Friday, March 29, 2024

Easter Blog Hop 2024

 

It's time for another fun blog hop from Jo at Serendipitous Stitching.  This time it's an Easter Egg Hunt where you hop among the participating blogs and keep track of the letters, which together spell an Easter/Spring related word. 

We're also supposed to show an Easter or Spring related stitch.  I have two.  The first is one I stitched back in 2017. 

The second one is my April square for my Furry Tales through the Year project.

And, now what you've all been waiting for:  my letter is Y


and you'll find the final letter on  Jo's blog

Happy Hopping!!

Monday, March 4, 2024

Weekly Update - 3/3/2024

This was a less busy week than usual.  No meetings except for the Small Group Thursday night, grocery pickup on Friday and church and dinner on Saturday.  This is our group at Panera Bread on Saturday night.  I'm the second from the front on the left and my daughter is the first one on the right.


As for stitching, I stitched every day for at least 90 minutes.  First up was finishing Piglet in a square.
As of 2/25/2024

As of 2/27/2024

Then on the 28th, I started a much larger project. This is Loving Kittens, but I'm just doing the cats themselves.  It's part of the Realistic Cats & Kittens SAL for Q4OC and is due May 1st.




Friday, March 1, 2024

Recap - February, 2024

February is typically a good stitching month and this month was no exception.  It was a New Start month so I started and worked on seven projects, with five finishes. I also stitched every day this month. 

I did cheat on the first one, but since I only had one day's stitching left, I went ahead and finished it.

Hark the Herald Angels Sing

My other finishes were:

Snowman Mug

Piglet in a Square

File This

Birdhouse Coaster

I also started but didn't finish two more projects.

Little Ms. Santa Claus

Loving Kittens
There was one more project from February that I'd wanted to start, but it's not urgent so I'll do it in April.

March is for WIPs and my main WIP is Loving Kittens from Needle Treasures.  I don't think I'll be able to get to any others, but if I do, I'll also work on Little Ms. Santa Claus and Little Town of Bethlehem, carryovers from previous months.

Statistics:

Days Stitched This Month = 29 
Days Stitched This Year  = 59 (possible = 60)
Total Hours Stitched This Month = 58 hours and 53 minutes
Total Hours Stitched This Year = 121 hours and 15 minutes
Number of Projects Worked on This Month = 7
Number of Unique Projects Worked on This Year = 6
Number of Projects Started This Month = 6
Number of Projects Started This Year = 6
Number of WIPs Worked on This Month =  1
Number of WIPs Worked on This Year =  6
Number of Projects Finished This Month = 5
Number of Projects Finished This Year = 7
 







    

Wednesday, February 28, 2024

Happy Dance - Piglet in a Square

 


Started: 2/23/2024

Finished: 2/27/2024

Total Time: 10 hours and 8 minutes

Piglet comes from the Leisure Arts booklet, Disney Home - Pooh & Pals Ornaments.

It's stitched as charted with the called for DMC on 14-count white Aida. 

It's going to be made into an ornament and given to the local Ronald McDonald House this coming Christmas.

Next up: Loving Kittens (Needle Treasures)

Monday, February 26, 2024

Weekly Recap - 2/25/2024

It was a moderately busy week.  I had physical therapy on Monday, picked up my compression wraps on Wednesday and then went looking for a new bathroom sink and cabinet, but didn't find exactly what we're looking for.  There was also a soup supper and Lenten Service that evening.

Thursday was our small group meeting and Friday was Grocery Pickup.  I didn't go to church or the group after-dinner on Saturday, because it was raining and I was too tired.  I did watch the online service this morning though.

As for stitching, I again stitched every day for at least 30 minutes.  My first project was the Snowman Mug which is now a finished project.

 

Next I worked on Little Ms. Santa Claus, but set it aside after a couple of days since I had other projects I wanted to get started in this New Start Month.


Finally I started Piglet in a Square.



Friday, February 23, 2024

Smalls SAL - February, 2024

The Smalls SAL happens on the last Friday of the month and is hosted by Rachel of the  Ten Hour Stitcher. This SAL is for posting any projects that we consider small in size.  You can click on the link to see more information and other Smalls posts for this month.

This month I stitched on and completed four small projects.

Birdhouse - MCG Textiles

Hark the Herald Angels Sing - Cross Stitch Crazy - Issue Unknown (Diane Machin)

O Christmas Tree - Cross Stitch Crazy - Issue Unknown (Diane Machin)

Snowman Mug - Janlynn Kit (Hot Cocoa Mugs)

I also started a fifth project, it hasn't been completed yet.

