2008 Stitching Goals Update -- July 5, 2008

I posted a list of 2008 stitching goals last January and since June has just ended I thought I would see how I was doing. You can read detailed descriptions of each of the original projects in my rotation on my January 3, 2008 post at;
http://cyns-stitches.blogspot.com/2008/05/2008-stitching-goals-january-3-2008.html

One of the first things I did was shortly after starting my rotation I decided to redo my categories of projects. Instead of rotating between specific projects I created categories of types of projects. I found that I had too many large projects and my original rotation system wasn’t working.

1. Large Project: “Holiday Patches” by Susan Krendt
Status: 13 of 24 squares completed.
3 squares are almost completed.

This is a wonderful piece that I started as a class at the ANG Baltimore Seminar in August,
2007. You can still the piece on ANG’s website at;
http://www.needlepoint.org/Seminar-07/classes/4day/42711.php

2. Medium Project #2: “Candy Swirl Santa” by Janet Zickler Casey
Status: Face is done and working on hat.
http://www.jzcdesigns.com/candy%20swirl%20santa.htm

ANG Auction Project A Collection of Design’s “Pumpkin Boy”
Status: Completed!

Medium Project: “North Star Santa” by Janet Zickler Casey
Status: Completed!
http://www.jzcdesigns.com/north%20star%20santa.htm

3. Small Project: April, 2008 Canvas of the Month Club
“Peppermint Stripes” stocking by Joan Lohr
Status: Started body of Stocking.

Canvas of the Month Club – July 2004
“Santa” by Cheryl Schaeffer for Rainbow Gallery
Status: I stopped working on this project as I misread the directions and used the wrong fiber
for the wrong section. I ordered more fiber but had to wait till it arrived. I’ll put this
back in the rotation to finish this project this summer.

Canvas of the Month Club – January, 2008
“Medallions” by Joan Lohr for Rainbow Gallery
Status: Completed!

Canvas of the Month Club – October, 2004
“Hearts for the Holidays” by Joan Lohr for Rainbow Gallery
Status: Completed!

Canvas of the Month Club – February, 2008
“Christmas Fantasy” by David McCaskill for Rainbow Gallery
Status: Completed!

Canvas of the Month Club – August, 2004
“O’ Tannenbaum” by Beth Robertson and Suzanne Howren of Shear Creations for Rainbow
Gallery.
Status: Completed!

Canvas of the Month Club – March, 2008
“Tiny Treasures” was designed by Cathy Lyon and Marian Morton for Rainbow Gallery
Status: Completed!

4. Community Stitching (Charity)/Teaching Needlework
This category is for community (charity) stitching. I’ve also added into this category the time
I spend on preparing and teaching needlework to children and teens. This also includes the
time that I spend organizing needlework kits that are used to teach needlework at different
events.
Status: Replenished Needlepoint Magnets & Cross Stitch kits.
Need to restock supplies for above kits.
Need to prepare for August camp-in event.

5. Organizing Needlework Stash
Status: Lot’s of progress.
Three boxes have been shipped to be sold on eBay.
Lot’s of canvases have been sorted and inventoried.
Lot’s of fibers have been sorted and inventoried.
Lot’s more to do!

6. Household Stitching
This is misc. stitching such as repairing household items and sewing on scouting patches. The
biggest challenge for me is to keep up with the scouting patches, especially since they receive
a bunch that they’ve earned in the previous months all at one time! :-)
Status: Kept up with those received since January, 2008.
Need to sew on the ones that they received at the end of the year or at the last Court
of Awards/Honor.

7. Beaded Project: “Moonlight Ghost” (2008) MH188205
Status: Have stitched three colors. About 1/3 - ½ done.

8. Gift Stitching
These are needlework gifts for family members. The challenge is to find time to stitch on
them when the respective family member is not at home. I recently reorganized how I store
these projects so it’s much easier to pull them out and work on them. I’m taking pictures as I
work and I’ll share them with everyone in January, 2009.

Daughter’s Christmas Ornament
Status: I’ve made some progress on this project but progress is slow as I can’t stitch while
she’s home. She will be going away soon for several weeks so I expect to make a lot
of progress while she’s gone.

