Obsesson Satisfied

This post is probably about a week overdue.  Last weekend I finally satisfied my obsession with Spring Quakers!  I finished it!  This was just one of those pieces I couldn't put down.  I started it on January 1st, 2016 and finished it 37 days later.  Also starting this project with me was Bonnie, who finished hers 5 hours later than me (amazing that we managed to finish our pieces on the same day), Christin who has barely touched hers but she's got another project she's trying to wrap up.  Also our friend Janice (no blog) started Winter Quakers because she had already done Spring and she finished her just a few days ago!

Spring Quakers

Rosewood Manor

Stitched on 28ct Lilac Grove Jubilee from Sugar Maple Fabrics

Stitched with Valdani Cotton Floss

Sorry I had a hard time getting a good clear picture but hopefully some of of the following closeups will help give you a better idea of just how lovely the colours are.

As previously mentioned I had planned to stitch mine on Queen Ann's Lace Joblean by Whichelt.  However the piece I got was rather "muddy" that it just wouldn't work with the floss colours.  I find though I love Queen Ann's Lace as a staple in my stash I hate the fact that there are wide variations in the dye lot sometimes, and this was one of them.  After a stash dive I settled on my last piece from the long out of business Sugar Maple Fabrics and though I was reluctant to use my piece of Lilac Grove I'm so happy with how it turned out.

As I've been working on this piece and sharing progress pictures, I got a lot of questions about what thread I was using to stitch this piece both from my Facebook and Instagram followers.  I went ahead and used the Valdani threads as  the design was charted.  Since I stitched it on 28ct I used all three strands as they came off of the ball (and a bigger needle I usually stitch with a 28).  I was a little worried about the Valdani threads as I heard a lot of talk about how awful they were to work with.  Over the years I heard complaints about how it tangled and frayed.  I had none of these problems I found it quite nice to stitch with.  I just had to use the recommended threads because of how vibrant they were!  I will certainly be doing the other seasons in Valdani threads in the future!

Next time I buy some stash I'll have to start sourcing out the Valdani threads for the rest of the seasons!!!!

Cranberry Christmas

Prarie Schooler

Stitched on 40ct New Castle Linen, Mellow from Picture This Plus

Stitched with DMC Cotton Floss

After I finished Spring Quakers I needed to stitch up my February Ornament.  I have continued with Cranberry Christmas by Prarie Schooler.  I'm stitching these on 40ct and I'm as usual just loving it!

Next up for finishing is my friend Julie's Joan Elliot Oriental Ladies Round Robin.  Julie had one spot left on her Round Robin after it came back a few years ago and I offered to stitch the last spot for her, she has a silver Buddha planned for this spot and as you can see I've got a fair start on it.  We've got a long weekend and its far too told to go anywhere unless you have to, so I'm sure this will get finished this weekend.

I have a new start to get kitted up soon.  I leave in a few weeks for my annual Dominican Experience trip and over the last few years I've stitched Cirque des Cirque, Cirque des Coeurs and Cirque des Carreaux all from Ink Circles.  This just leaves me Cirque des Triangles left to stitch!  One of my "to do" things this weekend is to get this kitted up and and during the upcoming week get a working copy made.  These pieces have been great to stitch on the plane and while I travel.

Finally Zeus was being rather pretty this morning so I just had to take a few pictures of her.

Slightly Obsessed

First of all Happy New Year dear readers!  I hope your New Year is off to a good start.  Mine is going well.

I have a couple of stitching New Year's Day rituals that I just look forward to every year.  Do you have any stitching related New Year's rituals?

My first one is always planned months in advance, its my New Year's new start/stitch along.  For many years now my best friend Christin and I start a stitch along, some years a few of our stitching friends join us and some years its just the two of us.  I start at midnight and Christin starts in the morning, I am always just too excited to wait until the morning after months of anticipation!  This year our stitching friends Bonnie joined us as well in starting Spring Quakers by Rosewood Manor, our friend Janice also joined us but she had already stitched Spring Quakers so she started Winter Quakers.

I had a bit of a panic moment with this piece, I had every intention to stitch this piece on 32 ct Queen Ann's Lace Joblean by Wichelt.  I had bought a 1/2 yard of it back in the fall.  In December I pulled out my fabric, cut a piece just the right size then I pulled out my little box of Valdani Threads.  That's when I totally panicked! This piece of Queen Ann's Lace was quite brown and muddy, several of my Spring Quaker colours just disappeared into it.  Total panic attack!  I knew I didn't have enough time to order a new piece of fabric.  Stash to the rescue!  I spent a good hour pulling out fabrics out of their bins to find a suitable replacement.  I started with my 32ct and had no success, oh no!  Next I was digging through my 28ct fabrics, I had really wanted to stitch this piece on 32ct ... oh well.  After a bit of digging I came across one of my last precious pieces of dyed fabric I got ages ago from Sugar Maple Fabrics which is no longer in business!  They had some of the best dyed fabrics I ever came across.  I mourned while I settled on this fabric, but its PERFECT for Spring Quakers and just the right size.

