Miss Clawful's Cross-Stitch Projects

[Miss Clawful]

Blaster Master - Sofia III Noras MA-01 Medal



PATTERN:
112x140 pixels = 8"x10"


MATERIAL:
Black Aida (14ct)

COLORS (DMC):
917 - Medium Plum
747 - Very Light Peacock Blue
317 - Pewter Gray

total colors: 3

DATE/TIME:
Started stitching: September 9th 2013
Finished stitching: September 27th 2013
1705 minutes = 28 hours 25 minutes

STITCHES:
2965 (medal without ribbon)
Ribbon done with satin stitches

PROGRESS LOG:

Spoiler

9/09/2013
1:15pm-2:55pm
9:10pm-9:50pm
10:50pm-12:00am

9/10/2013
7:40pm-8:40pm
9:25pm-9:45pm

9/11/2013
6:55pm-7:50pm

9/12/2013
9:40pm-11:00pm

9/13/2013
12:00pm-12:20pm
8:10pm-9:00pm
9:15pm-9:30pm
9:50pm-10:40pm - done with medium plum on dragon

9/14/2013
6:30am-6:40am
1:40pm-2:40pm - got very light peacock blue done on dragon

9/15/2013
12:25am-1:35am
11:50am-1:15pm
2:30pm-4:05pm

9/16/2013
2:00pm-3:10pm

9/19/2013
9:00pm-9:30pm
10:25pm-11:40pm

9/20/2013
6:00pm-8:00pm
9:45pm-10:00pm
10:15pm-11:25pm - done with pewter gray on medal

9/21/2013
9:20am-10:40am
2:40pm-5:10pm - done with all very light peacock blue on medal

time on cross-stitching:
1485 minutes = 24 hours 45 minutes

9/21/2013-9/22/2013
Spent a few hours on the bottom ribbon with satin stitching and while I liked the shine and smoothness of the finish I wasn't quite happy with it, just came out kinda sloppy, so tore it all out, thinking perhaps to stick with cross-stitch only

9/23/2013
3:15am-4:00am
Cross-stitched two rows of 40 X's each for the ribbon, hmm, now that I see the difference between them, the satin stitching is the way to go for sure (cross-stitch just dull and too much the same, I want the medal and ribbon to stand apart from each other yet compliment one another), I'm just going to have to make sure the satin stitches look damn good

9/26/2013
Started stitching the top ribbon using satin stitches, didn't time it though since I wasn't sure if I'd like it, but it turned out rather nice, so I will be stitching the bottom ribbon soon. Finished stitching the top ribbon at 7:30pm (started early afternoon, stitching off and on till it was done).

9/27/2013
9:15am-9:55am - got gray on bottom ribbon done
10:05am-11:15am - medium plum along sides of bottom ribbon done; project completed!

time spent on satin stitching:
220 minutes (approximately 110 minutes each ribbon) = 3 hours 40 minutes

NOTES:

Spoiler

I had this project planned some time ago (since last year), had thought it'd make a nice choice for the Bling Challenge that recently ended at Sprite Stitch, but being unable to get in the mood at that time to cross-stitch at all, like with several other possible choices for that challenge I held off on doing it. The Sprite Stitch challenge, Inanimate Objects came up next, and now being ready to cross-stitch again this was a perfect time to do this one (after my Friday the 13th Jason hockey mask). What I had thought of doing with this medal was to cross-stitch the medal itself and do the ribbon with actual real ribbon. I got the cross-stitching done but being unable to find ribbon to match was leaning towards the idea of satin stitching it instead. I had some difficulties at first, but I'm glad that I stuck with it. For once I done something other than cross-stitching only and I'm really pleased with how well it turned it.

