A Work in Progress

I mentioned in a previous post that I had been on a bit of a buying spree. I took advantage of the Pajama Party sale at my LNS although I shopped from home in my pjs and got the chart, fabric and threads for Drawn Thread's Cici's Casket. Then I put myself on automatic for Blackbird Designs Anniversaries of the Heart and ordered fabric so that I could stitch all the charts on one piece. And finally, I picked up Carriage House Samplings Autumn at Hawk Run Hollow and Suzannah before they go out of print. I'm done now and a 25-project challenge is officially beginning. No more charts until I've completed 25 cross stitch projects. My husband predicts that LNSs will go out of business when I'm on these challenges, but I'm sure that you all will be picking up the slack for me, right?

Way back in August, I wrote this post about my 25-project challenge. The deal was not to buy any more charts until I had finished 25 projects from my stash. Well, I made it to ten projects before I caved and bought the charts you see in the picture. But it was all for a good cause--I acquired these for a total of only $6 at the "yard sale" my sampler guild held during its January meeting. A portion of the sales went back to the guild for programs and donations. I know, I know, there are are some of you thinking "Why did she go to the yard sale if she was serious about that challenge?" Well, I hadn't been to a meeting since October. Couldn't go in November since someone was silly enough to invite DH and me to a wedding on that day. Also couldn't go to the December meeting,and thus missed the smalls exchange and the holiday luncheon, because my daughter was auditioning for district band that day. (She made it in and I had a good time explorin...

A happy Thanksgiving to my readers! I hope your day is filled with blessings from family and friends and wonderful food. It will be just the five of us for dinner today which is fabulous. My older son wasn't able to join us last year and the table felt empty. He flew in from LA last Friday and it has been great to have him home. He's filled our house with his friends and we have loved catching up with them, too. His 5 year high school reunion is on Saturday night so I'm sure we'll hear lots more news after that. My younger son came home from college on Tuesday and after finishing a paper that's due next week, slept most of the day yesterday. Writing is a challenge for him so I'm glad he got this assignment out of the way. Yesterday was a half-day for students at my school. Teachers had to stay until 3:00, but we were given time to work on report cards. I got about half of mine finished so I'm way ahead of where I usually am. Last night, I watche...

The infamous Striped Bass (see below) finished off my 25-project challenge. I went off my rotation to finish it because I wanted a new project to take on an upcoming road trip and because I wanted to accomplish one of the things on my 101 Things in 1000 Days list. The challenge is an idea from Cherylann who wanted to reduce the number of projects in her stash. The challenge is whatever you want it to be. Mine was not to buy new charts although I could purchase threads and other supplies to complete designs I already have. And I made an exception to the challenge to be able to buy a limited edition design and the JCS ornament issue. I also included classes in my exception. I completed a 10-project challenge at the end of 2007 and started a 25-project challenge. I made it to 8 projects--twice!!--before I caved and bought a new chart. I started again in July, 2008 and finished just the other day. Which is why I only bought this when I stopped at the LNS on the way home from my Sampler Gu...

Which one of these will be the 25th finish in my 25-project challenge? Striped Bass-Julie Pischke canvas Lights of Advent ornament (JCS ornament issue) The Striped Bass (my name for it) has been a project for long-distance trips in the car for awhile now. I find the metallics tricky to work with in the car, so it's now getting a strand a day at home. The ornament is my car project. I stitch on it while I wait for my daughter to make her appearance for the trip to the high school (she is not a morning person), before I go into work in the morning because I refuse to enter the building before 7:30, and while I'm waiting to pick my daughter up from one of her many activities. School's done on Friday, though. Which one will be finished first? Your guess is as good as mine!