Last finish of 2005
Topic: Cross Stitch
This is my very last finish of 2005. So far I have stitched 55 projects, most of them rather small. I think I am most proud of The Bookshelf by Little House Needleworks and Winter Circle by Cross Eyed Cricket. In 2006 I hope to get a few larger projects done that I have been working on for some time. Sanctuary by The Drawn Thread for example. Has been in my drawer for over 3 years. I can tell that I worked on it every single year, just never stayed with it long enough to finish.

Anyway, this is the 2005 ornament from Brittercup Designs. I just loved how the kitty came to life while stitching it.

I definitely hope to get a few more of her kitties done in 2006, they are very addictive to stitch.

The fireworks are going off here, the clock just struck 12, so HAPPY NEW YEAR to everybody. May it be a peaceful, healthy and productive year.

Two finishes tonigh
Topic: Cross Stitch
I spent today taking inventory at my parents?. A friend of us came over to help and we got so much done, I think that on Sunday it?ll take another hour or two and we got everything counted. Of course I still have to get it into the computer, but at least the counting is done.

The weather here is pretty bad at the moment. Here in the north it is not so bad right now, but it?s snowing and in the western part they had snowdrifts and very scary roads. All things considered, it is a great time to do stitching LOL.

I picked up BC Little One - Santa which got released at the beginning of December. It?s the second I have stitched from this series, I did Tiny Tim Turkey before. It turned out that the symbols are messed up with the threads, so I converted everything to silk threads and Whisper for his beard and hair. Here is how he looks in my version:

I haven?t yet decided on the finishing. I may follow Danielle?s example and turn him into a tassled little pillow. I?m not sure if my tassles will be just as neat. Or I might do another beaded ornament type of finishing.I think that gold beads would look really good around the edges with red silk thread for the backstitching.

Then I also got in the final stitches on my ornament. It still needs two buttons, two tiny holly leaves, but of course those are still at my parents?. I took out the initials, just in case a friend might visit here.

Tomorrow I will work some more on Catherine Agnes. I have some spider web roses coming up and I really like to do those. And tomorrow evening I will do a bit more work on my canvas. I have another new project in the wings waiting to get started.

And then there is of course Moulin Rouge. It has been neglected lately and I need to pick it up. So Mieke, I will be working on MR on Sunday evening again and will make sure to get a pic to show on Monday.

I haven?t finalized my list of ideas for 2006, I will do that tomorrow. At the last day of the year I always get a bit melancholic, it seems that every year passes so quickly, that there is never enough time, that the world seems to become harder every year, that bad things happen, that good things happen, that you meet inspiring people, that you see your friends (and some of them more often than you used to, which is wonderful), that your family is healthy, that you loose quite a few pounds (and gained only 2), that the shop is doing so well, that you loose people and that you gain new friends.

A new year always fills me with anticipation. So much seems possible, there are 365 days waiting for me to make the most of it. That?s quite a challenge but one I?m happy to take on.

Progress on Catherine Agnes
Topic: Cross Stitch
My CA project is progressing nicely, though it definitely takes more time than I expected. I love the colors, they're so vibrant and so unlike what I normally use. I thought I might be able to finish this before 2006 starts, but I don't think that's happening. You don't want to rush with this piece as it's easy to make mistakes LOL.

I have done a little more work since I took this picture, two more spots are done, including one with the dreaded detached buttonhole stitch. This time though it went a lot better as it was all on horizontal lines. Or maybe, just maybe, I'm getting the feel for this stitch.

Yesterday afternoon I did some shopping with my parents. We went to get supplies for the shop and found an adorable Christmas tree at 40% off. It is kind of like a half tree and can stand on its own. It has lights already so next year all we have to do is plug it in, add a few stitched ornaments et voila!
I also found a guirlande that I plan on using in the livingroom.

We braved the line at the Ikea restaurant, had Swedish meatballs there and after that we found some drawers there to use for storing the Needlepoint Silks we'll have in January. We got 6 drawer units and each has 9 drawers. It'll be great to be able to store the silks this way.
After all this shopping I didn't feel I was up to stitching on CA, so I picked up one of the Christmas ornaments I am stitching. This is the one by Blackbird Designs in the JCS Christmas issue of this year.

