Christmas Recovery

It has been an exciting month and I finally have a chance to breath! My courses for the fall are done (2 exams and 2 papers due early in December), work finished for the month, kids finished university and high school, and then all the cleaning and cooking. But now the company has headed home, and the DH and DDs are doing the airport run and then off spending gift certificates, so I am home alone. My only responsibility is the laundry, which leaves me time to clean out my embroidery area. I've been working on a few projects, but not cleaning up afterwards so I have a huge pile to organize back into thread keepers and boxes.

The biggest excitement is one of my gifts from my husband - The Cabinet of Curiosities Course!!!

Like Tricia, I have always wanted to make my own, with stumpwork, so I can't wait to take the course, and then the second one as well with the stumpwork.  As soon as Tricia announced the course I told my husband it was all I wanted for all present giving events for the next 18 months, but then he got me other things anyway. Two really neat fabric related things are a Harris Tweed book, everything from the sheep to the fashions, and a Harris Tweed purse to go with it.  I feel quite lucky to be so indulged.

Part of my busy December was finishing this pillow as a gift for my mother in law.  I took a Fabulous Fillings course with Joyce Lukomski back in October at our regional EGA meeting and used her filling designs to create this wavy pillow.  I used Planet Earth Fiber Silk for most of the purples, yellows, and greens, and Opal for the dark gold, plus some Kreinik braid in purple and gold and Rainbow Gallery Silk Lame Braid in dark green.  It was great fun and I finished with a backing of purple silk duponi.  I'm really happy with the way this turned out.



I've managed a couple of smaller things that will eventually reside in my 'Cabinet'.  I finished the Tulip Slip from Needlework Nibbles (please excuse the orientation of the photo but the new Blogger won't let me fix it).  I love the Grecian braid used for the finishing and the silk velvet is wonderful to work with.

This pinkeep is from a kit by The Posy Collection.  The silver ring and chain were a silver anniversary gift from my husband.  Both were purchased in Colonial Williamsburg back in August when we went for our anniversary.

I have until January 9, when I start 3 new classes online, to get my workspace in order and get projects ready to go.  I found an excellent Jane Austen knitting magazine with a couple of scarf patterns I want to try, and I'm thinking of a small embroidered purse to hold my phone when I'm at work and don't have pockets in my clothing.  I think a sweetbag design with a long strap would be very functional and decorative and if I don't make it too flashy, it should go with anything.  I knit my daughter a small purse out of a specialty yarn years ago and that would also work, so I'll have to think a little further on that one.  I just want something small for keys and a phone so when I have to go to another building or even to the ladies' room, I'm not holding my cell phone (it is the emergency phone number for the high school so I hate to go around without it).  And of course, we will continue to work on the coif!

I'm not sure how much I will be able to post once classes start, but this term finishes in March so I'll be able to catch up then, just like now.  The 'Cabinet' course will start in May and luckily the first few months will be spend studying the history of caskets and their design, so I will be able to easily catch up when I'm finally done all my certificate work in August.  I can't wait to make my own box!