New Projects

I was doing well with focusing on my stranded mittens and Luke's quilt. But then I somehow started new projects and restarted an old one.  It is so fun to start something new.  I know I had written that I wasn't going to work on my cross stitch anymore but the pattern was so cute that I really wanted one to decorate my home with.  I also was just being stubborn and wanted to be able to do it.  So I started it over again.

I am doing the mystery monthly Woodland Sampler by Frosted Pumpkin Stitchery.  I have almost finished the January month. I just need to add some more snowflakes.    As you can see it has a lot of mistakes but I am actually really happy with it because their designs are just so adorable.   I think as I go on I will make less mistakes.  I am enjoying it too now that I have started to fill in the frames.  I was stuck on the frames part for a while which is pretty boring.  This time I just started filling in the frames as I go which may be a bad idea but I needed some gratification. 

  

I always see notices on blogs for pattern testers and have always wanted to volunteer.  I saw this post from Ann on Straightgrain on Monday asking for pattern testers.  I responded right away.  And I have started cutting out the fabric for the dress and hope to complete it this week.  I had a little cutting mishap this morning so I am sending my husband to the fabric store so I can cut the last piece I need.  I decided this will be Stella's Easter dress.  My mother in law had bought her a dress last year for this Easter but I think it will be too big so I am happy to have an excuse to make her one.  The dress is sleeveless and the weather on Easter could be a sunny 80 degrees or a blizzard.  So those possibilities led me to my next new project.

I decided that Stella needed a little shrug to wear on Easter with her new dress.  I was worried that I wouldn't be able to make it in time but now that I am so close to dividing sleeves I know I can finish by the end of the month.  I just have the collar, the little bit on the bottom and the sleeves.  It just needs one button.  I have ordered some to chose from and have some other ones at home too.  I think I will need help deciding on which button to chose. 

And I almost forgot to give some updates on what has been going on in the kitchen.  I am afraid I have no pictures but I do have a link for yummy cupcakes. I put a mini recess cup on the top instead of crushed peanuts.  This soup was delicious too.  And the highlight of my cooking this week was going to my first cooking class.  My good friend Elena received a gift from her brother to take a half day cooking class with a friend.  The class was on Sicilian food and was so much fun.  We made mussel soup, a seafood anti pasta course, and blackened sea bass with yukon gold mashed potatoes, steamed vegetables, and parsley jus.  For dessert we had a chocolate souffle.  We were able to eat everything at the end and it was amazing.  I am going to try to recreate the main course tonight.  I hope to have a lot of leftover mashed potatoes.  How will I ever go back to cooking with my crockpot again?  It will be out of necessity of cooking with two small children I am sure.