The Peacock's Feather

My Last 'Finish'

It is safe to share a photo now of my latest finish, as the package was delivered to the recipient today!  This is Prairie Schooler's "X is for Cross Stitch".  I didn't stitch the bottom section of the chart, and finished it as a pillow.  I always enjoy stitching PS designs!  All those days I wasn't posting anything...this is what I was working on!  Now I am in the middle of Christmas ornaments!  I hope to get back to my own stitching soon!

A New Quaker

The new Needleprint chart, "The Companion to Beatrix Potter's Sampler" came in the mail yesterday.   I am feeling like I am bingeing on Quakers lately!  I am tempted to kit these up, but I am going to try and resist and work on my Sarah Tatum instead.  I was afraid that if I waited to order these (Sarah Moon and the Beatrix Potter Quaker and this Companion Sampler) that they would end up out of print.  When that happens, and you decide you want it after all, it can become far too pricey to purchase later! So this is a bit of a before Christmas splurge for me.  I did end up starting to stitch Blackbird Design's "Quaker Garden".  I think this it is going to be a lot like the Just Nan I finished a while back.  It was very pleasant to work on it.  The fabric is nice and stiff and easy to work with and the motifs are very relaxing to work on.  How ever tempting it is to pull it out and work on it, though, I need to keep working on my Christmas ornaments. I am in the middle of one, which is due to be mailed out December 1 (though I bet I will need next weekend to do the finishing on it).  My other exchange is due to be mailed out by December 5.  I decided on a design that is rather small, so I am making a set of three ornaments.  I have finished stitching one of them and am working on the other two.  As a matter of fact I better go and pull one of them out now!

Time for a Quaker

I managed to finally finish the birthday gift I was working on.  It went into the mail today after work--hooray!  It is likely not going to get there by Friday, though I did send it Priority Mail.  That was quite a relief!  Now to work on my two Christmas ornaments!  I decided to go ahead and work on Bent Creek's "Gobble" today, which I showed earlier in the week.  I had planned on finishing my gift over the weekend and stitch on my turkey this week.  It didn't quite work out the way I planned, so I stitched very little on it.  Now I fear I will lose interest very fast!  Today I received the fabric and floss in the mail for Blackbird Designs "Quaker Garden".  I know a lot of people have already stitched this and I greatly admired it.  I finally broke down and ordered the supplies to go with my chart.  I have a feeling I won't be able to hold off starting this one very soon!  And I did manage to order a very few things from Elegant Stitch.  I may not get too many of my choices, however, as I literally waited until the last minute to order!  So now I guess I can relax tomorrow and enjoy the holiday.  For those of you celebrating--Have a Wonderful Thanksgiving!

Stitching Update...

Once again I am behind in my work!  I had thought I would be able to complete the stitching on a birthday gift and do the finishing this weekend.  I did finish stitching, but it has lots of backstitching, which I didn't realize would be so time consuming.  So now I hope to complete that tonight, pull out the sewing machine tomorrow, and put it in the mail on Wednesday.  At least I will be mailing it before the actual birthday (on Friday), but I am sure it will not arrive to its destination until early next week.    I hate this sort of pressure.  I am sure the recipient doesn't mind, but it is one more thing hanging over my head.  On a happier note, I think it looks quite nice and am pleased with how it has turned out.   There are two birthdays in December (and then we are done with this exchange), and I decided that I will buy a gift rather than stitch one for them both.  I placed an order today for a few things and will mail them out as soon as I get them.  For once I will be early!

I still have two ornaments to stitch, however.  They are due to be mailed out December 1st.  This gives just over a week to finish two of them.  More stress.  Was I nuts when I signed up for two?  One is started and the other is not (though I have the fabric cut and the floss ready).  I guess you know what I will be doing over the long weekend!

One last thing...did you know Elegant Stitch has been having a sale on fabric and floss?  I had hoped to order a few things, but I have had no free time to look and see what I need.  Maybe it is better to skip this sale...I don't need to order anything new anyway!  I also just heard that NPI silks are going up in price.  I really liked NPI silks, and they were affordable, too.  Some of these supplies are becoming too pricey for me to buy.  I know they are not cheap...but the days of buying some designer's charts are just about over for me (like Martina/Chatelaine Designs)--while they are gorgeous, it is hard to reconcile spending so much money on these designs.  Another reason to work from my stash instead of buying more new stuff!

