NaBloPoMo November 2013

National Blog Posting Month is just about over. I did very well this year, I only missed 2 days of blogging during this month ... Friday November 8th and Thursday November 21st. I'm going to try blogging every day during December, let's see how I do.

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Gingerbread Emporium Happy Dance

Tonight I completed Gingerbread Emporium (part 10 of Santa's Village). I still have to put the buttons (beads) on the gingerbread people.




I continued stitching the red & white border at the top of the pattern because it is not my favourite part to stitch.

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Gingerbread Emporium update #5

Tonight I stitched a little bit more of the red & white border at the top.




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Gingerbread Emporium update #4

I finished the snowflakes tonight. I still need to stitch the red & white border at the top and put the eyes/buttons on the gingerbread people.




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Planning 2013

I have started thinking about what I want to stitch next year. I have bought several Just Nan Limited Edition kits this year, but because I'm a one-at-a-time stitcher I won't start them until I'm finished Santa's Village.

Cardinal Tweet


Garden Mice Humbug


Jingle Gingerbread Mouse


2012 Gingerbread Mouse


Barnabee in Bloom


Oakley Owlet


Lynne Nicoletti's Pirate Treasure Map


Stoney Creek - Paradise Banner


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20 Stitchers Questions

I have been reading these questions on http://bbrown426.blogspot.ca/and http://christinramblings.blogspot.ca/.  Here are my answers. 

1) Which fabric do you most prefer?
I only stitch on 28ct evenweave fabric.

2) What is your favorite fabric count?
I only stitch on 28ct evenweave fabric.

3) What colour fabric do you most enjoy stitching on?
I don't have a specific colour, I choose the fabric to match the pattern

4) What is your favorite fibre?
I only use DMC.

5) How many of the 450 DMC Colours do you own?
I have one of each DMC floss wound on plastic bobbins in a wooden box with drawers in numerical order.  Plus extra DMC floss in floss away bags.

6) Of your last 5 projects -- how many used DMC/Anchor as the main floss?
I have been working on Santa's Village and all of them are stitched with DMC.

7) Of the last 5 projects, if you didn't use DMC/ANCHOR -- what did you use?
I only use DMC.

8) What needles do you prefer?
DMC Size 28

9) What is the UGLIEST design you've encountered?
I don't care for designs that are too simplistic (primitive), I love lots of colour and back stitching for detail.

10) What is the most BEAUTIFUL design you've encountered?
I love Paula Vaughn's designs.  I have only stitched one of them, but I have a few on my to do list.

11) Who is your favorite designer?
I have a few that I really like Dragon Dreams, Sue Hillis, Paula Vaughn, Joan Elliott, and Just Nan.

12) Least Favorite Designer
I'm not a fan of Heaven and Earth because they are over one.  I love looking at them, just don't have the desire to stitch them.  Since I only stitch one chart/pattern at a time, it would take me forever to stitch over one. 

13) Will you/would you stop supporting a designer who's personal beliefs offended / angered you?
NO, I don't care what the designer does in their personal life if I like the pattern/chart I will buy it.

14) Do you have a lamp especially made for needleworkers/crafters?
YES!! I just got a new one for my birthday this month.

15) What brand of stitching lamp do you have/prefer ?
I have 3 OTT lights (they are all desk lamps), and 1 Easyflex Natural Spectrum floor lamp.

16) What kind of environment best suits you when you are stitching?
Usually I stitch in front of the TV, or summer outside in my Adirondack chair.  I stitch Tuesday nights at Stitcher's Place (LNS).  I sometimes stitch in the car when Dave and I visit my parents (1 1/2 hrs).

17) Have you stitched any design more then once?
I have stitched the Handprints Poem at least 6 times, every time it was different.  I use the poem/hands then add something different around them to personalize them to the parents/child it is given to.  Example my sister wanted one for a friend that is a reptilian, the poem was green, and I stitched snakes, turtles, and lizards all around it.

18) Favorite design you have stitched and finished?
I started/finished Victorian Dollhouse (Joan Elliott) last year.  It is one of my favourites because I used to build dollhouses.  There is one that looks exactly like it called the McKinley and it hangs on the wall.  As soon as I saw the pattern in the magazine I knew I had to stitch it.

19) Least favorite design you've stitched and finished?
I don't usually stitch something that I don't like.

20) Last, but not least, what's your longest running WIP?
I don't usually have this problem because I'm a one-at-a-time stitcher, but I do have 2 cross stitches that I started and have not finished.  One was a Dimensions Gold Collection kit (I hate the aida).  I don't know if I'll ever finish it.  Two is a poem (I hate that every letter in the design looks different, they are not consistent).  I will re-chart the pattern and finish it next year.


Please leave a comment with your blog if you have done these questions too... I would love to read your answers!

