Long Overdue - Final SFS 2014 Report

Here I am back in blogland.

These last couple of months have been difficult. Nothing life threatening but still difficult. This resulted in me not wanting to be near a computer when I am not at work.

Instead I have read and stitched. I have been able to get quite a bit done. I was going through my notebook that I keep track of my projects (both completed and not yet started) because I wanted to transfer to a new journal. As near as I can tell, I have completed 31 projects. There might be a few very small projects that I have not counted. I am pretty amazed at myself.

Even though I have skipped a month, I am going to finish this years Stitch from Stash 2014 with a final entry.

Amount Spent: Balance $60.53 (November $40.53 + $25.00 - 20.00 (fabric) = $45.53) December $45.53 + $25.00 - $10.00 

Part 2 of Things Unseen Sampler $10.00

New Starts from Stash:

• November:
•  2 WOCS Pieces (Ladies Fan & Rainbow Mandella)
• September's Morning Glory
• December
• October's Marigold
• November's Chrysanthemum
• Tribal Sand Dollar - White Willow Stitching

WIPs or UFOs worked on: In Harmony - Dimensions Kit, Blue/Cream/Purple crochet blanket

Now for some pictures:

White Willow Stitching - Tribal Pumpkin finished in November

Winter Panel of the My Garden Journal

September's Morning Glory

October's Marigold

November's Chrysanthemum

Part one of Lizzie Kate's Things Unseen Sampler. 

I don't know what happened to my picture of

the completed part one but I do have it somewhere. :(

Part one of the bonus chart, done on 20 ct Aida 2 over 1.

I am just loving the colors in this piece

This is a kit one of my co-workers decided to try so she brought it in to work one day and asked me to show her to to start the project. Of course I was excited to share my craft and proceed to go over the basic concepts. By the time I was done, she was just shaking her head and said "I can't do that, the holes are too small (14ct fabric was included). Here, you can have it" I was a little disappointed but understood that this craft is not for everyone. It didn't help that the kit is for an intermediate stitcher and has many 1/4 stitches. So I changed the fabric to a lovely Mocha colored 28ct something (oops can't remember the type of fabric) and started the kit. Once complete, I will frame it and give it back to her. 

  My measly little start.

I finally pulled this blanket out and worked on it while the weather

was so cold this month. I believe this will fit on a twin bed when complete.

It is sitting on my queen bed in the photo. I figure it is

about only 1/3 of the way complete. I might have to go

and pick up some more cream yarn in order to finish it.

As soon as I pulled it out, my little one asked if I would 

Please finish it so she could have it.

Rainbow Mandella (WOCS)

Self designed Lady's Fan (WOCS)

I am so happy that I have finally finished the My Garden Journal Series. Now I just need to figure out how to frame the pieces so that I can hang them up.

I have started putting together a list of some of the projects I want to complete in 2015. My list is not written in stone. I know that there will be additions and deletions as the year progresses, but I figure that I can at least have a guideline of what projects I currently own that I want to work on next year.

I must go and put a few X's in the next project.

Ta Ta for Now,

Angela

Before I forget, I am going to participate in next year's Stitch from Stash. Let's see if I can beat my ending balance and complete some of those projects on my list.

Halloween & SFS2014 October Update

Hello all!

I haven't really meant to avoid being online lately but that is what seems to have happened. I need to be on the computer for work all day and really don't want to touch it when I get home. Which means that there is not much time for blogging and reading all your great posts. Sometimes a person just has to make some hard decisions...reading the latest book in the series or stitch. Such a dilemma :(

There are some books that I can listen to and satisfy both cravings but not all the authors I love are in audio format so my stitching has suffered. It didn't help that for over a week I was laid low by a stupid cold. I would go to work and by the time I came home I was barely able to function enough to cook dinner for the little one.

As you know, I have been participating in Mel's SFS2014 this year and even though I never really spent that much on enhancing my stash, it has made me be more conscious of the money I do spend. Last month I took my free month, not because I spent too much (I did purchase some lovely threads from a FB group) , but I couldn't seem to get myself together enough to make a post or even an email. Sad I know but there it is. Well this month I am on the ball (maybe a day later than I should but I am here). Mel's precious other half has generously allowed a bonus this month which I am taking full advantage of. I am going to participate in my first Mystery Sampler. Lizzie Kate has put together her "Things Unseen" Mystery Sampler and I just love the colors and motifs that she has revealed so far and I can't wait to get the first part in the mail. Thankfully the first invoice came just before the month closed and I could take advantage of the last bonus of the year. Now onto the details.

Amount Spent: Balance $40.53 (August Ending balance. Since I took a free month I thought that I should not add September's allowance).

Bonus used: $50.00
Part 1 of Things Unseen Sampler $69.00 and $0.60 thread purchased to almost finish kitting up a new project (Total $69.60)
Balance: $19.60 to be used against monthly spending

Final Balance: $45.93 ($40.53 + $25.00 - $19.60)

New Starts from Stash:

• 2 WOCS mittens
• 2 Exchange pieces ready for finishing

WIPs or UFOs worked on: White Willow Stitching Tribal Pumpkin (started in September)

I have made some progress though, so onto some pictures.

 This first is a cute little mitten I stitched for WOCS. I completed a second one but forgot to take a picture if it. (Oops) These are the type of projects I love for my lunch time at work. Very easy to follow and quick to stitch up. You really can't see it in the picture but it is stitched on a baby blue fabric that allows the blue and red to stand out.

Updated: I found the picture of the first mitten I stitched for WOCS. 

 Next up is the start of one of my exchanges that I am working on this fall. I could only work on this one after work when I was not very tired. Black 22 ct fabric is a little hard on the eyes, but I love the way it turned out. I used thread from the FB group Fiberlicious and it turned out just wonderful. The colors are outstanding. I have a second piece that I completed on the same fabric but since it is also for an exchange, I can show any more, but the colors just pop.

 This is the other thing that has kept me busy over the last couple of months. I made my Little One's Halloween costume which will double as her outfit when we next go to the Renaissance Faire. I made the skirt and cloak. The funny thing...She wares the cloak every day. It makes a momma feel good to know that something she made is enjoyed that much.

Last but not least I have been working on White Willow Stitching's Tribal pumpkin. I changed the leaves and stem from the brown to green and I love the way the colors are coming together. I am almost done and hope to have a finish this weekend.

Happy Dance!!

Happy Dance time!!

I have another finish. A two for one (hehe). If you have been reading my humble blog for any time, you know that I am working on the "My Garden Journal" monthly series and am working it up into a four seasons style finish. Last night I put the last stitch in August's Poppy completing the summer panel.

First up...August's Poppy. DD and I both agree

that the blue and white waves on the bottom

are the best.

Here we have the full summer panel.

So after ironing and taking pictures, I still was not ready to head to bed (even though I probably should have). I start looking around my stitching chair and see what I had out (within arms reach) that I wanted to pick up. I decided that I haven't given my HAED Steam Butterfly any love lately.

This is where I started and I was able to put about

300 stitches before I got too tired and had to head to bed.

This is what (a long, long, long time from now) the finished product will be.

I just love the colors. 

Ta Ta for now.

Angela

Long week leads to a long weekend

Last week was a very long week at work. Nothing went wrong per se but nothing seemed to go right either. This resulted in very little stitching after work.Thankfully we had a long weekend here in the States (still not long enough) so I could catch up on my rest and stitching.

DD wanted her best friend to stay the night and somehow one night turned into 3. :) All is good since she is a very respectful child and I hardly know either of them is there when they are together. This was also the weekend that the PBR with the State fair was in the next town over. Now I have never been to a PBR (bull riding) event before and decided it would be something different to take the girls to. They had a blast and so did I. Below is DD and her best friend.

Since I did not have permission from DD's friend's parents, I hid her face.

 Later that night, I was able to get a nice picture (without funny faces) of DD enjoying herself.

I received a Bucilla kit called "Love Beareth". The moment I pulled it out of the package DD fell in love and started asking if I could stitch it for her. I think bears are very cute but they are no longer my thing. Know what I mean? But there was no way I could resist. So I started (pictured in my last post). I was able to spend a lot of time on it on Sunday and finally finished up on Monday (after my grocery shopping and errands were complete). It is a cute little thing. Now I have to figure out how to frame it since the fabric was cut at an angle leaving it a bit wonky. If I remember correctly I might even have some teddy bear fabric that I can use to make a wall hanging.

As soon as I finished "Love" I went searching for a new start. As I walked into my room, I saw the fabric for the "My Garden Journal" hanging up where I put it to allow it to finish drying. (Somehow it had a small spot near the stitched border that needed washed out. I was so scared the colors were going to run. I did see some pink/red in the rinse water but no color ran onto the fabric. Boy was I thankful). So I picked it up and made a very measly start on August's Poppy last night. I can't wait to get home and get dinner out of the way so I can get back to it.

August's Poppy (My Garden Journal) by Beach Cottage Stitchers

I finally decided that I was going to have a small project for "on the go" meaning during lunch time at work. Since the lighting is not the best for stitching I needed something with a higher count and a simple pattern. The WOCS has a new database open for mittens and they are so cute.

My camera washed out the color, but the fabric is a pretty

baby blue and the purple works perfectly with it.

