Oh...I am in SUCH trouble

Have you seen THESE?!!!!!







Oh, oh, oh....what am I to do! These are truly beautiful and they will be offered at the end of the year! I am such a Quaker junkie, I have to have them, I MUST!!!

You can read all about them and the other offerings on The Twining Thread's website

I am so doomed. I have so many Quakers...Sarah Tatum is in my WIP pile. I just purchased Hannah Wallis, she's another colored Quaker sampler,(S-H-HH- be quiet Red!!!) and I have many, many more in my stash. You can see all the Ackworth reproduction samplers on the Studio for Historic Samplers.But I love these and wouldn't be AWESOME to have a Quaker wall of colored samplers and another of monocromatic ones? I may have to call 2007 the Year of the Quaker and forgo any other stitching except for the occasional quick piece for instant gratification.

I AM TOAST!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

In the mood

I am at work right now, it's almost 6AM. I got out of bed at 3AM and I've been here since 4AM because I thought that I would be able to do a PVP audit on one of the manufacturing lines. BUT....machinery is down and no one is working. It's hard to do practice vs. procedure when there's no work!

So...I am breaking all the IT rules and am blog hopping. I visited most of the blogs on my sidebar and a few more that I haven't added yet to my growing lists of wonderful sites. This morning, I am blown away by the creativity and the finishes of many of you. I can see that ornaments are on everyone's mind and there have been some awesome pinkeeps and needlerolls too. Which puts me in the mood to do something small. Instant gratification, something that will only take a couple of evenings to stitch.

I think that I will have to go ornament pattern shopping tonight when I leave work. I bought a couple of small cuts of fabric from Silkweaver, just for that purpose. Stitching small things may be a good car project for the weekend cause we are going to Rochester to drop off some more of my DS's possessions. Six hours in the car equals a lot of stitching time, YEAH!

But for right now, I am concentrating on my 3 obligation pieces and I told myself no new starts until I finish some of my WIPS. I've chosen 5 pieces to work on during the rest of the year. I would like to finish them up...there's my love, John Foster, who I've been playing hard to get, Miss Mary Mack which is 3/4 way done, A Prairie Year I - I've really neglected that piece because I wasn't thrilled about the motifs for the summer months, Scared Silly, a BOAF Halloween piece, and Sarah Tatum, a hugh Quaker piece that I know I will not get finished before the year is over but I would like to make a dent. I know, I know, it's an ambitious list but I would like to start 2007 with a clean slate. Essentially, I only have about 8 weeks to do anything because this month is filled with an Autumn Exchange (Nancy's - it's coming, Nancy, I promise! :-))) and 2 Halloween exchanges.

So, I have a full plate!

Witch-y Box

Today, I felt rather creative, so I decided to finish off my October pinkeep by making it into a little wooden box. You can see the results right here:



So what do you think?

I painted this little wooden box that I've had for ages black, lined it with an orange striped diamond patterned fabric and trimmed the outside of the box with black checkered ribbon. I believe I created a winner!

Here's another picture, it's a little closer, so you can see the ribbon trim:



Now, my creativity is all gone, it's time for a nap....

Light Your Way

Can you hear toes a-tappin' in Binghamton? That's the sound of my happy feet doing the happy dance cause I finished Light Your Way last night! It's adorable!
And since finishing ANYTHING is such an accomplishment for me, I am doing the happy dance in double time!

We do have a minor disaster though that just manifested itself! I went to press off this piece and now there are water stains on the linen! I used an R&R fabric and I should have known better cause their fabrics are so finicky. Well, hopefully when I get it framed the stains won't show so much. I am tempted to spray the entire piece to water stain the actual stitching but since I used WDW threads, I am very afraid that the black will bleed. Now I am so frustrated!

Anyway, here's a picture of it for all you curious-types...TA-DA!!!!



And I'll deal with the water stained fabric later...grr-rr.

What's next, you ask?
Well, since I am on a Halloween roll, and since I am on a mission to clean up some WIPs,I think that Scared Silly will take Light Your Way's place. Now, I am not saying I will finish it before Halloween, but I will work on it between now and then. I have a couple of obligation pieces to finish and I want to make my little Halloween box up with the little witchy alphabet on top. So, if I get Scared Silly completed, it would be a bonus. But I know I will not be starting anything *new* until the end of the year with the exception of a Christmas ornament or 3.

Speaking of ornaments, did you see the latest issue of Just Cross Stitch magazine? There's bonus ornaments by 6 designers that contributed to the Ornament issue. I love the Prairie Schooler Autumn design and the snowman. Little House Needleworks has a cute house pattern too. Normally, I only pick up JCS if there's something that interests me, I don't subscribe. This one's a keeper for the extra ornaments.

Thanks everyone for your enabling in regards to the new Ellen Chester Quaker pieces. I especially like that everyone thought that I've earned or deserved them since I have been living in remodeling HELL for the last 9 months. All except Red, who told me to BACK OFF FROM THE COMPUTER! She's got to be that little good angel perched on my right shoulder whispering practical, financial advice in my ear, while the BAD angels (all you enablers) are SCREAMING in my left ear to BUY THEM! BUY THEM NOW!!! I love you all! And I especially got a chuckle from Red's comment. The voice of reason.

I hope everyone's weekend is going well and for us USA folks, enjoy the day off tomorrow - the reward for all our hard labor!

Like an addict needing a fix....

More things to tempt me... as well as being a lover of alphabets, samplers and snowmen, I am a confirmed Quaker sampler junkie. I admit it. It's an obsession and a disease, I tell you! So, this morning I open my email and there's the latest edition of With My Needle by Ellen Chester. And in that email there is a link to NEW things.

Guess what.

She's releasing 3, yes 3, new QUAKER patterns.

1. Quaker Schoolgirl Needle Necessities

2. A Quaker Pattern Book


3. Quaker Samplings


Now, I ask you...

WHAT'S A QUAKER JUNKIE TO DO????

Don't tell me to be strong. Don't tell me to avert my eyes. Don't tell me that I do not need them......

I'm toast.

A close finish

As I promised, I'm posting my almost finish of Blackbird Designs, Light Your Way. If I had any energy tonight, I would finish it. But, the events of yesterday (both personal and work related) and being on my feet all day today auditing, I can not even think to pick up a needle.

So here is an almost completed Light Your Way, my almost first Halloween design for 2006. Have I told you that I really love Halloween?



As far as the retail therapy goes, I bought the following Ewe & Eye & Friends designs, Old Rose & Camomille, Blackbird Sampler, Rose City Sampler, 3 Pink Houses







I want to thank everyone for their comments about my Nightmare on Perry Road, aka the Extremely DELAYED Home Makeover. The contractor came to the house contrite and blaming himself. The DH listened and then basically gave him a pass. I was shocked cause he really was vocal right up until the contractor pulled into the driveway. After he left I asked him why he reacted the way he did and he told me that he figures that it really doesn't matter, the windows will not be here any sooner whether he yelled at him or not. I don't think that he will be so forgiving in another 6 weeks if this happens again. On Saturday, we are going to the Pella Window store to pick out new windows, as I do not trust the Anderson dealer, who originally messed up the order. Does anyone know if Pella Windows are good?

A busy weekend...

Hello everyone!

This weekend, we took Mike back to college. I can't believe the summer is almost over. He starts school right after labor day but since he's in an apartment, he wanted to go and just hang out for the weekend with his room mates. The apartment is really nice and he's going to be pretty happy there.

Yesterday it rained hard and rained ALOT. And because we do not have siding on the house right now because our windows have not arrived yet, the house is still clad in tyvek. However, the rain got between the tyvek and the roof line and ran down the wall of our new room. We now have water damage on top of everything else that's gone wrong with this headache of a home makeover. Honestly, we are just sick of everything. My DH doesn't believe the excuses that our contractor has told us. Really, can a window distributor mess up an order 3 times?

Anyway, we have a meeting with him tomorrow night. I don't think it's going to be pleasant and I am so stressed over this whole thing. So, I've indulged in RETAIL therapy. I've bought a ton of patterns this week and a few quilting books. The patterns I've bought were mainly Blackbird Designs, I picked up Flea Market Sampler, Merry Christmas Ella Vaughan and Fond Hearts. I also bought a slew of Ewe & Eye and Friend house samplers. At least 8...I keep telling myself that it's better than eating. With my stress levels right now, previously I would have eaten my way through this time. I did that last month right before my Dad's death anniversary and I re-gained 5 pounds of the 30 that I've lost. So far, I've lost 2 of them and I have vowed not to eat my way through anything again because the weight comes on fast but it's slow to take off. All I can say is thank God for Paypal. I won't put anything on my credit card (bad experience and I vowed never to be in THAT place again), so paying through e-check has been a blessing....I think.

