SAL Crazy!

    I joined Facebook in the fall and have been overwhelmed with the number of needlework groups and SALs available there.  I never thought of myself as a joiner,  preferring instead to do my own thing with my stitching and working on pieces that caught my eye at the time.  I don't know if this is a change in me or if I just didn't know myself as well as I thought I did  but I have now joined 5 SALs hosted by various groups on Facebook!!
   I have started some new pieces within those groups so I guess there is some enabling going on  but  I'm hoping to finish some of my UFOs in  a couple of them too.  Several of these started the beginning of the year.  Within the confines of Sampler World I'm working on the Snooty Parrots Sal and have completed the assignment for January.  It is stitched on 40 ct. Lakeside Vintage Exemplar with GAST.

Then, I am also working on the Quaker Medallion SAL and have now completed the January assignment for this piece as well.  It is stitched on 40 ct. Lakeside Meadow Rue with my conversion from DMC to GAST.

The third SAL is Dorothy Walpole.  Since I was ahead of the schedule on that one, from the Scarlet Letter SAL, (yes, I guess you could call it Double Dipping!!) I haven't worked on her yet but here is a pic of where I left off the last time she saw the light of day.

Wow, I didn't realize how long it had been since I worked on her!!  I makes me glad to have her back in a rotation again. I would really like to get this one finished this year.
  The other 2 SALs I've joined haven't started yet.  One begins on February 1st and the other doesn't start until March so I will post about those when the time is closer.  I my defense, I would like to add that I only joined these last 2 because I have projects already started for each of them and I'm hoping the SAL will motivate me to get them finished!!
    So that brings us to AW 1662.  I was reading the Scarlet Letter Year blog the other day and I saw a post by someone who is working on this one too.  She had just finished my favorite band and it really got me motivated to get back to work on mine.  This is a pic of where I left off:

And this is where it is now:

I am currently working on the top edge of the checkerboard band (my favorite) and I hope to be able to make some real progress on it this weekend.  It is the January weekend for IHSW and I would love to just sit and stitch for the long weekend but my son will be here and I don't know how much time I will be able to spend on needlework.  You want to spend time with the family when you can!!
   Well, that's about all for now.  Hope you all have a good long weekend of stitching!!

A First Finish of 2014

   Hope you are all enjoying the start of the new year and are managing to stay warm during the awful weather most of us have been having.  Even here in the burg the weather has been a challenge and I skipped the EGA board meeting yesterday due to our extreme wind chill advisory.  Hadn't seen one of those here in the 15 years we've been in this area!!  I did utilize my time well though and I will tell you about that a little later.
   I wrapped up the Christmas piece I was working on last time on the 3rd of January but haven't had time to show it!  I have been working slavishly to get the house 'undressed' and back to normal.  It took me several days to get all that done. Then I hosted stitch group this week so there was prep for that, cleaning, baking, etc.  but 'normal' has returned and now I can show my finish!!

Jarden Prive  Christmas
40 ct. Lakeside Parchment
w/ suggested DMC

   I had been carrying this as my stitch group piece (not for very long) and one of my friends said 'Oh,so you're working on my Christmas gift for next year.'  Everyone laughed  and we moved on and later we drew names for next year's exchange.  And didn't I get her name??!!  So I think I am going to give this to her next Christmas.  Not only will she be totally surprised but it puts me ahead of the game already for this year!!
   As you can see from the new button on the sidebar, I have joined the Stitch from Stash Challenge for this year.  I really need to do this.  My stash is ridiculous!  I was going to take a picture and show it to you but I think I will save that embarrassment for a time when the temptation is really getting to me.  Lets just say I don't need to buy another thing!!  I have so many things already in my stash that I want to stitch  and if I don't get started soon, I will never get to them! I can't guarantee I will last the whole year but I will give it the old college try!
      I have been doing some major stitching planning though and have a very optimistic list for this year.  Between stitching for friends, things I want to get  finished, and new starts I have 22 projects on my list.  Keep in mind that the list is subject to change at my whim since I do have SADD!  I did manage to complete 19 pieces this past year and several of my UFOs are pretty far along so I have hope of making a serious dent in that list.
    I have also joined several SALs on Facebook this year all within the Sampler World confines.  The Snooty Parrots was one I was trying to resist but eventually gave in to. Those parrots are just too darned cute!!  A lot of other people started this on New Year's Day but I didn't get mine started until the 4th. I got the vine in (the part for this month's assignment) but I didn't like the color of the dye lot I had for the vine and changed it to something a little darker. (Surprise, surprise!!) That meant a total rip out and re-do. I worked on it most of the afternoon and evening yesterday and this is my progress as of  last night.  I need to put in a few more letters and the section assigned  for this month will be finished.

