SAL – A Petite Slice of Life

Posted on February 7, 2021February 7, 2021 by AJ · 19 Comments

SAL Update

Wow these three week periods go fast!

When I was a teenager I loved the work of Paula Vaughn and my grandma very kindly bought me the Paula Vaughn cross stitch book “A Quilt for All Seasons”. I immediately started on the January one. I’m not sure when exactly this was, but the project then languished on a shelf in my spare room for twelve years after I moved into my condo. Last year I heard about this SAL and decided it may help me actually get this project finished.

Here is where I was three weeks ago:

And here is where I am now:

It seemed like I had done so much until I put the pictures right by each other! Well the next week is supposed to be sunny but cold so maybe I’ll get more done.

Make sure you check out all the other members of this SAL as the projects are truly spectacular!!!

Avis, Claire, Gun, Carole, Sue, Constanze, Christina, Kathy, Margaret, Cindy, Heidi, Jackie, Sunny, Megan, Deborah, Mary Margaret, Renee, Carmela, Sharon, Daisy, Anne, Connie, AJ, Jenny, Laura, Cathie, Linda, Helen

Posted on January 17, 2021 by AJ · 14 Comments

SAL Update

I don’t ever feel like I’ve gotten much done, but in December I posted all the pictures from the year and could actually see that I have made progress this year. I’m a firm believer that every stitch is a step towards completion.

Last month, I had gotten to here:

This month it has still been difficult to get enough light to stitch by, but I managed to work a solid two hours on it. It’s also tough to find time along with teaching, running, reading and knitting, though every nice day, I tried to grab at least a few minutes!

This month, the project looks like this:

I’m still off by a couple of stitches here and there, but hopefully I’ll keep that edge perfect and the next page will go better. I have definitely learned not to hop around so I don’t have to change colours. It’s better to change colours!!!

Make sure you check out all the other members of this SAL as the projects are truly spectacular!!!

Avis, Claire, Gun, Carole, Sue, Constanze, Christina, Kathy, Margaret, Cindy, Heidi, Jackie, Sunny, Hayley, Megan, Deborah, Mary Margaret, Renee, Carmela, Sharon, Daisy, Anne, Connie, AJ, Jenny, Laura, Cathie, Linda, Helen

Posted on December 27, 2020 by AJ · 23 Comments

SAL Update

For the past twelve plus years, this cross stitch project sat on a shelf in my spare room. This year I was determined to make progress and this SAL is definitely helping!

Here is where I was three weeks ago:.

Here is where I am now:

I am just trying to slowly make my way through this section where it appears I am out on every row:(. I finally realized my mistake. Instead of trying to do as many stitches as possible at one time in one colour, I need to go row by row and just do the one or two stitches of each colour at a time. It is a pain, but I think I’ll make less mistakes.

I had a request from a reader that I share all my progress pictures from this year, so here goes:

Wow this actually did make me feel better about this project as I can actually see a difference between the first and last picture. I hope I get to keep doing this next year!

Make sure you check out everyone else’s progress as there are some amazing projects in this SAL!

check out everyone else’s progress as there are some amazing projects!

Posted on November 15, 2020November 15, 2020 by AJ · 23 Comments

SAL Update

For the past twelve plus years, this cross stitch project sat on a shelf in my spare room. This year I was determined to make progress and this SAL is definitely helping!

When I got the email reminding me to post, I realized I needed to get some time in on this project. Here is where I was three weeks ago:.

And here is where I am now.

I am very thankful that you all can’t see the pattern as I have so many mistakes in this project, but at least it is getting done.

Make sure you check out everyone else’s progress as there are some amazing projects in this SAL!

check out everyone else’s progress as there are some amazing projects!

Posted on October 25, 2020 by AJ · 28 Comments

SAL Update

Stitching:

This year I am determined to make progress on the project that sat on the shelf in my spare room for eleven years. It at least sits on my coffee table now. This is where I have been for the past two months after the tea disaster:

This is where I am right now (and I’m still working on it, but didn’t want to forget to post):

It doesn’t look like a lot of progress, but it actually is. Usually after I make a mistake, I don’t touch the project for years, but these past three weeks I have figured out my two areas of mistakes- one the blue coming down horizontally is a couple of stitches out here and there so I am trying to work around that to get it back to right to move forward with. Secondly, I didn’t realize I had misidentified some of the squares on the overlap column so I am now lining up the first and second page to make sure I am using the right colour.

