A New Start, A WIP update & dad's work

good morning everyone!!!!!! I hope this midweek update finds you doing well...
me?? I am ready for spring....dreary Jan. weather really makes me long for spring & fresh starts...
And, speaking of fresh starts, my first picture is a fresh start. I have had the pattern kitted up for nearly 2 years. I just hadn't pulled it out. Well, last week, I decided it was time. Carol has this as her blog header & every time I see it, I love it. Her birthday was last week, so in honor of her birthday, I pulled it out & started it.....
I pulled it back out this am, to start on the chimney. Guess what?!!? I need the floss color for the chimney. Guess I need a run to somewhere that carries floss....oh wait...I have to go out of town for that.....NO WHERE in our town carries floss.
Thankfully, we will be going out of town sometime over the next week or so..and I will get my floss.
Next up, is the piece I bought from Nicole. She had already started it, but decided she didn't want to stitch it, so she offered it up for sale. I liked the design & wanted to try stitching on a different fabric than normal. I usually use a 32 ct. lugana.  This is a 40 ct. linen...I don't know what the linen is, but it is 40 ct. I do know that. I was really scared to start, but I have done a lot of it already. She started in the lower right hand corner. She did the bottom row & part of the second row. I started with the birdhouse & worked my way left, then moved up to the next row..
Next up, are pictures that my dad sent me. He has made these seam rippers using various types of wood. He is hoping to sell them for $12.00 each. Next are what he calls purse hangers. I have not seen these in person yet, but they look interesting to me...
Lastly, he doesn't know I am posting this one, but this is his current stitching project. He is making great progress on it....
have a great day everyone & look for the little things in each day, to brighten this dreary season.....

Waxing Moon--January Sampler

Lizzie Kate- Summer Alphabet

dads seam rippers

dads purse hangers

dads eagle

thanks for stopping by & your encouraging words. they mean so much to me!

SAL finish

I finished the Winter part of the Novalee2 SAL last night, for my second finish of the year. I am MAKING myself finish some of my WIPS/UFO's this year. It is silly to have so many projects started & not finished. Yes, I just bought all of those containers, but I have a goal.....as I finish something, I get to put something 'ready to start' in the empty container!! See, there is a method to the madness!!!! I have already put something in this container!!
I pulled out the LK piece that I rescued from someone's sale blog a while back. I will see how much I can do on it, before deciding to work on something else that has been started or something new!!!

I hope you are having a great week/weekend!!!

WIP Storage Containers

In my last post, I mentioned that I had gotten a few storage containers for my WIP pieces. I have now gotten enough of these containers for all of my current WIP's, except for my Little Drummer Boy.....that one will not fit in one of these, since there are over 90 colors of floss...So, that will stay in a tote bag. But, as you can see by the pictures, these fit perfectly in one of the cubby holes in my storage cabinet.
I have also taken a couple extra pictures...one with the contents showing & the other on my lap....the perfect amount of 'heighth' to work with.
I got these at Walmart. They were regularly nearly $4.00 each & I got them for $1.50 each. I love a good bargain!!! My husband even got one for his workshop. He likes to take the stitched piece down with him when he is making a frame, but obviously a wood workshop gets pretty dusty. So, he will put the piece in the container & it will stay clean & he can look at it as needed.

WIP's neatly stored in new containers in their cubby hole

WIP sitting on my lap

First Finish!!!

As  you can see by my new header picture, I finished the piece my husband got me for Christmas!! I put the last stitches in about 7:20 tonight. Any guesses how long it took to stitch that one row border around the outside!?!?! I was so tempted to leave it off, but he said it looked so much better with it, so I added it.
I am now going to focus on a few of my WIP pieces for a while....first up will be the Novalee 2 SAL from last year. I got the last part to it a couple days ago, but I wanted to finish this piece first.
I got some of the neatest containers on clearance at Walmart the other day. They hold a kitted up project just perfect & will be super to haul my projects along with me when I go away from home....
If I remember, I will take a picture before my next post.
I hope you are all having a great start to the new year!!!

Christmas Gifts.....finally and my 1st start of 2012

I am pretty embarrassed that it has taken me so long to post a picture of the gifts that I received. I think I did post a picture of the reindeer ornament, but I know I didn't show the other two.
The reindeer was an ornament exchange on one of the groups that I am in. I love this little cutie!
Next, is the 3 little snowmen on the let it snow pillow. This was stitched by my dear friend Carol. She saw this pattern & thought of me, because of my grandsons....three of them...three little snowmen!!! If only you could hear them say snowmen....so adorable! And before long, the cuteness of how they say it will be gone, because they will be saying it properly.
Last in the picture is an ornament from my dear friend Mylene. She & I have corresponded back & forth for several years & have done several exchanges.
I feel really bad that I didn't send any stitched goodies out this year for Christmas.
I also am posting a picture of my first start for the new year.(excuse the wrinkles & qsnap lines!) My husband 'learned' how to look at my wishlist on the 123 board & he found his favorite from among the list & purchased the chart & the flosses. I had told him not to worry about fabrics for anything, because I have quite a bit of fabric.
I thought it was great that this was his favorite of all I had listed, because this is my very favorite Bible verse...one I remind myself of when I think I can't do something......
I changed my blog background this morning, but the header wasn't showing up with the white, so I deleted it....

Gifts left to right: from Carol, Mylene and exhchange from Jacquie

New start 2012, gift from my husband

Happy New Year to all!!! May your stitching needles be flying!