2018 Blog Book Has Arrived!

Every year I have my year's work on my blog made into a book, using this website (check their Facebook page for discount offers).  My 2018 book just got here.

To see past year's books, check out this post. If you love your blog and put a lot of work into it, I highly recommend treating yourself to blog books. Blogging is about sharing, but a book is just for you. It makes a statement about the value of your work, that it deserves to be preserved. My blog certainly won't be here in 100 years, but there's no reason why my needlework and my books can't be.

Oh, the weather outside is frightful...

We haven't seen the sun here since... I don't remember. Middle of last week, I think. It's been cold and rainy. Today, it's cold and rainy and windy, and may be sleety and/or snowy later tonight. Nasty. Not a fit day for man or beast out there, so I'm inside playing with my stash and thinking about stitching.

First things first. These lovely threads arrived from Robin in Virginia! How's that for a way to brighten up a cold, gray day? Thank you, Robin!

More mail! A ginormous piece of 32 ct. Vintage Country Mocha for the Joyful World series, a couple skeins of Wildflowers (trying to decide on a purple for the Twelve Days of Christmas project), and an adorable polymer clay needle minder from Down Sunshine Lane.

By the way, please forgive the super bright lighting. I had to use my Ott Lite, as it appears we will never see the sun again, and if I ever wanted to take photographs for my blog again, I had to resort to artificial light. Anyway, yes, I'm starting Joyful World. I wanted to stitch it last year as it was being released, but I had too much other stuff going on. I still have too much other stuff going on, but, well, you know. 

And here's something really special. I've decided to have my blog printed into a book. The first year arrived today and I couldn't be more thrilled with the result! With all the time, effort, photographs, information, etc. I have poured into my blog, I couldn't help but be paranoid that one day I would wake up and it would be gone, due to some crazy glitch or hacking or something. I know you can back them up online, but for this old-fashioned girl, there's nothing like holding a hard copy. Besides, it's pretty special to be able to flip through a beautiful book of your own needlework. 

The service I used was blog2print. I only created a book for the first year, partly because of the expense (there weren't any current coupons), but mostly because I wanted to see how a book turned out before I took the plunge and did my whole blog. I am extremely pleased with the result, and I've already created books for 2014, 2015, and 2016. It's expensive, but they do have good discount offers on their Facebook page fairly often, which I used this time. I can't stop looking at it, and to me, that's well worth the expense. 

So besides looking at my new book 40 times, I'll be putting a few stitches in on LHN's Season's Greetings...

...and Sleeping Fox. Remember him? He went into hibernation while I worked on Christmas stuff, but he's awake now. Wait... never mind.

That's what I'm doing on this blustery, cold, wet, nasty day. Really good stitching weather!

Blog Book & Baby Update

 

My 2022 blog book has arrived, the smallest yet, and I have mixed feelings about it. I'm always glad to get a hard copy of my blog into my hands, but this was my last with Tiger Lily in it, and that's so hard. 

As always, she graces the back cover, one last time.

Next year's back cover will be the babies, although by then, they'll be all grown up. But I think because they were so tiny and fragile when we got them, no matter how old they are or how big they get, we'll always think of them as "the babies".

Baby update: Five months old! Marigold has reached 6 lbs, Butterfly is almost there. It's starting to get a little awkward to pick them up and hold them at the same time... almost 12 pounds of kitty! Hard to believe when they came home we could carry both of them in one hand! Marigold has joined her sister in learning to fetch. They both give kisses, and we're working on our household manners. Learning stitching manners is going to be a challenge for later. They are so very, very "helpful" with everything, and they have to learn not to "help" with stitching. We'll get there eventually (I keep telling myself)!

2017 Blog Book!

My 2017 Blog Book just arrived!

Information about these books and the service I use can be found in this post and there are more pictures in this post.

Saturday Sampler: Keeping Busy Edition

 

Before we get to important stitching news, I want to thank all of you for the continued prayers and the lovely messages for me and my family. I deeply appreciate all of them. This year has not started out as we had hoped, but we are blessed beyond measure and I count all of you among those blessings. I'm thankful to you and for you. (And for Tiger Lily, who has been my constant companion since I returned from Texas.)

Now, let's talk stitching, shall we? First, my 2021 blog book just arrived. This is a yearly tradition I treat myself to every January. I use this service and have always been happy with the books. There are discount codes on their Facebook page (you don't have to have a FB account to see them) and I recommend waiting for a current code if you're thinking of making a book. I am a paper and pencil, hard copy kinda gal, and I love having my blog in book form. 

As you might imagine, I didn't get to have my annual Stitchy Planning Week between Christmas and the New Year, so when I got back from Texas I started trying to put my mind to a little planning. At least for the first half of the year, my plans aren't as ambitious as they usually are since we'll be moving at some point. Don't know where, don't know when. Not stressful at all. So I needed some small, enjoyable, accomplishable (new word!) projects to get me through the coming months. Here's what I came up with:

Jeannette Douglas Bouquet Sampler 

This is free! Twelve pretty, seasonal bouquets and you can see all of them! I've only ever done one mystery SAL (large stitched piece with a common border, and you don't know what's coming) and from that experience I learned I'm not a mystery SAL person. I ended up going my own way on four of the last five installments, and while I'm very happy with the finished piece, I discovered that I'm a bit too much of a control enthusiast to put time and money for supplies into a large project I haven't seen. (If you love them, there are lots starting this month!)

And this is why I love this SAL. I'm stitching each bouquet individually as that's what works for me right now, but if you want to stitch them together, you can see what the finish will look like. January bouquet is up now.

She has also provided a list of all the hand dyed threads needed for the entire project, along with DMC conversions, so if you want to gather your supplies for the whole project, you can do so. 

I love the SAL explosion that happens every January. This did not used to be a thing, but in recent years it seems to have really taken off and while I don't do a lot of SALs, I'm happy to see anything that increases interest in stitching. If you'd like to join a SAL, this is a great list:

2022 Stitch Along List

There are all kinds available. Some are free, some not. Some are mystery, some not. Different techniques. 

I think more than SALs, I enjoy monthly series. I guess that can be considered a SAL, but maybe with a series you feel you can drop in and out as you choose, and you don't have to stitch every installment. Or maybe that's just me. Or maybe it's the lack of a border? Maybe I just have psychological issues? If it has a border it's a SAL and if it doesn't it's a series? I have no idea... 

Anyway.

2022 Bird Calendar 

This is my second choice and I am so looking forward to it. Last year I stitched her Tea & Coffee Series (still need to stitch December), and I loved it. I was hoping she'd do another series this year, and when I saw it was birds I just melted! I adore birds and I must say, it felt like a little gift just for me. Please do check out her Etsy shop. She has so many pretty things.

Also, keep your eyes open for Nashville Market goodies. I have noticed the very first few items begin to show up, one of which is a new edition of the Market cookbook they began producing a couple of years ago. Very cute little cookbooks with some small designs included. I'll try to remember to post Market preview pages when shops start putting them up.

Lots to look forward to in the stitchy world, and lots to keep busy with. Hope you're all happy and healthy and stitching up a storm!

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!)