A Christmas poem for all of us, exhausted stitchers

"The Morning After" Anne Stradal, designer

POEM

 

'Twas the night before Christmas, and, oh, I was weary.

My stitching unfinished, my eyes getting bleary.

The stockings weren't finished, the chimney was bare.

And I knew that morning soon would be there.

My children and husband were tucked in their beds,

But visions of backstitches ran through my head.

I'd stitched ornaments and presents and gifts by the ton,

And now, I was finally, almost, almost done.

As I poised my needle for one more backstitch,

I heard something outside that made my hand twitch.

I jumped up from my stitching, and flew to the door,

Pressed my eye to the peephole, tip-toed off the floor.

My stitching forgotten, I peered into the night.

When suddenly, I got a terrible fright.

On my porch appeared Santa, holding his sack.

He knocked softly, and I took a giant step back.

I unlocked the deadbolt, and let Santa in,

He entered and gave a mischievous grin.

"Hope you don't mind if I come in the door?"

"Coming down the chimney can be quite a chore."

He said, "You're up late. Still working I see."

"Do you know how tired you're going to be?"

"I know, Santa," I said, with a sigh,

"But I'm still backstitching the stars in the sky,"

"And the fields on that stocking look blobby you know,

I need to backstitch the drifts in the snow.

I've been stitching and stitching and stitching, no rest.

I just tried to finish stitching too much, I guess."

"I know what you mean," he said with a smile.

"This is my busiest time of the year, by a mile."

He stooped down by the tree, and he opened his sack,

And began to pull presents out of his pack.

"I've got some things here I think you might like,

An oak stitching frame, and a brand new Ott-Light.

A bundle of floss, and a great big mat cutter,"

I smiled and felt my heart go a-flutter.

He put down gifts for us all, then he waved his right hand.

"Go to bed," he said, glancing at my floor stand.

He gave me a wink, and stepped out the door.

I just stood there a moment, glued to the floor.

After he'd left, I turned back to my chair,

Picked up the stockings, and started to stare.

The backstitching was done! The stars lit the sky!

And on my son's stocking angels sung on high.

I ran to thank Santa for this final gift,

And watched as his sleigh started to lift.

I heard him exclaim as he pulled out of sight,

"Merry stitching to all, and to all a good night!"

Author Unknown

Christmas ornaments received from my best friend Terry for my Christmas tree

(Santa's boots)

Projects: Santa Boots, Tartan Pinecones and Stardust

Designer: Pinflair kits

Type of needlework: Craft and Ribbonwork

Photos: 3

Pinflair website: http://pinflair.co.uk/

Comments: Terry and I exchange gifts mainly for two very special occasions during the year, Christmas and our birthdays. We have now been doing that for years. Gifts vary considerably from year to year depending on our circunstances, but no matter what we end up giving each other, it is always wonderful and very appreciated by both of us. We seem to have the same tastes ao we can be pretty sure that if I like something, chances are great that Terry will also like it. This makes things much easier for both of us to give each other presents that will be treasured for the rest of our lives.

This year, she was not really into stitching much so she purchased these lovely kits and made me five lovely ornaments for Christmas. I am absolutely thrilled with them and after I finish writing this post I will rush down and hang them on my Christmas tree.

I have been thinking about taking lots of close-up photographs of all my Christmas ornaments that are decorating my tree this year and making a little slide-show with them. My interests are very diverse, so having a Christmas theme just does not work for me, so it is a bit of this and a bit of that and I just love it.

(Tartan pinecones)

I love pinecones and I think it is such a wonderful ideas to make them with ribbons.

It will look great in my Christmas tree.

(Stardust)

I was looking at Pinflair website which is a British site and they have such an abondance of kits

that it must have been hard for  my friend to choose the ones she has selected this year.

A funny thing just happened, while I am writing this, my husband just came into my stitching room and he was asking me if they have lots of other kits there and I showed him all that they have on their website and he showed me all those that he liked (big grin). Gosh, someone could start a tradition with them as there are so many to choose from.

