Monday, January 30, 2012

Year of WIPs??

Well so far, 2012 seems to be the year of the WIP or UFO.  And They Sinned was a WIP and still is.


I'm happy to say I got the tree out of the way.  Now I just have to fill in the leaves and apples, etc.  Ugh.  Why do I like A&Es when I hate stitching trees?  lol!


So far, the tree looks very appropriate for the time of year, yes?  :D

And They Sinned is going slowly.  I seem to have committed to many things this year, so I haven't been able to concentrate on just one project.  I think it's playing with my mind.  

Loraine and I have decided to do an SAL on the Betsy Morgan Toy Chest Etui, another of my WIP/UFOs.  Do you remember that project???   You have to go back all the way to June 2010 to find when I took the class.  That's a long time ago!  Loraine took the class more recently, so hopefully she remembers things better than I do.  I'll be counting on that, Loraine!  

Anyway, we decided to stitch a page a week.  Here is this week's SAL, the needlebook.


Isn't it pretty?  I love the colors!  Betsy says to use just one thread even on the satin stitch.  Makes for a rather sparse look, but Loraine said Betsy likes it that way -- makes it look old and well loved.

Our SAL might be a bit hap hazard for a while since I have to do some model stitching again.  I hope I manage to keep this SAL going!  I'd really love to finish this project!

The boy child had another audition this past weekend.  This time it was for what is probably his first choice in colleges, up in Boston.  Here is a view from the hotel.


Pretty cool, huh?  

The boy child thought he did pretty well at the audition.  Fingers crossed he gets in!

With the chilly weather, Mia has been doing her best to burrow into the warmest places she can find.  She loves piles of the boy child's laundry.


Thanks as always for stopping by and saying hi.  It always amazes me how many blogging friends I have and how much of a pleasure it is to talk with you all and to meet new blogging friends as well.  I hope everyone has a great week!  If you're in a cold area of the world, follow Mia's lead and stay warm!

PS: Did anyone watch the Australian Open final??  WOW!


73 comments:

Cleejoow said...

Mia is looking so cute. Love the way she is staring into the camera :)

Suburban Stitcher said...

love ATS...you're doing great!

Giovanna said...

Nice progress on both - lovely stitching!

Samplings from Spring Creek said...

I had never thought of 2012 as the year of the WIP, considering how many WIP's I have, I should give it more thought! Your progress on ATS is beautiful, I know you will complete the Betsy class piece in record time.

The photos of Mia are so Mia. She is a smart girl looking for the warm places to take a nap.

Mugwump Woolies said...

Margaret...I don't know how you get so much done...but I am so impressed with the volume of your finishes! Love the A&E sampler and the kitty as well.
Robyn

Poussy Stitches My Love said...

oh hello if you knew how I await your publications!! every day I go see! what a great step forward! Congratulations to you embroider perfectly!
kisses and hugs to Mia

Deb said...

I'm right there with you with 2012 being the year of the WIPs! It will be nice to have some of those lingering projects out of our hair!!!

You're making great progress on ATS - keep at it. Although I know it's hard having other commitments - it's like you break your stride when you have to put one thing down for another!

Bertie said...

Good progress Margaret! The toy chest is lovely, I did not do it but saw the result on Saturday from our guild members.
Boston looks fabulous!! Mia looks fabulous too LOL
Have a great week:)

Loraine said...

Oh Margaret! The more I look at ATS, the more I want to get it out and start it! Looks wonderful, and your stitching on the Toy Chest is wonderful too. I think your satin stitch looks less sparse than mine. My gold thread is really variegated, and I can see linen through every stitch. LOL. Definitely well loved!
Have a great week. Hope to see your model stitching soon.
Hugs.

Nicola said...

ATS is really coming along, I hope you are still enjoying it. You have done so much by just stitching on Sundays.

The toy chest etui sounds wonderful, I adore etuis and collect them so am eager to follow your progress.

Mia is a sweetheart and so photogenic. Fingers crossed for your DS. I always felt so nervous for my DS in interviews that I would make him nervous. Will he be studying music at university?

Cathy B said...

