I am back!

It has been almost 4 years since I posted to my poor neglected stitching blog!  I can't believe it didn't end up deleted from neglect.   Life has changed in the last 4 years so lets quickly catch up so we can start in on the stitching! We bought a house, added a few pets, lost a few pets to the rainbow bridge, we are still home schooling, I work very part time now.  But the biggest change this year has been that I am starting to actually have free time for myself!  It is sad to see my girls growing up but it is fun as well. I get the perks of more me time and of sharing my hobbies with them. They enjoy cross stitching with me.  My 10 year old has her first project on aida and is so excited!  My 8 year old is still working on the large plastic canvas projects they have for kids but has decided when she finishes this one she is going to do a project like her big sister.  It has been fun to all be sitting in the same room working on our projects.  I have had a great time pulling out my projects and finishing them or just in adding some new stitches.  I finished stitching The Traveling Stitcher by Little House Needleworks in 2011 and because it wasn't something I had ever done before I never attached it to my Impie, Hattie & Bea project keeper and needlebook!  Shocking, I know.  I love how life leads us back around at times.  I had started my Lizzie Kate ABC sampler project and had finished one line and not really liked it.  I wasn't sure what it was but it just didn't have the cute factor I had pictured.  So I did what I do best and put it away and pulled out another project to work on instead.  I pulled it out again last week and decided that it just needed to be smaller but I didn't want to buy new supplies so I flipped it and decided to try stitching it over 1 on the linen.  I have never done this before and thanks to the web I found some great tutorials but this one seemed to explain it the way I think.  I have finished the first line and I love it!  But I am glad I had corrective eye surgery a few years ago because whew! that is small work!  It reminds me of the petite point piece I tried in college.  After that success I thought, hmmm, someone out there should have directions on how to finish off my Traveling Stitcher.   I found a great finish of the Traveling Stitcher at the blog, Stitching the Night Away in Illinois.  I commented asking for tips and she kindly emailed me a link to directions from Impie, Hattie & Bea.  Today I can finally say I have completed 100% my Traveling Stitcher and I am thrilled!  Thank you Eva for your quick response!  As it is now 2 am I think I will post this and make it official I am back to blogging and stitching and then take some pictures tomorrow to share!