Throwback Thursday - 2006 Part 1

The wayback machine now moves forward into 2006: The Year of the Ornament. My goal for the year was to stitch a bunch of Christmas ornaments, since I have hundreds of patterns that I like. Just as 2005's Year of the Giraffe, it was only partially successful. I did begin with good intentions.


Cubicle, Sweet Cubicle

I'd like to introduce you to Sally, my alter ego. Sally began life in August 2005 when I was on vacation. It took me until February 2006 to finish her. Once done, she joined me at my new job.

Sally is much messier than I am!

This piece is stitched on 14 ct black perforated plastic with beautiful, bright cotton floss colors. All that black background is stitched. Perhaps that's why it took me so long to complete. Or maybe it was just the 15,000 stitches! Finished size is about 8" x 10".

My favorite part? The little framed giraffe sitting on the shelf behind her desk!

Jingle Bear

I received this little ornament kit in my Christmas stocking in 2005. It was a quick stitch, and my first Year of the Ornament finished ornament.

Valentine

I stitched this pretty little heart for my daughter Jodie's valentine. I found the freebie chart online at the Caron Collection. I hadn't left myself much time to stitch something for Valentine's Day, so needed something small.

Though I found a lot of free Valentine charts on the web, this one caught my eye because of the color and movement inherent in the small design. I chose to use a DMC variegated thread, #75 Cranberry. I like the changes in shading it created in this piece. I stitched the heart on a scrap of 18ct pink ... something. It has an aida-like weave, but it seems different than regular aida. Very nice fabric!

Then I created the card on my computer, and cut the card stock with some wavy-edged scissors. Inside it says, "To the Young Lady who has the Best Pieces of my Heart." I sewed the stitchery right to the face of the card with a long (over two) running stitch, then fringed the edges.

Olive My Heart

2006 was the year I began the designs in the 2006 Cross-Stitch Calendar by Accord Publishing. I finally finished all 12 charts last year, in 2018. It all started with this piece.

The designs are simple, cute, have embellishments, and a few specialty stitches. All are 59 stitches square. The calendar also came with pre-cut pieces of white aida and a cardboard mat, making a finished piece easy to complete.

The first chart I stitched from this calendar was for the month of February. It used six colors of floss. The specialty stitch is the Smyrna Cross. I did change out the background color so that there would be more contrast with the polka dots.

Blue Crochet Hat

Finally in February, I made another in my series of crocheted hats. The only thing special about this one is that I made it from the same yarn as the blue scarf I made for myself in 2002.

My lovely daughter Jodie is modeling the hat and scarf together in this photo. This remains one of my very favorite scarf and hat sets that I use every winter.

May Goal Update

I'm approaching the half way point for my 18 in 2018 goals. I admit, this is a test of perseverance. My progress continues, but it feels slow. If I was right on track, I'd have completed 7-1/2 of the goals by now. I have five finished and three in progress. I continue to work on the long-range goals that take weeks or months to complete. Here's what I did in May.

Goal 1: Finish all the charts in 2006 Cross-Stitch Calendar and frame them / get them ready to display.

Finished and framed Winter Warmth. This was the very last chart. Goal complete!

Goal 7: Special Christmas ornaments for my daughters

I finished these! They are so adorable and I really what to share pictures ... but it's a secret until Christmas. 

Goal 11:  New shelf paper in kitchen

Goal complete! The idea of doing this was much worse than the execution. Now all the shelves and drawers are polka-dotty. Bonus, I rearranged some of the food and kitchen tools, got rid of things I didn't need, and cleaned all the organizers. It's a nice fresh start for an old kitchen.

Goal 13:  The Artist’s Way and It’s Never Too Late to Begin Again, both by Julia Cameron

I'm still working through The Artist's Way, but I'm sort of stuck. I'm at Week Nine. In May I read the chapter, took notes, and did two of the exercises. This course takes a lot of energy and time. When I devote myself to it, other needs around the house don't get attention. Then I feel like I'm in catch-up mode, which makes me a little crazy. I need to re-prioritize and find a way to finish this course. I'd like to finish it in June.

Interestingly, here's the opening paragraph of Week Nine's chapter:

Also interestingly, one of Week Nine's exercises is to list your creative goals for the year and be specific about when you will do them. So I took these 18 goals and scheduled them for the rest of the year. That was quite a good exercise because it helped me organize my thoughts and see that finishing these 18 in 2018 is still possible -- even when Life gets in the way of Plans.

Looking Forward to June:

June is to be my month of sewing. I plan to learn to use my new sewing machine, attempt to make another t-shirt from the pattern I drafted, start sewing the quilt squares together for my granddaughter's quilt (this will likely take more than one month), and perhaps begin to learn more basic pattern drafting. And, of course, finish The Artist's Way.

---

This is my overall scoresheet:

1. Finish all the charts in 2006 Cross-Stitch Calendar and frame them / get them ready to display.
    Finished in May

2. Finish or dispose of Newborn King
    Disposed of it in January

3. Finish or dispose of The Finery of Nature
    Decided to finish it. Haven't restarted stitching yet.

4. Stitch and finish/frame Letter Snow
    Got out the pattern and picked the fabric and floss. Haven't started stitching yet.

5. Crochet 5 different pumpkins
    Bought the kit.

6. Make one handcrafted Christmas card per week(ish) - 40 total
    Total bust. I haven't started making these yet. Will likely do them all at one time 

    instead of one per week.

7. Special Christmas ornaments for my daughters
    Finished in May

8. Learn to use my new sewing Machine

    Plan to start this month

9. Finish Melody’s quilt
   I plan to get back to it this month.

10. Make a pattern from my favorite t-shirt and use it to make some shirts (pattern finished
     I have tried a couple times, but hasn't worked out well yet. Will try again this month.

11. New shelf paper in kitchen

     Finished in May

12. Finding Your Own North Star
   Read in April

13. The Artist’s Way and It’s Never Too Late to Begin Again, both by Julia Cameron
      Still working on The Artist's Way. Slightly stuck.

14. Submit to a stock photo site
     Scheduled for July

15. Learn hand lettering
     Scheduled for October

16. Learn basic pattern drafting
     Scheduled for September. May do some in June.

17. Take a color theory course
     Scheduled for August

18. Go on a retreat 

     Completed in April

Bee Trio

I tried a little something different as decoration in our home's entryway. I added a trio of art pieces that are related to each other, but in a couple different mediums. Two are needlework pieces, and one is a photo I took.

First up? One of the finished pieces from that 2006 Cross-Stitch Calendar I've been working on. This was the first design I completed -- all the way back in 2006 (before I started this blog!) It's primarily cross-stitch. The beehive is satin stitch and there are some Smyrna crosses in the border. The bees are buttons I found in a fabric department. The frame was a bit too big for the mat, so I added the black border with construction paper.

Next, I framed Bumblebutt, a photo I took this Spring when the bees were having a heyday in my grape hyacinth patch. I purchased this gold-tone frame at Dollar Tree. I don't often print and frame my photographs, so this is a nice little treat.

Finally, this week I framed Secret Flower Bed by The Trilogy which I stitched in April of this year. This is all cross-stitch with some mini button embellishments. The linen, chart, and buttons came as a kit. I found this frame with the double mat at a thrift shop for under $3.00.

Along with the rabbit, bird, and ladybug, this garden has a couple bees in it, keeping the flowers pollinated.

I'm planning to make more themed vignettes for our home. We playfully call our guest room the love nest. There, I have a number of art pieces that are heart-themed, including stitchery, a poster, cards, art glass, and a painted pallet. But you know me. I have lots more heart-shaped crafts to add there.

Throwback Thursday - 2006 Part 4

We return to April 2006 for more projects. I made two more ornaments, a greeting card, and a small framed piece.

