Advent Blog Hop, Day 23

Welcome to Day 23 of the annual Serendipitous Stitching Advent Blog Hop. Two more sleeps! (Actually for us it's just one more, but that's a story for another day.)

I have an annual tradition--insofar as something you have been doing for four years is a "tradition"--of making my nieces a Christmas ornament. This year it's a Lizzie*Kate Sled Dudes Snow Man for Special K and a Stocking Sleds Santa for Sugar Rea. (Santa was stitched for Craft Month.)

You can follow these links to see the other ornaments I've made for the girls:
First Christmas
Second Christmas: Santa and Snowman
Third Christmas: Santa and Snowman

Jo asked us to share our favorite Christmas Songs with you, and I went all Rob Gordon:

5. "The Christmas Waltz," She and Him
4."Fairytale of New York," The Pogues
3. "Christmas Wrapping," The Waitresses
2. "Elf's Lament", Barenaked Ladies (with Michael Bublé)
1. "Silver Bells"

 Ho, ho, ho! Merry Christmas!

Happy New Year!

Here we are, 2018. Before we look forward, a stocktaking. Though there wasn't much stock to take. I finished five pieces--Ortilda the Witch, Tada Santa and Snowman, Wabbit's Wonder, and Christian's Stocking.

Stitching did pick up in the latter half of the year, so I am hoping that is the trend for the future.

I am joining Stitching Lotus's Smalls SAL for real this year! (Last year I said I would stitch smalls but I didn't even change the link from 2016 to 2017. But look, it says 2018!) I plan to do a rotation, but I think I'm going to do fewer pieces for an extra day so seven pieces for four days each instead of ten pieces for three days with occasional theme months, like in February (Valentine's Day!) I'm going to focus on anniversary pieces*, and of course, Craft Month in March.

I also plan to blog more, and visit your blogs more often too.

For my January rotation, I'm going to start with seven smaller pieces so I can feel like I'm making headway!

1. Nunavut Santa
2. Lapland Santa
3. Four Fat Friends
4. Elizabethan Rose
5. Deruta Biscornu
6. Special K's Ornament
7. Sweet Baby Ray's Ornament

What are your plans for the year?

*There are three unfinished--47 Hearts ('17), Our Souls ('14), and To Thee My Heart ('10).

A Month of Blogging Finis

I wasn't sure what I was going to stitch last night that could also serve as my small for today's Small SAL report. I pawed through the stash, reviewed the three Two Hour Cross Stitch books I had, selected and discarded a few items. At last my eye alighted on the Lizzie*Kate pattern Sled Dudes. One of the women sitting next to me at the Strawberry Sampler Stitch In at the beginning of this month was stitching this very piece. She started it and then I looked over again a few minutes later and she had nearly finished it! With this memory in mind, I knew I had found the perfect piece.

I only stitched on it for an hour last night, but I was able to finish-finish it in another hour or so! Since I decided on this piece at the last minute, only two of the flosses are the called-for colors. I used WDW Grasshopper for the green and WDW Peony for the pink, as called for. But the blue is GAST Huckleberry, the white is WDW Whitewash, the black is GAST Wrought Iron and the red is DMC 321 (which is listed as an alternate to Louisiana Hot Sauce). I also used metallic gold perforated paper instead of plain brown; it was all I had. Linking up with Heather of Stitching Lotus who hosts the Smalls SAL.

This is the most fun I have ever had doing NaBloPoMo! I really went back to the roots of the blog for that one, and it worked!  I'll be back to the regular rotation tomorrow.

Wisteria Snowman
Love Bird
Christian's Stocking
Our Souls
Waldorff
Cinnamon Stars
Lapland Santa
small
Ladybug, Ladybug
Tis the Season

Small SAL--August Mermaid

The moment keen readers have been waiting for! Just which piece was I able to zip through so I could get back to that handsome bearded fellow from the arctic?

"In the Pink" is a breast cancer awareness piece from Elegant Stitch. It was designed by Midsummer Night Designs, and it sold out before I could sign up. But someone--and I've lost track of who at this point--sent it to me. I started it last year for the Smalls SAL but only got halfway through.

This piece is very pink, stitched on "Awareness Pink" from R&R. (I couldn't get the fabric to photograph well.) It's stitched over one, and so the eyes look like crazy bug eyes.

I think I got this because my aunt was diagnosed with breast cancer around the time it came out. Of course, it has been out for ages; happily, my aunt is cancer free. Maybe I'll give it to her anyway. They say it's the thought that counts.

