Stitching and Stash Update

 

L'Atelier Perdu

Patches of Life Sampler

Part 2 is finally finished!  I changed the large motif in the center.  It had 2 girls, 2 small boys, and 2 flowers in it.  I was able to put my 3 DD's in the center and the 2 grandkids on either side of their mothers.

 Some new stash enhancement :)

More new stash enhancement-

On the left is the first installment of the new Prim Sisters Club hosted by Dyeing to Stitch.

Threadwork Primitives and Blackbird Designs are the two designers for 2013 in this club. I like the fact that it is a complete kit and not just the pattern.

 

Success!!-I was able to purchase Barbara Jackson's Tea Time Basket from someone who was not planning to finish it.  We are both happy campers!  And an extra, unexpected bonus-a needlebook designed by Barbara for this project that was not sold thru Shining Needle Society.

 

Don't forget that I am still looking for Merry Cox's Swan Lake, Sherri Jones of Patricks Woods Spotted Hare Needle Purse and Carolyn Standing Webb's Miss Hannah's House.

 

 

I won a giveaway over at LaDonna's Black Branch Needleworks.  It has been a long time since I won a giveaway. And what a wonderful bunch of stitchy items! Thank you so very much, LaDonna!

 

Now really important news--

Happy 1st Birthday, dear little Amber!

Where did this year go?

She is walking and talking (only "hot" and "hi" are recognizable so far) and making her desires known very clearly.  What a blessing to our family!

More Stitching

Susan Kerndt

Holiday Patches

 

I don't think you have seen this one in a while.  The goal was to have it finished by Christmas.  Oh, well, maybe Christmas 2013 :)

Crabapple Hill

Gardener's Alphabet Quilt

Blocks A &B finished

Blocks C-H ready for stitching

 

I signed up for Jackie de Plessis' new class in Shining Needle Society- Rhapsody in Blue.  Has anybody else?

Looking For........

I'm looking for some Shining Needle Society classes that I missed.  If you have these items and don't think you will finish them OR if you just have the pattern, please contact me.  Click on my profile on the right column.

1. Barbara Jackson's Tea Time Basket-FOUND!!

2. Sherri Jones of Patrick Woods-Spotted Hare Needle Purse

3. Swan Lake by Merry Cox

ALSO, I'm looking for Carolyn Standing-Webb's Hannah's House -FOUND!.  She taught this piece in 2006.

First 2013 Finish + More!

 

Here I was... stitching along.... minding my own business... starting everything in sight.... when I just couldn't put this one down!

Yes, it is finished already--

Even the box is painted (Barn Door Red) and Briwaxed---

(picture is clickable)

 

Blackbird Designs

Casting A Spell/Joyeux Noel/Merry December

30ct Belfast linen

Various GAST & CC threads

 

I "borrowed" 2 designs from the Merry December stocking booklet, 2 designs from Joyeux Noel, and changed the colors on the designs from Casting A Spell.  The stitching went really quick, well, when I wasn't frogging or recounting :)

The Goode Huswif

Sarah Seifer

28ct mystery linen

DMC threads

Another new start and it is a small design, so I used the 28 ct linen.

Carriage House Samplings

Christmas at Hawk Run Hollow

40 ct LL Vintage Light Exemplar

HDF silk threads

Another executive decision--the Heart's Ease Maryland Sampler is just too large for me right now.  I might start it later this year, but for now I am substituting this one for it. Please excuse the hoop marks.

 

More border stitching, sigh.

 

I am definitely detecting a Christmas theme to my stitching starts this year.

1. Christmas box

2. Christmas at HRH

3. MSD Christmas Sampler

4. Stacy Nash Christmas at Hollyberry Farm

5. SL Mary Ann Hutton

6. SK Holiday Patches

7. RD 7 Snowmen Grinning

8. 2013 SAL de Maryse

And 3 ornaments I have already picked out.

Hmmmmm........

New Year Starts

Here's whats happening in my neck of the woods!

I feel like I've been stitching borders, borders and more borders!

 

 

2013 SAL Grilles de Maryse-January

36 ct mystery chocolate-cherry linen (from an exchange)

Gloriana Fresh Snow silk thread

 

 

LHN Melicent Turner

30 ct R & R Olde Towne Blend

Called-for Crescent Colours cotton threads

 

With Thy Needle and Thread

Mary's Best Handework

32 ct LL Light Exemplar

Called for DMC threads

Blackbird Designs

Flowers for Sarah Needlecase

30 ct Cream Belfast linen

Called for GAST threads

 

Brooke Nolan-Brooke's Books Publishing

The Happy Couple  (George & Martha Washington)

28 ct Ivory Lugana

DMC conversion

 

Scarlet Letter

Mary Ann Hutton

36 ct Cream linen

Combination of DMC and Soie D'Alger silks

Midsummer Night Designs

A Christmas Sampler

32 ct Cream linen

DMC threads

Stacy Nash

Christmas at Hollyberry Farm

35 ct natural linen

GAST threads

Blackbird Designs

Casting A Spell/Joyeux Noel

30 ct Cream Belfast linen

GAST/CC threads

 

For those of you who have been following my blog for a while, you probably already know that I am no fan of Halloween stitching (basically because my birthday is on Halloween and I can do without the reminders :)

BUT......

I really LIKE this box and the design idea.  So what to do??

Ta Da...

A Blackbird Christmas box!  I pulled out my Joyeux Noel book and started getting some ideas of small designs.  For example, how do you like a border with a border?! I have finished 3 of the 10 small designs with ideas for the rest.

(OK- I see a mistake on the border that will have to be fixed.  That's what I get for designing myself)

 

More updates later this week...

Love seeing all your new year updates!

 

Happy New Year 2013!

Happy New Year to all my wonderful blogging friends!

I hope you find peace, health and lots of stitching time in 2013!

 

My 2013 Goals

 

 Clubs and SAL's

A. 2013 SAL with Maryse

B. Ladies Prim Society with Dying to Stitch

C. Prim Sisters Club with Country Stitches

D. Maggie's Club with Country Stitches

E. Stacy Nash Club with Country Stitches

F. Sweet Stitches Club with Shabby Fabrics

G. Nicola's Scarlet Letter Year SAL

 

 Retreats

 NW Sampler Guild-June

EGA-November

Crabapple Hill-I hope!!

 

Classes

Debbie Stiehler's American Patchwork-June-see photo below

 

I will also be working on Debbie's Pumpkin design (Halloween version)-but no official class.

 

Diane Clements Autumn Jewels class-July-see pic below

EGA Treasurer Duties

 

WIP's I'd like to finish-

Crabapple Hill Gardener's Alphabet quilt

Susan Kerndt Holiday Patches

2012 Sal de Maryse

2012 Sal Sopresa

L'Atelier Perdu 2012 Mystery Sampler

 Prairie Schooler Alphabet

 Betsy Morgan's Helix Etui

 Mary Wigham

 

 Ornament Exchanges

 EGA Christmas

 NSG Christmas

ANG Christmas

 Family Christmas

 

 New Starts-17  projects

SL Mary Ann Hutton

BBD Flowers for Sarah Needle Roll

RD 7 Snowmen Grinning

DS American Patchwork

 SN Christmas at Hollyberry Farm

2013 SAL de Maryse

WTNT Mary's Best Handworke

 MSD Christmas Sampler

 LHN Mellicent Turner

 HE Maryland Sampler

 BBD Casting a Spell box

 JAT My Ladies Cabinet

 GAR Hollyhock House

 WMN Miss Trenner's Academy

 Brooke's Books  Happy Couple

 DS American Patchwork

 DC Autumn Jewels

 

AND 6 smaller projects-

SH Maddie Button

 L'Atelier Perdu Christmas small

 SN Snow ornie

 BBD Plum Blossom Needlecase

 MC Needles for Williamsburg

 Hornbook Needlebook

 

Whew!  I'm exhausted just typing all those! Do you think I'm overdoing it??

That is a lot of  projects :) But written goals are always encouraged, right?

 

Can't wait to see what you all are planning for the next year.

 

 

Wrapping Up 2012

I want to bring you up-to-date with the final happenings at my home for 2012.

 

Here is the last of my advent exchange with Lorrie at A Stitcher's Snippets--

 

Day 23-a hand-stitched pocket AND a stitch starter

Day 24-a beautiful box with a hand-stitched top with a pattern I have admired a lot.  Finished by Lorrie.  

I love them both!

Here is the flip side of the pocket and the finished inside of the box with some extra pins and buttons.

 

To top all this off, Lorrie sent me an "extra" box of goodies-see below-

A table runner, a stitching kit that goes with the Hobby Lobby box with the drawer in it that I received earlier this month, two fabulous books, a "Baby It's Cold Outside" mug (I saw these on Beth's blog and love them!), pattern and fabric to make quilted potholders, a Just Nan kit, a silk gauze Christmas kit, and some simple quilting kits (thanks, Lorrie, you know I need simple).

 

Well,  I am humbled and overwhelmed with the generosity of this whole exchange.  I am so glad I asked Lorrie to do this!!

My DH gave me this new light for Christmas--it was on my Amazon wish list but I was completely surprised!

DD #2 got me this beautiful necklace made by Nina.  It so much prettier in real life than the photo shows it to be. The blue thread is an overdye.

Birds of a Feather

Night Before Christmas

1998 JCS Ornament Issue

Mystery piece of pale blue linen

Called for WDW threads, GAST Midnight, and a few DMC substitutions

I am ahead for my 2013 ornament exchanges!.  This will be my final finish for 2012.  I saw this ornament finished on Summer's blog and just had to stitch it.

