Crazy January Chalenge Day 4 and Another Finish!

 On Day 4 I worked on this cute little guy.  Not much left to finish him!














I also managed to finish the Day 3 piece.  I did the blue hat, not the green and I am happy with how he turned out.

Crazy January Challenge Day 3 and a Finish

On Day 3 I stitch this Cowboy Gingerbread Person.  Just need to add the hat, but the chart says to use this green.....I don't like the green, so I think I will change it to the blue.  What do you think?

I also managed to finish the Day 1 piece.  Isn't he cute?                           

Crazy January Challenge, Day 2

On Day two I stitched the 2nd design of the Gingerbread People.  It is also my first finish of 2019!  It was a good day!

Crazy January Challenge, Day 1

It's January again, and time for one of my favorite events:  The Crazy January Challenge!  I read about this many years ago on the Wagon Message board, and have tried to do this for myself  most years.  The idea is to start lots of things in January (as many as one each day) and then commit to finishing them all in the coming year.  I have a long list, so I hope to get at least 15 of them started, 19 would be ideal.

This year Day 1 was spent stitching on one of Handblessings Designs' gingerbread people freebies.

December Progress and January Goals, and the Year in Review

Considering how busy December usually is, I am happy with my stitching progress during the month.  I finished 3 models for Sue Hillis and all the ornaments for my children and grandchildren as well as one band on the mystery sampler.  I also put some stitches into my oldest WISP!  I am also happy to report that I stitched 318 days in a row!  I stitched 354 days of the year, so there were only 11 days that I did not stitch.   I stitched for 1494.75 hours, and finished 69 pieces, some small, some large, two massive!  This is the most hours I have stitched in a year, ever!   I started the year with a total of 9 works in progress, of which I finished 5.   I ended the year with 6 works in progress.   It was a difficult year, I lost my mother, took care of John after his fall from a ladder and two surgeries, sold my house and moved in with my father to keep an eye on him.  I still have some renovations to do to his house, and then I can finally finish unpacking!  I look ahead to lots of stitching time in the year to come, as well as some new challenging projects. 

December 2018

WISPS:
Antique Map and Needlebook
Heirloom Christmas Sampler worked on it
Oveture II 

In Progress

Merry Bells #1 
Hardanger Heart 
Diamond City Lights
Linens and Threads part 8 finished
Merry Christmas Red Truck ornament finished
Wagon without tree  finished
Pink snowflake  finished
Green snowflake  finished
Blue snowflake  finished
Blue snowflake 2  finished
Blue snowflake 3 finished
Blue snowflake 4 finished
Light blue snowflake  finished
Light blue snowflake 2  finished
Light blue snowflake 3  finished
Light blue snowflake 4 finished
Light blue snowflake 5 finished
Red snowflake  finished

Crazy January / Maynia starts

1.       Truck with trailer
2.       #8 (perpetual calendar)
3.       #9 (perpetual calendar)
4.       Candy Corn #2
5.       Ambrosia Honey
6.       Scissors case
7.       May flower of the month
8.       June flower of the month
9.       July flower of the month
10.   French alphabet page
11.   Hardanger runner
12.   Hardanger ornament
13.   Snowman Heart
14.   Marnee Ritter Heart
15.   Gingerbread heart
16.   journey bag
17.   Snow Sampler
18.   Foxy Fob
19.   Candy Corn of Mischief
20.   Pumpkin of pumpkins
21.   Smyrna Snowflake Ornament #1
22.   12 Gingerbread People

Future New starts

Large Bargello Ball #2
Small Bargello Ball #2
Winds of Grace (6 of them)
Towmater x 2
Lightning McQueen x2
Cupcake ornaments:
                Logan
                Natalie
                Owen
                Peter
                Justin
                Nathan
Spring
Summer
Winter
Crystal Violets
Peter’s stocking
Mark & Karen’s wedding sampler
Tony & Melissa’s wedding sampler
Carnival
Walking on Water’s Edge

..............January 2019

WISPS:

Antique Map and Needlebook
Heirloom Christmas Sampler
Oveture II 

In Progress

Merry Bells #1 
Hardanger Heart 
Diamond City Lights

Crazy January / Maynia starts

1.       Truck with trailer
2.       #8 (perpetual calendar)
3.       #9 (perpetual calendar)
4.       Candy Corn #2
5.       Ambrosia Honey
6.       Scissors case
7.       May flower of the month
8.       June flower of the month
9.       July flower of the month
10.   French alphabet page
11.   Hardanger runner
12.   Hardanger ornament
13.   Snowman Heart
14.   Marnee Ritter Heart
15.   Gingerbread heart
16.   journey bag
17.   Snow Sampler
18.   Foxy Fob
19.   Candy Corn of Mischief
20.   Pumpkin of pumpkins
21.   Smyrna Snowflake Ornament #1
22.   12 Gingerbread People

