My Just Nan finish for January 2014

As part of my participation in the 2014 Just Nan Stitch-a-Long, my first entry is a small one indeed, but oh so satisfying! A fellow Just Nan Junkie on Facebook, Zeb Ahmed, has organized a fun challenge for the members of our little group...to stitch as many designs by Nan Caldera of Just Nan as we can in the year, trying to increase the net presence of Just Nan designs and hope that people notice!  If anyone is interested in joining us, it's not too late! Just visit Zeb's blog here....http://www.ixari.net/just-nan-design-list/just-nan-stitch-along-2014/

My collection of Just Nan stash continues to grow, and at one point I had a list of the ones I'd like to get done this year, but of course it's still in flux as I see other's posting pictures of their happy dances! I decided to start small with a JN WhimZi called Whirlibirds, which came with it's own little ornament frame. The WhimZi frames are no longer available sadly, but you might be able to find them in shops or online if you are diligent in your searching! This is a little kit, all you do is supply the fabric and DMC threads. It's only 2 inches square!

I was uncharacteristically out of two of the DMC colors called for, so I used my best judgement to pick the blue and green colors for two of the birds. The fabric is a bit of leftover linen from my stash. All I had to do was stitch it up and pop it in the frame! I love how cheerful it is! In a dreary cold January, it's a welcome warmer that makes me smile!

Now I have to decide which Just Nan design I will stitch in February! Hmmmm..........

Getting the New Year of 2014 off to a stitchy start!

As mentioned I am getting my stitching mojo back and have joined FOUR SALs (stitch-a-longs) for 2014 on four different Facebook stitchy groups!  There are badges on the side bar here for three of them, still need to figure out how to make my own badge with words to add the last for the Peacock SAL.

SAL #1 is the Teresa Wentzler Tinies SAL, by which it is meant that folks in the group are picking out designs by Teresa Wentzler (refered to as TW) in the small range for a quick stitch each month, many from older magazines when she first started out as a designer, and many are her smaller freebies from her website.
For my January stitch, I choose a freebie called the Peacock Tapestry Ornament, which is an element of the full Peacock Tapestry design, a corner of the border in fact. I used a 28ct pearl cashel and the called for threads and beads. I made it into a biscornu ornament with a peacock bead I had on hand (from the Just Nan line). Here is the result!

The second SAL is with a small group of  folks stitching a Joan Elliott design from a magazine. It is called Blackwork Peacocks....I am working on it at the present and will post more when I have something to show off!  I am also in a group stitching different peacock designs during the year, so the Blackwork Peacocks will help in that effort. In addition I have a Chatelaine design called the Beaded Peacock Tile in my rotation. It comes back up next week in early February. Here is my progress so far. More on that later!

Earlier in the year I did another pair of small designs. One is a cover kit from the magazine Cross Stitch Crazy #177 by Kate Knight. I switched out the aida for a small piece of light blue opalescent linen. Unfortunately I did the backstitching in the wrong shade of blue, but I wrote it off to a happy mistake and lived with it!

I think it was meant to be seen as a peacock, but I think it looks more like a Victoria Crowned Pigeon!

One other finish in January was this ornament by San-Man Originals called Quaker Tuck. It is an exclusive to the San-Man bulletin board members and the tuck and button came with the pattern. I stitched it on a small piece of Silkweaver Solo linen.

More on the 4th SAL, the 2014 Just Nan Stitch-a-Long tomorrow. Happy Stitching in the New Year!

Wrapping up 2013

I've been a bad girl, but did I really only post 3 times in 2013? I stitched like crazy early in the year, while my daughter was on Study Abroad in New Zealand (have to admit I missed her a lot!) When she came home in late April, it was a whirlwind of things that had to be done so all the ducks were aligned for her to start college in the fall, plus her last summer swimming for the neighborhood team, plus her trip to Europe for 2 weeks in July with her grandma and cousins, which was when I read a lot and crocheted a lot, well into the fall after taking her off to ECU.....in fact I crocheted so much, that's what I gave to extended family for Christmas! Hats and scarfs and some afghans too...way too many pictures to put here, so if you are interested, check my Flickr page and look in the Knitting and Crochet Set! http://www.flickr.com/photos/stitchinkat/sets/

I also got back a few things from the framer in October...some stuff I got re-framed for my Mom, and from Country Cottage, Here Kitty Kitty

....from Just Nan...Peacock Alphabet

and from SamSarah Designs...Daily Life

In the fall I finally got my stitching mojo back with a few starts, including this from Sweetheart Tree...Black Cats Trick or Treat, Ltd.Ed....

Also, this baby gift to my SIL's new grandbaby...from CharlesCraft/DMC. Stitched the fishies from the toy on the bib too!

Finally, I made cuffs for stockings for some members of the family, attaching them to the felt stockings with coordinating buttons, and used some more buttons from the stash to dress up the names I charted.

I think that is about it for 2013, a year that was too fast, and too slow at the same time! Back with more on what I have been stitching so far this year, and the reason for a new Page on my blog that is all about my Just Nan obsession in 2014, and a few SALs I'm doing this year too!