Autumn Leaves & Screamer

Just to let you know that I haven't totally abandoned stitching I am posting my progress on Autumn Leaves...yes, Cathy and Patti, I am still working on it and no, I haven't ripped out the center motif, although the desire to do so is very strong.

I am sorry that the picture is a bit blurry, the snapshot digital is on the fritz and this is the best photo I got out of like eleventy dozen pictures.



I haven't worked on Autumn Leaves for about a week, if I stitch at all, I've been working on Beatrix Potter, the Quaker Sampler. But even then, I only can stand to put a few stitches in at a time cause I've lost my mojo right now.

And this is a photo of our barn cat, who desperately wants to be a house cat. Her name is Daisy (don't ask) but we call her *Screamer* cause she meows at the top of her little voice until she is hoarse the entire time we work in the barn. She just loves attention and feels that the world should be paying attention to her and not those big clunky horses. We let her into the new room last week cause it was cold out and she was meowing pitifully at the door. David has a soft spot for her.



Oh, news from the contractor for those who care.
He called Thursday saying he was ordering the windows on Friday.

He didn't.

So, I believed him..NOT!!!!

Tag, I'm it!

Seven songs...Veronica from Senorita Stitches tagged me...so here's the rules and my songs....

Here are the rules: List seven songs you are into right now. No matter what the genre. Whether or not they have words or even if they are any good but they must be songs you’re really enjoying right now! Post these instructions in your blog along with with your seven songs. Then tag seven other people to see what they’re listening to.
I am not really into top 10 music, I tend to listen to old things...
And it's hard to pick just seven...

1. Speed of Sound - Coldplay. Listening to this all the time.
2. Oceano - Josh Groban
3. 100 Years - Five for Fighting
4. Nothing without you - Bebo Norman
5. Sand in My Shoes - Dido
6. Take Heart My Friend - Fernando Ortego
7. Free Man in Paris - Joni Mitchell


Ok. Well there's my seven. I'll have to figure out who to tag. Be on the look out...you may be tagged!

It just isn't happenin' here

Well folks, the mini-slump continues.

However, I am still spending $$ on stitching stuff so the desire is still there, thank the good Lord. Cause I have eleventy-thousand hard earned dollars (and no sense) tied up in this hobby and I would hate for it all to be abandoned like my bizzillion painting patterns and paint and painting supplies that have been banished into the dungeon, um-mm, I meant basement. I just hope that my small flame stays alite cause there's nothing sadder than all that stash just going to waste in my dungeon of a basement.
So, I went to the LNS today to have Kimberly help me match a fabric scrap that I began to stitch some smalls on and I needed MORE to make a needlebook and a scissor keep...and I walked out with that $20 piece of fabric, a pattern and the silks to go with said pattern for an additional $56. Add that to a mail package from Wyndham, The Twining Thread and Stitches N Things...gosh, I will hate see my credit card statement next month but it sure was fun getting those packages.

And the stress levels are increasing. We just got a phone call from the Air Force cadet who has finally told us that he and his room-mates are not getting along. I suspected that all along but the cadet would not admit it to me. Hasn't he realized by now that I am a MOM and on the day her child is born she is equiped with radar, eyes in the back of her head and a sixth sense regarding her child's happiness? So he is avoiding his apartment and his room mates and is spending a lot of time away from an apartment that I am paying almost $400 a month for him to live in. Doesn't that boy have any sense of how much stash I could be buying with that money?!!! (just kidding, folks...)

Just add this to the stress of my contractor, my job, my weight, my life...shake well and you have one overwrought, insomniac who is developing an eye twitch and acne (at the ripe old age of 49!!) who just wants her kid to be HAPPY.

Not much stitching going on here

So, I posted photos of my house. Not so much for my stitching. Why, you ask? Because I am in a mini-slump. It's ok, it's just the time of the year. The holidays are coming. Have I told you how much I dislike the holidays? I dislike them because I never feel that I've done enough, made it special enough, kept tradition...I don't think my family really cares one way or the other, if I do anything for the holidays. I think that's the main reason I dislike them cause I work hard trying to make them special and it doesn't seem to matter.

Work has gotten very busy. After months of looking for work, I have enough to keep me busy for weeks now. Part of that is because my partner has dumped his grunt work onto me. I am not complaining...it's better than trying to look busy.
I did have homework this weekend, my boss asked me to put together a couple of charts for him to present to his manager, the CEO. It took me a couple of hours to do but I fretted over it for 2 days. Go figure. He'll use them as a starting point for what he really wants, which when he gave me this mini-assignment he didn't have a clue. He'll tweak them. I may have totally missed the mark, which in all honesty, is possible. Then he'll tweak them and send me scrambling to fix them.

I did stitch a little bit. I worked on Autumn Leaves. I am working on the center motif. It's coming along slowly.

I have seriously been considering joining the 10-25-50 challenge that so many bloggers are participating in. I've been hesitant to take it on cause I stitch SO SLOWLY. But if I do the challenge, I will first work on my WIPs. I have around 5-10 that I want to finish. Some Quaker, a repro or 2 and some holiday pieces. Give me a couple of days to think about it and if I decide to accept the challenge then I will post my WIPs and those patterns I want to stitch in the near future. I don't believe I will take the 50 challenge. If I did I would not be able to buy ANYTHING for the rest of my life! Maybe that's what I SHOULD do!
Recently, I have slowed down with buying charts. I've only bought those that I think will be scarce and hard to find when they go OOP. I seem to go in spurts, for months I will not purchase anything then I go on a binge. I've spent a lot of money this year, mainly on Quaker samplers which I can't seem to get enough of. I bought all the new Quakers that Judy Holdingworth has put out and I also bought the new Quakers on Historischestmuster. I've toyed with stitching nothing but Quakers next year but that's unrealistic too, I think. It sounds nice but I will need a variety just to keep my interest. I'll have to come up with a good mix of things to stitch. This should be interesting.

