Out with the old and In with the New

Well, is every one ready to  ring in the New Year!!  I am!!  As I look back upon 2012 I have many fond memories, haunting dissappointments, and have loved and lost.  I look forward to the hope of a new year and I am moving forward with optimism.  As my final post of 2012,  I wanted to share 2 finishes.  One is a new start and one is a long overdue WIP.

 

Diamon Quilt by Handblessings
28ct Forest Mist linen
Recommended over-dyed threads

 

This WIP was long over due.  Do you ever have a project that you set aside because you need to work something out on it??  You set it aside with the intention that you will get to it when ou have more time but that never comes??  Well with this sampler, I tweaked a judaic design that I found in a leaflet and slightly altered the dimensions in order to fit the lettering in.  Then I needed to center the letter-- this is where procrastination set in.  Well,  I finally got to it and finished this Bar Mitzvah sampler for my son.  (note the date 2010)  I used gloriana silks and WDW over-dyed threads.  His torah portion was about the ten commandments and his hebrew name means lion and courage hence the reason I chose this design.  I was very proud of my accomplishment and couldn't wait to show him.  His response:  "That's nice but the date is wrong!!""  What are you kidding me??  Back to the stitching to do some frogging and recalculating.  May be better to finish things in a timely fashion so that you can remember the right date.  Oh well, all in good stitching fun!  I wish all of you a very Happy New Year!!  Happy Stitching!

 

A Little Christmas Finish

It looks like everyone in blogland had a wonderful Christmas!  I have enjoyed seeing your decorated homes and hearing about your holiday traditions.  I wanted to share with you the small stitched piece I whipped up for my mom.  I had ordered it when it was first advertised but didn't receive it until last Wednesday.  I am grateful it was a quickie and I finished it in time.  The designer is LizzieKate and I used the enclosed fabric with the called for over-dyed floss.

I hope you have all enjoyed your holiday.  I am looking forward to the quiet after the festivities and have been keeping busy stitching!  What are you working on??  Any stitching plans for the New Year?  I have recently decided to start Shores of Hawk Run Hallow on January 1st.  I have had it in my stash for quite some time and I am ready for the long stitch.  Happy Stitching!

SAL Progress

Today I am sharing with you two new starts that were started last month.  It seems that I get a little spurt of stitching mojo when I have a couple of days off from work and then life gets in the way and I lose my mojo.  I hope to work on this over the holiday break and get a couple more finishes in this year.

 

 

This SAL was offered by The Threadbasket and designed by Tournicoton.  I am using the recommended DMC floss and stitching it on 30ct WDW Cocoa. ( a personal favorite)

If you haven't visited the Threadbasket it is a great place to get European charts.  The owner will also translate french charts for you if you need her to.  Great service!!

The next SAL was offered by Donna at By The Bay Needlearts.  It is darling.  I am stitching it on 32 ct Light mocha and using assorted DMC threads.  The overdyed the is a Color Variations thread by DMC.  Not too shabby.   I love Donna's designs because she takes into consideration standard frame size and this will fit into a 5x7 frame which means I can do it myself!  Yippee! 

Have any of you laid your eyes on anything new that you MUST stitch??  There is soooo much inspiration out there.  I love the new winter design by By The Bay and I have to have the new release by Blackbird Designs.  It's full of lovely little projects to finish.  Can't wait to get my hands on it.

Hope you all have a wonderful day!  Happy Stitching!

Scenes from Hanukkah

On Sunday it rained.  Yesterday more rain.  Today how about so more rain.  It feels more like spring time here in Southeastern Massachusetts.  I am hoping to see the sun sometime soon but it doesn't look promising.  The boys were hoping for snow but that isn't likely.  Here are some pics from around the house at Hanukkah. 

 

 

Flowers from my mom. 

Dreidel from my collection

Menorah ready for lighting

Danforth pewter dreidel from my mother-in-law

Table set and ready for guests

Donuts that my son, Avery made. Yummy!!

My favorite menorh!  I love the primitive feel.

