Early Start on Snowflakes

 I love to stitch snowflakes!  I did these using 16 ct aida so they would fit into 20" hoops for ornaments.  I got the patterns for them from SamplerCrossStitch on Etsy.  I used variegated thread on the second one and I like how it looks!

A Blithe Yule

 It's a bit early for Christmas stuff in our household but I wanted to start on some Christmas stitching anyway.  We won't put the tree up until after Thanksgiving, and in the new place, there are far less places to put Christmas decor.  But I will definitely frame this up and hang it somewhere.  Pattern is by SirenStitchWorks on Etsy.  It says "A Blessed Yule" in Scottish.  I'm actually shocked at how quickly it came together.  I finished it in two days while watching true crime documentaries after work and on my lunch break!

More Perler Sprites

I found some more pics of some Perler Bead Sprites I've done.  I also can't remember when I did these but I found them on my IG so thought they needed posting!

I did this one a while back and lost the top black bead.  I found it when I was unpacking my office.

I made two bows- one with regular beads and one with smaller ones.  

These are done with the mini beads.  Here we have P-Chan from Ranma 1/2, a little Totoro, a tea cup, and a bow.  

Totoro and friends made from mini beads

This One's Dedicated to the Squirrels

 In Hutto, we had rabbits all over the place to watch and fawn over.  In Pueblo, it's squirrels.

The squirrels around our house are brave.  They will get sort of close to you on the fence.  They will come up onto the porch.  They will chatter at you and then run across the top of the fence when you are trying to nail something onto the boards.  When you throw a hammer onto the ground in frustration, they will laugh at you. And they also respond when you talk to them.

They're super cute, though, and I love watching them.  I completed this cross stitch last night while watching Monk with Allen.  The pattern is by lagodartgento shop on Etsy.  

Perlers Revisited

 I have been thinking about doing some more perler bead art lately and it reminded me that I haven't posted a lot of my perler bead art.  I did post most of it but there are some I didn't post that I did later, or just didn't get around to doing.  

I made my nephew some little minecraft guys'  heads one year just for the heck of it.  One of the zombies didn't turn out so well, so I kept him for some reason.  He's below, along with some candy, pizza, an onigiri and a cute bow I made.  I was gonna make barrettes from them but never got around to doing it.  

I'm not sure what Perler projects I'll do next but I alwasy get the itch at the end of the year and beginning of the next.  Weird how that happens like clockwork every year!

I Survived- Again!

 So apparently, there was another rapture that was supposed to happen last week.  They are always going on about "The Rapture" and then nothing happens. Not that I'm complaining, it's just funny.

I did this to commemorate the occasion and finished it last night.  Pattern by Subversive Cross Stitch.

Now my issue is, what cross stitch piece should I do?  Or do I wanna do an embroidery pattern...? 

The Witchy Stitcher Cryptid Stitch-Along: The Hodag

I finished this one last night.  I think he is so cute. I'm obsessed with his little feet!  This is one of the last cryptids in The Witchy Stitcher's Cryptid Stitch Along.  I have Bigfoot and the Popelick Goatman to do and I'll be done!  These have been so much fun.  Then I will start on the Supernatural Stitch-along!  I think for that one, I'll just use regular aida.  I had to keep getting this oatmeal aida and sometimes it was hard to find, and I did want them to match somewhat.  Anyway, here is Hodag. 

"In the heart of the Northwoods near Rhinelander, WI, lucky visitors may come across a mysterious, mischievous beast known as the Hodag.  The Hodag resembles a large bull-horned carnivore with a row of thick curbed spines down its back.  It was said to be born from the ashes of cremated oxen.  The Hodag is rarely seen but often blamed for cheeky tricks involving missing keys, sunglasses, and helping the "big one" get away from anglers."- The Witchy Stitcher

Happy October!

Well Happy October!!  The move was... rough.  The movers were AMAZING, but there was just a lot of other bullshit to deal with.  If I get into it, this will be a mini-novel so...

But, we are here, and we are settled! We have done a ton of things around town, and found all the good food!  Also, we are not live-out-of-boxes people and we are not procrastinators, so we are mostly unpacked (well, the boxes we are going to unpack for now anyway) except a few personal boxes here and there.  The essentials are unpacked and settled.  I have a few boxes in my office and in my office closet, and we actually do have a ton in the basement but they are out of sight or on shelves until we can get to them,  and we will keep them there until we figure out what to do with the contents.  

One thing that's a bit of a bummer... most of the walls, you can't get a tack or even a nail into.  We had to get a concrete drill to drill holes for screws for hanging pictures, so I will not be able to put all of my stitches up like I had at the last house.  In a way.. I'm not too mad about it because we did have A LOT.  It was a much bigger house, too, almost twice as big as we have now, and I think maybe having the walls covered would make it look cluttered.  Right now, we have big art on the walls, and it looks great.  Nice and clean, and not overwhelming.  So I'm okay with it and one day, I may find a place I want to hang some of my pieces.  for now, they are in boxes or in my art portfolio (Which is just about full!).  I MAY be able to hang a bunch in the bathroom but it has the CUTEST crane wallpaper on one wall, and I don't want to cover it, and the rest of the walls have some sort of covering that makes it look like brick.  I tried to get a tack in... nope.  Oh well!

I finally sat down to do a cross stitch a couple of weeks ago and between still getting settled and having downtime, I worked on it.  It took a while, only because I was also distracted by other stuff.  But with all the shit going down in this country, it sums up how I feel right now.  The pattern is another collab between Subversive Cross Stitch and Very Cross Stitching.

Die Mad About It

 Moving day is quickly approaching!  We are scheduled to load up and leave on September 2nd, which is a week and from today.  This move happened a lot faster than I had planned, and I didn't have the time I'd like to visit everyone before we go.  I did have a couple of visits planned, one with the Belladonnas and one with Amber and Sherry, former coworkers and victims of Sears.  I didn't get to have a final brunch with the Brunch Bitches of Taylor, but we did actually have several in this year, so I don't feel so bad about that.  Everyone else.. well, the road works both ways, y'all.  People who made an effort to see me, got to see me.  Those who made zero effort and wanted me to do all the work... g'bye forever!  

Maybe not forever but.. this move has shown me who really cares and who wants it to be about them all the time.  As if I didn't know but still.. ANYWAY... that's not what this blog is about.  

This is the last cross stitch I did in Texas.  I finished it last Thursday and now I have all of my stitchy things packed except for stuff for my next two projects, in case I get to work on them in the hotel while we are traveling or if I need something to do before the movers get to the house, since it's gonna take them longer than it takes us.  I would say it's the last one I did in the house I grew up in but we all know I will do more cross stitching there when I visit.  So I'll say the last one I did when I LIVED in the house I grew up in.  Why do I chronicle these sort of sad things?  I don't know...

This one is by SonOfAStitch.  I did alter the patten a bit because some of the colors in the original pattern weren't going to show up on this sparkly aida.  Can you see the sparkles??  I love it when they show up in a photo!  I say this all the time so it was great to find a cool pattern that said it.  I now need to find one that say "Die in a fire", because that's another Jonesey-ism.

8-11-25

 For a busy packing time, I'm getting my stitches in!  I love this one so much by The Gloomy Gremlin!  

I have three of these cozy patterns by largodargento on Etsy.  The first was a teapot I did and posted last year around this time, I think.  There is this cute pumpkin one, and then there is a squirrel one I shall work on soon!  They are the cutest and stitch up pretty quickly!

The Witchy Stitcher Cryptid Stitch-Along: Mongolian Death Worm

 I have been plugging away at this Cryptids from the Cryptid Stitch Along by The Witchy Stitcher.  I know these are meant to be on one huge piece of Aida but I just can't do that with my neurospicy brain, so I always do stitch-alongs separately and then one day I can create a collage of all of them!  This is The Death Worm.  

“The Mongolian Death Worm is a Cryptid reported to exist in the Gobi Desert of Mongolia, East Asia.  It is described as a bright red word with a wide body that is 2-5 feet long.   The worm is the subject of many extraordinary claims such as the ability of the worm to spew forth acid that will turn anything yellow and corroded (and which would kill a human), as well as its ability to kill at a distance by means of electric discharge.  The main antagonists ni the Tremors series, called Graboids, were based upon the Death Worm.  There was a film released in 2010 based solely on this scary worm entitled “Mongolian Death Worm”.- The Witchy Stitch, Cryptid Wiki

8-4-25

 Well, it's on!  We (I, actually) have started packing!  I sort of like packing, and I sort of hate it.  I have also started organizing. So we have all these boxes in a storage shed, and in a bedroom here, and they are just numbered, and not really labeled, because we did a system where we had a list of what is in which box and the boxes had corresponding numbers.  So I am going through each box and listing what's in it, and putting where it's gonna go in the house, because we are hiring movers to put the boxes where they need to go.  I am kind of enjoying that bit.  

