End of year update 2012 with two hours to go!!

Happy 2013 to everyone!

Biscobud from the side

Biscobud from the top

2012 has been a bit mixed as far as stitching was concerned, but I did finish several projects and started several others. This is one of my finishes: a biscobud which I made for a friend who lives in Florida. It's actually quite small, and was very fiddly to put together. I filled it with Christmas pot pourri, and kept my fingers crossed that it would get through customs - which it did!

What I sent

I also took part in a Christmas ornament exchange. Despite frogs moving in, it was completed only one day late, and still made its destination well before Christmas. The picture shows the house from several different angles, and the card was made by a friend who sells them for charity.

The ornie I received from Liz G

The card I received - Christmas tree

MLI Angel for 2005 -  internet pic

I made several starts, and was rather taken by this one from MLI - a freebie. I'm hoping to get that finished by next Christmas  - a present for someone, perhaps if I can bear to part with it!!

My start on MLI Angel for 2005!!

I also tried - mostly unsuccessfully - to get organised into a stitching rotation. Instead, I was attracted by still more Chatelaines and HAEDs, and am now well SABLE'd out.
So, on January 1st, I am planning to start only two more projects. Both are quite large so I certainly won't finish them in 2013, not with all the other projects I have on the go!! I fully intend to be more organised about stitching, especially as my sister's 60th birthday present hasn't progressed since her birthday in the summer. Perhaps that should have a bit of priority!!

My January 1st starts aren't completely kitted up yet - too expensive to do it all in one go - but I have enough to begin, and ended up with a free piece of white cotton/linen fabric as well. I'll keep these projects close by ready to take with me when grandchild #6 puts in an appearance (due date Jan 10th). There might be an occasional slot where I'm not busy in an evening (Ha ha)!!

They are:
(1)Chatelaine - Xmas Mystery 2013
(2)HAED - Muppet, Gabby, Malteazer and Gemm by Lesley Anne Ivory.

I had hoped to add another Chatelaine, but daren't just yet as I still haven't completed my "starts" from 2012, though I have made better progress than I had thought I would. And this year, I am planning to add "Stitching" (along with "Guitar Practice"!!) into my very busy schedule, and not leave it to odd minutes here and there as I have done for the past two years. (A thought: I'm supposed to be retired: I'm busier than when I was working!!)

I'm having difficulty waiting till Jan 1st to start my projects, so I will be working on one of my long-suffering WIPs meantime - like this biscornu.

Framecraft Christmas Biscornu

I hasten to add that this isn't my work, but a pic off the internet when I was struggling to stitch this piece. The pattern vanished for several months, and finally came to light when I was filing some past sermons! By then, it was less than a week to Christmas, and far, far too late to complete for this year. What I'll probably do is stitch the two pieces, and put some Christmas fabric for the bases, so that way I'll have made two presents.

Happy planning and starting to all in 2013, and see you next year!!