January Gifted Gorgeousness

I held off a little doing this one as I wanted THIS one to be seen by the central Atlantic folks.  Anyway, today is the first  post for 2018.  If you haven't heard of Gifted Gorgeousness, it's hosted by Jo at Serendipitous Stitching and is a way for us to thank the people who have gifted us stitching wonderfulness or to show things that we are gifting someone or whatever you can shoehorn into "gift".  If you're interested in stitching along, click on over and join.

I am only working on three pieces this year and they all fit Gifted Gorgeousness' parameters.

The first is a gift to my MIL and her husband (or will be). 

This is Goldie Christmas stocking as charted by Heaven and Earth Designs.  It is stitched on 25-count Antique White lugana with DMC threads. I was pleasantly surprised to find that I don't need a magnifier with this one, even though it is over-1.  Yes, I still need my glasses but not the extra help that I need with my 28-count, over-1 HaEDs.  She's back on the frame but I have yet to put a stitch in her tonight - see "Plans", "best laid" and see the results and you'll understand. :-)

My second piece is Japanese Zen Garden by Chatelaine and it is a gift for my son:

Not a lot more done since my last photo, but progress.  I am stitching this on 32-count Summer Sky Jobelan with Martina's DMC conversion except for a couple of variegated silks that had no conversion number and the Petite Treasure Braids.  Despite my lack of progress I am loving working on a Chatelaine again.

My third piece is a gift to me, The Sampler Life SAL from a couple years ago:

The hosts at The Sampler Life contacted designers and asked them to donate a 50X50 design to the SAL  As these were donated, I am calling them a gift to me and shoehorning them into the SAL.  This is stitched on Vintage Autumn Gold from Lakeside Linens (yes really!) with the called for fibers - usually DMC.  This particular block is Fountains by Rainbow's Daughter.

And those are the three pieces I am stitching this year and the three pieces that you will see, hopefully with lots of progress, on February 15th for next month's check in.

Before I commence with the baking and crafting...

I must

I just love this picture and don't get to use it enough

and not for just one piece!!  Didn't see that coming did you?  A Glimpse of Santa is finished.  

None of the embellishments are the called for.  The original uses buttons and bangles that I could not find and I spent a lot of hours searching.  So off to Michaels I went and scoured their jewelry making section.  I found the moon charm which was a good replacement for the Mill Hill Treasure I wasn't going to do an on-line order for just that as I would have seen the shipping cost and decided to see how many other things I could order for the same cost and then, well, you know the story... I used Swarovski 4mm bi-cones to replace all the button ornaments on the tree and used DMC satin thread to stitch the lights rather than the called for buttons.  All in all I'm pleased with it.  One of my Black Friday stops was Joann's for fabric for the backing and I have a red and green that I am still trying to decide between.  

I finished the stocking Wednesday evening so decided to pull out one of my WIPs.  It was nice to stitch something that I wanted to rather than had to even though the *had* was something I put on myself.  The last time Just Nan's Florentine Floral made an appearance was October of 2015 and it looked like this:

today, it looks like this:

Because the button in the middle is so large and shiny my camera had a terrible time getting things right as it wanted to focus on just the button.  Anyway the fabric color is between these two pictures and the colors really sparkle against it.  I went through my Just Nan box and pulled out Kari's Snowflake to stitch next. 

In addition to sharing my finishes, this post is also my  and  check-in. 

WIPocalypse is hosted by Melissa at Measi's Musings.  A no stress, no pressure SAL, as Melissa says, it's for fun not a contest to encourage us to work on things we already have started. Both of the pieces I showed are on my WIPocalypse list.  Melissa is hosting again next year YAAAAAAA! and all the details are here.  She is also setting a challenge for herself to not only stitch WIPs but she is also going on a stashing wagon - no purchases except for bits and pieces to finish what she has or needles.  I will probably join her, although I do have another wedding piece to do yes, just when I thought I was done, The Hubs' niece announced her engagement last week so will have that on my list although if I start it now, it will be a WIP in 2018 won't it? Very helpfully, she gives us topics for discussion each month and this month's is:  What finishing style have you never tried but would love to do?  I've done a lot of finishing but the only thing I haven't tried yet is one of the Just Nan balls.  I have the pattern and fabric for Twilight Pearls but haven't started stitching it yet.  Here's a photo of a finished one:

http://anna-zont.blogspot.fi/2014/03/just-nan-twilight-pearls-leaf-ball.html

It's been retired and I couldn't find a picture on the Just Nan website so a Google search found this one.  I'm looking forward to stitching and finishing of this one someday.

 is hosted by Heather at Stitching Lotus and is, as the name implies, an encouraging nudge to love some of those smaller pieces we have.  I am a BAP type of stitcher, so the reminder to stitch something small and actually finish pieces is helpful.  What's a small?  Well, you get to decide - isn't that a wonderful SAL?   I had been stitching The Sampler Life SAL pieces for this SAL and haven't touched that piece in ages, so I didn't think I had a check-in for this month, but when I finished Florentine Floral I looked at the stitch count and it is 53X53 so easily within my definition of a small.   I haven't checked in with a smalls finish since July so I'm thrilled to share one this month.  

I have taken this week off from work to start and finish my holiday preparations.  Just about everything has to be packed and mailed to Michigan, so I want to get it done and off.  I have a plan that should have everything done and dusted by Saturday and it all starts today with card and box making and decorating.