In Time for Christmas

I actually finished this several months ago, except for the "finishing".  The arrival of Christmas has spurred me to finish Madi's stocking so that it can be hung. I bought enough felt in the same color to finish all the stockings if I ever get them all completed.

Time for Change?

I think I am getting to the point where it's time to take a break with this never ending project. I can't remember when I started it. A couple of years ago I think. I know I have completed several projects in the mean time. But this project is totally stitched. All full stitches with lots of shading. So it takes a lot of time to figure out where I am when I start back. I think I am going to start the second in the stockings for my family. Who is the lucky one this time. I'm not telling.
Anyway, here is where I'm leaving off from Winter Moonlight

Framed

Here's my Seaside Wedding framed for the couple-to-be.

The Last turn

I will finish this by the wedding! I realize that saying this almost guarantees a major problem developing in the next few days. But I do feel confident. I'm always nervous when I'm stitching something that has to meet in a particular place. Like a border or in this case a heart. There is a line of stitches that creates the design. It met exactly where it was supposed to the first try. I did have to buy an additional skein of embroidery floss, #739. That's okay. I have so much floss that one more won't kill me, but it does amaze me that when I have ten boxes of the stuff, there is always a couple that I have to replace whenever I'm working on a project.

Here's Seaside Wedding

Another Finish

Last night I put the final stitches in what I'm planning to finish as a pillow for my sister. She loves dragonflies and gardening. So, I thought of her immediately when I saw this design. This is a series of stepping stones with sayings on them. I don't think I will continue with the series though. It uses a specialty floss that I don't think makes that it is worth the extra price of the floss. So, she'll just get the one.

I almost gave up

A couple of days ago, I had a night of insomnia. I hate lying there, unable to sleep. So, I got up. Watched tv, read, played computer games and finally picked up my stitching. I stitched away. This is a fairly uncomplicated pattern, but suddenly, there it was. A Glaring Mistake. I noticed it when I was stitching the top line of one of the bottom blocks. It was off by one when compared to the backstitched verse. I looked and looked and could not see where the mistake was. I was afraid to even think how many stitches I was going to have to remove to fix it. I am not one of those stitchers who can overlook a mistake. As I said, this was a glaring one, if only to me and I knew it would be mocking me as I stitched forward, especially as I did not know where the error was, so I couldn't compensate somewhere else, even though this pattern as I said is not that complicated. So, in the midst of my insomnia, I made a decision. I was going to stop working on this project. It is not often that I do quit once I start, but this was not a project that "had" to be done, and I did not want a project full of angst. So, I regretfully put it away, fully intending to never look at it again.
But, in the full light of day, I decided to give it one last try. And lo and behold, the error was in the backstitched verse. Not in the stitching itself. A fairly easy error to fix. It did involve taking out most of the verse, but that isn't a real struggle for me. Especially, when it could have been many, many stitches of the specially dyed floss that is so expensive. I was so happy and am now back on track. Picture later.

They can get married now

I won't be standing there when the minister says, Does anybody have a reason why this couple should not get married, saying "Wait, I've got a few more stitches". It's done now. And signed, sealed and only needing to be framed. Pardon the wrinkles and folds, but it is complete.

I've started back on a smallish one for my sister. She's the one that I'm afraid might not welcome anymore creations. She once asked me if I thought Mama might be getting tired of getting my work. But she is going to get it anyway, want it or not. I saw it and thought of her immediately. So there!