New Year's Eve Finish

Joy to Ewe by Chessie & Me
Final finish of 2010.......its a cute one!

New Year's Eve Reflections

This is it.  The last day of 2010.  So many things have happened this year.....some good, some not so good.  I guess this year was for growing and learning. 

Hubby and I went through tough times (with and without each other) during the first half of the year.  Help was asked for and received.  Thankfully, with hard work and the help of our Higher Power, we came out of it stronger than ever.  We both learned lessons, about ourselves and each other.  We are still learning new things each day.  We are now able to apply these lessons in productive and healthy ways.  In return for what we have received we are also able to share our experience, strength and hope with others.  That in itself is a wonderful thing.

During the year I was also honored to attend both the Nashville and St. Charles TNNA markets as a helper in the Crescent Colours booth.  It was so nice to visit with friends that I only get to see during market time (like Patti of SamSarah, Linda of Chessie & Me, Barb & Alma of Blackbird Designs and Tina & Terri of Shepherds Bush, among others that I know I have missed).  In between I got to go back out to Arizona and visit a most dear friend. (Thanks for the wonderful visit Sharon!). While on that trip I was blessed to make new friends as well (Hi Karen!).  I also met new friends through the wonderful Blackbird Designs exchange and this little 'ole blog. 

Family was also an important part of 2010.  Hubby and I spent two wonderful weeks in the Outer Banks this summer.  One week with Hubby's mom and one week with Hubby's dad.  The time helped to heal past hurts.  It was family time well spent especially since Hubby's dad ended up having a mild heart attack in September.  A few days later he had a triple bypass as well.  (He is doing much better now though.)

Early this fall I also found out that I was pregnant with our first child.  Best we can figure, he/she was conceived during our second trip to the Outer Banks.  Four weeks after the confirmation of the pregnancy we lost our child.  But, with what we had learned during the first half of the year we have been able to make it through this horrible loss.  We have learned to just take it one day at a time.  Luckily, there is nothing that will prevent us from trying again.  I guess it just wasn't 'our time'.

All in all, 2010 was a good year, even with all the heartache.......

Thank goodness for family, friends, blogging and stitching.  You all have helped me throughout this year and you probably didn't even know it!  For that reason, I know there is more good in store for 2011.  Best wishes on a wonderful new year!

Happy Stitching!

Snowy Progress and What's Next

As many of you are aware, we east coasters were subjected to a huge snowstorm Christmas weekend.  We got over 14 inches of snow where I live.  It ended up being the third largest snowstorm on record!  That much snow cripples an area that is not used to getting more than about an inch or so per year. 

Of course, that enabled me to have a little bit of "numb butt" on Sunday and Monday.  Here's a peek at my snowed in accomplishments.....

Yuletide Hornbook Snowman
by Milady's Needle
Stitched with kitted supplies

Noel
by Log Cabin Needleworks
40ct French Vanilla by R&R Reproductions
Belle Soie:  Sister Scarlett and Weathered Vine

Then, since the snow allowed me to have an early dismissal from work on Tuesday, I was able to start this......  Don't you just love that sheep?  I'm hoping to finish it up tonight.

Joy to Ewe
by Chessie & Me
Stitched with kitted supplies

As the year winds down I'm having a hard time finding things to stitch.  I've decided that I don't want to get involved in any major stitching projects since I'm going to be participating in the 2011 Crazy January Challenge.  Instead I'm just digging around in the stash and picking up smalls until the new year rolls around.  I guess that is one way to boost my finished count for the year!

Happy Stitching!

Finishing is Tough Work

Thursday night was a whirlwind but I did it.....just in time for the holiday too!  I was able to finish the four ornaments for Hubby's family.  One for each of his cousins, one for his aunt and one for his mother.  WHEW!!!  I'm glad that pressure is off!

My favorite one is the snowflake.  Which one is your favorite?

Happy Stitching!

Snow Update

Well, I guess this will be the last measurement that I take since we don't have a yardstick. I've been watching the inches increase throughout the day and now we are at a foot. Who knows what will happen tomorrow since the forecast shows snow showers through tonight and some flurries tomorrow.

I decided to work on "Yuletide Hornbooks" by Milady's Needle. I figured that it would be fitting to work on the snowman!

Stay warm!

White Christmas

The white stuff started falling last night. It looks like it will be falling all day today with flurries ending tomorrow. Hopefully Hubby won't have to work tonight. I don't want him out on the roads in these conditions!

Now, here's the question of the day..........What to stitch?

ETA: The restaurant just called to tell Hubby that they are closed today. Woo Hoo! No worries now!

