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!

WIP Wednesday and Finishing

Its been a busy and exhausting couple of weeks, thus no blogging!!!

During mid November for the last five years I've been one of the organizers of a Live & Silent Auction, Wine & Cheese event to raise money for the school we support in the Dominican Republic.  Our project was recently featured in a local magazine called Faces you can read it here if you'd like.  Running this event just takes everything out of me, from the weeks leading up to it getting my students to get in donations for the auction, to the shopping, to all the behind the scene things that need to be done.  The night itself is a very long one!  This year I didn't get home until 12:45am!  I was rather frustrated this year because I didn't get to go to the Timberhouse Retreat I've been attending every November for years.  Now the reason I didn't get to go was because of when we scheduled the auction on the same date, but because the Timberhouse messed up our booking , it was supposed to be the week before.  Though we booked that date before we left last year it wasn't put in the system right and they booked someone else instead.  Needless to say I was quite bitter that I couldn't be there.  I've been going to that retreat since almost the beginning, when it was first held at the Butler Creek B&B before it closed.

So since November 14th if I wasn't sleeping I've been stitching.  All I've wanted to do lately is be a hermit.  Winter setting in and the darkness hasn't helped.  I think this is going to be a rough winter for me, psychologically.

When  I last posted, The Accolade has been moving along nicely, I finished page 8 (of 12) and started page 9!  It would be nice to Happy Dance this piece next year.

Snow Business

Just Nan

Stitched on 28ct mystery fabric

Stitched with DMC & using Mill Hill Snowflake charm

I took a bit of a break from The Accolade last week and stitched up and finished this adorable group of snowmen by Just Nan!

Tall Snowman - The Trilogy

My finishative came out to play, and I finally turned these two ornaments I had stitched earlier in the year into on the tree finished ornaments.  These two show the comparison between over two on 32ct and 40ct. I must say more and more I like my ornaments to be on the small side!

I'm working on another ornament this week, the picture didn't turn out and I couldn't be bothered to get up and take another.  Again its on 40ct and if you follow me on Instagram (@tkd_chick) you'll see it in progress there!  I'm sure I'll be happy dancing it for you next Wednesday!

Belated WIP Wednesday

For some strange reason this week my days were just all mixed up!  Its not as if I've been on vacation or doing anything so awesome that I've lost track of time.  When I realized yesterday was Wednesday, not Tuesday it was pretty late in the evening, and I was quite engrossed in my stitching.

Since last week's post I've done the finishing on one piece, happy danced another piece, and I've been working on my BAP!  So here we go...

Batty Boris

Just Nan

Stitched on: 32ct Natural Linen

Stitched with: DMC, Kreinik #4 braid

Batty Boris was finished up just in time for Halloween, he took his place next to Miss Witchy Mouse.  They were a charming couple on Halloween!

Hats Off To Halloween 2

Lizzie*Kate

Stitched on: 28ct Burnt Papyrus from Sugar Maple Fabrics

Stitched with: DMC & WDW

Next I started Lizzie*Kate's Hats Off To Halloween 2 and it stitched up super quick!  I really enjoyed the colours on this piece which is what made me buy it.  I also adore the fabric I've used, its too bad the company is out of business because I'd sure buy more in a heartbeat!

The rest of my stitching week has been spent working on The Accolade, I'm getting close to the bottom of my current page!

WIP Wednesday

If you were looking forward to my WIP Wednesday post last week, I'm sorry it didn't happen.  Due to some fairly tragic events (it made International news) in the city I live in, Ottawa I just wasn't in the mood to blog. 

So let's get caught up!

First up I had a visitor for the weekend of October 17th!  Bonnie and her husband came for the weekend.  We had hoped to do this in the summer, but life got in the way and it just never happened.  Bonnie and her husband are HUGE Ottawa Senators Fans, my local NHL hockey team.  Its become an annual tradition for them to come up for a visit and the first home game of the season.  This year since the first home game was on Thrusday followed by another game on Saturday they stayed for the weekend, and we made plans for all of us to go to Saturday's game.  We had a blast!

