The Stitch Book: Week 49 (December 1-7)

Last week, I stitched the first part of my favorite section of a piece of writing by Rebecca Solnit. You can read last week's post here and Solnit's full post here. I think what I like most about the entire post is the movement between solitary action or rest and the need to connect or be part of a community. As a fairly introverted person, I spend most of my life moving between solitary and community because I need my time alone to think and regroup, but I also need to be around others to feel connected. We're in for a lot of stress and pain and disconnect over the next four years, and we have to prepare ourselves accordingly. 

Here's this week's piece:

December 1

December 2

December 3

December 4

December 5

December 6

December 7

Week 49

Weeks 1-49

Week 50's color is Aegean.

The last three weeks of the year/stitch journal will be more seasonally themed. Here's what's coming to you between now and the end of the year:

• Week 50: reverse applique featuring holiday ornaments
• Week 51: turkey work stitch featuring a pine tree
• Week 52: a snow globe - I've always wanted to embroider a snow globe so I'm finally doing it. This week is longer than the rest of the weeks and I'm on vacation the entire week, so I have lots of time. What should the snow globe feature?

More 2025 Planning, the Audacity Chicken, and Some Random Things from the Week

I started my week off making the best stuffing waffles I have ever made and baking some delicious English muffin bread. I also made cranberry refrigerator jam. This is a post-Thanksgiving tradition of mine.

Add melted butter to the stuffing before you put it in the waffle maker. That's how you get a crispy stuffing waffle.

I also did some additional planning for next year's stitch journal project and I found three more fortunes in my kitchen. This brings the fortune total to 78. For whatever reason, I really want 80 fortunes, so I'll have to order Chinese food two more times before the end of the year. I think I can handle that.

Earlier in the week, I went to a docent/curator walkthrough for a new exhibition at NMWA called Confluences. It features the work of photographer Samantha Box. If you live in the DMV or will be here between now and March, go see this exhibit. I took November off from the museum for a number of reasons, but going to this walkthrough helped me get re-energized for giving tours and being back at the museum. 

I also went to see a book talk at Sixth & I featuring Kelly Bishop and Dana Bash. Bishop, probably best known for her portrayal of Emily Gilmore on Gilmore Girls, released her memoir in September. Bishop created the role of Sheila in one of my favorite musicals, A Chorus Line, so I've been a big fan of hers since I was a kid. "At the Ballet" is such a beautiful song and most of it is based on her family and life as a dancer. Bishop won a Tony in 1976 for this role, and fun fact, Ed Hermann, who played Richard Gilmore, won a Tony the same year. There's a wonderful photo of the two of them at the Tonys that year included in the photo section of the book. 

Sixth & I is a beautiful place to visit. I haven't been to an event there in person since 2019, so it was nice to be there in person. I'm hoping to go to a few events in 2025 too. 

I bought two ridiculous things this week because I am a completely unserious person:

This is the Thanksgiving chicken from the John Derian for Target collection. I'm obsessed with her and have named her the Audacity Chicken (look at the face). She's best friends with my John Derian Nightmare Cat.

I found this Lenox (yes, Lenox) dinosaur ornament at TJ Maxx for $15 (it retails at $80 which is insane). I think he looks a little sad? 

I bought the seasonal Pillsbury hot cocoa rolls right before Thanksgiving but only got around to trying them today. The icing isn't marshmallow-y enough (it tastes like the regular cinnamon roll icing) but I like the rolls a lot. I may try my own icing on them (yes, I have a second can of rolls). 

My friend Elaine gave me a puzzle advent calendar earlier in the week. Each day is a different scene from the larger puzzle. Today's puzzle was my favorite so far:

Look how cute they are! The dude is knitting a matching sweater! So freaking cute. The puzzles are more challenging than I anticipated since all the border pieces look so similar. I was expecting each day to connect but they don't. I may end up taping them together and turning some of them into holiday cards next year.