Hello my blogging friends! It seems like I blinked a few times, and now January is just about over. Wow! But I was productive. So grab your coffee or favorite beverage and I hope I don’t bore you too much 😉
Early in January, I was reluctant to make a New Year’s Resolution list. I know that there are things I want to accomplish this year, but I didn’t want to call them Resolutions. So that first week in January I decided to go with a “word” for 2020 and that word is “conquer”. I want to conquer all of my started knitted, crochet and cross stitch projects. I want to conquer all of my scrapbook kits and photos. I want to conquer some things in my personal life also. So conquer is a good word for me for 2020. And I have made some progress. On January 16 I finished a cross stitch project that has been in the works since 2016.
I have to apologize for the photos of her. They are from my phone and are not the greatest. For some reason I forgot to photograph her before I put her in for framing.
Just look at that large, beautiful bead that was made in Italy! So beautiful. It is quite bulky and I wasn’t going to add it, but then couldn’t resist as it is beautiful.
Here she is at my Local Needlework Shop, looking to find the perfect frame that is also deep enough to accommodate that bead. I think I chose well 🙂 Can’t wait for her to go to the framer and come back. I will be sure to take photos with my camera 😉 She is stitched on 16ct Aida Pink Impatiens from Silkweaver. All the threads are hand dyed The pattern is Wherefore Art Thou from Nora Corbett.
I almost have a knitting finish. I am so close. Like tomorrow I will probably finish it.
This is the Rainbow of Hope shawl from AJHC Wools. It is the advent shawl that I started on December 1. I have 1 1/2 more leftover micro skeins to add and it will be finished, aside from blocking. It is so big and so beautiful. The colors are so scrumptious! The pattern is available on Ravelry and some kits are available on her Etsy at http://www.ajhcwools.com
A couple of months ago I knitted a baby blanket for a friend, but didn’t want to post it until it had been gifted. Then I forgot to take pictures. I do have one photo of it all folded up:
This was made with Plymouth Encore yarn, held double. The pattern book said all the patterns could be made in 8 hours. Not true. Not for me anyway, and I am a pretty quick knitter. Maybe it could have been made in a weekend if that was all I did. But it is a blanket that could be made pretty quickly if you were in a pinch to get one done. I love how it turned out. It is soft and cuddly and I do love how the striping came out on this one.
Back in November, I went to my LYS and Clevergirl designs was having a pop up shop there. I just love her bags. She had 1 bag that she was introducing that day. Just one of them. A flat project bag with a clear front. Perfect for my cross stitch projects! So I snatched it up and told her I hoped she would make more in the future. Here is the bag I purchased:
Here is the back of the bag. Lots of squares sewn together. So cool.
I love these bags so much! And Hubby was with me when I bought this one. So guess what I received for Christmas?
Hubby asked Kristene of Clevergirl Designs if she would do a bag a month for a year and she said yes. I was so surprised when I opened this on Christmas morning. Hubby also gave me this for Christmas:
This one holds my current cross stitch project that I am working on. And on my birthday last week, I received my January bag.
I just love these bags. the clear window in the front allows me to see what is inside without having to open the bag. And they are so pretty and Kristine does such a great job on them.
Here is the next WIP project I have picked up to work on getting finished.
This is Aquamarina by Bella Filipina Designs. It feels good to be stitching on her again. I am hoping she will be my first Bella Filipina finish, soon. I am stitching her on 16ct aida, a one of a kind fabric from Fantasy Dyed Fabrics. I love it and think Aquamarina is going to look amazing on it.
Since last week was my birthday, Hubby took me to my LNS where I belong to their stitchy club. Included in the membership is a 20% off birthday shopping spree during your birthday month. So I picked up a few things 😉 Hubby went next door and bought me chocolate and then took me to dinner. The Clevergirl bag in the back ground arrived in the mail when I got home that day. I thought it was a nice background for my photo.
And I finally had my white birthday cake last night 🙂
I also have scrapbooked 20 pages this month. So I think I have a pretty good start to conquering the things I want to do in 2020. Do you have a word or a list for what you want to achieve in 2020?
