A Riot Patch of Pixels

Pokemon Trainer Update II

2011-12-25T11:10:00.000-07:00

I want to be the very best like no one ever was... Now that that song is in your head, have an update of Pokemon Trainer:

I also redesigned my blog. It looks much better than before, me thinks, and it features Altair of Assassin's Creed. ♥

Happy Christmas!

♥ Follow me on Twitter! ♥

December 2011 TUSAL

2011-12-24T20:54:00.003-07:00

It's the last new moon of 2011! After this photo, I capped my jar to start a new one for next year. ♥ I ran out of Zelda posters, so I used a map of Skyrim for my last 2011 TUSAL photo. I've only put in about 100 hours into the game so far so I should reference it somehow on my blog. Cheers!

TUSAL jar contents: Hogwarts Crest, Psylocke, Dark Toon Link, Yoshi's Island Biscornu, Robo + Atropos, Baby Mario Bib, Jill and Vincent Valentine, Oracle of Seasons Link, Donkey Kong, Pan's Shadow, Vegeta, Cubone and Marowak, Nothing is True, Vulpix and Ninetales, Itsuki & Butterflies, Pikachu Pile, Sora & Roxas, Pokemon Trainer

TUSAL backdrop: Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

Happy Christmas Eve!

♥ Follow me on Twitter! ♥

A New Start: Pokemon Trainer

2011-12-11T14:36:00.002-07:00

It's no secret I am an Abysswolf junkie. Pokemon Trainer is part of his Super Smash Brothers Brawl set of which I've already completed Link, Zelda, Diddy Kong, Dark Toon Link and Donkey Kong. I don't intend to stitch the whole set but it could happen..

The fabric I'm using for this is 28 count Jobelan in Dusty Green/Olive. The fabric is a bit more green than the photo shows. It's winter in Canada; we don't get sunlight anymore.

I'll try to post updates once per week because my blog has been completely dead. I've even missed TUSALs and IHSWs. Sorry, guys!

♥ Follow me on Twitter! ♥

Sprite Stitch September Swap II

2011-12-11T14:26:00.001-07:00

I am about three months late in posting this but here it is. Sprite Stitch hosted another mini swap and my recipient had Kingdom Hearts listed as a favourite game. It was a good excuse to finally stitch something KH related. I made two small stitches which fit into magnets meant for wallet-sized photos. I just took a photo of the fabric as the magnet was just clear plastic. I used Abysswolf sprites because I based the project around the magnets and a lot of in-game sprites don't work well for the size. I made both Sora and Roxas as they are the two main protagonists because I couldn't choose. ♥

The photos are not the greatest, I apologize. I wanted to post what I received as well because it was awesome! Assassin's Creed is my new favourite game series, possibly my favourite of all time at this point. Lord Libidan made a manifesto of Abstergo Industries to go with the Assassin Brotherhood logo I had stitched earlier this year. It was very thoughtful and very clever. I haven't been able to get a good picture of it but he used glow in the dark floss to imitate Eagle Vision. So in the dark, the Assassin logo appears as well as "riotpatch" in Morse Code. Pretty genius. He also made two pins, one of Altair and one of Ezio. Definitely check out his other stuff here. He's great. =]

♥ Follow me on Twitter! ♥

Pikachu Pile

2011-10-17T15:47:00.000-06:00

It feels good to have a finish again. Or one that I can post anyway. I finished another stitch last Friday which I don't believe I can show yet. This is probably the cutest thing ever: Pikachu Pile. For the record, my favourite Pikachu is the little weird one in the bottom right corner. ♥

Pikachu Pile
Started: August 28, 2011
Finished: October 16, 2011
Fabric: 18 count DMC aida
Colours: 15
Size: 4883 stitches

September 2011 TUSAL

2011-09-27T16:39:00.008-06:00

Another TUSAL already and another month of barely posting. Everything I'm working on I can't show yet. I have two more Pikachus to finish on my Pikachu Pile but I want to make sure I finish my swap items first. I also am taking on a side project, stitching a pixel artist's work for a book. While I finally picked up the needle again, I can't show anything yet. I'll iron some bead sprites and spread some Okamiden love soon. ♥

TUSAL backdrop: The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword

P.S. Another month and a half until Skyward Sword! Of course it comes out only five days after Assassin's Creed: Revelations. *le sigh* I may have to betray Zelda for AC. =P

Six Little Pikachus

2011-09-19T13:59:00.001-06:00

Here is my progress over the weekend for the IHSW. I managed to finish three more Pikachus. ♥

This stitches up really fast. I do the outline of one, add the details, then fill in the yellow. It is a nice change from my usual pieces.

A New Start: Pikachu Pile

2011-09-16T16:22:00.002-06:00

I'm still alive! Here is the new start I mentioned last post: Pikachu Pile. I'll be working on this for Joysze's International Hermit and Stitch Weekend. I'm stitching on 18 count aida for a change. I've signed up for another Sprite Stitch mini swap. It's exactly 50% completed but I can't post anything until it is received. I think I've found my stitching mojo again, finally.

If anyone knows who the original pixel artist is, please let me know in the comments. I've seen it stitched and beaded a few times but I've never seen it credited.

August 2011 TUSAL

2011-08-29T19:58:00.002-06:00

Sorry for the radio silence. I lost my stitching mojo as well as my blogging mojo. I hadn't stitched at all since the Red Yoshis until two days ago when I started something and put it down after a short time. But I finally unpacked my beading supplies. Expect some bead posts shortly of the DS game I am currently finishing. Here is my jar with minimal additions this month; the bit of yellow on top is from my newest start. ♥

TUSAL backdrop: The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess

Red Yoshis on a Tatami

2011-08-07T18:19:00.000-06:00

I was sitting in my ride today and decided I needed to pimp it out a bit. =] I stitched these little guys today onto perforated plastic. I'm going to sew them together and hang them from the rearview mirror of my red Kia Soul. ♥ At first I was going to edit one of the sprites so it would be the back of Yoshi. But this way, he can be seen from the outside and inside. I don't know if I want to outline him in black or red as of yet.

Red Yoshis
Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island
SNES
Fabric: 14 count perforated plastic
Colours: 11
Size: 920 stitches

I'll put up some pictures of the finish, hopefully tomorrow. =]

Draco Dormiens

2011-08-01T15:48:00.008-06:00

I have been putting a lot of hours into my Hogwarts Crest of late. Here is an update, my Muggles. I finished half of the banner; Draco Dormiens meaning "sleeping dragon." I think. I only took Latin I, sorry. ♥ I'm so happy JK Rowling is giving us Pottermore. As if I need an excuse to reread the series again. Will I ever get enough or will something replace Harry Potter in my heart? I doubt it...

I really love how vivid the colours are. It's such a simple pattern but very gorgeous in person, if I do say so myself. It doesn't look anything like the raw image in this post which is a bit dark and dreary.

Skein count: 3 black (#310), 1 topaz (#728), 1 medium topaz (#783)

July 2011 TUSAL [b]

2011-07-30T17:15:00.003-06:00

Here is my second July TUSAL entry. Two finishes this month, Vulpix and Ninetales and my giveaway piece. As for the giveaway, I am feeling super guilty. It's taken me so long and it's been finished for over a week! But it's white on black and my camera just refuses to cooperate. I took some blurry iPhone photos as a last resort which I guess I will use to post when Yuuna receives it! It's on the way, honest! =P

In my jar, there's a whole lotta gold. I put my Hogwarts Crest back on my giant scroll and I have been up to some froggin'. I just can't count; Harry Potter makes me too hyper to focus. That is my excuse. ♥

TUSAL backdrop: The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess

This Zelda poster is probably my favourite. I have half a mind to frame it, the art is so beautiful. I made it look like Midna is riding the threads instead of wolf Link. ♥

It's Ninetales!

2011-07-19T19:34:00.002-06:00

"Its nine tails are said to be imbued with a mystic power. It can live for a thousand years." So says the Pearl Pokedex for #38 Ninetales. With this finish, I am done with my two patches for the Patchwork gym. Bring on the second Generation!

