Garden Chair update #2

I just finished stitching the outline for all the Garden Chair pieces. I am looking forward to stitching the chair design.




Good Bye 2013 and Happy New Year 2014. According to the Chinese Zodiac 2014 is the year of the horse, and I'm a horse, so I am hoping for a great year!! :)




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Garden Chair update #1

I started stitching the outline shapes of my garden chair. Big rectangles are the front and back of the chair. 2 squares on the right are the front and back of the fob pillow cushion. The rectangle at the bottom left if the drawer front (drawer is under the seat of the chair.



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Cross Stitch Ball shapes completed

I completed all the shapes for the cross stitch ball. I'm still not sure what to stitch inside each shape. I need the perfect idea because I'm sure it will be the only time I make a cross stitch ball.


Tomorrow I will start stitching the shapes for the Cat's Whisker's Garden Chair.


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Cross Stitch Ball update

I'm still stitching the shapes. I have completed all 12 squares, 6 octagons, and 5 of the 8 hexagons. I will finish the last 3 hexagons tomorrow. Then I will put the ball shapes aside. I will start stitching the chair shapes, and this should give me more time to decide what to stitch inside the ball shapes.




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My Next Big Project??

I'm feeling lost without another big project, but not sure what I want to stitch next. 2013 is winding down, so I'm trying to plan my 2014 projects (big and small).

I am working on the cross stitch ball shapes, but I still haven't decided what to stitch inside each shape. There are 26 in total (6 Octagons/8 Hexagons/12 Squares). Maybe an ABC ball because there are 26 letters and I have 26 shapes to stitch. Or I could stitch a flower inside each shape. I have 8 hexagons to stitch, then all of the shapes are completed.

I would love to start one of my Just Nan 3D ornaments, but I cannot because I joined the Just Nan 2014 SAL. It only starts on January 1, 2014.

I could finally start my Cat's Whiskers Garden Chair. I bought the pattern several years ago, but there was always something else to stitch. Mine will look very different. I am using purple/green/beige DMC floss, stitched on 32ct ivory evenweave. I have to stitch this at home because I will need my lamp and magnifier it is over 1 on 32ct and I usually stitch over 2 on 28ct.


I need to pull all the DMC floss for the Stoney Creek Paradise Banner, then I will decide what colour 28ct evenweave to buy. I want to stitch the letters a bright colour - maybe fuchsia, yellow or orange. I will decide once I pull all the other floss colours. I want a colour that will stand out against all the other items. This project I will take to the Cross Stitch Club on Tuesday nights.


Sometimes there are too many decisions. :)

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Cross Stitch Ball

I started a new project, it is called a Quaker Ball, but I don't want to stitch a Quaker pattern, so I'm just using the shapes (octagon, hexagon, and squares) and will fill them in with small motifs I have from magazines, or charts I have in my stash. This is my progress so far.




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Merry Christmas update

I received a few cross stitching items for Christmas. I bought myself the new DMC floss and a qsnap frame 8 x 8. I have never used the Qsnap frames, but everyone else at the Cross Stitch club does and loves them. Since I will be stitching all the Just Nan Limited Edition 3D ornaments I thought a Qsnap would be easier because they are smaller and less heavy to use than my wooden scroll frames.







I also got a magazine ... The World of Cross Stitching.



I hope Santa was good to all my blogging friends.

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Merry Christmas

Now that our sons are adults, last year we started opening all our gifts on Christmas Eve, because the boys like to stay up all night and sleep most of the day. This was our tree before we opened the gifts tonight.








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December 2013 IHSW was a success!!

The International Hermit Stitching Weekend was a great success!! I stitched everyday during the weekend, and by Sunday I finished stitching my Santa's Village.

Then I did some sewing. First I made a bell pull with The Stitcher's 12 Days of Christmas by Sue Hillis (stitched in 2012).




Santa's Village was sewn into a quilted wall hanging. I still need to sew the buttons on, and sew up the right hand side, but other than that it is complete.



I'm only using 7 of the 12 buttons. I wanted to use the chocolate chip cookie but it was too big (I stitched over 2 on 28ct).


Not sure what I will stitch on next, but I know it will be small. :)

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Happy Dance!!

I finally finished all 12 parts of Santa's Village. I already bought the Christmas fabric to sew it into a hanging quilt but I won't be able to sew it today because we had an ice storm and lost power, but I will cut the fabric and pin it in place to save time later.



Christmas fabric for Santa' Village



This is the tree in my front yard full of ice.



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Hot Cocoa Cafe update #5

I stitched quite a lot today. I am almost finished the roof, still missing 2 red stitches in the top right corner, and the chimney on the right. I also need to finish the top right window, and then there are 5 more snowflakes to stitch in part 12.


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Last IHSW of 2013

This is my before photo for December IHSW 2013. I finished all the beige on the cafe. I still need to finish the top right window and the white trim before starting the red shingles. I bought the fabric for my Santa's Village and a Christmas project that I stitched last year, but never finished it as a bell pull.