[Miss Clawful]

Deja Vu - Toilet



PATTERN:
112x140 pixels = 8"x10"


MATERIAL:
Black Aida (14ct)

COLORS (DMC):
White
3761 - Light Sky Blue
825 - Dark Blue
301 - Medium Mahogany
402 - Very Light Mahogany

total colors: 5

DATE/TIME:
Started stitching: October 1st 2013
Finished stitching: October 11th 2013
1580 minutes = 26 hours 20 minutes

STITCHES:
3125

PROGRESS LOG:

Spoiler

10/1/2013
10:50am-1:25pm
9:40pm-11:00pm

10/2/2013
9:30pm-10:55pm

10/3/2013
12:45pm-1:05pm
1:30pm-2:20pm
2:45pm-4:10pm
4:45pm-5:30pm
9:20pm-10:20pm - all white done on toilet

10/4/2013
2:05pm-3:05pm

10/5/2013
2:00pm-4:00pm

10/6/2013
1:45pm-2:10pm - toilet done
2:30pm-3:15pm - toilet paper done
6:30pm-8:10pm

10/7/2013
10:45am-11:05am
11:25am-1:05pm - puddle done
2:45pm-4:40pm

10/8/2013
7:20pm-7:45pm
8:25pm-9:30pm - got words, "nothing inside." done

10/9/2013
1:25pm-3:00pm
6:20pm-6:55pm

10/10/2013
2:25pm-3:15pm - "that you find" done
6:45pm-8:40pm

10/11/2013
12:50pm-1:50pm
5:40pm-6:30pm - "You are relieved" done, and done!

NOTES:

Spoiler

This toilet scene is taken from the NES game Deja Vu. The location is from the women's restroom of Joe's Bar just moments into the beginning of the game. I thought to do this one back in April of 2013 when I had been looking for quotes to stitch from various NES games, finding ones that were memorable or funny, and this one certainly fit the bill. I thought, when finished with this one, if ever I decide to frame my work this one would be hung near the bathroom, a perfect spot for such an odd piece. So this is my very first quote cross-stitch of possibly many more in due time. I think a good choice to start with. Also entering this one into the Sprite Stitch Inanimate Objects Challenge (my third piece for it), even though a toilet has moving parts, it is currently out of order and nonworkable so it qualifies I thinks. Was originally going to satin stitch the toilet paper but when it came time I just didn't feel like dealing with it so stuck with cross-stitch all the way.

[Miss Clawful]

A Halloween project, a few days late, but since I don't actually celebrate the holiday it don't really matter. I know this fellow would have been perfect for the villain challenge end of last year, or even the portrait challenge, but I wasn't yet ready to stitch him then. Haven't done a stitch count yet, but so far on time he's falls in right behind my Shatterhand project on length of time for completion, around 66½ hours.

Batman: Return of the Joker - The Joker



PATTERN:
140x182 pixels = 10"x13"


MATERIAL:
Black Aida (14ct)

COLORS (DMC):
White
415 - Pearl Gray
317 - Pewter Gray
3837 - Ultra Dark Lavender
209 - Dark Lavender
917 - Medium Plum
703 - Chartreuse
905 - Dark Parrot Green
3608 - Very Light Plum

total colors: 9

DATE/TIME:
Started stitching: October 12th 2013
Finished stitching: November 3rd 2013
3995 minutes = 66 hours 35 minutes

STITCHES:
7356

PROGRESS LOG:

Spoiler

10/12/2013
8:15pm-10:05pm - started on Joker's brows

10/13/2013
8:25am-8:45am - did pewter gray around the Joker's eyebrows
9:00am-10:40am - started ultra dark lavender on outline of playing card
12:25pm-2:00pm

10/14/2013
10:45pm-11:50pm - got most of the dark lavender done around edges of card

10/15/2013
1:35pm-2:30pm - started on the Joker's fingers
4:55pm-6:00pm
7:55pm-9:10pm

10/16/2013
1:30pm-3:05pm - got the Joker's hand done - all ultra dark lavender done
7:10pm-8:10pm
9:35pm-10:15pm

10/17/2013
3:20pm-4:20pm

10/18/2013
2:20pm-3:35pm
8:40pm-10:20pm

10/19/2013
2:15pm-2:25pm
2:50pm-3:30pm
4:20pm-5:15pm - got Joker's hand done (used up all of my dark lavender, just made it! less than an inch of this color floss left)
8:30pm-9:20pm
9:30pm-10:35pm