Vulpix and Ninetales

Pokemon Pearl

NDS

Started: June 30, 2011

Finished: July 18, 2011

Fabric: 14 count white DMC aida

Colours: 25

Size: 4900 stitches

It's Almost Ninetales!

2011-07-18T21:02:00.000-06:00

This past weekend was another International Hermit and Stitch Weekend hosted by Joysze of Random Ramblings! I got quite a bit done on my last Pokemon patch. Just have to fill in the remaining tails:

I had wanted to completely finish it but I had to watch Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 a couple times. After seeing it on Friday, I wanted to work on my Hogwarts Crest which has mostly been ignored this year. But I had to finish this and my giveaway project. The reason that isn't done is because I scrapped my original design. I put many hours into stitching it but I just hated it and couldn't possibly give it to someone. =P

It's Vulpix!

2011-07-03T11:12:00.000-06:00

I watched the entire first season of Game of Thrones and finished Vulpix maybe thirty seconds before the final end credits. Good timing. =]

What the Pearl Pokedex has to say about Vulpix: It controls balls of fire. As it grows, its six tails split from their tips to make more tails. Not as dramatic as Cubone, to be sure.

Who're Those Pokemon?! ♥ [2nd Edition]

2011-07-02T13:05:00.001-06:00

Just started on my second patch for the Patchwork Pokemon Gym. A lot less grass this time. Hurray! I decided to keep the same colours as Cubone & Marowak for consistency.

I have been stitching this in the hand so it is wrinkly. This time I used DMC aida which is 100% smoother than Charlescraft or whatever I was using. I think I am going to watch Game of Thrones and stitch up the first Pokemon right away. =]

July 2011 TUSAL [a]

2011-07-01T14:16:00.001-06:00

Not a very productive month for me. I did finish my first Patchwork Gym patch and a tiny Assassin's Creed stitching. I did start on my giveaway stitching. It's much larger than I first intended so it's not done yet as I had planned. =[

TUSAL backdrop: The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap

█♥█ Happy Canada Day! █♥█

Nothing is True. Everything is Permitted.

2011-06-20T17:07:00.004-06:00

This past weekend was another International Hermit and Stitch Weekend hosted by Joysze. I can't lie. I really didn't stitch. I played American McGee's Alice on Saturday and started Madness Returns on Sunday. But while I watched some golf with my grandpa for Father's Day, I stitched this up:

I have wanted to stitch the Assassin's Creed logo for awhile. I used some left over linen from Dark Toon Link. I wanted it to look sort of rustic. I should have maybe only used one strand for the backstitch lettering. Oh well. =]

Over 9000 Giveaway Winner!

2011-06-15T17:05:00.005-06:00

Giveaway time! I need to thank everyone again for making my blogging experience awesome by following and commenting on my various projects. Twelve peeps entered my draw for a small video game stitching made by me specifically for them. Blackmageheart gets two entries because she pimped out my blog for the giveaway. =]

1. Tiffany
2. Joysze
3. Evening Emma
4. NerdGrrl
5. Anne
6. MRAnthrope
7. StitchPlease
8. Jorelle
9. blackmageheart
10. blackmageheart
11. yuunacraft
12. Blake
13. Max

I used this random number generator to determine the winner:

And said winner is:

yuunacraft!

She said that Itsuki from Fatal Frame II was her favourite video game character so I will get to work on making a pattern of him right away. It will actually be an interesting challenge for me seeing as how he is not a simple 8 or 16 bit sprite. Yuuna, I wish you a speedy recovery for your broken finger. Get well and back to crafting soon! ^_^ I hope you will like what I come up with! ♥

Giveaways are fun! If all goes well, I would like to do another in the future. Maybe when I get to 100 followers...? =]

It's Marowak!

2011-06-14T18:15:00.001-06:00

My first Patchwork Gym patch is complete! Number 105 in the Pokedex, Marowak also has issues in his life: "From its birth, this savage Pokemon constantly holds bones. It is skilled in using them as weapons." I love stitching Pokemon but Marowak gave me some trouble. Firstly, his belly was giving me flashbacks of Donkey Kong. Orange shading. -_- Second, I had to frog the grey shading on his skull. I had a completely incorrect colour (a light brown) kitted to that symbol for some reason. My favourite part of this stitch is Marowak's eye; so menacing but pretty. ♥

Cubone and Marowak

Pokemon Pearl

NDS

Started: May 29, 2011

Finished: June 13, 2011

Fabric: 14 count white aida

Colours: 26

Size: 4900 stitches

I kitted up my next Pokemon patch but won't start it quite yet. Tomorrow I will draw a name for my Over 9000 Giveaway and get started on something for the winner. My goal is to have it stitched up, mailed out and received so I can post it for my July 4 blogversary. =]

It's Cubone!

2011-06-12T10:58:00.001-06:00

Number 104 in the Pokedex, Cubone is one of my favourite Pokemon from the first generation. He's so cute and I always like having a ground type in my party. This sprite is from Diamond/Pearl/Platinum. Cubone is a sad little guy according to in-game text: "When it thinks of its dead mother, it cries. Its crying makes the skull it wears rattle hollowly." ='[

A Cubone in real life after the jump:

Who're Those Pokemon?! ♥ [1st Edition]

2011-06-11T17:36:00.003-06:00

This is my first patch for the Patchwork Gym. The torturous part is out of the way, the tedious grass background. There are five different greens here. They are subtly different but make an interesting texture. I might tinker with the colours for the next one so they are more contrasted. This patch has been pretty slow to stitch because the aida I am using is very stiff. I've been spoiled by linens and evenweaves.

I have been stitching this in the hand and I haven't ironed yet; that's why it looks a bit mushy. I'm aiming to post the first completed Pokemon tomorrow. ^_^

June 2011 TUSAL

2011-06-01T18:39:00.001-06:00

Another new moon already! Some new colours appear this time around, no more browns and oranges! Some black from Pan's Shadow and some blues from Vegeta. Not too exciting. Look, some Miniblins!

TUSAL backdrop: The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker

Pan's Shadow Part II

2011-05-28T12:13:00.001-06:00

I'm a bit addicted to stitching Pan's Shadow. I finished the regular stitching on the main figure. This fabric is very difficult to photograph. The most subtle change of lighting completely changes the colour. I used a macro lens this time to get it to focus, and the colour is a bit more true to form. The black stitching doesn't help when trying to balance the contrast. It's much easier to photograph than DK was, at least.

I really must put this away for a bit and finish one Pokemon patch before I pick it back up again. I feel like I'm letting the group down. There are 21 completed patches already and I have a tiny bit of grass stitched.

Hey Vegeta, a Giveaway!

2011-05-27T10:42:00.001-06:00

Vegeta, what does the scouter say about my total page views?

They're over 9000!

What, 9000? There's no way that can be right! Can it?!

I know this meme is old as hell but seriously the scouter must be broken or something. I just want to thank everyone for reading and commenting on my blog, especially my awesome followers. And I wanted to do it in a sort of geeky way. My blogversary is coming up on July 4 and I want to do a bit of a giveaway for it. If you are interested, leave a comment specifying your favourite video game character. I will draw a name on June 15, 2011 and stitch a little something for the winner based on their above choice. If you mention the giveaway on your blog, let me know in the comments and I will throw in an extra entry for you. I'll let the winner know via the email listed in their profile.

♥ Thank you for supporting my humble video game cross stitch blog. ♥

A New Start: Pan's Shadow

2011-05-24T14:37:00.001-06:00

This long International Hermit and Stitch Weekend has inspired me to pick up the needle again and work on something for myself. =] As some of you may recall, I started Pan's Shadow back in February using DMC satin floss. I ended up scrapping the whole thing, mostly because the Cashel linen fabric is springy in its own right. Springy fabric + springy floss = no. This time I am using plain old cotton DMC floss and it is coming along a lot faster. It is odd because I was bored of DK's few colours (16 to be exact) but only one colour is keeping my interest in this case. Maybe because it is a silhouette and I am slowly uncovering an image. So far I have not done any petite stitches which smooth out the lines and add detail.