So Sunday began as a pleasant rainy day and I worked a lot on Light Your Way. I only have the pumpkin to stitch now. Then the water sort of ruined my stitching plans until the contractor sent someone to temporarily patch the roofline. Stitching was suspended until that happened. I went back to stitching after the worker-guy nailed up a cover up. Of course, the spousal unit had a ton to say and he really got me cranked up. To sort of settle down, I went stash fondling. I came across a lot of Heart in Hand patterns that I really like. I may have to short list one or two of them.

So anyway, I didn't take pictures of what I accomplished yet. Tomorrow I will so you can see how adorable Light Your Way is, and maybe you will be tempted to stitch it for Halloween too!

Thanks for visiting....I'm sorry to vent.

A couple of updates

Ta-da!!!!

I have a couple of updates for you! I made Mary Garry's Seasonal Momentoes,October, as a pinkeep....for now. I will be mounting this onto a little wooden box after I paint it and line it with some cute fabric.



Next up in Blackbird Designs, Light the Way. I am almost done with it and I am so pleased with it! I can't wait to get it in a frame! Sorry for the scrunchy fabric but I just took it out of the hoop.



Because I need to liberate some of my finishes from the confines of a dresser drawer, I decided to go out in the pouring rain on Saturday, to buy a couple of pieces of acid free foam core. Now, I didn't go just for foam core, I went out for a rotary cutter mat and some ribbon and trim. Plus some groceries. You should have been there to see me stuff 2 30 x 40 pieces of foam core behind the seats in a toy pickup truck (we have a very tiny Dodge Dakota)while trying to hold an umbrella in a driving rain. So in honor of that momentous trip in the pouring rain, I also mounted Homespun Elegance's, Button Sheep, in preparation for framing. It's got a ton of pins in it and I really admire the framers that use these itsy-bitsy pins for large pieces! My fingers are so sore and I only pinned a 5" x 9" piece. I couldn't image pinning a piece as large as Village of Hawke Run Hollow...OUCH!!!

A stitching update...

Well, there hasn't been a lot of stitching going on here. It's been a busy week. I finished up my Sampler House exchange and popped it in the mail on Wednesday. Of course, in my haste, I didn't get a picture of it so I am hoping that the recipient can post one for me! It seems that time just flies by at the end of the exchange and I am scrambling for goodies, a note card to include with the exchange and of course, there's finding a suitable envelope and getting it to the post office on time! I know, I know, time management. LOL!!
I've been working on another exchange and I've interspersed stitching it with Blackbird Designs, Light the Way. It's an adorable Halloween design from the book, Trix or Treat. I began it last year, but put it away because I couldn't finish it in time for Halloween. When I pulled it out this year to work on, I could not remember what color of Weeks floss I was using and, of course, the skein wasn't in the bag with the fabric. I tossed about the idea of scrapping it and starting over but I did remember that the fabric was an expensive overdyed R&R fabric. Looking at the stitching, even though it looked darker than the Onyx I was using, I decided that I did begin this piece using the original floss color. However, I still had a nagging suspicion that I changed the color and for the life of me, I could not remember what it was. So, instead of continuing with all this doubt, I've been ripping and restitching the sampler as I go. I stitch a little bit new and then rip and re-stitch the old. Fortunately, I only stitched the border at the top and halfway down the side and a few of the words, so there's not too much ripping to do until I am completely stitching new parts of the sampler. In fact, I've almost restitched it all.

And now, I am stitching with the original floss color and I actually documented it on the pattern so I don't forget again if I put this way for another year. Actually, I think I will get to finish it by Halloween this year, although, I may not get it framed in time to display it.
Speaking of frames, I did find one at Frames.com that I would like to use for Light the Way. If I am going to purchase it, I think I may buy a bunch of frames and having a finishing frenzy. I have about 6 things in a dresser drawer that need framing. I know it's not hard to do, it's just finding time to do it! And these finished works of the heart aren't doing any good sitting in a dresser drawer, right? They need liberation! And freedom! And they need to be loved and admired, right? Sounds like a plan...I better write it down before I forget.

There is only an other month or so until CATS in Hershey. I am so looking forward to a weekend away with a bunch of stitching obsessed ladies. I especially can't wait to meet all of you!
I've been planning what to bring....money, credit card, stitching, camera...does anyone bring a magnifier? I've gotten so used to stitching with one that I am afraid not to drag my tabletop Daylight magnifier and my clip on with me. I've signed up for 2 classes, a hardanger class and a beaded bracelet. I've toyed with the framing class too but only to procure the framing goodies. Maybe there will be a framing vendor there. I want to buy one of those gizmos that pushes the glazier points into the frame and I'd like to buy spacers to put between the stitching and the glass.

Well, I better get something else done...so bye for now. Stop again soon!!

A bit about Joanie

Ok, in a fit of Friday work boredom, here's a bit about me. Feel free to use the questions on your blog!


1. FIRST NAME? Joan
2. WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE? No, although my parents toyed with the name Emma (my grandma's name)
3. WHEN DID YOU LAST CRY? Last weekend, all weekend because my Dad's been gone a year. And I miss him so much!
4. DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING? Yes, I've been told I've beautiful penmanship
5. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LUNCH MEAT? Salami
6. DO YOU HAVE KIDS? Yes
7. IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU: Yes, I like myself.
8. DO YOU HAVE A JOURNAL? Yes, I've kept a journal since I was 10.
9. DO YOU USE SARCASM A LOT? Yes, with those who really know me, otherwise, I am pretty polite.
10. DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS? Yes.
11. WOULD YOU BUNGEE JUMP? Absolutely not. Get real.
12. WHAT HAPPENED TO QUESTION 12? It escaped with Question 51. Last seen, they were headed north to the border.
13. DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF? Usually not.
14. DO YOU THINK YOU ARE STRONG? Yes, definitely. But only through the grace of God.
15. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM FLAVOR? Chocolate. It's a bonus if there is nuts in it.
16. SHOE SIZE? Ladies 7.5 Medium fit
17. RED OR PINK? I like both
18. WHAT IS THE LEAST FAVORITE THING ABOUT YOURSELF? That I always must succeed at whatever I do to my standards. It's very limiting because I don't take risks.
19. WHO DO YOU MISS THE MOST? My Dad
20. DO YOU WANT THIS SENT BACK TO YOU? Absolutely!!
21. WHAT COLOR PANTS AND SHOES YOU ARE WEARING? Brown shoes, blue jeans. It's casual Friday...DUH!!!
22. LAST THING YOU ATE? A chocolate chip cookie (sh-h-h don't tell my Weight Watcher friends!)
23. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW? Josh Groban - Closer
24. IF YOU WERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE? Red
25. FAVORITE SMELL? Peonies and freshly mowed grass, burning leaves , baking goodies, freshly laundered clothing
26. WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE? Tom
27. THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE YOU ARE ATTRACTED TO? Eyes and eyelashes. The windows to the soul.
28. DO YOU LIKE THE PERSON WHO SENT THIS TO YOU? Very much! Yes, very much.
29. FAVORITE DRINK? Mixed - gin & tonic. Soft - Diet Coke with Lime. Wine - Merlot
30. FAVORITE SPORT? Football (GO STEELERS!!!) and anything to do with horses
31. HAIR COLOR? blonde (don't say anything!)
32. EYE COLOR? green
33. DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS? yes
34. FAVORITE FOOD? Fettuccini Alfredo or a good steak
35. SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDING? Happy endings. I don't watch scary movies, I watch the news to be scared.
36. LAST MOVIE YOU WATCHED? In the theatre - Pirates of the Caribbean II and on TV - Sahara (we rented it)
37. WHAT COLOR SHIRT ARE YOU WEARING? multicolored sweater
38. SUMMER OR WINTER? Summer
39. HUGS OR KISSES? Love kisses, hugs are great too! Everyone needs 12 hugs a day!
40. FAVORITE DESSERT? Apple pie, no ice cream, please
41. WHO IS MOST LIKELY TO RESPOND? Those who think it’s fun
42. LEAST LIKELY TO RESPOND? Those who think it’s silly
43. WHAT BOOKS ARE YOU READING? The Bible, The Purpose Driven Life, Spiritual Literacy, Chocolat
44. WHAT'S ON YOUR MOUSE PAD? Nothing. Its solid black.
45. WHAT DID YOU WATCH LAST NIGHT ON TV? Design Star on HGTV (I'm hooked. I want Alice to win but David will get the show cause he has talent and is a hunk.
46. FAVORITE SOUNDS? Laughter, Rain, wind blowing through Aspen trees (it sounds like rain), my husband's voice, my horse's nicker, my son's giggle (yes, even tho' he's 19 he still giggles!)
47. ROLLING STONE OR BEATLES? Beatles
48. THE FURTHEST YOU'VE BEEN FROM HOME? Phoenix Arizona - I don't get out much
49. DO YOU HAVE A SPECIAL TALENT? I can draw and paint really, really well
50. WHEN AND WHERE WERE YOU BORN? June 24, 1957 in Rochester, PA

SO there ya go, a bit about Joanie!

