Stitches and Cats, Oh My!

Is it cold enough for you?

2012-01-22T02:31:00.008-05:00

This has been the popular conversation starter around these parts over the last few days. And yes, as a matter of fact it is cold enough for me! And my little Zoe agrees! We're both waiting for spring!

In the meantime, I stitch.

My New Year's Day start was Lizzie Kate's "Winter Alphabet." I finished it on the 16th so it is my official first finish of 2012! I enjoyed stitching this one so much: the colorful threads, the pretty little borders, and the sweet little motifs scattered among the letters. I made a game of strategizing what to stitch next to avoid changing colors until I had to at the risk of miscounting. It's stitched on 32 ct Natural Light linen with DMC and overdyed threads. (The colors are so much prettier and bighter than in this rather drab picture.)

"Winter Alphabet" ~ Lizzie Kate

After finishing "Winter Alphabet", I pulled out "Meg's Bunny", a small sampler from Sheepish Designs. I'm using a piece of 36 ct cream linen that I vetoed from another project, hence the dark line of stitches along the top scroll. I'll frog those old stitches as I need more room.

"Meg's Bunny" ~ Sheepish Designs

Here's a peak at my work project, the project I take to work and stitch on during my lunch and breaks. It is my variation of With Thy Needle and Thread's "Needles and Pins Heart Pinkeep".

"Needles and Pins Heart Pinkeep" ~ With Thy Needle and Thread

I love this design and envisioned it with more of a Valentine theme so I switched the colors and instead of a bluebird and blue flowers, I'm stitching a cardinal and pink flowers. Easy peasy! I don't plan to stitch the scalloped border, I'll either edge it with lace or chenille trim.

My oldest cat, Sophie, pictured below, is ~~annoyed and~~ ~~impatiently~~ waitng for my undivided attention ("Why are you clackity clacking on that contraption when you could be adoring me?"), so I had better wrap this up and give Her Majesty a kitty massage before she starts her caterwalling.

Thanks for stopping by!

Stay warm!

And enjoy your day!

Happy New Year!

2011-12-31T23:16:00.000-05:00

Sending everyone wishes for a safe and properous 2012. May the year be full of fun projects, interesting people, and the time to enjoy both.

God bless!

Happy New Year!

Designer: Me

I tried to make this chart downloadable but technology is not my friend today. Urghh!

If you would like a copy of the chart, please email me at robinndlwk@aol.com and I will happily email a pdf back to you.

Thanks for stopping by!

Trick or Treat

2011-10-30T00:10:00.000-04:00

No tricks, just a stitchy treat from Samplerbird Stitchery.

"Trick or Treat Ditty"

I was doodling around with my design software today and came up with this little design. I think it would look sweet as a little treat bag or as a basket ornament. It's "hot off the presses", which really means I haven't selected fabric or floss yet. So if "Trick or Treat Ditty" appeals to you, pick your favorite Halloween colors and stitch one up. Oh, and please share your finish with me, I'd love to see your version.

Thank you for stopping by my little neck of the woods today. And a special thank you to all my followers: it has been pretty quiet around here for the last few months and I appreciate your continued interest in my blog more than I can say.

Have a wickedly fun Halloween!

Summer Stitching

2011-07-31T14:38:00.012-04:00

Yeah, it's been awhile.

Haven't been blogging much, just a peak here and there, to see what all my blogging buddies are up to. I've been struggling with life issues of late, parent getting older and needing more of my time, looking for a permanent position in the state agency where I have been working on a "limited term", and some chronic hip/back pain issues. My Mom and the pain issues are ongoing but I was lucky enough to land a permanent position. So I am officially permanently employed!! I no longer have to spent every other free minute revising my resume to fit job descriptions or writing cover letters or working on STAR scenarios to describe my work experience/results in interviews. Thank goodness!!! I was so sick of thinking about all of that!

But through it all, I did find some time to enjoy some stitching (and designing) along the way. Here's a rundown of what I have been working on over the last few months:

First up is Quaker Sampler designed by one of my all-time favorite designers, Sandy Orton. Love her attention to detail! (The sampler is one of the featured designs in Donner Kooler's Encyclopedia of Needlework, published in 2000.) I stitched it on 36 ct. LL Lt Examplar with a combination of Crescent Colors Cupid and Threadworx Bleeding Hearts. I started it last summer on impulse with Cupid knowing I would need to order more. Of course, when the newly ordered floss arrived, it was a different dye lot and too brownish. So I put the sampler aside and began a six-month long search that would span several overdyed floss brands and multiple shades of red until I found just the right mixture. In the end, it turned out the way I envisioned. (The sampler is a bit brighter in person.)

Next is Liberty House designed by Ewe & Eye & Friends. (Sorry for the wrinkles, but it is too hot to even think about getting the iron out.) Just had to dig this design out of my stash after seeing Faye's version on her Carolina Stitcher blog. I worked on this while camping a couple of weeks ago. I'm stitching it on Ice Blue 32 ct linen using 1 strand of the recommended fibers. I tried stitching with 2 strands but thought it looked to heavy so frogged out the initial stitching and started over. Unfortunately, the little froggers didn't know enough to go away, so I have had to frog and restitch several areas. And to top it off, I discovered the little amphibean varmits added a horizonal stitch. Arghhh!!! Decided to leave it and finagle the motifs to compensate for my lack of counting ability. (Those of you that know this design, may notice that I took the liberty of replacing the year with the word "Liberty.")

When we travel, if I'm not driving, I like to have a project to work on. I chose The Prairie Schooler's Prairie Birds to work on. I'm using a brown 28 ct. natural linen from my remnant stash and the recommended DMC floss. I don't usually stitch on 28 ct. but I needed something that I could actually see while riding down the road. Some of these Michigan roads are definitely not "stitcher friendly"! I plan to stitch a few of the designs that depict the birds I see in my backyard and make them into ornaments. My DH found some birch branches, as pictured on the front of the pattern, to use in displaying them. He's a sweetie!

Speaking of stitching while riding or camping, this is the container that I use to collect my orts. It was formerly a Q-tip container. I can slide it closed so other debris can't get in (like bugs, which I do not like). I use this one for traveling or stitching outside. My main ort jar, which is a jelly jar stays by my stitching chair in the living room.

Have you experienced chenilley goodness yet? I ordered a selection of chenille trims from the Victorian Motto Sampler Shoppe. Lovely colors! I can't wait to use them! (And get more!)

In my last post several months ago, I showed a picture of my progress on Leaping Cat, a sampler by La-D-Da. I did finish her up and here she is in all her leaping glory. She is stitched on a Hand Dyed Fibers 36 ct. linen using 1 strand of the recommended over-dyed floss.

My next project will be an Adam & Eve sampler that I've designed. I'm floss tossing to settle on the main colors, which is always a tough decision for me.

I think that about covers the main events in my stitchy world for the last several months. Thank you for hanging around while I have been absent. And a heartfelt thanks for the inspiration you have given via your blogs. Some days, it was the hi-light of my day to have a few minutes to visit even if I didn't have the energy to comment. A big appreciative {{{hug}}} to all!

Thanks for stopping by my little corner of the world today. Stay cool, if you can, and enjoy the day!

TUSAL

2011-04-05T21:50:00.001-04:00

Greetings! I'm late for the TUSAL showing this month. Where does the time go? I have been stitching a bit here and there, but my new job has definitely put a crimp in my stitching and designing time. I am thankful for my job and I'm not complaining really, just stating the fact of the matter.

I am disappointed though that I haven't felt very creative lately and so haven't made much progress on several designs that I have in the works. In the evenings when I have the time and energy, I have chosen instead to work on "Leaping Cat" from La D Da and "Easter Frills" from With Thy Thread and Needle.

My TUSAL jar with current works in progress.

(Picture taken in the last bit of sunshine before sunset.)

Notice the foreign object on the left side of the picture? Any guesses as to what it is?

If you guessed a cat's foot, you are correct!

The foot belongs to Zissou (a.k.a. Zee-Zee or Mr. Z).

Typical cat behavior! He has to be into whatever I am doing. The little ham, he even looks like he's giving me the raspberry to boot!

Thanks for stopping by my little corner of the world. Please come back and visit again. Take care, and until next time, happy stitches!

TUSAL

2011-03-06T13:23:00.001-05:00

Wow, has it only been a month since last TUSAL? I know that I am a couple of days late posting this month but it has been a little crazy around here.

A couple of weekends ago, my sister and I went to see Rick Springfield in concert at the Motor City Casino in Detroit. (Very cool casino and the the concert was great too!) We decided to make a day of it so my sister could attend his book signing in the afternoon. (BTW, we did meet him and she did get her book signed.)

On the way to Detroit, we stopped at a couple antique/second hand stores and I found a few treasures. One of which is the beautiful drawn thread piece in my TUSAL picture above. Does anyone know if there is a more specific name for this style of needlework? Isn't it breathtaking? I couldn't believe that it was only a $2. Other than a couple of small discolorations, it is perfect. I absolutely love it! Here is a closer look at the detail:

I also found a hankerchief with delicate drawn thread work. Again, it was another steal. I also picked up two small oil cans (forget to include them in the pictures) to use on a couple of With Thy Needle and Thread finishes.

I have a little bit of stitching progress to report, although my new job and the flu have definitely taken their toll on my time and energy. In the picture above, you can see my St. Patrick's design, tentatively titled, "Shamrock Reel". I plan to finish it as a small box cover similar to the Valentine box that I designed and finished last month. In the scroll frame is "Easter Frills" by With My Needle and Thread.

I also started the "Leaping Cat" sampler from La-D-Da in February. I'm using a piece of 36 ct. linen from Hand Dyed Fibers. I saw it and fell in love with it stitched on 40ct gauze but I chickened out and chose linen instead.

I started a new job towards the end of February and came down with the respiratory type flu last weekend so I haven't had the energy to even sign on to my computer lately. I can't wait to get back to visiting around blogland and see what everyone is up to. And I am impatiently waiting for my first paycheck so I can do some market stash enhancement with a free heart. A week and a half to go! Woohoo!

So that about wraps it up for the happenings in my little world over the last few weeks. I do need to mention my sorrow at learning of Lisa Roswell's passing this last week. To say that I am saddened and shocked is an understatement. How tragic. My heart and prayers go out to her family. She will be missed by so many.

True Love Finish and A Valentine's Freebie for You

2011-02-11T20:21:00.001-05:00

Happy Valentine's! I have been enjoying peeks at all the Valentine's Day stitching going on out in blogland. How delightful to see pretty colors after so much snowy, drabness outside! Thank you for dropping by. I have a new finish and a Valentine's freebie to share with you today.

