Final Finishes of the year

I was able to finish stitching 4 more Ornaments before the end of the year. They are part of a kit from Craftways that I added to my stash sometime in 2014 (I think?). There are a total of 12 mug patterns but I only see myself finishing 9 of them at most.

All in all they are relatively easy stitches. I am in the process of formulating my Goals for 2017 and will post about them once I get back from a road trip to see my inlaws in Minnesota.

I did just realize that I never took photos of the bound quilts for my niece and nephew but they did sleep with them on Christmas eve so I consider that a win from a 3 and 5 year old.

Now onto deciding what is the next stitch for the Q -snaps?

Have a great day and Happy Stitching!

7 Hours...

So I learned that if I put my mind to it and chose the right yarn I can knit a hat (my first) in under 7 hours.  I chose the Barley Hat by Tin Can Knits. It was a super simple pattern to follow and I knit it up in the Void colorway in MadTosh DK by Madelintosh using the called for needle sizes.

As you can see below my dad loved the Hat and wore it most of the night.

Happy stitching everyone!

Holiday Gifts part 1

Every year 3 friends and I exchange gifts for the holidays. I am always trying to outdo myself on the homemade side and I made fabric baskets this year.

I filled the fabric baskets with a Christmas Ornament and some dishrags which are always requested.

I loved making these and am actually planning on making a few more for some last minute gifts in the next few days. I also may be making a few for a retreat in the new year as well.

Happy Stitching Everyone!

Periodic Commission

A close friend of mine is graduating with a Masters degree in Textile chemistry after a Bachelors in Chemical Engineering. While we were eating lunch a month or so ago, she asked me if I could make her a periodic table quilt wall hanging. I thought about it for a minute, asked a bunch of questions, busted out some graph paper to map it out and said yes. Well I gave it to her on Saturday for her graduation party. I made a collage of the finished work and some close-up shots.

I really love how it all came out! The best part...it was all from my stash! Back to the needles of a large variety for Christmas!

Happy Stitching!

Amazing Giveaways

Just wanted to drop a quick note about the AMAZING giveaways at Victorian Motto Sampler Shoppe in her 12 days of Christmas Giveaways. She is so amazingly generous with her products. Go check her out!

Happy Stitching!

5 More

While I had the patterns out, I finished the ornaments for next year for my Niece and Nephew. (Sorry I couldn't get the picture to rotate.)

2017 Ornaments

I also was able to get a few other designs completed for my grandma as well.

All of the ornaments were take 100% from my stash.

I have joined the Facebook Stitch from my Stash 2017A group these can count on my finishes for the warm up. I got a total of $5.00 of credit for the 3 for my grandmother and then another $4.00 for the gingerbread people. That is a total of $9.00 to add to my budget. :)

I have already lined up the kits and/or kitted projects for the rest of the year. :)

Happy Stitching everyone!

Finally a Finished Pair!

Earlier this year I posted that I finished 1 sock of a pair. One of my goals for 2016 was to learn how to knit socks. Last week I finished the second sock of the pair. Below you can see the two of them together.

First Socks - finished 11/25/2016 - Deborah Norville Sock yarn (I think)

2 ornaments Complete

Well I finished the 2016 ornaments for my Niece and nephew last night. I decided to get a head start on the 2017 ones as next. I used the caller for DMC from my stash and AIDA I had on hand. the patterns are from a Leisure arts book.

I made them the first 2 Gingerbread people last year and 2017 will finish the set. This month is looking to be a good craft month from an accomplishment perspective.

I also decided to take part in the Stitch from my Stash 2017 group. I am giving myself $10.00 for a monthly budget. I am allowed to continue the one Fabric of the month group that I have been a part of for over a year. I am also allowed to pay for framing and finishing as needed. My Stitching retreat is also already paid for so that is covered. The trunk shows are going to be interesting for me at the retreat as I will need to rely on my 10.00 budget and any Christmas gifts I my get. (YIKES)

I also decided to carry this budget through to all my stash related purchases for crafting, including yarn and fabric. I will be allowed to pay for long arming of quilting as needed.

