Making a Heart

 

It's so hard to get a good photo of how sparkly this is. I'm making this one for myself.

Gifted Gorgeousness for November 2023

 This lovely SAL is hosted by the wonderful Jo over at Serendipitous Stitching. Just post a photo of something that is a gift, was gifted to you or you call call a gift in some way.

These hearts fit so well into this category. Clara over at Clara Stitching taught me how to make these hearts on her workshop although I swore I didn't like goldwork. Her teaching was a gift to me! I made two as gifts for my mom:

And then my sister said she would like to gift this one to a friend:

I still need to put a backing on them and a pin of some type. The last one needs a cross too, but I will be able to put them in the mail before Christmas which is also a win!

Which reminds me, I need to get to work on my ornament exchange...

Today is TUSAL November 2023

 I love this SAL! All you need to do is post a photo of your orts. I love seeing all the bits of thread I have left from stitching during the month. Not that I post my ort bowl monthly, although I rarely post it monthly!

 I don't know if you can see, but this bowl has a ton of sparkly threads from my hearts. I hope to have them finished here soon.

Some Sparkle!

 It is so hard to get a good photo of the goldwork. My chipping isn't great, but I am enjoying stitching these pieces.

WIPocalypse October 2023

 I did not do the challenge to stitch on one piece for the entire month. Life was just a little hectic. But I do have 12 pints of apple butter....Thank you to Melissa from Measi Musings for hosting this lovely SAL.

Question of the month: How do you begin planning for the next year with your stitching? Tell us your process.  Well, I do start planning for the next year around now. I mentally think about the WIPS I am working on and think if I can finish any of them and get them off my WIP list. If the answer is yes, then I make those projects a priority. Next I think of any WIPs that I want to finish in 2024. Is it feasible? How much time will it take? What projects do I want to make progress on even if I don't complete them.

So I must finish these hearts before the end of the year as they are a gift for my mom:

That makes them a priority now along with the ornaments I am making for some exchanges.

Susan Schlitcher is a priority as I would like her done by spring:

Dawn to Dusk is another piece I would like to have done in 2024. I will have to spend some serious time on this piece:

 One that I want to work on, but has no chance of getting done in 2024 is my casket, Harmony of Nature. But I must work on it and make some progress in the coming year.

I look forward to the end of the year and showing what pieces I stitched and actually finished. Will I have fewer than 30 WIPs? Time will tell!

A Bit on My Heart

 Well, I finished the stitching on my Immaculate Heart. I need to fully finish it and put the sword into the heart. Here are my progress photos:

It is small and a relatively fast stitch.

Whitework and a Bit of Bling

 I decided I really should finish this piece during Sampler September. It has been in my WIP pile since 2014, I do believe.

I cut the threads and I need to start wrapping bars. 

I have done the next part of my gold work heart.

I am enjoying stitching this piece. I may have to look into more gold work.