Finished!!!

I can't believe I have waited a whole month to make this post. 

On October 12, at 130 in the early morning, I put the last stitch in Nikki's stocking! 

As I unrolled it from the frame it was on, 

I was surprised at how long it was. 

And here it is!

I don't know why it looks so tan here, maybe it is because 

I took a picture at night.

The next day, Saturday I took it to The Attic Needlework shop to have it sent to the lady who makes it into a stocking. 

The sales girl was afraid I was too late getting it in. She said if I didn't a call on Tuesday, it was sent off OK. 

If I do it will be too late for Christmas.

I never received a call on Tuesday, so I was on time. 

Now to wait for the call that it is finished!

While in the shop I remembered to take a picture of the back.

That is something I like to do, just for fun to see how the backs look. 

The underside always reminds me of the poem, 

The Weaver, 

by Grant Colfax Tullar

My life is but a weaving
Between my God and me.
I cannot choose the colors
He weaveth steadily.

Oft’ times He weaveth sorrow;
And I in foolish pride
Forget He sees the upper,
And I the underside.

Not ’til the loom is silent
And the shuttles cease to fly,
Will God unroll the canvas
And reveal the reason why.

The dark threads are as needful
In the weaver’s skillful hand,
As the threads of gold and silver
In the pattern He has planned.

He knows, He loves, He cares;
Nothing this truth can dim.
He gives the very best to those
Who leave the choice to Him.

The Attic

Week 33, Nikki's Stocking Update

This post will be short and sweet!

I have been busy preparing for the 

9/11 National Day of Service on Saturday the 14th. 

Plus, I am helping some lovely people I know,

to care of their bedridden Mom. 

I go a little crazy sometimes. 

But here is the progress I have made!

Be Happy! Be Creative!

Weeks 30, 31, 32 Nikki's Stocking Update

Yes, I am doing three weeks at once. And in case you think there should be 4 weeks of updates. I was on vacation in Florida for a week and didn't do any stitching, but I had a good week in Florida. 

Week 30

I was able to fill in the center flower and the branches on both sides.

I still have flowers to add to the branches.

Week 31

I wanted to get Nikki's name on her stocking, so that is what I did!

I planned her name out on the graft. 

It looks so good!

Week 32

So since Nikki's name is in place. I was able to start the top vine.

The end of the vine on the right looks like it is off, 

but I counted that sucker five times. Actually, everything on the right side looks off, because the fabric isn't in the frame straight. 

I even did a running stitch and the stitches are 

in the same line of holes.

Last night, August 30th, I finished the vine. 

Now, all I have to do is add flowers and leaves. 

The vine is basically the top of the stocking!

I am getting close to being done!!!

Week 29 Nikki's Stocking Update!!

I made great progress this week. I am excited!

Next week I might make less progress than I want because 

want to make my 6 scrapbooking pages for July.

Of course, I left it for the end of the month. 

Silly Girl!

Week 28 Nikki's Stocking Update

I am counting the post showing I finished the foot of the stocking 

as the update for week 27th. 

While working on the angels I asked Nikki if she would like this back stitching around the angel's clothes. She said she does like it. 

This is what the angel would look like without the back stitching.

It looks better with the backstitching!

So here is all the progress for this week.

Things were slowed down a little,

 as I had a Just Serve project to work on.

This is all I have left to work on!

Extra Stocking Update!

At 12:33 AM on July 10th, 

I put the last stitch in the foot of the stocking!

It would have been earlier on the 9th but I stopped to speak to both of my daughters when they came in from different activities. 

I was determined not to go to be until I finished that side.

Close-up of the left side foot area. All done!

The bottom of the stocking!

The stocking has been rolled up to work on the upper half!

Strange to see a different view of the stocking after 

looking at that foot for so long!

Six Months One Month at a Time

January 4th Day one!

February One Month

March  Two Months

April Three Months

May Four Months

June Five Months

July Six Months

I think I am more than halfway done with the stocking

 even though I have the top half of the stocking to go. 

The foot part has a lot of details and filling in. 

Week 26 July 4, 6 month mark

I just realized I should have taken a picture on 

June 27th for the Week 25 update. But I didn't!

I started the stocking on January 4th and 

July 4th marked the 6-month mark. 

I am still working on that foot part and I did roll it 

up from the bottom so I am making progress.

On July 3rd, I decided I wasn't going to stitch the fence on the hill in the off-white because it isn't visible against the background fabric. 

I decided to blend one strand of each off-white with one of the golden tans. Making a new color. I used two different colors and asked Nikki which she liked better. 

Interestingly we both liked the lighter of the two choices. 

We decided on the left one.

Here are the first few fence boards compared to 

the fence on the other stocking I made.

Looks much better.

Close-up of the completed fence.

Comparison of the two fences.

This is what I have accomplished since my last post.

All flowers and leaves on the right side are completed.

Finished filling in the left basket, finished the blue flower on the left, and finished the fence on the hill. 

Last night on July 6th, I rolled the stocking up from the bottom 

and worked on the large flower on the left.

Be Happy!

Week 24 Nikki's Stocking Update

Can you see the progress I made? 

There are new leaves on the right and an 

almost finished flower on the left. 

I had some struggles with my new magnifying glasses. 

I was wearing them alone without my normal progressive glasses. 

The problem was I couldn't read my chart well. 

With the help of my husband he removed the arms of the glasses and replaced the arms with an elastic strap. With the strap loosened I can wear my own glasses and the magnifying glasses.  

Now I can read the chart and see to stitch. 

Maybe my speed will improve now.

Two weeks until the half a year mark.

Week 22 and Week 23 Nikki's Stocking Update

This picture was actually taken on Wednesday the 5th. I had just gotten a new thread and realized I had used the wrong color to fill the basket. It looks so close to the other color I hadn't realized it wasn't a match. Since I had finished so much of the basket, I decided to continue with the same color. No one will know, except I just told the world. 

Here is a comparison between the two stockings. 

Kierra's from 1995 and Nikki's.

I actually like the mistake better, it is brighter.

This is the picture for Thursday, June 13th.

I was tired of filling in the basket, so I started working on the flowers and leaves above. Each time I look at this I find more missing flowers on the right side. 

At this point, I think I will never get this foot area done. 

But I will!

The top will be easier!

Week 21 Nikki's Stocking update for May 30

Since it was such a busy week, prepping fleece to take to High Adventure for the kids to have a Just Serve project to work on. 

Yes, I trimmed the salvage off of all that fleece yardage!

And enjoying 3 days and 2 nights at camp.

Even with all that I did manage to get some stitching done. 

After finishing the right branch in the left basket, I realized I still needed to do that branch in the right basket. 

So, I did that and started some leaves. 

Do you remember my broken magnifying glass? Well, the tape didn't hold up. And I was tired of retaping it. 

And I could not find a new glass like the one I had to replace the broken one.

I bought a new magnifying glass on Amazon. The picture looked good and the principle sounded good. It was supposed to hang from my neck. However, the flexible neck material was too long, and the magnifying glass was not in the correct place for me to see. 

I did all kinds of configurations to try and make it work. The one below worked the best but was uncomfortable. 

See that black circle on my head, that is the neck support for the magnifying glass. Yup, I twisted that thing around 

and placed it on my head. 

I did that for several months until I couldn't stand it anymore. 

So I broke down and bought these new glasses 

with interchangeable lenses. 

What a difference they make. 

More comfortable and I can change the lenses if I need to. And I don't need my regular glasses with them. 

Here is hoping I will have more time to stitch this week.