We don't have anything scheduled quite yet because we don't know when they will be done with all repairs but I'm figuring we will be moving between mid-September and mid-October.  That's a great time because it's hot as fuck here but it coincides with Autumn and they are actually going to be cooling down that time of year!  

I have still managed to get some stitching in!

We LOVE The Mighty Boosh!  I can't find many cross stitch patterns that I like, though.  There are tons of Old Gregg ones but they are super elaborate and I get bored with very stitch-heavy projects.  I did find this one by ShortAndLoudShop on Etsy.

This is a Stundew by Noctiflora Designs.  I have several of her patterns but this is the first one I've actually done.  I dyed this aida myself :)  I stitched it up pretty quickly and it's just the cutest!

Okay, on with work!

Simple Life

I have some great news... we found a home in Pueblo and our offer was accepted!!!  We should close on August 20th!!  EEP!!!  So excited!  There is a lot to be done, but the sellers have agreed to do it- plumbing, electric, foundation, and replacing the entire roof!  

Okay, back to what this blog is about...

I created this pattern because I wanted something simple, and wasn't really able to find anything on Etsy that wasn't super elaborate, and the point of this quote is to celebrate the simple.  It's credited to Tolkien in The Fellowship of the Ring.  It's not actually in the books, but it's something Bilbo says while narrating his chapter "Concerning Hobbits" in his book "There and Back Again".  I think it's a lovely sentiment, and my goal in life is to just live a simple, peaceful and happy life.  We've had that for the most part for a long time, and I'm hoping that despite the chaos, hate, anger, etc going on, we can continue our simple life.  

If More of us valued food and song and cheer above hoarded gold...

It's been a while since I posted but... Pueblo was FANTASTIC!  We explored the city and looked at some houses as well.  We didn't find a house that fit what we are looking for, so we will keep going.  We had one picked out that we were IN LOVE with but it turned out to be a complete dump.  That was disappointing but I know we'll find a place we love.

We found some great food and we can get almost everything we need at the shops in Pueblo.  They have one called King Soopers, and it's Kroger with a different name, and I LOVE me some Kroger so I'm pretty happy.  There was not a lot of traffic.  And everywhere we went, we could get there within a few minutes!  I love it and am really excited about living there.  

We also went to a nature center that was just unreal!  I can't wait to go back.  

I am not sure i have ever lived in a time where we needed this mindset more than now...this is one of my favorite quotes from The Hobbit.  Thorin said it to Bilbo as he lay dying.  It's such a beautiful quote and I want it hanging in my home!  The pattern is by CrossStitchForYou on Etsy.  I actually started this in our hotel room in Pueblo and it's taken me a while to finish but I am really  happy with it.  I finished it last night!

Ghost in the Garden

We are going to Pueblo this weekend to check it out and see if we want to live there.  I'm super excited!  Road Trip!  We have off Friday and I am taking Monday and Tuesday off as well so I'll have some time to rest up after the trip and the drive.  Wish us luck!

I finished this one by The Bad Witch Crafts yesterday.  I am not super happy with how it came out.  It's not the pattern or the design, I just don't think it's my best work.  I dyed the aida myself, and I don't think it was the best choice of fabric for this specific piece.  The pattern is awesome and maybe I'll redo it on a better piece of aida later on!

Cozy and Feral

 This cute little cottage core pattern was created by Stitch Sprout.  I did this one on sparkly aida and I think you can actually see the sparkles in this one!

I admit I kind of stole this pattern.  I saw it in a picture and couldn't find who created it so I could purchase it, so I just recreated it myself and since it's for me, I don't feel bad! Stay feral, y'all!

No Kings!

