Finishing projects.....

I just LOVE to cross stitch if you know me really well.  Sometimes I just don't get the "finishing" done on that project and then that project goes into a cute decorator box that I will finish "later".   This is one of those pretty decorator boxes you can get at Michaels, JoAnn fabrics or Hobby Lobby that you can pick whatever design you like to display. 

Well one box is getting soooo full of my ornaments that I've stitched, bought the finishing fabric for and just put back into the box.  But....not to worry....I do get that urge to REALLY FINISH something!  But I also have another pretty decorator box full of finished fobs and needlerolls.

This is what happened after we got home from our vacation in July and realizing that I wanted a patriotic design for my very pretty Gingher patriotic scissors.  I had already xstitched SB Glory scissor fob up and put it in my "fob decorator box". 

So I pulled out SB Glory fob in hopes of just getting it done one day last week.  I read the instructions and set out to get this finished up.  It was SOOOOO EASY I don't know WHY I just didn't do the finishing work then.  It wasn't difficult to finish as I use the sewing machine like Terri of SB to finish my fobs and then do the hand work for the trims.  She had used rickrack and beads to go around the edges!  I LOVE THIS FINISHING TECHNIQUE!!!  It was SOOOOO EASY!!!  I think it's much easier to apply the rickrack than the ribbons.  I took a side picture also for you to see how the sides look and lay down!!

Here is my latest finish.

My hopes and goals for the rest of the year is to try and get all those ornaments that I've stitched up totally FINISHED!  That way I will have all new handmade ornaments to display on my tree this year.  My goal is to AT LEAST finish 1 if not 2 ornaments each week.  I hope I keep my goal so I will have a lot to decorate this year on my tree!

Now I'm off to cut out my daughter's annual birthday dress.  She's picked out the fabric and pattern, and I want to get it done before I have to take her back to college next month.  ACK!!!  Is it that time already to take her back???!!!  Oh well.  I guess so I better get on the ball and get this dress sewn up this Saturday!!! 

Happy Stitching!

July Smalls Post......picture heavy

Today is our monthly posting for our Smalls hosted by Heather of Stitching Lotus.  You can click on the link above, the link on the sidebar or on Heather's blog link highlighted above.

This month I have gotten more done than I realized after taking pictures for today's blog post.  As always, I did manage to get my 3 days stitched for my JN Ornamental Advent days.  I almost went ahead and did the 4th day which would have completed them all, but I had some other stitching obligations for exchanges to get done also.  I will share that piece once she's received it.

Here are Days 21 - 23.

I also finished stitching a LHN ornament AND finished it into an ornament (instead of just putting it in my box "to finish" later).  This is LHN Cardinal Winter.

 

I'm doing a WTN&T Word Play SAL with Janet.  We were supposed to be stitching one month ahead of what month it is, but due to other projects and life getting in the way sometimes, I've gotten behind.  So now we're just trying to stay on track.  We are sewing them back to back.  For example, January will be sewn to February, March sewn to April, May sewn to June, etc.  I hope to have a picture soon to show you how they will look like when sewn together.  But for now, here are June and July's finished stitched pictures.

Now here are 2 pictures of birthday presents that I've stitched in previous months but could not share on my monthly Smalls posting dates because they were gifts.   My friends have received their birthday gifts this month so I can share the pictures with you.

Pat's birthday gift was a biscornu!  Pat and I both love biscornu's and this was just the perfect gift to give her this year.  I did change the colors to her favorite colors and this sweet biscornu is stitched in Crescent Colors in soft pastels.

Front side:

Back side:

Karen's birthday gift was a PS ornament.  Karen and I both have summer birthday's, and long ago, she asked if we could stitch our yearly ornaments to be our birthday gifts to exchange.  Of course I said yes that was fine with me because that way when Christmas comes that year, we can immediately put our "new" ornament up and enjoy the entire season!

Prairie Schooler angel from "O Christmas Tree" leaflet.  I had never done a triangle ornament, but I will know to leave a little more fabric for the linen that I will be stitching it on. 

I did FINISH stitching JN Pink Ice Cube also for this month, but I did not get to the "assembling" of it INTO an actual cube yet.  I will hopefully be sharing that picture with you here soon. 

That is all I have to share for now.  Thank you again for taking the time to read this very long smalls post about my stitching! 

