Stitchy Accomplishments for the Year

Well 2011 is coming to a close.  It has not been the best year but seeing as we still have a place to live and I still have my jobs and Mark has some work coming in, and we have each other so it could be much worse.  But like most people, we are hoping that 2012 is a much better year.  2011 was a good year for stitching for me.  I have had the most finishes ever in all the years that I have been stitching.  Now grant it, there were a number of years that I didn't pick up a needle and thread at all.  Anyway, I thought I would show you my finishes for the year.  I hope I don't bore you with it but I am just so proud of myself.


The main finish of the year was the Caladium Dragonfly that my boyfriend picked out for me to stitch for him when we were first dating and I made my first trip to Las Vegas to spend some time with him.  It is not framed yet but I am ordering a Gold ornate frame from Herrschners.  This one will be displayed in our living room.

I lost a wonderful friend in January.  Rene Rusk was a stitching friend that I had met in our group of I Love Cross Stitch on Yahoo Groups.  We used to meet at JoAnn's or Stitchers Paradise.  We would shop and do lunch and if possible stitch for a bit at Stitchers Paradise.  Rene passed away on January 9th, 2011 and has been greatly missed by so many.   While stitching many of my projects this year, I could hear Rene talking to me about thinking outside the box.  Well, our ILCS Yahoo Group decided to have an exchange in memory of Rene.  Rene loved frogs so we had to stitch a frog.  My stitched piece was one that I had seen at the LNS while shopping with Rene.  And while I was hearing her say think outside the box.....My thinking was outside the box as I had never finished a piece like this but as you will see...I took her literally.  Hahahaha   

My next finish was a birthday present for a dear friend.  She owns the Massage Establishment "Therapie" here in Las Vegas.  She loves Iris and has pictures and planters of Iris all around the business.  So, I stitched this small Iris piece for her.  I took the picture before I framed it.  It is in a wide frame and she hung it in one of the treatment rooms.  How cool is that?    

Next up was Solaria Gallery's Star Gazer Lilies.  When I found this piece, I immediately thought of my mother who had one Star Gazer Lily plant in her flower beds.  She loved that plant and guarded it fiercely.  I have not framed this one yet either but I want to find a frame that is similar to a frame on a painting that was a wedding gift for my parents years ago.  I really do want to hang them in the same area.  

Next is Lizzie Kate's Cat Lessons for People.  This one was such a fun stitch.  It really didn't take too long to stitch this one up.  I haven't put it together yet but I bought some cool cat material and am planning to make a pillow out of this one.  

Ok next is Springberry Kreeks Cat O'Lantern.  I so enjoyed stitching this one.  I used 28 ct Jazlyn called Fizzle.  It was the softest fabric I had ever worked with.  I finished it as a wall hanging figuring that it would take up less space for storage between holidays.  

These next two I had hoped to use as competition pieces for our ILCS group but I think the Autumn Competition fell through the cracks.  We weren't supposed to show our pieces anywhere but since it was supposed to happen in the beginning of November, I doubt that it is going to happen now and I am just as happy being able to show off my stitching.  So, the top is one that I sent to Kelly the List Mum from our ILCS group.  Check out the squatter.  Isn't he cute!  The bottom one is another first for me.  I had never finished a cube.  I thought I did pretty good for a first time.  The varigated threads on this one was what really did this one for me.  

The next picture is three Christmas ornaments that I stitched.  The Cardinal I sent to my aunt in Pennsylvania as I know that she just loves cardinals.  The Owl was the piece I stitched for Debbie of  Debbie's Corner.  The last one I kept for myself.  

And now this last ornament I had stitched it in 2010 but had never finished it.  I finished it while finishing the other ornaments with the exception of the trim.  I finished the trim on Christmas day.  I had heard that what you do on Christmas, you will be doing alot of during the new year.  So, I hope it is true.  That means I will be doing alot of finishing!!!  And in order to do the finishing, I have to finish the stitching!!!  

If anyone has any questions regarding any of the patterns, fabrics or flosses, please let me know.  I will definitely provide you with the information.  

I know this post has been very long but I have to quickly show you what I will be starting on for this New Year.  First off I will be starting Namaste by Ink Circles.  I am hoping that it will bring Good Health for the New Year as it is of the body's Chakras.  

And one other for sure start will be the 12 Days of Stitchers Christmas by Sue Hillis Designs.  Debbie of Debbie's Corner and I will be doing this as a SAL.  If anyone would like to join us....let us know.  We have not fully set up all details yet but I would like to start it sometime in January.  We shall see if others would like to join, we need to give them time to get their supplies.  

I do have other projects set up for the new year but I will just post on them at a future date.  At this point, I would like to wish everyone a very Healthy, Happy and Stitch Filled New Year.  May 2012 be the best year yet!!