If you were the person who sent me the kit instead of stitching it yourself, please feel free to give yourself madprops in the comments, and I'll right this half-assed post.

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

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!

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.

Oh, Hello! Were You Looking for Me?

Sorry I've been out of touch. The dude and I were across the pond visiting the fam. In the flying, train riding, and driving about, I worked on a few projects.

I finished my May small. Unfortunately I'm blogging it too late to join in the Smalls SAL. This is Blackbird's Buttons and Pins Reward of Merit. I used the called-for colors and a random piece of fabric. I made one change; I didn't use chain stitch for the urn. (My chain stitches are kind of crap.) I just need to add the buttons in the blank spot.

 I worked a little on last year's anniversary sampler, "Our Souls" by Midsummer Night Designs using the called for floss and a random piece of fabric. You can see how it looked before here.

Then, I worked on this year's anniversary sampler, "The Thread that Binds" by Mosey n Me. I am using the called for materials. You can see how it looked before here. All that's left is a lot of white on white stitching (upper right) and that snakey bit on the bottom.

Finally I worked a bit on the Deruta Biscornu by Giulia Punti Antichi. I last showed it to you when I started it in January of 2014. Do forgive me that I haven't kept you up to date on this one. When I took this out, the three borders had been finished and the first line of half circles were in. (Let's face it, they kind of look like boobs) I thought I'd continue with the dark terra cotta so I could fill in on the plane ride home, but I went with filling in the roses on the 2015 sampler instead. 


I'm way behind in reading, commenting, and indeed blogging. But I'm back, baby, and better than ever!

April Showers

This small was not so small. Only about 75x30 but, as you can see, it is wall to wall stitches. This is a Bent Creek kit called Showers and Flowers. This kit is from 2000. I used the fabric and the flosses (DMC and Weeks) that came in the kit.

I changed the flowers to rice stitches because I like rice stitches and I think they give more of a floral feeling.

I am linking up to Heather's Smalls SAL--and just under the wire too. You should check out all the lovely smalls the stitchers have stitched up. (Looking at the photo, I realize that the bee charm flipped over. It actually fits nicely into that green spot between the flowers.)

Off to work on a special gift that I should be able to show you in about two weeks. And then back to the rotation.

Smalls Stitchalong, and Craft Month Finis.

Last year during my attempt to do 31 cross stitch finishes, I decided it would be a good idea to start a small right in the middle of the month. Sure, it's from Two-Hour Country Cross-Stitch but I didn't have a moment to spare. I have no idea what I thought I was doing then. But now, much more than two hours later, I used it to decorate the cover of a photo album. The album I purchased had a 3x3 opening on the front so you could stick in a photo. I had to be sure to make a flat ornament that would cover that opening with enough clearance to glue it on. That's why there is much more white space than normal. (This is almost an inch all around. I'm much more of a half inch kind of girl.)

I did finish the stitching this month for Heather's Smalls Stitchalong. Go check out what others have done.

And so concludes another Craft Month. I'm going to go over there and collapse in a heap! Thanks for all your lovely comments and encouragement. I appreciated it all so much!

SAL Report: Nieces' Ornaments Stitched

I had promised I'd make the "twin" to the Santa ornament from last month sometime this year, and I decided this month was as good a time as any other. This delightful snowman is from Lizzie*Kate's Tiny Tidings XIX, stitched on the called-for fabric with the called-for colors. 

He stitched up much faster than I thought he would. I stitched it while I was listening to Amy Poehler's Yes Please. (I had finished Bryan Stevenson's book, which you should all read. Yes, every one of you! Everyone in the whole world should read it. We need more stonecatchers.) Her book is enjoyable but unless you dedicate yourself to the idea that it is improvisational, it will drive you bonkers. Anyway, that's why he's smiling; he listened to the last three disks. ;)

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.

SAL Report: Santa Knew

My first small of the year--staying on track for 12 new ones in 2016! This is from Lizzie*Kate's Tiny Tidings XIX, stitched on the called-for fabric with the called-for colors. I did change the words from "Santa Knows" though because I've always thought of Santa as being the spirit of giving rather than someone who is all about surveillance.

