Some stitching! Can you believe it?

I wanted to share some of my stitching progress during the holidays. I stitched fairly regularly from Thanksgiving on. I have to admit though, I didn't stitch according to my plan, I got stitcher's startitus and just went to town.

The first picture is a Prairie Schooler santa from Book 151, Santas & Snowmen, stitched with DMC on 32ct Lambswool linen. Sorry for the wonky photo, I was trying to get creative and it didn't work out so I cropped the picture. Who cares anyway about creative shots, the stitching is what's important, right?

Next is True Virtue. It's from an old JCS magazine. I worked on the alphabet. Sorry for the color, it's a bit washed out and not true. Damn camera.

Connie and I are SALing but we've both got off to a slow start because of the holiday. I got a little bored with the alphabet (there are 3 of them) and I really have to concentrate when stitching the rice stitches in the border in order to get the sequence right. I am working on it tonight. Stitching with good ol' DMC again.

Here's my progress on Beatrix. The SAL officially began on January 1st but I had a head start cause I started stitching right after the pattern was released. Over the course of November and December, I stitched the lower 2 motifs on the left side and the bird motif. On January 1st, I stitched the upper right motif and the beginning of a hugh floral motif. I am enjoying the sampler and I think with the added support of the SAL, I just might finish it before 2010. That's the plan anyway.

Here is a very pretty French freebie made into a pinkeep. I found it on 123 citrouille while perusing French blogs (can't read a word of French but like to look at the pictures). Here is the PDF. When I saw it, I thought I MUST stitch this cause I love redwork. And Christmas. It was a no brainer for me. I dropped Bea on her head and ignored True Virtue for an evening even though TV was whining to be worked on.

So here is my progress for one evening. I am stitching it with AVAS 4624 on what else, 32ct Lambswool.

And during my Christmas break, I did purchase patterns. I especially liked Sampler Girl's, Its a Wonderful Life. I had intentions of making it up as a Christmas gift but I umm, ran out of time. Silly me. I have a hard time figuring out how long something will take to work up and then put together.

Here's my progress:

Once again, in DMC but on an unknown piece of linen. You can see the little freebie ornament too from Sampler Girl. That was a very quick stitch and it's going to go to the Cadet and Jenna for their tree next year. Also in DMC.

So there you go, show and tell! Thanks for coming by!

An ornament stitched and a progress picture too!

Don't look now but I actually stitched a freebie! This little snowman is from a little promotional card I got for buying all of the new Prairie Schooler patterns when they were released earlier this year. Since I am such a snowman nut, I KNEW I'd be stitching him up soon. There's just something about snowmen that make me smile and think all is right with the world.

Prairie Schooler - Snowman

32ct Rue Green linen

DMC

This is the progress picture. It's a Blackbird Design's Loose Feather pattern, Blessings and Kind Wishes stitched with the recommended thread but on Lambswool linen instead of the recommended R&R linen.

I am having the dickens of a time trying to keep the frogs away from this piece. I messed the birds twice, the border and the placement of some of the words. Honestly, I would be done stitching it if it wasn't for those contemptable frogs. But, I persevere and rip out my mistakes and try again, sometimes more than once (my stork had a rust color butt for pete's sake until I looked at the picture on the front of the pattern and found out that the feathers are grey not gingersnap) and move on, trying all the while not to loose interest or throw the thing in the trash. So the bird's are reappearing without rust color feathers on their behinds, in the correct place and with the right words.

Gosh, I hope that this business with the frogs are past. Hop away, hop away to a knitter (no offense all you yarn-lovers, but us poor stitchers have frogs 24/7 and it's time for a vacation) for goodness sake!

I did start another ornament and kitted up a third. I am working on yet another Blackbird Design, the stocking ornament from this year's JCS ornament issue. I've kitted up the 2006 Quaker design from them too, in Mulberry GAST on my favorite linen, Lambswool. No progress pictures on either of them because they are in the early stages of stitching, one is a blob and the other is unstarted.

I've started to paint again too, I am painting a very cool Christmas cookie plate that I will share with you when it's done. I will either Ebay it or put it on Etsy. And I have a few other ideas floating in the ol' noggin on some other painted pieces too. Stitching may slow down a little because I need to make some cash for a few unexpected expenses and I am hoping painting will be profitable enough to pay those bills.

Well, it's off to make some lunch and get dinner in the oven. I'm making pot roast and want to put it into a slow oven for a long time so it's melt-in-your-mouth tender. So off to the kitchen with me!

Thanks for stopping by this Sunday afternoon. I hope football is on and your needle is in your hand!