April Smalls

Heather of Stitching Lotus is the hostess of our Smalls SAL for 2015.  I am LOVING this SAL as it helps keep me focused on at least one ornament a month and getting all my Just Nan Ornamental Advent days stitched.  You can click the link above or on her blog name Stitching Lotus and it will take you to her blog to read more about this SAL.

Here is my Prairie Schooler angel I stitched this month.  I hope I left enough fabric to make it into the triangle ornament as shown on the O Christmas Tree chart.  If not, it may have to be just a square ornament and I will restitch it again on a bigger sized piece of fabric to make into the actual triangle shape.

I was able to get 3 days stitched again for the Just Nan Ornamental Advent days.  If the picture seems kind of awkward, it is because Day 12 is last day on the first big piece of fabric.  Nan tells you what size to cut for Days 1-12 and also for Days 13-24.  I've had to lay the 2nd piece as close to Day 12 as possible to get just the 3 days I stitched for this month all in one picture.

My apologies for not ironing all the stitched pieces down.  My wonderful husband had decided he would share his cold with me so I've been stitching as much as I can when I've felt like it.  When I finished sewing the beads on Day 14 today, I just did not feel like ironing anything.  Maybe next time.

That's all I have to share for today.  Be looking for another post when I can show more progress on my And They Sinned project and also my other B.O.P. (big ole project) which is Amazing Grace by My Big Toe.  I'm really enjoying both of these B.O.P.s along with my other smalls that I'm stitching.  Ok.  Who am I kidding???   I JUST LOVE TO XSTITCH!!!

Happy Stitching!

Favorite Designer and some rambling on a rainy day....

As I was sitting here looking in my little black book of designers and what I have collected from each of them, I was wondering if anyone else did this?  Do you make a list of who you have and what chart/kits you have from them?  I started this LONG ago when I first started collecting charts/kits so that I could remember what I had in my stash.  I'm a visual person so when I see something written, I tend to remember it.  Now after all these years, I'm SOOOOO GLAD I started this process long ago so as to NOT have to go and try to do that now.

I LOVE to xstitch and love a variety of designers, but I have to say that I have 2 favorite designers.  I have collected MANY MANY MANY charts and kits from them over the years ......as funds would allow.  Some were gifts but some were bought on sale!  They would be:

Just Nan and Shepherd's Bush

Well, let's just say I think I have every chart/kit that Just Nan and Shepherd's Bush has put out........ with only a few exceptions along the way.  If I never bought another chart or kit, I would have enough to keep me busy until I die and I think there are a few of you out there that are like me.

I think the reason that Just Nan is one of my top favorite designers is because of a little $10 kit I bought of her LONNNNNNNNGGGGGG ago.  It came with the chart, linen, needle, threads and beads all in one little kit.  This was my first experience with linen and my shop owner at the time told me that I would fall in love with linen and never go back to anything else.  She was right!!!!  It was after that small Just Nan kit, I fell in love with the soft pastel colors of Shepherd's Bush and they sold kits also that had the chart, fabric, needle and beads all as a kit as well. 

That is all I have for today for my ramblings!  If you follow my blog and have a favorite designer, I would LOVE to know who it is.  So leave me a comment who that designer is! 

Happy Stitching!

April Tusal and a couple of finishes.....

Yep....it's that time again to post our TUSAL report hosted by It's Daffycat.  You can click on the picture link above or the blog link here at It's Daffycat.  Just move your cursor over the highlighted link and it will take you to her blog.

Here are the ORTS that I've saved since last TUSAL posting.  I saved them in this adorable little pink and green Thread Catcher that my best friend Janet made and gave to me as a present when at the SB retreat in 2014.  I LOVE pink polka dots and soft color florals!!!  I've very much a pastel color woman.

Since I know you REALLY can't see all my threads tucked down in this thread catcher, I did pull them out to photograph in my normal tin.  I just LOVE those little thread catchers as you can sew them up for any season or any reason especially if you find a fabric of your liking and just HAVE to buy it because you can't live without it.  LOL  

I've been working on several different things to help fill up this little thread catcher this past month but I have 2 old UFOs that I did completely finish to help fill up the thread catcher. 

First is my oldest UFO which is JN First Stitches 2000.  Ok.   I know that stitchers understand the meaning of UFO (Unfinished Object) so I don't have to explain myself WHY this wonderful project never got finished so I won't even go there.  But....it is now finished and REALLY did not take me that long to complete.  Which makes me wonder myself WHY I didn't just go ahead and perservere on and finish it??!!!  Like I said, I won't even attempt to even try to answer that question but just know that my DH did give me a look of "Really?  That long?" when I told him how long it has been. 

Now I can get it stretched this week so I can order the frame which I HOPE is still available to match the JN Last Stitches 1999.  Then they can hang together in my sewing room.

My other finish was a freebie from Just Nan as long as you bought the bluebird embellishment
to attach in the center of the wreath.  I also have the frame for this one in my stash so that will be another framed finish to hang on my walls!!!