Oh, I want to thank you all for visiting my blog, even if you don't comment on my posts. When you do though, I feel like we've talked and that's really nice.

Just so you can see...

that I am not completely insane....this is the state of my house after a year of construction. Sorry they are a bit on the dark side, I took them at dusk...

The fireplace side of our house:


The front:


The sunroom:


The back of the house:


The garage side of the house:


So am I nuts to be upset???

Blogger has been giving me fits

I don't understand what has happened to my blog. Blogger posted my latest post way down the template. I didn't change any settings and I only edited the last post. Sorry for the inconvenience to have to scroll 1/2 way down the page to hit my posts.

Hmmmm...

And another thing... I can not post comments to anyone's blog now. I get the comment block and the word verification but when I click to save the post to the blog it just won't save it. My ID is not present, I have to choose whether I have a blog account or Google account. I choose blogger. No place to identify myself or my url. So, be assured I am reading everyone's blog but I just can't comment on your posts. I'm sorry, I really WANT to say nice things about everyone's stitching. Don't think I'm ignoring you!!!

I wonder if it's cause I haven't committed my blog to their beta site. I have heard mixed feelings about the beta blog. I like my template and I want to keep it but I am not sure if the beta version will allow it. I am not html savy and although I understand a little bit about customizing my blog, it's not enough to make wholesale changes.

Ok..

Blogger is being a pain...this is just a test post to see if my blog loads correctly....

It didn't.

How to set your contractor on fire

There's nothing like a good rant to clear out frustration.

Today, I called Mr. Contractor on his cell phone and of course, his voicemail was full. So, I called his office and his secretary answered. In my most pissed off Customer voice, I curtly said to her...this is Joanie L. and I want John to call me immediately. And she said OK, she'd pass the message on to him. Honestly, I didn't think he'd call back but at 12:45PM my cell rang.

It was John.

So, my heart was racing and my mouth got dry, but I remembered the cardinal rule when talking to a man who thinks he's got the upper hand:

Lower your voice an octave.
Talk to him as though he is stupid (which most of the time they are.)

And I confidently, calmly and forcefully told him how I felt and how I would not put another dime into this job. And for MY PAIN, the least he could do was cover the difference for these windows. I didn't even have to use the *L* word...

I held my breath. (I figured he would tell me that he was packing up his tent and refunding my money.)

But...I heard a long sigh.

And then the words...

Yes, you are right. I will eat the 5K and give you what you want.

I feel vindicated. Today, John was on the receiving end of my Hungarian temper and trust me he didn't like it. He knows that I mean business.

So, on Friday, I will have a new contract that spells out exactly what I expect from him, firm completion dates with penalties if he slips the dates, a provision for reviewing all records of my job to ensure that material is correctly ordered and I can SEE that the order has been placed.

My DH is skeptical and believes that John will not hold up his end of the bargain and we will be letting the lawyer loose to make his life more miserable than it already is. Actually, I am not holding my breath for a new contract. Historically, he hasn't come through without a lot of phone calls and threats. But it's the principle.

But I feel better letting out what I've kept inside for the last 9 months. :-)

On the stitching front I worked on Autumn Leaves. I still am experimenting with over one techniques and I did find a mistake but I am not ripping out this piece again. I will live with it. I do not like how some of my stitches appear smaller. The green DMC I am using is thinner than the black DMC so the green stitches sink into the black and don't show very well. It's frustrating and I am not sure I really like how it looks. I refuse to rip it out. No, I am not going to rip it out and begin again....OK, I need an INTERVENTION...Please tell me NOT to rip it out cause it's fine!!!

Well, I gotta go to bed. Thanks ladies for all your comments, I really appreciate them! You've all made me feel like I needed to light up my contractor's life and not in a good way...hee-hee...

Well.....

I'm really, really tired. Tonight is my sal on Autumn Leaves with Patti and Cathy. I haven't picked up a needle in a week or so and I am in a bit of a slump. It'll pass. I know why....it's this damn house. The contractor called today and basically told us that he can not purchase the windows that I chose at Pella because I chose the most expensive ones and they will eat his profit. Profit....my house has been in a state of disrepair for a year. A YEAR. The contractor has not worked on my house since July. He came at the end of August and said that he is out of control, took too much work and doesn't have enough guys to handle it. My husband gave him a pass. Let him off the hook. And now...not only do I have to pay MORE, I get nothing for my aggravation, frustration and time. Penalized not only in time but in my pocket. I do not have 5K extra to throw at this project and I think that I deserve some sort of compensation. He sounded so smug on the phone. I am mad and completely taken back because I have been nothing but kind to him and we put up with lies and excuses for the last 9 months.

I am sorry for the rant.

I have been blog hopping though, reveling in everyone's accomplishments. It's nice to see all the great things everyone's stitching.

Tonight is Halloween. We do not get any trick or treaters because we live on a country road and there are not many kids that live on the road. I miss Trick or Treaters. I love the holiday. It's really one of my favorite days. When we lived in Apalachin, we'd get the neighborhood kids and I couldn't wait to see them. It reminds me of my childhood. My Mom liked Halloween too and she made it a fun time for my brother and me. Gosh, I miss my Mom.

