January TUSAL

Posted by Jan
Before I start my post I'd like to give a shout out to "Sarah Hagget" and "Erica" who left a comment on my last blog post.  Since your e-mail was set to "no-reply@blogger.com" I can't reply privately to your comment.  Also I can't find a blog connected to your name so can't post a comment to your blog. So..... all I can do is say Thanks for Commenting on my Post....



Now let's get started with the first TUSAL post of 2015!!!



As you can see from my beaker it's full of green and blue orts from my Norwegian Alphabet Sampler.  I was stitching it as a surprise birthday gift for my boyfriend's mother, but he broke up with me last Monday the 12th after being together for almost 2 1/2 years. Now I have no interest in working on or seeing it. Maybe sometime in the future I can bear to look at it again and finish it.


click for larger picture.
I'll be switching over to Camelot Sampler now as I promised my self I'd get'ter done this year.  So don't be surprised if all you see for the next few months is boring updates of this sampler.

 

My end of the year progress for 2014.

click for bigger picture.
 
 
Thank you all, new followers and lurkers, for stopping by and reading my blog.
Category: , , , 5 comments

WIPocalypse ...The Second Time Around...For Me

Posted by Jan

Greetings fellow Stitchers and Bloggers!  Welcome to my first post of 2015 and the kick-off to Measi's WIPocalypse stitch-along.  If you're new to all this and haven't a clue, just click on the button in my side menu and it will take you straight to the sign-up and info page.  Well now let's get this post rolling with the first topic of the year.

Topic: Introduce yourself, your projects, and any goals you have for the year!
 
Howdy my name is Jan.  I've been stitching off and on throughout most of my life after being taught at the tender young age of 9. While stitching has come and gone in my life, the years since 1997 have brought out a renewed passion for cross stitching.  As of September 2013 I am an unemployed electronics stockroom clerk.  I'm 57 years old and currently living under my parent's charity.  I keep an eye on them and provide them with hospice care while I still keep trying to find work. I'm single (aka spinster) and have no kids or pets.  ....Well I'm thinking about getting a kitten this summer; it's for my 93 yr. old mom to play with and to keep me company... I have a tentative relationship with a 54 yr. old biker named Tony who likes going by his road name of "Viking".  We've been seeing each other about 2 years now.
 
My projects, it seems, have been forever listed on the side menu of my blog page.  Here are all the ones I'll be rotating through in 2015 to try and get them closer to a finish.
 
My Tree of Life - (Mon Arbre de Vie) By Annick Abrial

 
The Book of Ink Circles By Tracy Horner

 
The Sampler - Once Upon A Time - (Le Marquoir - Il était une fois) By Annick Abrial

 
Forest Babies - Mother Skunk and Babies By Candi Martin

 
The Berlin Woolwork Sampler By The Needle's Prayse

 

And last but not least is.....

Camelot Sampler By Teresa Wentzler


I got quite a bit done on this last year and my main goal for 2015 is to get this sucker finished.  I have a very good reason for my motivation...  I've already stitched 2015 in the date window of the sampler starting back in January of 2014. Just to give me a 2 year window to gett'er done!!
 
Even though these two projects aren't listed on the side menu of my blog, I plan to work on them as well in the coming months.
 
Biker's Vest Patch
Norwegian Alphabet Sampler
 
 
And there you have it, my projects and goals for the 2015 year!!
Category: , , , , , , , , 13 comments

Farewell To 2014

Posted by Jan
As I sit here typing this I can hear the fireworks sounding off outside in my neighborhood.  Yes, my city is one of the lucky few in the state that allows this on New Years Eve.  Since I don't venture out on New Years Eve I thought I'd write a last day of the year post.

My weight loss goal has been a bit of a roller coaster this year.  I never did get on my tread mill and do any workouts.  I did however manage to get on my bicycle and ride almost every day from June to October.  I started out at 226 lbs got down to 206 lbs and now at this last day of December I'm back up to 230 lbs.  So starting the first Sunday in January I'll start all over again, and maybe in 2015 I will reach my goal and stay there.

As for any last minute stitching, my Norwegian sampler won't get done by the 7th of January.  I'm afraid it's going to be an IOU birthday gift.  Here's the latest update.


Click for bigger picture.
As for my 2014 ORTS I've decided to keep them in an end of the year bowl.  They're being guarded by Tessa the Turtle.  Next year for my TUSAL posts I'll just show the amount of orts for the month and empty them into the bowl.  Then when the bowl fills up I'll use the orts as stuffing for a biscornu or two.


Happy New Year Everyone!!!
Category: , 1 comments

A Two For One Posting

Posted by Jan

 

Oops, looks like I'm a little late for my last Wipocalypse of the year.  So I thought I'd split the difference and post both my TUSAL and Wipocalypse together.  

But before I get started I'd like to say what a marvelous time I've had.  Not only was I motivated and encouraged by the monthly theme questions.  But also by the new on-line stitching friends I've made through-out the year.  I hope to see you all and your new wip progress in 2015.

Theme: Recap your accomplishments for the year! (Your finishes, your final before/after photos, etc).

Be sure to click on the pictures to get a bigger view.

First I'll start off with the only finish I had for 2014.  It was a gift for my boyfriend Tony.

A Vikings World
Designer/Publisher: Lisa / © Designs by Lisa
Finished: January 5, 2014
Stitched on Brittney 28ct. Evenweave, Color: Bone using DMC cotton floss. The name at the top of the ship reads as Anthony Jorgen.

And now for the three WIPs I worked on: Camelot Sampler, The Twelve Days of Christmas, and Musical Bell Pull. Even though I didn't finish them, two out of the three got a lot of work done on them, and I am closer to the goal of getting them finished.

Camelot Sampler

[Before]

[My total progress so far.]


The Twelve Days of Christmas

[Before]
Day Six was the only block I worked on this year.

[My total progress so far.]

Musical Bell Pull

[Before]

[My total progress so far.]

And last but not least, the two new projects I started this year; my biker's vest patch, and my Norwegian alphabet sampler, along with my little TUSAL beaker to bring this post to a close.

Biker's Vest Patch

[Before]

[After]


Norwegian Alphabet Sampler

If the frame looks familiar that's because it's "Birds of A Feather" by With Thy Needle & Thread.  The center of the sampler will have some original elements.  What they'll be even I don't know at the moment as I'll just stitch them as I go along getting ideas from other samplers I've seen.

[Before]

[After]

 
And finally......

The latest orts are from the sampler in the above picture.
 
 
Thank you all for visiting my blog and becoming my friend in 2014.

Jan
 
Category: , , , , , , , , , 3 comments

November TUSAL Update

Posted by Jan



Greetings fellow Bloggers and TUSALers.  It's hard to believe that a whole month has gone by since we last posted our ort containers and project updates.
 
I've been a bit adventurous in the last 2 weeks and tried my hand at dying fabric with coffee.  I followed the instructions on Martha Beth Lewis's page and here's the out come.
click for bigger picture
 
On the left is the original cream color and right is the warm brown/coffee color I ended up with.
 
As a first try at dying fabric I'm rather proud of myself.  The only mistake I made was putting too much alum in the final dye bath to set the color.  So after the fabric dried for the final time I gave it a quick wash in cold water with orvus to try and get rid of the smell of alum, and it worked.
 
And for anyone who's interested I used Italian roast dark instant coffee, 8 cups worth.
 
I've put all my projects away until next year as I have a time sensitive Christmas/birthday present that I need to have done by Jan. 7th.  Here's the progress so far with my newly dyed fabric, along with my little beaker.
click for bigger picture
click for bigger picture


click for bigger picture
 
Thanks for stopping by!
Category: , 2 comments