Wednesday, December 28, 2005

2005 In Review

In light of the LONG lists of completed projects posted by so many of my friends online, I really hesitate to share with you all the paltry list of seven stitching projects I finished! However, here they are:

March - Cottage Garden, Victoria Sampler (VS)
April - Spring Banner, VS Exclusive Cyberclass
June - Home of a Needleworker, Little House Designs
Summer Banner, VS
November - Autumn Banner, VS
December - "W", M Designs
Hardanger ornament, Jance Love design (SAGA ornament exchange)

This list gives me great satisfaction because most of these designs have been for moi!

In addition to these projects, I also completed five Grady gowns for the smocking guild, and the first smocked dress I have made in three years!

In my WIP pile I have:

SAGA smocked ornament ornament
SAGA whitework table runner
Drawn Thread, Cloister Garden
Lori Birmingham, hardanger table runner
VS, Heirloom Christmas Sampler

The Cloister Garden and hardanger table runner haven't been worked on in about four years, so am thinking a rotation system of some sort should be implemented to get them out of the WIP box (actually UFO box)! That's one of my goals for 2006 :) Others are:

Complete 12 Grady Gowns for SAGA
January - M Designs - P
January - VS Winter Banner
February - M Designs - V

Being new at this, I'm going to leave it at that and see where it all goes!

Now, on to


This week's SBQ was suggested by Nancy (http://crossesnkisses.blogspot.com/ ) and is:

How do you balance your stitching time with your other obligations such as work, household chores, etc.?

There have been times in my life when my stitching supplies were put away into a closet for several years. This happened after my twins were born and I was just too tired to stitch at the end of the day. But usually, stitching is reserved for the evenings when I can reward myself for getting through another day. Raising children and managing a household is my priority, even though it doesn't always seem like it! Stitching is my sanity as it's usually one activity that I can see progress on, unlike the dishes, laundry, and housecleaning that never really have an end.

9 comments:

BeckySC said...
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BeckySC said...

Hi Von :)
You should be proud of your 2005 accomplishments-you have some lovely finishes :) You also have some wonderful WIP's, that I will look forward to seeing this next year :)

I only posted my finishes to a BB as someone asked us to post our finishes. I usually don't even think about the number of projects I finish in a year...I just worry over the ones I didn't get to :) LOL!!!

BIG hugs :) :) :)

Lelia said...

PALTRY? PALTRY? NOT!!!

Excellent finishes. I'm telling you ... my oldest WIP is from 1998, ok? It will be finished one day ...

Ditto on your SBQ ... for me my children & household is #1; my 4 hobbies are a toss up. I really enjoy reading & stitching. On occasion, I get to beading & sketching. It is a different type of creativity & I enjoy those four things.

Send me your e-mail address & I'll try to think of some fund raisers that were successful (from past years with NANI) Mine is: spenc@netnitco.net

Chow ...

Cathy B said...

Von - Great job on your finishes! Like others, I don't pay too much attention to the numbers - some projects are smaller than others and therefore take less time. Other projects are very time consuming. As long as you feel good about your accomplishments, that's all that matters! Have a great rest of the week!

Unknown said...
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Von said...

My thanks, dear friends, for your encouraging words on my 2005 finishes! I want you to know that I celebrate with those whose lists are long, whether the projects be small or large, as much as I do my own projects :) And I look forward to the day when my own list will be a long one too. May 2006 bring all of us more stitching time :)

mainely stitching said...

You have seven kids, right? And you homeschool, right? And you have some other amazing hobbies (that smocking you do just knocks my socks off!). A "paltry" list - ha! And these are all great projects!!

You said it perfectly when you said that stithcing is the activity that you can see progress on. That's such a good feeling after a chaotic day keeping up with the kids! :-)

Leeland said...

I so agree with your sbq answer, Von! You all said it perfectly! I wanted to wish you a very happy new year!
Take care!

Alison said...

Here, here! I agree with everyone's comments on your 2005 Finishes - Von, you are totally

A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!!!!

Looking after your family and also keeping a home is a full-time job in its own right - so your stitching is clearly a wonderful, creative diversion for you and long may it continue - even if you have to leave gaps in between if you do not feel like stitching due to being tired. Its lovely to pick up a project again and seeing it all begin to come to life again - its what keeps us all going! Well done, and happy stitching in 2006! Ali xx