July's pumpkins are finally finished

I finished my pumpkins for July this morning.  Since I just started them on July 30th, I'm thinking I did okay.  July was a busy month and I considered not doing the pumpkins and just jumping onto August's ghosts.  However, this is one of my favorite patterns.  I've stitched it 2 other times for people who are not me.  Skipping it was not an option.

I don't know what it is about this trio of goofy guys but they put a grin on my face every time.

July Pumpkin

July has flown away. I planned to stitch the five pumpkin related ornaments in Behind The Gate but just barely managed to get this one done.

I hope to do better next month.
In stitches,
Gwen

Posted with Blogsy

Debbie's June/July ornament

I missed the June ornament post, since I was trying to finish my oldest UFO and couldn't start anything new!  I planned to stitch Boo!, the free chart from Glory Bee, as my freebie Halloween ornament for June.  This also fits the July Pumpkins theme!

"Boo!"
Designed by Nancy Boyarsky
Glory Bee
14 ct Fiddlers Lite Aida
Victorian Motto Sampler Shoppe floss
Started 7/29/2014, Finished 7/29/2014

Halloween Queen

One of my favorite pumpkin stitches
I stitched this in 2007


By Notforgotten Farms

Happy Halloween Stitching!

Lili's July Ornament

Hi!!

I love the month theme: pumpkins!!

My July ornament is a model from Stacy Nash Primitives: "Search for the Perfect Pumpkin".

Stitched on Newcastle Linen 40 count Flax.
With DMC floss.

(my blog here)

Thank you all so much for your sweet comments on my June ornament!!

Happy stitching,

Lili

K is for Kelpie, Knucker and Kahaku

K is for Kelpie from A Dark Alphabet designed by Julie and Becky's Note of Friendship blog.

The Kelpie is a mythological shape-shifting water demon in the shape of a horse from Scottish Celtic history that lures people, especially children, onto its back then takes them out into the water, where it kills and eats them.  It was believed that if you owned the Kelpie's bridle you could control it.  But who wants to get close enough to find out?

edit to add this link to some amazing sculptures of kelpies - The Kelpies

Funnily enough I couldn't find many cross stitch charts of kelpies, but I find some rather nicer Water Spirits.  

But there was this one in Etsy:

Unconventional X - Beneath the Ice

HAED - Water Spirit

Joan Elliott - Water Goddess

 Still on the subject of Water Creatures, we have the Knucker; a kind of Water Dragon found in the county of Sussex in England.  There are references to them in the epic poem Beowulf and also in the church in Lyminster where you can see the gravestone of the knight who slayed the great beast.  You can find out more about this story here Dragons and Serpents in Sussex

Enchanting Lair - Water Dragon

Jennifer Aikman-Smith - Water Dragon

Dragon Dreams also have a freebie Water Dragon along with Fire, Air, Earth and Spirit

I got completely stuck on a final K so did a little Googling and found this interesting list of "Legendary Creatures beginning with K".  Many of them seem to be Japanese, so here are a few I liked the sound of:

• Kahaku (Japanese) - Little people and water spirits

• Kamaitachi (Japanese) - Wind spirit
• Kanedama (Japanese) - Money spirit
• Katawa-guruma (Japanese) - Woman riding on a flaming wheel
• Katsura-otoko (Japanese) - Handsome man from the moon

• Kitsune-Tsuki (Japanese) - Person possessed by a fox spirit
• Kiyohime (Japanese) - Woman who transformed into a serpent-demon out of the rage of unrequited love

(I like how specific that last one is!)

 And here is a nice Japanese cross stitch to finish with:

Dimensions - Samurai

He does at least look like he could battle monsters for us!

  

Jo's July Ornament

Nice to see a few Pumpkin finishes being posted.  Please feel free to post any finishes from previous months too, no-one is keeping track of how late they are!

I chose a sweet little Just Nan design for my pumpkin.  It's one of a set of three called Moon Riders.  The other two designs are a witch and a ghost, both sitting on moons.

Moon Rider Jack

I used a piece of my favourite 32 count lavender evenweave for this and the recommended DMC, except for the moon which I changed to DMC 4090, a variegated thread.  I also changed the plain border to a stripy one.

The fabric is big enough to stitch all three in a row although I haven't decided how I will finish them

Pumpkin Fairy

Ever since I saw this ornament in the 2010 JCS Halloween issue, I knew I would stitch it someday.  She's stitched on 28 ct Willow cashel linen and finished with tutu trim!  I love the way she came out!

