Moving right along...

It's been a wild month.  I lost a few stitching days from having Gigi duties, and from a few days of vertigo.  It's been an interesting roller coaster.  I also needed some time to reorganize and straighten out my stitching room.  Hopefully I'll be more productive next month. 

Usually I'm able to finish a Christmas ornament in a day.  Most of these small ones have taken a couple of days, mainly because it takes me time in the morning to get over those first few hours of getting the room spinning under control.  Anyway...I signed up for a few ornament challenges this year.  They are listed on the 2022 goals page but I thought I would show the ones here that I have been able to stitch.  In a perfect world, I would take a day to fully finish them, but I'm nowhere near a perfect world right now...haha   So here's what I've been able to accomplish...  

The Robin's Gift from 2021 JCS Ornament issue  

Partridge in a Pear Tree from 2001 Cross Stitch Designs a BG&H book  

Snowy Days from 2014 JCS Ornament Issue  

Rose Heart by Roberta Rankin, a freebie you can find here  

Nutcracker from the Merry Christmas design from the 1991 Nov/Dec JCS Issue  

and the Reindeer from the Sparkling Christmas Ornament series from the 2007 Nov/Dec JCS Issue  

I was able to fully finish Snow Day by Squareology from the 2016 JCS Ornament Issue.  This was for my pen pal, our challenge for the month of January was to stitch something to do with Sledding.  I found this little saucer at the Goodwill store for 50 cents.  I made it into a pincushion and added it to the saucer.  I love how it turned out.  Finding new ways to fully finish things has been a fun challenge I've given myself.  And hopefully my pen pal enjoys my efforts.  

Last but not least is an update on two projects I started this year.  Rose Ada Featherstone was started on New Year's Day.  I may not be able to finish this one this year, but I hope to finish one page of the pattern a month until she is finished.  I'm stitching this on 46 count over two, and the frog has been sitting on my shoulder.  I need to give that green fella the boot!!  

I'm also working on the Wiehenburg Cottage Garden SAl.  I have finished two pages this month, and hope to finish this in a month or two.  Wish me luck!  If you are interested in joining in the SAL you can find the pattern here

And that...as they say...is that.  I hope everyone is staying healthy and safe from all the crazy storms I've been hearing about.  I hear there is another storm headed this way tomorrow.  Fingers crossed the forecasters are wrong again...haha.  I'll let you know if one hits.  Till then...take care and Happy Stitching!

 

After the Roses....

Well this project has been shuffled from here to there for the past year or so.  It's about time I finished it, don't you think?  I started this on Christmas day 2020 when I received it for Christmas.  My husband is my biggest enabler...haha...as most of his gifts include fabric and floss.  I've trained him well, haven't I?  LOL!!  Just kidding, he gets as excited as I do after I finish something.  Anyway, I loved the colors in this piece, even if I used DMC and not the hand dyed floss they recommended.  In all honesty, there is so little of each section, I don't think you would have seen the change in color.   I am so glad it's finished!  This is called After the Roses by Ink Circles stitched on 40 count Buttercream over two.  

I have made a whole bunch of plans for this year, and each one has presented challenges.  I was asked to stitch a SAL, and I will get back to that too, but I really wanted to finish up some of the UFOs I have circling my stitching room.  I finished three really big projects within the year last year, and it gave me incentive to continue finishing big WIPs I have going.  So I came up with a new plan, to work  on a different UFO each month until the month ends or I finish the project.  I hope I can keep up with that, though I've already decided not to put too much pressure on myself.  Wish me luck!  

I'm off to continue working on Cottage Garden for a bit until I decide what I want to stitch on next...so watch this space!  Thanks for visiting, and for those who have left messages, thank you so much!  Gmail is still acting up and so is the vertigo, so as soon as I get my act together I'll try to get back to answering your messages.  In the meanwhile, please know I love getting your  comments, they really help to spur me on!  Happy Stitching everyone! 

January Gifted Gorgeousness

Happy January everybody!  And welcome to the first Gifted Gorgeousness of 2022!  If you aren't familiar with this challenge, Jo over at Serendipitous Stitching hosts this on the 15th of every month.  It's a time when we can showcase stitching gifts given to us or we have given others.  You can see the official rules by clicking here.  And if you want to see what others are posting for this challenge, you can click here.

I don't have much to show right now, it's been a little crazy here lately.  Between babysitting our beautiful granddaughter, we have been undecorating, sorting and storing stuff.  Our basement is a mess lately, with things DS has stored here because they have only found small apartments...we keep hoping they will find a house when they are able to stash a little money away.  