My designing mojo ~~deserted me~~ took an unexpected vacation but I just had to pull something together for Valentine's Day. Here's a little sewing set that I put together in tribute to True Love.

True Love - Ornament/Box Top

Samplerbird Stitchery 2011

True Love - inside view of goodies

Inside Goodies: Scissor Fob and Pincushion (on a spool pedestal)

Reverse view of scissor fob

My Valentine's gift to you:

True Love Freebie

True Love - Ornament and Scissor Fob Freebie

Samplerbird Stitchery 2011

True Love Stitching Notes: I used Antique White 32 count linen for both the ornament and the scissor fob. Feel free to customize hair, eyes and skin tones.

Ornament/boxtop: Cross stitch cupid and hearts over two linen threads. Back stitch the words, arrow, bow string, and cupids eyes and mouth (refer to chart for placement over one or two threads).
Fob-True Love side: Cross stitch heart over two threads of linen. Back stitch words and arrow.
Fob-Cupid side: Cross stitch cupid over two threads of linen. Cross stitch hearts and initials over one thread of linen. Do not stitch outline of boxes above cupid, they are included to aid in centering initials for personalization.

Enjoy! Let me know if you have any questions.

This Valentine's Day, may you have true love in your heart for someone or something. Because love makes makes all the difference.

Have a Happy Valentine's Day!

TUSAL and Preparing for a HS Happy Dance

2011-02-03T20:50:00.001-05:00

Time for the February TUSAL check-in. I'm using a small jelly jar to collect my orts. Once the little jelly jar is full, I'll dump it into the large Ball jar setting beside it. Most of the orts are from the little sampler that the jar is sitting on.

A "Berry" Nice Sampler by Hillside Samplings

Stitched on 30 ct. Northern Cross Natural linen with DMC floss.

Changes: Switched to a slightly deeper yellow for the strawberry blossom centers and replaced the stitched center strawberry with the porcelain strawberry button that was intended for the pin pillow.

A couple of weeks ago, I was in a funk and needed something colorful to stitch. Went stash diving and pulled out "A "Berry" Nice Sampler" from Hillside Samplings. This has been on my "want to stitch" list since I first laid eyes on it. I loved stitching this little sampler! With such a pretty palette of colors and an interesting variety of stitches, it was hard to put it down! Finished the stitching last night, ironed it today, and I'll be adding the the porcelain strawberry button to it this evening. Then I'll be happy dancing!

This is a picture from the leaflet cover. Notice the center strawberry is stitched. When I bought the pattern, I also bought the linen and the porcelain button. Imagine my disappointment when I set down to really look over the pattern and discovered that the button wasn't used for the sampler. Probably one of the reasons that it has been waiting for 10 years to be stitched!

Here's another view of "A "Berry" Nice Sampler". Sorry about the bad lighting. The actual colors show up much nicer in the first photo.

A few of the orts in my TUSAL jar are from Carriage House Samplings "Alphabet Sampler". I'm stitching it from the cards that I collected before the full sampler chart pack was released.

"Alphabet Sampler" - Carriage House Samplings

Stitched on 40 ct. Sandstone linen using overdyed threads. (Again, the lighting does not do the colors in this sampler justice.)

I have this by my stitching chair and whenever I am between projects or need to take a breather from what I am stitching on, I pull it out and stitch awhile.

I'll leave you with a picture that I came across when I was browsing through some of my pictures. This is why I no longer leave my laptop on the floor if I have to step away.

Megan, the queen of warm and cozy places.

Thanks for stopping by my little corner of the world today. And sincere thanks to all that left comments to my last post. It means so much to me.

Hope you are staying warm and finding time to do something you love!

No finishes to report, but I have an answer for Glenna...

2011-01-22T23:00:00.000-05:00

First of all, thank you for the kind comments regarding my pile of unfinished finishes. I appreciate that no one scolded me for not being more proactive in the finishing department. What can I say, I'm just the kind of girl that enjoys stitching. As for the finishing, well, not so much.

I haven't finished anything this week although I have been experimenting with paint colors. I'm trying to decide what color to paint frames that I made last spring for:

"Sally Spencer" from Birds of a Feather
Stitched on 32 ct. hand dyed linen with overdyed floss.
Personalized with my immediate family's initials and the first two letters of the name of each of the cats that I have had.

Which of the two darker paint colors (see craft sticks to the left of the sampler) look best? Thoughts?

And...

"Button Button" from Hillside Samplings
(I can't find the chart right now, but I think that's the name.)
Stitched on 32 ct Lt Mocha linen with Caron Waterlilies in Fir and embellished with pearl buttons.

I finished stitching this sampler in 1997 and I mounted into the frame with glass and three layers of spacers to accomodate the buttons, but I'm not happy with the stain I used. Too light. Can't restain because I sprayed a coat of sealer on it. I'd like to find a coordinating paint color, slightly darker than the Waterlilies for it. Everything I've tried so far looks too bright (see light paint colors on craft stitcks in the picture above). Any suggestions for this one?

In my last post, Glenna left a comment asking about one of the pieces in my UF (unfinished finishes) box. I think this is the one that she described. (Glenna, I would have emailed you sooner but I was unable to find your email address. Let me know if this isn't the one that you were asking about.)

"Woodland Snowfall" from Little House Needleworks
Just Cross Stitch 2004 Special Christmas Ornament Issue
Stitched on 32 ct. scrap of mystery brown linen.
My plan was (and is) to finish it as a needlebook.

Well, my stitchy chair and my cat, Sophie, are calling to me. Time for a diet coke, some tummy rubbings (Sophie's, not mine) and some stitching. Thanks for stopping by my little corner of the world. Take care and stay warm!

2011 Goals (kind of) and Finish Finishes

2011-01-15T13:46:00.001-05:00

I kind of set a goal to pick out two of my stitched finishes each month to finish finish. I say "kind of" because I'm not going to kick myself if I miss a month or two along the way. Life happens, right? My plan is to frame one piece and finish one piece into a small of some kind each month. If all goes as planned, by year's end I'll have 24 finished finishes.

Recently Diane invited me to join POSSIBIL(I)TIES, a blog she started for stitchers to encourage one another to finish-finish stitching project finishes. I jumped at the chance and joined right away. I am also practicing goal visualization. I have this picture in my mind of me smiling on December 31 looking over all my finished finishes and wondering why it took me so long.

So with my goal in mind, last weekend I opened up the 6" x 20 1/2" x 14.5" tote that I use to store my stitched finishes and thought, "hmm, where do I start?"

I have no idea how many stitched pieces are in there...but as you can see, it is pretty full.

I reached in...held my breathe...and pulled out a couple of Blackbird Designs finishes. I dug around in my stash for backing fabric, trims, buttons and charms, dusted off the old sewing machine and got busy. Here are the results:

"Small Token"
Reward of Merit Pincushion by Blackbird Designs
Stitched on Vintage(?) 32 count linen using overdyed threads. Finished using the background fabric for the backing and lace from my miniatures (old hobby) stash.

"Bluebird"
Reward of Merit Pincushion by Blackbird Designs
Stitched on the recommended fabric with the reccommended overdyed floss. Finished using the background fabric for the backing and charms and buttons from my stash.

I attempted tacking tan rick-rack around the Bluebird pincushion but after several rocky attempts, I decided it wasn't worth the battle and frogged it all out. Not sure if I'll have another go at it or not. What do you think, should I or shouldn't I?

Thank you for stopping by today. And thank you for the comments regarding my last post. I've loved peaking at all the 2011 Challenge starts across blogland over the last couple of weeks and as a result, I'm just bursting to start some new projects myself. But so far I'm staying focused on a little set of winter themed needlework smalls that I'm designing and filling in on the CHS Alphabet.

Take care and hope you are enjoying your stitching as much as I am enjoying mine, which is A LOT! Hugs...

TUSAL

2011-01-04T22:29:00.000-05:00

Happy New Year! Here's wishing many blessings for you and yours in 2011!

I joined Daffycat's Totally Useless Stitch A Long and here is my first TUSAL picture.

I've been collecting orts for awhile so I can't place a timeframe on the collected orts in the big jar. I didn't think to start a new jar until today and I was too lazy to pick out the orts from the last few days. So everything was dumped unceremoniously into the big jar. I start filling a new jar tonight.

I'm behind (a lot) due to several unanticipated events. First, my Mom's water heater died right after Christmas. I had to locate a plumber that had the right size water heater in stock AND who was available to install it the next day. I decided to spent the install day at my Mom's in case there were any problems. Luckily, everything went smoothly and my Mom and I had a nice day watching movies. I stitched and Mom helped my pick out buttons and charms for 'Blackbird Designs'' Bluebird pincushion. Then, the next day, my brother called stressing about the New Year's Day party he was planning. Long story short, being the big sister that I am, I volunteered to have the party at my house. Let's just say I was NOT prepared, and had to hustle my bustle to get the house and food together. Despite limited sleep, everything turned out well and everyone had a good time, including me.

I planned to sit and stitch all day Sunday, but ended up sorting, straightening, and organizing my stash instead. I decided to avoid the 15-new project challenge and opted to be the cheerleader for all those that joined. Instead, this year, I plan to "finish finish" some of the things that have been lanquishing in my "stitched" box. I've kind of set a plan of framing one piece and finishing one unframed piece each month. If I stick to my plan, by year's end, I will have 12 framed samplers/pictures and 12 ornaments/smalls.

I am finishing a few things that I'll share with you hopefully tomorrow, that is if all the appliances continue working and my siblings don't have any emergencies. :)

I'm thankful that you stopped by my little corner of the world today. Take care, stay warm , or cool, depending on your location, and find time to do something you love.

And the Winner Is....

2010-12-21T14:32:00.002-05:00

I am thrilled to announce the winner of my "Merriest Christmas!" Giveaway. I used Random.org to generate the winning number and the winning number selected was #16. After counting comments and then then recounting to be sure, the giveaway winner is Lisa V of Perth, Australia!

Congratulations Lisa! I'll be sending an email to you shortly to gather all the mailing details so that your Samplerbird Stitchery gifties can be on their way to you. I hope you have fun stitching it up for yourself or someone you love!

A big Thank You to all for taking time to comment on my last post and a hearty "Welcome" to my new followers! I can't tell you what a heart-warming and encouraging experience it has been to read through the comments. At a time when my self-confidence is struggling with the out-of-work blues, it means the world to me. Thank you for brightening my day!

EMAIL: If anyone sent an email to me in the last week and I have not responded, please resend it to me. For some reason, AOL placed emails related to my blog in the Spam Folder and as I was sorting out the true spam, I accidentally clicked "delete all" instead of "delete" so I lost it all. Arrrgghhh!

Finishing: I've been trying to do some Christmas stitching finishing over the last couple of weeks. Here are a few pics:

Peace and Joy (front) - The Drawn Thread
Stitched this year on 32 ct. raw linen over 1 and over 2. I substituted over-dyed cotton floss for the silk threads that I did not have and used beads and buttons from my stash for embellishment. Santa's beard and coat trim are stitched with Whisper. Finished using Cynthia's wonderful directions included with the pattern.

"Peace and Joy" (back) - The Drawn Thread

"Frosty" - Designer unknown.
Stitched long, long ago on 18 ct Aida with DMC. One of those stitched designs that had been lanquishing away in my 'finished' box for years. Wanted to try the finish I've seen on so many blogs this year and pulled this out to experiment with.

"Festive Redbird" - Homespun Elegance
Stitched in 2009 on 28 ct. linen remnant from my stash using over-dyed floss. I substituted a brighter shade of red to match the beads that I wanted to use. Finished using Sandra's directions included with the patttern.

"Angels Sent" - Susan Greening Davis (Still Stitching with Susan) from the 2010 Just Cross Stitch Ornament Issue. Stitched on 30 ct white evenweave from my stash using DMC 115.
I had the pleasure of spending numeroues hours (and $$$) in Susan's Michigan shop when it was open and I couldn't resist stitching this up for me and one for a friend.

Samplerbird Stitchery News: I'm busy stitching the model for the "Peace on Earth" ornament that I will be offering as a freebie before New Year's Eve (stay tuned for a sneak peak in a day or two) and I am working on a couple of new design ideas, the first is based on two things that I love, samplers and quilts, and the second is a set of smalls with a winter theme. Hope to have them ready by mid-to-late-January.

Several of the comments to my last post mentioned that it was nice to find a design that fits in a standard size frame. I wholeheartenly agree. In fact, that is one of the factors that I am taking into consideration as I design. It is frustrating when we stitch up a perfectly lovely design and then put off framing because a custom frame costs so much. I was lucky enough to grow up with a Dad who was a master-woodworker and he showed me how to do so many things (if only I had paid more attention). I did learn how to construct a frame and over the years I've accumulated the equipment to do so but I don't always want to make a frame, sometimes I just want to go to the store and pick out a ready-made frame and get on with the framing. So I will try as I move forward with my designing to accomodate those of us that prefer to use a standard size frame.

An Anniversary: I'd also like to mention that this week marks the 4th anniversary since our little Birman twins, Zissou and Zoe, joined our family.

Zoe and Zissou settling into their new home.

Zissou and Zoe, this year, supervising the annual "putting up the tree" event. Note: Zoe (right) is smaller than Zissou (left) although it doesn't look like it in this picture. Sorry, the flash hides their blue eyes.

By the way, I neglected to acknowledge Zissou as the model in the "Merriest Christmas!" picture from my last post. He has been a little miffed at me so I promised that I would show his latest glamour shot today. Isn't he handsome!

Thanks for stopping by today and a big CONGRATULATIONS to Lisa V for winning the "Merriest Christmas!" pattern pack, linen and threads.

Happy Holidays!

My 2010 Christmas Giveaway & My Newest Design

2010-12-18T03:05:00.007-05:00

Happy Holidays! I’m so happy that you stopped by today! I must say, I was overwhelmed by the positive comments about my "Holiday Spirit" design. I can’t thank those of you that left a comment or sent an email enough for taking time to brighten my day and encourage my designing endeavor. {{{Hugs}}} to all of you!

I have a new Samplerbird Stitchery design that I’m excited to tell you about. Let me introduce you to…Merriest Christmas!

"Merriest Christmas!"
Designer: Samplerbird Stitchery
Stitched on 32 ct. Rue Green Zweigart Belfast linen with overdyed floss: Weeks Dye Works Snowflake and Holly, and Crescent Colors Cupid. Framed using a standard 5 x 7 frame purchased at Hobby Lobby.

Three things inspired me to design this piece, the joyful feeling that this season brings to my heart, new fluffy snowflakes, and the look and feel of an old-fashioned type greeting card. After several transitional morphs, I found the “look” that I envisioned. I hope you like the results.

I combined my thoughts for a Christmas giveaway and my new design introduction and arrived at my, “2010 ‘Merriest Christmas’ Giveaway.”

"Merriest Christmas Giveaway winner will receive:
The “Merriest Christmas!” pattern.
A 10 x 12 piece of 32 ct. Rue Green linen.
And…three skeins of over-dyed floss to stitch this baby up!

The drawing will be conducted on Tuesday morning, December 21, 2010, at approximately 9:00 a.m. EST. To enter, simply comment on this post and tell me that you want to be included in the drawing. Please include your email address, if it isn’t on your profile, so I have some way to contact you for your address if your name is drawn. You must be a follower to win. The best of luck to all!

A couple of things before I sign off. First, I’m setting up an Etsy shop to sell my Samplerbird Stitchery designs, including “Merriest Christmas!” and I’ll post more about that in a few days. Secondly, I’ll be publishing my next complimentary chart, “Peace on Earth” here on my blog prior to New Year’s Eve. Stay tuned!

Thank you for stopping by my little corner of the world today. Take care, have some fun with needle and thread, and enjoy yourself!

My October Gift and a Free Holiday Pattern for You!

2010-12-04T02:38:00.003-05:00

December greetings! I hope that everyone had a fun Halloween and a Happy Thanksgiving. I have missed spending time here. I am so behind posting, reading, and commenting, that I may never catch up. I guess I'll move forward and hopefully do a better job of keeping in touch. Thank you to all that commented on my last post about the pumpkins. I'd be glad to share how easy they were to make if anyone is interested. Let me know by commenting on this post or just send me an email.

I missed posting my October finishes, but I just have to show the gift that Julianne (one of the sweetest and most generous stitchers around) sent to me. I received her little "just because" gift in October. Thank you again, dear Julianne.

Lovely surprise in lovely packaging from Julianne.

Don't you just love the rose embossed gold bag! And the "pear" card was perfect for October. Inside the bag was the sweetest ornament. Julianne stitched the robin design from Prairie Schooler's "Signs of Spring". I collect robins and I just love it!!! It is hanging from the lamp by my stitching chair so I can admire it whenever I sit down to stitch. (I plan to send a little something Julianne's way after the first of the year.)

Robin from PS "Signs of Spring"

Here's a pic of Miss Zoe, my very own "Dora the Explorer" checking out the new gifties that came in the mail.

Zoe (doing her best Vanna Whiskers impression.)

Since I am "between employment" at the moment, I decided to pursue one of my long-time goals: designing. Back eons ago when my Mother and Aunts was collecting dollhouse miniatures (70's/80's?), I designed and stitched quite a few mini samplers and linens for their dollhouses and displays and I designed and stitched an extended family tree in honor of my grandparent's 50th Wedding Anniversary. All designed on graph paper with colored pencils. About five years ago I purchased charting software. Until now, I have only used it to customize little bits and pieces of charts that I was stitching, but haven't taken the time to start fresh and let the creative juices flow.

So over the last several weeks, I have been charting and stitching, recharting, frogging, and restitching and today I put the finishing touches on my first original ornament design, "Holiday Spirit" from Samplerbird Stitchery (that's me).

I included words that evoke the spirit of the holidays for me. I wish I could stitch one for each and everyone of my blogging friends and the wonderful shop owners that have kept me supplied over the years. You are all very dear to me and make even the roughest days a bit brighter. Since I can't stitch that fast, it is my pleasure to gift the chart to you. I hope that you like it.

If you stitch it, I would love to see how you choose to finish it. There are so many possibilities. The matching trim and ribbon that I used were purchased at Michaels (this year) to add lots of bling! I like bling at Christmas. It's a quick stitch, especially if you leave off the beads and just use a simple cross stitch. Enjoy!

Click on the picture to make it bigger.

If you have any questions, you are most welcome to email me at robinndlwk@aol.com. Happy Holidays!

Thank you for stopping by my little corner of the world today!

"Holiday Spirit"
Designer: Me!
Copyright: Samplerbird Stitchery 2010

And We Have a Win-na!

2010-10-14T19:08:00.001-04:00

Thank you to each and every one of you that left comments on my last posting. I find it gratifying to know someone is interested in my projects and cares enough to leave a message. It reaffirms why I need to be more diligent about leaving comments on other blogs...it means so much to the receiver. Don't you agree?

Before I get to the main topic of tonight's post, here's a pic of the little pumpkin pincushions that I put together this past weekend. I finally got around to using some of the crushed walnut shells that I purchased this past summer. I've got to make more of these, they are ADDICTING! You wouldn't believe the mess I made in my craft room/studio/office as I dug through boxes and drawers to fine all the components. Oh, what fun I had!

And now for what many of you are waiting to read...the list of candidates has been tabulated, the winner's name selected by my DH...........BUT before I reveal the winner of Jenny Bean's Halloween Sampler chart and leftover threads, let's review the selection process, shall we?

First, I listed the names of everyone that left a comment and stated they wanted to be apart of the drawing.

Next, I cut the names apart.

Then I carefully folded each name and placed the little pieces of paper into my trusty candy corn tin (from JoAnn's). And my DH had the honor of selecting a name from the ever-so-cute tin. And the winner of Jenny Bean's Halloween Sampler chart and leftover threads is...............

BERIT!!!!!

CONGRATULATIONS, BERIT! I hope you enjoy stitching the sampler even more than I did!

Please email your snail mail address to me and I'll send Jenny Bean off to you ASAP!

Thanks again to all that left comments. And to all that took time to just drop by for a visit. I'm glad that you stopped by my little corner of the world today! Hope your stitching adventures are always happy!

A Finish and My First Giveaway Ever

2010-10-05T16:45:00.003-04:00

A couple of nights ago, I finished my favorite fall design from 2009, Shakespeare Peddlars "Jennny Bean Halloween Sampler". It was one of those sampler designs that I just fell in love with at first sight. It took about 3-4 weeks to stitch with a couple of breaks to stitch things for an exchange. Here's a pic of my Jenny Bean:

Stitched on 40 ct Sandstone linen with the Limited Edition The Gentle Art Sampler Threads.

And, because I enjoyed stitching Jenny's Halloween Sampler so much, I'm offering the pattern and the remaining 9 Limited Edition threads as my first ever giveaway. I think there will be enough of all the threads except for Nightmare (the black) to stitch this again, especially if it is stitched with one thread on 40 ct (or maybe even 36 ct.) linen.