Future New starts

Large Bargello Ball #2
Small Bargello Ball #2
Winds of Grace (6 of them)
Towmater x 2
Lightning McQueen x2
Cupcake ornaments:
                Logan
                Natalie
                Owen
                Peter
                Justin
               Nathan
Spring
Summer
Winter
Crystal Violets
Peter’s stocking
Mark & Karen’s wedding sampler
Tony & Melissa’s wedding sampler
Carnival
Walking on Water’s Edge

Prosit Neu Jahr!

Happy New Year!  I hope the new year brings you health and happiness, as well as lots of time to stitch!

My Oldest WIP

Here it is, my oldest WISP......doesn't look like much, does it?  It is Heirloom Christmas Sampler by Victoria Sampler, started on 3-25-2007.  I am doing it in the red/green colorway.   Why has it been sitting around waiting for me for so long?   Well, I think I needed the scroll bars for something else with a tight deadline, and then I just never got back to it!

My plan is to work on this until the end of the year (not much time!) and then work on it periodically during the year, and hopefully make some good progress on it by the end of the year, or should I dare to dream of it being finished sometime in 2019?

I pulled it out last night, and spent quite a bit of time sorting out all my scroll bars and trying to figure out which length I should put these one.  I also read the instructions again.  Today was rather busy, but I did read some more, then pulled out a bunch of stitches and stitched for about 30 minutes.....not much, but it is progress......

Please be my cheering section on this one and keep me motivated to get a good chunk of it done!

Part 8 Finish

  I just finished Part 8 of the Linens and Threads 2017 Mystery Sampler.  I know, I am a little behind....but I am enjoying the stitching.  Only 4 more parts to go on this one.

I am stitching it on 25 count Lugana Vintage Country Mocha, over one fabric thread with one strand of Valdani floss.  I am using the Autumn Quaker thread pack.

This Year's Ornaments

It has been my tradition to give each of my children and grandchildren an ornament each year.  It began before there were any grandchildren with purchased Hallmark Ornaments, but soon turned into stitched ornaments.  This year's ornaments are snowflakes on canvas, finished inside mason jar rings.

A friend asked how I finished the ornament, so here is a picture of the back.  Since the ornaments were stitched on canvas, I just cut them out into a round circle, glued them to the inside of the lid with white glue, then ran a bead of E6000 blue all along the edge and pushed it into the ring.  Probably the easiest ornament finish I have ever done!

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas to one and all! 

Today I am showing you my cherished Nativity.  It is made by Goebel (the people who up until recently were licensed to make Hummel Figurines).  It was given to me as a gift by my mother shortly before the birth of my first child, so I received it on Christmas in 1978, 40 years ago.  It was always displayed under our tree until the grandchildren started coming along, and was carefully packed away until now.  It is in perfect shape, no cracks or crazing, no chips, just like new.  It is probably worth much more than it's original price, but that really isn't important.

This is the first year it is set up again.  Remembering Mom and missing her this Christmas.

Happy Christmas Eve

Happy Christmas Eve!  Today I show you my tree.  I need to add more ornaments if I have time.  All the ornaments are stitched or otherwise handmade by myself or friends and relatives.  When I was younger and had more energy and teenagers at home to help, I used to put up lots more trees, but old age has crept in, and I barely have enough energy to do one tree now!  

Every year I vow to get me tree up earlier in the season, and every year I don't get it finished until right before Christmas Eve.  This is an old German Tradition, the tree is usually revealed to the children in the evening on Christmas Eve.  This was the practice all throughout my childhood, so perhaps that is why I wait so long!

Merry Christmas to one and all!

WIP Wednesday 12-10-2918

I have finally had a chance to get back to my WIPs again, and am working on the 2017 Linens and Threads Mystery Sampler, Part 8.

A New Cheesecake

I was asked to bring a dessert to a party Saturday evening.   I wanted something festive and Christmasy, but not a tray of cookies (I haven't finished baking cookies yet this year).  I googled and came up with a recipe from the Betty Crocker site: Double Chocolate Peppermint Cheesecake.   I made a few slight changes to the recipe.  I added 3/4 of a teaspoon of peppermint extract to the batter, and instead of making a ganache for the topping, I used a jar of fudge ice cream topping.  The cheesecake was a hit, and I came home with an empty platter.....

A Stocking Finish

And here it is!  Not my best finishing work, but it is done, ready for John to take to Arizona on Monday.

