Happy Dance - O Christmas Tree

 

 

Started: 11/17/2020

Finished: 1/30/2024

Total Time: 5:59

This is O Christmas Tree, one of a set of five Christmas Stockings, designed by Diane Machin and appearing in an unknown issue of Cross Stitch Crazy.  It was the 17th 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: Hark the Herald Angels Sing

Weekly Update - 1/28/2024

 It was another semi-busy week.  Senior Bingo was on Tuesday followed by an appointment with our banker.  Wednesday was Bible Study.  Saturday was church and I actually went, but didn't go to dinner after.

We have started selling things on eBay, mostly engineering type stuff of my husbands, but also some of my cross stitch kits and charts--I've cleared out a whole drawer!  I'm not involved in the sales; my daughter does that, but I do keep track of the financial stuff in Quicken.

As for stitching, I stitched everyday and accomplished quite a bit.  First I finally finished the PJ Critters Lion and it's been mailed to the group.

Next, since January is a WIP month, I pulled out an old WIP and made a goal to finish the bottom half by the end of the month.  This is Deer Scene, a Dimensions Kit.

As of 11/4/2020

As of 1/28/2024

Happy Dance - PJ Critters - Lion

 

 

Started: 12/30/2023

Finished: 1/23/24

Total Time: 43 hours and 32 minutes

This is the lion from the PJ Critters chart set by Cross Stitch Wonders.  It's stitched on 14-count Dew Printed Aida by Charles Craft and it was a great fabric to work on.  I used DMC from my stash and stitched it as charted except for a few unintentional customizations and some simplified backstitching since the called for backstitching split the Aida squares in places.

It has been mailed to Q4OC (Quilts for Older Children and Adults) and will be made into a quilt for a premature baby through the Angel Quilt Project.

Next up: Deer Scene

Weekly Update - 1/21/2024

I played Bunco Tuesday night and won the prize for Most Wins.   I also had a visit to the Nurse's Clinic for blood pressure and wounds check on Friday.  The good news is that my blood pressure is good and the wounds are healed.  Also, my legs are almost back to their normal size -- I can wear jeans again!

Also on Friday, my husband made chicken noodle soup for lunch using some old chicken I'd taken out of the freezer to throw away the day before.  It didn't affect him at all, but I had it coming out of both ends. Needless to say there was no stitching done that night (the first only day I haven't stitched this year.) Saturday it rained and I still wasn't feeling great so I didn't make it to church that evening.

As for stitching,  I continued working on  PJ Critters - Lion and I should have a finish next week.  Another thing I didn't like about the chart is the backstitching--it's got the kind that splits stitches on Aida.

As of January 14th

As of January 21st

Gifted Gorgeousness - January, 2024

It's the 15th of each 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.

Most of my stitching is done for others so I usually have plenty to post about.   These first few projects were completed in late December and will be going to the Ronald McDonald House in time for Christmas, 2024.

My current project is also a "gift".  It will be made into a quilt by the Angel Quilt Project.  This is PJ Critters Lion from Cross Stitch Wonders stitched on some of the new printed Aida from Charles Craft.   

Weekly Update - 1/14/2024

 It was another moderately busy week.  I had two doctors' appointments, Bible Study and Senior Moments.  Senior Moments is a group that meets twice a month--once for a free lunch with some kind of program and once for either an outing to a local restaurant (where everyone pays for themselves) or Bingo where you bring your own lunch.  I did skip church on Saturday night, because I just didn't feel right.

As for stitching, I continued working on the PJ Critters Lion, but I'm definitely not happy with the chart.  For one thing, it's shown in two pieces, but there are no grey areas showing an overlap which caused me to miss two rows of stitching which required a couple of hours of frogging.  Second, there are no grid lines marking 10 stitches.  Also, in one area, two of the symbols are the reverse of each other (Why do designers do this?) 

 

 

I love the design and it's going to a premature infant through the Q4OC charity group so I'll keep on with it, but otherwise I'd probably set it aside for awhile because of how frustrated I am with it.  I expected to have it finished by now!

And now for the progress pictures:

As of January 7th

As of January 10th

As of January 11th

As of January 14th

Fully Finished Gallery SAL - January, 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.  The following ornaments were finished in late December.

The first two were done as a flat ornament fringed and backed with a 3x5 card cut to size and the fabric shown after a ribbon hanger was added.

The next one was made into a pillow ornament with a backing of the same fabric as the front.

 The next two were finished as flat ornaments using the shapes that came with the magazine charts.

 

 The next one had a ribbon added and then was backed with felt.

Weekly Update - 1/7/2024

The last half of 2023 was rough with medical issues and lack of stitching, so the blog didn't get much attention.  The medical issues are mostly still there, but under control and I'm in a better place mentally so I decided to revisit my blog.  This year, I'm going to try to do weekly updates, rather than just post finishes.

The first week of January was fairly busy with my daughter coming most days to do the housework I can no longer do and help my husband with various tasks.

I had doctors' appointments on Wednesday and Friday and on Thursday we went to the Spaghetti Factory to celebrate birthdays as a family.  My son-in-law's was the 3rd and mine was the 6th so  we always choose a day between the two.

Saturday was my actual birthday so my husband, daughter and I went out to lunch at Spires, the only place I can get filet of sole and real spumoni.  We also visited a new, improved and much bigger Barnes & Noble where I was able to get three stitching magazines, two World of Cross Stitching ones (I'm between subscriptions) and Cross Stitch Favorites - the Cute Issue.  Saturday night I went out with friends from church after the service to Los Ayalas, a local Mexican restaurant.

I also went through my stash of cross stitch kits and found a bunch I really wanted to stitch and some I knew I never would stitch.  I'll be putting several unopened Thomas Kinkade Disney kits up on eBay next week.

As for stitching, I've stitched every night for at least 45 minutes on PJ Critters from Cross Stitch Wonders.  I'm stitching the lion in the top left corner. I'm stitching him on 14-count Aida imprinted with blues, purples and greens  that remind me of watercolors.  It will be going to Quilts for Older Children and Adults as part of the 2024 Stitcher's Challenge when finished.

At the beginning of January, it looked like this:

Now it looks like this: