A Year in the Making.....538

 I am back with a quick post to share my latest finish-finish.....A Year of Celebrations by Hands on Design. I started this project last February by stitching the first monthly piece on an 18 ct. Davos linen....I wasn't happy with it...it didn't fit my finishing plan...too big. So, I switched to 14 ct. perforated paper which worked out perfectly and, this quickly became my travel project ( I can work on the perforated paper in the car). Of course this also caused more work, as I had to stitch the backgrounds on each piece. So colors were changed up to accommodate this and I managed to get them all stitched by the end of December. 

My finishing plan all along had been to somehow attach these to an old cigar box I had (which was shaped like a book), change out monthly and store the remaining months inside the box. So I borrowed the idea from Sally at Salty Yarns to display the pieces on the front of the box by hanging the individual months on tiny painted spools that I glued a JABCO button on. I glued a magnet to the cigar box and and a small, thin washer to the back side of the spool. 
I cut matboard and spray glued coordinating scrapbook paper to each month. I then attached the stitched pieces with double stick tape (thanks Sally) adding a hanger and small bow.

And it all came together......

Thanks for stopping by and your "twisted threads" of friendship!

Stasi

Off to a Good Start in 2020.... (534-537)

Winter has finally arrived in the Richmond area....but not for long. So, I will take what I can and enjoy some hot tea after a brisk walk.

 I have been a busy bee and have quite a bit of stitching/finishing to share today. I spent last Wednesday to Monday up in OCMD helping cut fabric at Salty Yarns. There were 204 stitchers at Camp Wannastitch, an event put on by the Mid-Atlantic EGA....so there was a LOT of fabric to be cut!!! In the evenings I worked on the Silk Sampler by Birds of a Feather. I stitched this on 46 count Vintage Buttercream linen with Silk N Colors Tapestry Green, Glorianna Arctic Ice and Lacquered Gold.  Thanks to my friend, Tracie, for loaning me this chart.

I did not do much stash enhancement this weekend as I will be going back to OCMD for Super Bowl weekend and take advantage of Salty Yarns sale. But I couldn't resist this chart....Rack Stack by Plum Street.

While there, I gifted my friends their belated Christmas gift....a project bag I made from a kit sold by With Thy Needle and Thread. I made four total...this one is mine. Note the cute little strawberry zipper pull!

I received some wonderful birthday and Christmas gifts too...lots of bee related fun! Sadly I didn't think to take a photo before I put everything in its place. :(   But here are two I could put my fingers on easily....A scissor display with a stitched bee in the center and a tape measure that you rewind by hand. Thanks Sara and Debbie!!!

Now on to some finishes.....First up is my completed Amethyst Band Sampler SAL by iStitch Designs...stitched over one on 27 count banding with Glorianna Blue Grass and Avonlea Green. It's been attached to an antique spool as have my other three.

Next is Sweater Weather by October House Fiber Arts. This was stitched on 20 count linen with Tweedie fibers from Rainbow Gallery. I felted an old wool sweater of mine,  attached the stitching to it, and made it into a pillow. I'm really tickled with how it turned out! I sewed the stitching to the back of the sweater and used the front, with buttons, for the back of the pillow. This will help remind me of chillier temps!!!

Then we have a project I started in 1995 (had the upper right hand corner done) and finished in 2020. It is Home Sweet Homes by Homespun Elegance...also made into a pillow. This was done with called for fibers on a panel of Home Sweet Home fabric.

My last finish-finish is a freebie offered by Sassy Jacks to help our friends in Australia. They made the chart available  Aussie Friends and if you stitch and post on their FB page or website, they will make a donation to the fire relief.

Now a new start....the Burgandy Sampler Band SAL by iStitch designs....is it possible to be addicted to alphabets???? I'm doing this on an antique 27 count white banding with Glorianna Bellagio and various solid colors when I get the urge. Here's a funny little story...I bought my fiber (Bellagio) last March for this next SAL. Three other ladies I know have also picked the same color..great minds think alike!!! It will be interesting to see how we all do it. I'm going to try to not look at the iStitch FB page so I'm not influenced by them...we'll see what develops!!! :)

 I am not off to a good start with this. First, I had been sold the wrong cut size for the piece. The seller made it good lengthwise but sent the wrong banding the second time around...sigh! I then ordered it from the Netherlands (where I'd ordered it for all the others) and was sent the wrong color....that's now being taken care of. In the mean time, I found a piece in my stash that would work and got cracking. So, after having to rip out the first line not once, but twice...I evidently can't count anymore.... I have the start of the first line placed correctly!!!

