2008, a better year?

I want to thank everyone who have left comments on my blog and have sent me emails regarding my last post, which was back in September!! I just got another comment 5 minutes ago, you are all so sweet. So many of you have checked in often and it has meant a lot to me. Little windows of encouragement that I've needed.

The end of 2007 was so painful and unfortunately that pain is continuuing into 2008. But I've learned so much from this experience and I've changed so much (for the better) because of it. I've learned ~ time is precious, people are precious, family is precious, our children are so incredibly precious and God is in control. Even though I sit here with a heart still broken, I know that God knew what was going to happen and he knows what will happen in the future. And I am most definitely being refined through this.

I literally gave up stitching until just after Thanksgiving when I was able to muster enough strength to pick up a needle and finish Miss New Year's Fairy which was a Christmas present for my daughter. Isn't she pretty?

Miss New Year's Fairy

Miribilia

32ct "Fairy Dust" Belfast

Crescent Colours and Kreinik Braid

Started ~ 7-27-07

Finished ~ 11-26-07

Since then I have been forcing myself to stitch. It used to be such good therapy for me. Most of the time I can only stitch for about 15 or 20 minutes and then I get too antsy to sit.

I have been loosely following your blogs and hope to get back into blogging and leaving comments. I've been fiddling with my blog for the past week because I'd forgotten how to post pictures etc. DH had to help me get going with my blog this afternoon.

"Each day brings us a chance to do better and to make good. It is as though our slate has had the smudges of yesterday wiped out."

Update on Miss New Years and mean-spirited people

Miss New Years is almost there. All the stitching and backstitching is done, I just have the beading to do. She has been fun to stitch and hopefully I'll have her finished in a week or so.
I need to address the person who left an anonymous comment for me (I did not publish it). If you dislike my blog, then don't read it. I have found this somewhat puzzling that someone would leave me a comment about how much they dislike my blog and yet they seem to continue reading it. To whomever left the comment: Get a life and move on, there are hundreds of blogs out there you can be looking at. If you wish to continue to criticize me then be courageous enough to not hide behind the "anonymous" button and do it under your own blog name.

Miss New Year's Fairy

I went over to a friend's house last night to stitch and.... we actually did some stitching :). Of course we did a lot of chatting too. She made me a wonderful dinner and we had a nice relaxing evening. I worked on Miss New Year's Fairy while I was at her house, she's stitching up quickly and I am thoroughly enjoying her. Please excuse the wrinkled fabric, I just didn't have time to get her ironed.
Thanks for all the nice comments on St. Pete's, they're encouraging and help me to continue plodding along on it ;)

Update on Miss New Year's Fairy

Miss New Year's Fairy is coming along quite nicely. She's been pure joy to stitch, although I've had little time to put into her :(. Life has been crazy. Work has been extremely busy for me and trying to get the kids ready for school is leaving little time for stitching ;)

Miss New Year's Update and some stash

Here is my update on Miss New Year's. I LOVE working on her. I can't remember the last time I did not stitch on hand-dyed linen and I'm finding this is a nice change, all of her colors pop so much better on a plain color.
I did a little more shopping. We have upper row: Silkweaver 32ct Jobelan "Dreamin" and Silkweaver 32ct lugana "Iris Garden" (super pretty), bottom row: Silkweaver Tallahassee Teal 32ct belfast linen and Silkweaver 32ct belfast linen "Thunderstorm", all FQ's.

Thanks for stopping by and I hope everyone has a nice weekend stitching!

A New Start

My new start is Miss New Year's Fairy. I got a good start on her this weekend. I'm using 28ct Fairy Dust, I bought this linen on eBay and it was listed as 32 ct, but once I started stitching on it it was clear this was 28ct, which is okay but not my favorite count to work on. And out of the *TONS* of hand-dyed linen I have, I couldn't find anything that worked well with these threads. I'm happy with the Fairy Dust, the threads show up much better IRL.
Thanks for all the nice comments on my Noah's Ark finish, they were kind and inspiring ;)