First Feb Finish!

Since my emergency surgery, I have been sleeping a lot which is an unfortunate side effect of the blood loss I had. I say unfortunate in that it has severely limited my stitching time this month. That being said, I am coming along like gang busters now as things are getting slowly back to normal.

I have my first 2 finishes for February:
1.) Celtic Twizzle by Liz Almond from Just Cross Stitch's Marcc/April 2012 Issue. I used the called for DMC and a scrap piece of evenweave from my stash in 32ct.

2.) I also finished one of the Freebies from my retreat in January: The Theme of the Retreat was April in Paris leaning heavily on Red as the accent color. I decided to change it to Blue as I LOVE blue and that is the color of the Eifel Tower in the finish below. It is 2 over 1 on 25ct. scrap even weave.

From my stitch from my stash - These will help my budget.

Otherwise, I am working on a gender neutral baby blanket for a friend who is pregnant. She wants to be surprised so I am knitting another one in a beige and cream color variety.

More to come in the next few days.

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!

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!

A finish?

So in the middle of work and Thankgiving prep madness I was able to finish a few small items:

Fabric Box - Scrap fabric and interfacing

 I was also able to finish a few Christmas ornaments from a JanLynn Kit. I had started the one mug as a part of the January challenge that I took part in and they spoke to me to finish this month. 4 of the 6 are completed as you can see below and I only have backstitching to complete on the other 2.

Now I just need to find time to make them all into ornaments for a tree. Hopefully, I can find time between now and the holidays.

Happy Stitching everyone!