Happy New Year’s Eve and Happy Slow Sunday Stitching!

I have a new Planner in my sewing space. I should be more organized in 2024!

Today we are having breakfast with friends we haven’t seen in over two years. Covid and weather and other health issues kept us from each other’s company! 

Then Mr Busy and I will come home, I’ll stitch and he’ll watch football. It will be a good day!

        

I found some 28 count cashed linen in my stitching cedar chest. So I decided to dive in and try one of the new patterns that were in the 12 Days of Christmas from Colorado Cross Stitcher. It’s been a bit of a struggle! I haven’t stitched on linen in a long while. I’m stitching 2 over 2 with DMC floss. We’ll see how it goes. 

I’m joining Kathy and friends at Slow Sunday Stitching. Come see what everyone is doing! 

Stay Busy and Stay Happy and Healthy and Hopeful!

2023 Ending! And a new Beginning!

As the year draws  to a close, I’m finally back in my sewing room. Not a lot was accomplished, but furniture was rearranged, wall items moved, like ruler rack and a bulletin board and everything , well almost everything, has been put away! It’s the end of the month and I sewed crumb blocks in multi colors. Four varied blocks were made to renew these worn hot pads! 

They don’t look too bad here, but trust me, they are stained and worn. Could  I have tossed them in the trash, made a trip to Walmart or scrolled on Amazon and just replaced them? Yes, of course, but then there would still be 3 boxes of scraps. 

Now, they look like this! Not necessarily prettier, but at least useful! 

So I’ll be using these two smalls to fulfill the ABC Table Scraps Challenge. I didn’t complete the challenge in November! I didn’t get punished, but both Diann and Joy, suggested, that I complete 2 finishes in December. So I did. 

November = Dark Neutrals and K and W.

December = Rainbow and S, H, and E. 

Mostly darks and Kitchen Worthy!⤴️

Rainbow= lots of red, orange,yellow, some green, blue & indigo and and zero violet! But six out of seven isn’t bad and they are definitely Scrappy Ecletic Hotpads! ⤵️

See you next year! There will be snowflakes, but what color! ROYGBIV !

Linking up at Rainbow Scrap Challenge and. ABC Table Scraps challenge 

Stay Busy and Stay Happy and Healthy and Hopeful! 

I LIKE Thursday 12.28.23

 Joining in with LeeAnna and friends to share some likes for this week!  First some photos I took, and some other fun stuff,  then I’ll respond to LeeAnnas prompts for this Thursday before the New Year!

Last week I shared that I had splurged and bought the 12 Days of Christmas mystery box from Colorado Cross Stitcher. I showed all 12 striped numbered little packages. 

The first six  I opened were 2 patterns, 2 needle minders, a scissor fob, a thread hopper and a pack of needles.

 Packages 7 and 8 included another pattern by the same designer Sheri Berger and another scissor or other notion, decorative fob. 

Then the next 2 days I opened some wooden buttons! A gingerbread man, mittens, a stocking and a tree. Also the word SNOW, a pickup truck, and elk or reindeer head, and a snowflake. Those will be fun! 

Also a large piece of beeswax, I think. It doesn’t really have an identifing label, but I’m sure that is what it is!.

 Last but not least, another pattern and a cute red scissors in a red leather sheath. 

Yesterday we decided to take down the tree. It had been up since Dec 8th. Definitely time!  

It is now resting in the tree collection site sponsored by The Campbell County Master Gardeners. 

Now for the prompts: 

For Dec 28, 2023

Would you rather kiss in Paris or kiss in a tent in the woods on NYE?  

Wouldn’t Paris be romantic? And so might a tent in the woods, but cold! 🥶 If I was 40 years younger, I’d pick Paris! Today though, I’ll choose, my own living rom in front of the fire, with a glass of Pinot Noir wine. 

would you rather be at a big fancy party where you all scream happy new year at midnight, or at home on your sofa or with a couple friends playing cards etc

We often went to house parties when we were younger, not big and fancy, but several couples and there were games and food and bubbly!! Again, at this point in my life, see answer above! 🙂

Stay Busy and Stay Happy and Healthy and Hopeful!

Five favorites from 2023

As I thought about my Best of 2023, I was convinced that there weren’t five. But as I reviewed I did find five to talk about.  I’m linking up with Cheryl at  Meadow Mist Designs for her Best of 2023 Linky Party.

 I joined in with Project Quilting in January for the first time. It was so good for me. I complete all projects 2 through . I didn’t participate in the first one,  we were traveling home from California that week.

1. Project Quilting 14.2.  Pink Tint. My favorite finish. 

I concentrated on UFOs this year. My first UFO finish that was a quilt was Precarious. It’s a pattern from Kelly Young. Started in 2018, it began with crumb blocks made in the color of the month at Rainbow Scrap Challenge. 

I finished it in 2023. 

2. Precarious,  finished finally , May 29, 2023

3.  Another long standing UFO that was finished was, Growing Up Odd from Wedding Dress Blue.

June 

Started in 2021 it has 1,552  2” squares in it. Measuring 74 x74” , it was done June 30, 2023! 

4.  Another thing that was fun, was getting back into counted cross stitch. I completed a couple of sampler type stitcheries from Melisa at Pinker n Punkin Quilting.

One for Autumn 

And one for Spring! 

I hope to frame them in matching frames in 2024!,

5.  Finally, I like to participate in Quilt Alongside whenever I can.  I've done several with Sandra Walker from MMM Quilts. This is my favorite . It’s called Rainbow Neighbourhood. And hangs in our living room. 

Looking forward to having 5 Best of 2024!

Stay Busy and Stay Happy and Healthy and Hopeful!

I LIKE Thursday!

Joining LeeAnna and friends today, the shortiest day of the year!  Winter Solstice. Sharing your likes and answering some prompts questions. 

Absolutely first for today is that it is the shortest day of the uear. Beginning tomorrow we add 2 minutes and 8 seconds to each day.  I'm a sunshine lover, so the short days are not my best. I lean toward the doldrums.  Certain things make me happy though.

Date night!  Mr. Busy and I try to go out or at least order in every Friday night. Last week, the 15th,  our son joined us. It was his last night of his visit and we took him to the Rapid City SD airport on Saturday. 

I had this drink at Ruby Tuesdays. Amaretto, cranberry juice and lemonade. A Christmas Kiss!!  Yum!

Sunday night we attended a Christmas party for the company where I used to work.  Yes, they still invite us. I worked for the owner for more than 30 years. We are sort of like family. 

He now owns a bar and we ate from the menu and played 6 rounds of Bingo. There were prinzes, this year we didn't win. But we had a great time. 

I iordered myself the 12 Days of Christmas package from Colorado Cross Stitcher. I put it away til December and then life got busy and I almost forgot about it. So I opened #1 and #2 on the 16th and have been opening one each day since. There were needle minders, a scissor fob, 2 patterns so far, a magnetci needle holder and a thread hopper. I had never heard of a thread hopper. I've done counted cross stitch for 

40 years!!  So I looked up how to use it .  Thank goodness for YouTube!!!

On our walk yesterday it was 57 degrees. This old tree forgot that it is still winter. Can you see the little buds swelling on the outer limbs?   Silly tree!!

I also was excited to hang my newest cross stitch ornament. Winter penguin. Thanks for the link to the chart, Diann.   

And this Old World Santa that I finally finished two years ago.  We have spent the last 3 Christmases at our son's house in Northern California. This is his first appearance on our tree. He is done on perforated paper and has a 3D beard and added star sequins. 

Now for the prompts from LeeAnna. 

Dec 21st prompt!

Unwrapping gifts on Xmas Eve or Xmas morning?

When I was growing up we always opened gifts on Christmas Eve, had oyster stew and went to Midnight Candlelight Services at churc.  Then I married Mr. Busy and his family opened gifts on Christmas morning and had a big family dinner. So our kids greww up celebrating both. 

do you prefer Christmas or New years? Do you have a usual way to spend NYE and or NYDay?

I guess I would have to say I prefer Christmas.  New Year's Eve was never a very big deal . We used to attend house parties as young marrieds., but we don't enjoy the bar scene so we rarely do anything NYE . New Years Day means the parade and the Rose Bowl football game. No special meal, just finger foods, and soda.   I've never even made black eyed peas. 

Wishing all a wonderful holiday season however you celebrate!

Stay Busy and Stay Happy and Healthy and Hopeful!

Kathy’s Slow Sunday Stitching 12-17-23

Last fall I ordered the 12 Days of Christmas pack from Colorado Stitcher.It arrived during our construction and the many medical appointments. I put it away, then sort of forgot about it. Yesterday I saw it in the closet again. Christmas is only 10 days away! So I decided to open 2 on the 16th, 1 each day til the 25 th, when I’ll open the last two.

I arranged all the little packages on this small table in our family room. Isn’t the striped paper fun! They were all wrapped in some white and silver tissue paper and tied with the red gingham ribbon and the little NOEL wooden ornament. 

So this is what I opened yesterday after we returned from dropping our son at the airport in Rapid City SD. He’s back home now in California. 

A needle minder and scissor fob and a cute little small to stitch.  Today I’ll continue on the door bow I started earlier. I’ll be adding the backstitching to the bird house and the mittens. 

I’ll add this post to Kathy’s slow Sunday Linky party, then I’ll stitch while watching CBS Sunday Morning. Mr Busy is still sleeping! 💤 Shhhh! 

Stay Busy and Stay Happy and Healthy and Hopeful!

I Like Thursday, 12-14-23

This is a photo that appeared on Facebook . There is a truck driver from Texas who regularly drives this highway ( Interstate 90) north of Sheridan Wyoming. He has decorated this lonely tree for more than 12 years. And yes, that is what my part of Wyoming looks like! 

Nope, I didn’t disappear or get abducted by aliens. The  closest I came to being abducted was hugs from so much family! 

My youngest granddaughter from Vermont and me.

Both granddaughters, they are sisters.

Our son from California and daughter from Colorado, me and Mr Busy!

Then we were able to attend our great grandson’s musical program! No Christmas music, just good old Rock n Roll! Apologies for the blurry photo , I’m a lousy videographer! He’s the kid in the front row, white tee shirt and jeans. 

Tuesday I was able to thread my sewing machine and sew something! Finally!

Bowl. Cozies! 

LeeAnna’s prompts for today….Real tree or Fake? 

    This year a real one, normally an artificial one! 

Tree topper- Star or Angel?

      We have both. This year it is a stuffed doll angel. She usually sits on top of the tree, this year the tree has a long skinny top branch, so Mr Busy zipped tied her to it! Check out one of the photos above. 

Tree up before Thanksgiving or after?

     Always after Thanksgiving! 

I’m sharing at Not Afraid of Color

Stay Busy and Stay Happy and Healthy and Hopeful!

Midweek Makers

I’ve been absent from blogger! This is part of the reason why!  I’ve/ We’ve been MAKING a mess followed by a move back in. 

There was carpet that was too shaggy!  Pins were lost, chairs didn’t roll smoothly, it was rippling up under my cutting table! 

No actual sewing was accomplished, but I’ll be excited to sew my first seam in the cleaner, hopefully less cluttered space. 

Sew!!! I actually was able to finally get to my machine, yesterday the 12th. I made 2 bowl cozies for the neighbor of our son. She requested some cozies after she saw his. I searched the LQSs for some fabric that spoke to me, but didn't find "the one"!  So I searched my huge basket of yardage, and found this blue paisley. C. requested blue and gray.  The gray stylized floral was in my stash. A small beginning, but a beginning at least!

I’m linking up at Midweek Makers at Quilt Fabrication

Stay Busy and Stay Happy and Healthy and Hopeful!