Start of winter

 So, in my last post, I said February was either the end of winter or just the start - this year it's just the start.  Like most of you, storms have lined up with little respite in between.  Unlike many of you, it hasn't been Arctic cold (although much colder than average) and we haven't yet lost power (although we were as prepared as we could be in case we did).  The latest winter storm warning has been lifted and it looks like we'll warm up into the high 30s F for the next couple of days so the ice should all melt off before the next storm hits on Monday.

The birds have been mobbing the feeders all week.  Most of them are seed eaters and the ice has covered all the grasses they rely on through the winter.  No unusual sightings this week, but a couple of robins (American robins are in the thrush family while European robins are in the flycatcher family so same name/different birds) are hopping around in the yard right now.  They will appreciate a bit of a thaw.

Before we get to the making, I have been very remiss in showing pictures of this young lady:

Cassie is almost 8 months old now and is a very happy, smiley little girl.  She is also very much a little night owl.  Although today she seemed to be much more of a morning lark - I guess there's just too much going on for her to miss any of it.  

Sooo, making happened and it all aligns with the two SALs that I'm also doing check-ins for.  

First, the easiest SAL you'll ever participate in   TUSAL is hosted by Sharon at It's Daffycat (clicking there should take you to February's post).  If you want a no stress event, this one's for you.  If you craft there are always little bits of leftovers.  Save them up in a container rather than tossing them (or wearing them to work on your pants) and every month on the new moon (I said "full moon" in my last post - sorry for any confusion), post a picture and then link over to the check-in post.  Here's the bits I've generated since the beginning of the year:

My actual stitching fits perfectly into  Gifted Gorgeousness is hosted by Jo at Serendipitous Stitching.  It is the perfect way to say "thank you" to people that have given you stitching goodness or to highlight gifts you are stitching or show stitching that you can shoehorn into the theme.  Stitch, take a picture and post around the 15th of each month.  Jo said she keeps the check-in open through the end of the month so plenty of time to get your check-in done.  My two focus pieces fit the SAL perfectly Goldie and Japanese Zen Garden.

Goldie was charted by Heaven and Earth Designs from a picture my SIL took of my in-law's dog and will be a Christmas gift some year for the in-laws.

In my last post she was here and now she's here

I decided that as there was miles and miles of blue stitching once her head was finished that I would complete one color in the head and then do one or two lengths of blue.  I am afraid that if all I have left is all that blue, I'll stall out and I really would like to get this finished sooner than later.  She's done on 28-count antique white Monaco with DMC - 1 over 1 with full crosses.

The next piece is Japanese Zen Moss Garden by Chatelaine.  This will be my son's when it's done.  When I finished in January, it was here  and today it's here

I'm stitching this on 32-count Summer Sky Jobelan with Martina's DMC conversion (except for a couple of threads that didn't have a good substitute) and the called for PTB and beads.  I was making very slow progress on this one.  I thought it was just a lighting issue, but it ended up being a magnification issue (guess 32-count is now my limit with my current glasses).  I moved my magnifier over and things are now moving along nicely (after I fixed all the miscounts).  Zen is on the frame through tomorrow.  

Even my knitting falls into Gifted Gorgeousness as this is for Baby W.  I was not happy with the way the blanket was looking so I ripped it out and started again.  I am much happier now.  Here is the whole blanket and here is a closer look    I have some work to do on uniformity but I suppose an individual bubble won't show up in the hundreds (thousands?) that will be in the finished blanket. This is three full repeats of the pattern, so only 20 more to go.

As I mentioned, Zen is on the frame until tomorrow.  I hope to finish the corner bit and maybe do some of the specialty stitches in the center before it goes away until next month.  Temperature Tree by Stitchin' Mommy will be going on the frame Sunday.  I hope to finish the branches and get caught up with the leaves fairly early in the "leftover" days in February.  I'll spin the wheel of projects to fill in the rest of the time.

Hope you are all well, safe and warm.

Trying to get back on track

While not what I had hoped, two weeks since my last post is pretty darn good considering my summer schedule. I have a crazy travel schedule through the end of October so not sure I'll be able to keep up the every-two-weeks post, but will try.

So, I have two SAL check-ins.   is a bit late, but  is right on time.

 is hosted by Sharon at It's Daffycat.  If you have had trouble keeping up with other SALs, this is one for you.  Collect all those bits and pieces that you normally throw away in a pretty jar and once a month post a picture.  Why?  Because everyone needs a low stress SAL.