Crabapple Hill

Gardener's Alphabet

Quilt Block A finished

Little Amber finally got her quilt for Christmas.  Here is the final product with the ric-rac on it and the binding all finished.  I also put a label on the back that says

To Amber

From Gramma 

2012

 

Let's hope the next baby quilt doesn't take me a year to complete :)

 

What happened stitching-wise in 2012?

 

1. Completed the 2012 Crazy January Challenge

2. Attended 3 retreats

3. Attended  and volunteered in my first regional seminar.

4. Traveled to AZ for 3 stitching classes with Merry Cox (first time I flew to a class)

5. Expanded my horizons with a foray into quilting, took a beginner's class and made 2 quilts

6. Stepped up and volunteered for the treasurer's position in my local EGA chapter

7. Participated in my first advent exchange with Lorrie

8. Began the first annual family ornament exchange

9. Participated in a family Round Robin-first one for me

10. Finished 2 WIP's-Le Printemps and Quaker Hornbook

11. Participated in 2 SAL's and 1 Mystery Sampler (none are finished though)

12. Finished stitching 65 items-a new personal high!

 

Altogether 2012 was a remarkable year for me stitching-wise.

I'll post again before the new year with plans for 2013

 

Looking forward to see what you are planning for 2013!

 

 

2 More 2012 Finishes, Advent Xchg Update & More Viewing Pleasure

Christmas is getting close!

The tree is up and decorated.  The gifts are wrapped and under it.  The Christmas menu has been decided on and I am cooking the turkey, dressing, deviled eggs, and a sheet cake.  My 3 girls are filling in and around and are such a big help! Easy to see why I enjoy holidays so much more now than 20 years ago when all the cooking was mine to do :)

 

Here is what I have been doing stitching-wise--

 

The final piece of Merry Cox's So Dear to Thy Heart-the box lid- is finished!  Now all that is required in 2013 is to finish-finish everything. Hmmm, hope that feeling comes over me soon!

Birds of a Feather

Soweth Sampler

32 ct scrap of mystery linen

Called for WDW threads

 

I started this one to work on when I'm away from my magnifier.  Left off the date and initials as I might use for a future exchange or gift.  It is a quick finish!

Here is the latest in my advent exchange with Lorrie from A Stitcher's Snippets-

 

Day 19 was four wonderful patterns from Grills de Maryse-love her designs and am already doing her 2012 and 2013 SAL's

 

Day 20 was a scissor keeper with a pair of beautiful scissors.  Lorrie said her dad made the scissor keeper.  Thank you, Lorrie's dad!

 

Day 21 was one of the "candles" from Etsy with a sampler on the outside.  I saw these on her blog several times but in person they are so pretty!  Can't wait to use it.

 

Day 22 is a beautiful needlebook with my initial handstitched on the front.  This large size is so much easier to find when it is buried in a project bag! I'm already using it.

 

Almost done with our exchange and I'm so glad we did it!  Hope you are too, Lorrie. :)

 

Finally more stitching for your viewing pleasure.  This was my final Christmas party of the season--my local ANG guild.  No ornament exchange this year, unfortunately.  But the tree at our hostess's house was FULL of inspiration!

Here are some examples-

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all my followers and readers!

 

I'll be doing a report next week on the end of my advent exchange and what stitching was accomplished in 2012 and what is coming up in 2013!

EGA Christmas Party & Ornie Exchange

First up is an update on the latest in my Advent Exchange with Lorrie.

Day 15-a selection of fat quarters in fabulous pink :)

Day 16 is a Homespun Elegance chart, a zippered Necessities bag to stitch on, and threads!

Day 17 is a Stitcher's Journal (which I've never had before and can't wait to use!) and a Bareroots Project book of Embroidery Stitches. It isn't just diagrams of embroidery stitches, but also some small projects-very cute!

Day 18-3 beautiful selections of Lakeside Linens to stitch on

Last Saturday was my local EGA chapter Christmas party and ornament exchange.  I received the ornament above and made the ornament below.

 

Below are all the ornaments displayed together-some beading, hardanger, perforated paper, cross stitch and needlepoint.

I also got 2 items back from my finisher at the party!  Here is my bargello pillow.  You might recognize the design from an older issue of Needlepoint Now.

And Day 6 of Renaissance Designs 13 Days of Christmas below-

Here are all 6 of my finished designs hanging on my mantle.  Number 7 is already kitted for next year! You can click on the pic for a closeup.

For your viewing pleasure, here are some photos of the Show n Tell at our meeting.  Talk about inspiring! The picture below is a better representation of the green in my pillow.

 

Lovely, lovely work

I was installed as treasurer of this great group of ladies for the next 2 years.  Hope I haven't bitten off more than I can chew.