Introducing the Anti-Claus!

My last finish of 2021 was stitched in 10 days on 14ct Smokey White to give it that dirty snow storm look. The most notable change I made was to use Whisper W99 for that dashing black fur look!

The Maiden

Krampus is Coming to Town

 Season's beatings from Krampus! 

Stitched separately from the main pattern this banner will feature my Krampus Korner in 2022! This little gingerdead man flew in all the way from the Ukraine just for the occasion! 

The Maiden 

Creepmas

Not quite willing to let go of Halloween I embraced Creepmas this year and stitched this little guy in 5 days!  

It actually took longer than I anticipated, usually only working on the 14ct Aida during daylight hours. 

I substituted the following colors and could not be happier with all that glitters! Gentle Arts Barn Grey, DMC C816 and Petite Treasure Braid PB 10 (this gave a subtle green iridescence to the vines that I am living for!). The Maiden

Guardian of the Lake

 This Gorgon has me in her tentacles and will not let go! 

I have discovered a new designer, Salcutan Ludmila of PuntADOpetitePattern on Etsy, you will see many more chimera like women in my future! 

The Maiden 

She Waits

Stitched on 28ct Echo I have joined the Mother on Mirabilia's Andromeda (although I will not be attempting to complete the skin over 1!). Catch me if you can! The Maiden

Blooded Fangs

 My blood orchid bloomed long past all Hallows Eve and was not the only one reluctant to relinquish the season! 

Stitched with DMC 115 and C814 to give the fangs a freshly blooded look in 5 days. 

The Maiden

Golden Deco

 This shadow box frame was the perfect compliment for these dark florals from Tusk and Cardinal's book Creepy Cross Stitch!

The book has inspired my best finishes to date! 

The Maiden

If you Seek Advice...

 Baba Yaga is ready to receive visitors, but be warned she may want more than a snack!

Stitched on 14ct smokey white Aida with a full color conversion utilizing my stash. 

Her hut was finished by winding ribbon around twine to mimic the smoke from the cauldrons and topped off with a skeleton head presumably from one of her victims.

The Maiden 

Trapped Rat

My favorite finish to date, White Rat from Creepy Cross Stitch, was inspired by an 1980 Enescu mouse trap!  

Stitched on 14ct Aida in 3 days using the called for DMC as a SAL with @linasstitchlife 

I had a lot of options for finishing trims...

I did not head the warnings and this introduction was quite disturbing! 

The Maiden

@stitchingmaiden

Finally Frida

I will be running away tomorrow for a quick day trip to meet the Crone in St. George and thought it was high time I finished her Frida stitches with a little fanfare! 

This is the last stitch the Crone completed, her needle waiting for a time when life and her eyes will improve. I found this Skele Frida at Michael's and though it would make the perfect compliment to her haunted table set up! 

Edged with the fabric the Crone selected the last time we were in St. George I finished the two Barbara Ana Designs I stitched to dangle from these whimsical metal florals!

The monkey is my favorite. 

I do have one more Frida to finish, but she will have to wait for inspiration. 

The Maiden 

Anemic Berries

 Dear Deadberries, I love you. 

The Maiden

Double Moon Rise

 What is a girl to do when she cannot decide which color conversion to do? Why stitch both of course! 

I loved the monochromatic vibe of the left one and only altered the frame , where the red was added to the second stitch and gave it more of a Nosferatu vibe!  

Tiny faceted Garnets were added to the night sky, my birthstone! The Maiden

A Hearth to Die for!

When you let your new Stitchy Partner in Crime choose your next project she goes big, and selects the largest one! My first room from Creepy Cross Stitch Haunted Hearth saw touches of GA Woodsmoke (my new favorite) and metallic Kreiniks for the mirror and bronze skull. 

Don't you just want to cozy up by the fire and listen to the rain pelt the windows? 

The Maiden

Welcoming Committee

 Welcome Home, if you can get past the ghostly sentries the perfect stitching place awaits you! 

I recently inherited 2 large doll houses, one of which went to the Crone, and I think I am having more fun with the pieces than my niece! 

The Maiden 

Cranium Carnations

 My first fully finished object from Creepy Cross Stitch involved this dark lab set I found with The Crone in St. George. 

Finding skull beads with pink carnations for eyes was an incredible find on etsy! 

I really do love the way the colors pop on black fabric, and while I am not the biggest fan of Aida it does make your stitches look flawless! 

Gluing small skulls into the centers of flowers for an evening really puts you into the Halloween Spirit! 