The top of my jar is filled with mostly sewing thread from the baby quilt top, but there is some embroidery floss there on top of it.  I hope to add more embroidery floss soon.

Today is check-in day for .  Gifted Gorgeousness is hosted by Jo at Serendipitous Stitching.  You can add this one to the low stress SAL list too.  If you've ever been given a stitching gift, are working on one, or have a way to it a project into those categories, this is the SAL for you.  I have one gift piece that I started and two that I finished-finished.

The one I started is the Savannah Birth Record.  

A red bird and a bit of giraffe.  This is done on 28-count Platinum Cashel with the threads from the kit.  The fold will iron out when the piece is washed and ironed.

The two that I finished are the Mom and Dad for my Niece-in-law and Nephew.  I finished the stitching a while back but couldn't settle on a finished form. I went easy and did pillows.  

Here's the front of Mom:

And the back:

I love the backing fabric and wish I'd bought more for other projects.

And here's Dad:

The backing fabric reminded me of a tie.

I also did some stitching on my Smalls piece, but didn't finish it for August.  If you're interested in a SAL that focuses on Smalls check out  over at Stitching Lotus' page.  She's already said she's going to continue this in 2019, so I have my first SAL for next year lined up.

This is my version of Just Nan's Seasonal Gems I: Autumn.  There's still a bit to go on it, but I think I can finish it this month.

Other than stitching and finishing, I've been doing some paper crafting and crocheting.  I've started and ripped out three different baby blanket patterns but I think I've finally settled one that I like and will work with the yarn I have.  I now have a month to finish it.  

TUSAL and IHSW

A twofer post today.  I'm a couple days late with my  but right on time with .

Looks like I'm on another period of unpaid time off until Congress can get its act together.  Here's hoping it doesn't last as long as the 2013 one did.  Fortunately, none of my customers will be impacted until Monday as I don't normally work on Saturday or Sunday.

On a happier note, the guest cats are well settled into the guest room and seem to be enjoying their new found freedom (they had been kept in large cages - they did have vertical space so they were able to jump and move around a bit).  Working on how best, or if, to introduce them to my herd but it's being taken slowly.  I say "if" because I know if I let them out they'll just merge into the group and before we know it we'll be saying we have five cats.  I read an adoption form for a dog that said it had been in the foster home for 7 years!  Ummmmm, after 7 years you really can't say you're fostering it anymore.

I'm a little late on my TUSAL posting.  You've never heard of TUSAL?  Well, it's the easiest SAL you will ever participate in.  All those little snips and bits of thread and what-have-you from your stitching/sewing/knitting/crocheting that you'd normally throw away?  Put them in a container, take a photo and post it every new moon and you're "doing" TUSAL! Hope on over to It's Daffycat to sign up and get the longer version of the directions.

I am using an old Yankee Candle medium jar candle jar for my ORTS.  It's not the prettiest and I don't take the most artistic photos but fortunately this isn't a contest just fun.

This is also the start of .  IHSW is a chance to tell everyone to leave you alone because you're hermitting and stitching with folks from around the world. Don't question it too much, just go with it.  I was all set to start at noon, but got distracted when I sat down at the computer to do this update and ended up finishing my taxes (well to the point of submitting, the IRS won't begin processing until January 29th), and cleaning out my emails and reading a few blogs and, and, and it is now 20 to 2 and here I still am.  I have one load of laundry to throw in the washer and I'm pretty much done with the housework for the weekend, so plenty of time for stitching.  I will be focusing on Goldie.  Here's where it is today:

I would like to finish or at least make good progress on that ear. Back tomorrow night or Monday to update IHSW.

SAL check-ins

I'm home!  The training I did last week went well (or at least I think it went well, haven't seen the evaluations yet).  There were only two problem "children" but my training partner and I figured them out pretty quick and kept them under control.

As I mentioned in my last post, no new stitching happened this week, but I do have four SALs that have check-ins this weekend, so new words, old pictures.

The first is .  Sharon at It's Daffycat hosts TUSAL and everyone is welcome to participate. TUSAL is not your usual SAL.  SAL typically means "stitch along" whereas TUSAL is a "save along".   All those end bits of thread, dogears from quilting and whatever other loose bits you have when crafting get saved in a container of some sort, you take a photo and post about it on the new moon. Super simple and it doesn't really take any special preparation or supplies either.

A chunk of this is frog fuzz from Sentimental Hearts but the majority is bits from Winter Wonderland. 