I am still trying to understand how I feel about classes? I was thinking of taking a quilting class so who knows?

I also will state that the budget started November 1 for me.

Happy Stitching everyone!

October Roundup and November Goals

I wanted to Drop a line on Progress from my October Goals and layout my goals for November.
At the beginning of the month I planned to:

October 2016 Monthly Goals:

1. No craft stash shopping - SUCCESS
2. Blog once per week - FAIL - I should have known as I went to Las Vegas for Vacation from the 21-26.
3. Finish a dish rag a week - SUCCESS - See Below
4. Complete Pretty Little Italy - SUCCESS
5. Finish Purple Zig Zag Quilt top - FAIL - I decided it was more important to get my cross stitch pumpkin done. (see Below)
6. Start ornaments for the holidays. - SUCCESS - but I forgot Pictures :(

Dish Rags:

I am now up to 8 for the year but I have not even begun to make a dent in my dishrag yarn. I have decided that this will be a goal of my upcoming year. I think I may make it a yardage goal but more to come.

Cross-Eyed Cricket Patterned Pumpkin:

I used the called for DMC and a lighter 28ct which all came from my stash. Evenweave than the model on the chart and the one in my LNS. It was a delightful stitch and went much faster than I thought it would.

I was also able to take 3 quilts to the longarmers and 3 pieces to my LNS to get framed (they were having one of their twice yearly sales).

As for November, here is what I have on tap:

November 2016 Monthly Goals:

1. No Stash or Fabric Shopping
2. Blog once per Week
3. Finish 4 more dishrags
4. Complete 4 ornaments
5. Bind quilts for Niece and Nephew.

Hopefully not too stretching.

Happy Stitching everyone!!!!!

Pretty Little Italy Finish!

I was able to finish Pretty Little Italy early Saturday morning!

It was stitched on Tarnished Silver from Under the Sea Fabrics with the called for DMC Floss. It was a relatively easy stitch.

I started a Halloween stitch for my next project called Patterned Pumpkin from Cross Eyed Cricket. It seems to be going well also. It will be my concentration for the next few weeks.

Happy Stitching Everyone!

Monthly Goals - October 2016

I realized as I look back on my Blog for this year I have not kept up with my progress like I would have liked. I asked myself the tools I used to stay up the date and one of the best was monthly goals.
October 2016 Monthly Goals:

1. No craft stash shopping
2. Blog once per week
3. Finish a dish rag a week
4. Complete Pretty Little Italy
5. Finish Purple Zig Zag Quilt top
6. Start ornaments for the holidays.

Hopefully they are achievable as I have a vacation at the end of the month.

Happy stitching everyone!

Our House

I have a finish! I was working on Lizzie & Kate's "Our House" as my travel stitch and I finished it a week ago. I haven't been able to take a pic until now.

I can't remember the Fabric except that it is Weeks Dye Works (I think?). For some reason, on this stitch, I frogged a lot. I kept getting off on the placement of some of the letters. I do really like how it turned out and I will be taking it to the framers soon. I have just the place to hang this one. :) I am also almost done with Pretty Little Italy. Hopefully I will have a pic to post by Monday.

I also finished a baby blanket this past week but gave it away before I took a pic. I need to get ahead of the baby blankets in the next few months or I am not setting myself up for success for next year.

Happy Stitching Everyone!

September WIPocalypse Check-in

Well, I spaced totally on the August Check-in but am not on a plane for this one! The topic is to talk about a Journey with a stitching Piece. And of course to show progress on projects from my list. I haven't really worked on anything from my project list. So nothing to show in that respect.

The piece I want to talk about from my Journey of Stitching is the one as follows:

It was the first significant one project that I completed for a gift and the first with a lot color shading. It also had a lot of personal significance due to the subject matter. The work was a gift for my Father-in-Law that did 2 tours of duty in Vietnam as a medic for the 101st Airborne. It gave me a range of emotions in both my proficiency in stitching and subject matter.

Quilt Weekend Roundup!