Hopefully, my posts will become more frequent again. I am currently adjusting to the single life. It should give me some free time now to stitch when I'm not at the gym or playing Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood. =P

Donkey Kong by Abysswolf

2011-05-22T13:37:00.000-06:00

Donkey Kong is finally done! All credit goes to Abysswolf for his amazing pixel art that I so love to stitch. ♥ I am pretty happy with this finish and my brother is excited to hang it up on the wall. I still need to get it custom-framed which is something new for me. I will probably take Rozalin and get her framed as well. Honestly, if my finishes don't fit into a readily available frame size, they don't get framed.

Donkey Kong
Sprite by Abysswolf
Started: March 19, 2011
Finished: May 10, 2011
Fabric: 28 count black Jobelan
Colours: 16
Size: 12985 stitches

I already have another pattern based on his art kitted and ready to go. I do have to knock out the Pokemon patches first, however. There is also another Sprite Stitch challenge for which I may do something small and Assassin's Creed related. With the new Harry Potter film coming out soon, I've been thinking about working on my Hogwarts Crest. This month's International Hermit and Stitch Weekend is happening now and I am working on none of these things. =P I will have an update tomorrow detailing my progress on a new start.

Tetris Attack: Raphael the Raven

2011-05-14T11:08:00.000-06:00

The final Tetris Attack piece! I saved one of my favourites for last. In Yoshi's Island, you fight him on the moon. Pretty rad. Then in Paper Mario, he is the leader of a bunch of reformed evil ravens. He is pretty ridiculous. ♥

All done with Tetris Attack now! I will do a big group shot of them all together when I get the chance. I'm still looking for sprite rips of the next set I want to do. Maybe I will do another Eeveelution first.

Tetris Attack: Hookbill the Koopa

2011-05-13T17:06:00.001-06:00

Here is Hookbill the Koopa! He seems to be feeling the same way I am right now. I am currently in the middle of a move. Stress! Also, DK is finished. Honest. I have to iron him out first before I show him off and get him framed. Tomorrow I will post my final Tetris Attack piece. ♥

"Little Koopa come through for me now! Go forth and rock Yoshi's world!" -Kamek

Donkey Kong Update IX

2011-05-09T17:43:00.002-06:00

Oh hai! I'm still alive and finally have another update. This is very last one before he's finished. He's a bit cut off because if I took him off the scroll, he may never get back on. One little foot left!

Now, I invite you to visit the Pokemon Patchwork Gym. It's a blog detailing our massive quilt project. All squares for the first generation have been claimed which is pretty exciting. Hopefully my contribution will show up there soon. ♥

May 2011 TUSAL

2011-05-03T22:21:00.000-06:00

Sorry guys, no update on my DK last weekend. I seem to have lost my stitching mojo as it were. I was just playing some Assassin's Creed, collecting flags like a boss when I thought, "Holy crap, it's a new moon!" I nearly, nearly forgot this time. >_>

Here is my May Totally Useless Stitch-A-Long, now with even more reddish browns and oranges:

TUSAL jar contents: Hogwarts Crest, Psylocke, Dark Toon Link, Yoshi's Island Biscornu, Robo + Atropos, Baby Mario Bib, Jill and Vincent Valentine, Oracle of Seasons Link, Donkey Kong

TUSAL backdrop: The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time

Donkey Kong Update VIII

2011-04-24T12:57:00.001-06:00

Here is another update of Abysswolf's Donkey Kong. Just a little bit more and he's finally finished. DK is kind of boring with so few colours. Also, I have been playing the hell out of Okamiden and Assassin's Creed so I've not been putting much time into stitching. Okamiden is freaking amazing, dare I say, even better than Phantom Hourglass and Spirit Tracks? *hides*

Hopefully next week, he will be my seventh finish of the year. Then I'll start my Cubone patch. It's a lot more colours so it will be less boring. ♥

Tetris Attack: Flying Wiggler

2011-04-20T14:15:00.004-06:00

I just had an urge to bead something. I finished Flying Wiggler after switching the background colour a few times. Not much to say about this guy. He's an enemy but looks so cute and friendly. I remember running into their non-winged cousins in Super Mario World. The first time I jumped on one and it turned red in anger was pretty scary. -_- Bowser was nothing compared to a Wiggler scorned.

I can't believe I only have two more to do in my Tetris Attack set! It really took me long enough. I already know what I want to bead next. Unfortunately, I haven't come across any sprite rips so I may put a magnifying glass up to my DSi screen. ♥

Video Games Live

2011-04-19T16:51:00.005-06:00

Video Games Live was an awesome show! Cosplay and geekery everywhere! It was great to geek out with other gamers in real life for once. Since the beginning of the show, all I could think about was cross stitching the logo. It was actually making me a little bit crazy. I see pixels and must stitch them.

For those not in the know, VGL is a concert wherein an orchestra, choir and Tommy Tallarico play video game music against the back drop of game footage. There is actually quite a bit of audience participation which adds to the fun. They played a lot of great music from Assassin's Creed II, Shadow of the Collosus, Castlevania, Final Fantasy VII and God of War. There was definitely not enough Zelda! Super Mario Galaxy would be an obvious choice but nope! They did do some Chrono Trigger but didn't use visuals for it. I'm honestly not complaining; I did love it. They actually have a huge repertoire and obviously can not play everything. I will definitely go again to see what else they have arranged. My favourite track of the night would have to be Assassin's Creed II where they projected a cutscene on screen and played along live.

It was a great show and I recommend it to anyone who likes games or likes music in general. My wishlist for next time would be to hear more Zelda, Kingdom Hearts, Okami, Final Fantasy X and XII, Mass Effect, Super Mario Galaxy and Donkey Kong Country 2 (I can dream). ♥

Donkey Kong Update VII

2011-04-17T14:17:00.002-06:00

Honestly, everyone in Calgary must be stitching Donkey Kong because I had to go to three different Michaels stores to find DMC221. -_-

I'm ending my IHSW now with most of DK's right arm finished. He is a little bit over 12" wide. Just his one hand and legs remain! Here he is after about six hours of stitching:

I'm off to watch Scream 4 and then Video Games Live! I'm really excited for it. Music adds so much to games for me. Final Fantasy, Legend of Zelda, Chrono Trigger, Donkey Kong Country 2, Castlevania and Silent Hill tracks, among many others, are always in my head and fuel my addiction to the gameplay. My latest favourite soundtrack was for Nier on the XBOX360. Just beautiful. ♥ I really hope they play something by David Wise but it may be a long shot. I may do a little review tomorrow. =]

Donkey Kong Update VI

2011-04-16T11:09:00.004-06:00

It's another International Hermit and Stitch Weekend! I did not get much done on DK this week, just his abdomen and his right shoulder. I have dedicated all day today for stitching him, however. First I have to make a Michaels run as I am out of two of the colours for his fur. >_> Here is what he looks like before IHSW:

I'll update Sunday afternoon before I go see Video Games Live! ♥

Donkey Kong Update V

2011-04-09T14:48:00.003-06:00

This my fourth week of working on Donkey Kong. I managed to finish his ballin' very dark melon (DMC 3801) tie and pectoral muscles. =P I think I can safely say he is about half way done. Click for a larger image:

Next, I will stitch his right arm. I don't think I will be able to finish it in one week as his arms are freaking huge. I was just comparing my Link, Zelda, Diddy Kong and Pikachu to DK here. They are so tiny compared to him. =]

April 2011 TUSAL

2011-04-03T13:13:00.009-06:00

It's another new moon already. March was pretty slow for me. I semi-finished Oracle of Seasons Link. I now know I have to fill in the white background. I am, of course, dreading that and putting it off for now. The only other stitching last month was on Donkey Kong. The top of my TUSAL jar consists of reddish browns, oranges and peaches.

