DSDUCJFC 2015 - Day 58

Hello dear things!

I have been waiting to stitch this chart for so long, deliberately leaving it to nearly last as an incentive to keep going. I usually substitute the recommended Kreinik for standard DMC thread but am going to use the gold and silver this time for the blingy treasure. It should go well with the fabric.

My Treasure

Free design from Dragon Dreams Inc here

Stitched on 16ct Cream aida with Gold Lurex by DMC 2 over 1

Last new start tomorrow. :(

Happy stitching
Crazy Rachel x

DSDUCJFC 2015 - Day 57

Hello once again!

Remember little Puddle Duck from a couple of weeks ago? This is the second duck in the set of 6 (I'm not doing the other 4) and is just so cute! Thursdays are my quietest days so I was hoping for a start and finish. But time ran out with just the backstitching to do. A bit frustrating but I can guarantee he'll be completed in early March.

Featured in Cross Stitcher April 1999
Designed by Lucie Heaton

Stitched on 16ct Light Blue Aida 2 over 1

Two more new starts to go and I'm finally getting excited about crossing the finishing line!

Happy stitching
Crazy Rachel x

Stitch From Stash - Febraury 2015

Hello everybody, especially SFSers!

February was almost a budget nightmare! I could easily have blown the budget to smithereens by purchasing all the threads I needed for my February Challenge pieces. But I was good and decided to purchase a few each month in order to stay within budget. :)

Here are the financial details:

BROUGHT FORWARD - £9.87
FEBRUARY BUDGET - $25 = £16.60 (at 01/02/2015 exchange rate)
AVAILABLE TO SPEND - £26.47
SPENT - £23.23
EARNED - $4.00 = £2.66
CARRIED FORWARD - £5.90


Spending:
* £22.23 on threads, specifically for the 28 February new starts
* £1.00 for dinosaur abc chart from ebay

Qualifying projects worked on (charts older than 6 months):
* spring
* coffee
* star trek TOS
* summer
* cream
* canal crossing
* puddle duck
* clue
* autumn
* sugar
* the lock
* evil minions
* winter
* tea
* milk train
* waterlogged
* my treasure

Non-qualifying projects worked on (charts purchased within the last 6 months):
* winter owl
* gryffindor
* pretty little london
* polar bears
* hufflepuff
* red foxes
* ravenclaw
* pretty little paris
* spotted owls
* slytherin
* pandas

Qualifying projects completed:
* Lizzie Kate February flip-it stamp (chart gifted October 2014) = $4

Non-qualifying projects completed:
* none


Now the starting frenzy of the Challenge is over I can return to my focus pieces. Hopefully I will also finish a couple of Challenge starts in March in order to boost my budget!

Happy stitching
Crazy Rachel x

DSDUCJFC 2015 - Day 56

Morning!

The final Harry Potter crest has come out to play. It's dedicated to all those would-be Slytherins that I might have upset when I mentioned banning them from my blog!

I didn't get as much done as I wanted but it's still a good start.

Harry Potter - Hogwarts Slytherin Crest

From theworldinstitches (etsy)

Stitched on 16ct Cream Aida 2 over 1

The end is in sight..... only 3 new starts left including a real cutie tomorrow. Quack!

Happy stitching
Crazy Rachel x

DSDUCJFC 2015 - Day 55

Good morning!

This is the last of my sepia Silhouette starts (for 2015 anyway!) I know it's not very colourful and you can't see much of the cream thread on the cream fabric, especially with it being one strand, but here's my progress for the day.

Milk Train
Heritage Crafts Silhouette

Stitched on 16ct Cream Aida 1 and 2 over 1

And now for something completely different..... if you are a fan of all things crafty, or are thinking about trying a new craft, pop over to Summers Sewing Room and have a look at her beautiful creations. If you think cross stitching is rewarding then prepare to be amazed! Her ribbon work is especially awesome, although it's her Woodland Babies Afghan that I'm in love with the most.

Happy stitching
Crazy Rachel x

Lizzie Kate February Flip-It Stamp - finished!

Hello earthlings!

This month's stamp stitched up quickly and was again worked on between Challenge pieces. Like January's it will be finished into an ornament..... eventually!

