Just to Prove I DO Stitch!

Picture time!!!  I just wanted you to know that, yes, I DO stitch.  I don't finish much but yes, the needle and I are close friends.

Finished but not framed:

Lucy Minton

The City Stitcher

32ct Raw Belfast Linen

DMC

Halloween pieces that I wanted to make into small pillows.  Didn't happen, obviously.  I love to stitch, fear finishing.  Go figure.

The Prairie Schooler
Mary Gary's Sewing Cabin
35ct Lambswool Linen
DMC

At least these made it to their intended finish and were proudly displayed at Halloween.

The Prairie Schooler

Sweeping Cobwebs

35ct Lambswool Linen

DMC

Broom Hilda

Wtih Thy Needle & Thread

35ct Lambswool Linen

DMC

Liberty

The Trilogy

32ct Linen

Overdyed Thread

And I'm working on these With Thy Needle and Thread Patterns:

Snow Day

With Thy Needle & Thread

35ct Confederate Grey Linen

DMC

Snow Fairy

With Thy Needle & Thread

28ct Mushroom Lugana

DMC

He's a Flake

30ct Straw Linen

Weeks Dye Works Cotton Thread

Can you tell I love snowmen?

I started the Christmas flip its 2 Christmas' ago.  I put it up but picked it back up yesterday.  I am not fond of Weeks Dye Works thread so I think that's why it got sent to the "Land of the Misfit Stitching".  I'm enjoying it now though....

Christmas Double Flips

Lizzie Kate
32c Lambswool Linen

Weeks Dye Works Cotton Thread

Another design destined for pillow finishing....eventually.

Plum Pudding Designs

32ct Unknown Linen

DMC

When I had grand ideas to have a basket full of Patriotic pillows, I stitched these:



Let Freedom Ring

Lizzie Kate Snippet

32ct Lambswool Linen

Weeks Dye Works & GAST overdyed thread

The Sampler Girl

32ct Lambswool Linen

Weeks Dye Works Linen

Lastly, I participated in a Halloween Exchange with All Season's Ornaments.  Dawn made me the cutest treat bag from a Lizzie Kate Halloween design.  I ABSOLUTELY LOVE IT!!!



A-nn-n-d...there's the stash haul...no, not all at once but over the course of a month or so....gluttonous I know, but just the same I'm happy.

So there ya have it sports fans!  The last few months stitching!  I hope you liked what I have to show you.  Thanks for visiting!!! Love when you stop by, truly I do!



Good Sunday Morning!

Today when I woke up, I was blinded by a bright shiney thing streaming in through the window of our bedroom.  What could it be?  Was it SUNSHINE???  Sun???!!!  Isn't that the big bright thing in the sky that is very scarce in my part of good ol' Upstate NY?  Why, yes, yes it is!  Mr. Sol decided to pay a visit.  He's not been around for the last 2 weeks and honestly, I am thrilled he is here.  Now, maybe I'll get some pics of my stitching to show you instead of just talking about it or not talking at all because there's no stitchy pics to accompany my musing.

I will not be able to show you my All Season's Exchange ornanment because of Mr. Sun's absence.  If Daisy posts it on the blog, I'll snag it and post it. I also actually finished something, I made 2 pincushions for Halloween, one of this pattern from With Thy Needle:

and one of that marching witch with the broom from this one too.


Currently, I've been stitching on 2 new pieces and I've picked up a WIP that got put away last year. I can't stop myself from starting new things. The WIP is Miss Snow Fairy:

And the new piece is With Thy Needles, Sweeping Snowflakes:

I love the broom idea but I want a bowl of snowmen this year. 

And the other new piece is an oop Birds of a Feather sampler, Friendship Sampler:

Melissa from Words in Bloom offered it as a round robin piece to stitch so it's my turn.  I've got the top few rows of the border stitched.  Not enough to show you.  I had the Barn Owl fabric to stitch it on and I'm using the recommended thread. 

So now that I've bored you with my pieces, hopefully later, I'll get pics of the finishes.  I want to say thanks for hanging with me and a big THANK YOU to my newest followers.
 
I've got my plans made for my giveaway.  I've decided to go with a Winter's theme.  Since I'm a bona fide snowman freak, those frosty fellows are going to be front and center.   Stay tuned!
 
Have a blessed and wonderful Sunday.  And if the sun's shining where you are, ENJOY IT!!!

Happy Halloween!

Wishing you all a Spook-tacular day! 

Where did a month go???

