Finished My Final Project for 2014!

Earlier today I was able to finish my final project for 2014 and I am so happy I made my goal :) I need to trim it out and attach the metal welcome to it and it will be ready for display. I am thinking I will go ahead and display it in my kitchen until Spring arrives, and then I will display it for a short time on my covered porch (don't want all that hard work to get messed up!) Also, this was a old WIP that I started about 7 -8 years ago! Glad to have it finished :)

                                                            Thoughts on Back Stitching:

I love how the back stitching really brought it to life. I used to terribly dread back stitching due to what I guess you could call a stitching snob many years ago - in my last post I said I have been stitching for 20 years. I guess it was back in the early 2000's that someone said that back stitching makes a project look cartoonish, and until I just really got into my stitching in the last 2 years, I really let that get to me as it always stuck with me, which in turn made me HATE back stitching. Now I don't mind it at all. Now I look at back stitching as bringing a project to life, and I shouldn't have let another's words bring such displeasure into my craft! So please stitcher's remember this when you speak (in words or typing) of how it could affect others outlook based on YOUR way of doing something :)

I am off here to start getting things ready for some SAL's, and I hope everyone has a safe and HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Getting Started and Getting Ready for The New Year!

Hello Everyone! This isn't my first blog, and I must admit I am not to good at keeping them up, but we will see how well I can do with this cross stitching one :)

I also have another blog that I haven't done much with in a long while, but that is my quilting blog. The reason for the non use is my sewing studio still isn't organized! I worked on it quite a bit the end of this summer, and then life got in the way, and it needs a ton more straightening/organising for it to be a productive creative space! Maybe this can be one of my 2015 goals!

Onto stitching - I have been a cross stitcher for about 20 years now - I started at about 17, so you do the math ;) I have crossed stitched off and on over the years with other crafts - mainly quilting - taking up my time. But in the last 2 years I have mainly concentrated on stitching! The main reason for that is for the previous paragraph - quilting studio = tornado mess! But I do dream of a quilting studio with a quite stitching corner in it, and quilting my days away while stitching the evenings and nights away.

I tend to like fairies, mermaids, floral, butterflies, oceanic themes, and things of that nature. Not to much into animal stitching I guess you could say - bears, deer, cats, dogs. I will stitch the occasional deer in a cute pattern, or a squirrel in a scene, things like that but not a huge one themed around and animal. Nothing against wildlife - I think all life is precious, and I have 3 furbaby dogs, but just not my stithcing thing :)

I have joined several SAL's (Stitch Alongs) for the New Year, but with the biggest one being what's called Debbie's Ultimate Crazy January Challenge 2015 or short for DUCJC2015. This is in memory of a lady who passed this year, and organized these types of SAL's for the last several years. Even though I didn't know her, her passing affected me in a way that it made me think of how I should enjoy life and my craft, as you never know when you could put in your last stitch! This SAL is you start a new project EVERYDAY for the month of January 2015 - yes 31 projects! OR you can be Super Duper Crazy and start 59 project for January and February for a total of 59 projects! I am for sure doing the 31 and thinking that I am crazee enough to do the 59 ;)

Several other SAL's I am doing is a New Year New Project and a Mirabilia SAL on a wonderful Facebook group called Cross Stitch and Discuss #2. This is a lovely cross stitch group, and I have really enjoyed being a part of it and looking forward to 2015 in this group!

In my next post maybe I can round up my 2014 finishes with pictures in a Year Roundup! I was just thinking today that I really need to make me a chart and keep up with my start dates, progress updates, and finish dates!

Here is my current project that I am working on, and I am trying to get it finished before 2014 ends. It will be my last finish for the year!