10/20/2013
10:00am-11:20am
12:25pm-1:30pm - got both of the Joker's brows done
3:15pm-4:25pm
11:30pm-11:55pm - got pewter gray done on face

10/21/2013
12:00am-1:00am
10:10am-10:55am
11:20am-1:40pm
4:05pm-5:30pm - got all pearl and pewter gray done
8:15pm-8:50pm
9:15pm-10:10pm - got all medium plum on the Joker's lips done

10/22/2013
9:00am-9:50am
8:55pm-9:15pm
10:15pm-11:25pm - got the white done on Joker's face

10/23/2013
8:10pm-8:40pm
9:10pm-9:30pm
10:00pm-10:30pm - got Joker's teeth done (his face is all done now)

10/24/2013
1:10pm-2:10pm
3:45pm-4:40pm
7:00pm-8:15pm

10/25/2013
6:00pm-7:05pm
7:25pm-8:35pm

10/26/2013
3:15pm-3:55pm
4:45pm-5:40pm
9:25pm-10:55pm - finished the white on the card (card all done, now all that's left is the Joker's hair)

10/27/2013
3:45pm-6:25pm
9:55pm-11:15pm

10/28/2013
10:25am-1:20pm
7:15pm-8:15pm - started a new skein of #905 and this skein is slightly darker than the one I began with
8:45pm-9:35pm - got all dark parrot green done in hair

10/29/2013
8:55pm-10:25pm - got white in hair done

10/30/2013
4:40pm-6:55pm

10/31/2013
10:35am-12:10pm
1:30pm-2:25pm
11:15pm-12:00am

11/1/2013
9:00pm-10:50pm
11:10pm-11:40pm

11/2/2013
3:15pm-3:55pm
5:10pm-6:30pm

11/3/2013
8:50am-9:55am
11:20am-1:00pm - chartreuse green in hair done - The Joker is finished!

NOTES:

Spoiler

After finishing up my three entries into the Sprite Stitch inanimate objects challenge, even though I did still have a few ideas for that challenge that I had wanted to do I figured three is enough, time to do something else that I had been wanting to try.

My next stitch project would be glow-in-the-dark (that was the plan), and also something for Halloween. Well, I got started on it, but being as how dry my hands were, from work as well as too many washings, I wasn't faring too well with the floss, found an easy way to pull it through the eye of the needle finally, but my rough fingers kept snagging it. Hmm, this is not going to work. Hell with it, this was a waste of time, stick to normal floss and find something else to stitch. Oh, this project was going to be the title screen image from the NES game Frankenstein. Maybe another time.

I wanted something grand, much like how I had started stitching last year with my large Shatterhand cross-stitch up to when I was having frustrations with floss skeins not matching up for that StarTropics project I had started earlier this year which I had put on hold and causing me to temporarily abandon the huge stitchings for smaller scale ones. I still wanted to do something kinda scary like, and I kept looking at one in particular that I had been having ideas about stitching for a time, The Joker from the password screen of Batman: Return of the Joker on the NES.

Originally I had been troubled by how to stitch him, with him vertical or horizontal on the material? Also, when I got to his clothes, cross-stitch or satin stitch? But still, something about it didn't quite do it for me and that was his clothes. As both my mom and I agreed, even though that is his style and a part of his character, just something about it makes it seem too cartoonish, comical. Well, isn't that the point of his character, sure, but I just wanted the more serious dark qualities to show. I removed his outfit from the image, and as she said, now he actually looks scary, kinda like he's standing back in a dark alley leaning forward with his head and hand looming out.

Now, he is perfect for stitching on black aida with the air of creepiness that I wanted to convey, something insane and wickedly evil, not something that makes you stand there wondering if you should scream with fright or laugh hysterically. Lets keep what he's wearing a mystery. If I were passing by an alley on a dark night and some maniac like this comes out from the shadows, yeah, I'd be freaked out. Let's get to stitching!

[brityboo]

Ahhh, Joker looks amazing! That's such a wonderful image of him, to!

Great job! You work is always amazing!

[Kareesh]

I love this picture of the Joker. And I agree, he totally looks like he's coming out of an alley. Creepy...

[laaputa]

These are fantastic! Very impressed

[Miss Clawful]

Thank you.