So, Happy Halloween....enjoy the ghosts and goblins, princesses and superheroes.

Correction to the bourse instructions

Sorry for the inconvenience....I found a typo...and I wanted to add an additional instruction.

1. After you stitch the backing fabric to your linen and before you turn the piece inside out, trim the seam about a 1/4 inch and clip the corners on a diagonal so that the corners will be square.

2. THIS IS THE BIG CORRECTION. Turn down the corners 2 inches. In the instructions, it states to turn the corners down an inch. That's too small. It should be 2 inches. Otherwise the corners will look really wonky and your bourse won't look right closed.

Sorry, sorry.....

How to make a bourse

I've had a number of requests for instructions on how I made my Halloween bourse. Making a bourse is so easy!!! I hand stitched mine cause I hate my machine.

You need:

A piece of cotton fabric in a print of your choice
Your needlework
Thin cording or ribbon
4 buttons

Essentially, the bourse is a square with the corners turned down (like dog ears)so the linen is showing.

Stitch something about 4-5 inches in size (about the size of an ornie or just a bit bigger) My design was about 41/2 inches square. I decided that I wanted about 4 inches of linen around the design to make the bourse. So, I cut my fabric 12 1/2 inches square.
I also cut my cotton fabric the same size.

With right sides together, I backstitched a 1/2 inch border around the entire square leaving an opening for turning.

Turn your piece right side out and press.

Stitch the opening closed.

Fold down each corner about an inch so that the linen is showing. (like a dog-ear). I used a ruler to measure each side of the triangle to make sure that the corners were even.

Stitch a 3/8" channel across the dog ear corner to thread the cording or ribbon through. I marked a line with a hard pencil and backstitched across the line.

Stitch a button on each corner. Don't stitch the button on the corner to the purse though.

Thread a 2 lengths of ribbon through the channel on each side so that you can draw up the bourse. Knot the ends and add a charm or button to the cording or ribbon. I used a couple of ghost charms that I picked up at the craft store.

When you gather up the bourse tuck the ends in so that they aren't *open*.

There ya go! You have a bourse!

If you have questions, let me know and I will try to explain. If you look at the pictures on my post and I think you'll understand my instructions. If not, I'll try to take some photos to illustrate it better.

Joanie

Dining Out

Yesterday, David and I drove to Rochester to attend the ROTC Dining Out. It was great! The dinner was delicious and the guest speaker was very motivating. The guest speaker received the Medal of Honor for his service in Viet Nam. Hearing him speak was something! He spoke on leadership and the group was mesmerized by his account of the circumstances that lead up to receiving the Medal of Honor.

My son has turned into quite the cadet.



He had some surprises for us, because he is the highest ranked Cadet, he got to sit at the head table. He was part of the 4 cadets that performed the MIA ceremony which was very moving, participated in the skit that the Cadet's put together and he had to drink from the *Grog* bowl 2 times. Yuck. The grog is made out of whatever the senior cadets decide to put into at stainless steel toilet bowl. The cadets are *called out* by someone who has *witnessed* a social faux pas or a breach in protocol. The infraction is descibed by a poem. The person called out has a chance to rebut the request to go to the bowl. Most of time they have to go to the bowl anyway. The drink had gross things mixed together, olive oil, V-8 juice, a jar of pickles, molasses, honey, a malt drink, coffee, a candy bar described as doggie duty...you get the idea. They must drink at least a 1/3 of a glass of this stuff after saluting the *Mess*. Better him than me! It's all in good fun though and even though the concoction is gross.


Mike and Matt:



All of us...


We had a great time!

Today, we took Mike shopping and to lunch. All too soon, it was time to head home and leave him at his apartment. I miss him very much but he's doing well. And before I know it, it will be Thanksgiving and he'll be home for 2 weeks!

I took Prairie Schooler's Autumn Leaves with me to stitch in the car but who was I kidding! Over one in the car with a clip on magnifier equals car sickness. So no stitching for me on this trip. I worked a little on it at the hotel, I am not sure I like what I've done, I don't believe that I have the correct tension. Filling in colors doesn't look right, so I think I am going to try to park threads instead of doing an area of one color and filling in the blank stitches with another color. If any of you over one experts have any tips, please leave comments!

Thanks again for visiting, I look forward to reading your posts!

Friday's news

sorry that this post is in lower case, my computer's backspace key is stuck and i spend an inordinate amount of time correcting my typing. i don't type well to begin with so this is an added frustration.
i didn't do much stitching this week, i've been in a rather cranky mood and stitching would have frustrated me. the only thing i've done was put together my bourse and worked on the prairie schooler design. it's coming along nicely and i am finding it quite relaxing to stitch. i am almost 1/2 way done now and it's really hard to put down. i'll post a picture soon.
tomorrow, we are going to rochester to mike's rotc detachments dining out. it's where they teach the cadets how to behave at a formal Air Force function, there's a flag ceremony and an mia ceremony too. we get a great dinner, a presentation, a skit and the cadets get called to the *grog* bowl. it's a garbage drink (literally) served from a toilet bowl. better them than me! but i am looking forward to seeing the kid and spending time with him on saturday. i hope to get some nice photos so i'll share with you. i have a lot to prepare for though, i have to get our clothes together and i must find a suitable project to stitch on during the ride up and back. something on a large-ish count fabric because i have old eyes. it's always fun picking out something new to stitch!

Halloween bourse & other photos

Before I share some photos, I want to tell you that as of right now, the only credit card that was compromised was the one I wrote about in the previous post. I talked with the Credit Union folks this morning and there was no activity on our joint card this weekend. What a relief! Plus, I was worried about our checking and savings account but they are safe. Thanks for the prayers and thoughts. It's been a roller coaster of a day...

