potty mouth stitching

i admit it. i've been known to use a few choice 4-letter words when the need arises. but stitching those 4-letter words? that's a fun (and provoking) concept that i'm ready to try...

subversive cross stitch has been around for years, heck, there's even websites dedicated to it. and it goes beyond just cross stitch. needlepoint patterns are being offered with those cheeky phrases and words we're dying to display! chilly hollow and needleartnut are both stitching the same subversive canvases right now and it amps the stitching game up to 11! 

for this particular project, i am choosing to stick with cross stitch patterns since it gives me the finishing style i desire. what's the project? my home away from home, my office. i decided a few weeks ago that i needed to seriously re-vamp my desk decor and add some flair - what better way to showcase my personal style than some sassy cross stitch? 

i've been on the hunt for patterns that speak to me, whether it be personal interests (favorite tv shows, phrases, etc) or just the irony of a traditional pattern and modern words, i love it all!

this is going to be just a fun side project with no real deadlines that i can work on if i need a change of scenery from my needlepoint stash. do you love it? hate it? 

birthday finish!

thanks so much for all the kind birthday wishes this weekend! it was a very relaxing weekend, and i got to stitch, which always makes for a good time!

i used fancy fur and satin stitched for his hat and cuffs. the fibers might be really annoying when trying to stitch background behind them, but i love the effect!

his beard came next, and i had to put it down for a few days before i decided to just move forward with the alternating french knots using tulips. meh. 

somebody decided to be cheeky with his extra passport picture, so imagine my surprise when i came downstairs to this over the weekend! <3

et voila! background in place, and after a little beading session during sunday night football, we have a finish! i admit i was anxious to get this to the finish pile, because i am really excited about my next project on deck and can't wait to start!

the maiden voyage on a brand new canvas. also, Iowa.

true story: i'm a Texas girl. and as a Texan, it can sometimes be lost on us that there are other states in the continental US besides our own. i never dreamed that i would eventually end up with midwestern boy from the state of Iowa. want to know what came to mind when he first mentioned where he was from? 

turns out it's a beautiful and picturesque state, and actually does look like a travel brochure

fun fact: my mom still gets Iowa confused with Ohio and Idaho

the point of this brief geography lesson is that i've been trying to incorporate both of our home states into my needlepoint, and actually discovered that it's a little harder to find Iowa-themed needlepoint canvases (compared to the over-abundance that is offered for Texas)

this petei santa is the trifecta for the Iowa canvases that i've stitched. my man may not be winning any awards for being the Iowa State Alumni-of-the-Year but he is going to appreciate this cute canvas on our Christmas tree dadgummit!

anywho, i started by stitching his face/hands as shaded, then found the perfect shade of splendor silk and finished his coat and pants. 

his boots followed in sparkly kreinik to follow the directional pattern of the pants. 

i chose to coordinate the diagonal mosaic from his pants and carry it over to his hat for a little symmetry. the belt is padded satin stitch with a shiny gold kreinik belt buckle. i wanted to keep it relatively tame since i'll be beading the words (spoiler alert).

next on deck: a little fur, a little beard, and then a little beading! have a happy little weekend!

2nd nativity set complete!

could it be? 

(this is me in my living room after the last stitch)

we are all singing a joyful chorus after this finish!

what's that? you'd like to see the entire finished set in one post? 

seeing them all together makes me appreciate the entire set even more. they look so cute and i can't wait to someday see them finished and sitting on the mantle (not this Christmas guys, back into the finish pile for another year)

still trying to decide what to stitch next. i haven't made any new purchases in a while, but i'm trying to be good. i think for now i'm going to stick to something small while i wait for the stitchy finish high to subside. 

fab finishing!

look at the pretties i got to pick up over the weekend!

i made a goal that i would try and send 2 projects to the finisher after a big completion, so that my finish pile becomes more manageable and that i stay accountable for finishing what i started! (literally)

OU Santa stitching

OU Santa finish

This poor thing has been languishing in the finish pile since 2013, so it was way overdue for its date with the finisher! 

Patti Mann pig stitching

Patti Mann pig finish

Stay tuned for another big finish update!

heavenly stitching

i was able to get through a huge chunk of her dress while binge watching the last 2 episodes of "stranger things" 

(watch it! it's amazing!) 

sleeves are diagonal mosaic, yoke is a 3-1-3 brick stitch, and skirt is an alternating wave variation. 

metallic motif was added to the sleeve trim and hem next, and now she is ready for the background!

i'm trying to figure out what to stitch next, which is always the hardest challenge for me. part of me wants to dive into another big project (remember my mackenzie childs stash that is going on 4 years and counting?) and then part of me wants to keep it simple and just stitch a small ornament from my stash. 

decisions, decisions!

the last "new nativity start" post

what a momentous occasion! it is the last "new start" of this nativity set, yippee!

it is also the ceremonious "i get to throw away every bit of thread i was saving from every nativity canvas kit for this entire project" day. that was quite a treat. 

her face, hair and halo...looking extra angelic

onto the wings! you'll notice a very subtle gauzy stitch over them, with the perfect amount of kreinik to outline how delicate they are. 

dress is next, then the much dreaded background, but SO CLOSE!

don't get me wrong, this has been a super fun project and i love each and every canvas in this set, but have you ever come to the end of a project and just been so beyond ready to get it over with? yep, that's me currently. 

baaaaack with a finish

apologies in advance - i neglected to take progress pictures so i don't have much to show for myself, but aren't these guys cute? 

this makes finish #11 for the nativity series, which means i only have 1 more left! 

i need to seriously give some thought to what i will possibly start working on next...another series? a small ornament? a larger canvas i've been avoiding? 

how do you decide?

fun finish!

sorry for the accidental break in posting! seems like everything got busy all at once, but i have still managed to find some stitching time. 

isn't he cute??? my tassels are "meh" but i love the overall look of this piece. so regal and elegant (and by far the largest in the whole set)

i've been working on the last animal canvas (sheepies) but in the hubbub of our lives i forgot to take progress pics along the way. forgive me? 

busting my hump to finish this one...

ugh. yep, still working on this one. i really got into the rhythm of quick finishes for these canvases, so excuse my lack of posting since this one is taking a bit longer!

after stitching the navy portion of the blanket, i turned my focus to the hem. first up: a little more very velvet

next layer: kreinik silver cross stitches

lastly: more purple kreinik and some fringe. ta-da!

aiming to finish the background tonight, and then comes the daunting task of the tassels. yikes!

happy hump day!

who am i kidding, you knew this post title was going to be a bad pun...

isn't he cute? he's also way larger than the past few canvases in the series, so this might take over a week

his fur brings him to life! his slanty little side eye is my fave.

i was feeling adventurous, so i started stitching the hump....

a lovely variation with petite very velvet? sign me up! 

here's hoping i can devote some serious time to finishing his hump and get some practice on tassel-making. 

that's a thing, right?