I'm Still Here!!!

I am trying in vain to upload pictures to this post. It's making me crazy. I have some stitching pictures and adorable animal photos (that I know everyone wants to see...ha ha!). Blogger seems to be letting me upload one at a time...groan. Whew, that was painful but here are the photos!

This is the neighbor's barn. I took this photo while standing in the sunroom a little while ago. It's cold and snowy here today.

Didn't Mother Nature get the memo? It's supposed to be warmer than 18 degrees!!! I really wish that Spring would get here. We are tired of the cold and white stuff. Yesterday, it thunderstormed. Today it's snowing and right now, it's windy and sunny. Wait another 5 minutes and the weather will change again...

Now on to some stitching...see, I told you I was working on stuff just not the stuff I told you I was working on. I took a break from Sarah and Time and Seasons and the Stitcher's Wallet (although I did put a few more stitches into the border on the third panel on Friday). I had a few smaller pieces going from late last year and I thought that I would stitch on them to see if I could actually finish something this year! I needed a quick fix and a diversion from big projects.

This is a Mary Garry design from an old Just Cross Stitch magazine (April 1999).

Mary Garry Designs

Just Cross Stitch Magazine (April 1999)

32ct Lambswool Linen

GAST and DMC thread

I (and half the stitching world) am now obssessed with her patterns. I started this pincushion before Christmas and it, like everything else, eventually works it's way to the bottom of the pile. Since Sarah is on vacation and the other projects are quiet, I thought I could finish her today. I think I want to try to make this into a mattress style pincushion.

The funny thing about this pattern is that it's the first thing I have ever stitched from a JCS magazine and the second piece I've ever stitched from any cross stitch magazine. I have a bizzillion cross stitch magazines and many copies of JCS, most are dog-earred from use and marking future patterns but mainly, once I get through reading them, I file them away and forget about them. Do you do that?

Next is Bluebird's Needle's and Pins from the Blackbird Design's, With Needle and Thread booklet.

Bluebird's Needle's and Pins

Blackbird Designs -With Needle and Thread

32ct Golden Harvest Linen - Silkweaver

Olde Willow Threads, GAST, WDW thread

I really like the vintage feel about this little pincushion. I will finish it like the one in the book. I found a nice little button to go on it and I have some ric-rack too. I love ric-rack. It reminds me of the 50's and a little dress trimmed in navy ric-rack that I had when I was a little girl. And yes, I did find crushed walnut shell bird litter at the local PetSmart. Unfortunately, it only comes in 6 pound bags so I have a lot of filler to use up.

And, I have stitched the alphabet design from this book for an exchange so this book has and will see more use.

Last is Blackbird Designs, Where My Heart Blooms. I really fell in love with this pattern but not so much with the linen I am stitching it on. It's R&R linen, Korty's Special Blend, and it's very, very stiff. I am finding that as I continue to work on it, the linen is softening up from the heat of my hands. I've been working on this piece off and on for the last couple of weeks. It's moving quickly.

Where My Heart Blooms

Blackbird Designs - Loose Feather's #29

30ct R&R Linen - Korty's Special Blend

WDW Thread

Notice the scissor fob? I wanted to include it in this picture because it was a lovely, thoughtful gift from my sweet friend, Sue of Liv 'N Laf. She sent it to me a few months ago and every time I took pictures, I forgot to include it in the photographs. Well today, I remembered. It's constructed of lovely sky/sea blue stones that remind me of beach glass. I really love it and the little scissors she sent with it. Don't you just love it too?

Now Chrissy the Wonderdog has the right idea. I think I may join her by taking a nap after I post this entry.



Have a great Sunday!

The Wip Loss Challenge and Ebay

Hello again!
I've gone through my WIPs and these are the one's that I want to complete in 2008. This isn't the complete list either, just the one's I really want to work on and complete in this lifetime. Most are big and there's only 2 or 3 that are small. Most of them are 25-50% completed. I love them all, they just got sidelined because I gave into the temptation of starting yet any other sampler. Did I tell you I have no willpower? LOL!!!

