Stitching Goals Revisited for 2012

The stitch goals that I selected for 2012 still look good but I have removed the felt & sequin ornaments.  That doesn't seem like much .... but ...

Over the past few years I have been buying Bucilla felt kits for ornaments and stockings because I really like the way they look when they are completed!  Unfortunately, I don't really like making them.... I have always been a fan of applique -- as a spectator activity --  the felt kits are applique with bling.

I have been feeling rather guilty about all of those fun kits so last night it was time to work on one in progress and as a result I have decided that it is time to make most of my Bucilla kits go away.  I plan to start listing them on eBay.

Wow -- I fell better already!!

More Ornaments -- much research

This week I finished two more of the bead/sequin ornaments in red and will be packing that craft box away for a while.  In total, I made 6 of the bead/sequin ornaments.

The photo above is the only cross stitch ornament I managed to stitch in 2011.  I will use one of the mini frames in gold for the finishing - unless I get really ambitious and try another finishing process and that isn't likely.  The pattern is from Kount of Kappie, Book 36, Trim Your Tree with Stitch 'n Stuff, 1982.  The piece is stitched on 22 count Hardander in white using DMC floss, 1 strand over 1.

I have already posted in my 2012 list one design by HAED that I plan to start soon.  Well, if one is good, two must be better!!  I added one of the Escher charts to my list.  Instead of stitching for the first week of the year, I used my stitching time to surf relentlessly the Heaven and Earth Designs (HAED) board and the HAED SAL.  I looked at the fabulous work done by other stitchers while trying to decide how to stitch the Escher.  After some trial stitching and gathering opinions - a giant thank you to the stitchers on the HAED board who provided great feedback - decisions have been made and supplies have been purchased -- time to get started.

 

 

Last post of 2011 - Glitter & Glisten Ornaments

It has been a busy December...



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

These are pics of some ornaments that I made this month.  They are from kits that I picked up on ebay earlier this year. The ornaments are called Glitter & Glisten from Lee Ward's and Carter's Dexter's - probably from the early 1970's.  Needless to say, they didn't want to have their photos taken and I couldn't get a good picture.

They look super on the tree -- but since the tree is already down, perhaps next year.

I hope you had a Merry Christmas and have a Happy New Year!

New Year / New Goals - Stitching 2012

Last year was the first time I set stitching goals for myself. All in all, it worked out pretty well so I am going to try it again. The most important thing was that the goals could be changed at any time.  Having something to remind me of what I would like to accomplish was great since I am easily distracted with new projects.

2012 Stitching Goals

Projects in progress:
St Basil's needlepoint
TS Bear needlepoint stocking
Tish Celebration needlepoint (any progress counts!)
Christmas Potpourri BOM quilt
Knit bandages - on going (and very portable)

New projects:
Heaven & Earth Designs cross stitch On the Stove (nope, I don't expect to finish it)
Christmas ornaments - 3 each - needlepoint, cross stitch, bead/sequin & felt/sequin
HeartStrings needlepoint The Carolers - complete 3 of the set
Lap Quilt - using only kit or fabrics already owned
Two full size quilts - using only kits or fabrics already owned

This is a very do-able list! The trick will be to stitch in the evening rather than spend all night surfing the internet or playing games!

Golden Princess Bead & Sequin Ornament

The Golden Princess is the first "round" bead/sequin Christmas ornament I have made, I finished it yesterday.  It was much harder to make than I expected.  This was a kit that came with materials to make two ornaments and I have 3 kits -- perhaps by the time I reach #6 I will know what I'm doing.

Holiday Apron

Aprons are great, I use them all the time when I am in the kitchen - and sometimes when I am working on different projects.  I finished this apron yesterday, this is the first one that I ever made.

Several years ago I found this as a panel print from Marcus Bros.

Santa's Boot Ornaments

This is one of the Christmas ornaments that I made over the weekend.  I finished three -- all the same.

Christmas Ornaments

Christmas ornament time! This is the latest project that I'm getting started on. This is an old kit that I never got to -- it has everything needed to make three mini Santa boots using sequins beads and ribbon.

When done, this style of ornament looks fabulous on the tree.... especially when the lights go on.

Safety Pins for Quilting and Finding Equinox Quilt

My little quilt is pieced!  Since there are a bunch of buttons to add, minimal quilting will be needed.  Because I have done very little quilting on a home machine I have been doing research to help with supplies.  I had always been told to use brass safety pins -- what I didn't know was that they leave marks in light fabrics.  Harriet Hargrave recommends high quality, rustproof, nickel plated pins.  I'm pretty sure that means nickel plated brass and not nickel plated steel. When I did a Yahoo search I was directed to Hancocks of Paducah where I found not just safety pins but this fabulous quilt!  It is called Equinox and uses fabrics designed by Kaffe Fassett - the pattern is by Aardvark Quilts.



This photo came from http://www.hancocks-paducah.com/Item--i-AQ-818-QK

A New Iron – which Rowenta is best?

Deciding on a new iron -- it's time for a new one.  The search started a couple of weeks ago via the internet.  It seems that over the years I've had most of the brands made.  My favorites have been my Rowenta and my cordless Maytag.  But... my Rowenta is leaving marks when I steam (no matter how much I self-clean) and the Maytag has a terrible leak when I try to use  it with steam. Unfortunately, Maytag no longes make a cordless iron.

Holiday Crafting

Every year there are a few crafting magazines that have great ideas for ornaments and other decorations for the holidays.  This is one of my favorites.  The ideas are always both fresh and classic. They can be done by anyone who is willing to spend the time to create a special item and/or gift.



This photo came from the Better Homes and Gardens website http://www.bhgsip-mediakit.com/r5/showkiosk.asp?listing_id=2069148&category_id=55204