A finish and the the 2021 bag

 I ma declaring this piece finished.  I finished the border sometime in 2020 but otherwise I have not touched since October 2018.   My EGA chapter had taken the class together as a retreat.  The first one to have it finished was a delightful friend and none too soon.  She died of cancer a few months later.  Then another friend and I changed the border threads (switched the thread out for a tatting thread the same color as the floss, the designer called for).  we stopped by the tatting store on our way home after a stitch-in.  That was the last time I saw her.  She died that week.  Now I can not bring myself to totally finish the piece.  The only thing missing is the wave (also the title of the piece) but I can not bear to pick it up.  Too many sorrowful memories.  So it is finished -done- and I like it as it is.

The front cover

My piece!

And for the New Year

I have packed my bag!

Yes, I have packed a stitching bag that won't go anywhere.

It holds the stitching that I want to do on 2021.

Scroll frames and stretcher bars are not in the bag.

That's at least 4 pieces right now.

And for another hour or few, the first 2021

stitching piece will be pulled out.

It is overflowing a bit.

There are some spare fabrics for those piece not kitted.

Threads/fibers are in their drawers and will be pulled as required.

Some are kitted (by me).

I'm hoping that this will be more incentive to stitch

than a list ever has been.

I found my 2017 list (about to go in the trash)

and I discover I only stitched maybe a third of the items.

Haven't seen a list for 2019 but I have found my 2019 list.

I stitched 4 out of 13 - not a great showing.

Sometime next week I may count the bag items 

or maybe not.  

Meanwhile

Happy New Year!

More finishing

 More finishes.  As I redid my stitching corner  (meaning most current supplies), I found pieces that only had just a couple of things to do for finishing the piece.  So I did.  I have one more to work on today to see if I can finish it.

Up first is one that I finished 2 weeks ago but never took a photo of.

The 2020 Linens and Things Mystery Sampler

Quakers for 2020

Dessert Diamonds

Can't find the chart

but all it needed was more of the outside border.

now done.

This is  "Frosty"

I picked this up at a garage sale, partially finished

also not quite stitched correctly

Snowman is was fine but the eyelets were in the wrong place

and worse yet, had loose ends in the back.

So, I decided I would make him more rounded in order to be able

to make him an ornament properly

and I kept adding beads to make more snowflakes.

Sorry I forgot a before shot.

 Something else finished!

The beads were a pain.  There were not enough of one color and

 the cream and the gold were too small for the beading needle.

So I made modifications and it's DONE.

still needs to be ironed and fins a frame but framing is something

for the future until life is more normal.

 Please note in the 2020 turtle trot area that three items are marked DONE.  I really should I have looked at that list more often.  Several things are close to being done.  Overall in 2020, I did finish more than 3 things.  But now to go back and count them.  Maybe it's time for a column of finishes.   

This is where I wish I could be but alas no where seems to be safe.

Perhaps this summer or fall

we shall see

Meanwhile for those of in cold weather areas

and have left over candy canes

Here's an idea.

Large Marshmallows and small candy canes

or just use a regular size candy cane

to stir your instant hot chocolate.

Keep warm!

SAL update

 My last SAL update for 2020.  Perhaps 2021 will better for finishing pieces.

I wanted to start the border around the piece instead of figuring out what to put into the boxy lines.  Then came the dilemma of what color works best, what type of thread is better, etc.  

Please look and tell me if you have a preference.  I seem to be stuck.  at the bottom left is one color in DMC floss.  a few spaces over is another DMC color.  along the edges are various other colors, mostly floss but there are also 2 perle cottons there..   please offer advice.  There are 3 photos so you can see things with more than one perspective.

You can see that color ideas are everywhere

it has taken over the stitching

and to think I had hopes of finishing it before Jan 1

Ha, ha.

Make sure you look at all the other stitchers as well.

I'm sure they have made better progress than I have.

Avis, Claire, Gun, Carole, Sue, Constanze, Christina, Kathy, Margaret, Heidi, Jackie, Sunny, Hayley, Megan, Deborah, Mary Margaret, Renee, Carmela, Sharon, Daisy, Anne, Connie, AJ, Jenny, Laura, Cathie, Linda, Helen

Most trees are still up and in danger.

 

 

 

 

Some of my favorite yhings

For the daughter who lives in Florida

Good luck with anything arriving on time.