12.30.2013
Happy almost New Year everyone!  After taking some time off for the holidays, I am back at it and motivated for 2014.  I stitched a cute little card for my niece's birthday and of course forgot to take a picture of the finished card.  Here's a picture of the cross stitch portion.

The card was orange and I put black cardstock behind the cross stitch to frame it.  She plays soccer and her club colors are orange and black.

I also spent some time on my Artecy project, Rainforest.  I had posted a picture back in October of my progress and below is updated as of 12/28/2013

I added quite a bit in the bottom left corner.  The finished project is 16 1/2 " (230 stitches) wide by 11" (153 stitches) high and I am roughly 20% done.  I'd like to finish it by the end of 2014...but there are still an awful lot of stitches to go.

Hope everyone has a great New Year.

Michele

12.20.2013

Tada!  The finished super secret project for my friend. We are doing our gift exchange in a couple of hours so I figured it was safe to post this today.  I have to say I am very proud of the way this turned out.

Michele

12.18.2013



Finally, after more years than I care to admit, the stockings for my family are complete. There's a story behind this in that my husband and I received beautiful needlepoint stockings from a friend of his mother's when we got married. Well, she spelled my name wrong, and since it was needlepoint, I really couldn't take it apart and fix it.  As a result, we never used those stockings. When our boys were about 2 and 4, I decided to make them cross stitch stockings. I stitched one fairly quickly, and then started on the second. I had the tops done and started on one for myself (with my name spelled correctly)...and then life got very busy and I kind of lost track of mine (and part of the pattern). Keep in mind I still hadn't assembled the boys. Two years ago, I found my incomplete top and missing pattern piece and decided that no matter what, our three stockings would be done and up for Christmas. Since our boys were 12 and 14, it was about time.  Somehow I did it, even though mine was a very complicated Dimensions pattern. Now, our three stockings were cross stitch and facing to the left and hubby's stocking was needlepoint and facing to the right...you guessed it, he wanted to know why his was so different.  I reminded him, about our wedding gifts and he seemed to shrug it off, but I decided to surprise him with his own stocking and set a goal of Christmas this year.   It was a good thing I did, because when I put our stocking ups, with his old one, he commented again.  As you know, I've been working on it off and on all year and last night, when he took our youngest to soccer, put it together. I need to give it a good press before I hang it up. Wonder how long it will take him to notice once it is up.  Below are all four of our stockings.

12.02.2013

Happy December.  I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving and successful shopping if you ventured out over the holiday weekend.  We spent the holiday with my dad in South Dakota and now are back and in the holiday mood.  I finished the stitching portion of the stocking Saturday night

and now just have the assembly.  I always dread making the actual stocking for fear that I cut something wrong and ruin the stitched piece.

I also completed several cards and I think I have enough for immediate family.  I would like to make two more that are more religious in nature, but I don't think I will have time to stitch and assemble.  We'll see. In the meantime, below are the ones ready to go out.

I will also pick up the super secret project from the framer's tonight.  Can't wait to see the finished piece.

Michele