2nd nativity set complete!

could it be? 

(this is me in my living room after the last stitch)

we are all singing a joyful chorus after this finish!

what's that? you'd like to see the entire finished set in one post? 

seeing them all together makes me appreciate the entire set even more. they look so cute and i can't wait to someday see them finished and sitting on the mantle (not this Christmas guys, back into the finish pile for another year)

still trying to decide what to stitch next. i haven't made any new purchases in a while, but i'm trying to be good. i think for now i'm going to stick to something small while i wait for the stitchy finish high to subside. 

fab finishing!

look at the pretties i got to pick up over the weekend!

i made a goal that i would try and send 2 projects to the finisher after a big completion, so that my finish pile becomes more manageable and that i stay accountable for finishing what i started! (literally)

OU Santa stitching

OU Santa finish

This poor thing has been languishing in the finish pile since 2013, so it was way overdue for its date with the finisher! 

Patti Mann pig stitching

Patti Mann pig finish

Stay tuned for another big finish update!

baaaaack with a finish

apologies in advance - i neglected to take progress pictures so i don't have much to show for myself, but aren't these guys cute? 

this makes finish #11 for the nativity series, which means i only have 1 more left! 

i need to seriously give some thought to what i will possibly start working on next...another series? a small ornament? a larger canvas i've been avoiding? 

how do you decide?

fun finish!

sorry for the accidental break in posting! seems like everything got busy all at once, but i have still managed to find some stitching time. 

isn't he cute??? my tassels are "meh" but i love the overall look of this piece. so regal and elegant (and by far the largest in the whole set)

i've been working on the last animal canvas (sheepies) but in the hubbub of our lives i forgot to take progress pics along the way. forgive me? 

a friday finish!

thanks so much for the support team! with your well wishes and encouragement, i was able to power through and cross the finish line this week! yippee!

stitching his hair and blanket took no time at all, and don't you just love his little eyeball?? he has such a sweet face. i'm really happy with my decision and think he makes a cute addition to the set. 

the whole enchilada! this little guy was a blink-and-you-missed-it project, but adds so much charm to the group. this next canvas will take a little more effort to make it over the "hump" to the finish line (hint hint)

tender shepherd

(if you're familiar with the live musical version of peter pan, you'll understand the title reference)

when we last saw this tender shepherd, he still didn't have a robe, but he gained one man purse messenger bag after several start and finishes from yours truly. there have been several moments throughout this set that i have been in serious need of a stitch guide translator. someone that could say "yeah, i know it says this, but do this instead if you want it to look like the reference picture from the kit"

so i powered on and stitched him a robe while watching this new skateboarding show that we're obsessed with. 

was able to finish most of the background on friday night while i was waiting around for my sweetheart to get home from work, then knocked out the finish on saturday morning.

do you know what this means??? it means i get to move on to some animals next! yippee!

by hook or by crook

the last component to this little guy was his great shepherd's crook. i laid 2 lengths of memory thread to follow the shape -

and with some careful maneuvering, was able to successfully nail down the little twists and turns, before i came back and satin stitched over it with mandarin floss. 

it really pops against the background, right? i've always had a fondness for 3-dimensional components with needlepoint, they can add so much character to it. his beard is alternating tent and french knots and i love how rugged he looks!

shepherd

officially past the halfway point for this set! woohoo!

a finish from the road!

typically i don't take my needlepoint with me on car trips, since looking down for a long period of time tends to make me a lil queasy. but luckily i only had a bit more of the background to complete so i powered through took frequent breaks and watched for deer and navigated and eventually i lazily limped across the finish line from the car!

green wiseman

i need to make 1 tiny adjustment on the robe, but this is still a finish in my book! 

for mason's birthday, we took a little trip down to fredericksburg for a weekend of wine and relaxation. our cottage was 10 miles outside of town situated on the most beautiful piece of land, and we were surrounded by wildflowers, hill country views and lots of furry friends. 

it was the perfect way to unwind and relax, before the looming threat of work and responsibility kicked back in this morning. boo. 

