And You?
Once again Christmas has come and gone and I hope it was as enjoyable for you and your's as it was for us. Thank you for your Christmas wishes and the lovely comments on my Christmas post.
The New Year is quickly approaching and for me it is time to pay some attention to my January 1 start. Why a New Year's Day start you ask? Well it's like this. At the end of November one of my SP friends told us about a stitching tradition to start a new project on the first day of every year. Those of us who didn't know about this tradition could hardly wait to add it to our stitching rituals and of your course our whole group immediately started thinking/talking about what our 01/01 start would be. In the meantime we have all made our choices and they are as diverse as this great group of women.
Below is the picture which brought me to my new project. This is DH's nutcracker collection at the time it was removed from it's storage place. They were arranged in our front hallway for a picture prior to being displayed around our home. The collection has been expanded again this year as there are always so many interesting new nutcrackers to choose from and they make such great Christmas gifts. You will have to wait until Christmas 2008 to see the additions.
Suddenly it hit me. This past year I received a pattern for a nutcracker sampler from a friend when she heard about DH's collection. So here it is - my January 1 start.
The name of the sampler is "A Suite of Nutcrackers" and it will be stitched 1/2 on 32 ct opalescent white Lugana. Today I'll be preparing the fabric and pulling the colors so that I can be ready to place those first few stitches on New Year's Day. Exciting!!!!
And how about you? Were you aware of this stitching tradition? Do you have a January 1 start planned? I would sure love to hear all about it.
WISHING YOU ALL
A FUN AND SAFE NEW YEAR'S EVE
AND A
HAPPY 2008
posted by Margaret at 11:13 AM
30 Comments:
I have stitched these nutcrackers individually as Christmas ornaments! It's a great pattern and I wish you much luck with your Jan. 1 start....I hadn't heard about new starts on Jan. 1 until this year...and Yep, I've got mine all ready!
Your nutcrackers are very impressive! Your new start looks great and I have not heard jof this tradition I will have to pick out something to start I think!
I thought these nutcrackers looked familiar and it must have been on Vonna's blog that I saw them. :D
It's a great tradition to start something new on New Year's Day! Hmmm, what should I pick out?
What a perfect pattern! Good luck with your January start.
I wasn't aware of this tradition... Now I guess my first of january start would be "School of Needlework" by LHN, if I'm finished with "Stitcher's prayer" !
What delightful project for an 01/01 start. Currently I am in the middle of a finishing frenzy so might not start anything this new year then again I might just change my mind.
Nutcrackers! Nice stitching. Take care Margaret and a Happy New Year to you!
What a cool collection! And of course, you'll need to have The Nutcracker ballet playing in the background as you stitch!
Happy New Year to you and your family:)
Happy New Year, Margaret & family!
Those nutcracker's are fabulous! I think your nutcracker pattern will be a great start. Happy New Year to you and your family.
Happy New Year, Margaret!!
Loved the picture of all the nutcrackers, what a fun collection. Your new start looks like it will be lovely (and fun) as well. As to my doing a new start today, I haven't decided. There are a couple I'd like to start, but I also want to work some more on Gingerbread House. Decisions, decisions.
Sue
Margaret, what a great new project! I thought Dh had collected a lot of nutcrackers, I am sadly mistaken! your collection is awesome!
This is such a beautiful project, Margaret! I bet Marinus will check it more often than your "usual" wips. Lol! Hope that it will act as a good incentive for you to stitch it fast (wink!).
Love,
Lili
Happy New Year!
My, that's a lot of nutcrackers! They look postively majestic all standing there, lol.
Nice choice for your Jan 1st start.
My 01.01 start is Merry Cox's Diminutive Sewing Set. I have been meaning to make a start on this for ages but my annual overload of ornies took over my stitching time! I do have 2 pinkeeps and a scissor fob to put together and a project to be fitted into a shaker box lid but thought I would join in the "01.01 start a new project". I hope to be able to finish it by 31.12 too!!
That's quite a collection of nutcrackers! And I love your new start. I thought January 1st was a good excuse to start something new, I'm always trying to find a reason other than I just feel like it!
Happy New Year!
I've been doing the New Year's start for a few years now and I just love it and get so excited about it!
Wow what a collection my friend Kathy collects nutcrackers and she's stitched the piece you're aboyut to stitch her blog is Kathy's Sit and Stitch which is linked on my blog if you're interested in giving her a visit.
You're the 3rd or 4th person who's mentioned starting something new on New Year's Day. Nice tradition, but I've already missed the 1st, so I guess I'll have to start the tradition next year :)
Your new start is great.
Happy 2008 ;)
Happy New Year to you and your family, Margaret.
I love your nutcrackers! Happy New Year!
Jaimie
I have restarted the Japanese tree picture that I started in summer and make slow but steady progress. Bet the nutcrackers will look great come winter.
What an impressive collection of nutcrackers. I think I have around 60. My friends at my stitching group did the nutcracker sampler as a RR for me a couple of years ago. I love it and it is extra special because of the people who stitched it. Enjoy. First visit to your blog but I will definitely be back.
I love nutcrackers, too, though we do not have a collection. Can't wait to see progress on your New Year's start!
Thank you so much for all your wonderfully warm and caring comments on my blog. :D
Oh wow what a cool collection of nutcrackers. I have never heard of this tradition and I have left iti too late now to have a Jan 1st start but will definitely remember it for next year. xx
I was just thinking about Fred when I was stitching yesterday and I guess he will come out of hiding for the summer when stitiching on black will be done in better light.
Happy New Year Margaret! Thanks for the recent blog visit - was so nice to hear from you again ;-)
I LOVE your nutcrackers! I collect them, too, but I don't have near as many as you do!! I have a New Year's tradition of my own. I always stitch a little piece that can be stitched up in one day! That way I start and finish a new piece on Jan. 1st! Then I'm really motivated! Love your choice to start!
Thanks for your sweet comment! Yes, I have been to that cow site and have copies of all of them! I planned to stitch a lot of them to make into a quilt! I just can't seem to find time for all I want to stitch!! I see new things and forget about the pieces I already wanted to stitch! Thanks for reminding me about those cows. I think I'll start those and put it in my rotation! Have a great day!
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