Hot Off the Ironing Board

Wow, I can't believe another week has blown by. This week, I've worked on an exchange and I felt the need for a quick stitch. Most of my projects are BIG (at least in my terminology)and take forever to finish. So, I decided that since it's been awhile for a completed (stitched) project, I would do something relatively quick. So...TA-DA-A-A-AA-A! I present you with October from Mary Garry's Sewing Cabin, Seasonal Momentos:



Isnt't it adorable?!!

It's stitched with good ol' DMC on a piece of 32ct flax or natural linen. I don't know which cause it was a scrap that I had floating around in my fabric stash.

I bought this chart from the Bay of Evil for a princely sum specifically for this little Halloween graph. So I decided (for once) to actually stitch it instead of adding the chart to my burgeoning pattern collection. Hence, the chart made it to my *short list* binder. And, since my favorite season is almost here (Autumn) and since I LOVE Halloween (cause it's just a fun time for me and brings back lots of wonderful childhood memories of Trick or Treating), this little gem made it to my sewing basket last week. And today, here it is in all it's stitched glory.
I haven't decided how I am going to finish it. It's made into a door knocker on the chart but if I can find a little square box, I may mount it to the lid and work some magic with the box itself. Who knows?!

Well, maybe I am now on a roll with little stitching delights! And maybe I will be able to have more quick finishes soon!

On a more somber note, yesterday was the first anniversary of my Dad's passing. This weekend was rather a rough one for me, as I miss my Daddy very much. It's certainly been a year of tears for me. His passing, sending my son away to school, dealing with selling his house. Well, it's just Life, right?

Anyway, the day is beautiful and I think I will go out and get some horse therapy. They always make me happy!

Hope everyone is having a great weekend!

What a great stash day!

Today, was the best mail day!!!! I got stash instead of the dreaded bills.

Yeah!

In my mail was a RAK from Nicki. She sent me her Blackbird Designs, Quaker Garden, with leftover WDW.



I lamented that I wished I'd purchased this pattern when I had the chance and Nicki decided to send me her copy after she finished stitching it. I am so overwhelmed by her generosity. I just love this design. THANKS, NICKI, you made my entire day!

I also got a couple of cuts of linen from Silkweaver. I used to subscribe to their FOTM for Lakeside Linen. I really miss that FOTM because I got great quality linen each month. (Lakeside is my favorite linen, especially the Vintage colors). But I digress, in this order I got some Silkweaver Classics, Antique Gold, Boo! and Parkland. I love the Antique Gold fabric and will be purchasing half yard cut of it. The other 2 colors are ok. The Parkland is on the yellow side and the Boo! is just a light grey. I am going to use the Antique Gold and the Boo! fabric for a couple of halloween designs. I would like to stitch *Merry Halloween* from Blackbird Designs, Trix & Treats on the Antique Gold.



And Boo! will be used for Sheepish Designs, Scarry Wabbit.



I have the black fabric for Scarry Wabbit but I can't see the holes in dark linen anymore. I hate getting old! A light grey fabric will have to do the trick.

I don't know when I will get a chance to start any of these patterns though, as I am working on my WIPs. But it's sure fun to collect patterns and dream, right?!! They will certainly go in my Short List binder.

I also stitched a little on an exchange piece. I'm excited about it cause it's coming out nicely. I hope that the receiver will like it too.

And earlier this evening, I played with my horses for a little while. I brushed all of them and treated Peaches to a trip to the beauty parlor. That just means I did some mane and tail grooming. . Her mane grows so fast and it gets all matted and icky. I brushed it out, clipped it to a reasonable length and conditioned it. I washed, conditioned and brushed out her tail too. Her tail is SO long and it gets pretty dirty. I used to braid it up but she needs to have it loose to swat flies. Peaches is a high maintenance mare! But she is so beautiful!

Well, I have to go to bed. So, I hope all of you have pleasant dreams. See you soon in Joanie's World. Thanks for dropping by!

Did you see these?!!!

On Carriagehouse Samplings website under NEWS, there are pictures of Kathy's new designs. I really like them, especially the punchneedle designs. I'm not going to post all the pics, you can go out to the website and see all of them!







I have a punchneedle, never used it. I wonder how hard it is to thread? I really like the angel ornaments. I understand that the process is a no brainer and I really, really like the results. Reminds me of miniature hooked rugs.
Anyone out there try this? I hope Carriagehouse Samplings is at CATS. I want to buy a few of these patterns. Speaking of CATS, who is going? I'm making my list of purchases, it's not pretty. (OK Red, sh-h-hh-h!)

On the stitching front, since it's been hot, hot, hot, no not alot of progress with my needle. I have to be the most boring blogger on the earth. Stitching time is somewhat limited right now. This Fall, it should get better, as the hubby is going back to school and will be gone most evenings. So after the date with the treadmill, and taking care of the horses, I should be cozying up with my needlework.

Anyway, duty calls, so it's off to do some housework before it gets too hot. See ya!

Just a test

Blogger is throwing a hissy...just a test kids, to see if my blog appears after I republish.

New week, new decisions

Made some decisions this morning. I feel overwhelmed by my stash again cause it’s EVERYWHERE! I need to get a grip and stop purchasing stuff that’s cool but may never get stitched. I waffle between collecting for someday to actually buying to stitch. I do feel burdened by it. Change is in order. I must evaluate my purchasing decisions and sort of rate my wants into catagories like:
• If I don’t buy this now, it’s going to go OOP and I will never get it or pay exhorbant prices to acquire it.
• It’s cute, but it can wait.
• It’s part of a set. I need all the pieces to complete it.
• It’s a foreign design and it may not be available in the future.

I know there are more categories that need to be listed and I’ll have to rate them. Maybe I will be able to curb my impulse purchases if I use some sort of rating strategy.

So, to quell that overwhelmed feeling, last night I put away some of my patterns. I need to go through my binder that I call my Short List. That binder contains things that I would love to stitch with a listing of how I want to stitch & finish them. It’s amazing how my thoughts about what I want to stitch change within months as most of the designs will get refilled into their proper homes and other patterns replace them.

Anyway, I decided that I was going to properly put everything away, and only leave out my current WIPs and 2 or 3 projects that I ABSOLUTELY want to begin. Then, I realized that most of my WIPs are large and not anywhere near completion. Only counting on big WIPs to stitch will frustrate me from lack of progress. So my plan is to rotate through the WIPs with a side trip to the smaller projects to keep me motivated and happily stitching. The new starts must be small projects and must come from my CURRENT stash. No new purchases except for fiber and linen, if necessary.


Here is a listing of my current WIPs with the percentage amount of completion. These pieces are what I want to concentrate on for the remainder of the year with the occasional ornament or holiday piece.

Large:
Sarah Tatum – 10%
Time & Seasons – 10%
Beatrix Potter - > 5%

Medium:
John Foster 1885 Sampler – 30%
A Prairie Year I - ~40%

Small:
Scared Silly – 50%
Rose Sampler – 35%
House Exchange – 20%
Miss Mary Mack – 60%

Exchanges:
Currently, I owe 2 exchanges.

New Starts. This category is for pieces that I may want to start during the time that I am concentrating on working and finishing some of my Wips. The criteria for these starts must be that they are small, simple, and easily completed. Finishing should be simple also.
Right now, my short list consists of 2 small Halloween pieces and one big piece that I want for my Florida room. This list is subject to change as I fondle my stash.
• Light the Way – Blackbird Designs
• Scary Wabbit – Sheepish Designs
• Ann Davies - Ackworth 4 Sampler

Isn't tweaking fun?

Well, I fixed it

I deleted my post called Cross stitch porn. I've found myself drawn to the OLN's, actually, I am addicted to browsing them incessantly. It's been so stinking hot here and the thought of picking up a needle under that magnifier's light is so unappealing! So I've been perusing the online sites.Lately, that's been a bad thing for my checkbook. You see, I am a sucker for fall designs. My season is upon me. Autumn is coming and there's a plethora of Fall designs, which I CAN NOT resist. And there are new Prairie Schooler designs. Shepherd Bush has a cute pattern called Autumn Blessings. That's on my short list. Love the sheepie and usually, I am not a Bush fan (political or cross stitch designer ;-) And there are others...

I am toast.

Blogger is being a pain

So, my last post is WAY down the page. So I am testing out a new post.

Keep stitching and forget about reading my blog until Blogger fixes itself!

Grey clouds...but a silver lining

Have you ever been in such a bad mood that you felt like nothing was worth it?

I've been in this funk for the last week and I was beginning to get worried. Usually, I can smile through just about anything but this week that wasn't going to happen. I dragged myself through the day into the evening with a grey, scratchy, flannel mood wrapped around me. I can't describe how I felt. Incredibly sad? No. Just incredibly tired and with the attitude that nothing mattered. And I could not sit still and concentrate at all. Little tasks were irritating and I couldn't be bothered with the larger things. I plodded through my days. Plodding is a great word...I felt I couldn't lift one foot in front of the other, so I scrapped them along, thumping through time. I don't know why this happened to me.