You may remember my sewing machine that gave up the ghost a while ago....it has been in the shop since mid October.  I had been told that they couldn't get the part to fix it, but I found the part, ordered it and drove it out to the shop.  I was originally quoted a 7 day turn around, but two months later, I still don't have my machine back....but I digress....

I was able to use John's deceased wife's machine, and I do think the she was right there with us and she wasn't all to happy about another woman using her machine....I am just glad I got it done......

I want my own machine back!

Another Model Finished

 
Finished this wagon for Sue Hillis today.  It is off in the mail to her so she can ornamentify it.

Another Model Finished

Finished another model for Sue Hillis.  This is part of the ornament series, all red vehicle.  I am getting a little tired of stitching red.....

I have one more to go!

November Progress, December Goals

November was a busy month!  Unpacking and getting settled, finding my pots, pans, baking sheets and small appliances was a priority.  I managed to get a stove/oven purchased and installed in the basement, and found my pots and pans, most of my small appliances and some of my baking pans.  Cooking and baking happened!  How I missed that!  My brother and his family also visited over the Thanksgiving holiday, and helped get my entertainment unit out of the garage and into the family room.  The stereo, TV and other electronics got hooked up and were tested.  Unfortunately, both of my VCR/DVD players were casualties and need to be replaced.....and they aren't being made anymore, so I will have to think creatively about their replacements.  Also sold the huge recliner in the garage, so I am going to be able to park my car in the garage in a few more days!  Yay!  

Stitching wise....Sue Hillis asked me to stitch some models for her, as a local model stitcher was not working out.  I stitched, not as quickly as I would have liked, but I did manage to get one out three done, and the second will done in a day or two.  I am actually looking forward to January and my Crazy January starts!  

November 2018

WISPS:

Antique Map and Needlebook
Heirloom Christmas Sampler
Oveture II 

In Progress
Merry Bells #1 
Hardanger Heart 
Diamond City Lights
Linens and Threads part 7  finished
#6 (perpetual calendar) finished
#7 (perpetual calendar) finished
 Linens and Threads part 8 worked on it
Holly Jolly Tree Farm truck ornament   finished

Crazy January starts

1.       #8 (perpetual calendar)
2.       #9 (perpetual calendar)
3.       Candy Corn #2
4.       Ambrosia Honey
5.       Scissors case
6.       May flower of the month
7.       June flower of the month
8.       July flower of the month
9.       French alphabet page
10.   Hardanger runner
11.   Hardanger ornament
12.   Snowman Heart
13.   Marnee Ritter Heart
14.   Gingerbread heart
15.   journey bag
16.   Snow Sampler
17.   Foxy Fob
18.   Candy Corn of Mischief
19.   Pumpkin of pumpkins
20.   Smyrna Snowflake Ornament #1

Future New starts

Large Bargello Ball #2
Small Bargello Ball #2
Winds of Grace (6 of them)
Towmater x 2
Lightning McQueen x2
Cupcake ornaments:
                Logan
                Natalie
                Owen
                Peter
                Justin
                Nathan
Spring
Summer
Winter
Crystal Violets
Peter’s stocking
Mark & Karen’s wedding sampler
Tony & Melissa’s wedding sampler
Carnival
Walking on Water’s Edge

December 2018

WISPS:
Antique Map and Needlebook
Heirloom Christmas Sampler
Oveture II 

In Progress

Merry Bells #1 
Hardanger Heart 
Diamond City Lights
Linens and Threads part 8
Merry Christmas Red Truck ornament

Crazy January starts

1.   #8 (perpetual calendar)
2.   #9 (perpetual calendar)
3.   Candy Corn #2
4.   Ambrosia Honey
5.   Scissors case
6.   May flower of the month
7.   June flower of the month
8.   July flower of the month
9.   French alphabet page
10.   Hardanger runner
11.   Hardanger ornament
12.   Snowman Heart
13.   Marnee Ritter Heart
14.   Gingerbread heart
15.   journey bag
16.   Snow Sampler
17.   Foxy Fob
18.   Candy Corn of Mischief
19.   Pumpkin of pumpkins
20.   Smyrna Snowflake Ornament #1

Future New starts
Large Bargello Ball #2
Small Bargello Ball #2
Winds of Grace (6 of them)
Towmater x 2
Lightning McQueen x2
Cupcake ornaments:
                Logan
                Natalie
                Owen
                Peter
                Justin
                Nathan
Spring
Summer
Winter
Crystal Violets
Peter’s stocking
Mark & Karen’s wedding sampler
Tony & Melissa’s wedding sampler
Carnival
Walking on Water’s Edge

A Model Stitching Finish

I dropped everything to stitch this model for Sue Hillis.  Didn't get it done as quickly as I would have liked, but it has been a busy time.  I have two more in this ornament series to stitch, hopefully I will get them done faster.

