WIPocalypse Posting for February

WIPocalypse has been a wonderful thing for me. I have 4 finishes so far and am about 1/2 way to another.

I finished JBW's Teddy Bear in early January for the first posting.
I have since finished my Sampler des Bouquets, a 1997 JBW Christmas ornament and Mirabilia's Valentine Fairy. You can see these finishes in earlier posts. Not only did I finish Valentine Fairy - I finish finished it yesterday. lol. I love the pretty marbelized fabric that I chose. It is subtle and doesn't take away from the stitching. I had chosen a different fabric but the ladies in my quilt group informed me that it was too bright and did not do the stitching justice.

I  finished my mystery quilt for my local quilt group. It is now ready to go in our quilt show March 3rd.

I have been working away on my round robins.

I stitched Spring Bouquet on Catherine's Mirabilia Round Robin. Her layout is absolutely stunning and it was a great pleasure to stitch on it. She asked us to add a flower to the triangles on the outside edge and hide our initials in it. Can you see mine in the yellow block?

I stitched a Christmas tree on Denise's Twenty-Twelve Round Robin. My poor tree looks rather lonesome at the moment but I am sure once other trees are added it will look much better.

I have one UFO RR sitting on my couch to work on. I will work on that and work on my LHN Summer Splendor. Hopefully, another finish is in the near future.

I am having trouble keeping up with my google reader. There are so many wonderful stitchers out there now who are blogging. There are over 200 of you in my reader. I just can't keep up with reading and commenting on all of them. I try my best. If I don't comment, please don't think I am not reading. I am and I will comment when I can.

Until next time, I hope the only frogs you see are hibernating until the warmer weather arrives.

Slow going

When I have a couple of weeks where I stitch and stitch and stitch, I lose my momentum for a bit.

Not much progress this time.

I am stitching away on this piece and it is slow going. This is LHN "Summer Splendor". The photo does not do the fabric color or threads any justice. Hopefully, the finish photo will be nicer.

I have finished my part of the last Band Sampler RR. This one is Sweetheart Tree designs. It will go out in the mail today.

In the mail this past week, I received two lovely packages. Carolien decided this chart needed a new home and I was lucky enough to be that home. I love the colors - so soft.

And the second package came from my good friend Rebecca. She sent me this wonderful Christmas ornament - her very first finished one! It is beautiful. It also came with three packages of Caramilk Snowmen but somehow they didn't make it into the picture - mostly because they made it to my stomach first LOL.

I have three round robins sitting on my chair - a UFO RR, a Christmas tree RR and a Mirabilia RR. I have picked out the tree I want to stitch and I have stitched the face on the Mirabilia.

Off to lunch with the girlfriends and a little shopping at Beall's.
Until next time, stay frog free!!!

TUSAL, TWO big finishes and Vegas

Oh what a week it has been.
Today is the first TUSAL of  2012 and my martini glass is full. I have been stitching and stitching and stitching.

My first big finish - Jardin Prive's Sampler aux Bouquets on 32 count antique white Lugana. This took about 9 months and I loved every single stitch. I will be making it into a bolster pillow with help from a friend.

My second finish is Handblessings Hooked on Lighthouses. This piece was great fun but a little disappointing size wise. I thought it was much larger than it is. I am not sure now how I am going to finish it.

VEGAS
Oh what fun we had! We walked for miles. We looked and looked. People watching is an event all by itself. We saw "Divas" at Imperial Palace and "Hitsville USA" at Planet Hollywood. Both excellent shows and highly recommended.

Here is my big win for the week! I'm not very lucky when it comes to gambling.

My week was capped with lunch, shopping and stitching with some wonderful women. Juls and Margaret I knew online and Juls I had met before.

I made project bags, whatnot bags, needlebooks and scissor fobs for the two of them.

Look at the wonderful nutcracker Margaret brought me. Her husband and I are collectors and this will be a great addition to my collection.

There were 5 of us for lunch and then off to Stitcher's Paradise we went.
I did a little stash shopping! Gina (the owner) is a real sweetheart and could not have been more helpful.
Look at all these goodies. I am joining a Mirabilia SAL in 2013 and Winter White Santa will be my project!