Since this is my first giveaway, I'd like to keep it as simple as possible, so all you need to do is comment on this post and tell me if you are interested in going into the drawing. It is not necessary to be a follower, although you are most welcome to join me. :)

On Thursday, October 14th, I'll draw a name from the comments to this post and announce the winner's name. Please make sure that your email address is available so that I can contact you if your name is drawn. If you are a fast stitcher, you might be able to stitch this up before Halloween! Good luck to all!

QUILT SHOW: On a side note, I attended a quilt show this past weekend and I was pleasantly surprised to find a Blackbird Designs quilt. Such a shame that pictures just don't have the same impact as seeing it in person! Beautiful!!

I happen to live next store to a quiltmaker-artisan extraordinaire, Pat. She is always creating something of beauty. Here she is with her Country Cupboard wallhanging. Again, the picture just doesn't do the quilt justice. The red, black and white border detail is jaw-dropping gorgeous! Check out Pat's blog to see more of her quilting and crafting projects. She has lots of tutorials, too.

Well, enough of my meandering for today. Thanks for stopping by my little corner of the world. I trully appreciate each and every one of you. Thank you for making the blogging world such an enjoyable place to visit!

I Can Stitch...When Traveling @ 70 MPH

2010-08-23T21:19:00.000-04:00

I had pretty much given up trying to stitch while riding in the car. Then about a year and a half ago, I came across a little Bent Creek zipper kit in my stash and decided to take it along while my DH and I took a drive. And I discovered stitching with #5 Pearl Cotton on 18 ct Cork linen is Michigan roads friendly! What a relief, no more "pin the tail on the donkey" type stitching (that's where you struggle for about five minutes trying to get the needle in the right hole). I can now actually stitch and enjoy the drive, too.

Here's a pic of a couple of my first Cork projects: "Made in the USA" kit, Bent Creek (center), in the lower right corner, Trail Creek Farm's "USA" freebie. On the left is "Land That I Love" from Lizzie Kate which is stitched on 32 ct raw Belfast.

We haven't been traveling much over the last year but I have managed to stitch or finish stitching the little grouping below:

Trail Creek Farm "Summer" freebie, Birds of a Feather "Halloween Costume" freebie, and The Gift Of Stitching, "Cupcake Doily" motifs with added buttons.

So now I have a little travel case packed and ready to go with some #5 pearl cottons, 3 or 4 smaller cuts of Cork linen, a few smaller, Cork appropriate patterns, a package of #22 needles, and a pair of travel scissors that I clip to my seat belt.

And then this past weekend, I made another discovery. We took a little camping trip and on the way, I pulled out an exchange piece that I am stitching on a piece of mystery 28 ct linen and found it surprising easy to work on. That is until we hit a nasty, bumpy stretch of highway and then it was back to the Cork. So now I have another travel option. Let's see, what do I want to stitch on 28? I really wish I could share a picture of my stitchy progress on the exchange piece but I don't want to spoil the surprise. I'll just say that it is very cute and such a clever idea from one of my new to me favorite designers. I just wish I had enough of the linen left to make one for me too!

I'm ready for a road trip, how about you?

Happy stitching! Thanks for stopping by my little neck in the woods.

Glory, Glory, Halleluiah!

2010-08-01T00:33:00.000-04:00

I finally have a few finishes to share. I haven't had much time to stitch over the last several months. I won't go into it all now, but it involves a job, extreme stress, long hours, and finally a decision to move on. So last week, DH and I went camping, that is, we took our travel trailer and camped in a lovely KOA campground near Petoskey Michigan. We relaxed and I tried to regain my sanity. (Note: I'm still working on it.) In the meantime, I stitched.

On the left is "Spring Glory" from Sisters & Best Friends. Stitched in honor of one of my favorite flowers. I stitched it on a piece of pale pink 32 ct linen that I had on my stash and used DMC and overdyes. I changed some of the recommended colors and stitched the letters randomly with a few coordinating overdyes. I must say I am pleased with the changes I made.

On the right is a sweet little pattern from a new to me designer, Jardin Prive. It is called "Ronde de Fluers Pinkeep". I stitched in on 36 ct white linen with DMC. I just love it and I plan to make it into a pinkeep using purple head pins (like the one in the picture).

Check out the object in the upper middle. Yes it is a little flower frog. It's about 3 1/2" wide. A few weeks ago my sister and I went on one of our sister's getaways and along the way we stopped at a few antique/second hand stores and I found not one, not two, but three flower frogs. Unfortunately, they are all small and only my tiny scissors fit in them. I did see a few of the larger ones but opted for the small ones as I didn't take into regard that scissors actually have to fit in the holes. Duh! Oh well, live and learn. Next time, I'll be on the look out for one of the larger versions.

I tried to upload a few more pictures but Blogger is being obstinate and is giving me a "failed" message so I will take that as a hint to say goodnight.

Thanks for stopping by my little blog.

Hippety, Hoppity, Here Comes An Easter Finish....

2010-03-31T22:45:00.001-04:00

Last weekend I found time to dust off my sewing machine and stitch-up the "Hoppin' Along Sampler", With Thy Needle & Thread's sweet little Easter bunny pillow design. It went from this...

To this... Uh...not quite what I envisioned. Looks more like something called Lumpy.

But with some shaping, the addition of ears, ribbon, whiskers, embroidered nose and even a little blush, my little bunny is looking much better. Even Zoe thinks so.

All set for Easter decorating!

Of course, Zissou, Zoe's twin was not impressed.

Thanks for visiting. Sending best wishes for a blessed Easter and Passover.

Coffee to Dye For...

2010-03-20T11:26:00.002-04:00

I did it! I coffee dyed my "Hoppin' Along Sampler" bunny-to-be linen. (Pattern from Country Stitches/With They Needle & Thread.) After seeing Deb's finished model adorning her blog, I just had to get over the apprehension I was feeling about the coffe thing. It turned out a little darker than I anticipated but I like it. Here's the before and after pictures.

Before Coffee:

After Coffee:

I bought a sheet of clear plastic template that I found in the quilting department at JoAnn's to trace the pattern. The instructions say to use a disappearing ink pen to trace the stitching line onto the fabric, but I'm leery about that since I won't be washing the linen afterwards. Instead, I'll trace the cutting line and use the guide on my sewing machine to stitch. Anyhoo, I plan to spend some time constructing the little bunny this weekend.

In my travels through blogland this week, I came across a couple of noteworthy giveaways. Click on the ladies names to link to their respective blogs.

Pat is giving away another of her beautiful totebags. This one is in honor of her birthday, which is today, Saturday. Her drawing is this evening at 7:30 EST. Pat is my neighbor and a good friend and she does beautiful quiltwork (is that a word?). I was the lucky recipient of one of her previous totebag giveaways and I can vouch for the quality of her work.

Terrie is having a Jenny Bean Humble Servant Sampler giveaway and she is even including the floss pack as well. Terrie owns a cross stitch shop in Georgia called The Stitch Store and from the pictures she shows on her blog, I'd LOVE to visit. She also likes cats. What's not to love? Stitching and cats, sound like my kind of place!

Better get crackin' on the usual Saturday errands and tasks. I'll be working on my bunny this weekend and deciding which project(s) to place within reaching distance of my stitchy chair. Stay tuned...

Enjoy the weekend, whether it's cold, damp and snowy like mid-Michigan today or someplace that really feels like it is "spring"!

Thanks for stopping by my little corner of the world today!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

2010-03-17T20:41:00.000-04:00

May the most you wish for

Be the least you get.

May the best times you've had

Be the worst you'll ever see.

Old Celtic Blessing

Shamrock Heart - The Sweetheart Tree

Hope you were lucky enough to put a few stitches in today!

My First 2010 Finish!

2010-03-14T17:09:00.003-04:00

I finished "The Pink Hare Sampler" which makes it my very first stitchy finish of 2010. Here's a snap of my big, er...little finish. It's only 3 1/2 square. Very delicate and the colors are just so scrumptiously soft.

The Pink Hare Sampler

Ewe and Eye and Friends

Stitched on 35 ct. Hand Dyed LInen (unnamed, but I'd call it Bisque).

Used recommened GA and WDW floss.

(Exception: substituted Madison Rose for the Red Pear, which I didn't have.)

I posted a couple of weeks ago that I was having trouble deciding if the pink ribbon that I used for the roses worked. Well, I frogged one of the roses and restitched it in the darker pink. I liked it so much that there just wasn't a question about which pink to go with. So I frogged the other two roses and restitched them in the darker pink as well. Actually, I had to frog and restitch those ~~damn~~ ribbon roses several times trying to get them to lay right. The rose at the top is still kind of tight but I can live with it.

I expect my next stitchy finish will be "Hoppin' Along Sampler" by With Thy Thread and Needle (Country Stitches). I am nearly done with the cross stitching. Then it's on to "antiqueing" it with instant coffee and constructing the bunny. Which means I'll need to dust off my sewing maching. I'd really like to finish this by Easter. And, yes I do mean this year. Do I hear laughing???

A big THANKS to all of you who leave me a comment every now and then. I really apprecitate it. Your comments always brighten my day! I am loving the blogging world, it's wonderful connecting with people that share the love of needlework!

Thanks for stopping by and visiting my little corner of the world.

The Postman Came and I Received, Oh My!

2010-03-06T16:38:00.004-05:00

Looky, looky what I received in the mail this week! Two packages from Stitches N' Things (market and pre-market orders), Stitching Bits and Bobs, and 123 Stitch (both market orders). Yay for me!

In no particular order, except I'm saving my very favorite until last. (Don't peak!) First up are the new Prairie Schoolers. There's a little robin design in Signs of Spring that is a must stitch for me because I collect robins!

From The Drawn Thread, one of my long-time favorites, Small Seasons. I see it as a pinkeep or needlebook.

Next up, Lizzie Kate. I love her series designs. I stitched her Boo! Club and ABC Lessons last year and love how they turned out. The little Easter Quick-it needs to be one of my smalls finishes this year!

New overdyed flossies from WDW, Crescent, and Olde Willow. More Floss-a-way bags for storing my fibers. Cuts of Antique White and Country Cream Befast linen. And the Hillier scissors that I have been coveting for awhile and a pair of Little Gems in the Prim color (flat black). Very cool!!

Okay, now it is time to share my very favorite new stash. The one that has me drooling. The one that I oohed and aahed over while I looked through the pages. The one that is absolutely breathtaking. The one that will make me go mad trying to decide what to stitch first.

Without further adieu...here is my favorite, the beautiful and wonderful...

Honeysuckle Manor!

Have you seen this book? It is absolutely drop-dead gorgeous. A feast for the eyes and so creative, each and every design. If you love Blackbird Designs, heck even if you don't, you'll love this book. Well worth the price! I also received Thankful November, the November stocking book (loved the stocking on the cover and the other two included aren't too shabby either!) and Bluebird (yeah, I love that one too!). Blackbird designs just keep getting better and better!!

