It has been almost a year since we went into lockdown for COVID...so much has

happened during that time...sometimes it seemed as if time had stopped, other times it was flying by. We have been fortunate not to have been sick. Right now we are waiting patiently for our turn to get vaccinated, and look forward to a more normal and peaceful world.

Most of my time has been spent either reading or stitching. I did finish some WIPs and also moved some of mine to the UFO closet. Maybe they’ll see the light of day at some point in the future!

One of my goals for this year was to stitch every day...and so far I have been! I’ve also joined a few challenges, so we’ll see what happens there.

One of the challenges is WIPGO...kind of like stitching bingo. Two numbers are drawn each month, and we stitch whatever project shows up in that space on our WIPGO boards. In January, I meant my goals and actually had a finish for one...47 Hearts by Silver Creek Samplers. I started this in 2015...probably one of those start everything in January things, but for some reason, I never got back to it. It turned out to be a quick stitch after all!

 

My second project for January was Grace Quaker Sampler by Sampler Cove. I added 4 more motifs and have 4 more to go for a finish. This was started in 2018.

My February pieces turned out to both be Quakers. I had a page finish on Halloween Quaker by Lila’s Studio, and some progress on Quaker Street by Marjorie Massey.

For March, I will be working on Quaker Streets again, as well as The Mary Ann Myers Sampler from Little House Needleworks. We’ll see how far I get!

In February, I also participated in the ‘I Love to Stitch 2021’ challenge, stitching each day of the month for at least 30minutes. I chose to work on Relentless by Ink Circles and finished all of the borders and started a tiny bit of the color fill-in.

I’m really hoping to keep this up...

Please be kind to yourselves and others.

Until next time...

lynda

Our New Normal

Hi everyone!

I hope that if you are reading this, that you and your loved ones are staying safe and practicing good habits to keep the virus at bay. Since my husband and I are considered at risk, both because of our age
(what????) and my husband having a compromised immune system due to medications he takes, we are hunkered down for the duration. Luckily, the weather hasn't been bad, so we get out with our dogs for lots of walks, and we can both find things to keep us busy. But I hate not seeing my grandson, and wondering how long this will go on.

One would think that with all this free time, there would be lots of stitching going on, but that hasn't really been the case for me. There is lots of thinking about stitching, and planning of stitching, but every time I actually sit down to stitch...my concentration just isn't there. I get a little bit done, which is better than nothing, but I feel like I should be doing more. I know it will come in time, just have to be patient!

I'm still working on going through all of my WIPs. So far I have stitched on 37/57...some more than others, but still, I am getting there! My only finishes have been small ones ( 9 out of the total are small pieces, and 2 are round robins that I still have to finish)

This is the smaller version of "Liberty and Justice" from Little House Needleworks

                     This one is an old freebie from Plum Street Samplers called "Lovely You"

"Hugs and Kisses" from Lizzie Kate

                                                         "Good Things" from Lizzie Kate


Yesterday, I finally surrendered one of my WIPS. I realized that I will never realistically ever stitch it...it was a FOMO (fear of missing out) purchase, and although it is a really beautiful design, I just never could get into stitching on it. Some good comes from this, though. I now have a bunch of a really pretty floss color from Carrie's Creations as well as a good sized piece of 32 ct. evenweave fabric! And the pattern will be going to another stitcher who really does want to stitch it. So, "Death by Cross Stitch"...I hearby surrender!

So, I am plan on making some progress on my WIPs as we move forward. We will be having some construction done on our townhomes starting on Monday...our section is first, so it will be noisy, but I am hoping that all these unfinished pieces surrounding me will distract from all that, and when it is all done, it will be worth it.

Hope you are all getting lots of stitches in, and doing whatever you can to stay safe and healthy. Keep counting your blessings, for even when things seem hardest, there is still much to be thankful for.
You are all in my thoughts.

'Til next time, hugs and happy stitching!

WIPocalyse January Check-In

January has been a strange month for me, stitching wise. I know I have made a little bit of progress, but I don't feel as if I have, if that makes any sense. I find that I can't stitch for very long periods of time because my fingers and hands get sore, and my eyes get tired. I feel like I spend more time thinking about stitching, than actually doing it!

Anyway, the question for the month is ...What SALs are you participating in this year?
I am trying very hard not to join any SALs, but I don't think I am really succeeding! Besides this one, I also continue with TUSAL (the Totally Useless SAL, where we post our monthly orts). I am also doing a sampler SAL with the Little House/Country Cottage Facebook group, where we are stitching any sampler from those designers on Sundays. Mainly though, I am trying to work through my too large collection of WIPs, and that is what I am going to concentrate on for the year. I am in a group called What WIP?? and we are buddying up in groups to encourage some finishes. I made a starting list of 43 WIPs, and then found about a dozen more when looking through my stash...ugh! I am trying so hard not to delve into my kitted  (and not kitted) projects for new starts...but it gets harder every day!

