2019 Mid-year Review

Welcome to my blog.  My goal this year is to complete as many WiPs as possible.  All new projects will be smalls (less than or equal to 60 x 60).  

So without further ado, my parade of finishes for the year of 2019. First I will start with Little Sheep Virtues by Little House Needleworks. I'm stitching it like Yellow Farmhouse.  So far I have completed 6 of the 12 patterns. I'm using DMC floss on Chocolate Brown Linen.

 

 Next, the Main Street Series by Country Cottage Needlework.  I am working them around a town square on hand-dyed aida by me using DMC floss. I stitched the bookstore and the dress shop.  Also,
I did make a change; I created a church for the town square.

 

My Church Design

The next series is Amy Bruecken's Man of the Month snowmen.  I finished the last 3 months. I stitched with the called for threads on the called for fabric.  Now all I need to do is add the beads.

 Next, Happily Ever After by The Frosted Pumpkin.  I've only finished a couple of the patterns.

Next, finishes from Stitch "May'nia.  I had 14 actual new starts.  I have finished 10 of them.

  Finally, random WiPs completed.

I hope to finish as many in the second half of the years a I have so far.  We will see.  Thanks for stopping by.  I hope you enjoyed looking at my work.

Shaon

June - Mid Year Review

I started the year out with 18 WIPs.  I have added 18 new WIPs with Stitch "May"nia.   I started Amy Bruecken's Snowman Man of the Month, am doing a Stitch-a-long with my sisters and friends (Oh Say Can You Sea), started 2 large monthly projects (Country Cottage Needlework's Main Street Series and Little House Needlwork's Virtues), started and completed 4 new projects (Mill Hill's Owlets).  My finishing list is 23 projects thus far.  I plan on finishing several large projects by the end of the year.  I want to complete any project that is over a year in the WIPs box.  That would be 12 project: Blackwork roses, Blessed are the Meek, Summer Retreat, Curious Owl, 6 Fat Men, Robin Hood, Tuffet's Cupboard, Wicked Patch, Witchy Wash, Vlad's Vash Day, Santa Clothes, & Hang Ten.

The pictures to follow are a Parade of my finished works.  If I bought the patterns separately, then I count each pattern as a finish.  I apologize for the pictures not rotating.  They are right when I click on them in the file but they import sideways or upside down.

1. Be Spooktacular! by Lizzie Kate - Linen

2, 3, 4. Owlets by Mill Hill - Kits - finished Violet, Huey, & Emma this year

5. Snoel - unknown - Kit

6. Christmas Tree - Wire Whimsy - Kit

7. Photo Booth - Frank n' Boo - Bent Creek - Kit included fabric

8. Love Laundry - Raise the Roof - Silkweaver Linen

9. Snow House - 6 Fat Men - Lizzie Kate - Fabric Flair 28-ct. Blue Cloud

10. Sam's Socks n Such - Raise the Roof - Silkweaver 32-ct Cashel Castle View

11. January - Happily Every After - The Frosted Pumpkin - Under the Sea 28-ct. Looking Glass

12, 13. Main Street: Flower Shop & Coffee Shop - Country Cottage Needlework - Hand-dyed 18-ct Aida

14. Curio: Ladybird - Heart in Hand - Hand-dyed 18-ct Aida

15. Broad Stripes & Bright Stars - Cross-eyed Cricket - Millennial Blue Linen

16, 17, 18, 19, 20. Man of the Month - Amy Bruecken - called for fabric

21. Pins & Needles - Raise the Roof - 22-ct Hardanger (over 1)

22. Stoneware Cat - Priscilla's Pocket - kit

23. A Gray Hare - Lizzie Kate -Kit

If you made it this far, I am very excited.  My sister, Jennifer (of Jen's Stitching Niche on Etsy), and our friend Lisha are going to one of Katrina Boyd's Stitching Retreats this weekend in Franklin, TN.  I am excited because as I am typing this, I just finished giving my final to my June class and have submitted their grades.  I am free from campus bound, time set classes for the summer (only teaching 1 online class).  We are leaving tomorrow and taking our time going to Franklin.  We will stop along the way to shop at different needlework shops that Lisha and Jennifer want to visit.  I love going to Katrina's Retreats; everyone is easy going and I get a lot of work done.

So, thanks for stopping by.  I'm off to pack my things and get ready for the trip (gas, tire check, snacks, stitching projects, oh yeah and clothes).

Clarkey

Twilight Weekend with crocheting

My cousin/friend, Liz, and I usually spend one day a week together doing something.  Well since Thanksgiving, we have hardly seen each other.  So, this Friday and Saturday, we had a Twilight weekend.  We watched the first 2 movies on Friday then the last 3 on Saturday.  I brought my crochet to work on while we watched the movie.  I bought this Bucilla kit at Hobby Lobby over 15 years ago on the reduced for quick sale aisle.  I had started this kit back in December and had completed 10 of the blue and white squares.  I have to make 24 blue and white squares and 24 sunflower squares.  I didn't tuck the ends on the blue and white square.  So, I spent most of Friday on tucking the ends.  I finished the other 14 blue and white squares over the two days. 

