Even More Stitching (With Big Smiles!) and Pics as Promised!

Thank you all for the wonderful comments, I do appreciate it! I continue to enjoy stitching again and continue to stitch! So here are the pics as promised!

Yesterday I worked on the Quaker (Quaker Mon Ami, I think ???) called Quaker 6 Mains by Mon Ami Pierre © (I was close, almost got the designer right LOL) some more and am almost finished with page 1. Here is how it looked last time it was on the blog:

No Idea the Title. Got it as a freebie online.
28ct. Jobelen

There was a tad more done but I apparently didn't take a picture. The letters Q and q were added and that's where I stopped somewhere in 2010 I think it was. When I emptied my bag the other day I had the fabric and the chart, but couldn't find the list of floss numbers I had used. All I could remember is they were 38's in DMC. So I scoured my blog, luckily I did write the floss numbers I chose onto the blog; 3831, 3832, 3833. I was very happy when I found that, yanked the floss and got stitching. Here is where it stands as of April 14, 2014:

Back in Dec. 2011 I was participating in an Ornament challenge. I stitched a few ornaments and left one in progress. I finished that last week, here is the picture:

Holly Reindeer © DaffyCat
28ct Hand Dyed Jobelen (not sure of name but its a tan/brownish color

Around the reindeer's neck is a bough of holly. It is done in green x's and red French Knots. Along with the Holly Reindeer, I also stitched the Mistletoe Reindeer, The Stocking reindeer, and Believe. All are by Daffy Cat. Believe and Stocking Reindeer have been shared before. So here is Mistletoe Reindeer as I can't find a post on my blog where I shared the pic of this one.

Mistletoe Reindeer © DaffyCat

Many many years ago I stitched a bunch of small Christmas designs onto Aida fabric. My intention was to turn them into ornaments. For years the large pieces a fabric (Black and white) just lay in the drawer with the stitching on them, but not cut out for finishing. Eventually I cut them out and pinned them together, but never finished sewing them. Well, I finally did and they are ready to be used on this year's Christmas tree. These came out of different Leisure Arts leaflets and a Christmas Book or two that I have. Here is a pic of them:

That's it! Nothing since Dec. 2011, and in one week I finished a few WIPs and an owed exchange. So now I'm going to do some more work on the Quaker Mon Ami (I think that's it, not sure though and I'm probably wrong) Quaker 6 Mains by Mon Ami Pierre © (I was close, almost got the designer right LOL)The other day while stitching I decided to try listening to an audio book. I have Stephen King's Wind Through The Keyhole as an audio book, being read by the author, so I started that up. It was FANTASTIC! Now I know why all you lovely people rave about listening to audio books while stitching, it is great! So I'm off to Mid-World, the Starkblast and needlework!

**edited April 16, 2014 to add proper name of Quaker design

Thank You and Ornie Challenge Thus Far

I started this stitching blog in October of 2007. I really enjoyed reading other stitchers' blogs and seeing their progress pics as well as their finished or framed pieces. I enjoyed the little glimpses into their real lives when they post about things such as vacations, holidays, or anything they feel comfortable publishing on the web. As a result of starting my own blogs, I have received a great deal of support and well wishes from other stitchers. Since I posted about stitching more often a couple weeks ago I have received many positive and supportive comments.

Thank you Missy, Brigitte, Christine, Donna, Pumpkin, Sam (my daughter), Kaye, Mouse, and RuthB for all of your supportive and celebratory (I hope that's a word) comments on my recent posts about returning to stitching. I really appreciate the support and acknowledgement more than I can say!

Also, I want to take a moment to thank everyone who has ever commented on my blog. Those comments really do make me feel good and I appreciate them all.

I have completed the stitching on 4 Christmas ornaments so far. My sister-in-law Stephanie picked up some seasonal fabric (A fat quarter bundle usually for quilters) and stuffing so I can finish the ornaments so they can be used. I plan on doing a finishing day in a couple weeks, where I finish them all at once. I need to take a day or two to learn my new (to me) sewing machine. Anyway here are the pictures of the 4 ornaments I have completed stitching on so far:

Believe © Daffycat Designs
2 over 2 DMC on 18ct Zweigart Jobelen in Sand

Christmas Motif (not sure of designer) Freeby
28ct 2 over 2 in DMC on White Zweigart Jobelen

Stocking Reindeer © DaffyCat Designs
2 over 2 on 28ct Sand (Hand dyed Jobelen Zweigart) in DMC floss

Christmas Cat Tree © Brittercup Designs
28ct white Jobelen from Zweigart using DMC floss

I am working on Mistletoe Reindeer from DaffyCat Designs and am half-way through it. I should be able to finish it today.