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Hot Cocoa Cafe update #4

I finished the flowers above the door, and the bottom right window. I'm still working on the top one. I will continue stitching the cafe.




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Birthday gift part 2

I didn't get to stitch tonight. By the time Dave & I got home from Costco, had supper, did the dishes, and then I called my mom. It is now after 10pm and it is time for bed.

For those who read my blog, you will know that my sons bought me a new cross stitch floor lamp and magnifier last month for my birthday, but the magnifier was on back order... it finally arrived today!! I had time to install it on my lamp, I will try it out tomorrow night.





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Hot Cocoa Cafe update #3

I got quite a bit more done on the cafe. I finished the door and started another window. I'm hoping to finish it this weekend so I can hang it up for Christmas. We'll see how much stitching I get done each night.




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Hot Cocoa Cafe update #2

I finished stitching the window to the left of the door. I worked on the door/trim/window.



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Hot Cocoa Cafe

I started stitching Hot Cocoa Cafe last night. In Southwestern Ontario, Canada we had a snow storm this weekend, so I managed to get quite a bit of stitching done. I finished all the snow, the table/chairs, and the umbrella. Then I started stitching the cafe. I will stitch a little bit each night until it is completed.


I will go shopping this weekend for some Christmas fabric needed to sew it into a wall hanging. I am starting to get excited now that the end is so close. Not sure what I will stitch next, but I know it will be something small!! :)

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Happy Dance

I just finished Elves' Workshop - part #11 of Santa's Village. I was on Sew Amy's blog (http://sewamy.blogspot.ca) and noticed she changed her elf to look like Buddy from the Elf movie. It is one of my family's favourite Christmas movie, so I borrowed Amy's idea and changed my elf as well to look like Buddy. Here is a photo of Elves' Workshop.




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Elves' Workshop update #5

I frogged and restitched the left window. Continued on to the roof.




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Christmas Shopping

I haven't had time to stitch since Tuesday night. Dave & I went Christmas shopping at the mall. I bought a new Christmas BluRay - The Bishop's Wife. I have never seen it before and read about it on Edgar's blog.
http://blacksheepsite.blogspot.ca




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Stash shopping

No stitching done tonight ... I worked late, and then we went to Costco & Walmart. But last night at Cross Stitcher's Club I bought a Lynne Nicoletti's Christmas envelopes (chart). I put it in my stocking for Christmas.




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Elves' Workshop Update #4

I finished stitching the right side of the house ... Can you spot the difference between the 2 windows? I stitched the left window and then when I started stitching the right one I noticed that I forgot a row of white between the green and yellow. I was at Stitcher's Club tonight, and we were talking/laughing, eating/drinking (juice) and stitching all at the same time.

I know what I'll be doing tomorrow night ... frogging the left window and restitching the white trim.



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Elves' Workshop Update #3

I'm still working on the house. I will finish the side of the house tomorrow night at the Stitcher's Club.





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Elves' Workshop Update #2

I finished the snow and the front of the house and a few of the presents.




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Elves' Workshop snow update #1

I started stitching the snow and the house for Elves' Workshop.




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Christmas Dinner Celebration

It was my work Christmas Dinner Celebration tonight. This will be my 4th Christmas with my employer. They reserve dinner at a restaurant in Kitchener, Ontario called Verses. It is a church that was renovated into a restaurant.

http://versesrestaurant.ca



This view is inside the restaurant looking at the front window (same ones above).




Food is excellent, service is terrific. We look forward to going here every year at Christmas.

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Happy Dance

I finally stitched the top closed on my Needlebook. I kept putting it off because I wasn't sure if I wanted to add something to the inside of the covers. I was tired of seeing it not finished in my cross stitch case, so I decided to just finish it.




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Just Nan and Lynne Nicoletti stash

I stopped by my LNS today to pick up a pre-order of Just Nan's 2012 Gingerbread Mouse (reprint).






As I was leaving Wilma showed me a Christmas Envelope by Lynne Nicoletti. I was in a hurry to pick up my son so I asked her to put it aside and I will buy it on Tuesday night (Stitcher's Club). I will post a photo next week.

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TUSAL December 2013

Here is the last TUSAL for 2013. I have added the rest of my ORTS to the clear Christmas ornament (I will add the more throughout December).





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Red & white

I have finished the red & white border above both the Elves' Workshop and Hot Cocoa Cafe.







All 12 top and bottom borders are now completed. Tomorrow night I will start stitching the snow.

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December Goals
Start & finish Elves' Workshop
Start & finish Hot Cocoa Cafe
Buy some Christmas fabric for Santa's Village
Sew Santa's Village into a hanging quilt

November Review
Finish Santa's Sleighworks - YES
Finish all 4 bottom borders - YES
Finish all 4 red & white top borders - I still have the last 2 to complete
Start Gingerbread Emporium - YES, I started and finished it!!


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