Honestly, it's been a month since my last post?  WOW!!!  I don't know where the weeks have gone.  Doesn't it seem that as you get older, time speeds up?

There's good news with the DS...he got his next assignment!  Jenna and he will be going to JAPAN!!!!  Can you believe it?  I was totally in shock and so were they because they never expected an assignment like this... They will be stationed at Kadena AFB in Okinawa.  He hasn't gotten his official orders but I expect that by mid-January, they will be there.  So we will have a flurry of activity in the next couple of months as they prepare for their latest adventure. 

And I've painted and stitched this month.  I've painted a LOT of Halloween things that sold briskly to the gals at work.  And now I'm beginning Christmas things.  I stitched this cutie: 

and this one too:

but I haven't made them into ornaments yet.  I've also stitched a Halloween exchange with the All Season's Ornament Exchange group. It will be mailed this week.  I love what I made and I hate to part with it.  Isn't that the way it always is though??

I had great intentions of finishing up my Halloween bowl fillers but I ran out of time this weekend.  The weekend blew by!  I hope to get to them this weekend. 

And I decorated the house up for Halloween....here's a picture of the mantle & fireplace...I did the kitchen shelf and the sunroom/porch area too.

So, thanks for paying a visit!  I hope you'll stop by again soon.  Have a great week!!!

The Last Time I Looked...

This WAS a stitching blog.  So, I took a few (bad) pics of what I've stitched on the last couple of weeks.  I admit, I haven't stitched as much as I usually do or like to do.  It's been catch as catch can.  Right now, I am up to my elbows in acrylic paint. 

Before we begin...Here's the disclaimer.

The day is overcast in upstate NY.  The colors are a bit flat. I am using a point and shoot camera and the zoom makes things a little fuzzy.  And the camera operator was in a hurry when she took these pictures and is not responsible for off color or wrinkles in the fabric cause she was too LAZY to drag out the iron and ironing board.

Sue me.

First up! This is an older Merrily Beams chart called Alphabets.  I am stitching it with a very nice AVAS red on a creme fabric. 

I am trying not to get bored stitching the alphabets so I play games with myself and stitch in 4 letter blocks.  So I don't poke my eyes out stitching the line of birds I've included them in the block while stitching the alphabet above them.  I have to play games with myself to stay motivated.  Do you do that?

He's a Flake by Little House Needlework. 

He's eye-less and nose-less right now and looks a tad scarey. Hmm-mn. Honestly, I am stitching him on the recommended Weeks Dye Works linen, Straw but it definitely is g-r-e-y in this pic instead of that yellow ochre color. Sorry folks, see the disclaimer above.


Lately, I've been on a Prairie Schooler binge.  I think it's cause it's Halloween time and I adore her Halloween charts.  (And her snowmen but that's later.)  This is the upper half of Sweeping Cobwebs.  I will be making it into a pin pillow/cushion.   And yes, I just realized that I left off the orange in the border on the lower right.  Geez. 

Lastly, here's another Prairie Schooler Witch from the same chart that's destined to become another pillow finish with a black beaded edge.

Have you been perusing the OLN sneak peeks for the St. Charles Markets?  I have a couple of things on my short list.  Not a lot of the charts have appealed to me yet.  I do want this however:

Kelmscott Needle Minder:

I have a couple of these that I've stuck on my stitching lamp base and I don't know what it is about them, but I find them charming.

And I've recently added to my very gluttonous stash:

From the Drawn Thread because I adore Halloween and she's finally designing something other than flower beds:

I like this one (Too Everything There is a Season) too but I'm going to have to save some shekels before it comes to live with me:

I have a lot of Drawn Thread charts.  I used to buy them just about sight unseen until it seemed that all Cynthia was designing were charts based on gardens.  I love gardens too but they just became tedious to me.  (Sorry true Drawn Thread fans.)  I adore her house designs and was very happy to see the chart above.

And of course, another Blackbird Designs chart was added to my umm-mm, collection. 



This one reminds me off my grandparent's home so I think when I get around to stitching it I'll add their initials to it and the date they married in the flower urn. 
Well, I think the paint has dried sufficiently so I can start adding faces to the pumpkins so my break is over.  I hope you are having the best day doing what you absolutely LOVE. 

I hope you enjoyed your time with me checking out my little corner of the world.  I do appreciate you guys so much!  Thanks for coming by!

Painting - For Sale

As you know, I've started to paint again.  I posted a picture of Boo, awhile back but now I've got a few more things to share.  If you are interested, please email me at Mikes1mom@gmail.com. 

Primitive Bee Skep

Witchy Poo

Pumpkin Witch

Boo!