Peace Angel

I received this ornament kit as a gift in an online gift exchange. It had been so long since I'd attempted surface embroidery that I wasn't certain I wanted to stitch it. But a couple things changed my mind.

A gal from a local stitching group had done an entire miniature quilt in redwork (except that she did it all in a pretty blue instead of red). It was magnificent.

Then I got inspired by an stitcher who has a real affinity for surface embroidery. Her gorgeous work reminded me how lovely surface embroidery can be. I was encouraged to give this redwork angel a try.

My mom taught me surface embroidery when I was a child. I was surprised to find that reaching back into my surface embroidery past was very relaxing and fulfilling. As a bonus, my adult stitches are much more even than they were when I was a child.

I thoroughly enjoyed making this sweet angel. The more I stitched, the more personality she gained.

I finished her as a basic padded ornament. I decided to try something new by finishing the edge of the ornament with beads rather than with twisted cord. The sparkly red Rocailles beads are uneven in size, so I strung some them onto some fine wire, tucked one end of the wire into the top of the ornament, then couched the beaded wire over the side seam. After the beads were couched, I tucked the other end of the wire into the top of the ornament and added a hanging loop made of cording.

It's a little hard to tell from this photo, but the beads add a glimmered halo to the angel.

As an aside, when you make a basic padded ornament in an unusual shape like this, it's important to clip the curves a lot so they lie smoothly as you lace the embroidery to the backing board. It was pretty tricky getting all the wrinkles out of the curves. The beaded edge helped to hide the imperfections.

Easter Card

My daughter Jodie and I created this Easter Card for my daughter Jeanne who lived far away at Eastertime in 2006. I found the adorable Italian freebie chart online.

The card is embellished with watercolor paper, satin ribbon, and stick-on "jewels."

I really enjoy the creative latitude greeting cards give me. It's fun making small mixed media projects.

Little Bit O' Blarney

I stitched this sweet ornament in time for St. Patrick's Day, but my needlework shop didn't have the clover charm for me until April. Sigh.

I bought this chart on eBay for no special reason whatsoever. I just liked it. I'm not Irish. I don't celebrate St. Patrick's Day except to wear green. But I thought it might be nice to have a new St. Patrick's Day decoration in my home.

I chose to stitch with Anchor floss and Gentle Art Sampler Thread floss this time. I like the quality of both these fibers a lot. For beads, I chose some from my stash that would work. They are Mill Hill white and Mill Hill emerald green. The clover charm is one that is usually used on Lizzie*Kate patterns.

I finished my heart as a basic padded ornament. Getting the fabric to lie smoothly around the heart's curve was slightly tricky — especially because I didn't leave myself much seam allowance! The cording and tassel were made from #5 DMC perle coton.

I continue to decorate my mantle with this ornament every year.

Hive & Blossoms

This is the second chart I finished from the 2006 Cross-Stitch Calendar by Accord Publishing. This chart is for the month of August. The stitched area is 59 stitches square.

This piece uses only six shades of floss. The specialty stitches used are satin stitch in the hive and Smyrna cross in the border. The pattern calls for some pewter buttons. Instead, I found some bright yellow novelty bee buttons at Walmart. I used gold acrylic paint to dull them down a bit so they would match my hive. I'm quite pleased with the way they turned out!

I decided to frame this stitchery, using the printed cardboard mat that was included in the calendar.

April proved to be a fairly prolific stitching month for me. In May 2006, I finished another seven small pieces. I'm looking forward to sharing some of them next time.

Pumpkin Patch

Here's another of the finished pieces from the 2006 Cross-Stitch Calendar. I stitched it up this month. This one features cross-stitch, satin stitch, and backstitch. I did change up the colors slightly from the chart, giving the pumpkin a two-toned effect along with the stitch variance. 