I got this pattern from Subversive Cross Stitch and was amazed at how fast I was able to stitch it up!  I did this on Saturday, June 14th, which was the date of the first No Kings rally.  They had a little one in Coldspring!  I drove through and honked at them in solidarity on my way to the store.  Allen had to go to Hutto to take care of some things on the house and we are sort of taking turns now because we are sick of driving back and forth almost every weekend.  So it was his turn! 

It makes me proud that 5 million Americans across the country protested the current regime, and let a certain someone know we are not standing for a leader who is trying to act like a king.  We haven't had a king since 1776 and we're not gonna have one now.  There are more planned for the rest of the year. 

Anyway, this is a collaboration of Subversive Cross Stitch and Very Cross Stitching.  There are some patterns by Very Cross Stitching in my 2018-2019 posts.  I love them :)  

Friday the 13th!

 It's Friday the 13th!  Ooohhhh spoooooky! Why?  I don't know.  There are lots of theories as to the origins of thinking Friday the 13th is "unlucky".  It doesn't stem from the Friday the 13th horror series...

Anyway, I finished this cutie from The Bad Witch Crafts, once again!  I'm not trying to toot my own horn by claiming I'm deadly talented.  I just really liked this pattern.  The bright red is done with the sparkly Etoille thread, but it's hard to pick up in photos, sadly. 

I've had this pattern by The Colorful Coven for ages and rediscovered it while searching for another pattern on my laptop.  This is another one that will be hanging in our new home for sure!  I just put the last touches on it this morning.  I should have used gold thread for the knob but... oh well!

And for "tax" as the kids are saying... here is a picture of the new baby calf that was born yesterday, maybe?  It's a girl, so they will keep her.  They can't keep bulls because they fight, so they just have one bull and several female cows.  The baby is so cute!  Mom called her Missy.  She is cute, cute, cute!  I love watching the cows at my parents' place.  They aren't really afraid of us, but they don't want to be touched, so I can't pet them unless I'm giving them treats.  

6-10-25

 Hello hello!  I'm here with another installment of cross stitch, because that's basically all I have been doing of late.  Honestly, it helps me relax and keeps be distracted from the horrors going on in this world.  It also just makes me feel sort of cozy, even though we're in summer and it's hot as balls.  I can't wait to be in CO with cooler temps! 

Yes, I know it gets hot in CO, but not as hot as here, and Pueblo is not humid, so that will probably be very nice, and there are SEASONS!  I have also been looking at the weather and it looks like it's chilly in the mornings and evenings, which is nice.  It's still in the fucking 90s here at 8 PM.  UGH.  

I did this Tarot card one from The Bad Witch Crafts.  I think she may have also done the stitcher "card" I stitched up earlier this year too.  

I can't find who created this pattern.  I used the Etoille sparkly thread, and you can actually see the sparkles in this pic.  It's a shame that the light green color of the fabric isn't showing up in this pic, but the contrast makes a nice piece!

A little catch-up

 It's been a few since I posted.  I've been busy with just... life stuff.  I've still found time, however, to do some great cross stitch pieces!  These are larger than the ones I  usually do so they took me longer.  I get easily bored and distracted so I usually stick to smaller pieces, and if I do a bigger one, I take time in between with smaller ones.

It's not that these were super stitch heavy or anything but a couple were like physically larger than what I usually do.  I had been eyeballing this for a while and I finally pulled the trigger, purchased it and completed it.  The pattern is by CeresAndSun on Etsy.  

Another one by CeresAndSun, and a bit smaller.  It's something I live by and I love a good blasphemous stitching project.

It's been nicer outside lately, and so I have been cross stitching on the patio as well.  I love cross stitching outside.  I love being outside when it's not stupid hot (it's almost always stupid hot in Texas).  I've been spending a lot of time on the patio and though I would bring my stitching along.  

And here is the finished project from that patio pic.  It's a quote by Congresswoman Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez.  She should be our president but... oh well.  A Republican interrupted her during a meeting and made a disrespectful comment to her.  He continued to shout over her, and another one shouted at her, and over her, and asked her to yield, she responded "I will not yield to disrespectful men".  A role model for all women!  Pattern by WyldXStitch on Etsy.

5-28-25

 I did this one on this date back in May of 2022.  I had just started my awesome job and was really getting back into cross stitching after the job before had made me a depressed and miserable mess.  I had this one for a while and it came together pretty quickly.  I dyed the aida myself :)

Pattern by Beast or God.  

