Tuesday, January 11, 2011

A little bit of everything.........

Hello readers and Happy New Year!  For being only 11 days into the year I can't believe how busy I've been.   We started a bathroom remodeling project on Jan 3rd and it's just been crazy.  Things are going well I'm happy to report but it makes for long days - luckily my job lets me telecommute from home when I need to otherwise I don't know how we would do this. Someone must be home to keep an eye on everything.  Since I have 2 dogs of course I have to corral them in one part of the house as they don't like strangers, try to do my job, answer contractor questions, supervise, etc.   It seems that every evening there is something that needs deciding, or an errand or something to get ready for the next day.   We started getting estimates last September so it's been awhile getting to this point. I had to wait until I had recovered enough from my surgery before having the remodeling company come in and get started.   We should be done in about a month.  Here's a photo of my old master bathroom after the tearout - we had a lot of what they call  'cultured marble' which the builders out here like to use and it really needed replacing.  We're doing our share to stimulate the economy I guess!


I have been able to squeeze in a little stitching this week.  I found a UFO I started last year sometime and pulled it out as I should be able to finish it fairly quickly.  I'm actually a little further along as I took this photo a day or two ago. 
"My Needle's Work" by Little House Needleworks

I did get down to my LNS the week after Christmas.  I lunched with a good friend I hadn't seen in awhile then we visited the LNS and a quilt shop too - a great way to spend a day off.  My framed Plymouth Sampler was ready to pick up and photos are just below.  I am really happy with it!  I couldn't find just the right color frame when I was dropping it off for framing, but my LNS has a very talented employee who paints unfinished frames so she custom-painted this one to go with the sampler colors.  Isn't it great??  I always get museum glass on my framing  - love it but it sure makes it difficult to photograph.


I also picked up a little stash LOL. I have been gradually picking up all the LHN "Dear Diary" series - like I need more LHN patterns!  I could stitch exclusively on LHN and Prairie Schooler projects for 5 years with as many as I have in my stash. I just can't stop buying them!  I also picked up 3 different Shakespeare Peddler's patterns, fibers, ornament cuts of linen and some other bits and pieces.  I am accumulating the supplies for the Sarah Woodham sampler which I hope to start sometime in the next few months.


As I look at the year ahead I'm not making any particular stitching or quilting goals - I'm going to just do as much as I can.  I really feel overwhelmed with my crafting stash - I love it but I have more than I can ever do in my remaining lifetime I'm sure. Over the past 2 years I got my quilting UFO list down considerably - I used to have about 25 projects outstanding and I am now down to THREE! My new rule is I'm not starting any new quilts unless one comes off the WIP/UFO list.  I wish I could say the same for my stitching though.  I did get a lot of framing done last year and finished up some UFO's but I still have like 12 or 13 WIP's.  That is way too many for me - it stresses me out. I would love to be down to under 5 some day but it seems like a faraway dream.   Here's a few shots from my craft room - here are some of my 38 bins of quilting fabric and various quilting projects kitted up and other "stuff".........




and here is my stitching WIP basket..........


plus other stitching projects kitted up and waiting anxiously to be started..........



While I wasn't able to stitch back in December I re-inventoried all my cross-stitch patterns. I do keep them all in a spreadsheet but over the last few years I knew I hadn't recorded all of them and really needed to go through it all to see what I have. I'm not saying this to brag....and I'm older than a lot of you so I've been buying longer (LOL) but I have over 600 patterns on my spreadsheet! It really doesn't seem like I have that many - I have 2 file drawers full of hanging folders by designer.  Plus...many of these are booklets or patterns which have multiple designs in them. OMG!!!!  At the rate I'm finishing things this will be about 60 more years of stitching! That would mean I'd be about 115 ......let's not even go there.............

I started buying Gail Wilson doll kits about 5 years ago. I have always loved her primtive/historical dolls and accessories - if you've ever seen any in person they are lovely but they are a lot of very detailed work.  A local quilt shop used to carry kits so I got started buying them there, then I eventually started buying directly from the designer's website and subscribing to her email newsletters. (always dangerous...who can resist a sale??)


I'm glad I bought when I did as the designer has cut her business back a bit and many of these are now discontinued. I really MUST get started on some of these or the paints are all going to dry up. She's got a new pattern out for a Jane Austen doll - she does online classes so hope I can manage that sometime in the future.  You can see the doll if you scroll down a bit on this page. (http://www.gailwilsondesigns.com/catalog/new_items.html).   You can see why I'm stressed - so much to do and so little time!   I need to quit sleeping I guess!

Thanks for stopping in friends - I love hearing from you and hope to be a more frequent blogger this year!

Jeanne

21 comments:

  1. Your Plymouth Sampler is gorgeous! Love that frame!

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  2. Happy new year to you too. Sounds like you have been very busy. We have been renovating our house in parts too over the past couple of months so I know what it's like.

    Your stitching is lovely, I like the progress on 'my needle's work' and your plymouth sampler is gorgeous framed.

    It was fun looking at your stash, and I don't find it hard to believe that you have so many patterns/kits, we are cross stitchers we love to buy more and more patterns. :-)

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  3. My heart is all aflutter! Your stash is ... words fail me! Can I come play in your craft room? I promise not to drool over anything! And it is so organized. And the new stash -- (I am sighing after every comment)

    My hero! lol

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  4. I love the Plymouth Sampler and you're right, the frame is perfect - love it!

