Crazy January Challenge - Day 16 (because I can't count)

I admit it, I can't count!  I found that I had 16 projects to start instead of the 15.  I have been stitching on this a little bit today too as I am loving the fabric and the orange thread.

This is Behind the Gate by Blue Ribbon Designs and is a Halloween Countdown Calendar if you are not familiar with the design.  The fabric I am stitching it on is Sparklies 'Pumpkin Patch' on 28ct Jazlyn.  It is a gorgeous fabric to handle.

There hasn't been any photos of the two dopey felines lately so here is what they were doing the other night. Synchronised sofa curling up!  What a little pair of cuties!

Crazy January Challenge - Days 13, 14 and 15

These should be the last 3 starts, but I can't count to 15 it seems! I haven't taken a photo yet of my Day 16 start though so that is going to follow.

Day 13 saw Everyone brings Joy by Waxing Moon.

Stitched on SparkliesVireo 

Day 14 was Rosa by India Grace Designs.  Not much progress as the middle is all cut work so I had to count, recount and then double check that I was starting in the right place!

And what should be finally..but isn't...is Day 15's Halloween House by Ursula Michaels.  I decided to start with the border...don't know why, just did!

Crazy January Challenge - Days 11 and 12

They might be small starts but they are starts.  This is one challenge that I am keeping up with for once ;)

First off was Mirabilia's Touching the Autumn Sky which is stitched on Sparklies glacier jazlyn.  It's a lovely fabric to stitch on but is quite a loose weave.

Today I started Penguin Parade on 18ct 'mystery blue' aida. (Thank you Jo for giving me the fabric.)  It was rather odd working on a piece of fabric 5 feet long.  I ended up draping one end of it over Rachael as we were watching a film.  She wasn't impressed!

Oh, and I seem to be unable to count to 15 and look to have an extra project put aside for the CCJ.  Oh well, I might as well start it anyway!  I'm just going to double check that I have counted properly!

Crazy January Challenge - Days 6 and 7

Day 6 was Witchful Thinking from Pickle Barrel Designs which I was lucky enough to win in a giveaway by the designer last year.  Over half way through I realized that I was one stitch short in the upright of the letters stitched so far.  I looked at it, thought 'shall I unpick?' Very quickly that was followed by 'nah, it's fine' and I finished the last few letters off the same.  Now the question is...do I stitch the Witchful with one less stitch too, so they are the same height or as charted?

Witchful Thinking - Pickle Barrel Designs
fabric - Crafty Kitten, Bubbling Cauldron (second)

Day 7 was Winter Unicorn by Durene Jones.  As you can see I haven't had a lot of stitching time recently as there is an assignment due in.  2000 words on the depiction of the family in Peter Pan and 2 poems from 100 Best poems for children!  Thankfully that is now submitted and life can get back to normal for 2 weeks!

Crazy January Challenge - Day 5

Yesterday I worked on High Hopes which not only fulfills my Crazy January Challenge but also my Theme-a-licious and Just Nan SALs too.

I have only done a but of the white border which was frogged a couple of times as I'm not used to using perle threads for cross stitch and it looked a bit messy.

Crazy January Challenge - Days 2, 3 and 4

Oh dear...I used up my phone's whole month's data allowance uploading the video Rachael took of David Tennant to Dropbox in case I lost my phone whilst in London which meant I couldn't post to my blog.

So without further ado here are the missing days stitching starts.  I don't suppose it will surprise to learn that I didn't have time for much stitching?

So first is a start on Home of a Needleworker.

Then JBW's Christmas Tree.

 

And finally HAED's Santa ornament which I am doing over 2 rather than over 1 so that it is will be a bigger design rather than an ornament.  I am hoping that it is going to look ok but if not then I will restitch it over 1 instead.  I would like to turn it into a Christmas cushion eventually!

Crazy January Challenge - Day 1

Today, for the first project in the challenge, I decided to start 'Oh Christmas Tree' by All Through the Night. I am using Crafty Kitten's 28ct Oatmeal jobelan.  I decided on a DMC Variations thread (shade 4045) which is a very pretty shade of green.

So this is my progess so far today...

Sadly this is all that I will be able today as I was heating a couple of mince pies to have with a dollop of cream and caught the top of the pie with my finger just where the sugar top had caramelised.  Ouch is an understatement, as my finger blistered immediately. I'm still sat here 3 hours later with a wet paper towel wrapped round it as both ice packs need re-cooling. The mince pies were nice though!

Rachael and I go to London tomorrow to see David Tennant in Richard II, leaving the boys at home!  We are 3 rows from the front and Rachael is VERY excited - VERY EXCITED!!!  I have agreed to stand at the stage door afterwards in the hope we may meet him briefly.  Please don't let it rain!  I have to seriously question my mentality!

We have booked to do a touristy bus and river tour and Rachael wants to visit the Science museum too. Other than that I'm not sure what we are doing.

Crazy January Challenge

Well I mentioned the Crazy January Challenge a couple of times in my last blog post.  This year I have succumbed to the idea of it.  The new projects I am going to start in January (in no particular order) are:

1. Home of a Needleworker - LHN
2. Halloween House - Ursula Michaels
3. A Very Merry Christmas - JBW designs
4. Touching the Autumn Sky - Mirabilia
5. Everyone Brings Joy - Waxing Moon Designs
6. Penguin Parade - Mary Hickmott
7. Santa and the Mouse - HAED (yeah right!)
8. Behind the Gate - Blue Ribbon Designs
9. High Hopes - Just Nan
10. Footprints - Praying Hands
11. Oh Christmas Tree - All Through the Night
12. Moonlight Magic - Durene Jones (Cross Stitch Gold magazine)
13. Snow Queen - Joan Elliott (Cross Stitch Collection magazine) Halloween design - Pickle Barrel Designs (Snow Queen is huge and I have enough large projects at the moment!
14. Faerie Spring Fling - Nora Corbett
15. Rosa - India Grace Designs

This is not necessarily the order they will be started in but the 15 designs that will be started for the first 15 days of January.  Should be fun!!

Some of these don't have photos at the moment but I will add them later :)