My Time Stitching 
Love all your stitching! Thank you for posting.
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Thank you, Gretchen. I appreciate you taking the time to see what I am up to and for your sweet comment ❤
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What a clever hubby! It always means more when you can tell that personal thought went into it. Happy belated birthday. Your year seems off to a good start.
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Thank you, Marielinton. I knew hubby had talked to the gal that makes the bags, but I thought it was just to order a bag for Christmas. I was totally surprised with this one. Thank you for visiting and leaving such a sweet comment ❤
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you most certainly had a great start to the year! well done on finishing that lovely piece by NC and wow to all the lovely gifts you got for your birthday plus those special project bags. What a thoughtful husband you have!
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Thank you, Claire93. I am so happy to finally have finished the NC piece. I had a very nice birthday and Christmas. Hubby truly surprised me this year. Thank you for visiting and leaving me a sweet comment ❤
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Belated birthday wishes, Ginny!
I love your word of the year and your progress around it. (I don’t really do words of the years…)
I especially love that bead on Wherefore Art Thou! I hope you make the progress you intend on all your projects. I’m looking forward to your updates.
Your Clevergirl bags are gorgeous! And to know you’re gonna get many more of them this year – I admire how thoughtful your husband was with this gift!
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Thank you, Anita. It was a wonderful birthday month 😉 I don’t think I have a done a word of the year. Have thought about it. This one came to me right away. It is the only word that can describe what I want to do this year.
The bead on Juliet is amazing. So gorgeous. I couldn’t leave it off.
I am looking forward to all of my bags for the year. Hubby was very thoughtful this year. And that he asked her if she would do it, beings that she had not done that before, was pretty awesome.
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Happy belated Birthday!!
Wherefore Art Thou is beautiful, glad you added the bead, it’s gorgeous.
beautiful shawl, & that baby blanket loks so soft.
What a thoughtful husband you have, great gifts.
Still trying to finish WIPS this year.
Marilyn
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Thank you, Marilyn. I had several birthday celebration days 😉
The Bead is too gorgeous not to add, even though it is quite large. Can wait for her to get back from the framer.
I am really enjoying the monthly bags. It is going to be like my birthday every month this year 😉
Cheering you on to finish your WIP’s this year. I am doing the same and now have 2 projects done and working on 2 more.
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Looks like your coming along well on finishing up your projects. Your cross stitch lady is amazing. Those beads just brings her to life. She’s going to be a real art piece for your wall.
Your knitting is really pretty.
Your husband sounds like a peach of a fellow.
Your bags sure help to organize your projects. I’m a big craft bag fan. Every project needs it’s own bag or box.
Happy Belated Birthday!
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Thank you, E.C. The lady has been to the framer and I picked her up on Saturday. She is so beautiful! Look for her in a post soon 😉 I love craft bags, too and agree that every project deserves it’s own bag. (Not that I have every future project in a bag. That would be a lot of bags, LOL)
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A brilliant start to the new year. Well done.
The bags are a wonderful idea. and you will have a whole supply at the end of the year. I have one, that I got from a local lady here, and it admittedly one of my favourites. It is so nice to have and carry with me and be able to see exactly what is inside.
Lovely stitching projects, they are both gorgeous. And the blanket is just to cute for words.
Hope you enjoyed your birthday, and may 2020 be a wonderful one.
xxx
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Thank you, Joey. I am hoping for a wonderful 2020 for all of us.
I am so in love with my window bags and look forward to each new one to come in the mail. It’s like Christmas (or birthday) every month 🙂 Glad you have one that you enjoy.
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conquering is a great word! As for me I decided on the word “goals”. you’ve done so much stitching and knitting. can’t wait to see what you conquer the rest of the year.
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Thank you, Ivyjade234. I am still trying to conquer. but it is getting harder. So many new things I want to do and then there are the days that I waste so much time wanting to do everything and not doing anything. But I am trying and am plugging away on old projects. I do actually have 2 finishes this month. I will be posting about them a little later today 😉
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