Fabulous Christmas Present Stash

My family did an outstanding job on Christmas stash this year.  

Katy was the Christmas elf and coordinated everything.  

She got me the BBD pattern, fabric and floss/

She got her father to get the Lone Elm box.

I am absolutely tickled by this.  

I have been lusting after the box but, wasn't going to spend the cash on it myself.  

I didn't know that the top was interchangeable.

That interchangeable aspect is right up my alley!

 Katy also helped her brother.  

This was a clip board that slides open and you can store your project in it.

The only place I had seen this was on the Dyeing to Stitch website.  

Katy had it all arranged and Ed only needed to call with a credit card number.  

This is a great gadget.  

It works really well.

 I have a few finishes to show.  

I started knitting this sweater last winter for Katy but, lost steam.

I thought I was possibly going to run out of yarn but, didn't.

I think it turned out really great!

It is going to keep her toasty warm.  

That is a good thing since this winter has been sooo cold!

 I think it turned out really well.

It looks awfully cute on her.  

 She told me since I was going to be blogging about it, I would have to take a picture of the back too.  

I am quite pleased with how it turned out. 

I finished my little sheepies.  

They turned out adorable.  

I had found a trim at Hobby Lobby sometime ago that worked perfect.  

 It looks like little balls of fluff around the edge.  

The pattern showed wide ric rac but, I thought this worked just as well.  

When I finished it, I liked it so much, I thought my sister would like one.  

I quickly stitched up the second one and popped it into her Christmas present bag.  

I didn't put a hanger on them.  

I will just prop it up against something.

I'm glad the sweater is done and now I can stitch some more.

I am working on a WIP:  Stacy Nash's Christmas at Hollyberry Farm.

I was thinking about the Stitching from the Stash SAL but, I don't think I could stop myself from acquiring more stash.  

I am going to do a Smalls SAL with Stitching Lotus Here.

I think I will find some projects to work on while hanging out on New Years Day.  

Thank you for the great comments.  

It is wonderful to hear from you all and the nice words of encouragement.  

Don't get too crazy on New Years Eve.

We are planning a night at home with the kids and the dog.

We sure know how to live life on the edge.

Keep on Stitching!

Monica

Merry Christmas

Have a Very Merry Christmas!

 Time for Shiny and Bright

 Renewal

May God bless you, one and all!

Baking

Betty Crocker would say that my Cranberry Bread is over mixed. 

 I don't care.

I had two bags of cranberries to use.

I chopped them and had 5 cups of  cranberries...6 loaves.  

I have four that I'm giving away.  

I have made Buckeye Balls because they are gluten free.  

I made the peanut butter blossoms I used gluten free flour.  

I had an issue.  

While removing cookies from the baking sheet, it dropped and broke into a hundred pieces.

The subsequent cookies aren't as fragile.

They taste amazing.    .  

  

We did our last minute Christmas errands yesterday and ran down to my mom's to see my sister from FL.  

Today, I've been so busty with the cookies, I haven't had much stitching time.  

I'm having a hard time staying awake while blogging.  

I hope you are ready for Christmas. 

It is as good as it gets around here.  

I'm sending a kid to the grocery shop.

I just want to stay awake long enough to do some stitching.  

Have a great week.

Keep on Stitching

Monica

Getting Cool Glasses

I had my eyes examined today.  My optometrist's office called last week to reschedule Bob's appointment.  I had gotten a card to remind me to make an appointment.  I found out I hadn't seen him in three years.  I figure that was their fault since, they usually schedule an appointment and just send us a card.   I figure it was their fault since I didn't get a reminder before now...oh well...I wasn't having any problems.  And as it turns out, I'm not as near sighted as I was but, my astigmatism is a little worse.