Husband’s Christmas Ornament
Status: I’ve made some progress on this project but progress has been slow. I can stitch on
this while he’s home but I just haven’t had time and I need to concentrate on dear
daughter’s as she will come by to see what I’m working on. I can stitch in front of my
husband him and he wouldn’t probably notice what I’m working on where my
daughter will notice. LOL

Son’s Christmas Ornament
Status: I’ve made some progress on this project but progress has been slow.
Dear son will be going to camp and I’ll concentrate on his ornament while he’s gone.

9. Cross Stitch
I decided to add a cross stitch project to my rotation as I enjoy doing cross stitch and I have
lot’s and I do mean lot’s of projects in my stash!
Status: Current project is half done. Picture to be shared on next bi-weekly update.

10. Travel Piece
Barbara Fox’s “Noel Star”
Status: A little bit of progress since January, 2008.
I’m doing the background in basket weave so this is my “I’m too tired to think or traveling
piece”. I haven’t been traveling so this piece hasn’t been worked on much since
January, 2008.

11. Random Project
I decided to add this category as just sometimes I need to shake things up a bit! The pieces
in this category will be worked on for brief periods until they go back to wait their turn for
the above categories!

12. Almost Done Works in Progress
As I’m organizing my stash, I’m finding lot’s of projects that for one reason or another I set
aside when they were almost completed or at least they are 90% done. I’m going to add
another category to my rotation so that I can start completing these projects. The projects
that are placed in this category will only take one to two hours to complete. Or at least that’s
what I’ll estimate that they’ll need! :-)

“A Collection of Designs” Firecracker Cookie
Status: I set this project aside as I didn’t like the fiber that I selected for the medium blue.
I’ve picked out new possibilities for the medium blue. Once I solve this problem, I expect
that this project will work up in about one to two hours.

Unfinished Objects (UFO’s) or Projects in Waiting (PIW’s)

Listed below are the projects that I wanted to complete when I created my original list in January, 2008. They’ll be added to the categories listed above when a previous project has been completed.

1. My Son’s Strictly Christmas Stocking
Status: No progress since January, 2008.

2. “Heartstrings Chimney Santa”
Status: No progress since January, 2008.

3. “Cobblefield Road” Cyber Workshop
Status: No progress since January, 2008.

I’m very pleased with the progress that I’ve made in the first six months of 2008. I’m especially with how I am organizing my needlework projects, rotation, and supplies. This has helped to clean up the stitching area and has made it a lot easier to pick up a project when I have time. I’ve also enjoyed finding many projects that quite frankly, I forgot that I had. I’ve finished the stitching on many of these projects but I’ve also found a lot of projects that I set aside for one reason or another that won’t take too much time to finish.

My completion status is:
Medium Projects: 2
Small Projects: 5

I’m quite pleased with the projects that I’ve completed so far this year and I’m looking forward to completing many more projects in the second half of 2008!

I hope you enjoyed reading about my progress and my rotation. Thank you for visiting my blog and I enjoy reading your comments!

Cynthia
Windy Meadow

“Santa” – Canvas of the Month Club – July, 2004 -- May 6, 2008

Santa” is the July canvas from the Stitching Post’s 2004 Canvas of the Month Club.

Have you ever had a project that is more of a challenge than most? Well this one is mine for this year! I’m not sure when I lost control of this project! :-)

This was kitted by my LNS in 2004. The instructions and the materials were fine. I was able to stitch the border even though it took a while. You stitch a layer of a matte thread for the border. You then stitch over this border with Neon Rays in white skipping stitches which will then be filled in with the red and green Neon Rays. No problem, just a lot of counting. Stitching both whites took a while but adding on the red and green Neon Rays went very quickly. The first picture shows the white matte and Neon Rays stitched with some of the green. The second picture shows all of the red and green Neon Rays. So far so good.

You then stitch Santa in the center. Well the pink of his face took a while but no problem. I then needed to outline stitch and then fill in his hat. Still no problem.

I started this project the weekend ending in March 17, 2008 while visiting a college with my daughter. It’s now well into April and I feel like I’ve been stitching on this piece forever and it’s small! We’ve been very busy with activities and I haven’t had as much stitching time which also added to the feeling that this project was taking forever. Maybe that was the problem. I just wanted to get this one done. :-)

I then started stitching his hat brim but I picked up the wrong thread, Alabaster which is a chainette thread. Now I’m not very found of chainette threads but I do know how to stitch with them and I will use them when a design calls for one. As I was stitching I kept looking at it thinking this doesn’t look right even stopping to ask my daughter what she thought of the Alabaster. Sigh… I should have trusted my stitching instincts and stopped right then and there. Instead I kept on stitching not realizing I should have been using the Fancy Fur for the hat brim and the Alabaster for the beard and mustache. Of course by the time I realized this, it was too late. You can’t rip out a chainette thread and reuse it. Argh!

