Wednesday, December 29, 2010

Two More Days...

Until the New Year! Do you all have any special plans? I just plan on staying home in my pajamas all day, having a movie marathon and stitching as much as I can on Mary before going into a rotation with projects. Or shall I say *try* to go into a rotation with projects.

Stitching this week has been slow. With family in town, I've been playing tourist and coming home late and tired. It definitely hasn't been the lazy, stitchy week I imagined so far! Oh well, that's ok.

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas. I've never been very good with holidays. It's the most difficult time of the year for me. I am just eager for the year to be over so I can feel like I have a clean slate. Once that happens, I should perk up some.

Before Christmas, I received a lovely package from Lisa. I'm a little late in posting my thanks here. She sent me this beautifully stitched ornie by La D Da found in the 2010 JCS Ornie Issue in a fun green with a beaded tassel. I love it!
She also included a journal and some tissues. Thanks so much Lisa! =)

Speaking of fun mail, I recently won one of the giveaways Blackbird Designs was hosting.
And received four great little packs of fabric. These will come in handy for pinkeeps, ornies, etc. They are small cuts so it would be my first plunge into piecing when I use them.

Now for stitching...as I said, stitching has been slow. I decided to take Mary off the scroll frame since I was tension issues with the fabric. My scroll bars are a little short for the fabric. And with family in town, I wanted to have my project portable so I can stitch at my parents. But there really hasn't been any time to stitch. What I have stitched has been in hand and I am starting to think I stitch faster this way even though I am a stabber and not a sewer. I haven't made that jump yet.

Here's my update on Mary...photo is clickable.
Since the last update, I've stitched the smaller pink-red motif, the large blue motif, the smaller yellow one with the yellow blob that I am still trying to identify, the quarter white motif and the initials. I am almost done with part 2. Just need to stitch up the squirrel in tree motif and I can move onto part 3.

NYE will be Mary stitching and on NYD, I hope to start on Snow Garden of the Anniversaries of the Heart series. Will have to try my hand at a weekly rotation. There is no way I can do a day of the week rotation as many evenings, I just can't get to it with work and gym and errands. So I am thinking first week, AoTH, second week, Christmas stitching, third week, Mary Wigham and fourth week, Where My Heart Blooms. When I finish one project, I can insert a new project into the rotation. I'm not very good with rotations but I will see how this works.

Are any of you starting a new project on New Years' Day? I think this is the first year I am actually committing to it!

I'm not sure if this will be my last post of 2010...but just in case...I wish you all a happy, safe and joyful new year!

Until next time...

23 comments:

barbara said...

Wow, congratulations on your fabulous BBD win! I love those little charm packs. :D

We will spend New Year's Eve at home celebrating in the Dutch style with oliebollen, apelflappen and other yummy treats.

Natasha said...

What a great win with that fabric, those small cuts are awesom for finishing.. Going along with my ornament plan for 2011 I am going to stitch JBW's French Country Mitten. Over 1 on 32ct I actually started it last night but shhh we'll say I started it on News Years Eve LOL

I do not think we have any plans, my plan is to keep DH up till midnight our time this year. I am hoping the new restraunt in the neighborhood will be open by then because they serve oysters and that seems like a perfect treat for News Years Eve

Hopefully you are enjoying your time with your sis and the kids. Did you buy anything exciting at NIAH?

Take Care and Happy New Year

Anonymous said...

Do I dare say it? Christmas is my least favorite holiday. I'm with you. I like when the pressure is off and I have a fresh, clean slate of a new year. I'm all about fresh starts.

Mary is just beautiful! I love the colors.

Not sure whether I'll be starting a new project for the new year. I'm in the middle of a pair of socks and about 1/3 done a cross stitch project.

If I finish them up before Friday, I'll wait until the stroke of midnight on New Year's Eve to start something new, but I don't think that I'll finish the socks. Maybe on the cross stitch.

Shelleen said...

have a happy new year. I will be spending it at home with my husband and one of my sons.

