And The Winner Is.....

Congratulations to Jo! (who can't think of a clever nickname - I love that, it makes me smile every time I see it!) - I linked to one of her many blogs.  She's the one who got me on the Theme-a-licious thing, and apparently Jo's claim to fame in that circle is her ability to "shoe horn" her projects into each theme.  Jo said she comes for the thread, so I'll be putting together her stitcher-friendly package and sending it off - my plan is to send it this coming weekend.  Jo, I've sent you an email to get your address!

Yesterday was my actual blogoversary, which was Labor Day in the U.S.  So no work for me - I celebrated by taking my girls to see Monsters U (it's still playing in the "cheap" theaters).  Mid-day movie, popcorn and soda, then taking the dog to the park - it was a good day!  I even made some progress on the new baby gift!

My Week In Stitches - Wing Work

How is it the end of August already?!?!?!?  I can't believe we're heading into September, fall, cool weather (finally! I'm tired of 95 degrees!), football, holiday stitching.......

This month's Theme-a-licious stitching theme is Wings - which means Fairy Sisters is getting extra attention.  And this week I actually finished this part of Big Sister's wings!

I didn't make as much progress on Irish Blessing as I wanted - I was doing the flame stitches and just didn't like the way it looked.  So (surprise surprise) I decided to change it up.  I always change patterns when I get into the stitching.  On the plus-side, I really like the tweeding of the yellow and blue, and I like the way the Rhodes stitches look:

I'll make a deal with you all:  If I ever stitch a pattern I design exactly as I design it....I don't know.....I'll do another giveaway.

Speaking of which, it's almost giveaway time!  A few people have entered, but there are just a few days left to enter my Blogoversary Giveaway - go here and follow the instructions for your chance to win!  Only comments left on the giveaway post will count as entries, and I'll announce the winner on Tuesday!

It's Blogoversary Giveaway Time!!!!!

Next Monday is my 6th Blogoversary.  To celebrate, I'm giving my followers a chance to win some awesomeness!  What will it be - stash or something handmade?  The votes were mixed, so maybe the gift will be, too!

To enter, all you have to do is:

1. Be a follower
2. Leave a comment on this post telling me "I come for the yarn" or "I come for the thread" - this lets me know what my followers are more interested in!  (Cuz I don't want to be sending hand-dyed fabric to someone who only knits.  That would just be mean.)

Feel free to share this on your blogs, Twitter, Google+, and any other places fiber artists gather online.  Thanks for sticking with me through my silent periods, and my emotional processing, and my lack of progress.  Your encouragement means the world to me!

The giveaway will stay open through Monday, September 2, and I'll announce the winner sometime on Tuesday, September 3.  Good luck!


This giveaway is now closed.  Thanks for visiting!

Guess what's coming?

My blogoversary, in about a month and a half!  I'm thinking giveaway this year!!

If you could choose, would you rather have: something hand-stitched, or stash?  Now's your chance, let me know in the comments what you'd like to win to celebrate my 6 years in the blogosphere!

(Oh, and you know that if the majority chooses hand-stitched there will also be stash thrown in, right?)

Blogoversary - Year 3 in Review

No giveaway this year, it kind of crept up on me.  So I don't have anything ready.  And I've kind of over-committed myself (you'll see that on Saturday's update).  It took me all evening just to make this:

Finish-finishes!!!! - I found 30 projects that I've completed in the last 12 months, I know I'm missing some(not all are pictured, of course).  6 of those were wearables for ME (huge pat on the back - I've been wearing my black capris almost constantly since I finished them).  I learned 5 new finishing techniques, how to do blackwork (which I still love, by the way), and how to crochet my own lace.  I'm becoming more confident in crocheting with yarn, too.  I like to crochet useful things and stitch for fun.  Sewing is becoming less of a chore, too.  I learned how to do gathers, pleats, zippers and PANTS.

Exchanges, gifts, SAL, RR and WIPs - I participated in 5 Tiny Treasures Exchanges, and sent off 2 PIFs.  I made a gift set for a giveaway for a Facebook group.  I have finished all the framework on Book of Ink Circles, and had hoped to finish the motifs by now.  I should have been able to, if I hadn't skipped some Sundays.  I finished and mailed off Pixie's round 6 of the 3 Ladies RR, (but I'm still waiting for mine to come home).  I started HAED's Fairy Sisters, which is my main WIP, and will be for awhile.  The advent calendar has been an epic fail - remember when I was going to complete one pocket a day in November?  HA!

I was accepted as a GhostStitcher, and finished one project for them (I have another WIP currently).  It's fun to be able to make a little extra money through stitching.  I'm also now doing contract work for some friends.  It's also fun to be able to make a little extra money at home on the computer. :)

In blogging, I created 107 posts (including this one) - that averages a little over 2 each week.  Not bad considering I skipped the entire month of July.  Most comments  - 6 - a 3-way-tie between my wine-dyeing experiment, my HAED decision and one of my weekly updates.  I currently have 41 followers (I didn't record how many I had last year, but I know it's up a lot).

