March Madness Stitching.

There are my projects from March Madness Stitching.  Most of these are new starts.  My plan was - if I started something new this month, I would finish it before 12/31/2017.  I have to say, after announcing my retirement, I did get a bit aggressive.  Special Thanks to Kerry for hosting this wonderful Theme-tas-Stitch This month we stitched on as many projects we wanted to.

Prairie Schooler Folk Egg - Just Cross Stitch Magazine It's a Start and a Finish

continued work on Woneta.  She has more of a Skirt and the kitty is growing.  Also there is some of her face

Kathy Barrick, Girls, Christmas Gift for Daughter - New Start

I think this is Cross Stitch Crazy or World of (will Double Check) I am going to stitch all four of these in a bell pull. I have wanted to stitch these for a very long time - I love this Delftware

Update on my 12 days.  Restarted twice - Finally found fabric I liked and am stitching over 1 - lots of fractional stitches and they were too icky when I used two threads on this fabric.

Wildlife Stocking in hard cover Better Homes and Garden 2005 Holiday Memories book This will be for my Granddaughter special request from my DIL

Grandaughter's stocking 

Stoney Creek Autumn Bell Pull  I do not think this will be finished by end of year.

Picture of Completed Autumn Bell Pull

Game of Thrones - Cloud Factory Christmas Present for DIL (Mother of GD getting stocking)

This is Springlogy from Trilogy - I have completed Fall and Winter in this series.  I am only stitching Spring and the umbrella boots square.  I do not like this rabbit or sheep or basket and I will never finish this piece if I did all the squares.  Sorry this is sideways.  

I also worked the Wicked Doll at the Retreat

A Stitchers Garden Retreat - Primitive Hare - Spooky

It seems life has just been so crazy.  I had an amazing weekend (March 10,11,12) at my annual Stitching Retreat.  I had a wonderful time, and of course it is so easy for me because I do not have to travel.

Here are the pictures of the goodies we received and the Stitching Project.

When we came back to our seat after breaks and meals there was always a new gift on the table.  All handmade, except of course the little scissors.   The stitching bag, needle book, the little ort tray, the post it note holder (or whatever) and the little drawstring pouch filled with chocolate.  I picked the bag - lots of spooky choices, I picked the one with the floating dresses.

 These were are two Friday night projects - the little mason jar, we pin cushioned the top.  I choose fabric that matched the bag.  And of course the wonderful strawberry - but I choose the orange and the green - so mine really looks more like a carrot.

I was very surprised to win the raffle basket.  It is a spider web.  Three projects, soaps, candles, lotions, linens.

This is a terrible picture of the project.  It is a stitching bag and a little stump doll.  This is a picture of my weekend progress.  

I ate too much and spent too much.  

It was unfortunate, it was the weekend we set the clocks ahead.  I am one of the few people I know that does not like Daylight Savings Time.  I really like the sun to rise early and I don't care what time it sets.  

And if that wasn't bad enough - we had a crazy blizzard on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday.  I had taken Monday and Tuesday as vacation so I was safe at home.  The office closed at 1 on Tuesday and Wednesday we were closed  Snow Day.  I have worked in the same building since 1978 and this is only the 2nd time (once in 1993) we closed.  We are the snowiest city in New York - always get over 100 inches a year.  So for us to close it had to be bad.  But by Thursday we were all plowed out and back to work.  

The best news I have to share, is I have decided to retire early.  I will be 64 in June.  I have worked too long in the same place.  I will be retiring the end of August - in six months time.  I will most likely get a part time job, just for the extras - like Stitching Retreats.

First March Check In

I had a great February Stitching Month.  These are all my finishes.  There are two additional Smalls I am sharing for the first time.  JBW Designs Spring Basket I completed with the left over floss from my Spring project - because it was stitched 2 over 2 on 25 ct purple, it really is much larger than I expected.  The pink Easter Egg fabric is a shade of green.

I have jumped back and forth with trying to plan just what Madness will be happening in My March Stitching.  I have added a few stitches to my year of WIP piece Woneta by Amy Bruecken, I have a new start Puddle Dancer from Hand Blessings and I did start 12 days of Christmas, in Cross Stitch and Needlework January 2014.  I am stitching from stash.  So many new projects will start on different shades and stitch counts and fabrics.    I have frogged all of my progress on 12 days because I will not survive stitching it on the fabric I choose.  So I will restart it next week.  

I am planning on several new starts in the Month of March.  But not sure which ones will make the final cut - I will share as I stitch. 

Daughter #3 loves to play in the Rain.  Especially in the Summer when everyone is running for cover, she is dancing.  I am stitching this on, I think, 14 ct while aida in her favorite color purple  DMC 154

Woneta - When I pulled this out to stitch on I had completed half of the black cat and the arm and hand holding the cat.

This pattern has a  ton of fractional stitches.  Haven't stitched these in a bit, the evenweave I started this just wasn't working.  But I really want this to be finished by Christmas and I like this already owned chart.  So I will not give up.

Something to share on  Cross Stitch.  But just have to.

Locally every Tuesday our law enforcement agencies issue a press release regarding a cold case.  This past Tuesday this was my brother.  I am sharing the links because I have to.  I have to continue to share on all my social media things.  So the following links are all about the case.  I have saved this to the end, because I am not sharing this for one reason, it makes me feel better.  Interview re brother  and   First Article after Press Release