i finished...and my hand is still cramping

the sand and background came together fairly quickly over the course of sunday (after our ritual weekend trip to starbuck's!) 

i was highly motivated to cross that finish line, and made the final touches while there was still daylight outside!

red wiseman

i love his beard! nativities are synonymous with beards, so it's always fun to learn new techniques!

on to the final (and very green) wiseman now? jury's still out. my hand is still a little crampy and i'm not sure if it's from my speed round on sunday, or a combination of needling, computer, and scrolling through instagram. 

purple reign

(see what i did there?)

i really had every intention of finishing this guy sooner, but something came up :)

(more on that later)

robe lining and bottom hems completed

the finished product!

purple wiseman

should i continue stitching these one after the other, or should i move on and start something else? i'm usually a "one-at-a-time" girl with my stitching, but maybe it's time to branch out?

it's a double feature finish!

i really didn't expect to finish stitching the baby so quickly, but the stitch area was significantly smaller, and the stitches were just too fun to put down.

jesus

remember this fellow that i stitched a while back? he and whirling dervish were the first friends to be sent to the finisher this year and i'm happy to say that the fur has been trimmed, and he is ready for his permanent place on the christmas tree!

petei south pole santa

a friday finish!

another one bites the dust!

joseph

joseph and his amazing technicolor dreamcoat are moving into the finish pile, and this little bébé

 is up next!

for such a tiny canvas, i'm hoping i can have him finished this weekend. enjoy the sunshine!

fabulous finishing!

as previously stated, i'm trying to be better about sending items off to the finisher and not letting the "finish" stash pile up too much. i completed the last 2 remaining canvases in the princess & me nativity set, and used my tax return to send them off to the finisher! #adulting

i tried my best with the lighting, but the constant downpour from this weekend wasn't doing me any favors...

the dog and cat were the last canvases stitched this year, and i chose to do the same black and white cording for each piece, since the checkers were a common theme amongst most of the canvases. the finisher did an amazing job on these, and they are nice and heavy. would it be wrong to have these displayed all year? i can't bear to put them away just yet!

previous nativity stitching seen here

nativity club progress

i signed up for the carol dupree nativity club through the french knot in 2013 but because i signed up for 3 nativity clubs in the same year, i had to prioritize. after sending off my princess & me nativity set to the finisher, i figured this was the perfect time to start another!

mary

first up: mary. sorry for the lack of progress pics on her. i've found that with smaller canvases it's harder to make myself stop and take pictures since these work up so fast! i love diana's stitch choices - these clubs are such a great way to become familiar with stitches you would never think to do.

on deck: joseph

after completing the face/hair, his rust-colored dressing was next. 

latest update from last night's stitching. i began to layer on the cream, gold and green trimmings and really love the robe trim and how vibrant it is. i treat each new color as a new piece to the puzzle, so it's neat to see how everything starts to come together. 

happy weekend!

2016 stitching & finishing

i figured that now would be a good time to show some of my stitchy pieces that i've been working on for this year!

the colder holiday season always makes me want to cross stitch something!

country cottage needleworks "merry christmas"

(for my boo...)

*fun fact: this is the first iowa state candy cane they painted!

carol dupree iowa state candy cane

funda scully kkg hinged box

(for my boo...)

this was such a fun project, and finally presented the perfect canvas opportunity to use my teeny tiny heart button! also a great stash-buster

in good company iowa mini-stocking

with the recent welcome of spring, i pulled these cuties out of my stash and loved bringing them to life! i've got big plans for the finishing (hint: it includes a giant bow)

ewe & eye bunnies

i've set a goal to be better about managing the finish pile, so i'm trying to slowly get canvases to the finisher one by one. this guy was an obvious first choice!

petei whirling dervish santa

i've stitched through SO much of my stash this past year that i am now left with some larger projects that i was putting off for a while. one of those that i've started is the carol dupree nativity club through french knot. hope you'll tune in for the progress pics!

xoxo