Goodbye to 2015 & 2016 Stitchy Plans

Another year that went by in a flash! 

Our family Christmas was on Christmas Eve.  I got a gift certificate from DD#3 to my local LNS.  Oh, that is already gone, lol.

 

I had jury duty scheduled for yesterday and today.  I'm wondering why they would schedule jurors on New Years Eve??  Anyhow I was excused for both days. 

 

Here are my final stitching finishes for 2015-

 

Pat Mazu's Hanging Heart and Stars-our local EGA Christmas in July ornament

Sara Guermani Christmas Snowfalls

Shepherd's Bush Fold Ruler Holder front and back-I only have the needleroll in this set left to stitch.  I've never done hemstitching before.  But after reading the instructions, I'm going to give it a try in 2016.

 

Blackbird Designs Easter Parade flower basket

Elegant Stitch By The Numbers 2014 Breast Cancer Awareness Kit- I already have the tray, pincushion, ruler holder finished. This scissor fob is the last item I'll be stitching from this. These kits are nearly sold out.  Click on the link above to get one.

Margaret Bendig's Bonus Sparkler Pattern for her Patriotic Sparklers Set offered thru EGA-I finished this set in May, but just got around to this bonus piece yesterday :)

I believe she is planning a second set in 2016.

 

 

Recently back from the finisher are three Barbara Jackson ornaments thru Shining Needle Society-

 

 

 

 

For the EGA Christmas ornament swap I took this one-

 

And received this one-

 

 

 

For the ANG Christmas ornament swap I took a sled ornament with a cabin stitched on it (forgot to take a picture) and received this one-

 

 

DD#1 and I did a private swap and I made this for her-

 

 

And received this one-

 

 

Personal Statistics for 2015-64 finishes-of which only 5 are medium/large designs.  Most of my stitching this year was smalls.  It wasn't planned but worked out that way.

 

I had a long list in January of 22 items I wanted to stitch.  Of that list I only stitched 4! Good intentions but I tend to stitch what catches my attention.

 

I attend 3 retreats and 3 classes in 2015.

 

2016 Plans-

 

There are 6 WIP's that I'd like to see progress on.  They are Terry Dryden's Tropical Jazz, Gay Ann Rogers Hollyhock House, Crabapple Hill Embroidered Alphabet Quilt, Patricks Woods Button Brag Book, Catherine Theron No Place Like Home and With My Needle Lady's Workbox.

 

   I have a Shepherd's Bush stocking for GD#3 due by next Christmas. 

 

 And I'd like to finish the Renaissance Designs 12 Days of Christmas series.  There are only 3 more canvases to stitch in that.

 

There are 7 more items in the "I'd Like to Start Them Soon" list.  They are Kathy Barrick Good Intentions, Plum Street Samplers The Flood, Hillside Samplings Ann Tarbox, GPA Elizabeth Doll, Farmers Tote (wool applique), SB Needleroll, Carolina Designs Hannah's House.

 

That totals 17 items which is fewer than the 22 I picked for 2015. We'll see :)

 

Many good wishes for a healthy and happy New Year 2016 to all of my followers and readers!

 

 

Welcome Baby Courtney Grace!

GD #3 Courtney Grace made her appearance on Dec 4, 2015.

She arrived at 6 am after only 2 quick hours of labor.  Mommy barely made it to the hospital!

Mother and baby are doing well.

 

Here are the three sisters together.  GD#1 will turn 4 next month.  And GD#2 is 2.

Here she is at 3 weeks old wearing a favorite sleeper that I saved from her mother's babyhood.

 

She's a keeper!

 

Here's an interesting fact-Courtney is the third generation of third daughters.  She is the third daughter of my third daughter and I am a third daughter also! 

EGA Retreat & More Finishes

I hope all of you had a safe and peaceful Thanksgiving.  I'm so thankful for my healthy, growing family. 

 

We had a lazy day here. We went a little rogue and had tri-tip steaks and baked potatoes for our dinner.  The best part to me is the smoked salmon we eat as our traditional appetizer.  Love it!

 

I went to our annual EGA retreat the weekend before Thanksgiving. There was a fierce windstorm in the area on Monday before our retreat started on Thursday.  The power went out at the camp and didn't come back on until Friday around noon. Thursday we were notified that the retreat was delayed until Friday and possibly cancelled. But thanks to the hard work of the power crews the retreat went on!

 

And it was great!  For the first time I actually won an opportunity basket!

 

I forgot to take any pictures, but here is the ornament I stitched up for the smalls exchange-

 

 

And here is the darling mini Temari ball that I received in the exchange. I have never done any Temari balls and probably never will.  But I love getting one!