After a long break from my StarTropics project I'm finally back, this time, because still having too much difficulties with the dark part of the water's color not matching up (trust me, in pictures it may look the same but in person there is enough of a difference to make it look like crap with a very clear vertical line straight down from one skein to another of the same numbered color being off a shade from each other) I finally got it in my head to move on otherwise I'd never finish this cross-stitch. So, ignoring the water, for now, back to the octopus. Nearly a weeks work and I now have all of the medium and light plum colors done, just one more color to fill in for Octo to be completed, then, only then will I get back to the water (may have to pull out all or most of the very dark royal blue and start anew on that).

11/4/2013
9:00am-10:55am - started on rightmost tentacle
11:45am-1:15pm
2:00pm-2:35pm

11/5/2013
3:00pm-3:20pm
3:50pm-4:45pm
5:30pm-6:10pm

11/6/2013
5:10pm-6:55pm
9:45pm-11:05pm

11/7/2013
5:55pm-7:40pm

11/8/2013
7:50pm-9:10pm

11/9/2013
11:45am-1:00pm
1:50pm-2:45pm - got all medium plum done
2:55pm-3:15pm - got all very light plum done

[RMDC]

I'm glad you got back on this horse! It'll be a pain to pull out that many stitches, though. I can understand putting it down for months.

[Miss Clawful]

Star Tropics - Octo the Huge



PATTERN:
140x182 pixels = 10"x13"


MATERIAL:
Black Aida (14ct)

COLORS (DMC):
Mike:
963 - Ultra Very Light Dusty Rose
830 - Dark Golden Olive
996 - Medium Electric Blue
826 - Medium Blue
415 - Pearl Gray
Yo-yo:
White
760 - Salmon
919 - Red Copper
Water:
813- Light Blue (#813)
825 - Dark Blue (#825)
820 - Very Dark Royal Blue everything on the right side from bottom of Mike's shoe on lower foot / 796 - Dark Royal Blue water filled in on the left side of Mike since I could not get any more #820's to match with that I started with
Octo the Huge:
3685 - Very Dark Mauve
917 - Medium Plum
3608 - Very Light Plum

total colors: 13

DATE/TIME:
Started stitching: April 23rd 2013

Finished stitching: November 30th 2013
6805 minutes = 113 hours 25 minutes

STITCHES:
12397

PROGRESS LOG:

Spoiler

4/23/2013
8:20pm-8:40pm
8:50pm-10:25pm - got Mike's arm and yo-yo done

4/24/2013
1:40pm-4:00pm - got Mike's shirt done
6:15pm-6:45pm
7:10pm-7:30pm - got Mike's hair and elbow done

4/25/2013
2:10pm-3:20pm
5:00pm-6:35pm - got Mike's jeans done

4/26/2013
10:25pm-11:15pm - got Mike's shoes done (he's all done now)

[520 minutes on Mike]

4/27/2013
1:35pm-4:25pm - got started on the water, first with light blue at splash near Mike's leg, then followed up with dark blue near that, and then very dark royal blue, covering over 8 full vertical rows of water filled in so as to see how these colors would look together, and I can say I'm very pleased, these should work nicely for the colors of the water

4/28/2013
9:05am-11:00am
2:55pm-4:10pm
5:30pm-6:05pm
7:20pm-9:15pm

4/29/2013
10:20am-12:20pm - 33 vertical rows of water filled in

4/30/2013
5:00pm-7:30pm

5/1/2013
1:00am-2:00am
11:20am-11:40am
7:00pm-9:00pm

5/2/2013
6:00pm-7:10pm
10:30pm-12:00am - got water from where I had started near Mike's leg up to the end of the yo-yo string done

5/12/2013
1:55pm-4:00pm
5:25pm-6:55pm

5/13/2013
1:55pm-5:25pm - got all of the light blue water done

5/14/2013
4:40pm-7:25pm - got all dark blue water done

5/15/2013
1:50pm-4:00pm - got very dark royal blue done on right side

[1860 minutes on water up to this point]