Funny story about this JN Happy Bluebird UFO project.  I started stitching on it again and REALIZED I had not marked what was the top of the fabric.  Oh dear.  So after finally studying it enough, I found what was the top of the project.  Then I must have been so eager to start it that I had not started my stitching on a vertical thread.  WHAT was I thinking???  I had so much of it stitched already that it seemed like a waste to NOT finish it and restart the project on a vertical thread.   But I perservered through it all and FINISHED the project although it was not being stitched on a vertical thread.  Maybe that is why I put in in the UFO bag??!!!  lol

I will have more projects to show later on this month but that is all I have for now.

HAPPY STITCHING!

WIP Wednesday.....and Easter pics

I belong to a message board called Stitcher's Garden.  It's a close knit group of friends who have been together for YEARS!!!  We have Monday Night Stitcher's Garden Stitch Night where we just stitch on whatever project we want and post pictures on the board.   Then we have WIP Wednesday.  This is great because I had been working on JN First Stitches 2000.  Ok....don't laugh but yes....it was my oldest UFO and REALLY didn't have that much left to finish on it.  Why I didn't ever finish it before now I can't tell you but.... I did finish it.....YEAH ME!!!  I hope to post picture of it soon.  But the other one I had been working on as well is Examplars From The Heart And They Sinned.......(A.K.A. ---ATS).   IT'S HUGE!!!   But I want it finished to hang with Resurrection from the same designer WHICH I do have finished!!!

Here is where I am at for now.  I am with the ATS Facebook group but I thank Terri for getting me starting on this back in 2011.  I should have been more faithful for working on it.  But you know how that is when there is a new chart that catches your fancy.

I hope to work more diligently on this one and will try to keep you posted on my progress!!!

Here are some pictures of my family from Easter Sunday this year.  We were able to visit family over our son's Spring Break and to enjoy Easter Sunday Service with our daughter!!!  There is a HUGE cross decorated with Easter lilies behind us for those of you who are wondering what we are standing in front of.  And yes....I did make our dresses!

Thank you for taking the time to read my blog today. 
Happy Stitching!

Happy Resurrection Day......

 

I want to wish everyone a very Happy Easter and Resurrection Day! 

Corrected finish for JN Day 10......

I am sooo thankful for Kris who follows my blog.  Kris kindly emailed me to let me know that I had forgotten to stitch in the 3 beads on JN Ornamental Advent Day 10 in the bottom corners.  I did not take offense to this as I appreciated her telling me.  I'm sure I would have figured it out when I would start the finishing work on them but I'd rather know now before I get to that part of the finishing.  So thank you Kris for helping me out!!!

Here is the UPDATED photo with ALL their beads!  haha

I did finish my other little project but I just haven't gotten around to doing the "finishing work" on it and I would rather show it to you when it is TOTALLY finished.  So I will be saving that for when Spring Break is over. 

Now I'm going to go and have some serious stitching time for myself.  I need a break from cleaning the house! 

Happy Stitching!

Smalls post and belated TUSAL report.....

Heather, of Stitching Lotus, is the host of our monthly Smalls SAL.  If you haven't been following her blog, you should!  She does the most amazing KNITTED SOCKS that I am soooo envious of!  One day I hope to master knitting socks besides xstitching and sewing.  But I love her smalls that she does each month and you can click on everyone else's link who are participating in this SAL.  You never know what blog you may come across that inspires you to follow them.

As most of you know I'm using my JN Ornamental Advent as my main monthly small SAL.  It's great and each one is small.  I managed to accomplish a goal of mine and get 3 days stitched up for this month!  YEAH ME!!!!  Here are my Days 9-11!

I am hoping to get 3 days done each month and maybe 4 if some months allow it.  Then I would be WAY AHEAD of schedule so it would allow me time for finishing before December arrives!!!

I also accomplished stitching up SB Little Eggs Pincushion.  No....I have not done the finishing work for the pincushion .......just the stitching for it.  This was such a fun one to stitch, and I managed to get this one done in 2 days! 

Now for my belated TUSAL report. 

Sharon, of It's Daffycat, is our host for this exchange!  You must pop on over to see what she has going on her blog besides or TUSAL reporting.  She is awesome too and I love seeing what she has going!!

I was going to post my TUSAL report the day we were supposed to, but I was taking our daughter back to college after she'd spent her Spring Break week with us!  We had such a fun time and I managed to get her Easter dress sewn while she was here.  I just didn't have time to take the pictures and blog it all before leaving to drive her back home.  Thank goodness we are close enough to drive to get her.  I am LOVING this!!!  I have gotten to see her way more than our last duty station.

Anyway, here are my ORTs both in the little tin I use to catch them in sometimes and also my ORTs jar that I dumped them all into.  It's getting pretty full already!!!  WOOHOO  Maybe next month I'll photograph my ORTs in my little ORTs catcher that my friend Janet made for me!!!

After coming back from taking our daughter home, I got busy and sewed up my Easter dress yesterday (Tuesday).  YEAH!!!!  It's all done, and I'm not sewing in the hem the Saturday before Easter like I've done before.  haha  Yes.....that has happened once or twice...maybe 3X.  LOL

I hope to have one more finish for the month of March.  I'm working really hard on it to get it done so be sure to check back in the next few days to see if I've managed to get this other little project finished stitching!  I'll keep it a secret for now. 

Happy Stitching!