I've also gotten back to Bee Contained by Betsy Morgan...I really want to get this done but keep getting distracted. Concentrate Stasi...concentrate!!!

I'll close out with a shot of my snowman display. I recently had my hubby mount our TV on the wall ...it had been sitting on the furniture top...so I could put displays there...worked out great!!!

Well that's it until next time. Keep stitching and thanks for stopping by and your "twisted threads" of frieindship!

Stasi



 
 

 

Tis A Gift...... (530-533)

Happy New Year to all--hope everyone had wonderful holidays with your loved ones and are refreshed and ready for a new year and new decade!!! Can you believe it's 2020??? Seems like we were just celebrating the new millennium and we're already 20 years in!!! I hope 2020 brings good health, much happiness and an abundance of down time to stitch! 

Our Christmas was very nice and low key. We brought my parents down from Baltimore for 5 days to spend with us and my daughter's family, then drove them back and spent a few days visiting my siblings and some family. We spent New Year's Eve with my brother and his wife but that ended with my hubby getting a stomach bug and a quick retreat home. So far, so good for me and I have my fingers crossed!!!

My hubby and I didn't really exchange many presents; he got me a new CD player and I got him the latest season of Game of Thrones on DVD. We don't really need anything, so why spend just to  spend? But, I did receive a number of lovely gifts from my blogging friends. I am the proud recipient of five wonderful ornaments....a BIG thank you to Carol, Robin, Vickie , Meg and RJ! These all found a special spot on my tree and will be treasured always!

L to R....ornaments from Carol, Robin and Vickie

L to R... ornaments from Meg and RJ

 Aren't they all just the sweetest??? Meg designed her ornament based on a Charles Wysocki print and you can read about it on her blog Live to Stitch. She is a beautiful soul who is going through a rough patch right now, so if you visit her site, please leave her a supportive comment.

Another stitched birthday gift I received was from my friend, Sally. It's one of Erica Michael's strawberries and I LOVE it!!! Thanks, Sal, from the bottom of my heart! I know it was a lot of over one stitching and I so appreciate it!

My daughter gave me a Rowenta travel iron, so now I won't have to run up and down the stairs so much. Maybe I better re-think that...the exercise does me good!!!

But perhaps my most cherished gift was given to me by my 9 year old granddaughter, Cora...a Harry Potter key chain! She is a very thoughtful child and bought this because she knows how much I love HP!!!

Now, on to some gifts I made for friends, which were few and far between this year due to those darn needlepoint ornaments for the Grands! :) These are being added officially to my Stroll.

I made this box for my friend who went to Yellowstone with us. I may have mentioned the "spider" incident in my blog post about the trip, but she literally landed in my lap  after spotting a spider in the car. I thought it was perfect for her...Nothing to Fear by My Big Toe Designs.....stitched on 32 count Vintage linen with called for fibers...I think.

Next, I did a couple ornaments on the Tokens and Trifles perforated paper.

Bristol Ornaments 2019 by Dutch Treat Designs (freebie)

Nice by Tricia Wilson Nguyen (freebie)

I also did a little paper ornament for me:

Quaker Stocking by Wendy White (freebie)

 I finished the stitching on Sweater Weather by October House Fiber Arts. I have an idea brewing to finish this so stay tuned.... I stitched it on 20 count natural linen, over two. I wanted to use Rainbow Gallery Tweedie (had a bunch in my stash) to make it look "wooly".

Last but not least,  I pulled out a very old WIP from the mid 90's as my first stitch for 2020. It is Home Sweet Homes by Homespun Elegance. It's stitched on 18 count Home Sweet Home fabric with two strands of the called for DMC. I bought this at a time when I hoped to one day to live in a log cabin home....that's not going to happen, but I still love the design.

I am looking forward to a year of enjoyable stitching....working on whatever moves me at the moment. I need to get cracking on some finishing, put my craft room back in order and work on some languishing class projects. 

I hope all your 2020 resolutions/plans come to fruition, but if not...enjoy the journey! Thanks for stopping by and your "twisted threads" of friendship!

Stasi