It is stitched with needlepoint silks, which must be my favorite solid colored silk. And truth to be told, after working on CA, doing "simple" cross stitches is a relief LOL. The ornament probably gets done before Saturday evening.

I have been thinking about my stitching goals for 2006, but am not at the point where I can post them. Maybe I shouldn't call them goals, but stitching ideas. The list serves for me as a reminder of which projects I thought I definitely wanted to do around New Year's Eve. I will try to dig up my list for 2005 as well.

Christmas gift for my parents
Topic: Cross Stitch
Now that they received their Christmas gift, I can finally share it with y?all. This is Winter Circle by Cross Eyed Cricket and it was one of the best designs I?ve ever stitched. I loved seeing all the different snowpeople coming to life.

The framer did a very good job, my parents don?t have anything blue in their livingroom so the mat and frame had to be more greenish. The mat is a kind of bluish green and the frame is silver with a touch of black in it. Anyway, they loved it and it?s in a prime spot in their livingroom/kitchen.

I have a picture of how it looks before the backstitching is done and will share that later on. Just drove through the snow back home and was very happy to arrive safe and sound. We?re just not used here to snow and people sometimes drive like maniacs.

Have a happy Boxing Day (or what is left of it).

Christmas morning
Topic: Cross Stitch
I am all set for my stitching marathon. Food is ready in the kitchen, I spent part of last night to cook the chicken and the vegetables, my projects are more or less kitted up and I got some work done on my German Christmas tree.

I hope to update my weblog once or twice today so that you have new pictures to see. Here's my Catherine Agnes so far:

And here's my Christmas tree (thank you Ria for reminding me of this proejct). The backstitches are a little hard as they don't follow the grid on the pattern, but I just make my own way through it. I will ask my dad how he thinks we can come up with a wood design to display the trees. There is one more in the book that I would love to do and then there are the Prairie Schooler ones and I'm sure more will show up. My apologies for the weird light on this picture.

If you look closely you will see the thread with which I was stitching. This was the moment where I rememebered that the chicked was still on the stove LOL. Now it's back to my stitching and breakfast.

11pm: End of my stitching day
Well, my stitching day is over and I think I need to schedule another one. It was great to be able to work on several projects for so long and really make some progress. I definitely learned some new stitches today with the detached buttonhole on Catherine Agnes and the variation of the Nobulo stitch on the Pat Thode canvas. Here are pics of my progress.

Catherine Agnes

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Christmas Tree

Pat Thode canvas

I really thought that I would get done much more, but the detached buttonhole and Nobulo stitch kept me busy for quite a while. The canvas pic is not so great, I'll try to get a better one tomorrow.

I'll be at my parents tomorrow so don't know if I get some stitches in. I can finally give them their Christmas gift and will share a picture later on.

Merry Christmas
Topic: Cross Stitch
It's almost Christmas Eve here in the Netherlands and I want to say Merry Christmas to all my cyber friends out there. With the upcoming of weblogs I feel as if a lot of stitchers have enriched my life in ways they may not suspect LOL. It's been such an inspiration to see what you all are stitching, how you finish your projects, how you struggle with certain projects, how you contemplate over colors, threads and fabrics. Thank you for sharing that part of your life with me.

Here's my September Santa from Pat Thode to wish you all a merry, merry Christmas.

Christmas wishlist
Topic: Cross Stitch
Wishlist for Christmas

As usual I have a long wishlist of things I’d like to accomplish during my Christmas. I always have more plans than I could possibly get done, but part of the fun is making this list. So for the next 12 days my projects are:

• Start limited edition 2005 canvas by Pat Thode
• Finish cross stitch santa by Pat Thode
• Finish Catherine Agnes by Indigo Rose
• Start a Christmas project by Acufactum
• Make cross stitch santa into a stand up
• Finish 3 ornaments into real ornaments
• Make a start on my quilt
• Start and finish January complimentary chart
• Finish complimentary chart by Waxing Moon Designs from newsletter
• Start Brightneedle’s Merry Christmas
• Kit up Brightneedle’s Nine Patch Village
• Kit up all prjoects that need to be stitched for the shop for workshops etc.
• Finish charts etc. on new design
• Start Kitty project by Brittercup Designs
• Design pattern for For the Cure project (and stitch it LOL)

I’m pretty sure that if I spend some time suring the net I can come up with another bunch of projects. Pictures will follow as soon as I can get them uploaded later this evening.