Last night, the mood lifted a little bit. I spent quality time with my horses. What therapy! They have a tendency to calm me. I did chores and it felt good to be taking care of things that directly affected the well being of my animals. I got nickers for thanks. I hand-grazed Maggie as the other 2 were in the round pen finishing their dinner. Maggie was exhuberant to eat green grass and not hay for 20 minutes until the bugs finally got the best of both of us. She snuffed and sniffed, snorted and chomped and took so much grass into her mouth that her cheeks were bulging. She just couldn't get enough. When she found a patch of clover with flowers, she just hoovered it away. And for the first time in a week, I actually smiled. Here was this 1200 pound animal in absolute delight over CLOVER.

So after I put her back into the barn with a hay snack for the evening, I went in the house. Instead of becoming overwhelmed with the amount of stuff I should do, I picked out a few non-taxing things, like doing up the dishes and throwing a load of laundy into the washer. As I did these things, I could feel this cloud lifting a bit more.

I believe I just needed to feel that what I did mattered. Horses will do that for you. Thank God for my equines.

So now, it's the morning an now I am at work. My mood isn't completely cleansed but I feel a lot better. And I think that it should continue.

Welcome to a new day!

Got some stitching in this weekend

This weekend was a good stitching weekend. I got more stash in the mail (I know, I know...my checkbook is whining. One of the pieces I got was Little House Needlework's, Rose Sampler, that I've wanted for ages. Everytime that I ordered something else, I forgot to add it to the order..DUH! Finally, I ordered it and immediately began stitching on it when it showed up in the mail. I cannot find 2 skeins of DMC, 3064 & 3364 and as I know have them. I've kitted those 2 skeins into other projects and through my pillaging for DMC for other projects, I kitted them into OTHER projects and now I can't remember which project they are with.

So, I decided to work on Prairie Year. I am only 3 months behind! But now, I am only 21/2 months behind because May is almost done. I'll take a picture tomorrow, as the light has gone and my digital camera will not take a decent picture now. May has a lot of color changes and I am using Nicki's method of parking threads. I have to say I really like that method!

Well, gotta run...lots of lightning!

What is it about 19 year old boy-men

Grr-rr-rrrr-r... the boy child is riding my only nerve tonight and it is rather RAW. He and his buddies had a rocking time playing 2 solid days of paintball this weekend. When he got home on Sunday, everything and I mean everything got dropped in my livingroom. Now, mind you, this boy-man could outpack Susanne Sugarbaker on her BEST day. Boxes, bags, duffles, sleeping gear, camping gear, paintball gear. GEAR, GEAR, GEAR, piled in my livingroom since SUNDAY night. And my car, well, just let me say that it smells like dirty, wet socks and it's just a messy. Now, I believe the heat has brought out the worst in me and I currently have the patience of a half baked gnat. And being the sweet person that I can be, I asked him NICELY to please clean up the MESS before I had the opportunity, which he would not relish the results. I got a snide look, he rolled his eyes at me and then proceeded to grudgingly pick up his pile of stuff.

Sigh, I feel like Attila the Hun's mother, just as mean and just as ugly.

Pressure everywhere, work, home, contractor, house, kid, husband...I need a Calgon moment.

And then, there was this post on Legacy about what happens to your stash after you die. That post was sobering. My stash would probably end up in the landfill as no one even has a clue that it's literally worth thousands. The DH thinks it's a hobby. My son is only interested in my finished work, which actually is very nice. My SIL commented that I had enough to start my own shop (well, yeah, and it's all one of a kind). I can't leave it to her as her tastes differ greatly from my own. I am thinking that I will give it all to the EGA and let them duke it out.

I wish it were cooler and I could stitch. I think it would make me feel better.

Sorry for the rant. I broke my promise to myself to only post NICE things. Oh well.

It's too hot to stitch!

It was a record high for heat and humidity today in Upstate NY. It was 95 degrees and it felt like 195! Needless to say there was not much stitching going on in my house today. I use a Daylight magnifier to stitch by, I can use cheaters for some 32ct fabric but I have so gotten used to the magnifier, I have a hard time stitching without it. So, the light threw even more heat and I got so uncomfortable that I put all my stitching aside. So much for my weekend stitch-a-thon!

So, instead, I blog hopped and I came across this photo on Tempest Fugits blog:



It's called Armada. I purchased it last year after my Dad died as a memorial sampler. Vero sent it to me and at the time, I couldn't even look at it cause it made my heart ache. So, I put it away. Now, almost a year has gone by since my Dad passed away and I believe that I can stitch it. My Dad was in the Navy and he was very proud of his service to our country. He talked a great deal about the war and the times he spent on the ship in Okinawa. So, I believe that it will be my next big project.

I want to thank everyone for the comments left about the new room. I could not have done this room without my Dad and the inheritance that he left me. He told me that he wanted me to use the money to fix up my house. So, I am honoring those wishes, even though we could use the money to pay down some of our bills. So every time I make an improvement on my house, I thank God for my Dad, who was as wonderful to us in life as he has been in death.

And now, I have to go to bed. Monday will be here before you know it and it's back to the work-a-day world for us. Hope you all had a fun, stitch-filled weekend!

The room

Well, since plans changed for my weekend, and I had all this furniture stored in various places in my house and since the room is 90% done, I decided to set it up.

So on Saturday morning, I assembled the sofa table, coffee table and the end table and arranged the furniture. I need to get an area rug, a table lamp, some art (and cross stitch) for the walls, hang a mirror and see if I can get a console for the long wall as the room is somewhat lopsided. I have to be careful though, that the room doesn't get too crowded and feels like a furniture storage area. So, what do you think?
Please excuse the color of the first photo as it's a bit off, the red is actually burgundy. The other photos are more true to color.











And this morning, I had my coffee and read the sunday paper out there. It was a sublime moment. I love the room and we will be spending ALOT of time out there.

We went to see Pirates last night, the theatre was packed with teenagers who were very well behaved. Not too much noise and NO ringing cell phones. The movie was good but my husband wished there was more people interaction instead of sea creatures. Always a critic in the crowd...LOL. It was a good summer flick. Go see it if you have the opportunity.

I haven't stitched a stitch this weekend yet, but that's going to change. I am not sure what I will pull out to work on but I plan on finishing up some laundry and then finding a cool spot to spend some quality time with my needlework. That's what Sundays are for, right? I went blog hopping prior to posting and all of your work is so inspiring and it keeps my motivation up.

And as always, thanks for dropping by and sharing a little bit of my world.

A change of plans

Well, the husband was to go with the kid and company to the Poconos for a paintball event this weekend. David was going to take the day off and just pick up Mike after work to drive him and 5 others down to PA. BUT....this afternoon, a crisis arose at work. And guess who is home for the weekend, WORKING. My sweetie. So tonight, he is out on the new room on his laptop, debugging a program and running scripts and performance analyses.

And that changes my plans too. I had plans to spend some time alone and think and pray and just *chill*. That's ok though, I love having him home. The only plans that changed really is the amount of stitching I will get to do. And we may get to go to see Pirates. So, I am ok with that!

Well, Get Color is on HGTV and I love that show! I have found so many good tips watching it. Talk to you all LATER~ :-)!!

Scared Silly Update

Got some stitching time this week and I made a teeny bit of progress on BOAF's Scared Silly. Here is the Scaredy Cat!



On another note, and not a good one, my DH had to have a *conversation* with the contractor over the lack of progress on our house. It was uncomfortable. David asked for a drop dead finish date in writing and also brought attention to a few things he told us that were not entirely truthful. So, David is disenchanted with him and really is unhappy. He can not wait until they finish and are gone. It makes me sad because I really like this man and his workers do an exceptional job. I had hoped to have the contractor do some interior work for me but I am unsure if my hubby will permit it. I have been out of sorts for the last few days because of this and the contractor is bending himself into a pretzel to get back into my husband's good graces. That's not going to happen as the boat of redemption has sailed.

On a good note though, it did light a fire and the contractor boys finished painting my new room. I love the color. In certain light it looks like a goldy-green and at other times somewhat of a lime (but not garish). Actually, it looks like marinated artichoke hearts, if you can believe it. The paint color is called Hearts of Palm.
So now, all that's left to do is to cover the wall outlets, mount the can lights and re-wire the ceiling fan so I can control it from a wall switch. When I get the furniture set up this weekend, I will post a photo for all to admire!

The family left on Monday to journey to Philadelphia by way of Scranton. I believe that they had a good time although the kid's were getting whiney at the end of the visit. Take 2 teenagers out of their natural habitat for too long and they morph back into 2 year olds.

Mike will be 19 tomorrow. I can't believe that he is a young man. Goodness, where does the time go? He and a bunch of his buddies, my husband and his friend are going to the Poconos to play 3 days of paintball. It's an annual event, one that they plan and look forward to beginning in the early spring. I will have the house to myself and I plan to watch chick-fliks, eat food that I like but no one else does, and stitch on Saturday evening. I want to finish cleaning out our 4th bedroom to begin it's metamorphosis into a study for David. I plan on working on it tomorrow evening into Saturday. Saturday night is earmarked for needle and thread and Sunday will be too! Wahoo!