So off I went this past Saturday to visit my LNS to order more Alabaster. The third picture is of the whole design completed except for his beard and mustache and the hat pompom which will be stitched in Fancy Fur.

Poor Santa has now been placed at the end of the table and he’ll be completed once I receive the Alabaster.

Cynthia
Windy Meadow

“Tiny Treasures” – Canvas of the Month Club, March, 2008

“Tiny Treasures” is the March canvas from the Stitching Post’s 2008 Canvas of the Month Club.

I started stitching this design while spending a weekend visiting a not so local college with our daughter. We had lots of fun sitting around Sunday night in the hotel room working on our projects! I quickly finished it up when we returned home.

“Tiny Treasures” was designed by Cathy Lyon and Marian Morton for Rainbow Gallery.

I enjoyed stitching this canvas and I hope you enjoy the picture!

Cynthia
Windy Meadow

Originally Posted: April 13, 2008

“O’Tannenbaum”– Canvas of the Month Club, August, 2004 -- April 10, 2008

One of my goals is to keep up each month with the 2008 Canvas of the Month club canvases. So far I’m meeting my goal.

Another one of my goals this year is to not only keep up with the Stitching Post’s 2008 Canvas of the Month club but to also stitch at least one canvas each month from the 2004 Canvas of the Month club. So far I’ve found several in my stash from the 2004 club. Once I’m done with these I’m going to have to find the others!

I finished stitching “O’ Tannebaum” in March, 2008. “O’ Tannenbaum” is the August canvas from the Stitching Post’s 2004 Canvas of the Month Club.

“O’ Tannenbaum” was designed by Beth Robertson and Suzanne Howren of Shear Creations for Rainbow Gallery.

I enjoyed stitching this quick canvas and I hope you enjoy the picture!

Cynthia
Windy Meadow

Original Comments:

- This is cute, Cyn, how are you going to finish it?
NC Pat – Needleart Nut

- I love the border! Yes, how will you finish it? Are they all going to be little ornaments for a new Xmas tree?
Jane of Chilly Hollow

Originally Posted: April 10, 2008

Anasazi Song -- March 27, 2008

The Shining Needle Society has a class for Carole Lake’s “Anasazi Song”. You can see this project and read the description on Carole’s site but don’t forget to come back here when you are done! I'll wait...

http://www.carolelake.com/

You can go directly to “Anasazi Song” at;

http://www.carolelake.com/TeachingPieces/Anasazi.htm

I took this class several years ago when the ANG Black-Eyed Susan’s guild hosted Carole to teach this project. Carole’s directions are very detailed and easy to follow. She is a very entertaining instructor and I thoroughly enjoyed this class.

I must admit that when I came home from the second day of class, life was very busy as usual and I put “Anasazi Song” in my stitching to do pile. I had pulled it out this fall but I didn’t want to add it yet to my 2008 project list until I saw how I was doing on my other projects. Once I heard that I could audit the class through the Shining Needle Society I decided to add this project to my 2008 project list. I’ve posted a picture of my partially finished “Anasazi song” above. The class has started but I probably want start back up on my piece until summer. Now that Spring is here, the school and children activities have started back up again and we are busy most nights and weekends!

Don’t forget that you can join the Shining Needle Society’s Home Room Yahoo Group and it’s free!

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SNS_Home_Room/

Just email KateGaunt@aol.com to join the SNS Home Room where they post the new class offerings.

Cynthia
Windy Meadow

Original Comments:

- Nice! It will be fun to watch your progress on this piece
NC Pat – Needleart Nut

- Hi Cyn! We met at this class--I finished mine and it was a lot of fun and just the right size--not too big and not too small.

Colleen

- Pat, don't hold your breath on this one as I probably won't be able to start again until school lets out! :-)

Colleen, great to hear from you and yes I do remember meeting you through email and then in class! Did you finish yours that year? Send me a picture and I'll post it on my blog. And by the way, do you remember what year we took the class? I'm still trying to look up my checks to see when I took this class...

