Stitchy Plans

Happy New Year!! I am going to start with stitchy news - that way if that is all you came here for you can click out before my Oregon coast story. So when I went back and counted my 2016 finishes - there are 43. Not bad! I did have duplicates - not all pictured but they still count!! I made 6 Tricky Tweets, 2 Acorn Shaker Box lids, one whole Gardner Goode Witch and two of just the witch (made into bags) 5 of the small Santas and 4 of the Juggling Snowflakes. There were 23 single pieces and I even managed to finish a Teresa Wentzler! All of these are under the Finishes 2016 - 2017 tab above. I have two finishes to show

Tis the Season by Blackbird Designs

 I used Picture this Plus 36 ct Pewter Edinburgh. I changed the threads - no Belle Soie for me! I am willing to share which colors I used if you want - just leave a comment!  The white shows up better in person - there are snowflakes and writing on it.

Pomegranate Santa by Plum Street Sampler

This one was fun to stitch until I got to the snow - ugh. When I bought the threads the shop was out of Shabby Sheep (snow on bottom) so I thought I would substitute another white. I couldn't pick one though and ended up ordering 2 skeins of the Shabby Sheep. I posted on Instagram that I was waiting and Craftycoleyoley suggested WDW Grits- good suggestion. I did the top in that but waited for my order to do the bottom - took 3 damn days to do all that snow. I actually finished it on Jan 1 but I had already put 16 on it and I would have finished in time but..... I lost my needle - then I opened a new pack of gold DMC needles - the first one must have had a rough edge because it kept shredding the thread. I changed and the stubby end made it difficult to get the needle through the back to anchor it and I bent the hell out of it - next needle the eye broke  - BROKE - wth! If I hadn't fussed with that forever it would have been done in time. Ohh stitchy problems HAHA. So let's talk about 2017. I picked up my rotation again -

Teresa Wentzler Fantast Sampler

Glendon Place Red Velvet Cake

spot 3 is smaller pieces so I actually finish a few and these are kitted

Bothy Threads Mad Hatter's Tea Party

When the big ones are done I am putting in Teresa Wentzler Storyteller (WIP), Autumn at Hawk Run Hollow

and I would like to do Prairie Schooler Alphabet - the one that starts with A is for Anchor - is anyone willing to let me borrow some of those charts? *gasp* yes, I asked to borrow. I only need a few of them - not all. So the best news is that I finally whittled away at my WIPS I think I started 2014 with 11 and now I only have one left! Well, if you count the ones in my rotation I actually have 5 but 4 are active so - no county!! These projects and the quilt from my last post are my 2017 goals and that is the stitchy news!
The last week in December there is a gray whale migration - from Alaska to Mexico. We drove to Depoe Bay OR to see what we could see. We had a wonderful day!! Our first stop was Toasted in Depoe Bay - they have the best breads - YUM

 I had Cardemom (SIC) Bread spread with cranberry jelly Scott had blue berry - delicious!! 

 This guy works there

I love these tattoos - he makes a great Santa!! He was very nice and talked to us about whale sightings.

 Depoe Bay

 Cobble Beach in Newport Bay - the sound of the cobbles in the waves is a wonderful sound. I have a video but I couldn't post it

Yaquina Head lighthouse

Otter Rock Oregon

Devils' Punchbowl

beach balls

We stopped at several places along the coast from Depoe Bay to Newport Oregon. We saw whales but it was through binoculars and they were about 20 miles off shore. It was still neat and I hope to get out on a boat in the Spring to see them up close!! I couldn't see them at first and started to throw a tantrum - like that would help. Scott could see them - I couldn't get the binoculars to work. I finally saw them - and every time I did, I gasped (silly) but it moved the binoculars so I'm lucky I saw anything. So cool!!  We even did some letterboxing. We didn't do much because it got cold and started spitting sleet. I am still getting over being sick and the hike up from Cobble Beach made me cough! We got home a little after dark and stayed in for the night. If I had a list of my top ten favorite days it would be in the list.
I am feeling better every day. I think I am over it - still cough a little but no big deal. We unchristmased the house, finished up our Vegas hotel and car plans. Everything is back to normal. I hope you had a safe and fun New Year's Eve! Thanks for stopping by!!