TUSAL jar contents: Hogwarts Crest, Psylocke, Dark Toon Link, Yoshi's Island Biscornu, Robo + Atropos, Baby Mario Bib, Jill and Vincent Valentine, Oracle of Seasons Link, Donkey Kong

TUSAL backdrop: The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker

Donkey Kong Update IV

2011-04-02T13:03:00.005-06:00

High five! I managed to finish DK's left arm this week. I feel like I barely make progress on this guy until I compare him to the previous week's update. I can't lie, I am finding him a bit boring because he is so few colours. I'm anxious to start a Pokemon patch, especially when I just caught a Marowak in White. =P Click for a larger image:

I will stitch his tie next so I can use some more varied colours. Diddy Kong was more fun to stitch probably because he was wearing a shirt and a hat. He was much more varied than naked DK. ♥

Donkey Kong Update III

2011-03-27T13:53:00.000-06:00

I was supposed to post an update yesterday but to be honest, I did not stitch all week. The only progress was made on Friday and Saturday. I started on DK's left arm and hope to have it finished by next week. =]

I have kitted up my two Pokemon patches and I'll work on Cubone/Marowak during downtime at work. My focus will still be on DK for the majority of my time.

Sprite Stitch for Japan Pokemon Project

2011-03-25T22:20:00.006-06:00

So the Sprite Stitch forum is at it again, unofficially this time. We want to make a quilt/scrapbook for each first generation Pokemon with proceeds from an auction or sale going to Japan's relief efforts. ♥ Nothing is finalized yet but some are already stitching! I wanted to post my patterns here because I'm excited about the project. The backgrounds may change but the sprites should remain the same. I have two patches designed so far but may take on more if needed. The squares will be 70x70 stitches on 14 count aida.

My first patch will be #104 and #105, Cubone and Marowak. I grabbed these guys right away, they're so cute. =] Then I remembered adorable #37, Vulpix, and regal #38, Ninetales. As soon as my designs are deemed sufficient, I'll begin stitching Cubone and Marowak. ♥

ETA: These will be the official ones now. We're sticking to only sky, water and grass for backgrounds. A little boring but oh well!

Donkey Kong Update II

2011-03-21T16:52:00.001-06:00

Here is the result of my International Hermit and Stitch Weekend. I think I stitched less this weekend than normal. *le sigh* I wanted to get his whole head finished but this was as far as I got with two hours on Saturday and three on Sunday.

I'll have another DK update on Saturday. I have a couple of special patterns to make in the meantime...

A New Work in Progress: Donkey Kong

2011-03-19T12:02:00.004-06:00

The fabric for my latest project finally arrived! I even threw a couple stitches into my Hogwarts Crest during the long wait. My latest start, is Donkey Kong by Abysswolf. I am stitching him for my little brother. ♥ I am using 28 count black Jobelan. This is my first project using this fabric and I love it. I never want to use aida again. =P

Joysze at Random Ramblings is hosting some madness called International Hermit and Stitch Weekend (IHSW) and it is exactly what it sounds like. I am happy to be taking part. It is unlikely I will be able to stitch the entire weekend but I will try, of course. Here is DK about four hours in and before the IHSW:

I will be posting an 'after IHSW' shot Monday afternoon hopefully. =]

Charity Square: Oracle of Seasons Link

2011-03-12T21:18:00.002-07:00

My first charity square is complete! It was a change to work with only a few colours after my Jill/Vincent piece but it lacks challenge. It stitches very fast as there are many solid blocks of colour. My original plan for this was to do one colour at a time. Instead I started in the middle, finished a strand of one colour, switched to another colour, and so on until he was done. So here is, washed and pressed and fiercely determined to take down Onox:

Oracle of Seasons Link

The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons

GBC

Started: February 19, 2011

Finished: March 12, 2011

Fabric: 16 count white aida

Colours: 12

Size: 5957 stitches

My next charity square will be 40 colours and it's my favourite pattern of the three I made. But first, it's on like Donkey Kong. Or at least, I wish it was. My pattern is charted, my threads are organized but my fabric still hasn't arrived. I currently use 123Stitch which has amazing selection but slow shipping. I assume it's because I'm in Canada. Ah, well.

An update on Pan's Shadow: I think I am going to restart this one. I put quite a few hours in but the stitching coverage is not satisfying to me. I am reordering the fabric to start over as it is quite delicate and does not frog well. -_- I found the satin floss to be manageable but I am just not liking the result.

Snivy Bead Sprite

2011-03-06T15:15:00.003-07:00

I want to be the very best, like no one ever was...And I just realized I've been playing Pokemon for fifteen bloody years. It doesn't seem possible. Like a good Pokefan, I ran out to purchase Pokemon White today. I had to buy the DSi bundle. It's so bad ass and I can retire my pink DS Lite. Reshiram and Zekrom are etched onto the DSi. ♥ I know the 3DS is right around the corner but none of the launch titles really appeal to me other than Resident Evil. I'll be waiting for the Ocarina of Time port. =]

I always choose the grass starter for obvious reasons. Bulbasaur, Chikorita, Treecko and Turtwig are pimps. Cyndaquil almost brought me to the dark side but I can say I've always gone green. Pokemon White is definitely no exception as Snivy is just so awesome! And he keeps getter cooler as he evolves. Here is my new starter with whom I shall concur Unova:

Oracle of Seasons Link Update II

2011-03-05T09:51:00.006-07:00

Here is another update of Link after another week of stitching. The giant block of black was fun. >_> He is about 2/3 complete now so the next update should be him finished. I had to use a different camera because my Rebel XL went out of town. It's a PowerShot G10 and I am not liking it for taking photos of stitching.

Now with the house all to myself, I'm going to work on Pan's Shadow all day. It's not actually 3728 stitches like I posted earlier. That is only the regular cross stitch count. There are also 2465 petite stitches, bringing it to 6193 stitches total. -_-;

March 2011 TUSAL

2011-03-04T19:23:00.001-07:00

Another new moon, another picture of a jar... =] February has been a fairly productive month with three small finishes and one start. I've been playing a lot of Nier instead of stitching. I confess!

I love this poster of Ganondorf about to eat Young Link for breakfast. I want his horsie. ♥

TUSAL jar contents: Hogwarts Crest, Psylocke, Dark Toon Link, Yoshi's Island Biscornu, Robo + Atropos, Baby Mario Bib, Jill and Vincent Valentine, Oracle of Seasons Link

TUSAL backdrop: The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time

Pan's Shadow Preview

2011-03-02T16:59:00.002-07:00

My fabric finally arrived for Pan's Shadow. ♥ I instantly fell in love with this chart by Courtney Collection when my husband pointed it out. I think I will try to knock it out over the weekend. It's only 3728 stitches and one colour so I think I can manage if I take a quick break from Link.

The fabric is much more beautiful than the screen shot in the store. It is Cashel Linen by Picture This Plus. The colour is "Cabernet." I also picked up three skeins of DMC satin floss though I probably won't need that much. It will be my first time using satin floss so I hope it is easy to work with. =]

A New Work in Progress: Oracle of Seasons Link

2011-02-26T13:09:00.002-07:00

This is my second Link of the year. I haven't had much for variety so far. Lots of Yoshi's Island and lots of Zelda. This stitch however is for charity. It stitches extremely fast as it is a Gameboy Colour sprite and only 12 colours. I've edited the sprite quite a bit and recharted since I first posted about it. The original image is Link on Epona from the opening cutscene. I removed the reins that appeared in the crop. There were a lot of random pixels and oddly placed colours as well.

By the way, I love this game. I only had Pokemon Silver and Oracle of Seasons on Gameboy Colour now that I think about it. I guess I wasn't much for handhelds until the GBA SP and NDS. Anyone remember using a flashlight to play Pokemon Red/Blue in the dark? Anyway!

I want to finish this one as soon as possible because my brother recently asked for another stitching. He wanted something Donkey Kong related and I spent some time working on SNES patterns. Then I showed him the Brawl sprite. Needless to say, my next project is yet another Abysswolf sprite. It will be my largest project yet and I'm excited to work on something huge. =P If the fabric ever gets here, that is.

