November Stitching Report & December Goals

November from the A Year With Charm Series by Lizzie*Kate. Started and finished (just) in November 2008. I switched a few of the threads for ones that I thought looked more Autumny.

For November I said I would like to

1) Progress Bluebirds Message by Blackbird Designs - yes made some progress

2) Progress Their Song by Blackbird Designs - no

3) Progress Beneath the Sunlit Sky by Blackbird Designs - no

4) Progress Rose Bouquet by Derwentwater Designs - no

5) Make progress on at least one small project from my stash - definately yes I started and finished three, Tall Snowman, Celebration Winter and November

6) Make progress on at least one Christmas projct from my stash - yes started two Lizzie*Kate Christmas pieces (Ho, Ho, Ho and Just Be Claus).

3 out of 6 is not bad but I think I could have done better. I am not setting myself any goals for December since it is Christmas. The only thing I would definately like to do is make my plan for 2009 which I have already had some thoughts about but need to finalise.

Introducing Georgia

Georgia, Christmas Angel 2008. Created by me on the 29th November from a design by Pat of Totally Patched.

Totally Patched in Bewdley is where I go to learn how to quilt or to be more accurate where I go to learn patchwork since at the moment I am rather struggling with the quilting part. As a slight change of pace I made Georgia, named after my niece. I think I may well be making more of these angels in the future.

Stitching Pictures

Firstly my holiday finishes:

Tall Snowman by Heart In Hand Needleart, started and finished in November 2008.

Celebration Winter by Heart In Hand Needleart, started and finished in November 2008.

Secondly progress pictures:

Bluebird's Message by Blackbird Designs. I am really enjoying stitching on this piece but I think I am going to put it way for a little while to concentrate on Chritmassy stuff.

Ho, Ho, Ho by Lizzie*Kate, started while in Florida

and last but not least

Just Be Claus by Lizzie*Kate, also a new start while in Florida. I think it currently looks like a pink bat.

Finally Some Photos

My camera is totally and utterly dead and I will just have to wait for a new one, hopefully Santa will be kind. But Mum has a great camera so when I go visiting I shall be able to take, and post - if I remember, photos.

First a few pictures of my Florida holiday;Me on the boat trip that Mum and I took along the St John River at Blue Springs State Park.

The first 'gator of our trip together with a Great Blue Heron, again at Blue Springs State Park.

Spoonbills, I just thought they were the funniest looking things ever.

Mum watching the sunset at the beach in Naples.

And finally, at least for now, me in the Lue Gardens in Orlando.

Holiday Stitching Report

First I must apologise for the complete absence of photographs - my camera has totally broken down and is refusing to take even a bad picture. I am now asking Santa for a new camera. I will be visiting my Mum at the weekend so will try and remember to take my stitching with me to take a few photographs.

I actually managed to do quite a bit of stitching while on my travels - I took with me 2 WIPs 10 unstarted projects and have returned with 5 WIPs, 2 finishes and 6 unstarted projects. Yes, I went shopping and brought a new project - a Mill Hill ornament kit so at least it was not a large new project. I also bought several charts (26 if I must state a number) but not all the threads and fabric to complete them. As well as my new stitching stash I went to a delightful quilting shop and purchased a couple of jelly rolls, a bag pattern and a quilt pattern.

The finishes were Celebration: Winter and Tall Snowman both designed by Heart In Hand Needleart. The new starts were two Lizzie*Kate designs - Ho, Ho, Ho and Just Be Claus and Snowy Night by The Trilogy.

Holiday Report

I am tired, jet-lagged and feeling the cold after a wonderful couple of weeks in Florida with my mother. The first couple of days were spent in Orlando getting over the travelling and getting used to driving on the other side of the road. We then travelled down to Lake Worth to visit with friends before heading over to the west coast to visit my mum's cousin who lives in Naples then back up to Orlando were we managed to meet up with a couple of my internet stitching friends for dinner at Margaritaville on Citywalk.

Highlights of the holiday (other then meeting up with family and friends again) include a trip to Blue Springs National Park where we saw manatee, our first 'gator and tons of birds, a visit to the Leu Gardens in Orlando, a safari around the Everglades and the Space Center.

I did not take my camera with me since Mum's camera is far far better than mine so I will post some photos once I have managed to get her to email some to me.

Holiday Stitching and a HD

First the happy dance:

Celebration: Autumn by Heart In Hand Needleart

Started October 2008 and finished November 2008

I used hand-dyed threads but changed a few to ones I already had rather than buy the recommended ones. Button is also different to that shown on the original design.

When deciding on which project to take on holiday with me I did try to be sensible and only take a few projects, honestly I did. But after much deliberation and a sleepless night I have now packed the following:

Bluebirds Message and Their Song by Blackbird Designs

Snowy Night by The Trilogy

Celebration: Winter, Tall Snowman, Winter Bird and Christmas Bird by Heart In Hand Needleart

Here Comes Santa Claus, Just Be Claus, 'Tis The Season, Santa's Got the Goods and Ho Ho Ho by Lizzie*Kate.
All but the two Blackbird Designs are or will be new starts. I know that 12 projects is more than I will be able to finish or probally even start and that some will come home without a single stitch added to them but I could not decide which ones to leave behind. At least this way I have plenty to choose from and I do plan to spend the whole of the plane journey stitching. I will let you all know how I got on when I return in 2 weeks.

October Progress and November Goals

For October I said I would:
1) Progress Bluebirds Message by Blackbird Designs - Yes
2) Progress Their Song by Blackbird Designs - No didn't even stitch one single stitch
3) Progress Beneath the Sunlit Sky by Blackbird Designs - Not even on stitch done
4) Progress Rose Bouquet bu Derwentwater Designs - Yes managed about 10 stitches
5) Make progress on at least one small project from my stash- Yes finished October by Lizzie*Kate and started Celebration: Autumn by Heart in Hand Needlearts.
(No photos because there has been no noticable progress since I last posted photos.)

For November I would once again like to
1) Progress Bluebirds Message by Blackbird Designs
2) Progress Their Song by Blackbird Designs
3) Progress Beneath the Sunlit Sky by Blackbird Designs
4) Progress Rose Bouquet by Derwentwater Designs
5) Make progress on at least one small project from my stash
Plus
6) Make progress on at least one Christmas projct from my stash

I am going away next Saturday for a forghtnight so should get loads of stitching done - tomorrows task is to decide which projects to take travelling it is tempting but not overly practical to take all of them with me.