A Little Behind . . .

I'm a little late for June . . . kept thinking it was pumpkin month so now I'm all set for July!  Below is my freebie for June, a little Prairie Schooler pattern I've had forever.  Stitched on "haunted" cashel by Picture This Plus and finished as a tag.  This is the first time I've made a tag, but I followed Vonna's easy instructions (http://tts-learntofinish.blogspot.com/2012/02/floss-tag.html?m=1), and wa-la, a cute little ornament:

July... already?!

Well yes I am a little behind... sorry :(
But stitched a pumpkin and thought YES!! July!!  Its not spooky so not very Halloweeny.. is that a word?  

Stitched on 28 count DMC beige linen

This design is a freebie and already been added to the list, under crow and pumpkin.  The original has alphabet letters surrounding the design... I left them out.

Made it into a pillow to go in my stitching basket :)

J is for Jack-in-the-Box, Jack O'Lantern and other famous Jacks

J is for Jack-in-the-Box from A Dark Alphabet designed by Julie and Becky's Note of Friendship blog.

Here's what Becky said about this block at the time:

"Depending on the country, the story varies a bit in it's telling, but most involve a devil! In French the jack-in-the-box is called a "diable en boîte", which means "boxed devil".  One of the first jack-in-the-boxes was pictured holding a boot with a devil in it. Some believe that the name "Jack" was a reference to the devil, referred to as a jack - is this also where we get Jack-o-lantern?"

Here is the perfect little 3D Jack-in-the-Box by Susan Myers:

Acorn House Designs - Jack O in the Box

Now some people might think that looks a little tricky but I stitched Susan's Drac-in-the Box last year and thanks to some nice clear instructions it really wasn't too difficult.  Good preparation and lots of slip stitching is the key!  Here is Drac:

Serendipitous Stitching -Happy- Jump Up for Drac-in-box

On to Jack O'Lanterns, most usually a pumpkin in modern times as they are the perfect size and shape for carving into heads or more imaginative shapes.  Vegetables have been carved out and used as lanterns for centuries, from the Maori (gourds) to the English (turnips, manglewurzels or beets).  The carved pumpkin was first used at Harvest Time in America but by 1866 had become associated specifically with Hallowe'en.

There are many stories about the origin of the name "Jack O' Lantern" with some believing Jack is the Devil and others saying he was a man who tricked the Devil.  This website tells the story of Stingy Jack and the Devil.

There are so many great Jack O'Lantern cross stitch designs to choose from, here are just a few:

All Through The Night - Jolly Jack

Amy Bruecken Designs - Jackie O Lantern

Birds of a Feather - All Hallows Night

There are Pumpkin Carving Festivals all over the world and Pumpkin Carving Competitions too.  I asked my older son to choose his favourite from one website and here it is:

Extreme Pumpkins - The Joker

Another J, for the Joker!

Other famous Jacks include Jack Skellington:

Kyotiutsukushii - Jack Skellington

Jack Skellington is the main character in the Tim Burton Nightmare Before Christmas animation.  One of our favourite Hallowe'en films.  Jack visits Christmas-land and tries to explain to the inhabitants of Hallowe'en Town what it is all about.  Of course, they put a Spooky Spin on the festival and it all goes horribly wrong.

The other famous Jack is Jack Sparrow, not really very Hallowe'eny but he is a popular character for people to dress up as for the occasion so that's why he's here!!

Pattern Maker - Johnny Depp

There are lots of computer generated Jack Sparrow charts out there but this one appealed because it is based on original artwork by Brian Duey rather than a photo taken from the internet.

And finally, still on the subject of famous Js, here is Jason from the Friday 13th films:

Pixel Power - Jason

June Freebie

I started my stitching for this entry very late this month. It was a very quick stitch and I just managed to finish the stitching and assemble a pincushion. I plan to add some beaded pins later, need to visit the bead section the hobby store.

Freebie: The Primitive Hare

Stitched with DMC 3371

In Stitches,

Lili's June Ornament

Hi!!
My freebie chart ornament for this month!!

Model from Teresa Murgida - "Field of Jack".
You can ask for this free model on Teresa blog, here.

Stitched on 32 count Vintage Country Mocha Linen.
With DMC floss.

(my blog here)

Thank you so much for the nice comments on my May Ornament!

