2012 - My next obssession outlined - and GIVEAWAY WINNER !!!

Stitched by me so many years ago
Comes out every year from the decoration box

It seems that I am the Queen of Theme - I realised n 2009 that I liked a LOT of Snowmen Charts and decreed 2010 - The Year of the Snowman. Simple rule - any new chart started in 2010 HAD to have a snowman in it.
I stitched a whole 21 snowmen (running total) - and true to form, started 7 snowmen projects on Dec 31st.
Of course it was Sheep that caught my eye during this time. I elaborated on my personal rules.
Any new chart MUST contain one sheep - exceptions: WIP's, Halloween, Christmas and Compassionate Stitching. (This explains 7 WIP snowmen!)
As you have all joined enthusiastically into my enthusiasm (OCD) - this year, my flock of sheep numbered 105.


What's for 2012???                                

 Cats & Cottages.

I have a number of cat charts and I desperately want to stitch Shores of Hawk Run Hollow - as well as a few pieces of architecture.
Rules have changed this year - to try to relax my obsession.
Week 1 = Cats
Week 2 = Christmas Stitching (I've stitched ONE ornament this year!!! Fleece Navidad!)
Week 3 = Cottages/Architecture
Week 4 = WIP's
Week 5 = Anything Goes.
I will also allow compassionate stitching to sneak in when required and Halloween can creep in with Christmas Stitching from August.


I currently have NO INTENTION to create a monthly stitched item as my wall-o-sheep (still needing batting & backing which I was supposed to have done yesterday)


This brings me to the announcement of my giveaway winner. I have started this morning (31.Dec) the final sheep - 105 - to be one side of my scissor fob. The first cat for 2012 will be the other side of the fob.
All names were put into the bowl of destiny - and the winner
(you were all pretty much spot on for answers - I'd not made much secret of the fact had I???)

is . . . . . . . . .


........

SHEBAFUDGE !!!!!!! (should that read She-baaaa-fudge ????)
(I'll contact you next week to confirm your snail mail address)

CONGRATULATIONS !!!!!!!!

For the very last time, thank you to all for indulging my obsession and joining in the fun and frivolity that became 2011.  Let 2012 be the same (although perhaps not so intense on the stitching - my family would like to see me from time to time!). - may all your floss be untagled and your needles point straight - I'll see you all in the New Year!!

baaaa-ronny

TUSAL - Final fibre flaunting for 2011



December 2011 T.U.S.A.L

Nearly forgot!!!  How could I not finish off 2011 without the final TUSAL installment - New Moon December 29.

Here it is - my lovely little jar, faithfully being looked after by my sheepie sentries. (the rusty wire thing on the right IS my hubby's Christmas gift - A SHEEPIE !!! )
I can see lots and lots of black and white near the top, some oranges from Halloween and some pink near the bottom (what project had pink?? I'll have to go look)
It's been fun collecting my orts and I'll certainly be joining in again next year with DaffyCat - and TUSAL 2012


(I'll have to find another crystal bowl to store my orts from 2011)

2011 - The Year of the Sheepie - at a close - the final baaaa

9 Sheepies

Here we go, what is probably the last of my sheepies for 2011. (although I might round off the number by stitching one for a fob tomorrow)
The Holstein Sheep/Cow was 100 - Moet, Dry-Clean, Longshanks & Screwball make it a total of 104 for 2011.
It's been a fun year, full of sheepie puns, I won't try to pull the wool over your eyes, the puns sometimes have been ewe-niversally baaa-d.

I'll draw a winner of my giveaway tomorrow morning.

Happy Dancing!


baaaa-ronny

100 Sheepies !!!!

100 sheepies !!!!!!!!


(of course, Holstein is a type of spotted black & white COW  -  just my crazy, warped & twisted sense of humour)

99 Sheepies - raising the baaaaa

96 - 97 -98 -99

........

Sheepie 96

Sheepie 96

Found on a french blog - one of 10 freebie sheepies.  I'm stitching 9 - and with a bit of luck - will mean a flock of 105 by the end of the year...

(why stop at 100? - I asked myself.........)

Christmas Day Sheepie

4 days!!!! Must be time for a quick Competition!

4 days to blogaversary??  Ye-gods and little fishes!  I was mereley musing about how during the coming week, once the Christmas fuss is over, how I'd be able to spend some time browsing and blogging, then remembered that was the time I started blogging - around Christmas - checked - and my Blogaversary is in 4 days!!!

