Sunday, December 29, 2013

Final Spending of 2013 - Stitch From Stash 2014

Hope everyone had a tolerable, or at least somewhat good holiday season. I know it's not quite over yet but for me as I work tomorrow it feels like it is.
We did not have such a great Christmas for the first half... but luckily DH's family is awesome and our final 'day' of Christmas festivities was great fun!

So I've been starting at the date thinking "oh my gosh I need to spend some money before I can't anymore!!" as January 1, 2014 looms in front of me and the beginning of the Stitch From Stash challenge. I have 66 participants so far!
What am I talking about? Click the link at the top of this post for the group and read the details. Anyone can sign-up until January 2, 2014.

So I'm trying to decide what to get before the budget is instituted... just a couple little things with some holiday money I got... maybe this gorgeous (because I adore Autumn) new piece from Victoria Sampler.










OR these adorable new little projects from Brookes Books Publishing that are Wizard of Oz!!! (she has a new Little Women series as well that is just so cute).

I'll let you all know about what I decided to buy in the end next post.

Oh... AND Dragons has a page complete!!! That's right exciting right?? You bet! Pics of it and the countdown to the final page in my next post.

Sunday, December 15, 2013

Xmas Ornaments x2 Complete - more SFS2014

10 days to holiday time! I can't even believe it. And not all my shopping is done, sad but true. However we are very close to complete so it's not a disaster. :)

First I wanna say a huge thank you to everyone that has joined up (22 so far!) and commented for Stitch From Stash 2014. I will be making a tab on this blog for the info, and have sent out confirmation emails to everyone signed up so far. If you have not gotten an email from me about Stitch From Stash 2014 please email me at stitchfromstash@gmail.com to join.
There are some new fun 'guidelines' coming that will only add to the fun (and give you more flexibility). If you wanna know more check out the post right below this one, or if it's Tuesday morning the new tab should be showing up!
I will have a button with a little logo/design coming in the next week so watch out for that. Thanks to everyone for their excitement and support on the project. I can't wait for us to start it and see all the WIP, UFO's and stashed up items that will appear on everyone's blogs!

Now to the part people really want to see. Some finishes!
I should have taken photos of these beautiful Victoria Sampler ornaments before finishing... they maybe looked nicer then. As many of you know I'm an awful finisher and it's not my favourite thing to do; but I wanted to make ornaments for my two remaining grandparents, both the ladies of their families. So my Nana (Dad's Mom) in Ontario will be receiving the squirrel; and my Grandma (Mom's Mom) in BC will be receiving the fawn/deer. Hopefully they will look past my bad finishing and enjoy the ornaments none-the-less. These were made from my stash (threads and fabric chosen based on what I had around, not necessarily following the pattern), and both patterns are from Just Cross Stitch ornament issues over the last couple years; by Cathy Jean at Victoria Sampler.




I've got one more ornament to go for the season and then going to focus on December cottage (which is started) and the latest page of Dragons. That's the plan until December!
Thanks for stopping by and again thank you for your excitement over Stitch for Stash 2014. Sign-ups don't close until Jan 2, 2014 so anyone else who wants to join can. More info and button graphics coming this week! :)


Monday, December 9, 2013

Stitch from Stash 2014 - JOIN NOW

After much deliberation and input from many of you I have decided to host the first annual Stitch from Stash (2014).

Why Stitch from Stash? 
As I have personally taken on a new great job, that sadly pays much, much less than I used to make; corners need to be hacked. And the stitching budget, while painful, needs to be cut back, significantly.  That is what stitch from stash is going to be all about; stitching from stash and saving money.

Like all of you, I too have more than I could stitch in the next 2 lifetimes (and I'm only 30!); and like many of you I am always tempted by the latest and greatest. But really what's wrong with the 25 patterns you didn't stitch but bought the year before?
This is by no means meant to be a rebellion from buying, there will be a budget for 'new' stuff in the rules (and for needed supplies like needles, threads, etc.). The spirit here is to help encourage each other to save a little bit of money for the necessities like food or the mortgage (in my case).

