Christmas Plans!

Friends, it is still over 100 degrees most days here in Arizona. I believe it was 106 today. Before Christmas, my family has a whole softball season to get through, a fall break trip, Halloween (that means I need to make/invent 5 costumes-we will actually get to trick or treat this year!) and Thanksgiving. I also hope to squeeze in a garage sale. I also am doing some biggish home improvement projects, painting our entry area, beginning the process of staining the cabinetry in the areas with few cabinets (bathrooms and hall), repairing and painting baseboards, and hiring people to do some drywall and plumbing fixes that have been put off too long.

In spite of all this full plate, or perhaps because of it, I am obsessing over Christmas Stitching!!!

I think I’ll pack up a Christmas project to start on our trip in October. Which should I choose?

My Just Nan “bucket list” project? It’s a nice small band sampler so I’d feel really productive if I got several of the bands done:

This adorable Threadwork Primitives piece? It would be rather easy to do and work on in a hotel and plane with questionable lighting since it’s on 32 count.

This La D Da? I don’t think I’ve stitched any La D Da this year and I am hankering to do one! But this is supposed to be on 40 ct. That may not work for a trip.

Or should I punish myself with some harder work but yield the sweet reward of the With Thy Needle and Thread Christmas Bird which is stitched on dark linen? I love it because I love these old fashioned clip on bird ornaments and I saw someone replace the tail feathers with sparkly filament just like a real ornament and I want to do the same thing. But the dark linen may be too tricky to be enjoyable to work on during a trip.

I’m leaning towards the first two choices obviously. Maybe I’ll take them both and get a dozen stitches on each of them. The more sewing I bring, the less I get done.