New Year's Mish Mash 2011

I finished the finishing for both of these pieces on 12/31/2010 so that my year end list of finishes might not be quite so awful. Angel of Summer I finished back in August, but just got around to framing, and the band sampler is a round robin piece that was finished a couple of years ago already but I never got around to making it into a bell pull until now. Tool all of an hour and a half - really should not have put it off for so long! I finally found a perfect frame for AoS; though I really should have hung her and took a picture against a lighter background so you could see the frame better. Don't worry she is going to my mom's house and isn't going to hang there permenantly - that is just where I had space for her at the moment. :)

2010 Review
In 2010 my goals were to try to finish at least 3 of the following designs that were in my rotation:

Inspiration - Rosewood Manor - nope
Mother's Tree - MLI - nope
Angel of Summer - MLI - yes
Heritage Sampler - Chatelaine - nope
Alhambra Garden - Chatelaine - getting close, but nope
Stitcher's Heirloom Sampler - Victoria Sampler - nope
Hardanger Table Runner - didn't even touch this one all year. *sigh*

I also wanted to finish these completed pieces into framed pieces or other items:
Just Nan RR from a few years back - into a stitching book - nope
Band Samler RR from a few years back - into a bellpull - yes, by the skin of my teeth - see above
Mirabilia Mermaid RR - into a framed piece - nope, but I got Jill Rensel's contact info and plan to put this to the top of the list for 2011. It WILL be done. :)

2011 Goals
I'm going to shoot for 3 bigger finishes from my rotation this year too. I know that is an attainable goal for me because for years I finished 4 or 5. I just had a slower for me stitching year than usual. I just didn't pick up a needle as much. I want to get back to stitching more, so I think 3 is still reasonable.

My current rotation list is similiar to last year's:

Inspiration - Rosewood Manor
Stone Roses - Mirabilia
Mother's Tree - MLI
Persian Floral - TW
Heritage Sampler - Chatelaine
Alhambra Garden - Chatelaine
Stitcher's Heirloom Sampler - Victoria Sampler
Hardanger Table Runner
Convent's Herbal Garden - Chatelaine

If I had to guess I'd say I could finish AG, Mother's Tree, and Stitcher's Heirloom Sampler by end of 2011. I'm pretty positive that Heritage Sampler, CHG (new start on new year's day 2011) and the Hardanger Table Runner will not be finished. Stone Roses is an unlikely 4th finish if I get that far.

I'd also like to frame/finish the following:
Mirabilia Mermaid RR piece
Mirabilia Children RR piece
Just Nan RR stitching book

Angel of Summer Finish! :)

Here she is all done! I'm not especially happy with the photos, but too lazy to retake them. She will likely be a present for my mom's birthday in November. I started this at her request back in 2004 or 5 I think. Probably mom has forgotten all about her. Just need to get her framed sometime before November I guess.

2 for the price of 1

Some time ago I promised an updated picture of Angel of Summer, this is progress as of last week or so... I haven't picked it back up yet, so it is still current. Just took me forever and a half to get around to uploading the picture to the blog.

As long as I'm at it, I'll also show a picture of my recent progress on Stone Roses, here she is as of today - I actually got several hours of uninterrupted stitching time over the Mother's Day weekend. :)

Endless Pink Dress...

Well, not really, but it sort of feels endless. Probably because it is sort of boring and all I can think about stitching right now is my Alhambra Garden. Sooo guess what I'm going to work on next? :)

Last time I posted a progress pic of her, someone asked about the fabric. She is actually on that MCG Textiles fabric (Twilight Blue) so loathed by many. Yes, the fabric weave is uneven, and yes it is very slubby. I really don't mind though and I think she is coming along beautitfully inspite of these imperfections. I knew about the problems with the fabric before I began and chose this fabric anyway because I liked the color and because I had done another piece on it before and was happy with my beautiful, but slightly different (from everyone else's) Fairy Idyll. Gives the piece a uniqueness because the lady is proportioned a little differently, but not so badly as to notice any real issue. It wouldn't work on a geometric piece of course, but I might use MCG Textiles again on another figure like this one.

Angel of Summer progress

Meet my new focus piece. I started it for my mom a few years back and I think it is time to finish her up. This time I worked on the greenery hanging down from her hand to that yellow sash - also finished the sash. That greenery is a real pain! I'm going to stitch some on Rosewood Manor's Inspiration next, but then I'll be back to this. I'm going to alternate it between my other pieces until she is finally finished. :)

New Year's Mish Mash

The Good - cause we should always start with the good right? :)

My family is all well, DH and I both still have good jobs, the kids are healthy, well-adjusted and doing well in school. We have enough money to pay all our bills and even some extra for savings and fun.

Showings on the house have continued to pick up - we have had multiple showings every week for the past 4 weeks.

Also, I got in some good progress on Angel of Summer, I actually even enjoyed working on her as she goes pretty fast. I'm toying with the idea of making her a focus piece to finish her more quickly as she is easily the closest thing to a finish in the WIP pile.

I did decide to start Stone Roses, so I'm working on her today and will continue on her until I feel ready to move on. I'll post a progress pic when I do.

The Bad - because there is always something, right?

I got a letter in the mail yesterday from my consulting firm. They are cutting my salary by 6%. I know times are tough all over, so I'll try not to whine about it too much, I know in this economy not everyone is lucky enough to still have a job.

I can survive the 6% just fine, so it isn't really the money that is bothering me - it is knowing that the company is in enough trouble that they had to do it. Makes me wonder if the other shoe is gonna drop, ya know? Still I cannot imagine they would fire me while I have a placement that is actually brining in money, so I'm pretty sure I'm safe - for now. If I get benched - I'll be worrying though.

The Ugly

The above now has me questioning whether we should really go through with selling our house and buying another. DH has a pretty recession-proof job so we're good financially if we stay here if I loose my job. On the other hand we can still afford a bigger house now even with the salary cut and even if I had to take a lesser paying job should I be laid off. It would be a lot more stressful though. A big part of me believes that buying now is a big financial opportunity if you can do it - but it feels a little like a gamble right now - and I don't like gambles.