And speaking of Winter Wonderland,  it is my finish for the .  The 2017 Smalls SAL is hosted by Heather at Stitching Lotus.  This is another straight forward SAL - stitch a small piece and post a picture of your finish on the last Friday of the month.  You get to define small and you just have to finish the stitching not finish-finish it.

Here's my January small finish again:

This is Winter Wonderland from The Silver Needle's Secret Needle Night.

The third check-in is for .  Melissa at Measi's Musings hosts this SAL.  It focuses on finishing some of those works-in-progress that you may have sittings around.  Up there at the top you can find a tab that lists out my WIPocalypse projects.  I worked on three of them this month.

Santa and the Mouse started the new year here:

and went to here in January:

Enchantment of Winter was a blank piece of fabric on January 1st.  It ended the month here:

And here are Shakespearean Fantasy's before and after photos:

Melissa also gives us conversation starters each month.  This month's is:  What SALs are you participating in this year?  I am currently doing the three that are in this post, WIPocalypse, TUSAL and Smalls as well as Gifted Gorgeousness.  IHSW (International Hermit and Stitch Weekend) is on the list, when I can remember and I am doing (so far unsuccessfully) Stitch From Stash on Facebook.  I am always open to new SALs, but have cut back drastically from years past as I tend to over-commit myself.

Speaking of Stitch from Stash, here's my report on that.

Budget:   $10.00
Purchase:  15.50 - The 12 Berries of Christmas (colly birds, golden rings and geese a-laying)
Balance: ($ 5.50)

Not a good month.  $10 USD would normally be plenty, but when I set my budget amount I forgot about the auto-ship for the berries.  Fortunately, the balances, good and bad, carry forward so on February 1st I will be back in the black.  There is a provision to give yourself credit for finishes and if I did that, I think I would have been even for the month, but as the finishes don't generate real money, it really doesn't balance out the real money I am spending.

December Smalls and TUSAL and a bit of a recap

Right up front, I have the BEST brother-in-law in the world!!  He set up the most wonderful surprise for all of us by flying my son in from Vermont.  I hadn't seen him in about six years and was not expecting to see him until my nephew's wedding this summer - best Christmas present ever.

We are halfway through the twelve days of Christmas -  I hope you are enjoying yours.  Our weather is much more like the 12 Days of March, but I suppose that's not all bad.

I put together a to-do list for my two week vacation thinking I wouldn't get through even half of it - I have managed to cross seven things off the list already.  I suppose I will just have to stitch if I cross everything off the list before the end of my time off. :-)

I did a little stitching while I was at my sister's.  This is Winter Wonderland from The Silver Needle's Secret Needle Night.

These are great kits that contain everything you need to stitch the design, including needles.  If you buy the finishing kit, it too has everything you need, except glue, to finish the piece.  I hope to finish it before the end of the year.

Now that the gift is delivered, I can show you the piece I finished back in November.

This is She Feeds from The Scarlett House.  It's done on 40-count Vintage Cedar Plank by Lakeside Linens with their DMC conversion.

It's time for the final  for 2016.  Heather at Stitching Lotus hosts the Smalls SAL.  If you're interested in participating for 2017, click here to see all the "rules". Don't let that word scare you off, this is a very low stress SAL.  I had a 6-month break but managed nine small finishes this year.  You've seen my final three but I'll show it again to make it official for the check-in:

Days four, eight and twelve were finished in December.  The top photo is the complete finished piece.  I think I found a frame for it too.  Michael's had "Christmas" frames on sale for $5.99 USD.  I'm not sure what is Christmas about the frame I picked out, but for that price I'll call it Christmas.  I haven't done any measuring so not sure it will fit, but will find something to do with the frame if it doesn't.

It is also time for the final  .  Daffycat at It's Daffycat hosts the group.  It couldn't be simpler, just save all those little bits and pieces of thread or what-have-you in a container, take a picture and post.  Simple right?  Lots of people are very artsy with their photos - me?  I set my jar next to an irritated cat (this is Trouble) and hope she doesn't knock it over.

In case you're interested, Jo at Serendipitous Stitching has posted the sign-up page for .  This group provides a place for us to thank the people that have given us something stitching related or to show things we are stitching for gifts.

My last post has the majority of my 2016 recap, but I thought I would wait until closer to the end of the year for my SAL recap.  I signed up for four SALs for 2016: Gifted Gorgeousness; WIPocalypse; TUSAL; and, Smalls.  For two of them I was perfect and pretty good respectively.  For two of them, not so good:

Gifted Gorgeousness - 12/12
WIPocalypse - 9/12
Smalls - 5/12
TUSAL - 5/12

I also hermitted with IHSW twice this year.

