The Workshop is done.....

Here it is!!! We have a pinking shear edged tree shaped needle book, a cutter with the scissors on the pocket, a threader in it's own pocket and this last one with the bee hive contains a star shaped bit of wax for conditioning the threads. The pin cushion tree stands proudly in the center with it's ribbons and gold beads.
Then you close it up and put on the filigree topper to seal the deal. Right now I have a pin there to help keep it closed. The elves dance and the party goes on............. I am happy to have this one done.

Summer Song Quilt

No - I didn't make this!!! LOL. I would love to do this but it wasn't me. My friend, Cheryl (also known as Prairie Grove Peddler) is a quilt designer. She is selling (can you believe it?) some of her models on Etsy. http://www.etsy.com/shop/prairiegrovepeddler The prices are amazing. I just love this one and hope to hang it in my craft room once we move. It is amazing. The workmanship is just fabulous. Now this one is mine!!! On Face Book she is doing a Give Away for a quilt pattern series. All you have to do is leave a message. How cool is that? She is often doing a Give Away on her blog - http://www.prairiegrovepeddler.blogspot.com/ Check it out!!!

The forest for the trees -

Trees with Cardinals in them. Just a bit of snow..... this winter has been crazy with so much snow. Argh!! I hope we get an early spring and that the weather improves all over the country.

O Christmas Tree and some trees

Well the floor piece is put together now. Then it was time to make a Christmas tree pin cushion. It has some gold beads and red ribbons for decoration. Next the four walls go up and then we are done.
Meanwhile, back at the cross stitch project, we have moved on to some trees. Perhaps it is a forest?

Christmas Workshop Finishing

Here are the four outside walls and the top and bottom of the floor of the shop.

Here are the insides of those walls. We have a cutter pocket, a threader pocket, a wax star and a needle book. The floor parts still need to be put together.

Winter - Snow - Wonderland???

Well, I am stitching a winter wonderland and we are living in one. 7 inches yesterday. Another one to two inches due to night. More due on Sunday night and Monday. Since we need at least two to three days of sunshine to plan our trip to NY, it seems that Old Man Winter is bound and determined to make sure we are staying right here. Well, I will just fight him with my stitching. The church is done, the verse begins and I started working on the next block.

Merry Christmas Church

Well, we have a church now and I have also started the snowflakes on the bottom. Every time I do one of these square series - I think Oh you should also make them ornaments - - but it doesn't really happen that way. LOL

Busy as a bee

Here are the four triangles to create the etui. I did the work on the inside of the triangles and then had to stitch the insides to the outsides. I still need to do the needle book with is two triangles with a star on top of the blank triangle.

Well, it looks a bit more like a church. This does seem to be going a bit slowly but then I am doing some finishing which takes time away from actual stitching.

No - it is not side ways

I am stitching this one sideways. So this is upright. LOL. I didn't get a lot done but it is something.

The start of something new -

Blue Ribbon's Winter White Wonderland. Stitching on 40 count over two with one thread. So far we have some snow flakes and a bit of snow.... more to come.

It is never too late for Christmas.

I didn't see a few of my friends until after Christmas. These are from Jeanne. She knows I love purple. Look at all that stitching!!!! I am a very lucky girl.

Then another surprise from Lee. It is hard to see the crocheted stitching items. The smaller circle item is a crocheted purple (of course) box that holds a measuring tape. The larger one holds a ball of perle cotton with the thread end coming through a hole in the top. How wonderful is that? Then the scissors. One can never have enough scissors....

I have such wonderful friends and stitching pals in St. Louis. I will miss them all when we move. I have to have faith that I will find a few new friends that stitch in the new neighborhood. Thanks to the internet, I should be able to stay in touch with all my friends here even when I have moved away.

Finishing and done - -

I have all the parts ready to put together the workshop. I did the cutting of the interfacing, Wonder-Under and the skitex. (very stiff but not cardboard.....)
Here is the butterfly pin with all the extra parts. I am not sure I like it. I am thinking that it would make a good necklace without so much stuff...... Meanwhile I like the butterfly.

