FlossTube #4A and #4B ~ Pam and Steph Climb The Wall Higher and Higher

We started off by thanking everyone for watching our videos, and leaving such wonderful comments. We also welcomed any new viewers out there.

Our BIG annoucement was that we had over 500 subscribers, and so it was time for a giveaway. There will be more details in FlossTube #5. Sneak peek: you will have to be a subscriber to win.

We showed two pieces back from the framer. Steph showed her very first FFO, Love by Hands On Designs, with the ingenious kickstand on the back, and Pam showed her Our Neck of the Woods from Nancy's Needle with the "shadow box effect" with the mat board.

We showed our finishes for the week: Taco Sampler by Casey Buonaugurio (always to be known as Taco 2.0) for Pam. I changed several floss colors, pointed out the aggravating specialties stitches, and the substitution of brown seed beads for the ground beef French knots. Steph showed her two Satsuma Street ornaments from Ornament Set 1.

Our Progress Report included Pam's Ye Olde Coffee House from Little House Needlework, her "Not A Creature Was Stirring..." ornament from Casey Buonaugurio in the December 2008 Ornament issue of Just CrossStitch magazine, and her start on Stitchrovia's Canada Sampler. Steph showed her start on Thoreau Upon a Pumpkin by Cross-Eyed Cricket, her return to Live Simply by Lizzie Kate, and her progress on Wizardly by FiddlesticksAU.

Steph showed her very generous RAK from Yvonne The Night Owl Stitcher, as well as the free charts we both got from our friend Anne Marie at Panera Stitch Nite.

As far as Haul goes, Steph showed her Sleepy Hollow Sampler from the Frosted Pumpkin, and the latest free installment of the Stoney Creek Halloween banner, Boo Tree from the Primitive Hare, Fables & Tales by Prairie Schooler, as well as some gems she'd picked up from the half-price box at Keepsakes. She also showed the freebie mini-cat charts from the UK blog Happiness Is Cross Stitching.

Once again, we got interrupted, so in the second half of the episode, Pam showed her two Debbie Patrick house charts, Steinbeck House, and the Kennebunk Maine Christmas House. Pam was enabled by Ali from Alis Stitching Studio FlossTube channel (somehow that got deleted from the video)

We gave another shout-out to Weasley Studios, about meeting Gigi, from Gigi's Cupcakes.

Our future plans include our playdate planned with Nicole, Buckeye Stitcher, who is coming over to stitch and talk about (what else) FlossTube. Can't wait for that!!

Also, Pam gave a plug for Keepsakes Summer Stitch Days, on July 8th and 15th. Phone number to reserve a spot is (513) 563-6845.

Next we filmed the wall behind us. If you missed it, here's the list.

Tour de Wall

Land That I Love by Lizzie Kate

America by Poppy Kreations

I’d Rather Be By The Sea by Ursula Michael

Liberty by Birds of a Feather

New England Sampler by Ginger & Spice

Summer by Angel Stitchin

Ivy Basket and Patriotic Basket by Margaret Lee (now on Etsy)

and a wonderful viewer solved one of the mystery pieces as:

Liberty Lighthouse by Erica Michaels

It was another fun episode, and we hope you enjoyed it.  See you next week, and remember....

JustKeepStitchin'

FlossTube #3A and #3B ~ Pam and Steph Are On Fire (No, Really!)

We thanked all of our viewers, commenters, and subscribers.

We did shout-outs to all the countries around the world (!) that we have received comments from. That is so awesome!

We listed a few of our favorite FlossTubers, namely

Bendy Stitchy Michelle Garrette  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuep-Fl6HVeUISvSJA0G3gA

Faerie Floss   https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCABsG2qjzV5MLrgpVZaUtIw

Farm Girl  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDHsgLcYmuLfdWR2H-6fYow

Ampu Stitcher  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJBxBI0slxM_lYcUrOnypug

Andrea Stitches in Colorado  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCH4T1djY8oMKGSwuCoF6RAw

Buckeye Stitcher  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWcNBA5oy-M8daToxAKKcGQ

Weasley Studios  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCh4NzFuLjokYT9wp87ekZ6A

Ginger Gerald Stitcher  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC11D22Kb6dJzxl9HAAcL3oA

McKenna at Every Stitch Counts https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFIhK76BACo9F1GJEmqKi1A

Kay's Cross Stitch  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCb8p8eFx3ovtVI1f3ibuWyw

MortuaryStitches https://www.youtube.com/user/fuzzyfrog100

Yvonne - Night Owl Stitcher  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCO0p0p6x5BzYnnqNg_T-6eA


Steph showed her FINISH, "I Kiss My Cat On The Lips" by Amy Bruecken.

