Finishes and Updates

This has been a very long WIP and it is finally finished - I started this when my grandson was living with me - he is now 8 and I had just rescued my dog Dakota and they were the best of friends.  My first 2014 Finish, and one of my 2014 goals...

This was started in February and Finished in March - I love Stitching Halloween projects - this one I really liked the colors they were so different then my other projects - 2nd Finish of 2014... So very happy  This is in the Just CrossStitch Halloween I believe 2012, but maybe 2013 - at work right now, and do not have copy available.

Bothy Threads Garden Shed Update - I would like to figure out how to get a little more stitching time on Monday. This is my current SAL sponsored by Debbie and Linda

My Apple Sampler - I have finished all the letters, and all of the #DMC321.  This is one of my 2014 Finish Goals - but it seems it is never one I want to pick up and stitch, unless I have a large block of time. 

My Coffee - this is one I started for the Crazy Cross Stitch challenge of 2013 - I am still working on almost all of those started then - but this one is one of my 2014 Finishes Goals and has become a priority.  I want to see this one finished. This is in the CrossStich - Needlework Magazine
 

Stitch a little

 New for 2014 - even if you only have 30 minutes for stitching - Stitch.  It is one of the most favorite things you do - you love all of it - sometimes, even the frogging.  There are days, in THE PAST, I have not picked up the needle, if I thought - it's too late, or your too busy tonight, etc, etc.  One of my goals for 2014 was to stitch - every night - even if it took me longer to pull out the project and thread the needle, than the time I would spend making x's.  And I have been somewhat successful with this approach - and I am surprised how happy this one small change has made me.  I have three different projects to share - Hoping one will soon be complete - as this year, no new start until I finish something (well there will be an exception for my ornaments - which I haven't started yet).

Below you will see, My Precious Moment, My Coffee Banner, and My Garden Shed (Linda and Deb's Monday SAL).

Precious Moments - My little precious is completed, need to finish the puppy, the grass (a few flowers) and the back stitching. 



We have a latte, and the start of another mug.

I have stated the flowers on the roof - more bugs and a butterfly and more yellow paint for my shed.

Crazy Cold

I am blessed to live in Central New York - we prepare for crazy winters with tons of snow.  Our snow removal is the best - our roads stay pretty clean and dry.

I live 2 miles from my job - and own a vehicle - and driving in my city is not a nightmare - Rush Hour may mean I spend 10 minutes extra.

But this Winter has been something else, hasn't it?  And I love Winter and the Cold and the Snow - but only for December thru March - but this January is CRAZY COLD....  You would think I would be getting a ton of stitching done, as I am staying in more - but still sort of doing some purging and organizing.

I did get a few more of the apples completed - and then I decided to try to finish all of the one color red, before starting a new one.  But this Idea may not last long. 

Bothy Threads Garden Shed.

But I am feeling super excited because I have another update on my Garden Shed.  Deb and Linda this is a wonderful way to start a new week of stitching - with a little bit of Bothy Threads.

I purchased a new car - I traded in my Truck - it was a very sad day - It was like, when you have a boyfriend you really love, but you know he is just not right - and you must be done with him, you hate to let go, but you have to.  Well that is what it was with my truck - so in love - but too many things happened this fall, I had to get a vehicle that could hold more people - so I have a new Rav4 - its red.  Hope you are all in a safe, warm place.  Happy Stitching.

My Truck !!!!!

Picture of what My new car looks like -

2014 Here I am - SO

I have not been posting, or really doing much stitching at all. So yes of course, I have set new goals for 2014 - Stitch a little (Because I know it makes me feel great and is wonderful for the Stress Level) and Blog a little, cause it does wonders for my brain, and try to stay current on my blog reading.

I have finally, now that January is about half way through took some pictures of my December 2013, 2014 stitching.


I have taken time to re-organize and divided my projects into three groups.  1. The WIPS I will never finish, and have to desire to anyway.  The time to stitch that project is long passed.
2. The WIPS from way back, I really do want to finish - even though my stitching preferences have changed, I still want to complete those projects as it does have a special place in my heart.
3.  The WIPS I have started not so long ago - because those I still have the urge to complete.

I do have three stick fast goals for 2014. 
1.  Work on Bothy Threads Cut Thru Garden Shed on Mondays.
2.  Try to complete (and finish to hang somewhere) 12 smalls.
3.  To finish my Lizzie Kate Snow Guys and Belles.

The Monday SAL latest picture is here.  I pulled that out and worked a bit last night.  The changes may seem minor but it was a wonderful feeling to pick this up again.  I double checked over at Deb's blog to make sure it was continuing in 2014 and it is!!!!!!  I am not joining any new SALs until I finish my Snow Guys and Belles. 


Cut Through Garden Shed - Monday SAL Latest Update

 



2013 Crazy Cross Stitch Challenge Current WIP

The next picture is My Coffee Shop's Lateste update. 

Very Old WIP - Selected to finish in 2014



Precious Moments - Very Old WIP - Started 1990 Maybe - Selected to Finish in 2014. 

