Smalls SAL update

02.25.2015

Happy Day!  February has flown by and I've been busy stitching away instead of posting.  I have managed to complete all 59 of my starts for Debbie's Ultimate Crazy January challenge and am one beyond.  Out of 60 starts, I have completed 27. 

  Below are pictures of some of my finishes. I may have posted a couple previously, so ignore them if I have. The first three are for WOCS for  walker bags and a cartoon quilt.

The below were either cards for gifts for co-workers.

and a couple of small projects just for fun!

 

Michele

 

02.12.2015

Happy almost Valentine's Day.  I had some sad news earlier this week; my son and his girlfriend broke up. Actually, she broke up with him.  They began dating when they were freshman in high school and dated for 3 1/2 years.  And while I think there were too serious, they were very good together. She had graduated early and with college and work, she was just waaaayyyyyyyyy too busy; something had to give and unfortunately it was my son.  He's taking it ok, it's so hard to tell with boys.  And I'm in a quandary because she and I used to text and talk and I want to keep up with her and make sure she's doing ok, but don't feel it's appropriate.  I did let her know that I would always be here for her and that she should feel free to contact me if she ever needed everything; I just hope she realizes I was serious.

On to a more enjoyable topic.  I finished one of the cards for my co-workers and the book cover for another, but again, I don't want to post until after I give the items to them.  And the book cover for the first co-worker is almost complete, as is the card for the second. I will have everything stitched and assembled by Monday.  The first mentioned co-worker's birthday is Tuesday, but the other isn't until early March.  Once these are done, I can focus on the 6 cards a friend asked me to make as well as finishing my cartoon character for WOCS.  That is due Feb. 28th and I am less than half done.  Oops, gotta get stitching on that one.  I also have "Let's Love our Sons" by Ursula Michael that I'd like to somehow magically stitch and finish by March 1 as that is my oldest son's 18th birthday.  I don't think it's going to happen, so maybe I'll save it for his 21st.

I was going to make a card for my husband for Valentine's Day, but after two unsuccessful starts, I gave it up. I started the stitching on the wrong place on my fabric twice and gave up in frustration.  .  I tend to be very stingy when placing designs for cards and am usually pretty good about counting, but not this time.  I'll get him a store bought card this year and make the Valentine for next year

All 7 graduation cards are started, with one completely done and one 80% done. I put these aside because they aren't due until May.

And I need to get going on the 6 cards for my friend. I've identified 3 of 6 patterns and starting stitching 2 of those, so only 3 more patterns to find and 4 more to start and 6 to finish...oh boy.

Back to work on yet another gorgeous Colorado day,
Michele

02.06.2015

What a beautiful Colorado day today.  Went outside for a short walk, just to get out of the office, and didn't want to come back in

Finished a project early this morning, before I started work. Had almost everything done except needed to finish "Birthday"

This will be one of the cards a friend asked me to make.  I'm going to make an aperature card to put it in if I can find the correct shade of blue.

Continuing on with my graduation cards and decided at the last minute to make my husband a Valentine's Card. Ok, it isn't quite the last minute, but close enough.  I mean really, I still have an entire week.  The pattern I will use is an Ursula Michaels freebie from her Facebook Group,"Let's Stitch Ursula Michaels" and it looks like it will be fun. I think I'll stitch it on 28 count. Although...Mike's favorite color is red, so I'm tempted to stitch it on red 14 count and reverse the colors of the pattern.  Hmmm, I have to give that some thought.

I confirmed the number of "thank you" cards for the Robotics' mentors, but now I need to make one for the teacher that leads this group.

And on my crazy challenge, I  am even as of today, so I need to get some more starts-started. I have plenty to choose from, but I think the Valentine's card will be the next start.  Obviously I am changing the order I had posted previously, but that's the beauty of the minimal structure of this challenge.

TGIF!

Michele

02.05.2015
Another beautiful Colorado day.  Got out for a brief walk during a break at work and hope to walk tonight when my youngest is at soccer practice.  I continue to work on my daily starts with Debbie's Ultimate Crazy January Challenge 2015. I have 37 starts thus far, which puts me ahead by one day. My goal is to stay one day ahead. I have a couple of birthday's coming up, so I may have to take a day off of "starting" to get some "finishing" done.  Here's a some pictures of a few of the things I've started

 Some Mill Hill kits I started and will definitely finish this year, preferably before Halloween!

 Robot "thank you" notes for adult mentors of oldest son's robotics team, completed cards are due late March.

 Miscellaneous card that someone asked me to make. I'm going to change the words to Happy Birthday. Due early March

And the start of the graduation cards. I need to make a total of 7 cards this year. 6 will be the same pattern, just different colors depending on the school and the 7th is a different pattern for my son.  I won't post his on the very off chance he reads my blog!  Graduation is May 21, so I need all 7 done by then.

Happy Thursday,

Michele

02.02.2015

Woo hoo, posting two days in a row.  I wanted to get some pictures up of the Valentine's Cards I made for WOCS.

The cats are from Happiness is Cross Stitching.  She has a cute series of free pattern's featuring cats.  One set from 2014 and she is starting a new set this year.  Since I'm a cat lover anyway, they are perfect for me.  The hearts were a free hand pattern I made, and changed the direction and color to add some variety. They were ideal for this project as they were a very quick stitch.

Have a great day and keep stitching!

michele

02/01/2015

Happy Super Bowl Sunday!  I'm not  a big fan but always enjoy watching the commercials.  I've been busy stitching up a storm, or I should say, "starting up  a storm"!  I joined a Facebook group,  Debbie's Ultimate Crazy January Challenge 2015.  The idea behind it is to start a new project every day in January.  You don't have to finish, just start.  They gave us the option to continue through February as well, and that is  my goal. Since I have lots of friends with birthdays early in the year, and lots of graduation cards and lots of "thank you's" for robotics, this hasn't been too hard.  The tough part was that I started really late in the challenge, so the first few days were catch up.  Below is a list of my "starts"
January
1. Pig Card for co-worker
2. Pig journal cover for co-worker
3.  Mill Hill Hot cocoa kit
4.  Card for co-worker
5.  valentine train
6.  Mill Hill Haunted Schoolhouse
7.  Mill Hill Haunted House-checkerboard series
8.  cartoon project for WOCS
9.  Valentine cat
10.  Amazing Grace song
11.  Smoky Mountain Cats
12-19.  Valentine hearts for WOCS
20.  Valentine cat from Happiness is Cross Stitching
21.  Love bug
22.  Valentine cat from Happiness is Cross Stitching
23.  card for co-worker
24.  Mill Hill Opera House
25.  Mill Hill Haunted Library
26.  Mill Hill Haunted House
27.  journal cover for co-worker
28-31.    Robot for thank you note
And on to February( I'm a day ahead)
1-2.  Robot for thank you  note
3-9.  not started, but kitted and planned are graduation cards
10-15.  cards a friend asked to make, 3 birthday and 3 "thinking of you"...not even a thought about what to make.

Whew, what a lot of starts, and then, since  January items 1-4, 6, 9, 12-22 and 27 are finished, it was a lot of stitching.  To be fair, most of these are small designs, to fit on 4 1/4" x 5 1/2 inch size cards, but still, plenty of stitching.  No pictures today, but I hope to get some up by Wednesday.  Items for co-workers that are   not specifically mentioned are because they  have not been given yet and so I want them to remain a secret in case my co-workers read this :)

Michele