6/7/2013
3:30pm-4:10pm - started on tentacles
5:10pm-6:55pm

6/8/2013
4:05am-4:25am
4:35am-5:00am
6:00am-6:40am
2:05pm-3:00pm
5:05pm-6:35pm - got tentacle segment done above Mike
8:30pm-9:40pm

6/9/2013
12:40pm-2:15pm
9:30pm-11:05pm
11:20pm-11:30pm - got other tentacle end done also above Mike

6/10/2013
12:40pm-1:50pm

6/12/2013
4:20pm-5:55pm

6/13/2013
7:10pm-9:10pm

6/15/2013
9:50pm-10:20pm

6/16/2013
2:00pm-4:00pm - got large part of front most tentacle done
5:40pm-7:20pm
9:00pm-11:15pm - got all tentacles near Mike done

11/4/2013
9:00am-10:55am - started on rightmost tentacle
11:45am-1:15pm
2:00pm-2:35pm

11/5/2013
3:00pm-3:20pm
3:50pm-4:45pm
5:30pm-6:10pm

11/6/2013
5:10pm-6:55pm
9:45pm-11:05pm

11/7/2013
5:55pm-7:40pm

11/8/2013
7:50pm-9:10pm

11/9/2013
11:45am-1:00pm
1:50pm-2:45pm - got all medium plum done
2:55pm-3:15pm - got all very light plum done

11/11/2013
5:00pm-5:40pm - starting on very dark mauve on left side of head
6:40pm-7:40pm
9:00pm-10:30pm

11/12/2013
4:00pm-5:05pm

11/13/2013
3:00pm-3:45pm
6:05pm-7:20pm

11/14/2013
7:35pm-8:25pm

11/15/2013
9:40pm-11:15pm

11/16/2013
11:15am-12:45pm
2800
11/17/2013
1:40pm-2:00pm
2:10pm-2:40pm
9:00pm-10:20pm

11/18/2013
2:35pm-4:05pm

11/19/2013
1:55pm-3:45pm

11/20/2013
9:15pm-10:35pm

11/22/2013
4:25pm-4:50pm
5:15pm-6:00pm
9:00pm-10:05pm

11/23/2013
2:20pm-2:40pm
4:25pm-5:50pm
7:20pm-8:00pm
9:25pm-10:40pm

11/24/2013
12:45pm-2:35pm
9:40pm-11:00pm - done with the octopus!

[3695 minutes on octopus]
[6075 minutes so far = 101 hours 15 minutes]

11/25/2013
7:00pm-8:20pm - removed water on left side of Mike earlier today, started restitching with #796 from just immediately left of his lower foot

11/28/2013
12:45am-2:15am
9:40am-12:00pm
2:00pm-2:30pm
4:00pm-4:55pm

11/29/2013
9:50pm-11:20pm

11/30/2013
7:10am-8:00am
9:05am-10:30am
12:10pm-2:00pm - done!!! Yay!

[730 minutes to fill in the rest of the water]
[6805 minutes = 113 hours 25 minutes]

NOTES:

Spoiler

Oh boy, what to say about this one. This was to be my largest project yet, and it was going to be an awesome piece once completed. But it took me a while to get up the courage and ambition to tackle it just because of how long it would take to see it through to the end. Even though it shouldn't have been any different from any other cross-stitch I'd done I ran into some difficulties that caused me to put it down and pick it back up again so many times just to immediately put it aside again, I wasn't sure if I'd ever finish it.

All was going well until I got about halfway through with the darkest part of the water, not even but halfway through with the whole project. Some new skeins of the very same color I had already stitched in weren't matching up. So I start out with a nice richly vibrant #820, get another of that same color and the new skeins end up a shade darker. I bought several from different stores all to the same results.

I'm at a loss because the only other color close to it is #796 but that one is a little bit lighter, duller and has a tad bit of purple in it. How is it that I had stitched in #820 that falls right in between the #796 and 820's I have now I dunno. I tried even a combination, blending two colors but even that didn't give me accurate results. I'd stitch in a bit, tear it all out, sometimes try again soon after, but most of the time quit in frustration putting this project aside from several months before trying again, but eventually I gave up on the water.

