Flosstube 35-I’m all over the place!

Mentions:
@LunchBoxQuilts
@StitchStitchBead

FFO-
Owl Forest Embroidery (freebie) page 9 ornament

Start:
Red and Green Carnation Sampler-Samplers Remembered

WIPs:
Christmas Garden-Blackbird Designs
Cloister Garden-Fox and Rabbit

Plans:
Maker and Mender-With thy Needle and Thread-?
Maria Wales Newson-Hands Across the Sea Samplers-December 26
Tenderness of Heart (Jane Austen Sampler)-Modern Folk Embroidery-December 16
Seasons Greetings-Shakespeares Peddler-December 13

iMake
Etsy: imakestitchshop.etsy.com
Website: www.imakestitch.com

[music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] YouTube. I'm Jim and this is my channel Stitch and Jim and this is take number I think three. I was in the middle of the video and I realized I was not pushing record and then I was in the middle of another video and guess what? I knocked over my entire iPad and you know it was kind of a hot mess express after that. So [gasps] this is um I think take three or something. Anyways, this is a channel about crossstitch. I like to welcome everybody who has made it back and anybody that's new, welcome. This is usually a hot mess express [laughter] [gasps] especially today. So, that along with me really struggling to find my stitchy bug. I I've been all over the place. So, I'm just going to jump right in to show you. I have an FFO. I have a start and I have a couple of whips. Uh most of them Oh, no. Everything I'm showing you today is Christmas with the exception of my fox and rabbit cloister garden that now all of the parts are out. so I can show you my pitiful work in progress. It's really sad because I had all of the months one month ahead of everyone and I just fell behind and it was tough to to get back going and then so I just let it go for longer than I should have. But it will be done by the fair and I will be entering it into the fair for 2026. Fingers crossed. But I think I can do it. So, like I mentioned, I have an FFO. I'm going to my Christmas the crossstitch Christmas party tomorrow at Prairie Moon Primitives. But when this video comes out, we will all be at the party so I can show the ornament. And I finished this myself, so be kind. But this is my ornament. I stitched this with all silks. I think it was like a Gloriana and some bell sw. And then I made this part of the ornament just a little bit longer so I could kind of, you know, utilize that to do the diamond shape. So yeah. And then I used some pins with these red like jewels on the end to kind of jewel it up. And I will probably if I have time. I had no other Christmy fabric that wasn't red. So I've been on the struggle bus, you guys. But this is my ornament for the ornament exchange. And like I was saying, I don't think next year I will finish my ornament myself. If I have time to send it to Tammy, Tammy, I will because this was not fun. And I think you could you do such a better job. So I um but yep, that's my ornament for the ornament exchange. So now I can participate. And so, yeah, surprise surprise, I have an FFO, which never happens on this channel because I do not finish. And I know why, cuz I do not enjoy it. So, there are so many great finishers out there and people that enjoy it and that do it so well. And I'm just not one of those people. Okay. And so, I did have a start. red and green carnation sampler by Samplers Remembered. And this chart only has four colors. I used my own silk conversion on this as well. And I just I have a little pitiful start. Let's see. Well, let's see if I can get this under order. Okay. So, this is my It's darker than that, but it's getting a little bit blown out with the light, but this is my start on red and green carnation sampler. And so, let me walk you through. So, I think this is really beautiful, but I started getting bored with the straight lines. And that's sad because then I was like, well, I just want to stitch on something easy, you know. And so I came down here and did this little doodad and and I was going to start, you know, going in and filling in the letters, but then I was like, "Oh, I don't feel I'm going to save the alphabet to the last because that's going to be my favorite part." And I don't know. So, I think this is like two and a half almost three days and that's my start and that's my stitchy bug. And it's just struggling right now. It's just struggling. There's nothing else I can say about it. It just I don't know. It just I don't feel like stitching on anything. And so I've pulled out some of my whips. And speaking of whips, I am going to do a whip parade for my next video. So this is my last regular floss tube of the year. My next floss tube will be my whip parade. And I will also be talking a little bit more about Whip Go. So this year with WhipGo, I picked specific projects. And next year for WhipGo, I'm going to do stuff like stitch on a blackbird whip, stitch on a hat's whip or Audrey's pick or Angie's pick or Conniey's pick, that kind of thing. So that like my friends that I talk to on a regular basis, so I know they've watched my whip parade and they're going to go in and they're going to pick their favorite whips or or the whip that I'm working on with them and I'll be able to get progress on it for that month. And I think it'll be more fun that way because I won't even know. And so this year I got kind of got a little bit redundant. I had things on there two and three times and something would come up and I'd be like, "Oh, I'm not excited about that. I don't want to do it and I just would skip it. So, I'm [snorts] excited to do Whip Go for 2026 because it was fun. It was fun to just, you know, pull out whips that you haven't worked on and there are several that I haven't worked on all year and it's sad. So, anyways, that's my rant. My next whip, well, that was a start. So, this whip is Christmas Garden by Blackbird, and it's so pretty, but mine looks nothing like this. I am stitching mine with Vicky Clayton silks on Picture This Plus, something that has a light greenness to it. And I am going to make a commitment to get this finished next year because my friend Linda, I think she's like HM Frog on Instagram. She reached out to me and she's also doing hers with Vicky Clayton Silks. I don't know what's happening right now with this board, but let's see if I can get this under control. So, she has made a vow to get hers done. We're both doing them with Vicky Clayton silks, and the colors are different. So, they are very muted. They're very variegated. and she struggled with hers because of it. I struggle with mine, not necessarily because of the Vicky Clayton silks, but but because this is on 36 count and so it just takes me a little bit of mindset to get into, you know, stitching on 36 count, but it is very easy and it is very pretty and I do love this stitch. So, I pulled this out and stitched on it for a day or two and I got this done. this done. This was already done. This was already done, I think. So, I got like this done. I And then I came over here and I was going to start on the big middle motif because all the rest of these are all like little flowers and stuff like that that I can that I can get done. But it's fun because every little motif feels like an accomplishment. So, I started on that pot and I think it it's charted for this part pot to be filled in, but I'm not filling it in. I'm just going to leave it like all lacy like it looks here. And when you see it in p if when you see it in person, how that would be, I don't know. But in person, the colors are much more distinctive. The red doesn't isn't showing red too red on camera. It's just so faint because that's how the Vicky Clayton silks are. They're really variegated and they're really faint. And again, this is on 36 count, but it's on 36 count picture this plus. So, the coverage is good. It's just faint and different. Very different from the the model. So, we're going to be working on that on the 25th of every month. and we are going to hold each other accountable to send each other progress reports and pictures when we work on it so that we can get this baby done. And she has I think as much done as I do about that. I don't think she has too much more done more than I do. So if you're stitching on this and you'd like to stitch along with us, we would love that. But so many of you have Christmas garden done, so it's kind of hard to stitch along with us if you've already finished it. Okay, here's my closter garden. No judgment. No judgment, but here it is. So [laughter] this is my part of the last part. [gasps] But these monsters [cough] really got me. [snorts] They really got me. They just did. It was so much. And so when another part would come out and I would get the part early, I would go in and and I would and I would try to do it and then I would try to at least if once the month started, I would try to start on that month just so I could if I knew this would drive me crazy if I had just this. So, I just have one more of these pots here and some things down here. And then, you know, and then I could go back in and fill in the little rest of this the fence and do the other side and come down here and finish this, you know, and just go along. So, I just at least wanted to start on once I got December, I started on December. Once I got November, I started on November. And that's kind of like my methodology to keep going because I could not go back to these. I mean, I don't know if you guys can see that, but it is so much stitching within those flowers. And you have to do that four times. And they gave us two months to do it. I just I just petered out. And to think that I have because all of the rest of the chart like this part is so beautiful. So this will be filled in this they all be filled in with those trees all the way around. And you do everything in this chart four times. And so with the exception of the beginning but after that everything is four times. And it's a lot of stitching you guys. 333 by 333 and you know I got a little overwhelmed but it's okay. I'm going to finish this and I still love it. It's gorgeous and I can't wait to enter it into the fair cuz it will be done. I will finish it somehow someway. So that's my cloister garden that you guys haven't seen in many moons I think since like what August. That's been what's going on. And I have it in this bag I made myself because orange and green are Karen and Brendan's favorite colors. But I put this big I put this huge charm on this bag. because that does not match this bag at all, but it's okay. That got this timeout because she was in timeout because she was getting on my nerves because she was so much stitching and I I was like, I don't want to do it four times. But you know what? That's a part of what makes it beautiful. So those that's all my stitching. That is pretty sad. As I was going through trying to figure out stuff that I wanted to stitch, I pulled out some things that I thought, okay, I'm just going to start these. And one of those things was Maker and Mender. I had Maker and Mender fully kitted with the floss. And most people that are probably watching this have stitched this. And this is what I'm talking about with Maker and Mender. I was going to start this whenever I was like, I'm just going to start something new. I'm going to go in there and pull one of my kits and I'm going to start it. And I was going to start this. And I started getting busy, but I never started it. But it's okay because I did pick fabric for it. So that's the picture. I have all the called for threads. And this is the fabric I chose. And this fabric was a gift from Audrey Stitch Stitch Bead. It is 40count salt bush by Fox and Rabbit. And the cut was like perfect for it. So, it's a little bit darker than that, but I just thought it was perfect. If you guys Yeah, that's a good representation right there. And with all of the gorgeous called for colors, I thought, "Oh, that's going to look so good on there. That's going to pop so well." So, I am going to start Maker and Mender. Maybe I'll start it today. I don't know. I don't know. And I have it in my gorgeous bag from Tammy. I mean, look at this bag, you guys. She's so talented. So talented. So, if you haven't started Maker and Mentor and you just want to start something random, you can start it with me. I started this back when it first came out with my friend Connie and we were both stitching on 32C count at the time. That is not the case today. And so I had a I had a little start on it or whatever, but I just UFOed it and gave away the linen and then just kept the threads. So I'm ready to go on that one. So we'll see if I start that one. Then I was talking to my friend Jenny and she is just got back from Hobby House for her birthday trip. And when she went to Hobby House, she got fabric for Maria Wells Newsome. And let me just tell you guys, show you guys what that is just in case you're unfamiliar. This is going to be the hats stitch along for 2026. And I was lucky enough to get the called for fabric. And I have the 103 pack because Audrey Stitch ditch bead got me the called for fabric which is so gorgeous gray green situation by Tabbycap. And I don't think anybody needs to wonder why I love this. It's symmetrical. It's yellow. It's big. Those are my three things. And so we are going to start Maria Wells Newsome early. We are going to start in December, the day after Christmas, cuz I'm going to be off of work for the last two weeks of the year. And so my stitchy bug needs to come back and be in full force because I'm going to have a lot of stitching time. And so I'm excited to start that the day after Christmas. If you want to join or I mean start early, you can join us. I'm keeping this in one of my folios that I got. Don't remember the maker, but I got it on Etsy and it's [clears throat] just absolutely gorgeous. Look at that. So, and it's perfect because I stitch off my iPad. So, the only thing I need is the cover photo for the to show you guys on Floss Tube and then I have the digital pattern. So, excited about that. And I am excited about these things that I want to start. So, maybe that's just what I need to do is just start all the things. I'm also going to start and I didn't get it out, but I'm going to start an Modern Folk embroidery with my friends on December 16th, which is Jane Austin's birthday. She would be 250 years old. So, I don't know what kind of birthday that would be, but [gasps] that is when we're going to she would be 250 years old on Tuesday, um, December 16th. So, we are going to start one of her one of the charts that's all about her in by modern folk embroidery and uh it will be a whip. So, it'll be in my whip parade. So, you guys will get to see it then. I'm sorry I didn't bring it over. I think that now that is all like st the stitching stuff. I do have some stitchy kindness to myself again. So, I went over to my friend, well, stitchy kindness to myself and from my friend Marilyn. So, my friend Marilyn, who's also my long armor, she is in getting into crossstitch now. And I'm so excited about that. And so, I had some tilda fabric. And so, I went over to her house and we decided we were going to make some Tilda Christmas bags. So, this is my Tilda Christmas bag that I made and I'm very happy with it. She is very pretty. She is a pretty girl. And Marilyn made one for herself as well. And Marilyn also made me this. Now, this is what I'm talking about as far as talent goes and gorgeousness. And I just love this so much. It's so pretty. So, thank you, Marilyn. And it's big. It's so full. And the fabric is so pretty. So, I got that from her. And I made this for myself. Oh, I just love the way it turned out. We didn't quilt it just because we were, as always, pressed for time, but it would have been beautiful to be quilted, too. But I think it turned out great. So, I got that. I also got a project bag from Nicole's Needle Work. And Deb, this is completely your fault because I wasn't even going to buy these bags. And she had her alarm set because she wanted one of these bags and I saw it and I was just like, "Okay, you've convinced me." So, we bought them. And look at