This Mystery Stitch A Long(MSAL) is being hosted by Fox and Rabbit, a pair of Australian designers, fabric/thread dyers and fellow stitchers. It’s called Changing Seasons and each month, a new design is released on the first of the month, Australian time. Since they’re a day ahead of those of us in the U.S., we get it a day early. 😀

May’s design filled one of the small blocks in the center area of the design and was quite simple. I used two of the three colors I’d chosen for Spring to complete it. I also did the third part of the frame that surrounds this center area.

Looking at it laid out this way, I’m wondering if there’s going to be something in the area between the outside frame – mine is silver – and the inside frame – the variegated green. If there’s not, I might look for something because I think leaving it empty wouldn’t look right. That’s just me though. We’ll just have to see what the designers have in mind when the time comes.

So far, I’m not regretting starting this big piece. I might be once I get going on the metallic silver frame. That’s going to take me the rest of the year to complete I’m sure of it.

I’ll see you on the flipside and don’t forget your towel and sonic screwdriver!!!

This is how the project I’m doing is supposed to look if you follow the pattern. I’ll be changing the wording to something a bit snarky and adult.

This is what I’d done when I first showed you this project some time ago. It’s a small project I do when I don’t feel like working on my two big projects.

This is where I’m at now. I’ll need to move the hoop into the correct position before I do the wording, but that’s going to be some time coming I think. I’m not sure since I’ve been gifted another small project.

I don’t count stitches so don’t ask me how many I’ve done. It has one set of blended stitches which help with the texturing, and I like the shading which brings out details. I’ll still have to do some backstitching, but I don’t mind that overly much.

I just thought I’d share this bit with you.

In other news, I’ve begun work on the May design for Fox and Rabbit’s Changing Seasons Mystery Stitch-A-Long, and I will have it ready for you next week. I plan to do more of the frame around the section I’m working in too. I’m not looking forward to restarting work on the silver frame which I regret doing in metallic thread, but I’m not frogging it because I’ve done too much work on it. I’ll just power through it when the time comes.

See you on the flipside and don’t forget your towel and sonic screwdriver!!

I have finished the column I’ve been working on for what seems like forever, and I’m almost done with the second row as well!! It helps when most of the area is one color. 🙂

My apologies for this being turned sideways in the wrong direction. I’ll have it fixed in my next post. The columns are a great deal longer than the rows are wide so it takes longer to get them done.

I’m excited to be getting more of this done though at the rate I’m going, this might not get done by the end of the year. I’ll do my best to get more done, but there are only so many hours in the day. These hours have to be shared amongst my work, projects and family time as well so, I won’t feel bad if I don’t get it entirely done by the end of the year. I’ll be pleased to have gotten it as far as it will be then. 🙂

I think I’m going to frame this too. It just seems like something I should do.

See you on the flipside and don’t forget your towel and sonic screwdriver!!

This is what the finished project is supposed to look like. Notice the subtle shading the artist uses to develop detail and give the painting depth.

Whomever turned the painting into a cross stitch graph did a wonderful job of keeping the subtle shading in the piece as evidenced by the fact I stitched the mermaid’s fanny and didn’t realize it until after I took a picture of what I’ve done so far.

After this little section of 4 different colors, I have 1 1/2 blocks left to stitch before the first column is complete.

While I’m glad I don’t have to do any backstitching to provide details, it’s a bit hard to tell where I’m at when I’m trying to compare the two during stitching. Still, it’s turning out wonderfully so I’m continuing on. 🙂

See you on the flipside and don’t forget your towel and sonic screwdriver!!

I actually started this last night, but I made a mistake so bad I had to rip out almost everything I’d stitched so, I left it for today. After all the picking out of stitches, I began again, counting more carefully this time.

I’m using satin stitches for the leaves, and it makes me think of hand drawn images the way my stitches don’t quite fill the space at certain angles. If you look at it straight on, the two leaves on top are full. I left the two on bottom partially done, and I might leave them that way. What do you all think?? It wouldn’t take much to fill them in.

