Some Framing, Some Stitching and Some Quilting - But Not a Lot!!

Don't you find that this time of year puts a real cramp on all things crafty?  It seems to for me - so much shopping, decorating, etc.  I usually love the holidays, but this year it's like trying to drag a cat to water to get me in the holiday spirit.  Perhaps I need a trip to the mall to see decorations or hear the music, but it's been so cold around here I hate even sticking my head out the door!!   Maybe part of it is that now that my kids are older, their Christmas lists are smaller (although not necessarily cheaper), and they don't hold Christmas in awe like they used to.  I honestly miss those days!!

Anyway, a while ago I picked up some framing and forgot to post it.  I don't know how that happened, but the past couple months have been rather crazy with family things and my trip, so without further ado:

The Yellow House Sampler

Sheepish Designs

I went with a very simple frame for this one and I'm pretty happy with the way it turned out, although I think that I would have liked the frame to come a little closer to the design.  Anyway, another step closer to the A&E wall.  I was going to try to take a picture of this outside for a real artsy fartsy shot, but like I said, it's cold out there and the wind is blowing like crazy!

I worked a little more on Frances Eden:

Not the best pictures because it's draped over the scroll rods and when I took the picture it was one of those cloudy days.  I was getting a little worried though and went a little further down along the house because as you can see, I'm getting dangerously close to the bottom edge.  There is still a few more stitches to go to the bottom of the house and then wording underneath it.  I think that I'm going to make it though with about 1-1/2 inches to spare.  Whew!!  I usually leave 3 inches.

But in my true fashion, Frances just wasn't holding my attention any longer so I jumped back to this:

Susanna Lane

The Scarlett Letter

I don't know why she's been calling to me so much, but I am loving working on this again.  

Have you been reading about the 15 Project Challenge - work on a new project each day for the first 15 days of January?  Oh my gosh, pure lunacy!  LOL  I've got at least 16 WIPs in the pile and I can't imagine adding 15 more!  But, I've kind of gotten myself caught up in the 15 Project Challenge.  I'm not going to do it in the normal way though - I picked 7 WIPs to work on during the year, and picked 8 newer projects (most smaller that the BAPs I work on) to hopefully complete or get near completion by the end of the year.  And the newer projects I can't buy things for - it's got to be in my stash - okay, maybe a thread or two if I run out, BUT, no kitting of new projects!  That in itself is a challenge for me - not to buy anything!  LOL  I'm still working my way through my list picking out my challenges for the year and I'll post it when I've got it figured out.

On the quilting front, I'm caught up once again with the Farmer's Wife blocks!  Yahoo!  These were so easy peasy that I almost cried in relief after the past few months of blocks:

Please excuse any sneaker threads that made their way into the pictures.  But I'm doing such a happy dance.  Only six more installments to go!!!!  I can't wait to get this baby together!!

From there I was going to start cutting out something new, but then common sense came over me (wow, that doesn't happen very often), and I decided to go back to one already in progress - actually two.

Remember this:

Well, I decided that I should finish this one up, along with my Women's Voices Civil War Quilt to get a couple quilt WIPs out of the way too (and yes, I do have a Challenge List for those also for next year).  But anyway, this is as far as I got:

The first borders fussy cut out and not a rotary cutter in sight for the next blocks to go around the quilt.  Sheesh!  I was also going to cut out the remainder of these:

Never got there.  But both these are on the top of my 2011 quilting hit list (along with three BOM's that I signed up that are starting next year - but we won't talk about those!).  :o)

So besides a little stitching and quilting and trying to get ready for the holidays, that's been about it.  I did find a couple little somethings at one of my favorite haunts - Home Goods.  I was suppose to be shopping at the mall across the street, but like quilt shops, antique stores and cross stitch stores, my car has a mind of it's own and I end up going where I'm not suppose to.  But I found a couple cute things:

A cute birdcage inspired rack for hanging miscellaneous things from with clothespins.  I had seen one of these in Utah when Jolene and I were wandering around and I wanted it, but it wasn't for sale.  This one is a little smaller, but it will do the trick.

This mannequin.  I thought it was different from the usual ones I see so I snatched it up.  I think that I'm going to put a coat of white paint on it and then rough it up a little to make it look more vintage.

So that's it for me this time around.  I'm off to check blogs now.  I was doing so, so well for a few days, and then life got in the way and I've fallen way far behind again.  But I hate missing out on anything.  I see so many wonderful things that everyone is working on.  That's probably why I'm having a hard time coming up with my challenge list.  Each and every day I see something, like Cari's recently framed June Morning - it's gorgeous!!! - (check it out along with the rest of the framing she recently had done) - and I know that I have to add it to the list.

Until next time, take care and I hope that everyone has a wonderful week!