So Far So Good

Stitch from Stash 2017A

So far no purchases and no more new starts.

FINISH


Ye Old Coffee House, Little House Needleworks

I enjoyed this, but I must have frogged twenty times and miscounted as many.  How this simple looking project turned out to be so difficult is beyond me.  But, it is done, my first finish for 2017
I made several counting errors and added the coffee cup above the house where it was charted for a heart.

My monthly ornament and  FFO of an old ornament.

That give me $12.00 credit for this month so far in my Stitch from Stash Budget.





SALs

Beautiful Sea, Ships Manor

Was able to get caught up the first week of the new year and just finished part 8 so I am all caught up.  Really enjoying the colors of this.

2017 Mystery Sampler, Linen & Thread

Since I am stitching from stash for the first 6 months of this year, I pulled any DMC of which I had more than 10 skeins and pulled a piece of 32 count Platinum Belfast linen.  I am hoping to have the left side finished today.  The second band comes out the first part of February and I would like to stay caught up, but who knows.  Those large empty spaces are for bird looking things that I think I will do in a different color.  I may wait until the second band comes out before deciding what color.

WsIP


Alice Merryfield, Pineberry Lane

I worked on this for the "red" weekend challenge (Jan 13-15) so I got a little further on it and want to finish out the red part of the border this weekend.  I am probably going to replace the very pale color as it just is not showing up on this fabric.

Dancing Deer, Cherished Stitches

I am still amazed by the colors in this piece when I step back and look at it.

But Happy They Wedding Sampler, Cherished Stitches

I wish I could say I was enjoying this.  It may end up at a UFO by the end of the month.  It just is not holding my interest, although I do like the fabric.  I should probably make up my mind before I get to the personalization portion!

That is it for the first two weeks of the year.  I have a pile of finished things from last year that I would really like to get completely finished, but I just have not been in the mood for finishing.

Thanks so much for visiting.

End of the Year New Starts

The end of the year always finds me making plans and trying to get a jump on the new year.  Why?  Who knows.  It isn't like I ever get ahead....except of myself sometimes.

NEW STARTS

But Happy They, Cherished Sitches

I started the wedding sampler for my friends that is due in March.  It should not take long because it is mostly wording..  Lots of open space that is supposed to be filled with motifs that are personal to the couple.  Well, I am sure that will not happen.  I does have a lot of emply space, and I am a little nervous about adding the correct date.  I may just see if they are registered on-line anywhere and forget it altogether!

Alice Merryfield, Pineberry Lane

Not sure what it was that appealed to me, but I am giving it a go.

Evergreen Sampler, Good Housekeeping Christmas Book

This is my thrifty answer to And A Forest Grew that everyone is stitching.  I may still have to do it one day, but.....trees......

WIPs

Dancing Deer, Cherished Stitches

I was thinking I would put this away for a while, but I am so loving the colors that I am going to keep going.

I have a stack of other WIPs, but have not touched them this month at all.


And I worked on getting some old (and a new one or two) ornaments fully finished while I was in the mood.  Doing it quickly got me out of the mood, but they now have all been stuffed.  Just need to inspire myself to get them embellished so I can pack them away until next Christmas.

Oh, my wonderful cousin in Canada had the sampler I did for her framed and hung it in her kitchen.....she did a great job picking the frame and I am kind of amazed that I actually did this!

That wraps up 2016.  I am really looking forward to the new year and looking forward to what I can create in 2017.    I will post my plans after the first.

Thanks for visiting and sticking with me this year.  It has been a wierd one.

Planning a Busy October

Lots going on this month.....I hope I get my stitiching fixes!

Two sets of company and the trip back to California.  I have a tendency to plan, replan and overplan before I even start packing things up and getting the house ready to leave.  It makes me a little sad to leave the bend, but after a day or two on the road I will be looking forward to getting to the West Coast for the winter.  We have alot of plans for the months that we are there so the time should go by rapidly.

WIPS

Books Reading Books, Heaven and Earth Designs

The never-ending wip.  Making progress, but it is slow.  About 500 stitches left on this page.

Bee Keeper, Plum Street Samplers

Enjoying this in spite of the awful fabric.  I did her face 1 over 1 and it makes her look like she has a big long nose.  I am not sure I will re-do it.

O Canada, Jeanette Douglas

I have still not received the thread I need to finish this.  It is kind of depressing.  I am going to look for a replacement I think.  I have ordered it from two places (ABC Stitch Therapy and Stitching Bit and Bobs) and have heard nothing so I broke down and ordered it from Canada and they are waiting for it to come from the supplier.  Grrrrr.  This may not be completed by Christmas after all.

Hatching Christmas Cheer, Good Housekeeping

This is turning out really cute.  The fabric came in a Stitchy Box a few months back.  It is a cream color opalescent by Fabric Flair.  Lots of back stitching should help make it really pop.  It is a pretty easy stitch.