Thanks for taking a peek! 

One Year Ago....

Our son, Mike, married the lovely Jenna!

Congratulations, Jenna & Mike!  We love you and wish you many, many more happy years together!!!

September 11, 2001

September 11, 2001

New York City

Shanksville, Pennsylvania

The Pentagon, Arlington County, Virginia

We will NEVER forget!

OMGosh! 50 Followers!!

Wow!!!  I'm more than happy that you all like what you read!  Geez, I feel popular!  This calls for something special!  Hmm-mm-mm....let me think....

Blackbird Designs Exchange from Ela

As you know, last year I created and ran 4 Rounds of an exchange of Blackbird Designs.  It was fairly successful until the last round when 50% of the exchangers failed to complete their commitment to their partners.  It was a hugh disappointment to me and at that time, I decided to end the exchange and delete the blog.  Enter Patti from Tapestry of Dreams.  She asked to take the exchange over and she's successfully grown the exchange with this round.  I wasn't going to participate in Round 5 but she twisted my arm and am I ever so glad!  My partner was Ela from France.  She sent me a fabric roll:

Ela chose to stitch Bluebird's Message over one and set it into a quilted patchwork of beautiful fabrics.  I can't show you how exquisitely made this piece is.  The craftmanship and stitching is beautiful.  I was speechless when I opened up the package.  I am blown away by the generous gift and generous heart of Ela. I know that this piece took a long time to make and I just can't get over how someone that I've never met in person would do something so time consuming for me.  I can't thank her enough.  I will cherish this piece of artwork and will fondly think of Ela whenever I place one of my own pieces of needlework into it while it waits for finishing.

I just had to share this with you.  It came to me during a very bad week and provided me a ray of sunshine in week filled with emotion, a lot of tears and more prayers.  A lot of changes are going on in my life, a lot of adjustments both financially and relationship-wise as I adjust to being the sole bread winner while the DH is looking for work and while he is home 24/7 changing up my routine. 

If you'd like to see more of the beautiful work this exchange has produced, click on Blackbirds Designs Exchange.  If you would like to join these talented stitchers for Round 6, drop Patti a note. Her contact information is on the the Blackbird Designs Exchange Blog.  You won't be disappointed.

It's so nice to have you stick with me

I've not been interested in much lately.  I've stitched and I've done some painting but I am pushing myself to do it.  I do have a few pictures to share though:

A progress pic from Prairie Schooler's Book 165, Sweeping Cobwebs:

I am stitching this on 35 ct lambswool over 2 with one strand of thread and I intended to stitch the entire sampler but as I progressed, the stitches looked, well, thin.  So I stitched the witch on the broom with 2 strands of floss and decided to call it a day after I finished her.  I added the border all around and now I have a stitched cushion of ony the top part of the sampler.  Unfinished in it's final form.  (Story of my life.)  I'm also stitching the witch with the broom at the bottom right corner of the sampler.  80% complete with the stitching. Going to be another pincushion.

Next is an oldie.  I started this when I was a mere child (at least it feels that way!)  It's Ruth Ann Russell's Quaker Medallion Sampler found in an older issue of SANQ.  It's stitched on a mystery piece of Lakeside Linen with DMC.  I made a collossal color error (and I think that's why it went to the Land of the Misfit Toys) but I've decided that it's unique and it shouldn't be voted off the island.  I pulled it out when I saw Tempest Fugit's finished sampler. 

I haven't touched it in a few months.  (Another chapter in my life.)

Lastly, this is With Thy Needle and Thread's, Broom Hilda. I stitched this up the weekend that I got the pattern.  Cute, cute, cute.

As you can see, I'm going to make it into pincushion. With a beaded edge.  Someday.  Someday soon. (I hope.)  If you've been paying attention, you've realized that I am now obsessed with making pincushions. Witch pincushions.  I want a bowl full of them for Halloween.  Just like I wanted a bowl full of patriotic cushions for the 4th of July.  Yeah, they're stitched...

I got my BBD's Summer Basket back from ACMoore.  The lady who waited on me told me that when it came back there was a big piece of lint in the center of the picture so she had to take it apart and clean it off.  She didn't put it back together that well.  And there's no bumpers on the frame so it hangs weird.  Not going back.  And even with 60% off, the piece still cost over $75.00.  Heck, Bea didn't cost that much more that this piece and she's double the size of the BBD.  And Michael's framed it beautifully.