Happy stitching,

Lili

Jo's June Ornament

I hope that you are enjoying your "free" month this June, there is a whole list of links to freebie charts on their own page, see the tabs at the top of the blog.

I decided that Dr. Frankenstein's Kitty deserved a little playmate this month, so here are the lovely couple:

They are both designs from  Carand88 based on the microkitties animations designed by Hyraea

I is for Inky Darkness, Imps and Ireland

I is for Inky Darkness from A Dark Alphabet designed by Julie and Becky's Note of Friendship blog.

Inky darkness, because everything is scarier in the dark; if we can't see then our other senses take over, every sound is amplified, every creak, every echo sounds suspicious, every shadow hides - who know what?  We hide under our blankets and wait for the safety of dawn.  Shadows may be scary but they do make great silhouettes perfect for stitching, either black on white fabric or how about black on the new glow-in-the dark fabric from Sewitall?

Funk and Weber - Let There be Night Collection

Hinzeit - Dark-Shadows

But, without the dark we would not be able to appreciate the light:

Finished Piece from Quirkorium

What is an imp?  A small demon who is more mischievious than harmful.  Perfect for some trick or treating on Hallowe'en.   I found it rather difficult to find cross stitched imps but Nimue does have Mic and Mac who are rather sweet:

Nimue - Mic and Mac

Back in this post about the Origins of Hallowe'en I talked about the Celtic countries where Samhain was celebrated; Scotland, Wales, and Ireland.  The Irish emigrating to America in the 18the Century would certainly have taken their traditions and superstitions with them.  Once again, it was tricky to find Irish Hallowe'en designs, there are any number of St. Patrick's Day themed charts to choose from!  So I thought I'd share some Irish Blessings instead to preserve us from the Inky Darkness and Mischievious Imps:

The Sweetheart Tree - Irish Blessing

Moira Blackburn - Irish Blessing Sampler

And just because I liked him, and he is a kind of Imp, there is this Leprechaun Fiddler:

Lena Lawson - Fiddler

  

Another witch for June

I stitched a quickee for June.  It's Vintage Witch by Laura Rimola of the Little Stitcher.  I've had this one in my 'to do' pile for awhile.  After stitching the headless horseman in brown last month I didn't want to do this one in more brown .... yawn.  So I switched to a brighter rust color on gold fabric.

Love that nose.

H is for Headless Horseman, Haunted Houses and Hallowe'en

H is for Headless Horseman from A Dark Alphabet designed by Julie and Becky's Note of Friendship blog.

The Headless Horseman has appeared in many forms of literature throughout history and throughout the world. Many countries have their own unique version of the headless horseman.  We find versions in Texas, Ireland, Germany, India.... the most known version is probably that of Ichabod Crane and the Legend of Sleepy Hollow, based on a German folktale, first written down by  Karl Musäus.  It later was used as the basis of a story by Washington Irving. 

Becky researched the various stories of the Headless Horseman in this post here

Marcy stitched a great version of this monster in May, this one is by Primitive Hare:

Wicked Night by Primitive Hare

Sleepy Hollow by Glendon Place

This features the following spooky poem:

In a grave lies the horseman

His head is at his side

Be brave enough to take it

And again by night he will ride

The next H's are for Haunted Houses, every town, village and area has a house rumoured to be haunted, whether by a grey lady or monk or just because of creepy happenings.  Some ghosts seem to be quite friendly and people are rather proud of their haunting inhabitant but others are less welcome, causing people to flee screaming in the night never to return.

While searching for information on Haunted Houses, I found a great website www.hauntedrooms.co.uk which lists their Top 21 of Haunted Places and also gives details of Haunted Hotels where you can spend the night - ghosts not guaranteed!  There's one page for the UK and another for America.  Why not have a look and let me know if you've stayed in any of those hotels?

And here is some stitching:

Widow Black's B&B by Praiseworthy Stitches

This is the fourth in a series of four different Haunted Houses!

Beware of Hallowe'en - Bobbie G Designs

When Skeletons Dance by Drawn Thread

This was such an easy topic to find designs for, just Google "Haunted House Cross Stitch" and you will find many beautiful charts and designs for you to buy.

The final H just has to be Hallowe'en, which needs no description from me!  In fact, I covered the origins in this post here

Simply Hallowe'en by Waxing Moon

Hallowe'en Party by Just Nan