2013 Parade of Ornaments

Only 8 days 'til Christmas? Who else is nowhere near ready? With my recent trip to New York, I am farther behind than ever...  My husband, thankfully, went with me this time and I was so relieved. Let's just say the driving conditions around Buffalo, NY were less than desirable! My old hometown certainly lives up to its reputation as one of the snowiest cities in the U.S. And then while visiting my mom, it snowed almost the entire three days we were there! Our return trip home on Sunday was slow, but not nearly as bad as the one up. Not the best time of year to visit, but I'm so glad we went when we did. My father, who many of you know suffers from Lewy Body Dementia, had to suddenly be moved from his dementia facility into the hospital. Today, he is scheduled to be moved into a more medically based nursing home. I know my presence helped my dear mother get through this unexpected turn of events. We'll see what happens next... With this disease, you just never know.

But, on to happier things... It seems like just yesterday that I was posting my 2012 ornament review and here we are at the end of 2013!  For those of you who are new readers of Stitching Dreams, I have posted my monthly ornament finishes on my stair garland for the past few years. If you would like to see previous years, you can see 2010 here, 2011 here, and 2012 here.  The following pictures aren't the best as it was overcast when I took them yesterday, but I think they'll give you a good idea of my 2013 collection:

2013 Monthly Ornament Finishes

January ~ March 2013 ornament finishes

April ~ June 2013 ornament finishes

July ~ September 2013 ornament finishes

October ~ December 2013 ornament finishes

So, which one is your favorite? I'd love to hear which one you like the best... Would you like a closer look still?

 January

A Stitcher's Hands: "Let It Snow" 

 February

LHN: "Bringing Home the Tree"

 March

Midnight Stitching: "Heartstruck Friends" 

April

Madame La Fee: "Candy Cane"

May

LHN: "Baked Goods"

 

June

Homespun Elegance "Santa Arrives Tonight"

 July

Stoney Creek Magazine: "Birds & Berries"

 August

Prairie Schooler: 1994 Annual Santa

September

The Victoria Sampler: "Baby Cardinal"

 October

Plum Pudding NeedleArt: "Let It Snow"

November

Needleprint: "Estonian Snowflake freebie"

December

Prairie Schooler St. Nicholas II Santa

It's really a tough decision for me to narrow down a favorite; it's kind of like being asked to choose a favorite child! I spend so much time on each one--not just in the stitching, but in the finishing, too, trying to make each one special. But, I think, this year, my favorite finish has to be my October snowman. I really love the combination of fabrics and trims on that one, along with the black fabric. My oldest son asked me a while ago, "Mom, just how many of these things are you going to make?!" I think he thinks "enough is enough!!" Obviously, he doesn't know I'm secretly addicted to making Christmas ornaments, does he? I get such pleasure out of creating these little cuties and I hope, that, someday--just maybe--my sons and their families will, too. 

I've received some lovely Christmas gifts from around the world, but will wait to show you them in another post. I haven't even had time to photograph them properly and everything I've received is just so very special, I want to do a post just for my gifts...

I hope to get one more post in before Christmas. I actually have a larger piece that I've been working on "behind the scenes" which I hope to finish and, of course, I need to get my Christmas tree photo up with all of the ornaments adorning it from top to bottom. Until then... stay warm, enjoy this last week before the big day, and please know how much I appreciate all of your wonderful comments and emails! Bye for now...