Here's the list:

M. Pollard - Scarlet Letter
A Quaker sampler that got stuffed in the WIP pile because I just get bored stitching in black.

Their Song - Blackbird Designs
Frustrated with it cause I made an error and I had to find it which resulted in ripping out a lot of stitching. But I'm over it. Promise.

March Hare - Blackbird Designs
I began this over one on 32 ct Lambswool evenweave. I didn't have all the colors so I started substituting them with DMC and GAST. Unfortunately, I didn't keep a list of the substitutions and I (silly me) re-filed all my threads. May be the kiss of death for this cute design unless I can figure out what I was stitching with when I started it.

Peace - BOAF
This is a quirky house sampler and I have to be in the mood to work on it because the colors are very different than what I am used to stitching with and the fabric is a dirty grey color. I like it though but I just need to be in the mood.

Time and Seasons - Moira Blackburn
This sampler has risen up to the top of the WIP pile this Christmas. I've stitched a lot on it (although it doesn't look like I have). I think that I stopped stitching on it cause I am not sure about the silks. They are Vicky Clayton and I can't decide if I like them or not. The colors are great, I just don't like the feel of the silk.

Pins and Needles - Mary Garry's Sewing Cabin
This little pinkeep is from an issue of JCS that I paid an exorbitant amount of money for on EBay. (I was insane at the time.) I like it a lot and when I finish it I plan on making it into a mattress style pin cushion. Wish me luck, I have a finishing phobia.

Maria Short - Moira Blackburn
I started this sampler because I needed to fill a void when I completed my beloved John Foster. I saw the sampler on Cross Stitch Samplers and Such blog and it really was love at first sight. The sampler took my breath away. So I ordered it immediately from Criss Cross Row, promptly started it and then got bored. Am I fickle or what?!!

Autumn Leaves - The Prairie Schooler
I started this cute sampler over one on 32ct Lambswool evenweave with Patti from Stitching In Lobster Land and Cathy from It Will Be Funny Tomorrow. I think Cathy finished hers and I bet Patti did too. Mine is 50% done and I seem to pick it up to work on in late August. I love the sampler and I will finish it. It seems to be a fall project.

Sarah Tatum - The Scarlet Letter
Another BIG Quaker sampler that I am stitching with Vicki Clayton silks. I am about 20% complete on this one. It got pushed aside because I really wanted to stitch it with AVAS but could not afford the silks at the time (and not today either!). I was dis-satified with it because the sampler wouldn't be true to the original colors. Finally, I told myself to GET OVER IT and yesterday, I stitched about an hour on it before putting it away. I am having trouble with the silks, they feel very slippery in my needle and I am constantly rethreading the needle cause the silk slips out of it frequently. It's frustrating!

True Virtue - JCS magazine
I fell in love with this sampler after seeing it on Sampler Lover's blog. I decided I wanted to stitch samplers with a house theme and this sampler just made my heart beat faster. I stitched the upper border then put it aside because it needs a bath. Chrissy the Wonderdog sneezed on it and she left a small spot (doggie booger, eww-www!) on it. Just need to get it in the Orvis and I'll be back in business.

Wow, there's not many small things on that list, is there?!!!!

So the next news is that I listed Mary Garry's Sewing Cabin's sampler, Remember Me, on Ebay this morning.

I need the money and even though I do not want to part with it or any of my samplers, I felt that I have to do it. (What are you waiting for, GO BID!!!!) We are up to our eyeballs in legal fees ($1600 worth) because of that weasel, Mr. Contractor, so some of my stash is got to go or I'm going to have to get a second job on the weekends to cover the costs of this fiasco. I'm testing the water on EBay with this sampler and if it sells, then other OOP goodies will be on the online auction site. I'll let you know.

Also, I am toying with listing some handmade goodies on ETSY. Do any of you have thoughts about it? I'd love to hear your thoughts....thanks!