In my last WIPocalypse post, I listed 12 projects to concentrate on for this group, and I have made a little progress on a few of them this month. I showed my progress on the January Quilt, Alice, and Deers Among Wood in my last blog post.

I also made a little progress on Strawberry Fields Forever:

and Grace Quaker Sampler:

Hopefully, there will be more progress next month! Until then, happy stitching!

TUSAL and Catching Up

Hello again, friends!

These last few weeks have been a mix for sure. My mother's husband passed away rather suddenly. He fell on his way to the bathroom and hit his head, and when they took him to the hospital they found that he had cancer throughout his body. They were treating him, but then he developed pneumonia and that was just too much. He was 90 years old, and wasn't in any pain, but it was still very sad, especially since he was really in such good shape, always taking good care of himself. My mother is actually doing better than we thought she would. They had only been married a year and a half, but had been together for nearly 20 years. She is (thankfully) much stronger than she looks, and I trust that she will be ok. With her living in Florida and us in Oregon (my sister is in New Jersey, so she is closer), it is not the easiest situation, but we will all be ok.

Then my husband was knocked in the back of the knee by a ski lift and was out of commission for some weeks. He seems to be nearly healed (and can't wait to get back on the slopes). I'm not sure about that! Last year around the same time, he broke his shoulder. Maybe November, December and January are just not his months!

We've also been busy taking care of our grand-doggies when my daughter has to travel for work. She lives right downtown, so either they come to our house or I go there, so it is not inconvenient. She used to live 6 hours away! And they are both really good dogs, so I don't mind. When I stay at her apartment I tend to get much more stitching done too, so that's what I'm doing next trip. When they are here it is harder with our two dogs as well.  Here is a pic of her boys, Clarence and Coda. You should hear Clarence snore...

I have managed to get some stitching done, but not as much as I would have liked. I did pick up my two oldest WIPs and did a small amount on each. It has taken me a little while to get used to stitching on Aida again, especially since these are so old and the fabric is so much stiffer than what we can find today.

Alice      

January Quilt for All Seasons

And I also made some progress on a few other pieces,

  Deers Among Wood

 Through the Storms

 Strawberry Fields Forever

and a small start on something new...The Needlework Shop from Country Cottage Needleworks

I almost forgot to post my TUSAL - Totally Useless SAL - the first post of the new year. This is the one SAL I usually always manage to keep up with! Here is my (friendly) Froggy with this month's orts...

It started out sunny today, but is starting to get soupy now, so I think I will get some stitching done. I hope you are all having a great weekend (is anyone doing the 24 Hours of Cross-Stitch Marathon??)

Until next time, be kind and happy stitching!

WIPocalypse 2020

This isn't the first time I have attempted to participate in this event! Usually, I have great hopes for the year, but my WIPs tend to linger while my new starts multiply. This year, however, I am making a really concerted effort to work through all my WIPs (with the help of other groups and challenges) so I feel much more confident about making a go of WIPocalypse this year..

At present, I have over 40 WIPs, and I do plan on touching all of them at some point during the year. But I think I will choose 12 to start with as (hopefully) achievable goals:

1. Quilts for All Seasons - January (Paula Vaughn): This is my oldest WIP and it is at least 20 years old! I love this piece, but I think I made an error somewhere along the way on the quilt, and with all the 1/4 stitches on Aida, I just gave up. Here is where it is now:

2. Alice (Lynne Nicoletti): My second oldest WIP (around the same time as the first), also on Aida. Here is where it is now:

3. A Good Marriage (Lizzie Kate): Started in January 2017. It was meant to be an anniversary gift for my husband that year...maybe this year? Here is where it is now:

4. Queen of the Needle (Just Nan): I love this design, and was fortunate enough to be able to borrow the pattern from a very generous fellow stitcher. But I have been very neglectful with my stitching of it, and I really want to make it a priority this year, so I can return the pattern. Here is where it is now:

5. Grace Quaker Sampler (Sampler Cove): This was started as a SAL in December of 2018. I love Quaker designs and really enjoy stitching this one. I am going to try and alternate it with three other monochromatic stitches until they are all done. Here is where it is now:

6. Another monochromatic piece...this is Dreidel Dreidel (Ink Circles) started in January 2018. Here is where it is now:

7. The third monochromatic piece is called Deers Among Wood (Dessins DHC). I can't remember when I started this. I do remember seeing it stitched over one at my LNS many years ago and I fell in love with it. I bought the pattern then, but didn't start it until only a few years ago when I found a thread through Stitchy Box that I thought would be perfect for the piece.  I am not stitching it over one however! Here is where it is now:

8. The fourth piece is a new WIP, started Jan 1 this year. It is called Quaker Street (Marjorie Massey).

Just barely a WIP, but I really love it and would love to see it completed this year. Here is my little start:

9. Music Amongst the Trees (Rosewood Manor). This was my January 1, 2019 start. I would love to finish it this year. Here is where it is now:

10. Strawberry Fields Forever (Blackbird Designs) This one has been hanging around since April of 2016. I don't know why, because I really love it. It just keeps getting pushed aside, I guess! Here is where it is now:

11. Celtic Autumn (Lavender and Lace) I was really surprised when I pulled this out and saw how far I had stitched on this piece. I do not remember when I started this, but it was many years go. I remember that I got the color conversion from one of the old Yahoo stitching groups. Here is where it is now:

12. Olde Shaker Tune (Homespun Elegance). This is another very old piece and again, I can't remember when I started it. This is one of my very favorite hymns and I hope to finally finish it this year. Here is where it is now:

So...whew! Sorry for such a long post! Like I said before, these are only about 1/4 of my WIPs total, but if I can get these finished this year, I will be very happy!

I'm looking forward to seeing what everyone else is planning for the year and stitching together to get our WIPs done!

From the "What Dogs Teach Us" calendar for January: 

Being kind is more important than being important

Hope everyone has a great stitchy day!

How can it be 2020???

Another year has passed, and once again I am left wondering how it passed so quickly!
All in all, it was a pretty good year, with mostly good things happening and only a few really low points.

My older daughter moved back here to Portland and it has been really nice having her close by again. So now all the chicks are back and we are able to have more family time together.

Jeff and I were able to take a wonderful week in northern Idaho, where we stayed in a cottage on the river and were able to visit Glacier National Park as well

On the sad side, we had to send our beloved dog Eros over the Rainbow Bridge. He was 16 years old and live with us that whole time, so it was a very difficult time for everyone. But, it was his time, and even though we didn't want to say goodbye, we had to think of what was best for him and let him go.

I've been having some problems with my hands which makes stitching for long periods difficult at times, but somehow I still managed to get 19 pieces finished this year. The last two were done last minute for Christmas gifts for my girls.

 This is "I Do", an older design from Bent Creek that I stitched as a belated wedding sampler.

This is called "Take Time to Heal". My daughter and I saw it at a craft fair and she really liked it, so I went home and found the pattern on line and stitched it up for her. The flowers were supposed to be french knots, but since I don't do those well, I used some rainbow gallery thread instead and it turned out really cool and sparkly.

For the coming year, my plan is to work on my WIPs (of which there are many!) No more "start too many projects in January" and then never finish most of them for me. I am keeping myself to no more than 3 new starts at most each month...still probably more than I should, but there are so many projects calling to me from my stash that I can't help myself! I've joined a sort of support group for WIP stitchers, and we have vowed to keep each other motivated!

For January, I am going to try to finally finish my two oldest WIPs. Since they are 20 years old, it seems like the right time!

The first one is called "Alice" and it by Lynne Niccoletti.

This second one is the January quilt from Paula Vaughn's book "Quilts for All Seasons". It is my oldest WIP.

And my January 1st start is Quaker Street by Marjorie Massey. I made a small start on it today, while watching the Oregon Ducks win the Rose Bowl...quite a fun game to watch!

I've made a few resolutions, but I'll talk about them next time. Until then, I hope you all have a wonderful 2020 to look forward to.

Please remember to always be kind to yourself and others.

Happy stitching!
lynda

Autumn Equinox 2019

It's hard to believe that fall is already upon us...it's my favorite season, so I am one happy camper, but once again the year is flying by. And once again, there is the hope that I will have the ability to stick to posting to this blog on a regular basis...the desire is there, but the days just seem to go by too fast.

I have been stitching, in part due to some monthly challenges that are keeping me focused. I am also doing Stitch from Stash this year, and I'm doing pretty well (even though I am still adding to my stash from time to time!) I got through the first 6 months with money to spare...not doing as well this half, but I think I will catch up soon.

One of the challenges I decided to try was the Stitch 9 Challenge. This was started by Farmgirl on Instagram. You choose 9 projects to complete before the end of the year. So far, I have 5 of the 9 completed. I'm hopeful that I will be able to finish the other 4. 

Here are some pics of 4 of the ones I have completed:

The first is Spell of the Moon from Blackbird Designs:

Next is Coming to Town from Prairie Schooler. I used the 2011 date because that was the year it was released as an annual piece. I'd like to find the other yearly designs to do someday as well.

This is Mansfield Park from The Sampler Girl. This was a WIP for a long time. I decided to restart it because I didn't like the original fabric I had chosen.

Last is Quaker Gone Poe from Michelle Ink. I love Quakers, and I love Edgar Allen Poe, so this was a no brainer for me to want to stitch, and it was really a pleasure to do. I enjoyed it so much!

I have lots of other projects on the go, many as a result of pulling out WIPs for the monthly challenges with the 24 Hours of Cross Stitch facebook group. I have been encouraged to make progress each month and I see some more finishes coming before the end of the year.

I'll share some more pictures next time, but until then, I hope that maybe I still have some readers left, and if you're one of them, thank you!

"Till next time, please be kind to yourself and others.
xoxo lynda (cozysitcherpdx)

Nancy has done it again!!!

Nancy Turner is again offering a set of her beautiful threads to a lucky winner. These are the gorgeous purple shades, and if you are a purple lover like I am, you must be drooling already! The drawing ends March 1st, so hurry on over to Nancy's blog to enter.

If you have never tried her threads, you are in for a real treat! Good luck!!

Be kind!
lynda

More wonderful giveaways!

Hello stitchy friends!

Please head over to the Victorian Motto Sampler Shoppe blog where Nancy is so generously offering two wonderful thread giveaways...the flower collection and the autumn collection. Both sets are gorgeous!

Good luck!

March WIPocalypse update

I have been a pretty lazy stitcher (and poster) these past weeks, but I have managed to get a little bit done.

Since I missed last month's check-in, I'll show a picture of what I accomplished on Light of Peace first. This was my Olympic challenge piece. It's my first full coverage and really slow going for me. And, to be honest, I paid much more attention to what I was watching than to my stitching! I love the winter Olympics!

Also, to answer last month's question, I have lots of gadgets, but the three things I absolutely need to stitch with are a good light (either natural or lamp), a magnifier of some kind and my needle threader (can't live without that!)

I have stitched a little on some of my Year of WIPs pieces, but the only WIPocalyse piece that I worked on was Strawberry Fields Forever from Blackbird Designs. I was able to finish the stitching on the upper left corner of the piece.

To answer this month's question, the one new to me dyer that I love is Colour and Cotton. Her fabrics are lovely, and her threads are gorgeous! Other dyers that I have used for some time that I would recommend are Victorian Motto Sampler and Carrie's Creations for threads, and Chromatic Alchemy and Under the Sea Fabrics for fabrics. They all have outstanding products and amazing colors. As far as designers, I am always discovering new designs thanks to Facebook groups and Flosstube. I think Stone Street Stitchworks has some really cool designs, and I love Madame Chantilly and Lili Violette. I also always seem to be drawn back to Barbara Ana Designs, Ink Circles, Kathy Barrick, Jardin  Prive and Silver Creek Samplers.

I'm looking forward to seeing what everyone has stitched this past month. 'Till next time, please take time to be kind to yourself and others.

March

Hello again friends!

It's hard to believe that it is already March! And even harder to believe that the month is nearly half over! Yesterday, our temps were up to 70 and today it is way cooler and rainy  - typical PNW weather! I was going to try to make March a "Stitch Every Day" month, but that just didn't happen. I really don't think I was meant to "plan".... other than to just pick up whatever I feel like stitching on any given day. I guess that could be called a plan...maybe!

I also meant to blog way more often this year, but February went by in a blur. Technology and I were not friends and I couldn't get my computer and camera to cooperate with each other at all. I missed all my SAL posts for the month so I will have to catch up next month. I did post my TUSAL on the Facebook group though.

And my stitching bug decided to take a vacation as well...wanted to get out of the cold, I guess! I did have a finish, and did a bit on my full coverage piece, but I really do not like the fabric I am using for that. It is a Monaco (Charles Craft, I think) but it feels a little stiff. Is there anything I can do about that, I wonder? My finish was one of my YOWs pieces from this year. It is To Be Thankful from Country Cottage Needleworks ... I changed the fllowers from white to yellow... sorry for the wrinkles

Most of the month was taken up with watching the Olympics, which I really enjoyed; doing our taxes, (which I didn't enjoy at all!), spending lots of time with my husband because he was off for a week (and talking about his maybe retiring this summer - YAY!) and paying off our mortgage (triple YAY!!!) Oh...and I also made a cannoli cake for my daughter for her birthday cake, which was a big hit! So the month flew by and we are well into the Year of the Dog.

So far this month, I've worked some on Light of Peace and Strawberry Fields, but I don't have pictures I can share here yet. I also had a fun time at Acorns and Threads at their Market Day. Jeanine was kind enought to bring back a bunch of things for me and I added to my bag when I was there. There were so many great designs at Market this year. Here is a pic of what I got that day:

I just want to start them all right away!

The birds are singing, the doggies are all sleeping...seems like a perfect time to stitch, so that is what I am going to do! Thank you to everyone who takes the time to still read my blog, and for your comments. It really means a lot. Please remember to be kind to yourself and to others, and to be grateful for every day.

'Til next time,
lynda
















































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