Little Ms. Santa Claus - Joan Elliott


Tuesday, February 20, 2024

Happy Dance - Snowman Mug

 


Started: 2/10/2024

Finished: 2/19/2024

Total Time: 6 hours and 40 minutes

Snowman Mug is part of the Christmas Cocoa Mugs kit from Janlynn and designed by Sandy Garbrandt. 

It's stitched as charted using the fabric (14-count white Aida) and threads that came with the kit.

It will be made into an ornament and given to my local Ronald McDonald House this coming Christmas.

Next up: Little Ms. Santa Claus (Joan Elliot)


Monday, February 19, 2024

Weekly Recap - 2/11/2024 and 2/18/2024

 My computer died on the 10th and I didn't get it back until the 14th.  Unfortunately, the files on my hard drive weren't recoverable so I lost most of my pictures, passwords and files.  We're going to find someone who specializes in recovering data and see if they can do any  better.

Senior Moments celebrated Valentines Day this month and our project was to make valentines.  The girl in black is my daughter, Janice.  While she's not a senior, she started going when I was on oxygen and used a walker.  Now, she comes occasionally when the program is something she's interested in and is welcomed by all.  She also got the runner-up prize for the most creative valentine.



I've also added a small group meeting for a 5-week session on Thursday evenings called Gifted for More which includes messages on the topic on the weekends.  Along with Bible Study  and Soup Suppers/Lenten Services on Wednesday, grocery pickup on Friday and Church with a group dinner after, that makes my week.  Oh, I forgot Bunco which happens the third Tuesday of the month.   I also had a couple of doctor's appointments.

As for stitching, I did some every day starting with the finish of File This.

 

 and continued with the Birdhouse Coaster which I also finished and is now displayed on my refrigerator.

Next came the Snowman Mug from a Janlynn kit.  It's not quite a finish, but should be soon.

Finally, I have to brag about my granddaughter.  Several students in various concentrations at her high school were chosen to visit the feeder middle school to share about their classes, etc.  Kyleigh was chosen by her drama teacher, but when he turned in the necessary paperwork, he was told that she was already signed up to go with her media arts teacher who had forgotten to tell Kyleigh he was taking her.  Of all the kids available (it's a big school), she was chosen twice and she's only a sophomore!  BTW, she went with the media arts teacher.

 


Thursday, February 15, 2024

Gifted Gorgeousness - February, 2024

It's the 15th of the month so it's time to post about any items we've received as a gift and/or items that we're making as a gift for someone else.  To learn more about this SAL and see what others have posted, go to Jo's Blog.

I have three items that qualify this month. Hark the Herald Angels Sing and O Christmas Tree will be going to the local Ronald McDonald House this Christmas. 



File This was stitched at my daughter's request and is now in her possession.

 



Wednesday, February 14, 2024

Secret Stitching Sweetheart Blog Hop - 2024

 Jo has again come through with another fun Blog Hop.  This time each participant emailed her a Valentine stitch.  In return, she emailed us each a different Valentine, but didn't tell us who had stitched it.  We're to post the valentine and the mystery stitcher will tell us who they are.  For more information and to see the rest of the valentines check out Jo's Blog.  

The Valentine I received is a very cute one.  Did you stitch it?



Saturday, February 10, 2024

Fully Finished Gallery SAL - February, 2024

It's time again for the Fully Finished Gallery SAL which was created by Rachel at Ten Hour Stitcher to encourage us to fully finish our projects instead of just storing them in a drawer or box rarely to be seen again.  Click on the link to see more details and what other stitchers have posted.   

I've set a goal to fully finish the pieces as I complete the stitching and so far, I'm meeting that goal. This month I FFO'd four stocking ornaments--two that I stitched this month and two others that I'd stitched a couple of years ago.  They're all finished by adding a ribbon hanger and backing with felt.




 And finally, I FFO'd last night's finish of Birdhouse Coaster. by adding a felt backing and a magnet    It's now displayed on my refrigerator.


Rachel has also requested that we show some of our finished pieces from our Box of Shame or in my case, a Drawer of Shame. Here are a few Christmas ornaments that have been hanging around for awhile.   I would like to know how you would finish them without using a sewing machine.   I do have bunches of Christmas fabric hanging around.  All except the mouse are stitched on 14-count Aida, the mouse is on evenweave.