The last three -Coffee Shop and the Apple Sampler and my Precious Moments, well those are charts I have actually worked on over the past two months - and these are the most updated pictures. My Precious is sideways, I will make sure he is sitting up straight my next update.  These are three projects I am so very close to finishing, which is why I started to work on these first.  I know some people can have so many WIPS and not get flustered.  I have decided, I am not one of those.

I am seriously going to try to limit my "New Starts" to my Smalls - ornaments - unless I finish a larger project.  Only because that is what is GOOD for Me.

Hope to blog more, read more blogs and stitch more in the upcoming months...

Stitched A Bit

 

September is here.  What a Wonderful month this is.  School has started, Apples are getting ready for picking.  The American Football Season has begun.  I love this time of year.  One of my daughters has moved back home (she has gotten a teaching postion at the Elementary School in the neighborhood), but another one returned to College for what I hope is her final year.  So there are still three kids at home.  Tthe moving in and out really doesn't bother me too much.  However  I do wish I knew what it was like to have an empty nest, just once.  My job is still consuming so much of my time, I have had little for blogging - and reading blogs, and that is something I really miss - the reading.  I do have to try to set aside time each day for reading blogs. 

I was able to get a little stitching done in August.  



 

Freebie from my LNS. This is a varigated thread I purchased at Hobby Lobby called Earthy. It is a silk.
This is the latest in my Laundry Mat Stitching. It is very small, the size of a nice ornament, so including it in my 2013 Ornament SAL  THis thread was TOO varigated for me, well at least in this design. And I think I should have planned to stitch with a purpose. It was a great little project to test my patience with the thread type. And I did learn a bit. 





 I have fallen a month behind with my Guys and Belles, and I did not quite finish July.  I do want to be able to have this finished before January 2014.  I have only 3 more to go (and finish All Dressed Up).  To stitch these all as one is a SAL organized by Denise at Riverside Stitching.

This is an update on my Monday SAL organized by Deb and Linda.  I was able to take advantage of the Labor Day Monday and do some stitching.  I love to work on this B Thread Cut Thru Garden Shed.

Little Bit of Stitching

 

 

I have a little finish! It is my Laundry Mat Piece.  I always try to take a little something with me when I do laundry - I don't feel bothered about the time spent waiting for washing and drying.  This is a freebie from Papillion Creations It is called Three Emblems. 

Here is my update on Garden Shed.  It is for my Monday SAL with Debbie and Linda and some other wonderful ladies -  I look forward to finding some time each Monday to stitch a little on my shed.  This shed reminds me of my mom's.  A little bit of everything was in there. Including some critters.

 

 

Went to a baby shower this weekend, my sister is finally going to be a Grandma and so excited - she was thinking she would NEVER be one.  I am looking for a new start to celebrate GRANDMAs and give to my sister.    Any suggestions you may have will be greatly appreciated. 

Thank you all. 

SAL UPDATE -- Ornament and Bothy Threads

My June Ornament is a Lizzie Kate - Let Freedom Ring.  Since I am on this Super Patriotic Kick - of course, because I was raised as if 4th of July was the 2nd most important Holiday of the year after Christmas.  We are all Red White and Blue here getting ready for the 4th.  I know this picture is sideways.  And I have tried today to switch it - and I give up.  This is for my Ornament SAL over at Stitching Lotus

 

 

 

Next up is my Monday SAL Bothy Threads Cut Thru Garden Shed.  I worked very hard to do the roof all the way to the end, and then I worked very hard FROGGING - because I had made a little mistake, and things would not line up correctly.... I so do not like to frog. Debbie and  Linda are the wonderful ladies organizing and updating this SAL. 

To complete my Birthday Celebration, I am going to take a small road trip to Mass, and Vermont the next couple of days.  I am looking for Needlework shops as I travel.  Will share any I find.

Happy Stitching..

Stitching Update

 Some day I am going to figure out how to insert these pictures into my blog with the Captions in an organized wonderful way.  It took me quite a long time today, just to get the pictures standing up straight. 

1st there is the latest update to Stoney Creeks Dog House Blessing.  I started this in January - one of those 15 new starts in 15 days.  It is on my complete in 2013 list.  Very few of those made that list. 

 So here is the Dog that blesses my house, my Wonderful Dakota....

 

 

 

Here is my latest update to Bothy Threads Garden Shed.  If you can see the yellow bit at the top - that is the center of the chart - also I have almost finished page 1 (a page with very few stitches).  This picture is a little blurry.  This is my Work on Every Monday SAL.  Debbie and Linda are doing an amazing job hosting and updating all of our work. 

And to my right is my Chocolate Cake Sampler - FINISHED.. TA DA!!! This is one of those 15 I started in January and it will be a gift for my daughter.  Once I figure out how I am going to really finish it, I will post a better picture.  But I must say I am really glad I jumped in that Challenge, I met some very nice blogger stitchers, and I really have finished some of those charts I have wanted to do for a very long time.