Here's a couple of snaps of the designs in Honeysuckle manor that my fingers are itching to start.

Margaret Harris

Honeysuckle Pin Box

A Ticket A Tasket

A Stitcher's Companion

Pin and Needle Cupcakes.

(Sorry for the sideways picture, that's how it imported from Picasa and I couldn't figure out how to right it. If anyone knows, I'd appreciate the advice.)

See what I mean, simply gorgeous designs! Now those of you that are Blackbird followers are probably thinking, "If Robin loves Blackbird Designs so much, why didn't she get the other new Blackbird designs too?" Excellent question! In fact, Robin, er...me, did order them and they are coming as soon as they come in.

Don't you love it when shops mail partial orders and don't make you wait weeks and weeks until something else that you ordered comes in? I have found one mail order shop, in particular, that does this as a standard business practice. Don't know about you but I find that impressive! I know that it costs more to ship orders separately but if it is going to take, say more than a week to get the rest of the order, I would like to be asked if I'll pay the extra shipping. Since I don't have a LNS, when I order stash and a week goes by, I feel kind of like a junky waiting for my fix. It's kind of pathetic and undignified for a women of my age!

Oh, I can't forget to share the freebies that I received with my orders: freebie charts from DoOp Designs, Val's Stuff, Lilybet and two from Workbasket. Stitches N' Things included a free grab bag in my order and it included a large cut of 29 ct. Cottonfields Glenshee linen. I've heard good things about Glenshee linen and I'm looking forward to trying it out.

I wish every week could be like this! And I wish money grew on trees cause that would need to happen if the other were to come true. LOL!

Well kids, thats enough of my meanderings for this afternoon. I've got laundry and vacuuming to finish cause the cats refuse to do it. Lazy furbabies that they are! Hope to get a little stitch a** action in this evening.

Thanks for stopping by my little corner of the world today.

Roses are Pink...Or Should They Be Dusty Pink?

2010-03-03T21:42:00.001-05:00

I've been happily working on my E&E&F Pink Hare Sampler. Almost finished BUT the ribbon roses have been giving me fits! First there weren't any instructions included to stitch the ribbon roses...but I found a couple a helpful demos on u-tube. Cool! Piece of cake! However, choosing the ribbon color has been very challenging. Searched all over the place online looking for the right shade of pink and just couldn't decide, it's so hard judging color online. Happened to stop into Hobby Lobby and lo and behold they had two shades of pink ribbon and I bought them both.

I chose the lighter pink ribbon to actually stitch the roses, but now I'm second guessing myself. I really hate it when I am not satisfied with my color choices. Switching colors is not my forte even though I like to do it on occassion. So I've decided to frog the smallest rose and restitch with the darker pink ribbon (shown in the picture). Then, I'll decide which pink I like best. Here's a pic of my sampler with the stitched light pink roses. Note: the ribbon in the upper right corner is the darker shade of pink.

Anyhoo...here's a closer look. The ribbon roses are so pretty. It was fun watching them grow. If you haven't ever stitched a ribbon rose, give it a try, they are such pretty little accents.

Watch for more hare-y drama. I'll post a picture with the roses in both pinks and I'll be asking for opinions.

Thanks for stopping by!

Pink Hare Progress

2010-02-20T16:15:00.002-05:00

Hi all..

I've been stitching this week on "Pink Hare Sampler", a Ewe & Eye & Friends pattern. It has been way to long since I stitched one of their designs. Love the soft colors and that it has eyelet, smryna cross and rhodes stitches in addition to cross stitches. I chose a 35 ct. Hand Dyed Fibers linen in a very pale pinkish shade (very near DMC 819 but with a delicate blush of tan) to stitch it on and I must say I am pleased with my choice for a change. Here are a couple of pics:

I did start the "Leaping Cat Sampler" by La-D-Da, but I'm not happy with it. At first I thought I was unhappy with the linen color but then I realized it was the stitch count. I saw it stitched and finished for the first time at a needlework shop and it was stitched over one and I loved it that way. I guess in mind's eye that is the way I want to stitch it, small and sweet. So why did I chose to stitch it on 36 ct over two? Brain warp/fart/senility??? Big sigh! So back to the fabby stash I go to look for an appropriate fabric to stitch it over one. Also, kitted up and ready to be born is With Thy Needle & Thread's bunny pattern, "Hoppin' Along Sampler". Can't wait to get hoppin' on it!

Valentine's Day just happened to be my lucky day...I won a giveaway from one of my favorite people, Pat. She's a quilter and she made this beautiful carry-all bag using a method called shadow quilting. It was one of several of her Valentine's Giveaway gifts. On her blog, Quilting can Be Fun, Pat shares step-by-step instructions for all kinds of quilting type projects. The first picture is the bag that I won and the second picture is a close-up of the shadow quilting.

And take a look at the inside...nice big velcroed pockets for little stuffs. Perfect for storing my stitchy projects and tools!

Pat also sent along a sweet notebook with birds on the cover. She said she tried to find one with robins but bluebirds is what she found..and I love it! I'm going to use it keep all my stitching related ideas, plans, wish-lists, etc. It'll be nice to have it all in one place instead of a note here and a note there.

Well, that's my post and I'm stickin' to it. Thanks for taking time to stop by my little corner of the world. Hope you have a wonderful weekend!

Happy Valentine's Day!

2010-02-14T13:38:00.005-05:00

I'm sending wishes that you are doing something you love today, be it spending time with loved ones, stitching something you love, or just thinking pleasant thoughts.

My hubby made me the most wonderful breakfast today...so much better than a box of chocolates! We watched a movie together and now I'm fondling my...stash. You do know that I'm talking about my stitchy stash, right?

Didn't finish a thing Valentine's related this year. So I'm ejoying a couple of my Valentine's Day finishes and an exchange gift from a few years ago. The heart shaped needlebook and scissor fob are from Cherished Stitches, "Flowers from the Heart". The biscornu was a birthday exchange gift. I believe it is an Indigo Rose freebie. The picture colors are off, in person they are lighter and brighter.

I decided to kit up ~~two~~, no, make that three projects; two that I've been wanting to stitch for what seems like eons, and one of my recent acquistions. Here's the line-up: "Pink Hare Sampler" from Ewe & Eye & Friends, "Hoppin' Along Sampler" from With Thy Needle & Thread (both Eastery) and "Leaping Cat" a La-D-Da sampler.

I'm pulling threads and fabric and plan to be stitching shortly and on into the evening. I'll post progress pictures very soon.

Thanks for stopping by. {{{{{{Valentine's Hugs & Kisses}}}}}} Pass it foward!

Where Do I Begin?

2010-01-31T17:51:00.002-05:00

Since my last post on January 5th, I have been struggling with "beginnings". I was so looking forward to beginning a new sampler project after the first of the year. Here it is, the end of January and I'm still trying to decide what to begin. It's not because I don't have anything to stitch, in fact the situation is quite the opposite. I think I have too many choices! But what's a girl to to? I love to stitch and I love to collect patterns!!! Do I think that I will actually stitch every pattern I own. I sure do! Just kidding! In all reality, I know I'll never stitch it all but it's fun to collect and dream about it!

Today, I have been looking through my patterns, trying to decide what to work on; something new, something "in progress", something wintery, sometime springy, or something holiday related? Haven't decided yet but I really do enjoy handling my stash. I also started my Super Bowl Sale shopping list: fabric, threads, and possibly a few new patterns. I've decided to shop online since the closest shop is about an hour away and it is quite small with tons of stitchy things stuffed in it. By the time you get more than a handfull of crazed stitcher's in there, it could very well get ugly! LOL! I'll have to wait for my stuffs to arrive but I think I can find a few things in my stash to fill the time!

Recent mail stash acquistions: Lizze Kate-"Time for God", With My Needle & Thread-"Hoppin' Along Sampler", and Ewe & Eye & Friends-"Petite Exemplary". Love the bunny! Wouldn't it be perfect for Easter? I may need to order fabby for it.....

When I have had a few minutes to stitch, I've put a few stitches into my Carriage House Sampling, "Alphabet Sampler". It's on 40ct linen and I'm making s-l-o-w progress.

Darn! I cropped the picture before uploading it to my blog but it still pulled the pre-crop version. Don't know why. I need to figure that out, but it will have to wait for another day. Any advice would be welcomed!

I also began Blackbird Designs, "Truly Thine". (Sorry for the flash shiny spot.) No pic of my progress because it is very minimal. I'm stitching it on a tea colored linen from my stash because I didn't have and then couldn't find a comparable pinkish linen online. I plan to add a bit of soft brown (basket) and a couple of greens (leaves and vines) so it won't look so valentine-sy when I'm done.

I started Paradise Lost with DMC. Not very happy with the colors used for the lions (where I started), so I'm contemplating investing in the silks. Has anyone tried one of "Hand Dyed Fibers" conversions before? http://hand-dyedfibers.com/oscnuked/ I love her silks but not sure of the conversions. Thoughts?

Pulled out a few of my UFO's to see if they called to me. I'm waiting...nothing yet.

Just Nan - "Lady Scarlet's Journey"

The Drawn Thread - "French Garden"

So as you can see, I've been dabbling here and there, but haven't settled on any one thing yet. I really haven't had much time lately. Hoping that will change in the near future.

Part of my lack of stitching focus is due another type of "beginning" in my life. After being amongst the unemployed for over a year, I was offered and accepted a senior training position with a telecommunications company. Started January 11th and it has been a whirlwind. So much to learn! It is very different from the banking industry. Big adjustment for me, not just the job, but working again. (I really enjoyed my time off.)
So although I've been very busy over the last several weeks trying to adjust to working, I've tried to do a little blog hopping once or twice a week. I didn't have time to read much, but peeking at all the pictures has been like mental therapy for me. Thank you for being part of the blogoshere! You, and your blogs make a difference to me and helped to keep me grounded!!!

Thank you for stopping by!

New Year Wishes and Confessions

2010-01-05T16:19:00.006-05:00

I know it's late but I'm sending wishes out to everyone for a Happy, Healthy, and Prosperous New Year!

Now for my confession. I've put this off as long as I can so I'm just going to say it...er...type it.

I did not finish my ornaments from my last post of 2009 and I did not send out Christmas cards.

I hang my head in shame. I could have made the ornaments and addressed the cards in an afternoon if I had actually set my mind to it. Didn't happen. Hope to do better this year!

So instead of sharing my finished ornaments, I'll share a couple of things that I did finish for Christmas this year and a few past finishes.

I offered to help my sister decorate a wreath for her friend's mother. We went to JoAnn's and Michael's to gather supplies and this is what we came up with: The Golden Reindeer Wreath.

Jenn decided she couldn't part with the wreath so she gave the Rustic Poinsettia Wreath that I made her last year to her friend's mother. I was just glad that she made a decision!

Next up, a small cross-stitch design for the Quilting Queen, my neighbor, Pat. Check out her blog, Quilting Can Be Fun.

It was a fun stitch. I'd forgotten how much I enjoyed stitching Graph-It Arts designs, simple, yet detailed enough to be fun. At one time, Lynn Waters Buza was my favorite designer. I'd still buy anything she designed. Love her use of color, shading, and detail. I think Pat really liked it!

From a Graph-It Arts leaftet

Designer: Lynn Waters Buza

Stitched on white evenweave with DMC thread

Glass beads used for pin heads

Pat made a beautiful log cabin quilt for my hubby and me in shades of lavender, one of my favorite colors, and a darling little appliqued quilt for our cats. Each of the four squares has a basket of four cats. Our cats love it and take turns napping on it. I'll take pictures and post later. Both quilts are so cool!!! Thank you, dear Pat!

Here are a few Christmasy finishes from past years...

Graph-It Arts

Designer: Lynn Waters Buza

Stitched on Moss lugana with DMC and Kreinik blending filiment

Love the little basket with the french knot berries!

Happy Christmas

Designer: Shepherd's Bush

Stitched on raw linen with DMC fibers

Accented with clay heart buttons

Snowmen Melt Your Heart

Designer: Homespun Elegance

Stitched on raw linen with overdyed threads

Accented with charms, buttons, and beads

A couple of close-ups to see the detail...Top half:

Botton half:

That concludes my first post of the year. Thanks for stopping by and spending a few minutes in my world.

Tree Ornaments are coming along!

2009-12-11T20:49:00.003-05:00

Seasons Greetings!

I've stitched three ornaments for the tree this year, one is on the tree and two are waiting to be turned into ornaments (which, hopefully, will happen this weekend). I've added a few pictures below.

A Cookie For Santa

Hillside Samplings

1999 Just Cross Stitch Special Ornament Issue

I love chocolate chip cookies and just love this little design! And it doesn't even have calories! I stitched it on light mocha linen with a dk brown shade of Theadworx and used a piece of dk brown fabric for the back and satin cording from my stash for the edging and the bow.

Night Before Christmas

Birds of a Feather

1998 Just Cross Stitch Special Ornament Issue

Birds of a Feather designs just crack me up. I stitched this one on a scrap of raw linen and used overdyed threads. I plan to use the fabric in the background for the backing. Edging is still a question mark.

Festive Redbird

Homespun Elegance

This one I stitched on a scrap of overdyed tan colored linen with overdyed threads. I switched the recommended shade of red to a brighter red to match the little cranberry beads that I substituted for the charted french knots. I'm not sure yet what fabric I'll use to back it but the fabric in the background of the pic is currently at the top of my list.

Once the ornaments are finished and hanging on the tree, I'll take a few pictures and post them here. I have a few more gift finishes to accomplish, shopping to finish, and wrapping to be done before the big day. I just can't believe that Christmas is only two weeks away! Egads, I'd better get busy!

Hope all your plans are falling into place and you are enjoying the season. Thanks for stopping by.

O Christmas Tree...How Lovely Are Your Branches

2009-12-11T19:48:00.003-05:00

Our Christmas Tree is up. It's decorated. Let the festivities begin!

Actually, the tree has been up since the day after Thankgiving. The garland, beads and ornaments followed soon after, but I added the icicles this week. We think we liked the tree better without the icicles!

Around the lowest branches, I hang stockings for each of the cats that my husband and I have had since we've been married. Each of the nine stockings have a special name that we hold in our hearts. Here's a pic of the stockings for the four cats we have now.

"The kittie's stockings were hung on the lowest branches with care,

in hope that the kitties would leave them right there.

So far so good, the stockings are still on the tree.

Hope they're still there for St Nick to see."

Yea, I know, I'm clearly not a poet! But a girl can try to entertain herself, can't she? (I'm sorry that you had to be a witness.)

I've learned not to hang dangling types of ornaments (or icicles) at the bottom of the tree, because the cats think that anything hanging on the tree is fair game. The only way that I can keep the little stockings on the tree is by using twist ties to wire them on. I do have to adjust them every now and then but luckily the cats don't seem to bother the tree like they used to.

Hope you are enjoying the holiday festivities!

Couldn't Sleep...

2009-12-01T04:44:00.002-05:00

So I got up to check on the cats...

Megan woke up to see what the heck I was doing up so late.

Found Zoe in the bathroom sink.

Zissou was snoozin' on the cat tree.

And Sophie was taking her daily abluctions.

All are safe and sound so back to bed I go, hopefully to sleep.

Blogging can be Fun (and dangerous)!

2009-11-21T13:50:00.010-05:00

Catching up on blogs today and came across another fun giveaway. This one on Linen Stitcher's blog. She's giving away this lovely Carriage House Samplings pattern, American Landscape. The deadline is Saturday, November 28. Good luck to you, however I'd really like to win this one, too!

Danger, Danger...Sigh!

Let me tell you what I've been drawn into. It's all Vonna's fault. (If you haven't seen Vonna's blog,

The Twisted Stitcher, please check it out. It is wonderful!) Vonna found a picture of the Prairie Schooler alphabet patterns stitched on one piece of linen, (I believe it was stitched over one on a 28 or 32 ct linen) and she posted a link to the picture on her blog. For everyone to see. And it is mouth watering, finger tingling gorgeous!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/8416520@N02/2219248167/sizes/l/

Don't you hate it when you get something in your head and it just won't shut up or go away! I went around in a trance for a couple of days after seeing that picture, so I thought, I'll just see if I have a piece of linen big enough for it. Only had one option sizewise and it was too dark, so then I looked at a few of my favorite ONS's, you know, just to see what was available. All the time telling myself, "I don't need another project, especially a HAP!" (That's a hu-mungo BAP.) Thursday afternoon after running several errands, I decided I needed to pick up those beads and overdyed floss that have been on my stitchy shopping list for a while. So I drove to the nearest needlework shop, which is about an hour away. Do you see where this is going? While there, I happened (yea, right) to browse their fabric selection. Guess what! They had some ivory Jazlyn (a 28 ct evenweave very similar to lugana) which I thought would be great to stitch over one on. And it was so ~~cheap~~ economical compared to linen...

I just had to put a few stitches into the Jazlyn that I brought, you know, to see how it would look.

It's a sickness, I tell ya! Sigh...

More Gifties in the Mail

2009-11-16T18:39:00.003-05:00

The givaway gift from Jolene's Dip Diddly Designs blog came in the mail today! I felt like it was Christmas!. All I can say is Jolene is a very thoughtful and generous women. This is only one of a whole month of giveaways that she hosted on her blog. I am so honored to be the recipient of La D Da's "A Bird in the Hand is Worth 2 in the Bush" pattern AND the NPI silks to stitch the little darling up. She even included chocolates with beautiful vintage Santa's displayed on the wrappers. Here's a pic:

Of course, I had to try a couple of the chocolates right away. Yummy! I'm saving the wrappers for some future crafty project. They are just too pretty to throw away!

A big THANK YOU to Jolene for her thoughtful generosity ! Jolene, I wish I could thank you in person so I could give you a {{{big hug}}}!(Yes, I'm a hugger!).

Buttons and Weeping

2009-11-14T19:47:00.005-05:00

What do they have in common?

They are both things that I worked on yesterday. I sorted my button collection into jars and I finished the "Weeping Tree Sampler" that has pined away for years waiting to be finished.

Even though I felt lousy yesterday, headache, runny nose, and lack of energy, I convinced myself that it was only a cold (I really think it was/is) and not the dreaded H1N1, I decided to be useful and do a bit of mending.

My husband needed a couple of buttons replaced on a jacket. No prob! I'll just go through my buttons to find replacements. Should be easy right? Not when your button stash fills a 16 1/2 x 13 x 6" storage box. Did I mention that I have LOTS of buttons! Some I bought for sewing, some for crafting, and many because I thought they would look so cute/lovely stitched on a cross stitch project or maybe I could design something and use them as an accent. My justification list just goes on and on. Then there are the auction buttons. Some of my buttons are carded and many are loose. So like I said, I have lots of buttons. After much sifting, blowing my nose, oogling the pretties, blowing my nose, nashing my teeth in frustration, and blowing my nose, I found the buttons and mended the jacket.

As I was stitching the buttons on the jacket, it came to me that I could use the peanut butter and mayonaise jars that I had been saving to organize my buttons by color family. (I knew those jars would come in handy eventually.)

So I was able to get most of my buttons into seven jars! (You can't see the large mayo jar in this pic.) I didn't have room for all the white/cream/pearl buttons in the big PB jar so I put all the carded ones in a baggie and added it to my stitchery bead, button, and charm drawers. Don't ask.

To end the evening, I finished up "Weeping Tree Sampler" from The City Stitcher, thanks to the encouragement of Deb and Jolene. If I'd had felt better, I would have been happy dancing all over the place.

I do love this sampler. I saw it finished and framed in a cross stitch shop near Rockome Gardens in Illinois (does anyone remember the cross stitch festivals held at Rockome Gardens?) back in the eighties and I knew I had to stitch it. Can't remember when I started it but I know when I finished it! I apologish for the rumply look but I didn't want to iron it until it is ready to be framed. It is quite a large sampler and measures 13 3/4" x 12". I used a 32 ct Light Mocha Zwiegart linen and DMC threads. Here a couple of closer looks. (Pictures are clickable for an even closer look.) The first picture is very close to the real colors of the sampler.

The pattern had a lamb to the right of the house but I changed it to a cat instead. And I decided to stitch the current year instead of the date charted. To be consistent, I used the colors recommended for the lamb to stitch the cat; I also gave him a nose and whiskers. Does the cat shape look familiar? If you know Chessie and Me Designs, it should. I borrowed the cat shape from one of their patterns. He kind of looks like my cat, Baby, who passed away in 1986. I'll always think of him when I see this sampler. Here's a close up of Baby.

Here's a comparision between the original design and my sampler. Notice the white-ish blobs to the left of the Z. (You'll have to click to see it as my photography is lousy.) Wow, I just noticed that the picture on the front of the pattern has a little wooden cat. It kind of looks like the cat on my sampler, don't 'sha think?

I did finish up the little November sampler. Need to lace it up and get it into the little 2x3" frame (hopefully before Thanksgiving).

