Two Months Already!

My little guy is two months today! Boy does time fly when all you get is 2-3 chunks of sleep! We are settling into more of a routine and this week I've noticed he's now sleeping his first sleep as long as 3 1/2 - 4 hours! But I don't get that much still.  I'm waiting eagerly for the day that I can sleep at least 5 hours in one stretch! It's so hard on me and my body.  I feel like an old lady.  My knees creak when I bend down and I have a hard time getting up from a sitting on the floor position.  My feet ache all the time as does my head.  But I'm rewarded with the most darling smiles, coos and "ahgoos" from Nathanael.  I've managed to stitch and crochet a bit when he goes down for a nap once I've done the never ending mountain of dishes and laundry.  I've restarted a Prairie schooler Santa for my husband as the last one I cut the fabric too narrow and there was no point in ripping it out.  Take a look!

I heard that the makers of Prairie Schooler designs--the names escape me right now--are retiring so the other day, I ordered a bunch of charts....charts I won't stitch for quite some time but nice to have on file.  I ordered some of the folk tale ones so I can stitch them for Nathanael. 

During his naps, I managed to stitch some more of the border on Sarah Chapple, frame the BBD "Her Sampler" and crochet a bit.  It's nice to craft a bit...maintains my sanity!

I almost forgot to mention that I was a winner of some of Terri's fabrics - Dixie Samplar- and little fall freebie that I think I'll try to start sometime next week.  Her fabrics are so lovely! Thanks again Terri!

That's it for anything stitching related.  As a new mama, I can't help but take a gazillion photos of my little man.  Here are a few of my favourites.

Starting him early on Russian authors..hehee

He figured out how to get his thumb into his mouth...oh boy!

 That's all for now.  I hear him fussing and I need to get some makeup on my raccoon circles in order to be presentable for the farmer's market!  I thank you all for staying with me and sending your lovely comments even though I haven't responded to them all I still have hopes to send everyone a little email eventually! 

Hugs to you all!!

Anne

Crafty Goodness

Bonjourno everyone!!

I've got lots of great crafty goodness to share with you all so I hope you have something to warm your hands with a good cup of something.   I'm holding a cup of coffee since my hands are freezing.  Perhaps I should put on one of my mug cozies I've been crocheting up?! I can't though since they are gifts for people. The other night, my husband watched me jump from project to project with reckless abandon; stitching, crocheting, pinning, gluing and painting.  I caught the Christmas craft bug in a big way.  I found a great tutorial on how to make crocheted stars and have made three already.  I'm hoping to whip up more of these as cute little gifts for my friends and family.  They take less than 20 minutes to make and all I need now is some starch to spray onto the stars for them to retain their shape.  That and some glitter...my hubby's suggestion.  He's such a great guy!! If you are interested in making some of these charming stars, check out this great blog by Matt: According to Matt. He adds glue on his stars but another blog suggests starch, so that's what I'm going to use.  I still need to attach some bells at the end and then they are finished. I also started a deer silhouette for my brother's bullet box.  I'll be painting the box brown or may stain it.  What do you think I should do?  I've never stained anything before.  Anyone have suggestions?

I find it funny to upload this photo here since I've already uploaded it first to Facebook and Instagram.  It seems there are a lot of us stitchers on both media platforms finding each other more and more everyday.  Is blogging going to be a thing of the past? Although I do enjoy Instagram and facebook, I hope blogging stays because I do enjoy reading people's posts in a diary/journal type form!

Onto more crafty goodness.  I'm happy to announce that Meari has received my mailart!! After the people (rather the young buck) at the post office looked at me like I was crazy and was not helpful at all, I mailed the envelope with some trepidation.  I had visions of people at the letter sorting place pulling it out of the line and opening it or destroying it!! Why, I don't know...I was just worried!! So glad that it made it to her and she told me her parents thought it was really cool to receive mail from BC so they got out an atlas to find me! Check out her post! I can hardly wait to receive mine.  This is my first private exchange and I enjoyed every bit, even the worrying part!