Pam's progress report included:

"Ye Olde Coffee House" by Little House Needleworks

"Mother's Tree" by Lavendar & Lace

"Taco Sampler" by Casey Buonaugurio, where she had a bit of an unusual detour!

Steph's progress report included:

An ornament from "Ornament Set I" from Satsuma Street

"Sugar Is Sweet Sampler" from The Frosted Pumpkin

"Tribal Hippo" from White Willow Stitching

Needleminder sellers we mentioned include:

Gina's Unique Boutique  https://www.etsy.com/shop/GinasUniqueBoutique

Mixing It Up with DBL  https://www.etsy.com/shop/MixingItUpWithDBL

Needle Minder Obsession   https://www.etsy.com/shop/Stitchinmad

Crafters Waypoint  https://www.etsy.com/shop/CraftersWaypoint

CrystalGifts  https://www.etsy.com/shop/CrystalGifts

Digital patterns came from:

Sugar Stitches  https://www.etsy.com/shop/SugarStitchesDesign

New Leaf Craft  https://www.etsy.com/shop/NewLeafCraft


Once again, we got interrupted, and had to tack on the conclusion of our video:

We continued to show our haul from the LNS freebie box. Steph showed a "cross-stitch save" from Barbara at Keepsakes.

We also picked up some orney scraps at Keepsakes.

Future plans include:  stitching up some ornaments. Pam is going to get off her butt and start Stitchrovia's "Canada." Steph's got her fabby picked out for her boyfriend's Christmas stocking, Stoney Creek's "Christmas In The Woods."

Thanks for watching!!

And remember.....

JustKeepStitchin'

FlossTube #2A and (OOPS!) #2B ~ Pam and Steph Come Out of the Shadows and Hurry Thru Their Hauls

We came inside from the solarium for Floss Tube #2, and found the perfect spot for lighting!

Lots of thank yous for the views, shout-outs, comments, and subscribers all around. When we hit 100 subscribers, we got our nails done, 'cuz girls gotta do what girls gotta do, right?

Show-Off

I showed my framed Lemon Meringue Sampler (framed by Keepsakes in Sharonville, Ohio) and to-be-framed Irish Cream Sampler by designer Casey Buonaugurio. I also showed my Prairie Schooler Bear and the Bees, stitched on a scrap piece of Fiddler's Cloth.

I also showed my Franken-Gothic by Erica Michaels, describing the modifications I made.

Steph showed her Plumpkin by Lizzie Kate, describing her modifications.

Her LK Kitty String is at the framer (Keepsakes), and we know it will be adorable.

If anyone would like to Pass The Stash (or Swap) for Plumpkin or Kitty String, leave Steph a comment!

Progress Report

I reported on my progress on Remembrance Day, Ye Olde Coffee Shoppe, Taco Sampler, 

I described my graphing names for L & L's Mothers Tree, for me and my LNS's owner, using PCStitch software.

Haul

We described the Queen City Sampler Guild stash sale, and shortly had a minor tech issue with our recording. My phone got too hot, and so the video stopped recording......

When we switched to Steph's phone, we began recording again. We resumed talking about all the patterns (many with embellishment packs!) we got at the Guild sale.

We showed all the patterns we purchased at the Hoop & Needle shop in Cincinnati, and Steph's Stoney Creek purchases, and my Jeannette Douglass Canadian Patriotic Snippets that the Because You Count shop in Moncton, NB, is auto-shipping to me in the States.

We were sort of rushed in the second part. But, all in all, great fun!!

We are hoping to film again in about a week, so stay tuned!

I will be posting to this blog "SHOW NOTES" for our Floss Tube videos.   

We've joined FlossTube !!

This was our first episode, and we had a ball!!

We have loved reading all the wonderful comments from viewers, and we are thrilled with seeing how many subscribers we have. A couple of flubs/corrections: I have 8 GREAT-grandparents, NOT 8 grandparents. My genealogy friends would be pretty ashamed of me for that one.

And..... Not once, but twice, I failed to name our wonderful LNS, Keepsakes, in Sharonville, OH. If you are ever in the area, please seek them out. Barbara and Joe would love to meet you. As you can tell, they are very talented framers. You will see more of their framing in future videos.

