So what have you finished so far this year?

I think that's a great idea. What motivation!!!

LG

Or intimidation! LOL

Tegan

After I posted, I thought, "Like weekly weigh-in at Weight Watchers. Maybe not such a good idea." LOL

Not much. Lessee, I remember the Mom's birthday present (Laura Perin's Daffodils), the Mother's Day present (H is for Hyacinth), and Stars of Merlin. Did I do anything else?

Got a bunch of projects on tap, but haven't felt well enough to do much on them lately.

Well, last night I finished Celtic Banner - the stitching, not the putting together. It may well stay rolled up until we move back to our Astoria house where the walls are taller.

I did a birth sampler from Stoney Creek, though I substituted some lovely Gloriana silks for the very bland colors used in the original design.

Is that really all the stitching I've done this year??? I have a project going - Monet's Waterlilies from Fine Arts Heritage Society. I have to do it in bits, though, as I find it very boring.

Oh yeah ... I did a bday bellpull by Victoria Sampler, which means it included hardanger. Quite exciting; my first hardanger project.

And I, too, have been waylaid by the knitting bug. I'm creating a strip-style afghan for the daughter to take to college; we're calling it a mommyghan she can wrap up in when missing her family (she's moving to Philadelphia; we're moving to Alaska). Just tonight I taught the daughter to knit.

I was actually planning tonight to start a piece that's a companion to an RR that was completed last year. As I was driving home, thinking about getting it mounted, etc., I realized I am missing half the threads I need. Darn! I have to make a trip to the LNS. ;-D So this will have to wait til later in the week.

Helen in Washington

Hey - I'm getting ready for Outdoor Skills Camp - for GS leaders! enjoy!

Cheryl

DROOL! There are a bunch of Drawn Thread charts I covet!

Cheryl

Giggle

I thought I was bad!

Cheryl

You all have done a LOT ! I am still working on the silk thread painting piece *Jacobean* . It is large and I expected a couple of years. I am into the second year but not half done so been lazy. I am almost done with the parterre piece I have been mentioning before in our group here. I am about half done on a French whole cloth quilt. I restarted a knitted men's vest due to gauge which wasted a lot of time but going to do it again because when I finally had the guy to try it on it was too wide. So those are my three major pieces now as the parterre I think I will save for a trip to the MIL end of this month and easily finish there. Barbie in williamsburg

Finished this year: Carriage House Samplings "Matter's Choice" Carriage House Samplings "Primitive Stocking" The Needle's Content "Spanish Geometrical Sampler" Lizzie Kate FlipIts (05) Jan, Feb, Apr, May (I boycotted the Leprechaun) Elizabeth's Designs "Welcome Sampler" Pt I - IV Heart in Hand "Mom" JBW Designs "Princess is In"

Pretty good, I guess, but there are sooo many "in progress" on my list. I'm always struggling to get fresh models on the wall here at the shop! My main projects in rotation are "Torchons" from Keeping Tradition, another primitive stocking from Carriage House, and "Jorinde & Joringel" from der Feine Faden. Plus more of those darn FlipIts, but those are easy!

Lucy Boyer Cross Stitch Unlimited / StitchStash.com Arlington, MA USA

A trip to LNS. How dreadful. How painful.

Can I come along?

No, Cheryl, just stick with me. I still have that 1974 tablecloth floating around half-finished.

I wonder how many of us have half done tablecloths from long ago and far away. I just looked up the instruction sheet on my half done tablecloth and I was surprised to see that it's a Paragon Embroidered cloth, copy right date 1968. I have no clue when I started it but I suppose it was either in the late 60's or the early 70's.

Now my question--If I ever decide to work on it again, do I wash it and try to get the yellow out before I start working on it again, or do I wash it when completed. It's still packed away with all the DMC thread needed to finish it, and I dare not touch any of the thread because who knows if the colors would be even close.

Lucille.

I don't have a lot of stitching finishes - a couple of VS Freebies, and I'm close with some other pieces. I've started a bunch of new projects, though!

I got bit by the crocheting bug - finished a poncho and three afghans.

I also picked knitting back up and have a sweater about half finished.

Mostly I've just been to busy to have a lot of time for any sort of needlework! And the weather here has been way too sticky to really want to work > It's half way through the year, and time to take stock before Xmas

You're welcome. This particular purse is a great starter project. it takes only one skein of Cascade 220 (if you make a slid color purse) and that's a pretty inexpensive yarn. I pay under $7 a skein for it. I've made three so far, one solid and two striped. I tweaked the design just a smidge to suit me - mostly shortening the handle a bit - and have four fall-ish colors on hand to do an autumn purse.

DD's GS troop went to Chicago around Memorial Day. That was a great trip. A few too many adults along, but the girls had a terrific time and the weather was spectacular. of course, we stayed in a hotel for that. Webelos Camp is tents in mid-July in Kansas.

Karen E.

I've finished designing a chart, but not the piece, does that count?

Other than that I've been knitting alot - scarf from ribbon yarn, prayer shawl and sweater - all for other people.

Does helping my kids finish something count? I have a few things in that category.

Obviously I need to stop reading needlework books and drooling over charts on web sites and sit down and finish a few things. And thanks for the reminder that I need to get started on Christmas gifts.

Margaret Midlothian, VA

Margaret, This year I am not producing any Christmas gifts and would have started about now so feeling rather weird!!!!!! barbie

I've had many years where I didn't do gifts. There were times when I felt the things I made weren't appreciated at all and then other times my life was to hectic (2 children under 3 and a more than full time job as a library director and a husband away at work over 12 hours a day). This year there seems to be a resurgence in my whole family for making things. My mother started last year with crocheted afgans and knitted scarves for Christmas and birthdays, and has since been adopted by other family members. My SIL sent my daughter the cutest cloth doll with a ruffled dress (she sews) I think the main thing is that I want to do needlework, but I already have so many pillows and samplers on the wall that I can't justify making something for myself at this time. So, I'm making gifts and I feel virtuous while stitching. My mother is thrilled and has already hinted that she needs more pillows!

By the way, have you (or anyone else for that matter) taken the Stitch Detectives program at the Dewitt Wallace Museum in Williamsburg

July 3, 2005, 1:00PM to 2:30PM Type: Museum Program Location: DeWitt Wallace Museum Pockets, breeches, pocketbooks, and samplers are just a few of the textile objects found in Colonial Williamsburg's collection of objects. Drop in for a "behind-the-scenes" look into the museum's textile storage drawers and then explore your creativity with a drawing activity.

We are going July 4 for the picnic at the Governor's Palace and the program doesn't run that day, but I can get down easily enough some other time if it is worth it. Especially since most of the textile collection isn't on display right now!

Margaret