Feathers in the Nest is having a fantastic Christmas giveaway! Go HERE and check it out!

Victorian Motto Sampler Shop is having a wonderful giveaway on hand dyed flosses, in gorgeous colors! You can enter HERE.

Stitching

I did finish the Christmas Cat Tree by Brittercup Designs and I also did a small design from Daffycat called Believe. I haven't taken pictures yet, but I will get them up soon. Its not as good as I wanted to do for the ornie challenge, but its better than none at all so I am pleased with it. I have a few more weeks and I'm hoping I can knock out one or two more. I enjoyed it a great deal too! I actually stitched all day last Wednesday (I think it was) which is something I haven't done in a long long time. Of course my pelvis was really unhappy with me and I paid for it the next day, but I enjoyed it a lot! I just have to find a better position for stitching and remember to get up, stretch, and walk around after 30 minutes or so. I just get so into the stitching I forget to stretch, get up, and move around LOL Maybe I will set a timer and see if that helps.

I am hoping to get the Reindeer charts from Daffycat done for this year as well. Sam wants to stitch one of them as well.

In preparation for TUSAL 2012, I found a jar and am collecting my orts again so I'm in the habit for next year. When Sam and I stitched together the other day, she collected hers as well so I have some of her threads in the jar.

Sam has created a cross stitch chart for her boyfriend and completed the stitching the other day. It looks fabulous! Her back is perfect, her stitching is perfect and I am so proud of her. I can't share any pictures of it because its a surprise for her boyfriend (who reads my blog) and I don't want to spoil the surprise, but I am so so proud! She is so pleased with herself also, which is great to see. I can't wait to share it. She did it on a red fabric which is more difficult to stitch on, as we all know, so I'm even more proud of her.

I managed to cook most of Thanksgiving dinner which meant a great deal to me. I am so very happy that I managed to do it. I am also very grateful to my husband Ron, my daughter Sam, my sister-in-law Stephanie, and my neighbor Diane who all helped me with the preparation and cooking in one way or another. I even managed to sit in the living room and enjoy my company for most of the day. It was great!

2 Days In A Row

Woo Hoo! I stitched some more today making it two days in a row. YAY!

I didn't sleep last night so I've been tired all day. I chose not to take a nap because doing so would have left me awake all night tonight too. It doesn't take much to mess up my sleep schedule but it can take weeks to get it back to normal (sleeping at night). I was hoping to finish my first ornament for the Christmas Ornamenet Challenge 2011, but no such luck. I had to stop stitching when my eyes got blurry lol

So here is where I am on Christmas Cat Tree by Brittercup Designs

YAY I Stitched!

Thank you all for your well wishes about my illness. I really appreciate it!

Today (Sunday the 13th) was a pretty good day all in all. I did manage to do some stitching. I almost got completely caught up on blog reading. I started a new blog that will be a directory of needlework blogs. Since I have so many in my reader and I've seen many new stitching bloggers comment that they've had a difficult time finding other stitching blogs, I thought creating a directory would be a good idea.

When I started this blog there were two sites (that I found) which contained listings of links to other stitching blogs. However neither site has beeen updated in a very long time and many of the links were broken. So I've started making a directory. You can see that blog here:  Directory Of Stitching Blogs. I will start out by putting all the blogs that are listed in my reader into the directory. I hope to continue adding to the directory as people submit their blogs, submit a friend's blog, or I come across new blogs.  If I am listed as a follower on your blog, you are already in my reader and will be added to the directory. Please feel free to submit a blog by emailing me.

I joined in on the Christmas Ornament Challenge 2011 that BeckySC started. I've been meaning to stitch ornaments for my Christmas tree for a couple years now, but just hadn't done them yet. This challenge sounded like a great motivation to get some done this year, so I joined in. Due to being sick for 3 weeks I wasn't able to start stitching ornaments on Nov. 1st like I had hoped, but I did manage to start stitching today! Woo Hoo!

For my first ornament I chose Christmas Cat Tree by Brittercup Designs from this year's Just Cross Stitch Ornament Issue. I'm stitching on 28ct Antique White Jazzlyn from Wichelt Importers using DMC floss. I didn't get very far but at least it's a start! lol The colors are a bit faded on this picture as I had to use the flash.

Christmas Cat Tree © Brittercup Designs
DMC floss 2 over 2 on 28ct Jazzlyn

I am hoping to have this finished tomorrow and then I'll start doing the Reindeer patterns created by DaffyCat. They are really cute and will make a nice little set of ornaments. You can find information about the Reindeer patterns at DaffyCat's blog "It's DaffyCat!!". There are 4 Reindeer charts (among other freebies) and that link will open her blog entry for the Stocking Reindeer.

Enjoy!