Sinister Craftiness

First Snow by The Drawn Thread
Pearl Grey linen (32 count)
Stitched with Weeks Dye Works

Last finish for 2010!  This sweet little design is a free chart available for download from The Drawn Thread’s web site.

My 2010 finish gallery page is now up:

Looking back at expectations for 2010, I think I did okay.  I didn’t start the Teresa Wentzler project, but I did complete a Victoria Sampler one, and best of all, I finished the Japanese Octagon Box!  Definitely the high point of this year’s stitching.  I also completed two Hardanger projects and am part-way through a third.  Smalls are always fun and a welcome break from long projects.

2010 is full and an empty jar is ready for 2011

For 2011, I’d like to finish the three WIPs I’m bringing into the new year.  My Crazy January Challenge list is ready to go, but instead of posting the list in advance, I’m going to reveal each chart every day from January 1-15.  After that the complete list will show up in my sidebar.

Most of the time, my projects stay in the craft room.  This year three Shepherd’s Bush pieces decorated the mantle for Christmas, and since there is already an extra hook on that wall, I added the Heirloom Wedding Sampler as well.  If I can get the fifteen new projects under control, I’d like to work on at least one large Christmas piece to add to next year’s mantle display:  kitted up and ready to stitch are Teresa Wentzler’s Holly and Ivy Sampler, and the Heirloom Nativity and Carol Singers samplers by Victoria Sampler.  I would be happy to get any of those done.

I’d love to squeeze some more Hardanger embroidery into the year, too; I have a couple of projects all set to go and a vintage pattern I want to customize for a table centerpiece.

I wish all of you a happy and prosperous new year, with plenty of stitching time!  Many, many heartfelt thanks to all of you who stop by my little online craft room; I appreciate your visits and comments so much!

Before the year ends, here’s a look at the WIPs I’m still working on:

Three Friends by The Drawn Thread.

Recently I took this one with me to work on while babysitting a friend’s children.  They were supposed to be asleep when I arrived, but the three year-old girl was still awake.  When she saw my stitching bag, she got out of bed several times during the evening to look at the chart, the panels I had finished, and all the silk colors.  Finally she said, “I can’t sleep because your thread is too pretty.”  I couldn’t agree more; many a late night stitching session has been inspired by such feelings.

Two panels remain to be stitched, and it seems to take me about one week to stitch a panel, so this one could be done soon.  Then it needs to be finished into a stitching folder.

Peacock Garden Mandala by Châtelaine Designs.

I’m still soldiering away on part 4.  It’s like yard work; I spend hours on it, and can’t see any progress.  That’s discouraging, but I know if I keep at it, even little by little, eventually this part will be finished.  On the bright side, this is by far the largest installment in the twelve-part series, so once it’s done, the other sections should go much more quickly.  I’d like to finish this in 2011.  There are several other Châtelaine mandalas I’d like to start, but I think I had better stick with working on one mandala at a time.  It’s a good incentive to finish.

Hardanger doily in Diana Hardanger magazine.

This one is my current “waiting room” project – any time I’m waiting for an appointment, I can take it out and work on a few eyelets.   (There are a lot of eyelets in this design.)  I want to finish this one by next summer so there’s no rush, but even so I’d like to move this out of the waiting room and give it a higher priority, just to make sure it gets done.

So that’s the status of my 2010 projects still in progress.  As if that were not enough …

Crazy?  Oh, yes.  But I’ve joined Risti Pisto Hassutus 2011, the Crazy January Challenge:  begin a new project every day between January 1 – 15, and finish all fifteen projects during 2011.  It will be a great way to finally get around to those projects I was so eager to have … at least that’s what I keep telling myself.  Usually I prefer to have only a couple of projects in progress so we’ll see how this goes.   Now to decide what to stitch.  I’m tempted to load up with easy smalls and be done with it, but I’d really like to work on a variety of projects to keep it interesting and, well, a challenge.   Since one of the goals is stash reduction, my list will be confined to projects already kitted up; no extra trips to the LNS.   I think I can come up with fifteen different designers.  What surprises lurk in my stash and what will make the list?

Morning Glory by The Drawn Thread
Cafe Au Lait Legacy Linen (34 count)
Stitched with Silk ‘N Colors, Waterlilies, Soie d’Alger

Stitching this pretty sampler has been more exciting than I could have ever predicted, or would want it to be.  Nanaimo has had a rough week but seems to be feeling much better today; he’s trotting, rather than hobbling, around the house and the upper respiratory infection he picked up at the vet’s office is clearing up.  Next week his stitches come out.

I love the curving vines, and the beads surrounded by round Jessica stitches.

A long overdue peek at the ort jar, where one can find the soft pastels from Shepherd’s Bush and The Drawn Thread, cheery brights from Just Nan, creamy white silk from Victoria Sampler and rich silks and metallics from Châtelaine Designs.

Speaking of Châtelaine, all the Japanese Octagon Box pieces are stitched!  Here’s the box lid piece.

Now I need to finish the box … deep breaths … I can do this, I think …

I’ve also started Morning Glory by The Drawn Thread.  The silks are so pretty, and all the backstitched vines will keep me busy for some time.

This is what the morning glories look like in my yard:  definitely not tidy little blue Jessica stitches.

After one of the darkest, coldest Junes on record, we are finally starting to see a little sunshine, and we’ve even had a couple of days above 70°F.  No sweltering summer days here, at least not yet!

This lovely needlework case project (Three Friends by The Drawn Thread) had drifted down to the bottom of my WIP basket since I started it in January.  Last week I found it while tidying up the stitching room.  Two of the pockets are finished, and I’m working on the third.

Even the bare branches and flower bases are poetry in progress.  Such a pretty design, and so fun to rediscover it.  What’s hiding in your WIP basket?

First pocket finished!  This is a very pretty design; I’m looking forward to the next pocket.

But first I have to put stitching aside for a little while for (brag mode on) Thing One’s Eagle Scout Court of Honor this weekend.  His award marks the beginning of the third generation of Eagle Scouts in my husband’s family:  Thing One’s grandfather is an Eagle Scout, his dad and all three uncles are Eagle Scouts, and now Thing One has set the example for his much younger cousins and little brother.  While putting together the slide show, it has been fun looking through the pictures of his adventures in Cub and Boy Scouts and seeing how much he has grown.

All my husband’s brothers, his sister, and parents are coming and staying at our house, starting Thursday.  With a few of the nieces and nephews and two sisters-in-law, that makes sixteen people.  My stitching room has to take one for the team and convert into a guest bedroom, and my work table will be used as a second dining table, so I have to stash my stash for the time being … although I think I’ll keep Three Friends out just in case.  See you next week!

After finishing Glow I began Three Friends, a needlework case by The Drawn Thread.  The title refers to the Chinese “three friends of winter”:  bamboo, pine, and plum blossom.  I’m stitching it with the recommended NPI and Dinky Dyes silks on 32 count Putty linen.  I decided to begin with the inside pockets; this one features a lovely satin stitched plum blossom.

I think this may be Chinook’s first appearance on this blog.  Usually Nanaimo claims the stitching table, but today Chinook got there first.  In the preferred napping spot are two stitching frames, with linen marked and all set to begin.  The wider one is for Theresa Wentzler’s Holly and Ivy Sampler.  I’ll be very happy if I can get it done in time for Christmas.  Chinook and Nanaimo are already looking forward to Tapestry Cat, which is next on my to-do list of Theresa Wentzler projects.

The narrow framed linen is for the Heirloom Wedding Sampler by Victoria Sampler.  About a year and a half ago I bought the supplies for it because three weddings of family and friends were in the works, but as it turned out, none of the couples wanted the sampler.  (After a less-than-grateful reaction to a birth sampler gift several years ago, if I’m not very, very sure the recipient will like a present of embroidery, I ask in advance to save the effort and disappointment.) Anyway, this year I’m stitching it for our own 20th wedding anniversary this May.  Victoria Sampler also offers a pretty anniversary sampler, but I like the white-on-white design of this one better.

The ort jar is filling up! I don’t know if I’ll continue to save my orts all year but it’s fun to track for now.