So, right now, this is all I've got.  I will try not to stay away so long.  I hoped to be better about blogging. And thank you from the bottom of my heart for hanging with me.  I've got the give-away almost stitched and it's coming soon!

Thanks for stopping by!  I love it that you've come by and visited me!

Hi!

Thanks for all the encouraging words about my painting.  No takers just yet.  Haven't a clue why though.   Not enough pics?  Need some props to spur creativity and whet an appetite?  I do know that I was anxious to post the pic with the hope that someone would snatch it up..didn't happen.

I have a witch and another ghost, a cat and a pumpkin 90% complete. I hope to post them by Monday.  Then I am on to Christmas painting, snowmen, santas, sleds and ornaments.  This painting gig is cutting into my stitching though.  I am having serious needle withdrawl especially because I have all that cool new stash just begging to be started.

Jan asked about Bea.  I stitched Bea on 32ct Antique Ivory with AVAS 4612, one strand of silk over 2 threads.  It's what Needleprint recommended.  I wanted a reproduction sampler so I stitched it as it was recommended.  Didn't change a thing.  Oh, I toyed with the idea of personalizing it but in the end, my purist heart won out.  I usually don't mess around with repros but I've been known to tweak other patterns here and there to make them my own.  I am getting better about that too and trusting my judgement.  After all, what's 5 years of fine arts with a BFA in graphics design going to buy me?  If nothing else, the confidence to trust my judgement on changing it up a bit.

I started Prairie Schooler's, Sweeping Cobwebs, on 35 ct Lambswool linen but I don't like the way the 3371 is covering the linen even though it's a higher count.  I think I'm going to start it over on something else and finish this piece as a big pin pillow.  This weekend is a finishing weekend.  I've got a number of things waiting to be put together and I must finish off my BBD exchange piece and pop it in the mail on Monday. 

So, I hope you have a wonderful day today, I have a bit of laundry to do and some housework to catch up on.  Then I hope to get creative.

Thanks for stopping by.  Love when you show up and leave comments.  They make me smile!

Show and Tell!

Hi Everyone!
I hope you all are having a great day. I can't believe that it's August already.  Where has the summer gone?  I don't know about you but the days just fly by and it's making me dizzy.

Well,  I've got a couple of things to show you and something to tell you.  First, the Show:
I got Bea framed!!! Squeal!!!  I had a 60% off coupon for Michaels that was burning a hole in my pocket.  So I bit the bullet and marched my hind end down there last week.  A sweet girl named Heidi did the framing for me and she did a wonderful job.  I will be requesting her to frame for me again.

Here she is in all her beauty!  (Click and the pics will get big so you can see the details)

Detail of the frame:

So I got on a framing kick.  I had a 60% off coupon for AC Moore too.  I took BBD's Summer House down there to be framed.  Let's just say I am not impressed and I won't be going back.  I am a bit worried about the piece cause they are sending it away to be framed.  Michaels does it in-house.  The employee I spoke with was fairly knowledgeable but really tried her best to influence the style and type of frame that I wanted to buy.  I bought along 2 other pieces to be framed that weren't stretched yet (The City Stitcher's, Lucy Minton and Autumn Leaves from The Prairie Schooler) and asked her to cut foam core for me so I could stretch them but they don't do that.  So, I asked if the foam core they had to purchase was acid free and she couldn't tell me.  So needless to say, there was no sale at ACM. I'll just wait until another 60% off at Michaels and give Heidi my business.

And now for the (show &) tell part. 

I am starting to paint again.  I've painted for profit about 15 years ago and I enjoyed it.  Did a bunch of craft fairs and sold at home shows.  It was when Mike was a little boy to supplement our income and to get me out of the house.  Well, since things will be tight in the coming months financially,  I decided to try my hand at painting again.  Here's my first piece to sell:

BOO- from the book, A Folk Art Fancy by Myra Mahy 

A close up:

The piece is approximately 11"long by 12" high, hand painted in acrylic (by moi!) and finished with 2 coats of polyurethane. 

Here are the particulars:
I am asking $25 + travel expenses:  $30 total in the US.  If you are in NY, please add 8% sales tax.  International folks, please contact me at J24D29@stny.rr.com for the total price.  Payment can be concealed cash, paypal (no credit cards just yet) and money orders.  If you pay by check, I will hold the piece until the check clears.  So if you are interested in BOO, please email me at J24D29@stny.rr.com.

I will be posting more painted pieces as a get them finished.  I probably will either set up another blog or sell through Etsy.  I'm not sure yet.

I hope you love Bea (as much as I do) and my painting too.  Stay tuned for more pieces in the days to come!