Ringing in the New Year with some stitching.....

Wishing everyone an early HAPPY NEW YEAR!!  

As I posted earlier, Santa brought me a new sewing machine!   I decided on the quilt I want to make, and purchased the last of the necessary supplies yesterday.   I have a bunch of beautiful fabric given to me from my husband's family...when his mother passed.  She was a beautiful quilter and I was honored to have her stash given to me.  I've wanted to create something in her honor since receiving the stash, so I made some memory quilt hangings for all of the brothers and sisters...but now I'm going to make something bigger.
Here's a picture of my starting supplies:

 I'm excited to use my new machine!  Here's hoping it doesn't take me long to figure out all the bells and whistles!

I've been getting things prepared for January...so I started gridding out my HAED Freebie SAL - SK Blue Moon

She'll be worked on 18 count aida in the color "bisque"....it's sort of a light pink-taupe color.   Found the fabric on ebay for 2 bucks and the size fit perfectly!!  The SKs (story keeps) are meant to be book marks when done on the smaller count fabric, but since I'm working it on the larger 18 count, it's going to be very long and not very wide....so I had to find the right fabric to work it on.
The first page for this SAL (stitch a long) should arrive around January 6th, so I finished getting all my thread pre-cut and now I just need to finish gridding and I'm ready to go!!

Cathedral has begun!  :)  This is going to be my largest project ever and I finally starting some stitches.

The lighting is really bad....sorry about that.   This is the first half of the first page...out of 42 (Yes...FORTY TWO) pages!  

I'm so excited for 2012!  I have a ton of projects on the list in my head...that consist of cross stitching, sewing and crochet/knitting.   What projects do all of you have on your 2012 list to do?   I'm looking forward to seeing what everyone accomplishes in the new year!!   


-lesli

She's Done!

I completed Angel of Hope just before Christmas....though I've held off in giving her as a gift until I finish Coral, so I can give them at the same time.

Isn't she purty?  :)

Other than her finish, I haven't done any other stitching over the holidays.  I did spend a good chunk of time yesterday cleaning up my floss disaster (I had 2-3 pieces I finished but never put the floss away).  I like to stitch with my floss pre-cut and layed out for me, instead of pulling the floss from the floss cards.  This way I can travel or sit in different places without having to lug around those plastic bins with all my floss cards in them.  Here's a picture of my accomplished clean up:

I may have to buy a 4th bin, as it's starting to get tight in there!

Let's see...what else did I accomplish..... oh yes, I finally finished gridding up the first vertical section and first horizontal section of Cathedral.  I can't decide if I should finish gridding up the entire piece or just start doing some stitching!!   I also spent some time and got all the floss sorted and pre-cut, so everything is ready to go!

Sooooo...what did Santa bring everyone!?    Santa brought me a brand new sewing machine!!  I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE it!!  I already have some grand plans in my mind on what I want to create!!   How will I ever accomplish all my stitchy goals AND my new sewing goals in one year?   Here's a picture of my new baby:

Let's see....I also got some gift cards to Joann's (can never go wrong with gift cards!) and daddy helped Kella get me a new HAED chart that I'd been vying for:  A Princess is Born   She's definitely getting added to my 2012 WIPocalypse list, which I'll need to shorten due to adding some sewing projects into my goals.

I survived the main holiday without gaining too many pounds....I'm back on track on my diet and I'm excited to kick off the new year with my weight-loss goals.   What New Year resolutions is everyone making?  Besides the diet goals, I'm resolving to clean up my old craft projects and get them done (to make room for new ones!).  I have so much yarn that I definitely need to knit or crochet something!!   Cleaning up my crafty stashes will probably mean some giveaways....I have so much stuff!!

I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday and that Santa spoiled each and every one of you!!


-lesli

A quick update...before the Holiday is here!

"I may not have gone where I intended to go, but I think I have ended up where I intended to be." ~ Douglas Adams

Yes, I had some grand plans to complete 2 of my WIPs before Christmas.....alas, I'm not even close.  But, I'm not going to dwell on it...instead I'm going to change the course of my plans :)   Stressing about deadlines won't help me enjoy the holiday spirit, so I've extended my goals to ...whenever! 

All of that being said, I did make some progress on my Angel of Hope:

The white frilly section of her dress is on its way to being complete, then I'll have just a bit more of dark blue colors and I'm done. 

This past week I spent on business in Charlotte, NC...with plans to stitch in the hotel in the evenings.  Yeah right, Lesli!   Let's just say, the needle never saw the light of day.  I did have a wonderful time with friends from work that I rarely get to see in person.  Definitely worth giving up some stitch time for!

