A Challenge Met

Drum roll please.............................

Ta-Da!



Blackbird Designs
"Merry December" monthly stocking series
linen and threads as charted



I finally did it!  A stocking.  Not as perfect as I would have liked, but it is completed. 

Now that I've done it, I'm asking myself "Why did I take so long in doing it?"  For some reason I felt quite intimidated in making the stocking part but it turned out easier than I expected.  Followed Vonna's instructions which can be found here.   She put Blackbird Designs' instructions in visual form which was very helpful. 

Now I can't wait to make more of these little stockings!  I think I need to extend this challenge to stitch at least one stocking every couple of months before December so that I can have a few more to hang on the tree this year. 

Hope your week has gone off to a great start! 

Linky party @ Thistlewoodfarm

First Blackbird Stocking

Last post I mentioned that I signed on to a challenge here? 

So here's my challenge piece: 

A Blackbird Designs stocking from the Merry December pamphlet.  This is one of three designs that are included.  Like I mentioned before, I stitched this back in January of 2011 intending to finish it (along with stitching the other two--ha!) so that I can hang them on the 2011 Christmas tree. 

Well.  It didn't happen.

 

I'm not really strong on the follow through, so I challenged myself to get it done this year.  And par for the course, I procrastinated to the last minute as the deadline to get said challenge accomplished was Jan. 31st.  Today is the 30th and I finally took the piece out, got my materials and got to work.   I'll post my little stocking tomorrow!  I have to admit, I'm pleased as punch with it. 

Until tomorrow,

The Impossible Challenge

I was invited to participate in Kari's "Imagine the Impossiblities" Challenge  ( Thank You Kari!! ).  If your interested in reading more about it and joining in, check out Kari's post here:  Thistlewoodfarm.  She has a beautiful blog and a sweet story on how she and her family came to live in their current home.  Love what she has done with it!

So what am I challenging myself with?  I have lots to choose from but for this particular challenge, I'm going with this:

I've stitched one of these stockings...... last year.  Last January to be exact.  Intending to finish it sometime before December rolled around and hang it on our tree this past Christmas.   It didn't happen. 

I love to stitch but for some reason, I think procrastination plays a huge part here (have I mentioned I'm a bit of a procrastinator?), and I don't get my little works finished properly.  I've got quite a few projects just laying in a drawer waiting to be put into frames or made into pillows, etc. 

Well, I hope to change that and by the end of this January, I'll have a little stitched stocking to show you.  (It's in that pile above).

My inspiration came from seeing Siobhan's stockings.  Lovely finishes!  That's when I decided. 

It may not be an impossible challenge for some, in fact, a rather easy one.  But it seems to be challenging for me at the moment.  Hope the tide will change and it will inspire me to get the rest of my items finished.

Speaking of finishing, still plugging away at CCN's January cottage.  

I'm a slow stitcher folks (to be honest, I hadn't picked it up since last Sunday).  I need to get this done already.  January will be over soon.  Perhaps I'll have it in a frame and ready for next January?    ;)

                                                               Hope you have a great week!

                                                           

Sunday Stitching

It's a perfect stitching day, slightly overcast with the definite look of winter but not freezing cold (great so that the boys can play outside some), and nothing that HAS to been done right at this moment.  I so enjoy that kind of Sunday afternoon.  Put on a period drama on the dvd, brew up a pot of tea and I'm good to go.  Speaking of dramas, have you all watched season 1 of Downton Abbey? 

 

It's a BBC period piece that first aired on PBS last year.  Season 2 starts tonight on PBS in our area and will be perfect stitching company.  If you are into that kind of thing, definitely check it out:  Downton Abbey on Masterpiece Theatre

I don't have a progress picture on my current stitching project, CCN'S January.  Sadly, I really haven't done much stitching on it (didn't do a thing over the week) but I almost have the little house about done today.  It's a small design that wouldn't take too long to finish; I'm just stretching it out it seems.  

Off to warm up some tea and get to some more stitching!  Hope today finds you doing what you enjoy the most!

Eggnog Cranberry Muffins

Do you ever find yourself buying an ingredient to tryout and only find that you end up throwing it away because it expired since you forgot about it?  This is the case with eggnog.  Two years in a row, I have bought a small carton of it intending to use it for a couple of recipes (both baked goods) and both times I forgot it was in the back of the fridge and ended up throwing it away (mainly because come January 2nd, all baked goodies are off limits in an attempt to undue the holiday indulgence in sweets and all that is unhealthy).   So once again, I bought a carton this season.  But this time, I got around to using it (and before Jan 2nd).  Guess third time is the charm! 

Eggnog Cranberry Muffins

Quick to put together but having to take out the big ole food processor to chop the cranberries was a little more work than I wanted in a muffin recipe (perhaps I need to invest in a mini chopper?).  They came out fairly tasty.  Would have liked them to be a bit more moist though.  Not sure if a little bit more butter or perhaps a good size dollop of sourcream would help in that department.  I would definitely keep this recipe and maybe tweak it a bit more.

Recipe is from Annie's Eats and Recipe Girl

If you've got a little eggnog you need to use up and want to give this a whirl, click on either link above for the recipe.  Changes I made:  I increased the eggnog to 1 cup, used vanilla extract instead of almond and added 1/2 cup more cranberries.

I've got a little more eggnog left myself.  May try this recipe next, Eggnog Pound Cake

 (although that would be breaking my no more sweets after Jan 2nd rule).  Decisions, decisions.

Have a great day!

EDITED TO ADD:  Just linked this up to Sweets For A Saturday.  Thanks for the invite Lisa!

A New Start.....

Here's my new little project for January.  I had high hopes to have this already finished before January arrived.  What was I even thinking?!  Ha!  I received the goods a couple of weeks before Christmas(I ordered from 123stitch--super fast shipping) but I just didn't get a chance to sit down and start it, what with all that needed to be done around here as the holiday approached.  I do most of my stitching at night and most evenings I turned into a pumpkin by 7pm.   And then there were the seventy two snowmen that I embarked on.  That took a little of my stitchy time.  Not too mention handmade cards.

So here's Country Cottage Needleworks monthly series, January

I went with 32ct Lambswool Linen and the recommended colors and threads.

I love how the colors are turning out.  Looking forward to stitching the little house next.

Hope this first day of the new year has been enjoyable for you.  Everyone here is content and I'm getting ready enjoy this:

via pinterest

And do some of this:

Until next time,

 

Happy 2012

Happy New Year to all of you!  May this new year bring you and your loved ones many blessings, happiness, prosperity and good health!

Best wishes and love,