December was a great month. It started with some quiet days before the kids arrived home for Christmas and then I had half of the month off work and really enjoyed time with family, crafting time, and time for some cleaning out. I've had our pantry on our "clean out soon" list for over a year and I finally got it done and dropped off the things I no longer needed or wanted before the end of the year. I also wound up cleaning up and out a few other areas in the house over the second half of the month which was really nice.
On the crafting front, I did crochet, cross-stitch and quilting this month. My crochet project got within 6 rows of completion when I frogged it - it was a hat that turned out too big. I've re-caked the yarn and it is in a time out for a little while...we'll see if I pull it out again and make the hat with fewer stitches so that it fits a person head instead of a horse head.
My quilting projects this month included a continuation of the blocks I started last month for the En Provence quilt that I am making with scraps. I started the purple four patches this month to add a little variety but still have a lot to make of both colors. I will keep plugging away at them over time, as this is a project with no deadline.
I made the back for my Reindeer Xing quilt top and got it loaded onto my frame. My goal for the month had been to load the quilt and start quilting it, but I didn't get that far. I still need to clean up the back of the quilt top to make sure I don't have any visible threads and then measure my batting. I'd like to use Warm and White on this one, but I am not sure I have enough left.
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| Quilt top on the left, quilt back on the right |
I did quilt a top this month, but it wasn't mine - my mom made a wall hanging/lap quilt for a Christmas present and I quilted it for her. I tried to make the quilting look a little bit like mountains and think it turned out okay.
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| "Mountain" quilting on my mom's quilt |
I didn't get to my other quilting goals in December but that's okay, I spent lots of time with my kids and family and the projects will still be there once they return to school.
My biggest success of the month was on the cross-stitch side. I had four finishes for the month and seven full finishes! Here they are with details in the comments.
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| American House Sampler by Annie Beez Stitched on 28 count Glacier linen with called for threads |
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| Holly Jolly by Luminous Fiber Arts Stitched on 28 ct. Blue Blizzard opalescent linen with called for DMC threads |
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| Mad for Plaid Winter by Hands on Design Stitched on 32 ct. Charcoal Lugana with called for Cosmo threads This one is the last season to finish and just in time for an FFO and display after the holiday decorations come down. |
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| My first FFO in December is this ornament, which I call Joy Reindeer by Rovaris I stitched this in 2021 (!!) and have been waiting a good long time to FFO it. The pom pom came from my friend Michele and I finished it the same way the pattern suggested with the spool and tassel at the bottom (they both came with the pattern). I am so glad to have finished this one before the holidays so it could hang on the tree this year. I filled this pillow with wool roving and really like how it stuffed the pillow and how smooth it is. I have a small bag of roving and look forward to using it again soon. |
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| Zion National Park from Stitching Across America I stitched this one for my son as a Christmas gift and finished it as an ornament/hanger. The fabric behind it is the fabric I used for the finish
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Sweet Spring by Satsuma Street - I finished this one last year and took it with me to our retreat at Chantelle's 141 and was glad to find this finishing board which works for this and a couple other pieces as well. I stained it and backed the stitched piece with mat board and batting. It attaches to the wooden piece with magnets so that I can switch things out through the year. In this picture, the top looks a little big/plain; I'll have to look at it again in person to see if the top needs something else to pop a little.
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| Camping Out, a Mill Hill kit, was my last FFO for the year. I framed it in a Mill Hill frame that my husband gave me for Christmas. |
Overall, I am really happy with all I worked on and finished in December, it was a good way to finish up the year. Here are the December and year-end stash stitching time and unfinished project reports; I'll be back in another week or so with my year in review and 2026 goals. I hope you enjoyed the holiday season and wish you all a happy 2026 - may you have many happy days and lots of crafty projects!
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