 Blackwork Monthly Blocks

San Man Originals

That weekend I had a week Happy Dance!  Last time I blogged I showed you my start on Kathy's SanMan RR.  I managed to finish that up, and even passed it onto Bonnie to do a block!

For the next week I was quite disciplined and I pulled out and exclusively worked on The Accolade.  With something this big its always so hard to see what progress has been made.

Miss Witchy Mouse

Just Nan

Stitched on 32ct Natural Linen

Stitched with DMC & Mill Hill Beads

Since Halloween was just around the corner I next pulled out one of those adorable Just Nan critter ornament kits.  Miss Witchy Mouse has just was begging to be stitched, which I did last week and I managed to do the finishing on Sunday.  I love her!

This led to me deciding Boris the Bat also needs to be done in time for this Halloween!  I wrapped up the stitching on him yesterday.  My plan was to do the finishing tonight, but blogging needed to be done!

Since I still had some time before bed last night I had another new start!  I know this isn't going to be finished in time for this Halloween, but I started Lizzie*Kate's Hats Off to Halloween 2.  I figure this way I'm done with this chart and its not going to sit and collect dust until I feel like Halloween stitching again.

WIPless Wednesday

Happy Wednesday Readers!  Its time for that weekly post of mine!  I am so enjoying WIP Wednesday!

 Happy Halloween

Silver Creek Samplers

Just Cross Stitch - 2013 Halloween Issue

Stitched on 28ct Burnt Papyrus by Sugar Maple Fabrics

Stitched with DMC, Weeks Dye Works, and Gentle Art Sampler Threads

I don't have an actual recent WIP picture for you today, but I do have a Happy Dance!  I finished last week's WIP shortly after 11PM last night.  Once again this isn't my usual "stitching style" but WIP pictures of this piece kept popping up on my feed on Instagram (follow me @tkd_chick) and I was loving watching a couple of ladies stitch it up.  So being the nosy stitcher I am, I asked what design it was and how I could get my hands on it.  I was told it was from the 2013 Just Cross Stitch Halloween Issue.  Well, of course I had it in my stash!  I just love the piece of fabric I used, its been in my stash for many years and its such a shame the company isn't in business anymore I'd love to get my hands on more!  I suppose I should do the finishing on this sooner rather than later?

Since I don't have a new WIP for you, how about an old one?  This piece is on my mind, its a cross stitch adaptation of the painting "The Accolade".  The chart was a gift from my friend Beth who I met through stitching and I've been working on it for quite a few years now.  I'll be picking this back up real soon!

Now, how about I share another ornament I did the finishing on back in the summer!  This pair are from a chart by Midnight Stitching called Heartstruck Quakers.  Aren't these guys adorable?  I have to say I found the heart-shaped ornaments a challenge, but I'm very happy with how this cute little duo turned out!

Finishative - Ornamentification

Finishative - Finding the initiative to do a little finishing.

Ornamentification - Turning stitching into an ornament

The finishative bug hit me this summer... actually I kept looking at my pile of ornaments and more that need to be "turned into something" and kept feeling guilty at all of those lovely finished-unfinished projects sitting there.... staring me.

I'm of course going to mean, and slowly share them with you... don't want to give you a finishative OD!

So since July I've been slowly pulling pieces out of the pile one at a time and finishing them in stages.  I started with the Prarie Schooler set I stitched earlier this year, Christmas Favorites.  Here's all nine of them together.

I ornamentified these as little pillows stuffed with batting, and trimmed them with cord I made myself, matching the cord with the DMC 3371 that was in every ornament of this set.  It tied them all together nicely.

April 30th Smalls SAL

See, I said I owed you a couple of stitchy-related posts!  This time, its the Smalls SAL report from April 30th!  Last month was VERY productive for me in terms of smalls.  I needed breaks from the very repetitive, very gold/yellow border I was stitching on TW's Birth Announcement.  So these lovely little ornaments from Rosewood Manor's Red Threads chart fit the bill nicely.

 This one, my latest still needs to be finished.

I've been collecting small scraps of leftover fabric in a zipper mesh bag for just this reason that I can pick up and stitch one of these little designs with any odd thread that I feel like.