Creativity
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January 22, the one when I attempt to be accountable…
What happened to the world of blogging ‘eh? I’m doing this for myself now, but I’d love to know what you’re up to. This week, I have a few things on Instagram @stitching.mj to share. I have continued to work on my first Chatelaine, A Fairy Flower Garden Mandala, as well as other things. Starting the Peppermint Purple 2023 SAL was fascinating and it is gorgeous. This time I’m going to do a border and use a variegated thread to start. Another new start includes The Steady Thread 2023 Botanical SAL. I pulled out one of my original Mirabilia Designs and got a few teal stitches in Rapunzel, she is…
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#nye12x12
50 weeks ago, I jumped in and participated with an Instagram hashtag #nye12x12. I think that I would like to participate again this year. My girls did it as well, although not all twelve. I think I will use it as a time to revisit projects from that day that I want to work on, but just didn’t seem to find much time this year. Dimensions needlepoint, Dimensions cross stitch, RTO kit, Tempting Tangles Designs, Nora Corbett, G. Leget 1898, Little House Needleworks, Lori Holt with FQS, Peppermint Purple 2022 SAL, Mill Hill Beads & Buttons, and of course, Joan Elliott Designs. If I can find them all… Antique Barn Needlepoint…
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Prepping for Winter Stitching 2022, part two
My Winter Stitching 2022 post was not nearly as neat and orderly as my Autumn Stitching 2022 prep post. However, I wanted to get it posted for you to see sooner than later. Alas. You’ll survive, I’ll survive, and hopefully future posts will improve. In addition to some already started progress on The Winter’s Gift JE307, 2013 Christmas Fairy, 2014 Christmas Fairy, Christmas Fairy quilt top, 2020 Vintage Winter Couple, Baby’s First Christmas quilt, Checking His List Afghan, Santa’s Gifts JE268, Christmas Magic JE280, Christmas Eve Sampler JE286, and Winter Solstice JE310 there is more. Passione Ricamo’s Holiday Queen RL51 is one that I really look forward to working on.…
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Prepping for Winter Stitching 2022
My Autumn Stitching 2022 post actually impressed me. I was a bit distraught on what I didn’t accomplish because of the weeks we had to lay low with illness, but in the end it looks like I still did get quite a bit done even if it wasn’t everything I planned. As we are in the beginnings of Christmas week, I’ve already jumped into Winter stitches, however, I would love to let you know what I’m working on and what I plan to attack. As always, the most updates can be found on my Instagram #stitchingmj. 2013 Calendar Christmas Fairy by Joan Elliott Design was started in 2021, but has…
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Autumn Stitching Update 2022
In mid-September, I gave you a preview of some plans for Autumn Stitching 2022. This week, I have been updating photos on my Instagram #stitchingmj with what is coming off the qsnap to make way for Winter Stitching. Today, I thought it would be a good day to attempt to write a blog post about it. I missed a lot of stitching time due to family illnesses from October-mid November. Harvest Angel JE272 (Autumn Angel) did not have much progress this year. I went back in and tried to do a better job of the back-stitching on her lips as the lines were fading into her skin tones. All Hallow’s…
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Prepping for Autumn Stitching 2022
Harvest Angel JE272 (Autumn Angel) Originally published in a magazine in the 20th century… Joan Elliott re-charted and sharpened the image, especially in the facial feature and re-released it to the public. As I pull this one out to work on it again, it looks like I am about halfway through. As I recall, this one stitches up pretty quickly. I wonder if I might finish her this year. The pumpkin is absolutely gorgeous in shading colors. I’d have to check to be sure, but I believe that I am stitching this one on opalescent raw cashel linen. All Hallow’s Eve Sampler (Halloween Sampler) This almost all black sampler is…
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Joan Elliott Design {August 2022 Stitchy Update}
First for the non-necessary disclaimer, Joan Elliott Design is my favorite cross stitch designer. If you have followed me for any number of years on the blog, social media, or especially Instagram, you have seen this. I am going to try to make an effort and use Creative Madness Mama more often for my sharing outlet. In my free-time, I have been creating a Joan Elliott Design spreadsheet and I think I am just about complete with putting together my collection and a list of other charts and patterns that I know of. In most recent months, I have been working on Peony Fairy JE300 on Polstitches “sweet pea,” Hydrangea Fairy…
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2022 Summer Cross Stitch Recap
May Dragon Ride TW Mermaid Heaven (Pinn Stitch) Tea Thyme (Stitch Quarterly) May Day Merriment JE April Barn Sweet Barn May Barn Sweet Barn* The Sea Nymph JE* Cut, Press, Sew, Quilt (Lori Holt)* Coral Mermaid JE* Children by the Seaside JE Fairy House SAL (Tiny Modernist)* Spooky Season RL50 (Passione Ricamo) Sunrise Laguna Mermaid (Nora Corbett) Angel of Cross Stitch JE200* Passion Flower Bridesmaid NC288 Fairy Tale SAL (Shannon Christine Designs) June Coral Mermaid JE The Sea Nymph JE304 Listening to the Silence (RTO)* Petite Summertime Fairy JE Citrus Summer (Stitch Quarterly) Passion Flower Bridesmaid Springtime Geisha JE July Cottage (Little House Needleworks) Celtic Reflections JE Summer Fairy JE*…
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2022 Spring Cross Stitch Recap
It is time for me to start giving you a snippet of what I'm stitching on and keep track of what I'm doing. I'd love to know what all you want to see in posts like these.
