Friday, December 30, 2011

The Last of My Christmas Finishes

Here are the final two Christmas finishes which I can now share with you   : )

This first one was stitched from a Country Rustic Primitives pattern.  I used sawdust for the stuffing & I loved using it!  Sawdust or crushed walnut shells ... both are wonderful!


And this one was stitched from a Lizzie*Kate pattern, Noel.  As with most of my photos I apologize for the blurriness.  Perhaps I should have asked Santa for steady hands for Christmas.     


For the past couple days I've been organizing my cross stitch stuff.  First I typed a list of all the cross stitch fabrics I already have.  My patterns were already sorted in files by designer name but I broke that down even further.  Each designer file now has subfiles ... Christmas, Fall, Winter, & Other.  Since my plan this coming year is to stitch as many Christmas & winter things as possible, I can now just open my file boxes & quickly see what I have to choose from in the Christmas/winter genre rather than having to dig through a whole file to see what's there.  If I already have the fabric a pattern calls for, I placed an easily removable pink sticker on each pattern so I'll know I can begin stitching that design whenever I want to.  For all other patterns I made a list of fabrics I need to purchase for those.  These patterns will eventually be pink stickered when I get those fabrics.  

Now I can start stitching something ... lol!  I know what I'm going to stitch first but I can't tell you what it is yet.  You'll see it eventually   : )

I've been having flashbacks all day, thinking to myself "last week at this time I was cutting up celery for the potato salad," or "last week at this time I was wrapping John's movie gift card."  It seems hard to believe that Christmas got here so quickly & then left just as fast.  I always have a bit of a problem dealing with this each year.  I hate to see Christmas end.  This coming year will almost be a year-long Christmas preparation for me what with crafting things for my 2012 Christmas sales inventory & cross stitching Christmas items.  This, of course, all being done in between cleaning, organizing, & otherwise getting the house ready to put up for sale in the spring & then packing & moving heaven knows where once it sells.  Lots to look forward to in 2012  : )          

10 comments:

Hillcresthome Prims said...

I love your new goodies you made, very talented!
Hugs and Kisses,
Tricia XO

prims by olde lady morgan said...

Shirlee, You have been a busy gal!!!
I am with you, right after Christmas is such a let down..over so fast, that's why I am not in a hurry to take everything down jsut yet. Happy New Year! OLM

Nicola said...

I like the way you have organised yourself. Nice finishes as well.

Wishing you and your loved ones a very happy New Year, may it bring you gifts of joy, health and happiness and lots of stitching time for you.

Michelle said...

Lovely stitching Shirlee. Yes I agree where did Christmas go but here's to 2012 which I hope is a wonderful year full of many blessings for you xx

cucki said...

aww cute finish..i love it..
thank you for my lovely cutest pillow..
sending you hugs
happy new year
cucki xx

Carol said...

Oh, such a cute little pillow, Shirlee... Have never heard of fillings of sawdust--where do you get it? Cute LK pillow, too!

Doesn't it feel good to organize? I've been doing a bit of it myself this week, but have a long way to go! What I really need is a better way to store my fabric... May have to take over an old entertainment center and make that into my cross stitch cupboard :)

Wishing you a delightful 2012!

TheCrankyCrow said...

Oh....Missy Shirlee....I'm loving that CRP "Joy" pattern....talk about being a little seductress....You're making me want to build a stash....I LOVE the finish on that one.....I'd so love to come and play at your house....I'd love to see your organizing system (yeah, you know I'm twisted like that.....) And what's this "sales inventory"???? Do you sell your hand-did's someplace and I'm once again an ignorant crow??? Please do enlighten! And I so agree about the time....Christmas, though, will be in my house for some time....I always leave it up well into the new year anyway (hey - it's a SEASON!) - but this year, don't know when I'll get around to taking it down. (I'm still in awe that I got as much "up" as I did!) Wishing you a wonderful new year my dear friend - hope it's filled with dreams come true....Smiles & Hugs ~ Robin

denise said...

i'm like you i'm gonna be stitching christmas almost all year. just wish i had my patterns as organized as you. i'm working on t. Happy New Year!!!!! Happy Stitching!! Denise

Angela said...

I love your finishes Shirlee as usual. Amazing pieces. I still haven't given up on CCS but it's on the back burner for awhile. All my Christmas is stored away for another year, but this year I left my German Twig tree up and am putting my snowman ornaments on it and doing snowmen in the great room. That way getting back to normal will take a little longer. I , too, hate that Christmas seems to go by so fast. I plan on spending many hours in my craft room soon organizing and throwing away. I have already started several ornaments for the holidays next year. Some I never got around to doing this season. Take Care and Have fun stitching.
Angela

Kaisievic said...

Hi Shirlee, that is so organised - what a great idea - I might need to borrow it.

You are going to be busy if you are going to be selling your house this year.

Happy New Year to you,

Hugs, Kaye xoxox