Now, for some photos...

This is my Halloween Sweetbag that I made for the exchange on Legacy. I don't believe my partner reads my blog so I decided to post it early. I just wanted to share! It's a Halloween bourse. I love it. It's so small. I hope my partner likes it as much as I do! I had a great time making it. It's all handsewn cause I hate my machine with a passion. It wasn't difficult to sew either which is always a plus! (Oh, and I painted the Halloween pumpkin patch in the backround.)

The bourse closed:


The bourse opened:


I stitched that cute witch from Mary Garry's Seasonal Momentoes again. I just love that little witch! She is pretty sweet.

I've made some good progress stitching Prairie Schooler's Autumn Leaves. Cathy, Patti and I are doing a SAL together. I worked on it tonight, even though our day to stitch this design is Tuesday. Tomorrow, I have a hair appointment and won't be home till late in the evening so I allowed myself to stitch on it. This photo is my progress from last week.



Tonight, I finished up the words on the top 1/2 of the design. I am doing it over one and I absolutely love how it's working up. I am using Ruth Sparrow's over one method and it's a fabulous technique. I loathed over one stitching but no more! Ruth's method is super easy and I am stitching on evenweave so my stitches are fairly uniform. I have to work on my tension a bit and I also have to let my needle drop to untwist. Over all, I am very happy with how this piece is coming along. What do you think?

Next up is our little Sweetie...I caught her napping in the sun on Sunday and I just had to take her picture! Isn't see adorable?



Lastly, this is my hubby and Anantha with our horse, Joey. Anantha is from India and came here for a month to learn part of David's job...yes, outsourcing to India. She is a sweet girl, very soft spoken and quiet. She was a delight! We spent the evening and have dinner together. She never saw a horse up close and personal and she was a little scared. But in the end, she touched Joey's nose and gave him some carrots. Joey loves to have his photo taken, the big ham!!!




So that's what's cooking at my house. Thanks for stopping by and leaving me comments. I love visiting with you!

Well, what a weekend...

I had a good weekend, up until 3:30AM Sunday morning when the phone rang. Hearts in our throats, David got up to answer it. It's very unnerving to be woken up out of a dead sleep, clawing out of that dreamland state to consciousness - to that spot where you aren't sure if you still are sleeping or if you are actually awake. Once you realize that you definitely are awake, many thoughts assault you...is Mike OK? Is it the police calling to tell you that you need to go to the hospital or that he's dead? GOD FORBID! Or that something terrible has happened to your in-laws, nieces, nephews, brothers, sisters? No, nothing that bad happened last night. But it wasn't a wrong number either, which one hopes it is at 3:30AM.

Western Union was calling. To ask if we had a particular card because there was a suspicious transaction about to occur or had already occurred.
Someone overseas has my credit card information. My DH doesn't know that I have this card so he told the person on the other end that he didn't have that card. He came to bed, and me..realizing that I didn't lose someone dear to my heart, sorta fell back to sleep. He told me what happened and said we will have to watch the transactions on our credit card. I sorta remembered what he said but sorta didn't. It didn't dawn on me until the next morning (get the pun?) that the card that was compromised was MINE.

A quick call to the card company at 8:00 AM confirmed my fears. There were 2 transactions that happened around 3AM...one to a music download site and the other to a place where for 39.99 you can get all sort of legal, police and other records. THAT'S the site that scares me the most. The credit card company cancelled my card. But now, I must contact the other credit card companies about our other cards and I need to call the credit reporting agencies too to issue a fraud alert and make sure that there hasn't been any suspicious things going on with our personal and financial information. Plus, I must contact the bank to ensure that our money can't be spirited away.

Oh, and the credit card company is now investigating cause it's truly a case of credit card fraud.

Honestly, I am frightened.

But thanks for reading, cause it helps me to write about it.

If you are a praying person, please send up one for me. I can use all of them right now....

The Windmill - a great day!

Today my friend, Penny, and I drove an hour and a half to The Windmill in Penn Yan, NY. It's a Mennonite market and craft market. The crafts are pretty kitsch-y but we go for the fresh produce and baked goods. Nothing like homemade goodies, especially when they are baked by someone else!!! It was very overcast, windy and down right cold. We had periogies for lunch from the Periogie Princess' Periogie Palace and we sampled mustards and pickles and dips. I bought apples, a purple cauliflower, brussel sprouts, some spices and homemade noodles. Plus, Amish Butter cheese, yum, and a very nice Angus chuck roast that probably was home grown down the road. It was a nice day to get out and get some fresh air and lay in provisions for the winter. (David wasn't too impressed with my purchases, he hates cauliflower and won't go near a brussel sprout. He did perk up at the mention of the roast though.)

Then, Penny and I drove to the Quilt Barn. What a treat for the eyes. This lovely Mennonite woman makes these gorgeous quilts and wallhangings and they are all hand stitched. I swear, before I die, I am going to make a quilt. I must! I love everything about quilts, and every time I see a very well executed, and handcrafted quilt, I just want it! But, alas, these are quite pricey...the one that I wanted was about a grand.

So, it was a good day. Fresh air, a great friend, periogies and quilts...only thing that's going to make this day better is stitching, which I plan on doing right after dinner. Good times!

Sampler House Exchange

Just a quick post, I wanted to upload a picture of my Sampler House Exchange from Annemiek! She stitched me the most adorable little pillow and added some scrumptious fabrics and a hank of Gloriana silk to round out the exchange. The little pillow is stitched on a gingham fabric over one thread in a very cool plum color silk. I love it! Annemiek, I will treasure it always!

I will do my best to get a closer picture of the pillow, I tried and the camera will not focus correctly...gr-r-rr-rr....

Halloween Exchanged Received!

I wanted to post a quick note about my Halloween Exchange for the Stitchers Blogger Exchange Board. I made Cathy a cute little doorknocker and I wanted to share the photo....



(I pinched the photo from Cathy's blog cause our camera is acting quiet wierd and I didn't get to take a snapshot before I mailed it to her.) I hope you don't mind, Cathy.

Anyway, I had a great time making it. I re-combined Lizzie*Kate's, Halloween Sampler into a one of a kind piece. I stitched it on 32 ct Silkweaver linen called *Poltergiest* with Weeks and GAST thread. I took it to CATS to work on in the lounge and I couldn't cause Cathy was sitting right next to me and I didn't want to spoil the surprise.

I am very glad it arrived in good shape and that she liked it! I think she likes the fuzzy batty socks that I included in the package the best though. They are quite stylish in a Halloween-y way.

Baby it's going to get cold outside

I just listened to the news, we are supposed to get very cold and have snow flurries! I am NOT ready for snow! Not by a long shot! I am still living in late summer and I haven't put my shorts away yet. It's too early!

So, here's some photos of the autumn hillside that I took last weekend. I bet that by this weekend, most of the leaves will be on the ground and the trees will be bare.
This is a picture of our horses grazing in the pasture.



Maggie and the hillside vista:



The view from my sunroom:



And progress on Autumn Leaves by Prairie Schooler, an SAL that Patti and Cathy and I are working on.



It's too early for WINTER!!!

How to tell if you are truly obsessed....

Obsession...the dictionary defines obsession as:
the domination of one's thoughts or feelings by a persistent idea, image, desire, etc.

I, however, describe obsession the following way...

1. Need one skein of DMC 3011 to completely kit a project.
2. Rip apart every kitted project and every bag of DMC that's stashed in the closet and rummage through all the plastic shoe boxes of specialty fibers because I am sure that I HAVE that color someplace in my stash, because afterall, I own EVERY color of DMC ever created, RIGHT?
3. After searching for what seems to be hours, finally give up and admit that no, I don't own every color DMC ever made. I am missing the number 3011.
4. Make the decision to go to AC Moore after work to pick up 3011.
5. Breath a sigh of relief cause now, I can rest easy knowing my kitted project will be complete after work on Monday.
6. Leave work and drive the dreaded parkway which has a billion loonies driving on it during rush hour and road rage is rampant.
7. Drive into AC Moore's parking lot, which is really WALMART's (that should give you a clue as how full the lot is) and 30 other stores parking lot.
8. Play dodge cars with old folks on their way to the Country Buffet for dinner, who should have their licenses revoked because they are ancient and besides all that, the Country Buffet serves bad food. (Country Buffet is affectionately known in our house as Country Barffet).
9. Realize that it's a school holiday and everyone is shopping with their kids - at WalMart.
10. While dodging parents and kids, circle the lot near AC MOORE and FINALLY find a parking place.
11. Go into AC Moore and fight the parents and kids to walk down the aisle to the cross stitch supplies conveniently located at the rear corner of the store.
12. Eureka! 3011 is in stock! Hear the angels singing?
13. Dig deep in the bin to find a *clean* skein. That means one that you believe no one or their kid has handled besides you.
14. Fight my way back to the register with that ONE skein of floss.
15. Get to the register only to realize that there are 3 open registers each with 4 people in line. Did everyone in the store decide to checkout at the same time?
16. Try to get in the line with the people that have the least amount to purchase. (I think you know that I picked the WRONG line.)
17. Stand in line while the cashier messes up a gift card / credit card transaction and now has to void the purchase to begin again.
18. Begin to wave that lonely skein in the air hoping that someone will take pity on me and let me go ahead of them. FAT CHANCE.
19. Twenty five (!) minutes later- leave the parking lot (after dodging traffic, kids and old people) with that lonely skein of 3011 after refusing a plastic bag the size of a small country and the AC Moore sale flier. (I know that I will not be going back there anytime soon.)
20. Pull into the driveway a full hour later than normal, all because I wanted a skein of 3011 that I paid 31 cents for so I could rest easy knowing my project is complete and ready to stitch.

THAT, my friend, is OBSESSION.

It was a beautiful day!

Today was a great autumn day in Upstate NY. The sky was a brilliant blue and the hillsides were ablaze with oranges, burgundies and gold. It is so pretty here during this time of the year. Autumn is my favorite time.

I uploaded a couple of pictures from CATS. Patti, Nancy and I spent Saturday morning at Chocolate World. I felt like I was 9 again! Too fun!

Another must have!

Have you seen this from Carriagehouse Samplings?!!!



I LOVE IT!

I had to post this find.

It's going on the wish list...Attic Needlework is offering the chart, the fabric and the silks as their October special....it's so tempting to order it but I'll be good, I promise.

I am an Autumn lover, pumpkins, sunflowers, leaves, the colors, smells, the crisp air....maybe that's what my Heaven will be like.

Today in Upstate NY the weather is sublime..it's cool but not cold and the sky is that bright blue color that you only see during this time of the year, the leaves are at their peak and it's a great day to be putzing about the yard. David has been mowing the lawn, hopefully for the last time and I've pulled out all the tomato plants from the garden. We had a frost last night and they didn't survive it. That's ok though, cause they are spent.

