What I sent to Vonna for our Christmas Extravaganza Exchange

 Hello again,

I just wanted to pop in here to show you what I sent to Vonna for our Winter / Christmas Exchange. 

My package was extremely late, we had planned on shipping on November 17th but I was in the middle of stitching Jack (who took an extreme amount of time stitching).  Not that Jack was the excuse, he is the scapegoat of my tardy shipping,  but my lack of proper planning is actually the real reason the box went 8 weeks late.  And because I got caught up in stitching Stanley Snowman too.  I stitch very slowly.  I don't have turbo needles and apparently, I am attracted to new and shiny things. OOPSIE.

So, in addition to eleventy-dozen purchased things, I sent Vonna the following stitches (I felt like a heel because they were LATE and I didn't think they were good enough and whatever my overthinking mind came up with to sabotage any effort to make this box happen at the time). 

Lizzie*Kate - Dear Santa
28ct Mushroom Lugana with charted DMC
I finished it on a cutting board that Dave (my husband) made for me

With Thy Needle and Thread - O Christmas Tree Stand-up

(AKA "Stanley") 

32 count cream linen (Zweigart) with charted DMC (white is B5200)

And of course,  if you frequent my IG, Facebook accounts or Vonna's blog
you have seen this:

Theresa Kogut - Jack's Welcome Stand-up

20ct Lt. Blue Linen with DMC #5 Pearl Cotton (my conversion)

Stitched by Joanie and Finished by Vonna

I am quite proud of what I stitched and that I finished my first standup (Stanley).  However, I didn't want to take a chance on finishing Jack because I had such anxiety with finishing Stanley that I thought I would have a heart attack.  Plus, they needed to get to Indiana before the robins returned in the Spring.  So Jack went with "some assembly required".

I know that Vonna loved what I sent to her,  I had nightmares that she wouldn't but all is well.  I am scheming and plotting for next year's box and I have such interesting ideas for finishing what I stitch for her.  I just have to choose what I think I can accomplish before November (cause I am NOT going to be late this time) and not let my anxiety over finishing get the best of me (I am looking at YOU, cording!).

I have been stitching a bunch too and a few things are almost done and ready to be finished.  I have a cool idea for a display piece for one of the pieces I am almost done stitching, Theresa Kogut's Up on the Housetop.  We purchased an X-Tool Laser Engraving machine for Dave's business in the fall of last year.  We are still learning the tool, and I am looking forward to making some awesome displays for my stitching.  

Dave is still in the lapstand biz (Vonna approved!) so check him out on Hobbyhouse Needleworks website.  He has expanded his offering to 3 sizes of lapstands (18" 21" and 23" bases) and 3 different woods (Oak, Cherry, and Walnut).  Plus he is making exotic wood threadwinders (which fly off the shelves).

Cherry Lapstand

Walnut Lapstand

Oak Lapstand

9" Threadwinders (Cut length of thread is 18")

So that's all I have for today.  Thanks for visiting!  Have a wonderful day stitching all the things!

Joanie