Cue the band….

Because I actually finished something!  Look:

 

Halloween Rules by Lizzie*Kate

Stitched on 32-count Chestnut linen from Wichelt

using recommended Crescent Colors, GAST & WDW

 

I liked this piece from the first moment I saw it online.  Something about the tombstones at the top caught my eye and hence my needle.  I still wish the skeleton looked like a mummy, but I’m learning to live with it.  I totally hated the linen!  Felt like sandpaper in my hands.  But, I bought this project all kitted up and that’s what came in the kit.  I have no idea what I’ll do with this now that it’s finished.  At least it’s done before Halloween!  Here are a few close-ups:

 

Last weekend was my weekend to run away to Gananoque and help with running a fabulous retreat.  I always have a ton of fun running this retreat and spending the weekend with a great group of ladies.  I keep hoping for more time to stitch at this retreat, but it just never seems to happen – there are always tons of other things that I need to do!  It’s hard to mind too much though – I’m having far too much fun!

 

But, Saturday evening I finally did manage to put needle to fabric for just a little while….  CdC came out to play and I knocked off another motif.  Here’s a picture of the whole thing so far and a close up of the motif I finished:

 

 

Still loving this piece!

 

And then because I have the resistance of a gnat, I discovered some lovely new patterns at retreat (that’s a whole ‘nother post!), I had to start one of them:

 

This is an adorable piece from Cherrywood Design Studio called ‘Snowman Kisses’.  I’m stitching it on a piece of 28-count opalescent linen from Enchanting Lair called Blue Frost.  It’s turning out so darned cute!  I’m using the DMC conversion mostly, except for the pale blue colour that is used for some of the snowflakes down the side.  The DMC recommendation was far too bright for my tastes and clashed horribly with the linen, so I’m using the recommended GAST (Huckleberry) for that.  I didn’t even have to go rummage in the stash heap to find the GAST – for reasons known only to the heavens, when I got home from retreat, a skein of Huckleberry was hanging on my floor stand, just waiting for me to start stitching.  Isn’t it funny how that happens sometimes?  Maybe it only happens to me…..

 

I’m late again getting my ORTs posted for the TUSAL…..  No matter how many reminders I set up for myself, I seem to be unable to put camera, ORTs and computer together on the right day….  Anyway, here’s this month’s addition to the ORT jar:

 

Halloween is only a couple of days away and I have slowly been putting out all my decorations.  I admit to being slow getting things out this year because of one thing that’s so hard for me to look at:

 

 

There’s Hazel ready to greet the trick or treaters, but she’s got no Callie on her lap to keep her company in the meantime.  It’s the first year in many where I look over at Hazel and don’t see my furry friend trying hard to get Hazel to pet her.  You can see a couple of previous years of the Callie and Hazel love-in here and here.  I still miss Callie.