Catching up...

Hello friends!  As you probably noticed, I've been offline for a bit.  I really needed to recharge and just take a break.  This last year really whooped my tail.  Besides, holiday time is so good for that kind of thing.

There's so much I need to catch you up on since our last proper visit.  Let's see if I can recap without this getting too lengthy.

The guild had it's annual Christmas party on the 13th.  There was so much beautiful show and tell to drool over due to the guild's Quaker Challenge.  I'll let you read about it over at Ellen's blog.  She did a really nice recap post shortly after the event.

I do want to share a couple special things here with you though.  Firstly, my contribution to the challenge.  I started stitching "Quaker Faith" back in January last year as my New Year's start.  I'm pleased to share that it's now actually framed and completed.  Check it out!

 Sorry for the dark picture.  I was trying not to get a glare on the glass.

Check out the corner close up below!

Design: Quaker Faith

Designer: Little by Little

Fabric:  35ct. Jackalope

Floss:  DMC as charted

Started:  1/1/14

Finished:  8/10/14

Framed: 11/29/14

Special thanks goes to Melissa over at Words and Blooms for offering this as a giveaway and for pulling my name as the lucky winner!  Also, thanks goes to Nancy C. for suggesting the Quaker challenge.  It prompted me to pull this lovely out and work on it.  This challenge had the most participation we've had since I joined the group!  And last but certainly not least, thanks to Barb and Joe at Keepsakes for the beautiful framing.  You two make everything look spectacular!

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Keeping with sharing special things from the guild party, here's the ornament I stitched for my Secret Stitcher.  This was for the person I'd been sending to all year.

Design:  Faith (2014 JCS Ornaments)

Designer:  Nickyscreations

Fabric:  28ct. Natural

Floss:  DMC as charted

Started:  9/12/14

Finished:  9/26/14

Completed: 12/8/14

This year we didn't do the traditional reveal we usually do but did a more informal one.  Turns out my person sat next to me.  I expected she would be at my table anyway because my person was my peep Linda!  Yep, it was really hard to keep that secret all year long.  LOL!  She said she had no idea it was me.  Too funny!  Linda, I really enjoyed sending you packages this year.  I'm glad I was your Secret Stitcher.  Love ya!

Design: Merry Christmas (2013 JCS Ornaments)

Designer: My Big Toe Designs

Fabric:  32ct. Cream

Floss:  WDW & DMC

Started:  11/16/14

Finished:  11/30/14

Completed:  11/30/14

This is the ornament I stitched for the person who had been sending me my Secret Stitcher packages all year long.  I like to stitch something as a thank you for all her thoughtfulness.  Turns out my person was Pam S.  I just love that girl...she "gets" me.  Pam, I loved all the packages you sent me.  You made my day each and every time!

I'm going to do a separate post to share all the beautiful gifts I received at the party and during the holiday season.  They really deserve their own post!  Stay tuned for that.

The guild has sadly decided to do away with Secret Stitcher this year due to lack of interest.  However, that's not going to stop me.  Nope, I've decided I'm going to RAK (Random Act of Kindness) folks this year.  I love surprises and I figure other folks do too.  It's going to be so much fun!

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 This holiday season I had the good fortune of being able to get together with the peeps more than once for stitching and visiting.  The Friday before Christmas the peeps got together for a stitchy party.  We didn't do much stitching that night but more eating, visiting and exchanging of gifts.  It was such a fun evening.  Here's a picture of the table filled with the haul!

There was so much on that table, I couldn't fit it all in.  LOL!  I really have some thoughtful peeps.  More on that later...

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Then there was getting together with my quilty peeps the Monday before Christmas.  We've taken to going to a local BBQ restaurant for our get together.  That way nobody has to clean house.  Tee hee!  It was nice to get to visit with those girls too.  We still get together once a month at one of our homes to work on our current projects.  We are down to the four of us now and a couple of us don't really quilt much anymore but we still enjoy each other's company just the same.

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Then there was Christmas!  This year was pretty low key for us.  We did our traditional Christmas Eve with my honey's side of the family.  Always a yummy meal cooked by my MIL and SIL.  The actual holiday was really low key for us this year.  Just my honey, Shelby and I hanging at the house.  My folks were both sick with the flu that everyone is getting so we didn't see each other till my birthday/their anniversary.

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Then came my birthday four days later.  It too was pretty low key.  As I mentioned, my folks came down for a little visit.  It was nice to see them even though I could tell they were not 100% yet.

Oddly enough, this year I didn't get much in the way of stitchy things.  My honey did get me a gift certificate to Keepsakes for stash enhancement at the upcoming retreat.  He's a keeper, that one!

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Then the stitchy peeps had an impromptu sit and stitch the day after my birthday since the majority of us had the holidays off.  There were a couple that couldn't make it.  Although one kept our phones dinging like slot machines with her group texts.  LOL!  I decided to work on the Parrots that day.  I hadn't shown them any love for a while.  No, I didn't finish them before the new year.  I'm hopeful they'll be a finish in 2015.

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My final visit for 2014 was on New Year's Eve with one of my quilty peeps, Mary.  She invited me over for tea at elevenses.  She puts up three separate feather trees and wanted me to see them before she took them down.  One is a white tree she decorates with heart ornaments and leaves up until February!  Sadly, I didn't get a picture.  It never crossed my mind.  We were too busy visiting.

Later that evening, we rang in the New Year just the two of us...well and Shelby.  I was pulling floss and fabric for a couple new starts.   As well as winding DMC onto bobbins. I have a goal to get my entire stash of DMC wound eventually.  Yes, we really set the world on fire at our house...such partyers we are.  LOL!  And that folks, is how I ended my year.

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As you can tell there was a lot of socializing done during the holidays.  I am so blessed to be surrounded by such wonderful friends and family.  Thanks for sticking with me on this lengthy post.  Believe me, it could have been much longer.   I'll be back with more year end wrap up soon.  Gotta go download some pictures!


Happy New Year everyone!

The Inspired Stitcher