Back to deciding on my next big project. Until then, I've started a Brightneedle freebie, "Christmas Eve". I'm using 32 ct Water Lily and although I love the color, I'm not enjoying stitching on the linen after working on Zwiegart linen. I have a feeling that this won't be ready by Christmas this year.

Before I go this evening, I must tell you about my biggest surprise this week. I won Jolene's final October giveaway, me and three other lucky stitchers. I about fell out of my chair when I realized the Robin she listed on her blog was ME! I don't know which of the four prizes I will receive, but I am keeping my finger crossed.

And also I'd like to share another giveaway that I signed up for on Dafftycat's blog. Perhaps I'm on a winning streak. Will this ornie be mine? Stay tuned.

Thanks for stopping by this neck of the woods today. I look forward to your comments and am truely thankful to have the opportunity to share the love of stitching with you.

"Cats" - Let the Happy Dancing Begin!

2009-11-06T14:55:00.031-05:00

I finished the stitching on Cats! Yea! Just in time because I don't think I could have kept my nose to that grindstone much longer. There are ~~tons~~ a few other things that are calling to me.

CATS

from Autumn Holidays, Katrina Designs, 1982

Stitched on R&R 30 ct. Carrot linen with DMC floss

Haven't decided how to finish it yet. (Should I frame it or turn it into a pillow, or a heavy-weight, or a flat-fold?) Decisions, decisions! The good news is that I don't have to decide now cause this cutie is going to join my other "Ready For Final Finishing" stitcheries.

I have been yearning to get into another sampler lately. Kind of like being lost in a desert and hoping for an oasis, only my oasis is of the sampler kind. As I browse though blogs, I see so many beautiful samplers that I am so tempted to jump into that it isn't even funny. Of course, I have several samplers aready in the works that could stand some attention too.

While I'm deciding on which sampler to work on, I began a little sampler from 365 Tiny Cross Stitch Designs (American School of Needlework). It's tiny and will fit into a 2" x 3" frame when finished.

November Sampler

from 365 Tiny Cross Stitch Designs, American School of Needlework

Stitched on 32 ct Light Mocha linen with DMC floss

Sampler Options: Any advice you would like to offer regarding which project to move forward on, would be appreciated. (Click on pattern names to view the first two options and scroll down to see pictures of my past progress on the third and fourth options.)

Paradise Lost (new pattern, new start) from Plum Street Samplers (click on name to see it)

Plantation Sampler (old pattern, new start) from Canterbury Designs (click on name to see it)

Weeping Tree Sampler from The City Stitcher: (Already started, picture below.) Started this baby more years ago than I can remember. The copyright date is 1994 and I know I've pulled in out to work on several times over the years. Only things left to stitch are the lamb in the space to the right of the house, next to the letter Z (might change it to a cat instead, which would be more relevant for me), and stitch a date between the chimneys (not sure if I'll use the 1843 as charted).

Weeping Tree Sampler

The City Stitcher, 1994

Stitching on 32 ct linen (maybe Light Mocha) with DMC floss

Santas of Fable and Fantasy from the old Cross Stitch and Country Crafts magazine. (Already started, pictures below.) This is a Sandra Orton design, and I just love, love, love her designs. I've included pictures from the magazine and my progress (from ?? years ago).

Santas of Fable and Fantasy

Stitching on 32 ct raw linen with DMC floss

In the mean time, I'll finish up the little November sampler while I decide. Who knows, I may decide on something completedy different??? LOL!

Thanks for stopping by and checking out my ramblings today. Hope you all have a good weekend and find a bit of time to stitch.

Hi-Di-Ho, Halloween Lovers!

2009-11-03T14:35:00.009-05:00

Happy belated Halloween! Hope everyone enjoyed the festivities and all the holiday related stitching. I wanted so much to share a some of my Halloween stitching before the holiday but couldn't seem to find the time to put my pictures and thoughts together at the same time. So I hope you don't mind a little leftover show and tell in no particular order.

This grouping was on our entertainment center in the living room. From left to right: "Happy Halloween" is from Little Stitches by Graph-It Arts; "Got Candy" and the basket wrap - not sure of the designers (if anybody knows, please let me know); the three little orange treat bags on top of the basket are from Halloween Silhouettes by Forever Friends; "October Sampler" is from 365 Tiny Cross Stitch Designs by American School of Needlework; and "Pumpkins" is from Autumn Holidays by Katrina Designs.

Halloween is my sister's favorite holiday so I always give her a gift of some sort. This year I gifted her with "No Scaredy Cats Allowed" from the Mostly Ghostly leafet by Waxing Moon Designs. The design originally had two black cats, but I replaced one with a Siamese cat. I wanted to stitch this for Jennifer in honor of her cats, Toby, her black cat, and Tucker, her Siamese cat. (Sadly, Toby passed away as I was finishing this up in September so I almost waited until next year to give it to her. I decided to take a chance and give it to her anyway. She did get a little teary, but said that she loved it.)

This is Jennifer holding the picture after we applied candy corn stick-on appliques to the frame. Just what it needed, don't 'cha think?

This is Lizzie Kate's "Boo Club", one of my 2009 finishes. I stitched it on 32 ct. Laurel linen that I purchased in Florida earlier this year. I saw it started on the Laurel linen and loved the look. However, if I had it to do over again, I would go with a lighter shade of green linen. It was a fun stitch (except for the border), I loved the floss colors and the cute little motifs and the sections stitched up so quickly.

I also have the Lizzie Kate's Christmas by the Letter charts and plan to stitch them on Picture This Plus 32 ct. Crystal Arial linen (a sparkly pale blue). Will I start it and get it done by Christmas? Yes, but which Christmas is really the question. LOL!

This Halloween Night from Mount Forest Frameworks. There are lots of buttons and beads on this one. I loved this frame and purchased the sampler chart because of the darn frame. I stitched it on a lavender evenweave which looks rather washed out in the picture. (That's what I get for taking pictures on a dreary day.) I finshed this a few years ago and can't remember the designer. (I have got to keep better notes!) I'll look through my stash and if I find the leaflet, I'll add the designer's name later. Click on the picture to see a bit more detail, each row has it's own border and buttons.

Next, is "Fat Cat" by Birds of a Feather. I think many of the Birds of a Feather designs are hilarious and in my opinion this is one of the funniest. As you probably can tell by the name of my blog, I love all things cat and just had to stitch this up. The look on the poor kitty's face is priceless and I certainly can relate. LOL!

Although I finished stitching this in 2007, I finally got around to making a frame for it this year. I made the frame from a flat surface molding and added wooden appliques to the corners to give it some interest (made it look kind of antique-y. (Is that a word?) I wanted a crackled finish and decided to go with a purple base and a black top coat. It turned out much more sinsiter than I planned. I kind of think it would be a better frame for a haunted house design. Anyhoo, I'm giving myself a few days to decide whether to leave the frame as is or spray it a solid black. What do you think?

This is another Birds of a Feather design, a freebie entitled "Halloween Costume". This little guy is being worked on 18 ct. Cork linen with pearl cotton. He is a work in progress and will be tucked away until our next car trip. You see, I made an important discovery this past summer. I discovered that 18 ct. linen and #5 pearl cotton are perfect travel companions. On one of our drives, I grabbed a Bent Creek kit to work on. It came with 18 ct linen and pearl cottons. I found stitching in the car to be very enjoyable for a change. No more struggling to thread a needle, count threads and get the floss in the right hole!

Last, but not least, the project that is currently sitting by my stitching chair, "Cats". This design is from an old leaflet, Autumn Holidays, published in 1982 by Katrina Designs.

I've wanted to stitch this ever since I purchased the leaflet. So about a month ago, I came across it while looking through my stash and decided right then and there to pull the threads, find a suitable linen in my stash, mount it on scroll rods, and get to stitching. I'm using R&R 30 ct. Carrot and DMC floss. Just have half a cat left to stitch. Hope to finish tonight.

Whew...I can't believe how much comes spilling out when I start talking about stitching. I hope I didn't bore you to death and I hope you'll stop back again. I so enjoy sharing my needlework obsession...almost as much as I enjoy reading about yours.

Until next time, may your floss never knot and your fabric never wrinkle...

Gifties in the Mail

2009-10-27T00:29:00.002-04:00

I received a package in the mail today from Eileen (no blog), my Blackbird Designs Halloween Exchange partner. She stitched Whooo's Knockin' at My Door for me. It is so cute! I just love it! Thanks, Eileen!

She also included a JBW Designs pattern, Over the River, which I envision as a little pinkeep with red-headed pins. I'll have to rummage through my leftover pieces of linen for a remnant to use for it. And if you look closely, you'll see the little finger pincushion (bottom center) that she also sent. I've always wanted one of those. Isn't it darling? I am so pleased with all the little gifties.

Fall Finishes

2009-10-26T00:48:00.002-04:00

It was a lovely fall day today. The leaves are turning beautiful colors and the sun actually came out! After almost a week of cloudy, rainy, and damp cold days it was wonderful to have some sunshine.

I haven't blogged in a while but I have been stitching. I have a few finishes from Blackbird Designs to share.

Autumn Bouquet - Blackbird Designs

Stitched over one on 32 ct gold overdyed linen with overdyed threads

First up is Autumn Bouquet. It was one of the options selected by the Blackbird Designs Yahoo group for the Summer SAL this year. It wasn't one of those designs that grabbed me when I first saw it. In fact, I had decided not to join the SAL when I came across a piece of gold overdyed Zwiegart linen in my stash. My first thought was, "This would be perfect for Autumn Bouquet!" I pulled the threats and they looked great on the linen so I ordered the pattern. Once I had the pattern, I pulled out the calculator to figure the best way to stitch the design on my linen and discovered that the @##$% linen wasn't wide enough!! I was so ticked off and disappointed that it took a day and a half of stomping around and muttering to myself before it occurred to me to stitch it over one. Once I started it, I enjoyed every stitch.

Trick or Treat Stocking from Tis Halloween

Blackbird Designs

Stitched on 30 ct R&R Chocolate Truffle with called for threads

Next up is the Trick or Treat stocking that I stitched for the Blackbird Designs Yahoo group Halloween stocking exchange. The finishing was a bit tricky but I think it turned out so cute. I sent this stocking to Eileen, my stitching partner and I'll be receiving one from her this week.

Pinkeep design adapted from Blackbird Designs "Tis Halloween"

Stitched on 32 ct Silvery Moon linen and overdyed threads.

Last, is a pinkeep that I stitched using a few of my favorite motifs in Tis Halloween. It's a little over 2 1/2" square. The orange fabric in the background is what I used for the back. It's unique and a memento of the fun I had with the SAL and the exchange.

Well, I had better get to bed. It's past my bedtime. Thanks for visiting today!