Snooty Parrots Sampler by Barbara Ana

    There is also a C Street Samplerworks Quaker SAL that I joined since I have the chart, twice, and thought it was a good time to stitch that one. I will probably start this one next since it also had a new years day start date. And let us not forget Dorothy Walpole which I have already started as part of Nicola's Scarlet Letter Year.  Thought I could kill 2 birds with one stone with that one. And a little extra motivation never hurts!!
    So you can see I have no lack of stitching to play with over the course of the year.  I know I will be tempted by new samplers, and pretty soon since spring market is just next month.  But I am going to do my best to resist the sirens call and keep to the lovelies I already have waiting patiently for my needle!

2013 Wrap-Up

  It's hard to believe it's the end of the year.  My grandmother always said time really flew by as you got older and as a kid I thought she was full of hooey.  How could that be possible? Now, as I am much older myself, I see just what she meant and am amazed with how quickly each day passes.
  I had a few things I wanted to share before we zoom into the new year.  I received a beautiful sampler from my friend Tommye for my birthday.  I apologize for the lack of ironing but I have had too many things on my to-do list today to even think about getting out an iron!  And besides, the post office did this, they should iron it!!

  I am also lucky enough to be on her recipient list for the ornament craziness she gets up to each year.  She gave me this one, which I LOVE!!

She loves this one too and already has it kitted to stitch for herself in the coming year.
  I showed you the sampler I stitched as my exchange gift in my weekly group and now I can also show you the one I received.  Let me just preface this by saying that I am the youngest one in my weekly group and I am no spring chicken!!  This cute little ornament was stitched by a lady in her 70's and it is OVER ONE!!

It is just darling and I plan to leave it out all year!! (Not really too big of a stretch since I leave my Christmas snow globe collection out all year too!)
  I gave my husband 272 Words for Christmas and I wanted to share the framed piece with you as well.

  I think the frame is perfect for it and really gives this sampler an old fashioned feel.

  I didn't have much time to stitch over the holiday.  With both of my boys in and out, the engagement (My younger son proposed to his girlfriend during the holiday!) and a concerted effort on my part to be more in the moment, I really didn't have much alone time to stitch.  I did manage to make a little more progress on my current WIP and this is where it is right now.

I had hoped to have this finished before the end of year but it was not meant to be.  However, it should be my first finish of the new year!!
  Well, that's about it for now.   I have big plans for the coming year but I will save them to share with you next post. Until then, I wish you all a Happy New Year and I  look forward to seeing you all next time.

Last IHSW Report of the Year

  I think I finally have the Christmas prep done.  I wrapped the last presents this afternoon and although you can't see the floor around it, my large cat still manages to squeeze himself under the tree!  He is so funny!  As soon as the tree skirt goes down, his favorite place is under the tree!!
   Even though I spent most of the weekend baking and wrapping, I  managed to get some stitching into the mix too.  I have been tired in the evening when I sat down to stitch so in an effort to keep up my stitching mojo I started something new.  It's just a small sampler that I purchased recently and it is a perfect stitch for this time of year.

Jarden Prive
Christmas

  I saw this on one of the Facebook needlework groups and had to stitch it.  So Cute!!  I am stitching it on 36 ct. Lakeside Pecan Butter with the called for DMC.  I should be able to get some serious stitching time in after Christmas so I expect this to be finished before the end of the year.  We'll see!

  I want to thank you all for reading and leaving comments on my blog this year.  You have made my entry into blogging so much fun!!  Hope you all have a wonderful holiday and wishing everyone peace in the new year.  Merry Christmas!  Laura

It's my birthday so we have a winner!

   I'm still not ready.  I've been running around like my hair's on fire trying to get it all done. I am a one holiday at a time kind of girl, enjoying each as it comes, and don't start thinking about the next until the last is over.  Usually that works out okay but when there are only 3 weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas things can get a little hairy!!!
   I think I am going to push off the birthday celebration until after Christmas. It's not my first time at this rodeo. Since it is so close to Christmas, my birthday has always been kind of lost in the shuffle and no one has plans for after Christmas.  December 26th is wide open!!  My son isn't happy about this arrangement but I'm going to need today to do Christmas prep.  I still have wrapping to finish and I need to make the Neiman Marcus cookies so I can go pick up my husband's gift!!
  True story:  I got the recipe for the Neiman Marcus cookies (the original, not the one on the website now) at a cookie exchange while we were stationed overseas.  I have been making them every year at Christmas since then and because they make so many (about 11 dozen) I give them as gifts to friends and family.  My LNS owner loves them!!
     A couple of weeks ago I stopped by after picking up 272 Words from the framer to see if I could leave it there until closer to Christmas.  It is my husband's gift after all and I don't think it could have been in the house without him peeking! She asked me about the cookies then. I really can't go back in there without those cookies!!  I need to make them today (and they take just about all day) so I can pick up that sampler for my husband!!!
    Thursday we had the gathering of my weekly stitch group for our Christmas exchange.  I stitched today's giveaway piece for my friend and now I can show mine.  Such a lovely piece and so much fun to stitch!

