TUSAL

I can't believe a month has gone by already. I do have a small bit of stitching, but can't show it yet, as it's for the Fair and Square exchange.

On to my progress with the TUSAL. Here is the product of my stitching this past month. Truth be told, I feel like it's more the product of frogging! That's a story I'll tell when I post pics of my Fair & Square round.

As you can see, I am finally gathering a good amount of orts! Nice evidence that something is being accomplished. Please excuse my ironing board background. We are in the middle of moving and all of my pretty fat quarters are in storage.

Daffycat is the host of the Totally Useless Stitch-A-Long (TUSAL). This year's list is closed, but Daffy's blog is fun to read, and you can find links to tons of other inspirational stitching bloggers there, too.

Update!

Well, I decided to give myself a chunk of stitching time, and I managed to finish the February owls by Tonia of OakHaven Designs. They are so cute!

Daffycat, host of the Totally Useless Stitch-a-long, asked about how to join this SAL. It is for members of Tonia's Yahoo Group. It is the kind where you finish one section and post a picture, then you can be sent the next month's pattern. You could e-mail Tonia to see if she is still accepting participants. Whether you can or not, you could still join the group - she is freebie crazy and has TONS of for purchase designs you can only access as a member. Her designs are sweet and simple; I love them!

I have been stressing because I have a few stitching projects lined up but LIFE keeps getting in the way. My husband and I have started a program to improve our health - I am talking MAJOR lifestyle change. It is well worth the effort, but it has turned our lives upside down and been quite an adjustment. We are also moving at the end of April. So I will have to manage my time very carefully in order to get the real important things done, namely my stitching projects! This is what I have lined up:

1.) Fair and Square Round 23 squares - I have a plan for these, just waiting to hear back from my partner to make sure my slight deviation from the rules is ok by her. Not worried about this one - I am sure I can get it done on time.
2.) Something stitched for the TUSAL prize basket. I have some time on this one, since it won't be sent out until the end of the TUSAL.
3.) A birthday present for my sons GF, due in late May. I worry about this one, because it is right in the midst of unpacking and cleaning our old apartment.
4.) Keeping up with the Owl SAL. Not sure what to do with this, because I am packing up most of my stitching supplies, so I won't have my huge stash of fabric to choose from in April or May. I may have to resort to picking up whatever looks nice from my LNS.

Unless I am forgetting something, that doesn't seem too bad. I am not a speedy or consistent stitcher, though, so I will definitely have to keep up with it.

I wanted to say thanks to the kind stitchers who have commented on my blog! Compared to some of the more popular and entertaining stitching blogs, my feeble efforts aren't worthy of notice. So, I appreciate it when people are nice enough to say hi. Thank you!

I am so sad!

I was so resolved to get some stitching done this month, so I would have more than just my TUSAL. But I only got a few stitches into the Oak Haven designs SAL. So, here is that pic:

I know it is March, but I hope I can get it done in the next couple of days and that Tonya will still be kind enough to send me the March section.

And, here is my ort vase, with a tiny, miniscule addition of threads. You can see that I keep my stitching tray all set up in hopes of getting time to throw in a few stitches!

TUSAL

Haha, my stitching train almost totally derailed this month! I am working on a freebie and a surprise project, so if I get time I'll post pics during the week.

BUT - I did add a tiny bit to my ort jar. As you can see, I went overboard from last time, and chose a huge fancy crystal vase this month. It IS a month for flowers, and I thought it looked pretty with my heart fabric. (My in-need-of-paint walls are another matter - don't look.)

Anyway, here are my orts. It's sort of hard to see my threads, but they are there!

Thanks to the people who stopped by and commented on my first finish! I plan on visiting blogs this month of other TUSAL members to see what you all are up to!

First finish of 2011!

I'm so excited - I have never finished something so early in the year before!

This is the first installment of OakHaven Designs Months 2011 SAL. I omitted stitching the month at the bottom because I'm waiting to see how the others look before I decide if I want to use them as monthly patterns. I love this little guy!

