A Holiday Finish - Early?!

I did it! Yesterday I finished "Bright" by Monsterbubbles. So this means that, for the first time ever, I have finished a holiday project before the holiday which I was intending to finish it for. How's that for a confusing sentence? Guess I should never do that again if it's so hard to explain! So here it is:

Now, what should I do next?

I'm planning to take up on Nova again. This is the ridiculous canvaswork project that I started a couple of years ago. That one stalled out because I ran out of one of the DMC colors I needed and I just never got around to buying it. Also, I have a little piece that was designed special for me by Lori of La D Da. I really want to get that one done so I can send it back to her as a thank you!!!

Closing in on a Finish

Well I've been quietly stitching in the background for a while. It's been rather busy here, but I actually have been finding some time to get to my favorite chair between helping my BF who just had hip resurfacing surgery, completing construction on the bedroom in my new house (a wall went down and two new closets went up), working towards my blue belt in karate (only a month to go before my test), preparing for two new puppies, training the one I have, organizing an international speedskating meet and Oh yeah... my job. HAHAHAHAHA

Yeah that's right - I've really needed the stitching time so the fabric can take all the stabbings I want to dole out :-).

I've been primarily working on "Merry and Bright" and hope to have it done in the next couple of weeks. I'm hosting a garage sale this weekend, so it might actually get done while I'm doing that if I get the kind of foot traffic I had today...not too much.

Here's what I have completed at this very moment:

I had to make a visit to A Stitcher's Garden last week because I had run out of the red for the words and one of the other colors. Of course this was an exceedingly dangerous trip and as usual I was unable to walk away without a damage hit to my wallet. And this is why:

This is just about the neatest thing ever for someone who is a math geek in geometry. Now I have the difficult task of attempting to stick to my stitching plan. Currently it is to finish Merry and Bright and move onto completing "Nova":

And work on the Sampler Book project. OK so how am I supposed to wait to work on the Quaker Ball while I'm dealing with those... how!!!

Need to Sit!

Well I haven't been stitching much. I haven't decided who I feel about it. I'm enjoying all that I'm doing, but I miss making things. Lately, between dog club stuff, karate stuff, skating club stuff, renovating my new home and prepping for my BF's surgery...well I think that speaks for itself.

However, I couldn't resist getting this chart that was made from a painting I commissioned of my pup:

Jo Lynch painted it and Heaven and Earth Designs converted it to cross stitch.

And, I couldn't leave the HAED site without getting another chart...as if I'll ever have the time to stitch all of this stuff:

This is such a lovely piece!

There's a stitching retreat coming up that I really really want to go to because I've missed so many. It's been a long time since I've had the chance to chat with my stitching friends. But it happens to be the night my BF comes home from the hospital. Maybe his sister can sit for me - I hope!!

Let the Games Begin

I'm off work for the morning while I wait for the plumber to come over. I figured I should take a little time to write an update while I wait.

The big news is that I finished the Quaker Game Board yesterday...

I'm pretty thrilled about finishing this. It's been a while since I finished a large piece. Also, it's the first finish in my new home :-).

I spent a little time putting away the last of my craft materials and then I decided to pick up Bright for a little more work this morning...

There's still quite a lot to do on this project, but it goes quickly... if I find the time to work on it!

While I was cleaning I discovered that I had another finish that hadn't been documented. I think I completed this one in January just before I was moving so it was lost in the shuffle. It's a lovely Bass Clef.

I need to get this into some sort of finished form as it is a gift for someone (long overdue).

I generally have a little project I'm working on for time where I'm stick at the doctor's office or doing my laundry. The current one is a small freebie I got called Waiting for the Harvest.

Finally, my TV project is a weaving project I work on rarely. But I'm hoping to get a bit more done on it in the next few months. It is a bit of an organic process creating this. I have an idea of where I want to go with it, but the concept changes every so often as I work on it.

Is it so Hard to Press a Button?

Yup apparently it's very difficult to even remember to bring your stitching project with you to work, let alone find a couple of minutes to get to the copier to scan an image of it. But I finally did. This is my other completed project from the stitching retreat. I can't believe it was just last weekend!

Another Great Stitching Retreat!

This past weekend was the annual A Stitcher's Garden  retreat. This year is the 10th Anniversary of the retreat and my 5th year attending. There were more attendees this year than any other retreat I've been to. It was a pleasure chatting with and stitching projects by Lori Markovic of La-D-Da and Linda Ebright of Lizzie*Kate.

As usual I left the retreat with more things than I can possibly ever stitch and a HUGE smile on my face as a result...

I also got to see a friend or two that I haven't had the chance to catch up with in a while...

And of course I did a little stitching and finished a couple of projects...

(note I'll add the photo of my other finish as soon as I can get a good quality version).
And I met a number of new friends!

Of course now I want to spend all of my time stitching and thinking about next year's retreat! Instead I'll do what I can to get this year's stash cataloged and get back to work. But I'll be sure to make some time each week to let my needle fly!