February Flip-It Stamp by Lizzie Kate

Stitch Count 47 x 47

Stitched on 16ct Rustic Aida 2 over 1

Started - 5th February 2015
Finished - 24th February 2015

Total Stitching Time - 11 hours

I know I've only done two, but I'm loving them so far. And this earns me another small SFS bonus! :)

Happy stitching
Crazy Rachel x

DSDUCJFC 2015 - Day 54

Hello again!

This is the last in this particular set of Little Black Cat designs. I love the detail in the pots - the "squished" stitches are really worth the effort!

Little Black Cat - Tea

Heritage Crafts
Stitched on 32ct Sky Blue Murano evenweave 2 over 2

Happy stitching
Crazy Rachel x

DSDUCJFC 2015 - Day 53

Morning all!

Hooray! I've finally caught up reading and commenting on blogs! Honestly, if I get more than one day behind I find it so hard to catch up. Guess I shouldn't follow so many! I could always strike some off my reading list! NO! Only joking!

A very appropriate start for the season (if you're in the northern hemisphere that is!) I love the blues and purples in this one. It's so atmospheric. Pity the sky doesn't really look like that (well, it doesn't where I live anyway!)

The Four Seasons - Winter

Featured in Cross Stitch Crazy issue ???

Stitched on 16ct White Aida 2 over 1

Happy stitching
Crazy Rachel x

DSDUCJFC 2015 - Day 52

Good morning!

Not a lot of progress for the day on this new start. The children are away with the Scouts again so hubby decided that we should sort out the kitchen cupboards! What? That's more important than cross stitching is it?? He needs to get his priorities right!! Still, we did get rid of a lot of stuff we never use so it was well worth the time and effort.

Spotted Owls

Featured in Young'uns by Gloria and Pat

Stitched on 16ct Tumbleweed over-dyed Aida by Fabric Flair 2 over 1

 I hope it's not too long before I return to this piece as it's just so cute!

Happy stitching
Crazy Rachel x

DSDUCJFC 2015 - Day 51

Morning!

A tiny start for today, the evil minions from Despicable Me 2. When completed I thought I would make this into a reversible hanging ornament - if it ever escapes the bin of shame that is!

Sad to say the Pixel Power curse is still with me though - on Star Trek I only managed to stitch Uhura's hair, Clue required constant frogging and this one... I stitched the wrong colours - and it's not as if there's that many to choose from! Maybe I'm jinxed and shouldn't do any more from this company!!!

Evil Minions

Free chart download from pixelpowerdesign.com here

Stitched on 16ct Platinum aida 2 over 1

And now for the big March to-stitch-or-not-to-stitch reveal. Thank you to everyone who voted and/or left a comment either trying to knock sense into me or urging me to carry on. It was a very hard decision to make but in the end my head had to rule over my heart so, I'm afraid/pleased (depending on your viewpoint) to say that I shall not be carrying on daily new starts past 28th February :(

My main reasons are:
1) I would like to return to my big projects (alright, I could do both I suppose)
2) I would like to finish at least some of the 59 starts (less likely if I start more)
3) I would probably have to buy more fabric and threads (an unnecessary expense)
4) I would like to leave enough for the challenge next year (without buying any more)
5) and most importantly..... when I agreed to do February I promised there would be no more new starts other than those planned at the beginning of the year..... and I like to keep my promises.

I also strongly considered the psychological effect that, later in the year, I would feel guilty or overwhelmed or depressed to look at a box full of projects which have become UFOs instead of WIPs, Deep thinking there!

So, it's 51 down and only 8 more to go. Honest!

Happy stitching
Crazy Rachel x

DSDUCJFC 2015 - Day 50

Hello!

Yesterday's Harry Potter quiz seemed to be quite popular, producing 5 Gryffindors, 4 Ravenclaws and 1 Hufflepuff. No Slytherins I'm pleased to say - if anyone had been a Slytherin I probably would have blacklisted you from my blog!

This is the only other Pretty Little City I have in my collection (so far!) It's nice and bright and cheerful, unlike the wind and rain outside. I'm really, really, really looking forward to returning to this one.