Okay, wouldn't it have been easier and less problematic if I had just removed all of the stitchings of that color and start fresh on it with the new skeins of #820 instead? I suppose, but I'm stubborn, what can I say. If I am to ever finish this I'm going to have to feel like I'm getting somewhere on it, so water on hold I got started on the octopus.

Once Octo the Huge was completed I got back to the water again. Still no way to find a match on the color I settled for the #796 to fill in the water to the left of Mike, the color is off from what is stitched to the right it'll have to do for now, time to move on before this project makes me go insane. While I'm still upset with how the water looks (you really have to look carefully to see the difference) because I've always been a perfectionist (it'll always bug me until it is right, seriously), still it is quite a beauty and I'm glad I finally finished it, that is getting all of the stitches in.

FURTHER PROGRESS LOG:

Spoiler

<---

5/18/2013
5:00pm-6:30pm
7:40pm-8:50pm - making some progress on the very dark royal blue on the left side but then ran into a problem with a new skein color not matching up

5/21/2013
So while working on the left side of the water, starting on a new skein, several vertical rows into it I noticed something bad, the floss I'm currently using for the water, #820 very dark royal blue, well its not matching up completely with the previous skein of #820's that I'd used prior, in fact is a whole shade darker, and its not a trick of how the light is hitting it because I can see the difference no matter how I turn this project around, is significantly noticeable. This isn't the first time I had this problem, have had this issue before with #402, as well as with #917...urgh. Well, matched up other possibilities, only color close is #796 dark royal blue, but it is a little bit lighter than the #820 I started with, stitching in several rows just to be sure. No other colors could be confused because these royal blues have a unique vibrancy to them that other dark blues don't have. I was hoping to finish up the water before taking a long break from this project, but now, I have to put this away before I shred it. If its not a fault of DMC, perhaps its a result of certain skeins in stores being exposed too long to fluorescent lights or even sunlight, who knows, but I can say I'm getting a bit tired of worrying about whether a certain color skein will match up with that same number skein used already, makes me think it better not to work on such grand projects that will need more than a skein of each color. Anyway, that's it for now, will have to look at it again another day to determine what my course of action will be.

Decided after spending some time away from this project that it'd be best just to ignore the water right now and get started on the octopus before I drive myself mad.

9/17/2013
Well, once again back at the water and this time trying something new, blending #820 with #796, a strand of each, and it seems to work. The color seems to be with what I had begun with which was #820 way back earlier in the year. Strange how mixing dark royal blue and very dark royal blue creates what I call very dark royal blue lite.
1:10pm-2:50pm
7:55pm-9:30pm

9/18/2013
6:40pm-7:25pm
8:15pm-8:50pm

9/19/2013
4:45pm-5:00pm
Okay, still having issues with the water afterall, am still not satisfied with it, the blending while close to the original color is still off as there is still a noticeable line where one color ends and the other begins. I don't know what I'm going to do with this project as of now, looks like I'll be putting it on hold again.

12/1/2013
Last night I decided I couldn't live with it as is, I could not keep looking at it without seeing it as a major flaw, so spend 5 hours removing all that was on the right side, the very dark royal blue, feeling that since it seems impossible to find a match for it that perhaps it'd be better to go with the dark royal blue instead. My mom saw me getting ready to rip it out and she reprimanded me, and we kind of got into an argument about it, she was upset with me because she thought it looked fine as it was and I just could not help myself, it has to be perfect otherwise it'll just keep nagging at my mind. I'm currently restitching what was #820 on the right with the #796 that I had used for the left. Oh, and I ran into a bit of a problem with that color as well since I had to use another skein to keep going (because obviously for that much water one skein just isn't enough; I'm going to always dread this now), found a newer skein of that color to be slightly darker and a tad more blue, just a tiny bit, but because of the location around the splashing area I was able to stitch it without it appearing any different. I have confidence this time it'll work. Should have it done (again) by sometime tomorrow.

12/2/2013
Done!! Perfect!

--->

[funkymonkey]

Congrats on the finish! It looks outstanding. If it makes you feel better, I didn't notice the color mismatch in the finished picture. I know how frustrating that is when you can't get it to match!