First TUSAL Post

This is the day to post my first TUSAL update.  If you don't know about TUSAL, the Totally Useless Stitch-Along, go here and you can read all about it.  I actually started collecting orts last year, but didn't participate in TUSAL.   This year, I have decided to sign up and do the whole shebang with pictures and everything.    I don't have a whole lot yet, being only 11 days into the new year, but here it is.

and another view:

Most of the threads are from Winter Woodland by Blue Ribbon Designs, and here is an update on it.

Finally, we got a new furry family member back in November.  Meet Logan, our new beloved German Shepherd puppy. He is now four months old.   So far, he doesn't get what all the fuss is about fabric and threads and charts, or the laptop either.  They just keep me from playing with him.

Two Finishes

I finished the Faith, Family and Friends Sampler from Cross Country Stitching. I am not sure how I am going to finish it, either as a bell pull or framed as a picture.  I like the country kitchiness of it.

I also finished Hide and Seek by Diane Graeber last year.  I love pumpkins and black cats, so this was a fun one to stitch.   I hope to get through more of my UFO stack this year.

TBR Reading Challenge

I saw a link for the Embarassment of Riches TBR Reading Challenge on Ruth's Little Leprechauns blog, and decided to sign up.  I have cupboard full of books that I have acquired that are waiting to be read.  I have signed up for the Bronze challenge, which is to read 12 books from your TBR stash this year.

I have already made a start and finished The Twelve Days of Christmas by Trisha Ashley, a light enjoyable romance set in a remote corner of England.  My favorite part of this book was the main character Holly Brown.  She was a hard-working, dependable, practical kind of woman who loved to cook and bake, and also loved animals.  I also revelled in all the English Christmas foodie content in this one.

Plans for 2013

Well here I am again, and with the beginning of a new year, the first day of a new 365 day adventure, I am responding to that inevitable compulsion to make a list of hopeful goals and plans. Basically, what I would like most is to finish some long-standing WIPs that have been long reposing in dark dresser drawers and would dearly love to see some daylight and have an escapade or two with my needle.

So, in light of that over-arcing goal, I have joined this year's WIPocalypse over at Measi's Musings.  Just to make things more complicated, and therefore more captivating, I am also going to make an effort to participate in Theme-a-licious for my stitching in 2013.  So here is a list of the WIPs that I plan to stitch upon... some are nearly done, some are barely begun, and many are around the midway mark.

1.  Beacon House by Praiseworthy Stitches
2.  Winter White Woodland by Blue Ribbon Designs
3.  Gingerbread by Madame la Fee
4.  Dear Diary Sampler by Little House Needleworks
5.  Strawberries and Cream from Cross Stitch Collection Magazine #158
6.  Strawberry Field Farm by Victoria Sampler
7.  Mon Beau Chalet from De Fil en Aiguille Magazine
8.  Sunflower Inn by Little House Needleworks
9.  Buttoned and Beaded Latte by Mill Hill
10.  Buttoned and Beaded Dashing Reindeer by Mill Hill
11.  Greenland Santa by Mill Hill
12.  Winter Snapperland by Bent Creek
13.  Coeur au Printemps by AMAP
14.  Deer in Winter from Agenda 2009

Since it is Jardin January over at Theme-a-licious, I plan to pull out the WIPS that have flowers or gardens for some needle time this month.  That would be Dear Diary Sampler, Strawberries and Cream, Strawberry Field Farm, Sunflower Inn, and Coeur au Printemps.

I have also signed up to participate in TUSAL this year.  I have my jar ready and will start keeping those snippets as of today.  I have been amazed how much some of you accumulate over the year.

So, Happy New Year, Happy Planning, and most of all, Happy Stitching!

Sunflower Inn Progress

I have been focusing lately on trying to clear some WIPs out of my stitching basket. It is actually rather embarassing how many unfinished projects I have accumulated .

So I worked on Sunflower Inn by Little House Needleworks, which was started last summer. Here is a photo showing my recent progress. I am going to have to order some more Crescent Color threads in two different colors before I can finish. I enjoy the colors on this one, and it is my "on the run" project because it not that large and has only about six colors of thread.

And I also stitched on a small sampler called Faith, Friends and Family from Cross Country Stitching magazine which I began in January of 2011. This one is going to be a wall hanging in my kitchen, which we are remodeling in a rustic country style. I love the little Scotties. It is almost done, with just one small bit at the bottom left with another basket and some more candles.

I have also been stitching on the Elizabeth McGuire portion of my Dear Diary sampler, but I think I will wait until I have her whole section stitched before I post a picture of it.

That is all for now. Happy stitching...

Old Finishes

Looking through my blog I see that I never posted a picture of the finished Prairie Schooler design, November. Well, here it is, and I finished it well over a year ago....

And here is another small finish from a design by Barbara Ana that I did last year for my daughter, who graduated from high school.

I hope to take some more pictures of cross stitch finishes and WIPs that I have around here. I am enjoying getting back to my blog and it is motivating me to stitch more to see everyone's beautiful work. Now, back to stitching...

New Starts, sort of...

I started both of these last year, but got so little done that they both seem like new starts now.

The first is Sunflower Inn by Little House Needleworks.

Here is a picture of the full design.


And next is Beacon House by Praiseworthy Stitches. This one has been so much fun to stitch so far. I love lighthouses. And I think I'll stitch one of the deer next.


Here's the whole design of this one.

Until next time, enjoy your stitching!