Happy New Year 2013.................

Happy New Year 2013 dearest friends......

I am so elated to be sharing some great news. 
I put the last stitches in of "And they Sinned" right after midnight.  My first finish of the year.  That green grass at the bottom seems like it takes forever and I stitched the grass right along with the motifs.  But after 6 1/2 years of having this project on the drawing board.  It is DONE!!  I stitched ATS on 30ct. over 2 on Oaten Scone linen by Legacy with the Sampler threads that it was called for.  I really love this color of linen and the colors of the sampler threads just really popped on this linen.

My last finish of 2012 was "Halloweenies".  I have ordered a frame for it and hopefully will have it framed shortly.  It was a cute piece to stitch up.  This was done on 32ct. Lambswool over 2 with the threads that it called for.  (Sorry about the wrinkles.)

Well lets just jump right into my version of the "Crazy January Challenge".
Usually stitchers gather 15 projects, and for the first 15 days of January they start a new project each day.  My take is that I usually don't get a good enough start on a project with just one day, so I take two days.  Below is my list for the "Crazy January Challenge".  I hope to take a before and after picture and post daily to keep me focused on what I am doing.

Jan. 1-2   PSS Brother's Keeper

Jan. 3-4   MC Victorian Carrier I Accessory

Jan. 5-6   MC Victorian Carrier II Accessory

Jan. 7-8   MC Victorian Carrier III Accessory

Jan. 9-10   MC Victorian Carrier IV Accessory 

Jan. 11-12   MC Victorian Carrier V Accessory

Jan. 13-14   SB Far Away

Jan. 15-16   WB Americana

Jan. 17-18   SB Blackberrie Sampler

Jan. 19-20   TT What Lies Within

Jan. 21-22   SB The Orchard

Jan. 23-24   SB Winter Hearts

Jan. 25-26   SB Advent Sampler

Jan. 27-28   SB Sophies Roses

Jan. 29-30   SB Halloween Treat Bag

The only project that I hope to complete from this list in 2013 is Brother's Keeper.  I doubt the rest of the projects will get finished in 2013 (but you never know, one can be hopeful right).

Here is a list that I complied at the first of December that I wanted to get done for 2013.

1.   And they Sinned Finished 1/1/2013

2. Halloweenies Finished 12/11/2012

3. Billy Goats Gruff (small pic.) Finished 01/27/2013

4. Billy Goats Gruff (large pic.)

5. My Son('s)

6. Sail Away Finished 05/06/2013

7. Souviner Book

8. Sampler in a Year

9. Winter Moon

10. Carried Away

11. Brother's Keeper

Looks like I am off to a great start with a couple of projects already done for the new year. As the year goes by I might add a project or two to the list.  There is two on my list above that I am only going to be doing the stitching part and the final finishing will have to wait til later as I have a list of projects that needs to be finished as well.  You can take a look at my side bar for a list of those.  I plan on doing the finishing on one project a month (hopefully).  I am a slow finisher as I still have kids at home and I don't ever have a moment of piece with out one of them calling "Mom".   So "Slow and Steady wins the race" is my motto these days. 

I am once again going to join the 2013 WIPocalypse "Revenge".  You can click here and it will take you Measi's Musings.  She is hosting this SAL.  She has added a theme a month for this year.  I don't know if I will stick with the theme or go out on my own.  I guess it depends on what I want to work on at that moment. 

I hope everyone has a safe New Year and look forward to all the stitching I will be getting done.
Thank you for visiting.

Happy Friday...........

I am all caught up with what happened during the time I left off blogging that I can concentrate on the "Now" part.

I have been stitching each day.  It has been a real joy to get back in the saddle.  I have been setting aside at least an hour in the evenings and more if I can to stitch and I have made a lot of progress. 

I am trying to get "And They Sinned" done.  I wanted to get it done in July but that did not happen.  I started it in July of 2006.  Was hoping to get it done this year but I don't know right now.  If I do that will be great.  If I get it done at the beginning of 2013....that will be great as well.  It will be a wonderful feeling to get that hugh project checked off of my list. 

As you can see I have a few little motiffs to do above the pond.  The grass is all done below the pond and up around the side by the tree on the right side.  I have left the date open at the bottom as to the month and year of finishing.  I did put in the date of when I started this project.  I can see the light at the end of this long tunnel.  But I am so close but yet so far away.  Doing the grass is very intersting.  I am a little bit farther then what the picture shows.  I have put in a bird on top of the thistle flower by the fisherman and have done all the grass up to the flower as well.   You can see here where I started on this at the beginning of the year.   I have barely started the last half below the grass at the top of this picture.  I think with taking a few months off.....I have done quite well. 