NEW STARTS

Woodland Wonder, Glendon Place

This is on 28 ct. Lugana,  a solo from Silkweaver.  It has gold flecks in it....I love this fabric.
Just barely started the border.  I am not so happy with the border snowflakes (white DMC....), but they are OK for how.

Comet, Nora Corbet

I ordered the fabric called for but did not like it, so I am doing it on 28 count Dwarf Twilight opalescent by Picture this Plus

The border of this piece is in white DMC but it is so unforgiving  I ordered pearl cotton #3 and #5 and will use that when it arrives.  Not to file:  Never do a project that has alot of white stitches on it....!  I am not sure if I will do all 8 reindeer and rudolph, but I am watching anotherh stitcher doing Santa's sleigh and it is amazing.

Home is Where You Hang Your Needlework, Homespun Elegance

I just could not resist this sampler pattern.  I had purchased a bag of silk threads Waterlilies from Caron) over a year ago and had not figured out what I could do with them, so I used them on this sampler.  I am really pleased with how it is turning out.  It is on 28 count Prairie Grain linen.  It is a little stiff, but not too bad.  I am really liking the "homespun"  rustic look of the sampler.

Months ago I ordered the Coloris set of DMC.  It finally arrived today.  I am not sure if I will do the sampler that is included but the colors are really nice.  It is odd to me that the sampler says "Sweet Home"  and not "Home Sweet Home".  Just kind of sticks out to me.

I also took advantage of the month end sale at the local quilt shop and loaded up on fat quarters for finishing.  I think I have all the fabric I could ever use for finishing!

It dawned on me that for the first time in years I do not have a Chatelaine going.  Seems odd.  Of course there is Gardens of London but I have completely lost the love for some reason.  I have several kitted and ready to go, but will try to wait until 2017 to start a new one........maybe.


I will probably not post again until we are on the road.  Depends on if I get anything accomplished.

Thank you so much for visiting.  I hope you enjoy visiting as much as I enjoy creating the blog.

September Fades Away

It has been a busy month heading into an even busier month.  Good things, however; grandgirls are coming from California for a visit and some dear friends from California are coming for a visit, then we are off to California for the winter.  This is the month of California I suppose.

I did make a little progress on stitching:

FINISH

Mini Mandala 05, Chatelaine

All done.  As it turns out, I ended up enjoying the specialty stitches and beading and even the subtle color pallette.  I wish you could see how shiney it is...you will have to use your imagination.  I am really happy to have this finished.

I probably will not have a chance to frame it before I leave so it will go with me I suppose.

WIPS

Books Reading Books, Heaven and Earth

This is still going slowly.  I try to work on it a little every day, that way all the confetti does not get so overwhelming.  I decided only to post photos of page finishes.

O Canada, Jeanette Douglas

I am still really, really enjoying this piece although it is somewhat tedious.  I think because I am gifting it I am attempting to be extra careful.  Or perhaps because it is the first thing I have done using only one thread.  It is pretty different and has inspired me to do more samplers.  I am still waiting for the thread to complete the lettering, then I think it will go really fast and will be off to its forever home before the end of the year.

I did a couple of NEW STARTS this month

Hatching Christmas, Better Homes and Gardens

Am doing this as a gift on 28 count Opalescent  from Fabric Flair  but I am not sure of the color (looks ivory to me) using DMC threads.  I may or may not put all or part of the lettering but I do like the border even though it may take a while.    I am planning to do this as a flat fold so I will consider the size before I make a final decision.

Bee Keeper, Plum Street Samplers

I really HATE the fabric that came with this, but I am afraid if I do not use it, I will never use it for anything else so I am going with it.  It is very, very stiff.  I am, however enjoying it. The sample was stitched on 35 count Natural Northn Cross Linen  but I am not sure if that is what came with the chart.  It uses Weeks Dye Works threads.  I picked this up while we were in Canada over the summer from Traditional Stitches in Calgary.

I have not picked up any other WIP in the past couple of weeks.

I will be moving into Christmas projects in October  (hence the Hatching Christmas start) and I have several that I want to do so I am trying to get them kitted up and ready to go next week.

While I was picking up some missing DMC for my projects I ran across these two Kreinik sets and simply could not resist.  They are so colorful and sparkly!  They reduced them to half price so how could I resist 18 spools of kreinik for $25.00?

I have whittled my current WIPS down considerably (I am less than 10 now) so I am planning on more new starts.  I also decided that I am going to leave the Americana projects and Halloween projects (as well as some others) rather than taking them back and forth with me.     I typically work on those two types of projects while I am in Texas, so I will see how it goes this year.

Yes, I am already planning the trip West.  At least my needlepoint projects will get some attention!

If you have comments or questions do not hesitate to post them.    The blogosphere is becoming more and more sophistaced and I am still not that good at it but will do my best to find and answer your comments and inquiries whether they appear here or not.

Thank you so much for visiting.