Cynthia

Windy Meadow

Originally Posted: March 27, 2008

North Star Santa - Almost Done -- February 3, 2008

I started the "North Star Santa" in Janet Zickler Casey's class during the 2001 ANG Seminar in Washington, DC. I enjoyed the class and wanted to continue working on my Santa but when I arrived home I was sick with sinus and ear infections. I had planned on picking the Santa back up to finish the stitching when I felt better, but several days later was September 11, 2001. With everything that was happening I put this project away and it became buried in my stash. Every once in a while I would think about my "North Star Santa" as I knew I wanted to finish him to add him to my needlepoint ornaments.

I also wanted to stitch more of Janet's designs, but the only way that you can purchase one of Janet's designs is by taking that canvas class with Janet or at ANG Seminar's Expo where sometimes Janet offered canvases from discontinued classes. You couldn't purchase any of her canvases directly from her or from an LNS. One of my stitching friends had attended several more ANG Seminars since 2001 and had picked up several more of Janet's Santa's at ANG's Expo. Yes, we are both Janet Zickler Casey canvas collectors!

This past fall, Kate Gaunt and Marie-Therese Baker started the Shining Needle Society which you can read about here;

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SNS_Home_Room/

They announced that their next project would be two of Janet's Santa’s, "Candy Swirl Santa" and "North Wind Santa". Wahoo! Since I didn't have either of these canvases and I was interested in what they would be offering in future classes, I joined the Shining Needle Society. There is a fee for each class but membership to the Shining Needle Society's Home Room Yahoo group is free!

I then learned that Janet had created a site where you could see all of her projects at;

http://www.jzcdesigns.com/

To see Janet’s Santa’s, click on the “Christmas” link or go directly to;

http://www.jzcdesigns.com/christmas.htm

Not only do I have several more of her Santa's but I also have "Tom Turkey"! Of course, now that I can see all of her projects I want all of her Santa's, and of course I need "Miles" and "Prudence" to go with "Tom Turkey" and “Miss Liberty” to go with my “Uncle Sam” and...

I ordered both of the Santa’s that would be offered through the Shining Needle Society classroom. I then decided that I needed to finish the "North Star Santa" as he was the first one in my collection before I could start on the new Santa's. I dug around in my stash, and believe me this took a while as it had been packed up and moved around several times as we finished our basement!

I still had quite a bit to finish on my "North Star Santa". When you are taking a needlepoint class you usually can't finish the project in class. The teacher moves around the canvas teaching the stitches or techniques for different sections/areas of the project and answering questions. Now this is very hard for someone like me who, for want of a better word, tends to be a little bit AR. Okay, a lot! :-) I've found I do better in classes if I concentrate on one area at a time, and write down the notes from the instructor for the other areas and sometimes I may stitch a sample of the stitch for that area. In other words, I had finished stitching "North Star Santa's" face. I had laid down stitches for his hat, mustache and beard so I would remember how to stitch these areas when I arrived home. I've found this especially helpful when I have to put a project down for a while. Okay, okay, in this case several years!

This was a fun project and worked up fairly quickly. I've posted a picture I took a week ago showing the areas that were completed. My goal was to finish him by the end of this weekend, February 3, 2008. I'll post another message in a day or so to let you know if I made it!

Cynthia
Windy Meadow

Original Comments:

- Very cute Santa, Cynthia. Good luck getting him done quickly so you can start on the others.
Jane of Chilly Hollow

- This is a cute one! Can't wait to see how you do!
NC Pat – Needleart Nut

- Hi Jane and Pat,Thanks for the enouraging words. Stay tuned and I'll let you know if I finished the North Star Santa on schedule!

Cynthia

Windy Meadow

Originally Posted: February 3, 2008

2008 Stitching Goals -- January 3, 2008

Many stitchers post their stitching goals for the year on their blogs. I think many use it as a way to keep motivated so that they actually finish several projects during the year!

I’m going to try a 2008 Stitching Goals list and we’ll see how I do!!!

My first goal is to do a better job on updating my blog! I know, I know, I haven’t been doing a good job and you would think that as much as I can talk I wouldn’t have a problem writing things for my blog… It’s not a writing or idea problem, it’s getting the pictures off of the camera onto the computer and then onto the blog problem! I don’t have a problem with the camera or the computer, I just don’t seem to find the time to hook everything up and get the job done!