So I figured it was a good time to get caught up on the rest of the quilting weekend I had with my Aunt in mid-August. My Mom and I decided it would be best to have the weekend at her house as I was coming back from a work trip and wouldn't have the time to prep my own space for the event. My mom is a clean freak and loves to have the social time even if she isn't a Sewer (yet!). My aunt came down on Friday and we started right after dinner. My aunt is also the one that I completed a quilt 30 Years in the making for last year (Post here). She has accompanied me to fabric stores in the past and for some reason in July she decided she wanted to have sewing as a hobby. I was definitely shocked but love the idea of having someone to share all the craziness. She realized after a few classes on her machine that in person project work was the best way to learn. The goals for the weekend were to learn the steps in the quilting process, including Cutting, piecing, pressing, and basting.

She brought with her, her first project that she started sewing on. She bought a Jellyroll of various batiks and started sewing them together in strips. I then coached her on pressing them. As we were pressing them I realized that the seams were off due to the issue that the 1/4" on her machine was really a 3/8" like I mentioned in my post on the Allegiance Top from a few days ago.  It wasn't a huge issue on this one as the blocked were all squared up to the same size and a white border was added. She and my mom then Pin-basted the whole quilt together. The goal was for her to be able to take it home and stitch in the ditch to quilt.

First Quilt - Aunt B.

We didn't find the Seam issue until we started putting together the Stained Glass Quilt blocks.

Stained Glass -Aunt B

It lead to a lot of Seam ripping (thanks MOM) and a few tears but the blocks are in a Much better place than they would have been otherwise. I also went home and brought over my machine to help increase the sewing output as my Aunt had the goal of getting all of these blocks together before she left on Sunday. I can say that I did donate a few fabrics to this one which makes me happy.

While she was completing these blocks, I whizzed through an UFO to make some Blocks. The strips were first sewn together in January of 2015.

Purple ZigZag - Top #7 (almost)

I left one of the blocks at home so I couldn't sew it all together. This is the next thing on my quilting to-do list.

All in all it was a great weekend and my Aunt is just buzzing along.

Happy Stitching everyone!

Small Finish!

I had a nice small Finish - Happy St. Paddy's Day!

It was stitched on a piece of scrap linen, with some overdyed from my stash. I am having a brain drain on who the designer is...for some reason Erica Michaels is stiching in my head but I will need to check. This one is getting me prepped for the ornament hunt for the year.

Quilt Top #6 - Allegiance

I had a quilt weekend in mid - August with my Aunt who has recently picked up quilting. I was able to complete a Kit I picked up from a local Quilt Show I am calling Allegiance.

2016 quilt top #6 - Allegiance

Overall I am happy with how it came out. I started the weekend using my Aunt's sewing machine and made a rookie mistake. I didn't check that what she told me was a quarter inch really was that and it was really three-eighths of an inch. It makes a huge difference on the start blocks, etc. Thankfully there was enough blue fabric in the kit, I could bridge the borders, etc to make it work.

The weekend overall was a great success. My Aunt learned a lot and I made sure to bring my machine the next day to make sure I was comfortable and to increase our output.

More to Come. Happy Stitching Everyone!

Pretty Little London Complete!

My Project for most of August and the Beginning of September was Pretty Little London by Satsuma Street. I was able to finish it on 9/6/2016. I stitched it on Tarnished Silver from Under the Sea Fabrics with the called for DMC.

Pretty Little London - Satsuma Street

Next in line in this series is Pretty Little Italy I think. I am also working on a Lizzie and Katie for a change. I also realize ornies need to get started to make sure they are completed in time for the holidays.

Happy Stitching Everyone!

Quilt Top #5 - Heroes and Turtles

I finished the Quilt top for my Nephew - Super heroes and Turtles per his request. I made the design myself using some graph paper. I just need to get it to a long armer.

Happy stitching Everyone!

Pretty Little Paris Complete!

So I have been stitching even if I haven't been so great about posting.  I finished another Pretty Little City ---- PARIS!

I used the called for DMC and Tarnished silver Evenweave from Under The Sea Fabrics!

