Wednesday, August 19, 2020

I finally got a Round Tuit...

Well it was a long time coming, but I finally reached down into my box of items that needed finishing and pulled out these 12 Days of Christmas ornaments from last year.  It took me a few days (after a few bouts of vertigo) I finally sat really still, and without moving my head, I worked a bit on these ornaments.  I finished up 4 a day until I had them done...here they are in various states of finishing...




After that I thought...I should finish up the set I stitched this year...but this is as far as I got.  I will need some trim to finish up these, unless I really search through my stash again, which is not totally out of the picture...haha  


I just can't seem to wrap my head around stitching lately.  Maybe it's the state of the country (I should take a break from the news) or maybe it's that I feel a bit yucky after donating blood last week...who knows?  I pulled out this pattern weeks ago (United We Stand) and got it started.  I love it, can't wait to finish it so I can put it together and enjoy looking at it...but stitching it has been my nemesis!  I truly need to get out of this funk!!!  Here's where I am so far...


It's been quite a year for getting things finished up...maybe I'll stay on this roller coaster for a bit and finish up a few more things.  Hopefully finishing things will make me feel like I accomplished something and stitching will look more appealing...either way...it's one step at a time...right?

Off I go...I hope you are all keeping safe and stitching on!

Saturday, August 15, 2020

August Gifted Gorgeousness

 Whew....it's been a month!  But now it's time for Gifted Gorgeousness.  If you haven't heard of it, you haven't visited my blog before! haha  This is our opportunity to pull out all those patterns, fabric and floss that has been gifted to us, or the items we are gifting others, and showcase them to the world!  This is the brain child of Jo from Serendipitous Stitching.  If you would like to read the rules or sign up to participate (you can join at any time) then click here.  If you would like to visit Jo's blog to see what she has been stitching and check on what others have been stitching for this challenge, you can click here.


As you know, I've been anticipating, rolling with the punches, organizing and reorganizing showers, wedding venues, and wedding dates.  My head is spinning with all the changes.  Hopefully the wedding will take place next month, but honestly, I won't be holding my breath!  Changes happen almost daily!  While I'm waiting, I've been stitching, and finishing!  I've made a few gifts for some folks...the first is a gift for my Montana friend.  She sent me a leaflet of Christmas ornaments.  I told her to mark her favorite and I would stitch it for her.  So not only did I stitch it, but I framed it for her too!  This is Gentle Hearts 


A long time ago I stitched this fleur-de-lis for a friend who's favorite football team is the Saints.  I never got it finished...and then found out that my cousin in Missouri loves the Saints!  She and I have never met, but learned of each other on Facebook, and have been getting acquainted.  I don't know her well, but she's still family...and she has enjoyed other stitching that I've done for her...so I finished it off and sent it to her.  I hope she likes it!  As of this writing, it's still in transit.  This was a JBW Design, stitched on 28 count black over one.


I stitched this letter quite some time ago, it came in a kit and is stitched on perforated paper.  It was a Needleprint & Play Alphabet Art letter P from Just Another Button Company.  I finished it in March of this year hoping to have it fully finished so the kids could hang it outside the door to their apartment after their wedding in May...but it was postponed.  I finally got it framed, and will give it to them soon...if all goes well they should be married soon and they will share the same last name then...haha.  I found the frame at Hobby Lobby (along with the frame for Gentle Hearts as well) and framed them both myself.


I signed up for a Pen Pal through a Facebook group for stitching Pen Pals.  We are given a theme and will stitch something new each month for them along with a letter.  This is my first time sending to her, and the theme this month is Summer.  I hope she likes birds (I haven't had a letter from her yet) and that she enjoys this little freebie I found on Crossed Wing Collection website.  It's stitched on 40 count white over two.