There is a little bit of blue added to the bottom and a little brown and cream added to the top. It feels good to at least have some progress to report, though it’s not as much as I was hoping for.

I have also determined that I don’t actually like stitching on my couch in my knitting corner. I have determined this time that I do much better sitting on my floor cushion where I can have my threads somewhat spread out to the side of me. Stitching seems to go much faster when I can just reach over and grab the colour I need.

Well hopefully this is the start of steady progress!

Be sure to check out everyone else’s progress as there are some amazing projects! Jenny Avis Claire Gun Carole Sue Constanze Christina Kathy Margaret Cindy Heidi Jackie Sunny Hayley Megan Deborah Mary Margaret Renée Carmela Sharon Daisy Anne Cathie Laura Sherrie

Posted on September 13, 2020 by AJ · 15 Comments

SAL Update

Stitching:

This year I am determined to make progress on the project that sat on the shelf in my spare room for eleven years. It at least sits on my coffee table now.

Here is where I am now and you will notice there is no change from last time.

It has been a busy time with going back to work, but I have been looking forward all week to some time stitching this weekend!

Saturday, late morning I got ready to sit down and stitch, when I decided I had better do that last job before I sat down. Well wouldn’t you know it, my mug of tea fell all over the cloth bag that holds my stitching project and supplies😱

I quickly put it into a sink full of water with zero detergent and am not just waiting to see if it is tea stained when it is dry.

I am hoping I will have more progress to show you in three weeks!

Be sure to check out everyone else’s progress as there are some amazing projects!

Posted on August 23, 2020 by AJ · 28 Comments

SAL Update

Stitching:

This year I am determined to make progress on the project that sat on the shelf in my spare room for eleven years. It at least sits on my coffee table now. This is where I was at three weeks ago:

Here is where I am now:

I am frustrated with myself as I am finding that I had made a bunch of mistakes around the basket. I am trying to resolve the issues now so they don’t carry across the entire design.

I had planned to be done to the end of the first page of the pattern all the way down, but unfortunately I only made it about halfway. At least I am pretty sure you can see the progress this time. It was really neat to get to do a different colour with the blues in there.

I am looking forward to being able to get the whole thing to that column so that I start the next page at a “clean” row.

Be sure to check out everyone else’s progress as there are some amazing projects!

Posted on August 2, 2020 by AJ · 16 Comments

SAL Update

Stitching:

This year I am determined to make progress on the project that sat on the shelf in my spare room for eleven years. It at least sits on my coffee table now. This is where I was at three weeks ago.

Here is where I am now:

I have to admit that I chickened out and avoided the bottom area where I had screwed up and instead worked on the curtain. I know that it’s very difficult to see the progress, but I have hit the end of the first page in the curtain. 🎉🎊

I like that I have a straight row to check progress on and am looking forward to being able to get the whole thing to that column so that I start the next page at a “clean” row.

Be sure to check out everyone else’s progress as there are some amazing projects!

Posted on July 12, 2020July 12, 2020 by AJ · 18 Comments

SAL Update

Stitching:

This year I am determined to make progress on the project that sat on the shelf in my spare room for eleven years. It at least sits on my coffee table now. This is where I was at three weeks ago.

Last time I had made no progress because of a stressful work time, but thankfully this time I have some progress to show.

The bad news is that I have messed up at the bottom. I think I have put in too many stitches to figure out where the mistake was so I am just going to have to live with it:(. It does bother me though and makes me not want to work on that bottom section:(. I had been doing so well too!

Be sure to check out everyone else’s progress as there are some amazing projects!

Posted on June 21, 2020June 22, 2020 by AJ · 10 Comments

SAL Update

Stitching:

This year I am determined and it at least sits on my coffee table now. This is where I was at three weeks ago.

Unfortunately I am still at this point. The past three weeks have been full of work stress in the form of year end and report cards which has kept me from stitching. I am hopeful that starting after Friday I will have lots of stitching time:)

Be sure to check out everyone else’s progress as there are some amazing projects!