Merry Christmas

From my home to yours.....

Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas!

May all your wishes come true.

Slow and Steady Wins the Race

I've been a good girl.  I'm steadily working on finishing these ornaments for my Husband's family.  It has taken longer than I thought it would.  After all, it is hard to cut out a circle and an oval on that mat board.  I sure do hope that Santa brings me some better finishing equipment this year!

Here they are so far.....

And the backing fabric......

Hopefully I will get the cording made tonight.  That way I can spend tomorrow evening relaxing in front of the TV with my cording and invisible thread in hand!

Happy Stitching!

More Ornaments

The craziness is still on, but I managed to finish these over the weekend:

Winter Joy by SamSarah
36ct Vintage Pearled Barley by Lakeside Linen
From a JCS Ornament Preview Issue

Love Letters by Blackbird Designs
out of Joyeux Noel
36ct Vintage Pear by Lakeside Linen
Floss colors were modified from original version

I really love how these turned out.  What is even better is the Blackbird one is for my tree.  So, I guess this means that my obligation gift stitching is now over.  I'm calling it quits so that I can "finish" these babies (along with the ones from prior posts) before the holiday.

Happy Stitching!

What Happened to "Global Warming"?

It's cold......darn cold!  We are running around 20 degrees below our normal temperatures and we've already broken at least one record low this week.  This "southerner" is not game for these tempuratures.  Not only that, but it has snowed twice already this month and it is snowing again today to make the third time a charm.  It NEVER snows here this time of year!

Don't laugh....it's not funny!  All we need is a dusting around here and people get all crazy and wacked out!  The "snowy tundra" this is not.

So, Mr. Gore, where is my warmth?

Deep Breaths

I'm totally overwhelmed!  Things have been crazy around here since last week and they don't look to let up anytime soon. I was so busy with friends and family over the weekend so my house is a "disaster run rampant".  I'm not even going to mention all the stitching and finishing that still needs to be done for X-mas gifts!  Plus, work is going to be more intense from now (tax projection time) until April 15th.  I just hope that there is a little reprieve in the first couple of weeks in January so that I can work on my 2011 Crazy January Challenge.

So, here's a little glimpse into what I have been working on........

I finished one of the ornaments that I featured in my last post.  It was for my dear friend Maggee.  I pulled her name for our first annual ornament exchange.  I knew as soon as I saw it that it had her name written all over it, especially after I changed the colors so that it matched her themed tree.  Let me just say that Maggee is doggone lucky that I decided to let this one go!

Windows of Faith, Hope and Peace
by Primrose Needleworks
2010 JCS Ornament Issue
Stitched on 36ct Whimsy by Picture This Plus
Belle Soie: Empress
Backed with the fabric it is sitting on

I also gifted my stitching sisters a copy of the cookbook that is being sold by The Attic to benefit Breast Cancer Research along with these pincushions that I love so much.  (I even stitched one for me using Belle Soie's Empress and Fern Frond, but I haven't had the chance to "finish" it yet.)

Rosemary Pinkeep by Blackbird Designs
Stitched on 40ct Olde Towne Blend by R&R Reproductions
Stitched using Belle Soie
"D" - Fern Frond and Mer Blue
"S" - Fern Frond and Elegant Eggplant
"M" - Fern Frond and Rosebud
Finished in Ball Jar lids

I also finished another ornament for Hubby's side of the family.  This one is from the 2007 JCS ornament issue and again I took liberties with the floss colors since I didn't have the called for colors on hand.  I really love the way it turned out.  Oh how my "finishing" pile keeps growing!  I'm going to need a holiday before the holiday so that I can get all these done in time for Christmas.  At least I only have two more to go for Hubby's family.

Joy by Lizzie*Kate
32ct Pearled Barley by Lakeside Linen
WDW Used: Bullfrog and Amber
Crescent Colours Used: Cupid and Bamboo

Whew!  All that and I still haven't caught my breath!  I guess you will have to wait until a future post to see what I got while at the first annual ornament exchange.

In the meantime.......

Happy Stitching!

Brain Explosion

I just spent the last two days at a tax seminar.  The time spent there was brutal, but productive.  There are so many changes going on these days in the tax arena.  The worst part is that the teachers could not answer some of the questions that were posed because there are no answers to those questions yet.  These health care rules are for the birds. 

What made things worse is that the room would go from freezing to hot as hell in an instant.  Then there were no refreshments available during the breaks.  A person NEEDS to have caffeine in order to deal with two days of tax issues!  Of course, if you are a stitcher, there are other ways to stay awake.....

You know, like finishing a few of these......