 

Happy Dance - Birdhouse Coaster

 


Started: 2/6/2024

Finished: 2/9/2024

Total Time: 10 hours and 37 minutes

This is called Birdhouse Coaster and was distributed by MCG Textiles.  It was a circular chart that I found loose in my stash, but I don't know where I got it.  I'm assuming that it was part of a series, but I don't even know that.

It's stitched as charted with the called for DMC on 14-count white plastic canvas. 

Instead of making it into a coaster, I'm going to make it into a magnet and display it on my refrigerator.  Yes, it's one of the rare items that I stitched for myself.

Next up: Snowman Mug (Janlynn Kit)

Tuesday, February 6, 2024

Happy Dance - File This

 


Started: 2/1/2024

Finished: 2/5/2024

Total Time: 10 hours and 57 minutes

This is File This from the art of Kats by Kelly, translated to cross stitch by Linda Connors of Calico Crossroads.

It's stitched as charted with the called for DMC on white 14-count Aida.  There are definitely some unintentional customizations in this project.

When we were going though some charts I wanted to list on eBay, my daughter saw this one and asked me to make it for her, because she has two others on the same theme and needed a third to complete her display.  She's taken it to try and find a frame that matches the others.

Next up: Birdhouse Coaster (designer unknown)


Monday, February 5, 2024

Recap - 2/4/2024

It was a fairly quiet week.  There was a senior outing on Tuesday, Bible Study on Wednesday and church on Saturday, but I didn't go to any of them.  The senior outing was to a Mexican food place and I don't go out of my way to eat Mexican food.  I overslept on Wednesday and it was too cold and I was too tired to go to church.

I did manage to do quite a bit of stitching though. First, I finished two Christmas stockings.  There's one more in this series that I'll finish in March.


 

Next, I started a new project.  My daughter was going through my stash and requested that I stitch File This, to go with two other office themed pictures by the same designer that I'd done several years ago.


Friday, February 2, 2024

Happy Dance - Hark the Herald Angels Sing

 

Started: 11/14/2020

Finished: 2/1/2024

Total Time: 6 hours and 32 minutes

This is Hark the Herald Angels Sing, another one of the set of five Christmas Stockings, designed by Diane Machin and appearing in an unknown issue of Cross Stitch Crazy.  It was the 14th start for Christmasitis in 2020.

It's stitched as charted with the called for DMC, except that I used the equivalent DMC instead of the Light Effects called for.  It's stitched on 14-count gold flecked Aida.

It will be made into an ornament and given to Ronald McDonald House this coming Christmas.

Next up: File This (Calico Crossroads)

Thursday, February 1, 2024

Recap - January, 2024

January is typically a good stitching month and this January was no exception.  I worked on five projects, one of which only got a few stitches before it was deemed destined for a new start on a different fabric (it's not shown here).  Since I've joined a group where you stitch exclusively on WIPs in odd numbered months and exclusively on new starts in even numbered months, all of my projects this month were WIPs.

I also stitched every day except January 19th--I had food poisoning from some bad chicken for lunch and was in no condition to stitch. 

First, I finished PJ Critters Lion which was a December, 2023 start. 

Next I worked on Deer Scene, a Dimensions Kit.  My goal was to finish the bottom half, which I did on the 28th.

 Finally, I worked on two Christmas Stockings that were started during Christmasitis 2020.  They were in an old issue of Cross Stitch Crazy.  The first is a finish; the second only needs a the bottom motif.

February Plans 

February is for New Starts and while my plans keep changing (mostly the order of the projects, not the projects themselves) here is my list for February.  It's probably more than I can accomplish in 29 days, but whatever I don't get to can be carried over.

File This! - Calico Crossroads
Daisy Birdhouse - MCG Textiles
Snowman Mug - Janlynn Kit
Piglet in a Square - Disney Home
Mrs. Santa Bear - Design Works
Bumble - Dimensions Kit
Loving Kittens - Needle Treasures

Statistics:

Days Stitched This Month = 30 
Days Stitched This Year  = 30 (possible = 31)
Total Hours Stitched This Month = 62 hours and 22 minutes
Total Hours Stitched This Year = 62 hours and 22 minutes
Number of Projects Worked on This Month = 5
Number of Unique Projects Worked on This Year = 5
Number of Projects Started This Month = 0
Number of Projects Started This Year = 0
Number of WIPs Worked on This Month =  5
Number of WIPs Worked on This Year =  5
Number of Projects Finished This Month = 2
Number of Projects Finished This Year = 2