I am taking the next month to organize myself (including inventory all patterns and fabric, yarn, floss, etc.) I am also evaluating all of my Goals for the year as I am not sure I have set myself up well.

More to come on Quilting finishes as I have a top complete and A quilting weekend with my aunt coming up.!

Happy Stitching Everyone!

Quilt Finish #4 - Pink Dot

My 2 year old niece asked me to make a quilt for her after I finished the 2 quilts for her dollies.  her Bedroom is decorated in Minnie Mouse so here is what I came up.

I found 4 fabrics that had Minnie Mouse in them and then created a wonky square pattern around it. So I can say I designed this one. It is now waiting to be basted for me to quilt.

Her Brother, My Nephew, also requested on with Super heroes and Turtles which I am in the process of piecing the top.

All in all, not too bad on Progress.

Happy Stitching!

"99" COMPLETE

So I was able to finish "99" by Ink Circles on July 2nd. It was completed using the called for DMC floss on White Linen.

"99" by Ink Circles

Bottom 33 bottles of "99"

It was a relatively easy stitch. It is also another finish on my WIPocalypse.

Right now, Pretty Little Paris is on the q-snaps. I have two weekend stitching days that should give me some solid stitching time that are sponsored by my LNS.

Happy Stitching Everyone!

June 2016 WIPocalypse Check-in

I realize that it has been a very long time since I checked in for WIPocalypse. As a matter a fact, January was the last Check-in for me. In that time, I realize how important monthly goals and check-in's like these keep me on task and productive. So I am going to use this time to get caught up on what I have done stitching wise and the always delightful questions:

February 2016
Question: If you have any of your pieces on display in your home which attracts the most plaudits?
Answer: I do have a few things hanging in my house. The one that always attracts attention is the ABC's of Food.

ABC's of Food

I think it captures the attention because it is in my Kitchen which is always where people come first.
February Stitching: Completed Pretty Little Washington DC

March 2016
Question:  Do you use hoops, stretcher bars, lap stands or Q snap frames and why?
Answer: I typically use Q-snaps unless they are small ornaments pieces where I use a small Hoop. The Q-snaps are light and easy to hold. The hoops are as well. I tried a lap stand in the past and I felt very hunched over while using is.

March stitching: Completed Pretty Little Chicago

April 2016
Question: What do you listen to while stitching?
Answer: This is a funny one. It is rare that I listen to any music or any books. If I do Listen to music it is typically musical theater casts albums, rock or country music so I can sing along. My favorite thing to do while stitching is to catch up on my TV shows that are recorded on my DVR - in the summer that is usually reruns of Criminal minds, CSI New York, NCIS franchises or Law and Order Franchises. I think I have seen everyone so I don't watch I just listen for background noise.  I also watch movies I have DVR-ed. 

April Stitching: Completed Pretty Little New York

May 2016
Question: What were you stitching this time last year and have you finished it?
Answer: I was working on a cross stitch stocking for a friend and it is definitely completed. I finished 2 of them last year.

May Stitching: A big Fat Nothing.

June 2016
Question: Do you find yourself more productive with stitching in summer or winter?
Answer: In General, I am more productive in the winter. This spring and summer are especially rough as I am traveling a lot for my day job and have not found to balance quite yet to be crafting a lot. There are some changes in the day job that I hope will help but they will not be happening until August 1st. I am going to just keep trucking until told otherwise on my crafting.

June Stitching: I am currently working on the last 33 bottles for Ink Circles "99". My hope is to have it completed by the end of the week. The rest of my finishes can be seen here and here.

Footballs even in the offseason...Quilting is always in season!

I love sports and so does my husband. He is also super supportive of all my craft adventures. As such I thought he deserved something nice from his wife. I decided a Quilt for him to cuddle with while watching sports was the best next step. Hence the Footballs Quilt (pattern by Cluck Cluck Sew).

I changed the pattern by using solid sashing that was 5" wide on the horizontal and vertical in a gold batik with 5" cornerstones in maroon batik. Those are the colors of the University of Minnesota which is where I was going to school when I met my husband and are his favorite college team.