Gobble!

Look what I pulled out of my stash bin!  I forgot that I had a Thanksgiving design all ready to go!  I think I am going to have to work on this kit this week.    It only measures about 4" x 4-1/2", so maybe I can actually finish it this month.  I have never stitched anything for Thanksgiving before.  Don't you think this would make a cute pillow?  However, first things first.  Tonight I hope to put in the last stitches of the birthday gift I am making!

Always Something to Tempt Me...

Have you seen this one?  Victoria Sampler - "L" is for Librarian.  I work in a library.  I am not sure I can pass this one up.  If I don't buy it, it is definitely going on my Christmas wish list!

Then Again...

So I may still be in a bit of a bah humbug mood, I have decided that I do indeed feel like stitching some holiday designs for me as well as for my exchanges!  I took a quick look through a couple of stash bins and these are the possbilities I have come up with.  They are all fairly small designs, so surely I can stitch a few before Christmas.  Actually many of them are simply winter designs, so it wouldn't matter if I stitched them in the coming cold and snowy months after the holidays as well.  Even though I am stitching, I want to be stitching something for myself as well as for the exchanges for others I am working on!  I had a chance to look at a few blogs tonight (another thing I am always behind in doing!), and it made me feel like starting something new right now!  Perhaps it is just as well I don't have time to surf blogs!  At the moment I am leaning towards the Prairie Schooler gloves (stitching maybe three of them would be great), The Littles Snowman by Bent Creek and the Winter Fun kit by Periwinkle Promises.  What holiday stitching is everyone else doing??

Bah Humbug!

Sorry I have not been updating my stitching blog lately.  I have been stitching (though not as much as I would like), but I can't really share my progress photos as they are gifts.  I am having a very hard time motivating myself this year.  I am so not in the holiday mood for some reason.  Already Thanksgiving is next week.  I have done nothing in anticipation for the upcoming holidays.  We even carved our pumpkins the weekend after Halloween!  It has been sort of a crappy last month or so, and I am just in a bah humbug mood!  Usually by now I have started my Christmas shopping.  Or I have at least started making lists.  I can't even seem to make myself do that!  I would have to say holiday stitching (other than my two ornaments for exchanges) is likely out of the question at this particular moment.  Last time I placed a needlework order, which was for a few small items to send along with my exchanges I didn't even order anything for myself!  I must be out of it!!  If nothing else I am ready for the long holiday weekend next week.  I have been so tired from work and other chores that I can't even seem to get the energy to do anything fun in my free time at night!  Hopefully I will get back into the stitching groove soon!

A Folk Angel!

Sorry, not the best photo (I am a really terrible picture taker, aren't I!), but here is a folk angel that I bought last weekend at a craft fair.  I bought it for my MIL, but I am not sure if she likes this style  of craft.  Maybe I need to choose a different gift for her (for Christmas), and keep her for myself....What do you think?  I personally love her!

Stitching Update

Sorry I have not been posting much lately.  I have been stitching, though of course not as much as I would like (isn't that always the case?).  When I have been stitching, it has been for my exchanges.  I am afraid to post progress photos, though it is unlikely the recipients will spot them here.  Two of the three exchanges I am working on are for people who don't know I have their names.  I will show you eventually, though.  I can say that one is a Prairie School design.  It is from a medium size design, but I am stitching part of it, and I plan on sewing it as a cushion.  I am really enjoying stitching it, and I now want to stitch a PS sampler for me!

I did make a tiny start on a project for myself today.  It is a Workbasket freebie.  I can't remember the month (I don't have my stitching close by at the moment), but it is a nice Quaker design that I stitched for someone else once.  I liked it so much I wanted one for me!  I have changed the colors (last time it was for a summer Quaker exchange and we used blues and greens).  This time I am stitching with lovely Gloriana silk that has golds, browns and greens in it for Autumn.  I haven't stitched enough yet to show a progress photo, but as soon as there is something to see I will share!  I plan on making it into a pinkeep.  I love pinkeeps though I only have one in my collection (I have made several but have given them all away).  Two more weeks until Thanksgiving.  ACK.  Where is the year going?!