Over the weekend, a tornado hit Hattiesburg and Petal (towns near where I live).  The power was out where I worked (in Hattiesburg).  So, on Monday, we didn't have classes.  I spent the day on my couch stitching and crocheting.  I did a different project every hour.  One hour I worked on my sunflower afghan.  The completed sunflower square you see in the picture below was completed in December.  I had also made all 24 brown circles for the sunflower. I tucked all the ends on the brown circles and put the yellow petals on the centers you see in the picture.  I decided to put all the petals on all the circles then crochet the green background.  I thought it would be easier than doing each square completely.

I'm going a little out of order but I keeping the theme together.  Well once a month on Sunday, my sisters, a few of our close friends, and I get together and stitch.  This year we decided to do exchanges.  If you look at my post last week you can see where I got the pattern for making my tool.  I sewed ort contains out of triangles.  Every time I sew, I think I can do this.  And EVERY TIME I get on the sewing machine, I act like a 2-years old throwing a temper tantrum.  My sewing machine pulls the fabric at one speed on one side and an slower speed on the other.  I start out with a 1/4-inch seam allowance and end with a 1/2-inch or 1/8-inch seam allowance.  Well, what should have taken me 1 hour to make took 2-1/2 hours.  They turned out really cute but I forgot to take a picture of all of them (I made 7).

I worked on the S&BF - A Friend's house and Trilogy's - Line Up Boy.  The Boy I am going to make into a Christmas Cracker ornament for my nephew Leif.  Each year my sisters, sisters-in-laws, and I get ornaments for a niece or nephew.  We have the same ones every year.  My two are Nicholas and Leif.  I always get Nicholas a superhero that is popular that year.  Leif's ornament changes depending on his interest each year.  I think this one will be cute. 

A Friend's House - S&BF

Line Up Boy - Trilogy

 Well, I'm off to a good start this year.  I hope to continue posting each week.  This weekend I plan on working on several different projects.  Thanks for stopping by my blog.  Have a great day.

Sharon

Sisters Weekend

Hey.  Long Time; No Post!  Sorry, like everyone else, I have been so busy; with what I don't really know.  I don't know where the time goes.

Back story:  Last year at the beginning of October, my entire family, 18 people (ages 2 - 77) went to Disney World.  We had a great time but my sisters and I felt that we missed out on some things.  You know what I mean. For example, older kids who don't want to meet the characters, little kids who need constant monitoring, etc.   So when we came back home, Jennifer, Bridget, and I decided that we were going to Disney World.  Just the three of us.

Art of Animation

So, Columbus Day Weekend we went to Disney World.  Bridget & I drove through the night on Thursday.  We got to out lodging (Art of Animation) around 6am.  Our rooms were ready, so we went to our rooms, bathe, and changed.  We drove over to Animal Kingdom.  We had a great time seeing the shows like "Finding Nemo - the Musical" and riding rides like "Expedition Everest" (yes Bridget and Jennifer rode it once, I on the other hand rode it twice).  It did rain on us but only for a little while.

Here we are in the rain at Animal Kingdom

On Saturday, which was Jennifer's day, we went to Epcot.  The food and wine festival was happening while we were there.  Last year, Jennifer wanted to go but didn't get to enjoy it.  So this year we were determined to go to every booth.  There were 31 booths and we ate at over 20 of them.  Some of the food that we ate was escargot from France, mussels from Belgium, Moosehead beer from Canada (very good).  Our favorites were:  Barcardi Frozen Dragon Berry Colada from the Carribean,  Crispy Shrimp Taco with Lime Strawberry Margarita on the Rocks from Mexico, Kona Brewing Company Big Wave Golden Ale from Hawai'i, and the most liked meal the lobster and seafood fisherman's pie and cheese platter with Bunratty Meade Honey Wine from Ireland .

Bridget & I in Germany

While we were eating our way around the world, I did the passport for all of the countries.  We also rode rides and met with characters.  I did  "Soaring" for the first time.  Loved it!!

On Sunday, we went to Magic Kingdom.  We rode so many rides.  When we left at 2am I only had 3 rides left to ride: Dumbo, Space Mountain, and .  We met a lot of characters as well.  Jennifer got to meet Marie from the Aristocats.  I got to meet Aurora and Snow White.  While in line for Snow White, we met a guy who has been to Disney World 22 times and had every character's signature but one - Snow White's.  He was so excited; he was as giddy as the little kids in line.

On Monday, we went to Hollywood Studios.  I rode the "Rock n Roll Roller coaster" without Jennifer and Bridget.  I loved it. It is fast, has a loop and a spiral loop in it.  We rode the "Star Tours" and I was the rebel spy on our ship.  We also went to "The Magic of Animation" show then had our own animation lesson where we drew Minnie Mouse.

Goofy wrecked his plan (The BarnStormer)

Jennifer in the knife throwing target

We left a little early to go change into our costumes for "Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween" at Magic Kingdom.  We dressed up as the boys who went to Pleasure Island in Pinocchio.  We had a good time, got a lot of candy, stood in line to meet characters, and rode a few rides.  We didn't get to do as much as we wanted to do but it was fun.

Tuesday we were going to go to Universal Studios to do the Harry Potter rides but we stood in pay to enter the park line for 30 minutes and was only half way to the ticket booth.  So we decided to go to Downtown Disney and shop instead.  We left for home about 4pm  and got home around Midnight.

I had so much fun.  I want to go again.  Maybe next year.

Thanks for stopping by,

Sharon