Ingredients

Start off with a cold, snowy Sunday with DH and both boys off snowboarding & skiing for the day.

Rummage around in the stash cupboard and unearth this:


A trip around web-world leads to this handy-dandy tutorial. Which leads me to wonder, could I do it?

Next, drag the idiot, ancient, only-sews-when-its-in-the-mood sewing machine downstairs and set it up (back ache provided at no extra charge!):


After some persuasion (not all of it gentle), some begging, a few tears (I think it was the machine, not me!), some trial and error, some swearing (again, I'm sure it was the machine), we came to an agreement to make this:


My very first q-snap huggie. I'm not too keen on calling it a huggie - it keeps making me think of a diaper.... I'll have to find another name....

On the other hand, I've always wanted something like this to keep the dust and dirt off the edges of my pieces. It's coming in handy to tuck away extra fabric so it's not hanging out and getting sat upon by my furry kitties.

And in case you're wondering, the stitching is SamSarah's 'Treasure Me' which I'm stitching for my sister-in-law's sister's baby (are you lost yet?), who I mentioned in my last post. It's coming along quite quickly. Of course, it helps that I've suspended all other stitching in the meantime in order to get it done....

Time to drag the beast back upstairs....

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First Finish of 2010

I think I set a personal record - I don't believe I've ever actually finished something in January... Starting something? Sure. Finished it within January, not so much....

Ebb Tide by Northern Pine Designs
Stitched on recommended canvas
with recommended fibres (DMC, RG, ThreadworX, Leah's Overdyed, Kreinik Metallic)

I really enjoyed this piece, but found a good number of errors in the charting. Some of the errors I found on the Northern Pine website, others I found all by my lonesome. I did make one mistake in the piece, but rather than going for an 'uber-frogging' session, I just figured out an alternative that isn't driving me crazy. I'm not telling just what that error is. :-)

Besides Ebb Tide, I have been working on other projects too - LOTD is still being picked up once in a while. Here's the never-ending border so far:


I really do love the overdyed fibre I picked out (well, okay, the folks at the LNS helped a TON!) - it looks just right! Now that Ebb Tide is done and dusted, it'll be time to work on this piece some more.

But, just to keep things interesting, I rummaged through the upstairs WIP basket (and yes, before you ask, there is a downstairs WIP basket too - we won't talk about the basement WIP basket, 'K?) and pulled out this old class piece. I took this class at a not-so-LNS at least a year ago. It's a really pretty canvaswork piece, but it doesn't photograph worth a darn - it's all creams and golds on a cream canvas. Here's where I am with it right now:


My apologies for the pitiful pictures today - it's actually raining (in Canada, in January!) today and quite grey and dreary all about.

I am going to start something new as well - a little birth sampler piece for a special little baby born in the last couple of weeks. The little tyke was born missing the connection between his esophagus and his stomach and has already had 4 hours of surgery to reconnect everything. He's doing well now, but what a scary experience for first-time parents to go through! I think he deserves a special stitched piece....

Off to play with my stash!

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New Year, New Projects, New Finishes!

Well, it seems everything is all shiny and new over here in my little corner of the planet.....

We had a pretty busy Christmas and New Year - running between family get-togethers and whatnot. The few times we were home, I elected to spend my time with my boys and DH rather than the computer. We had some great days playing the new games that Santa brought.

I did pull out my stitching as often as I could manage and I was surprised to trip over 2 ornaments that were almost finished. I got inspired to finish those up, then I stitched two more ornaments after that (one of which I completely forgot to photograph before it was given away!).
And all that *before* New Year's Eve!

Here's the lineup:

Freebie from Blue Ribbon Designs
stitched on mystery linen with DMC

From the November 2008 Gift of Stitching Magazine by Blue Ribbon Designs
stitched on the same mystery linen as above with DMC

Santa's Buddies by Angel Stitchin
from the 2009 JCS Ornament Issue
stitched on random piece of linen using recommended GAST
except instead of Simply Wool, I used the same colour but in Sampler Threads

This piece does call for some snowflake treasures to be sewn around the piece, but I'm undecided as to whether or not I'll add them. Funnily enough, my stash does actually contain the correct treasures (why I bought them or when I have NO idea!). I'll make a final decision before I actually finish-finish this one.

The fourth ornament that I stitched was Let It Snow from CHS that was in the 2008 JCS ornament issue. It turned out really pretty. You'll have to take my word on it.

I then had an enormous urge to stitch something that didn't involve little x's, so I started a canvaswork piece that has been begging me to start it for a while.


This is Ebb Tide from Northern Pine Designs. I bought this kit from Linda at a Festival about a year ago and it's been sitting in my stitching basket since them. I'm really enjoying the challenge of this piece, although the three green bands of bargello were almost enough to make me toss it! Oh well, they're done now!

And just to add to the project mayhem around here, I decided to participate in the Legends SAL over at the TWBB. I'm stitching Legends of the Dragons. I haven't gotten very far as I've had little time to work on it and I had an attack of the frogs too.....


I don't know how much progress will be made on any of these things in the near future as I've got a model with a tight deadline due to arrive any day now. Then I'll be diving into that piece at full speed.

Hope everyone had a great New Year and that 2010 is filled with all good things!

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