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.

Hello World

I did not realize it has been a whole 11 days since I last posted. I may have been absent from the online world but I have not stopped crafting. I finished the base stitching on the top of the Oriental Butterfly.

The next step is to complete the bottom portion before I start the back stitching. This looks wonderful as is but will pop even more with the back stitching.

I lost my stitching mojo for a little bit but could not keep my hands still so I continued working on a couple of crochet blankets. I ran out of the green/white yarn so I will have to pick some more up later.

The more I look at the green blanket the more I do not like that white strip. I may end up taking it out. We will see. I finally felt like stitching again but not something complicated. So I started working on this cute little free pattern from Stitching the Night Away. I used the blue/brown floss I won a couple of months ago from the Victorian Motto Sampler Shoppe. I just love this color combination.

I plan on finishing this on a little keepsake box (my first attempt). My daughter has already claimed it. WOCS received a snowflake pattern from Brooke's Books Publishing designed just for them. We are putting a quilt together using this pattern. We are using white fabric and everyone is using white for the snowflake. I have never been so thankful for my Otte Light as I am now while working on this project. I have to admit...I am having a wonderful time stitching this one.

I finally finished all my Christmas shopping and set up our simple tree. The Ex said he was going to purchase a much desired item for our baby but then backed out at the last minute (and wanted to get her clothes instead). So I had to do a quick run to find this item. Now all presents have been wrapped and put around the tree.

I took the picture before we put the presents near the tree. A friend of mine had some extra snowman ribbon and made me this wonderful bow. The perfect tree topper!!!

Now I am off to catch up on some of my friends in the online world.

Ta Ta,
Angela

Giveaway & an update

Good morning all,

With the cold weather comes blankets. For some reason the colder it gets the more I want to make blankets. The size doesn't matter as long as I am able to put some yarn over my lap I seem to be happy. LOL. I am still working on the green blanket. I started another one (pink this time) to take with me when I have to wait somewhere. I have not been able to take a cross stitch pattern with me yet. Eventually I will be able to find one I could take with me. I have made some progress with my final stitched gift for my father and his wife. (Pictures in a later post). I also plan to start a couple of autumn leaves to be included in a charity quilt. I purchased the material yesterday and have the floss. I just need to print the pattern.

If you haven't already been to Victorian Motto Sampler Shoppe, she is having the most wonderful givaway. 25 gifts for 25 days starting December 1st. If you stop by, don't forget to mention my name.

Ta Ta for now,
Angela

It's Back!!!

Oh wonderful news...my stitching mojo is back. I was able to finish the stitching on second kitchen towel yesterday and today I was able to finish both of them. I sewed a piece of muslin almost exactly the same color as the terry cloth on the back of the stitching.

I have come to realize that I am a little OCD when it comes to hiding the back of my stitching. Part of the reason I wanted to do this was so that when the towels get washed the back of the stitching would not get caught on anything.  :) My DD is modeling the front of one of the towels.

I put a green ribbon on the top an bottom to give it a little more pizazz.

I was able to make more progress on the green blanket as well the last two days. During that time my most constant companion has been Gizmo. We were watching the show "Once upon a time" on I-Tunes this weekend. Good thing my DD and I have the same taste in shows.

My model for this picture is our cat Tigerlily.

One of the greens is a little brighter in the picture than in person but I think it is coming out well. I am going to continue to work on this one tonight and see where my inspiration takes me tomorrow.

Ta Ta for now,
Angela

Packing

My last post was quite somber. Today is a better day. I am still climbing that ladder up out of the dark hole but there is more light than yesterday. I was able to make some progress on my craft (dumping ground) room. I even started sorting my library. I decided to take a hard look at the books I currently own. I am only keeping about 5 series.

The rest will go into a yard sale. The picture to the right are the boxes of books I have decided not to keep. I have another 3 boxes so far that I am keeping.  I will be looking through all of our stuff as I go thru it and deciding what I can do without. Of course, not a single bit of my crafting stash will be going (lol). I love yarn. I didn't realize how much yarn I currently have until I started packing. When my daughter came home from school yesterday and saw my box of yarn she told me I am not allowed to buy any more until I use up some of my current stock.I know that I have not packed all of it so I had to agree. After working in the one room I was able to work on the green blanket

and was able to get quite a few rows done. I may have to go back on that agreement so that I can complete the current project. :)

Time for me to back back to the craft room.

TaTa for now,
Angela