I've done some laundry and housework and now, I am taking a break from Fall decorating. I've done my porch, I've put my sunflower wreath on the door and put a large pot of silk mums and my fake pumpkins next to the door on an old wooden chair I salvaged just for that purpose. And I dragged up the box of autumn / halloween goods from the dungeon, opps...I meant basement..Ahem. I'm going to work on my kitchen shelf next. After I get through puttering about with that, I may take a nap or sit down and work on a bit o'needlework.

Thanks everyone for your comments on Welcome Spot and Light Your Way. I love the way they came out and I appreciate all the good things you say about my passion.

Talk with all of you again soon!

Photos!!

Hi again,

Thanks for all your nice messages from yesterday's post. When I am sick, I like to be coddled and sympathized in all my misery. You guys are amazing when it comes to making me feel better!

Patti, I didn't get my cold from you. My partner at work passed it on to me prior to CATS, I had a scratchy throat when I was with you so it was a matter of time before this blew up into a full head & chest cold. Tom was hacking up a lung at work and there were a number of others who I sit near that were snuffling and sneezing too. You were not contagious when I was with you cause your cold was in full bloom and you were well past the incubation period for me to pick it up from you.

My main source of frustration for the post was that I was looking for stuff and I couldn't find what I needed. I am also frustrated at the lack of construction on my house and with the holidays approaching, it's going to put a damper on the decorating. I usually go all out during the Fall and Winter months with all my decorations, this year I've only put things out on my console table in the new room. I am wondering where I am going to put my Christmas tree. Usually it goes up Thanksgiving weekend and it's set up in front of our big living room windows. This year, God willing, we will be in the throes of window installation, so I'm not sure where I am going to put it so that I don't impede the construction guys. My DH says that I should make the guys work around the decorations but I have ornaments on that tree that are antique and some that mean a lot to me and I don't want to run the risk of having them broken. I am very tired of my house being in such a state of dishevelment and disruption.

Ok, enough whining...onto the photos (blogger willing)

Light Your Way:



Welcome Spot:



I will take a better photo of Light Your Way, I want you to see the cool frame. It's really neat and I love it!

I also tried to post photos from CATS but I'll have to later. Blogger isn't letting me upload more than 2 images and I'll have to mess getting them into Picture Trail and uploading them from there.

I also started a Prairie Schooler design, Autumn Song. Patti, Cathy and I are going to do a SAL and I began it yesterday..OVER ONE. Oh, it's really teeny and I am happy with how it's working out. I am using my magnifier and it's on 28 count fabric so I am not burning my eyes out of my head trying to see where to place the stitches. Plus, I am taking my time and being really careful. I don't want to frog this at all!

Ok, I have to attack Mount Dirty Clothes and I have to vacuum cause we have enough dog hair blowing around to make a chihauhua...see you later!

Thanks for the comments, it's nice to hear from all of you!

My life is out of control!!!

Well, I apologize for not posting the last few days. I have developed a cold (from Typhoid Tom at work...) and I am a bit under the weather right now. I did want to share though a few things...I picked up Drawn Thread's Welcome Spot and Blackbird Designs, Light Your Way! I love both of them! Pictures soon, as the weather's been dark so photos I took were not great.

And I finished an exchange and will be posting the picture soon, once it gets to my partner. So, mini happy dances are happening in New York.

But...my life at home is totally out of control...everywhere I look there is something out of place, lurking in corners, bags...under the furniture and just everywhere. Normally, I am a pretty neat person. Don't get me wrong, I am NOT a neat freak. We live in our house and if you've been in my house, you know that dust and clutter are just family members. I'm blaming my weekend at CATS. While I was gone, the dust bunnies bred, the laundry grew from a molehill to a mountain and my stash escaped from the confines of craft room because I was playing in it prior to CATS and I came back and got stash mail while I was gone...yes, I know...more stash, like I don't have ENOUGH already. And let's not even go where the DH and DS did this weekend...let's say bachelorhood is a polite description of their weekend while I was gone to Hershey. They both let that slob gene that they share have free reign of their brains and the aftermath, well, isn't so pretty.

I guess I know what I'll be doing tomorrow, in between blowing my nose and trying desperately to breath. I feel like I am breathing in water, and breathing is HARD right now.

SO, hope you'll stop by and leave a message. I miss you guys!

GOOD TIMES!!!!!!

Well, I am home from CATS...I can't believe it's already over. The weekend just flew by. I left on Thursday morning, thinking that the 4 days would just stretch on forever but here I am back home...with fond memories.

The trip down to Hershey was uneventful until I got of I-81 and MapQuests directions no longer were right. The mileage was all wrong and of course, the skies opened up and it POURED as I was driving somewhat LOST. I passed the amusement park and I found myself driving in farm country...lots of open fields...I guess Hershey Park grew out of the farmer's fields! Anyway, I couldn't see to drive, I was approaching I-83 and I got scared, I thought that I missed a turn or I messed up somehow,so I turned around and went to the Outlets...No, not to shop but to ask directions. The nice guy at Nautica told me how to get to the hotel, I just hadn't gone far enough and I MADE it...a little jittery but OK. You have to understand, this is like the 4th time in my life that I've driven somewhere by myself other than going to Pittsburgh. There, I met up with Nancy from GloryBee designs (what a sweetie) and Patti, from Stitching in Lobster Land. After we said hello, it was like we had been friends all our lives...TOO COOL! We got dinner and went SHOPPING!!! I did some serious damage to my checkbook that evening, I purchased a La-D-Da pattern and a Plum Street pattern from Mimi's Attic, and the new Prairie Schooler designs from the Silver Needle, R&R fabric from a local vendor. Let me tell you, photos on the internet do not do these pattern justice! They are phenomenal up close and personal! The Prairie Schooler's were done OVER ONE and they are the teeniest tiniest stitched pieces. I declared that I am now going to do everything over one after seeing them.