We have a butterfly -

Here it is. There is purple in the upper tips of the wings. I used an overdyed floss and tried to keep the colors the same on both sides of the butterfly.

Time for something new - -

That is a dime beside my stitching. This is a Butterfly pin kit from Rosewood Manor. I have the border done and I started on the butterfly. The kit comes with a different butterfly for each letter in the alphabet. I chose 'T' but I am not sure it matters. This is stitched on 40 count gauze with a half stitch so it goes fast. I basted the gauze into a piece of muslin fabric so I can use my scroll rods.

Just Nan's Dancing Elves are done!!!

Here are some of the blue guys.
Here are the red elves. There are two of each. Now they have beads and back stitching.

Here is the whole piece with all the outside wall parts.

Now for the little red elves - -

Now we have four little red hats elves. The elves in general are getting boring. I must, I must stick with it. I can't start anything new. I must keep going........ Almost done with the cross stitch.

Blue Elves Done

Those little hearts, stitched over one, took a long time. The blue hat elves are done and ready for construction. I have back stitched the edges and that will help out when I go to put it all together. I like to do that work as I go, so it is ready for finishing and that step isn't standing in the way.

Claire Wins

I had DH pick a number and Claire has won the chart for Victoria Sampler's Christmas Village. Congrats to Claire. I look forward to hearing from you.

Wow - - there is a lot of stitching to do - -

I have the 'over one' hearts done on the one side but not the other. I haven't done the back stitching and the beads (there are only a few on each triangle) will wait until everything is done.

Four little blue elves

Well, here are our dancing elves. This group has blue hats and pants. It's progress but it seems slow when you stitch the same thing over and over. LOL.

Exterior walls

Well, I got the outlines done. Then I did the garland and berries at the top of each wall. I am now working on the decorations. There will be two blue elves on each of these triangles. The other triangles get little red elves.

Super Stash at Christmas!!!

I highly recommend buying a grab bag from your favorite shop at Christmas. Needlecraft Corner (in Maryland) has great grab bags. $35 per grab bag with $115.00 of stuff. Here is the fabric that came in one such grab bag.
Here are the charts/kits that came in that same grab bag. Oh and Drema wraps the grab bags with pretty Christmas paper and adds wonderful bows to be used for finishing later.
Grab bag #2 had this fabric. DH loves having the gifts arriving already wrapped and ready for the tree.
Here are the charts/kits that came in Grab bag #2. I am keeping all the fabric. Some of the charts/kits were not to my taste so I took them to a stitching group and several people found treasures for their own stash.

Contest - VS Christmas Village Chart

I frequent the 1-2-3 Message Board quite a bit. There was a post saying that this chart was loved and she wanted to stitch it. I happen to have the chart and I happen to be willing to part with it. So if you go to my Nov 21st post and leave a message (with your email address) or email me directly, I will put your name on the list to win the chart. Free - - anyone, anywhere. I will give it a few days before DH picks a number.

Interior Walls are done

Just Nan's Christmas workshop etui. This is the piece of fabric with the four interior walls. There are going to pockets and such to hold the various tools for a stitcher.

Just Nan Christmas Workshop Etui

This is the bottom of the floor - - bottom of the bottom? You will have to turn it upside down to see this part.

This will be the inside floor of the workshop.

A new Start and a few finishes

Just Nan's Christmas Work Shop is now underway. This is the floor of the work shop. Those white things are snowflakes. I do enjoy stitching on gingham.
Then I did a bit of 'finishing' on the most recent ornaments. Simple and easy to do and I think they look great.

Snow much Joy - done

Here it is - - next up will be actual finishing of some ornaments. I really like this one on this particular over dyed fabric. 29 count glensee - - I believe.

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL MY FOLLOWERS. I love hearing comments and knowing that someone is looking at all this stuff. As the new year starts, I think back just a bit. This is the first year that DH has been retired. It cost me 30 projects!! I generally finish stitching about 100 projects a year. 2010 I finished around 70. Maybe my needles will fly a bit faster this new year. We are planning to have a major move early in the year. After that - - who knows what will happen. Best wishes to all you. I hope the new year brings you joy.