I’m going to start small for my stitching goals as I want to give myself a chance on succeeding…

The Detailed List

Projects I’m currently working on:

1. Holiday Patches” by Susan Kerndt
Status: 10 of 24 squares completed.
This is a wonderful piece that I started as a class at the ANG Baltimore Seminar in August, 2007. You can still the piece on ANG’s website at;
http://www.needlepoint.org/Seminar-07/classes/4day/42711.php

I’ve finished 10 of the 24 squares and I’m really enjoying stitching this piece. Since Susan is still teaching this piece I won’t be pasting pictures on my blog, just letting you know of my progress. My goal is to do a square every two weeks. That sounds like a long time to stitch each square but they are very detailed and with my busy schedule, I’m hoping I can stitch one square every two weeks!

2. “North Star Santa” by Janet Zickler Casey
Status: ½ done
I started this piece at the ANG Washington, DC seminar in 2001. Yep, 2001! I enjoyed stitching this piece during the one day class but unfortunately I returned home sick and I put the piece away. I’m determined to finish it now and I’ve done a lot work in the last two weeks. Janet’s website is;
http://www.jzcdesigns.com/

The “North Star Santa” is at;
http://www.jzcdesigns.com/north%20star%20santa.htm

I’ve finished the face, the mustache, and the beard. I’m currently working on his hair.

3. “Cobblefield Road” Cyber Workshop
Status: In progress.
The top of the Clam Shell border, Band 1, and the Starfle border is done. I’m working on Band 2. Since this is a class I can’t post pictures on my blog but you can see a picture of “Cobblefield Road” on the Yahoo Group main page;
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/cobblefieldroad/

4. “Heartstrings Chimney Santa”
Status: In Progress. Apx. ¼ done.
I purchased this piece about a year ago as I love Pat Thode’s designs. She designs under the “Heartstrings” name and you can see them on the “Artists Collection” website. The “Artists Collection” website is at;
http://www.artistscollection.net/Artists_Collection/Welcome.html

The “Chimney Santa” is on the 13th row of the Santa collection or at;
http://www.artistscollection.net/Artists_Collection/Santas.html#36

5. My Son’s Strictly Christmas Stocking
Status: On the stretcher bars, doodle canvas on the stretcher bars, and threads purchased.
This is on 13 count and I’m going to need to practice with the doodle canvas and the threads as I’m more used to working on 18 count.

6. My daughter’s Ornament
I’m also working on an ornament for my daughter but I can’t post any information here until I’ve finished the design and I’ve given it to her as she reads my blog.

7. Barbara Fox’s “Noel Star”
Status: On the stretcher bars and started.
I’m doing the background in basketweave so this is my “I’m too tired to think or traveling piece”.

8. “Candy Swirl Santa” by Janet Zickler Casey
Status: Directions received and materials purchased.
This project was available through the Shining Needle Society and you can read about the society at;
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SNS_Home_Room/

They offered two of Janet’s Santa’s this past fall and they will be offering additional online classes by various designers in 2008. You can see Janet’s “Candy Swirl Santa” at;
http://www.jzcdesigns.com/candy%20swirl%20santa.htm

9. Organize the Needlework Stash
The craft room is finished, the boxes to sort into are ready and everything has been moved to the basement. Now I just need to find some time on a weekend so I can start playing, I mean organizing my stash!

Well that’s it for my list. Yes, I know it’s only nine projects, but I said I wanted to start small!

Cynthia
Windy Meadow

Original Comments:

- Nine projects sounds HUGE to me! I normally finish around 6 in a year, although lately I've been finishing more since I try and stitch every day. I'm impressed, Cynthia!
Jane of Chilly Hollow

- Yippee! More pictures and commentary! I love it and we will be checking on you and making sure you blog! I love your list. I am doing two of Janet's Santas too!
NC Pat – Needleart Nut

- Wow! That is one heck of a list! Can't wait to see pictures and more blogging.
Kelly W.

- Hi Guys,

Actually I have a head start as even though most are large projects, I've already started six of them. :-)I usually finish anywhere from 5 - 10 a year depending on the size of the project, family commitments, family illness, etc. We'll have to see how I do this year.I'll keep the pictures and commentary coming. That's my first resolution which isn't listed! :-)

Cynthia
Windy Meadow

Originally Posted: January 3, 2008