Last Day of 2017

I have finished three big projects this year. HAED's The Astronomer by Myles Pinkney, the Linens and Threads 2017 Mystery, and I just put the finishing touches into Mirabilia's The Raven Queen. Tomorrow I will start figuring out what I want to start for 2018. I know of at least one HAED, a Chatelaine, and a few Mira's I want to start. Now onto the picture show.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

OMG! It's Finished

After many long years I have finished The Astronomer. I went back thru my blog here and near as I can tell I started it in 2009. At the time I was doing a rotation between it and two other HAEDs. Then I put it down for a few years and stitched a lot of other designers. I picked it up again about two or three years ago and stitched more steadily on it. What really helped it that I joined the HAED Facebook group and did the challenges they ran for a while. One of the challenges was to do what is called cross country stitching. Bazinga! I found I was able to do a page or more each month. Also I was shown EZpdf for the iPad. What a great tool. You can search for the symbol you want to stitch, enlarge the pattern on the screen as big as needed, and highlight your stitches. Okay, enough gabbing. On to the pictures!

The completed piece

Close up of the telescope

Close up of the Astronomer Wizard

The very end

Now to figure out what to stitch next. 

Thanks for stopping by.

Sad Day

I just read on Facebook that Martina Rosenburg of Chatelaine Designs suddenly passed away. The stitching community has lost one of it's most incredible artists. I found myself crying as I read many of the posts. I have enjoyed stitching Martina's designs. In tribute here are several WIPs and my finish of the Celtic Mystery.

 

Twice in one month

Wow, I'm making a second post in the same month! I finished a page on The Astronomer. I have a little bit more to do and I will be completely done. I am shooting for the end of this year to finish it. Wish me luck.

Thanks for stopping by.

Jan

Has it been that long?????

Wow! I can't believe that much time has passed. Well, I have been busy stitching. I have kept up with the Linens and Threads Mystery Sampler. Here it is up to November.

Close up

I am almost done on this page of The Astronomer. After it I only have 3 more pages to go and then it is done. 

This is a little pattern that I travel with. I take it to work and stitch on it during my lunch time. I really love how it is turning out.

So that is it. This is what has been keeping me busy. I'll try to post more often.

Thanks for stopping by.

Jan

Finishes of a Sort

They are not complete finishes, but I have finished the June row for the Mystery SAL. I love the bees a lot.

I not only have a page finish on The Astronomer, but a row finish also. I only have one more row and it will be completed. I feel like the end is in sight.

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The End of May

Well I finished the May band in the SAL and then worked on The Raven Queen for the rest of the month. I have to say I had a real hard time with this band. Picking which colors to use where and once I decided I found that part of it looked like a one eyed alien robot.

I quite a bit done on RQ. For June I will work on the Astronomer after I finish the June band.

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Still Plugging Away

I have another page finish on The Astronomer. I have a partial page to finish off this row and then the last row of the pattern to have it finished. The last row are half pages so hopefully I'll get this finished this year. I am going to continue my rotation with the Mystery SAL, the Raven Queen, and this one.

I realized that I had not posted the finished April for the SAL so here it is. May should be out in a few days.

I hope to get a little more done on the Astronomer before I have to put it up for the SAL. 

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April Has Arrived

And I don't mean just the month. The April installment to the Linens & Threads Mystery SAL has arrived. Before I show you that I'm going to show what I was stitching on between March and April.

I gave Raven Queen some attention. I actually got a lot done on her. I decided that after I finish the SAL monthly piece I'm going to rotate to either Raven Queen or The Astronomer. So here is where I stopped on her before I started on April.

Now here is where I am on April since starting it yesterday. I'm half way done with it. Hopefully I can finish it completely by the end of this week.

Once it is done I'm going to put The Astronomer on the stand and work on it.

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Update of the Mystery SAL

Well, I have caught up. I finished March this past weekend and am now waiting for April to come out. I am stitching it on 40 ct. Lakeside Vintage Quicksilver. I am using a mix of DMC and silks. I like how this is coming along. Hubby even comments on it.

We went to the Woodlawn Plantation Needlework Show on Sunday. Lots of beautiful stitching. I even put in my Wherefore Art Thou. Didn't place but they did put it right on the door to the dining room so everyone who goes to lunch there can see it. There didn't seem to be as many entries this year. One room upstairs was completely empty. They usually have all the bedrooms filled with stitching. Maybe next year there will be more. We need to get the word out for next March - send your stitching to be exhibited.

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New SAL

Like a lot of other stitchers around the world I am doing Linen & Threads Mystery SAL. I finished January last night and am starting on February today.

I am stitching it on Lakeside 40 ct. Vintage Quicksilver. My fibers are Soie D'alger 3325, Gloriana Olallieberry, DMC 3041, & DMC 3834. I will be introducing a few more colors in the other bands as they come along. You can find the SAL patterns here and there is a Facebook group for it.

Thanks for stopping by.

Another One Down

I finished page 19 for the HAED Challenge #4 last night. I am so happy I found the cross country method of stitching these BAPS. To be able to finish a page in about 26 days is pretty good in my book.

I only have 2 full pages left to the row and then the last row is half pages. I really think I might get this done this year. I get more and more excited the closer it gets.

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New Cooking Toy

I asked for and received from my in-laws for Christmas an Air Fryer. I've made a few things so far but today was one of the best. I did fried chicken thighs with NO oil. They turned out great. My hubby loved them.

This is my air fryer. The GoWise 2.75. It is the smaller air fryer. I had to do the thighs in several batches.

And here is my chicken. Nice and crispy. Yummy!

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About Halfway

The beginning of this month saw the start of Challenge #4 for HAED. So I started page 19 for it. This challenge is to just stitch however you want. So I'm back to my cross country style. I figure I'm about halfway through the page.

The black thread on the left shows where the page begins. Now to get back to stitching. I hope to get a big chunk done this weekend.

Thanks for stopping by.