Pretty Little Paris

From Satsuma Street (etsy)

Stitched on 16ct Apricot Sunset hand-dyed aida by The Crafty Kitten 2 over 1

It's also the end of the voting for whether or not I should continue daily new starts into March. The result was 67% for continuing and 33% for calling it a day. I'm actually quite surprised by that. After much contemplation, deliberation and procrastination (ooh, big words!!) I have decided to...... tell you my decision tomorrow - ha, ha, ha!!!

Happy stitching
Crazy Rachel x

DSDUCJFC 2015 - Day 49

Good morning once again!

Back to Harry Potter for the third Hogwarts House - Ravenclaw. I thought I'd start with the name banner this time, well, the R anyway! It looks too far to the right for the rest of the name to fit on, but I've definitely counted it properly so it must just be an optical illusion. Strange!

Harry Potter - Hogwarts Ravenclaw Coat of Arms

From theworldinstitches (etsy)

Stitched on 16ct Cream Aida 2 over 1

If you're interested, and for a bit of fun, there's a link here to a 30 question quiz (thank you Justine) if you wish to know which Hogwarts house you would be sorted into. I'm in Ravenclaw, apparently. They're clever so that makes total sense!

Happy stitching
Crazy Rachel x

DSDUCJFC 2015 - Day 48

Hi y'all!

Apologies first - I'm behind on reading and commenting on blogs again! I've got about three days worth to catch up on so should be with you soon!

My thread order did not arrive so I only had two colours for this chart to stitch with. Luckily one was enough for the day!

The Lock
Heritage Crafts Silhouettes

Stitched on 16ct Cream Aida 2 over 1

I've had a few people ask what "squished" stitches are. I don't know the proper name for them and I'm not good at explanations but hopefully the following will make sense. When you do a 1/4 3/4 stitch the grid square is divided diagonally. For "squished" stitches the grid square is divided vertically or horizontally so that you stitch two crosses side by side or top and bottom where there would normally only be one stitch. The Little Black Cat designs use these cleverly for detail, and it also allows full stitches to "jump" half a square. Here's a section of yesterday's Sugar chart, which is probably more useful than my waffle! You should be able to enlarge it to see it better.

Any clearer?

EDIT: There's a tutorial page on the Heritage Crafts website here which shows the various stitches they use. Apparently my "squished" stitches are called horizontal or vertical half stitches (which is a bit confusing as they are still full crosses!) Now there is no excuse for not understanding!!!

Happy stitching
Crazy Rachel x

DSDUCJFC 2015 - Day 47

Good morning!

This is the third of four designs in the Little Black Cat series. I thought I would start with the pot first to get some colour into the picture. There are loads of squashed stitches in this series so I am really glad I chose and enjoy working on evenweave. This would be an absolute nightmare on aida - don't even consider it!

Little Black Cat - Sugar

Heritage Crafts
Stitched on 32ct Sky Blue Murano evenweave 2 over 2

Another sepia Silhouette tomorrow, for which I have only two of the required colours until my thread order arrives. That could be interesting!

Happy stitching
Crazy Rachel x

DSDUCJFC 2015 - Day 46

Morning all!

Back to The Four Seasons for my next start, this time to commence Autumn, my favourite time of year with wind, rain, leaves and darker evenings. The colours are quite bold giving the scene a much richer feel than the picture indicates although at the moment they just look like random splodges!

The Four Seasons - Autumn

Featured in Cross Stitch Crazy issue ???

Stitched on 16ct White Aida 2 over 1

Half-term holidays now - I wonder how much stitching I will be able to do each day?!

Happy stitching
Crazy Rachel x

DSDUCJFC 2015 - Day 45

Hello!

I have adored stitching this so far, even if it's only been some leaves and rocks. I think this will be one that I return to quite soon after all the new start challenge madness is over.

The Red Fox

From Young'uns by Gloria and Pat

Stitched on 16ct Iced Coffee over-dyed Aida by Fabric Flair 2 over 1

Happy stitching
Crazy Rachel x

DSDUCJFC 2015 - Day 44

Good morning again!

