Stitching Diary 2006

2006:

December

12/15/2006- I'm so pleased to have finally gotten part 6 completed and be able to move on to 7!

12/08/2006- Working along on part 6 of PIG and nearly done with it- I'm only 2 sections behind now >sigh<

November

12/08/2006- Did I really not update all month? Ack! I plead too much 'life' going on- sorry!

October

10/15/2006- At the beaded corners- I've included a close-up- once these corners are done I will be caught up to October's part which is all stitching.

10/06/2006- Starting the beadwork and included a close-up.

September

9/22/2006- Catching up month's 3&4 on Persian Iris Garden.

August

8/11/2006- Finished with Avalon Sampler!

8/04/2006- Nearly finished with Avalon Sampler!

July

7/21/2006- I've worked on Avalon (great progress!) Sampler and Egyptian Garden this week and uploaded pics of each :o)

7/14/2006- I've spent this week unbeading a section of Persian Iris (they weren't laying right) and rebeading it and also, I've picked up Avalon Sampler again and am nearly done with the 3rd green of the base.

7/07/2006- No pics from me this week but I did get a little more backstitching done on Egyptian Garden and started the beadwork from month 2 of Persian Iris Garden (so I can start the stitching for Month 3) and last night I worked on Avalon Sampler a little bit :o)

June
6/26/2006- I've spent the weekend designing and stitching a special request for one of the kids- he is on leave from Iraq and heading back today :o)

6/09/2006- I'm back to Egyptian Garden! I've found myself getting a little more random- jumping around from here to there rather than stitching in sections- as I come to the end so I've tried to put the skids on this week and while it doesn't look like alot of progress I've actually completed alot of 'details' and am very happy with it.

6/02/2006- I was waiting patiently for the thread I needed for Egyptian Garden to come so stitched up this cute little freebie from DMC this week and as of last night started on this month's section of Persian Iris Garden.

6/03/2006- Winter Outfit is finished!

May
5/19/2006- The interior blackwork border of EG is done (no picture because you really can't tell any progress from it as it's a very subtle effect) and... Part 1 of Persian Iris Garden is finished!

5/10/2006- I have the chart for Persian Iris Garden so I just need to pre-rinse my threads and I'm all set to get started!

5/05/2006- Only the pyramid corners, interior blackwork and outermost border left on EG and then I get to bead! Also, picked up 2 framed pieces and am THRILLED with how they came out!

Whimsical Flowers Framed Beautiful Bird Framed

April
4/14/2006- Working right along on EG- I've completed the corners and am working the next to last outside border.
4/22/2006- I have gotten so much accomplished on EG- I'm getting really excited to see the end so close and can't wait to get started on the beading etc!
4/28/2006- I was hoping to have this DONE by the 1st but I think it's going to run over. I'm finding as it gets closer to finished that I'm not being as careful to stitch A section anymore so much as A color so I'm jumping around a bit.

March
3/03/2006- Picked Amitie up from the framer and dropped off (GULP!) 8 projects along with frames for 5 of them (so only 3 will be custom framed) at the framer. Yikes.
3/09/2006- I've gone ahead and started on the palm tree corners as I'm making good progress and don't want to get myself out of the 'groove'.
3/20/2006- Still working (slowly) on my corners.
3/25/2006- My corners are sooooo close to done I can taste it... BUT! I'm getting burnt out on them so started a small project last night by Elizabeth's Designs called 'Best Friends' which should only take a day or two.
3/28/2006- Just finishing up the 'trunks' of my palm trees :o)

February
2/04/2006- Have worked on EG and finished all of Beautiful Bird except the gold thread (which I'm waiting for).
2/09/2006- Completed Beautiful Bird
2/09/2006- Completed NE Button Sampler
2/12/2006- Began Avalon Sampler
2/21/2006- Have completed blue background on Egyptian Garden
2/28/2006- Working on bs flowers on border of EG- next I will do a little on Avalon and then back to EG to do the palm tree corners.

January
1/16/2006- Completed Whimsical Flowers
1/20/2006- Completed the stitching on NEButton Sampler- just some beading to finish up.
1/21/2006- Completed Bonheur
1/22/2006- Completed the backstitching on Bloom Where You Are Planted
1/22/2006- Completed Blackwork Freebie
1/23/2006- Completed the backstitching on Purr-Suit
1/28/2006- Good progress on Pansy
1/30/2006- Completed Pansy

My Goals/Approach for 2006
One of the things I'm doing this year to help me motivate myself is to track more closely what I'm actually accomplishing. I also, the first week of the year, went through all of my freebies collected in 2005 and printed off the ones I *really* want to get done and am throwing them in here and there as I go. I find that freebies are generally smaller than what I normally work on so it's nice to have some 'instant gratification' stitching now and then :o) You can click, where there are pictures or the name of the project is underlined, to look at the larger picture in my gallery album.

Currently Stitching Focus WIP's (although there are plenty of other WIP's):
Egyptian Garden by Chatelaine
Dragonfly Fantasy by Dimensions 2006 Stitching Goals:

Finish
Glasgow Blue (only 2 pages left)
Dragonfly Fantasy
Egyptian Garden
Bonheur by Rouge de Rhin- Completed 1/21/06

Backstitch to Finish
ACCOMPLISHED! Beautiful Bird- Completed 2/9/06

Purr-Suit- Completed 1/23/06

Bloom Where You Are Planted- Completed 1/22/06

Hope to start
Snow!
Flowers and Butterflies
Midsummer Night's Fairy
Sanctuary
Egyptian Flowers
Arabesque Floral
I'd also like to make serious progress on the horribly neglected Queen Bess's Chessboard by Leon Conrad (which will be a gift for my 15 year old son)

Somehow got added to the mix when I wasn't looking:
Whimsical Flowers by DMC- Completed 1/16/06

New England Button Sampler from http://www.embroiderersguild.org.uk/:

Blackwork Freebie from http://www.chez.com/ (click on 'Grilles Gratuities'):

Pansy from http://www.wildthreads.com/:

Back from the framer: Amitie Couer from http://atelierdecirce.over-blog.com/: