February Stitch from Stash report

I am just making the deadline for this month's report.  I had want to finish my Calender girl before reporting.  First, on the spending.  I brought LHN Little Moss Sunflower, CCN Snowmen Trio and Nora Corbett Letter E for $15.60.  Letter E is for a gift, but not sure when I am stitching it, so I counted it against my budget.  It was only $4.

For my working in progress projects, I stitched on Azure and Autumn Encounter.

 In Autumn Encounter, I stitched the first 2 columns on page 2.  I will be stitching more on this next week.  I want to do the next 2 columns at least.

Azure finally hit a slow stitching period.  I am doing the skin over 1.  I forgot how slow it is, because I am doing 4 stitches for one square.  I am hoping to finish the skin this coming month.

I do have 2 finishes for this month.  I can't show one of them because it is an exchange and will be on to its new home shortly.  The one I did finish was the LHN February Calender Girl.

Little House Needleworks February Calender Girl

by Diane Williams

Recommended threads and fabric

I am loving this series.  I saw March Girl and she is very pretty.  I can't wait to get her.  I hope my enthusiasm continues through out the year.  I still have not decided how I am going finish the series.   Right now I am stitching them individually. 

I did not stitch on my LizzieKate ABC Lessons this month.  Hopefully I will get to it  next month.  That is my report for February.

Until next time,

Vicky

Giveaway

Itzy has reached 200 followers and having a giveaway.  Just press the button above and you will get to her blog.

Stitch Update, Snow and a Goodbye

On Autumn Encounter by Kustom Krafts, I finished page one finally. I did start on page 2 but I will show a picture on my next post.

I finish the tail and fin on Azure by Nora Corbett.  She is very fun to stitch and easy too.  There is no blending threads.  I will be starting the skin portion in a day or two.  I will be stitching the skin 2 threads over 1.  

I am still stitching Lizzie Kate ABC Lessons.  I had to move the q-snaps over and took a picture.  Hopefully I can go back to it soon, I think after I do the skin on Azure and I stitch February Calender Girl.  I should have the pattern any day now.

I had went to my support meeting this past Monday.  I am 5 miles away but with traffic it can take 15 minutes to get there.  I took my camera and got some snowy scenes.  More snow is coming on Thursday with another 4 to 8 inches of the white stuff and a mixture of sleet and rain. Oy! What a mess!

As you must have heard by now, Shirley Temple Black passed away on February 10, 2014.  I loved her movies as a kid.  I would watch them at my aunt's house because she had a vcr and would rent the movies on the weekends.  My favorite movie is Heidi and closely followed behind A Little Princess.  Of course, you can't forget about the Shirley Temples cocktail drinks.  When my siblings and I went out to dinner with our parents, they will let us order a Shirley Temple.  I always felt like a grown-up because it was made at the bar and arrived in a special glass.  Rest in peace Shirley!

Until next time, Vicky

Stitch for Stash January Report

I decided to joined the Stitch from Stash this year.  This is the one where you just stitch from your stash and spend only $25 a month on stash.  I did good on the spending.  I only spend $17.88.  I brought some threads and a couple $4 patterns at Stoney Creek.  I had to resist on buying more and it is hard.  In this report I have 2 finishes and worked on a new project and a UFO.

  

Merry Christmas Grumpy Cat 

Designed by Brooke Nolan

Stitched on 28ct Lugana opalescent

Jack's Rum by Hand-Dyed Fabrics by Stephanie

DMC threads

I finished Grumpy Cat.  I think I mentioned I was annoyed with the person I was stitching it for, and I really wanted to use the hoop, so I finished it.  I know if I took the hoop off before finishing, it will be awhile before I get back to it.  Besides I am trying to get my WIPs down, so it was better if I finished.  Now just to finish if into an ornament.

