Birthday Party & Back from the Finisher!

 

I only have 1 finish to report since my last post two weeks ago.  It is another block on my Crabapple Hill Gardener's Alphabet quilt.

And I have a new start-it is Cricket Collection Mother & Child.  The model on the front of the chart was in needlepoint.  So I decided to do mine in needlepoint also.  I'm using 18 ct silver-flecked mono canvas and plan to add some beads into the night sky.  I love it so far!

 

I also had another new start for the Superbowl. 

Bad news-after 1 1/2 days working on it I realized that I had orientated it the wrong direction on the linen. :(  I had to completely frog it all.  Good news is that I had been debating whether I even liked the design.  So I scratched it completely and brought out 4 more new things to start !!  (More about them on my next post)

 

Here is DD#1's newest finish-

Lizzie Kate's Christmas Flip It's

I gave this to her for Christmas 2013 and she hung it up this year in her house.  Well done!

She also finished it herself.  She doesn't sew but it looks great.

 

 

Granddaughter #1 had her 3rd birthday.  It was a Paw Patrol theme.  Here is the cute cupcake tower my DD#3 made.

 

The little dog biscuits on the cupcakes are edible Scooby snacks from a local candy store.  (Don't tell GD#1:)

Here is the birthday girl and Mom with one of her presents.

 

Here is Granddaughter #2 after eating a cupcake!  She is 16 months old. Looks like Mom.

 

Well, I got something wonderful in the mail a few days ago. Doesn't it look like Christmas?

 

It was a box of finishes from Faye, the Carolina Stitcher! Just look what I got-

 

 

Blackbird Designs Sarah's Needleroll from Thank You, Sarah Tobias

 

Blackbird Designs Pumpkin Blossom Box

I sent the box, but Faye stained it for me.

 

Blackbird Designs Pumpkin Blossom Pincushion

Blackbird Designs Pumpkin Blossoms Needlebook

This was a freebie and I told Faye to surprise me.  She actually hand-dyed the linen for me!  Love the little X's on the seam lines!

 

Blackbird Designs Land of the Free-this was another one that Faye surprised me with.  Love the bag!

 

Stacy Nash Freedom Needlebook kit from Country Sampler club

This was Chessie and Me Glory (?) It was another surprise finish from Faye. Love the chenille trim and the walnut shell filling!

Last, but certainly not least, Barbara Ana Let it Snow wallhanging.   Love it!

 

Thanks again so very much, Faye!  I couldn't be happier!

 

 

 

Some Finishes & A Weekend in Arizona (picture heavy)

January is shaping up to be all about smalls.  Here are the latest finishes-

 

Gay Ann Rogers Samples

Barbara Jackson's latest Christmas Ornament thru Shining Needle Society

Olde Colonial Designs Pins and Needles Pincushion Top

The Stitcherhood Merry Christmas Ornament

Plum Street Samplers

Jack's Birthday tart pincushion

 

I just got back from a weekend in Phoenix.  Oh, the weather was delightful.  In the 70's everyday, no rain, no humidity.  The perfect place to visit in the winter.

 

The weekend started with a wonderful German dinner in Glendale at Haus Murphy's.

We saw this restaurant on the Food Network with Guy Fieri.  It was live music night with accordion and tuba!

We were able to eat outside in the Bier Garden.

 

 
Check out these Christmas lighted palm trees!

We revisited the McCormick-Stillman Railroad Park. The last time we were there was 1984!  You can imagine that it used to be in the middle of nowhere and now it is surrounded by residential neighborhoods, strip malls, etc.

 

And I got to visit the "new" Attic Needlework shop.  Oh, it is amazing!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And I did a little stash enchancement :)

 

 

 

Sunday afternoon brought the Seahawks football game-a real nail biter!  And some shopping for  Merry Cox goodies!

 

 

Monday was the Merry Cox Young Ladies Workbox class-

 

 

It was a lovely time and I even got a sneak peek at Merry's class scheduled for 2016-

Whew!  It's good to be home!

 

2015 Stitching Goals

Typically when a new year rolls around I make a list of stitching goals.  The only way they are organized is large projects and small projects.  Then 3 or 4 times during the year I refer back to that list.

 

As you can imagine the end of the year finish list looks very, very different from the new year goal list.

 

This year I decided to try something new--make a list of categories of projects and finish one project in each category.  Categories can be by designer or type.

 

2015 Project Goals List
 

 

Needlepoint-Terry Dryden's Tropical Jazz (class WIP)

Gay Ann Rogers-Hollyhock House (WIP)
 

 

Crabapple Hill-Mason Jar Wallhanging (WIP)
 

 

Guila Punti Antichi-Windmill Box (new start)
 

 Pincushion Doll & Trunk-Elizabeth by GPA (new start)
 

 

Renaissance Designs-#10 in Christmas series (new start)

Barbara Jackson-Sweetheart of Mine (class-new start)
 

 

Quilt-Wooly Good Year (BOM-WIP)
 

 

SAL-15 sided biscornu with local EGA chapter (new start)
 

 

WIP Catherine Theron's No Place Like Home needlebook (class-WIP)
 

 

BAP-Plum Street Samplers The Flood (new start)

Wool-Heart to Hand Sewing Room (new start)
 

 

Embroidery-CAH Gardener's Alphabet quilt (BOM-WIP)
 

 

Class project-Patricks Woods Button Brag Book (class-WIP)
 

 

Sampler-Rosewood Manor Cornwall Sampler (WIP)
 

 

Smalls-Jeannette Douglas My Stitching Treasures (new start)
 

 

Primitive Quilts Magazine-Farmers Tote (wool & flannel) (new start)
 

 

Etui & Smalls-Carolina Designs Miss Hannah's House (WIP)

Painted canvas-Floating Bird (new start)

Misc as time allows-Strawberries by Historic Needlework Guild (Barbara Jackson) (new starts)

 

This is 20+ projects.  Definitely doable. 

Unfortunately so far in 2015  I have not touched any of these designs.  So keeping my mind on this list is a challenge in and of itself  :)

Have a Great Weekend!

 

Starting the Year Out Right!

Well, the holidays are over and life is back to normal.

I'm happy to report the Christmas tree and decorations are down and put away for another year. 

 

The super cold weather some of the USA is enduring is not here in the Pacific NW.  We are having a typical cloudy and grey winter with daytime temps in the 40's. I won't complain.

 

 I have been busy preparing for a new stitching year !

My stash got inventoried and put on an excel spreadsheet. It is alphabetized by the designers name.  It was a lot of work, but it is so nice to be able to check and see if I already have a project.   Yes, I have been guilty of buying the same chart more than once.  Hopefully, this is the end of that problem.

 

On the stitching front, I have 3 finishes to report-

 

Finish #1-Barbara Jackson

Peace on Earth ornament

Shining Needle Society

 

I love these ornaments!  But when it came time to make a queen stitch on 40 ct fabric, I hit a brick wall.  Even 1 ply was too bulky.  And I noticed from my basting that the ornament was going to be tiny.  So I switched my fabric to 32 ct and the ornament is a much better size and the queen stitch issue went away.

Finish #2-Barbara Jackson

Merrily, Merrily ornament

Shining Needle Society

 

Yes, I have the next ornament on the stretcher bars!  Hopefully it won't be long before it is finished.

 

Finish #3-The Stitching Parlor

Treasures Sewing Box

 

 I stitched the pincushion upside down.  I was using a hoop and the excess fabric was flapping against my hand.  So I flipped it upside down.

 

 

Current project-

The Stitcherhood

Merry Christmas #53

 

I'll be back soon with another post about my 2015 goals!