Several ladies from the Las Vegas area came to the shop to greet me. They had heard about me or read my blog and wanted to meet me. Was I flattered - absolutely. I have some wonderful new stitching friends.

Here we are - from left to right
Brenda, Juls, me, Margaret, Cheryl and Michelle .

I am currently working on another small piece and would you believe with all that stash I forgot to buy one Crescent Color!!! - Hazelnut. Will have to track some down.

I hope that you all have had a wonderful week and are frog-free!

Fly by Post

This is a quick post as I am on vacation in Las Vegas for the next week.

Here is my latest stitching update.

I just love how this little guy turned out! My nutcracker RR is stitched and ready for mailing. I thought a long time about that title and think it will work. Once people start stitching their home states etc then the nutcrackers will truly be "On Tour".

Here is the latest progress on Sampler Des Bouquets. A Happy Dance next week????

While searching for thread, I found this in the bottom of my stash and decided to knock it out. One day and here it is!

JBW Hearts of Joy  from 1997 JCS Ornament Issue

Another finish for my WIPocalypse!

I am very excited this week as I am going to meet up with some online stitching friends - Juls and Margaret and a couple of other (unknown to me) stitchers for lunch and then a visit to Stitcher's Paradise. I wonder what I will have for new stash after that trip?????

And of course, Las Vegas is always interesting! I look forward to sharing my adventures with you next week.

Until then, stay frog free and stitch happy!

First WIPocalypse Post of 2012

Here is my very first WIPocalypse post of 2012 and I have made some progress.

JBW's Teddy Bear made into a birth sampler is finished and posted in an late December post.

I have made some more stitches on my Sampler des Bouquets.
Before:

Now:

My nutcracker RR is coming along. Thanks to the generosity of my Floss Fairy, Karen I have some 310 and was able to finish the gridding.  I will stitch the left corner nutcracker, put a title on it and send it out for the 27th.

I consider my first WIPocalypse post a resounding success. For the next one - we shall see!

And the reason for cleaning up fabric. I had to empty my entire park model. We had a new vinyl floor installed.

I LOVE it. It will be so much easier to keep clean.

Hopefully, not a single frog will enter. They cannot hide on this color floor (or so I tell myself).

Happy Stitching everyone!

Kitchen duty anyone?

And why did I mention kitchen duty?

I've made some gifts for a few friends.

Thank goodness for pre made panels. They make me look incredibly talented!

Look at this beautiful Christmas package from my friends  Dani! and Christin
Sorry, Christin. I forgot to mention you till now.
She sent some wonderful goodies along with her ornament.
If you have never had those Caramilk Snowmen - let me tell you - they are to die for - and in Canada only!
Since I wouldn't be home for Christmas I was hoping and wishing some would appear. And Lo and Behold! That card shimmers and looks like real ice on the branches. Just like home.
The gorgeous, gorgeous ornament she stitched me is a Teresa Wentzler and is even more stunning in real life.

I have been stitching constantly on my Jardin Prive. I am close to a finish and would like to add this to my done pile for 2012. I am about 4/5 done.

I have also done most of the gridding on a new RR that I will be in called the "Twenty Twelve RR". This is a group of ladies from Facebook and all of them are new to me. I have chosen Nutcrackers for my theme.
Here is my gridding to date and a photo of the layout.

You will notice the gridding is not finished. I ran out of 310 and neither Joann's nor Micheals had a single skein of 310, white or B5200! Can you believe that?  A wonderful floss fairy has put some 310 in the mail and it should be here tomorrow. Stitchers are the best!

It is crazy busy here and sometimes I think I need to stop the ferris wheel and get off for a while.

My stitching has been relatively frog free these days. I guess our unseasonably cool temperatures have scared them off to someplace warmer. I sincerely hope they do not stop at your house.

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2012

Wishing you all a blessed New Year filled with fabric, threads, charts and stitching buddies.
Thank you everyone for all the wonderful comments, gifts and sharing you have gifted me with this past year.