Meanwhile more has come back from the finisher-

This is the ornament I bought off of ebay and it was 75% finished when I got it. Love the way it turned out! It's by Margaret Bendig, I think.

 

 This is Richard Seekins Patriotic Teardrop Ornament.

This is The Stitcherhood's Merry Christmas ornament.

 

This is Blackbird Designs Noel stocking.

 

And finally, here is Cricket Collection Mother and Child stitched on Congress cloth and made into an ornament. I really love the way this one turned out.  I think this chart is overlooked by many stitchers.

 

Here are my latest finishes-

 

Crabapple Hill

Stitching Makes Me Happy-

Not sure how I'll finish this. 

Needlemade Designs

Home of the Free Sewing Set

 This is the box that the flag will fit into.

Above is the pinkeep for the sewing set.

This is the scissor fob for the sewing set.

 

I have a small project and a larger project that I'd like to finish before the end of the year. But who knows if that will happen?

 

I'm listing and selling on ebay like a crazy person! Three people at the retreat brought items for me to sell for them.  And I received a box from a new client before I left and I'm expecting another box soon.

 

Tomorrow starts the beginning of five Christmas parties I'll be attending.  I'm actually hosting the Northwest Sampler Guild Christmas party.  And I have all my exchange stitching ready to go!  No last minute rushing to get something finished Yay! 

 

I'll be back before the New Year to give a 2015 rundown of my stitching.  But if I don't check in before Christmas, here's wishing all my readers and followers a very blessed Merry Christmas or Happy Hanukah!

Maui Vacation and A Weekend of Finish-Finishing

 We went to Hawaii!  Maui, specifically.  It was my first trip ever to the islands.  We had a wonderful time.

This is the view from the balcony of our rented condo. At the bottom of the photo is the private beach that we shared with the condo complex next door.  There was also a pool that 10 yr old GS#1 spent a lot of time in.

We went to a luau=great fun!

 

We went snorkeling.  Yes, I actually snorkeled for the first time ever!  This is DD#1 and GS#1.

 

Here is GS#1 on a zip line--there were 5 zip lines at this location.  One of them was so long they couldn't see the end of it when they started out! Uh, I did skip this :)

 

I started a new stitching project while in Maui-

 

 

 Hands On Design Love My Stitching

I chose it because it was on 28 ct evenweave and I could see to stitch on it without my magnifier.

Now, equal time for GS#2.  He is 18 months old already. Time really flies.

 

I store some of my finished stitching projects on my ironing board. I spent last weekend trying to clear some space on it.   

 

Good news-I finish-finished 15 items!!  Bad news-There is more than 15 still waiting to be finished. 

I made a separate pile of projects that need the sewing machine and never touched that pile.  Honestly I picked up the smallest, easiest finishes first and worked my way up to harder projects.

Here is what I accomplished-

 

La D Da Garden Angel scissor fob--There is just one initial on one side and I put a star on the other side.  I handstitched the heart and put little crosses along the seam on the outside. Simple, huh?  Wonder why it sat so long on the ironing board??

Bumblebee scissor fob-can't remember the designer (sorry).  I actually used my Kreinik corder for the first time and made my own cording.  It is not the best (too short and not tight enough), but I'm pushing myself to learn something new and hope I'll get better as time passes.

 

Mill Hill beaded wreath and angel ornaments

 

Olde Colonial Designs Pins and Needles pincushion in a basket

Bent Creek Bluebird of Happiness pillow kit-yes, I was too lazy to trim the fabric, put it in the pillow and sew on the buttons!

 

Samplers and Such Tin Toppers Quaker Flowers-the inside has a magnet in the lid and a padded bottom with a scissor strap on it.

 

Old Shepherd's Bush Monthly Pillow kit-oldie but a goodie.  The pillow is a little sad-not very plump. I changed things around a little.

 

Drawn Thread freebie tin topper-inside also has a magnet and padded bottom with scissor strap in it

 

 

Plum Street Samplers Jack's Birthday Tart

 

 

Just Nan Monogram Tin-another experiment with making my own cord-two-toned this time. It is hard to hide the ends! And it could be a trifle tighter.  I have lots of new respect for professional finishers :)

Just Nan Hop Tin

 

Yay! Jeannette Douglas' Bird Box is finished!  Love it!

 

If you are counting, I finished 3 of the items in this box to make a total of 15 items.

 

Now I'm busy getting ready for an EGA retreat later this year. I will be taking lots and lots of consignment cross stitch and needlepoint items to sell.   But first I have to put a price tag on every single one of them. 

 

 I'm starting to feel ready for the Christmas exchanges coming up. 

This year is speeding by.