Be My Jill and Vincent Valentine

2011-02-19T12:29:00.013-07:00

This is my entry for the Sprite Stitch February Challenge: Unlikely Partnerships. These two came to my mind first for the exact reason that their last names are both...Valentine. Yeah, it's a little lame but I wanted to be far removed from the inevitable Mario/Zelda pairings. Plus, Jill would massacre Vincent if he appeared before her in one of his other forms, though he looks pretty creepy here. =] They make a very unlikely couple and I am pretty satisfied with my entry. Jill Valentine is from the Resident Evil series and Vincent Valentine is from Final Fantasy VII for those not in the know. Go play those games now. ♥

The sprites are from the Card Gallery; mad props to those wonderful artists. I haven't stitched a Card Gallery sprite since last summer so it was fun to revisit them. The letters are charted based on Redensek, my all time favourite font.

Be My Jill and Vincent Valentine

Sprites by Card Gallery

Started: February 6, 2011

Finished: February 16, 2011

Fabric: 14 count baby pink aida

Colours: 44

Size: 2020 stitches

Robo + Atropos Valentine

2011-02-14T08:30:00.002-07:00

I've been wanting to stitch this sprite for a long time and this Hallmark holiday was an ideal opportunity. Robo and Atropos from Chrono Trigger are two robots in love. How romantical. ♥ I stitched them on baby pink DMC aida. I made the stitching into a simple card for V-Day. I hope to keep up the tradition of making one per year.

Robo + Atropos

Chrono Trigger

SNES

Started: February 1, 2011

Finished: February 4, 2011

Fabric: 14 count baby pink aida

Colours: 20

Size: 1061 stitches

Happy Valentines Day, everyone!

2/19/2011: I edited this post to upload a better photo. This photo captures the subtlety of the pink fabric much better and the colours look more true.

Jill Valentine

2011-02-13T16:49:00.002-07:00

Since this stitch is taking me forever and it really should be done by now, I thought I would post an update. Here is Jill Valentine from the Resident Evil series. I started it on Super Bowl Sunday and finished only her boots. Yesterday I finished the rest. Seeing as the theme for this challenge is "An Unlikely Partnership", anyone care to hazard a guess as to who her partner is?

Baby Mario Bib

2011-02-12T13:09:00.004-07:00

I recently found a stitching store just outside my city. Michaels was the only option before so I was pretty excited to go. I found a bib that was perfect for the upcoming baby shower. I also picked up a chart called Pan's Shadow which I plan to stitch soon! I will usually only make my own charts but I really fell in love with this one. It was made for me to stitch. ♥

I had this Baby Mario sprite from Yoshi's Island in mind from the beginning for this project and this is my first time stitching an NDS sprite. They are bigger than SNES sprites and have more colours in the gradient. I really like how he turned out. Also the father is a big Superman fan and Mario has a kind of Superman pose going on. Kind of.

Baby Mario Bib

Yoshi's Island

NDS

Started: February 11, 2011

Finished: February 11, 2011

Fabric: 14 count white Sal-Em

Colours: 16

Size: 515 stitches

Tetris Attack: Lunge Fish

2011-02-07T17:14:00.001-07:00

This one is a cautionary tale. I used three different brands of beads on this guy and they all melt at different rates. Perlers melt the fastest, then PhotoPearls, then Hama. Also PhotoPearls are a bit smaller and thus don't fuse together as seemlessly. The ironing is quite terrible; I was very rushed. >_> I may have to redo it as it has distorted quite a bit.

Lunge Fish is one of those things that is so ugly, it's kind of cute. Lunge Fish is one of those things that reinforces my fear of water. o_0 I wonder who actually chooses to play as him in Tetris Attack?

Only three more of these bad boys to go and I'll go back to beading my favourite thing, Pokemon! Also I finished my Valentine stitch on Friday but am waiting to post it until the 14th. =] I didn't get much done yesterday on my Unlikely Partnership.

An Unlikely Partnership Preview

2011-02-06T11:43:00.001-07:00

I recently received the Jobelan fabric ordered for some upcoming projects and I love the colours. I'm excited to start working with them. The purple is "Wood Violet" for Valefor and the green is "Dusty Green" for Pokemon Trainer. I'm feeling experimental in my fabric colour choices this year. Also pictured are my new Gingher Stork scissors. ♥ I bought them after misplacing my Lion's Tail ones. They have since been found but I am in love with my new ones.

And as the title of the post suggests, I have somewhat of a preview for the latest Sprite Stitch challenge. The theme is Unlikely Partnerships, a sort of anti-Valentine. There will be 44 colours in this piece stitched on 14 count baby pink aida. Another hint is that it will involve Card Gallery sprites! Now I'm off to watch Super Bowl XLV and start stitching. =]

And power-hungry Slytherin loved those of great ambition

2011-02-05T12:51:00.002-07:00

Finally! The Slytherin section of the Hogwarts Crest has taken the longest by far. The snake is the most intricate animal of the four and filling is a lot faster than constantly counting. Add that to excessive amounts of frogging which led to me to want to bead instead of stitch. It turned out very nice however. All of the house sections are now complete leaving the, frankly, boring parts left. I'll do the Latin banner across the bottom next.

I have much to do in the meantime though. I just found out I was invited to a baby shower two weeks from now. I will likely dig out some waste canvas for a onesie or a bib.

Skein count: 2 black (#310), 1 medium topaz (#783)

February 2011 TUSAL

2011-02-03T18:14:00.002-07:00

Pretty colours this month. Lots of purple from Dark Toon Link, green from frogging hours of work on my Hogwarts Crest, and various bright colours from my Yoshi's Island Biscornu. I have three stitching projects planned for the rest of this month. One is a small Valentines card, the second is an "unlikely partnership" and the third is my Zelda charity square. Hopefully, I can finish all three before the 28th.

TUSAL jar contents: Hogwarts Crest, Psylocke, Dark Toon Link, Yoshi's Island Biscornu

TUSAL backdrop: The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess

Yoshi's Island Biscornu

2011-01-29T13:46:00.006-07:00

One of my favourite memories of gaming is the first time I hit the yellow question block and hatched a Yoshi in World 1-3 of Super Mario World. ♥ From then on, Yoshi was my favourite Mario character and still is. I have to play as him in Mario Party, Mario Kart, etc. But I haven't really immortalized him in cross stitch, except for one tiny magnet. I've been wanting to do a biscornu upon discovering them in various cross stitch blogs. I decided to use Yoshi's Island sprites for my first one. I hope to make many more. =]

I decided to have Yoshi, some eggs and a Huffin' Puffin on one side. Baby Mario is unbelievably adorable. He has to be because he is so damn annoying if you take damage. =P

I knew I wanted to have enemies on the opposite side and took a lot of time choosing which ones to stitch. I had to have a Grinder (the monkey) and a Bandit (the blue guy) because they are the most diabolic enemies in the game, always spitting watermelon seeds or kidnapping the baby. I went with Fly Guy and Koopa Troopa because they are 16-bit renditions of classic enemies.

Yoshi's Island Biscornu

Started: January 17, 2011

Finished: January 28, 2011

Fabric: 16 count white aida

Size: 2790 stitches

Colours: 33

So there you have it, my first biscornu. This one measures 4.5", a bit on the larger side. I wanted to get the sewing part down before making smaller ones. I used green fabric to reinforce the aida. For next time I'll try to have less white area around the middle.

Tetris Attack: Froggy

2011-01-27T16:31:00.004-07:00

This is my fiftieth post and Froggy is the ninth entry in my Tetris Attack bead sprite set. He is apparently a frog pirate in Yoshi's Island. And Prince Froggy in said game is a very interesting boss. He swallows Yoshi who then escapes through Froggy's intestines. o_0 About as weird as Yoshi's digestion/reproductive system anyway. Eat enemies -> make eggs?