................. and to think that I now have Santa's boots (smiling)

Ladies - A Christmas ornament: Helen Gibb, designer

Project: Ladies - a Christmas ornament

Designer: Helen Gibb

Type of needlework: Ribbon work

Photo: 1

Helen's website: http://www.helengibb.com/

Comments: I thought it would be fun to make a different kind of Christmas ornament that I normally do, that does not actually involve much stitching at all, mostly at this time of the year if you are running behind as I am.

This little ornament came as a kit, so no hunting for supplies. I can also see lots of possibilities for  me to create others similar and at the same time different to this one. I will need of course some fabric print, which is something that I have since I have done some crazy quilting in the past and thinking of going back to it as I love to do a bit of this and a bit of that. It makes life more interesting, I find (smiling)

Five Flower Sampler: Delma Moore, designer

Project: Five Flower Sampler

Designer: Delma Moore

Type of Needlework: Brazilian Embroidery

Photos: 9 (so far)

Blackberry Lane website: http://www.blackberrylane.com.au/

Other Delma Moore design completed here.

Other Brazilian Embroidery projects completed here.

Comments: WORK IN PROGRESS

This is another project that I have started but not yet completed. The fun part is yet to be done, meaning the flowers. I really need to take some time in 2011 to finish this project.

(Photo showing the necessary threads for this project)

(A few leaves stitched)

(Close-up of the leaves)

(Another leave closeup)

(Leaves and some stems)

(Closeup)

(Another closeup)

(Photo showing what has been done at this point.

Flowers still need to be stitched as well as border)

The Thistle: Carole Lake, designer

Project: The Thistle

Designer: Carole Lake

Type of needlework: Needlepoint

Photos: 4

Carole's blog: http://www.carolelake.com/

Other projects that I have stitched from Carole here.

Comments: This is a little project that I wanted to stitch when I saw it.

The more diverse project I can stitch, the higher goes my learning curve. On this project, I especially like trying the turkey work. I had seen it many times before but never had the opportunity to work on a project that needed that stitch. It was fun to do and not difficult at all with Carole's excellent directions.

I also enjoyed stitching the border around the thistle. That was a new way of making one for me, so will keep that in mind the next time I am in need of one.

I have never done much free-form stitching either on canvas and stitching the leaves gave me a bit of practice. I can't say that I am completely comfortable with it but I guess the more I will do, the better I will get at it. I have no problem doing free-form on fabric but always find it a bit more difficult on canvas. For me, I find canvas limiting to some extent due to the holes, but perhaps I just need to get more experience with it by doing projects that call for special techniques.

(This is a frontal view of the finished ornament)

(Photo that came with Carole's project)

(Stitched Thistle before the finishing)

4-Way Bargello Orchid: Toni Gerdes, designer

UPDATE 04/24/2011:

I wanted to finish this project so that it would be practical, so I have used a 6" by 6" Sudberry House trivet for it.

Under the canvas I have added a piece of fabric of a color similar to the canvas itself because of all the unstitched areas.

Again, I am afraid that the photo is not too good because of the glass reflection.

===================================

(I am planning to go out shopping and see what

I can find that would look great in the middle of this design)

(The green leaves in the center came with the kit)

(This is the photo that came with Toni Gerdes project)

(3rd photo)

Project: 4-Way Bargello Orchid

Designer: Toni Gerdes

Type of needlework: Bargello

Photos: 6

Toni's website: http://www.tonigerdes.com/

ANG CyberPointers website: http://www.cyberpointers.org/

ANG website: http://www.needlepoint.org/index.php

Comments: WORK IN PROGRESS

This is an absolutely lovely design that as member of ANG CyberPointers we received for free during our bimonthly meeting.

Toni was there in Cyberspace to help us along whenever we had questions

and she is still there even if the meeting is now over to answer our questions. Sometimes I wonder what we, stitchers, used to do before we started going online. We all used to stitch pretty much by ourselves without much communication with the other stitchers. Things sure have changed a lot since then and in this case for the better.

I started this project this past Thursday (November 4th) and I have already half of it completed. I just love these colors. I am using one of Toni's colorways, so can't get any credit for how well this is turning out to be. This is the Lavender/Green colorway.