Designer: OakHaven Designs
Pattern: Months 2011 - January
Fabric: 28-ct Powder Blue Meran
Threads: DMC as charted, except I substituted 3750 for the recommended 937
Started: January 4, 2011
Finished: January 5, 2011

TUSAL

I haven't actually been added to the TUSAL list on daffycat's post, but since it's time, I'm posting anyway. Here is my first mostly empty jar for the Totally Useless SAL. I'll probably get something different to store these in, I just used what I had for now.

You can join the TUSAL here.

Let's Try Again

After so long a silence, all my (few) readers have left! It's to be expected, of course, and I've come to the realization that I'm not really a "blogger", like some of the beautiful stitching blogs I follow.

Still, I do want a good way to keep records of my stitching. I re-joined the Fair & Square exchange, and am anticipating being in a stich-a-long or two, as well as an exchange or two. I am firmly determined to make this the year of stitching without guilt, and I don't want to lose track of what I accomplish.

I also want to join the TUSAL run by daffycat. It sounds like fun, and there is a giveaway! Hop over to her blog and see what it's all about!

So, here are my planned stitching projects for 2011:

1. Fair & Square rounds - all the regular rounds and special holiday rounds if I feel up to them at the time.

2. The Queen's Sampler: Elizabeth I by Plum Street Samplers. (This was my New Year's start.)

3. 2011 SAL by OakHaven designs. You can check Tonia's Yahoo group here.

4. Valentine's Day card exchange on the SanMan Originals message board.

And, here is my progress on my New Year's start:

The Queen's Sampler by Plum Street Samplers
32-ct Light Chino by R & R Reproductions (think this is discontinued)
DMC as charted
Started: January 2, 2011

Oh, and I forgot to put the pattern in the picture - here is what the finished product will look like:

More exchanges

I wanted to show you the gorgeous pinkeep I received from Mylene for the HoE LHN exchange. (Isn't it funny how we stitchers have our own "secret language"?)

Here is the front, which is one of my very favorite LHN designs, "Night & Day".

And the back, which Mylene fashioned into a useful and adorable scissor pocket. I definitely want to try this technique soon!

And here is what I sent to Nic for the same exchange.
This is from Garden Pleasures (LHN, of course). I just love how this one turned out. The colors were fantastic (I mostly used what was called for. There may be a substitution or two in there, but I didn't keep track.)I love the little butterfly I added, too. The backing fabric, the green & gold - it just all came together so nice, it's one of my favorite finishes so far. I am glad Nic said she likes it, too.

One of the threads I used in there was Dried Thyme by Weeks, I think. My floss was one I've had from waaaay back in the day, and I just adored how it looked. But when I went to my LNS to get more, it's a completely different color! I don't expect them to keep dye lots consistent over a decade, of course - but I was disappointed that the Dried Thyme I love is no more...

Bliss stopped by my blog and commented that we are both working on the Lizzie Kate doubles. Of course, she just finished hers! I feel like I am stitching only for exchanges, and now the Halloween RR. I am going to have to get myself to stitch a little more so I can leave room for other projects. Otherwise it starts to feel like I "have to," which of course means, I immediately don't want to! Anyway, the post on her blog where she courageously breaks down the cost of the project was motivating. I am grateful to live in the U.S. where most things are affordable. At least our falling dollar gives our over-the-lake neighbors a small advantage!

And thank you, Vonna, for your kind comments on the exchange items in my last post.

I have one more thing to show - my recipient finally received what I stitched for the LiveJournal xstitchexchange community's Seasonal Exchange.
This is Summer from L*K's A Banner Year series. I got the pattern from a friend after she'd stitched it, so I didn't have the little fish button called for, and I couldn't find anything to swim in and out of the seaweed on the bottom, but I still think it turned out well. The fabric shown is what I used for backing. It really looks like sand!

And that's it. I'm finally caught up. I'll have an update on my stitching for the Witching for Stitching RR after the weekend.

Thanks to those of you who stop by to look and read. I enjoy being able to my love for this craft with you.