The design for April is three big flowers in a vase with Spring written below it all. I’m trying to decide if the parts to the side of the flowers are leaves or petals, it could be either. I may wait to see what others are doing before I try them myself.

In the Facebook group, several members are gushing about how gorgeous, amazing etc the new design is, and I’m like “meh, it’s okay”. I wouldn’t voice that opinion there of course, but while the design is pretty, its nothing like the design in the very middle square. It’s not as challenging to me I guess. I’m still going to stitch it, but I’m doing the satin stitches to give me something new.

Let me know what you think about the stitches, do they look good or should I pull them out and just cross stitch the entire thing? For those of you who are stitching this SAL too, what do you think of what I’ve done so far?? Everybody’s opinion – negative or positive but always respectful – are always welcome!

See you on the flipside and don’t forget your towel and sonic screwdriver!!!

I was trying to get two blocks done this week, but it didn’t quite happen. Still, I’m pretty pleased with my progress since I completed March’s portion of the MSAL I’m also working on.

There’s some confetti(gotta love the lingo!) but not as much as some of the higher up sections. I enjoy watching the lines filling in as I add stitches. It’s so satisfying. I have close to 3 more blocks before this column is done. 🙂

I got my first needle minder. It’s from Box of Oddities on Etsy. I’m a big fan of the show. I’m quite pleased with how strong the magnet is. I’m stitching in hand so this helps to keep my needle handy without me having to shove it into the fabric every time I’m changing threads. I’m not planning on getting another – I don’t see myself collecting these things, but that doesn’t mean I won’t get another if one catches my eye. I don’t tend to have a bunch of WIPs going at once so having more than one doesn’t make much sense for me. We’ll see how it goes. I do recommend getting at least one as they are quite useful.

I’m going to do my best to have the entire first column done when I post next Saturday, Until then, happy stitching!!

See you on the flipside and don’t forget your towel and sonic screwdriver!!!

I finally finished the March portion of Fox and Rabbit’s Changing Season’s – 2022’s Mystery Stitch-A-Long. The flowers in the corners weren’t hard to stitch. It was doing all the framing first to make sure I put the flowers in the right places. They had to line up exactly with the corners of the small blocks and the inner frame. I also frogged the variegated green I’d messed up on so I can make the second portion of the inner frame. It’s the second portion if you’re working from the inside to the outside like I’m doing.

The stems are done in Green Metallic by Artiste while the flower petals are done in DMC. The frames are also done in DMC. My stitches aren’t perfect as you can see in the bottom picture, but I don’t mind. 🙂

I’d originally intended this piece to be a wall hanging for myself until a co-worker saw a picture of it before the flowers were stitched on. She expressed an interest in it, and I told her to wait until it was all stitched before she decided if she actually wanted it or not. She said she would.

I’m flattered she’d want something I’ve made, but I’m also nervous. I want to do a very good job, but I’m not that great on color choices. I may need some advice going forward.

Still, I’m glad this section is done, and I’m eager to see what April is going to bring!!

If you’re working on this MSAL too, feel free to share pictures/links!! I love seeing what everyone else is doing!!

See you on the flipside and don’t forget your towel and sonic screwdriver!!

It’s taking me a while to do this whole MSAL so far because it’s so big. I’m watching Flosstube while I stitch, and I have to laugh when I hear creatives referring to pieces that are less than 200 stitches wide and tall as “big”. This MSAL has an outer frame that is over 300 stitches long and just as many wide. I just shake my head and keep on working. Here is my progress so far:

I can see a light at the end of the tunnel now, so I should have this part finished by my next post.

I am curious to see what will be done with the big spaces between the flowers and the squares. I wouldn’t mind seeing some beading or embroidery stitches added, but I’m not the designer. I just have to be more patient and wait to see what comes up. 🙂

If you’re stitching this along with Anita(my(mis?)adventureswithyarn) and myself, feel free to share pictures, comments, suggestions or whatever else you might like.

If you’re not stitching this along with us, feel free to still share pictures of stitching projects, comment, suggest or whatever else you might like. I enjoy reading all comments and seeing what others are working on!

See you on the flipside and don’t forget your towel and sonic screwdriver!!