Another Ornament Exchange

 Our EGA chapter held our annual Holiday Dinner this evening.  Part of that event is an ornament exchange.   I received this sparkly beaded snowman from Jan.  He is so cute!

This is the ornament that I contributed to the exchange.  It is a Val's Stuff ornament that I stitched a few years ago.  I had made extras for exchanges and ran across it recently, so I didn't have to stitch anything this year!  Carol received it and I hope she likes it.

A Public Service Announcement

From Sue Hillis:  

We're having a sale! First time ever, and I'm getting ready to clear space for my new leaflets! Lots in my head and in my sketch books! Coming first is the Home for the Holidays featuring all the new Christmas vehicles. That should be out in the next couple of weeks--I know I've been saying that for the last couple of weeks but I still have to finish the models and tomorrow I'm having my first knee replacement and I'm not sure how long I'll be down for that adventure. But I digress! Now is the time to fill your shopping cart at 30% off! That's a deal! It's a 24 hour sale, beginning Thursday night, November 29 through Friday November 30! Have fun! www.suehillisdesigns.net

WIP Wednesday 11-21-2018

Hello all you blogging buddies!  Thanks so much for all your kind words.  Glad to know that there are people still reading!

Here is my current WIP, a model for Sue Hillis.  With the Thanksgiving holiday, and everything else in my life, I haven't been able to devote as much time to it as I would like, but I am working diligently on getting it done.  There are more in this ornament series to do, but waiting on more fabric from Sue.

Is Anybody There? Does Anybody Care?

I haven't had a comment in over 15 days!  It looks like people are viewing my blog, but not a single comment.  Makes me wonder if I should continue.......

Another Quick Finish

You might remember seeing this awhile back, I ran out of the floss for the background and had trouble matching it to get it finished.  I got something very close and think I did okay with it!  So now the Veteran's Day Panel is done, and there are only two more to go!

A Small Finish

Finished another panel for the SamSarah perpetual calendar.  Yet another panel should be finished in a day or two, and then I will only have two more panels to stitch!  The finishing won't happen until spring when I can go outside to spray the spray adhesive, but we are getting there!

Ornament Exchange at ANG

 We held our annual holiday party for the Fox chapter of the American Needlepoint Guild this evening.  It was a lovely dinner with great conversation.  Unfortunately I didn't win a door prize.....but then I really didn't need a door anyway....

The highlight of the evening was our ornament exchange.  I received this lovely ornament stitched and finished by Reena.  It is lovely and I will treasure it.

I forgot to take a picture of the ornament that I stitched, but it looks just like this one.  Jeannie received my ornament and I hope she liked it.

The Sewing Machine Part Has Been Found!

Some very kind people on Facebook pointed me to a number of sites that had this part available.  So glad I didn't give up.  The part should be here by next Monday or so, and then I will drive it to the sewing machine hospital and have the kind man install it for me.  He will also give the machine a good cleaning.  I should be back to sewing on her again soon.

RIP Dear Friend

 

We met in 1975, when you were a wedding gift from my maternal grandparents, and you came

to live with me.  We have been together ever since.  You were by my side during those late night sewing sessions, when the kids were in bed and I finally had some time to sew.  With your help I made curtains and drapes for two apartments and then two homes.  With your help I made cloths for the children and myself, mended countless pairs of jeans and other article of clothing, made Halloween costumes, costumes for Christmas plays, prom dresses for the girls and prom vests and bow ties for the boys.  You zig zagged thousands of yards of cross stitching fabric.  After 43 years, you have cracked your pattern cam and replacement parts are no longer available.

I don't think any other machine can take your place!  RIP dear friend, you will be missed.

I Need a Little Help From My Friends!

Stitching Friends.

 I am in need of a skein of Gentle Arts Moonlit Path (from their simply shaker line) that looks like the background of the stitched piece and the leaflet. All I can find looks like the full skein on the bottom, and it definitely doesn’t match, not even close! If anyone has this older dye lot in their stash, I would love to purchase it from you!

UPDATE:  after extensive searching and lots of conversations with the people at Gentle Arts, we have come to the conclusion that the skein I had used was mismarked, but we can't figure out what it should have been.  There are a colors that are close, so I am going to work with those to finish the piece and hope it turns out okay!  And what have we learned from this exercise?  make sure you have enough floss for the entire piece before you start!

Part 7 Finished

This evening I finished part 7 of the 2017 Linens and Threads Mystery Sampler.  

On to part 8.....