As you can see I was immediately obsessed by this piece!  Despite being obsessed I didn't have all the time I wanted to stitch it and I've had a hard time to settle lately getting easily distracted by things like Instagram (sigh, addict for sure).  When I have been able to sink my teeth into this it just goes!!!!  I'm now well into page 4 and hope to be into page 5 by the end of this weekend.

My second stitching New Year's ritual is the annual emptying of the ort jar!  I love seeing the wonderful layering of colours from projects throughout the year.  Its also a great measure of just how much or how little stitching I've done that year.

My final stitching New Year's ritual is turning a page on my stitching journal.  Well its not really a journal but a list of all the projects I finish that year.  I also keep a sticky note in there of projects that get carried over from one year to the next and cross them off as they become Happy Dances.  My ultimate goal would be to cross everything off and throw that note away but that hasn't happened yet.  In 2015 I had 54 Happy Dances!  A very productive year and some awesome big finishes in there too!

Cranberry Christmas

Prarie Schooler

Stitched on 40ct New Castle Linen, Mellow from Picture This Plus

Stitched with DMC

I did take a one day break last weekend from Spring Quakers to stitch up my January ornament, I am still sticking with this little goal of mine to stitch one ornament each month.  I've picked Pararie Schooler's Cranberry Christmas as this year's set to stitch up and I'm sure I'll stitch some random pieces through the year as well... when I'm finished with my current obsession.

One thing that has gotten put off to the side is my friend Julie's Round Robin.  In early December we had a stitching day at her place and we were going through her finished projects.  She showed us her Joan Elliott Round Robin, but there was one blank spot left.  I immediately offered to stitch it for her.  I did start stitching the silver Buddha she wanted in the last spot... but like I said I'm obsessed right now.  Once I get to it, I'm sure it'll whip up quickly!

In my last post I promised I'd share with you pictures of a few other items I had stitched last year.  Well I forgot, but I've made a copy of the list and hopefully I'll be back soon with those.  I also put some stitches into an old project, The Big Red by The Silver Lining  I hope to share that with you too.

Finishative - Ornamentification

Finishative - Finding the initiative to do a little finishing.

Ornamentification - Turning stitching into an ornament

The finishative bug hit me this summer... actually I kept looking at my pile of ornaments and more that need to be "turned into something" and kept feeling guilty at all of those lovely finished-unfinished projects sitting there.... staring me.

I'm of course going to mean, and slowly share them with you... don't want to give you a finishative OD!

So since July I've been slowly pulling pieces out of the pile one at a time and finishing them in stages.  I started with the Prarie Schooler set I stitched earlier this year, Christmas Favorites.  Here's all nine of them together.

I ornamentified these as little pillows stuffed with batting, and trimmed them with cord I made myself, matching the cord with the DMC 3371 that was in every ornament of this set.  It tied them all together nicely.

Belated Smalls SAL Report - For March 26th

March's Smalls SAL saw me finishing up my Prairie Schooler Christmas Favorites booklet up.

Here they are, all together on one piece of fabric before I cut them up for finishing.  During March I stitched up: the winter cottage, snowman and reindeer.

Now that these guys are done I feel a little lost, I don't know what smalls to work on.

Belated WIPocalypse and IHSW

I did a lot of great stitching over the March Break, and then the tail end was one of my Timberhouse Retreats (pictures coming soon) and of course when you've been off of work for a week, it takes a bit to get back into the swing of things! (and its quite tiring)

This weekend is IHSW, and I have no plans but to stay home and stitch!  Well and do a little baking on Sunday, its my favorite custodian's birthday on Monday (we share a Birthday month, mine is this upcoming Thursday, the 27th!) he loves apple crisp so I'll be making one to take into work for him on Monday.

Here's my WIPocalypse progress which was due this past Sunday!  Since my last report I have focused most of my stitching time on The Accolade... until my little road trip to Stitcher's Garden two weeks ago.

I probably should work on my fair lady this weekend as one of my goals for March is to finish page 8 and as you can see, the end of this page is not far off!

I initially put down the Accolade to stitch up this beauty, Flowers in Black, White and Red.  I picked up this piece at Stitcher's Garden, and started it the next day.  This piece stitched up in just a few days.

Next up it was time to wrap up those Prarie Schooler ornaments I had started back in January, and I did just that while at the Timberhouse Retreat last weekend.  Here's all the ornaments all stitched up together, outlined in backstitch and backing pieces stitched and ready to go.  This is all ready to be pressed, and cut up to be whip stitched together.

Since the last WIPocalypse I finished....  The Poisonous Poinsettia (to cats)

The Pyromaniac Angel

Candy Cane Smoking Santa

The Cozy Cottage

Chubby Snowman

Finally The Scrawny Reindeer

Since I wrapped the Prarie Schooler ornaments fairly early on during the Retreat weekend, I pulled out another January start to work on, Three Little Maids which I ALSO managed to finish up on Sunday evening after I got home.