Is it Cold in your hometown.  It has been cold and rainy here for what seems like forever, but the garden has taken off nicely - fingers crossed my veggies grow.  This is only the 2nd year I have had a veggie garden, it is wonderful to watch things grow.

Prayers for Oklahoma

I am in a place where I have a job, I have a home, I have a loving and wonderful family.  I am so blessed.  I have such an ache in my soul for those in Oklahoma - another elementary school tragedy. 
Nature ---- What can I say - it just makes no sense to me why we can't stop these storms somehow.....

These are my stitching updates for last week.  First my Monday SAL - I have finished the little creature on the roof of my Garden Shed - I am not quite sure what he is, and more of the shed.  This is a hard project to put down once I get started.  If you click HERE you will see all the wonderful updates for all the great Bothy Threads Projects  Thanks to Debbie and Linda for organizing and updating this amazing SAL.

Update #3 Bothy Threads, Garden Shed,
May 21, 2013

This is my little PEACE ornament.  I found this design right after the Boston Marathon.  It is titled Peace Love and Rainbows - I felt the need to stitch this.  It took me less than two days of working on it, so easy to stitch - it was in the Childrens Section of Stoney Creek, but for me, it was a soothing sort of stitch.


Peace Love and Rainbows,
Stoney Creek, Magazine

I had an amazingly wonderful opportunity to go to Arizona on Business. I was really only there for two nights and I was in a two day long seminar with so many techie people - it was awesome.  Arizona is beautiful.  But anyway - when I travel, as when I babysit - I do One Color Wonders.  I am back home now - but I worked a little on this one this week, because sometimes my brain wants to stitch, but it doesn't want to work too hard at it.



Freebie Papillion Creations
The Three Emblems Click Link to see all the free designs

Bothy Threads #2 and Chocolate Cake

Garden Shed #2 Bothy Threads

 Here is the newest WIP of my Garden Shed.  I started on Page 1, the top left.  When I learned to cross stitch, the woman who taught me, always had me start here. Over time, I have found starting in the center is a sure way to make sure you do not misjudge the fabric.  Point being - I have started this very, very close to the left side of the fabric.  As I do the next two pages down, you will see.  I know I will have enough to complete the project, but there will be less left over.....  Never the less, I opted not to start over - because the very last thing I ever try to do when stitching, is frog, start over.  Here is a link that will take you to all the updates of all the Bothy Threads latest WIPS. 


Chocolate Cake Sampler

I started this next one in January.  I can't find any of my before pictures, which doesn't surprise me much as I have a very difficult time with organization - but this is one I started for my daughter who has a Bachelors degree in Sociology, but really wants to be a Baker, and has gone back to school.  This is my latest update, and the Pick of the Month. - Focus Project when Not working on SALS.

 

Started January 2013



Garden Shed - Bothy Threads Cut Thru #1

Garden Shed, Bothy Threads, Update #1

Here is my first installment for my Monday SAL - I will give this project a special page, as my other SALS do, but as I am at work right now, I will have to come back to it later.

If you have never stitched a Bothy Thread, let me tell you, the things I love after just stitching this little piece - The chart is amazing clear, and large.  I got two charts, one with out the backstitching.  It is so easy to read. The symbols are clear and so far very different - it was easy to tell the difference.
There are so few colors - your floss expensive will be at a minimum (I did not purchase the kit). And it is DMC Excellent.
I think I will find more things I love as I continue to stitch - I am already looking at the choices for my next one.  This SAL is being "sponsored by" Debbie, click here to see the recent pictures of all the WIPS

SAL - Unfinished Snow Belle

May 1, 2013 Snow Belle Ice Queen

This unfinished Belle is the story of my stitching this past month.  Not enough time for stitching or blogging - work was crazy and it just seemed I was too tired.  This is my snow SAL hosted by Denise over at RiversideStitching.

HOWEVER, here's to May full of x's.

As you can see, I will be needing some creative stitching to make this work out as one large project, as I mis counted and do not have quite enough space to place another picture in the space between the Queen, and Baby - so it will be a real surprise as to what I put in there... But by next month I hope to be back on track with the Queen completed, my next choice completed, and this little space filled.

We are having some wonderful amazing weather here.  Baseball - Little League is in full force, I have three grandkids playing, and of course Basketball never ends for my one grandson.

The girls are moving home from college - They are both too old to still be in college, but all of my children it seems are on a six year plan.  Glad they are not my loans.

Took my first YOGA class last Saturday - that adventure deserves a post in itself.  But I must say I did have a wonderful time, and due to the pressure and craziness of my job of late, I think it is a great choice for me.

I have joined (and will be starting next Monday) a brand new chart, new designer, new SAL.
 Over at Debbie's Crossstich, there is a Bothy Threads Cut Thru SAL - we stitch on Mondays

This is my choice - the Garden Shed.  This reminds me of my mom - and the shed we always had in the back yard.  The random crazy stuff, inside and out.  I had a very tough time picking out this design, there were several I really liked.  I have gathered all the materials needed, I did use some fabric I already have, and dmc thread.