I need a new pair of glasses.  I always complain that I do needlework often on very small weave fabric, you know 36-40 count linen and I sometimes have a hard time.  The other thing I need to do sometimes is take stitches out of people's hands (work related).  I need to get close up to be able to see this stuff and my bifocals just don't cut it.  He has a new solutions.  They are called Z:clips.  What they do is put two small magnets, one in each lens of the glasses.  One clip I'm getting are sunglasses the other is going to give my power to see at the 10" distance the distance I sometimes need to stitch at and be able to see the knot in a suture.  The other thing that this Z:clip will help with is computer work.  That sounds totally awesome to me.  I will let you know how they work out.

I finished Threadwork Primitives Kringles Crow.  It was very quick and turned out very cute.

 I have some finishing to do this weekend

I have to finish my little sheepies.  

I didn't stitch anything this year for my stitching group but, I did make gifts.  

 The beads were very fun and funky.  

 This one is green and bronze and a lot cooler in person.  

 Katy and I also spent the Saturday after Thanksgiving making cards.

It was fun to have some girls crafting time.  

Hope you have your Christmas shopping done.  

I think I am done with it.  

Don't know how much baking I'm going to do.  

None of us need it.  

I will do some but not much.  

Thanks for the great comments!

Hope to hear from you soon.

Have a wonderful, joyful weekend.

Keep on Stitching

Monica

A Finish and a New Beginning

I finished Merry Eweies.

I absolutely love this piece.  

A very fun, quick stitch.  

I'll finish it off later this week.

 I may have another piece to finish later.  

I started Threadwork Primitives:  Kringle's Crow.  

I don't think this will take long.  

I think I finished my Christmas shopping.

I think I have finished wrapping.

I have Christmas cards to do but, I don't get too wordy on those.

I do usually take the easy way out.  

I'm looking forward to the kids being home.  

Katy will be home on Wednesday.  

Ed is working and will be home next Saturday or so.  

Lots of preparation and time is going fast.  

Thanks for all the wonderful comments.

Keep on Stitching

Monica

A Jazzy Christmas

Hooray I didn't have to work today!

At least for a little while my Thursday are mine!

I have been wrapping Christmas presents and listening to Pandora Jazz Christmas.

I like the jazzy Christmas music about the best.  

I did a little Christmas shopping...just a Poinsettia for my mom.

I also picked her up some candied fruit for Stollen.

It is a raised dough Christmas bread she makes every year. 

She couldn't get the fruit at her local grocery store.  

I also hung her Christmas wall hanging and helped her decide borders for a quilt.

I finished the first sleeve of Katy's sweater and started on the second one.

I straightened out Ed's/sewing room, putting things away.

I also picked up puffed pastry and frozen stew veggies so I could make a chicken pot pie for dinner.

I like the puffed pastry better than pie crust.

The frozen veggies made it super easy.

I haven't worked on the Lo How a Rose this week but, have been working on 

Merry Eweies.

 Those sheep are so gosh darn cute!

Bob asked me what we were doing on Saturday because, if we didn't have anything planned, he want to go snowboarding in Marquette with Ed.

I still need to do some shopping that I can't get done around here.

Brilliant idea!

I could go to, shop while the boys snow board and then Ed could give me his key and I could go back to his apartment when I was done and take a nap in the Grandpa Mike chair (my dad's old recliner).

I will take some stitching, knitting and maybe Christmas cards.

And I won some floss this week from the Victorian Motto Sampler Shoppe.

If you haven't signed up for her drawings you are really missing something!

Nancy is amazing!

Oh and BTW in Keweenaw County, about 90 miles north of here, they are up to 86 inches of snow so far.  They will probably have between 300 and 400 inches (I am not kidding!)

It is one of the snowiest areas of the continental US.  

It sticks out into Lake Superior.

Hope your week has been marvelous.  

Have a great weekend.

Thanks for the great comments...love them!

Keep Stitching

Monica

Busy, Busy, Busy

It has been a very busy weekend.  

 We had two Christmas parties this weekend and opted to go to only one. 

We aren't in college any more. 

We did some Christmas shopping and visiting.  

I never have enough stitching time.