The inside fabric

the back

the front

The design on the back is a freebie from The Little Stitcher. The design on the front is a freebie from Gazette94.  I stitched the tree and a bunch of the snowflakes randomly all around the tree.  I used DMC threads for all of the stitching.  The variegated red is 119 I believe.  I used some sort of evenweave fabric that was in my stash.  I hope to do this again...wink wink Meari!

Finally one of my giveaway prizes has been received. Pat from Southpaw Stitcher loved the pillow I made for her and the treats I included for her to use.  I am happy with the finish too.  For some reason I do "perfect" finishes for others....just not for myself.  Maybe I should pretend that the finish I'm working on is for someone else and then it will turn out ok! I stitched it on 32 ct. Lambswool with DMC threads. Her photos on her blog are much better than mine. 

Prairie Schooler Fall

Still waiting for the other two to arrive...but they have further to travel.  

So on that crafty crazy day, I finished my Two White birds.  Not happy with the finish at all.  It's crooked, the ribbon bow is bunchy, the ribbon around the pinkeep is wonky...sigh.  I'm sure none of you will see any of these flaws, but I do.  Not only is it not what I envisioned, but there's some sort of pink blog dot on one of the bird's tails.  You can't see it in the photo since the ribbon covers it.  

I haven't posted a TUSAL in ages, so here's my year end orts.  The bowl is overflowing and I have to figure out what to do with all of those orts. 

We finally put our Christmas tree up last night! Yay! We listened to Christmas tunes and Loreena McKennitt's Christmas album.  The song "Snow" always makes me emotional and nostalgic for Christmas times past.  I remember listening to this song in the kitchen while making sugar cookies with my mom when I was16 years old.  We listened to the tape on a tape player and stayed up until 1 am making cookies.  That night it was snowing and everything was quiet save for Loreena's voice echoing in our kitchen.  Magical...isn't it?

Take care everyone and thank you for staying with me this long! I appreciate all of the lovely comments and well wishes everyone is sending me and my husband.  He appreciates it too and thanks everyone who has taken a moment to think of him.  

Anne

Uber Late TUSAL and IHSW

Hello everyone!!

A big warm welcome to my new followers! Thank you for joining my blog!!

I have finished my first reports last week and so happy that they are done!! I may have a few little things to fix/edit tomorrow but that's it! Now it's the homestretch to the holidays!

I would like to send out big hugs and a BIG THANK YOU to all of you who commented on my completion of Jane Philpott. I truly appreciate all of your comments and still have many to reply to!! I hope to get at them today after this post.  I also want to visit blogs too but just opened up the reader and....GASP it's at 1000 + posts!! I hope to conquer some of those posts today!!

Here's my uber late TUSAL pic.

As for IHSW, well, that was report weekend, so I didn't stitch a lot.  I did promise Joyce a Chatelaine SAL and I managed to get just a few stitches in.  Very abysmal progress.  Dear Joyce stitched a whole butterfly! Way to go girlie!!

I also stitched a bit on Tea Bath Fairy. The filling in of the tea cup is taking awhile!!

This weekend, I stitched up two ornies and will be finishing them hopefully next weekend.

Noel by 123citriouille stitched with Victorian Motto's Nan's Red

Prairie Schooler's Partridge in a Pear Tree
Stitched on 28 ct lugana with DMC threads

I loved stitching both designs, especially the Partridge one.  I will try to finish it as a triangle ornament.  Hopefully that will work out.

As for Christmas cards, I have a couple of people I will be sending out cards to in the next little while.  If anyone else wants to exchange Christmas cards with me let me know! I love getting cards in the mail other than bills!!!  Just email me and send me your address!!

Also, I have some pieces of Aida that I will never use.  If anyone would like them, leave a comment saying so and I will do a mini draw and mail it out before Christmas.  I'll give it a week, or until I do my next post.  Here's the cream and red aida cloth with Titus. And no, he isn't being given away!!

Titus giving you all a fond farewell!!

Hugs to you all!!!

Anne