That Mia is so darned cute! Good luck to your son. Keep going on ATS; it is looking great!

Laurie in Iowa said...

You've made a lot of progress on ATS... the tree definitely says winter. I like to toy etui piece you're working on... very pretty.
Best of luck with the model stitching.
Keeping my fingers crossed that the boy child gets into the school of his choice.

Glenna said...

Too funny that you love A&Es but not stitching the trees! It is looking wonderful though. And what a great view of Boston!

The Inspired Stitcher said...

Margaret, I love your ATS! It's coming along really well. I can definitely see your progress since last time. You'll enjoy the Toy Box. I took that class with her back in 2009. I'd be happy to help with questions if needed. Have a great week!

Kelly said...

I love the needlebook. What a pretty pattern. Mia is adorable as always and best of luck to your son.

Michelle said...

You really are zipping along on ATS - you are almost caught up to me. I just finished A&E last night. I still have that blue snake and the hill with flowers to do on this page. Oh and I need to move my border along to the bottom of that page. Gee - that sounds like a lot! I think it's great you're doing a SAL on the Toy Chest. You will be so happy when it's done!

Myriam said...

All the embroiderers have UFO!!!! Wise person decision to start again for two. Mia you seem so soft!

Chocolates4Breakfast (Terri Malinovich) said...

ATS is coming along so nicely. It's nice to see the renewed interest in that sampler. It's a beauty!

Love your SAL with Loraine.

Can't wait to see what you're model stitching....

Mia is adorable, as always!

Solstitches said...

I saw the end of the marathon 6 hr long tennis match. Wow!
Your ATS looks fabulous and that's the second time I've looked at it today LOL.
Good luck to your son.
Margaret

Mouse said...

oooo well done on the stitching and my trees just look like that and will come out in leaves I think when you do yours hehehe ...
hope he has done well in the audition and I don't blame Mia as its gone awfully cold here at the mouse house and Bentley is snuggled under his blankie :) love mouse xxxxx

BrendaS said...

ATS is looking so good Margaret. Your needles are always flying!

Mia definitely has the right idea. Today I just want to go bury my head in a pile of clothes!:))

Siobhán said...

Why do I think Mia is going to be stowing away in the boy child's laundry when her guy heads off to college?! I hope the audition went well!

ATS and the etui both look great! Nice progress.

Leneslines said...

I love all the details on the Sinned:) I marvel at their imaginations! Mia is smart! My visiting cats tends to sleep underneath the heating elements on the wall:)

Berit said...

Adorable Mia! And, you are right that the tree is so appropriate to this season!

Cari said...

And They Sinned is beautiful. It's such a stunning piece. A friend of mine has hers all stitched and it is something else!! I love watching your work come along. Have fun with Loraine on Betsy Morgan's piece. I'll be watching the two of you. It's a beautiful piece isn't it?? And of course, hugs to sweet Mia. She's such a smart kitty!! Hugs to you both !!

Love to Stitch said...

I love Mia!! Wow, soo super cute. The mischief you find them in :) ATS is looking great, it seems to be a popular choice these days, I even had mine out yesterday. It would feel great to get it done and out of the way right?! I agree with you on the WIPS this year, 2012 would be a great year to get them out of the way. I am continuing with the same thoughts. I hope to keep them going (but, market is right around the corner--- I MUST RESIST!!!! LOL)

Beth said...

I just love your work. AST is one of my finished pieces - you'll really enjoy it. Nicola from Stitching by a Cornish Sea Shore completed AST last week. She, too, stitches beautiful samplers. Good luck with your son - he's seems very talented. Mia, as always, is adorable.

Lois said...

It was a great final! Love seeing your ATS again, you're getting there with it and it looks good. The class project will be fun to work on. Good luck with the model stitching and to the boy child.

Susan said...

I think your ATS is wonderful. Keep up the great work! Your other wip/ufo is good - I only use 1 thread for everything I stitch no matter the thread count. It's what works for me.

Happy Stitching!

Charlene ♥ NC said...

Very nice tree :-) and sparse pages, too. Best wishes to the boy child. Keeping in heart that which ever is best will work out! Mia is adorable, snuggled like a bug in a rug. Stitch on in joy.

