2017 Online Advent Calendar

Welcome to day 6 of the 2017 Online Advent Calendar hosted by Jo at Serendipitous Stitching.  Before I talk about Christmas, I want to wish these two ladies very Happy Birthdays!  Yes, my sister and my new niece share a birthday.  It was very nice of my nephew to find someone that shares a birthday with his mother - two very special St. Nicholas Day gifts.

 And speaking of St. Nicholas here's an Americanized version of him:

Christmas Presence charted by Heaven and Earth Designs

Jo asked us to share how we celebrate Boxing Day in our family.  Here in the US, Boxing Day tends to fall into category two of Jo's 21st Century Boxing Day traditions which is "going mad in the Boxing Day sales or being forced to work to serve those mad people".  What I do on Boxing Day depends on where I am.  If I'm visiting my family, we tend to hit the after Christmas sales and then just relax and enjoy being together  That is changing a bit as my niece and nephew have both married and have homes of their own, but they do visit often.  If it is just The Hubs and me here in Virginia, there's a better than even chance that I'm working unless Boxing Day falls on a weekend.  No, I'm not one of those forced to serve the mad shoppers, but Christmas Day is the official holiday, so the office is back open bright and early on the 26th (Sounds like something Scrooge said to Bob Cratchit). Fortunately, we have had enough people that don't mind working the week of Christmas that most of us have been able to take time off.  I will be taking the week after Christmas off, so I will be doing a stitcher's Boxing Day which consists of stitching while working out a plan of attack on my stash and/or WIPs for the coming year.  That doesn't mean that I won't go out to torture the poor folks that have to work retail at some point that day.  

I finally found my stitching mojo!

I am very pleased to report that my stitching mojo has returned from its walk-about and I am taking advantage of it.

Yes, we have another release of:

Pure, unadulterated joy



Snowgirls from Country Garden Stitchery is done:

 

 



I have tried for the last 10 minutes or so to get this to flip but even though it is saved landscape it still posts here as portrait every time, so I gave up.  Anyway, it's stitched on 28-count Mulberry Mix from Silkweaver with the called for Weeks Dye Works, the Weeks Dye Works replacement for the Gloriana and Mill Hill beads.  I used the White Blending Filament in the center one, but did not like the look so didn't use it in the other two. If you do this piece, I would suggest two skeins of WDW Conch.  I ran out about 1/4 way through the third snowgirl.  It would have happened sooner but I alternately mixed one strand of Conch with one strand of DMC 4150 and then one strand of DMC 950. I finished it up mixing one strand of 4150 and one of 950.  Even if using the called for 30-count I don't think you would have enough.  Your mileage will obviously vary, but I am a fairly stingy stitcher and there isn't enough of a difference between 28- and 30-count to cause the shortage so early in the piece.

To celebrate my finish, I started Just Nan's Kari's Snowflake and got to here with it:

I'm doing the rose color way this pattern has three different color ways listed on a piece of 28-count Opalescent Desert Sky from Silkweaver with DMC.  I think this is going to be another quick stitch so maybe another finish this weekend.  I do need to think about getting the stocking for my in-laws started but it is so nice to have these finishes that it's very hard to go back to something that is going to take months to finish.

WHEW!

I did it!  I crossed all the preparation things off my to-do list and two days earlier than I expected to.  The next big item on the list if going to the post office, but I won't do that until Saturday or Monday, so I have at least one day to relax.

So, the week went like this:  Sunday, I put the cards together.  I forgot to take a picture and they're all in envelopes and ready for mailing, so you'll have to take my word for it that they are beautiful.  :-)  On Monday I started in on the baking and crafting in earnest with a couple batches of cookies and the gift cards and small packages.  This year rather than make gift card presentation cards I decided to make and decorate the envelopes that hold the gift cards or small gifts.  Each one is different, but here are my two favorite gift card holders:

and here's my favorite small gift box:

This box is 1" square.  I did a little trimming after I took this photo so those little bits that are sticking out here are gone now.
Tuesday was a carbon copy of Monday.  Wednesday I did more baking and some finishing. 

I'm not thrilled with the shape of the heel, but at least it looks like a stocking and I finally framed 12 Days of Christmas from Plum Street Samplers.  I finished the stitching on this last November or December:

This was one of the more difficult pieces I have framed myself because of all the straight lines, but even if they were all wonky, I'd be happy because it's finally framed.

