International Hermit and Stitch Weekend December 18 - 20, 2015

Happy first day of winter!

I finally got back to stitching on "Revenge" after completing my last block for the 2015 combined Crazy Quilt Journal and Bead Journal Projects! I finished color #10 (of 12) and started #11!

Christmas holidays will be getting in the way of completing this mandala, I'm afraid, (although it does look like it would be doable otherwise): Christmas dinner and gift exchange at one brother-in-law's on Friday (which means cooking Wednesday night and shopping for food before that --- once husband has determined what we are supposed to bring!) and another brother-in-law and family coming up for Sunday evening/Monday morning (beds to make up! AAACK!). Still awaiting call from yet another in-law as to whether they will be able to come this weekend or not. And then there is the big bowl game for our alma mater on Wednesday night... I know I won't be able to resist watching it on the telly, and it's hard (nay, impossible) to stitch when football is on! SO it may be the New Year before I get any significant stitching done. 

Week Fifty, December 17, 2015

This week was pretty much dominated by gatherings (meet the new coach, quilt guild holiday brunch, University President's holiday reception, lunch with my two best friends) and decorating the tree. No pictures for the gatherings but here is the tree, before and after ornaments: 

Our first ever purpose-build artificial tree (we've made do the past decade with a tree meant for outside decor).

The only stitching I did was on my Crazy Quilt/Bead Journal block. I finally finished it last night. A little Christmas greenery (is it a branch of a tree with leaves or flowers? Maybe a blooming Christmas cactus? Or maybe a deconstructed holly branch?  Who knows --- it evolved) and some snow (which we haven't gotten yet in this unseasonably warm December): 

That completes both challenges for 2015, and all I need do now is assemble the quilt/wall hanging... Right --- ALL! Considering that I have two previous years' wall hangings in various stages of assembly, finishing is easier said than done! LOL

I hope you all have a happy holiday, whichever one you celebrate, and that all your days will be merry and bright!

Week Forty-Nine, December 10, 2015

I decided this week to try to get my December Crazy Quilt/Bead Journal block finished. I was slowed down by holiday prep and gatherings but I did manage to get all (or most of --- I haven't decided yet) the seam treatments done. Here it is, hooped and ready for beads and buttons:

Week Forty-Eight, December 3, 2015

While I kitted up my December Crazy Quilt/Bead Journal Project block, I didn't actually do any stitching on it. 

I did, however, finish a few fill colors on "Revenge", the seventh of the "Roll Your Own Mandalas". I now have a small amount (maybe 25%) of color nine (of twelve) stitched...

What else was accomplished? Well, Thanksgiving dinner as at brother-in-laws. I was sou-chef to husbands chef as he made four pumpkin pies and two casseroles of oyster dressing to contribute to the meal. 

Then it was rivalry weekend for college football and both our master's and doctorate alma maters were playing big games. One lost, one won, both will be in their conference championship games (as will our bachelor's alma mater, which clinched the right to play weeks ago).

 In between watching football games  I put my Christmas mailing list in order (it seemed to have lost it's formatting over the years) and, together with husband, printed out mailing labels and signed, addressed, stamped and mailed 128 cards! 

Husband had never removed the lights from the tree in the front garden or the railing on the dock, so they are now lighted up at night. Next up,  interior decorating (while I love the result, I hate the work involved... so I tend to put it off but this year...).

Add to all this, prepping for the 2015 tax returns and this is a busy month --- hardly conducive to stitching. But I will try...

Week Forty-Seven, November 26, 2015

After reporting in on WIPocalypse, I managed one more night of stitching on "Revenge" and completed color seven (of twelve):

I composed this in the morning with Thanksgiving dinner next on the agenda... dressing was in the oven, pies were done and we needed to get our act together if we were gong to be at brother-in-law's by noon! After stuffing ourselves on a traditional menu, we came home and went to bed! Three hours later, I'm awake, groggy but awake, and neither husband nor I wish to discuss food! Why do we ALWAYS overeat at Thanksgiving? 

Anyway, if you are a citizen of the US, I hope you had (are having) a Happy Thanksgiving with family and/or friends and I wish you well for the coming holiday rush.

Next up for us? Christmas cards! AAACK!

WIPocalypse 2015 - November 25 Full Beaver Moon

This month's Topic:  Which designer has inspired you to stitch the greatest number of designs and why do you think that is?

This is a hard one since I "collect" a lot of designers but don't really stitch a lot of them. For example, I have ALL of the little black cats from Calico Crossroads but haven't stitched a one (choices are harder when there are so many!). 

I do have a few Michael Powell designs stitched  - maybe two or three are framed and have won ribbons in our county fair (and I own a LOT more as yet unstitched...). I like them because of his style --- that sort of quirky, wonky, sketchy look. 

And I have stitched a few Elizabeth Almond blackwork pieces (am deep into her "Save the Stitches" sampler right now). I just like blackwork... what can I say?

There was a time when I was REALLY into Prairie Schooler, especially the ornaments. I have a LOT of those (Santas and angels, mainly). 

But mainly, I skip from designer to designer, style to style, depending on what strikes me at the moment, and, when finished, I rarely go back to the same style again. In most cases, it feels like I'm stitching the same thing, over and over, and I prefer variety.

Last WIPocalypse, my goals were as follows: 

• Start putting in the colors on "Revenge": DONE - there are currently six colors complete and a seventh one about half finished... You can see where I stand on this project in the photo at the end of this post.
• Quilt those three place mats (or they will have to sit around my quilting space until NEXT holiday season!): DONE, and handed in at the last guild meeting
• Finish the November Crazy Quilt Journal/Bead Journal block: DONE

Can you believe that? I actually accomplished what I set out to do! WOW! I can hardly believe that!

So this next month...

• Keep on working on "Revenge"
• Finish the December block for the crazy quilt/Bead Journal Projects

What with the holidays (and tax season coming up in January - 1099s already arriving in the mail), that may well be all I can hope  to accomplish. Stitching is going to be a bit iffy in the next month or so, I fear and this will probably be one of my least productive stitching years ever.

International Hermit and Stitch Weekend 2015, November 20 - 22

This was the weekend for staying in and stitching. Football on television, snow on Sunday --- what better excuses, right?

But for some reason, I had trouble motivating and didn't stitch every day, so my progress is miniscule.

I worked at color #5 (of 12) on "Revenge", the seventh of the "Roll Your Own Mandalas". It is almost done --- I'd estimate a little less than 50% complete: