Back to this bloggy theme : Stitching.... WIP & TUSAL

 After a few posts relating to family history and a re-jig to update my blog - it's well past time to get back to the reason for this blog.

I didn't post pics last weekend for whatever reason, but here is a catchup for all my WIP to date.

WIP - JAN 22

Week 2 of my theme stitching was, Christmas - and of course, getting my tablecloth up to date is my first priority.  This square should have been stitched by Christmas 2011 - as it symbolises 2010 - the year my Dad came to share Christmas here at my home.  Who else should I symbolise my Dad with, but Santa.  I found this Santa design in a Jill Oxton magazine and it fits perfectly into the square.  I'm enjoying the stitching of it, knowing I'm getting it done at last, but it is an annoying stitch all the same, with three shades of light grey and white in the beard.  The subtle shading will be worth it in the long run, but it's an intense stitch.  I changed the glasses from black to gold, but I might outline them in some way to define them better.  Never mind, I won't be stitching it for a couple of weeks.  I'll work myself back into the right mood to stitch it.

Week 3 of my year's theme was Cottages.  A very loose name for and excuse to stitch Shores of Hawk Run Hollow.  I've coveted this series for some time, and as luck would have it, a lovely friend offered me the chart and her partially started project on aida, using DMC.  She ended up stitching it using speciality fibres on evenweave.and had no use for the chart and was happy to pass her started project to me.   I received this project and the lighthouse, partial border, sun outline and wording had been stitched.  I stitched the rest this week.  Had I managed to find my DMC 927 in time, I possibly would have finished the square in the week.

(The more observant of you may have also noticed a single stitchery sheepie nestling on the left of my WIP pic. This was a small stitchery that was started near the end of the year, but covered over and forgotten until this morning.  If I add it to the list, that makes 106 sheep.)

Week 4 of this year's theme was WIP, but I'm winging it, as I had an urge to start a new quilting project.  Yes Chris - I said QUILTING PROJECT !!  

I appear to have crossed to the dark side.  Just to make it interesting, there is NO pattern, but I'm following in my mind, an idea I had at least 3 years ago - This will be an Arabian Nights quilted wall hanging.  Today, I drew out all the pictures, prepared the cotton to do the stitchery panels, and drew and stitched one small square.  It's a teaser.  At least stitchery can be packed into a small parcel and travel to work with me.  It is a long term project, I can see it in my mind's eye - visualise purples and golds and aquamarines and beads and spangles and velvets and silks.

Finally, here is my offering for this month's TUSAL.  Three weeks into the year, and I've made a substantial start.  Sitting with it is my first cat mascot.  I wonder how many cat icons I will collect this year?  I still have a display table full of sheep - not sure where to distribute them.  There are lots and lots of colours already - I've made a more colourful start to this year than all the white sheep stitched last year. 

I hope to soon be able to resist yelling 'Sheepie!' at the top of my lungs every time I drive past sheep in a paddock.  Obsessions are hard to overcome  - grin.