On Friday, we had breakfast with Carol and her husband, Mike. It was nice to meet them. What a great couple! Then it was off to class. I had a hardanger class with Lori Birmingham. WHAT A GREAT class!!! I found out that I actually can DO Hardanger. Lori is so funny and she is a great teacher. We practiced Kloster blocks and actually cut the fabric (she has a great technique that she shared) and wove the bars and created a dove's eye on a doodle cloth. That class was worth every cent. The lady sitting next to me was from my neck of the woods so we chatted for a bit until we were asked by another stitcher to stop...how embarrassing!

Sue (Red's Thread) came up from Virginia for the day, we had a blast together! We went shopping (more fabric, Sweetheart Tree patterns that we swear we are going to do as a SAL together) and once again, it was like we were friends forever. Once our wallets cried too loudly, we went to dinner with Patti and Nancy and settled down into the Stitching Lounge until Sue had to leave for home. I really didn't want her to go...we were having TOO MUCH FUN!

Saturday, I went shopping (again) and stitched a little in the morning with Patti and Nancy. Then I went to my beaded bracelet class where I discovered I had 10 thumbs and no control over the 7 foot of thread to stitch the beads onto to make the base of the bracelet. Although I liked the design and once I got into a groove, I realize that beading really isn't for me. I know my husband would breath a great sigh of relief if he could read this blog, I am not going to be bringing home beads.

Saturday night, Patti, Nance and I met up with KiwiJo and her husband Pete for dinner. We had a good time getting to know them and Jo shared her beautiful stitching with us. She brought some incredible pieces with her! Once we got back to the hotel, Pete went to watch football and the *girls* went to the lobby to stitch a bit. Nancy did a happy dance on the coffee table for finishing her exchange piece and as a reward, she started stitching Salem Sisters. Patti continued on CHS's Dainty Housewren and Jo stitched a cute zebra for her cousin.
I worked on an exchange.

So before I knew it, Sunday was here...the hotel was quiet, the stitcher's lounge and all the classrooms were turned back into banquet areas...and it was time to say good bye to Patti and Nancy. That was so sad! CATS was over...

We promised to meet again at my house in the Spring (if the remodeling EVER gets finished) and meet 1/2 between NY and Massachusetts to do our own stitch-in. I must say that I made wonderful friends this weekend, life-long friends (Patti, Nancy, Sue and Jo), got to meet up with other bloggers and shared our love of needlework. If you ever get the opportunity to attend a stitching weekend, be it CATS or Celebrations, don't hesitate! It's worth driving in the pouring rain, melting your credit card and using your grocery money! I have wonderful memories and I made WONDERFUL friends.

I'll post photos later...

And now, back to REAL life...pfffttt!

The Attack of the Killer Tomatoes!!!!

Hello there! Tonight, I was attacked by killer tomatoes! My garden decided to give up every tomato on the vine in the last couple of days and if I wanted any canned tomatoes this winter, tonight was the ONLY night to process them. So, I went out and picked every last red one that were on the vines and there must have been a trillion, and I trucked them into my kitchen in a very large box. The big problem: There is no room to can these gifts from my garden.

Now, mind you, the spousal unit has commandeered the kitchen table as his workstation/study place/desk and there is not an inch of space that's not occupied by books, notebooks, rulers, protractor, a laptop, a calculator and a bunch of stuff he just stacks on it. NO ROOM FOR TOMATOES. Moving onto the counter, he has commandeered four feet out of 12 for his personal stuff, mail, keys, wallet, cellphone, paraphenallia he can not part with, receipts, more books...NO ROOM FOR TOMATOES. Then there is the sink, the dish drainer filled with yesterday's clean dishes (am I the only one with a messy kitchen? EEEK). NO ROOM FOR TOMATOES. That leaves me with the rest of the counter that holds the knife rack, the bread basket, a toaster, a blender (DH's),the coffee maker and a pan of brownies..OK, in unison...NO ROOM FOR TOMATOES!!!! So to process said tomatoes, I have a 2 foot counter on the kitchen island next to the cooktop. This space is the ONLY ROOM FOR THE TOMATOES. So, I sigh and begin the GREAT TOMATO BATTLE.

I trek down to the dungeon (humorlessly also known as the basement) to find the canner, jars, lids and rings. I am good for everything but the jar lids. I have 6. Only six lids which mean I can only can 6 jars of tomatoes tonight. BUT, I have a trillion tomatoes upstairs in a box and if I don't do them, then I might as well toss them into the compost. I decided I'd take my chances....

Back in the kitchen, my Aussie, Fraggles, decided to steal a few of the tomatoes as an after dinner snack. What can I say, he likes them. Only he doesn't eat the skin and he makes a general mess...so now, I have the goopy remains of a tomato snack on my kitchen floor...

I put the canner on the stove to start getting warm, I put another pot onto boil so I can skin the tomatoes. I get the canning book out to read how to process them and the book tells me that I have to BOIL the tomatoes prior to putting them into the jars only to be boiled again for 45 minutes. Well, I guess I will do this in batches...