Thomasina said...

Your ATS is coming along pretty well. I am down to the grass part. I can (almost) see the light at the end of the tunnel. I remember that tree very well. It took me a while to get that part done. Can't wait to see more progress.

robindefender said...

I love how your ATS is looking!

Ranae said...

ATS is looking great.
Mia is soooo adorable, ahhh! the life of a cat
Goods luck to the boy child

Elizabeth said...

I'm really enjoying getting to see another ATS being stitched! Good luck to your son - Boston is a great city, love all those fantastic sites and delicious food! Which is, of course, not really the reason you pick a place to go to school, but it can't hurt :)

Deborah said...

You are going so fast on ATS. It looks wonderful. Where in Boston does the boy child want to go to school? I know the area and the picture was beautiful.

Nancy said...

ATS is progressing nicely! Everytime I see someone's update on ATS it makes me want to get my copy kitted up and begin stitching...very, tempting for sure!

Dawn said...

Love seeing your progress. I think it is great to have a friend and a couple goals in the new year to stitch towards. Looks like great FUN!!

barbara said...

Fingers crossed for your talented boy child!!

Carol said...

I think you're making great progress on ATS, Margaret! If I were ever to attempt a piece as large as that, it would be a WIP for about 20 years! And what a lovely SAL with Loraine--that is some project!

Oh, I hope he gets into the Boston school--don't you just love it there? My sister lives there and I love everything about it--great walking city and fabulous restaurants. Good luck to him :)

valerie said...

I'm so glad to see you plugging along on ATS. It's looking great! Good luck to BC on his audition!

Nancy said...

Beautiful projects, and I love the colors in both of them! Boston looks amazing at night. I love all the lights of a city in the night time. Hugs to Mia!

Joy said...

I just love Mia. Good luck to boy child...how exciting!! I was awake at 2am and had every intention of watching, not so, fell back to sleep. I so wanted Rafa to win!

Have a great week!

Krista said...

Omg, what a final at the open! It is hard to choose but I was rooting for Novak. It seemed like it could go any which way. The two of them were so exhausted in the end.. but it was nice to see them so amicable towards each other. Your ATS is looking great! And Mia is the cutest as always :) Enjoy your week!

purple24 said...

Great progress. I still have many UFO's and I want to start some new ones. I want to wait until all my UFO's are completed before I start a new one. We'll see....

Chris said...

Lovely progress Margaret. I love both WIPS.
I hope that your son gets into his first choice. Boston is a great city to go to school in.
Hugs to you and Mia :)

Katrina said...

Love your ATS!!!! And the Betsy Morgan piece is just too sweet :-).

Best wishes to the boy child hope he has lots of good choices when it's time to decide!

Mary said...

ATS is looking good and I am sure that spring will soon come to that wintry tree.
Love that wee cat of your - she certainly knows the warm spots.
Although I live in Melbourne I am not a tennis watcher, but I chatted to friends in the UK while they were watching it. It was a terribly hot day with very high humidity and thunderstorms looming - must have been exhausting for the players.
Good luck with your model stitching.

Mary

Donna said...

Isn't Betsy the best? I continue to kick myself for passing up the Toy Chest and thus now take every single class I can with her. (Which is easy for me as we're in the same Guilds.)

Donna said...

Isn't Betsy the best? I continue to kick myself for passing up the Toy Chest and thus now take every single class I can with her. (Which is easy for me as we're in the same Guilds.)

Nicole said...

Your making great progress on ATS! I love the class project - it's so pretty!

Jean said...

Love watching the progress on the ATS. Ours also love fresh stacked laundy, don't they look so sweet when they are sleeping

Catherine said...

Great stitches! Good luck to your son! What a pretty view from the hotel! And Mia, what a doll!

Jen said...

Love your ATS progress! Glad Mia is finding ways to keep warm! :)

Zlata said...

This is a very large sampler and stitch it is not easy, but then there will be a great result! Waiting for new stitched part of it!

Sylvia said...

Lovely stitching, Margaret. You are going waaay too fast on ATS. LOL

Mia is just so cute burrowed under the clothes.

