June Stitchalong: Week 2

(my June Stitchalong project in progress)

Yay! We've already had a great response to the June Stitchalong - we've got new projects in the pool, along with some free patterns designed by you guys! Remember that for this stitchalong you are welcome to stitch any free pattern that you like (even one you make yourself) - but please post a link to the pattern you use so we can stitch along with you. :)

For this post, I wanted to show you a great tool freely available in Flickr that you might not know about: Picnik!

Ever take a picture of your stitching and think it's too dark or you wish it reflected the actual colors better?

Here's some stitching from the super-talented lilyvanilli72:



You can tell, without a doubt that this is an amazing work, and the details are nice and sharp, but it's kind of dark and hard to see the actual colors...

Well, here it is after a quick Auto-fix in Picnik:


Isn't that awesome? Thanks, Lily, for letting me share your stitching!

Here's a pic stitched by life is crafty (wonderful stitching, by the way, Jeanne!) for the June Stitchalong:

Before:


After Auto-fix in Picnik:


Nice, huh? The original photo was fine, but Auto-fix added an extra  pop of contrast and tweaked the color temperature to the cool side. I've used this tool a lot, and like any tool, sometimes it works better than others, but it is definitely worth a try.

Here's how to use Picnik (tips from Flickr):
How do I start editing with Picnik


Now, back to the June Stitchalong...
A few of you have already stitched some of the freebies I posted!

How about this cutie stitched from the Wild Olive pattern:

Stitched by Now I'm Found

I love this white stitching on blue:

Stitched by ~ PixieFey ~

And, just in time for this stitchalong, Digital Misfit posted a free pattern on her blog:

Get the pattern

As for my project, I am finishing *cough* last month's stitchalong and stitching Carina's free pattern on paper:


(my progress again)

Can't wait to show you more! Until next week, have fun stitching, guys! :)

Winner of the May Stitchalong!

It wasn't enough for the winner of the May Stitchalong just to stitch up a version of the pattern. She decided to stitch a teensy-tiny version of the May pattern. On a dress. For a Blythe doll. That she crayon tinted. And she made herself.

Seriously, can it get any more amazing? Look at those stitches!


No, really, look at those stitches - she even made a little diagram to show you exactly what she did:


So congratulations, Lia of Summerday Studio, your stitching is incredible, and you won a free pattern from Cate Anevski's store and a bundle of floss and fabric from me. :)

But, you know what? Cate loved everyone's stitching so much that she's sending one free pattern to every person who took part in the May Stitchalong! Yup, everyone who stitched the pattern last month and added their picture to our pool won a pattern! Isn't that incredibly sweet of her? Cate, you are so wonderful - thank you so much for designing such a wonderful pattern, being so generous, and inspiring us all. Thanks everybody! Is anyone working on the June Stitchalong yet? I'll be checking in with you guys later this week with a special post for that one! :)

Download the pattern (PDF)
week 1
week 2
week 3-4

June Stitchalong: You Choose!

We're in the process of choosing a winner for the May Stitchalong, stay tuned for that! In the meantime, there are so many stitchalongs and free patterns out there, this month I thought we'd let you find the free pattern of your choice, stitch it up, tag it JuneStitchalong and add it to the pool. To play along, be sure to link to the free pattern you use under your photo, so we can stitch it, too! Here are just a few suggestions from my rapidly growing "to stitch" list:

For one thing, there's the Lark Stitchalong this month with Aimee Ray:

Aimee is adding a free pattern once a week for the rest of this month, so be sure to check those out! Join the stitchalong here

Or, how about a free pattern from our own Carina:


Carina is having a special stitchalong on her blog next month (she'll share the details with you later) but to get you ready for that, why not download this lovely free pattern and stitch it up? She even includes a color guide, which is super helpful for people like me who are duds when it comes to choosing colors... Get the free pattern.

Or how about a fawn from the amazing Badbird:


I'd love to see all of Badbird's freebies stitched up into a quilt, I think it would be amazing. Get the free pattern

Or how about this lovely vintage pattern from The Floss Box:


Emily has tons of amazing little patterns for embroidery and cross stitch in her store - but be sure to visit her free patterns pages for gems like these. Get the free pattern

Or maybe a cute sugar cube embroidery pattern by Wild Olive:


Mollie has tons of amazing stuff on her blog, including her wonderful Embroidery Basics series, which is really worth a visit. Get the free pattern

So what do you think? Join in, tag your photos JuneStitchalong and let's see how many free patterns we can stitch this month! :)

May Stitchalong: last week

(my rather sad progress)

So, how are you guys doing on the May Stitchalong? Did you all download your pattern and give it a start? Yes, I know it's June, and I'm still posting about the May Stitchalong, but remember this is a special one with a prize! AND, you still have a whole weekend and two days to complete it - the deadline is Tuesday June 7!


