Long Time... No Blog...

I guess I fell off of the blogisphere after my last post in... November I believe?  Not only did I not blog again but I've also not visited any blogs for months!  There's no one real reason why I stopped for awhile.  Life was busy, I'm trying to get my weight back under control (which can be quite time consuming!).  For most of December I was plagued by a headache that never really went away so many things suffered like working out, eating right, stitching, and so much.  I think also when I found time I just wanted to be stitching!  Though I was off of work for two weeks over the holidays I found we were just so busy!  Either we had company or we were company, there were also parties, get togethers and prepping for Christmas too!  On top of feeling like shit most of the time with that headache which persisted despite being off of work.

So lets get away from all of that boring and mundane stuff and get onto what this blog is all about, stitching!

I have been working away on The Accolade, but I'll save that for WIP Wednesday (yes I still want to at least do a once a week entry for you folks)!

December ended up being a flurry of stitching and finishing ornaments!  My fingers were just flying and the hot glue gun didn't get much of a chance to cool down!

 The masterpiece Todd and I collaborated on - our first ever!

My first Christmas party was a gingerbread house building party (it was a riot!) hosted by my good friend Marline and her new husband!  I love giving ornaments as hostess gifts instead of chocolate or a bottle of wine.

I decided barely a week before the party that I had to stitch Lizzie Kate's 1st Christmas for their tree!  A flurry of stitching and heartache over heart-shaped finishing here's what I produced and not only I but Marline was so happy to put it right onto her tree!  This is customized with their last name thus I covered it up when I took this picture.

1st Christmas by Lizzie Kate for Landon, Lucy, and Zach, Carter's did not get photographed

 The back of all of my 1st Christmas ornaments

Stitching the ornament for Marline started a crazy avalanche!  I decided most of the new babies I knew out there should have one!  Actually first it started with my favorite little man Zach who I stitched TW's Birth Announcement for back in the first half of 2014.  Then it just snowballed into one for the son of the little girl I used to babysit (I recently reconnected with the family on Facebook), one for the Chaplain's little girl at work , and one for my good friend Tracey's Nephew (which I stupidly forgot to photograph... I never do that!).  In all I stitched 1st Christmas 5 times!!!!

Roaming Reindeer

Blue Ribbon Designs

Just Cross Stitch Ornament Issue

Stitched on 40ct tanzanite linen

I had also stitched up this lovely Blue Ribbon designs ornament since my last blog entry and did the finishing on it. I liked this one so much I kept it for my own tree.

I've done a lot of finishing since my last entry as well, in no particular order:

 A Merry Little Christmas

Lizzie Kate

Flat fold

 Merry Cats'mas

Freebie - unknown

 Peace Button

Jeannette Douglas Designs

Just Cross Stitch Preview Issue

 Ribbon Reindeer

Freebie - Daffycat Designs

Wreath Reindeer

Freebie - Daffycat Designs

In November/December I took part in an ornament exchange organized by Angela at Hooked on Stitches.  This exchange renewed my faith in exchanges as the last one I took part in did not go well, at all.

Bell Ornament

Jeannette Douglas Designs

Just Cross Stitch Ornament Preview Issue 2008

This is the ornament I sent out to my partner in the UK, and I was shocked that it arrived in under a week!

In return I got this fantastic ornament that I was just so pleased with and I want to learn how to do the ribbon trim!!!

Over the holidays there was one day the living room was off limits while Todd put together a new entertainment unit.  Its best to just stay away when he's putting something together.  So I de-cluttered my stash room and put together this little display area of smalls I've received, and my scissors in their scissor frogs.  Just love it!

Red Threads

Rosewood Manor

Stitched on: mystery fabric

At some point I also had a small stitching finish... I can't remember when.  This will be finished into a bead edged ornament at some point when my finishative comes out to play!

Now finally onto this year, 2015!

January 1st saw the annual emptying of the ort jar!

I've also had two small finishes so far in January, I admit both of these had been started in December but they are my first finishes of 2015!

Red Threads

Rosewood Manor

Stitched on: mystery fabric

 Fa la la la!

Freebie - Plum Pudding Needleworks

Stitched on: 40ct Natural Linen using DMC

Well, that's it!  I've been busy that's for sure!

February TUSAL & More

Its TUSAL time, sorry no artistic photography this month, just a jar, that's all!  You can seem some of the reds and greens from my smalls stitching the last few days.

I've had a couple of finishes this weekend and I've done a wee bit of finishing too.

 'Tis Red

La-D-Da

2010 Just Cross Stitch Ornament Issue

Stitched on 30ct Coconut Macaroon Linen

Stitched with Caron Waterlillies Emerald

Red Threads Letter C

Rosewood Manor

Used the same fabric/threads as above since I had a little fabric left after the ornament.  I stitched and finished this on Saturday

 Merry Christmas Deer

c2012 Little Stitcher Freebie

Stitched on 32ct Dirty Linen Belfast

Stitched with Carrie's Creation Colonial Red & DMC

 I also whipped up a back for this ornament

 I finally did the finishing on this little Drawn Thread Freebie I recently stitched

How do you store your ornaments and small pieces awaiting finishing?  I used to store mine in either a big ziplock or a large zipper mesh bag.  A couple of my quilting friends use scrapbooking boxes to keep their blocks in while piecing their quilts.  I thought well, they're 12x12 that seems ideal for my ornaments/smalls.  This past week all storage was 40% off at Michaels so I thought why not, and picked two up.  I'm quite pleased with them.

Stitching For Friends and Friends Stitching For Me

Quite some time ago I saw this post on Carolyn's blog.  Her Alphabet Zoo Round Robin had made it back home, but it wasn't finished!  Being the kind, wonderful person I am I left a comment on Carolyn's blog offering to stitch a block for her if she decided she needed a couple of needles to get the round robin finished.  My good friend Kathy also made the same kind offer.  Some time passed, and Carolyn did decide to take us up on our offer and Beatrice decided to get in on the fun too since there were 3 blocks to be done.

Kathy and Beatrice stitched theirs up in quick order, and when I arrived at Kathy's last Friday afternoon she passed the piece onto me.  I was going to tuck it away until I finished the wedding sampler I NEED to get done before September 10th.  Kathy told me it was such a quick stitch that I could finish it before I left on Sunday.

As usual, Kathy was right!

Alphabet Zoo

Blue Ribbon Designs

The block I stitched

While so many have been stitching for me, it was nice to return the favour for someone else.  Speaking of stitching for me, I had more quilt squares returned to me this past weekend.

Quilt Blocks stitched by Ann

Christin stitched these four for me