Jackie's Stitches said...

Congrats on your BBD win!

I usually just stitch a couple of things at a time. No New Year start for me as I haven't worked on last years since January!

aprilmecheelesdulllife said...

Congrats on your win and the ornament and gifts you received!! Sounds like you have a good plan for stitching in 2011. I have no plan other than I need to finish a lot of WIP's. Happy New Year !!

Sylvia said...

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. I like your plans for NYE & NYD - I hope to do so myself.

Congrats on winning the BBD fabric - it is fabulous.

Theresa said...

Awesome win from BBD!!!!! It's fabulous!!!! Those charm pack would sure come in handy for small projects~

Happy New Year to you, too~~~

Vonna Pfeiffer said...

WHOO HOO on your win! Those are AWESOME!
And the ornament you received...GORGEOUS!
Staying at home in PJs on the 31st and the 1st is our plans :)
Hugs to you and I wish for you the best, most cleanest slate ever! (besides my own slate that is!)

Margaret said...

You're so lucky to have won the BBD giveaway! I want to win something from those ladies. lol! Sounds like you've been having a busy Christmas. And your New Years plans sound great to me! I do have a New Year start but I may not start it on New Years. lol! I'm too into what I'm stitching now to abandon it. We will hopefully be making Chinese dumplings on New Year's Day. Yay! Have a happy, healthy New Year!

Laura said...

Happy New Year, Valerie! I'll be in my pjs watching the Tournament of Roses parade. I just love it and wait for it all year.

Michelle said...

Mary is looking fabulous! And I think your rotation sounds good. I'm going to be stitching on AOTH in 2011 too, finishing up my Snow Garden in January I hope. You will love stitching on Where My Heart Blooms. Happy New Year!

Anonymous said...

Happy New Year Valerie! Lucky you for winning those BBD fabrics :)

Mary is looking lovely so far, nice progress.

I shall definitely be starting a new project on NYD, probably two - My Hearts and the first Alpha by Sheepish Designs. Good luck for your 2011 stitching plans!

Myra said...

What a great gift and a prize too. Love those BBD fabrics. Mary is looking great. I am starting Shores of HRH New Year's Eve. Wish me luck! Happy 2011 to you.

Natalia said...

Valerie, congratulations on the BBD win !!! I love your MW and your plan for NYE/NYD sounds great to me... I will pretty much do the same. Happy New Year !!

Carol said...

I'm not really a big New Year's Eve person--in fact, I rarely make it 'till midnight! I get a bit sad for some reason as the new year approaches...

Love your fabric win, Valerie--you'll be putting those to good use with your ornament making this year, won't you? Looking forward to stitching them with you :)

I do hope 2011 brings you only good things!

Melanie said...

I'm working NYE and NY's day but I work from home so I can't complain. :) I don't even have to put a bra on if I don't want to. (But I DO, oh god, I DO. lol)

I have a very 'loose' goal of one pair of socks and one ornament per month for 2011. I'm sure I'll stick to it for...............January. lol

Siobhán said...

Congrats on the win! I love BBD fabric!

I love your progress on Mary. Beautiful! I am much the same with NYE. I am just eager for this year to be over and hope & pray that 2011 will treat us better. I plan to start SL's Jane Atkinson on 1/1 and am eager for that, too!

Wishing you a very happy & healthy new year!

Katrina said...

Happy new year!!!! I think a jammy day sounds perfect. We are going to dinner with friends other than that I am going to stitch and kit :-).

Love Mary too!!!!

Daffycat said...

Best wishes in the New Year, Valerie!

Julie said...

Congrats on your win from BBD, lovely fabrics

Good luck with your projects for 2011, it's going to be fun watching them grow

Happy New Year!

Catherine said...

Congrats on the win!!

Wishing you a Very Merry New Year!

Pumpkin said...

What lovely gifts you received from Lisa :o)

I saw that your name was one of the winners! Congrats!

Making great progress on your sampler.

As you can see, I'm still trying to catch up on my Blog reading ;o)