Let's catch up

Hi everyone!  Sorry I haven't been around, but I've started working again for the first time in 11 years.  My hours have been crazy and my energy has been...well, there's just not much of it right now.  

But let's catch up!  :0)

First off, I never shared pictures from my Christmas exchange with my friend.  We had decided to do a pattern, needleminder, and stitched bookmark exchange with each other.  This was really great.  It was fun and really enjoyed both stitching her bookmark and receiving the one she gave me.  It made me want to do more of them.  :0)

So here is what she got me...

This is The Village by Kathy Barrick and it was on my wishlist.  The other pattern is part 4 of the Sing a Sampler series from Silver Creek Samplers.  She had purchased me parts 1-3 and gave them to me in October.  At the time part 4 was on back order.  So now I have the whole thing.  :0)

Here's a close up of the needleminder she got me.  She knows how big of a Harry Potter fan I am, so this is perfect for me.  It's been getting a lot of use.

And here is the bookmark she stitched me.  This has been getting a lot of use too.  The funny thing is, without even knowing what the other was stitching, she stitched me one that starts the story...

And I stitched her one that ends it...

Is that too cute or what, lol?

Next, moving on to what I've been stitching.  I did have a finish in the very last days of 2016.  I finished Doxology by My Big Toe Designs.

I love this mix of fabric and pattern.  The fabric is Fathoms Below by Hand Dyed by Stephanie.

For January, all I've worked on is the big dragon and a pillowcase pair. I did meet one of my big goals for the dragon. I finished one of the wings.

And with my son holding it for size scale...

I'm really enjoying this piece more than I thought I would.  It started out I was only doing it because my son asked for it.  Dragons are his thing, not generally mine.  But this has been such an enjoyable stitch, I'm giving serious thought to doing the other in the series, the Fire Dragon.

I've also worked on my current pillowcase pair ~

Hopefully I'll have these done soon.

That's it really.  I'm squeezing in just a bit of reading here and there, but other than that, it's pretty much work, sleep, repeat these days.  But hopefully by my next update, I'll have even more of that dragon coming to life to share with you.

Happy stitching everyone!