Winter Fun- The WHOLE Enchilada!!

I thought I would share the entire collection of twelve pieces with you all!! I think they all came out SO cute!! Now the question is what to do with them? Cards? Ornaments? Make into a quilt? I am not sure... Ideas anyone? Please share!! I'd love to know what you think!! 

Well it's another dreary rainy day, and I totally put off my housework this week so gotta cach up on that. Now I wished I hadn't procrastinated so! A rainy day is perfect for a good book and a cup of coffee, or some stitching! Hmmm... Maybe if I get a move on I can get my chores done up and still have some stitchy time this afternoon!  Joyful stitching to you all! 

Another finish!!

Well, this one is finally finished! It took me over a month!! I blame my lack of stitching mojo for that! But! With this finish comes the completion of this entire 12 ornament series called "Winter Fun". Which I started in APRIL of last year! Yup! It's taken me over a year to finish 12 small little ornaments. Of course since I am a rotation stitcher there were other larger finishes in there too, like The Abbey and Snow Valley Express, and yet I just can't believe it's taken me SO long to finish these little guys up. I guess that's what happens when you have an international move, family trips, loved ones deploy, depression sets in and Netflix decides to move in and be your best friend! Not to mention the 50 books I've read this year, and just life... I think that my stitchy mojo is back though, so we will see what I grab to work on next. Probably Web of life, as it is so close to a finish, and I really would like to see it finished by years end! We shall see... Joyful stitching to you all!

A tiny bit more of my ornament!

I have been busy doing family stuff so not stitching too much, but I did manage to get a little bit more done on this. I was hoping for a finish, but It just wasn't in the cards for this round. Maybe next time!! 

Finally! A finish!!

One more to go and I'm done with these cuties! 

Still sloooow goin'...

This is all I have been able to accomplish lately on my ornies.  These are the last two to finish up for this series. My parents are out here visiting, so been a bit too busy going here and there with them and entertaining to get much done on my projects. Hope this changes once they leave to go home day after tomorrow. I can't wait to get busy with my stitching again once my house guests have gone.

Progress on another ornament!

I really haven't been stitching much lately, too busy with other things but I was able to get a little bit done on this ornament. He's the second to last one in this series. (Called "winter fun"), then I will be moving into the next set of ten in the book which is called "I love Santas". My goal for the year is to finish the Santa series of 10, and the next series of 10 (snowmen). So we will see just how far I get!! Hope everyone's week is going well, and you are able to get lots of stitching done. 

Another small finish!

I finally finished this little guy!! I feel like it took way too long! But probably because I've been busy with other things. This is before back stitch. Here's with:

I love seeing the difference!! The back stitching really bring the piece together!! Well. I hope all my readers are enjoying some great stitching of their own! Next I REALLY am going to try to finish the Abbey! Wish me luck!

Another finish!

Yay! I was able to finish this little guy up! He's a little late but it's alright! I think I have decided to throw my rotation out the window and work on projects when I want to, for as long as I want to. I think I will be able to get more done that way. It's hard to set goals when you are switching out projects (7 of them!!) every 5 days. I feel like I never see any progress. So next I'm gonna try to finish up the Abbey! Wish me luck!!! I'm gonna just try to push through and get it done. It's so close to a finish HOW can I give up now?! I will not!! I will push on, strong to the finish.... Or try to, anyway! Joyful stitching to you all!

Finish #2 for 2014

Another one bites the dust.... As if anyone wants to see anymore snow!!! Lol I hope wherever you are that you are seeing the first signs of spring. (For my US readers.) Joyful stitching!!

First finish of 2014!! Winter fun Ornament #7



Well, I finally got my first finish of the year!!! Go me!! I really am enjoying working on these little ornaments, especially since I have so many HUGE projects in the works this year. I'm only expecting to see 2, maybe 3 finishes other than these little guys, over the course of the year. I hope to finish The Abbey, Web of Life, and possibly Mystic Dragon. The rest? No way. Probably won't even see a finish on them for years! LOL

 

 And here's to show Just how the backstitching really makes an impact on these projects:

Before backstitch they are just a blob of random color!

