
This is the cross-stitch I finished last weekend. I have a lot of frames laying around, so framing is always easy and exciting to do. I usually have a piece framed and on the wall within an hour of finishing it. So satisfying! Our needlework wall is getting very full, which is also exciting. This is a Stacy Nash pattern, I link to her site in this post.

I was motivated to finish this sampler because Sadie and I went to our local needlework shop, Acorn and Threads, and picked out a new project. This one, by The Frosted Pumpkin Stitchery is insanely cute and we will be working on it together. Sadie has done quite a few kits on her own, enough to have a sense that this will take forever, so she suggested we work on it together, which I thought was genius. She loves pulling the threads from the little drawers. She also loves organizing—she's taken all my charts and has put them all in a spreadsheet, with titles, and if they are kitted, started, etc. and then all the patterns are in plastic sleeves in a binder. She also has done this (with categories and dividers) with all my knitting patterns. It's amazing. I can just dump a pile in her lap and I get a beautiful notebook back with a complete index. Last summer she reorganized all my craft books by subject with dividers on the shelf. I'm not sure how this will translate into her future profession, but she gets deep satisfaction from this type of organization and her attention to detail is outstanding.
Related to making and goodness in life:
I finally got to meet one of my oldest blogging friends, Amanda Soule, in person this week and it was so wonderful to actually see her, hug her, and talk for hours. We started our blogs the same month (how long ago? 10 years? Amazing!!) wrote books at the same time, had babies, and shared a whole lot of ups and downs—all while corresponding over the years, but never actually met. Hooray for In Real Life! We had deep conversations about so much stuff, but when I walked her to her car one of the last things we blurted out between farewell hugs was:
Amy: "Do you use a stick-blender when you make soap?"
Amanda: "I can't believe you aren't rug hooking!"