2023 Round-up Updated

When looking back, what a year!   Lots of travel, lots of stitching, lots of fun, lots of finishes, lots of good times.

I did start December down 17 pounds from last year but I can say that I have to loose 6 of those pounds again.  Thanksgiving, holiday parties, and the holidays in general, have sabotaged the diet.  On a better note,  I was able to finish up 2023 with an almost completed WIPGO board.    My November task was to fully finish My Stitcher’s Heart from Hands on Design.   The first problem I encountered was I couldn’t find the finishing kit.  I did find it, right in plain sight, the next day.   For 2023, I completed every assignment but the full finish of My Stitchers Dream.   I have no plans for Saturday and Sunday so I hope I can make a measurable amount of progress before year’s end.  

I was able to complete all the finishing except for painting and lining the box.  I had an issue with my supplies.   I’ll leave it that the sealer had an old fashioned price tag on it so it pre-dates bar codes!   

December’s assignments for WIPGO were one motif on Teresa Kogut’s Land That I Love.  On the left is how far I got; on the right, where I started.  I’m getting there.   And I am totally counting the center border flower and the basket of flowers as a full motif.  I really would love to get this finished in 2024.

My other December assignment was to stitch and fully finish a Halloween ornament.  This ornament was from the stash of a friend who passed away last January.   It will always be a special memory of Donna for me.

Of course  I have signed up for 2024 WIPGO.    Somehow even with all the finishes I accomplished in 2023, I didn’t reduce the number of WIP’s I have.   Here’s hoping in 2024.   

I was fortunate - and I know it - to have been able to travel for pleasure both far and wide.   Missouri, Ohio, Indiana, New York, Pennsylvania, Illinois, Maine, Massachusetts, Maryland…..I somehow managed, at minimum, at least a weekend trip each month.   The scary part is this time last year I only had one event on my calendar.   For next year, I’ve already got plane tickets reserved for January, signed up for five (no-class) retreats already, I have a week in the Outer Banks booked (I’ve never been), a cruise booked for September and a trip to Kentucky in November.  It is difficult being retired!

In September, I signed up for a Secret Stitching Pal through my guild.   Here are the goodies my Secret Stitcher sent to me for Christmas.  A beautifully stitched and finished ornament, a JBW chart, little snips and a thread holder.   

I laugh as I think of stitching plans for next year…..stitching plans never seem to manifest themselves quite as I think they will.  But, alas, I can fantasize.   

I have signed up for the Blessings Sampler Challenge on FB.  I think I may know I picked something too ambitious but I’ll have to give it the old college try.  Current top contender is the 1889 Alphabets by Needlework Press.  The criteria of the SAL is that at least one measurement is 100 stitches and to finish the sampler in January. It is  supposed to mean you will have good luck for the year.  This one is 436 by 40.  OMGosh, that means I need to do 110 by 40 stitches each week.   Ugh.   I think I will focus in on being happy with whatever I get finished and not put pressure on myself.  It’s not too late to change to something slightly smaller I guess.   And I really like Sally Spencer by Birds of a Feather. Its stitch count is 156 by 156.   

Another SAL for the year is the Temperature Tree by Stitchin’ Mommy on Etsy.  The idea is that each leaf of the tree represents a day of the year.  The color you stitch that leaf is determined by the high temperature of the day.   I have a friend locally, one in Florida and another Tennessee working on this too.   It will be fun to see our differences.    I am working to get the trunk and a couples branches stitched before January 1st.    In addition to adding the leaves each week, I will work on the next branch to hopefully I will stay ahead of the leaves!  I am stitching this with one thread on 28 count over 1.    It is proving a bit rough on the eye sight!

With the holiday pressing down and holiday parties and events, I put my Quilter’s Station SAL aside for most of December.   I was far enough ahead and I hope during the last week I will be able to catch up and be on schedule for our group’s January Zoom check in.

I finished Heart in Hand 2018 Collectors Heart.    I am not sure how these will be finished.  

I stitched nearly a negligible amount of the pumpkin from Fat Quarter Shop.  This is on the outer edges of my radar.  It will become more central on that screen the closer to October we get.

