Small Finish

I just finished a Christmas ornament!  This little guy will go on my Santa Christmas tree.  Yes, I put up more than one tree each year; I actually put up three!

This is Father Christmas one of the Mill Hill Charmed Santa Faces kits.

Next up:  Kris Kringle.

Happy Stitching!!

Stacy

Some more catalog inspiration!

Don't you love catalogs?  I certainly do!

This time, the catalog is Herrschner's and there are a couple of things that I definitely want to get plus a few wishlist type items.

Portrait of an Eagle
mosaic kit

60 Hook Ornament Stand

Holiday Frill Scarf

This one is definitely going to be a purchase (or two).  Right now, my favorite choice is the Winter Wonderland color but they all look lovely!

Tunisian Stitch Afghans

Most likely this will also be a purchase.  Gotta save up some money first.








Happy Stitching!

Stacy

Mail Call

Oooh, a catalog from The Stitchery came today.  Let's see what potential treasures caught my fancy (wishlist not shopping cart, sigh).
The cover photo is cool.  Goldfinches are the state bird here.

 

Harvest Light

I'm really into earrings (as long as they're not gold-colored) and these are gorgeous.

Watercolor Swirl Earrings

Since Christmas/Winter is my favorite time of year...

Noel

   



 Elegant Amaryllis

These aren't all I liked but they are my favorites.

Happy Stitching!

Stacy



Garage Sale Finds

Early Saturday morning, my DH went to "hit" a couple of garage sales.  One of them was on our block.  He brought home about 10 yards of cotton fabric that I can use in quilts.  Price?  $5 total.

After I got up (I am not a morning person), he and I went to that sale.  I found three quilting books; two cross stitch leaflets (Thomas Kincade's Chandler's Cottage and Lanarte's Watering Can); some more material; and a basting grid for quilting that gets used with the basting gun that I already had.  Total for this batch:  $8!

Not a bad day's shopping!

Happy Stitching!

Stacy

Wild Menagerie - Framed!

As promised, here is the photo of my most recently framed project:  Wild Menagerie from Cross My Heart.  To give you an idea of the size of the piece, the area of the bottom mat opening is approximately 26.5" x 11.5".

I ordered the frame from Picture Frames.com which is where I get all my frames.  I assembled everything except the acrylic in order to take this picture without any glare.  Then I took it apart again to add the acrylic, mats and stitched piece.  Now it is hanging in my bedroom!

Happy Stitching!

Stacy

A new start

Last night I remembered that I have some Mill Hill ornament kits so I dug them all out of the drawer.  Now they are downstairs on my desk so that I have something small to work on during the day.  Business is a bit slow now so it's nice to have a project that doesn't take alot of time, light or brain power.

The one that I started is Father Christmas.  Here's a picture of it.

I've already finished the cross stitching on the hat and have just started doing the beading.  It's done in two pieces (hat/face). 

Happy Stitching!

Stacy

Leaflet order!

I had recently place an order with 123 Stitch and it arrived today! 

I ordered three leaflets, all are nativity-related:

2000 Years Ago from Shepherd's Bush
http://www.123stitch.com/cgi-perl/itemdetail.pl?item=04-2619

In a Stable from Shepherd's Bush
http://www.123stitch.com/cgi-perl/itemdetail.pl?item=08-1968

and Heirloom Nativity Sampler from The Victoria Sampler
http://www.123stitch.com/cgi-perl/itemdetail.pl?item=VS87

Next month, I hopefully have the money to order the threads for these.  I know that the HNS takes specialty threads and In a Stable uses hand or over-dyed threads.  I'll have to check the thread list for 2000 Years Ago, I haven't looked at it yet.

Happy Stitching!

Stacy

Picture Frame

I ordered a picture frame online last week. I'm getting excited to receive it so went to track it - it's "Out for Delivery"!!

That means in the next day or two, I'll be posting a picture of a framed cross stitch piece. Also, it will be ready in plenty of time for me to show it in our county fair! Last year, according to my husband, "You would have beaten anything here." I'm hoping he'll be right this year!

Happy Stitching!

Stacy

Blog Hop #6: Stitching Rituals

I was late doing Hop #5 so Hop #6 is here already.  Here's the question:

Some of us have a favorite chair that we sit in to stitch, others prefer to enjoy a steaming mug of tea while they stitch. Maybe you need to get comfortable and put on your pajamas before you pick up your needle or you simply must rearrange all the sofa pillows before you sit down. Sometimes the ritual is in the clean up when we’re done and everything must go in a certain place. What sort of stitching rituals do you have when you sit down to work on your projects?
I've never thought about my stitching having any rituals but now that I do think about it, I do!

I am blessed to have my own room for my stitching/sewing/crocheting and such.  When I get ready to cross stitch, I do have a bit of a ritual.  I turn on my tv; pop a movie or tv show into the DVD player; turn on my daylight lamp; hook my scissors onto my shirt and settle in to stitching mode!  Lately, I've added another step before I get to my cross stitch - I hand quilt on my string quilt for one length of thread.

Sometimes I have a beverage, usually Pepsi, but not always.  If my DVD ends but I'm not quite done with a length of thread, then I'll turn the radio on for the few extra minutes that I need.

Yes, I have a special chair for when I stitch.  I have a glider rocker with a matching, gliding ottoman.

Oooh, now I have to go do a bit of actual work so that I can get to my ritual!

Happy Stitching!

Stacy

Visit all the blogs in this round of the Stitching the Night Away Stitching Blogger Blog Hop:
Find the instructions on how to participate in this round by clicking here.

Another Rapunzel Update

Late this afternoon, I finished another page on Rapunzel (Dawe) from HAED.  Now I have pages 1-4 done!  Here's how she's looking:

There is one full page and one page of 12 x 98 stitches left to finish the top row of the pattern.

Now that I've finished a page, it's time to rotate to a new project and the randomizer has chosen:  La Belle Dame Sans Merci also from HAED.  It's been awhile since I've worked on this one so I'm already enjoying get back into it.

Happy Stitching!

Stacy

Blog Hop #5: Holiday Stitching

Here's the questions for Blog Hop #5

Do you find yourself stitching seasonally or do you just stitch what moves you at the moment? What’s your favorite holiday or season to stitch for?

Since starting my "rotation", I stitch whatever the randomizer app on my iPad chooses.  However, there are currently two holiday projects in my rotation.  I have a feeling that I may break my rotation to stitch a particular small item or two for Christmas but nothing major.
My favorite holiday to stitch for is Christmas.  Actually, that's the only holiday for which I stitch or decorate.  Since my birthday is two days after Christmas, I consider it "my holiday".  Of course, I value it for its religious significance as well.  (Yes, I realize Christ was most likely born in the Spring.)

Happy Stitching!

Stacy

Visit all the blogs in this round of the Stitching the Night Away Stitching Blogger Blog Hop:
Find the instructions on how to participate in this round by clicking here.