See you next time!! Pam and Steph

Let's See Those WIPs!

Hello Stitchers!

I thought I'd show you what pieces are currently in my loose rotation. I really don't rotate my pieces on a strict schedule. Each of these fall into categories or designers. I've been stitching since 1987, and most of my stash is from the '90's.

Here's the breakdown ~

Prairie Schooler

I have a fairly, though not complete, Prairie Schooler, collection. To be honest, I prefer the older ones. So, I'm currently working on the four birds from Birds & Berries. You saw the cardinal in my last post. Here's the Red-Winged Blackbird (next up will be the Chickadee):

Cross-Eyed Cricket

I also have many many Crickets, one of my favorite designers. I am currently working on Three Gables:

Charles Wysocki

I love Charles Wysocki's Americana designs. Many are in kits. This one, Birch Point, is one of my oldest WIPs, and is stitched on the enclosed Aida. In future, I will replace the Aida with something like Lugana. I am so determined to finish it, I have designated every Wednesday as Wysocki Wednesday, and it's working!

Charley Harper

I became a Charley Harper fan when I relocated to Cincinnati 32 years ago. I have stitched Clare de Loon, and am currently working on Christmas Caper:

Mirabilia

I am most definitely not a princess/fairy stitcher, but there are some Mirabilia's that speak to me. I am currently working on Winter Maiden:

Canada

When I am not stitching, I am working on my genealogy. My maternal side, going back from my great grandparents, is Canadian. Two of my four sets of great grandparents were born in Canada, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. So, I think that makes me half-Canadian!  Last summer my sister and I traveled to New Brunswick for a huge family reunion, and made memories that will last a lifetime. This year Canada is celebrating the 150th anniversary of Confederation. I have several designs that mark this anniversary, as well as other Canadiana. I have started Remembrance Day, and am really enjoying it.

Ice Skating

I have very fond memories of ice skating  as a kid, outside in the wintertime, often from after school until the streetlights came on. So, it is a sentimental theme, and have collected quite a few skating designs. Here's one I finished in January (Winter Spots by The Trilogy), and the next one I plan to stitch, Encore une Pirouette:

Happy Hour

I often say that I stitch to keep from drinking and smoking, but the truth of the matter is that I've always enjoyed a good beer or a cocktail. The designs on this topic are abundant, and I love to collect them. I am finishing up this one, Fiesta:

Patriotic

As a proud Daughter of the American Revolution, with veteran ancestors who fought in the Revolutionary War, the War of 1812, and the Civil War, I am always going to be drawn to patriotic designs. I recently finished Betsy Ross, and I'm in the process of kitting up my next patriotic project:

Game Boards

I love board games, and have been collecting gameboard designs for years. I actually have two pieces that I am working on in this category, Drawn Thread's Game Board and Halloween Parcheesi:

Since I've been retired for a little over two years, I get to stitch every day, which I love. I usually post my daily progress each evening on Instagram. I am pgsoap, if you care to follow me.

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Until next time, 

HAPPY STITCHING!!

Back By Popular Demand ~ No, Really!!

Prairie Schooler's Birds & Berries
No. 44
Cardinal

Yes, stitchy friends, three years ago on this date, on January 27th in 2014,

 I published my last post on this blog!

As I was approaching retirement, I immersed myself in another pastime, genealogy, and was unsure whether I could maintain two blogs. So, I let this one languish.

This did not mean I stopped stitching, however!

So, that means I have three years of stitching catch-up to write about, with pictures!!

And, as you know, our craft, during the last 3 years, has taken full advantage of social media, including:

 Facebook, YouTube (aka FlossTube) and Instagram.

Here are some ideas I plan to blog about:

Project of the Week

 Rotation

Home Wall Tour

Favorite Flosstubers

Facebook Groups

SALS

Back From The Framer

Stitchaway and Other Retreats

Stitch From Stash 2017

Stitchers of Instagram

Tips, Tricks, and Tools

Box of Pride

So, I hope you will add me to your stitchy blog roll (And let me know you have a stitchy blog, as well!)

I also hope to make to make some new stitchy friends, because, as we all know:

Stitchers Are The Best !!

Who Needs A Little Summer Right About Now?

This is Judith M. Kirby's House Number 14

"Summer Sunset"

Stitched on 28 ct PTP linen

in a variegated pale purple hue

Welcome Back Downton Abbey !!

Finished this just in time for Season 4 to start, at least on this side of the pond. My daughter gave me this pattern for Christmas 2012. She found it on Etsy.