Calender Girl January

Designed by Diane Williams of Little House Needleworks

28 count Clay Cashel Linen

DMC Threads

I decided I wanted to do the Calender girls and I had committed to the purchases before signing up for SFS.  I am not sure what I am going to do with them yet but I enjoyed stitching January. My goal is to stitch them within the month I get the pattern.  I am hoping life doesn't get in the way too much.  I wanted to finished January for this report,  the reason why I am just barely reaching the time line, lol.  

I started on Azure on January 1.  I love stitching her.  The top picture is the body and her fin.  The bottom is the fail and big fin.  I have seen her done by a few people and she is gorgeous and quick to stitch.  This month was a tough one to stitch.  My goal is to finish the stitching part by end of February.  

This is the UFO I am working on, Lizzie Kate ABC Lessons.  I am determine to finish this one soon.  When I take the snaps out I will take a bigger picture.  I will need to order more threads for this one.  My next project I will be stitching on, before I go back to Azure, will be Autumn Encounter.  He has been howling for me and I do want to finish page 1.  I only have less than 2 columns left.  A picture on the wolf next time.  On the left side of my blog, are some patterns I want to work on and try to finish them. The list might get longer as I add things.   

I had my surgery as scheduled.   It went well but living on a liquid diet sucks!  I am now on a puree diet, which right now I think it is heaven, lol.  I did lose 22 pounds and very happy with that. I am dehydrated so I am drinking more water and watching my sugars closely.

The weather has been cold, cold, cold. I am lucky there has not been much snow with the cold.  I learned about snow rolls today. It is when the wind is blowing and makes rolls out of the snow.  It has to be under special conditions but it is weird and awesome at the same time.  Try to stay warm.

Until next time,

Vicky

Valentine's Giveaway

Hi!

Nancy from Victorian Motto Sampler Shoppe is having a Valentine's giveaway. Click on here to get to the post.   She is giving away lots of red and creams and red hearts items.  Tell her I send you please.  Thanks

12 Days of Christmas exchange 2013-14

I had signed up for a 12 Days of Christmas exchange in the i-love-cross-stitch group.  I will be updating this post almost  every day.  

 On the  First Day of Christmas (Dec25), Nancy gave Brooke's Publishing Books  Once Upon a Stitch Meg from Little Women chart and 2 candy canes.

 On the Second Day of Christmas(Dec 26), Nancy send me a pair of snowmen socks and glitter star buttons.

On the Third day of Christmas(Dec 27), Nancy gave Brooke's Publishing Books  Once Upon a Stitch Jo from Little Women chart and 2 candy canes.  Is Beth and Amy coming later in the days of Christmas?  I  don't know and you will find out when I do, lol. Stay tune for day 4.

On the Fourth Day of Christmas (Dec 28), Nancy gave me some gold needles, a nutcracker ornament and a Twix Santa candy, yummy!

 On the Fifth Day of Christmas (Dec 29), Nancy gave me some pretty DMC skeins in red and purple, and a lovely silver candlholder.

 On the Sixth Day of Christmas(Dec 30),  Nancy gave me a Christmas note pad and gold and white beads.

 On the Seventh Day of Christmas (Dec 31), Nancy gave me a Ornament Bake kit and silver trims.  I haven't seen one of these kuts since I was a kid.

 On the Eighth Day of Christmas (Jan 1), Nancy gave me Brooke's Publishing Books  Once Upon a Stitch Amy from Little Women chart and 2 candy canes.

 On the Ninth Day of Christmas (Jan 2), Nancy gave me some DMC threads, red beads, and some Lindt Chocolates.

On the Tenth Day of Christmas (Jan 3), Nancy gave me the Brooke's Publishing Books  Once Upon a Stitch Beth from Little Women chart and 2 candy canes.

On the Eleventh Day of Christmas (Jan4), Nancy gave me a piece of 28 count evenweave and some blue beads.