And speaking of frogs, I have been doing a lot of that on my Hogwarts Crest. I keep making counting errors which I can't say happens very often. Frustrating. I think it's because Slytherin truly is evil...I hope to have an update early February. Also, I finished the stitching aspect of the biscornu I've been working on. I will teach myself the sewing part tonight and share the result here soon.

Tetris Attack: Kamek

2011-01-22T17:54:00.003-07:00

Finally getting on with my goal of finishing my Tetris Attack set this year. Only five left after this! I'm almost done after more than a year. I have beading attention deficit disorder.

Kamek is the Big Bad of Yoshi's Island and frankly, I love him. He's adorable. In Tetris Attack, he curses Yoshi's Island and now we, the players, must beat one of the best puzzle games ever to set the world right. We owe a lot to Kamek the Magikoopa.

Super Mario Bros. Bead Sprites

2011-01-21T15:36:00.000-07:00

I've been stitching in the hand lately and that has resulted in some wrist pain. =[ I've taken a pause from stitching and busted out the tweezers and pegboards. I received a bead order a few months ago and started on a large bead project. But it was constantly trampled on by a certain cat whose door-opening stat is maxed. And I had made a counting error somewhere and it was very much ruined. I may attempt it again some day.

Anyway, I have not done much 8-bit art, barring my Bowser Valentine. Also from Super Mario Bros. on the NES are these sprites, made into magnets for a birthday present. I think if I were to open an Etsy store or something similar, I would make these sorts of items.

In the centre, of course, is Mario. Clockwise from the top left, Cheep-Cheep, Lakitu Cloud, Bullet Bill, Spiny, Koopa Shell, and Goomba.

Dark Toon Link by Abysswolf

2011-01-16T13:25:00.001-07:00

Link is all washed and ironed after finishing him late last night. He's my first finish of the year and I quite like him despite my issues with the fabric. The original pattern is slightly longer width-wise and the final piece is much longer length-wise. =P I was impressed with how linen irons out though. I usually let it sit for a bit after washing but this time I ironed straight out of the water.

Dark Toon Link

Sprite by Abysswolf

Started: January 7, 2011

Finished: January 15, 2011

Fabric: 32 count natural linen

Size: 4049

Colours: 34

I will continue to stitch my Hogwarts Crest next. Slytherin is calling in Parseltongue.

Dark Toon Link Update II

2011-01-15T16:13:00.004-07:00

Link's Master Sword is stitched. And his little body. I've been stitching like mad lately. I feel like I set some pretty ambitious goals for the year. It's only January and I feel like I'm running out of time. =P Only his shield remains.

And I officially hate this linen now. I guess it's just the brand I picked because I've seen some lovely work on linen before. The stitches are noticeably skewed vertically, making everything much more elongated and just, off... Live and learn, I guess. Only Link's adorable boots keep me from going into an adamantium rage.

Patterns for Child's Play

2011-01-10T19:41:00.004-07:00

Some members of the forums at Sprite Stitch, including myself, are stitching squares which will be made into quilts. 26 people are participating so far with one quilter bringing it all together. The finished products will be auctioned off at the annual Child's Play charity. Or so we are planning. I made up my patterns and wanted to share them here. All three will be made into 96x96 squares on 16 count white aida.

Link from The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons

Balthier and Fran from Final Fantasy XII: Revenant Wings

Naval Piranha from Yoshi's Island

A New Work in Progress: Dark Toon Link

2011-01-09T13:11:00.002-07:00

Dark Toon Link! So cute! So evil! And one of my main characters in Super Smash Bros. Brawl. This lovely sprite is by Abysswolf, of course. This will be my sixth stitched Abysswolf sprite. This stitching is on 32 count natural linen. I was a linen virgin, I should note. So far so good and I quite like the look of the fabric. =] The only issue is that the fabric warps every now and then and distends some of the stitches. I plan to keep to evenweave in the future.

By Gryffindor, the bravest were prized far beyond the rest

2011-01-08T12:10:00.018-07:00

Continuing clockwise, the Gryffindor lion is complete. I changed a couple things on this section. One, there was a random red dot on his mouth that I made silver instead. Two, I filled in the middle tail section silver instead of red. Those two items bothered me a bit. Slytherin is up next but not for awhile as I just began my January start and will finish that first.

Also, when I was making my list of goals for January, I omitted a couple items. One is a stitch from the old cartoon "The Snowman". The other is to finish three quilting squares for Child's Play charity. They need to be 96x96 stitches on 16 count white fabric. As of now, I plan on doing a square each of Final Fantasy, Legend of Zelda and Yoshi's Island.

Skein count: 2 black (#310), 1 medium topaz (#783)

January 2011 TUSAL

2011-01-04T17:06:00.004-07:00

Last year I bought a collector's issue of Nintendo Power devoted to the Legend of Zelda. It came with ten lovely posters of my favourite games. ♥ I plan to use them as backdrops for pictures of my Totally Useless Stitch-A-Long entries. More information on this little endeavour can be found here. There is also a handy list of all the new moons this year. I hope I didn't cheat by having some ends from 2010 in there. >_>

TUSAL jar contents: Hogwarts Crest, Psylocke

TUSAL backdrop: The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass

Happy 2011! ♥

2011-01-01T16:34:00.003-07:00

I just made my first pattern of the year and picked out my colours for it. It's another Abysswolf sprite. This character was actually my main in Super Smash Bros. Brawl, along with Diddy Kong and Yoshi. I just wanted to start out the year all cute and evil.

Goals I wanted to achieve this year stitching-wise and bead-wise in no particular order:

# Finish Hogwarts Crest

# Finish January start pictured above

# Stitch Valefor by Abysswolf

# Stitch Pokemon Trainer by Abysswolf
# Stitch "The Snowman" by Christmas
# Stitch three quilting squares for Child's Play by August (Final Fantasy, Legend of Zelda, Yoshi's Island)

# Finish my Tetris Attack bead sprite set

# Finish Yoshi's Island themed biscornu

The above are mostly pretty large projects, especially Pokemon Trainer. I may do a couple more X-Men or Batman portraits as well so I feel like I'm accomplishing something.

To recap 2010, I started and finished 16 projects. They can all be viewed here. They were all small to medium sized pieces so I expect to not have as many finishes in 2011.

Psylocke

2010-12-31T10:14:00.000-07:00

Last day of the year, last stitching of the year! It's Psylocke of the X-Men. The sprite is from the SNES game X-Men: Mutant Apocalypse and was stitched in Hollywood, Florida during my Christmas vacation. It's amazing how much one can stitch when one is ill and has access to Netflix. I should be used to stitching solid blocks of colour since starting the Hogwarts Crest pattern but it was brutal filling in all that brown for the background.

Psylocke

X-Men: Mutant Apocalypse
SNES
Started: December 19, 2010
Finished: December 28, 2010
Colours: 14
Size: 3456 stitches

The Gryffindor section of my Hogwarts Crest is almost complete as well. I would say I would have an update next week but I did buy upwards of seven games during Boxing Week... >_> Damn you, XBLA.

Happy New Year, everyone! =]

For Hufflepuff, hard workers were most worthy of admission

2010-12-12T13:29:00.003-07:00

Here is the third update for Little Mojo's Hogwarts Crest pattern. I finished the Hufflepuff part quicker than I thought I would, having to pause and stitch other things. For the rest of December, I will likely not get very much done. I will be traveling to Florida for xmas to visit family and will not stitch too often. I will try to stitch a new pattern on the 8-10 hour flights. I bought a thread cutter made by DMC that is supposedly "safe for travel." Hopefully it does not get confiscated. =] The new pattern will be an X-Men piece to go with Gambit and Wolverine.

December 2010 TUSAL

2010-12-05T16:41:00.000-07:00

I went out and picked up a couple of clear xmas bulbs for this year's final TUSAL. Sorry for the kind of lame photo this time. It gets so dark here so fast and I have no xmas tree inside yet. =[ Needless to say, the lighting is not great and the bulbs give off a lot of glare in the first place.