This project can be done in 3 different sizes, mine will be the smallest size, which is 6" by 6". I thought that was a nice size as I don't always feel like ending up with big projects. Smaller also means that it takes less time to have a completed project.

In this project, there is one overdyed floss and all the rest of the threads are just Anchor floss of two different color families in different shades and 4 little plastic green leaves that will go in the middle where the dark lavender is located.

Now my big question is do I stop stitching after what has been done on the 5th photo which is the first photo above or do I continue stitching in order to do exactly as Toni Gerdes has done on her project (third photo above)?

The answer to that question is "I am not sure". If you have some opinions one way or another, I would love to hear from you. Please send me a little message at my email address here: LovetoStitch99@comcast.net .

(This is the 2nd photo showing the stitched center)

(This is the first photo taken of this project. I completed a pomegranate

motif as I wanted to see the progression of colors right away)

More Options in Hardanger: Dale Sokolow, designer

(Photo showing what has been completed so far in this project)

Project: More Options ... in hardanger

WORK IN PROGRESS

Designer: Dale Sokolow

Type of needlework: Hardanger

Photos: 10 so far

Another Dale hardanger project that I have stitched called "Options in Hardanger"

This is an EGA correspondence course: http://www.egausa.org/

Taken through EGA CyberStitchers: http://www.cyberstitchers.org/

Comments: The first project I have stitched from Dale was "Options in Hardanger" and when "More Options ...in hardanger came along, I decided to get on board this one too.

This piece of hardanger is done on #28 Plum Blossom Jobelan fabric using some Watercolours and Anchor #12 Pearl Cotton threads.

The size of the finished piece will be around 8" by 13 1/2".

I have already purchased my bell pull hardware for the finishing.

As you can see, most of it has been done. I still have to fill some diamond shapes, add another row of blanket stitch on top for the hardware to be enclosed in and I will be done.

While looking at the photos below I thought it was interesting to see the different color shades depending on the day's lighting. 



(1st photo taken showing upper and middle sections)

(2nd photo showing top, middle and bottom sections)

(Photo showing the beginning of outside border)

(Outside border completed)

(Photo showing the outside border added on the top and middle sections)

(Same thing but showing the bottom section)

(Photo showing additional work in upper section)

(Same thing but on bottom section)



(Work done on this project so far)

Halloween Slideshow with projects stitched during the years

Comments:

I have always had fun stitching projects for Halloween

and I was hoping to have some new Halloween projects to add to my blog this year,

but unfortunately that has not happened

so I thought of making a little Halloween Slideshow instead

including the different projects that have been done through the years.

If you want to have more information about some of the projects included in this slideshow,
please follow this link here.

Have a fun HALLOWEEN

Miniature boxers : Designers, the Secret Knicker Gang

(Created by Pierrette)

Project: Miniature boxers for a joke

Designer: Secret Knicker Gang

Type of needlework: Sewing

Photos: 4

Stories in past blog entries:  Miniature knickers and  ATCs 

Comments: Our little Secret Knicker Gang had so much fun with our little joke that some of us pushed the envelope just a little bit further and made some miniature boxers too.

If you want to read about what happened before this episode or just need to refresh your memory, please click on the two links above next to "Stories in past blog entries"

It all started with the miniature knickers, followed by a little story told with Artistic Trading Cards and then followed by this post with the miniature boxers.

The Secret Knicker Gang has also made the "Artistic Dolls" exchange. Unfortunately I don't have all the photos of the dolls but you can see the photos that I do have here.

(Created by Kerry)

(Created by Terry)

(Created by Terry)

Crazy Quilting Eyeglass case: Jill

Project: Crazy Quilting Eyeglass Case

Designer: Jill made this for me

Type of needlework: Crazy Quilting

Photos: 2

Comments: Jill made this little crazy quilting eyeglass case for me a few years back. I remember her making quite a few of them at the time, all different designs depending on each person preference.

I always had it in my mind to make a few myself, but so far I have never gotten around to it, but we just never know, one day I may surprise myself and actually make one. I have got one in mind for the longest time, so ................. (big smile)

(Photo showing the back)