(my progress again)

I'll be the first to admit that my progress has been painfully slow. Ever have one of those days where nothing you do seems to turn out right? Well, I've been having one of those weeks. A word of advice? When you are feeling this way about your crafting, do not decide to sit down and stitch at night (unless you have a very nice lamp that mimics daylight). There's something about the orangey glow of most lights that will muddy up your colors and make you feel even grumpier. Case in point - me, stitching this, last night.

But when I got my project in some morning light, I immediately felt cheerier. Still grumpy, but cheerier:

(blue sparkly glow in the dark thread - should I?)

Right now I'm trying to decide if I should add some of this sparkly thread in somehow... Either way, I'm halfway done, which is encouraging.


Now, on to your stitching!


Stitched by fav_orite.things

Um, how awesome is this?! I love the colors chosen by Ms. fav_orite.things and just how bright and cheery overall this whole project is. Also, she posted a great idea to help alleviate some puckering on Mr. Toast - how about a little acupuncture? ;)

Love the chunky stitches and fun colors on this one:

Stitched by WithWhimsy

Here's some nice textured chain stitching and french knots on the strawberry:

Stitched by TippedDaisy

This one's all stitched up but needs a nice saying for the banner - hey maybe you can give her a few tips! :)

Stitched by eronn_actually

Also, I'm loving the texture on this PB and J - that toast looks like the perfect shade of peanut butter, he's making me kinda hungry...

Stitched by mrs. breadpony

So all in all, I counted, and 3 days before the deadline we have only 6 finished entries - and I think that's as good a reason as any to throw your hat in the ring! This is a quick stitch - a perfect weekend project, and remember the winner gets one free pattern from Cate Anevski's store and a bundle of floss and fabric from me (I promise I'll make it a nice one). Tag your pic "MayStitchalong" and add it to the Embroidery pool before midnight (US, Central time) on Tuesday, June 7 to enter!

Download the pattern (PDF)
week 1
week 2

Don't Panic

Stitched by moxiedoll77

Don't panic, or anything, but it's Towel Day. :)

May Stitchalong: Week 2

Stitched by HeidiMakesStuff

Boy are you guys fast! And stitchers like Heidi are setting the bar pretty high, indeed. How can I hope to stitch anything as great as this, you may be asking yourself? Ok, maybe it's just me asking myself, but whatever. The whole point of a stitchalong is to just join in and do your thing at whatever level your at, in whatever way you want! So I hope lots and lots of you join us for this one - remember, there's a prize for the most inspired stitching - a free pattern from Cate Anevski's store and a bundle of floss and fabric to get you started!

We already have a few awesome finishes in the pool, including a wedding sampler:

Stitched by snifferooski

An adorable framed set:

Stitched by Little Red Emo Hood

And some incredibly detailed satin stitching in progress:

Stitched by fav_orite.things

Am I feeling the pressure? Ok, maybe a little bit. But either way I whipped out my blue charcoal pencil and finally got started:


How about you? I think it's time you got started and added yours to the pool!

Need the patterns?
Week One

Need help transferring your pattern?
Here's some excellent tips from Mollie Johanson's Embroidery Basics series:
Embroidery Basics: Transferring a Pattern

And I did a basic how to use a transfer pencil (a billion years ago):
How to Use a Transfer Pencil

What are you waiting for? Let's see some more stitching! :)

Golden Girls Embroidery

Stitched by Lauradediaz

Everything about this embroidery just makes me say "yay." :) Thank you for preserving one of my favorite TV moments in embroidery, Laura. :)

May Stitchalong: Cate Anevski

How about another stitchalong? Hmmmm? :)

This month's pattern was brought to us by the super-talented Cate Anevski - we've featured her wonderful embroidery patterns often here, and we're so honored that she created something special for Feeling Stitchy readers!



That's right, you're looking at a fully customizable PB + J pattern! Maybe you want to stitch just the PB + J?

Or maybe you want your sandwich to say:


Or maybe, you want your sandwich to say a phrase of your very own? Well, we got you:


I love how Cate's design echoes the quirky, cute kitschiness of vintage patterns, combined with her own, unique feel. This is gonna be a fun one, guys, I can feel it!

And... there's a prize this month!

For a little added inspiration, and as a thank you to all of you for making our first-ever stitchalongs such a hit - Cate will choose one winner who'll receive one free embroidery pattern  from her store (choose your favorite) and a little bundle of floss and fabric from yours truly. Sound awesome? I hope so!

And, since we started this stitchalong a bit late, just know that you'll have until June 7 to complete your stitching. On that day, we'll collect all the entries and Cate will choose our winner.

Wanna take part? Just tag your stitching "MayStitchalong" and add it to our pool!