So, there you have it, all that's fit to type. Thanks for stopping by! I love it when you come to visit!

More pictures

Ok, Annette on Mighty Joe Navajo (aka - Joey):



Unfortunately, her ride was cut short because it was buggy and he is so herd bound with his 2 girlfriends that he got quite piggish about listening to her. Because Annette is such an inexperienced rider (and Joey knows that), he decided to take advantage of her inability to make him mind. My hubby was afraid that things could get out of control, so he walked with her through the hayfield until it became apparent that Joey was getting too antsy. So in the name of safety, the ride was cut short. Needless to say, Annette was disappointed and Joey went for a LONG ride through the hayfields across the street just to reinforce who actually is the boss on a trail ride.


Silly Chrissy, the wonder dog. Chrissy has developed into quite the homebody. She has apppointed herself *Lady of the Manor* and gardens, hangs out laundry and generally runs the daily operations in the household with me.






And NEW STASH!!! My goodies came this weekend! TOO WICKED COOL!!!!

Just a quick update - with pics!

HI everyone! It's Monday and I got a minute to post while everyone is still sleeping (except my 13year old nephew who is rousing the dogs right now).

It's been a nice relaxing weekend. Today, with the exception of a grocery run, it should be more of the same. I got a little bit of stitching done (yay!). My SIL, Barb, is trying to get her daughter, Annette, interested in stitching. so Barb picked out a few small Drawn Thread Halloween designs for her daughter to choose to be stitched. Annette chose the little scissors fob from the Halloween scissor keeper and purse to be made into a little door pillow. So Barb's been stitching on that for the last day or so. She should be finished this afternoon. But the coolest thing is that Barb is interested in stitching again! She's had some health issues that affected her ability to stay focused on concentrated tasks so this is a positive sign! I worked on BOAF's Scared Silly. I am ashamed to say that I began this piece on July 4th, 2004 (don't throw anything at me!). When I picked it up this weekend, the pumpkin top & 1/2 of the cat was stitched. I completed a bit on the cat and a couple of letters. I am hoping to be able to stitch a little more on it today. It's going fairly fast for such a slow stitcher that I am!
So here are some pictures of my stitching progress:

Scared Silly:


Time & Seasons:


Americana Samplings:


Ok, Blogger is being a pain now, so I'll post the last few pictures in a new post!

Just checking out my blog

Nicki was so kind to help me add my completed works and wips to my sidebar. I am thrilled with it! She is so helpful and very, very nice. Patient too, as I am a l-e-e-e-t-l-e slow on the computer side of things. I am overwhelmed by her generosity to play with the code to get it to work. Thank you, Nicki!!!

My brother and his family will be here late today so I am not getting any stitching time in at all this weekend. Blast, cause I really want to stitch. The house is in realatively good shape for having Mike home (the clutter king) and there is minimal chores to do today, but just enough to leave me little time with a needle and needlework. Sigh.....

Oh, is anyone going to see Pirates of the Carribean? I hope to next week, the shows are sold out this weekend and we want to wait until the *hype* has died down and all the kids and teenagers see it first. Makes for a better movie experience (gosh, I AM getting crotchety in my extended years!!)

SO, maybe with any luck, I will get a chance to take some pics....and get them posted. Have a happy Saturday and Sunday if I don't get the chance to stop by.

Tonight I worked a little more on Time and Seasons. I finished 2 leaves in the upper border. I stitched about an hour (gosh, I am a slow stitcher!) but every stitch counts, right?

And I didn't get my LHN Americana Sampling piece done for the 4th. Oh well, there's always NEXT July 4th! I am almost 1/2 done now with it and I think that if I have a full weekend to stitch I could finish it! This weekend though, I won't get much stitching done at all. My brother and his family are coming Saturday to spend the weekend. Their children are 13 and 16. My 16 year old niece will live out in the barn and she has requested the use of my gelding for the weekend. My nephew will be totally bored. Even so, I am glad that they are coming for a few days, it will be nice to spend some time with them. Ever since my Dad passed away, my brother has been better about keeping in touch with me and fostering a relationship. We always got along but we haven't communicated as we really should have through out the years. It's important for us to do that because we are all we have. I adore my SIL, she and I have gotten along from the first time I met her 30 years ago. She is like a sister to me and we share a love of crafts and stitching.

I hoped that my new room would be complete for their visit but that's not going to happen either. The window and door trim is up and primed and there's some baseboard molding on the floor. But with only 2 guys working, the room will not be completed until next week IF they continue to show up. I think my contractor is unhappy with my bugging him, he hasn't returned any of my phone calls the last few days. Needless to say, I am concerned.

I do have a package waiting for me at the post office from Stitching Bits and Bobs. I bought a bunch of patterns and the fibers for Village of Hawk Run Hollow. That should help out with my mood as it's not been good the last few days. Mainly, I am thinking about my work and if I am doing what I should be with my life. Right now, I am reading a Max Lucado book called *The Cure for the Common Life*. It's a great book and very thought provoking. I've been questioning my job and wonder if I am doing what I should be with my work life. I don't know if I am unhappy right now because my job is stressful and we are being pushed to define and deploy a site-wide project in a very short amout of time or if I am truly being lead to find something else to do. I have been praying about it, asking for guidance, but unless God whacks me over the head with a bat, I am afraid that I miss what He's trying to tell me. I am the epitome of a block head when it comes to hearing Him. One thing for sure, I believe He has a plan for me and it's a good one!

Well, it's off to bed... talk with you tomorrow!!!

Happy 4th of July!!!

HI all,

I hope everyone is having a great day. Here, it's very quiet. The child-unit has gone to his buddy's place on the lake. My darlin' DH is snoozing on the sofa. And me? I stitched just a little bit today and I finally got my craft room under control. What a job! And even though there's not any *clutter* visible, please don't open the closet. Otherwise you may get maimed by something falling on your head. I can't believe the amount of stuff I've accumulated in the last 25 years. And going through it, there's not much I want to part with. I keep telling myself, that someday, I'll paint/quilt/sew/stitch that. Who am I kidding? :P

The construction boys were here emasse most of the day. They trimmed out my new room's windows and did some interior painting. When you look at the work they've done today, it doesn't seem like it would take 8 hours and 4 men. But what do I know? Anyway, it looks nice and they are doing a great job. Unfortunately, I had to whine at the owner of the construction place to come out and do something. The poor guy has had his share of problems; guys left, guys got hurt, supplier problems...yada,yada. I haven't made any fuss over the lack of prgress on our job and true to form, he took advantage of our silence and serviced his customers that were more vocal. Now, the DH is getting *ahem* annoyed and I had to place a couple of *please do something NOW to our house, otherwise, my DH is going to pop a vein* messages. Hopefully, they will continue on our house this week...One only hopes.

My stitching progress is negligible, so there's no point in taking a photograph just yet. Today, the screaming piece that won was Moira Blackburn's, Time and Seasons. I only stitched the letters M & N and stitched a bit more on the borders. It's a pleasant stitch. I am using Vicki Clayton silks on Lakeside Linen's Lt. Exemplar fabric. I am using Kim's thread conversion as I just loved how her sampler looks. Very vintage-y.

Do you like my new blog look? I think it's rather nice but I wish I could change the font size of my Wip's and Completed Stitching lists in my sidebar. Can any of you *blogmasters* tell me how to do it? I know just a smattering of HTML, and I took enough programming classes just to understand how these programs are laid out. But I don't know where to change the size of the font for these lists. It's frustrating!!!

SO...it's getting late and I have to start dinner. If the weather holds out, we probably will go to the fireworks. It's been raining off and on here in Binghamton. (So, what else is new...)

Hope everyone is having a good July 4th and thanks for stopping by for a *chat*.

And they came...two by two

By now, you all have heard of the massive flooding in Upstate NY. For the past 3 days we have been in a literal deluge. We received 6 inches of rain in a 24 hour period and that caused MASSIVE flooding. There are 2 confirmed deaths and many, many homeless people. Our river is to crest tonight 35 feet over flood level. It's a record. And it's so sad. Towns are literally lakes. The govenor of NY has declared us a disaster area and the local officials have declared the 3 counties that make up the tri-county area in a *state of emergency*.

Personally, we are ok. Our house is perched on top of a hill that my partner at work has christened Walton's Mountain. We had a little bit of water in our basement because the house has no gutters. And our new florida room got some water because the windows aren't adequately sealed because the siding isn't on the house just yet. Big deal. We shop vac'd the room, had the construction boys overlay the window with some tyvek and we were good to go. I can't imagine losing everything but the clothes on my back.

I haven't stitched at all this week, really. I worked a little on Nancy's piece and I got her name for the Birthday buddies exchange on Legacy. That's cool! I stitched a little bit more on John Foster, just another 1/4 of the center quaker medallion.