**Diet update**  I was so worried that the fun I had in NC would ruin the diet plan I'm on, but to my surprise, I came home and actually lost 3 pounds that week!!  I'm now down 22 pounds and LOVING it!! 

After returning home, I took my kiddos to do some pottery painting.  We have this cute little pottery store that allows you choose the item you want to paint and they supply all the paint, brushes and fun items for you to use.  When you're done painting, they fire it in their kiln in the next few days and you pick up your item in about a week or so.   Here's some pictures of my babies working hard on their pottery:


Ok, though not a baby anymore....this is my youngest, Kella



And this is my oldest baby, Sebastian

Sebastian painted a cute little Santa mug and Kella painted a little cup for her "choc milk", as she put it.


My weekend was spent making some blankets for Kella's daycare teachers.  I've done this the past 2 years for her teachers (she moves to a new class each year) and everyone has loved them, so this is starting to become a tradition!   Here's a picture of the finished products:

I used 2 yards of fleece fabric, one with a pattern and one as a solid color and I crochet the two pieces together and crochet a cute little border on them.  I think they turn out pretty nice and they make a great, home-made gift.

I've also spent a little time catching up on everyone's blogs, but I know I didn't get to everyone.  But, I have some vacation from working coming up in a few days, and I'm off the rest of the year, so I'll have plenty of time to catch up then!!

Most likely, I won't post again until after the Christmas Holiday so I'd like to take a quick moment to wish everyone a wonderful Christmas.  Hoping everyone has plans to spend with friends and family while relaxing and enjoying the Christmas spirit!! 


-lesli

Time is flying by!!

It's almost mid-month....I can't believe it!!   All my cross stitching plans for this month seem to be falling apart.

I intended to complete my Angel of Hope and Coral pieces as Christmas gifts.  At this point, I'll be terribly lucky to finish just one of them!  BUT....I'm not giving up hope just yet!!!  :)

Here's a quick update on what I've accomplished with my Angel:

I have most of the blue portion of her dress complete...so it's mainly just the white lacy part left to do!!

Coral hasn't budged since my last update :(    My plan is to focus on that piece all next week.  I have to go out of town for work, which hopefully means some downtime in my hotel room in the evenings.....perfect for stitching!

Lesson learned - Don't make grand stitching plans during the holidays!!

Speaking of stitching plans....I created a page dedicated to my 2012 WIPocalypse plans.   I'll probably end up adding/deleting what I have there.....mostly deleting!   There's so many pieces I didn't put on there that I want to finish too!!   Never enough time!!

With so little stitching done on my part...what in the world have I been doing!?   With  having to go out of town next week, I wanted to get all of my Christmas gifts wrapped and shipped off to out of state friends and family.  I even have all my non-shipping gifts wrapped and ready also!!

We also trimmed the Christmas tree.....here's a picture of some snowflakes I worked on with my son:

Star Wars snowflakes!  :)    Ok...my yoda snowflake looks a little off, but you get the idea, right?

 
I hope all my fellow stitchy bloggers are doing well and enjoying this last month of the year!! 


-lesli

Drumroll please!! ...... and the Winners are..........

Now before I go announcing the winners.......it looks like I hit 95 followers sometime yesterday!!    If I hit it after midnight, oh well...I'm counting it!    :)   
(sidenote:  something is up with my follower gadget, it only shows me 9 followers!!  but my google account tells me 95, so I'm going by that!  darn follower gadget!!)

So before I announce the winners, here's a full list of the prizes (including the additional item for hitting 95 followers):

Drawing #1

Lavender & Lace; Angelica pattern

1 of my favorite floss threaders, from Dovestitch.com

Wichelt-Permin 16 ct Aida

Anchor #8 Perle Cotton floss in Nutmeg and Spice colors

Lizzie Kate Flip-it: Caring

Weeks Dye Works hand over dyed floss in Peach and Lagoon

Betty Friess Baumer chart - Williamsburg Garden Dance

Cute holiday card, in time for the holiday!

3 skeins DMC cotton floss- winners choice of colors!

Lovely Santa chart from Stoney Creek

And the new item is:

Package of Mill Hill assorted glass seed beads

Drawing #2:

Lavender & Lace, Fairy Dreams

22 count fabric in rust - 12"x12"

Celestial Chart by Janlynn

DMC Cotton Perle floss - colors 3041 and 762 (a med purple and a silvery color)

And the new item is:

Package of Mill Hill assorted glass seed beads

Now for the winners!!

