T.G.I. IHSW

I had go into work today but now I am ready for some serious "hermitting".  I am in my "jammies", a pizza is ready to go into the oven and a glass of red wine has been poured.

It has been a loooooooooooooooooooooooong week.  I came down with a hacking congested cough this week and didn't have the luxury of staying home to recuperate.  My BIL, who is one of two sales reps in our store, was on holidays this week so I had to be there to at least answer the phones (my sales skills leave a lot to be desired but I do what I can.  I am actually the bookkeeper.)  His being on holidays was the reason I had to work today.  I am so happy the it is a long weekend and I don't have to think about work until  Tuesday.

I managed a couple of finishes since my last post.  Both were CJC2012 starts.    I finished the following last night.    I still need to add the charm in the upper left hand corner.   I forgot to do so before scanning the piece.  I am thinking of finishing it off as a display pillow using a piece of fabric I received in an recent exchange.

Design:Wine A Little
Designer: Sue Hillis
Fabric: 32ct off white linen
Threads: DMC
Embellishment: Wine Bottle charm included with Chart

I finished this other piece last Friday - another VS Hearts of Canada piece - Northwest Territories.

Design: Hearts of Canada - Northwest Territories

Designer: Victoria Sampler

Fabric: 25ct Antique White Lugana

Thread: DMC,Kreinik

I am a couple of days late with my Theme-a-licous report. This month's theme is

Fangirl February

Send a Valentine to your favorite designer...or at least work on his or her designs for the month!

This month I am concentrating on stitching on Little House Needlework designs.   The following are 3 of her ornament designs I am working on.

The first two are Joy and Peace both versions (I couldn't decide which one I liked best so I am doing both.   The last one is Bringing Home the Tree.

Well, that is it for now. Have a fantastic weekend and happy stitching!!!!!!!!

Crazy January Challenge 2012 - Day Thirty-One - Last Day, Theme-a-licious, Oldest UFO update and January Reading LIst

Reports! Reports! Reports!

Report # 1
Today was the last day of the (Modified Ultimate) Crazy January Challenge 2012.  For today's start I made another change  and pulled out another Mill Hill kit. This one has a Halloween theme - Starlight Ghost. Here is my progress:

Report #2
Today is also the day to update on my January Theme-a-licious stitching.  Without really trying I managed to stitch on quite a number of flowers this month.   All the Hearts of Canada charts had Provincial flowers on them and a couple of my other starts and WIPs  contained flowers.  In the collage below are some of the Provincial flowers I stitched along with Sew Gigi (iStitch  Designs) and part of a piece I stitched for an exchange (the full piece and name of the chart will be announce once my partner has received it).  The section I am currently working on in the Castles in the Air is called Formal Garden.

Next month's theme is Fangirl February

Send a Valentine to your favorite designer...or at least work on his or her designs for the month!

I will be devoting my stitching during the month of February to Little House Needlework designs with a little bit of Teresa Wentzler thrown in (I want to continue making some progress on my oldest UFO - Peacock Tapestry).  I have 2 LHN WIPs - Home Of A Needleworker and Home of A Needleworker, Too plus I have another chart - Snowflakes - and a number of her ornament charts that I want to stitch.

Report #3
I managed a little bit of stitching on my oldest UFO - TW Peacock Tapestry.  I have the left hand border almost done.

 
Well it is getting late and I need to get some sleep.  Take care and happy stitching!!!!!!!!


PS.  Below is a list of books I finished reading (or listened to) this past month.

January Reading list
1. Track of the Cat - Nevada Barr (ebook)
2. Apple Turnover Murder - Joanna Fluke (ebook)
3. As the Pig Turns - M. C. Beaton (audiobook)
4. Agatha Raisin and the Day the Floods Came - M. C. Beaton (audiobook)
5. The Nesting Dolls - Gail Bowen
6. Murder with Peacocks - Donna Andrews (ebook)
7. A Red Herring without Mustard - Alan Bradley (audiobook)
8. Agatha Raisin and the Potted Gardener - M.C. Beaton (audiobook)
9. Blueberry Muffin Murder - Joanna Fluke (ebook)
10. April Fool Dead - Carolyn Hart (audiobook)

Theme-a-licious 2012 Update

Jardin January
The holidays were a little stressful...let's relax in a nice garden. Work on any piece with flowers or gardens.

Here are some of the flowers I have been working on.  

 
I will be back on the 31st with some more.

Crazy January Challenge 2012 - Day One

Today was Day One of the Crazy January Challenge 2012.

My start today was The Home of a Needleworker (Too!) by Little House Needleworks. I am stitching it on 36ct Flax Edinborough Linen with the Crescent Colour threads listed on the chart.

I already have the first Home of the Needleworker in my pile of WIPs. It would be great if I managed to finish both of them this year.

I did some stitching on a couple of pieces for two exchanges I am currently participating in so I can't show them right now. One of them falls into this here month's theme for Theme-a-licious and the other works into the next challenge at Christmas Ornament Challenge 2011.

I am also joining Elaine in stitching Christmas ornaments throughout the year. She has set up a new blog for this and you can find it here. This month's theme is Santa Claus. This is the chart I will be stitching (it was already on my list for the CJC 2012.)

It is a design by Sandra Sullivan called Santa, Please Bring Me.... (2008 Santa Ornament). I am stitching it on a leftover piece of 28ct earth tone mottled fabric I had in my stash using DMC, WDW and CC floss.

Besides cross stitching today, I also knitted the first 20 rows in the January dishcloth in the KAL at Monthly Dishcloths (Knit-A-Long). I am hoping to keep up with the KALs this year and have 24 cloths finished by December.

I wish you all the best in 2012 and hope you all have a great year stitching!!!!

Take care!

12 Days of Chrsitmas in Blogland - Day Seven and the final finish for 2011 (I think!)

On the seventh day of Christmas my true love gave to me.......................

Granted, seven swans a-swimming is a beautiful sight. If you don`t believe me just check out this post on the Canterbury Cottage blog.  However, this is all I have on offer today - another 2 ornmanent kits - Holly and Santa.

I think that by now you know the routine.  Comment on this post only.  You have until 12:00am (CST)  January 7th.  Winner will be announced on Janaury 8th.  Good Luck.

I spent yesterday and today finishing up Chilly`s Gift by Stitchy Kitty.   I really enjoyed stitching this one and really love how it turned out.

I was inspired to stitch this penguin after finding out on Christmas Day that one of my nieces loves penguins. (She told me a sweet story about how her and her SO found a Penguin Nutcracker at Michaels with a missing wing and that they bought it and her SO whittled a new wing for it.)  I came home and looked for all the penquin charts I had and this one was on top of my TO DO list.

I wanted to wish you all the very best in the New Year.   Thank also for stopping by and leaving a comment when you could.  It has been enjoyable year and I am looking to the next one.

I am off now to work on my Oldest UFO - Peacock Tapestry by Teresa Wentzler.  I am also going to work on my WIPocalypse 2012 list where the Peacock Tapestry will be at the top. I am bound and determined to get this one finish in 2012. Wish me luck.

I am also going to kit up my January piece for Theme-a-licous 2012.  I won`t be naming the piece or showing any pictures as it is a chart that I am stitching for the Stitched With Love Exchanges new exchange - Love and Friendship Exchange. I have another floral piece (that is also a WIP) that I will pull it out if time permits - Castles in the Air - Papillon Creations

My Day One Start for the Crazy January Challenge 2012 will be LHN`s Home of the Needleworker (too)!

Well, I think I have babbled on enough now.  Take care and happy stitching!!!!!!!!!