The next quilts are for my niece and nephew. I made dolly quilts for my niece and then they proceeded to tell me they were cold and wanted their own blankets too. :)

Happy stitching everyone

Slainte!

My Cross Stitch project for the Monthly Stitch-in at my LNS has been Slainte by A. Fox Original. I used Victorian Motto Sampler Shoppe Floss in Holly Leaves. It gave it a nice gradual Varigated look.

 The fabric was left over from the butterfly pillow/cushion that I made for my grandmother in in 2014. My hope is to frame this one and put in my entry way. I am also happy to say this was a total Stash stitch.

I just put "99" back on the Q-snaps as I only have the bottom 3rd to finish or 33 bottles to go.

Happy stiching everyone!

Another City Finish!

I finished Pretty Little San Francisco by Satsuma Street on Tarnished Silver by Under the Sea Fabrics!

Pretty Little San Francisco on Tarnished Silver

 

I should have another finish to post in 24 hours too!

Now that I am home for a stretch I can see the finish line in site on a lot of things.

Happy Stitching Everyone!

I have a reason...I Promise

When I realized that I have been posting once per month vs. the once per week that was my goal I wondered if I had a viable reason for the lack of communication? I figured capturing all of what I realized here with a plan on how to explain it would be a great exercise for me. 

My posting initially dropped off in March, so here is what I realized:

March 6-10th: I was traveling to GA for work
March 23-25: testing at work with no time to craft
March 29-April 1: Testing at work
April 4-7: travel to GA for work
April 14-22: travel to Ireland for Vacation
April 28th: Mother had surgery
May 3-4: GA for Work
May 9-20: GA for Work

In the Past 11 weeks, All but one of them have been busy with Work Commitments. That does not make up for the fact that I did not communicate that but what it dis make realize is that I need to make sure I am taking time for myself during these events.

As a result, I have been making time to craft (and stash build) when I can. I have also been purposefully looking into the local stores where ever I am :)

For Example, in Ireland I found 2 places for Yarn:

I was interested in Irish Wool and Irish Dyers and I found them: O'Maillie's in Galway City and This is Knit in Dublin had a great selection. The picture above shows the finds from This is Knit.

This is Knit in located in the Beautiful Powerscourt Townhouse just off Grafton Street. They carry many Irish Dyers and also have their own line of specially dyes Yarn called Townhouse. They are the Purple skien and the variegated Purple, blue and Green above. I also found a beautiful Yellow Yarn from Hedgehog Fibers and the teal from Dublin Dye. The light Green skien is Irish Wool from a local Irish Dyer. Irish wool is usually rough but this felt good to me.

O'Maille's House of Style was a beautiful store on High Street in Galway City. They are rather famous for having styled the costumes for "The Quiet Man" which was filmed near the store. I was able to purchase some more of the Irish Wool yarn (like the green Skien Above) and some soft Donegal Wool Spinning Co. Yarn. I didn't take a picture of if but it is amazing. My husband found a great hat too. The owner was a veritable encyclopedia on Irish Wool.

I was also able to visit a weaver while in Ireland.

McKernan Handweavers was beautiful. This wall is amazing. The best part what that it had 2 doors that opened to their weaving room. My mom had visited here about 4 years earlier and they had expanded a lot which gives me hope for the knitting arts. I found some great scarves there too :)

So While this doesn't explain the whole time I was not communicating it does cover a 10 days. :) I had to start somewhere.

I will be sharing further updates as I travel to get back in the swing of things.

Happy stitching everyone!

Long Time no Post

Well I am back from a whirlwind few weeks of travel for 7 days and then I am traveling again. But I do have a quilting progress to show:

I am working on "Touchdown" by Cluck Cluck Sew. It is super intricate in comparison to all other quilts I have worked on but I do love football. The end result will be for my husband.

One of my trips was to Ireland for the first time so I will be downloading you all on that in the coming few weeks.

For stitching...I am currently working on Pretty Little San Francisco by Satsuma Street.

Happy Stitching Everyone!

