HoshiChiri

Cross stitch is a tricky thing to sell, because of the amount of time it takes- it's almost impossible to put a fair price on it! But the last few years I've been doing pieces for Secret Santa, so if you join us & I pull you, I know what to make! 😁

I've actually never heard of this before! I should've started a tiny bit later 😆 Anyway, all finished! Here's the process pics: the work says hi! Moving on from the easy word bubble to the main block- what I didn't know was I was about to screw it up 😅 here's just after I started ripping him back out & realized I'd forgotten pictures- but basically, just up by the black thread on his ear there? I've got one quarter stitch of orange in the wrong place. And it offset *everything*. I'd taken out half his back already (which is why the black just stops over there), & I'm getting ready to remove the paw & half his face! Face is out, I'm adding the black stripes as I go to check postioning now... ...getting the foot moved... ... back on track! Garfield's done, should be easy from here! (Actually I do make a couple more mistakes, but they're much easier fixes!) This is when I realized what was up with the mystery 9th color. The instructions say all backstitching is done in black, but the picture shows the darker grey around the pillow. Oh well, I'm not changing it now! Home stretch! And complete! I do honestly enjoy doing these older patterns- not only do I love the handwritten elements in the chart, but there's a difference in technique compared to modern designs that's somehow very satisfying to stitch! Before I started I actually compared the floss to my DMC color card & took notes of what matched. That way, if I ever want to make another one, I can! I'm currently in the process of turning most of the leftover floss into kumihimo bracelets, along with a couple colors from my leftover stash. I'll post those later. The pooky brown I'm saving, I had enough of that to use in another project later, & I think I've got one already in mind!

Secret Santa in June? Yep! Because I just started the cross stitch I got today. (It, uh, took a bit longer to get through my bigger after-holiday projects than expected 😅 but I made a wizard!) Not surprisingly, after being wrapped up for nearly 50 years, the material's a bit dented. Before & after ironing photos included- being in the hoop might help stretch out that middle crease, but I suspect it'll never go completely away. And after getting everything together- I have an extra color! Paler than the yellow, darker than the white, & not on the chart at all. I have no idea if this was an oversight or it just faded at some point. The plan is, swap the grey shading on the outer pillow for this color. Also, love that the orange floss is named 'Garfield' & the brown 'Pooky'. I wonder if it's custom, like that DMC gold for old Winnie the Pooh kits? Anyhow- offically started! It's not a complicated piece, so I should be done before the end of the month. I'll take some more progress shots as I go & come back with a finished piece!

Quoting myself to say- I am officially a fan of Wiz & Liz! Went in without looking anything up, just expecting a European-style platformer. Ok, I'm a lil' magic lady, and holy crap why am I faster than frickin' Sonic the Hedgehog?! So this is no typical platformer- it's more like an arcade game? Get the letters, grab the food, save the wabbits and do it all FAST becuase the clock is ticking & doesn't seem to reset between stages. It's got a wonderful frantic quality to it that I am very much into. Going to keep playing blind & see what I can figure out on my own before consulting any guides 😁

Reminder photo of wrapped gifts from a few days ago. I opted to start with that ball- it intrigued me! Now, I'm one of those sorts that's a bit more gentle with my wrapping, so I didn't try tearing the ball open. I found the end & started unrolling it. After awhile, a coin fell out. Neat! Arcade token! I keep going. Another token. Then a quarter- one of the new Prominent Women series I've been having trouble collection. Ah- I see where this is going. Eventually chocolates appear between the coins. I think to myself, "Did they know I was going to sit here & unroll this?" Then I hit that damn 'Hope' quarter I've been chasing for months & get very excited 😆 At the very end, I find a lil' jar containing a gift certificate for a cross stitch supply site. I already looked them up- they're having a sale on Joan Elliott's patterns. She's a favorite of mine! Probably gonna grab the Celestial Dragon soon- only trick is, all the fancy floss is out of stock. So I'll have to decide if I wait, place two orders, or get something else. 🤔 Next up, Genesis games! I'm pretty sure I just saw Wiz & Liz on a Hidden Gems video, I'm looking forward to trying it. And my first ever unlicensed Genesis cart! By this time, my fiance has woken up & is watching- I unwrapped this & he said "ah- you told them you like peanut butter!" Indeed I did- now the question is, do I share what is clearly the best of the Little Debbie treats or not? and finally, a coin holder for said Prominent Women coins, & a very cool vintage Garfield kit (copyright 1978!) This is actually the same company that made the Pac-Man charts I've done for AASS the last few years! I've got a pretty big pattern lined up for the start of the year, so I hope I can work this in in the spring! Thank you very much to my Santa- as always, Atari Agers are the best gift givers! Now if you'll excuse me, I'm gonna make some tea, & play some Christmas Nights before getting into my gift games!

Oh snap! I remember years ago, searching high & low for that set for my fiancé for Christmas! It's the only way to get the original soundtracks on CD, literally every other release is the special edition stuff. Awesome!

After being very annoying to our esteemed hosts, my AASS gift arrived! That's good! But it was delivered during a nasty downpour & the box got soaked. That's bad! But the bubble wrap protected the insides! That's good! The insides contain candies that may make you doctor angry. ... That's bad. Can I go now? I don't actually want to go, I just had to make the joke 😆 Don't care if my doc complains either, I'm making that cookie! A quick pic since I had to transfer to drier conditions 😁 Thank you, My Santa!

2/3rds point for my advent stitch! I really thought the third brown would be the last one 😅

I am deeply amused by this, being that kid who always pulled the "after midnight is technically Christmas" routine & setting the standard that stockings can be opened anytime, but presents had to wait for actual Christmas 😆

1/3rd through this year's advent stitch. Turns out Rudolph was a different reindeer 😄 i assumed the white spots would end up being Clarice, but then the antlers came in & now I don't know!

That looks like a fire hazard in the best way possibld- I love it!

Today I began my Annual Cross Stitch Advent project! This year's theme is, topically, the Rankin-Bass holiday specials 😆 I'm pretty sure these white blobs are going to be Rudolph, but we'll see! floss(The second red floss is a different 12- day advent I picked up as a sort of stocking stuffer for myself 😉)

Doesn't count if it's got eyes- but slap a crappy felt hat over the top of that until it touches the nose & I'm into it for no good reason! 🤣

Utterly unimportant, but- swung by the local Daiso to re-up on snacks & check for New's Year's stuff. They actually had the next set of tiny tabletop zodiac animals in! No fighting to get there this year! And I got this gnome. I didn't need the gnome. But for some reason I just really like these 'nose under a hat' guys that have come 'round in recent years. The more basic, the better (limbs are usually a bad thing.) And I just want to show him & his new year's snake buddies off 😆 I guess cheapo stores in England call them gonks? And I love that name too!

I've got all but one item in-hand... and of course, the last item's been delayed. Still looking like I should be able to ship first week of December though. Fingers crossed!