More recently, Christmas was a blast with the family here.   Every year since my grandchildren have been born, with the except of 2020 because of COVID, my grandbabies have gone to sleep on Christmas Eve at my house and woke on Christmas morning under my roof.    This may be the last year and but I said that last year.   Good fun, family and laughter abounded.  Cookie making, game playing, gingerbread house making, snuggles and hugs and squeals of glee.  My heart was full as was my belly.

I wish for all my friends, both those I see and those that are virtual, that your holiday season was full, your 2023 was a good one, yours stitches plentiful, your frogging minimal and that your 2024 is even better.

Thanks for stopping by and keep on stitching! 

December Starting up with Finishes

I ended November and started December with a little side trip.   My friend, who lives in Tennessee but was visiting family in NJ, had an obligation and had to drive from NJ to Tennessee to go back home.  It is an 11 hour drive and she said she wouldn’t be back in NJ for Christmas because the doing the drive alone is getting to be too much.   So what do retired stitching friends do, they say we will come with you and share the driving.  Down we went on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving and returned December 4th.

We had a great time and the week flew by and we were on our way back to NJ before we knew it.  Our mornings were running an errand or two (if a visit to Hobby Lobby counts as an errand), lunch out and then back home to stitch away the afternoon and evening.   I made more progress in the last week than I expect to the rest of the month which is why I am doing my post early.   

Knowing I can’t stitch while in the car,  I took some of my trims to wind on bobbins from Madam Sew.  I decided to group them on the cards by color rather than type.    I have most of my trims now on either these bobbins or on ones I made as seen below.   Madam Sew’s are sturdier and larger.  Mine were made by decoupaging a print out on comic board.  I have already ordered two more sets of bobbins from Madam Sew to finish up my remaining trims……because you know we save every piece of trim or ribbon that comes our way.  Having these wrapped will make it easier to find just the right trim when doing finishing.  

Just under the wire before the end of the month, I was able to fully finish November and December from A Year of Celebration from HOD.  It was one of my November WIPGO assignments.  I pre-cut the batting, backing and mat board before my road trip.   That is half the battle.  It was easy to fully finish them.  Six months down and six to go.   Now if only I could get the numbered tiles moved to the proper place for December!

On the 30th, I worked on my Halloween stitch.  I may be able to wrap this one up on the 13th if it turns out to be a good stitching day for me.

I finished the “January” branch for my temperature tree.  On the right below, is my friend Lisa’s temperature tree.  I want to get at least the January and February branches done before the 1st of the year.

I  did a little embroidery and wool work on pre-printed pillow tops.   I added some wool pieces, beads and buttons along with some stitches here and there.   These are three of six and when fully finished, these will make cute bowl fillers.

I also fully finished this lovely needle-book from a class with Lady Dot at Quilter’s Station in September.  Again, this is something that was about 90% finished when something else shiny passed in front of me and caught my eye.    

I even hemmed the sleeves in my coat.  The coat I have been carrying a spool of thread around in the pocket for four years for that particular reason.   Ugh!  It only took 15 minutes…..it is off my to-do list!

To round out the finishing, I added the twisted cord and hanger to this Christmas in July ornament.

I worked on my 4th of the month stitch piece….a day early since the forth would be spent riding/driving 11 + hours.  My version is on the left and Diane’s is on the right.  The original was done is all gray tones.  Diane prettied it up with patriotic colors and I jumped on board when I saw her creativity.

I stitched one of Lila’s Studio Red Sweater patterns when in Chattanooga.   I bought, of all things, plastic that resembles perforated paper and started stitching the same sweater pattern on the ride home.   I don’t think I have ever have stitched the same pattern twice and this will make the third time for this sweater pattern.  Once was for a friend and these two will be for the kiddos.   

Lot’s of little things done and loose ends tied up.  

Because I was in Tennessee, I left with the fall decor up and the Christmas decor still in the attic.   So I’ve week or so ahead of me to try to turn it all around into a Christmas wonderland.   Between decorating and obligations and events, I don’t know if I will get much stitching done the rest of the month!   Here’s hoping!  

Thanks for stopping by and keep on stitching!