WIPWednesday, Small Finishes and What's Next?

Happy Wednesday fair readers!  Which means its WIPWednesday and one of my blogging days!

As usual I like to start with the happy stuff, and I've had two small Happy Dances since my last post.

Red Threads

Rosewood Manor

Stitched with NPI Silk

Stitched on 32ct Natural Linen

This first little guy, was already well under way, so there wasn't much left to do.  This has been my "purse project" and I've been dragging it around with me most places but not really working on it.  So I finally put the last stitches into it.

French Country Star

JBW Designs

Just Cross Stitch - Ornament Issue 2010

Stitched with WDW Garnet

Stitched Over One on 25ct Sand/Gold Lugana

Next up is this month's ornament, I had a hard time settling on which one I wanted to stitch.  I finally picked up this sweet little stitch by JBW which was in one of my Just Cross Stitch Ornament Issues.  If I can, and it may be rather ambitious I'd like to finish this star-shaped!

I haven't settled on a new focus project yet, and really that's okay.  This week I've picked away at two different projects.

I kind of have it in my mind to finish up my January 1st start from this year, Peacock by Alessandra Adelaide.  Christin and I started them together, but she's been done hers for awhile now. Usually I'm the first to finish!  I've had a hard time getting "into" this project.

When I haven't been able to get "into" Peacock I've pulled out an oldie, but goodie Arabian Woman a kit from Lanarte.  I fell in love with and bought this project a long time ago, and it cost me a fair bit.  A few years ago I put some stitches in it to make myself get back to it.  I've enjoyed working on it this week.  The fabric on this piece comes painted and there's a little "+" where to start so I've slowly worked my way from that start point, to my happy place, the top left hand corner.

As promised last week here are the other projects I have started in my stitching basket... Which project would you like to watch come to life?  Leave me a comment!

Mini River Cottage - Michael Powell

The Big Red - The Silver Lining

 Cirque des Carreaux - Ink Circles

Fortunate Traveller - Teresa Wentzler

WIP Wednesday on a Thursday

If you were looking last night or today for my WIP Wednesday post, I'm sorry it wasn't there for you.  Last night I had an appointment at the sleep clinic at the hospital.  If you've ever had one you'll know how fun it isn't to try to sleep with wires and stuff all over your head, face, and even your legs!  Then the nerve of them to wake you up and kick you out at 5:30am!!

 As you can see, it wasn't a pretty sight last night!  Once all of that stuff was off in the morning, it was a worse sight as I had this gunk all over my head that was like vaseline but thicker to attach the wires to my head!

The Accolade didn't receive as much attention as it should of this last week.  I was away at one of my little B&B Retreats this past weekend!  Since stitching over one isn't the most ideal thing to do at a stitchy weekend I left the Accolade at home!

 Stitchers Joy

Prarie Moon - Just Cross Stitch Ornament Issue 2010

Stitched on Midas Touch Opalescent Linen from Silkweavers

Stitched with Sulky thread

Saturday morning I finished up this ornament that I shared with you last week.  It turned out great I love the combination of the gold fabric and brick red floss.

For the rest of the weekend my Alessandra Adelaide Peacock came out to play.  Christin was working on hers as well!  Mine is on the left and hers is on the right.

As you can see once I got home I made a little more progress on it, but I was a good girl and once Monday rolled around I packed it away again to work on The Accolade.

Hopefully this weekend The Accolade will get my full attention but for some reason I keep getting tempted to stitch some seasonal smalls!!!!  I haven't broken down... yet.

WIP Wednesday is BACK!

Did you miss my WIP Wednesday posts?  I know I missed doing them its so nice to be able to share the progress on your projects with other people who are actually interested and excited about your stitching, rather than your significant other who just humor you.

First I'm so excited to share my progress on The Accolade (not a HEAD chart) with you!  When you last saw it I was just starting page 9, well this past weekend I finished up that page and I've made headway into page 10 (of 12).  The end seems like its in sight but I'm finding on average each page takes 4-6 weeks of focused stitching to complete.  Right now I'm estimating end of April to finish this project.  I've got two trips coming up, my annual Dominican Republic Experience trip the last week in February.  Two weeks after I get back from my "work trip" (yes its work, I work in a high school and I've taken 14-16 students for the last 5 years, this is my 6th) I'll be heading out for March Break to visit Kathy in Arizona!  I'm looking forward to leaving these -28c (-35c windchill) temperatures behind!