I begin to skin and chop up tomatoes into hugh chunks. I fill up a big Pyrex bowl, another large mixing bowl and another smaller bowl with chunky tomatoes. Meanwhile, the sink is full of soapy water, jars, rings and lids. The water in the canner is getting hot but not anywhere near the boiling point. I decide to follow the instructions and boil the tomatoes, so I dump out the water in the pot I used to skin them, dump in all the chunky tomatoes and set it on medium so that they can be boiled once and then again in the jars. I let that go for a little while and the canner is good to go. Looking at the boiling tomatoes, I realize that as this cooks down, I have a lot of juice and almost no tomatoes. Looks like I am going to have tomato juice with pulp, instead of chunky tomatoes...hm-mmm. Well, that sucks. But I carry on...these tomatoes will NOT defeat me! I fill the jars and only get 3 out of that batch. Damn, that means I have to go through this entire process a second time! (Rinse and Repeat!) So 45 minutes later, in goes the second canning....and now, 3 hours later, I have only six jars of semi chunky tomato juice. I believe the tomatoes won and now, I need a drink!!!!

I guess I am NO Martha!

Hey! Remember me? ;-)

Hey there, it's been a few days. Sorry for the lack of posts, really there hasn't been much going on with my stitching so there's not much to write in regards to needle and thread. I am working on exchanges. Sorry, no photos. Nope, not one and you can't make me post any until everything is mailed and in the hands of the receiver. I've been blog reading, keeping up with all your adventures so I feel at least connected to you.

Next weekend is CATS in Hershey. I am going! YEAH! That's the big news and the BEST news is that I am going to meet up with Patti and Red and I hope a lot of other bloggers. It's going to be a special weekend, one that I richly earned and deserve for putting up with my LIFE this past year. I am looking forward to marathon stitching, chocolate (afterall, it's HERSHEY!), shopping until my checkbook screams in agony and there's not a single bit of room in my bag and spending quality time with obsessed stitchers! Oh, did I mention chocolate? ;-) and stitching? and shopping? A blissful weekend is in the making, one that I am so looking forward to experiencing! I"ve been making a list so I don't leave anything behind, I've cleaned out the digital memory in the camera, yes, there will be photos, decided what I am bringing to stitch and I am counting down the days! WOOT!!

Other than that life is still insane. The Pella guy called today, he's got my estimate done for the windows. I mentioned to the spousal unit that there may be a difference in price with these windows and we will have to sit down with the contractor to hash out who is going to pay it. The David said there will be no negotiation, we are to tell the contractor to order the windows and he gets to figure out how he's going to pay for them. E-e-ek! The stress hormones are coursing through my body now! But David is right, if John had DONE HIS JOB then we wouldn't be almost a year into this job and he wouldn't be in this spot. But this fact doesn't ease my worrying about it.

Because of all this, guess what. I've gotten into bad habits again with food. I've gained 5 pounds and that's terrible! It takes me months to lose any weight and now I've put back on 5 out of the 31 that I've lost. Plus at just under 5'1", gaining 5 pounds looks like 15 on my body. Curses! This just adds another layer of frustration on my already stressed out body. Sorry to crab about this...please forgive me.

So...that's life right now. There's more but I won't bore you with it. You've got the highlight reel and hopefully I will get back to stitching something that I can post!

Thanks for stopping by! I appreciate you and your thoughts and comments, they always make my day!

Halloween Charts

I was perusing the LNS's and I came across new Halloween charts from BOAF on Elegant Stitch....aren't they too cool???

Halloween Icons



Halloween Fun



I really like Halloween Fun and even though I probably will never stitch it in this lifetime, I will add it to my collection of Halloween charts...

Yesterday, I took Light Your Way and Drawn Thread's Welcome Spot to the framers. They should be back in a couple of weeks. I love the frame I chose for Light Your Way, it's appropriately old fashioned looking. But I am not sure about the framing for Welcome Spot. I ended up double matting the piece, the inner mat is a leafy green color and the outer mat is a boring taupe color. The frame is a cherry one...it cost a lot of $$$ and I hope that in the end I like it. If I don't, it will be an expensive mistake. I really am not sure that cherry was the best frame choice for it as there's not any orange or red in the piece. I know that if I don't like the mats, I can cut a new ones but I can't change a custom made frame.
I'll just have to wait and see.

I am really questioning why I let the person waiting on me push her opinions on me. The girl who waited on me was very eager (actually, she was hyper)but I felt that she wasn't listening to me at all. After awhile, I felt that she didn't want to wait on me but wanted to help the other customer in the shop choosing a frame for a graduation portrait. She seemed to be more interested in that job than working with me. She pushed her choices on me and I just wanted to yell at her and tell her that I have an art degree in design so I understand color and the whole framing process. But because she was so aggressive and I was pressed for time, I basically let her choose the mats and frame. Shame on me.

I haven't stitched at all this week. I have been very tired recently. I know that I have been fighting off a bout of depression that lasted about 6 weeks. It's very draining and exhausting. With all the stress of my nightmare remodeling, my weight struggles, dealing with an empty nest and the first anniversary of Dad's death, I let everything get the better of me. At one point in this 6 week time frame, I didn't think I would ever feel like my old self. I got to the point where all I felt was sadness and a futileness and I was pushing myself through my life. I seriously considered going to the doctors because this was the longest time I could remember feeling this way. I got scared. But my optimism is back and although I am not 100%, I don't feel like I will never smile again. I did a lot of praying. And I believe that made all the difference.

Anyway, I am working on exchanges for the next month and then I am concentrating on finishing Prairie Year I and John Foster. Next year, I am seriously considering stitching mostly Quakers and house samplers. Who knows though, I change my plans as often as I change my socks!!!

Once again, thanks for visiting and thanks for all your comments. It's nice that you stop by!

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.