Christmas Update

This Christmas I went to Amarillo to visit my husband's family.  I came back with a wicked cold and a canvas from Pocket Full of Stitches.  Pictures to follow in a few days......

My Christmas Tree

This year, I set up my Christmas tree and decided that I had a respectable amount of needlepoint ornaments to make a blog post.  I have been stitching Chrismons (Christian symbols) in tent stitch with Perle cotton and Kreinik since I started needlepointing in 2006.  I also have a few mini socks.  Enjoy!

My all- time favorite ornament!!  

My first piece after my sampler.  

Kathy Schenkle mini sock.  The first piece to go on my A&M tree that I WILL start next year.  

This is another one of my first pieces.  It's now a door hanger which hangs on my laundry room door.  

Estate Sale

This is definitely a hard post, but I think it's necessary.  In every needlepointer's life, we realize that we have a LOT of stash and that we may not be able to finish all that we have purchased.  Eventually, all of us will be called home, and what survives us on earth will have to be sorted through and given away.    A few months ago, a very prolific needlepointer in Houston passed away.  She loved to needlepoint and spread her love of the craft to everyone.  No one who has spoken of her, has spoken ill of her.  And everyone has spoken of her great love for all things needlepoint.  One thing that really struck me, is that this needlepointer was not stuck in "tent stitch only" mindset.  She explored new stitches and classes, and had lots of modern canvases in her stash.  She even had a sign in her needlepoint room that said "She who dies with the most needlepoint wins".  Everyone in our guild agrees that she won!  One day, her son and daughter-in-law set up a "shop" in their home, and for about 8 hours, all of the guild members could come and purchase what they wanted from her stash.  I think there was enough inventory for a store.  There were clothing racks and boxes of categorized canvases, racks of books, a whole table of threads, and a stack of stretcher bars.  I was fortunate enough to be able to take my lunch  hour and "go shopping".  Stash wise, I purchased a lot of great canvases, which I will show soon, but I realized that in my own life, I want to make sure that I use what I buy and that I don't buy too much.  I am sure this needlepointer was happy that others got to enjoy her stash and will stitch each canvas with love.

Kathy Schenkle mini sock

Petei squares- which will make great framed Christmas decorations

Melissa Shirley October Angel with threads

Kathy Schenkle Santa with threads

Petei Nativity