June & July Finishes -- August Goals


June Finishes:

May Baubles - SamSarah
Spring Greetings - Blackbird Designs
Pink Heart - Heart In Hand
Easter Sampler - Heart In Hand
Liberty Zipper - Bent Creek

July Finishes:

Big Girl Panties - Lizzie Kate
Strawberry Fob Forever - Bent Creek


June Books Read:

June Bug - Jess Lourey
One for the Money - Janet Evanovich

July Books Read:

Two for the Dough - Janet Evanovich
Three to get Deadly - Janet Evanovich
Four to Score - Janet Evanovich
High Five - Janet Evanovich
Hot Six - Janet Evanovich

WIP:

Little House Neighborhood - Little House Needleworks (SAL with Pam)

Goals for August:

Stitch each Wednesday on LHN's Neighborhood
Cupcake - Lizzie Kate
Pie - Lizzie Kate
Anything else that calls my name from my stitching room


I think my stitching and reading slump offically ended this summer. I'd been knitting most of the winter and just wasn't interesting in picking up a needle that wasn't a kntting needle. I think the warmer weather brought back my love of cross stitching. I've been spending more time in my stitching room, getting my "next" project ready. I ordered the threads to stitch a few fall themed projects. I can't believe how long I went without a stitching needle in my hand. It feels wonderful to have the desire to cross stitch again. I can't believe that I hadn't read the Stephanie Plum series by Janet Evanovich before this summer. I love them! I think I'm glad that I didn't read them as they came out, because I love being able to go from one to the next in the series without having to wait a year for it to be released.

I'm hoping that with my two posts this afternoon, I'll start blogging more. Now that I'm stitching more, I should have plenty of stitching things to talk about.

Make yours @ BigHugeLabs.com

January Finishes & February Goals

Stitching Finishes:

Wishing Sheep (Shepherd's Bush)

WIP:

Garden Pleasures (Little House Needleworks)
Christmas Keepsake 2007 (Heart In Hand)

Knitting Finishes:

4 Dishcloths


Goals for February:

Stitching:

Finish Garden Pleasures
Finish Christmas Keepsake 2007
Pearls - Twinkle (SamSarah Design studio)
One Little House Needleworks thread pack

Knitting:

1 Dishcloth
Start my first sock - sock class starts this month

Reading:

2 Books

With this list of goals, I should have plenty to keep me busy all month. Hoping for a productive month!!

January 2008

I'd planned on being a better blogger in 2008, but I haven't gotten off to a very good start. As most winters, I've been bitten by the knitting bug and that seems to be taking up a bit of my time. I'm made about three dozen dishcloths, which most were Christmas gifts. I'm taking a sock class that starts in February. I'm really looking forward to it.

I've still been stitching though. My first finish for 2008 was Wishing Sheep by Shepherd's Bush. It's adorable. The little hats that come with the sheep kits are just wonderful. I'm currently working on Heart In Hand's 2007 Christmas Keepsake. I had to order more of one of the threads, because the kit was lacking in enough to finish that color. It arrived a couple days ago, so I'm hoping to have my second finish of 2008 in the next couple of days.

At the beginning of the year, I made a list - a large list - of projects that are either kits or that I've kitted up. My goal is to stitch 20 projects from that list. I've finished one of the twenty, with the hopes of finishing at least two more this week. I'm wondering how long it will take me to finish that many projects. Just a few years ago, it probably would have taken less than two months. This year, I'm hoping to do it in six months. I do have a few small projects, mostly ornaments, on the list that should help speed up the amount of time it takes. I set a goal of 12 ornaments for 2008 too.

Off to start my day with a few stitches!

July Finishes & August Goals

July Finishes:

Daisy Sampler - Country Cottage Needleworks
Apples - Little House Needleworks

WIP:

Nature's Beauty - Little House Needleworks
Santa's Helper - Bent Creek

Goals for August:

Finish Nature's Beauty
Finish Santa's Helper
Violet - Country Cottage Needleworks


July wasn't as productive as June was. I haven't felt like stitching much due to the heat. It's been in the 90's the last few days, and it doesn't look like we're going to get a break for the next week or so. So, I'm not sure how much stitching I'll get done in August.

My fabric order arrived yesterday. I'm so excited. Along with the fabric for CCN's Flower Cottage series, I also got a couple of cuts of Lakeside Linen for the scripture series. I'd planned on finishing the fruit series before stitching one of the scripture series, but I don't think I can wait much longer. The Lakeside Linen is really calling my name.

Off to work on the house on Nature's Beauty!

A Weekend Of Stitching



I had quite a bit of stitching time this weekend. I'm thrilled with the progress that I've made in the last 3 days. I'm looking forward to starting the color of the house later tonight. I think it will be a terrific boost of color to the project.

I'm still waiting for the last order of fabrics that I placed. I'd really like to start the new cottage/flower series by Country Cottage Needleworks this week. I order a piece of fabric larege enough to stitch the entire series. I'm planning on stitching the entire series this year, so I need to get started on it. I also need to start working on Bent Creek's The Big Zipper again. I think I'm starting to get in the mood to stitch on large count fabric.

I haven't finished my list of 10 projects yet. While I was working on it, I realized that I still needed to stitch a few ornaments before the fall. I'm not sure if I should put the ornaments on the project list, since they're small or just have them be little, quick projects between larger projects. So, I'll do a little more thinking about it in the next few days.

WIP - Nature's Beauty



I've been working on Nature's Beauty (Little House Needleworks) the last couple of days. I love how it looks so far. I started with the lettering because I thought that would take me the longest. Stitching letters always takes me forever it seems. I'm anxious to start getting more "color" into the piece. I'd really like to start the house, but I'm making myself work upward, so I don't make a counting mistake.

I spent a little time in my stitching room this morning. I really need to start stitching from my stash, and stop ordering new charts. I have enough to keep me busy for quite some time. I thought I'd try to come up with a list of around 10 project to stitch by the end of the year, just to get rid of some of the guilt that I'm feeling about everything that I've purchased lately. The last few orders have been mostly fabric, and the Little House Needlework thread packs that I'm on auto for.

Off to make a list!

A Weekend Finish



I finished Little House Needleworks' Apple thread pack last night. I think the red/blue/green color combination looks great on this one. I just have 3 fruit thread packs left to stitch. I'm not sure if I'm going to stitch another one this month or wait until August to start another one. I have another LHN design all ready to start later today. It looks like the year 2007 is the year of Little House Needleworks and Country Cottage Needleworks designs. I've done very little stitching this year that was designed by someone other than LHN or CCN.

I placed an order with Elegant Stitch yesterday. Mostly cuts of fabric for some upcoming projects. I'm looking forward to starting the Flower series by CCN. I order a cut of fabric big enough to stitch the entire series on one piece.

I'm looking forward to an afternoon of stitching!!