Joyful stitching!

A finish for the end of 2013

Well I had a small finish on New Year's Eve. This is # 6 of this series. The next day I started # 7

Sorry if this post is funky I finally figured out that blogger has an app, when I posted my last entry, I posted it from the web on my phone! This makes things soooo much easier!! 

Well I hope you all have a wonderful new year filled to the brim with smiles and stitching! 

Oh yeah, I posted my goals in my last entry, but I have one more to add: I would like to comment more on all the lovely blogs I enjoy and love!! I thank you all for all the wonderful comments you leave, so I need to also do the same!! 

Joyful Stitching to you all!!

Oops... I accidentally erased my last post, where I wish you all a lovely new year and post goals for 2014. Technology.... Ugh!

A finish and a start

First up I finished Winter fun Ornament #5! Isn't he cute?! I really enjoyed working on him! I didn't have much to do this round on him to get him finished up.

 

 Next is progress on #6:

This little guy is a raccoon skiing downhill. You can see I have just about finished his little hat, but I still have quite a bit left to do. I really enjoy working on these little guys.

Well, I think I may have one more update for you on The Abbey at the end of the week, then after that, I will be taking a break from blogging for a bit,as I will be traveling for the holidays, and not sure if I will be able to get to a computer. And I will be going to visit family, therefore doubt too much stitching will be happening during that time.  But once I get back after the first of the year, I plan to do LOTS of stitching and blogging!  I am still thinking I may take these little guys with me to work on if I get a chance at my parents, but we will see. (I hear you all gasping..."What?! She's not taking any stitching with her on vacation?!")

Thank you for the lovely comments I recieved on my last post! And if you came to my blog and all my pictures were `poof!` gone, I had a bit of a misshap trying to fiddle with my settings at google+. I hate that google and blogger are in bed together.  It's really annoying. I have been thinking about switching things over to word press, or something, but I hate the thought of losing all the work I've done here (8 years worth!). Any thoughts or help on this would be great! Thank you for stopping by! I hope everyone is staying safe out there if you are in crazy winter weather.

An explanation, some new stash, and some progress...

Well, I have not been around here on the blog much. I guess I can share my reasonings now. My husband was getting ready for a deployment, and he left on my birthday, of all days, about two weeks ago.  Sooo....before he left, I was stressed and anxious about his leaving, and wanted to spend as much time as I could with him, so the stitching and blogging suffered. Then he left, and I have just been in a funk!  I can't seem to focus on much lately. I have just been zoning out in front of the TV watching lots of shows on Netflix. So....anyway, THAT is what has been up here.

But! I have been reading lots of blogs still, and have recently been enamored with some of which the author stitches mostly HAED pieces or other rather large ones. So, I started thinking "I really should spend more time on some bigger, more detailed pieces as well."

For my birthday i got a little bit of extra cash, and I spent it on these three new patterns! This makes 7 Kustom Kraft patterns that are in my stash pile.  

 

 However, this is my FIRST by Mystic stitch. I was not aware that it would be a 15 page pattern.  I am aching to start ANY of these new ones, but! I have held myself to the promise that I will finish the Abbey first!  And you'd think that would spur me on to really work on it, but I only worked on it half heartedly as i watched TV. I have almost, just about finished the backstitching on page 5, and have started 4. (I thought I was done with 5, so went onto 4, only to realize I was NOT finished with 5 afterall, and had to go back and finish it.)

 And here is my progress on Winter Fun #5:

All that is left of him is to finish filling in the white and to finish backstitching. I have very little start on #6. Just about 35 stitches, so not enough to warrant a photo at this time.