My class confirmation came for CATS in Hershey. I decided to treat myself to a stitching retreat. I hope to meet up with PattiH and her friends there. I am so looking forward to this trip. I signed up for a Hardanger class (I'm being adventurous!) and a beaded bracelet class. I am looking forward to shopping too!

I hope everyone is well who reads my blog. Thanks for the comments and thanks for taking the time to share a little bit of my world.

Where did the weekend go?

Wow, the weekend was such a blurr! Friday night, Dave and I drove to Syracuse to pick up Mike who flew in from his most excellent ROTC adventure! He got in around 11:30PM but his luggage decided to spend the night in Chicago. We got home around 1:00AM and we were all bushed!

Saturday was my birthday which started out very uneventful. Actually, I was somewhat put out because it felt like just another Saturday. You see, and I know this will sound conceited, I LOVE my birthday. My Mom always made such a fuss over my brother and me on our birthdays. We got to choose what kind of cake we wanted and we got to choose our birthday meal. There were no chores that day either. We never had parties and we didn't have a lot of presents but Mom always made it special. And that's how they've been for me all these 49 years, so this Saturday was a bit too *normal* for my taste. But Dave and Mike made up for it in the afternoon. They gave me a gift certificate to my favorite clothing store, Christopher and Banks. They let me be a slug for the afternoon. Then we watched soccer, it was a wild game between Argentina and Mexico. For dinner, we went to Texas Roadhouse where I got a lovely steak. Then we went to Circuit City to buy a wireless dodad for Mike's computer. Off to Wegmans for a cake, back home again for cake and a video. A very nice b'day indeed!

Today, I worked on LHN's Americana Sampling. I am about 1/4 of the way done with it. I like how it is coming out. The Cresent Color threads are great to work with and the natural linen is very sturdy and has an nice hand. I finished the top 1/2 of the border, the house, the word freedom and the flag. I like LHN's designs, in particular, a href="https://www.stitchingbitsandbobs.com/cgi-bin/showimage.cgi?LittleHouseNeedlework0RoseSampler500">The Rose Sampler. I have a number of LHN's designs in my stash. Home of a Needleworker,America,City Stitcher Country Stitcher and Two Red Houses.

I bought myself a punchneedle too and I like this design from LHN too. It's called American Saltbox.
I am so tempted to start a little punch needle design. I like the looks of the finished product, they are like little miniature hooked rugs. I know, I know, so many projects, so little time!

Home makeover - A disturbance in the Force

Here we go again, a week with little stitching and feeling out of sorts. The home improvement project is not coming along and the DH is getting rather (ahem) annoyed. That's an understatement. Hence there has been a disturbance in the Force (in Star Wars terms) and we are both a bit out of kilter over this entire thing. There definitely is an underlying tension because the house is less than a quarter done. Mainly, it has to do with the windows. There is no word from the supplier to the contractor as to when they will arrive. And that's making the DH cranky which causes a big wave of disturbance. Additionally, the weather has been less than ideal (it's been cold and rainy) and certain lawn tools are refusing to cooperate. It just hasn't been a good week in our household. On a good note though, my garden is coming along nicely. I filled in some of the spaces with new perennials and I cleaned out one bed that is up against the house that was all weeds. Surprise! There were shrubs in there! I left it go thinking that I would get to it after the siding was put on the house. But since that hasn't happened and I could not stand that bed a minute longer, I took a hoe and a shovel and hacked away all the weeds. It took awhile to clean it out and the plants are much happier!

So, my stitching has suffered because I can not concentrate. I put in a few stitches in a Little House Needlework pattern called Americana but not enough to be able to share a picture just yet. I started this pattern last year thinking that I could have it stitched for the 4th of July I like the design alot but of course, I didn't finish it before the fourth of July. Actually, I hardly made any progress on it. So it got filed away and forgotten. While rummaging around for something else, I came across it and decided it would be a cute addition to some July 4th decorations. That is if I can get the oomph to work on it. Hopefully, I can have it done before July 4th this year! Cross your fingers!

So to compensate for my lack of stitching, I've spent a lot of time blog surfing, and I am inspired by a lot of the French gals blogs. I can't read French but I can pick out certain words. But the photos! Oh, my goodness, they are beyond beautiful! The creativity and finishing of the needlework is superb and is something that I would love to accomplish. Go check out some of them, I linked Vero's and Tempest Fugit on my sidebar. And then go off to their linked blogs to see what I mean. You will be amazed at their work!

On another note, Mike comes home tomorrow from Spokane. He had a blast at this ROTC opportunity. The test fighter flight was beyond awesome in his words. He loved it.
I will be glad that he is coming home, but he isn't cause he starts work on Monday...poor baby. I don't think that I will see much of him anyway as he has plans for his free time. Looks like Hotel Lintz will be open for business come Friday night.

Saturday is my birthday. I hope that I will get to spend some serious time with John Foster. I know that we are going to Texas Roadhouse for dinner. Yum! Anyway...I got to go for now. Happy Thursday everyone!

John Foster 1885 progress

I thought I would post a progress picture of John Foster, my current love. I've stitched just about as much as I had finished before we had our lover's quarrel a few months ago. I love this sampler and I find him very relaxing to stitch. The little motifs are just a treat to stitch. So, what do you think?



On another note, my son is spending a month with the AirForce ROTC shadowing commissioned officers. He's at Fairchild AFB in Spokane Washington. However, this week, they few to Houston to fly the trainer jets. He left this morning and will be there until Friday. To say he's pumped is an understatement. I am dying to hear how he fared during his time in the plane. As he said, GO JETS!!!

Dreaming, dreaming

Today is one of those days to daydream. I've been thinking of all the stitching things I want to make. I've been blog hopping again, and seeing everyone's beautiful work makes me want to go home and just stitch.

I worked a little on John Foster last night. I am 1/4 of the way done with the quaker motif in the center. This sampler is moving right along and I am happy that it's going well. We've patched things up - for now. You never know when things will go sour though. I have a tendency to get complacent so there may be frogging involved. I do love Von's comment about my linen. She always has a positive things to say. Yes, this sampler is a reproduction, so the linen will complement the design. You are too cool, Von!

I am on a house kick right now. I am planning on stitching Village of Hawk Run Hollow by Carriage House Samplings. I also have been toying with BOAF's Peace sampler. I like that samper a great deal and it would go well with Hillside School of Needlework and John Foster. I would like to make a grouping of house samplers.

Also, I have bought quite a lot of sash recently. Blame it on---well, there really is no excuses for my lack of willpower. I bought a new pattern by Little House Needleworks called Seasons of Growth, a stitching accessory from Cat's Whiskers Designs called Feed My Soul, and all the NPI silks for Village of Hawk Run Hollow, a Chessie and Me design, Bunny Sampler. Bad Joanie, bad!!!

Also, before I forget, here is a photo of my Welcome Sampler. It was a fun piece and I really don't know why it took me 8 years (yes, that's right, I started it 8 years ago!) to finish!

Weekend work

It was a very cold weekend in New York. Gloomy and grey. My DH was beside himself because he couldn't cut the grass or go bike riding. It was 40 degrees. Was I complaing? NO! It was a perfect day to curl up and stitch. On Saturday,I was good and did some organizing in my craft room. I am rapidly running out of space though and that scares me a bit. Between painting and stitching, I don't have much room for any other hobby. Once upon a time, I thought about quilting, but I lie down until the feeling goes away. I did promise myself that one day, I will make a quilted wallhanging. I love Thimbleberries designs and I have a few of Lynette Jenson's books.

Anyway, I digress. I didn't stitch Saturday night as my DH and I spent the evening curled up on the sofa watching movies. We watched John Grisham's, Runaway Jury. John Cusack stars in it and I just LOVE him.

Sunday, the weather wasn't much better. So after Church, I plopped down on my sofa determined to finish SB's Twined Hearts. All that's left was the beading and the withdrawn work. I got through the first 2 areas of hemstitching but I royally messed up the last section. Grrr-rrr. I will need to remove and reweave new linen threads as I made a mistake somewhere in the borders. Two hours later and a lot of frustration, I put it away for now.

The evening stitching commenced after supper. I worked on John Foster. I really hate the linen that I am stitching this sampler on, the weave is very inconsistent. The threads vary in thickness a great deal and if I wasn't as far along as I am, I would begin it again. But as of today, I am about a third done with it. It's a great sampler and I find it relaxing to work on it.

I will post pictures of my progress and happy dance later. Stay tuned!

My heart is skipping a beat

I was perusing the bb's this morning and came across a post for the new Carriagehouse Samplings pattern, Village of Hawkes Run Hollow. This is a beautiful pattern and yes, I will be purchasing it!



I already pre-ordered the NPI silks from Stitching Bits and Bobs this morning cause there is a 25% sale going on right now. I have been pretty good about buying new things, I promised myself that I would only buy those things that I know I will stitch, I can't be collecting patterns just for the fun of it.

