A Mom and Her Car

I am finally ready with all my supplies for Fat Quarter Shop's Bloomtopia. If you haven't heard of it, go here to read all about it. It is for a great cause...and you get to stitch! I ordered my supplies from Fat Quarter Shop directly.  My fabric is Witchel aisa 14 count, Touch of Grey. It is a beautiful color that I will use for other projects as well. I am using called for DMC. And, to top it off, I ordered the cute WIP bag and needle minder 😁. This Stitch Along starts Friday February first, with new, small parts released every two weeks. Hope you join in!

Just before the winter holiday, I stumbled upon The Geeky Stitcher Co (find her at: https://thegeekystitchingco.com ). I loved her quirky, cute designs immediately,  so I was eager to try her monthly subscription kit. I enrolled in 3 months of her large kit. That gets me a full kit (pattern, hoop, needle, DMC thread, fabroc, and trim), another small kit (all thebsame but the design is smaller), an extra pattern,  and membership to the pdf club. I stitched the large December, and Im going to make it into an ornament to give away next year: This month is a set of the cutest owls. I am going to make them into valentines. I particularly love how she does the wrapping-- here is what the unboxing looks like: The tissue dots are a nice touch, and the candy is always delicious! Here you can see my two hoops and the cute trim included. I have already stitched the small- you feel so accomplished with these b...

ORTs: My Favorite Way to Store As a new cross stitcher, I am still learning the language. For example, I kept hearing and seeing people talk about their ORTs, and I had no idea what those were. It turns out, ORT stands for "Old Raggedy Thread", or your scrap threads. And, it turns out, some people keep those.  That appeals to me for so many reasons. I tend to want to conserve thread as much as possible. So the idea that you can take those scrap ends and do something with them is right up my alley. I did some research to figure out how I wanted to store my ORTs, and here are my top three ideas I found.  Christmas Ornament ORTs insert Jar ORTs You could just use a nice jar you have lying around. Ellen at Serendipity Needlepoints uses a simple jelly jar . I considered a jar but just couldn't find one I liked. Wine Bottle ORT Since my Instagram name is @sipandxstitch, and my goal is to try 1,000 wines while making 50,000 stitches, I decoded to use.....a w...

Four Things I Learned Using Metallic Thread I was in the craft store, picking up some thread from a project, when my young son's eye was caught by some shiny thread hanging on a hook.  "Mom!" he said. "Use this one!"  I couldn't tell him no, so I went ahead and bought the skein of DMC Light Effects metallic thread in his hand and promised I'd find a way to work it in.  Sure enough, I started a Christmas ornament as part of my #ornamental2020SAL, and I found the perfect opportunity. I get why he was attracted to that shiny thread--it is so pretty. But I also was hesitant as a #newbie stitcher after reading about people's struggles with this pretty accessory. This blog is to share the four things I learned while stitching with metallic thread.  1. You have to be ready to take your time.  Metallic thread is tricky in the best of circumstances. I used DMC Light Effects Golden Dawn (#E135), which comes with six strands in the skein. I de...

January 2020 WIPs I am a new cross stitcher, but already I am starting more cross stitching projects than I can handle. But that's part of the fun, right?  So here are my January WIPs--let's see what kind of progress I can make! Year-Long Stitch Along My biggest project to date is definitely taking on the Linens and Threads 2020 Stitch Along. For those of you who have not heard of it, head over to their 2020 SAL page and check it out. The designers release a piece of the pattern monthly about the first of every month for an entire year. They have done this since 2017, and if you want, the 2017, 2018, and 2019 patterns are already released for you. You can join the 2020 at any point. This year's bonus is that each month's pattern will also have an ornament, which matches one of my stitching goals nicely (see below).  I got a good start on January's pattern because of the holiday break from work. I am stitching on 14 count aida I found in a fabri...

The Wine List I set a goal in late 2019 to try 1,000 different wines while making 50,000 stitches. I will keep my list of wines updated here. While many of these will be tasted in or near my hometown, I hope to try many wines while traveling with my family. December 2019 2017 Torr Na Lochs Malvasia Bianca -- 3.8 Alman Negra Red Blend -- 4.1 2017 Apothic Smooth Red Blend -- 3.7 Phantom Chardonnay -- 4 Apothic White Blend -- One of my favorite value whites! Stella Rosa Moscato -- I do not like this one, but everyone I know loves it--great value sweet wine 2018 Fall Creek Chenin Blanc -- 3.6 2014 VDR Very Dark Red -- 4.1 2008 The Goose -- 4.0 Porto Neoport Dry White -- 3 2017 Anko White -- 4.0 I really like this white! Twin Springs sweet red -- 3.5 Cheap sweet red that would be a good add to a party Bonanza California Cabernet Sauvignon --4.0 2017 14 Hands Pinot Grigio -- 3.8 Great value white 2011 EHRET Family Winery Bella's Blend -- 4.0 Neyah Sweet Bubbly ...

Haunted Hotel, Wine, Boats, and Caves Do you like haunted hotels? How about wine? If so, you should head to Carlsbad, New Mexico and visit T he Trinity hotel.  We stayed a night in Carlsbad recently on our way to Ruidoso, New Mexico, and it was worth the stop. We learned about a nearby winery, Balzano Family Vineyards . They weren't open for tastings, but when I called, the person who answered the phone sent us to a free (yes, you read that right) wine tasting at The Trinity. So off we went.  The Wines I tried three wines, and they were all great. My first was a Pinot Grigio I liked so much that I took a bottle home with me. The 2018 Luna Rossa Pinot Grigio has a slightly floral scent, and was just sweet enough for this dry wine. While I had it in the winter, I bet this one is great on the patio in the summer. It's rated as a 3.8 on Vivino, and I think I gave it a 3.5.  The second wine I tried was their 2018 Luna Rossa Chardonnay . This was a decent Char...