I hope you enjoyed the photo tour and a peek at our decorations.  The are minimal and simple, like the holiday but we always have a good time.  I am headed to my stitching chair today with a couple of goals in mind.  I am finishing Read Between the Lines by Blue Ribbon Designs, it is LONG overdue and I am in the home stretch.  My second goal is to work on an exchange project.  Iam about halfway finished and I am enjoying it so much I can't put it down.  LOVE it.  I equate it to a good book.  When you read that first page and can't put it down until you turn the last.  I haven't had a book like that in a long time but this stitching projects feels just like that.  Hope you all have a wonderful day and Happy Stitching!

A finish or two

I have an out of season finish and an in season finish.  The first one I finished in November but didn't have time to iron, pic and post it so I decided to share it anyway.  It is the bonus charts offered in the LK Mystery Sampler from this past fall.  I decided to stitch all of them in a row.  I used WDW kohl on 36ct Sudden Storm linen.  I love this linen and haven't been able to track any more down.  It is perfect for Halloween stitching with it's purpley gray hue.

 

The next is the December 2012 Year of smalls selection.  I used 32 ct Light Mocha with a red DMC varigated thead I think 715 but now 100 % sure.  I need to finish it off in send it packing.  It's for a good friend.  I hope she will like it.

Tonight is the last night of Hanukkah.  I have had a lovely week with my family and will share some special pics of our holiday with you tomorrow.  I hope you are all enjoying every minute of your holiday preparations and remember that all you need are friends and family close in order to have a good time.  My heart is heavy with sadness because of the Connecticut school shooting that happened yesterday.  Hug your family extra hard and be thankful you are all together as we never know what tomorrow can bring. 

Happy Chanukah!!

Here is a picture of Daisy guarding the Menorah!  Isn't she sweet!

Pickle Barrel Giveaway Winners

Hi Everyone!  This will be a super quick post to annouce winners of the giveaway.  I have notified the winners by email.

Chris  --Snowman Pack
Lynda -- All Year Long Pack
Samplers, Silks and Linens -- Summer Pack
Stitchinowl -- Santa pack

Thanks to all who entered.  Stay tuned for more giveaway, holiday updates and stitching progress.
Happy Chanukah!

Sponsored Giveaway

My Stitching friend/designer Nancy has gifted me with lots of charts and I thought I would share the wealth, with her permission of course.  There are only a couple of things you have to do:  Visit her blog Pickle Barrel Designs and say "hello" and leave a comment on this post telling me which prize you would like to win.  You can enter for one pack or all,  you decide.  I will draw a name on Saturday Morning, Dec 8th.  Good Luck everyone.

 

Summer I Miss You pack includes 5 summer themed charts

 

All Things Snowman pack
3 delightful Snowmen charts

 

 

All Year Long pack

7 designs for different holidays

Merry Santa pack

includes 4 Christmas Charts

 

 

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you have fun with this giveaway.  Tell your friends and get an extra chance. Just leave a comment telling me you did so.

Stitching News

October was an extremely busy month!  We celebrated my son's Bar Mitzvah, I attended a stitching retreat at Salty Yarns in Ocean City MD and participated in a Halloween Exchange with my stitching twin Carol.  I call her my stitching twin because we literally stitched the same items.  Here is an example.  We decided to have a Halloween exchange where we would exchnage 3 Halloween Ornaments -- stitchers choice.  We then changed it to 2 because life got in the way.  We were both finishing the ornaments the same morning that we would be exchanging.  (Procrastination or fear of finishing-- you decide).  We had hundreds of ornaments to choose from, books, magazine, freebies you name it and look at what we stitched for each other.

 

Above are the ornaments I finished for Carol.  Below are the ones she finished for me!

How is it, that with all of the choices we stitched the same designs???!!!!  See what I mean!

Stitching TWIN. All of the designs were taken from JCS magazine, Blue Ribbon designs, Elizabeths Design and bottom left is Ink Circles.  I guess you could say, great minds think alike right Carol!

  I would love to hear if you have a stitching twin and what makes them special to you.

