Late, a Bit Early and Really Early

After mowing the lawn today I have decided that I'm going to let it get long and overgrown.  We have been invaded by deer flies!  I noticed them swarming the car the other day when I stopped to pick up the mail, but I didn't equate that to being swarmed while riding the lawn mower.  I have 3 bites that are absolutely driving me crazy with the itching. Living in the middle of not a lot, we've always had them. but this summer is a banner year.  I don't know if it's because we've been so wet or warm or what, but I do hope that whatever is causing it stops soon.  I read that dragonflies are predators, but I haven't noticed an uptick in them (but would be willing to import a few)   I suppose if I can't be outside, I should be able to focus on my stitching and blogging a bit more, so a good trade off.

So, my blog title.  I'm sooooo late for my June  post, like 9 days late!  ACK!! Jo at Serendipitous Stitching hosts Gifted Gorgeousness as a way to say "thank you" to those that have gifted us with stitching items or to show things we're stitching as gifts or anything else we can shoehorn into the definition.  I have progress on three pieces this month that fit (or I can make fit) into the terms of the SAL.  The first is A Glimpse of Santa by The Stoney Creek Collection.  It's a gift for my Niece-to-be (she'll be my niece one week from today)

You can see the glimpse of Santa that gives the stocking it's name.  I've started the back stitching.  That on the left is wallpaper.  There will be yellowish "dots" added later.  I may have a dig through my bead stash to see if I have something that will work rather than the random xs that are called for.

The next piece is Santa and the Mouse ornament by Scott Gustafson and adapted by Heaven and Earth Designs. This was a freebie on the website a number of years ago, so I am counting it as a gift from the designer/adapter.  He hasn't seen too much progress in the last few months, so it was nice to pull him out for a few hours.

And the final piece is Carnation by Cross Stitch It.  Rather than make you go looking for the picture I'll post it again.

This was another designer freebie, so a gift.

I am a day early for the June  post.  Melissa at Measi's Musings hosts this SAL as a little extra incentive to finish off some of those WIPs many of us have languishing.  The pieces above are all on my WIPocalypse list, so that part is taken care of, but Melissa gives us questions each month in the event we have writer's block and this month's is:  Show us your stitching space!  Where do you sit, and what is going on around you while you stitch (TV, audiobooks, etc)?  We have converted the third bedroom into a computer, crafting, and stitching room so I spend my stitching time in there.  Usually I'm listening to audio books while I stitch but lately have been catching up on some television shows on Amazon's Prime Video and Acorn TV.  I"m thinking of subscribing to The Great Courses channel and maybe Britbox (replacing Acorn TV) but I haven't decided on that yet.  If I do subscribe to either one, I'll be watching much more TV than I do now.   As far as what it looks like here are some old pictures - other than a new chair it looks much the same.  The bookshelf is an IKEA Expidit and it holds the majority of my crafting books, magazines and paper crafting and sewing supplies.

Here's a full frontal:

The samplers above it are all Just Nan class pieces (I didn't attend them, I was able to purchase them from a needlework shop that did cyber classes)  The pieces on top of the unit are from the Silver Needle's Secret Needle Night.  On the right is my yarn storage and mending pile.

The smaller set of cubbies has my DVDs (oh yeah, I watch those when I'm stitching too), kitted up projects, The Hubs' WoW books and a bunch of stuff in baskets that I couldn't figure where else to put.  But the real mess is behind the burgundy curtain: 

This is where I keep everything else - quilting, beading, jewelry making, card making and stamping supplies, there are WIP thread boxes, cross stitch patterns, and on the right you can see my fabric stash.   This is an older picture and some of the items have been donated or rehomed.  The threads you see to the right of the red box (I love those 12X12 boxes) are non-DMC threads.  I have them on split rings (one per company with the threads in alphabetical order) and hang them from the wire shelves.  The closet works pretty well, but I am constantly reworking it as my interests change.  I'm doing a lot of card making/papercrafting right now, so those items have moved to the front.  There is 30+ years accumulation of supplies/stash, so I suppose it is going to take a while to get it all just right, but I dream of the day when I have a craft room with cabinets and shelves and counter space and, and, and...

The final bit of my title - I"m quite early for the  check-in but I leave for Michigan on Thursday and won't be back until Monday (the above mentioned wedding) and I am really tired of being late on check-ins.  Heather at The Stitching Lotus hosts this SAL and it is, as you probably figured out, focused on smalls.  You define what a small is, so the only pressure is what you put on yourself.  I do have a finish this month.  Look back up to the Carnation block in the WIPocalypse section of the post for a picture.  I have started July's but forgot to take a picture and really need to wrap this up before it wins an award for longest blog post ever, so it will have to wait.