Nearly missed it again!

I'll have a little competition - some people may already know this....   What two themes are my obsession for 2012???

I'll pick a winner in 4 days - I have no idea what I'll send yet - but it may be a scissor fob featuring both themes ........

2011 - A year of Sheepies - near completion

Here we are, two weeks before the end of the year and our Christmas tree has yet to make an appearance....  Why???  Because, for our tree to be put up in front of my sewing machine cabinet, I have to stop sewing ...  I have made some gifts for friends, but I really wanted to finish my sheepie stitches into the quilted top that I envisaged way back in February, when I decided to make this a monthly series.

I tried laying them out 2 x 6 and 6 x 2 and 4 x 3, but the best layout for colour placement, was 3 x 4. 

2011 - The Year of the Sheepies

I'm sure you will agree, this just works out well.  I had found some sheep fabric on a side trip to Mount Gambier in October and spent this morning fussy-cutting sheep heads.

Closeup of sheep heads and grass

After piecing them and ironing the strips, I had a near mental breakdown, because one strip of sheep and grass went missing for 2 hours.  I had not left the room, I was ironing them, my family thought me mad, and that I had not cut 20 heads in the first place, but I knew I had lost one solitary strip.  I had a little nanna-nap after moving furniture looking for this strip, (I even removed the ironing-board cover looking for it!), I dreamt of strips of sheep heads, woke up, continued on my search, then found it UNDER a box that I had moved before.  Perhaps it was my body telling me I needed sheepie sleeping.

I've been able to finish it off - now I am happy, although I need to find some suitable backing fabric and binding, but that can wait until the New Year - my family want a Christmas Tree!

Sheepie Greetings everybody - thank you for joining me on my obsession in 2011

11-12-11 - It's time for the Decem-baaaaa Sheepie

Frantically stitching tonight - I've stitched so much today - left it until the last 2hours 10 minutes of 11-12-11 to start, stitch and finish my Decem-baa sheepie!

I made it with a minute to spare (although, due to a 5 minute phone call - the beads on the tree were stitched just after midnight - but it was all stitched in time!!!!

These three sheep take it through to 94 sheep for the year - do you think I can make it to 100  ???

I was very busy this afternoon - If my boss or my workmates are looking at my blog.........turn away NOW !!!

You've not shown interest before.......why start now?

......................  go on.....  

I don't want to spoil your surprise....

All clear?????

OK - I was putting the last stitch into this Map Wallet, when I realised that most people nowadays use GPS.  Talk about a blonde moment!  Well, I hope my boss likes this anyway - drafted my own pattern (read: make it up as I go along....)  I'm really pleased how this turned out - I hope he can use it anyway.

And for somebody who's name begins with 'S' - While I was stitching this small sheepie design, I had always intended to finish it off as a tote-bag.  Once again, drafting my own pattern (read: as above..) I made this little bag up and I'm so pleased with it.  It is fully lined, with a small pocket inside, as well as the pocket on the outside with the sheep panel.  It's well and truly top-stitched and not likely to fall apart in a hurry.

Another project went flying - it wasn't working out at all well, the weight of the fabric was annoying me, so I've shelved that project for another time - I'll rescue the fabric and use it on something else.

Next, I grabbed some ornaments that were finished last year (or the year before) and got them ready to hand sew some embellishements on to be hung from the tree.

A very busy stitchity Sunday.  How are your stitching plans going for December???

Extreme 'Last-minute' gift giving........ again!

I have been known to be a bit of the 'last-minute' panic people...  Today is no exception.  At 10.30pm last night, I realised I had no gift for a Kris-Kringle for tonight.  I started cutting up fabric and by 1am, had nearly finished two tea wallets and two matching coasters.  Yes, I know I still have the bindng to stitch down, but I can get that done at work today at lunch, can't I???  I spent a few minutes googling for a pattern for the tea wallet then remembered that last december, I blogged about it and posted the blog post the tea wallets came from!    Not only did I start this project at 10.30 last night, it appears that I had a fit of inspiration at 10.30 last year!!  (I must stop starting projects so late at night!)  I did a smidge of free-style quilting on the fan shapes and am really happy with the way they worked out.  Working on the binding is a good way to practice the technique for my bigger quilt project (shhh can't show you that either!)