Why participate?
Participate and stay to the $25 budget for 11 of the 12 months of the year and you will be entered for a gift certificate of $100 from a selection of online stores (ie: likely to be included are 123 Stitch, Wasatch Needleworks, HEAD, etc.).  Store will be of your choosing from my list of approved suppliers (why my list: to make sure you will get what you order for the value of course!)

Monthly draws for patterns & supplies from Mel's stash will also happen for each entry (ie: December cottage from Country Cottages, Lizzie Kate snippet, fabrics, threads & more!)

What are the 'rules/agreements' of Stitch from Stash?
It will of course be on an honor system, and I do hope that all stitchers who join will remain in the spirit of the group.
After much deliberation and input from the community the following are to be the 'rules/agreements' for the Stitch from Stash 2014 group:

1) All new items started in 2014 must be from your current stash or purchased within the monthly 'budget' as dictated by Stitch from Stash.

2) Your birthday or holiday money given to you is an exemption (but you cannot gift yourself!). Ie: you get a gift card to a stitching store for your bday, fair enough as it is "free" from the budget money it does not count.

3) Each month you can spend $25 to get supplies, or even a new pattern that you need/want. But do not exceed $25. So if you buy a pattern but needed threads you're out of luck and have to wait for next month. The $25 does not include shipping if online purchase (or those of us in 'international' locations would be spent already in shipping!)

4) Exemptions from the $25 include:
- gifted money (as indicated in rule )
- a monthly already paid for subscription to a magazine or fiber/thread club
- a monthly or semi-monthly program where you have committed to the project and are actively stitching it alongside another group (ie: Calendar Girls, Frosty Friends or another designers series). You must commit to the series/subscription/program before Jan 2, 2014 even if it hasn't started yet. (almost all designers have announced their 2014 early series by now).

5) Post to your blog about how much you spent that month (within the $25, if you go over please be honest!) and what you stitched on from stash (pictures are always great, at least 1 is appreciated). All posts and emails need to be completed by the 28th of each month to be eligible. I don't care when you post during the month (because life is busy) but you must do it in the month (ie: February's post must be posted between Feb. 1 and 28). I will likely post around the 20th of each month to remind everyone.

6) Then email your link to your blog to StitchFromStash@gmail.com for Mel (from Epic Stitching) to review and enter you in a draw for a stash giveaway that month!! Email and enter 11 of the 12 months of 2014 and be eligible to win the $100 stitching gift card.

7) By popular demand or on my own I may, and could change or relax the rules at any time to allow for an exemption... or 'free' weekend (ie: anticipate a free or budgeted amount that is okay to spend on Nashville Market new pattern announcements the weekend of Nashville Market)

Want in?
Email StitchFromStash@gmail.com (yep it's own email just in case I get bombarded) and let me know your name, blog address and confirm interest in joining! I will confirm each entry individually as received.
You must confirm you are participating by January 2, 2013 via email; following that an email will be sent to confirm the list and any further details needed.

Questions? 
Post them below in comments and I will respond here so everyone can see, or email me at StitchFromStash@gmail.com and I'll be happy to answer.

Anticipated Answers:
- The program is worked out that you will have one month to cheat in and still be eligible for the big prize, just don't email me about entering for that month. Feel free to post about how you didn't make it and need to then keep to it for the rest of the year!
- If you splurge in more than one month you will no longer be eligible for the yearly big prize, but can still participate in the monthly prizes if you keep to it for that individual month (blog and email me about it of course).
- Yes you can drop out at anytime. Life happens and there are (sometimes) more important things than a blogging group. However there will be no exceptions to the 11 of 12 months for the large prize. The committed members deserve their best chance to win and it's too hard to keep track of or 'decide' for me who to exempt.

I look forward to everyone who chooses to join in. 
And for those that don't we will all jealously watch your awesome purchases for the year!! :)

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Coming up on my blog later this week: A holiday ornament finished and two more started. Some work on December cottage as well. Dragons has been picked up and is more than halfway to another page finish, I anticipate closer to the end of the month to share this with everyone.