The rest of this week I've been working on yet another ornament, this guy has been calling my name since I picked up the chart in January.  I picked up all of the threads for Snow Woes by Heart in Hand at Stitcher's Garden and decided he was next, I haven't been in any rush to get back to my over one stitching.

So there you have it, this is where all of my recently touched projects stand!

Smalls SAL - February

I LOVE modern technology!  While I'm traipsing around the Dominican Republic with 15 teenagers, I'm magically able to post this Smalls SAL update.

I'm quite pleased with how my PS Christmas Favorites Ornaments are coming along.  I've managed to finish three more this month!

 Look!  Its another Santa... I almost wonder, is he going to smoke that candy cane?

 A little angel

I quite like this poinsettia

Besides The Accolade this is the only other project I've been working on.

Catching Up Post - Smalls SAL

I'm horribly behind on posting updates for a few of my SALs, I'll get them taken care of over the next few days.  Why did I get behind, because I've just been so engrossed in my stitching the last little while that I haven't wanted to take time away from it for blogging.  Things are also fairly busy because I'm getting ready to head out on my annual Dominican Experience trip (we take off on February 21st).

For the month of January I stitched quite a few smalls!  Nothing new you haven't seen before but here they all are.

 Lizzie*Kate

A Little Christmas

 Prarie Schooler

Christmas Favorites

  Prarie Schooler

Christmas Favorites

  Prarie Schooler

Christmas Favorites

 Heart In Hand

Tall Snowman

Just Nan

Cardinal Tweet

January IHSW - Timberhouse Retreat 2014

I am behind on all of my scheduled blogging lately, so here is my belated IHSW (International Hermit and Stitch Weekend) report!  I hope this isn't going to be the trend for 2014, I'd hate to start the year off behind and continue the year that way!

I honestly didn't hermit at ALL the weekend of January 17-19... it was even BETTER than hermitting I was stitching with 17 other ladies at the Timberhouse Country Inn Resort!  As a group except for a quick little trip to do a little stash shopping most of us pretty much stayed inside warm and safe stitching!

Up until this past November the retreats I go to at the Timberhouse were run by Ann of Knowledge and Needles but now that she has become a Snowbird, she's not around anymore.  We all wanted to continue the tradition of our January, March, and November stitching retreats so Bonnie and I have taken over running them.  In all honesty Bonnie does much of the work as she's much closer to the facility than I am.  But I'm there as a sounding board, support and help whenever she needs it.  January was quite a challenge to get off of the ground this year.  Up until late November we had a full retreat and slowly people started dropping out.  That is quite a challenge and frustrating when you have people dropping out and needing to fill spots three weeks before a retreat!  We've learn a few lessons and will put a few things into place to hopefully reduce that stress.

On the upside, we had a few new faces there!  It was nice to spend the weekend with my friends Julie and Mylene.  Julie and I took a little selfie Saturday morning!  It was wonderful to get to spend a weekend with Teresa who I had previously met twice at the annual Knowledge and Needles open house that Ann holds near the end of August.  So I guess that's the upside of some of the usual retreaters dropping out, we get some new wonderful additions to the group!

I didn't really take any pictures this year...  My urge to take pictures seems to have left me this last year.  Saturday afternoon we did get out to Knowledge and Needles since Ann had left the keys for Bonnie and I to open the shop to anyone who wanted to do a little shopping.  I of course couldn't help myself and I did buy a few things.

I was also able to finally pick up the signed chart I had won off of Facebook from Norden Crafts.  They regularly give away charts and if your name is drawn its sent to the LNS of your choice to pick up.  I'm looking forward to stitching this one on 40ct in a gorgeous red!

... I like long romantic walks on the beach.... (please note down winter coat, snow on the ground and that Lake Ontario is FROZEN!)

On the way back to the Timberhouse, I wasn't in a very social mood so I took a little time by myself with my camera.  I stopped a few times on my way home AND I went down to the "beach".

Here are some of my shots...

Meanwhile back at the Timberhouse...

 Stitching-wise it was a productive weekend!  I worked on getting all of the white put in on the adorable owls in Three Little Maids.

Tall Snowman

cHeart In Hand

Stitched on: 32ct Belfast Linen - Autumn Field from Zwiegart

Stitched with: DMC & WDW

When I had enough of stitching with white floss I pulled out some of my other January starts which were ornaments and worked on those.  I managed to have three finishes!  So that's I think 5 of my 15 starts finished in the fist month of 2014.

Christmas Favorites Santa & Reindeer

cPrarie Schooler

Stitched on: Mystery fabric

As usual Sunday came around all too soon and it was time to head home.  Normally we pack up around lunch time but it was snowy, and windy.  I decided shortly after breakfast it would be best to start making my way home.  Instead of 3-3.5 hours to get home it took 5.5 hours!  Wow!

Check out both Bonnie and Christin's blogs they took a few more pictures than I did, many of the stitching on display.