From top moving clockwise:
Snowflake 2001 out of the JCS 2001 Ornament Issue
Windows of Faith, Hope & Peace out of the JCS 2010 Ornament Issue
Rosemary Pinkeep by Blackbird Designs
The Greatest Gift is Love out of the JCS 2001 Ornament Issue

And then this.....

Keepsake Pincushion by Blackbird Designs

Well, I'm over exaggerating just a little.  But, I did manage to stitch and pay attention to the topics that were being taught.  What can I say?  It was either stitch while they talked or fall asleep like the guy that was snoring behind me! 

The first day I finished Rosemary Pincushion by Blackbird Designs and The Greatest Gift is Love by Lizzie*Kate.  On the second day I worked on the pincushion that went along with the Blackbird Designs box top that I have been working on.  You  know, the one that I got while at the 2008 Shepherd's Bush retreat.  I even finished that one up too and I decided to keep the year "2008" as it was charted since I went to the retreat that year.

Keepsake Box by Blackbird Designs
*in all it's wrinkled glory*

Now I'm going to have to figure out how to have a finishing frenzy!  Want to help?

Speaking of finishing, I have to thank you all for the beautiful comments on my last post.  I know that both Peggy Lee and Catherine were both interesting in my finishing technique.  Well......I can't take any credit for it at all.  I just followed Vonna's wonderful tutorial and I had that beautiful piece finished in no time. 

Happy Stitching!

Another Sucessful Exchange

After signing up for Round 6 of the Blackbird Designs Exchange I began to have second thoughts.  I was so overwhelmed with the "goings on" in my personal life at that time and I thought that I would have to bow out of the exchange.  Thankfully I was able to work things out and I was able to not only complete my exchange, but I was also able to send it out on time.

I sent my piece to Jenny at The Stitcher's Hideaway.  I decided to keep it short and sweet this time.  Once I was finished I thought it went well beyond sweet and I've decided to stitch it for myself as well using purple for the flowers instead of blue.  Here's the one I sent to Jenny:



Rosemary Pinkeep (My Heart is True)
by Blackbird Designs
Letter "J" came from the Joyex Noel Book
Stitched on 40ct French Vanilla by R&R Reproductions
using Crescent Colours Cottons: Milady's Teal & Poblano Pepper



Don't you just love the Ball Jar lid finish?

As for me, I was so lucky to have received my exchange from Carol over at Carol's Crafty Creations.  Not only did she send me the most beautiful pin cushion, but she also sent me a wonderfully crafted needle case made out of Blackbird Design's Garden Party fabric line.  I just love it!  The case went instantly into my never ending tote 'o starts and found its way into the project bag that houses my current Blackbird work in process.  I can attest.....Carol IS crafty!!  Thanks again Carol!

I borrowed the link to Carol's picture.  Hope you don't mind Carol!

As you can see, it was another successful exchange!  I'm looking forward to Round 7!

Happy Stitching!

Choices

Over the weekend I spent some quality time with my stash. I figured that since I accepted the Crazy January Challenge it was high time to pick my 15 projects. I have come up with the projects and I posted them on my sidebar in no perticular order. I also gave myself a few alternate choices because I kept changing my mind.

In keeping with my cost cutting goals for 2011, everything has come from my stash. Many things have been kitted up for some time now (such as Moulin Rouge, Letter "J" and the Homespun Elegence pieces to name a few). What ever patterns haven't been pre-kitted will use floss and linen that are already in my stash. After all, at the rate I'm stitching, I have enough for five lifetimes!!

Speaking of an over abundance of stash, while I was searching for my "15", I came across many charts that I know I will never stitch. I thought I might create a "Sale Blog" and offer them to you, my fellow stitchers, before I put them on the likes of the "Bay of Evil" or Craig's List. What do you think?

Well, I must get going. I can already tell it is going to be a busy Monday to start off an even busier week.

Happy Stitching!

Change in Seasons

I changed the blog background for the season and I want to make sure that you can still read it.  Please comment with any suggestions.



Blogger has also miffed up my signature........anyone know where to get new codes for signatures????

It's the First Night

Tonight is the first night of Hanukkah!  Are you ready?

Hubby and I finished all of our Hanukkah shopping and gift wrapping with plenty of time to spare.  Tonight we are going to light the first candle and then we will open a couple of gifts that we got for each other.  (We've decided to exchange a few small gifts on the first night of Hanukkah and the rest of the gifts will be saved for Christmas.)  Tonight he is getting a new pair of shoes and some clothes.....lucky him!!!  I can't wait to see what he got me......

Happy Hanukkah!