P.s. to those of you with questions about how or where to start, I'll be checking in this weekend with my progress and links to cool tutorials, etc. See you then! :)

Family trees

Stitched by Tiny Apartment Crafts - read her pattern review

One of my favorite things to do with my mom is pore over our family tree. She has a bad memory - mine's even worse, so every time we comb through our collective memory we marvel over all the weird names, funny memories and bittersweet happiness of having had such a very big family with such strange, wonderful, and adventurous lives.

That's why I was so excited to see this new family tree pattern by Liz Stiglets:

Stitched by cozyblueliz

I thought it would be a great way to commemorate Mother's Day - well, hey I know you probably can't stitch it overnight, but just sitting down with your parents and mapping out the names of all your loved ones would be a great way to spend part of your day. It could also be a sweet wedding gift or a gift for a brand new mom. Or maybe even a gift for yourself, as you add the names of everyone who is special in your life...

The pattern is available in Liz's shop, Cozy Blue. Thanks, Liz, for sharing this with us! :) And if any of you have stitched this up, please be sure to share a link with us!

Scooby and the gang

Stitched by tishous

I'm pretty in love with this cross-stitched version of Scooby and the gang, stitched by Tish. The pattern is available in the Wee Little Stitches store. Eep.

Hearts

Stitched by adacao

In honor of the Royal Wedding, how about some lovely hearts stitched by Bo? What can I say, I'm a sucker for weddings - there's something so brave and reckless and awesome about saying "I Do" that will always make me shed a little tear at every wedding, no matter how silly or overdone. And I must say Kate looked magnificent. Happy Wedding Day, guys! What did you think of the wedding? :)

Little Crochet Blog Tour

I met Linda totally by chance in New York City at a book release party and I would have never thought that 2 years later we'd again be living in the same city, 100's of miles from New York, and practically neighbors. I am thrilled to be today's stop on the Little Crochet Blog Tour, because I can pretty much never stop touting my friend Linda's merits - she's an amazing designer, artist, and crocheter - if you haven't visited her blog yet, you should definitely have a look.

Little Crochet is a beautiful book with 24 crochet projects for babies and children. The directions are clear and easy to follow, and the photography and colors are vivid and inspiring. I loved her "Before You Begin" section for the detailed description it gives of all the different yarn weights, crochet hooks, supplies, and sizing.

Toys, hats, sweaters, legwarmers, and throws - there's a little bit of everything in Little Crochet, and a project for every skill level. I also loved how Linda created alternate color choices for many of the patterns - it really helps you visualize all the different possible options. But aside from a few feeble rows, I'm no crocheter, so I enlisted the help of my wonderful sister Norma to help with this review!

She's currently crocheting the owl design:

My sister had this to say about Little Crochet:

I enjoyed trying out the Owl pillow pattern. I fell in love with it at first sight! It was easy to follow and understand even though I haven't crocheted in a while. I haven't completed it. Actually, mom is working on it now!

The book was beautifully done and well put together. The kids were adorable!

Thanks Linda, for sharing this wonderful book with me and including Feeling Stitchy on the Little Crochet blog tour. If you are a crocheter looking for some great projects for kids, I can think of no better place to start!

Royal Wedding, anyone?

Guess what I got in the mail? Well, if you don't feel like guessing, you're looking at it! The nice peeps at CrossStitcher were kind enough to mail their latest issue and I decided to keep it all to my stingy, non-stitching self. What? Of course not, guys - is there anything I don't give away? You probably think I'd give my own mom away if I could. (There is absolutely no proof of that. Yet.)

Anyway! This wonderful, commemorative copy of the CrossStitcher could be yours. I decided to keep this giveaway US-only because I want to make sure you get your copy in time for the wedding AND it'll be a nice treat for us non-UK-ers.

All you have to do is leave a comment on this post, and I thought, in honor of the wedding, I'd have the comments be extra goofy. If you could marry a prince (or princess) and choose exactly who he (or she) might be - actor, person in history, past or present, etc - who would it be? Choose your prince! (Or princess) :) And although I cannot mail you that person, I can send one lucky person a very nice magazine instead.

And, because I gotta be first up - here's mine:

Mark Ronson.... because he's cute... and talented. Ok, so I know nothing of his character, but he can make a mean record, and he's one snappy dresser. And he's a Brit (yours doesn't have to be). Comments will stay open until Saturday morning, when I'll close the comments, choose a random winner, and pop this magazine in the mail. So, bring it on, folks - it's prince time!

Edit: 4/23/11 - here's our winner!


Happy zombie has a magazine coming in the mail!

Winner of Pocketful of Posies!

We have a winner!

AshleyJane said...

I love the french knot!

April 17, 2011 11:23 AM 

Ashley Jane, this book is yours! Email me at unafloresita AT gmail DOT com and I'll mail it out to you, pronto. :)

And thanks everyone, for your wonderful comments and thanks especially to Salley Mavor, for sharing this book with us! :)