Last night, after Cookbook Club* and a quick tidy up, I flopped on the couch too tired to tackle her royal PITA, Mary's Stocking. Glue and scissors, somehow, I could handle. Now I have four new ornaments to add to the tree. Clockwise, from top left, Polar Santa - Glacier Santa; Woodland Santa - Frosty Santa; Olde Time Santa - Grandfather Frost (not Mill Hill); and Tropical Santa - Hawaiian Santa. As always, these are fun to stitch and easy to finish.
Looking at these, I realize how haphazardly I approach the sets. (I have all the MH kits, except Renaissance Santas, which just came out.) I've only stitched one Polar Santa, but two Woodland Santas, one Tropical Santa but 5/7 of the Olde Time Santas.** There are 19 Mill Hill sets. I also have the first Yarn Tree series; some of the early Astor Place series, Bucilla series, and Janlynn series; one offs she did for magazines, and a couple of leaflets featuring her Nutcracker Santas from Imaginating. How does she do it?! (You can find a complete list through 2005 here.) (The Silver Needle has a comprehensive list--all available for sale--of the Mill Hill Santas after 2005.) (That's not clear. If you want a list after 2005, go there, but she has all--since 1998--for sale.)
Anyway, you know what I'll be stitching in my retirement!
*Sheila Lukins USA Cookbook, I made Lemon Zucchini Loaf and the dude made Laurie's Winter Lemon Ice Cream, which Lukins suggested to serve together, and oh.my.awesomesauce!
** Yarn Tree has several sets of the Olde Time Santas. Only the first series involved Sandra Cozzolino, even though she mostly designed the others (coughrippedoffcough) So they're the only ones I have. Except for the Santa Riding a Chicken from the second series. Because Santa. Riding a chicken!
Great work on finish-finishing these off. I think the bottom left looks like Wizard Santa! I guess you stitch the ones you like the best rather than all of one series?
ReplyDeleteIt would be a more interesting tale if Santa rode a chicken!
ReplyDeleteCongrats on the great finishes Nikki. You have a whole lotta Mill Hill kits. I have some of the ones that are buildings, etc. but have never stitched any.
ReplyDeleteLinda
Hi, Nikki - gotta love Mill Hill Bead kits and this Santas. Well done!
ReplyDeletexxx
Congratulations on getting the Santas in finished form! The lemon ice cream and lemon-zucchini loaf sound great.
ReplyDeleteFour finished finishes, that's great! I know I have a couple of MH kits, but don't think they are Santas. Still haven't found all my stuff from moving last year.
ReplyDeleteI try to avoid "cleaning" or straighten up my craft room because I'd rather NOT know what I've left close to being done, but not quite there. will need to start writing down my blogging ideas, I have the perfect book to do it in :) Thanks for the suggestion
ReplyDeleteLove those Santa's- well done on getting them finish-finished. Now get back to Miss Mary!
ReplyDeleteI really needed a laugh before I go out into the heat to walk dogs (retirement job ... omg), so thank you! Reading about Mary cracked me up only because I've been there about a million times with certain projects. Then your description of the Mill Hill kits got me laughing. I think I can laugh about this for a few hours. Then I'm going to think of lemony goodness.
ReplyDeleteI often do the same thing leave my finishing in a pile and hope that I'll eventually get to it. Great job!
ReplyDeleteI have virtually the same backlog of these Santas as you do. One to be finished, dozens to be stitched. There is a member of the Loudoun Sampler Guild who has stitched them all. It's an impressive collection!
ReplyDeleteI have virtually the same backlog of these Santas as you do. One to be finished, dozens to be stitched. There is a member of the Loudoun Sampler Guild who has stitched them all. It's an impressive collection!
ReplyDeleteLove the Santa's, they turned out wonderfully and will look so cute hung as ornaments. Good for you getting them finished up, I've so many pieces dropped in my to be finished box that never actually come out to play or be seen. Oh well, at some point I'll do something with them , and if not, at least I had a lot of enjoyment stitching them :)
ReplyDeleteLove these guys! I need to stitch some more of them :) They look amazing!!!
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