Cross Stitch Christmas Gifts 2013

Here are the two cross stitch pieces I did for my daughter, Stephanie, by request, this Christmas.  They were both framed by Joe at Keepsakes. Needless to say, they were a big hit. And, yes, next year's requests are already in.

"The Wizard of Oz"

The Little Stitcher

"Lemon Meringue Sampler"

Casey Buonaugurio

An Oldie But Goodie ~ PS Johnny Appleseed Is Finished !!

Johnny Appleseed

Prairie Schooler #9

28 ct. Platinum Cashel Linen

Have A Spooky Halloween!

"Salem Semetery"

by

The Stitcherhood

Johnny Appleseed (PS #9) -- Progress Report

I spent most of my Labor Day Weekend making real progress on an old timer, Prairie Schooler's Johnny Appleseed. I'm stitching it on Platinum cashel linen, 28-count. This old design from 1985 shows how PS effectively used very muted tones of DMC. The row of deer was especially fun to stitch.

A Union Fife and Drum Finish

This was a stitch that combined my two passions - Genealogy and Cross-stitching. I have been documenting my family tree at my other blog, Digging Down East, for four years now, and this summer I found the grave of my 3rd great grandfather, Howard Winslow Brackley, in a tucked-away cemetery in Freeman, Maine. He served with Company D of the 28th Maine Infantry.

Jameson's Sampler

This is the finished and framed

Savannah Birth Record

for my great nephew Jameson Torrey Queen.

 I brought it to Maine with me, and gave it them today.

I love the way my framer, Keepsakes in Sharonville, Ohio, cut the mat around the shapes. It really makes it unique.

Ryan, Amanda, and Jameson just moved into a new apartment, so now this can hang in Jameson's own room!

Judith Kirby's Victorians (House Number 14) ~ The Piece That Lured Me Off Rotation

Judith's Summer Sunset, stitching with 3-ply DMC, on 28 count Heather, from Picture This Plus.

Old Salty Santas ~ Gotta Maritime Theme Goin' On Here

I fell in love with these guys a long time ago. I reverted back to Aida for it, and am glad I did. It's 14 ct. Misty Taupe from Charles Craft, which is what the model was stitched on. It's super stiff, which I don't like, but the colors sure do pop!

Chowder House ~ A Cricket Design for a True Downeaster

This is Cross-Eyed Cricket's Kiss The Cook (#78), but I chose to stitch the adorable

 Clam Chowder shack. The most surprising part of starting this design was that the picture on the cover is not color-accurate. The shingles, for instance, are not brown, but an olive green.  That's OK with me, but a reminder to always pull my colors ahead of  time.

This represents about 10 hours of stitching, and is part of my current rotation, which includes 10 projects, some New and some WIPs.

Prairie Schooler #9 ~ Johnny Appleseed: Next Stop on the Rotation RR

I have an extensive, if not exhaustive, Prairie Schooler collection of cross-stitch patterns. So I thought it only appropriate that I add a real gem to my rotation.  It's an oldey but goody, Johnny Appleseed, published way back in 1985, even before I started stitching (1987). We've sure come a long way since then, because this design has a grand total of 9, count 'em, 9 DMC colors!

I was also inspired by my recent, first trip to Spring Grove Cemetery, in Cincinnati (yes, I LOVE cemeteries), because he is supposedly buried there. I couldn't get a picture of his grave on the day I was there without disturbing a family gathering nearby.

Anyway, after about 10 hours, stitched on 28 ct. Platinum Cashel linen, here's my progress:

I’m Down With Downton Abbey ~ A New Start

This past Christmas, my daughter purchased quite a few perfect gifts from sellers on Etsy.com. When looked under “Cross Stitch” she found this adorable pattern called “I’m Down With Downton Abbey.”  I have added it to my rotation, and here’s the result of my first 10 hours, on 28 ct. Light Grey Lugana.

Birch Point: A Charles Wysocki WIP

The start of this Dimensions Gold Collection kit, entitled Birch Point, predates the beginning of this blog. So, you can imagine how far down in my WIP pile I had to go to discover it. But, I have to say, when I pulled it out, I knew I had to add it to my 10-hour rotation. 

The last 10 hours were some of the longest stitching time I have spent. Mostly, I worked on the the treeline to the left of the house, then completed the lefthand window, and have worked my way up to the roof. This is 18 ct. beige Aida we’re talking here, not my favorite fabric these days.

But I know it will be lovely when it is finished.