Laundry

2009-09-10T14:21:00.003-04:00

I did a load of laundry this morning, folded it and put it away where it belonged. I left the laundry basket in the hallway until I needed to take it back downstairs for the next load. After lunch and a PC break, I went to get the laundry basket and this is what I found:

Who's that sleeping in my laundry basket?

Why, it's Megan!

I couldn't get that darn cat to look up at me to save my life!

Cats love to crawl into things and sleep.
Megan prefers laundry baskets.

Zissou prefers collanders, no matter where he finds them.

Can you Say Tomato?

2009-09-10T13:43:00.010-04:00

Our garden is bursting with tomatoes! We also have cucumbers, acorn squash, peppers, onions, some herbs and glorious sunflowers, the mammoth variety with edible seeds.

Yesterday I picked Grape and Cherry tomatos. I just love to pop them as a snack, so much so that I think I am going to turn into a tomato! On Labor Day, I picked all the ripe slicers and Craig, my DH, and I made and canned salsa. Craig grew up canning. Every year his mother would can tomatos and who knows what else and now Craig think we need to do it too. Now, if you haven't canned before, I will tell you it is a LOT OF WORK. Of course, I read all about canning before we started so I was "prepared". Well, all that did was scare the bejesus out of me because of all the potential botulism issues! So yes, I did get a bit, oh how shall I put this, irritable at one point. DH had to reassure me that he knew what he was doing, that he had done this many times before, and nothing canned had ever made him sick, etc. Then he gave me a glass of something to drink (which tasted suspiciouly like wine, but I didn''t dare grumble any more) and what do you know after a few minutes I was in a much calmer space.

On the stitchy front, I am using Tomato Sampler Thread to stitch Lizzie Kate's "Boo Club". I finished the Monster section last night and have only two sections to go and then I'll be happy dancing!

In the background on purple fabric is a design from "Mostly Ghostly" by Waxing Moon Designs. I started this project a couple of years ago as a gift for someone, who shall remain nameless at this point. There is a reason that it has taken me so long to finish up this fairly simple design (besides the solid white ghost and the sign background - boring!), there are two cats in the design and the person that I am stitching it for has two cats and I wanted stitch the cats to look like her cats. Aaahhh..I know, cute. But that's how I roll. The charted cats are both black, and one of hers is black so that was easy, however, her other cat is Siamese. And yes, it did take me two years to redesign the other cat as a Siamese. Actually, the redesigning took about 15 minutes using Pattern Maker Pro, it was the procrastination that took two years. I plan to finish it up as soon as Boo Club is history.

Noteworthy news:

I joined a Blackbird Designs, "Tis Hallowe'en" stocking exchange. As soon as my partner lets me know which stocking she prefers, I'll squeeze in time to stitch and finish one of those.
I have a hugh crush on the new "Jenny Bean" sampler from Shakespeare Peddler. Scroll down to see this beauty. I gots' to have it!!!

Hope you're having a great week and enjoying fresh tomatoes and other goodies from the garden (either yours or someone else's). And so I leave you with quote from the little old lady next door, bless her heart, "Toodle loo!". (Yes, she really says this. It's so cute!)

Blog Help Needed

2009-09-06T19:44:00.001-04:00

Can anyone tell me why there are large spaces between some of my pictures and paragraphs? I have tried to edit them out but some of them just won't budge. What am I doing wrong or not doing that I should be doing? Any help will be appreciated.

What I Did Over the Summer

2009-09-06T16:19:00.039-04:00

My poor neglected blog! I could tell you that I was on location shooting my latest movie epic or that I was touring the Seven Wonders of the World or that I won the lottery and was busy spending my millions, but all that just wouldn't be true. Darn it!

However, I have been enjoying the summer even if it was just puttering around Michigan and home. In case you're interested in a taste of my summer, read on. (Warning: there are pictures.)

Of course, I've been stitching...

Finished and or framed a few pieces in celebration of the Fourth of July: "Land That I Love" - Lizzie Kate, "Made in the USA" (kit) - Bent Creek, "Star Spangled Sampler" - Heart in Hand, and "USA" (freebie) - Trail Creek Farm.

Joined Blackbird Designs Summer SAL and stitched and finished "Autumn Bouquet", thank you very much!

Finished "Needles & Pins" by Milady's Needle, a project that had been languishing in my 'need to finish' basket for a while. I plan to finish it into a needle book/pinkeep, something a little different than the directions that came with it.

Finished the "No Frogging Allowed" scissor fob from Stitchy Kitty. I love how it turned out. Can't help but smile when I look at it. The back is cute too, but the picture was blurry.

Put together "Flowers from the Heart" Needlebook from Cherished Stitches. Also modified design to make a matching scissor fob.

Last but not least, I am diligently working on Lizzie Kate's Boo! Club; 8 1/4 sections done, 3 3/4 left to to go. I'm stitching it on 32ct Laurel green linen. It's a fun stitch (except for the border), but I will be very happy to finish it. Hope to report a finish this month.

My sister, Jennifer (in photo below), and I saw Rick Springfield twice, in Dearborn MI and at the Blue Chip Casino in Indiana. He just turned 60 on Aug. 23 and he still puts on one heck of a show. I tell you, he is one fine specimen of man!

Actually, Jennifer and I have been going to Rick's concerts for 20+ years. Jennifer fell in "love" with Dr. Noah Drake on General Hospital back in the 80's and I, being the wonderful older sister that I am (smile), took her to see her first concert. And yea, it was Rick. She has been a loyal fan ever since. The concerts are something that we do together, it's sister time and we always have a great time! BTW, the dilapulated looking lea around Jennifer's neck is one that Rick wore for part of the concert and then threw into the audience. Jenn and another lady caught it and decided to tear it in half so they would each have a part of it.

Dear hubby and I also spent time camping and enjoying the scenery wherever we went. Pictures: Our Trailer Sweet Trailer and me, enjoying the Ludington beach and watching the sunset.

Well that is enough catching up. I promise to be a little more attentive to my blog going forward. I love reading other blogs and have a very long list of ones that I check. Perhaps that's why I can't seem to find time to post on my blog. Hmmm...

So if you happened to have stopped by and have read this far, I sincerely thank you for sharing a few moments with me. I hope to see you again soon!

Happy "Last Sunday of June"

2009-06-28T16:35:00.022-04:00

It is a beautiful summer day in mid-Michigan: sunny and warm with a good breeze. We turned off the air and opened all the windows this morning. DH is working outside, filling in a few cracks in our driveway with cement, the cats are all lounging in the windows, and I've put a roast on for dinner. Life is good!

Last year, Craig (DH) gave me a miter saw for my birthday, something I wanted so I could make my own picture frames. I also brought a framing joiner which is a great tool to put the frames together with (fairly) professional results. So when Craig had a few spare minutes last night, I asked him to cut glass for a few frames. Bless him, he cut 9 pieces with only one mis-cut. The mis-cut glass couldn't be used for the intended large piece, but it worked out for several smaller pieces. The stitched pieces are already laced so final finishes should be happening very soon!

The large piece I spoke of is "Why Teddy Bears Are A Cross Stitcher's Best Friend Sampler" designed by Sandy Orton. Sandy is one of my all-time favorite designers. I have loved her stuff before I even knew that she was the designer. She used to design many things for the old Cross Stitch and Country Crafts magazine, which in my humble opinion was one of the best cross stitch magazines of all time. Anyway, I think this is such a cute design! Back in the 80’s when I first saw the pattern I knew I had to stitch to go with my teddy bear collection. I framed it way back when but didn't use glass. (What was I thinking!) Recently, I decided to take it apart, wash it, re-lace it over acid-free foamcore, and reframe it with glass. I just propped it in the frame to take a few pictures so it looks a bit crooked but really is straight for the most part.

Hope you are having a wonderful day!

June Finishes

2009-06-21T16:24:00.012-04:00

I finished my two current projects this week. Woo hoo! First up is Elizabethan Biscornu and scrissor fob. This was a fantastic blackwork design by Nancy Pederson. I used the middle motif to make the scissor fob. For my first (and second) biscornu, I am very pleased with the results. I'm sure that I'll be making more. It was a bit tricky around the corners, but by the last one I was feeling like I knew what I was doing. I really would like know how to pronounce biscornu". I tried to tell my husband what it was (bless him, he tried to act like he cared) and I ended up saying, "I think it's French". LOL! I wish I remembered where I saw it spelled phonetically. My second finish is the Sally Spencer Sampler from Birds of a Feather. Love the warm colors and the saying, "Sooner begun, sooner done." She'll hang in my kitchen once she is framed.

Almost Ready for Finishing: Elizabethan Biscornu

2009-06-13T15:16:00.000-04:00

I am also working on a blackwork design from Nancy Pederson, Elizabethan Biscornu from the Jan. 08 issue of The Gift of Stitching online magazine. It is my first blackwork piece and it will be my first time putting together a biscornu. I'm also making a scissor fob using the center design. It is stitched on a scrap of cream 32 ct. linen with black DMC floss. I am amazed at how beautiful and intricate the design looks on the linen!

What I'm Working On Now...Sally Spencer

2009-06-13T14:09:00.000-04:00

I usually always have more than one project going at one time, however as I near the end of one I tend to focus on it until it is done (unless something new calls to me). I fell in love with Sally Spencer from Birds of a Feather the first moment I saw her. It took me many years to finally get to her. I started her last summer and am very near the finish now. (Yes, I have worked on other projects along the way.) I only have to finish a bit of the vine on the left, the numbers at the top, and then add my families initials here and there. I had initially stitched Sally's name, but I frogged it out and added my name. She is stitched on 32 ct. Lakeside "Exampler" over two with most of the called for threads. I did change a couple of colors so they would show up better on the fabric.

Sophie

2009-06-13T00:47:00.001-04:00

I have had cats as long as I can remember. I love them. Currently we have four cats. The oldest is Sophie. We adopted her from the Humane Society 14 years ago. Actually, she adopted us. As we walked around looking at the kittens, she climbed the cage that she was in, reached her little paw out towards us, and practically begged us to pay attention to her. We couldn't leave without her. Her favorite past-time (besides eating) is to sit on the arm of my stitching chair and keep me company while I stitch. Oh, she also loves a belly rub.

In the beginning...

2009-06-12T18:06:00.002-04:00

This is a good place to begin my first blog. This is a sampler that I stitched (that is finished stitching) in 1984. It is a Merrily Beams design that I found in a magazine. It definitely wasn't my first cross stitch project but it has always been one of my favorites. Of course, the name of the pattern is "I Love Apples". I stitched it on hardanger with Anchor floss. At the time I hadn't been introduced to linen yet and as there were a few over one sections I couldn't use aida.