Pretty Little New York Complete!!!!

A quick post while on a work trip - Pretty Little New York by Satsuma Street on Tarnished Silver by Under the Sea Fabrics.

Pretty Little New York - Satsuma Street 

Happy Stitching everyone!

Pretty Little Chicago Complete

I finished Pretty Little Chicago by Satsuma Street on Friday. I stitched it using the called for floss on 32ct. Lugana in Tarnished Silver by Under the Sea Fabrics.

Pretty Little Chicago - Satsuma Street

I have been traveling a lot for work and have been dealing with a potential identity compromise as well so it has been a trying few weeks hence no posting. It will continue to be that way for the next few months but I will post as I can. I have also been organizing my craft room and will post pics as soon as I have it done.

Happy stitching everyone!

Pink Quilt Tops!

My niece called me this week to tell me her Dollies we cold and they needed me to make them some quilts. BUT they needed to be PINK! Now let me be clear, I am not a huge fan of the color pink so the ability for me to make them all out of my stash was very limited. I was able to complete the tops from my stash except for a fat quarter I purchased. Here they are:

 

Pink Dolly Quilt Top #1

Pink Dolly Quilt Top #2

My plan for the weekend is to quilt them. Hopefully all will go well. I am linking the top completion with Finish it up Friday at Crazy Mom quilts.

Happy Stitching everyone!

Finished!!! Pretty Little DC - Satsuma Street

I just wanted to drop a pic of the finished Pretty Little DC by Satsuma Street on 32 ct. Lugana in Tarnished Silver by Under the Sea Fabrics. I used the called for DMC colors.

Pretty Little DC - 32 ct. Lugana in Tarnished Silver by Under the Sea Fabrics

It was a totally fun Stitch. I left the choice of the next city to my dear husband who chose Chicago.

Happy stitching this week!!

New start Progress

I started Pretty little Washington DC by Satsuma Street on 32 Ct. Lugana in Tarnished Silver by Under the Sea Fabrics. I love this Fabric as it mimics a sky on a Cloudy day.

Pretty Little Washington, DC by Satsuma Street on 32 ct. Lugana in Tarnished Silver by Under The Sea Fabrics

It is a total easy stitch and Super Cute. I already have New York, Chicago, and San Francisco kitted up and ready to go. My Plan is to stay on this one until I finish her. Should be by the end of this week.

Happy Stitching Everyone!

My First Stitching Retreat...

...But not my last!

The weekend of the Martin Luther King Holiday in the US I went to my first stitching retreat sponsored by Keepsakes at the Lodge at Hueston Woods north of Cincinnati, OH. There were options for attendance but I drove up to the lodge on wednesday afternoon and stayed through early Sunday morning. There were many options for places to stitch...a fireplace, in front of a TV, and a conference room.

I wasn't sure what to expect at a retreat but what I found was a new group of friends and I was able to rededicate myself to my stitching more than I already have. Here are my highlights:

• Time: I always have struggles to dedicate time to something that gives me a lot of happiness. It was amazing to take time for me. I finished One Nation and inspired a few stitch-a-longs. I also started my First HAED - Brigid's Shamrock.
• Friends: New friends are amazing. They can help you stay motivated and be inspired.
• Local needlework shops: The support that Keepsakes gives to the local community of stitchers is amazing. I cannot tell you how wonderful it is to have Barbara, her husband Joe, and Lynnie there for help.
• Trunk shows: WOW....I love trunk shows and the ability to see new things. They also cause me to lighten my wallet but I do love them.
• Under the Sea Fabrics: LOVE LOVE LOVE this company. 

I cannot wait for next year and have already blocked off my calendar for that weekend at work.

Happy stitching everyone!

The First sock

So I finished a sock....only one though. The other is still on the needles. We shall see if it comes out the same size as the first one. I keep finding myself having issued where I joined the stitches in the round showing up in my stitching. This is something I need to figure out. I also need to figure out kitchener stitch. Hopefully the second sock will help me practice. Here is my lonely single sock.