TUSAL ~~Jar~~ Bulbs Contents: Terra & Esper Terra, Rozalin, Poison Ivy, Majora's Mask Trio, Hogwarts Crest, Radiohead Bear, Spider-Man Wedding Annoucement

Commission: Spider-Man Wedding Announcement

2010-12-02T21:01:00.002-07:00

My first commission is complete. Exciting. =] This sprite was kind of a pain because there is a limited range of dark reds and blues in DMC colours. I had to manually edit this sprite quite a bit but I think it turned out fine. I mostly relied on KG-Chart for once. I tend to prefer PCStitch but KG-Chart gave me better initial colours to play with.

Spider-Man
Marvel Super Heroes: War of the Gems
SNES
Started: November 20, 2010
Finished: November 30, 2010
Colours: 10
Size: 2252

Names and date backstitched:

No more black aida! =P

Forget About Your House of Cards

2010-11-26T12:16:00.002-07:00

My Radiohead Bear for my husband's birthday! ♥ I started off using DMC Antique Effects floss for this piece and it was just terrible to work with. The end product does not satisfy me aesthetically enough to justify the annoyance of dealing with that hellish thread! So I opted for regular DMC cotton in very dark raspberry (#777) to match his toolbox where my Pikachu currently resides. =P

Radiohead Bear

Started: November 17, 2010

Finished: November 18, 2010

Colours: 1

Size: 1810 stitches

Forget about your house of cards and I'll do mine. ♥ Happy Birthday, Mo!

Spider-Man, Spider-Man...

2010-11-20T13:48:00.003-07:00

While I am a huge Spider-Man fan, this is actually a commission piece. My first one at that. =] Basically, I am turning this sprite from Marvel Super Heroes: War of the Gems (SNES) into a wedding announcement. I plan to put the names and date in the bottom right corner in the web. I did want to take a break from black fabric but oh well. Here is what I have done so far with four different blues:

Needless to say, my Hogwarts Crest is on a slight haitus. I also finished a birthday present yesterday but I'll wait to post until that day. =]

For Ravenclaw, the cleverest would always be the best

2010-11-15T18:54:00.011-07:00

Getting further along on my Hogwarts Crest and getting very excited for the first Deathly Hallows film on Friday! ♥ Ravenclaw is my favourite house so I had to stitch its animal, the raven, first! Next I will do Hufflepuff. Not sure which order I will stitch the lion and the snake...

This is about a month's work, I should note, and I've used an entire skein of black already. I officially started on October 18th. I'm hoping to get the badger done by this time next month or a bit sooner. Also, I need to make a birthday gift for my husband by November 26. It won't be video game related but I suppose Harry Potter isn't either. I'll still want to show it off. =]

Green Glove and Slugger

2010-11-12T18:05:00.004-07:00

I threw together a couple of ornaments that could be for xmas or year-round. They are the Baseball Boys from Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island. My little brother in law is a baseball boy himself so I made these for him. =] Green Glove is the green one with the glove (!) and the yellow guy is Slugger. Yoshi's Island has such beautiful art and bright colours that I want to make more of these. =] Maybe some of the level icons...

Unfortunately the picture is a little overexposed and these guys are already on their way to Florida so I can't do much about it. =[

Green Glove and Slugger
Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island
SNES
Started: November 11, 2010
Finished: November 12, 2010
Colours: 19
Size: 685 stitches

Majora's Mask Trio

2010-11-06T12:49:00.008-06:00

My Majora's Mask stitch is complete! Credit to Orkimedes for making this awesome sprite.

Majora's Mask Trio

Sprite by Orkimedes

Started: February (dropped)

Picked up again: October 7, 2010

Finished: November 3, 2010

Colours: 52

Stitches: 4062

I've been making a few patterns for biscornus lately. I'm going to do a fairly simple one first to practice the sewing portion before I spend a lot of time stitching and it doesn't turn out well. Of course, I'm still working on the Hogwarts Crest. Expect an update within a week, I hope.

Wherein Kitties Photobomb My November 2010 TUSAL

2010-11-06T12:25:00.000-06:00

Another new moon, another TUSAL. This time with added feline. ♥ This photoshoot would have been much more boring without them. It's kind of fitting because their hair is constantly stitched into my pieces. >_>

TUSAL Jar Contents: Terra & Esper Terra, Rozalin, Poison Ivy, Majora's Mask Trio, Hogwarts Crest

For next month, I am going to look for some clear xmas bulb ornaments to hold my thread ends as it will be the last new moon before a new year begins.

Hogwarts Crest Update I

2010-10-30T13:30:00.002-06:00

I recently discovered Final Fantasy: The 4 Warriors of Light and I haven't been stitching much lately... >_> But I did get a good start on my Hogwarts Crest by Little Mojo. This project has been a little different for me with its large blocks of single colours. Also, it is my first large project working with evenweave fabric. I am enjoying it more than aida as the actual stitching is much smoother. Next I will tackle the Ravenclaw portion as it's my favourite house. ♥

Never Tickle a Sleeping Dragon

2010-10-17T20:30:00.001-06:00

My next project will be the Hogwarts Crest designed by Little Mojo via The Leaky Cauldron. I will be changing the colours a bit. To me, Hufflepuff should be yellow and Ravenclaw is better suited by the current colour for Hufflepuff.

This will be the largest project I have done as yet, the final piece measuring approximately 18"x20". I'll be using mushroom-coloured 28 count evenweave fabric. There are only 12 colours; very few compared to what I usually stitch. I imagine I might not finish this all in one go. It may turn out to be a long-term work in progress... =]

Deku Scrub Link is Jazzy

2010-10-17T12:18:00.002-06:00

Deku Scrub Link is my favourite Link! He is so cute twirling around and stuff. ♥ Anyway, I guess he is the brass section of the band. Goron Link is coming up sometime in the future. He is about the same size as Deku Scrub Link and Zora Link combined so it will take a bit longer...

Also of note, the Sprite Stitch July/August Alphabet Challenge was finally put to vote. Blackmageheart and I tied for second because we are awesome. =]

No More Green Peace

2010-10-14T22:30:00.023-06:00

It seems I have been stitching a lot of cleavage lately. o_0 Here is Poison Ivy from The Adventures of Batman & Robin on the SNES. Because I had already stitched Harley Quinn and Catwoman, I had to finish the third Gotham girl as well. I really like the pin-up look of this sprite. I just wish Batgirl was in this game. One thing about sprites from this game though is they are very dark. I had to brighten the original image significantly to make it more vivid.

Poison Ivy
The Adventures of Batman & Robin
SNES

Started: October 10, 2010

Finished: October 13, 2010

Colours: 14

Size: 1960 stitches

Rozalin by Abysswolf

2010-10-11T11:23:00.007-06:00

I have finished my largest stitch to date! Special thanks to Abysswolf for creating this gorgeous sprite. Please visit his Deviant Art page. The Disgaea series of games is hilarious and awesome and should get more recognition in North America. Everyone, go dust off your PS2. =]

Rozalin

Sprite by Abysswolf

Started: August 30, 2010

Finished: October 9, 2010

Size: 8894 stitches

Colours: 25

I do plan to frame this one but it may take awhile to get it custom-matted due to its odd size. And no more black aida for a while... >_>

Zora Link is Rock N' Roll

2010-10-09T13:27:00.002-06:00

Here is a progress shot of a previously abandoned stitching...I have no idea why I gave up on this one because it is pretty rad. =] Maybe it has something to do with the 52 colours involved. o_0

The sprite is designed by the very talented pixel artist Orkimedes and you can visit his Deviant Art page here. Majora's Mask is my favourite Zelda game so when I saw this sprite, I had to stitch it. With bad ass, metal, guitar-playing Zora Link finished, I will start Deku Scrub Link next. Deku Scrub Link is my favourite thing ever. ♥

Let the "Totally Useless Stitch Along" Commence!

2010-10-07T17:56:00.004-06:00

Anything deemed "totally useless" is something I can get behind. The premise of this little project dubbed "TUSAL" is to collect stitching throw-aways, place them in a container and post a picture of said container every new moon. For me this will entail thread-ends only, not left over thread. More information on this madness can be found here and here if you are interested in joining or whatnot.

Here is my contribution for the October 7, 2010 new moon. It consists solely of my Final Fantasy VI and Rozalin stitches. Purty. =]

By the way, taking photos of glass is the bane of my existence.

Rozalin Update VI

2010-10-06T19:00:00.005-06:00

Only one page left to go for my Rozalin project. This will likely be the last progress shot before completion. The stitch is approximately 10" tall and 9" wide. It's going to be fun finding a frame...

And I must confess I have a few WIPs going on at once. Normally I like to finish one thing before starting something else but alas! One is a bead project that keeps getting trampled upon by cats thus making it a bit of a disaster. The other is a stitch I unearthed today that I started back in February. It is a sprite by Orkimedes of Card Gallery fame. I'll post a progress shot when I have finished one of the characters. I will primarily be stitching that one at work so progress will be extremely slow.

Also, I recently gathered all the materials required for my next big project. And it is big. It is a pattern by the infamous Little Mojo that will celebrate my favourite book series of all time and a sexy new movie coming out November 19th. What could it be?!

Rozalin Update V

2010-10-03T14:31:00.001-06:00

I haven't stitch very much last week but I thought I would post another progress shot. I feel like this stitch is taking forever having done so many small projects lately. My fifth update of Abysswolf's Rozalin:

I did get my bead order in the mail so I may throw together a new bead sprite in the next day or two. My palette went from only Perler colours to Perler, Hama and PhotoPearls. Exciting. =]

Rozalin Update IV

2010-09-26T12:26:00.002-06:00

Here is a quick update from my Rozalin project. Two pages down, two to go. ♥

I've started to contemplate my next project because Rozalin should be done within a week or two. There are some Xmas presents I need to tackle, and a few things for myself. I have quite a few patterns made already just waiting to be stitched and eventually I will get around to all of them. =]

Sprite Stitch September Swap

2010-09-25T12:04:00.004-06:00

My swap project was received so I can post it here. I have to admit I love the art from the Final Fantasy games and VI is no exception. I wanted to do something I haven't seen before so instead of everyone's favourite, Kefka, I chose to do Terra and her Esper form. Also Terra is the first female lead character in an FF game, I believe, so girl power and such. =]

Terra & Esper Terra

Final Fantasy VI

SNES

Started: September 3, 2010

Finished: September 9, 2010

Colours: 26

Size: 2024 stitches

Also, I want to show off what I received in the swap. It was made by Dawn (DMLC) and you can visit her blog here: Anime Stitching. I have to say I love Epona and I haven't seen a stitch of her until now. Thank you, Dawn! ♥

Rozalin Update III

2010-09-13T11:59:00.001-06:00

My September Swap project is finished...kind of. The main stitching portion was completed last Friday. It's too big for a bookmark or something like that. It is nicely frameable in a 4"x6" or 5"x7" frame but is not perfect rectangle. I suppose this breaks the rules just a little in that I would use an envelope slightly larger than standard size. I want to do some kind of blackwork border on the bottom and work in the title of game somehow but I am not satisfied with it yet. I am aiming to have it mailed by the end of this week and then I can post it here.

On a happier note, all weekend I have been working on my stitch of AbyssWolf's Rozalin which is coming along nicely.

Some Bead Sprites

2010-09-07T18:54:00.009-06:00

I finally sent in a bead order so I can make some more bead sprites. I'm also getting Hama beads and PhotoPearls for the first time to increase my pallet of colours. Pokemon seem to use up a lot of certain colours to the point where I can barely make anything new. =P

Here are some thumbnails of a few Pokemon plus my Tetris Attack set which I hope to finish once I get my order:

Rozalin Update & Swap Preview

2010-09-03T21:49:00.008-06:00

I'm going to be starting the Sprite Stitch Swap project this weekend so here is a quick update on my Rozalin stitch. I won't get to work on her for a bit.

Deciding what to make for the swap was somewhat difficult. I was hoping I could stitch a game I haven't played before but alas we like the same damn games. =P After hours at The Spriter's Resource, I finally came up with something I wouldn't have made for myself otherwise. It's the main character of a game and hopefully this person likes them. Here are the colours and that's all I can post until the stitch is received. ♥

A New Work in Progress: Rozalin

2010-08-30T21:09:00.011-06:00

I'm procrastinating getting my Alphabet project done even though I have ONE day left.

I've started a new, larger stitch which has been distracting me. Yeah, yeah, it's another Abysswolf sprite but I can't help it, I had to stitch Rozalin from the Disgaea games. The sprite is just gorgeous. ♥

Also, the Sprite Stitch September Swap (alliteration!) has started. And the person I'm making for likes the same games I do so hopefully I can come up with something good.

Magnets and Punchneedle

2010-08-29T13:42:00.006-06:00

For the May Craft Swap at Sprite Stitch, two people did not receive gifts so a few of us made some little things to send instead. I made two magnets, Frog from Chrono Trigger and Mario and Yoshi from Super Mario World:

I also sent a couple punchneedle pieces of Ninji and a Yoshi Egg. I plan to do more punchneedle pieces in the future.

Hero

2010-08-29T13:35:00.004-06:00

Finally finished the stitching portion of my Alphabet project. It's Hero from Dragonquest VIII! He looks strange not in the artstyle of Akira Toriyama. I'm going to try my hand at fabric applique on a foam board base to bring all my letters together and submit them for the challenge.

H is for Hero

Sprite by Card Gallery

Started: August 20, 2010

Finished: August 23, 2010

Colours: 37

Size: 1021 stitches

Chloe Valens

2010-08-22T10:26:00.006-06:00

Finally finished C. The hold up was making a couple small projects for some people on the forums who did not receive gifts from the May craft swap. And Lego Harry Potter. =P So here is Chloe from Tales of Legendia finished:

C is for Chloe

Sprite by Card Gallery

Started: August 16, 200

Finished: August 20, 2010

Colours: 32

Size: 1001

One left and I've already gotten his sword stitched. =]

Tifa Lockhart

2010-08-14T11:07:00.007-06:00

Seventh letter is done and it's Tifa from FFVII. To be honest, she wasn't in my party much but she kicked ass in Advent Children. =] This is the smallest sprite of the project, contrasted with Auron who was the largest thus it seemed this one came out quickly.

T is for Tifa

Sprite by Card Gallery

Started: August 7, 2010

Finished: August 8, 2010

Colours: 22

Size: 824 stitches

Just C and H left now. Anyone care to hazard a guess? They are both JRPG characters (of course).

Auron

2010-08-08T21:04:00.007-06:00

Final Fantasy X was my first FF title. I've played them all since and many other games in my favourite genre (JRPG) because of FFX. ♥ And Auron was in my party always. Unfortunately, I don't really like how this sprite turned out. I trusted PCStitch too much and it overdid the purple in place of grey. Oh well, just three letters left!

A is for Auron

Sprite by Card Gallery

Started: August 2, 2010

Finished: August 7, 2010

Colours: 20

Size: 1513

Penelo

2010-08-05T20:55:00.007-06:00

Final Fantasy XII is my favourite game ever. I don't want to think about how many hours I've put into that game. >_> Here is Penelo:

P is for Penelo
Sprite by Card Gallery
Started: July 22, 2010
Finished: July 27, 2010
Colours: 21
Size: 924 stitches

Next up is my favourite video game character ever! And he's almost done. =]

Tear Grants

2010-07-24T17:35:00.008-06:00

Finished four out of nine letters now. Tear is my favourite character from Tales of the Abyss. The Tales games are my favourite JRPGs. Well, maybe they're tied with Final Fantasy. =] And I think I've figured out what I am going to do to put all this together. I still have until August 30th to get it sorted out.

T is for Tear

Sprite by Card Gallery

Started: July 19, 2010

Finished: July 21, 2010

Colours: 20

Size: 1075 stitches