Handfastings and Stitches

It's May!  Cinco de Mayo to be exact!  I officiated my first handfasting on May 1st which was really fun. I had some time off last week, of course, around that and got to see my friends who live in Taylor, Texas.  We had good food, lots of drinks, and lots of fun.  I got to love on some kitties and dogs.  Some last minute things for the handfasting were discovered that needed to be done, like very last minute, and when I say some, I mean a lot but... I remained so calm that I surprised myself!  I think of everyone, I was the least stressed, and I was officiating the wedding so I would have expected to be freaking out, but I just remembered, "Your job is to officiate.  That's all."  My parents came out for the ceremony too!  It was just amazing.  I hung out with them during the reception because I was just exhausted and they are not exhausting to be around lol.  

This is the lovely couple- my dear friend Anja and her soulmate John.  They are such couple goals!  The ceremony was at Old Taylor High- they turned the old high school out there into local shops and eateries, and there are a couple of cool bars too.  They decided to have it there because their first meeting was at one of the bars there.  They are the cutest and I was honored to be able to do the ceremony.    

All that preparation didn't really put me behind on my stitching, however!  I finally framed this up for my mom and it's hanging in her livingroom.  Pattern by The Gloomy Gremlin.

I also did this one by Black Waltz Stitching.  I love her patterns and I have hoarded many.  I really messed this one up in a couple of places.  I have learned to abide by the 3-feet rule- if it's hanging on the wall and people don't notice it from three feet away, leave the mistake.  It saves a lot of stress and frustration.  

Beltane Labyrinth Stitching

I went to a cool Beltane campout this weekend and MY GOD THE FUCKING HUMIDITY!  I am never, ever camping again if it's above 70 degrees outside.  Fuck.  That.  Shit.  

I took a few embroidery pieces to work on in case I found some free time.  I chose this labyrinth pattern from Sublime Stitching.  I love that pattern set.  

I'm not super happy with this one, but as this is a journal of my crafts, I shall post it.  It's not the pattern....  Stick and Stitch does not hold up well in humidity, and is probably not even meant to be used in humid conditions, so it's not the fault of Stick and Stitch.  But anyway, I had to kind of hold the Stick and Stitch onto the fabric while I stitched.  Because of that, it was harder to really control the tension of the stitches so some are loose.  Also, I was in a tent because it was raining and the lighting wasn't great.  Oh well.   I think I'll print out some more of these and do them, and maybe even redo this one, because I do love the labyrinths!

Feeling Good AF!

Happy Thursday!  I finished my Subversive Cross Stitch piece, using the workstand I reviewed.  Right now, I AM feeling good af!  The weather is nice, and I'm finally out of that funk I got in during November of last year.  Things are looking hopeful for getting the house on the market soon, and that's a huge hurdle!  

I finished this cutie by WildOlive.  

My friend Rebecca runs a Victorian B&B in Golden, CO and has asked me to create a cross stitch piece that says "Do No Sit" because she has some antique furniture in there that is not supposed to be sat upon, but people keep sitting on it.  She's gonna add it to a pillow.   The B&B is called Pansy's Parlor and if you are ever in Golden and need a place to stay, THIS IS IT.  It's gorgeous and she is such a great host.  She makes the best breakfast and knows everything about Golden!

Lowery Work Stand Review

I kept seeing people raving about the Lowery Workstand online and decided to treat myself. You clip your frame into it and stitch away.  It helps some people with wrist or hand issues and it allows you to sit more comfortably while stitching... or something.  

So far, I like it okay.  I will say that I don't think it's ideal for Q Snap frames, which is what I usually use, though it's supposed to be ideal for them.  Maybe I'm not using it right.  The issue I have is that I don't feel like it holds the frame tightly enough.  It seems to slip easily.  It doesn't slip OUT, but it slips back away from me sometimes, if that makes sense, while I'm stitching and it's annoying.  Maybe I'm not tightening it enough but I don't want to crack the frame so... anyway, it works well enough, but I don't think it was worth as much as I paid for it.  They are quite expensive.  I wanna say I paid almost $200 for this.  Maybe it will be better for bigger projects like my Stitch A Day (that I am totally not keeping up with. I knew I'd crap out on it) or if I am using a smaller frame (like a wood frame- it is NOT good with the smaller 6" Q Snap because the part that your frame slips into is too big and gets in the way of stitching).  