    You do have a lot of stash, don't you!? I do like how neatly organized your kitted pieces are though! Very neat!

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  5. Plymouth Sampler looks fantastic! Congrats on getting down to three quilting WIPs. That must have taken some restraint and dedication. I was reading a blog last week where someone said they had over 100 stitching WIPs. You really seem to have your WIPs and stash very well organized. I need to work on that a bit!

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  6. Love your Plymouth Sampler Finish-- nice frame. I too always get the glass to help 'finish it'. Your new stash looks very exciting, and you can never have too much. I am so excited to see another organized closet-- that in itself is a GREAT sight to see. I wish I had your will power of finish one, start one but you did amazing for finishing 35 out of the pile. YGG!!!!!

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  7. I am so in love with your Plymouth Sampler! I want one too!!! Could you please tell me who the designer is? Looks like you've got lots of great things to keep you busy...happy stitching!

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  8. wow i love all your stash! where did you get those mesh-like zippered bags with the cute fabric on them?! they are fabulous!

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  9. Oh wow! I love the frame for your Plymouth Sampler! You must be so pleased with it! Beautiful job stitching too! Love seeing all your stash. Wow! I made a few Gail Wilson stuffed animals years and years ago. It's neat to see what she's up to now. I hope you make some of the dolls up so I can see!

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  10. Your Plymouth Sampler is beautiful. What a great job on the frame.

    You do have quite a bit of stash, but it is organized so nicely:)))

    Great new start. I love the LHN and PS designs too and just can't get enough of them.

    Happy New Year to you!

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  11. The frame on that sampler is amazing; you are so lucky to have such a talented framer near you. The sampler is just beautiful; well worth the museum glass for sure!

    I am in awe of your WIP basket and how they are all in the same kind of "envelope"...my WIPs are in this, that and the other!! =)

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  12. Happy New Year! And you've gotten yours off to a roaring start! Anxious to see the remodel pictures when it is all completed. I could stitch exclusively PS and LHN too and probably never finish all of the patterns I have in my lifetime...ho hum!

    The dolls look really wonderful on the website...I'll be waiting for you to get started on those sweeties!

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  13. That's a great way to start a new year. With a new bathroom! Love how your sampler is framed, just perfect.
    And your stash is perfectly organized too! let me know when the play-day is, I will come too...LOL

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  14. Wow! Love seeing all your projects, and realizing that there are many of us out there with the same sickness. LOL
    I really love the Gail Wilson kits! I just went to her website and bought a few new ones(thanks for the sale tip). I have only made one of her dolls before, but it was really satisfying. I loved every second of it! I would love to do a doll sew along with you if you are interested. You have a great selection to choose from. As for the Jane Austen doll, isn't she fabulous? I love her too!
    Have a great day. :)

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  15. Love your PS - gorgeous framed! Nice progress on your WIP, too. The dolls look interesting - might have to check them out.

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  16. Jeanne - I must have had a premonition of your beautiful Plymouth sampler being framed - I pulled mine out again on 1/2 even though it was NOT on my 11 in 2011 challenge list - I am finishing up the 2nd house and loving all the fun colors. Your's is gorgeous and the frame is PERFECT! lucky girl - I happened upon Gail Wilson quite by accident a few months ago and from there went somewhere else and now I am coveting a "Hitty doll" - OMG - another hole to fall into for sure ! Love how organized your craft room is - Can't wait to see your remodel - Many happy stitches in the new year ! Mel

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  17. The sampler is beautiful and the frame stunning! Hand painted, you say! Wow.

    Boy do you look very organized. I'd be afraid to photograph my studio closet.

    Good luck with the bathroom remodel.

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  18. Happy new year, Jeanne!! What a nice way to start off the year, with a remodeling project! I know it's crazy now but it'll be worth it in the end.

    Your Plymouth Sampler is OH MY GOSH GORGEOUS!! You must be thrilled with how it turned out. The frame is perfect for it & I like how you got it framed close to the stitching. I find it so distracting when framers allow a big space of blank linen between the frame and the stitching. This way the stitching holds center stage and the frame is a nice complementary piece. I know, you didn't need to hear about my framing pet peeve, LOL. ;) It's beautiful!

    Love the new stash! Going through my stash for the Challenge and finding things I'd forgotten about has made me realize two things. Having a big stash isn't going to kill anybody. I enjoy it, I don't smoke, rarely drink, and so my vice is stitching and quilting stash. That's okay. The second thing is, I realized that I have so many good things in my stash that I don't need to buy anything new--but I will. As an offshoot of that, I also realized how detrimental it can be to get rid of some of that stash, because I can think of a bunch of LHNs that I gave away, thinking I'd never stitch, and now that I'm a bit more comfortable with finishing... I just might have stitched them had I not given 'em away. AGH!! Oh well, lesson learned. Anyway, enjoy your stash and your new additions to it.

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  19. I won't even put my stuff into a spreadsheet and have to admit to how much stash I really have. Niek would make me get rid of it. LOL! The doll kits are so cool - do some, so I can live through your experiences! ;)

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  20. Glad to hear you're feeling well enough to stitch.

    Your Plymouth Sampler is gorgeous, great framing.

    Love the tour of your stash :)

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  21. Thanks for stopping by my blog! I'm making good progress on #11!!

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Thank you for stopping by - I love hearing from other stitchers and crafters. If you have any questions be sure to leave an email address if you don't have one in your blogger profile so I can contact you. I appreciate your visit! (I've had to turn off allowing anonymous comments due to spammers)