15 minutes a day...

WOW--this 15 minute a day thing is really working! Here's what my ornament looked like when I first started on this plan:

And a close-up of the center so that you get a better idea of where I really was:

And this is what it looks like after 11 days of working that plan (2 hours 45 minutes of stitching time):

Here's a closer view of the lower-right-hand corner--see the filling starting to appear?

See you next Sunday with another progress report! I wonder how many sections I'll have filled in by then?

And I wonder how many finishes I'll have next year if I only stick to this program?

Gay Ann mail!

Yippee! My first Gay Ann mail arrived today! Margaret Rose has landed, and she brought along the book on Bullion Roses.

I spent a very happy hour looking at them before putting them both safely away in the portable file box that I have dedicated to Gay Ann's charts. I'm sure I'll be pulling them out again to look at them while I wait for my next shipment.

It's so much fun to study new charts!

Oh, and I've been faithfully stitching for 15 minutes a day on Green Sparkle Angel. You're going to be amazed when you see the progress I've made! Look for the 'reveal' on Sunday!

Weekend update

Here's the result of stitching for 15 minutes a day on Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Sadly, when taking the photo this evening I noticed that I've got an error on the starting point for the bottom right hand gold diagonal that I stitched today. So tomorrow's 15 minutes will be spent picking it out and re-stitching. Oh, well. That's the way it goes sometimes. But I'm still happy with the amount of progress I can make in only 15 minutes!

E-Week is over, time to get stitching!

Well, it's finally, officially over. E-Week 2011 has come to a close...here's the final tally of what I ordered and added to my Gay Ann stash:

Emerald Angel

Glittering Diamonds

Perforated Ornaments set 1

Perforated Ornaments set 2

Margaret Rose

Lace Doily

Now that E-Week is over it's time for me to get back to putting in some time with the Green Sparkle Angel ornament (from last year's purchases) so that I'll have at least one Gay Ann stash finish this year! I'm planning on spending at least 15 minutes a day working on this until it's finished, and then I'll start another Gay Ann project.

Here's what my poor, neglected Green Sparkle Angel looked like when I last put her away:

I wonder how long it will take me to finish her?

If you haven't been to Gay Ann's website today, please make time to visit and watch the video "Stitching Elizabeth". It's a wonderful exhibit of some of the Elizabeth's--both in-progress and finished--that were stitched when Elizabeth made her debut at Callaway last year.

Emerald Angel

One more item--I just couldn't resist her any longer. I think I can use her for a box top and store my most precious stitching item inside--my mother's stork scissors.

I still love Mystery in a Corner, but I think one geometric will have to be enough--for now!

And Cyn--I was seriously tempted by New Orleans, too. But I resisted! I hope I don't regret that decision...

Well, I caved...

With the best of intentions I placed my order with Gay Ann yesterday--Margaret Rose, the book about bullion roses, and a lace doily that was the first of the Sunday morning specials. I was so proud of myself--I had really limited my purchases!

This morning diaster struck. It seems that Gay Ann (kindly, I guess...) decided to make the Saturday and Sunday sales available throughout the day today so that those members of her Yahoo SNS group who missed the weekend sales (there seems to have been some confusion about exactly where the sale was taking place) would have the opportunity to purchase some of those designs.

Well, there went all of my resolve. Suddenly I'm looking at MIAC, Glittering Diamond, New Orleans, and the perforated paper ornaments...

Before I know it, I've sent Gay Ann an email ordering Glittering Diamonds as well as both of the perforated paper ornament sets!

Oh, well. I'll enjoy stitching them over the next year. And who knows--maybe next year I'll have a bit more willpower!

Where has the year gone?

Here it is, EWeek again, and I've finished NOT ONE SINGLE PIECE of my Gay Ann stash! How shameful...as soon as I finish Celtic's hallowe'en ornament I've got to get back to stitching Green Sparkle Angel. I'd like to finish stitching her this year, even if I don't get her 'finished' and on the tree until Christmas 2012!

There are some beautiful designs being offered as part of EWeek this year--and lucky for me, only one that I consider a 'must have'. Gay Ann is selling "Margaret Rose," a design I've wanted since the day she showed it to us, so I'll be ordering her (but not the sewing case, I'm not really a sewing case kind of girl...) before the sale ends.

I'm looking forward to the early-morning sales on Saturday and Sunday, too, to see what might pop up. Who knows...there just might be something I 'need' behind one of those windows!