Daughter Heather says thank you very much for all the get well wishes and hugs you have been sending her. She's still totally exhausted but has an incentive to get better as she's supposed to be camping (indoors) with the Scouts next weekend. Next week is also half-term so she can concentrate on recovering without the added pressure of school.

On to my new start - it's the cast of Clue. Clue is my favouritest film of all time so there was no doubt I was going to stitch this sooner rather than later. If you don't know the film, it's a who-dunnit using the characters, weapons and rooms from the Cluedo board game. The superb cast (including Tim Curry, Eileen Brennan and Christopher Lloyd) do a brilliant job of bringing the game to life with fantastic over-acting and a witty plot. It's a very recommended good waste of 90 minutes if you get a chance to watch it.

Cast of Clue

From Pixel Power (etsy)

Stitched on 16ct Platinum Aida 2 over 1

But..... it was a nightmare to stitch! I kept miscounting, frogging, and talk about threads getting tangled up! It was a really frustrating day. Perhaps I was affected by friggatriskaidekaphobia!! There's another Friday the 13th in March so I think I'll not stitch that day!

Happy stitching

Crazy Rachel x

DSDUCJFC 2015 - Day 43

Hello all!

There was an outside chance that I could have stitched this all in one day but daughter is still poorly and required more hugs that ate into my stitching time. Oh, the sacrifices of being a mother! Still, I did get quite a bit done so am happy with my progress for the day.

Puddle Duck

Featured in Cross Stitcher April 1999

Stitched on 16ct Light Blue Aida 2 over 1

Pixel People tomorrow - but which one???

Happy stitching
Crazy Rachel x

DSDUCJFC 2015 - Day 42

Good morning!

Thank you all for your comments and opinions so far regarding whether I should continue the Challenge madness or not. There are some very sensible and philosophical stitchers out there who (I think) have knocked some sense into me. Opinion is fairly equally divided but I haven't made my final decision..... yet.

For my next start I left Muggledom behind and returned to the magical world of Hogwarts to stitch the Hufflepuff crest. I don't know why I love these designs so much. Yes I like Harry Potter but no more than reading the books and watching the films. It'll be lovely when they're all finished and hanging on my wall, although goodness knows when that will be!

Harry Potter - Hogwarts Hufflepuff Coat of Arms

From theworldinstitches (etsy)
Stitched on 16ct Cream Aida 2 over 1

See you tomorrow!

Happy stitching
Crazy Rachel x

DSDUCJFC 2015 - Day 41

Morning all!

Warning - wordy post alert!

Thank you for your best wishes for my daughter. She is recovering slowly but not back at school yet. That just means more hugs for me!

For this chart I only had three colours in my stash so was limited as to which bits I could do. Luckily I was able to stitch the barge and bargee. I've ordered some threads (staying within my SFS budget) but still need about 100 more! The question for the remainder is..... do I order them monthly and stay within SFS or do I blow the budget and order them all at once? I know which one my bank balance would prefer!!

Canal Crossing

Heritage Crafts Silhouette

Stitched on 16ct Cream Aida 2 over 1

I've had a couple of comments recently asking if I'm going to continue the daily new starts throughout March! I've certainly got enough projects and if I keep them really small I should have enough fabric and threads to delve into. One major concern is that I have been neglecting my larger pieces in order to do the Challenge but it has also been pointed out that I do stitch quite a lot on each new start. So, if I were to continue I would have to divide my time between the new starts and the bigger projects. That's achievable.

What do you think?

Anyway, what would it be called? DSDABUCJFMC - Debbie's Super Duper Absolutely Bonkers Ultimate Crazy January February March Challenge?!

Give me your thoughts and please be absolutely honest. You're my audience and your opinions matter. Would you still like to see daily new starts and postings or are you fed up with them? To make it more fun I've set up a voting widget-thingy on my home page. Please vote responsibly (although as many times as you feel necessary!)

Happy stitching
Crazy Rachel x

DSDUCJFC 2015 - Day 40

Hello again!

Two-thirds of the way through the Challenge and still going strong! I need to order some more threads, though, as I hadn't foreseen working into February and, despite having a large stock, typically do not have enough of the right colours for all the projects!

