I have been asking myself lately… is it “Happy New Year?” or “Happy New Years?” and with or without the apostrophe? however, whatever, I wish us all a healthy and happy new year filled with wonderful stitching adventures, more time to stitch, great canvases, threads, books and must have needlepoint related stitching accessories!

It had been unseasonably warm while I have been here with no snow…and that’s really okay. Until yesterday when it got down to a brisk 23 out. Brrrr! that’s too cold for me, but I am heading home soon where it will definitely warm up!

But while we are on the subject of weather, for all of you that are TNNA bound to Phoenix, the temperatures will be picture perfect and may cool down slightly to the high 60′s…just saying.

And speaking of TNNA, I will be busy in my last minute duties of a final proof and assembly of my stitch guides, magazine work, stitching and packing.

No, this is not AlleyCat, even though it could have easily been! she would love this, especially with the tissue paper that she could crinkle and make a little noise as she setlles in for her nap.

and until next time…keep on stitching

In just a few days it will be a new year…which you know, so why am I telling you THAT? Wow where has this year gone to already? and we all say the same thing. But really where does the time go to? It slips by all too fast. I normally keep very busy and never let myself waste much time… there is just way too much to be accomplished, too many places to visit, new needlepoint shops to discover, new books, new threads and stitches to fall in love with and new canvases to find. Another stitching venture to relish and ooh just so much more!

I am having a wonderful time in NY with family and friends and for the first time in many, many years I will be bringing in the new years in New York..no not in Times Square, which that for sure could be on my bucket list.

I will be stitching the New Year in…how about you?

I don’t get pictures of these two like this very often, and even though these are from last year, they are such special pictures to me that I wanted to use them again. My cats are not BFF’s, they get along great, usually sleep in the same area together, play together and hang out together…but curl up and sleep together? oh almost never! See when AlleyCat first came to live with us, it made Sylvester the middle child and he was a big bully to her, so she has never forgiven him for that!

I remember that I was packing with this just washed this sweater and had placed it on the bed for but a moment. Then just as quickly, the cats took it over and I never did pack it and left it behind for them to sleep on.

I leave Tuesday, so today I will be in full packing mode. Hopefully weather will not be an issue! My stop is in Las Vegas and then onto New York. All my clothes are ready, I just need to make final decisions and get them in my suitcase. I have my stitching ready of course, one of which is Gobbles by Little Bird Designs.

I have already changed the Kreinik to 021HL from what you see here.

and I am taking this with me too. Canvas by Sandra Gilmore. I am working on the face only after changing my mind at least 27 times. I would love, love, love to get this finished.

I am wishing everybody a very Merry Christmas…and Mooch says it best here!

Even though I will have my laptop with me, I will probably not see you till next year… Happy New Years!

According to an article posted by Huffington Post:

“In 2014, the winter solstice in the Northern Hemisphere will begin on Dec. 21 at 6:03 p.m. EST.

Officially the first day of winter, the winter solstice occurs when the North Pole is tilted 23.5 degrees away from the sun. This is the longest night of the year, meaning that despite the cold winter, the days get progressively longer after the winter solstice until the summer solstice in 2015.

The winter solstice is celebrated by many people around the world as the beginning of the return of the sun, and darkness turning into light”

To read more about Winter Solstice, click here! Me winter makes me think of more stitching weather, Downton Abbey will start soon, and all the good tv shows that are on hiatus will be back soon…and most important of all, baseball!

It seems like Mooch is getting ready for snow. ooh you are such a silly kitty, but he makes me laugh every morning!

Even though you might be expecting snow and it is bitter cold where you live…

Here is my Christmas Tree! and I don’t have to worry about the cats knocking it over.

or this one either!

All I want for Christmas is to learn how to take a straight picture! Well actually my list IS a little longer than that…but for now, we will start with this!

After I redid the Flair for the smoke coming out of the chimney by reconstructing the deconstructed Flair I originally started with… Deconstructing the Flair is actually pulling it apart and unravelling it, you know, taking it apart.

This sat on my coffee table for a week and I didn’t see it till I saw my picture on the blog. I didn’t like the smoke as you see it here, it looked like a big blob. I was aiming for billowy smoke coming out of the chimney, but I believe the size of it all limited what I was able to achieve. So now I am much happier with it!

So dear Santa, I would love some stitching time for me, for moi…is that too much to ask? I haven’t added any new stitched ornaments to my trees the last few years. The purple and the green canvases are by Susan Roberts and the backgrounds are stitched and all I need to do is bead the snowflakes. Noel by Patti Mann, yes I would love to totally bead the word…but I either need to find lots of bead colors or I will use a very transparent bead and just keep changing the thread.

More from the Kitty Kat Tree!

