Hip, Hip, Hooray a Finish!!

~Little Sweeper ~

WIPocalypse

Progress at last!

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My needles are very happy!!

This month's question deals with Fantasy or Reality, what's our preference?  

I happen to like a little of both on my cross stitch menu!

Victorian Motto Sampler Shoppe Christmas in July Giveaway

Victorian Motto Sampler Shoppe 

 is having another Christmas in July giveaway.

Click on the above link for your chance to win one of Nancy's beautiful samplers!

Forward ho

I finally shed a little light on this piece and, last evening, added the "r, a, d & t" at the right!

I must admit, it felt wonderful just stitching away for an hour or so. 

 The Mr. is off to pick up our grandchildren in Calgary this morning so I'll have today and tomorrow to happily work away in peace and quiet.  Our grands are staying for a month long visit so I'm not sure just how much I'll accomplish but it will be relaxing when I do have the opportunity!

Gifted Gorgeousness February Update

It's time once again for 

Serendipitous Stitching Gifted Gorgeousness SAL 

This is where we stitch projects that have the tag "gift" in any way, shape or form attached.

It's great fun and a wonderful way to start and finish those

*

"Two Long ~ eared Rabbits Poem"

is coming along nicely. 

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"Rose Watercolor Butterfly"

a new start for this month.

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I'm pleased with the progress for the month ")

Until next time,

HAPPY STITCHING ")

WIPocalypse for February

February's full moon brings with it

Measi's WIPocalypse at Measi's Musings.

Each month we post our progress on WIPs we have and encourage each other to put another stitch in to get the piece that much closer to being a finish.

Here's where things stood in January :

LITTLE SWEEPER

 WINDOWSILL BIRDHOUSES

TWO LONG~EARED RABBITS POEM 

 and how they look today

just finishing up the back stitch

finding the outer edge and parking

some lettering love

~

 I've also added over 5000 stitches to "THE ALCHEMIST" ! (HAP SAL)

ONE MORE POINT OF INTEREST,

If you're new to my blog and would like a chance at a GIVEAWAY I'm hosting, just pop over

HERE! A hint!!

 It involves floss ")

This month's query,

What do you do when you're in a rut?

My solution is rotation, rotation, rotation!!!

I may not have many projects on the go but what I do keeps me happy.

HAP SAL Progress

It's February 1st and that means it's time to check in with 

Crossed Stitches Huge Ass Project SAL

 January 1st, 2015 above

February 1st below

I'm almost finished with the first page, only 51 pages to go.

FLOSS GIVEAWAY  HERE!

HAPPY STITCHING  ")

Grow Your Blog 2015 with GIVEAWAY

 

 Welcome to my newest blog, 

By the Pricking of My Thumb. 

Dedicated to my interest in cross stitch and blackwork.

  Vicki of  2 Bags Full is hosting the 3rd annual Grow Your Blog Party!

I'm so happy you've popped in for a visit from my blog with varied interests,

sew.darn.quilt

Let's get past the part that makes me cringe, shall we ~

Hi. 

I abhor having my picture taken, I'm way too critical.

Okay, now that that humiliation is over with let's crack on.

Why do I like to blog? 

To meet folks like you!

 Really!!

 I live in a small village on the Canadian prairies and the blogging world is my way to connect with wonderfully talented stitchers of the world. I have recently rediscovered my love of cross stitch and am thoroughly enjoying the opportunity to meet other cross stitchers and share the passion of this art.

These are just a few of my pieces from the past few months.

I have joined  3 SALs (Stitch A Longs) for 2015 to encourage and cheer on by fellow cross stitchers.  You can check these out by clicking the buttons on my sidebar.

While you're at the sidebar, please consider following

By the Pricking of My Thumb. 

The more the merrier

If I reach 30 followers, through Grow Your Blog, I'll have a GIVEAWAY!

How about 10 SKEINS OF DMC FLOSS of your choice

 (solid colours only. no fancies).

Draw date February 15th, 2015, winner notified by email.

I'd love for you to follow along and share the process.

Enjoy meeting and greeting the other bloggers ")

HAPPY STITCHING*

Gifted Gorgeousness SAL ~ January

January 15th, 2015 brings me to the first post on

 Serendipitous Stitching's

The idea here is to stitch a project that has, in some way, been gifted to you. Whether in part or whole, as long as "gifted" can be added to the description, you're good! You can even stitch a little something and gift it away, it counts as Gifted Gorgeousness. This is not a competition either, but a gathering of supporters brimming with encouragement for each other. There are no minimum or maximums, only those self imposed to the number of projects you work on, so with that in mind here is my Gifted Gorgeousness for January 2015.

Two Long~Eared Rabbits Poem

stitched on 18ct ivory aida with DMC floss

I'm waffling on the shade of green. 

A Nancy Turner design that I chose with a gift certificate I won back in December.

A modest beginning to the SAL by other's standards but I have other stitching on the go as well and maybe next month I'll be able to add a few smalls that will be Christmas gifts in 2015!

Until next time,

HAPPY STITCHING ")

Play Time

A while ago I was playing around and came up with this piece from a sketch.

The letters ended up out of whack and the "S" is a bit strange but it's all about learning. Right?!

Miss Mouse hangs above my chair in the livingroom none the less.

HAPPY STITCHING  ")

WIPocalypse SAL January, 2015

With the full moon upon us, it's time for my first WIPocalypse SAL check in.

This is the second of three SALs that I have joined in an effort to "get er done" in 2015.

WIPocalypse is hosted by Measi of Measi's Musings and has been for the past three years.

I'm working on two WIPs at the moment with more on the way !

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I started the Little Sweeper, a Weekenders kit, at Christmas

and she's coming along nicely. This is how she appeared at New Years

and today's progress.

(my apologies again for the blurred pic, my camera and my unsteady hands are forces working against me)

The other piece I had been stitching on is 

Windowsill Birdhouses designed by Martha Edwards for Dimensions.

After sitting for too many years I picked this up again about 6 weeks ago but I stopped stitching once more, I'm not sure why. No doubt being anxious to start on The Alchemist, I suppose.

 I'll be placing some stitches over the next couple of weeks.

This design has full and half stitches, which can be a pain at times.

To join the WIPocalypse SAL click on the button in my sidebar and check it out! 

You never know, you may find that little umpf you need to get those WIPs out and finished in 2015!

All in all, not too shabby in the progress department, if I do say so myself!

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My WIP list will grow as I start

 Nancy Turner's  "Two Long-Eared Rabbits Poem",

 "Always Remember" and "Decorating the Tree"

as well as

"Out For A Ride" Designed by Diane Arthurs

"Rosewood Colorful Butterfly" designed by Karen Kluba

"Woodland St.Nick" designed by Sandi Gore Evans

You may have seen these posted on my other blog

sew.darn.quilt

 I'll be posting my cross stitch starts, progress and finishes here!

Linking up to http://measi.net/measiblog/ 

Dusting Off My Windowsill Birdhouses

I decided to dust off this cross stitch designed by Martha Edwards for Dimensions and maybe, just maybe I'll finish it in due course.

"Windowsill Birdhouses"

 10" X 14" on 18ct 

Welcome!

I decided to have a separate blog for my cross stitch interests so I would like to welcome you to

"By the Pricking of My Thumb"

January 1st, 2015 progress of my Heaven and Earth Designs cross stitch chart by Myles Pinkney,