~ UNFINISHED STITCHES 2010 ~

Hi All! 

Hoping everyone enjoyed their Christmas holiday, it's been great reading what everybody did and ATE~LOL! 

Thank you so much for your comments on my last post about Sleigh Rides, does a heart good to be asked to share an original design and actually be given credit for it:)  I've replied to those who've asked for chart, if anyone else is interested, feel free to let me know. 

You all likely know sweet Catherine over at Bramblewood Stitches.  Right before Christmas she and her elves quickly stitched and holiday finished a few Sleigh Rides ornies, I'm both humbled and tickled-prim that she so enjoyed this design enough to stitch it, let alone more than once!  Thanks for sharing your interpretation Catherine, they're very sweet!

Warm welcomes going out to a few sweet new followers, always nice to discover sweet new blogs and meet new followers too!  A cobbled together 2010 Sweet Finishes slideshow is over in my tool bar if anyone cares to take a peek...

So, this mornin I took a quick inventory of my 2010 stitchin and found these 'lil gems languishing in my basket. Don't you think I should make at least one resolution and actually get them beautified?

Brightneedle Designs.....

 Brightneedle Designs ~ Christmas Basket freebie

Silk Fabric ~ approx 26 ct ~ Desert Sand

Floss ~ DMC colors modified 918/610/3823/830, 3 over 2

Stitch Count 40 x 42

Stitched December 2010

BBD.....

 

BBD ~ Thank You Sarah Tobias

Motif from Flowers For Sarah Needle Case

MCG Textiles linen 32 ct Oyster ~ heavily tea stained

Floss ~ DMC, 2 over 2

Stitch Count 53 x 53

Stitched ~ June 2010

Sharing a note about the above tea staining:

MCG linen is from Michaels and budget priced when using 40 or 50% coupon, it stains wonderfully.

For this particular heavily distressed result, I used 1/2 cup hot water w/6 tea bags left in the water the entire time, let sit for one hour in a small jar, think very small for mottled effect, (do not rinse),  let air dry and iron.

This formula will produce a drastic change in linen color to a soft yellow/tan/gold with beautiful mottling.

I'd forgotten how nice this turned out and plan on using more of this linen and technique.

Hope this is of some help to those who adore prim stitchin as much as I do! 

BBD.....

BBD ~ Now I Know My ABC's freebie

MCG Textiles 28 ct evenweave ~ Antique White

Floss ~ DMC 371, 2 over 2

Stitch Count 69 x 53

Stitched ~ June 2010

Well dear friends, this wraps up my stitchin year for 2010, thx for stoppin by.  A special thank you to all the designers for your wonderful projects and inspiration over the last year:)


WISHING YOU EACH SWEET STITCHES, A BOUNTIFUL 2011 AND A VERY HAPPY NEW YEAR ~ WAH-HOO!!!

Tootles, Sue

~ FROM OUR SANTAS TO YOURS... ~

... wishing each dear reader, follower, friend and passerby a very Merry Christmas.  Some pics are this year and some from Christmas past, have a peek around our holiday home, leave your boots on, we're not all that fussy:)

Some Santas, probably another fifty or so in storage, no more shelf space to display them all...

Some fancies and a sweet prim gift bag...

This Stacy Nash finished on 18 ct aida last Christmas (before I gleefully met my 2010 goal of learning to stitch on linen)...

Some of our decoy collection complete with bowties, again-sadly no more shelf space to display them all (now approaching the forty range), but you might know~lol~that didn't stop me from picking up a couple fine fellows this year.  When I started collecting decoys as a young adult of 20, I just liked them, I had no idea I'd be living in a post/beam home, which is kind of appropriate for this type of collection.  Once a collector, well ~ you know the rest...

A bountiful basket, I personally insist on lots of oranges as I really enjoy sending friends and family home with one while sharing with them that it's a German tradition thing...

 

And of course, the chocolate, neeeeeed we discuss it further~lol:)

Your making time to visit is sincerely appreciated on this Eve of Christmas ~ with my humble and grateful heart I wish you Peace, Goodwill and Sweet Stitchin... whoopsie~don't forget your orange:)

Tootles, Sue

~ SLEIGH RIDES ~

Hi there Christmas Friends!  Thank you kindly for your sweet comments on my last post, had several requests for the Pineapple Pie recipe, anyone try it yet?

Did some doodling around with charting software and came up with this simple design on silk, the bells even jingle:)

Has anyone else maybe admired the ditty bags that seem to be so popular this year?  Liked this appliqued wool bag, so I tried my hand at decorating one for hangin by the fire.  What do you think?

Our simple tree...

Some turkey-lurkey friends came to pay us an early Christmas visit, scratchin and peckin for seeds to get them through the brutal weather here in New York, they're so quiet and always shock me when I see movement out the kitchen window:)

And lastly, being as thrifty as possible, I scarfed scads of wreaths from Michaels last February for ten cents each and many of them whoops! hung themselves on the very looooooong pasture fence, whew!  If I could only train those pesky zip-ties to be self-zipping:)

Your *Followship*, sweet comments, constant encouragement and warm kinship over the least year has been a tremendous honor.  I wish each of you a very Merry Christmas and all the very best in 2011.

Let's all look forward to seeing what lovelies we come up with next year, shall we?  

Tootles, Sue

~SNOW, SMALLS, STASH, STUFF~

Hi there!

Thank you so much for your sweet comments on my La D Da finish, does a heart good:)

Is everybody in the snowbelt keeping warm and toasty?  We got our first snow, here's views from the loft and living room, pretty even if it's bitter cold out there:)

 

Finishes:  Does anyone else find that stitchin a Christmas piece helps get one in the holiday spirit?  Here's a few cupboard tucks and ornie finally finished this week (worked them in January).  The two on top are quite large, I do like the third one down, kinda Quakerish and tone on tone, very drab, just the way I like 'em:)

Stash Report:  2 balls of lovely Presencia variegated thread for prim blanket stitches, more silk slub for uneven prim stitchin, nice big piece of Sassy's 32 ct Golden Promise~love it, and from Hugs and Stitches (super fast and very sweet service) a nice bunch of Sweet Annie for tucking here and there, along with my first purchase of walnut crystals for distressing, tried it today on the large tuck above, was snow white, painted/spattered/baked, now very prim.

Folky Finds: my brother found this slat from an old crate and saved it for me, I've trained him well ~ yes?  Any  suggestions on how to tastefully display this greatly appreciated ~ lol!  And this old basket found at thrift store for 25 cents, love the wonky handle.  We have probably 30 baskets around the house, mostly above the kitchen cupboards, people ask what we do with them all, truthfully we use them and often!

Pretty Stuff:  pic from '08, for you Christmas cactus lovers ~ bloomin lovely...

 

Sweet Stuff:  can you guess what flavor this pie is?

Oh so easy Pineapple Pie.

If anyone would like the recipe, I'm happy to share, just ask.
Get yourself a bottom crust and 1 large can of crushed pineapple,
the rest is likely in your pantry.

Well, that's it for sharing, thank you for taking the time to read along, especially during the hectic holidays.  I hope this post will keep this stitcher in your good graces til my next post:)

Don't forget to treat yourself to something sweet this holiday season!  

Tootles and Sweet Holiday Stitchin...

Sue