Rita's July Ghosts

Hi, remember me?  I'm SO behind with this group (I've been traveling and model stitching-one was a big one) that if I'm to have a ghost of a chance (get it?) to catch up, I needed to get going this month.

My ghost is part of the design "It's Midnight" by Teresa Murgida.  It appeared in the 2016 JCS Halloween issue.  I thought I'd cut a piece of 32 count natural  linen but I think it's really 28 count.  I subbed WDW chalk, CC Blackbird, and GAST Bittersweet for the called-for colors.

Happy Spooky stitching!

Rita's Feb 2017 Witch

I was actually finished stitching my witch in Feb. but was out of town for a couple of weeks (visiting my cute, little grandbaby, daugher, and son-in-law) and couldn't figure out how to post the picture from my ipad.

This is from PS When Witches Go Riding (#148).

Rita's Jan 2017 The Moon Finish

It took me a while to decide on what to stitch for this month.  I finally decided on this one from the PS Boo Moon leaflet.

Rita's Nov. 2016 Skeletons/Skulls theme

Next month will be pretty busy (in addition to Thanksgiving, I'll be traveling again) so I thought I'd try to get a bit ahead.

I've been seeing a lot of sugar skulls in the cross stitch world lately and thought I should get into the act.  It works out perfectly for November's theme.

This is in the 2015 JCS Halloween special issue.  It stitched up pretty quickly and was fun to stitch.

While I'm thinking of Halloween, I'd like to tell you a little story.  My sister was born when I was 16.  I can remember my mom sewing her pumpkin suit.  It was so cute, she hung onto it.  Fast forward to when my kids were of trick or treating age.  All 4 of them wore it when it fit them for Halloween.  Later, my bil took the individual pictures and merged them into one and made a shirt for me.  Here's the picture:

My mom didn't have any idea that pumpkin suit would get that much "mileage".  Fast forward to present time...my daughter who just gave us our first grandchild this year wants us to find the costume for her daughter to wear when she's a little older.

Black Cats Oct. 2016 Rita's

I had trouble finding something to stitch for Sept. but this month's theme was easier to choose a design...except for there being so many from which to choose.  This is a PS design:

Another one

Last night I finished up a wip that would work for this month (if only it was an ornament) and thought y'all would like to see it.  It's Wicked Witch by La D Da.

(Sorry for the crooked picture.)

Rita's August 2016 Spooky Words

Despite being absent from here for a while, I haven't fallen off the surface of the earth.  I have, however, been doing a lot of traveling lately.  Since our first grandbaby was born in mid-March, I've been to CA 3 times to visit and help with her (staying about 2 weeks each time), San Diego once with DH on a work trip, HI (to visit with my brother's and sister's families and help out with summer day care for my niece and nephew) for almost 3 weeks, and a quick trip with my DS (who was visiting from Denmark) to OH to visit with my parents.  It's been a lot of fun but it's good to be home.

While gone I either didn't have the time, energy, or good lighting to do much stitching so I've been making up for lost time since coming home.  I've been working on a big sampler and also started and finished my August ornament this weekend while watching the Olympics.

Here's Trick or Treat by Plum Pudding NeedleArt that can be found in the 2013 JCS Halloween Collector's Issue.

Rita's Update

Sorry I've been awol for a while.  I've had a great time traveling a lot more than I've ever done starting in March when our first grandchild was born.  I've gone to visit her in CA twice already, Ohio to visit my parents with my son who was visiting from Denmark, to San Diego with DH while he was there for a conference, and I just returned from almost 3 weeks in HI visiting my sister, brother, and their families and helping my sister with some summer day care for her 7 and 11 year olds.  I've got another trip coming up soon (helping DD with day care when she goes back to work before her day care slot opens up) and maybe another with DH before my wings will be clipped for a while.

Needless to say, my stitching time has been much diminished (although I did teach my niece how to stitch) and I'm very behind on my ornament stitching.  I came home to a new model to stitch but hope to get back to ornament stitching as soon as I finish that and stay home long enough.

I've enjoyed seeing everyone's ornaments here.

Rita's Feb. Monster

It took me a while to figure out what to stitch for this theme.  "Frank" is from Trilogy's Eekology leaflet.  (I may have looked like him this am before I had my first coffee.)

