Months Of Silence

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

I've recently received a few comments lately on my last post which was the end of July asking if I was alright, and a few e-mail as well.  I wonder if at this point after so many months if I have any followers left.  I haven't planned on abandoning this blog, it would be such a shame as I was one of the early bloggers in the stitching community.  I also think of all the time, effort and heart that has gone into creating and sharing this blog.  I just lost the desire to blog for awhile, however my stitchy-bug was not affected at all I've got quite a bit of stitching to share with you from the last months.

In my last post from July I was working on Lizzie Kate's Be Naughty

Be Naughty

Lizzie*Kate

Stitched on mystery 28ct linen using recommended threads

In order of completion I've stitched the following pieces:

Ho Ho Ho Holiday - Jingles

Lizzie*Kate

Stitched on 32ct Taupe Lugana

Stitched with Weeks Dye Works

I've realized I've not photographed the following pieces and will do for my next post (I promise!).  Again this all in order of completion, I keep a little book listing all of my finishes since 2007!

• Just Nan - Gingerbread Angel Mouse
• Just Nan - Gingerbread Jingle Mouse
• Just Nan - Little Princess Snow
• Just Nan - Loreli Lamb
• Just Nan - Oakley Owl
• Hands On Designs - Year In Chalk : July

Here's a finish I'm sure you've been wondering about (unless you follow me on Instagram)....

 Fortunate Traveller

Teresa Wentzler

Stitched on 28ct Cream Lugana

Stitched with: DMC and Mill Hill Beads

Since finishing Fortunate Traveller I've worked on a lot of smaller pieces.

Wait 'Till Dec 25 - Jingles

Lizzie*Kate

Stitched on 32ct Taupe Lugana

Stitched with Weeks Dye Works

1st Christmas

Lizzie*Kate

32ct White Lugana

Stitched with DMC & Mill Hill Beads

Jeffrey's Christmas Ornament

Earth Threds

Just Cross Stitch Ornament Issue 2001

Stitched on 32ct Iris Garden Opalescent Belfast Linen

Stitched with DMC, Kreinik & Mill Hill Beads

Merry - Jingles

Lizzie*Kate

Stitched on 32ct Taupe Lugana

Stitched with Weeks Dye Works

FaLaLaLaLa - Jingles

Lizzie*Kate

Stitched on 32ct Taupe Lugana

Stitched with Weeks Dye Works

Joy To The World - Jingles

Lizzie*Kate

Stitched on 32ct Taupe Lugana

Stitched with Weeks Dye Works

Silent Night - Jingles

Lizzie*Kate

Stitched on 32ct Taupe Lugana

Stitched with Weeks Dye Works

Love - Jingles

Lizzie*Kate

Stitched on 32ct Taupe Lugana

Stitched with Weeks Dye Works

Joy - Jingles

Lizzie*Kate

Stitched on 32ct Taupe Lugana

Stitched with Weeks Dye Works

Let It Snow - Jingles

Lizzie*Kate

Stitched on 32ct Taupe Lugana

Stitched with Weeks Dye Works

 Red Threads

Rosewood Manor

Stitched on 32ct Raging Storm Belfast

Stitched with Threadwork

Red Threads

Rosewood Manor

Stitched on 32ct Silkweaver Solo Wexford Linen

Stitched with Six Strand Sweets Blueberry Grunt

Reflections of Canada

Ink Circles

Stitched on 28ct White Lugana

Stitched with DMC 498

Update : Finishing

So besides stitching like a mad woman, I've been doing quite a bit of finishing as well!

In early June Kathy and I made plans to get together to finally put together her Petit Sampling Etui.  Amongst my circle of stitching friends I seem to be considered the "finishing expert", go figure.  I think I'm just willing to dive in and give things a try.  I had never put together an etui before, but my finishing skills have been steadily improving over the years.

I have to say putting this box together was not easy and it definitely required two weekends, two heads, four hands, and a lot of reading over and over!  Though I didn't stitch the panels I'm certainly proud of the end result!  Kathy and I make a great team and work well together.

Of course neither of us are planning to put together or stitch another one for a long time.

I was motivated by helping Kathy with her Etui to do a little finishing of my own!  On weekends I've been home I've been pulling out one ornament after another out of my finishing box.  I've been quite productive now that I see it all here in one blog entry!

 My first attempt at a tag finish and I have to say it turned out great!

Fa La La La - Freebie

 JBW

French Country Star

JCS Ornament Issue

 Heart of Flake - Freebie

 Rosewood Manor

Red Threads

Heart In Hand

Snow Woes

 Ink Circles

Stained Glass Holly

Just Cross Stitch Ornament Issue

 Stitchers Joy

Just Cross Stitch Ornament Issue

The Stag

Freebie

WIP Wednesday on a Thursday

If you were looking last night or today for my WIP Wednesday post, I'm sorry it wasn't there for you.  Last night I had an appointment at the sleep clinic at the hospital.  If you've ever had one you'll know how fun it isn't to try to sleep with wires and stuff all over your head, face, and even your legs!  Then the nerve of them to wake you up and kick you out at 5:30am!!

