After Christmas Glow...... (489-490)

I hope you had a very Merry Christmas, gathering with your loved ones, enjoying a home cooked meal...or two, overindulging the cookies and sharing the joy of the season. We drove to Baltimore to get my parents and bring them to our house for Christmas. Sadly my Dad was bothered by a bad toothache (which included a trip to the ER for IV antibiotics) and didn't feel up to par most of the visit . But we made the most of it and had a fun holiday. Here are some photos of our celebration:

Cora as official photographer

Aunt Jess playing the "marshmallow" game

Gammi and James playing Bingo on her tablet

Uncle Alex and James making homemade pasta--YUM

Esther patiently waiting her turn to crank the pasta

The final result

Asher with a new baseball jersey (our gift to him)

Christmas Eve hike

A drive by our favorite light display (Before)

After

There is not a square inch on this house that isn't covered by lights...roof, siding, windows and doors!!!

 While my girls were here, they made some memory pillows for my friend whose husband passed away last December. We got some of his old shirts and they cut them into a square and stuffed them with a pillow form. They made one for each of his grandchildren and one for my friend. Rich and I plan to hand deliver them sometime in the next month or so. I'm so proud of my girls and their caring hearts!!!

Now I wanted to share some of my Christmas gifts...given and received. I'll start with ones I received. These first few are from my family:

My daughter, Kristin, made this tray for me--and...

.....got us set up with tee shirts for Disney!!!

My daughter, Jess, got me this way cool needlebook made out of recycled leather.

I think I'll stitch the needle sizes on the pages

This sweet pocket watch is from my blog/stitchy friend, RJ.....who despaired it was a year late....but I am thrilled to receive it anytime!!!!

This was RJ's 2018 gift with a patriotic theme. I love the design and finishing and the scissors add that extra panache!!!

I received this  darling star from blogger/stitchy friend, Vickie........it looks kinds cute laying on my reindeer placemat, but it's actually hanging on the tree.

Now onto to some gifts (officially added to Stitch Stroll) I stitched for friends. I did six of these adorable alphabet trees, over one on 45 count, to fit the tree frames from Michaels. The chart was a freebie from iStitch Designs and you can find it here (just scroll down to the 2014 design) : Istitch freebie

This next gift I made was the project from my Guild's holiday luncheon, designed by one of our members. It was stitched on 40 count over one and put in a 1 1/2 inch glass locket.

I've already stitched another one of these for me but had to wait for an order of lockets to arrive. I can see more of these in my future with different colorways. :)

I do have a couple other gifts to share but the recipients haven't received them yet, so as soon as they do, I'll post some photos.

As for my stitching of late...not much going on!!! I am about 4 weeks behind on  the band SAL but hope to remedy that soon. I did manage to finish the stitching on Christmas Eve Ride  by Needle Bling Designs. I did this on 22 count R&R Light Espresso dyed wool. I did change out the fibers to use ones I already owned (WDW and Victorian Motto Shoppe). I added pearl beads instead of floss for the "snow". Now to come up with some cute finishing!!!

 I also started a new "car" project and I'm just not totally sold on it. I have never given up on a project, but am contemplating ending this one. But before I do, I'd like to get  your "thoughts" on it. I had been searching for this chart for a loooong time and because it's on perforated paper, I can stitch on it in the car. Here is the chart:

 

 The daytime version is cute, but it's the night time "glow in the dark" that sold it for me. So my quandary is......do I want to invest in all the time and Kreinik braid when we won't be able to appreciate the "glow" that much since we don't sit around in the evening in the dark. I finished one house (doesn't have the glow braid added yet) and it isn't doing anything for me. 

On the one hand, I have trouble stitching on anything other than the perforated paper (which is limiting) in the car and I CAN'T stand just sitting in a car doing nothing. I took some 28 count linen with me this past trip to Baltimore and, with all the jostling, I kept splitting linen threads and gave up. On the other hand, I don't want to spend a lot of time/money on a project I don't totally LOVE!!! I'm being very wishy-washy about this, so any suggestions will be welcome. How do any of you stitch on linen in the car?

Okay, I've blabbered enough and will end here. We've gotten our Disney bracelets and will be heading to Florida in the new year.

 I'll try to squeak in another post in before we go, but can't guarantee. Thanks so much for making it this far and your "twisted threads" of friendship. Happy New Year to all and wishes for health, happiness and many stitchy memories in 2019!!!

Stasi