But I did have enough black to start - and finish - the little kitty. It's a pity I didn't get the eyes and nose stitched as well, but daughter is poorly at the moment and needed a big hug to get her off to sleep. Sometimes stitching is not the first priority!!

Little Black Cat - Coffee

Heritage Crafts
Stitched on 32ct Sky Blue Murano evenweave 2 over 2

More Heritage Stitchcraft tomorrow but something different.

Happy stitching
Crazy Rachel x

DSDUCJFC 2015 - Day 39

Hello again!

I was very tempted to start with the tree, as I did for Spring, but decided to stitch some of the leaves and sky instead. It doesn't look like much without the branches but it'll get there. And, yes, being a Sunday this was mostly achieved in the company of Top Gear!

The Four Seasons - Summer

Featured in Cross Stitch Crazy issue ???

Stitched on 16ct White Aida 2 over 1

Happy stitching
Crazy Rachel x

PS  From now on if/when I leave a comment on your blog you should find that I am no longer a no-reply blogger. I bit the bullet and changed the necessary bits of my profile. I don't seem to have lost any postings, followers, lists, etc. so all's well. Yay!

DSDUCJFC 2015 - Day 38

Good morning!

This is one of my few February cuties. I just couldn't resist starting these adorable Polar Bears with their cute little eyes and button noses! As with most baby animals (and children actually!) isn't it a shame they have to grow up?

Polar Bears

From Young'uns by Gloria and Pat

Stitched on 16ct Lagoon over-dyed Aida by Fabric Flair 2 over 1

If you like cute baby animals I would thoroughly recommend downloading the Young'uns booklet from the Gloria and Pat website here. All of their animals are really well designed and you get a massive 32 charts for $12.50. You can't go wrong for that price, even if you only like a few of them. And, no, I'm not working on commission, just passing on a link!

Happy stitching
Crazy Rachel x

DSDUCJFC 2015 - Day 37

Morning all!

Oh boy, with one thing and another I had a horrible day so did not manage to put the first stitch into this until gone 10.30pm, by which time I was not enthused and thinking more about the next day's project! Still, it's the first blip I've had since 1st January so I'm certainly not complaining.

This chart is being stitched to accompany The Next Generation crew I completed last year. Each character takes about 3-4 hours to stitch so progress will be easily noticeable. I like that in a project! This is Uhura's hair and collar (although at the moment it looks like her hair and beard!)

Star Trek - The Original Series

From Pixel Power (etsy)
Stitched on 16ct Navy Blue Aida 2 over 1

Back to a cutie tomorrow and, being a Saturday, I hope to get a lot done!

Happy stitching
Crazy Rachel x

DSDUCJFC 2015 - Day 36

Hello blogger friends!

Housekeeping first - I was only a few days behind but I think I've just about caught up with reading blogs, leaving comments and replying to those necessary. I like to try to keep up-to-date as much as possible but recently my stitching has been getting in the way. I can't think why!!!

I must also welcome new followers that have joined in 2015. I hope you are enjoying my stitching antics. For my more long-term followers, thank you for staying with me. You are all very much appreciated!

Now onto the Challenge piece. Not only is this design a lovely abstract representation of London but I also have great affection for the city - we live quite close to London, hubby used to work in Whitehall opposite Big Ben and I used to work in the financial area, watching the Gherkin being constructed from my office window. Frequent visits with the children have helped them appreciate the history and architecture of our Capital city, as well as allowing us to do the usual touristy things.

Pretty Little City - London

From Satsuma Street (etsy)

Stitched on 16ct Sunset Sky hand-dyed aida by The Crafty Kitten 2 over 1

I'll leave you with a hint about tomorrow's start - live long and prosper!

Happy stitching
Crazy Rachel x

DSDUCJFC 2015 - Day 35

Good morning!

I've been itching to stitch this piece since I bought it so was really happy to finally make a start.

Harry Potter - Hogwarts Gryffindor Coat of Arms

From theworldinstitches (etsy)

Stitched on 16ct Cream Aida 2 over 1

I intended to work from the top down but was missing the yellow so stitched the outline instead. It all met up in the right places so I assume I've counted correctly!

Happy stitching
Crazy Rachel x