Happy Thanksgiving

Just stopping in to wish all of you and your families a Happy Thanksgiving!!

I have much to be thankful for this year and I am looking forward to spending the day surrounded by family.

Here is what I think Cosmo is thankful for.  His new friend, Wes. 

See you soon with a stitchy post.

A Little Hanukkah Pincushion

Here is a small Hanukkah pincushion I designed for our upcoming holidays.  As you know there are MANY Christmas decorations and ornaments to stitch but very few for Hanukkah.  I stitched this on 32ct white linen, WDW sky, americana and tarnished gold.  The front features dreidels and the back has the hebrew letters found on the dreidels.

I am sending a small prayer out to all of the people affected by Hurricane Sandy.  We were definitely spared here in Massachusetts.  We had some power loss and localized flooding but nothing in comparison to the people in New York and New Jersey.  I wish them a quick recovery.  Thanks for stopping by and Happy Friday.

Halloween Ornament Finishes

My dear friend Ellen from my Wednesday Stitching Group asked for some help with ornament finishing.  I was more than happy to oblige.  Her stitching is beautiful so I kept the finishing simple.  The first is a JBW design from the JCS Halloween Book and the following are the Boo Buttons Halloween Ornament Charts from Victoria Sampler.  I think they will look lovely on her halloween tree.

 

We are bracing for Hurricane/Tropical Storm Sandy.  They are saying it will hit the eastcoast some time over the weekend but there is definitely a window of uncertainty and none of it is within our control.  I wish everyone a safe and restful weekend. Happy Friday and Happy Stitching!

Fall Exchange with Pat

I recently participated in an exchange with Pat but haven't had a chance to post the lovely things she sent me.  I do feel that our schedules are finally falling into place.  I haven't had lots of stitching time but the little I have had has been devoted to exchanges.  Now that we have both received them I can share.  Pat sent me a wonderful hand knit scarf in autumn colors and I just LOVE it.  I am looking forward to using it regularly as the temps have started to cool.  She also sent other wonderful goodies and a beautifully stitched decorative pillow.  Absolutely darling.  Thank you Pat.

 

I created a finished sewing box for Pat.  I have never done this type of finish but I am pleased with how it turned out.  The box top was chosen as one of the 2012 Year of Smalls and thought it was perfect for our exchange.  I sanded and stained the box with Briwax.

 

 

I lined the interior with a beautiful leaf print that I found in my travels.  Inside I created some counting pins which are made into a needlebook that looks like a matchbook.  I also created a beaded fob for a shiny pair of scissors.

 

I added some fall scented lotion and hand sanitizer and a darling patchwork pumpkin ornament that can be used as a pincushion. 

Here is a close-up of the beaded fob.  I had a wonderful time putting this exchange together and felt my creative juices flowing.  It's a good thing we had a deadline otherwise I would have kept on added more and more.  Thanks for stopping by my little corner of blogland.  Happy Stitching!

I won a Giveaway :)

 

Robin from Crafting with the Stitch Witch pulled my name from her Stash Reduction Giveaway and here's the lovely package I received.  I won this about a month ago but time and camera issues has kept me from posting!!  Thanks for the stitchy goodness Robin.  It is now nestled in my stash.

 

 

I have been knee deep in bar mitzvah preparations for son #3 and when I am not doing that work, football and school have kept me comfortably insane.  It has been a juggling act for the last 6 months and I dropped the ball on my stitching but I am hoping to throw that back into the mix next week.  I hope you are all doing lots of stitching!  I have been reading blogs and enjoying all of the wonderful things you are creating.  Happy Stitching!

Furry Cuteness!!

We have a new furbaby to love!!  Meet Wes!  He is just about 4 months old and a very handsome devil.  His color is very unique but it makes him very difficult to photograph.  He is a solid gray (but more silvery) long haired monkey.  He is full of cuddles and lots of loving! 

No stitching to report yet but I will post pics of a recent exchange once I get new batteries for the camera.  Hope you are all getting lots of stitching time!  Happy Stitching!