Anyway, here it is an action shot. Again, it's not terrible, and it works pretty well, but I kind of prefer holding my work in my hand.  Maybe when I get older and it hurts to hold things for long in my hands, I'll be glad I bought it.  It's very pretty at least!  I am working on a Subversive Cross Stitch pattern that I will post soon!

Witch's Kitchen

 How could I have forgotten to post this little cutie by FlossyFoxShop on Etsy?  It was so fun and quick to finish :)

Enjoy the bad stuff you wished on others!

 I am not gonna get super political, but I am seeing a lot of people who voted a certain way, against their best interests because they thought bad things would happen to the people they don't like, but it's happening to them... and they sold us all out because they wanted bad things to happen to marginalized people, and didn't think it would ever happen to them... but it is.  And I take evil delicious joy in this. 

For them, I have one thing to say...

Pattern is by Happy Sloth Patterns on Etsy.

We mustn't dwell... no, not today.

 I am Gen-X but sometimes I don't deserve my Gen-X card.  I never watched Empire Records in the 90s, mostly because I couldn't stand Liv Tyler (I've since come to terms with her) and I was too cool for "popular" movies.  

I guess it started garnering attention again about... 6-7 years ago because I kept seeing people saying "Happy Rex Manning Day" on April 8th.  I finally was like "WTF is this?" and people were downright SHOCKED I didn't know what they were talking about. 

Well, of course, it's from Empire Records.  So, I decided I needed to watch that movie and familiarize myself with this Rex Manning.  WHY did I wait so long?  That movie is the PERFECT amount of 90s cheesiness and nostalgia, and if anyone knows me, I am STUCK in the 90s and always wishing it was still the 90s, so I loved every second.  Liv Tyler wasn't even bad in the movie.  I loved it!  

I saw this pattern yesterday and purchased it, and while it's stitched up late, the spirit of the 90s, Rex Manning Day, and Empire Records is still strong!  The pattern is by Bitch Stitchery Crafts on Etsy.  

April Stitchin Fool

My cross stitch productivity has been pretty good so far this April!  

I fucked around and found out how cute this pattern is by  MisanthropicStitch.

I finished this one I've been wanting to do from SonOfACrossStitch on Etsy.  I love offensive Scottish phrases. 

I framed up my sweet little bathroom stitch, and will be hanging it up later today.  

Not bad for just a few days, eh?

The Witchy Stitcher Cryptid Stitch-Along: The Flatwoods Monster

 I finished another cryptid from The Witchy Stitcher's Cryptid Stitch-along. The Flatwoods Monster is "a cryptid from a widely-known encounter in Flatwoods, VA where seven residents claimed to see a 10-foot-tall creature with a spade-shaped, red head, glowing green eyes, and a dark, metallic suit after a bright object streaked across the sky and landed on a nearby hill. Witnesses reported the creature hissed, moved erratically, and caused a foul, sulfuric smell, along with nausea and other symptoms. While the incident is a famous piece of West Virginia folklore and attracts tourists to the Flatwoods Monster Museum, scientific explanations for the sightings suggest it was likely a misidentified object, such as a meteor, and a common barn owl."

What??  BARN OWL?  I... don't think so.

I Must Stitch!

It's already April!  Time has really flown this  year.  I've been doing a little better mentally, and have actually been cleaning up the patio so I can spend more time out there now that it's warming up.  I love Springtime!  

This past weekend, I got to spend with my sister from another mister.  Her name is Adrianne but everyone calls her Anan.  I went to pick her up in Huntsville and we hung out with my parents all day on Saturday up into the night, just talking!  My dad built a fire and we sat around it for a few but it made me sleeeeeeepies so we went back home and Anan stayed the night at Mom and Dad's.  I took her back to Huntsville on Sunday and then we spent Sunday doing adulting- grocery shopping, laundry, etc.  It rained this weekend, which was nice.  I just love rainy weather and there isn't much like a nice spring rainstorm in the woods!  

I saw this pattern on Instagram, and knew I had to do it.  It's so cute, and so true- stitching makes the horrors go away temporarily.  The pattern is by Beetleandthreads on Etsy.