This is for Sugar Rea and sometime this year, I'll be stitching the snowman from this booklet for Special K. In fact, when I chose this one, I went a little overboard and ordered Jim Shore's Snowy Owl Snowman and Best Friend Santa and Amy Bruecken's Ta-da Santa and Ta-da Snowman. I had already pulled L*K's Sled Dudes, so I have enough planned to stitch until the girls reach kindergarten. I'm not excited or anything!

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.

Smalls Wrap Up

Checking in for only the seventh (possibly sixth) time this year, I present my last Smalls SAL of 2015. This is Ewe & Eye & Friends Button Basket from the April 1999 edition of Cross Stitch and Needlework. I started this in January as part of Debbie's Ultimate Crazy January Challenge. You can see what it looked like when I picked it up again here. (That's right--untouched for eleven months!)

I used unbleached linen and the called-for Anchor floss. (I always get the Anchor floss for the Ewe & Eye designs; there's something different in the quality of the floss that I like for their designs.) Happily, I found all the buttons in my button jar. No idea where they came from or how old they might be but I am pleased with how they look.

I will be back soon with a review of my (pathetic) 2015 stitching and thoughts about stitching in 2016. Until then!

Smalls SAL: Tiny Ornaments for Lovely Girls

This month, I decided to stitch ornaments for the girls. I chose an old Sisters and Best Friends chart, not for any sentimental reason, but rather I had a plan. Someday when I am not decorating for Christmas any longer* I thought it would be nice for the twins to inherit my ornament collections. One is snowman ornaments and the other is santa ornaments. So I've decided to stitch them ornaments to start their collections. I chose these because I knew I could get them done!

Unfortunately, I attended a conference last week (more on that in my belated Alphabet Club post) and I took off with too little spring grass (snowman ornament) and no soot (both ornaments) so I stitched what I could. (And then it turned out that I had forgotten the black for the other stitching project I brought and it was all a huge cluster!) (And we ended up having to stay an extra day because of all the damn rain on Friday.)

*When I'm too old, not like last year when I just didn't get around to decorating...

Smalls SAL: Fresh Mesh

I started this small last January as part of Debbie's Ultimate Crazy January Challenge. You can see how it looked after a day's work here.

 Funnily enough, Heather, who runs this SAL, asked, "So, what did you stitch this month? Does your stitching still reflect the warm weather (or cold, depending on where you are)? Have you started stitching for Christmas already?" And my answer to both is yes!  This is called "Spring Fresh Mesh" but I think it works for our summery weather (though not as summery--ie 95 degrees with a million percent humidity--as usual). I'm so pleased to have it finished, and I think it might become a Christmas present for someone... Who'll be this lucky?

May Small Check In

If you've been worried about me, you were right. No sooner did I hit publish on that last post, than my mother-in-law showed up. Don't feel sorry for me, though, she's a gem! We went looking at art and gardens and played in my garden as well...but there's plenty of time for that story, you're here for the stitching.

I'm participating in the Smalls SAL hosted by Heather at the Stitching Lotus, occasionally...

This Ewe & Eye ladybug (Slow Poke) is one of the pieces I started for Debbie's Ultimate Crazy January Challenge, on Day 12 as a matter of fact. And it was nearing completion at the end of March. And I finally got around to it.

For more information about this SAL, check out the link in the sidebar.

Smalls SAL and Days 23 and 24

Last week, people kept saying January was "almost over." I kept saying to the dude, "I don't know what's wrong with them, I have another week left." And then the end of January came up and bit me in the ass. Work is crazy--I just got 300+ reports to edit, and we're in the middle of interviewing for a new team member. At home, I've been trying to get to some of those little projects that escape your notice until they have to be done RIGHT NOW. Oh, shit, I just remembered I didn't send in the car registration. See what I mean?

Anyway, it's the smalls check in. I continue this project with Heather at Stitching Lotus. I finished (and had to show) my small 26 days ago. In case you missed it, I stitched Bee Keeper by Drawn Thread.

I'm sorry to have to combine posts but I don't have enough days to show you the rest of my DUCJC starts!

On Day 23 (see what I mean by losing track of the month?), I started Ortilda the Witch. This was a kit that came with a small ort jar that I gave away. I really bought this for Ortilda's brilliant hairdo. It's about time I got around to this one! This is WDW Peoria Purple instead of the called for fabric. Or did the fabric come in the kit? I'm starting to lose all brain function.

On Day 24 I started Cinnamon Stars by Plum Street Samplers. I am stitching it on 35 count lambswool with the prescribed flosses. It calls for 35 count fabric, and this was the best I could do for a color match. The fabric is stiff as a board and I kind of hate it. But I loved this pattern the moment it came out. LOVE!

