A Christmas start

I got the urge to work on something with a Christmas theme this week. Must be all the ads on TV and radio for the holiday or maybe it was all that Christmas music playing in the stores already (can you believe it!). In any case I've concentrated all my efforts on Blackbird Designs Blessings and a new ornament start from M Designs. Unfortunately my efforts over the past two weeks have been rather pitiful. Due to our home renovations, the house is full of dust. It's difficult to find a clean place to stitch. Some nights we're limited to just the use of our bedroom and spare room, neither of which has good lighting. So my stitching has had to be set aside some evenings and I've become a couch potato or rather a bed potato in my case, lol! My Tuesday night stitching has really become a thing of need even if only to get me out of the mess that's my house.

My new start is a name tree that I ordered more than a year ago from M Designs. Actually I ordered several of them with the names of various family members. Right now I'm working on one for my granddaughter Oceanne. If you turn you head sideways you can see part of her name. The fabric I've chosen is a Silkweaver Opalescent Solo and there is enough of it to do a second ornie for Oceanne's sister, Summer. I'm using a DMC variegated floss and for the very first time I'm stitching over 1! It's not as bad as I feared but then again this is a 28ct not 40ct. The use of my magnifying lens is a must though. I've tried without it and those darn sparkles get in the way and make it difficult to see where the holes are.

I think it's turning out very pretty so far. I've only been able to stitch on it for two evenings mainly because I didn't have access to my stitching spot after I got started. I'm going to try and do some on it today in the daylight.

Blessings is coming along slowly but surely. I've still got to frog out the star and replace it with a brighter white but I am enjoying this one now. I wasn't sure when I first started it but it's growing on me.

My little Ink Circles Spotted Owls has been on hold waiting for floss replacement thanks to Clarisse taking off with the floss I had been working with. The new floss arrived this week and I managed to do a small amount on this one. It's close to a finish but might take me longer since my stitching days are often being cut out. I haven't touched Nantucket in weeks now but it will resurface later. I just want to concentrate on small projects right now. I don't want to risk getting it dirty with all of our mess.

Speaking of which, things are progressing. The cupboards are now in and only require some minor finishing touches such as the crown mouldings. Countertops should go in next weekend.The hardwood floor is all down with the exception of one corner where we ran out of wood and therefore had to place another order. The supplier had ordered originally based on an estimate and forgot that he had to wait for confirmation once it was measured correctly.

Flooring is down in both the kitchen and entrance now. Basically the stairs still need to be done along with refinishing the existing railings. We have to repair the ceiling in our hallway thanks to an electrician who slipped while in the attic and but his boot through! Since the ceiling is one which had been sprayed for effect, we're not quite sure how to handle that one yet. It'll be their cost though, not ours . Then comes the big cleanup (which I'm dreading) following which the painters will move in to finish things off. I figure it will be the second week of December before everything is back in order. Just in time to get ready for the holidays. So my stitching time will continue to be limited until things are finished. Here's some pictures of the kitchen before we started and where we are at this point.

My Tuesday night group of stitchers has decided to have a Secret Santa night. We've all drawn names and are limited to $20 dollars for our gift. We'll get together the second week in December for a wine and cheese, at which time we'll exchange gifts. Should be a lot of fun! Gifts are not limited to stitching but stitchy items are not excluded either. Any ideas?

I received an email from my cousin this week and I'm now calling her an enabler! She sent me an email from her LNS detailing the Little House of Needleworks new Christmas ornament releases soon to start. It's an automatic shipment program. In addition they will send you a list of supplies needed for each stitch a week or so prior to the chart shipment so you can place an order for any supplies you might need in advance. The supplies will then be shipped along with the corresponding chart. Could I resist? Are you kidding me...NO! I signed up immediately. I think I might join the group over at Vonna's who are planning to stitch these.

As I write this, my little Clarisse sits on the ironing board behind me, keeping me company. She is no longer little and no longer a kitten, having turned one year old yesterday. She is turning into a beautiful cat but she hasn't quite lost all of the kitten in her. After spending all day locked in a bedroom while renovations are taking place, she then tears pellmell through the house upon her release and gets into absolutely everything she can just to show her displeasure! I can't blame her though. I certainly know how she feels being confined to just one area.

Now I'm off to run some errands. I'm trying to get my Christmas lights put outside on my bushes while the weather holds out. There's nothing I hate more than trying to put them out in early December while it's snowing and my hands are freezing. I figured I'd get smart this year and get them put on early. I won't turn them on though until much later in December.

Hope you all have a super weekend. Keep on stitching!