One of my favorite ornaments that I bought years ago in Warwick’s, my favorite La Jolla shop!

Speaking of La Jolla, it’s Saturday…so it’s time for breakfast at The Cottage! or there’s a new place that my breakfast buddy and I have been going to called “Snooze”… and we have been enjoying Spiced Pear Pancakes. So maybe there?!

AlleyCat being a busy girl! and doing what she does best.

and until next time…keep on stitching

When these candy canes came out from Melissa Shirley maybe about 10 years ago, who would thunk that I would have this many in my collection? I absolutely love stitching them! They are actually more than this that have overflowed onto my other trees. I look forward to seeing what new ones that Melissa debuts this year. Might just have to order some at market…not like I have much time to stitch for myself these days!

I like stitching these so much because they work up quickly! It is a great sense of accomplishment to finish something and is a nice change of pace from the bigger and more involved pieces that we seem to be always work on.

Mooch has been a little mischievous lately and I am thinking that Santa Paws might leave some coal in his stocking.

Mooch reminds me some much of AlleyCat as he has so much cat-itude!

Of course I have a kitty Christmas Tree! what were you thinking? I try to add a new kitty ornament to it every year…either stitched or not. This sterling ornament is one of my favorites! Based on an antique merry go-round piece of a cat holding a fish in its mouth.

I have been on stitching hiatus this last week and I really needed it. I think I am ready tonight to get back into my stitchy chair as I am sure the cats are too!

and until next time…keep on stitching

That is my question! will it? Will I have a White Christmas?

It is beautiful, a fresh new snowfall! but after looking at the forecasted weather, I don’t think it’s happening this year.

It seems like Mooch is not thrilled with the though of snow!

I am wrapped, packed and shipped, cards are mailed and my decorating has been done!

One of my favorite ornaments, a Gay Ann Rogers designs from way back when.

My have to get finished stitching is pretty much completed, all I have left is to write the stitch guides. Maybe a little “me” stitching time too!

AlleyCat is being a busy body!

and until next time…keep on stitching

Remember this darling little canvas? by PepperberryDesigns

It was designed to the magnet…usually it is the other way around. I am always fascinated as to how the designers design, and they are all different. And trust me, I ask them all! Some draw on paper and some on their computer, some use a specific program to design and then some design by painting straight to the canvas!

I really tried many different things on this canvas and the peak alone I stitched and restitched 4 times…OMG! For me the count of the canvas dictates the stitch that I can do and believe you me I think and try lots of combinations.

Beads, French knots, darning pattern, deconstructed Flair and so much more finished out this canvas. I see that I might need a few more couching stitches to compact that unruly plume of smoke coming out of the chimney.

So if you love this and gotta have it (it was really a fun stitch) it will be available at the TNNA show in January along with a stitch guide through Pepperberry Designs. Ask your LNS to order one for you! They may even be available at the show through the new Immediate Delivery Service that they are starting with this show or at Sample It.

No I didn’t make breakfast at The Cottage on Saturday, but I am thinking that I am going this morning. Today is our monthly get together stitching and I will probably be bringing my laptop with me instead so that I can work on stitch guides. I will have one more finish to share with you, something that I have been working on day and night this week.

The cats kept me company as I was stitching and actually shared the Christmas Quilt! Do you believe in Christmas miracles? well I do!

and until next time, keep on stitching

Most of the time when I am stitching, I have a very good supurr~visor with me!

Which usually leads to this. I don’t mind it at all, actually I love, love, love it when AlleyCat is on my lap. She doesn’t bother my stitching or my threads, but gets very upset with me when oh well shudder the thought that I might have to move or worse yet, get up! All of us who have fur children, know that stitching with their fur is a part of our stitching life.

Notice that I used my magnet to hold the bead case in place on my canvas, since I am working on a stand, so my canvas is at a slant.

So to catch you up, this is a bead/needle case by Accoutrements Designs. I was given one to work with to see if I liked it and I do! I do! After finishing a small beading project, the sticky mat did have a fair amount of cat hair on it. My mission was to see if I could clean that cat hair off by using a damp cloth, well actually it was a more than damp paper towel.

So I went from this to this:

Nice and clean! well almost as I do see a cat hair or two, but work with me here…as it really did clean up as promised.

I have been stitching round the clock for most of the week as I finished The Gingerbread House and another piece is ready to come off the bars too! Between that I have been wrapping and shipping gifts, sending out cards and adding the finishing touches on my list to Santa. It is cold, (well cold for San Diego) and rainy this morning, so I an not sure if I will have breakfast at The Cottage.

And this was again my supurr~visor as I was working on my Christmas cards. What am I to do with her?

and until next time…keep on stitching