Christmas 2013 update

It has been about 2 months since I posted an update. It probably be long so bear with me.  first up is the last Halloween exchange I didn't post yet.  The exchange was hosted by Stitch, Create, and Exchange, formally Stitched with Love blog.  Barbara send me a lovely exchange she had made herself.  She is a designer in Europe so everything is from her, the pattern she stitched, the one she gave me, the threads, ric rac trimmings and buttons.  The thread holder is shape of a raven and very pretty.

 


My package went to Janet. I stitched her Happy Haunting by DMC. I gave her some socks, ribbon, a little plaque, material, threads, needles, a Mill Hill kit, (vampire) and candy.

 Here is a close up of the ornament.  It was stitched on  14 count Grasshopper aida from Charles craft,  using the DMC threads and a Carrie Creations thread, I forgot the name,  Its  been awhile since  I stitched it.  The  pattern  came from the Just Cross Stitch 2013 Halloween issue.

 The first Christmas exchange was Santa's Mittens exchange from  my Stitching Sisters yahoo group.  Ruthie send me 2 gloves, purple and black, a purple scarf, a purple candy can ornament, and the new set of DMC colors.  The ornament is hanging on the tree.  I love it and my favorite color.  Thank you Ruthie!

 In my i-love-cross-stitch yahoo group, my Sock It to Me Santa exchange was from Sharon. I got the socks, beautiful bobbins with a Victorian corset pictured on them, a colorful peacock thread holder and some floss bags.  Thank you Sharon.

 I made this little ginger woman for Katie S.  in the Stitching Sisters group.  The ornament was stitched on 16 count opalescent aida.  The pattern came from the Christmas Card magazine I got from Karin( in my last post).

 This is Country Cottage Needleworks Snowbirds for a friend.  The pattern was stitched on 28 count PTP Crystal Dwarf linen. I used beads for the snowflakes.

 We got some snow before Christmas but now it is gone.  A few days before the 25th, the temperatures hit over 60 degrees.  I had my bedroom window open, heat off and wearing shorts and tank tops. Now some Christmas pictures.  By Christmas it was in the teens.

 Anthony opening some gifts and here he is with the Nerf gun Grandpa got him.

 He was very thrilled with the XBox 360 NHL 14 game.  Anthony is a hockey player, so anything with hockey you can't go wrong.

 See his happy face!

 My Christmas tree, and you can see the purple candy cane.

 All the cards I got this year.

 I made a chocolate trifle for dessert plus there was a carrot cake, rice pudding, and tons of cookies and homemade fudge.  I made all of it too, from scratch except for the chocolate cake.

 I got these lovely towels from Lynda A from the pensandneedles yahoo group.  It is for pen palling but I am not very good at it.

 This ornament came from Kim C for the Stitching Sisters yahoo group. It came on Dec 24, right on time.  Thank you Kim!

This is a picture of me on Christmas Day.  My sister took the picture for me.  Next year I will not be looking like this, being obese.  On January 15, 2014 I will be having a double surgery, one being the sleeve gastronomy and the removal for my gallbladder.   I started the procedure in September, hit a brick wall due to insurance, but I climbed over it, and went to a bigger hospital.  I will be going to Yale Hospital to get it done and next Tuesday I will be see the anesthetist for the pre-testing of the surgery.  I am going to a support group meeting weekly to help deal with food emotionally.  Even though most had the surgery or in the process of getting it done, there a few who just come because they know they are addicted to food.   I am nervous, which is normal and wished the surgery was over, but I am excited too, wondering where this path will take me back to normal living and new friendships, providing there are no complications.

I had lost my stitching mojo.  I was stitching the Grumpy Cat freebie by Brooke Nolan,  I am not sure if you saw it on her website ( Brooke Publishing Books).  The person I am stitching for, I am irritated with that person.  Maybe I should just finished for me and stitched again later when I am more pleasant with this person.  I might have an update before my surgery, if not, it will be afterwards. I will have a giveaway soon.  I had reached 300 followers and just gather some items from my stash.  Be on a look out for it.

Until next time,
Vicky