The Maiden

Creepy Cross Stitch

 I have become absolutely enamored with the new release of Creepy Cross Stitch, convinced Lina of Lina's Stitch Life on you tube to SAL with me, and even got the Crone to purchase the book!

I have completed 5 of the 25 projects, and have been inspired to stitch the entire book. It is, in fact. the first cross stitch goal to ever make my bucket list!

I have had so much fun kitting the projects, and even found the amazing cross stitch bag to hold it all! 

My first SAL with Lina! 

I try to challenge myself in cross stitch, and stitching on black for the first time has definitely been challenging

Just a girl dreaming of fireflies that dance over graves...

Beaded moon anyone?

I have been inspired to do so many different types of finishes that some creative cropping is often necessary.

Boo! Hiss! Here I changed the spectral dog into a cat. 

The Maiden

Swan Song

 The moment you realize you have entered back stitch Hades...

and emerge on the other side 24 hours later!

Stitched in 8 days in 28ct Thunderstorm (my favorite for spooky projects) Blackbird Singing by Tiny Modernist was not the most enjoyable stitch (everyone knows how I feel about backstitching) but I could not be happier with the results! 

Gentle Arts Black Crow, Creek bed, and Butternut Squash were used, as well as DMC Etoile (which I now try to sneak into every project) in C725.

One will stay in my home and as soon as it is fully finished the second will head to the Crones for her Crow room. The Maiden 

I Dared!

 Enter if You Dare by Cherished Stitches snuck into my rotation as a restart on August 19, 2021. While I was remiss on restarting, I can admit it has produced some amazing results already! 

Stitched on 28ct Cauldron in 3 days while rewatching iZombie, I used Cresent Colors Nighty Night for the boarder (subbed DMC 939 when I ran out), DMC etoile in 310 (because I now sneak it into everything and do not have a stash of silk lame, yet!) and mill hill beads 02104 as they are my favorite critter eyes. 

The original work will find itself to it's new owner shortly, as I had stitched a quarter of it before I restarted, my very own version of save the stitches aided by Lina's Stitch Life! 

The Maiden   

Raven Queen

 The first of my restarts has seen some significant progress, despite my indecisions on certain aspects of the pattern 

The coverage is quite nice on 28ct, but I will admit I am going through Soie d'Alger Noir black silk like it is water! 

After some test stitching, I decided to stitch her skin 2 over 2 and think I will stick with the original blues in the dress (I debated converting to a gold color palate).  While I lament starting her over on 28ct I cannot argue with the results! The Maiden 

Starting Again

After months of debate, and hours on the phone with the Crone, I have come to the very difficult decision to restart select projects from my 42 WIPs. Buying hand dyed fabric once is costly enough, but twice? Insanity!  

Fearing I would never return to my WIPs I started on 32ct, I drove to my LNS and purchased the last 3 28ct fat quarters in these colors (she has not received a fabric shipment since Covid began!).  I am excited to see my first three restarts come to life, and hope that 28ct will rejuvenate them the way it has my newly started projects! The Maiden

Slowly Taking Flight

 We have wings, and the realization that this is a full size Mirabilia and not a Nora Corbett Pixie! I tried to push through the 32ct thinking that a lighter fabric may be more forgiving, but it was no use. Body aches and headaches abounded. 

At the suggestion of the Crone, and not wanting to restart this project, I have decided to try the 1 strand a day method. I hope to have this project and my latest start completed by Halloween (now that I have stated this it most likely will not happen, hahaha)! 

Am I the only one obsessed with Valdani's Subtle Elegance? The Maiden 

Pop of Poppy

Finding my next focus project has been challenging with the majority of my 43 WIPs on 32ct presenting a physical road block to my stitching post accident. Reluctantly I restarted Poppy, and while I had no 28ct fabric in my stash (let's face it, I used to be a higher count snob) I thought a lighter belfast would suffice. 

While I secretly love her floating head, the change in fabric was not enough for me to find an easy enjoyment while stitching, so she will be put away for another day. The Maiden

Final Frida

I unfortunately angered the cross stitch Gods by taking a break from my Mermaid to stitch my first Maynia start from 2021, but it may be worth it to have a finish!  

Stitched on 28ct Cashel Linen in raw mini dots in 5 days, I completed this project on August 9, 2021.

I don't know if it was the fabric or my frame of mine but she was not the most enjoyable stitch. This will be the last in a series of Frida's I have stitched for the Crone, now all that is left is to finish and deliver them! The Maiden

Another Tail to Tell

 The great mermaid summer of 2021 continues as the rains pour down in my city with this focus mermaid seeing an impressive amount of progress! 

I have finally hit the bottom and am itching for a finish... The Maiden