2013 year in review

2013 has been a year where I've gotten back into knitting and quilting in addition to stitching.  So I'm including those in the mix.  I hope you enjoy my year in review.

Mary Mccallester by Needlework Press

The Hart Lives Where it Loves by Scarlet Letter for our 30th anniversary

Rachel Howells by the Scarlett House

Tula Pink Hex on the Beach quilt top

Betsy's House by Plum Street Samplers

A Needleworker's Huswife by With My Needle

Adam and Eve by Kathy Barrick

A Yuletide Welcome by Plum Street Samplers

Wearwithall Stole from the Wearwithall Book

Pluses quilt from Love Patchwork & Quilting Magazine premiere issue

So that's my year in review for 2013.  Thanks for looking!  And here's a Mia pic just because.

Happy 2014, everyone!

Christmas -- finally!

Well, I don't know how else to do it.  I think I'm going to have to post two posts.  In one week.  There's a lot to post.  Stitching first.  Here is my Crown Sampler as of now.

I'm loving stitching this one.  It's such a pretty piece.

Now for the reason why I wasn't ready for Christmas last week.  Over Sunday and Monday, the 22nd and 23rd, the father type and I had to go up to Boston to move the boy child from his old apartment to a new one.  Luckily, we had Sunday afternoon and Monday morning to do it in.  Monday it rained, but it got done!  Here are a few pictures from the whole move.

The new apartment

moving in the rain

Goodbye, old apartment

We got home Monday evening and the girl child arrived soon after.  So the Christmas celebrations could begin!

Girl child arriving

making Christmas cookies

Father type with his new computer gadget

Father and son

And girl child

Christmas dinner minus the roasted brussels sprouts

Mia in her new Kaffe Fassett fabric collar

The girl child had to leave late on Christmas as she had work the next day.  But it was a wonderful Christmas nonetheless!

Thanks as always for stopping by and saying hi.  I will be posting the year in review in a day or two.

Just keep swimming...

Seems like many of us are feeling like we are behind in our Christmas preparations.  I am definitely one of those people.  But slowly we are getting there!  And I think I'm finally starting to feel in the Christmas mood.

Still some stitching going on amidst the prep.  Here's my Crown Sampler.

I've finished the top section and have dived into stitching the words.  If you see the needle on my cute little cat needleminder, that gives you an idea of the size on 50/62 count linen -- that is a size 28 petite needle.

This is just such a pretty piece!

This past week, there was a Christmas party for the NYC Google employees.  The theme was Dr. Who and you had to dress as someone from the 2380's, the 1980's, the 1880's, or the 1780's.  The father type took the girl child with him to the party.  Guess what era they were from.

They are looking confused because they are standing in a room that is for the wrong era.  lol!  There was a room for each era, very impressive!  Sounds like they had a great time.  Those Googlers know how to throw a party!

All during this cold winter that has finally become actual winter, Mia has refused to sleep in her winter bed that I bought her last year.  She loved it last year so much, so I was very surprised at her refusal.  She would sleep on the heating duct vent, or make her way under the covers on the bed and sleep there instead.  Today I finally decided to try lining the inside of her winter bed with bubble wrap, one of her favorite surfaces to crouch on.  And here is the result.

Yup.  She loves her winter bed once again.  lolol!

Thanks as always for stopping by and saying hi.  I hope everyone has a wonderful holiday season.  Happy Christmas!!

In the Christmas mood?

I've made some progress on my Crown Sampler.

The needle is a size 28 petite.  I put the Clover cutter there for size.  I'm using the 50/62 count linen with Tudor silk conversion from the Attic.

You might notice the adorable needleminder in the picture as well.  It's a gift from Paula of Kelmscott Designs.

See the adorable cat?   I love it so much!  Thanks so much, Paula!

I also won a lovely prize from Elaine of Emily's Cupboard.  It's a lovely kit for embroidery along with a crewel embroidery book.

The Appleton wools are so luscious!  Now I have to get over my fear of crewel work and start embroidering!  Thanks so much, Elaine!

We had our first substantial snow this weekend.  It messed up our plans for the girl child to come home and go cut down a Christmas tree with us.  So instead, the father type and I shoveled ourselves out and went to a local pre-cut tree stall.  I'm happy with our selection -- the tree is nice and tall, but also nice and skinny.

Here's the father type posing for the camera while putting up the lights.

And here's the decorated tree.  The father type and I put up fewer ornaments than usual since it was just the two of us.  Definitely an advantage to a tall, skinny tree.  lol!

The father type finally picked out his retirement gift from IBM.  It was placed on the mantel today, complete with commemorative plaque.

(The plaque is on the side.)  It has a pendulum and it chimes too!  So much fun!

Mia enjoyed an empty box, one of her favorite things to do.

Thanks as always for stopping by and saying hi.  I hope everyone has a great week!

Doing some math....

No stitching this week.  I spent the days in my sewing room working on a quilt.  It was finished by the end of the week.

Pluses Quilt from Love Patchwork and Quilting Magazine premiere issue
using Dowry by Anna Maria Horner,  Le Creme Swiss Dots by Riley Blake,
and various low volume prints from Westwood Acres shop

Here are some of the blocks before being sewn together.

I also worked a bit on my Annabella's Cowl.  It's getting longer, slowly but surely.

Annabella's Cowl by Churchmouse Yarns

Mia was all excited by the packaging that came in a box in the mail.  She played with the paper and hid in it too.

Thanks for stopping by and saying hi.  I hope everyone has a great week!  

A lovely time was had by all

Here are some random pictures of my EF 1864 Sampler as I was stitching on it this week.

Such pretty flowers!

I also started another knitting project, Annabella's Cowl by Churchmouse Yarns, using Blue Sky Alpaca Silk and Rowan Kidsilk Haze.

We had the kids home for Thanksgiving.  Hooray!  The boy child got picked up at the train station Tuesday afternoon.  It was so good to see him and hug him!

The girl child drove home on Thanksgiving Day.  Everyone pitched in to help with the cooking, but the father type was the main cook as he always is for the holidays.

Here's the father type carving the turkey.  (please ignore the mess in the background.)  

Here is a selfie that the father type took of the family.

And here is the girl child's selfie of us.

But of course, everyone had to go home eventually.  The girl child drove off Saturday night, ready to enjoy some tango in the city.  And we took the boy child to the train on Sunday afternoon.

So sad.

Mia was showing her displeasure at being abandoned by the boy child all the time he was home.  But she slept with him every night, and she grudgingly let him pet her once in a while.

Such a silly cat.

Thanks as always for stopping by and saying hi.  I hope everyone has a great week.  Time to finish off the Christmas shopping.  Yikes!