I had a total of 93 entries.....and I used Mr. Random Number Generator........

Winner for Drawing #1

24 Lesleyanne at http://lesleyanneslifeinstitches.blogspot.com/


And the Winner for Drawing #2 is:

86 Mel at http://epicstitching.blogspot.com/



I'm SO excited for all the new friends I've made through this giveaway!   I'm looking forward to putting another one together soon!.  But for now.....my time is going to some stitching!!


THANK YOU to everyone that participated!!


-lesli

A Giveaway Update and some Diet info (odd combo?) :)

November has FLOWN past me.  I swear it feels like just a bit ago I was looking at everyone's cute Halloween stitchy items and sending my kids off for trick or treating!!   Can it already be December?  <sigh>

On the bright side.....my Christmas shopping is officially complete!!  Mostly due to the fact that I shopped throughout the year to get a jump start, especially when I found great deals.  What I need to finish now are the 2 WIPs I'm working on that I'd planned to give as gifts.  I did buy some back up gifts just in case I don't finish...here's hoping I don't have to use them!!

I don't have any WIP updates today..... the times I set aside to stitch were filled up with other activities :(   How in the world will I finish them at this rate, right? 

I wanted to post a quick update on my Giveaway!  I currently have 88 followers!  How fantabulous is that?  This brings us to new items to add to both drawings!   I wonder ifI can hit 100 before the deadline?  If I do, I know I'll have to find a way to celebrate!!

New item for my main drawing:

Adorable Santa chart from Stoney Creek

And the new item for my second drawing:

DMC Cotton Perle floss - colors 3041 and 762 (a med purple and a silvery color)

I'm so excited to draw my winning names!!   Just 3 more days!


Since my last post about losing 12 pounds, I had a few followers ask me how I've been losing it.   I'm using a product called Body By Vi, which is a shake you drink in place of 1 or 2 meals a day.  You can click on the link and watch some videos on how it works if you like!  As of today, I've lost another pound this week!   I'm doing a 90 day challenge that the company is running (you can start your 90 days at any time).  They give prizes throughout the year to participants....it's not just about who loses the most pounds, so anyone can win!

Wishing you all a great day!


-lesli

Is it Monday already?

Where did my weekend go?  I set out on Friday with this grand plan of getting so much stitching done...and I failed! :(

I did get some stitching time in...so I guess all is not lost.   I was able to spend some time on Coral.  I wanted to finish page 1 by today, but alas........ just not enough hours in the day!

Here's what Coral looked like before the weekend:

And here's what she looks like Monday morning (sorry it's so blurry, the lighting was bad!):

I did however, get most of my Christmas shopping done (just 2 gifts left to get!)......and I did it all online!!  What did people do before the internet? 

At this rate, I'll have to delete some of those items on my list for the 2012 WIPocalypse....knowing I won't get to them!   I won't delete just yet (I'll probably just keep adding!)

I know I mentioned a week or so ago that I started a new diet.  Thanksgiving celebrations steered me a little of course, but I'm back in line.  I've lost about 12 pounds so far, so I'm happy!!  Here's hoping I can keep on track through the holiday!

My oh my.....my giveaway just puts a huge grin on my face!  I love that I keep seeing new followers and new sign-ups!  I've updated the list on the thread and I'm officially over the next addition mark (85)....I just haven't taken any pics of the new items.  I'll get those taken and uploaded as soon as possible!!   I wonder if I can hit 100 followers before the giveaway is over!

Anyhoooo.....just a quick post on my weekend work....I'm off to stitch!   Happy Monday to everyone!


-lesli

Black Friday Shopping?

Black Friday?  For any followers who aren't familiar with this term...here's my stab at an explanation.  Black Friday is the Friday following Thanksgiving.  It's the day that all of the retailers offer big specials and sales to start the Christmas shopping season.  I've seen other descriptions on why it was labeled "Black"....but the one I'll use is that it's the day that retailers are able to turn their books to black....meaning, they've been in the red all year for their budget and with all the sales they'll make on this day, they'll finally turn a profit. 

Anyway...... enough education! :)   I hope everyone was able to spend time with their friends and family on the Thanksgiving holiday.  And if you don't celebrate this day, I still hope you spent time with friends and family! 

Did any of you go shopping today and brave the crazy crowds of people?  There were people at local stores here that have been camping out in tents for days, waiting for the sales!   I completely can't figure out why they'd do it, but to each his own.....and if any of you did go shopping, I'd love to hear about your adventures!