I have village of HawkRun Hollow in my stash on my short list of Big Projects. I dragged it out to look at it and at one time I thought about using DMC on it. The AVAS was way beyond my wallet and honestly, the AVAS still is too rich for my blood even though I love stitching with it. NPI is probablly a better way to go for this chart. I did read that some of the silk colors didn't convert well so I am sure there will be some substitutions going on.

Danielle also posted this cute finish of Prairie Schooler's bee hive gardening glove on her blog .
I also have this pattern and her finish is so cute, it made me want to stitch it right away. I resisted this urge for the moment, there are other things that I want to finish first and need my attention before I start another thing. If I finish Twined Hearts from Shepherds Bush then I will allow myself to start another small piece as a treat. Cause then I will have 2 UFO's finished and well, I deserve it, right? LOL!!!

Let's see how the rest of the weekend goes. I won't be stitching much this afternoon because I am working on my craft room. I want it to be picked up and organized before the new window goes into that room. The room got a little discombobulated when the in-laws came last week. I shoved a bunch of stuff that belongs in there but didn't put it away. That's what I am doing right now. Stitching will be this evening.

Hope everyone is having a good Saturday, today it's so cold, it's like March. I bought plants for my flower bed, a bunch of perennials and a few annuals but I can not go out and play in my dirt. It's just TOO cold to dig in the cold earth!!!

Happy Dance!!

For all of those who've asked if I got a chance to stitch last weekend, the answer was a resounding YES!!!!

Oh happy dance!!! I finished Drawn Threads, Welcome Spot sampler. I got bogged down with the satin stitched roof. I made an error while stitching on it and got frustrated so it went in the UFO pile. But it's done now! I was inspired by Danielle who decided to pull out some of her WIPs and complete them. I have 3 pieces that fit in that category now...and when I looked at them, I shook my head and said, why didn't I finish them?

For a variety of reasons, obviously.

This is the list of *almost dones* and the reason why they aren't finished:

Real Roses - The Drawn Thread - I decided to personalize the sampler at the bottom with our family. On the sampler, there's a lady and a girl and a boy. I thought it would be cool to have a lady, a man and a boy to represent our family. I recharted the man but he looks like a clown with balloon pants. I don't want anyone to think that my DH is a clown, now do I? So into the UFO pile it went while I worked out what to do with the man. Additionally, there is a hugh error in color on the band with all the Queen stitches. I mis-read the pattern and stitched 2 full rows of those icky stitches in the wrong color. I decided not to rip them out cause I absolutely abhor them. It's not like the original so another reason not to finish this gorgeous sampler.
What's left? The spiderweb roses in the tree and the last band with the figures.

Twined Heart - Shepherd Bush - For the life of me, I don't know why this is left undone. The bands are less than 3 inches wide. I do know that I struggled with withdrawing and re-weaving the threads on the first section of withdrawn work. That put me off so it was retired to the UFO pile. All that's left is the beading and the 3 sections of withdrawn work.

Charmed Hearts - Shepherd Bush - The center hearts, the top floral vine border and 1/2 of the rice stitched white border are done. All that's left to stitch are 3 sides of the rice stitch border and the floral vine border and the beads...this will take longer than the other 3 I've listed but I think it could be finished in a weekend.

So what's next? Right now, John Foster 1885 Sampler is calling to me. I've frogged and restitched the bee-hive and the finished off the floral baskets at the top of the design. I subscribe to Ellen Chester's, With My Needle, newsletter and this sampler is being done as a SAL. I really am not that far away from being caught up with the group. I would have to complete the Quaker motif, the dove cotes and the personalization. They have stitched the entire border first and I am stitching it as I go. It would be really nice to finish this sampler off this year. I would like to try hand graining a frame for it...wouldn't that be cool?

Good things come out of a visit from the In-laws!

One thing for sure, preparing for an in-law visit can be a good thing. It really forced my DH and my DS to get organized and clear some of the clutter they have left in various spots throughout the house. The biggest accomplishment was my kitchen table. You can actually see that we HAVE a table! My DH uses it as a desk. He is studying for his Masters in Education and is currently reviewing Euclidean geometry. Additionally, he is involved in a number of Christian organizations, so all that stuff finds a place on the table too. I told him that he could have 1/2 of the table but it creeps and eventually, the kitchen table becomes his workplace. I have promised him that once the window is replaced in the 3rd bedroom, we will paint the room and replace the carpet. Then we will purchase a desk, a bookshelf or 2 and a comfy chair so that he can use it as a true study. I wanted it done for Father's Day but since the home improvement is terribly behind schedule, I think it will be an anniversary gift instead.

Now that the house is in better shape, I am hoping to maintain it. It is so much more relaxing not to have all that stuff hanging around. The trick will be changing the DH's behavior. He is such a pack-rat. Never throws away anything. I on the other hand, tend to be neat. Not obsessively so, but I do put things away after I use them and I do my best not to let my clutter get out of hand. I am a magazine junkie as well as a stitching junkie, but even so, my stitching has a home and I regularly go through my magazines and purge them. It has taken me years to get to this point, but I realize that mentally and emotionally, it helps me a great deal to have a clean, clutter-free environment. A less chaotic environment actually helps my mood.

So, the next step is to clear out the 3rd bedroom to begin it's transformation into a retreat for the hubby. I have started it but it seemed that everything that we didn't have a home for made it into that room. This weekend, I plan tackling it. I already have 3 piles going, keep, give away, and throw away. The keep pile is pretty small, the give away is by far the largest and the throw away is really just made up of junk that we've kept throughout the years. It'll take me most of Saturday to go through. The biggest task I have is finding a home for the Snowmen collection. I have a couple of containers that contain my snowbuddies. Storing them in the basement is a bad idea because the basement is a bit damp and most of the snowmen are stuffed. Not a good environment for the frosty fellows.

I am hoping to stitch this weekend too. I will be working on whatever calls the loudest. No matter what, just stitching will be wonderful as I haven't worked on anything for at least a month!

I did receive some new stash in the mail. I got the new Essy & Friends piece from Elegant Stitch. It's an adorable scissor case designed by Indigo Rose. I love these little pieces as they are quick stitches and I am supporting such a good cause, Breast Cancer Research.

I also received the fabric, NPI silk and chart for the Lois Minshall Sampler from Threads of Gold. It's a pretty sampler and the colors are very soft and delicate. I don't plan on starting it right away but it has made it to the short list. Threads of Gold has a number of samplers that I would love to have in my stash. One in particular, Caroline Braden 1801, has my attention.
Another sampler to add to the ever growing list of *wants*!

Whine, whine, whine, whimper

Thanks everyone for posting comments to my blog. I really appreciate them and it's nice to know that I have wonderful stitching friends around the world.

I feel bad that my recent posts have been so depressing. It's just that I am so frustrated. In fact, in preparation for the in-laws visit, I put my stitching basket in the closet. And my DH put my magnifier out of the way too...it just doesn't feel right.

I never realized how much stitching grounded me. I get really cranky when I don't get to do even a little bit of stitching and recently there has been NO stitching in my life. Creativity is a big part of my psyche and personality and I just don't feel like me if I don't do something creative at least daily. Seeing a wonderful design grow on fabric with a length of fiber makes my heart sing. I never would have thought that such simple items would bring me so much pleasure. But that's what stitching does for me. I read that doing this form of craftwork actually produces dopamine which combats depression. Isn't that cool? The repetition of making x's relaxes your mind and takes your mind off of your troubles. I can relate totally!

With all the stuff going on with our remodel and getting ready for the visit, with Mike home too, my routine has been shaken up a bit. But that's ok cause I'll find my rhythm again soon.

Thanks for your patience!!! And for putting up with my rants!

When will I stitch again...

Remember that song from the 80's that went...When will I see you again? Well, just insert stitch and there you have it for me! I haven't touched a needle in 2 weeks. It's been insane!

I went to a class in Jamestown NY for auditor training. I thought that I would have some time in the evening to stitch a little bit cause there's nothing to do in Jamestown. The sidewalks roll up at 7:00PM and to be perfectly honest, I am not that adventurous when I am in an unfamiliar place so I tend to stay close to the hotel. So I figured, hotel room = evening stitching. Wrong! I had HOMEWORK that took most of the evenings to complete and there was a TEST at the end of the class that I had to study for...so no stitching for me.

Because I have been away for a week, this three day weekend has been spent preparing for the in-laws to visit next week. Add my son to the mix, he descending on the house, dropping off a year's worth of stuff from college. Well, you get the picture, I've done nothing but laundry and getting the house ready for company. No stitching again.

So, I go blogging and I see everyone's creations and finishes and I am green with envy. I am living vicariously through everyone's needlework.

Ok, can I have some WHINE with my cheese?

Maybe I will get to stitch NEXT weekend. Ya think?

