A Finish and a New Kit!

 As usual it is busier around here than I was thinking it would be. I seem to include basic needs in my time buget plan! I did take time to do some stitching and sewing this week. I completed a tote bag for a friend - and forgot to get a picture! No worries though since I have 2 others pre-cut with the same fabric.

I have been working on the Mill Hill Aurora Borealis kit for the last couple weeks. Today was competion day! I'm excited to see what it looks like in the dark because it has glow-in-the-dark beads. Ooooo.

I haven't decided yet how I will frame it. I'm trying to think of new ways to display my stitching because framing is just so expensive. We might start making our own frames here. It is easy enough to cut some molding and then I can paint it. Especially for these little project stitched on the paper it should be easy and attractive to make our own.

While I was stitching the Aurora Borealis my dog flipped the bead container and I ended up running short of the 02098 pine colored beads. Crisis! So I just _had_ to order the Grasshopper Pie pattern from Glendon Place as a kit since it happens to have those beads. Yesterday the kit arrived! I am so thrilled to have this goegeous project. Of course, when to stitch it? I have so many that I want to do. What a terrible conundrum to have! I received the kit from WickedWips ETSY shop and couldn't be happier with the service. I recommend purchasing from her if you have the chance.

First 2024 Completion

 It has already been an eventful 2024 and it's only one week in. I worked three of the days so far and have been trying to get a handle on plans for our vacation in a month. It finally became cold enough for the ground to freeze, so I haven't had to fight the mud battle I was waging in December. There have been a couple of doctor visits for me and for dogs, and finally a couple of days to try to relax. Of course the minute I sat down I spent most of a day doing paperwork. I swear the world gives me more busywork than an elementary school teacher! Saturday I was excited to have a friend over to stitch with me for a few hours. That is the first time in a couple of years I have been able to make that happen! We had a great time. I was working on the letter Z in the Black & White project. She was working on Glendon Place's Plum Pudding. 

Today I was able to finish the letter Z. I was pretty excited because it seemed like it took far longer than I hoped. I grabbed the letter Y to work in next but decided that I wanted to work on The Bramble and the Rose a bit before I started back in on some of my smaller portable projects. Here is the finish of Z and some of the progress on The Bramble and the Rose:

Now that it is winter (it snowed about 6" today), I start to think about what WIPs I can work through to completion. And I always hope I will be able to get more done than I actually do. This year I'm going to think more about just trying to find time to stitch and not worry about what I might or might not complete. I am hoping that things start to settle down with the house so I'm not tied up with fixing all the things that one finds wrong with a 200 year old home the first year living in it! I look forward to making things to make it beautiful instead of just focusing on just keeping it standing - a lofty goal. 

I know that things always happen and some are good and some are challenging. I hope that everyone this year is able to find more fun times than challenging ones and that the challenging times are short lived. Be well!