   I had my husband draw a name from the comments on my last post and the winner is Cathy B!!  Send me an email Cathy with your fabric count selection and mailing address and I will get this right out to you!!  I really enjoyed stitching it and I think you  will too!

 Well, I need to get to work if I am going to be ready for Christmas.  Wishing all of you a wonderful holiday and peace in the new year.

Happy Blogoversary to Me!

    My how time flies! Hard to believe it has been a whole year since I dipped my toe in the blogosphere and in December no less.  I must have been nuts!!  Did I need one more thing to do in December??!!  Probably not, but it has been fun.

      In honor of my first blogoversary and that magical mark of 50 followers I thought I'd have a giveaway.  Since it is December I thought something in a Christmas theme was called for. So I would like to offer you this:

And to make it even more fun, I am going to kit it.  The pattern calls for 40 ct. linen but I will give you your choice of count.  The thread is Gentle Art Sampler Thread Grecian Gold but the dye lot at my LNS was way too green so I am going to substitute a lovely Gloriana silk in antique gold.

   No need to jump through hoops, just leave a comment on this post.  That's it.  I will draw the winner on the 21st, which just happens to be my birthday.  What could be more fun than that??!!

Gettin' in the Mood

   Crazy busy started early!  My older son was home the week before Thanksgiving.  As a commercial truck driver he gets home when the schedule allows so him being here for an actual holiday is kind of hit or miss.  My younger son and his girlfriend got here on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, which was the day his brother left, so they were like ships in the night.  Probably passed each other on the highway but didn't see each other this time.  We are hoping to work something out for Christmas!
   We did manage to get the tree up over the weekend but had a lighting issue that  turned into a 'science project', as my husband likes to say, so I still haven't decorated it yet.  I got some of the other decorating done but that isn't totally finished either. I did go out on Black Friday, the first time in years, but it was to help my younger son with something special so I did no shopping either.  Hmm...kind of sensing a trend here.
    I have been so busy since my last post (though now I'm not sure what I have been doing!!)  I don't think I've had more than a few hours of stitching time.  And those that know me will attest to fact that that is highly unusual! There have even been a couple of times when I have gone DAYS without putting in a single stitch and that almost never happens!!!  Maybe that's why nothing else seems to be finished either.  I did manage to finish the stitching on the ornament I have been carrying around to my stitch groups.

It's a Little House ornament from a while ago.  I have a whole box of these I am trying to get done but so far, this is the only one I have stitched this year.  I usually stitch ornament the entire month of July.  You know, Christmas in July and all of that.  But this year I worked on other things and just didn't get to it.
  After I finished the above, I  started a Christmas sampler to carry around to stitch groups.  I have no deadline for this one and I am frequently still working on Christmas after the first of the year so I'll just work on it until its finished.  You probably remember this Blackbird design from last year.

This is where I am with it now, about half way, and it is small enough that it shouldn't take too much time to finish.

Stitched on 35 ct. WDW cocoa
with the suggested threads

    December, of course, can't be counted on at all for stitching time.  If you don't have whatever it is finished by Thanksgiving, you are pretty much out of luck.  Which is why, although I am not panicking just yet, I am starting to hyperventilate just a bit about my gift for our group exchange.  I ordered this from the Attic when it first came out, about umpteen years ago.  It's a Linda Vinson piece and I think it is just gorgeous! And since it was started (barely) I thought I would finish it for my friend and knock out another UFO, the whole 2 birds, one stone thing.

The linen is beautiful and it is stitched with Belle Soie which you manipulate to get the color in the right places.  It has been challenging because of this but the effect is lovely!!  I only have one 'outside the house' obligation over the next 2 weeks so I hope to get lots of stitching time to finish this.  I would hate to have to give this to her unfinished and immediately take it back!
  Well, that's about all for now from the Burg.  I did some gussying up of the old blog today, hope you like it.  Trying to get more in the holiday spirit. My head is spinning a little from the fast turnaround from Thanksgiving.  Guess what I really need to do is break out the Christmas music, that always helps!
  Thanks to all of you who leave a comment or just come by to see what I have been doing.  I have a confluence of events occurring soon, blog anniversary, birthday, nearly 50 followers, etc. Might just be time for a giveaway!!??