Melissa said...

what a lovely photo of Miss Mia! She is looking filled out like a cat instead of a kitten!

Lovely stitching too Miss Margaret! Don't worry - your slow, to most of us, is our fastest mode! ;-) I hope you will enjoy your model stitching.

Good luck to your boy!

Sherry :o) said...

A friend of mine took the toy chest class - stunning! Looking forward to seeing your progress. I am afraid I can't do a "year of WIP" it would be more of a "decade of WIP" in my book - LOL. Good luck for the audition - hope you hear good news!

I think your tree will look great. I have leaves left on the tree I am doing - I have been alternating letters and leaves. Should be done in no time. Then on to the biggest stitching project I've ever done - SP Anne Dale - yikes, I must be nuts!

Melody said...

And They Sinned is coming along nicely. Also great picture of Mia nestled in the clothes.

I know what you mean about comments. I so look forward to receiving your comment when I post. You are so good about doing comments. I, on the other hand, often shamelessly just read posts... I know, bad me!

Anne said...

Your ATS Is looking amazing!! I can understand why you wanted to get the tree over and done with. But it looks good!! Love those two little designs. The acorn one is my favourite!! Glad to hear that your son had a great try out in Boston. Hopefully he will get in!!!

Love that wee little mischievous Mia!!!

Aussie Stitcher said...

ATS is looking great, and Mia is adorable. Wishing your son the best of luck for his auditions.

Sally said...

Looking forward to seeing your toy chest etui. The needlebook pages look lovely.

Fantastic progress on ATS!

Keeping my fingers crossed for the boy child:) What a fantastic view from the hotel!

Awww Mia is so sweet.

Sandra said...

Mia must be one of the most photogenic cats I've seen, she always looks so cute! Good progress on your ATS!

Francesca said...

Mia is a real star ! and like her "Italian sister" Mimì always finds great pleaces to stay warm.
Cats, how without ?
Thank you for your kind comments, I'm speachless seeing your embroidery growing so fast !Beautiful !

woolwoman said...

Your ATS is really flying along now. Good you are going to tackle the toy etui - I'm sure it will be beautiful. Little Mia is such a ham isn't she posing for her photo. I follow a knitting blog (Wendy Knits) and her ragdoll cat Lucy is the star of her blog for sure. Hope your DS gets into the college of his choice. Hope you have a fine February! mel

Susan said...

Cheering you on for both your projects! ATS is looking good and I'm sure the Toy Chest will be done in no time.

Also cheering you on as you go through the college admissions process. I don't miss all the associated anxiety, but I do have fond memories of the (many) tours and traveling with my kids to check out potential places.

Veronica said...

Okay, I really, really wanna give Mia a snuggle. LOL! Too cute! Nice progress on your stitching.

Hugs,
Veronica.

Karoline said...

Great progress on ATS & the Toy Chest, they both look gorgeous.

Congratulations on finishing Sarah, she's lovely

Lynn said...

Lovely progress on the sampler and your cat looks soooooo cute!

marly said...

I looked up the Toy Chest - what a fabulous project! I'm enjoying ATS and the stitching is perfect as always. Mia just loves the Boy Child's scent!!!

merumo said...

Your stitchings are sending me a huge motivation to my way :) And of course Mia is playing a big part of it! She looks so cute being comfy among your son's outfits. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for your boy child passing the audition he just had... What a talented guy!

Brigitte said...

It's always a pleasure to see ATS on someone's blog and to follow all the progress pictures. It's such a great design. The more I see it the more I want to stitch it myself, but I even don't know if it's still available or OOP. It would be a great project for my retirement.
I hope your son's audition was successful for him.

Sharon said...

Oh Margaret, Mia has gotten so big and she is so beautiful. Give her a big hug and kiss for me,please. Thank you so much for stopping by and visiting my blog. Your post made me so very happy. I hope I can keep up with it and maybe soon catch up with some mail too. Always good to hear from you dear friend. Maybe this spring I can make it down to that crosstitch store and we can meet up. That would be so much fun. xoxoxo

Melanie said...

Thinking positive thoughts for the boy child!! I hope he gets in!!! :)