Finished at Last, and Already on to the Next Stitch

If you read my earlier blog post (that you can find here), you may be wondering whether I finished that Halloween cross-stitch project I started years ago. I wasn’t entirely sure I would get it done, but I’m happy to report that I finally finished it!

 As you can see from the picture above (with a little help from ChatGPT in creating that wonderfully spooky background), not only did I finish the big moon and all the remaining stitching, but I also completed an entirely separate Halloween project. Apparently, once I got going, I couldn’t stop!

 The larger piece is When Skeletons Dance, a cross-stitch pattern designed by The Drawn Thread. It was a long time in the making, but there is something particularly satisfying about finally finishing a project that has been sitting around for far too long. And just look at it now! I think it was worth the wait.

 The smaller piece is The Raven, designed by La D Da and featuring a quote from one of my favorite literary figures, Edgar Allan Poe. I’m rather pleased with how it turned out, although I haven’t quite decided whether I want to keep it in its frame.

 Bizarrely (or not so bizarrely, depending upon your bent) I have Edgar Allan Poe bedding, along with a number of Edgar Allan Poe pillows. I’m beginning to think this little cross-stitch might look absolutely wonderful made into a pillow (as I did with this stitching project from ten years ago. Ten! Where does the time go?) for my autumnal bed.

 For now, I’m simply enjoying the satisfaction of having both projects finished. There is something lovely about finally crossing those last few stitches off the list, especially when a project has been waiting patiently for years.

 Of course, I couldn’t possibly leave my needle and thread alone for long. I’ve already started another little project, this time a small, frame-worthy Victorian saying from Modern Folk Embroidery. They have a wonderful collection of unusual and distinctive cross-stitch charts, and this particular design features one of my favorite Victorian expressions: “Got the morbs.”

Photo from Modern Folk Embroidery 

 If you’ve never encountered the expression, the morbs refers to a feeling of melancholy or low spirits, to being a little blue, a bit gloomy, or simply in one of those moods when you feel like throwing yourself down and having a good old-fashioned wallow.

 I must confess that I get the morbs from time to time, so I think this little saying deserves a place of honor somewhere in my home. After all, if one is going to feel melancholy, one might as well have a charming Victorian expression to describe it!

 Now I just need to finish the stitching, decide on a frame, and find the perfect place to display it. Stay tuned.

 Happy Halloween everybody! 

A Spooky Halloween Stitching Project

 

Do you ever set goals for yourself when it comes to craft projects? I do. And apparently, I also have a remarkable talent for setting goals that take approximately five years to accomplish.

 I bought this counted cross-stitch chart from The Drawn Thread about a dozen years ago. I loved it immediately because, as you probably know by now, I love Halloween, and I especially love Halloween stitching projects. This one has everything: a spooky old house, a black cat, witches, jack-o’-lanterns, bats, a very sinister-looking tree, and a verse about Halloween. What’s not to love? Well...the moon.

 I started stitching it about five years ago. Every July, when I begin longing for cooler temperatures, changing leaves, pumpkins, and all things autumnal, I would drag it out and start stitching again. I would make a respectable amount of progress, until, eventually, the stitching drove me absolutely out of my mind. At that point, I would put it away and wait patiently, or, more accurately, forget about it, until the following July.

 

Of course, the passage of time has not exactly improved my chances of finishing it. Every year my vision gets a tiny bit worse and my reflexes get a tiny bit slower, which means there are now puncture wounds involved in this project. Lots of them.

 The piece is stitched on 18-count linen that I coffee-dyed to give it that appropriately aged, spooky look. I love the fabric, and I love how the finished piece is going to look.

And then there is the moon. Look at that moon!!

 There are literally thousands of stitches in that thing, and they are all the same. Over and over and over again. It is the stitching equivalent of being trapped in an elevator with someone who insists upon telling you the same story repeatedly. And because that wasn’t sufficiently annoying, I have to stitch the moon around all of that text.

 

Fortunately, I found a solution: Columbo.

 I have stitched through all 16 seasons that I happily found on Tubi. There is something wonderfully soothing about watching Columbo wander around asking seemingly innocent questions while I sit here stabbing linen with a needle and trying not to lose my mind over the moon.

 I keep thinking to myself that maybe if I could do three rows a day I’ll be able to get this finished by Halloween. You’re probably thinking, well that’s a piece of cake. Let me tell you, it is NOT a piece of cake. It is a tough, chewy piece of parboiled meat. Going in and around that text is a nightmare and the stitches are so small! The pattern doesn’t call for outlining, although I have outlined the cat, bird, bats, and witch’s hat and dress. I often think outlining makes things look cleaner, but perhaps this is supposed to look rustic. The jury is still out on that, although I would appreciate your thoughts. At any rate, wish me luck because this is the year that I am going to do it.

 

This is the year.

 This. Is. The. Year.

 I am going to finish this thing.

 I am going to stitch that moon.

 I am going to admire the finished piece.

 I am going to have it framed.

 And then I am going to put it somewhere prominent so that everyone can admire the fruits of my perseverance and I can point to it and say, “Do you have any idea how long that moon took?”

 Probably.

Because I have learned that when it comes to craft projects, confidence is a dangerous thing.

Now tell me: What are you working on? Do you sew, stitch, quilt, crochet, knit, paint, scrapbook, or otherwise find ways to create things that seemed like a wonderful idea when you started them? I'd love to hear what you're currently wrestling with working on (or triumphantly finishing).