If I have any brain cells left tomorrow, I'll be back to show you more new starts.

Smalls SAL--Ornament Exchange

This year I participated in Angela's ornament exchange. Although I haven't heard from my recipient, the post office said it's been delivered, so I'm going to show it, since it was last month's small. It is the LHN ornament from the 2012 JCS ornament issue. I was pretty faithful to the finishing. I used a wool fabric that I had and went with a navy blue ricrac instead of the green which would have been difficult to match. I changed all the colors on this from Crescent/Classic Colorworks to Weeks, except for Joshua Tree which was called for. (I can look in my project bag when I get home if you are desperate to know my changes.)

In return I received this patriotic snowman ornament. As you may know, I collect snowmen, so this will be a delightful addition to my tree. I wish I could tell you more about this, but this exchange was "no extras" and my partner took that incredibly seriously and didn't even include a note with her name on it! (Do you think they will kick me out of the club since I wrapped the ornament in tissue, put it in a plastic baggie and added a Christmas card? Have I gone totally over the top?)

That's the fun of an exchange, you just never know what you'll get!

I'm Late!

Well, I finally finished October's Small for the Smalls SAL hosted by Heather at Stitching Lotus.

This is Lizzie*Kate's "Ask Me about My Grandkids." I changed all the colors and from cotton to silk. I added extra pink flowers on the sides because my idea for finishing required the piece to be a rectangle instead of the charted square.

Here are my color changes:
WDW Chesapeake >>> Belle Soie Peacock
WDW Honeysuckle >>> BS Mango
WDW Raspberry >>> BS Carrot Cake
GAST Liberty >>> BS Bahama Breeze
GAST Shutter Green >>> BS Kiwi
GAST Victorian Pink >>> Caron Waterlilies African Sunset

Have you checked out what everyone else did yet?

Smalls SAL: Baby Edition

My entries into the Smalls SAL. Please forgive the horrible retouching; it's there to protect the babies' privacy, and I did it on my phone. 

I don't know what was up with my math skills on this but I stitched both baby names (over one!) twice because I simply could not align them. And I'm not certain that Sugar Rea's is centered. (The dude says it is fine.) I also had to do the year twice on both. Sigh. 

I'm taking them to the LNS this Saturday to have them finished. Just too cute to leave a heart-shape in my incapable hands. This is a Lizzie*Kate pattern called 1st Christmas. Every time I saw the cover photo of the couple's first Christmas ornament with "The Thompson's" I went nuts. It should be "The Thompsons" (plural, not possessive). Even if you were implying that it was the Thompsons' Christmas tree that the ornament was hanging on or the Thompsons' house it was in or that it was the Thompsons' ornament it would have to be both plural and possessive. It's only Thompson's if you are talking about one Thompson, and since it is "Our First Christmas" ornament, well, I hope you get the idea by now.

You can get more information on this stitchalong hosted by Heather at the Stitching Lotus by clicking on the badge in the sidebar. You can get links to the other stitchers' (see what I did there?) posts here.

Back on Track

Wait! What? Really? Yes!

I've stitched a flippin' small.

But it wasn't until I started stitching those black dots until I realized I've stitched this one before. Seriously, what has happened to my brain? Fortunately, I gave it away to my friend Lee so I needed a replacement. I changed the color yellow that I used, which I am happy with but now that I look back at the old one, I wish I had used those greens. It's love enough, and I am so pleased to be back on track with this SAL!

While I stitched this, I was thinking about something I saw on Humans of New York. A Jewish man had escaped Kristallnacht only to end up in the Philippines being attacked by the Japanese. I think what I like so much about HONY is the way it shows us the extraordinary of everyday people. Then I started thinking about a story I heard about Philadelphia Futures, a mentorship program for Philadelphia youth. A woman was talking about what her mentor meant to her. She was a junior in high school when her mother took her youngest sister on vacation and ended up abandoning her and her other sister. The interviewee started working so she and her sister could stay in their house. She had trouble her first year or so in college (ya think?) and ended up dropping out, but with the help of her mentor she is still working and back in college. So I guess the thing is we all have to remember that every has a story, you know. And we don't know it just by looking at them or studying history or statistics. Which is probably a lot heavier thoughts that this little stitch deserves!

You can find out more about how to join this SAL by clicking on the graphic in the sidebar, or by going to Stitching Lotus here.