Reindeer Plan

We fared well through the storm.  We didn't even lose power.  Such a huge difference from the 10 days without power last year.

The pictures that we've seen and the stories that we've heard about people on the shore are heartbreaking.  I can't imagine what those people are going through.

So today is the last day of my Reindeer month and my reindeer is not done.  But I am still forging ahead with my reindeer plans.  I will finish the Magic Reindeer - hopefully this week.

My other reindeer plans involve the Christmas Eve Couriers from Nora Corbett.  My mantle is about 74" wide.  Each reindeer is about 5" wide and there are 8 tiny reindeer - actually nine including Rudolph.  Then there is Santa's Sleigh which is also 5" wide.  So, I will (eventually) have 10 5" wide pieces.   So the question is - Do I make a single long mantle scarf or do I go with my original plan and create individual little pennant shaped pieces for each reindeer - minus Rudolph - and the sleigh and separate them by a little bit?

Or - if I can't make that work I could go with a tree skirt.  Then I could stitch each of them on a wedge-shaped piece of linen and construct the circle.  Then I could even string some bling between each of them like reins.  Has anyone seen a finished tree skirt or mantle scarf with Nora's Christmas Eve Couriers?  I need to decide which route to take before I start so I make sure to have enough linen.

Decisions, decisions...

Prayers for those recovering from Sandy.

All prepared - mostly

Well the hatches are battened down and the gas cans are full.  It is definitely windy and quite dreary looking outside.  We live at the top of a good-sized hill in the foothills here so flooding in the house shouldn't really be a concern.  Flooded roads and downed trees in the area would be a concern.  We're really worried about the folks on the coast - both Connecticut and New Jersey as well as nearly all of the folks on Long Island.  And I can't even imagine trying to evacuate from a big city like NYC.

We have milk and cereal and canned soup.  I have projects to stitch and books to read.  The only thing that iIwanted to do and didn't quite get done is the laundry.  Last year for "Snowtober", which struck on a Saturday, lots of people were doing their weekend chores when the power went out which means lots of people had laundry in their washing machines.  A number of friends warned me after that storm that the front-loading washer that I want is not a good idea.  They had their clothes fermenting in the washer for 10 days until the power came back on.  By then the clothes were ruined and they still haven't been able to get the smell out of the washer - and it's been a whole year.   My washer is still the old top-loader - so I could pull the clothes out without the water pouring out if the power goes out.  But I'm pretty sure I would be tempting fate if I even started the washer.

On the positive side of the storm, the kids are both sick so they would have missed school anyway.  And, we are fast approaching the end of my reindeer month so I better stitch fast while I have light.  I had hoped to finish 2 reindeer designs but it looks like I will barely finish 1.  Here's my progress as of last week on that reindeer.  Now you can begin to tell that it is a reindeer without stretching your imagination quite so far.

I'm off to ponder the laundry a bit more, back up all of the computers and hunker down with my stitching.  

Prayers for all of those who are in the path of this storm.

Kelly

Reindeer Month progress

Reindeer month is half over and I don't have nearly as much progress as I would like.

You still really have to use your imagination.  It's a lot like looking for constellations.  Those drawings where the details are all filled in somehow always lead to disappointment when you find out that Orion is really just 7 stars.  In this case, I am going to keep going and fill in those details and head-off that disappointment.   You will see a reindeer - I promise.

Happy Stitching!

Kelly

Happiness - a new Mirabilia release

The newest Mirabilia design is out and it is a big design.  Sleeping Princess is beautiful.  Lots of beads.  Not too much metallic thread - not that I mind regular metallic braids.  I'm not a fan of blending filament though.  The colors in this design are beautiful.  I really like this one.  I'm sure once we see a better/bigger picture of the model or a stitcher's progress it will be even more stunning.

Happy Stitching.
Kelly

Reindeer Month

I think this is going to be reindeer month.  And I think it will probably spill into next month.

I looked at all of the designs that I had kitted and packed up and lo and behold they are all reindeer.  Here's the first one.  You have to use your imagination a bit.

Even stitching over one, this looks like it will be a quick stitch.  Then I'll move on to my other reindeer - there are 10 in my stitching bag!

Happy Stitching!

Kelly

Great display for ornaments

Check out this tree.  It is lit with LED lights and stands about 6 feet tall and you can use it indoors or outdoors.  Wouldn't it make a great display for cross-stitched ornaments?  Assuming you use it indoors, of course.

This one is from Amazon but I first found an LED tree at Costco which is where I got the idea.  The one that I ordered online won't be here for a few weeks so hopefully I'll have some ornaments finished before it arrives.

Off I go to stitch ornaments.

Happy Stitching.

Kelly