In fact, in keeping with the idea of simple, cute, and fun, I have decided that since I don’t have a lot of stitching time these days and I am sort of burnt out on large designs that, at least for a while, I am going to focus exclusively on small designs… And to start with I am going to stitch as many of the Halloween designs in the new JCS Halloween issue as I can until I get bored with them. I’d like to actually finish them into ornaments so I could create a “Halloween Tree” for my favorite holiday, but I don’t see that happening this year.

Now, since I didn’t set any goals for August, I don’t have anything to compare my progress against, but just to remind you, in August I managed to complete “Too Cute to Spook,” and stitched two small designs (”Kitty w/ Frog” and “Boo Moon”). Although this isn’t much compared with what I used to do, I am pleased to have had some happy dances (no matter how small) again. Before this month, the last happy dance I had was in MAY!!

I will set a goal for September though. And that is to stitch as many simple, cute, fun designs as I can, but only when I feel like it!

In other news, I finished Brittercup Designs “Kitty w/Frog” from Britty Kitties I tonight. I am a little perturbed because the Weeks Dye Works Onyx bled a little bit when I dampened the fabric to press it. I know that I soaked the thread when I got it, but I guess I must not have rinsed it enough times. I doubt it is noticeable to anyone but me anyway…

Kitty with Frog
A Brittercup Designs Design
32 ct. Limited Edition Belfast Linen by Silkweaver
August 18, 2009-August 23, 2009
Weeks Dye Works Fibers

As is the norm for me when I stitch these wee designs I made some substitutions because I didn’t have all the floss and embellishments called for. I understand the appeal of beads, buttons, fuzzy thread, and the like, but honestly the only time I am going to go to the expense of getting those things is for a BAP. These little ornaments are mostly just a quick happy dance fix for me and just don’t warrant all the extras in my opinion.

So even though Jingles doesn’t have a button for a nose, a bell at the end of his Santa hat, or a fuzzy red scarf, I think he is cute all the same.

As promised, I spent Friday and Saturday working on “Pumpkin on Gingham” by The Sweetheart Tree from the JCS Halloween ornament issue. I didn’t quite get finished with it on Saturday, so I finished it up last night. Normally I wouldn’t show a picture until I had it made up into a fob (which is what this piece is destined for), but I didn’t want my fellow SATers to think I hadn’t achieved my goal this month… so here it is!

On Sunday, I put “Pumpkin on Gingham” down so I could work on “Summer’s Magic,” my SAL with Dawn. Dawn didn’t get a chance to SAL on Sunday because she wasn’t feeling well, but I since I was a little behind I went ahead and worked on my piece anyway.

With this piece, I think I have entered a new era in my stitching evolution. I have started backstitching as I go along. Like most stitchers, when I learned how to stitch I was given the advice to leave all the backstitching for the end, which I did. However, these days I believe that I have acquired enough experience to know how much backstitching I can do without the floss getting lost amongst the cross stitches and as a result I wonder why I didn’t start doing this long ago.