Happy Halloween!

Slow Sunday Stitching, Inspirations 100th issue and a look at DMC's new Etoile floss

This week I've been busy stitching up the little banner kit my friend asked me to do for her.  I put in the last stitch last night so today I will press it then add  and stitch the fold for the wooden dowel.

The new set of DMC Etoile floss arrived on Thursday and I am over the moon with these new sparkle flosses. They come in a silver tin much the same as the gold tin from the last 35 color collection.  

The new Etoile set comes in 35 colors with a little sparkle to it, this photo shows the skein close up and the fiber content.

They are six strand floss and you can buy the set of 35 or individual skeins.  They coordinate with the DMC 6 strand color numbers the only difference is the letter 'C' before the number.

Late last week the new copy of Inspirations magazine arrived I didn't have time to open it until yesterday afternoon when I leafed among the pages, there are some lovely projects and patterns.

One of the projects that caught my eye is for this embroidered book and bag by Jenny Mcwhinney designs.

 I was over the moon to find all of the patterns for the entire book are in this issue.  Here are just a few pages of this cute book.

I don't know if I would make the book I was thinking more along the lines of making each page and framing them.  They are just so cute.

 I had to take a stitching break to rest my sore finger so I made some progress on the granny afghan throw I'm making for my brother in law.

Holding onto a sewing needle for hours at a time can be irritating to say the least. One of the next projects to embroider are these cute angels from Bird Brain Designs.

Using this snowflake fabric I also purchased from Bird Brain Designs

I am linking my post to Kathy's Quilts https://kathysquilts.blogspot.com/2018/10/welcome-to-weekly-hand-stitching-party.html

Slow Sunday Stitching and October TUSAL

Oops I missed it again the New Moon for October and I forgot to post my orts for the October TUSAL report, better late then never here are my orts and if you don't know what a TUSAL it's the acronym for Totally Useless Stitch A Long. https://itsdaffycat.blogspot.com/2018/10/late-orts.html

For more information and to join in the fun of posting orts check out the link and see for yourself.
https://itsdaffycat.blogspot.com/2018/01/a-totally-useless-stitch-long.html
My orts include bits of blue yarns from two crochet projects I've been working on, the Granny Square afghan throw I made for my sister is completed and she loves it, I gave it to her yesterday when we met to do some shopping.

It's not a great photo but it does show the different shades of blues and gray of the Mandala yarn, I didn't take measurements but it fits nicely on a queen size bed.  I have also started a new afghan throw for my brother in law in the Echo Caves colorway of the Mandala yarn.

I enjoy all manner of slow stitching and besides the crochet I do love hand embroidery, I'm working on a kit a friend bought and asked me to stitch for her, we always trade off each others skills since she doesn't hand embroider I'm stitching it.

I have to admit these are the best satin stitches I have made in a long time seriously I think I stared at them for 5 minutes after I finished them.  This is the kit. I'm linking my post today to Kathy's Quilts for Slow Sunday Stitching https://kathysquilts.blogspot.com/2018/10/slow-sunday-stitching_14.html

The Fall issue of Wool Works has some lovely projects in it which has peaked my interest in learning to do punch needle work. I love primitive patterns  and over the years I have made a few penny rugs too. The photo under the issue is part of a project I want to make.

So I purchased a starter kit a few days ago mainly because I am too lazy to dig through the bins in my garage to find the ones passed to me by a late friend.

I have never tried punch needle embroidery, I have done rug making using a latch hook and also a punch needle so I'm wondering if its similar method for punch needle embroidery.

Last week at Joann's I picked up the fall issue of Punch Needle and Primitive Stitcher  and Redwork Blizzard Buddies which is full of snowmen motifs and I just  love snowmen. I'm going to give it a try and if I don't like the punch needle I can always use the patterns for hand embroidery which I have done before.
I did a little online shopping over the weekend, the newest line of DMC Etoile floss has been released so I order a set, it comes in 35 colors with a bit of sparkle packed in a collectors tin you can also purchase the skeins separately. Here is a link if you want to have a look:
https://www.dmc.com/us/thread-5000/embroidery-thread-5001/etoile-embroidery-thread-9000495.html
Here's a link to Stitched Modern's informative post about the using the new Etoile Floss:
https://stitchedmodern.com/blogs/news/what-you-need-to-know-about-dmcs-new-mouline-etoile-sparkle-thread

DMC Etoile floss

Working our way into the month of October the weather has seen a few changes one being hurricane Michael that blew  through the panhandle leaving massive damages, here in my area of Ocala the only sign the weather  had changed was my wind chimes tinkling non-stop for a few hours the day the hurricane hit landfall in the panhandle, we had some light rain the day before but nothing like we usually get during a hurricane.  The day after we had some wonderful cool dry air and temps hanging in the upper 70's for most of the day.  Fall has arrived in Ocala.

I am not affiliated with any of the products or publications mentioned in my post. I include the links for convenience.
I leave you with a little bit of sunshine

October is moving along

The weather has been lovely these first few days of October, while still in the low 90's and upper 80's the air has been drier and this morning while pulling my trash can to the curb the breeze was cool.  I'm posting the image of sunshine to reflect my mood today.

I worked on a cute little stitchery yesterday it's a free pattern from Lori Brechlin of Not Forgotten Farm, I'm a member of her Facebook Group and every now and then Lori shares one of her lovely designs.  Here is a link to her Etsy shop https://www.etsy.com/shop/notforgottenfarm

I think it will either be a little sachet or the start of a needlebook.  Here is a link to the Website
https://farmhousenotforgotten.blogspot.com/

I won a give a way last week on Facebook,  I had been waiting on the new Faerie Knitting book by Alice Hoffman and Lisa Hoffman, since I first read about the book in an issue of Faerie magazine, for a few years Alice Hoffman has had lovely stories grace the pages of the magazine and last Autumn issue was dedicated to the release of her book The Rules of Magic. The Faerie knitting book is just lovely, each fairy tale written by Alice Hoffman is woven from the knitting pattern designed by Lisa Hoffman.

Faerie Knitting

Charm Bags pattern

Since my knitting skills are a little rusty I am going to start with the Charm bag and then tackle a few other patterns but first I must read the stories.   I have to say I have read many of Alice Hoffman's books and happy to say there are a few that I haven't read yet, Practical Magic is one of the few books I have reread, a rare occurrence for me and lat year right before after I read The Rules of Magic I went onto Practical Magic. Check out Alice Hoffman's books here http://alicehoffman.com/

 I also indulged the pages of the 2017 autumn issue of Faerie magazine and all the love photographs and article to get me in a festive mood.  This year the autumn issue of Faerie magazine is focused on Outlander, the book was made into a television series as I understand though I never saw it.  I did

start reading the first novel years ago when it was first published though I never finished reading it at the time and returned it to the library, so when I mentioned the issue of Faerie my friend sent me her copy of Outlander to read, she just finished it recently, she has watched the series and decided to read the book series.

I'm just about done reading The Library at the Edge of the World so I may give the Outlander novel a try when I finish it.  Speaking of finishing things, I am currently putting the finishing border on the Granny Square afghan I am crocheting for my sister.

It will be a round of single crochet and two or three rounds of double crochet. I will begin working on this long vest, the pattern is from this Etsy  shop  https://www.etsy.com/shop/TAInspirations

I will be posting today at  https://www.gsheller.com/2018/10/yarn-along-october.html  for the October yarn a long. Where bloggers share what they are reading and making with yarn.