Out of the starting gate....

We had our snowstorm as promised-- we got about 5 inches. 

The house just never looks so peaceful and beautiful as when wearing a blanket of white.

Our little lantern stayed on the entire day to make us feel warm...

I went out to explore and found our holly trees looking very festive!

It is safe to walk up the little stone stairs-- no spider webs!

We checked up on our neighbors, and shoveled for an older couple.

(hee, hee-- older than us, and I'm so pleased to say I was only a little sore the next day!)

And best of all, the power stayed on the entire time

On to sewing-- we're almost halfway through January--
some projects are exploding, others not so much!

Let's start with morning handwork. So I put away cross stitch and took out my Baltimore Album which is tantalizingly close to being finished-- who'd a thunk it? Twenty-five years in the making!

There are two blocks left that are about halfway done. Clearly, they are why this sat on a shelf for years. This is the "Heart Wreath." Great job on stitching down the vines! Until I realized some of the leaves were supposed to be behind them. Also, the blobby shaped ivy and weird flower petals do not lend themselves to the Appliquik method... I'm coming back to the idea I should once again try straight old needle turned applique, which I hate. Lost two weeks already overthinking this!

This is the other unfinished block-- I may switch back and finish it first. This was the original Month One of this series in 1997-- a heck of a place to start, with a Tree of Life for a beginner, right! Fortunately, most of this work is covered over with two birds and a lot more leaves, so I'm not sure why I worried over this anyway. There is a good bit of "not caring" about this project now, that is really a help to finishing a thing-- does anyone relate? It's the idea of don't let the perfect be the enemy of the good.

Now here are my business projects! So let me interject how blessed I am that my job and my hobby are the same thing. Fabric is my life-- does that sound hollow to you? It is my art-- my very being. 

So, Stitches of the Sea was very much in danger of being another victim of the pandemic. It was our 2020 stitch-along... then March happened. I very quickly ran out of the thread for the satin stitch color, then my favorite stabilizer. Everything was shut down. 

Other things became more important, like the free World Tour stitch-a-long. I stopped adding batting and backing each month and just stitched them out on the fabric, for speed. At the end of the year, I only had five usable blocks. 

I finally have the designs for the sashing, and this project is coming back to life-- this is just a corner using the blocks I have, but really it would take no effort to just stitch them up the right way now. This is going to be a 2022 finish, for sure! It's also been a bit of a metaphor for picking up and getting on with my life, post-pandemic. The Quilt-as-you-Go designs may be up as early as next week. Are you ready?

The February Cross Stitch ABCs piece is well underway-- just need to add some doodads. This didn't start out as a series, but I just love making them, and I'm starting to see some amazing projects on the Facebook group. Do you people understand how much you inspire me? I love you! <3

My first UFO piecing project of the year is "Winterville." I have 24 tiny Ohio stars made so far this year, which is why this one did shelf time for about two or three years.

So here's my quandary-- I could just finish up that center medallion and have a nice throw for the couch AND a beautiful snowflake and tree table runner with the extra blocks. Or I could continue on, add twelve houses, and make the full quilt, which most likely will not get a lot of use in my house. What would you do? 

As I've been evaluating my project load for the beginning of the year, I noticed how hard it is for me to "change plans." I have all the supplies to make the quilt, and maybe it's that I feel a quilt would have more value as an heirloom? I'd love your thoughts on this-- be warned, if you argue for the smaller pieces, I am going to be like the immovable object-- it's crazy how hard it is for me to change direction!

I'm really trying to settle in for the winter, to get the year off to a good start, and avoid running around too much. So here is just this sweet little project for me-- this is one of the thoughtful gifts I was telling you my son came up with this year-- he knows I love gardening-- isn't this just the best thing ever!

It's an "Aerogarden," and came with nine different herbs. You can graduate to cherry tomatoes, though! I'm also thinking I could use it to start flowers for the spring. Believe me, you will be getting updates as my little sprouts come to life! Maybe all the fresh herbs will rejuvenate my interest in cooking!

So here we are in 2022-- we made it! I am feeling extremely positive about everything, and really, with a view like this, who wouldn't.

Hope you are off to a great start.

xox

Carol