It's January. We've gotten all the Christmas stuff sorted and put away. It's been snowy and cold and it feels like we'll never be able to go out and enjoy any warm weather (or sunny weather - as any Ohioan could tell you). We are inside all the time and so the stuff creeps up on me. I got the urge to go through the bin of 'kits' and realized that I have at least 15 cross stitch kits, and not just those little ornament ones - I have 6 cross stitch Christmas stocking kits (and there are only 5 of us in this family), 4 big kits - (with completed designs that will be 11" x 14") and several others, including one that makes cross stitch cards - can't seem to have enough cards. That doesn't include the punch needle, linea, crewel and silk ribbon embroidery kits.
Enough is enough! I easily chose 4 kits that I knew I would rather not do. I am sure they were appealing when I purchased them, but the design on them is not my favorite anymore.
So, I decided to venture into the ebay world to try and recoup some costs from these. One good thing - ebay is currently not charging any listing fees until January 21, 2014.
The bad thing, I can't find anything that says what the actual fees will be after an item sells.
The first thing I listed was a hit - a Dimensions Gold Collection stocking that apparently is in big demand in the ebay world. You can see it above. The other items, not so much. Maybe they will get some buys at the end of the auction.
There are so many other things I would rather be doing than listing items on ebay. Something to remember for the future. I shouldn't buy anything until I am ready to make it right then and there. Because I will always find something.
Projects finished: 21
Projects given away: 11+Weeks: about 50
Have I told you how many crosstitch kits I have? Whew!!!! It's a lot. I usually spend an afternoon a week doing crafty things (usually jewelry) with a friend. She started working on a crosstitch kit and that inspired me to do the same. But I wanted something quick -where I could see the finish line when I started, so this little Christmas kit fit the bill.
Cute, simple, crafty.
Projects finished: 21
Projects given away: 7+
Weeks: about 40?
We've had 5 empty frames on our wall of framed pictures since I put them there. My husband had made names for the pictured people in them (the pictures were those that came with the frames when purchased). I knew I wanted to make silhouettes of the family but unsure of how to go about doing them. So I dug in and just figured that if I accidentally cut the silhouette paper wrong - well, then, it's just paper and I could try again.
This is by far one of the easiest projects that I've done and wished I had done it awhile ago to really capture the difference in face shapes from an infant to a toddler for the kids.
Of course, as I say it's been easy, I also want to redo some of the face shapes and haven't done so yet. My daughter's hair is a little weird in one. One son's face shape could be bigger and my husband was weirdly jutting his chin forward when I took his picture.
This was as simple as taking a picture on the digital camera and taping the wrong side of the picture to the wrong side of the silhouette paper (since it really didn't matter to me which way everyone was facing) and then cutting it out. I actually used a really good pair of nail-trimming scissors to cut them out because they are tinier and really sharp and I could get more detail with them.
Projects finished: 20
Projects given away: 7+
Weeks: about 40?
The holidays were busy but that's no excuse for not crafting! So, the next few days will include some of these finished ones and one that is steadily progressing...
First, a needlepoint bag. A Martha Stewart kit that I found on clearance (of course, the way most of the crafts have been attained), probably in 2011 or thereabouts. Unfortunately, I recycled the paper insert that shows the instructions and 'finished' copy.
So here it is,
Actually, it's quite pretty. The colors are bright and it has just enough detailing on it.
I wish I would have left the name off of it. I think it would be a nice gift for someone and frankly, I have a few wristlets and I've really been purging all the STUFF that I do have around the house and not trying to accumulate as much, but maybe this will be the push to get rid of another wristlet.
And here's the one that is progressing, a crosstitch stocking, started, oh, maybe 9 years ago or so? Ideally, I wanted to make a crosstitch stocking for the hubby, me and any kids we had, but, well, they take a really long time to make so I ended up making the kids some fairly easy felt applique ones, myself - I kept the one my mom made for me and my hubby has been stuck with a stocking I got as a gift from a friend a while ago. Maybe 2014 will be the year he'll have a handmade stocking. :)
I'm trying to get one strand of floss stitched up each day. Since I picked it up around New Year's Day, I've finished the tops of the trees and all the deer that is done and lots of little odds and ends.
Projects finished: 19
Projects given away: 7+
Weeks: about 40?
Here's a pattern I printed up awhile ago and bought the yarn sometime last year with the original idea to make one of these for my daughter and another for my niece for .... last Christmas!!!
And then, I had the yarn sitting on my nightstand for months waiting for the right moment to start, especially because the beginning was something like, chain 89, which I knew would take me some time to do. I have a harder time with crochet and figuring out what goes in which stitch.
Nevertheless, I finally started the pattern a few weeks ago and finished, actually fairly quickly - in about a month. And the result - its still quite big for my 7 year old - so it will have to wait until at least next Spring to get worn... That should give me enough time to put a button on it :)
Working on a kit...
I purchased this kit on sale (that is a theme with the items I get!) a few years ago and well, it fits the crafty need of both jewelry making and needlepoint/crosstitch.
So I forged ahead with it. The needlepoint part was very fun. Stitching the ribbon and the beads on - not too fun. It's nice to do when I have someone to talk to - so a good project to work on when my friend comes over for our craft/jewelry making time!
And to be clear... I started this in June and just finished it today!
I do like the way it turned out!
The beads around the edge are a little wonky - they don't quite cover the fabric and
I may need to tweak the button strap on it - but that should be easy.
This is the first item I've done this year from my stitching bin - I really enjoy the stitching part and really would like to get to more of these items! Sometimes, it is just overwhelming looking at all the options of what I can do - it's such a first world problem to have, isn't it?
Projects finished: 15
Projects given away: 7+ I think this can be included as a project.)Weeks: about 27
In my basement, that is.
I am determined to only use the yarn that I already own to make things, even as gifts for other people.
So here is another set of baby booties, for another friend who just had a baby.
I used 'I Love This Cotton!' by Hobby Lobby and it really knits (or crochets) up so much nicer than the Lily Sugar'n'Cream. Another point as to why to only knit with good yarn!
And also a simple baby hat.
Using up that yarn and making some nice gifts!
Projects finished: 16
Projects given away: 7+
Weeks: about 29