Pictures say a 1000 words

I wasn't going to post this progress picture but I felt that I should just because I wanted everyone to know that I DO keep my word. I am working on this for Nancy K. She has been so gracious about waiting for this very delinquent exchange piece. I want to publically thank her for her patience and friendship and kindness shown to me during the past year. So Nancy, here's a progress picture of your exchange.



I know that life certainly gets in the way of even the best laid plans and I've certainly had my share in the last 9 months. Nancy has been the most sympathetic stitching friend. Anyway, I have been posting and telling Nancy that the piece is coming. It's now about 1/2 of the way done. And here's the proof! I am still not saying how I will finish it. But it will be very, very nice.

There is a story behind this piece. Originally, I started to stitch Indigo Rose's, Catherine's Armchair Pinkeep. I changed all the colors and modified it to an Autumn theme. I changed the colors and the blueberry motifs to autumn leaves. Unfortunately, the spider web roses and my live-in frogs had another plan. Frustration ensued and I put the piece away. I started anew and changed all my plans to the current one. Then work and the remodeling got in the way, along with a healthy dose of guilt. So today, since my DH and I decided to be slugs and stay in, I picked it back up and made good progress.

Then there is the house makeover. Here are pictures of the door, the staircase in the new room and the spot where we are going to install a pellet stove. Just wanted to share...

The door:



Where the future pellet stove will live:



The staircase to the kitchen. Picture a french door replacing this ugly thing:



And the barn cat who desperately wants to live indoors:



And lastly, the rainbow over the pond. Isn't it gorgeous:

Temptation Eyes

Remember that song from WAY back? Well, I am and continue to be sorely tempted by all the new designs out there. And I came across this one from Exemplars From the Heart.


I promised myself that I would put myself on a stash diet, as I could open my own shop with all of the stuff I own. But that sampler is just a must have for me. Vicki Clayton has a conversion for it and I LOVE using her silks.

I am toast.

I have to confess that I made a visit to Stitchery Row last night. Mind you, I only went there for one skein of linen thread because I misplaced the skein for the Merry Cox piece. I ended up buying the fibers and the linen for the new sampler in the Summer edition of Sampler and Antique Needlework magazine. It's an absolutely beautiful 4-part sampler called "The Old Aviary Sampler". The fabric is 40" x 17" on 40 ct. ivory linen. But I bought the linen in 32ct because working on 40ct makes me a little bit edgey. The fibers are AVAS and Glorianna silks in the softest peaches and creams. I must be nuts.

And there's the Merry Cox purchase from the Bay of Evil. I paid way too much for it. The pattern is Merry's Accessories. It's a collection of smalls. Looks like a quick stitch. I told myself that I bought it for the finishing instructions..yeah, right!!!

Then there is one other thing that I am wanting:



Her name is Blue. She looks a lot like my Aussie, Fraggles. I've been watching this site for awhile and last night I emailed her owner to see if she was still available. She is. The only drawback is that she is in Virginia about 10 hours away according to map quest. I am in New York. My husband isn't too keen on driving to Virginia on a dog run. I don't know what the rules are to adopt her butI am hoping that we could work something out because this is a private adoption and her owner just posted through the rescue site. Maybe I could meet her 1/2 way or we could have her shipped. I've had horses transported across the country but never a dog. Her owner says that she is sweet, moderately active but chases cats which will be a little bit of a problem. But she is a house dog and likes other dogs too so maybe the pecking order in my house wouldn't be disrupted too much.

Her owner emailed me back and posted a bunch of photos of her. This dog is speaking to me. She has a companion Aussie too, his name is Cisco but I couldn't bring both of them back. Especially since we are hip deep in remodeling.

Say a prayer for me and this dog. I really really like her and I would love to adopt her.

What do you find most challenging about stitching?

Since I am not making significant stitching progress, I thought I would post a question that Cathy posted on the Legacy BB. So, dear reader, what DO you find most challenging regarding our passion for needle and thread?

For me, the biggest challenge is time. I am finding that I have less time to stitch and when I do I am SO tired that I don't really want to pick anything up. Now that the weather is getting better and the days are longer, I am outside more and playing in my yard. My stitching time usually decreasing this time of year and it picks back up again in the Fall.

Also, there are some techniques I find truly challenging, hardanger is one, as well as, some cutwork. I've tried hardanger and I really like it but I have to take a deep breath before I cut my fabric. Does anyone have scissor anxiety, like me?

Then there is the sheer cost of supplies and finishing. I've found myself thinking twice about beginning a project because the silks, fabric and linen were quite expensive and then there is framing costs. I never really cared about how much things actually cost until recently. Plus, I have found myself actually passing up patterns that I love cause I would have to be a cat (with 9 lives) to stitch everything found in my stash. Is this a sign of maturity?

Lastly is finishing. I am truly finishing phobic. I can sew reasonably, I can follow a pattern. But the thought of making an error cutting up a project or messing up the finishing after putting in hours, months and sometimes YEARS of stitching, makes my blood run cold. Also, since I am a visual person, I like a lot of pictures, clear pictures of how things are assembled. Some finishing instructions are very vague or are incomplete in some way.

So, gang, what about you?

Well, I wasn't going to post but....

It's been a less-than day. I would elaborate but I am afraid that I wil post something that I would regret. Suffice it to say that work proved to be a disappointment today and I haven't picked up a needle and stitched a significant amount in the last week.

However, Mother's Day was very nice. Got flowering shrubs for my back yard. Was made to feel special and loved. It was very nice.

I did get a Merry Cox pattern in the mail today...I won it on Ebay. I paid too much for it.

And I am lusting after the Brightneedle class posted on Elegant Stitch. It's adorable, I love the little girl.

Thanks for all your lovely notes

Thanks for all your notes and words of encouragement. I am really fine, just working through quite a busy time. I got to stitch over the weekend and it felt SO good! I am working on finishing the piece I have promised Nancy almost a lifetime ago, I am so excited about it cause it's coming out just perfect! It's a very functional piece and it has Quaker motifs...that's all I am going to say cause I don't want to give it away. I know she will like it cause she loves Quaker things. There aren't medallions on it but different little motifs from Quaker samplers and one motif from the Ackworth Pattern book. There, that's it, no more or I will end up posting a picture!!!

I did read the instructions to the Shaker Spool Holder too, I just want to be sure that I understand it fully before I put my first stitches in the fabric. I understand that the linen thread is somewhat fiddly. Hmm...well, I won't know until I use it...

I've been reading all your blogs, it's nice to *visit* with you. You have no idea how I enjoy reading everyone's entries. I sit with a cup of tea and wish that we were face-to-face instead of face-to-computer! Maybe someday we will all be able to meet. Now, wouldn't that be nice?

Well, it's late, I have a full day tomorrow, so it's off to bed...Good night all. Happy stitching!

Wow, the week is finally over!

What a week! Our audit was this week and it was a killer. These assessments are nerve-wracking enough without the addition of an assessor who had his own *opinions* and interpretations of the standard that we comply with. All went well until the very last day, the very last item to audit. We ended up with a minor nonconformance and a ton of opportunities for improvement. The number of OFI's indicates to me that there are stresses in our quality system that need to be addressed....oh well, that will be next weeks battle.

SO, 3 major things are accomplished in my life now. We got through a brutal assessment with one of our Customers, my Dad's house is in the hands of a very happy couple (yeah!) and our reassessment audit is done. Whew! Now maybe I can relax a little and get back to my regularly scheduled life!

Because of all these things on my plate, I haven't stitched much at all. Last night, I picked up Prairie Year long enough to finish May's border. And I picked up Sarah Tatum but only put in a couple of strands of silk. On my Quaker RR, I started to stitch another motif in the border and realized that that motif was already stitched. So I ripped it out. Not a good start for me since I haven't stitched much at all in April or now May.

Today in Binghamton, the weather is damp and grey. A great day to stitch but my house still looks like a cyclone hit it so I spent most of the morning going through the stack of stuff next to my bed and sorting paperwork. I need to go buy a file cabinet. I really don't want to go anywhere today so maybe I will just put everything in folders and buy the filing cabinet early next week. DH has given the go ahead to re-carpet the 3rd bedroom but I want to wait until the contractor boy's put in the new window before I try to paint and carpet. We want to make the bedroom an office/study for him. That way, all his books and papers will be off the floor and properly stored. And we can actually file away important things and be able to find them when we need them. Gee, what a concept! Duh~Organization 101!!!!

On the Shaker Spool Holder, I only got as far as stitching a center line in both directions and mounting it on scroll rods. I am not sure about how to handle the silks, it annoys me that I will have to cut away the colors I am not planning to stitch with. What a waste of silk. But hopefully, since most of the stitching is over one it won't seem like I am wasting as much. I hope to put my first couple of stitches in on Sunday. Tonight, I plan on working on something else, maybe John Foster, who has been whining at me...I am playing hard to get ever since we had our initial disagreement. Or something else that is quietly sobbing in my basket. Who knows, whatever grabs my attention will be the one that I work on.

I hope to be able to post some pictures of something soon!

Have a happy Saturday everyone!