TUSAL for the End of 2019

TUSAL is the Totally Useless Stitch-a-Long where you show a photo of your orts.

My jar is totally full and my daughter asked me earlier this month if she could dump them. No! I needed to take a photo and share! This is a year or two of stitching. I will empty it and start fresh in 2020.

Last WIPocalypse Post for 2019 Photo Heavy

This was fun to do although I often forgot to post...It is the brain child of Melissa over at
Measi's Musings . If you want to learn more about WIPocalpse, check out this post . I plan on doing WIPocalypse 2020 as I do have  a few (cough, cough) that I did not finish this year. If you want to see my starting post, look here     .
So here we go:
1. First Christmas Stocking
Here is where I started:

 And I had a finish!

    2. Drawn Thread Sampler by Gay Ann Rogers:

Well, I did not touch them this year. Maybe 2020?
3.MH 1656-Hands Across the Sea

 I am behind the group, but only by a few months. Will take a photo of the whole thing for 2020.

4.2020 Crazy Quilt Challenge:

I am so behind on this! But I did get one more block finished. Doubt I will get done before the end of the year.
5.Welcome-Mill Hill Kit
I did get this finished too!

6.Butterfly-Alesandra Adelainde
I am getting closer on this, but it isn't done.

7. Flowering Lotus Box_Terri Bay

I restarted this as I made a mistake. And now I have no progress to show.
8.Reptiles
Here is where I was in January:

 And my last time I worked on it, which was August:

I do hope to make more progress on this piece in 2020
9. Tall Year Squared by Betsy Morgan

I finished this piece which made me very happy.
10.Here are a few of the pieces I fully finished from the stack of shame...

Not too bad although I have a few more to get done.
11. No progress on Saint Nick:

12. Warm and Wise:

Finished and ready to display!
13. I was going to start a project with my friend Mary, but we never did. It is my fault as I could not bring myself to start another big project when I had so many started. But we are going to try again in 2020.
14.Catherine Jordan Map Class:

Well, I outlined my map....So now it is a true WIP.
15. Hooray for the Red, White and Blue:

Can't wait to display this in July.
16. Pumpkin Canvas:

Stitched and waiting for me to fully finish it. I also have my friend's canvas. I'm a bad friend.
17. Coverlet-Janet Perry. I ended up trashing this piece. I made a mistake and was never going to stitch it. And I needed the stretcher bars!
18-27 I won't bore you with the other WIPs from my stash that never got stitched. But because a girl can never have too many projects, here are the ones I added in 2019:
28.Love Lives Here-Heart in Hand and 29. The Scarlett House Valentine Pillow
I stitched and finished these two smalls:

30. Here Lie my Needles by Shakespeare's Peddler
Stitched and finished:

31. Imperial Diamonds Heart by Gay Ann Rogers
Stitched and finished:

32. Quaker Ball adaptation- I have finished the stitching on this but I need to make it into something....

33.Art Quilt Remake:
I am doing a VERY slow stitch on this piece:

34.L. Genders-Brenda Gervais
Started this piece and here is where I am at this point:

If you made it all the way to the end, you are amazing! It looks like I finished 10 projects out of the 34 on my list. Not too bad considering some are truly large projects. I need to think about what will be on my WIP list for next year. I have already started making plans and I know I will be having some new starts in the New Year.
Happy end of 2019! Hope your New Year is full of joy and lots of time to stitch.












      

Merry Christmas!

I wanted to share this finish with you on the day we celebrate the birth of My Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
 Ta da!

 I started it January 2017. Lots faster than the one I stitched for my husband, which I think took 10 years.

A friend finished it for me as I was too afraid to do it myself. She did a lovely job. Thanks Nancy!
Hope you and yours enjoy a wonderful day together.

Advent Blog Hop!

Serendipitous Stitching 
is having her annual Advent Blog Hop. I always like seeing everyone's posts. Jo asked us to share our favorite Christmas movie. Mine has to be It's A Wonderful Life. We watch it every year with a big bowl of popcorn.

I worked extra hard to get two finishes for this hop!
First up, Snow Crystals by Kathy Holicky;

A friend gifted me the pattern and I used it for an ornament exchange for my local guild. It was stitched on even weave which I did not like, so I stitched it on a very light blue congress cloth.
Next up is Variations of a Cross Stitch by Patricia Mazu. I think it was offered through either EGA or ANG.... Anyway, it has been stitched and in my stash for quite a while. I was afraid to do the finishing but finally watched Vonna Pfeiffer and just did it! Please note, mine is not perfect, nor did I follow her instructions exactly, but it is done!
Because it was stitched on 18 count mono canvas, I stitched around the stocking shape twice.

 Then I went to turn it right side out. Boy! Was I nervous!

 But it all worked out.

Here it is finished. If you look at one of the photos, you will see the colors Pat used. I had a bunch of purple and was able to use quite a few from my stash.  My favorite by far was Sparkle Chainette from
 Colour Complements
I don't know if she carries this thread anymore, but you should look at her rick rack and petite very velvet. Yummy!

December Gifted Gorgeousness

Like everyone else, I am trying to get some WIPs done before the end of the year.  This "B" was a gift years ago and I did most of the stitching a couple of years ago, I think. It has been in my "to finish" pile for quite a while. A friend had a box that would work for finishing, but I need to add a few rows of tent stitch. Anyway, I realized it works for Gifted Gorgeousness as it was a gift when my son was sick.

Not done yet, but I am close!
This SAL is hosted by the lovely Jo at  Serendipitous Stitching . Go see what everyone else is stitching!

Not Sure About This

I am not sure I am happy with these colors. First, here are some bad photos of the double running stitch.
Back:

 Front:

Here is the beginning of my satin stitch:
In black and white:

Sometimes I like it and sometimes I don't.  But I do know, I love stitching this. If you have the chance, I would advise trying it. Although Baytha is probably coming out soon.

The People's Choice!

Jo hosts this SAL over at     Serendipitous Stitching      .  She has been letting us choose what theme we want for each month for quite a while. A year maybe? Anyway, this month is winter.
I do a lot of Christmas but then I remembered this little Mill Hill kit I stitched a few years ago.

 And look at this adorable gnome a friend made!

I think he needs a name.  Suggestions?

Thinking and Stitching

I have been thinking about what I will do for the new year. Part of me wants to start some new projects, but the other part of me just wants to finish some of the many things I have in my stash. I mean, I haven't touched Drawn Thread Sampler all year.

 And when will Reptiles get done if I never put a stitch on it?

But what I really need to get done is MH 1656. Here is where I am now:

I am not quite half-way through this band and I still need to add the satin stitch. It is a challenge and a joy to stitch. But should I get Baytha from Hands Across the Sea when it is released?