As has been my stitching tradition for many years, besides emptying my Ort Jar on New Year's day I also start a new project on the stroke of midnight.  The New Year's start is a very serious affair, Christin and I have made it a SAL for at least the two of us for many years.  Discussion on what our New Year's start will be often starts in August or September  for the last couple of years the SAL has included many of our Eastern Ontario stitching friends.  This year it was just Christin and I, we both fell in love is Alessandra Adelaide's Peacock design when it was released last year and rather quickly agreed this had a lot of potential as our January 1st start.  Unfortunately the design just appeal to the rest of our "crew" so it was just us.  Also as per tradition I put my first stitches in while celebrating the New Year with my friend Rebecca and her wonderful family, I love our tradition of a great meal ... made by her husband, good company and of course stitching!

Another project that has come to see the light of day again, is Michael Powell's Mini River Cottage.  During my holidays I was invited out Janice's cottage (which turns out to be minutes from my house!) to spend an afternoon stitching with her.  She has the most spectacular view of the river, which maybe on a future visit I'll get a chance to take a few pictures.  As wonderful as The Accolade is I find its one of those projects that's just best worked on at home.  So I needed to find something that would be easier to work on in friendly company and this fit the bill!  I always forget how much I enjoy working on a Michael Powell piece.

Finally this past weekend I started a new ornament.  After finishing page 9 on The Accolade I felt like I needed a little over one break.  This one is called Stitchers Joy by Prairie Moon, from the Just Cross Stitch 2010 Ornament Issue.

I've got a great stitching weekend coming up and I can't wait!

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.

Crosses And Culture With A Little TUSAL On The Side

NAC Orchestra

The Canal and the Chateau Laurier were very pretty that night

Day 10's start was a brief one because it was also an evening filled with culture!  I had barely an hour's worth of stitching time on Thursday night before I was meeting my parents for dinner and off to the NAC (National Arts Center) for an evening of Legendary Russians with the Orchestra.  We're very lucky to have things like the NAC in our backyard.

Tis' Red (well in this case Green) by La-D-Da from the 2010 JCS Ornament Issue

I would of had more done on my start, but I really didn't like the colour I initially picked.  So I cut away the extra fabric and started over with something that didn't change colours as much!  Once again its another ornament, I'm finding on the week nights these are quick and easy to start.  Also with having large projects on the go like : The Accolade, The Big Red, Cirque des Circles and ABC Christmas Sampler I really don't want to start anything else of size.

Its also time for the first TUSAL of the year.  There are a great assortment of threads in here from all of my Crazy Starts!  I even cleaned my vase for you this time (it looked pretty scuzzy on my first post of the year).

Rebbecca's Stitchy Weekend Report

Sorry its taken me a little longer than expected to give you my report.  I've been down and out for the last 24 hours with a migraine.

Now onto the good stuff!

Friday night after work Christin and I hopped into my car and made the drive down to Rebecca's place just outside of Kingston.  Bonnie had beaten us there, but we were taking our time, stopping for dinner and to buy a new pair of shoes (me).  Rebecca's Mom Sylvia was also staying for the weekend, the four of us stitched until almost midnight Friday night.

Saturday was such a nice sunny day (for the first time in ages) that before the bulk of the stitchers arrived, I got my gear on and went for a nice 10K run.  It was a great run, beautiful country roads, and perfect temperatures!

Saturday was the main get together for the weekend.  We were joined by Trista, who was there for such a short while that I didn't get a chance to take her picture.  Of course Rebbecca and well, her picture didn't really turn out so I don't have one to share of her.  In attendance were a lot of the usual suspects!

Bonnie, she spent most of the day working on Paradigm Lost

So did Christin

Kathy Happy Danced with a San man Design

Beatrice had the same Happy Dance!

Sylvia worked on a variety of projects, but I was most fascinated with the Bunka piece she was working on

Barb was stitching up a storm with some ornaments

Beth joined us for the afternoon and was working on a gorgeous piece I don't know the designer!

On Saturday I finished up the Fire block on Art Deco Spirits

Now at the half way point!

I do also have some small happy dances to share with you!

'Tis Red

c2010 La-D-Da

2010 Just Cross Stitch Ornament Issue

Stitched with DMD 115

Stitched on mystery linen, it actually looks green

Needle Wizard Needlecase - class piece

c2008 Dragon Dreams - Creativ Festival

Stitched with : DMC, Caron Waterlillies, #4 braid

Stitched on : 28ct Mushroom Jazlyn