So, anyway that is what is going on in my corner of the world. We are int he midst of a winter storm, lots of COLD rain, ice sleet so far, and they are calling for snow tonight and into tomorrow morning. So, maybe I will use this cozy time to sit and stitch. One can hope!  I will be back in a few days with an update of The abbey, and then I will share Web of Life's update as scheduled ont he 30th. 

I hope all my American readers have a lovely Thanksgiving. And if you are battling the winter storms, please be careful out there. My suggestion is you curl up on the couch with a hot cuppa, a nice fuzzy blanket and some stitching! (Or maybe a book! Or a movie!) Anyway, stay safe friends! And as always Joyful Stitching to you all!

Winter fun Ornaments #4- finished, and #5 started!

I did it! I finished Winter Fun Ornament #4. Another thing crossed off my goals list for the month!

 And I worked a little bit more on #5.  This one is a snowman, with a orange and yellow scarf around his neck.  The red in the upper right hand area is a bird, and there is some holly on his hat. I love watching these come to life when I backstitch them!

Well, I didn't even work on The Abbey this last round of the rotation.  I was too busy being upset about life. LOL....And now it's time to pull out the Web of Life and Mystic Dragon.
Happy stitching!

Winterfun Ornament #4- Progress!

Here is my progress on #4. I got alot more done than I thought I would! And I didn't even do any stitching for two of the 5 days alloted for this round. Just wasn't in the mood! This one seems to be stitching up pretty quickly! But I'm not sure if I will have a finish on it like I want by months end, but we will see!

For the next 5 days I am trying to decide what I want to pull out to work on. It is supposed to be Web of Life, but I am dying to pull out Mystic Dragon and get some work in on it, so I am thinking either 1) stitch on Dragon instead of Web....or 2) spend 3 out of the 5 days on Dragon, and 2 with Web.  That way they both get some work in on them. This rotation thing is tricky!!

Thank you for reading!!

A finish and two new starts!

So, last week, my black fabric that I ordered finally came in on Friday! And I couldn't resist! That night I started this piece, which has been on my "to stitch" list for a very long time. It is Mystic Dragon 2. And it is in the same Stitchery Magazine issue as is The Web of Life and Snow Valley Express. I don't remember which issue it is, I would have to look it up if anyone is curious as to exactly which one it is. I have looked around for Mystic Dragon 1, and I have seen photos of it online but have not found a place to purchase it. I would love to do it as well. But I think it is out of print. So, I will just try to finish this one. My goal for this one is to finish it by September 20th of 2014. That gives me a year. But, with so many other projects on the go now, I am not sure how that is gonna work out. Maybe after I finish The Abbey. But I was really thinking to fill that spot with one of my new Kustom Krafts pieces. So, lots of thinking and planning will be happening. 

 This is how it will look when finished. I have loved this piece since I saw it, and it always just seemed like a dream that I would ever actually start it, and now I have!!! It's gonna be sooo pretty when it's finished!

 And now for my finish!! Here is my finish on Winter Fun Ornament #3:

 Aren't these guys so cute! And love how colorful and bright they are!
And right after I finished them, just this morning, and started right into #4:

I only put one thread into it, which was just a handful of stitches as you can see here, but at least it's a start!

Also on an exciting note, my "Moonlight Bay" Pattern showed up in the mail yesterday!!! Oh! I want to start it sooooo bad!!! But, I shall refrain!!! I really want to finish The Abbey before I start any more truly big ones again. But! I am now the proud owner of FIVE Kustom Krafts patterns! Six if you want to count "Howling at the Moon". Now I just gotta figure out how to finish stitching them in my lifetime. Since I went back to the beginning of The Abbey here on my blog, and I started it 7 years ago! Although mind you, I took quite a few breaks from it, and took one LONG one between 2010 and 2012, where I didn't even touch it in all those two years. So even though I started it 7 years ago it hasn't been 7 years of steady stitching on it. But I am truly hoping for a finish on IT by years end! Good luck to me!! Ok, I'm done rambling now, thank you so much for reading and for all the lovely comments!! I love them all! I need to return the favor! I'm horrible at that. I love reading everyone's blogs. and do religiously, as they pop up on my feedly, but I usually just read and keep going. So, I am gonna try to be better about that!

Hope you all have a lovely Wednesday!

Well, I'm back!

Wow! What a month! We were out of town to celebrate my parents 50th wedding anniversary. I should/could have blogged, but I barely even stitched! I only took 1 project with me (Web of Life), and I think the entire month I may have gotten 5 hours stitching in.

We got home Sunday night, and I couldn't wait to get things unpacked so I could settle into some stitching. According to my rotation schedule I worked on ornaments for the past 2 days.
I was able to finish #2 in the Winter Fun series! I really didn't have much to do to finish it.

 And I worked on #3 in the Winter Fun series.

OMG WTH?!?!?! I think my husband installed an update on this computer. My picture system is all messed up on it! It won't read my memory card from my camera. And it won't allow me to crop or change the photos at all!!! WHAT?! So, sorry for the crappy photo of #3. Dang, if I have to go through all this crap just for a dumb photo, I'm not sure how much longer I'm gonna keep blogging. It doesn't seem worth it! We'll see.

Ugh! How annoying!!! I had to take the photos on my phone, e-mail them to myself, then save them to the computer,THEN post them, and I can't even edit them the way I want?! This is ridiculous!  Anyone else having issues? 

Well, it is Web of life time in my rotation, but since I worked on it during my trip, I may pull out the Abbey and get some work into it! Who knows? Well, I was gonna tell you a bit about my trip, but right now I'm so irked I just wanna get off this dumb computer! 

Joyful stitching! 

Winter Fun Ornament #2 Almost a Finish but Not Quite!

I am so close to a finish on this. All I have is to fill in a little bit of the snow in the background and finish the backstitching. I am not too pleased with the backstitch. For this one I used the called for color (DMC 535) Which is really a dark gray color, but I don't think it shows up quite as well as the black, so I will probably go back to using the black. The black just looks so much more crisp and clean in my opinion. What do you think?

Well, not sure how many more posts I will be posting the rest of this month, as we are going out of town for almost a month for vacation. We are going back to my parents to help celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary! So it will be a fun time! But I'm not counting on getting a whole bunch of stitching or other hobby type things done while we are there.

So, until next time- Joyful Stitching!!

A stitchy update-Finally!!! A finish!!

Here is the first ornament in the Winter Fun series.  There are 12 of these. I can't believe I started this series in April!!! At least that is what I have down as the start date in my records. WOW! Lets hope the next one doesn't take so long. I think it took so long, because for about a month I set the ornaments aside to work solely on my dad's train. I am so happy to have this one finished!

I also have a pretty good start on the second one, but I was too lazy to post a photo... maybe later. Or with my next update, which will be Web of Life. Which I am really enjoying!!

Joyful stitching, and thank you for reading!

Ornaments Progress!

I got quite a little bit into my first ornament in the "Winter Fun" series! There are 12 of these! I love the bright colors in these! And these are the kind that will really pop when the backstitching is put in, as you stitch along, it ust sorta looks like a colorful little blob, but putting in that nice dark outline will really bring it to life! 

 And I also made a small start on #2, as there were only a few stitches of yellow in #1, and so decided to use the remainder of that thread in #2, as opposed to just tossing it!

However, I think I may be putting these little guys away for a bit, and working on my new start: "Web of Life" in their place.  That way I will have these little guys to work on during the move. These smaller ones will be so much more easier to work on in the confines of a plane and car than one that has a huge piece of fabric. Unlike the last set I did, I am actually stitching these on their own individual pieces of aida.  So much easier to work with!

Ok, off to work on dad's train, I am pleased with my progress this round of the rotation on it so far!

Hope all my readers had an amazing weekend, filled with lots of stitching!