Do I need some cheese with this whine??

I did get a little stitching and some knitting.  

I am making progress on Merry Eweies.  

I am nearly done with the second sheep.  

I plan on working on him tonight.  

 I did a little on Lo How a Rose this morning.

I should post a series of pictures to see the progress.  

I started working on a sweater for Katy last winter and just ran out of Oomph.  

I started working on it again today.  

I don't think it will be done for Christmas.  

I just want to finish it before she returns to school.

I have the first sleeve to finish and the second one to do.

I did do some more Christmas decorating today.  

Probably not that different than the pictures from last year.

The Santa's are on the bookshelf.

 The snowmen on the hall table.  

 A new swag and lights on the china cabinet.  

It looks much better in person. 

This was with the flash.  

Without the flash, it was blurry.

The mantel.  

I couldn't get that good of a picture and pictures don't do it justice.

This is really shiny and cool.  

Lots of glitz and glitter.  

I hope you had a great weekend and got a lot accomplished.  

There is always too much to do on the weekends.

Thank you again for the wonderful comments.  

Keep on Stitching

Monica

It's Winter Here

I should have taken pictures but, I didn't.

We have had snow, rain, freezing rain, fog and now the temperature is plummeting.  

It is 10 right now and tonight, -3.  

I had to scrap/chip about a 1/4 inch of ice off  my windshield before I could leave work last night.  

Fortunately, by evening, it was rain, so stitching group was not cancelled.  

I have been working on Lo How a Rose sampler but, I wanted to do something more Christmas-y.  

I started Homespun Sampler:  Merry Eweies.

I think this is just so cute.

 I will keep pecking away at the Sampler but, there are so many things I want to work on.  

I have things I'm knitting and stitching, and beading and then there is shopping.

 

I need to get the camera card to Walgreen's to make Christmas cards.  

The good thing is I don't think I need to do a lot of baking.  

I am looking forward to the weekend and hopefully having a little stitching time.  

I am always hoping for some stitching time. 

Have a wonderful weekend.

Thank you always for the lovely comments.

Keep on Stitching

Monica

It Was Quite a Thanksgiving

It was quite a Thanksgiving.

We have twins and they got home on Wednesday both of them sick.

Ed was not sure he was going to make it at all.  

He has never been sick longer than 12 hours.  

I know that sounds weird but, it is the truth, he just doesn't get sick.

He was feeling a little better on friday morning but, by Friday night he was feeling horrid.

His throat was red and his tonsils were inflammed.  

I sent him to the after hours clinic on Saturday when he wasn't any better.  

He is now on antibiotics for Strep throat.

This morning he had a bloody nose and got blood everywhere.  

 Katy was feeling lousy all week.  She was going to go to her classes on Wednesday but, got up feeling sick to her stomach and throwing up.  

She saw her professors and turned in assignments.  

She left earlier and came home.

I think her problem was more stress from the semester and room-mate issues.

Everything is actually working out and it is sometimes when the stress is alleviated that you get hit.

It was just such a short break.  

The good thing is that Christmas break is not too far away.

Because it has been so busy, there wasn't much time for stitching. 

I did get my border done on my Mary's Sampler.  

I have to see if I have a frame it will fit in.  

I have one that is just a smidge too small and another is just a little too big.  

I will have to look around a little more.  

It really is sweet.

I really haven't worked on this very much.  

I just did a little bit of the flower above the "M" in blooming.  

I did get a little Christmas shopping done.

Katy and I also worked on present projects yesterday all afternoon.

I think we both needed some girl bonding craft time.  

Now they are all back at school.  The house is back in order and disinfected. 

I am really hoping no one else gets Strep throat.  

I really could use one more day off just to relax.  

I am sure the next few weeks are going to be way too busy.  

Hope you had a very good Thanksgiving.  

Have a wonderful week.

Thank you for the great comments.

Keep on Stitching

Monica

Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving everyone.  

I hope you had a very wonderful Thanksgiving.  