Like the other charts in this series, it called for an embellishment - a leaf charm. The problem was that the charm looked a lot more like an oak leaf than a pumpkin leaf. Plus, the placement seemed odd to me, like it was floating in mid air. So I filled the space where the leaf would have been placed with a few more of the green dots in the background. 

The mat on this one is one of my favorites. Simple and whimsical. Again, I found this frame at a thrift shop. If I remember correctly, it cost about $1.50 and it was brand new! It came with the original mat, glass, and photo. It was fortuitous that the color of the wood frame matches the colors of the pumpkin so well. I finished the framing with a label on the backing board.

I have one more in this series ready to frame. I promised myself that I'd complete that task before starting on another chart.

Gobble Some More

I spent most of my creative hours in October crocheting the baby afghan for a client. It's done now and will soon be on its way to the precious little boy. (I hope to show photos once it's been received).

Now I'm back to my Gobble Gobble cross-stitch design from the 2006 Cross-Stitch Calendar. The turkey is nearly finished and I've begun the border.

I'm not crazy about the words "gobble gobble" as shown on the pattern, so I'm thinking about leaving them out. In the blank spaces, maybe I'll add in some pumpkins or some Thanksgiving-related charms.

Studio 31 - Day 12

A big day for me in my Studio today.

First, I framed my Harvest Basket

and added a label to the back.

Then I cleaned up my studio, putting away the glue gun, beads, and all the fabric, felt, lace, and ribbons that exploded all over the work surfaces when Julie and I pet my stash while picking out supplies for the tag blanket. I also fixed a craft that broke. So my workspace is back to a normal level of clutter while I work on these 31 days.

Then I set up my next cross-stitch project from the 2006 Cross-Stitch Calendar. It's a turkey for November! Adorbs.

Then, just because I can, I edited another photo of my eldest daughter holding my granddaughter.

The King of Spring - Part 3

After a month-and-a-half, another chart from my 2006 Cross-Stitch Calendar is now done. I'm one step closer to finishing one my my 18 in 2018 Goals.

He is a dandy little fellow, with his polka dot breast and golden crown. I added a heart-shaped button to the stitched heart.

The specialty stitches incorporated into this design are the yellow smyrna crosses at the corners of the border, a satin stitch for the big dots on the wings, and a half-cross that makes up the purple background. I'm crazy about the mat that came with this design and think the gold frame sets off the piece beautifully.

I think I'll take a short break from these calendar charts and work on a different piece of needlework over the next month. But I am determined to finish the last few charts before the end of the year.

Looking Forward to Spring

Time for a new project! This is The King of Spring and is the next of my designs from the 2006 Cross-Stitch Calendar. I have the end of this calendar project in sight!

Let's hope this is a fast stitch. I'd love to have it complete in a week or two. I got a nice start on it today by adding the grid to the fabric, then beginning the bird. It's an interesting color pallet. I've never seen a bird this shade of purple before!

February Goal Update

Here's how I'm doing on my 18 in 2018 goals. I didn't make huge strides this month. I'm going to blame it on February having fewer days ... (but I doubt that's the true reason).

Goal 1: finish all the charts in the 2006 Cross-stitch Calendar

• I made steady progress on The King of Spring and should be done with it by the end of the
  week.

Goal 3: finish or dispose of The Finery of Nature

• I looked over the kit and took a look at the progress I've made so far. It's all in good shape, and looking at the kit I recalled why I like it so much.
  
  One of the challenges of this piece is that it's large enough that I need to stitch it using my floor stand. So I'll have to decide where in the house I want to stitch because it's not that easy to tote the floor stand from room to room, and it takes up a bit of space.
  
  Another challenge is that it's stitched on a black ground cloth. That's harder on the eyes and will take some particularly good lighting.
  
  The main challenge for me is that this is another color chart. I just have a very hard time following colored charts, so I'll need to be particularly careful. But yes, I think I'll finish this piece sometime this year. It really is beautiful.

Goal 12: Read / work through Finding Your Own North Star by Martha Beck

• The audio version of the book I bought was in mp3 format. That's great for listening to it on my phone, but the CD player in my car doesn't play those disks. So, with the superb assistance of Dale, the CDs are now burned into a format that I can listen to while driving. 

Goal 13: Work through The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron

• This is where the bulk of my creative energy went this month. I'm now in the middle of Week Six of the twelve week course. I truly love it. It gets me thinking differently and helps me see how I approach many aspects of my life with a creative twist.
  
  The Facebook groups I've joined have put me in touch with some lovely people who inspire me, and apparently, who I inspire in return. I've thoroughly enjoyed most of the Artist's Dates I've taken. This picture of my Artist Date flowers and the treatment I gave it in editing makes this one of my all-time favorites photographs.

Goal 15: Learn some hand lettering

• I've not formally begun my course, but I do practice some basic lettering each day. I do OK with pencil on lined paper. But when I've attempted to translate that onto the greeting cards I made, the results are very sketchy. But it's fun to try.

Goal 18: Go on a Retreat

• I've joined the private Facebook group that's set up for the True Magic retreat and have started to get to know some of the other participants. 

This means that at the end of February, I've fully completed one goal. But I've made at least some progress on ten of them.

Ho Ho Ho!

One of my 18 Goals in 2018 is to stitch and finish/frame the rest of the charts in my 2006 Cross-Stitch Calendar. I think I have five more to do. I'll begin today by stitching Ho Ho Ho, the design for December.

I've gathered all my supplies and made a grid on the fabric to keep me from messing up the counting while I'm stitching. I hope to stitch for a half hour after dinner tonight.

Over the weekend, I bought the supplies for the five crochet pumpkins (#5 on my list), part of the supplies for the special ornaments (#7), and I dug out the pattern for Letter Snow (#4). That's a pretty good start on my new goals.

Let's make this happen!

Goal Update

Here's how I'm doing on my 18 in 2018 goals. I'm making nice progress!


Goal 1: finish all the charts in the 2006 Cross-stitch Calendar.
I stitched and framed Ho! Ho! Ho!

I stitched and framed Rosie the Lamb

I started King of Spring

Goal 3: Finish or dispose of Newborn King
I decided to toss it

I've also organized all the charts I plan to stitch for the rest of the year.


Goal 5: Crochet five pumpkins
I've purchased a kit with the luscious yarn

Goal 7: Make special Christmas ornaments for my daughters
I've purchased all the materials (but it's a secret, so I'm not going to show!)

Goal 12: Read Finding Your Own North Star
I dug out my paper book and bought an audio version so I can listen while driving

Goal 13: Work through The Artist's Way
I'm working on week two of this 12 week course. I've been writing daily, completing each chapter's exercises (assignments), and have gone on two Artist Dates.

Goal 18: Go on a retreat
I've signed up for one in New Mexico featuring Elizabeth Gilbert (author of Eat, Pray, Love and Big Magic) and Martha Beck (author of Finding Your Own North Star). It's going to be awesome!


January went well! I hope I can keep up the momentum.

Winter Warmth

'Tis done!

I decided to alter the chart just a bit to change the background behind the cup from black to green. I like it quite a bit. I also added more backstitching on the flower motifs on the cup to help them stand out, as well as backstitching around the steam. Those elements *pop* now. I also chose to leave off button embellishments because I didn't find any that worked well. I don't think this piece really needs them.

Winter Warmth is the last of the patterns from my 2006 Cross-Stitch Calendar. This means that I've now completed another of my 18 Goals in 2018. Hooray!

I like that it only took me twelve years to complete these twelve small charts. I have many other patterns much older than this. In fact, I plan to stitch one of them later this year called Letter Snow. It's a snowman standing in a snowstorm of flakes shaped like the alphabet. That one will be in homage to my mom whose favorite Christmas song was Let It Snow. Stitching that pattern is another of my annual goals.