Totally Useless......

That's right....it is TUSAL time!  

My October-themed TUSAL jar:

Not too shabby if I say so myself!   I feel like I've been productive!


In other news.... I've been stressing out over my WIPs!   I keep starting new pieces and new SALs.....so my original rotation plans are shot.  A few of the new stitch-a-longs that I'm in run by time versus finishing a page (which I'm used to), so I've taken a shot at coming up with a plan that fits both timed stitching and finishing pages.  I think WIP planning is tougher than rocket science!!

I've also decided to put a few pieces on hold, which you'll see on my On Hold tab.   Once I get caught up on some other items, I'll put these back into rotation (I think!).
I've posted my updated plans in the right side bar (I left what I've finished so far this year and will delete those once 2012 is over). 


Now, I know I mentioned some new pieces I've started.....here's some pics!

QS Seasons 2 - I met a wonderful stitcher, Michelle, on the HAED FB Groups and she RAKd this chart to me a few months ago.  We decided it would be fun to stitch it together as a SAL, which we work on the first week of each month.   Here's my progress from our first week, in October:

Also, I purchased my first hand-dyed fabric from Silkweavers a bit ago, and once I recieved them I just had to get some floss in one of them!   I started QS Dream of Dahlia and here is my progress after 1 day:

I'll take a better picture for her next update...so you can see the gorgeous fabric better!


-lesli

September WIPocalypse

I'm a little late...but hey...that's the story of my life! :)


Thanks to everyone that wished me well during this darn cold....and yes...I still have it!   At this point I may be going for the World Record for longest cold, or possibly the most nose blowing!

Some quick pics of my WIPocalypse progress this past month  (I say quick, but after I loaded them all I was pleasantly surprised by how much progress I made these last 30 days!):


Lanterns Before:

and After:

Blue Moon Before:

and After:

Blue Butterly Before:

and After:

Moonlight Immersion Before:

and After:

Around the World Before:

and After:

Looking forward to checking out everyone's progress as well!



-lesli

July WIPocalypse

First off...I'd like to thank everyone that replied to my last post!  I've been so behind I haven't had a chance to respond to everyone.   I had a wonderful business trip to Charlotte....but I got ZERO stitching done (not a big surprise though, right?)  

My big project at work is picking up pace and I've been busy busy busy....so my blog posts will probably slow down a bit  :(    I'm still trying to get a little stitching in every day, but nothing like I've been used to!!

Anyway.....my WIPocalypse update....

I have a HAED piece I'm working on for a dear friend of mine, but she visits my blog so I'm not posting any pictures.  I'm currently about half way done, hoping to finish it before the next WIPocalypse update!  

Other than that WIP, here are my other updates (with a before and after pic)!

Moonlight Immersion

Before:

After:

Blue Moon

Before:

After:

Butterfly

Before:

After:

Around the World

Before:

After

Hoping to get a little bit of time today to catch up on blogs.....I feel horrible not getting to keep up on everyone's progress like I have been!   Looking forward to my work project slowing down...though that probably won't be for a few months.  :(

Hope everyone had a wonderful and save 4th of July!   Happy Summer stitching everyone!!


-lesli

February WIPocalpyse Update

Hello?  Is it really already time for February's update?   I'm scared to blink.... it'll be Christmas before I know it!

I'm posting my most recent progress below, but if you want to see my full list of goals, just click here:  Lesli's 2012 WIPocalypse Page or you can click on each pieces title name, and it will take you to the history of that WIP!



Blue Moon - Officially have half of a page done

Cathedral -   First page complete

Coral - Started into the 2nd page

Can't wait to see everyone's progress! 
Have a great week!!


-lesli

January IHSW and TUSAL

Just a quick update for the January 2012 International Hermit and Stitch Weekend and the Totally Useless Stitch-A-Long......

January IHSW:

Blue Moon (Can I just add that stitching with the metallics just makes me cry!)  :)

Before:

After:

And my January TUSAL:

I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend!!  A quick thanks to everyone that posted on my last blog update..... I'm slow to get some responses out!


-lesli

First HAED page complete!

I've finally completed 1 full page of one of my HAED pieces! 

