The Stitching Year that was - 2009

The record keeping side of me wants to have one place to see all my finishes for 2009, hence this post, right next to the one yesterday when I thought that would be the last one. Then I saw that Su is having a 'year in review party', so I hope I can set up the link correctly. Regardless, here are the photos. I am embarrassed to tell you I don't know how to do the collage thing yet. Ah-well...

#1 - Family Sampler
by Shepherd's Bush
(while listening to Black Swan Green)

#2 - Friendship Gathering
by Blackbird Designs
(while listening to The Graveyard Book)

#3 - Ellen Birdseye
by the Goode Huswife
(while listening to Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell)

#4 - Tulip for My Love
by Examplar from the Heart
(while listening to To Kill a Mockingbird)

#5 - Love of Myn
by Barbara Chatteron-Lurring
(while listening to Dreamers of the Day)

#6 - Dainty Housewren
by Carriage House Samplings
(while listening to the Tale of Edgar Sawtelle)

#7 - Friendship Sampler
by Birds of a Feather
(while listening to The Help)

#8 - Sampler Sisters of the Thread
by Primitive Needle
(while listening to The Physick book of Deliverance Dane)

#9 - The Simple Things
by Blackbird Designs
(while listening to An Offer You Can't Refuse, and The Lace Reader)

#10 - Quaker House
by Blackbird Designs
(while listening to After River, and The Whiskey Rebels)

#11 - A Weary World Rejoices
by Shakespeare's Peddler
(while listening to The Serpent's Tale, The Little Stranger, and An Unpardonable Crime)

# 12 - The Windmill Sampler
by Examplar from the Heart
(while listening to The Year of Wonders, and The Boleyn Inheritance)

# 13 - Sarah Salter
by Sheepish Designs
(while listening to The Shadow of the Wind, and Anbody Out There?)

I have enjoyed stitching each one of them. This year I discovered audio books which helped to compel me to keep stitching. Sometimes I can look at a piece and remember what the story I was listening to while I stitched it. After I posted the photos above, I attempted to fill in what I think I was listening to at the time and it sure brought back memories!

At the beginning of last year I had never participated in exchanges or any group 'things'. I got over zealous with signing up for more things than I could handle! But here are a few of the things I stitched for exchanges.

HOE Valentine Exchange

HOE Quaker Winter Exchange

Prairie Schooler Exchange

Another Prairie Schooler Exchange

SBBC Exchange

I started 2009 with a few designs I'd wanted to stitch. Guess what? I didn't stitch any of them! I've discovered I'm so easily swayed by what I either see on other blogs, or what's new, or just plain "what do I feel like today?" So, I won't list any designs down. I do hope to stitch a couple of bigger designs (remember 'size' is all relative!) in 2010.

I'm off to enjoy the last day of the year! I hope you will too. See you again soon!

and so we've come to the end

It's almost time to say good-bye to another year, and ring in the new! My first year of blogging has been amazing and I have made new friends through stitching which I never would've have otherwise.

For example, I received this in the mail from dear Leena today! A beautifully stitched and beautifully finished ornament.
Leena said this is from a very old Russian reproduction. It is so pretty and delicate. Thank you Leena! Your work is superb, as always!

I hope you've all had a good Christmas and still enjoying some time off during the Holiday Season. I have been busy with everything BUT stitching! The world has turned upside down! I hope that I can get back into the swing of things next week. Here's my progress on my current project:

My Betrothed Sampler
by Birds of a Feather

The finished version should look something like this:
So, you're wondering, what have you been doing? Well, I think a lot of tidy, de-clutter type of stuff. One thing led to another and we ended up doing a bit of redecorating. There was one room that was supposed to be our den but it was a big clutter box and I always felt uncomfortable in it. Well, with some de-cluttering, reorganizing, a couple of much needed floor lamps (go IKEA go) we got our room back. I guess watching all those home improvement shows have paid off!

I have to admit, I am still discombobulated (love that word). About a month ago, while I was still busy with work, I ran into someone I had worked with. She asked me what I will do in January as my current work is finished. I said I don't have new work lined up but I don't mind as I want to take some time to myself, just to...and here she finished my sentence for me..."gather yourself back together again". Yup! Bingo!

She obviously knew how I was feeling. I think we can lose bits of ourselves when we get busy and when that busyness stops, you wonder when your 'self' went to. You can do that through work, school, taking care of someone else, anything that you devote yourself to. So, if you tap my head right now, you might hear a great big echo!

But never fear, time is on my side and I intend to make good use of it!

I want to thank everyone for visiting my blog through the year. I love reading all the comments and I especially like it when you tell me something funny about what's happening with you. I so enjoy visiting your blogs and seeing all your amazing stitching. But also, I enjoy reading your stories.

Beth from Heartstring Primitives has a new freebie here. I especially like what she wrote though about Courage and Charity.

I will leave you with this Irish blessing, which I enjoyed reading on Leena's post, and which I obviously shamelessly stole!

"May the road rise to meet you
May the wind be always at your back
May the sun shine warm upon your face
The rains fall soft upon your fields
and until we meet again,
May God hold you in the palm of His hand."

- Old Irish blessing -

All the best wishes for a Happy New Year! Peace, Love & Happiness!

We wish you a Merry Christmas!

The week has flown by and there are still lots to do. No stitching was to be had, that will have to wait till after Christmas. Thank you to everyone who have visited my blog and to all the friends I've made this year - a very Merry Christmas to you!

Sarah's Garden

I'm here, I'm here, and OMG, it's one week to Christmas! Alas, my work didn't finish as quickly as I'd hoped. I only finished on Wednesday so I now I am in the one-week-to-Christmas "mild" panic. Yesterday I woke up with manic energy wanting to really make some progress with Christmas only to collapse in mid-afternoon in a coma-like nap. I was telling a friend I think I'm regressing back to a toddler!

Never mind. I have some stitching to share with you! Here goes a slow reveal.

Top left - a sweet young girl in blue

Top right - an odd figure in black - the housekeeper?

Middle left - I embellished this side a bit more than the original design.

Middle right - isn't that a little Christmas tree?

Finally - the whole shebang!
Salter Salter
by Sheepish Designs
AVAS floss on 35 ct (unknown) HDF linen

I actually finished this a week or so ago but I just didn't have the energy to post. So now I have tried AVAS silks and I don't like them as much as NPI silks. AVAS seem to frizz more easily on the ends. It's still a lovely silk - that's just my observation. I'm sure I will be stitching with AVAS many more times to come as a lot of reproduction samplers seem to use AVAS.

My current project is My Betrothed Sampler by Birds of a Feather. I don't have any photos yet as it's just been so dark. We had a spell of sunny, dry, frosty weather so I could take the above photos but I'm afraid we're back to DARK and Rainy! Lots of rainy!!!

Speaking of BOAF, I've been seeing some of their stitched OOP Christmas designs that are so cute! I'd never seen them before - Joyous Christmas, and Dashing through the snow (I think). I think I shrieked then it almost hurts to see them because you can't get them. Drats. Oh well, if that's the worst of my complaints Life is not so bad! I will put out my magical mystical antennas and send my wish for these charts to come my way...you never know, after all it's the season for wishes!

Well, I think the energizer bunny needs recharging. I will be back soon with another post before Christmas I'm sure. Thank you for visiting me and thank you especially to those who emailed me to ask how I am doing. Hope you are all well and bouncy - seven more sleeps!