I'm sort of in a turkey coma right now.  

Not too terribly ambitious.  

One of my favorite Prairie Schooler Turkeys I did a few years ago.  

He is very handsome.  

I am nearly done with the greenery around the PSS Mary Sampler.  

I have that one last corner, then I can do the strawberries. 

I have been plodding along on the BH&G Lo, How a Rose.

I have been working on the Mary Sampler so I could blog about that too. 

The kids both made it home safe and sound.  

They have been a big help with the dinner and picking up my mom. 

Katy and I took my mom home.  We drove past Walmart at  7.

The place is nuts.

I don't get in to the black Friday madness. 

Finally, Katy was slipping Buster a little turkey. 

He's in a tryptophan slumber.  

Be careful black friday shopping. 

Have a great weekend.

Tomorrow, turkey sandwiches!

Thanks for stopping and all the wonderful comments. 

Keep on Stitching

Monica

I Just Wasn't Happy

I have been working the Lo How a Rose from 2000 Better Homes and Garden Christmas.  

I was using the colors designed but, I think since 2000 the Weeks aren't exactly the same.  

I just wasn't happy with the way it was turning out.

The colors were too pastel and the antique white linen was too white.  

 I went back to the DMC colors and then matched some overdyes.  

I also just got some 36 count Light Exampler that I much prefer over the antique white.  

 The darker pinks and green looks a little more "Christmas-ie".  

 A little better idea of the contrast.  

Otherwise a busy weekend. 

I have been working on the room stairs and trying to clean out the craft closet I have down there.

I want Ed to clean out what little bit he has in his closet so I can restructure it for my sewing room.

He's never home more than a couple of days now anyway.  

All he has left in there is some hunting clothes and things that just need to be donated since he hasn't worn them in years.  

He can put things in the closet downstairs.  

In preparation for the holidays and potential guests we cleaned there.  

There is a full bath and a very good futon.  

I haven't stitched as much as I would have liked.  

Hope you had a productive weekend.

Thanks for the great comments.  

I love hearing from you.

Keep on Stitching

Monica

The Christmas Queue and Oh Yeah, a Finish

I think I'm starting with a finish. 

I finished my Heart in Hand Thanksgiving Blessing.  

I just have to lace up the back but, I wanted to blog about it.

I really love this pattern and it was a very fun stitch!

I'm done with it in time for Thanksgiving.  

I wanted to show you some of the things in my Christmas Queue.  

I doubt I will finish them all before Christmas but, hey you can hope.

This is Lo How a Rose Sampler in an old Better Homes and Garden  book, A Cross-Stitch Christmas.  I saw this on Of Needles, Pins and Stitching Things Here.

I ordered the book from Amazon for like to next to nothing.  

The shipping cost me more.  

I'm doing it in the over dyes and on 36 count antique white linen.  

Little closer.  

When I take pictures at night they either turn out yellowish or washed out.  

 The Stacy Nash I started last year:  Christmas at Hollyberry Farm.  

I have a ways to go on this one.  

 This Threadwork Primitives shouldn't take very long.  

I love how it is finished in the picture. 

 The the Homespun Elegance Merry Merry Soul.

I forgot the other one in the Queue:  Merry Eweies.  

 Needed some more thread for this 

With Thy Needle and Thread Cozy in the Pines Sampler.  

I think I could work on this after Christmas since it doesn't scream Christmas.  

 This one however can't be anymore Christmas-ee with a Santa.

I needed to order some thread and fabric for these.  

Bought the Thanksgiving turkey today for 77 cents a pound.

Can't beat that.  

I have a few more things to pick up for dinner.  

Can't wait to see the kids. They should both be home on Wednesday.  

This weekend is suppose to be Artically cold.

Saturday high of 16 and Sunday a high of 19.  

That is way too cold!

That is like long underwear weather!!!

I guess I'm just going to have to stay home and stitch.  

Hope you have had a great week, a great Friday and a warmer weekend.