Janet Zickler Casey Santas Stitched to Date - 1/3/25

January 3, 2025--Happy New Year.  Here are four more Santas stitched over 2023 and 2024.  If you scroll down, you'll see the ones stitched in prior years.  Now there are 20 stitched Santas in the collection.

 Click on the photo caption to view more information about each Santa.

Santa Gnome

Sea Shell Santa

Snowball Santa

Sugarplum Santa

January 3, 2023--I had the opportunity to stitch a few more Janet Zickler Casey's Santas in 2022.  Here are the new ones and if you scroll down, you'll see the ones stitched in prior years.  Now there are 16 stitched santas in the collection.

To see the Santas yet to be stitched, please click on the 2 Pages on the right side of this blog called Planned Projects-Santas by Janet Zickler Casey and In Process Projects.

Santa Snow Cone

Santa Holly Jolly

January 1, 2022--In keeping with my goal of stitching one new and one old Janet Zickler Casey's Santas each year, I stitched the below Cashmere and North Wind Santas.  This makes 14 Santas stitched to date.

Cashmere Santa Completed

North Wind Santa Completed

May 18, 2020--Here's the 12th santa ornament stitched so far--North Wind Santa

North Star Santa Completed

May 12, 2020--the 11th Janet Zickler Casey Santa stitched to date called Santa in the Moon.

Santa in the Moon Completed

January 5, 2020--The 10th JZC Santa, Heart Santa, is stitched.

Santa Heart

February 11, 2019--The 9th JZC santa is stitched.

Star Spangled Santa

January 9, 2019--Here's the eighth stitched so far to add to the list below.

Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star Santa

November 16, 2018—Recently I counted up the number of santa ornaments designed by Janet Zickler Casey that I’ve stitched over the years.  Below are 7 out of 23 total to date.  As new ones are completed, I’ll add them to the list.  My goal is to stitch two a year (one new, one old) until all are done.  Click on the caption for more information about each santa pictured.

Candy Swirl Santa

Pine Cone Santa

Nutcracker Santa

Christmas Tree Santa

Silver Bell Santa

Christmas Light Santa

2024 Year in Review - 1/2/25

January 2, 2025--Happy New Year!  In 2024, I managed to complete the stitching of 14 needlepointed projects and 11 beaded ones. 

Below are pictures from most recently stitched (December) to oldest (January).

Many have not yet been finished into ornaments, framed, etc.--I'm waiting to stitch all the projects in the collections before working them up into ornaments (e.g., Janet Zickler Casey's Santa collection and Susan Portra's holiday ornament collection).

Also included in this list are the projects stitched in prior years that have been finished into pillows, ornaments, etc. in 2024.

Hope you enjoy looking at these pictures and walking down memory lane with me.  Click on the photo's caption to see more information about each project.

Ornament Holiday Gift Turquoise

Ornament Holiday Gift Purple

Santa Sea Shell

Clothespin Angels

Ornament Holiday Light Purple

Ornament Holiday Light Orange

Santa Gnome

Beaded Chevron Scarf

Beaded Bracelet and Necklace Super Duo Rope

Bookmarks Blackwork and Darning Patterns (27)

Bracelet and Necklace Kumihimo Beading Amethyst-Topaz

Beaded Necklace and Bracelet Shell Game

Beaded Bracelet and Earrings Tila Bead Stackers

Beaded Bracelet and Earrings Gala

Beaded Bracelet and Earrings June 2012 Design

Santa Snowball

Beaded Star 3D Five-Pointed Peyote

Diamond Painting Coasters

Online Security

Tumbling Stripes

Beaded Bracelet and Earrings December 2012 Design

Santa Sugarplum

Heart of Hearts

Parcheesi Anyone

Beaded Bracelet Right Angle Weave

Christmas Ribbon Sampler Pillow

Spring Sampler Pillow

Camp Wannastitch 2024

Projects that were stitched in prior years, but "finished" in 2024:

SOTM 2023 Crescent Journey

Ornament Holiday Gift Turquoise - 12/10/24

December 10, 2024--Here's another of the Holiday Ornaments designed by Susan Portra.  This is the turquoise gift and wow, does it shine.  The long stitches are done using DMC Rayon Floss and when doubled in a needle to stitch with 4 strands, the results are spectacular.  I do "iron" this thread first with my small, portable hair straightener which helps to tame them.  I also swapped out french knots above each heart with size 14 beads.  

PS:  I only used one color of rayon thread, but it looks different depending on how the light hits the thread's "nap".    This is also the last "gift" in the series.  Now to finish the bells in the series.

Ornament Holiday Gift Turquoise 

Ornament Holiday Gift Turquoise Side View

Ornament Holiday Gift Purple - Updated 11/24/24

November 24, 2024--This is the next to the last gift ornament in the Susan Portra Holiday Ornament collection.  When finished into an ornament, it will have a curly bow attached to the top where you see a little gold square.  This one was a challenge with all the compensation stitches around the fleur-de-lis.

Ornament Holiday Gift Purple Completed

November 13, 2024--Was able to stitch the sides of this "gift" before running out of DMC Rayon thread.  While waiting for the order to arrive, I worked up the fleur-de-lis with beads instead of stitching it with french knots (which I hate--can never get them even on the canvas).  So now to put it aside until more rayon thread arrives.

Ornament Holiday Gift Purple in Process

Santa Sea Shell - Updated 11/22/24

November 22, 2024--Another Santa designed by Janet Zickler Case is complete.  This one is called Sea Shell Santa and I found the perfect button in my embellishments stash to use at the end of his hat. 

I was able to switch from YLI Ribbon to RG Fyre Werks Metallic Ribbon called white pearl.  It has a bit more of a red sheen to it, but at least it lays flat over the padding and has lots of shimmer.  I also did not use cotton cording (the kind used to make piping) to pad the moustache.  Instead, I used 3 layers of cotton pearl #3.  That brought it up nicely.

Santa Sea Shell Completed

October 29, 2024--I'm now working on another Janet Zickler Casey design called Sea Shell Santa from 2004.  It's easy enough to do but the YLI Metallic Ribbon Floss called for to stitch the beard is giving me issues.  I have some ribbon wound on long plastic supports, but not enough to do the beard (see photo 2 below).  So, I dug through my stash and found some of the same brand and color ribbon, but this time tightly wound on a spool.  This one has problems.  Evidently it was wound too tightly without care to be sure it laid "flat" around the spool, so it comes off the spool looking crooked, twisted, etc.  Most definitely not flat (see photo 3).  After stitching a few sections of the beard, I tore it out and reordered the YLI ribbon not wound on spools.  However, there's a long delay, so this project needs to sit for a while.

Note:  the red threads on both sides of the mouth are "tacking" stitches which will be covered up by the moustache thread.

PS:  I kind of like the beard as it now looks with the DMC Perle 3 padding stitches.  Maybe I'll just keep it or add another layer of the perle, but stitch it horizontally.

Sea Shell Santa 2004 Progress Photo

YLI Ribbon Photo 1

YLI Ribbon Photo 2 (Lies Flat)

YLI Ribbon Photo 3 (Lies Twisted, Not Flat)