Stitching Bloggers Blog Hop

I have not blog hopped in quite a while but I thought I would participate again...

Loretta from Stitching The Night Away asked...

The blogging prompt for hop #14 is:

What was your biggest stitching accomplishment in 2012?

What was your favorite stash acquisition in 2012 and will you be using it in 2013?
 

I think my biggest accomplishment for 2012 was all the stitching I actually got in and all the finishes I  accomplished!  I ended up with 23 finished pieces  ;)  It has been a long time since I stitched that much.

Also in 2012 I added quite a bit of fabric to my stash pile so I will definitely be using that in 2013.

Visit all the blogs in this round of the Stitching the Night Away Stitching Blogger Blog Hop:
Find the instructions on how to participate in this round by clicking here.

Its Party Day!

Whohoo... today is the big day for the PARTY!

What party you ask...why the

GROW YOUR OWN BLOG PARTY

of course!

So I would like to take a minute to thank all the new visitors for taking the time to stop by :)

My name is Faith and I live in the Chicago area.  My interests include crafts, reading, spending time with my family, surfing the internet and reading blogs. :)

I LOVE all crafts but my passion is COUNTED CROSS STITCH.  I love stitching away with a needle and thread and seeing a picture come to life on a blank piece of material. I also "dabble" in other crafts and at the moment I am TRYING to teach myself how to sew! 

I also love spending time with my family - which includes my two adult children and my handsome grandson...we all live together along with our three dogs; Pest, Bowser and Scrappy and our red foot tortoise, Leonardo

I also enjoy reading but lately that has been neglected but I keep telling myself...I will start reading again soon!  I am on Goodreads if you would like to check me out there.

Feel free to look around...hope you find something that interests you... 

Thanks for coming to the party and checking me out ~ hope you become a follower so you can come see me again...

In the meantime, leave me a comment so I know you were here and I will come by and check you out too!

Hop Time

It is time for Round 7 of the Blog Hop!

This round Loretta of Stitching the Night Away asked a reader inspired question

I have been doing embroidery and cross stitching for around 40 years. So I have done quite a few kits and projects and sometimes end up with extra threads, now if I buy the threads that is not a problem, because you can always add to your stash, but if it is a kit what on earth do you do with the bits of thread that are left?

Most kits do not have a thread number. And since most kits give you extra threads so you don’t run short, you end up with lengths of different colors. Have you ever done a project that would use up threads like this. I have thought of trying a sampler and just using the thread in color schemes, you know first pattern row be shades of blue, second shades of red, third shade of yellow etc. But I am afraid it would be a muddled mess.

FLOSS...when I am finished stitching a kit I do not add the floss to my stash.  If I am planning on giving the chart to someone else to use then I include any thread that I have leftover.

FABRIC...if the piece comes with linen - I trade it away to someone else for another piece of fabric because I do not stitch on linen! If it comes with evenweave or aida; I normally will use it unless I think I should go with a different color.

BEADS...if there are some leftovers - I keep them and add them to my bead jar.  You never know when you may need a bead or two.

NEEDLES...I usually throw them in my traveling stash bag.  It is SO frustrating to get somewhere and realize that you forgot to pack a needle or to lose / break a needle while you are not home!

So...what do you do with your stuff? 

Visit all the blogs in this round of the Stitching the Night Away Stitching Blogger Blog Hop:
Find the instructions on how to participate in this round by clicking here.

It's time to HOP again!

This question from Loretta for this round of the hop is about our stitching rituals.

Some of us have a favorite chair that we sit in to stitch, others prefer to enjoy a steaming mug of tea while they stitch. Maybe you need to get comfortable and put on your pajamas before you pick up your needle or you simply must rearrange all the sofa pillows before you sit down. Sometimes the ritual is in the clean up when we’re done and everything must go in a certain place. What sort of stitching rituals do you have when you sit down to work on your projects?

I do have a favorite place to sit and stitch!  I sit on the couch with everything in easy reach. 

My XS stuff is on the couch to the left of me and usually Jacob to the right. My ott light is also on my left. In front of me is my desk with my lap top and if I am using a printed chart or a book that is also on my desk with my drink. I do have a special way of arranging the pillows behind my back and my daughter bought me a footstool for my feet to rest on.  My daughter also sits in here with me (in a chair on my left) and we all sit here and watch the TV together while I stitch away ;)

Here are some pictures of my stitching space

 

Thanks for taking a peek at my space!

Do you want to show yours

or participate in the hop??

Just follow the link below! 

Visit all the blogs in this round of the Stitching the Night Away Stitching Blogger Blog Hop:
Find the instructions on how to participate in this round by clicking here.

Let's go to the hop!