HAPPY STITCHING!

July TUSAL report.....

Yep, it's that time again to post our TUSAL report for the month.  Sharon of It's Daffycat is our Tusal host and you can check out what our Totally Useless Stitch A Long is all about by clicking on the link above or on my sidebar.

I have been stitching as much as possible in between going on a couple of family vacations, spending time with my kids, and then battling a head cold during some where in there!!!  But.....what makes me feel even better are the days that I felt well enough to stitch while battling that head cold.   When you have a lowered immune system like I do due to my M.S., getting over an illness tends to take much longer than normal.

However, I did manage to finish some birthday gifts, my JN Ornamental Advent days for this month, start some new little projects and pull colors for some new upcoming projects.  But here is what my little Ort tin held for this month's posting.  I will share some of the pictures during my Smalls posting later at the end of the month.

Not too bad for this month with all that I've had going on!  I'm off to bed now to get hopefully a good nights sleep in HOPES of having a full day of stitching tomorrow!!!

Happy Stitching everyone!!

Happy Friday and more Patriotic stitching

Here what I sent to Gloria for the patriotic exchange on FB for the Star Spangled Stitchers group. I have not received notice that she's gotten it although my P.O. receipt says it was delivered. I did send her a IM on FB asking though.

This is LK USA Squared stitched on 28ct blue jobelan and I used Hand Dyed Fibers premium silks to stitch it with. Yes that is my limited edition Hershey Kisses patriotic tin. I was able to get both that one and the red one.

I hope she likes what I made her!!! I loved it so much I have enough fabric to do another especially since the threads are already pulled and the fabric is still laying on my cutting table in the sewing room!

The Hand Dyed Fibers are as follows in premium silk: 

TK/Gandy Dark, Yonder Blue, Motes of the Night, Rue the Night, Examplar Gilded Cage, Examplar Spinach Delight, Imperial Green and DMC White

I know I have already posted a picture of my LHN Old Glory but I had not listed the threads that I used other than that I used HDF silks.

The fibers were in premium HDF silks:

Motes of the Night, TK/Gandy Dark, BeSeeded, Examplar Gilded Cage, Luteousness and DMC 5200.

Yes.....these were very similar to what I used on the LK USA Squared above, but I had stitched this one before doing the LK project.  I just had to make a few minor adjustments in color and additions.

Thank you as always for reading my blog and seeing what I'm stitching. 

Now.....I'm off to stitch some today!  HAPPY STITCHING everyone!

Received My Patriotic Exchange pillow!!!

Oh YEAH!!!!  I received my Facebook Patriotic SAL Exchange pillow!  It is a design from Threadwork Primitives called Anchor of Pride!!!  I absolutely LOVE it!!!  Sarah sent this  to me and it is now on display in my Americana room!!  The only rules were to stitch something patriotic and make it into a stuffed pillow to send to your recipient.

I have posted these pictures on our Facebook Patriotic Stitchers page, but I haven't seen that my partner has received hers yet as she's not posted a picture of it yet.  I hope and pray it's not lost!!!  I will share a picture of the one I stitched only after she's received hers!!! 

Until another time.......HAPPY STITCHING!

Happy 4th of July

Happy 4th of July everyone!!!  I've been sick with a bad cold that I got just after coming home from vacation so I've not been stitching too much this past 5 days. :(   But I have been stitching some when I've felt like it.

Here is my patriotic finish from the LHN Patriotic SAL on Facebook.  This is LHN Old Glory and I've just finished it in a small pillow to sit on our shelf in our Americana room.  I stitched this small project in Hand Dyed Fibers but I will have to post the colors in another post as I have them set aside in my sewing room and not close by to the computer at the moment.  (Good excuse to post again ... right??!!)

This is the front picture taken next to my patriotic Hershey Kisses tin!!!  I just LOVE this tin!!

And here is the back.  I just love how the fabric matches the back of the Hershey tin!!!

I do have another patriotic finish, but I'm not sure my recipient has received it yet so I really don't want to post a picture of it yet.  It was for the Patriotric Stitcher A Long Group on Facebook.  We were to stitch a patriotic piece and mail to our recipients for them to have by July 4.  I will share mine when I receive it as well.

That's all I have for today but I do hope you are having a great time on this 4th of July!!!

Happy Stitching!