a little more Holly...and a bit of a confession...

So here she is as of last night's stitching session. Her skirt is all done, and she has legs! I put her aside for a few days for now. I'll get back to her sometime next week, to work on the top part of the design. The missing spots in her skirt are where the beads are supposed to go.

I was lucky enough to get a very generous gift certificate to Traditional Stitches as a Christmas gift this year, from one of my best friends, and I have to say it didn't take me long to spend it! I managed to actually go over the amount of the gift certificate, but not by too much, more the shipping and tax... then again, as I mentioned in my other post I am a true stashaoholic!

I got all the beads (14 packs of beads + 2 treasures) and specialty threads (kreiniks and caron waterlillies) for 3 different mirabilia's - Holly, Fairy Moon, and Sabrina, as well as the newest issue of JCS magazine, and two charts by With Thy Needle & Thread/ Coutnry Stitches - Boughs of Holly and Feather in Your Nest.

I also have a couple of things that are/were backordered from before, so hopefully those will be arriving as well with this order... the crown needle minder by Kelmscott Designs. Gosh these things are almost as addictive to collect as scissors are! (I also got a very beautiful pair of scissors as well with my gift certificate) As well as the Winter Loose Feather's design by Blackbird Designs. I'm on their automatic for those, so as soon as it arrives, it will be making its way here to me! I definitley plan on stitching all three of these together on one piece of fabric.

So you are probably wondering what I actually picked up to stitch, now that Holly has been put aside for a little bit... well you will be surprised... I know I was myself! I actually picked up my Last Supper wip. It is the one major project that my husband has asked me to stitch for him. It has definitely been a wip-in-waiting so to speak... It is my oldest wip to date...This is how it looks from when I last stitched on it...

This poor piece hasn't seen the light of day in almost 10 years, with the exception of last year at this time to take a quick photo for last year's stitching plan blog post. I was quite surprised myself when suddenly earlier today I had an urge to find it and pull it out and get everything orgainzed for it. There is/was a lot of emotional baggage that comes along with this piece and the main part the reason why I didn't want to stitch it...

You see the last time I worked on it, almost exactly 10 years ago... roughly around March of 2002, I stitched on it while hanging out with my Mom... I happened to be living in Budapest at that time, but came home for a visit, for a good month or so - I came back to look into a job opportunity that didn't pan out, but I at least got to spend time with my Mom. I went back to Budapest sometime around the end of March, beginning of April to be home to celebrate my hubby's 40th birthday, and then at the end of May, May 26th to be exact, I got the call at just before midnight Budapest time, that my Mom had passed away. I still get all teary eyed even now almost 10 years later just writing this down...

However, something changed, I don't dread working on this anymore, I actually wanted to stitch on it today. Other than being teary eyed now and a little earlier today when my Dad was looking at the pattern - he thought I already finished it, and we talked about the last time I worked on this, I'm actually doing fine. I've already got myself organized, most of the floss was already set up and bobbinated, I finished putting the remainder of the floss on bobbins, as well as double checked the floss list to make sure I wasn't missing anything, and had hubby iron it and I then put it on the qsnaps, where its all ready to go. I have actually already put a few stitches in it, and will continue to do so after dinner...

Hubby and I have a running joke/promise with this piece... that I have until his 60th birthday or Christmas that year (so until 2022) to finish this piece. I have a secret desire - as of this morning.... to try and finish it off for his 50th birthday which is at the end of this April... but if I don't make that, I do want to have it for his Christmas gift this year... that I know I can do if I put my mind to it! I also want to have it framed by Jill Rensel if possible and I know that will take time, so I'm guessing Christmas is the more realistic deadline!

The only thing holding me back now really, is the fabric, becuase I just can't stand linen... and this is done on 28ct cashel linen... but I've got too much done already to scrap it and start brand new, so I'll plow though it somehow! I mean if I can get though the emotional baggage with this piece, I'm sure I can manage the problem of the fabric!

Wish me luck!!!