My vague stitching plans have solidified and are listed in the WIPocalypse Project List and 2017 Stitching Plan tab.  They aren't too different than the vague ones I posted in my last post.

My plans for the next couple of days is to bobbinate all the threads for my kitted Heaven and Earth Designs projects, straighten up the craft area and stitch a bit.

A Small TUSAL post

 FINALLY!  I have something to show for the  check-in. The Smalls SAL is hosted by Heather at Stitching Lotus and is a wonderful low-stress SAL.  All you have to do is stitch a small, you define what is small, and post on the last Thursday of the month. As last Thursday was Thanksgiving in the US, Heather was a wonderful host and thought some of us would be a bit too busy to post and so pushed it off a week.  I can usually keep up with this SAL, so I can count on 12 finishes a year, but this year has not been a good small year.  I have not finished a small since March.  Pitiful!  But I have two finishes, Tenth and Eleventh Day, and good progress on a third block, Twelfth Day for this month.

Stitched on 40-count Vintage Autumn Gold with Victorian Motto Sampler Shoppe threads

This photo is the closest to the actual fabric color of any of my previous photos.  Now that I have the cards and all the other paper-crafting items for Christmas finished, I should be able to sit down and work on this.  I am aiming for a finish in the next couple of weeks.  Heather has said she is going to continue the SAL for 2017 and will have sign-up information sometime around the 5th of December.  I have a bunch of smalls lined up for next year, so I was very happy to read that she will be continuing the SAL.

The next SAL is .  TUSAL is hosted by It's Daffycat.  It doesn't help you finish anything or stitch a piece, or work through a problem, but it does give you a SAL that is super easy to participate in and if you stitch, quilt, sew or do anything that requires trimming, you have all the materials you need.  Save all those little bits of thread that you would normally have sticking to your clothes, rug or pet throw away and put them in a container of some sort - clear is preferable as you want to see all the pretty colors - and post a picture on the new moon.  Here's an example:

Most people are a bit more artistic with their photos, but I'm just so thrilled to be almost on time with my post that I took a picture in my jar's natural setting.

And one last picture.  We had a weather front roll through a week or so ago and it got very cloudy and dark; however, there was a brief moment when the sun poked through the clouds and I snapped this:

We live in a bit of a gully, so the setting sun only hit the tops of the trees, but against the dark cloud backdrop they glowed.  No filters or retouching - just right place at the right time.   I did about break my leg tripping over the cats trying to get outside to take the picture, but I am so glad I did as just a few minutes later and the clouds closed up and it was dark again.

A late TUSAL, Secret Garden, and Gifted Gorgeousness

It's  time!  TUSAL is hosted by Daffycat  and gives us something to do with all those little ends you cut off.  Instead of throwing them away (or picking off your clothes or cats), collect them in a pretty jar and participate in TUSAL!!

Here is my March offering:

It looks like some tamping is in order soon, that or a slight redistribution.

This month, the jar is sitting in front of Chatelaine's Secret Victorian Garden which saw more beading this week.  I am moving along at a fair clip, so should have it done in a couple of weeks - although the center is much more heavily beaded than the area I am working on right now - so I am probably being a bit optimistic with that thought.  Here's a shot of the gates, corner and path under the conservatories.

and here is a closer picture of the corner.  The picture should be clickable to enlarge a bit.

While I am late with TUSAL, I am early with my  post.  Jo at Serendipitous Stitching came up with the idea and gives us all a way to say "thank you" to everyone that has gifted us with something for our stitching.  I worked on three projects, all Heaven and Earth Design pieces that fit this SAL.

The pattern for Shakespearean Fantasy was gifted to me by Pull the Other Thread.  I filled in more green this week and found a number of stitches that I missed during my first pass through the area.  I think I will go to a stitch by column method rather than cross country to avoid missing any more.  When I put it away Friday night, it was here:

My second gifted piece is It's About Time.  Kate at Needle and Haystacks gifted me the pattern.  It has been a very different experience from Shakespearean Fantasy as there is design as soon as you start stitching.

The photo is rather washed out but you can still see the wheels, hands and designs.

My last piece, Christmas Presence, is a shoehorn in that it was a freebie from the company and therefore, in my opinion, a gift.  I worked on this one a bit longer than normal on Friday, but I was so close to a column finish that I didn't want to stop.

Not many columns left before page 2 is finished.  Page 4 is much smaller and has fair amount already done, so I am not too far from a finish.