Finished!

The stockings for my sister's family arrived home from the finisher today! I couldn't wait to share them with you. But first I had to take a nap. (I am so old and tired and the dog woke me up early and then has been a pain in the bum. We went on a hike and she's still been in and out, in and out, because she is bored and at loose ends and still can't go to daycare because she is coughing. St Francis help us, amen.)

 I sent them to our friend Faye. And she did a great job! I love that they have miniwale corduroy backing--matches the ones I did for my cousin. And the colors she chose are perfect matches. I feel so relieved! Let's imagine I tried to do this myself...first getting myself to the store for fabric. Going to every store in the greater Philadelphia area to get matches. Then clearing off enough of the sewing table to cut and sew and then the piping. I could have gone nuts.

Instead, now they are done. Done and beautiful and I am so so very happy!

Love

I'm at a conference in Vegas and I'm daunted by inputting all the text of my ornament issue review on my phone.

Instead, I'll show you just how much I love my sister.

I Cheated

 I'm not going to lie to you, dear reader, I cheated. I know I'm supposed to work on one project a day, and a new one every day during my NaBloPoMo challenge, but I came so close last night...all the way to just the little man with his moon balloon and the backstitching. So close! This morning when I got up, I just kept going. Working away on the stocking and not the new project that was prescribed. But I finished! And I'm not sorry I did it. I'd break the rules again and again!

I still have one stocking to go for this family of four, so they won't get them this year. But I might even be able to finish these myself instead of sending them off in October, so that everything else will get done. (Since I am confessing, I will share that I have made nary a Christmas card. Sigh.)

Mary's Stocking, Part VIII

I've gotten somewhere with Mary on this rotation. The top is nearly finished--just a couple more leaves and one small tendril on the left. I had had to fudge things a bit on the right side, and as I was moving swimmingly along on the left side, I was thinking that I was going to have to fix my mistake. Then, I came to the realization that I made a similar mistake on the left. Problem solved! (Here's how she looked last time.)

I was also able to stop off at the LNS and get the right color for her face and hand. So I quickly filled those in.

The M looks disproportionate in the name, but it's just a fold in the fabric distorting it.

Next up: Wisteria Snowman
Onward!

Mary Grows

Not the best photo, but here's our friend Mary back in the rotation. I didn't get as much done these three days as I did after several hours in the car, but the top of the stocking is starting to take shape. And she has a head! If not a face--still not sure what to do about the color.

Today is the end of summer hours, my last half day Friday. Two years ago, I bemoaned the fact that I never went thrifting on my half days as I had planned. Nor cleaned the craft room. (If you click through, you will get to see tiny baby pix.) Today, recognizing that it was my last half day, I spent a couple of hours cleaning up the craft room. I'm about halfway done. The scorching temperatures forecast for the rest of the weekend suggest I will be able to perhaps finish the job. Wouldn't that be nice?

August

Oops! I'm a little late. We're enjoying the beach, well, it's been overcast and rainy so we're not enjoying it at all. Time away from work, let's call it.

I was able to finish my small for the SAL, mostly stitched on the long drive up while we listened to Bill Bryson's Road to Little Dribbling.

Linking up with Heather of Stitching Lotus who hosts the Smalls SAL.

This is a Mosey n Me Freebie called Ewephoria. It doesn't come with recommended colors, so I chose WDW London Fog for the sheep, WDW Onyx for the black, WDW Meadow for the letters and an unmarked overdyed pink for the ribbons. I'm pretty pleased with how it came out although if I had had more time, I might have done French knots for the sheep's body. 

Last month, I decided to join Justine in Just One July, so I focused on Mary's Stocking for my sister. I had hoped to complete it, and if I could have kept up my momentum, I might have. (Do you know why I don't write might of? Because it is wrong. You are hearing might've. That apostrophe is replacing the "ha." But I digress...) Losing momentum on a project happens a lot when I only focus on one thing. Still I made progress. Mary's only missing her head and hands. (Despite all the murder mystery shows we have been watching, this is not a sign of homicide.)