I made all kinds of plans for 2022 but as the saying goes, we make plans and God laughs.  Other than starting a new project on New Year's Day I haven't been able to keep up with any of the plans I've made.  I still haven't picked a project for the 12 Days (I have a few to choose from),  I haven't stitched any of the ornaments that I had planned for each month (there are 5 themes each month though I don't know if I'll stitch all of them) and I truly wanted to finish one UFO a month.  I also have a couple of SALs I wanted to stitch, and other than one, I haven't started any of them.  YIKES!!

So, let me start with Rose Ada Featherstone.  I started her on New Year's Day.  I put another few stitches in after that day...but not a whole lot.  Here is where she is today.  I really enjoy stitching on her, and hope to get back to her before the month is over.  She was a gift from DH for Christmas and *fingers crossed* I hope to finish her before the year is out.

Next is Cottage Garden SAL by Wiehenburg.  I have been asked by the designer to model stitch this so I really need to keep up.  This is stitched on 32 count ivory over one.  I have stitched beyond the first page a little bit, I'm hoping to stay a month ahead...so I'll need to get stitching and finish the second page.  I really love this pattern, and the colors she chose, though I did substitute a few colors trying to keep as close as I can to the original colors she is using.

Next is After the Roses by Ink Circles.  This is stitched on 40 count buttercream with DMC alternate colors.  I am LOVING how this is turning out.  This is one of the UFOs I hope to finish this month.  This was a gift from DH and was started on Christmas day 2020.  I'm not sure why this got set aside, but I'm determined to finish it this month.  I was going great guns then woke up a few mornings ago with vertigo.  I've been working on it, but I can only take small doses as my eyes get blurry and I have a brain fog with this vertigo.  Not fun.

Last is a picture of the goodies my Pen Pal sent from Texas.  I am truly spoiled by this lady!!  I have stitched the next gift to send her, but I will have to post later.  I stitched it at the end of Dec. and I don't remember where I stashed it.  I'll have to either stitch another, or tear though my stuff soon, as I really need to send it to her pronto!  LOL  Never a dull moment.

The new year has presented a few hiccups so far.  My computer tried to update to the new Windows and then crashed.  I had to wait until after Christmas to make an appointment with the Geek Squad to have it fixed, it took all of 5 minutes...haha.  But the new windows is working fine so far *knock on wood* other than the other day when I turned on the computer and the images on the screen were upside down.  How on earth did that happen?  LOL  That was the same morning I woke up with vertigo...so my world was literally turned upside down.  Anyway, while I'm still having moments of dizziness, it doesn't happen as often as the first day, so I think I'll be able to get a little more stitching done today *fingers crossed*.  I'll let you know if/when I finish After the Roses, then I'll be back on schedule with Christmas ornaments.  Till then, may your new year be full of unexpected blessings and you all enjoy some good stitching time!  Happy Stitching! 

New Year, New Starts...

Happy New Year!  I know I'm a bit late in posting...but it's been a whacky weekend.  While we haven't really gone anywhere, my husband was home, and he doesn't let much grass grow under his feet...which means, little stitching time for me.  

I usually start a new pattern on New Year's Day, it's kind of a tradition with me.  This year I started Rose Ada Featherstone 1894.  This is a shop exclusive through Hobby House Needleworks.  I chose to stitch on the 46 count Antique Lace linen and a ver a soie silk floss.  I'm loving every stitch!  From the looks of things it is still available on their website. 

On January second I learned that there will be a new Wiehenburg SAL for 2022 called Cottage Garden Mystery  and I decided to participate.  I'm working on 32 count Espresso linen over one, substituting a few  hand dyed fibers from my stash for some of the colors.  I'm trying very hard to stitch from stash this year so am hoping to find all the materials I will need in my stash.  Martina also let me know that because I finished Winter Quaker SAL before the 15th I was eligible for a free Spring Quaker pattern which I received today.

Today we were hit with the first snowstorm of the season.  It's been a while since we saw the accumulation that we had today.  While only parts of the state were affected, we were in the area that received 9.25 inches of snow.  My husband loves to shovel so he was out there bonding with the neighbors...and I stayed inside and stitched!  LOL  I also sat in on a Zoom lecture from the EGA (Embroiderers Guild of America)  and also checked in with Serendipity Needleworks to participate in the Stitch 22 in 22.  I'm making good progress on Cottage Garden Mystery Sampler even with all the interruptions!  From the sounds of things there may be a delayed opening tomorrow morning where DH works...hopefully I'll get a little farther along with the SAL.   

Ok, I guess that's all the news today.  I hope you are doing well, staying safe, and happily stitching!  Take care...