Dateless on a Friday night and it's OK!

I am alone on a Friday night and am I lonely?  No way!  My husband took off for New England yesterday to ski his heart out and I am left to stitch to my heart's content.  I have also pulled out all my "unfinished finished" projects and trying to decide what to do with them all.  I have a few frames, (praying for patience) and fabric and pillow forms to use.  I figure I can make a mess and not worry about cleaning it up since there is no one around!  Just the kitties and me and the snow and cold.

I mounted this tiny piece that I stitched up in April of 2009 on a little box that I picked up at the craft store.  I was trying to find a way to mount it on a larger fabric covered box but in the end just took the easy way out.  I painted the box with cranberry colored paint.  I am going to start experimenting with covering boxes with fabric as well as paper. 

 Blackbird Designs

Platinum Belfast

over 1 with Thread Gatherer Silk

This piece was a freebie offered by Blackbird Designs.  I'm sure many of you remember it since you also stitched it!  The stitched area is only 2 x 3 1/2 inches.  This is a little gift for my daughter Claire, whose birth year is stitched next to her name.

I also made friends with my sewing machine again and stitched up this cover for my ereader since I couldn't find a pre-made cover that would fit.  I always want to have a "do over" when I finish something!  I had a little trouble interpreting the pattern I purchased off of Etsy.  If I make another one I probably would leave off the smaller pocket on the inside but for the most part I am happy with it. 

No other stitching photos to share at the moment.  I'm working on a little La D Da piece called Leaping Cat.  Shouldn't take long to finish this one.  I pretty much abandoned the Christmas ornaments I started as well as another little piece I want to give to my daughter.

Cheddar kitty

One of my kitties loves the ironing board (which I hardly ever put away) since I think she feels safe up there.  I have a lint roller nearby to remove her hair when I need to iron!  Excuse the messy corner.  See the exercise ball in the laundry basket?  Not that I'm using it mind you, it just looks good. 

Now, if I wasn't so warm and cozy as well as lazy I'd get myself to the nearest Redbox and rent a $1 movie.  Maybe tomorrow...

Car wrecks, kitty cats and a cat's meow

Not a heck of a lot of stitching goin' on here! I thought I would be done with Cat's Meow by now, but there were days that I didn't pick up the needle.

Been a bit preoccupied with household "stuff" this past week, one of them being the big wreck below. It's fixed now, but we still don't have the insurance check. DH had a lapse of concentration leaving work and had a little "fender bender" (his exact words to me). It's only a car, I told myself, but I was a little upset.

poor sad car...

I want to finish up Cat's Meow this weekend. This was a chart that I bought on impulse some years ago. It's something I probably wouldn't choose now, but it is cute and of course has cats, which is always good!

Speaking of cats, if you saw the photo of my cat Cheddar watching TV and you want to know what had caught her attention, it's this video.

If you're also wondering why my Maine Coon type cat has the name of Cheddar, it's because I let my son (he was about 14 at the time) choose the name. There is no rhyme or reason for it and the name stuck. We ADORE this kitty!

I'll be playing nursemaid in a couple of weeks since DH decided to go ahead with hip surgery. He originally thought he could put it off until next fall, but his hip has gotten so bad that he took the first surgery date they had. He is having a hip "resurfacing" instead of a hip replacement. This will enable him to hopefully be as active as he has always been. He's too young to give up the cycling, skiing, hockey and hiking. He needs to take up a nice sedentary hobby like needlework so he doesn't wear down those old bones!

My finishing problems...

It never fails. I am all enthusiastic about making Christmas gifts and I never give myself enough time. On top of that, my finishing abilities stink! My stitching is fine, it's the final presentation that stumps me. That is why I have so many projects just sitting in a drawer, offering no proof whatsoever that I actually do stitch.

I finished this little ornament for a friend at work the night before I needed to give it to her. Notice the lumpy filling, the crooked side seams and the bumpy bottom where I sewed the opening? I sure do! Never the less, she loved it and said it was the perfect gift. Maybe I can make her another cancer piece for her that looks a little more presentable.

Kylie's Heart (freebie found here)
DMC on 22 ct Congress cloth

So...I think I will get out some old linen pieces and practice a few techniques before I have to use them on stitched pieces. I have been harvesting finishing ideas from all of your blogs but I am missing a lot of the details. Practice makes perfect, right? Wish me luck!

I have signed up for the 2009 Christmas Challenge, so I will be motivated to stitch, finish and perfect. Watch for my progress details.

I leave you with a picture of our cat Cheddar under the tree.