I also finished a dishrag for January :)

So at least some of the goals for the year are on track!

Happy stitching!

January 2016 WIPocalypse Check-in

I am also a few days late for the WIPocalypse (sponsored by the wonderful Measi) Check-in but I do have a finish to show: ONE NATION is complete!!!!!!!

There is an interesting story to go along with this one. My Dear husband chose this pattern for me when we stopped at a stitching store in Osage, IA on the way to MN for his grandfather's funeral called The Stitchery Nook. It was our anniversary and my husband wanted to make sure that I had a special experience as we both knew the week was going to painful. the pattern choice was easy because with the military history of both of our respective families we tend to gravitate to something patriotic like this. I used the called for DMC and some linen from Picture this Plus. I would have probably chosen a different color than Ecru but It does have a great antique feeling.

I started stitching on this pattern at a stitching day sponsored by my local needlework store Keepsakes in July. They are also the sponsor of the stitching retreat that I took part in over Martin Luther King weekend which is where I finished the pattern.  It was very fitting to have that happen for me. Also, I was one of three women who were working on this pattern at the retreat. In july, there was a women who kept commenting on my working on this and she was one of the others working on it at the retreat. But the cool part is that a few groups are going to start it as a stitchalong which was fun. I can say I was a trendsetter.

Now for the WIPocalypse question of the month!
Topic: Introduce yourself, your projects, and any goals you have for the year!
 HI! My Name is Katie. I am 35 and live in Cincinnati, OH. I am an engineer where I have my Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering. I am married with no children as of yet. I refer to myself as crafty and creative as I love to Crosscstitch, knit, Quilt, and Crochet.

I tend to collect somewhere between 5-10 WIPs over each year but my goal is to get more things stitched this year. My projects for this stitchalong are at the left. With One Nation down, I am thinking "99" may be the next one on the frame. I do plan on working what I want and not be kept to specific goals. I do have the cities pattern by Satsuma street that are also calling to me. We shall see.

My yearly goals for all crafts are in the tab at the top!

Happy stitching everyone!

Smalls Stichalong Check - In

I am a few days late for this check-in as I had a work trip after a my FIRST EVER stitching retreat which was amazing. The two smalls I finished were Jar topper patterns for a Just Cross Stitching Issue. I stitched them on a scrap piece of Linen with the called for DMC.

My thoughts and memories from the stitchaway retreat will be in a future posting.

Happy stitching everyone!

Word for the Year - LEARN!!!

I have seen a few posts over the weekend talking about a word for the year and I think this is an absolutely wonderful idea. The word I have chosen is: LEARN. I have always loved to learn new things but I have also learned that I need to learn from my mistakes, new experiences, and just everyday life in general. I have started a log for a few things that I have learned this year already (i know...it's been 4 days)!

I wanted to highlight one: I use Microsoft Excel everyday is my job. I can even program the cells to do amazing things but for some reason in all my years I never learned how to insert a line break while within a cell. It was easy to Google it which is what I did when my dear mother asked for help on something. But then I thought...Oh No...I use a MAC at work and not all functionality is in the office Suite for MAC. Hence, another round of Google and the command was ingrained in my brain. I have already used it twice today :)

Here's to a learn-y and crafty year everyone!

Tie Pillow Part 2

And for the second and final installment of the Tie pillows:

Father-in-Law: My father-in-law chose to have the brown tie's for his pillow. We had facetimed with him and he asked if I could do a light to dark like theme. I decided on Diagonal Stripes and a brown pocket back from my stash.

FIL Front

FIL Back

Mother-in-Law: My MIL was VERY SPECIFIC on the ties she wanted in her pillow and she also wanted a pheasant she had stitched on one of his shirts in her pillow. I am glad it came out as well as it did. She also wanted some of the labels on the ties because her father was color blind and they specified the color to wear the ties with.

MIL front

MIL front w/label

MIL Back w/label

Dear husband: I made my husband's pillow first as a test case. I kept it to the red family. I really love this one.

DH front

DH back

I will have a few more projects I finished on the next few updates I hope.

Happy stitching!