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Hello Again…
Today was a good mail day. Thanks to the blessing of Prime Day pricing, my Enginerd bought us a new Chromebook. The main purposes will be for my girls to continue their educational pursuits, typing, and research when the desktop is not available. However, now, I can type again and perhaps make this blog a thing of beauty again. I’m still stitching. We’re still learning. Keep on keeping on. How are you? What would you like to see here?
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January Diary Post
If I just start writing, then it is as if I never disappeared, right? Let’s recap, shall we… I stopped participating in external review organizations. I added a fifth child to my duckling repertoire. We decided to go with school-in-a-box plus other frosting on top. My Enginerd is working from home, which is blissfully wonderful. We have taken hiking adventures and cabin camping to the mountains of North Carolina, east Tennessee, and camping journeys through northern Arkansas, and more. We are loving off-roading and Overlanding. When I say camping, I mean tent and freezing 2 am bathroom runs in a full moon, no glamping for us. I now have two…
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2021-2022 Cross Stitch Enrichment Co-op #2 Frame, Hoop, or in-hand?
2. Frame, or how-to hold your fabric The method of holding your fabric is entirely a personal choice and comfort factor. As a stitcher, I personally find that I prefer different methods for different projects from working in-hand, with no frame, to using a small hoop on little projects, to using q-snaps on most of my daily stitching projects, to even using tapestry scroll rod frames on my biggest projects. In-hand stitching: a method of holding and rolling or wadding your fabric to stitch without any additional tension aid to keep your fabric in place. One of the least expensive ways to stitch and easy to pack and go! Embroidery…
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2021-2020 Cross Stitch Enrichment Co-op #2 US Artist Highlight: Tempting Tangles Designs
Tempting Tangles Designs Down the Rabbit Hole and Beyond…. The masking tape around the wiry screen-like material puzzled me. How could this be any but ugly? I was 11 and my only experience with yarn had been in making miles of knotted rope with my little Knitting Nancy. I was more intrigued with the process rather than the stringy result. I never DID anything with the long strings, and even tried to unravel it. But after some fairly unsuccessful attempts I’d moved on to the weaving loom, a Christmas gift from 2 years before. I’d concentrated on making potholders with a ferocity not to be outdone by my determined cocker…
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2021-2022 Cross Stitch Enrichment Co-op #1 Welcome to class!
Cross Stitch Enrichment Co-op First and Third Tuesday of each month 9:00-10:00 AM, September – May K-12, students ages 4-7, and 8-14+ Did you know that surgeons and other delicate hands-on professionals use cross stitch as a relaxant and a skill sharpener? Did you know that cross stitch has been recorded in history since before the 6th century?  Basic Supplies Cross stitching is a form of handicraft, needle art, a form of embroidery, or needlework using X-shaped thread stitches. There are several options for getting started on a cross stitch project including pre-organized kits with everything you need or buying all your materials separately. Most stitchers use different methods of…
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2021-2020 Cross Stitch Enrichment Co-op #1 UK Artist Highlight: Durene Jones
2021-2022 Cross Stitch Enrichment Co-op #1 Welcome to class!DURENE JONES I’ve always been interested in art and crafts and can remember learning to sew, knit and crochet at a very young age. At school, I studied art and also sewing and dressmaking. My art teacher was very interested in textile arts, so as well as painting and having the usual art classes, we also learnt various forms of hand embroidery, freehand machine embroidery, appliquĂ©, batik, and silk painting. Which I think sparked my interest in various textile crafts. Later I went on to art college to study General Art and Design, where I further experienced a mix of all different…
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FO: The Raven by La-D-Da
Chart Name: The RavenDesigner: La-D-DaStitch Count: 161w X 64hFinished Design size:  approx. ~ 10 3/4 X 4 1/4 inchesMy fabric choice: 30-count Weeks Dye Works Havanna 100% linen – Hand DyedMaterials purchased: Stitchers Inc.Specialty bits & bobs: Hand dyed thread and fabric. I used a Weeks Dye Works conversion from my LNS. It is a little unreal to realize I never truly blogged about a finish for this, however, I have spent a lot more time over on Instagram the last few years… My Enginerd bought this pattern for me to stitch for him at the same time as getting The Raven Queen MD for me. I am still working on The Raven Queen by Mirabilia Designs. I had…