hitting the holiday road!

hoping to post some progress pics during my vacation and roadtrips. 

happy holidays!

a holiday finish

there's something i love about cross stitch and the holidays. it feels so nostalgic, and stitching it gets you excited for the season. this adorable piece by country cottage needleworks was in my stash for a while, so i figured why not?

the simplicity of the tree, coupled with that great pink bow makes it an instant favorite for me. can't wait to frame it and make it part of my christmas decor!

friday finish

currently, my goal is to stitch only from my stash (threads included). it's been a fun and much-needed challenge, and i love being resourceful. of course there will be times that i do need to make a quick lns run, but i'm trying to save that for thread/bead emergencies. 

this painted pony sorority ornament had been in my stash for a few years. i got it during a trunk show and then tucked it away while i focused on other projects. 

after consulting my thread collection, i was delighted to find i had all the materials i would need to complete it, so i got to work. i apologize that in hindsight i didn't take in-progress pictures!

i switched up the main "body" of the heart because i knew i didn't want to mess with trying to count around the light blue painted areas. i really wanted to do pavillion diamonds in navy blue splendor. unfortunately the crappy camera work doesn't show how luxurious and shiny it is, but i love it

 criss cross hungarian was the obvious choice for the top portion with an offset cross in treasure braid. i chose to keep it simple in the middle with basketweave in silk lamé so that the beaded keys would really pop. i love how it turned out, this would make such a cute and easy gift for your favorite Greek girl!

it's nice to be back...

the interesting thing about a hobby is how it changes and grows with you. these past few months as i slowly dusted off my needles and quickly realized how much i missed it, it hit me how much this little hobby of mine has grown with me the past few years. 

i always loved needlepointing: the minute i took that first beginner's class, there was no turning back. when i moved to new orleans, i found myself with tons of time to devote to my newfound hobby because at the time, i was married to someone who had to study for school so much. it was great! i could spend so many hours adding to my stash, picking out thread, working on projects...and i got so much completed! stockings, a belt, ornaments, gifts, a giant sampler, all within 2 years. but as my marriage slowly disintegrated and we started living 2 separate lives (because we were 2 different people), i retreated into my hobby. i used it as a way to escape the pain i was dealing with and instead channeled it into projects.

and then when i finally found the courage to change my circumstances, i decided to change my habits too. i didn't want to escape into my needlepoint hobby and i didn't want to use it as an excuse not to go out and live my life. so i took a much-needed break, and it was exactly what i needed. i took time to focus on me and the things that are truly important to me. i explored the extremely daunting world of dating again and ended up finding someone truly special. someone who recently encouraged me to revisit my hobby. and i was scared. what if it became another escape? what if i let it consume me?

but that's just not the case. and i realize now that because i'm different, needlepointing is different. i'm happy, content and fulfilled in my personal life, and because of that, my hobby is just that: a hobby. i find myself in a healthy relationship where we love spending time together, but also enjoy spending time apart exploring our own interests. there is a balance. i'll stop myself before this gets all sappy, but i wanted you to know that i'm in a really great place. the best.

so that brings us to the most important question of the past year...what have i been working on? when last we left off i believe i had finished this holiday cross stitch

and this cute little petei santa

i had also started working on my next petei santa, which i am happy to say, i finished!

obviously i haven't trimmed the fur yet, but i always wait until it comes back from the finisher before i "manscape."

i have more goodies to share, so check back soon!

boots & beads is coming back!

hi lovelies! i'm working on some new posts for you with lots of stitchy updates, hope you will check back this week to see!

xoxo

a new start

after the success from my previous petei finish, i decided to capitalize and immediately start my next petei kit. 

i quickly stitched through the face and moved onto the top of the hat and mittens (kalem variations in burmilana)

next came the coat. a long cross in petite very velvet was the first layer, followed by the fern stitch in burmilana. the outer layers of the coat are the knotted stitch in alternating directions. 

he's all bundled up and ready for his buttons and turkey work fur!

a beautiful finish

remember ten million years ago when i finished this ornament?

the reason it took so long to finally get to the finisher and back to me was because it was part of the batch, along with my stocking, that we thought was stolen. i had completely forgotten about this little ornament until it came back to me recently!

i'm so glad this wasn't lost forever. i'm in love with the luxurious green silk that matches the memory thread perfectly. after the working and re-working, it's definitely worth it when it comes back from the finisher! 

it's a finish!

pardon my absence, i've been reveling in the Mardi Gras festivities of the city, and now i'm ready to get to the gym to work all that king cake out of my ass!

i also have a petite petei finish to share, i just love it...

a 2014 finish in the books!

almost finished!

the petei santa is almost done, and i love how it's starting to look!

after the final layer of the coat was stitched, i moved onto the fur and beard.

fur is a french knot/continental combination. super easy, and i love the effect!

now trying to find the motivation to continue basketweaving the background!

stretch before blogging...

i definitely feel like i need to do some serious stretching after my not-so-short blog break. this might be rusty, but i'm flying right in!

first, and most importantly, thank you from the bottom of my heart for your love and support. this has been an incredible journey, and thank you for giving me space to find my footing so this little bird could make its way back to the nest. 

^ that made sense....right? i was going for a bird-flies-back-to-the-blogging-nest metaphor there. 

more on my personal journey later. for now, i will give you an update and photo dump for what i've been working on lately!

i had this petei santa in my stash and luckily was able to snag a stitch guide and threads from the french knot! i'm on a big kick right now trying to work through everything that i have a guide and/or threads for before i move on to any new projects.

after completing the face, gloves and boots, i was ready to move on to the coat. the first layer called for an scotch stitch in alternate directions

there were some areas that were painted off-center, so i paid more attention to my counting.

the next layer was filling in the remaining red areas with a satin stitch in neon rays. it forms a cross-like shape, but i love how the different threads and shapes play off each other!

next came the silver layer, which called for a rice stitch combination in kreinik. 

his coat is starting to look so cute!