All That Glitters

During my reorganization of my canvases, I realized all the beautiful canvases that
I have in my stash and that I want to stitch. I signed up for this club with The Needle House in 2009. The canvases are by A Collection of Designs and the guides are by Nancy Laux. I finished five of the ornaments during 2009 and then got distracted by other projects. Last week I pulled out the remaining ornaments and am presently working on them. Would like to get them finished before the Christmas finishing deadline.


Here is the green and pink ornament ready to go to finisher. Have six more to stitch.

I realized something during my big clean up - I have a fabulous stash. I love everything and want to stitch everything. I also realized that I can get caught up in the moment and buy something I really have no interest in. I will get the canvas and say, "Why did I buy this?". I will no longer buy on impulse. I will go home and after a couple of days if I still have to have the canvas I will then order it. All of the canvases I have sent to Fireside for sale were bought on impulse. I have not counted the number of canvases I presently have in my stash but a very rough guess would be well over 400. Some of these canvases are small ornaments, some
medium and a few large. Hope to stitch a few within the next year. Stay tuned and see how I do. Oh, this does not mean I am not going to buy anymore canvases. It just means I am going to be more selective in my purchases.

Linda

Christmas In July

In April when I was attending a class by Laura Taylor at The Needle Works, I saw this Nutcracker canvas by Sandra Gilmore. I had seen pictures of it before and loved it but when I saw it in person, I knew that I had to have. I asked Colleen Church, the owner of The Needle Works, if she would order it for me and do a stitch guide. Today it arrived, I love everything. The stitch guide is fabulous, the threads, beads, and accessories are absolutely perfect. I am a pink and green girl and this canvas with all the beautiful threads is just the perfect canvas for me.





Look at the fabulous covers Colleen found for his buttons.

This is definitely going into my rotation. Just have two more small projects to do for the holidays. Hope to start it by next week.

I have been busy organizing all the closets and am now even helping Jen in her place. Jake has too many toys around and we really need to find a place to store them. We are going to use an extra closet which will be the perfect place for them.
It has been a busy summer getting projects done in the house that I could not do with Jake here.


Jake and the butterfly. He goes to the Greenburgh Nature Center every week for the special program they run for kids his age.

Linda

Another Finish

Oh, what a cute fun canvas to stitch.


Kelly Clark canvas from The French Knot with stitch guide by Paula Fehleison.
It is part of the current Christmas Pears club at The French Knot.

Linda

A Sign of Christmas

A Christmas canvas is back from the finisher! One of the two nutcrackers I did with Robin King's stitch guide from her visit to Stitch by Stitch in Larchmont is back from the finisher. I had seen a nutcracker finished as a pillow recently & though it was an interesting idea, especially as I have no needlepointed Christmas pillows. We kept this decorator pillow simple, framed the canvas with a gorgeous red silk; beautiful holiday plaid in the back & as self welt. Love it!! 

Planning on relaxing today, some reading, stitching & TV. It was a rough week at the office, although we did get respite on Thursday to celebrate Frank's birthday. We went to a new restaurant opened by a friend of mine, Siena's Trattoria; the food was fabulous!! 

Enjoy the weekend! 

Denise

Another Finish

I love my small projects - immediate gratification.

Had this small witch hat in my stash along with the spider leg base for about a year.
During my canvas reorganizing, I came across it and pulled it out to stitch.

Last night I had only the hot fix crystals to do. I got myself all set up to attach the crystals only to discover the hot fix applicator was broken. It did not heat up.
I immediately goggled to see who sold them. Joann's had them in stock. I was at the store at 9AM and made my purchase.





Getting ready to apply the crystals. Can you believe that this tiny canvas has 35 crystals on it.



Ready to go to finisher. One tip I learned is not to press down too hard when applying the crystals. It pushes them into the canvas and you can see some of the purple around the crystal. The crystals I did not press down on are much better.
I have to live with it since you cannot take it out like a stitch.

Getting ready for my next project. Tomorrow I will get a Jake fix. He will be here for about an hour while Jen is at the dentist. The other day when he left and was being buckled into his car seat I heard him say, "Buckle up - Safety First". You gotta love this little guy.




Okay I know you want to see a picture of the little guy. Here is waiting for the turtle to go under his legs.

Linda

The Big Reveal Part 2

Here are the rest of the built-ins.


More books, needlepoint and pictures


Behind the doors of this cabinet are more threads.


Last built-in more books and needlepoint


Top shelf holds all my ribbons K's lap stand, System 4 table stand and bear frame weight. Bottom holds all my Needlepoint Now magazines, stitch guides, folding lights, and leather tool cases.


My stitching nest.

Linda

Most Important Finish Of The Year

Jake's Christmas ornament is done and ready to go to the finisher. I am so happy with the way this ornament came. It is a Carol Dupree Christmas mitten.


Hope Jake likes it.

Linda

July 4th Festivities

Hope everyone enjoyed this Independence Day weekend. I took a little time to work up this cute little patriotic canvas. I recently purchased about a half dozen of these Kathy Shenkel canvases: American flag heart, Uncle Sam, Lady Liberty & some elephants. 

Going back to my Christmas banner: hoping to make the finishing deadline! 

Happy Birthday, America! 

Denise

The Big Reveal Part 1

After two weeks of working on organizing my sewing room, I am just about finished.
I have to get a new label maker to mark each box with the thread name


This built-in has a desk top for my computer, and also has some of my needlepoint books, magnetic board for magnets and of course pictures of Jake.


The lower part of the cabinet holds my office supplies and more books. I also have my Home Study Binders in this cabinet.


Built-in number two.


Threads are stored in this cabinet. Also in this cabinet are Amy DVDs, glass laying tools, sewing scissors, all my beading threads, decorative buttons and beads.


This is a picture of my storage boxes for Kreinik.


Here are the boxes I purchased at the Container Store that hold all my beads.




The bottom of this cabinet holds more threads, a box filled with needles and another box filled with fray check, thread heaven, thread drops and various other needlepoint tools

I am thrilled with the reorganization of my sewing room. It is so nice opening a cabinet and not having bags of threads falling on my head. Everything has a place and as I finish a project all the threads from it will be put into the proper thread boxes.

More to come tomorrow.

Linda

Santa Arrived Early

The UPS man delivered this wonderful package to me today.

This is Ruth Schmuff's new Mystery Class With A Twist. The canvas is Christmas Village by Melissa Shirley. The photos of this canvas do not do it justice. It is absolutely fabulous in person. Ruth sent us a wonderful reindeer magnet and two fabulous bags. One bag is for all our beads and the other is for all our threads.
I love these bags. They will certainly keep you organized.


I want to start this right now but have a few small projects to finish before holiday deadlines. Okay, I admit I cannot resist. I will get it on bars tonight and will probably start the sky.

Linda

New Project

Just picked up this ornament to do for Jake. Stitch by Stitch in Larchmont ordered it for me. It is a Carol Dupree canvas.



Off to get started. This is my project for this afternoon.

Linda

Another Finish for 2013

I just finished stitching HeartStrings Pine Santa. This is the first HeartStrings canvas I have stitched and thoroughly enjoyed stitching it. Taking it to be finished tomorrow. Cannot wait to see him finished.



Trying to get some Halloween and Christmas projects done before the deadlines.

Linda