A finish and a start

Tonight I have finished one ornament and started another.
The Cricket Club "christmas wish" is gorgeous and I am thinking I might make one for myself too -  just not yet.

And I started the 3D Holly Band ornament - an old design by Jean Farish.   Just two things : I don't think these look anything like holly berries and I don't really want to stitch three identical pieces.   But onwards and upwards :-)  Three pieces are needed to form the 3D ornament.

But right now....I am off to bed.

Christmas is coming

Yes, Christmas is coming and the ornaments need to get finished.
So tonight I have made a start on The Cricket Collections freebie from years and years ago.   It is close to completion - tomorrow I should be able to do the trunk, the pot it stands in and the ribbon.

Rather cute don't you think?   The HD3QBEM wanted another 4 ornaments for small Christmas gifts and I need to do another three so the production line has opened and we are in business.

The Next Project

Tonight I have done the lace filling on two more diamonds of the hardanger runner and hemmed around half of it.   As a reward I selected the floss and fabric for my next project which is to be of little crosses:-)

These colours don't look very festive but they are destined to be a Mary Beale Christmas Wreath = Merry Christmas I (here).   I plan to stitch on a piece of 28 count raw linen from stash and will back it with red velvet.   Of course this will not happen until I have finished the Florentine Pocket and made that into a tote bag.   What a good feeling to know that all the ingredients come from stash.

The end of current WIPs is in sight and I am already in planning mode for the next projects!

Little Sister's Visit

This afternoon Little Sister came to visit and while we were sitting talking I completed the Christmas Ornaments.   As you can see I changed my mind and the one I thought too big and was going to make into a notebook cover is actually a hanging ornament complete with bells.   I still want to make a notebook cover so will have to stitch another (lol).

The hardanger tassel was painstakingly cut out and stitched up.  I am really pleased with this one.   It is to be a gift so is now wrapped in tissue until it goes on its journey.

And I promised a give away so please come back and visit tomorrow:-)

Christmas Puppy

A search through the old issues of the Christmas Ornament books unearthed this one.

I'm substituting DMC floss  and the colour photograph in the book shows the hat to be red and gold.   But that looks more like the Waikato Rugby Team colours than Christmas to me, so tomorrow I will undo the gold and restitch in Christmas White.
But he looks good doesn't he? And he will look more festive when the Christmas Stocking is hung off his tail!

Finished, finished and almost finished

This week I have been fighting a head cold so progress on the stitching front has been very slow.
But tonight I have these to show off
A finish -  still to be made into the centre piece of a notebook cover

Another finish - to be made into a hanging Christmas Tree ornament.

An almost finished!  This is nearly half of half of the green hardanger runner.

I think at this point I may take a break and go back to my knitting.   Our weather is turning colder and I feel the need to finish off a winter cardigan while it is still winter :-)
My head cold is finally on the mend now and I am feeling much better -  just in time for a busy weekend with household chores and nursing duties.   The HD3QBEM is still not well and needs cheering up.

Christmas Cat

Today I have a croaky voice and a sore throat so was sent home from work early.  We had a fine sunny day and it was great to have time to curl up on the sofa, slowly sip a hot drink and finish my next Inspector Rebus book.

Then I decided to proceed with this Christmas ornament.   I have decided that, at a little over 3 inches square it is too big for an ornament but would make a splendid notebook cover.   One would need an enormous tree for ornaments of this size.  IMHO it really needs to be stitched over one, but I am not about to repeat this to prove my point, so a notebook cover it will be.
On the way home I diverted to The Ribbon Rose and purchased DMC319 and a small gold star to finish the other ornament, so may achieve two finishes this week.   I am sure that stash will provide fabric for the backings.

What to do when you run out of...

I was sure I had another hank of DMC 319 floss, but no!   So this piece has ground to a halt.

However, nothing daunted I have searched through stash and found the ingredients for two more Christmas ornaments and even made a start on one.   My nieces and nephews are 'dog people' so this cat ornament may find a place on my tree:-)

This weekend has been a quiet stay-at-home one as I have tried to shake off my cold.  The HD3QBEM is not well again today so with the CD playing very quietly in the background we have been reading.   I have a Inspector Rebus book and she has a new Talking Book on her earphones - we are both happy.  Tonight is soup and cheesy toast.

And I just kept going

This was to be a project at Guild on Saturday but tonight I came home from work, stressed, picked this up and just kept going!

I will leave the frame around the edge for Saturday, I promise.

Snowfall

Today the temperature dropped - big time - and in the south there was snow.   At my house the snow fell too -  on this Christmas ornament.  

I really like this one and will find it hard to give away.   Perhaps I need to do one for myself too?
This afternoon I had time off in lieu and was able to cut out a skirt and a jacket.   These have now been prepped and are ready to sew.  Guess what I will be doing this weekend?

And tomorrow the snow may fall

It has been a cold wet day here but the chores are all done and I have had free time to sort through some more possible Christmas ornaments.   But before I start anything else I need to finish what is already begun.

So Father Christmas got a hat and a sack and a tree tonight.   Tomorrow the snow will fall  and gaps will be filled.   Hopefully I will get the stitching on this one completed then.   He's looking good though and I am pleased with this one.
A start on a hardanger small didn't go so well.   Almost completely around and I find I am one fabric thread out.  Ouch!   I need to reverse out of that dilemma tomorrow.

Christmas preparations have begun

Tonight I made a start on the first Christmas ornament for this year.  

Next Saturday afternoon is Guild so I will be able to take this and fill in some of the gaps.   So far so good.

Christmas is coming

Two Christmas ornaments kitted up and ready to start.   I feel well prepared for the next time an attack of "start-itis" arrives.  Something small and quickly finished should not make too much of an impact on the two long-term projects I have on the go.
Can you guess which of these I am going to stitch?   I need to cut the linen to size and overlock the edges.

For this next one I plan to stitch some calico to all four sides so that I can use a hoop for the stitching.

All the requirements came from stash and I am really glad I keep all useful-looking scraps of linen.  So often they prove to be just right for ornaments.