Not sure what I am going to do about her hands and face. The pattern calls for 841 but I only have 840, which I think Christian's stocking (the other one I have to finish) calls for. I could make them the same color, or I could make fair Mary lighter but it would require a trip to the LNS, and I wouldn't be able to get to that for a while. Hmmmmm... (I do believe Faye's Christmas deadline is October.) Something to think about.

Either way, I am going back to my rotation which will allow me to keep my momentum (I hope!). This is what I call the "Molly Rotation" since Molly of Strawberry Sampler invented it. Three days on each of 10 projects over the course of the month.

1. Waldorff, Homespun Sampler
2. Mary's Stocking, SB
3. Wisteria Snowman, SB
4. Our Souls, Midsummer Night Designs
5. Greenland Santa, Mill Hill
6. Cinnamon Stars, Plum Street
7. Small #8
8. Lovebird, JABC
9. Ladybug, Ladybug, Rabbit Workes
10. Tis the Season, Blackbird

Onward!

Just One July--Mary 3

I am making progress on Mary. Progress is incremental, I have to remind myself of that. If you look at Mary on July 1, I've made a lot of progress. I just get so impatient when I focus on one piece. "Isn't this thing done yet?" I ask myself over and over.

I know the world is on fire--and that's breaking my heart--but work has also been extra-stressful since there's been a major reorganization with firings and silos disappearing and demotions (well, layers being added to the org chart). My group's new admin is openly searching for jobs while she's at work in her cubicle. (I don't think our group is that bad, but whatevs.) And there's continued uncertainty because someone they clearly want to promote is out on maternity leave, so the new group she will lead hasn't been reformed. Anyway, giant shitshow. So yesterday, I came home from my half-day Friday and just stitched. Because...stitching. Today might be the same.

Just One July - A Plague

The situation with Mary is not getting better. I had to stitch that last vertical stripe in her dress twice. And the whole vine went in and came back out. This project is cursed! It's not just having to rip it, it's a plague of frogs. I let you know when the locusts show up. (Stitching along with Justine for Just One July.)

Mary, Mary Quite Contrary

The holiday weekend allowed me quite a bit of stitching time. (Though I also spent time in the garden. Remind me never to leave my garden in May again!) I keep discovering crazy color mistakes. The first one was that I stitched those vertical stripes one shade lighter than they should have been (corrected). Now I realize that arm should be outlined in ecru, not green. Sigh. Onward!

Hello, July!

Heart in Hand's Woodland Peace ornament kit was my small for June, although I did finish it in July. It was just one of those months. (Even my grandmothers' cookies were made in June but sent in July.) I did enjoy stitching this; the fabric was silky, the colors were bright and fantastic, and it stitched up pretty quickly!

Goals for June:
I went with a half month rotation:
June 13-15 Our Souls--just a few flowers

June 16-18 Cinnamon Stars--nearly finished the center of the house and one side of the roof
June 19-21 Greenland Santa--just a few stitches, but that's how things are finished
June 22-24 Small #6--finished (above)
June 25-27 Mary's Stocking--no
June 28-30 Tis the Season--no

Overall, not bad. I also got some stitching done at the beginning of the month.

Goals for July:
I'm going to join Justine for Just One July. I'm combining with my traditional Christmas in July, so I'll be working on Mary's Stocking from Shepherd's Bush.

Here's where I'm starting.



This post is linked to Heather's Smalls SAL. You can get more information there or if you click the graphic in the sidebar. You can join at any time.

Projects Past, Present, and Future

An extra day to work on Tis the Season, and I am taking it! I'll show that one to you tomorrow.

What I have for you today is Mary's Stocking from Shepherd's Bush. (All called for materials.) I had put in an extra strip of pink (this is what it looked like last time I showed you) before I realized I was stitching with the wrong pink. {Sigh.} I began unstitchening and restitched.

Not bad for a day's work. 

Tomorrow is March, and March is (say it with me) National Craft Month. As usual I am going to attempt 31 projects in 31 days. See you then!