Christmas stitching
Topic: Cross Stitch
I managed to get my parents' gift done before the weekend and absolutely love how it turned out. If they don't like it, I'll gladly take it back. I don't remember ever using that much white thread on a project. This is all I got left from a whole skein!

It's at the framer now and I can pick it up before Christmas. They'll get it on Boxing Day as I'll go over to their place then. Leaves me enough time to wrap it up and put a nice ribbon around it LOL.

I did some more stitching on a sort of Christmas tree that is in a German booklet. I really like how it's coming along, though the pic is a bit dark. It's an abstract tree but it's just how I love it. Lots of filling in, all in one color, but it's very relaxing stitching. I might do a backstitch around the outlines with a silvery thread to give it a bit more sparkle.

And while trying to organize my studyroom, I came across this design by Pat Thode and loved it so much that I kitted it up and started today. Another relaxing stitch. I want to try to finish it as a stand up during the holidays.

Pat Thode is really my all time favorite Santa designer. After this one I hope to get started on another one from the Kris Kringle series.

Just 4 more days at work and I have a little over a week off. I have so many stitching plans and just know I can probably not even do a quart of them :). But the anticipation is just enough to make me smile.

I am working on the complimentary chart that is in our new newsletter. The newsletter will go out this week and hopefully get to everybody before Christmas. It is always fun to put it together. I'll try to get some more of the stitching done and post a picture.

Mail day
Topic: Cross Stitch
Today was a big mail day. I got 3 packages from 2 exchanges and one from a dear friend in Dallas. Needless to say I was thrilled.

The first package was from Becky from the ornament exchange at the Stitching Bloggers Exchange board. She stitched a wonderful Homespun Elegance santa and changed the design so that it would fit my preferences (not many words). Then she stitched the back as well and put it together with cardboard in between. It is sooooooo adorable. She included a whole bunch of goodies which you can see in the second picture.

Then the second package was from another exchange. I received a most darling ornament and a standard to hang the ornament from as well as other goodies. Fran did a great job on the finishing, I love these little flange pillows.

My dear friend in TX sent me my two santas that I had needlepointed while I was visiting in June. Well, I got a headstart on them but I finished them in Dallas. Pat Thode has more santas in these series and I know I will be doing more of them. Eventually I hope to have a collection that I can put on display.

The little scissor fob is one of my first needlepoint projects. I finished him in June as well. There?s nothing like a vacation with a friend who co-owns a LNS to get some serious stitching done.

And if somebody is wondering, the beautiful wreath was a gift from a customer. My mom and I got both one and I simply love it.

I have been doing some stitching but can?t share much at the moment. I am still working on two gifts and I did finish two ornaments, but as they haven?t been received yet, I can?t put pictures up. My fingers are itching to start a new needlepoint project but I am still telling myself I will have to wait till Christmas day. Besides, I want to finish those two gifts first. One is progressing nicely, the other is giving me some headaches. I seem to frog more than stitch on it. I will take pics of the progress I?m making so that I can share those later.

Exchange gifts
Topic: Cross Stitch
It seems as if all I stitch lately are exchange gifts which makes it hard to share pictures. But Ria received part of her birthday present so I can share it here. This is by Ewe & Eye & Friends and are magnets. Putting them together is really easy and I love how they turned out.

They're not cheap (20 euro) but they come with the things you need to make the magnets and you provide fabric and floss. They're quick to stitch and quick to assemble. And apart from that I love E&E&F stuff.

I did finish a Just Nan freebie a while ago and finished it with the metal finishing forms. The ornament is at my parents' so you'll just have to take my word for it :). I'll ask my mom to bring it over later this week so that I can take a pic.

Tonight is more exchange gift stitching. I finished one of the ornaments and have everything ready for the next one. I just love stitching ornaments. There are two more to do and then I can get to my own Christmas stitching. Serena is progressing nicely and I should be able to finish her soon.

I'll be heading for Anvers later this week, and will have to see what stitching I`m going to bring. I don't think we'll have much time to stitch, but I can't leave without at least one project.