Today was wrapping of big gifts, packing shipping boxes and candy making day.  All the candy items were chocolate dipped, so lots of chilling, melting and waiting.  One of my recipes called for a couple tablespoons of heavy cream.  I'll be honest here, I normally throw out the remainder, but this year I decided that was too wasteful, so I poured it into a jar and started shaking it after I put the lid on.  In a few minutes, I had:

Yes, that's right about a half cup of butter.  I'm sure this isn't anything neat or new for many of you, but it's a first for me and I'm quite chuffed about it.

Now that everything is cleaned up and I've crossed all the extra things of my list, I'm feeling a bit let down.  In order to counter it, I pulled out an old WIP:

This is Snow Girls by Country Garden Stitchery and the last time I put a stitch in was something in February of 2012!! I've added a few stitches, but nothing much really, so will wait until I have something to show before I post a progress picture.  I plan to stitch this to a finish and then will start on my obligation stitching unless I change my mind again...

While walking to the mail box this afternoon, I saw this:

Yes, that's a dandelion flower with some sort of flying insect on it.  Yes, I live in the northern hemisphere and it is effectively December.  While I enjoy the warmer winters here in Virginia, I'm not sure I'm ready for one this warm.  Now that I've said something the bottom is going to drop out of the thermometer and we're going to have blizzard after blizzard.

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.  

November IHSW Check-in

Hermitting and stitching happened this weekend and because of that progress - lots and lots of progress!!

This is going to be short and sweet as I'd like to get another hour or two into the backstitching.

Friday A Glimpse of Santa was here:

and here's the toe area:

I could not find the called for light bulb buttons so I stitched them in DMC's satin floss - just enough shimmer to look like glass.

I had to roll the stocking back up so I could get to the backstitching so here's that portion:

A bit more on the little girl, the little boy and his teddy and that chair/stool and all the stitching will be done.  I found some 4mm Swarovski bicones that I think will work well as tree ornaments but will keep an eye out for alternatives as I'm out and about on Friday yes, for the first time in a long time I'm going to subject myself to Black Friday and all it's craziness.

IHSW and Gifted Gorgeousness

It's time for  and !!  If you're interested in participating in IHSW, head on over to Random Ramblings or click Hermie on the left side up there at the top (the guy here in the post is just a picture).  Gifted Gorgeousness is hosted by Jo at Serendipitous Stitching and you can find all the details here or click on the badge up left there.
 
Grocery shopping tomorrow morning and I'll be just about done with the actual work part of the weekend.  I'm sure you'll have no trouble guessing what I'm hermitting with this weekend and it just happens to be my Gifted Gorgeousness entry - gotta love these two-for-one posts especially as I've been so bad at keeping up with this blog lately.

Yep, A Glimpse of Santa.  When last you saw our hero I showed it last, it was here:

And after last weekend's stitching time, it's here:

I had to roll it up a bit so I could get to the heel/toe area.  That kitten took  FOREVER.  Lots of confetti stitching, fractional stitches and fractional confetti!

Since I can see the end of this project, I'm planning my next one - another Christmas stocking.  This one for my in-laws.  It will have a picture of their German Shepherd puppy on it.  It's a special order from Heaven and Earth Designs so it's going to take some time and will be my focus and probably only piece next year and even with that I'm not sure I can finish it in time for Christmas 2018. 

I'll see you at the end of the weekend with my hermitting report.

Normal?

After all the craziness of the last few months, things are settling back into, dare I say?, normal (at least as normal as life ever really is).  While it's going to get crazy again as the holidays approach (WAY to fast), this time of year is typically slower - probably because the push to do outside and inside work is gone.  We had our first hard freeze this morning so the growing season is over and all that's left now is clean up.

I actually think I've got the coming holidays mostly in-hand.  Thanksgiving turkey is in the fridge defrosting, there's an amazing standing rib roast in the freezer waiting for Christmas and I've got my shopping lists all set (except for DSon's cookies - I have to finalize the list of what I'm making).  Now for the carry through...

Stitching progress was made last weekend.  A Glimpse of Santa went from here:

to here:

Amazing how something as simple as moving the phone can make such a difference. If I can keep this pace up I should have this finished, except for the embellishments, by Thanksgiving.  I'm off the week after for holiday prep, so would like "sew stocking" to be one of the items on the to-do list.