Sneaking up on the New Year

Breaking news: I'm back and I have a finish. I repeat: I'm back and I have a finish. 

Happy New Year, everybody! Grab your favorite hot beverage and snuggle down because we have a lot to catch up on!

I've finally emerged from the fog that was December. I didn't bounce back from the strep throat (and the trip) as quickly as I'd hoped. If it had been one or the other I think I would have, but both at the same time knocked me out for a while. This beautiful little design shouldn't have taken as long as it did, but I just poked at it now and then when I felt like it so it took a few weeks. Believe in Magic is available in this Etsy shop. I stayed pretty close to the suggested colors, except I swapped out the blue for GAST Weathered Barn. This is stitched on 28 ct. PTP Wren with GAST: Oatmeal, Baked Clay, Weathered Barn, Maple Syrup, and Wood Trail, and Weeks Garrison Green. More subdued than my usual color choices, but I like it. It's peaceful and quiet.

My 2019 blog book arrived last week! This is one of my cherished New Year traditions, having the previous year's posts turned into a book. I use Blog2Print and have always had excellent results. They often have great discount codes on Facebook and Twitter, so if you decide to have a book made, make sure to take advantage of those.

New fabric ALERT! This gorgeous grey fabric is new from Zweigart. It's called Basalt Splash and is available at 123 Stitch. I ordered a small piece back in early December just to get a good look at it and liked it so much I ordered (and just received) a larger piece. It's a bit darker and not quite as blue as this photo. I'd say it's a bit more bluish than DMC 04 but not quite as bluish as DMC 414. A nice, dark grey. Lovely color. Already have a project chosen for it.

Wee fabric bundles from my LNS. It's like choosing chocolates from a candy box!

It's been years since I've bought a regular issue of JCS magazine, but the February issue has a few winter projects that caught my eye. I have plans for this one!

I'm knee-deep in winter stitching--or about to be--but I couldn't resist this little spring sheep and all his lovely green shamrocks. I have no power to resist green fabrics and threads.

My Christmas treat for myself was a couple of new Russian kits from this Etsy shop. It's a rare treat indeed because the shipping will make your eyes water (though the kits themselves are often less expensive than American kits), but I have ways to justify it! (Let me know if you need reasons!) I've raved about my love for Russian kits before, and at length. For my taste, there's just nothing in the American market that compares right now. The designs are beautiful, colorful, and detailed. The kits are well-made with huge charts. And there are oodles of them available on Etsy. The one on the right is a particular favorite. New Year designs are few and far between and I just love this one.

Everybody knows about the devastating brushfires Australia is battling. But you may not know that there's a growing list of designers and shops working to raise donations for relief efforts. The fund raising efforts vary, from designs like this one that are free, with the shop making a donation for each stitched finish, to designs offered for sale, with the proceeds going to fire relief. I've chosen to stitch this one first. Once finished, you simply share a photo of your finish with the shop--via email, Facebook, Instagram--by 29 February, and they'll make a donation. 

Here are a few more fire relief efforts from designers/shops:

Links to three designs here 

Frosted Pumpkin Stitchery

Heaven and Earth Designs (only available until 13 February)

Fiddlesticksau

The Little Stitcher

Tiger Lily breezed through her trip to Texas and had a lovely Christmas with a fat stocking. Santa brought her a pretty new orange collar, with glow-in-the-dark snowflakes!

So that gets us all caught up on the stitchy happenings at my house. Hope your new year is off to a safe and peaceful start. Many prayers being offered on behalf of our Aussie friends. Mr. Wonderful has served with Aussies and has nothing but good to say about them. I wish we could send y'all some of our snow and ice.

Happy Stitching, all! (And don't forget to stitch a koala or two!)