The Year in Orts

  The year in What? Orts - little bits of leftover threads from projects I stitched this year. I realized this week that I couldn't compress the orts in my orts jar any further which must mean that it is time to empty it and prepare for a new year of stitching.

This is my 6" tall clear plastic jar that sits on the table next to my stitching chair. It provides first hand evidence of the various projects I stitched in 2012.

Turn the jar upside down on the cutting board in the kitchen and you have an ort cake. Let's see if we can figure out all of my projects that contributed to the ort jar. Starting at the top in early 2012 and continuing into mid-2012 are the orts from the Melissa Shirley Christmas Banner.

Lots of orts contributed to the jar from this project! But, wait - I see bits and pieces of these projects as well -

 

Wow! I've impressed myself! That's a lot of finished projects this year! One really big one - the Christmas Banner, two medium-large projects - Christmas Parade and Give Thanks, the Sunflower and Berries canvas, and assorted Halloween and Christmas ornaments and the cute July 4th girl. I realize that Spring/Easter is not well-represented but perhaps the From Russia with Love eggs will qualify as an Easter project. I'll have to do better by Easter in future needlepoint projects.

Speaking of the From Russia with Love eggs, I started on the blue egg this week. I am so happy with this club and I am only two projects into it.

Two more projects arrived this week to add to my To Stitch list. Amy sent the Ewe & Eye Fourth of July canvas, stitch guide, and threads - love it! Fireside Stitchery sent the Snowflake Cracker in the Melissa Shirley Golden Cracker stitching club. The Fourth of July canvas will go into the stash for the moment but I plan to start in on the Snowflake Cracker this afternoon. These are two great projects to welcome home in 2012 but to look forward to completing in 2013.

Also on the horizon for 2013 stitching projects is Amy's proposed Home Study - Royal Pain in the Tudors. This Home Study will be a JP Needlepoint Design canvas that shows various textile patterns that represent the six wives of Henry VIII. Sounds like fun to me! I also want to stitch the July 4th Parade and the Melissa Shirley Whimsy canvas - both waiting in the stash closet for some attention. Looks like my dance card is filling up already! Lots of stitching to look forward to in 2013!

I'll take this opportunity to wish all of you a Merry Christmas or Happy Holidays! I hope you find some quiet, peaceful moments to count your many blessings in the midst of all of the hustle and bustle that comes with this time of year. I'll try to post again before the end of the year.

Hope Santa brings you lots of beautiful threads and canvases and sprinkles some magic Santa dust on them to give you enough hours to stitch them all!