Just Nan SAL

The first post date is finally here, so I can share my first JN finish of the year, Candy Cane Snowflake:

The kit actually came with a piece of fabric, but it was a bit too light for my taste, so I used a piece of hand dyed Cashel linen in a pretty, pine green from my stash. I had started it on a piece of Belfast linen, but realized that the charm was going to be too large for the piece. Luckily, I discovered that before I got too far!

One of my favorite parts to this design is the red and white striped beads that are around the center charm; they are just so cute, and look like little peppermint candies!

There is a frame designed for this piece, but I wasn't able to find one, so I used the frame designed for JN's Rudy Reindeer, and I think it is a nice substitute. It gives it a bit more of a Christmas vibe, with the tree charm, and will be a nice decoration to get out every year now at Christmas:

I have already completed my next JN piece for this SAL, and made a pretty good start on the third, so I'm thinking I'll actually be able to complete this year-long SAL with 12 pretty little finishes. And if I'm able to do even more, all the better! This page has more entries for this month's SAL.

Hope everyone has a great stitchy weekend!

Not much to show

I've spent the majority of my stitching time on the model lately, with a few minor exceptions. I have now completed two small Just Nan designs for the SAL, and yesterday at stitch group I started on the third one. Of course, I can't share pictures of these until the SAL dates arrive!

The only stitching I can share is the border for the third installment of CCN's Frosty Forest:

Now if only the pattern would come in! I'm heading to my mom's for the weekend, and I have my fingers crossed that the pattern will arrive before I leave.

Norden Crafts has announced a Rosewood Manor mystery sampler SAL that starts in March, and posted the following picture:

These are the pieces that I was stitching last October/November. Very pretty color palette in this one!

I'll end with a couple of non-stitchy photos: this guy (girl?) was perched about a half mile from our house the other day. I saw him on the way to pick up my son from school, and he obligingly stayed long enough for me to get home, grab a camera and head back for these pics:

Isn't he just awe-inspiring?

Hope everyone is having a great stitchy week!

Preparing for the Just Nan SAL

As some of you may have noticed, there have been a couple of Just Nan additions to my blog lately. First was the 2014 SAL badge, which links to a page that explains the SAL guidelines. Secondly, I added a page of the JN patterns that I currently possess; there has been quite a bit of discussion in a JN group on FB about trying to compile a complete list of JN designs, so several members of the SAL are posting their personal lists to aid in that endeavor. I'm also adding a list of the SAL blog post dates, so I can make sure to post on the correct dates. Actually, I've already completed my piece for January, but I'm waiting to post until the 31st!

Here is a picture of a bunch of small JN designs, which I'll be choosing from during the SAL:

The piece I've already finished isn't pictured, while my next start was the Christmas Eve WhimZi (the small blue picture in approximately the middle of this picture). I had to take some comforters to the laundromat the other day, so this was a great little design to work on while there. I have decided to only work on smalls; between large models, my Mirabilia "Red" start and keeping up with CCN's Frosty Forest, I just don't have time for any larger ones right now.

Speaking of smalls, here is a picture of most of the JNs I have stitched over the years:

Here are the remaining pieces I've stitched:

High Hopes

Frosty Hopes

Witch Way

Christmas Hearts

Honeysuckle Rose

So, if you like Just Nan designs, stop back at the end of the month; I'll be posting sometime during the 31st. The design I stitched is pretty rare, so it's possible you've never seen it before. ;)

Hope everyone has a great stitchy week!

My New Year start

When I was going through my finishes from last year, I realized that this was the first year in quite a long time that I didn't have one large Mirabilia finish. I did have seven smaller Nora Corbett design finishes, but not one big one. So, what's a stitcher to do? Yep, you guessed it--start a large Mirabilia design right away!

I'd joined a FB group in which everyone starts a new Mira/NC design on January 1, and I decided to take one day off from the model to join in. My new Mira start is "Red", on Enchanted Fabrics' Rainforest Belfast linen:

I managed to finish her face and hair, but now I have to put her away until this model is done. I am so anxious to start on those gorgeous reds in her hood, but it probably won't be until the beginning of February that I can get back to her.

I hope everyone has a wonderful (and stitchy!) New Year!!