Valentine's Week

The good news is I am making crafts. The bad news is that I am not reporting on them daily.
So here goes a long, picture heavy post to catch you up!

Valentine card. This card riffs on this one. I used the Petite Petals punch from Stampin' Up with Real Red, Rose Red, Cherry Cobbler, and Pink Pirouette papers. The centers are tiny pearls. Not sure which set the sentiment comes from. I see that the original creator die cut a heart to use as a template for laying out the flowers, but I just winged it. I know what shape a heart is. ;)

 This felt heart ornament is a riff on these. If you search for heart projects you will see a lot of very cute felt heart ornaments that I can only describe as regular, definitely cute but not whimsical or irregular. Kind of the opposite of this one. I'm not sure I 100% captured my vision, but I do like it.

It seems I am featuring the hutch in this week's photos. LOL.  Here we have a heart garland I made following this tutorial. She used super cute paper. Mine are a little less bright and fancy. Still cute.

Okay, these did not come out the way I imagined at all! I started with the pictures on this tutorial, and I did the painting mostly the way she suggests. I guess the handle was not half-heart-shaped enough. Also, I think I traced the outside of the handle, but I should have traced the inside. Then the heart on the mug body would have matched the handle better. They're not awful, just not what was in my head! (Get the oil-based Sharpie! It'll stand up to washing.)

Hello! This is Shepherd's Bush Be Mine Tag. These little kits work up so fast. I think it took me about two hours to do. I did briefly think about painting the sled white--I saw that in one of the Strawberry Sampler's newsletters--but I like the dark wood contrast. And pink and brown maybe out but they are fabulous together.

I saw these wrapped hearts here, and I thought they were so cute! And it's a craft that requires shapes and yarn and that's it. No glue. No sew. Just wrap and go. (You attach the hearts to the wreath form with wooden skewers.) But something just doesn't work here. It's so Gender Reveal Party. Welcome to the baby shower. Not Valentine's Day. I don't get it because I used the same colors they did. Maybe I just didn't realize how shower-y their colors were until I had done it myself? Oh, btw, that gold one uses crochet thread. While it is possible to do this with crochet thread, I'm not going to recommend it!

And the party. The Fake Party as the dude calls it, since I put all this stuff out and then don't have anyone over to eat it. This time we're having mix-ins with our date night movie accompanying popcorn. Except we ran out of popcorn. I bought a ton of mix-ins and no popcorn. (Heavy sigh.) Pretend the red bowl is overflowing with popcorn. This time, I created printables using Microsoft Word. Insert-->shape-->the heart is under "basic shapes." Then I filled it with the pastel colors of conversation hearts--white, green, peach, yellow, lavender--and used a san serif font in pink to replicate the Necco treats. One half of the toppings are savory--cheese, pretzels, nuts, spice mixes--and the others are sweet--Mike and Ike's, mini Reeses, honeyed almonds, and the Valentine's day M&M's. (Do you know how hard it was to save those?) The dude is going for the savory, but I pretty much live for the salty-sweet-crunchy combo.

Still with me? You are a trooper! Now that I am back on track, I'm going to try to swing by every day.

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.

Finis!

Look what I made! Christian's Stocking by Shepherd's Bush with the called for materials. I am just waiting now for the bling to arrive.

I kept meaning to blog but I was making such good headway...almost there...almost there... and at last!

Snowman, Built

Woo hoo! I finished Wisteria Snowman on this round. I really enjoy stitching these kits from Shepherd's Bush.

Wisteria joins Red, Blue, Green, and Black. That leaves Slate, Stone, Grey, Pink, and Purple. (I don't own any of those...some day, maybe.)

Sorry so short, up past my bedtime!

Stitched as kitted.

Over Two on 18 Count

You are all so lenient, so permissive! To allow cheating like that. 😄

Thank you for your kind words on Mary's Stocking. I can't say it was an enjoyable or quick stitch (see Just One July) but I am pleased with how it turned out. After I finished blogging about my huge accomplishment, I did have a moment to work on Christian's Stocking. And every over one on 40 count project should be followed by two projects stitched over two on 18 count! Ha ha. I last stitched this one in September.

Unfortunately, I ran out of navy blue perle. I should be able to replace it easily. If it's not already in the "I've stitched ten of these stockings" perle cotton #5 bag. It may be hiding in there.

We're almost at the end of this blogging project, and I must say it is nice not to hear me complain about the blogging challenge! I can't believe how stress free it's been.

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.)

Stitch In Saturday

This was a wonderful weekend for stitching! I got to sit on my butt with a bunch of other stitchers and stitch my fingers to the bone. What's better than that? On Saturday, I picked up Wisteria Snowman. Click to see what it looked like in September.

In addition to Strawberry Sampler regulars, there was a special guest, Diane from Silver Creek Samplers. She is from northeastern Pennsylvania and was good enough to pack up all her models and charts and join us. (She doesn't ship
out trunk shows since she stitches her own models.) So we got to see everything, even the ones the shop doesn't usually stock. (There were four displays, like the one pictured below, with at least this many models.) There were four new patterns among the pieces but they won't be released until market. (Sorry, I arrived a bit late and missed the intro.)

I found four charts I liked, two for me and two for the dude. I have always loved Promise of Spring and since I was getting the others, I had to. The sheep was too cute to pass up, though the dude had an extraordinarily difficult time reading it. I loved the idea of forty-seven hearts, but I'm not sure if I'm a couple years late (the dude's 48) or if I have to wait until our 47th anniversary. The umbrella sampler is wonderful, though I think it's hilarious that it is a sampler with ducks on it...and I'm always saying how people complaining about ducks and geese in cross stitch are relying on stereotypes. LOL

Speaking of stereotypes, some days in groups of women are better than others, and I have to say Saturday wasn't great. There were a lot of women talking about things which some women find a lot more interesting than I do (children, sports) and using such stereotypes--about their own people! Fortunately, there was no election talk so I just stuffed my gob full of this dip, kept my head down, and stitched!

In addition, to seeing the trunk show, I was sitting right near where Diane was showing her ideas file to Beth from the shop. So I got to see her future ideas file. Let me tell you, you are going to looooooove the Christmas sampler which will probably come out next year. What a lucky break!

Even more stitching was done today, can't wait to share tomorrow!

Where the Hell Have You Been?

Dear Friends, I have been away for weeks, and I'm sorry. So much I wanted to do--keep you up to date with my rotation stitching, wish our friend Jo a Happy 50th Birthday (my own is not far behind), check in with the Spinster and our dear pal Stewie, but it's just been busy. (I can't comment from my phone, and this drives me nuts!)

The dude is hogging the computer with his "work." (It's actually real work, a second job no less.) (I apologize for the sarcastic quotation marks.) I had to go away for work last week, and I thought for sure I could catch up but I was delusional. So here we are. I'm supposed to tell you about my stitching small, but I fear that will have to wait for Saturday. (It's not quite done. And tomorrow is Stamp Night.)

When we last met, I was picking up Wisteria Snowman from Shepherd's Bush. She was headless then. Not so headless now...This is about the time my parents' DNA results came in, and I was trying to find my mother's father's relatives. We need more Eastern Europeans to jump on the bandwagon, alas. (My mother is a veritable stew of peoples. Including trace amounts of DNA from North Africa, South Asia, and indigenous America. My father is not as French Canadian as we thought clocking in at 57% British and Irish!)

I next picked up Christian's Stocking because I thought I was going to be able to get this done for Christmas. I haven't picked it up since January 2015 when I was in the throes of Debbie's Ultimate Crazy January Challenge. Now it looks like this:

During this three day period, I was also attending Cookbook Club (Chasen's Chili from A Twist of the Wrist) and trying to salvage the overload of pears we got from the farm share. (I made pear sauce, which is like applesauce, but we all need to make it more often so pearsauce becomes a thing I don't have to explain.)

I moved on to Our Souls but I was in the midst of getting a flight for my Big Birthday Trip that my mother and aunt and I will be taking in February. More later. I was also attending meetings for my volunteer work and preparing the invitations for my Big Birthday Celebration. This poor sampler got so little attention.

I moved on to Cinnamon Stars but with only one day of stitching, I'm not sure it's worth the photo.

When I went off to Pittsburgh for the conference, I brought a small, Lovebird, and Ladybug, Ladybug (it's been found!), but I only worked on the small...and I'm still working on the small.

So there's been a little stitching and a lot of thinking of you all. I think that catches you up!

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?

In the Meadow, We Can Build a Snowman

In the U.S., it's definitely not snowman building time. We're back to PA with temperatures in the mid-90s and humidity to match, barely cooling to the 70s for sleeping. In Maine, temps were in the mid-70s during the day--with low humidity--and cool nighttime temperatures. No wonder I popped out of bed between 6:00 and 6:30 every morning ready to start my day (with a long walk with the dude, my mom, and her dog). Sigh. Who ever thought I'd spend my summer vacations chasing cooler temps? Would that the memories would help me sleep better. Anyway, the ride home gave me plenty of time to work on Shepherd's Bush Wisteria Snowman (kit). (I've gone out of order, since my sister was with us for the last three days of our vacation, and Mary's Stocking is for her.)

I would be remiss if I didn't tell you that one of our vacation days was spent in South Berwick (in Maine, they pronounce that W) (in the UK, they don't) to see Sarah Orne Jewett's house. We arrived at 11:30 not realizing that tours were only given on the hour. There were about six shops on the tiny main street--that hadn't changed much according to pics we saw from the 19th century--but fortunately one of them was a quilt store! And it just so happened that my mother needed fabric for a quilt.  (I acted as her proxy.) She recently gave in and bought my father a lift-chair, which she has declared the "ugliest chair you have ever seen." Complaining on Facebook brought her the offer of a quilt to cover the chair. Of course, I've never looked at fabric without needing some myself. This is what I picked up at Saltwater Fabrics for me. I bought larger quantities of the waves and jellyfish for my mother.

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!

Round Eight: the Winter Storm Edition

It's amazing how much you can stitch when the weatherpeople tell you not to go outside. Not that I really needed their help avoiding it! Overnight we had gusty winds and snow, of course, but the next day it just kept snowing and snowing. Nothing like getting winter all at once. My daffodils had buds before they were covered in snow. I'd tell you how much but it was so windy that the snow drifted in ways that make it difficult to tell. For example, on one side of our driveway, the snow drifts as high as the Honda Civic; on the other side, you can see the neighbor's lawn poking out. According to the paper, we got 22" out this way. And a two hour delay today! (Only because the college is surrounded by tertiary roads, and I bet they're still digging those out. Our street is down to one lane.)

Anyway, last night I finished stitching Sadie's Stocking! You'll just have to take my word for it that the name is stitched--I want to protect everyone's privacy.

In the rotation, this will be replaced by either Mary's Stocking or Christian's Stocking. Plenty of stocking left to stitch!

WIP: Tisket

A tisket a tasket, I've been stitching a basket! (Also a little bit of dress.) That's what happens when you're sitting around letting the dye take...

Thanks to all for reading, and especially for commenting. You do not know how much it helps when I do something crazy like decide to blog every day!