Page 1 of Cathedral:

It still resembles camouflage to me, but when I compare it to the real picture I can see the right images coming through.  So excited!!

I've never rotated so many projects in one month before....I'm so used to focusing on one piece at a time, but I have so many different things I want to work on!!   I've actually enjoyed the rotation, but I'm looking forward to finishing some items and focusing on just 2-3 instead.

Another project I've made some headway on is my Cathedral Windows Quilt.  My last update had me with all my circles cut out and ready to sew.  I've sewn them all, turned them all out and ironed them.   I've finally started sewing them together and hope to have a finish to post soon!!

My quilting progress:

Piles of my completed circles!

I taped my circles to my wall to figure out the best patterns to put them in.  Was trying to avoid having duplicate material too close together.  This took more time than I could have imagined!

And finally.....some rows of sewn circles!

This weekend is my first IHSW!!  I'm happy to finally participate  :)     


I'll be working on my Blue Moon piece.  I haven't touched it since my January WIPocalypse update, so hoping to make a good chunk of progress.

Here's my before picture:

I can't believe January only has about a week left!   I swear it was just Christmas!!!  
Work has kept me busy for this new year, so time has just been flying by!!   Hopefully things slow down in February and I can visit my blog-world more often.  I feel so disconnected from everyone's blogs because I haven't been reading them for a week or so! :(   I need to find an hour this weekend and play some catch up.

My quick weightloss update:  32 pounds lost so far!  It's been 9 weeks since I started my journey.  I'm hoping to lose 75 pounds in total....so I'm almost halfway there!  I have baggy clothes that sort of fit, but I don't want to go out spending money on new clothes if I'm going to lose more!  Guess I'll be using my box of safety pins for the next months!  :)

I hope everyone is having a wonderful 2012 so far....I'll catch up on all your blogs this weekend!  I'm sorry I've missed out on your updates!


-lesli

January WIPocalypse Update

I can't believe it is already time for our first WIPocalypse update!!  For anyone who isn't signed up for this HUGE SAL, there is still time (deadline is January 15th)!!  Information can be found here: http://measi.net/measiblog/.

I'm posting my progress below, but if you want to see my full list of goals, just click here:  Lesli's 2012 WIPocalypse Page

Blue Moon -

Cathedral -

Coral -

Thanks for stopping by......I'll post updates to my non-cross stitch projects in my next post!

Have a great week!!


-lesli

Is it a HAED or a block of camouflage?

I finished my first half-page of Cathedral:

It looks like a block of camo!!  Looking at if farther away helps me see the leaves in the upper left corner, but up close I was getting worried about what I was stitching!  Hoping to finish the other half of the page in the next few weeks.

I also dabbled a little in my 2012 SAL from the HAED BB - SK Blue Moon (and when I say a little, I mean barely 200 stitches!)

My phone camera doesn't take the best shots, or maybe it's my lighting....sorry about that.  My last few posts have had some bad pics!

I decided to update my WIPocalypse list, knowing that my time will also be spent on my new sewing machine.  I moved a bunch to a "delete" list for now...possibly adding them back in mid-year if things are looking good.   I also updated the ones I'm going to work on with specific goals (since they're mostly all HAED pieces, I made page goals).   Has everyone finished putting their list together?

In my last blog post, I had begun my adventure of making a quilt with my new sewing machine.  After searching on the internet for various patterns, I decided  to make a Cathedral Window quilt.....and of course I decided to make it big!  Here's a link to the tutorial for the baby version:  Cathedral Window Baby Playmat.   My big version had me cut out 420 circles of fabric and 210 circles of batting!  Who knew circles would be so difficult and time consuming to cut?

Circles, circles, everywhere!

Now I just need to pair up the fabrics (trying not to get any duplicates) and pin the batting on....then I get to start sewing!

I'm loving how much stitching everyone is doing already!!  I think it's the Crazy January challenge that folks are participating in.   Maybe I should have signed up for that one!

*diet update* - 25 lbs lost so far...... hoping 2012 adds to that number!  :)


"I keep my end tables full of needlework and quilting so I don't have to dust them"- Author Unknown  (this is so me!)



-lesli

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

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!

Add caption

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