 As you can see, it wasn't a pretty sight last night!  Once all of that stuff was off in the morning, it was a worse sight as I had this gunk all over my head that was like vaseline but thicker to attach the wires to my head!

The Accolade didn't receive as much attention as it should of this last week.  I was away at one of my little B&B Retreats this past weekend!  Since stitching over one isn't the most ideal thing to do at a stitchy weekend I left the Accolade at home!

 Stitchers Joy

Prarie Moon - Just Cross Stitch Ornament Issue 2010

Stitched on Midas Touch Opalescent Linen from Silkweavers

Stitched with Sulky thread

Saturday morning I finished up this ornament that I shared with you last week.  It turned out great I love the combination of the gold fabric and brick red floss.

For the rest of the weekend my Alessandra Adelaide Peacock came out to play.  Christin was working on hers as well!  Mine is on the left and hers is on the right.

As you can see once I got home I made a little more progress on it, but I was a good girl and once Monday rolled around I packed it away again to work on The Accolade.

Hopefully this weekend The Accolade will get my full attention but for some reason I keep getting tempted to stitch some seasonal smalls!!!!  I haven't broken down... yet.

WIP Wednesday is BACK!

Did you miss my WIP Wednesday posts?  I know I missed doing them its so nice to be able to share the progress on your projects with other people who are actually interested and excited about your stitching, rather than your significant other who just humor you.

First I'm so excited to share my progress on The Accolade (not a HEAD chart) with you!  When you last saw it I was just starting page 9, well this past weekend I finished up that page and I've made headway into page 10 (of 12).  The end seems like its in sight but I'm finding on average each page takes 4-6 weeks of focused stitching to complete.  Right now I'm estimating end of April to finish this project.  I've got two trips coming up, my annual Dominican Republic Experience trip the last week in February.  Two weeks after I get back from my "work trip" (yes its work, I work in a high school and I've taken 14-16 students for the last 5 years, this is my 6th) I'll be heading out for March Break to visit Kathy in Arizona!  I'm looking forward to leaving these -28c (-35c windchill) temperatures behind!

As has been my stitching tradition for many years, besides emptying my Ort Jar on New Year's day I also start a new project on the stroke of midnight.  The New Year's start is a very serious affair, Christin and I have made it a SAL for at least the two of us for many years.  Discussion on what our New Year's start will be often starts in August or September  for the last couple of years the SAL has included many of our Eastern Ontario stitching friends.  This year it was just Christin and I, we both fell in love is Alessandra Adelaide's Peacock design when it was released last year and rather quickly agreed this had a lot of potential as our January 1st start.  Unfortunately the design just appeal to the rest of our "crew" so it was just us.  Also as per tradition I put my first stitches in while celebrating the New Year with my friend Rebecca and her wonderful family, I love our tradition of a great meal ... made by her husband, good company and of course stitching!

Another project that has come to see the light of day again, is Michael Powell's Mini River Cottage.  During my holidays I was invited out Janice's cottage (which turns out to be minutes from my house!) to spend an afternoon stitching with her.  She has the most spectacular view of the river, which maybe on a future visit I'll get a chance to take a few pictures.  As wonderful as The Accolade is I find its one of those projects that's just best worked on at home.  So I needed to find something that would be easier to work on in friendly company and this fit the bill!  I always forget how much I enjoy working on a Michael Powell piece.

Finally this past weekend I started a new ornament.  After finishing page 9 on The Accolade I felt like I needed a little over one break.  This one is called Stitchers Joy by Prairie Moon, from the Just Cross Stitch 2010 Ornament Issue.

I've got a great stitching weekend coming up and I can't wait!

WIPless Wednesday

Happy Wednesday Readers!  Its time for that weekly post of mine!  I am so enjoying WIP Wednesday!

 Happy Halloween

Silver Creek Samplers

Just Cross Stitch - 2013 Halloween Issue

Stitched on 28ct Burnt Papyrus by Sugar Maple Fabrics

Stitched with DMC, Weeks Dye Works, and Gentle Art Sampler Threads

I don't have an actual recent WIP picture for you today, but I do have a Happy Dance!  I finished last week's WIP shortly after 11PM last night.  Once again this isn't my usual "stitching style" but WIP pictures of this piece kept popping up on my feed on Instagram (follow me @tkd_chick) and I was loving watching a couple of ladies stitch it up.  So being the nosy stitcher I am, I asked what design it was and how I could get my hands on it.  I was told it was from the 2013 Just Cross Stitch Halloween Issue.  Well, of course I had it in my stash!  I just love the piece of fabric I used, its been in my stash for many years and its such a shame the company isn't in business anymore I'd love to get my hands on more!  I suppose I should do the finishing on this sooner rather than later?

Since I don't have a new WIP for you, how about an old one?  This piece is on my mind, its a cross stitch adaptation of the painting "The Accolade".  The chart was a gift from my friend Beth who I met through stitching and I've been working on it for quite a few years now.  I'll be picking this back up real soon!

Now, how about I share another ornament I did the finishing on back in the summer!  This pair are from a chart by Midnight Stitching called Heartstruck Quakers.  Aren't these guys adorable?  I have to say I found the heart-shaped ornaments a challenge, but I'm very happy with how this cute little duo turned out!