the back. Oh my god, they are so beautiful. And see the quilting on that just gives it a little bit finishing touch. It's really pretty. So, got that. And then for my book of days, uh, my book of days had I already, well, I had them sent to my friend Angie and she's judging it up. She's spiral bounding it. She's putting in a bunch of extras that I want, but I thought I would get some new pens for my book of days for next year. So, I got those. I also and I think I'm going to kit this up at Prairie Moon tomorrow and I'm going to start it tomorrow. So, I need to pick some fabric out for Season's Greetings by Shakespeare's Peddler. Terresa Vanette was at the Silver Needle for a retreat and this was the retreat piece and they had some that they were going to go ahead and sell. And so as soon as I got the email that they were available, I bought it. And I just think this is so gorgeous. And it's weeks classic color works and gentle arts, which Prairie Moon has all of those things. So I'm going to just kit this up and start it tomorrow and see how I feel. But I just think that's so fun. And like I saw my first friend Christa stitching this and she showed this part where she was stitching and it was so pink and it was so different. It's just so different and I love it. So can't wait to start that. Need to pull fabric for that. So I can start that. And then I am in the fat the back quarter the fabric of the month from fox and rabbit and this and for November the color was moon dust. Is that not so pretty? And that's reading pretty true. There it goes. I love this. And I just want to do something like moody on this. I don't know. That's really pretty. So, got that. Then I had to make an large order for fabric on Fat Quarter Shop because my husband wants a 3D quilt. It won't be done this year, I don't think. But when I'm off for the last two weeks of the of the year, I think I'll I'll get some I'll get a start on this. So, just um some grunge fabrics. when they had their Black Friday sale, I went ahead and and ordered the yardage for that. So, those will be the colors. So, I got that. And then if you made an order over I don't know if it was I don't know what the amount was, but you got this book for free. And I love their triangles on a roll. So, I'm excited to see some of the do some of these quilts in here, like this one on the cover. And let me see if I can show you. The one on the cover is my favorite, but there are some great quilts in here like churn dash quilts. Just all kinds of stuff in here. Flying. I mean, everything that you can make with their their triangles on a roll. Look how cool that is. So, got that for free. with my Fat Quarter Shop purchase. I also ordered this 12 inch woven star paper because I just I love foundation paper and I really do like this. This has been the LA one of the designs that I haven't done. And so I really love this foundation paper. So I thought I would try the woven star. I don't know if they're mine are going to be as scrappy as this, but I was thinking, you know, I could make this entire pad and just put them in a setting and have a quilt. So, I got that. I am participating in social lights three next year with Fat Quarter Shop and I needed to order my accent fabric and so I got that. Then I got my gentle art and this has to be for November. So ceruan green with envy. That's a good green. I love dental arts. Antique lace. And I thought these were in alphabetical order. So, I'm not really sure what it's all over the place. Adzuki. Maybe these are some A's that didn't get I don't know. And then Grasshopper. So, I'm happy for all the colors, but if if they're supposed to be I don't know. They're supposed to be in alphabetical order, so not really sure how that works out, but that's fine. And then I was shopping with some friends at Dollar Tree. We were getting all the bags for stuff for church and I just saw these tags and I just thought they'd be cute Christmas floss drops. Aren't they cute? And they're they're longer, you know, and they're really substantial. Like they're not super flimsy. So I know a lot of people make drops out of a lot of different things, but I thought those were a good size. Put some holes there. So, got those and those will be for next year obviously. I also got some floss drops just because I thought these were kind of cute from Fat Quarter Shop and there's a bunch of them in there. Let me see how many do they say. I don't know. But they there's a bunch. So, I got those. And then I should have brought the project out, but there's a project that I want to start. It's hats. And I got all all of the threads except for three that have been out of stock everywhere. So I got the threads from that from 123 stitch. [snorts] I also got my week's die works November. And this is saltwater taffy, sand, sand castle, sanuin, saneen, sagin, saneen, uh, Santa Cruz, and schneckley. So, got those. And this was just something that they included from the silver needle. And it's one of those pens that has multiple. And I love that. This is what I used, not from them, but this is the kind of pen I used in my book a days this year. And I've never shown you guys my book a days because it's really messy, but I write in it every single time I stitch. So maybe I'll show it to you, but it's like falling apart. It's not spiral bound or anything and it's got like my whipco board in it