This is only after two days of working on it

at lunch.

Since I didn't finish my post yesterday before I got home I had the chance to continue to work on August's Poppy. This is where I left it last night, working on a lot of stems. Only about half done with the stems, then I can start on the actual flowers. It is kinda weird working from right to left since I usually start these on the other side. This time it was easier to count on the right side. I do like being able to work in the flower first for a change.

Time for me to let you go, need to actually get some work done today.

Ta Ta for now,
Angela

Stitch From Stash 2014 August Update

It is hard to believe that another month has flown passed us. Summer is over and school starts for the kids in my neighborhood. I didn't get as much done this month as I had hoped, but I did get to spend some time with my oldest daughter. We took a long weekend and drove to visit which resulted in absolutely no stitching for over a week (some of the time was spent recovering from driving 19 hrs each way). I was so tired that I was afraid I would mess up any project I picked up. I was starting to have withdrawals from not being able to pick up fabric and thread. I did purchase two pieces of hand dyed fabric (they were actually quite large) and a cute alphabet pattern that I have had my eye on this month. I needed a few more neutral pieces of fabric on hand for some of the patterns I want to stitch soon.

Amount Spent: Balance $56.78 plus $25 bonus Spent: $41.25 ($16.25 after bonus) Ending Balance $40.53

New Starts from Stash:

• June's Honeysuckle - My Garden Journal by Cottage Garden Samplings
• July's Delphinium - My Garden Journal by Cottage Garden Samplings
• Love Beareth - Bucilla kit

WIPs or UFOs worked on: None

Now that I have the details out of the way, let me show some pictures.

First up is June's Honeysuckle from the series "My Garden Journal" by Cottage Garden Samplings

Next up is July's Delphinium. Don't you just love the the picnic?

Here is the Summer Panel to date. Just 4 more month's and the year is complete!

I received Bucilla's Kit "Love Beareth" in an exchange last month. My youngest saw it and immediately asked me to stitch it for her. How could I resist. So after completing July above, I made a start. I was surprised at how many colors make up this one little bear, but I have to admit he is cute. I have since started his friend and hope to make a finish this weekend.

As I mentioned above, the new school year starts today and I just had to take a picture. Of course she didn't really want to but she humored me.

Here are me and my girls. How I missed the oldest.

Here is my stitching buddy this weekend. Every time I sat down, he climbed in my lap. I think somebody missed us while we were gone.

I guess it is time to let you get back to your day.

Ta Ta for Now,

Angela

Garden Journal Update

Hello all,

I am so excited I finished another month on "My Garden Journal" and about half way on another!!

First up: June's Honeysuckle

 

Aren't those little bees in the border so cute?

 

Next is my progress on July's Delphinium.

 

 

Still enjoying working on this series. I hope to get this completed soon. Will be taking a short weekend trip to see my oldest daughter. We are so excited.

 

 

Last week I was contacted by Cottage Garden Samplings seeking my permission to post my progress pictures on their Face Book page. They liked the idea of doing a set of 4 Seasons. What else could I say but "YES". I was so excited to see their post. This gave me such a thrill, that now I can hardly put this project down.

 

Ta Ta for now,

Angela

SFS 2014 July Update

Another month has passed and it is time for Stitch from Stash 2014 July Update.

Amount Spent: Balance $31.78 Spent: $0 Ending Balance $56.78

New Starts from Stash:

• None

WIPs or UFOs worked on: Cat Collage (Complete)

I have finally finished the cat collage that I have been working on (what seems like forever).

Mr. Allen Henning...This is for you. I made you a promise (okay so what if it was 14 years ago) that I would complete this piece. You never said I had to keep it.

For most of this project, I loved working on it. Towards the end I just wanted to get it done. Now it is time for it to find a new home. Sometime in August I will put it up for adoption. :)

I can't seem to gather my thoughts together tonight, so I am going to let you all go for now.

Good night,

Angela

Almost there!

Hi all,

What a shocker...I am posting before the end of the month.

I have been busy trying to get the Cat Collage finished. I am finally down to the last 4 squares.

I just went looking to see where I last posted pictures and I am so far behind.

Overall Progress as of 07/06/2014

Cat # 21

Can't really call them cats so...Box # 22

Cat # 23

Cat # 24

Cat # 25

Cat # 26

Cat # 27

Cat # 28

Cat # 29

Cat # 30

and finally Cat # 31 (work in progress).

 

 

I am hoping to get this last cat done tonight and start on the next one. My goal is to have this piece completed by the end of the month.

 

Then...it will be time to start the hunt for a good home for this piece. I love cats, just not up on my wall. :)

 

Time to get back to work...

 

Ta Ta for Now,

Angela