I finished this quite some time ago for a friend and I finally got it framed.  One of these days I'll have to stitch one for myself!  LOL  I love it, I've stitched it three times now and framed it this way twice before.  I have the frame set aside for myself for when I do finish it for me..haha...but for now this is sitting at my friend's house and I hope she enjoys looking at it!


For our anniversary this year, DH bought me this kit.  I started it a couple of weeks ago and have a few little ooopsys...haha  I'm beginning to think Frog is it's middle name!  This is called United We Stand by Blackbird Designs...stitched on 36 count (can't remember the name of the fabric that came in the kit) over two.  Now that I'm catching up on some of my stitching, I hope this will go a little faster.  Here is where I am so far.



And that...as they say...is all that's fit to print!  I hope everyone is keeping cool (or warm) depending on where you live, and safe from the storms that seem to be popping up here and there.  We've had some doozies!  We even had a canopy from our neighbors lift over their fence and drop on our deck!  Keep safe and healthy everyone!  Happy Stitchcing!

Thursday, August 13, 2020

I finished another set of 12 days!

 Well, I decided I am going to get some stuff finished up...I should be working on The Last Supper but I feel unsettled, so I'm working on finishing up other stuff until my mind gets back on that particular WIP.

I was working on one of the 12 Days of Christmas a month that was published Winter through Autumn of 2019 in the Stoney Creek Magazine.  But at the beginning of August I decided with the wedding looming and other things going on this year, I might just as well get things moving.  So...I finished 8, 9, 10, 11, and 12.  Now to just get them fully finished off.  Here are the ones I finished this month...

8 Maids a Milking


9 Ladies Dancing


10 Lords a Leaping


11 Pipers Piping


12 Drummers Drumming.


I'll be back in a few days with Gifted Gorgeousness...see you then.  Until then, Happy Stitching!

Tuesday, August 4, 2020

Stitching While Isaias Passes By


What  a year this has been so far!  Seems we go from one catastrophe to the next.  The bulk of Isaias has passed, we are expecting more showers this evening, but as of now the sun is shining!  Whew....

I guess I'll always remember our 36th Wedding Anniversary!  Yes, today I've been married 36 years!!  I've had a pretty interesting life, thanks to my dear husband who was in the military.  We've lived in different countries, traveled, and made friends around the world.  It hasn't been an easy life, but we've tackled it together.  Through the worst of times, through scary times, through illnesses, and more...but he's been a saint through it all.  I consider myself pretty blessed!

I've always stitched during storms, and living in the mid-Atlantic region we get our fair share of them!  So while everyone else was out buying toilet paper, bread and milk...I was keeping my fingers busy.

First I stitched 8 Maids a Milking from the 2019 Stoney Creek Magazines (they were published over 4 issues during 2019)  I just love these ornaments, and hopefully will get them finished into ornaments for Christmas this year (unlike the ones I stitched last year!).  These are stitched on 28 count white over two.



Then I stitched the 8th part of the Birds and Blackwork SAL designed by Leslie Teare.  This is also stitched on 28 count white over two.  I enjoy stitching the blackwork, but dislike outlining, what's up with that?  haha



Then I stitched Purrfect Stockings by Swallick Stitchery from the 2019 JCS Ornament Issue.  I love the black cat.  I didn't have the called for Mill Hill stars, so improvised with some I found at my LNS.  This is stitched on 36 count natural over two using DMC floss.



This morning I finished A Christmas Stocking by Plum Street Samplers from the  2013 JCS Ornament issue.  I'm not sure what fabric was called for, but anything I laid the DMC floss against just didn't call to me until I found this 40 count Vintage Pear.  I love how old fashioned it looks now that it's finished.  I stitched it over two.  It's still pretty small, but I like the size.  Now to bite the bullet and learn to finish off these stockings!  I can do this....I'm just a chicken!  LOL!!!



Ok, I'm off to work on Gloria until I catch up...part 16 was just released last week and I'm doing my best to keep up!  Till I see you again, keep safe, keep healthy, and Happy Stitching!