and stuff like that. So maybe on my whip parade I will I'll show it to you. If you guys want to see it, let me know in the comments. And then I got I'm in the 103 club from Hobby House and I got my colors for I don't know which month and I thought I was getting two months back to back but I ended up getting double my order. I did pay for both of these. Um and these are such great colors. I mean there's a yellow in there so I'm just going to keep them both. But yeah, got those. Look at that blue. It's gorgeous. And what else I got? Now, this kind of goes together, so I'll show them the show them together. But my friend Jerica messaged me and she was just like, "I'm obsessed with these right now." And look, they have all yellow. So, these are the things that you put your floss drops on. And they're thinner than the binder the rings so that you know whenever your your drops will go all the way around. So I got those and I wanted to be fancy like my friend Audrey and so I got some floss drops made cuz I wanted to wait until I finished put a bird on it and I did. So, those are my floss drops. And on the back, it just says be someone's yellow and my name and my handle. And I think they turned out really well. And I just feel like, you know, [applause] they don't match, but it's all yellow. And they look more orange because of, you know, just how dark the picture was. But I still love them. You can see my initials and the year, but of course you'll punch them there. But so I like how they turned out. And so we'll see if I get I think I will wait and like wait for one of my samplers that is pretty yellow forward to be done and I'll once I'm done with that then I'll take a picture of it and I will have that for my next set of floss drops cuz I don't think I'll just continue on with these cuz I'm not crazy crazy about just the picture. It's not It's not as yellow looking as I want it to. You know, it looks orange, but it's okay. I think the actual card turned out great. And that's all my haul. No, it's not. Now, didn't I just tell you that I don't I'm not a finisher. I I've never finished anything with this kind of trim before. I've got Lady Dot. I've got all the things, but I've never finished anything with this type of trim. But I was at the Dollar Tree getting some just we were getting some gift bags and stuff like that that we had to buy in bulk. So, you know, buy them cheap. And they had these just chenille. And I don't know if you guys could tell, but I think it was Lorie Holt that was talking about she goes to Hobby Lobby or whatever and she goes and gets like the trim that she can get a bunch of this, you know, for and then you you can finish your pillows with it and things like that. Well, this is really good because it's like flat. I mean, and it's so soft and it's so pretty. So, I got I don't know what color this is. It looks black, but it looks kind of like crazy on camera. Then I got this one, too. Why? What am I going to finish? But I just thought they were. And then I Well, I got three of them and they because they were like a dollar. So that's so that's also haul. for for my finishing days, which are never, but I could send them to Tammy or whoever finishes for me and they could put them on or whatever. So, that is all my haul. I do have one more thing to show and I had a company called I make reach out to me and ask me if I would like one of their kits and would I show it on my videos? And I was like, "Yes, and yes." Because when I saw their kits, they give like Shadowlane vibes. So, let me show you a little bit about what I'm talking about. So, I have everything in here. Everything including the frame. They sent me the frame. They sent me the beads. They sent me the fabric. They sent me the like literally everything is in this one kit. And it's a small picture, so it's hard to show, but I'll put it up really close. And that is the kit they sh sent me. So, there are a couple of things. First, this is so pretty. And like I have this frame and like all this cutout and stuff. It It's with it. So, I just thought that was so beautiful. And I thought maybe I'll try it. I don't even know what count the fabric is or anything like that, but they're just trying to get themselves out there. And look at all these little beads. I mean, there's tons of them. So, thank you so much for the kit. I will link them below. And here's the frame. And like I said, it's got the all of the stuff for the frame that's shown in the picture as well. It's like everything. And let me see here. This is I don't know if you could get this how you can get their Instagram and all that kind of stuff. So, thank you I make and thank you for sending me this kit and I'm excited to try to start it. Like I need to learn how to bead first. But as soon as I do, I'll try to start it. Maybe that'll give me my stitching bug back. I don't know. That's all I have for you today. I appreciate you watching till the end. I appreciate you watching. Period. And I hope everybody has a fabulous Christmas. I hope everybody is stitching on something they love. I hope everybody is getting spending time with their family if they want to. And if they don't want to, that I pray that you don't have to spend any time with people you don't like. [laughter and gasps] So until next time, I will see you guys. And I can't wait for my whit parade. And so happy stitching. See you.