Gingerbread Emporium update #3

I spent the weekend finishing the Christmas tree and the gingerbread house. I still need to do the chimney, the snowflakes, and the red & white top border.




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Gingerbread Emporium update #2

I have been working on the Gingerbread house. I think I have frogged the door, trim, and red hearts a couple of times. I think it is finally correct (guess I shouldn't stitch when I'm tired).





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Gingerbread Emporium update #1

I stitched the bottom border and the snow when I was working on Santa's Sleighworks. Tonight I started the trunk of the tree, completed one of the gingerbread people and the door trim.




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Happy Dance - Santa's Sleighworks

I just finished Santa's Sleighworks.




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Santa's Sleighworks update #5

Tuesday night is Stitcher's Club. I got quite a bit of stitching done. I finished the sleigh, and almost all the snowflakes (one more to stitch). I also need to finish the red and white border at the top. Hopefully I will have time to work on it tomorrow night.




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Santa's Sleighworks update #5

I'm almost finished the sleigh. Here is my progress so far.




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Santa's Sleighworks update #4 & IHSW

It was the International Hermit Stitching Weekend. I worked on Santa's Sleighworks. I finished the house and started working on the sleigh.



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Santa's Sleighworks update #3

Finally frogged and restitched the left side of the house. Here is my progress.







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Santa's Village update

I have not stitched all week. Here is where I left off on Monday night. I plan on stitching a lot this weekend. We'll see how much I get done.








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Needlebook

On the weekend while I had my sewing machine out working on my curtains, I added some purple felt pages to my needlebook. I still need to stitch the top closed. Just not sure if I want to stitch something to the inside cover. Please excuse the bad photos (taken at night).










Still deciding on how to close the needlebook.

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Stitching lamp

My sons bought me a new stitching floor lamp for my birthday. The magnifier is still on backorder. They bought it on www.Amazon.ca (I saw it in person at Mary Maxim in black).






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Stitching Stash

I bought the Just Nan Cardinal Tweet, the last Santa's Village part 12 (Hot Cocoa Cafe), the new DMC floss colours and some more 28 count needles.



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Santa's Sleighworks #2

I stitched the yellow inside the windows, and a little more of the light brown on the house. I still need to frog the left side, but too tired to do that tonight.



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Santa's Sleighworks #1

I have been stitching the house on Santa's Sleighworks. I thought I was doing good until I stitched the mullions in the windows (off by one stitch). Now I have to frog the left side of the house (windows, flowers, etc). Too late tonight, I will frog it tomorrow night.



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No Stitching

I don't have any stitching progress to share. I have been busy sewing curtains for my patio doors. Still need to add the trim around the doors.




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It's Snowing

I completed the snow underneath Santa's Sleighworks, and started Gingerbread Emporium.




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Bottom Border Completed

Tonight I completed the bottom borders for the last 4 parts. I also started stitching the snow on Santa's Sleighworks. Here is my progress.







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bottom border update #1

I have finished stitching the brown vine and the green leaves in the bottom border underneath the last four parts. I completed the red berries under Santa's Sleighworks.


Here is an close up of the finished border underneath Santa's Sleighworks.




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November Goals

November Goals
Start & Finish Santa's Sleighworks
Complete all 4 bottom borders
Complete all 4 top red and white borders
Start Gingerbread Emporium



October Review
Finish Christmas Tree Farm - YES
Start & Finish Candy Cane Cottage - YES


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November TUSAL

Here is a photo of my birthday cake. It is a Baskin Robbins Mint Chocolate Chip ice cream cake. My favourite and it was delicious.





Here are the plastic Christmas ornaments my husband bought me for keeping my TUSAL orts in after the year is over. I filled up 3 out of 4 of them. On the left is 2011, middle 2012, and right is 2013. I will continue to add orts to the 2013.




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Happy Birthday to Me!!

My birthday is today, but we will have my birthday meal tomorrow because my oldest son was working afternoon shift. We will have bbq steak for lunch. I bought myself a Baskin Robbins ice cream cake (Mint Chocolate Chip).

Yesterday my boss bought me a miniature cake and Chai Latte (my favourite). The miniature cake was so cute, but I haven't eaten it yet, I will enjoy it with my ice cream tomorrow.




My husband bought me a Crock Pot Lunch Crock. It warms food (doesn't cook it). I can have hot food at work.




He also got me 4 clear plastic Christmas ornaments to keep my orts for the year inside. I will show a photo another time.

My sons ordered me a new cross stitch floor lamp and magnifier. Lamp should arrive on Monday, but the magnifier is on back order. I'll take a photo when it arrives.

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NaBloPoMo

November is National Blog Posting Month. I will try and blog every day this month.

I have started working on part 9 of Santa's Village. But I have decided to stitch the last 4 borders at the bottom first. Then stitch all 4 top borders, then the snow. Maybe the project will go faster. Here is my progress so far.




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