December Smalls SAL - Final Post of 2014

December 31....the last day of 2014 and my final post for not only this year but the Smalls SAL. I have really enjoyed being a part of this group over the past year and have added my name to the growing list of participants for 2015. If you haven't already done so sign up and join us. It's a lot of fun and encourages you to increase your number of completed small stitches or ornaments. You can join us here.

I finished up my final small on Christmas Day in the evening after all the excitement of the day had settled and the drowsiness of a satisfying meal was drifting over us. 
This design is called So This Is Christmas (pretty self explanatory!) and has been designed by Jenny Hoffman of Country Rustic Primitives .

I'll be staining this one with either some coffee or walnut stain to make it a bit more primitive. Then it will be finished up into a small pin pillow.

Speaking of pin pillows, here are the bunch which I finished up for display this year. Only the larger pillow with the Merry Christmas and the 2 deer was finished last year. The rest were all either stitched or filled this year. I am now using a mix of walnut shavings and crushed walnut shell to fill my pillows. In addition I added ground balsam shavings to these for that extra Christmas touch. They smell wonderful!

These pillows from lt to rt are as follows: Threadwork Primitives Be Ye Merry, The Little Stitcher Merry Christmas Deer, Blackbird Designs Floral Gift, Gettysburg Homestead Merry Christmas, and in front, Primitive Acorn Keep Christ in Christmas and Jenny Hoffman's Ornaments for Christmas. I love displaying these as part of my decor and have received so many compliments in regards to them. Some of my stitching friends have asked if I could host a day of finishing in the new year so they could learn how to do their own. It should be fun!

That's it as far as it goes for small finishes. I'm continuing to plug away on Promised Lamb hoping to complete the better part of this one before the end of the year. As of yesterday I seem to be winning the battle. I would like to have to carry very little of this one over into the New Year.

My hubby and I have both been ill with colds and flu so we have not been going anywhere lately. These pics were taken the morning of Dec. 30 and I am already further ahead on this one than it shows in these pics. The lettering has all been completed now and I'm working on finishing up the final motifs so that only the left hand border will remain by the end of Dec. 31. That will leave me open to several new starts in the New Year. I've already picked and kitted up my small for the month of January. Bring it on!

I wish each and every one of you of very Happy New Year and look forward to meeting up with you again in 2015.