Happy New Year

Picture by Dept of the Interior Kenai Fiords Alaska

I hope you had a wonderful New Year's Eve whatever that means to you. I had to work but that was okay. I spent the evening working on my organization plans for my stitching room. I had been putting off doing an inventory of the box of stuff a friend from church gave me to try to sell for her. It was a big box with more in it than I thought it had. It took me all evening to work on it but the list has been compiled. Now I have to search for prices on the internet and then put them up for sale. I investigated different avenues to do that while I was making the list.
You can sell cross stitch charts on Ebay, Etsy, and even on Amazon. I have already gotten permission from a group owner on Facebook to list the items there and Legacy Embroiderers Guild on Yuku also lets you list things. I will send the list to my stitching group first to see if there is anything they want to buy and then begin posting it in various places to see if I can sell some of it for her.  We will see. I am not much of a salesperson. If you want a copy of the list let me know and I will email it to you. Wide variety of items from Shepherd's Bush, Just Nan and heartstrings Artists Collection to name a few. She also is selling a lot of needlepoint canvases, small ones. No idea how to price those.
Along with that box this week, I kitted up my gift for a friend new start, made a list of the DMC I needed in order to take advantage of the sale at Joann's which is on the way home from work. My best friend posted about being able to get the app for Joann's and they can scan the coupons off your phone. So I got the DMC I needed on sale plus 10% off. I was so excited (doesn't take much :) ) I also organized and inventoried all my Crescent Colors and made a list of colors I need for patterns for the next time I get a sale or an opportunity to go outside and hit a needlework store. Next up to organize  is Weeks and GAST. The apps I got from the App store from Coffee Shop Works are great for inventory and shopping lists. It worked quite well for the DMC. I am trying hard not to duplicate any supplies as best I can. I still have a lot to do but progress has been made. Today I am packing up the boxes of supplies to donate to a local group that is teaching different types of needlework to kids and adults that are interested. I used to teach it before I went back to work full time and I am anxious to keep the trend going.
I did not meet my goal of finishing the Hummers before the New Year. I lost the pattern. Actually I hope I left it at a friend's house but she is out of town for the holiday so nothing I could do. I was sick at myself. Since it is backstitched in 4 different colors I couldn't tell by looking at the picture. Oh well. It will definitely be my first finish of 2013. Here is where I am currently.

Hummers almost backstitched

I also wanted to share with you a wonderful cross stitch piece I got from my best friend for Christmas. I love it. I had never seen it before so it is always fun to get a stitched piece especially a surprise. She does lovely work and stitched for her mother, sister  as well as her twin grandkids.
I could not make up my mind what I was going to work on today. Finally I decided that I was going to put a strand in all my projects for the first rotation of 2013. No stress, no fuss just needle and thread, a hot cup of coffee, tea and probably a cold diet coke before the day is over. Supper is in the crockpot, my husband is reading and I will post this and begin the ritual of needle pulling thread to start my New Year.
Best wishes to each of you in this year to come. I hope you get time to pick up needle and thread as often as you can. Hope you find some stitchy time in your day.
Marjo