I have also been stitching on  "Halloweenies" by Plumstreet Samplers.  This is my "take it with me" project.  I stitch on this during my lunch and any time that I have free time...like at the pool watching B practice. 

This is such a fun piece to stitch on.  I am farther along as well on this piece then the picture shows.  I have stitched the first half of the other weenie dog on the right along with her witches hat.  I am hoping to get this one done by the end of the year as well. 

Well not much has happend this week.  Just plugging along merrily during this joyful season.  Tree and lights were put up duing Thanksgiving weekend.  My husband and I will probably go this weekend and shop for the family and then everything will be done except for getting the menu narrowed down and to whose house we will be going to.  This year just seams to be so laid back as to past years.  And I am so grateful for that as I think nobody takes the time to slow down and enjoy this time of the year, with the true meaning of Christmas.

Thank you for stopping by. 

Another finish...............

Hello stitching friends.  I hope everyone had a great Valentine's Day.  Made it through the parties at school and then my husband and I will celebrate Valentine's Day around our anniversary, Feb. 27th.  That way it is one big celebration.

This weekend is the 3rd weekend of the month and it is the International Hermit and Stitch weekend.  I did not check in at Random Ramblings  blog, but I am stitching in spirit this weekend.

I did finish SB Tiny Flag.  I am a member at large with the Swan Sampler Guild out of Salt Lake City, Utah.  I have met some of these ladies when I went to the Attic and they are so sweet.  I hope someday that I will be able to go to one of the meetings or classes/retreats that they offer.   For the month of February they were going to stitch SB Tiny Flag.  I had the kit and decided to join them from afar.  I started this on the 7th and finished it up just a little while ago.  You could either frame it or make it into a pin cushion.  I decided to do the pincushion.  So this will go into the pile of finishings.

I have just been plugging away on ATS....I have finally reached the bottom.  So excited that I do see me getting this done by July.  This will be nice to get this BAP done and off my list.

I will be working on Alpine Garden from the DT next.  Hope to get this one done by the end of March.  I will save a picture for next time.

On a different note.  We have a farm and had to buy a tarp for the top of our stock trailer.  I noticed that when I was helping my husband tie it down he was doing some kind of knot.  As I watched him a little bit...I said "Hey"..........."you are doing hedabo".  He said what?  I said Hedabo.  He laughed and told me what kind of knot it was...I laughed and told him that in the stitching world that is known as Hedabo.  I even showed him one of my projects that had a hedabo loop for the closure.  He said yup that is it.  Here is my husband's "Hedabo" stitch.

My little Shadow (min. dachshund) has a friend out in blog land, Ms. Limo.  I always show Shadow Ms. Limo and she seems interested in getting to know Ms. Limo a little bit more.  I know Ms. Limo has not seen a picture of Shadow, so I will share one of her wanting to jump up on my lap and blog with me.  Merumo...to bad we did not live closer..we have a fabulous dog park for play dates.

Well take care everyone.  Thank you all for visiting.  On to some finishing for the rest of the weekend.

Happy Groundhog Day!

Well it looks like Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow and that means 6 more weeks of winter.
If our winter here in NW Arkansas stays the same for the next six weeks it would be awesome.  We have had temps in the mid 60's.  Very mild and spring like weather for us here.  Love it.

I finished "Friends" by Shepherd's Bush.  This stitched up real quick.  I am going to order the mats and frame from Rensel Studios.  I just love the way she does the SB Mats.

I am 3/4 of the way done with "And They Sinned".  Down to the grass portion.  I have decided to stitch one motif each night.  I want to get this done in July then it will be 6 years in the making.  Started in July of 2006, and want to finish in July 2012.  Was hoping that I would have gotten it done last July but that did not happen.  I saw where Margaret has been stitching on this and it has really inspired me to want to get mine done.  Thank you Margaret.

In between the motif stitching I have started back on the WIP "Something Blue" by Brightneedle.  I am hoping to have this finished by this weekend.  (Pictures will be in next post.)

I also am going to play catch up this weekend and do the finishing on Merry Cox's "Swan Lake Mending Bag".  I don't have to much more and it will be finished.

Thank you for visiting.