC thread on 32 count antique white linen. 

I am also working on The Night Before Christmas from Tiny Modernist. I also started this piece in 2024, but in November. It is really coming along, and I am 3/4 done. The fabric I am using is Silver Lining from Live and Dye LA. 

Finally, in October 2025 I started Pretty Little Los Angeles by Satsuma Street. I haven't done a terribly large amount on it, but some buildings are done, or just about done. It is being stitched on 32 count "Malt of the Fair" fabric from Live and Dye LA. 

Here are photos of my various WIPs: 

Yvonne Leclerq 1905

The Night Before Christmas

Pretty Little Los Angeles

I am certain to have some more WIPs at any time soon, but for now I am happily working on either of these three pieces.  

Thanks for stopping by today! 

Christmas is Approaching

Christmas is fast approaching and we were just about ready. I say were as we 'were' almost ready until we got struck with a cold virus. At this point we have delayed our Christmas celebration and we will have it instead at a later date when we are feeling better. 

I have been stitching just a tiny bit and enjoying the stitching time I find. Lately I have been working on Yvonne LeClerq 1905 from Reflets de Soie. I am using DMC threads on 32 count linen. 

I so love how this piece is turning out. 

Thanks for stopping by today! 

A Small Update

Times have been busy, but time for a small update.  I recently stitched a towel for a family member. I love how this turned out!

I also want to share these stitched pieces that were made by others.  

These two crewel pieces were stitched by an unknown person.  I received them via a community giveaway page.  Aren't they fun and vintage?

A stitching friend of mine stitched these two Prairie Schooler designs and inserted them into some fun painted wood pieces.  I love getting them out each year for our display. 

I have been busy working on my Yvonne Le Clerq Sampler, as well as Winter Quakers. Life has been full of busy activities so I don't get as much done as I would like to, but that is how it goes. 

Thanks for stopping by today! 

Fractal Bookmark Comes Out of Hiding!

I am diligently working on Sarah Braizear's satin stitching, but I do need to switch it up a bit as I can only do this satin stitching for just so long in one day. It is intense with my eyes having to really focus to get it (somewhat) right.

That being said, I pulled out Fractal Bookmark 705 by Cross Stitch Collectibles  yesterday. I haven't worked on it since the end of March, in fact.  It is fun working on this beauty again, and the colors really fascinate me as the design develops.

Thanks for stopping by today!

Sarah B Progress

Summer is quickly passing by us. We are staying home, relishing simple things.

I am still working on Sarah B. I will need to go back and do all the satin stitches, as well as the rest of the lettering. These parts will take me a long time, to be sure.

 On a positive note, I am almost done with the motifs!

Thanks for stopping by today.

Progress on Sarah

It has been a busy few weeks around here. We are still staying home.  Many orders have been lifted in our area and there is more freedom to go places, but we choose to stay in our home.  When we go outside, we wear masks and are very cautious.

 We have also been isolated from other family members and friends since the middle part of March.  We miss them all so much!

Zoom meetings help a bit in staying connected, but it's not quite the same. Nonetheless we are grateful that we have technology.

Lately I have been working on Sarah Braizear 1829.  Here is my progress on this piece.  I'm finally seeing some light at the end of the tunnel.

Sarah B:

Thanks for stopping by today! 

Learning Curve on the iPad , Some Progress, and Neighborhood Flowers

I recently switched to posting from my iPad. There is a definite learning curve involved!

Today I accidentally deleted a comment written yesterday. Please know this was not done on purpose. I did not even see who left it, and I deeply apologize for deleting your comment.
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We have been walking a lot this season, and I have been stitching most days as well.

Sharing photos of stitching and recent views on walks and in our yard.

Thanks for stopping by today.

While on our evening walk we viewed a gorgeous scene in our neighborhood.  The jacaranda trees' leaves adorned the street in lovely purple hues. 

Here is Sarah B. as she looks today:

An earlier view of Sarah B:

A lovely bed of colorful roses in our neighborhood last month:

A collection of flowers I saw on our walk last month:

Jacaranda trees blooming in our neighborhood:

A very blue sky for our area, and lovely jacarandas. 

The pandemic's stay-at-home orders helped out a lot with air pollution. 

This was a magical morning in early May:

Some roses my late brother planted in front of our home, decades ago:

A lovely sunset in our neighborhood, taken a few evenings ago whilst on our walk:

A jacaranda tree, taken this week:

A magical evening this week when the streets were decked out in purple: