THE SMELL OF PINE

AWWWW Christmastime - How I love it - the music - the lights - the decorations - the festive occasions - seasonal stitching.

Here is something I have been working on for the past couple of weeks and am really loving how it is coming out. It is Poinsettias and Pines by Blue Ribbon Designs. I changed my fabric to the lovely Sugar and Spice linen from Australia - I ordered it several years ago and I think it is called Marble Crunch. I love how Naomi does her sparkly linen. The threads are Belle Soie as charted except I had to change the white to a pale silvery gray on the snowflakes so they would show up better on this linen.  In the new year I hope to get a real camera so I can take better photos - I am using my IPhone and think they should be better but alas they still look fuzzy and crummy.  My nice Canon digital got stolen when our house got broken into a couple of years ago and I did not ever replace it.  Anyway you get the idea - I am missing one tree there but I will finish it up today.

The other piece I worked on earlier in December was Merry Christmas by BBD from the Joyeaux Noel book.  I am shortening it up a bit from what was charted but I know the wording will fit.  It is on a leftover piece of R&R fabric with the called for Crescent Colors cotton.  It will be a cute pin pillow one day.

I am starting a new project tomorrow on Christmas Day - It will be a fun one instead of a serious repro sampler.  I am starting 6 Fat Men by Lizzie Kate.  I loved the bright colors she used - all overdyes and I am using some long stashed 28ct Antique Cotton linen by R&R - I thought using a larger count linen might make it more whimsical - of course for those who do beautiful over one stitching or on a very fine count - that also has the same wonderful effect to make some things very whimsical.

I'd love to hear what from you if you are starting a new project for Christmas Day or New Years.  Our sampler guild (Azalea) is starting Ann Dale as an SAL for 2012 (and maybe the rest of our lives LOL).  I hope my supplies will be here for a NYE/NYD start but most of our group has been wait listed along with the rest of the country for the vintage pear linen.  I managed to find a piece from Traditional Stitches - Janice is great to deal with - I had ordered the Mystery Sampler and several other things from her in 2011 and was extremely pleased with her customer care.

Well - I thank each and every one of you for visiting my blog this year.  I have new followers but it still vexes me as to why those followers don't show up on my side bar any more.  I see this same thing on others blogs so I know it's not just mine.  Anyway if you are new to my blog - welcome!

I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas spent with family and friends and that you find time in the hustle and bustle of the holiday weekend to spend time with your needle.

Merry Christmas ~ ~ ~ 

MAGICAL SANTA

Having a new Santa come to live at my house can be a magical thing.  Especially this Santa.

My dad is a very prolific stitcher - I have shown his beautiful work many times before.  Sadly he does not really care for stitching samplers but he did do the lovely Rachel Hyde for me and I'm hoping he may be interested in stitching the Solomons Temple sampler on the cover of the new SANQ.

This is the Winter White Santa - design number 100 for Mirabilia.  He prefers Mirabilia designs and has stitched many of them over the years.

This was our first experience using Michaels and while they were not inexpensive like I was hoping - they did do a wonderful job.  My mom picked out the gorgeous moulding all by herself and I must say it is absolutely perfect for this piece  - she also picked the silver gray velour mat used on the top.  When I arrived at Michaels that day - she was struggling for an inner mat and I picked the midnight blue.  So this beautiful Santa is already hanging on my wall - I went out in wind and ugly weather to pick him up today.

With no further ado - here he is

apparently I can't take straight photo to save my life - sorry about the crack on my couch cushions.

Between the horrible lighting and my crummy IPhone photo - you really can't see any of the beauty and details in all the beading.

A close up shot of the frame moulding and a bit of the beading around the tree.  Take my word for it - it is just a lovely piece - I can brag because it is my dad's work and my mom's framing choices - so I'm allowed to gush over this piece.  EXQUISITE !  So magical - that is all I can say.

THE SURPRISE IS REVEALED

Last week I showed a few sneak peek shots of a needlepoint ornament I completed in a finishing class I took in Savannah at the French Knot.

Since the ornament is christmas related - I wanted to make sure the recipient was able to enjoy it during the holiday season.

With no further delay here is Kris' Kats

I am SOOOOO proud of the finishing on this ornament.  I wish I was a better photographer and if I used a real camera instead of my handy IPhone I would probably get better results.  Anyway - you can see the previous post if you missed it for details close up on the details of the ornament.

Two of these sweet kitties appear in Kris' current avatar - the little tortie Maize placing the star on top of the tree and the silver striped all male Curtis Willis.  The black one on the bottom and the Siamese have gone on to the rainbow bridge but I knew them both.  This ornament just jumped into my hands last year when I attended the finishing class at French Knot.  I knew DF Kris would love it and I was not disappointed in her reaction.  I do think she loves seeing the kids in this whimsical colorful ornament.

Thanks for all your kind comments in the previous post - I'm glad I could do the reveal sooner rather than later.

Hope you are all enjoying sights and sounds of the season.  Cheers !

GIVEAWAY AND A SURPRISE

I am terribly remiss in doing a blog post to show photos and thank Lauren from the awesome Rugs and Pugs  blog for the wonderful giveaway gifts she sent to me.  I think everyone knows I LOVE WOOL - hence the name Woolwoman and Wooley thoughts - I knit with wool (well mostly) and I hook with wool and sometimes I stitch with wool too.

When I signed up for Lauren's giveaway - I never dreamed I would win.  NEVER - however I did WIN and WOWWEEEEE did I win.

Lauren send a lovely box of textured wool already washed and dried and ready to hook. Lots of lovely wools - I was in shock - first that I even won and then how lovely the gift was.

Then buried inside the box was this darling scrabble stand and blocks spelling wool - now I just need to find the woman blocks and I'll be happy as a clam.  This is right up on the shelf with my favorite wooden trinkets.

Buried in the box was this awesome silver pendant - I had seen these on Lauren's blog but had no idea that was part of the giveaway - It looks great on one of my favorite silver chains and Lauren did not know this about me but I wear a lot of silver jewelry and am never without a silver pendant around  my neck.  The first rug guild meeting I wore this to - our local teacher and director of Off the Ocean rug camp just had a fit over it.  A crummy photo but you can see the w o o l engraved into the silverware handle.

Many thanks Lauren - you rock !!!!!!!!!!!!!

I was in Savannah again recently and took another awesome ornament finishing class from the French Knot

I took this same class from Audrey last year and finished my seahorse into an ornament.  It hangs year round keeping miss mermaid company in our sun room.  Last year - the finishing was very different - everything was done either on a machine or stitched by hand.  This year the glue gun was my new best friend.

I was very apprehensive about gluing - Oh My I thought - GLUE - egads - not sure I can put glue on my beautiful ornament but Audrey assured me that unless it was an heirloom piece that she would not hesitate to finish with glue and that many finishers use glue.  OK - so let's jump into the gooey glue.  I had never in my life handled a glue gun - I guess that is why they call it "hot glue gun"  DUH - it does get very hot.  Anyway - here are just a few sneak peeks of my ornament - it is going to go to a DF of mine and just in case she sees the blog - I don't want to spoil her surprise but I could not resist telling you about my great class and showing a few sneak shots.

Audrey has an extensive collection of trims, baubles, fabrics and treasures.  If you love needlepoint, fibers or accessories and you are in Savannah - do pay her a visit .  She also does lovely and unusual finishing and has a website to purchase from if you can't pay a visit in person.  Her wall of fibers is not to be believed. 

Look at the darling tassle that hangs on one side

I adore the christmas lights that are on the bottom of the ornament.  I did sew all these on by hand.  They were the finishing touch on my ornament and I think they are perfect to set it off and give it some whimsy.

I will show a photo of the finished ornament once it is gifted.

I have been working on nothing but this ornament - I knew I had a deadline and simply had to finish before this class.  So I have no other stitching progress to show and I did not allow myself to do much knitting either.  Nose to the grindstone and I did get it done.

Hope everyone had a lovely Thanksgiving holiday.  Can't believe today is December 1st - Christmas in 24 days and counting. only 30 days till 2012 -  I hope each and every one of you has a wonderful holiday season - turn on your favorite christmas songs and enjoy the season !