Time for the next installment of the Blog Hop and Loretta asked...

Do you set stitching goals for yourself and how do you plan them out? (Weekly, monthly, annually?) What are your current stitching goals (if you don’t mind sharing)?

In addition to setting goals for yourself, do you have a special reward that you reserve for when you reach a stitching goal?

I used to be a one project at a time girl. My stitching goal was to finish the piece I was currently stitching and that was it. Then I started COLLECTING and thinking I could make this for that person for Christmas and this would be nice for so and so for their birthday and well let's just say that didn't go so well. Things were always late or sat in my stitching stash – UNSTITCHED.  I still have my grandson’s birth sampler that is not finished and he will be 7 in September! So I stopped planning for a long time…UNTIL NOW! 

I am in a Yahoo Group called Stitching Sisters and we planned out twelve projects for the year; one new start each day for the first 12 days.  I started my twelve new projects and I even have some finishes to show for it; five that I started and finished this year! Now for my rotation I switch projects every week and my goal is to just stitch as much as I can.  My reward is when I finish one I get to add another to the rotation!

Visit all the blogs in this round of the Stitching the Night Away Stitching Blogger Blog Hop:
Find the instructions on how to participate in this round by clicking here.

Time to Blog Hop

It's time to go to the Hop!

Loretta's question for this round of the Blog Hop is...

Do you use a stand when you stitch? If so, tell us about it and share pictures if you’ve got them. If not, would you like to try using a stand? Do you have any tips or tricks around using a stand versus not using a stand?

When I first discovered the Stitching World on the internet I saw that people had these wonderful stands that could hold their project while they stitched on them. What a great idea I thought; no more holding my piece while stitched on it.  How cool especially since I have arthritis and tendinitis this would be such a relief to my hands and arms while I stitch. OH I COULDN’T WAIT TO GET ONE.  So I put it on my list of things I would like for my birthday and my kids bought it for me.  They affectionately named it Johnny 5 (must have been watching Short Circuit around that time) and I happily put it in front of my stitchy space and put my piece on it.  Started stitching away and I am thinking…what the heck; this is terrible!  I cannot stitch like this! It was just toooo uncomfortable for me.  I tried and tried and just couldn’t get the hang of it.  So I ended up trading it away to another stitcher for some fabric. . .oh well I tried.

Fast forward to a couple of months ago when my tendinitis was really acting up and it wouldn’t let up no matter what I did.  So I thought let me get a stitching stand and see if it will help me.  Again I just couldn’t use it – darn.  I just can’t get the hang of this thing, it is like a mental block with me.  So it is hanging out in the garage all lonely and forlorn looking. 

But now I am thinking…due to some unfortunate events that happened in the last couple of weeks; I am home all day.  I may just get it out and give it another try! What have I got to lose??

Wish me luck...and check back later to see what the results are.  To stand or not to stand J

Visit all the blogs in this round of the Stitching the Night Away Stitching Blogger Blog Hop:
Find the instructions on how to participate in this round by clicking here.

Stitching Bloggers Blog Hop

Loretta over at Stitching The Night Away has decided to start a Blog Hop and I think it sounds like fun so I decided to participate; Thanks Loretta! 

So here is the FIRST Blog Hop Question:
Have you ever had a case of the “stitching blahs” where you just didn’t want to stitch? Or maybe it was more like you didn’t get to stitch because you were busy and that created a chain reaction sense of the “blahs” and led to even less stitching…. sort of like a case of “the Mondays” that we are all familiar with. How do you handle your stitching blahs and get back into stitching mode?
                 
Are you kidding?  Stitching blahs…?  I had a case so bad that I did not stitch for four years!  YES – FOUR YEARS!

It all started with a combination of a couple of things.  The first was we bought a new house and it just did not have a “space” that I felt comfortable stitching in!  I would sit here and there or in another space and just couldn’t find my comfy spot.  Next my grandson was born and while I think he is a true blessing I just couldn’t leave my stitching stuff out because you know how kids are; anything they shouldn’t touch is exactly what they want.  Needles, fabric, floss, scissors and anything else! I was scared he might put a needle in his mouth or who knows what else might happen so who in the world wants to drag everything out and then pack everything back up each and every time?  Certainly not me as it definitely cuts into the joy and relaxation of stitching.

Anyways ~ I can happily report now though that I am over the blahs!  I have now found my stitching space and Jacob doesn’t bother my things (to much anyway) and I am now happily Stitching The Night Away on all that stash I bought during my stitching hiatus.

Thanks for stopping by and I do hope you will participate in the Blog Hop.

Visit all the blogs in this round of the Stitching the Night Away Stitching Blogger Blog Hop along with the instructions on how to participate in this round.