My husband moved home!!  Thank you to everyone who was praying for us for the last 2 years, we are settling into a new pattern that includes Daddy.  I'm fully convinced that part of the reason I stitched and blogged so much the last 2 years was because I needed to keep my mind and hands occupied.  Thanks for your support, for following, for commenting, and even those of you who just stop by to read.

The winner is.........

There were 9 items in your list. Here they are in random order:

1. amanda
2. robin_titan
3. Rebekah
4. SueFitz
5. Cole
6. FIONA
7. Nita
8. smilen1004
9. Theresa

Congratulations, amanda!!! I'll be e-mailing you for your snail mail.

Now for my recap of my year. I didn't do this last year. Blogging was hit or miss for me. But I've really found a lot of joy in it this year! And I've had a lot to show!

Finish-finishes!!!! - 3 dresses, 1 shirt, 1 little kid purse, 1 crocheted baby doll, 3 scarves, 13 tote bags with stitched pockets, 3 embroidered evening bags, 1 PIF flat-fold, 1 doggie picture, 2 scissor fobs, 2 biscornu, 1 floss tag, 1 Lizzie*Kate picture frame, 3 ornaments and one Family Tree Book. That's 39 finishes - I averaged 3 a month! I can't believe it (not all finishes are pictured)! (The Picasa mosaic idea was blatantly stolen from Theresa)

SAL, RR and WIPs - I started BoInk, I got back into doing lessons for the Hardanger tutorial and posted SAL patterns (I don't feel it's complete, and it's not finish-finished, so it's still a WIP), and participated in the 3 Ladies RR (okay, so I still have Pixie's round 6). Emma's Garden #2 is on it's way to completion - lace and beads remain. I dyed my own fabric in a mix of coffee and tea.

In blogging, I created 178 posts - that averages a little over 3 each week! Most coments were on the Blogoversary Give-Away sign-ups and my birthday. :) I learned how to create a 3-column blog page and change the background at will. My friend Laura made me a beautiful header, and I made my own for the Etsy shop and my gallery blog.

I also moved twice, sent a child off to school, and got a dog. Here's to a more sedate year #3!!

Last day to sign up for Blogoversary!

I'm drawing the winner tomorrow! Click here, tell me you want to win and leave your e-mail address please!

BLOGOVERSARY GIVEAWAY!!!!!

The little countdown on the side says my blogoversary is in 6 days, so........

It's time to enter! I'm still finishing the pieces. But I'll tell you I'm using some of what I've learned in stitching this year to create them. I've learned so much about finishing techniques this year, and seeing all your finished projects gave me the courage to try them for myself. I'll have to count up my projects/finishes and report on the "actual day" what I've accomplished.

To enter, please leave a comment on this post only, with your e-mail so I can contact the winner! The winner will be chosen on September 2.

Thank you to all my readers for a great year #2 of blogging!

(Also, check out some of the links on the side. The end of August/first part of September seems to be a popular time to start blogs, judging by all the giveaways from some of my favorite stitchers to read!)

Blackwork attempt!

My first attempt at blackwork. I'm really happy, so far! This is the blackwork "hope" ornament pattern for Stitching for a Cure. It seems to stitch up quickly - I did the outer frame in a couple of hours last night and the inner motif in a couple of hours this afternoon. There's a little more for the inside - stitching and beads. I'm still deciding if I'll add the charted "HOPE" at the bottom. You will be seeing more blackwork from me!

Oh, and because I can't stand not showing things I'm working on, here's a sneak peek at the Blogoversary give-away. Hardanger, again! :)

Stitching updates before I fly away

My flight leaves in 6 hours, 18 minutes, but who's counting? LOL Here are some updates to tide you all over:

Emma #2. I finished the hollyhock stems. The only backstitching left is a leaf detail and the ribbon at her waist (and the personalization). I stopped backstitching because I realized that some of what I was doing in green as greenery detail was actually supposed to be in white pearl #8 - lace detail. Grr. So I switched to pearl #12 to start some of that lace. It doesn't show up very well on the pale green (another grr) - I'm hoping that when I add the texture with the other thickness of white thread it will be more visible. I could still pull it out and make the lace ecru and white. I feel like it's early enough that I'm not fully committed. (Although, maybe I should be committed for doing this pattern TWICE.) I don't have ecru #12 or it would be a no-brainer. I'll look at the colors and the textures and see what happens after my trip.

BoInk - I took out the cat portion, and I like the way this looks. I also made great progress on the right side - finished the outline of the knot and worked my way just past the top of the botton right motif. Could I dare hope to be done with the black outline in 2 (maybe 3) weeks? Now I just have to find my other skein of 310 - I pulled out 3 for this project, I've used 2, and the 3rd is not in the project baggie. I have more downstairs, but I carefully matched them up to be sure I was using skeins with the same level of saturation. I have one bag of "moving" stuff I can check, but it will wait until I get back, too.

I'm taking blogoversary stitching with me - did I mention that already? I have hopes of finishing the stitching on this and actually having it DONE by the blogoversary, September 2. :)

Blogoversary

Yes, I'm working on pieces for my blogoversary give-away. No, I won't tell you what they are yet. I've made really good progress on what I think will be the largest piece. So if I continue to use my "WIP" days for this, I'm in good shape!