While all the hustle and bustle goes on around town, I'm inside with my family....watching movies and.....STITCHING!

Here's what my two current WIPs look like now.....and hopefully I can post an update on Monday with some major progress over the next 3 days!

I haven't worked on Angel of Hope since the last update I posted, but here's a picture of what she still looks like....I'd love to get her done before December starts!



And this is what Coral looks like today.  If I can just get page 1 done over this weekend, then I can focus the rest of the month on Angel.

And a close-up:

Has anyone joined the 2012 WIPocalypse that's being run by Measi?  I joined and I'm starting to put my list of projects together in my head.  What is the WIPocalypse?  Starting in January, you'll post a list of all the projects/pieces you want to finish by the end of the year.  You can adjust that list, add/delete, throughout the year...so don't think you have to have set items now.  Then, on every Full Moon, you post your progress photos, even if there's no progress to your site and update Measi.  The best part - for each Full Moon that you post an update, your name goes into the giveaway drawing that she'll be having on New Year's Day, 2013!  Visit Measi's blog for more info and to sign up! 

Now just prior to Turkey day, I was so happy to see that I had 56 followers!  What a surprise to find that over just a few days I'm already up to 84!  That means....new items for the giveaway!  For getting to 65 and 75, I'm adding 2 new items to each of my drawings.

New items for my main drawing:

Cute holiday gift card kit

3 skeins of DMC cotton floss - your choice of colors (winner can let me know what they need!)

And new items for my additional drawing:

22 count fabric in rust - 12"x12"

Janlynn's Chart - Celestial.  The picture is small.. a beautiful image of the sun/moon, planets and all of the signs

I know I've stated it before....but I'll say it again :)   Thank you to all my followers!   I love seeing all the work/updates you post to your blogs and I sincerely appreciate when you take the time to read my updates and post.  I look forward to getting to know all of you!


-lesli

When, what to my wondering eyes should appear........

Fifty-Six followers!!

Just imagine my surprise when I logged in tonight to see that many new stitchy friends!!  :)

I'm so excited!!    I didn't have time to take any new pics of my stitching progress, because I'm so anxious to post this update with my new giveaway additions!!

I honestly didn't expect to have this many new followers so quickly......so to celebrate hitting 50, I'm going to add a second drawing....so there are now two chances to win!!    I'll continue adding items for every 10 new followers....but now I'll add an item to the "main" drawing as well as the "additional" drawing!

Here's the two new additions (for hitting 45 and 55) for the Main drawing:

Weeks Dye Works, hand over dyed floss in Peach and Lagoon

So pretty!

A Betty Friess Baumer chart - Williamsburg Garden Dance

Such a cute little country piece!

And for the Additional drawing:

Lavender & Lace, Fairy Dreams by Marilyn Leavitt-Imblum

I love the colors in this one!

If you haven't entered the giveaway, now's your chance!  Here's the thread:  My First Giveaway

Also - if you have entered my giveaway, please take a quick moment to follow that link and scroll to the bottom to make sure your name is on the list!!  While you're there, check out the linkies to all the wonderful stitchy blogs from all my wonderful followers!

I'm on vacation the rest of this week, so I'll post a stitchy blog tomorrow!


-lesli

Another Giveaway addition and this week's update

I can't believe I'm up to 39 followers!!  This means I get to add another stitchy item to the giveaway loot!

I'm adding a cute Flip-It chart from Lizzie Kate:

It comes with this cute little charm for the bow on the wreath!

If you haven't entered my giveaway yet, there is still time!  Click here to enter!!  
I've added a growing list of names at the bottom of my giveaway post, of everyone that has entered.  This way I can use a random number generator to pick the winner.  Please check the names and make sure you're on there!

I'm so excited to share that I've joined the 2012 Heaven and Earth Designs BB SAL!!  They gave us 6 beautiful designs to choose from, and here is the one I decided on:

SK Blue Moon  (SK stands for Story Keep)

Our first page of the SAL won't come until January....so I have some time to get my other WIPS completed...I hope! :)

Just some quick updates on my two current WIPS.....

Angel of Hope - Finished her sleeves and now I've started on her beautiful dress

Coral - Didn't get much more done on this one this week.  This will be my focus over the weekend.  My eyes are still adjusting to the 22 count, but I'm really enjoying it!

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Unfortunately, I started coming down with a virus a few days ago, so I plan to spend my weekend getting better.  What better way to recuperate than to stitch!!  I'm hoping my next updates show a bunch of progress!


Wishing all my fellow stitchers a WONDERFUL weekend!


-lesli