Rita's January Winged Creature

Happy New Year, everyone!

I chose one of the bats from a biscornu (freebie) design from the old "tantes zolder" site.

The lighting wasn't very good for the picture but here he is:

Making lemonade out of lemons

It was a gorgeous weekend but the ragweed pollen was so high that I was stuck indoors.  I took advantage of my misfortune by stitching these 2 PS's Halloween pieces.  The batty one is from the Bump in the Night leaflet and the other is from Trick or Treat.

They don't fit our sal themes but I'd been wanting to stitch these:

Rita's October Ghost

My choice came from the JCS 2012 Halloween special issue.  I had planned to use beads for the stars and the cat's eyes but didn't have the right colors at home (and I was too lazy to go out for some at the time).  I changed the color from orange to yellow for the stars.

Since I can't post a picture on a response to Jo's post about black cats, I thought I'd post a picture of my favorite black cat design that I've stitched.  As I stated in the response, my mom made a pumpkin costume for my sister one year and all 4 of my kids have worn it too.  (I've since sent the costume to my sister for her kids.)  Little did Mom know when she made that costume just how many kids would use it.  My BIL put together pics of all 5 of them wearing the costume.

BOAF Halloween Cat

I think Jo also asked about our Halloween decorations.  One thing I like to do for holidays is to frame into holiday frames pictures of our kids during a particular holiday and set them out with the holiday decorations.  I wish I could say I thought of that idea on my own but I "stole" it from a friend of mine.

Rita's September Spooky Words

As I was starting to think about what to stitch for this theme, I was thinking it might be difficult to find something.  The difficulty turned out to be narrowing down all the possibilities to just one.

I chose to stitch part of a bigger design found in the JCS 2014 Halloween special issue:

The lighting is poor for the photo...it isn't even dawn yet.  It's stitched with black DMC on antique white linen.

Rita's Haunted House for July 2015

OK.  I feel better now...July AND Aug. finished.

This is a freebie from the subrosa blog.  I used fabric and floss I had on hand.  (DMC 844 and one of DMC's color variation threads...can't remember number and too lazy to get up to look.  lol!)

I omitted the letters at the top.

I look forward to seeing what others come with for the haunted house theme.

Happy stitching!

Rita's August Ornament

Apparently I misread the list.....DUH........

Instead of stitching a haunted house for July, I skipped ahead to August.  Maybe there's still time for me to stitch the ornament for July and finish in time too.

Anyway.....this is Majestic Cat by Homespun Elegance.  It appears in JCS September/Oct 2013 issue.

Rita's May 2015 ornament....pumpkins

This is part of a freebie by Primitive Betty stitched on 32 ct (over 2) lambswool linen using DMC 844, ecru, and GAST Burnt Orange. 

Rita's April Tombstone

This is from one of the JCS ornament issues, designer Paulette Stewart.  There was an editing mistake and, although the picture was in the issue, the graph was not so it was a freebie for a while on the JCS website.  It called for 40 count fabric but I stitched it on 32.  A little on the big side for an ornament but I think it will still work.

I've been wanting to stitch this one ever since I saw it so this blog was a good excuse to stitch it.

Rita's Owl March 2015

I just barely made it in time for my owl.  This is Hoo Hoo by Hands On Designs found in the 2014 JCS Halloween issue.  I stitched it on the recommended fabric with recommened floss (except for the outlining around the "Hoo Hoo" part.  For that I used DMC 3371.

I'm starting to look for tombstones for April.

My Feb. skeleton

I had a little time between projects so I stitched up this skeleton from The Prairie Schooler for my Feb. ornament.

My January witch

Thanks again for including me in this group.  I chose a freebie from the subrosa blog for my witch.  It was a little big for an ornament stitched over 2 on (my usual) 32 count linen over 2 so I stitched it on a piece of lugana (I believe)...25 count over one.  I'm please with how it turned out.

I should tell you how I "scored" the lugana.  I haunt a local resale shop fairly regularly for cross stitch leaflets, magazines, etc.  Sometimes I walk out empty handed but sometimes I find something exciting.  One day I found a big plastic "bag" (from a bedspread) full of different colors of lugana, some even full yards.  $10!  I was a little disappointed in the count but there was so much fabric there, I thought I could figure something out to do with it.

Anyway, here's my witch: