Can I get off the ride now, please???

I have to tell you that lately life has been a tad overwhelming. I haven't spent anytime with my needle until today. It felt good to stitch a good part of the day. I also got to weed the flower bed. The day was really gorgeous, in the 60's and sunny, for a change.

The Cadet came home this weekend. He and Dave were going to play paintball on Saturday. They left around 8 AM for the game. I had the day to myself but I spent it doing the lad's laundry, our laundry and some slick housekeeping. You know, slick it up with a promise to do it better next time.
The guys got home earlier than I anticipated so we headed out to do some shopping. We ended up at Men's Warehouse for a suit for the Cadet. He is going to a wedding in June and he needs interview clothes for next year when he looks for internships. The kid cleans up really good and he cleaned out my wallet too...I didn't care though, it's nice to be able to give him what he needs. Thanks for the tax return, Mr. IRS. We ended up with takeout from the ONLY chinese restuarant worthy of selling us Chinese food, 2 movies, Casino Royale and Flight of the Phoenix. I fell asleep at 9:00. What a party animal I am.

Today, brought Bagels and French Vanilla cappacinos. The Cadet left for Rochester at noon. And the house got quiet. David and I immediately started to miss him. We had a nice weekend, I didn't push his buttons about his grades and he didn't get snarky with me.

So we puttered in the yard, planted a lilac that is doomed to perish and I weeded the flower bed. We grilled burgers for the first time this year - YUM! And once we were done with supper, I got cozy with my Quaker boxtop sampler. I finished all the motifs that I started except for one now. I have 6 completed motifs now and I've marked out 2 more. I love how little sampler is coming out! I promise pictures.

Work has been insane and it will continue to get more insane over the next couple of months. We have 8 weeks to pull of the biggest miracle - ripping out a complete software package and replacing it with another. It'll get done by hook or by crook. And a lot of sweat and late nights.
I just know that we can not fail with this migration. Prayers would be appreciated, please!

The house is still where it's been for the last 18 months. Mr. Contractor is now promising May 15th. I don't think we are going to buy this last promise though, the lawyer is going to start proceedings.

And the last thing...the DH had a health scare, fortunately the tests came out ok. But it was 3 weeks of waiting and worrying, more on my end than the DH.

SO, now you know why I want to get off this ride!

More Photos

Quick update cause I MUST go to bed.

I stitched a teensie bit this weekend, nothing major, mainly because I was POOPED. We had our annual ISO 9001 survelliance audit at work and I put in 60 hours. Needless to say, it wasn't until Sunday before I picked up a needle. SO, with further ado...I present to you some updates.
Below is my Quakter sampler boxtop. It's going to someone very special, you know who you are, Miss N...so yes, this is the big surprise. It's slow going but it's to die for GORGEOUS!





Next is Carriagehouse Samplings, My Hometown. Sorry Sue and Vonna, I couldn't resist but I put it away until you get your stuff and we can start together. I had to see what the purple looked like on this fabric. It just pops! I am thrilled but I will be good and not put in another stitch till everyone is ready to start.

Lastly, I leave you a picture of Chrissy, the Wonder Dog...isn't she sweet? She's laying in a pile of the Cadet's dirty laundry that he conveniently unloaded in my living room...AHEM...

Gotta go to bed, thanks for stopping and I AM so glad you come by to visit. I makes my day to read your comments!

Picture Pretty

Hi All,

As promised, here are the pictures of my weekend work. First up is BOAF's Peace Sampler. I really like this sampler but I am finding it a hard stitch. Don't know if I like the fabric, it's BOAF Sandpiper. It's really a drab, dirty grey. I also am not happy with the color of the letter *P*, it's a brick color. But, if I decide to hang all my *house* samplers together, it will look great with my Hillside Samplings House of Needlework sampler. Not so good with John Foster though.

BOAF Peace Sampler

32ct BOAF Sanpiper Linen

Gentle Arts Sampler Thread

Stitched over 2 thread

Next is Blackbird Designs, March Hare. It's from one of their books, A Fine Collection. It's stitched on 32ct Lambswool Lugana, over one thread. I like it very much. I only can work on it during the day because my eyes cross if I stitch on it during the evenings.

March Hare
Blackbird Designs
32ct Lambswool Lugana
Gentle Arts Sampler Thread
Stitched over one thread

Lastly, this my misplaced Quaker box top sampler. THIS is the sampler that I thought I threw away. Some of you who commented thought I threw away the pattern. No, I thought I threw away the SAMPLER. For a few days, I searched high and low, I went through the garbage and even the recycling. I was very much afraid that the DH had taken it to the landfill. I was heart sick cause I have spent MANY hours stitching this piece. When it is finished, I will mount it on a wooden tea box that I bought from AC Moore.

Quaker Sampler Boxtop
Various Ackworth Quaker Sampler Motifs
32ct Lambswool Lugana
Gloriana Overdyed Silk - Autumn Foliage
Stitched over one thread

Last night, I didn't stitch at all. Tonight, I have to do some work. I am not sure how much stitching I will get to do before the weekend, the job is going to be on the front burner. And next week, work will be insane.

Well, let me know what you think of my weekend accomplishments!

Happy Easter!

The DH and I had a quiet day today. We went to church, in the snow(!) and it was very cold! We spent the day with the Sunday paper, napped on the sofa and I stitched for a good while.

I worked on a few things over the weekend. I took BOAF's Peace sampler for the car ride when we went to see the Cadet but unfortunately, I had a hard time stitching in the car. I had a hard time stitching even with my *cheaters*. I just couldn't see the holes in the linen. But after I got home, I stitched until bed and I got a bit accomplished. And today, I stitched on March Hare. I have the bunny almost completed now. It was very nice to stitch.

Oh, I found my wayward sampler. Somehow, it ended up under the sofa. I am not sure that Chrissy the wonder dog didn't *bury* it. I didn't see any doggie slobber on it and it's not any worse for wear but I am not sure how it ended up where I found it.

I wanted to take some photos but the day was so grey and it snowed a good portion of the afternoon and evening. We have a dusting on the ground. For goodness sake, it's APRIL already! Enough of the snow. My daffodils are shivering! I guess you'll have to wait for a few pictures until we get better weather. In the meantime, I hope that everyone had a nice weekend filled with chocolate bunnies and Easter eggs!

This is just St-oo-pid!!!

Well, I am going a bit nuts right now. I've been working on this Quaker sampler box top thingie off and on this week. Tonight, I had a bunch of time to stitch and I thought, cool! that's what I want to work on tonight. I can find the silk, I can find the Quaker patterns that I am using to stitch this sampler but I CAN NOT FIND the sampler. Now, I am skeerd that I THREW IT AWAY when I was once again...cleaning. The paper was all over the floor yesterday so I picked it up and put it in the recycling. Oh gosh, what if I threw it away with the paper? No, I couldn't have done that, now could I??

So, I called up one of the second stringers, Moira Blackburn's, Time and Seasons.

It's a beautiful sampler that I began 2 years ago...yikes, and according to this spreadsheet that I keep I haven't stitched on it for 15 months!!! Oh my...but anyway, I put needle to fabric and I did a couple of acorns and a few of the leaves on left side. Not a lot of stitching but enough to satisfy me. When I began stitching this sampler, I changed the colorway to a more antique palette from Vicki Clayton silks. Kwilty Kim did her sampler with that colorway and it's so soft and vintage. Just the look I wanted.

I also received this sampler in the mail the other day. It's also from Moira Blackburn, a reproduction sampler called Maria Short. I first saw this sampler on Donna's blog, Cross Stitch Samplers and Such and I KNEW I had to have it. It came earlier this week from Criss Cross Row. I had to start it too, right away. I haven't put a lot of stitches into it, just a bit of the upper border and the upper left motif. It's done in DMC and I am stitching it on 36ct Antique White Edinburgh linen.

This is the description of the sampler that I pinched off Moira's website:

This sampler has been re-produced from one sewn by Maria Ann Short in 1829 at the age of 11 Years. It was worked on fine linen, over two threads in silk. A religious text was worked over one thread ‘Lord make me understand thy Law Show what my faults have been And from thy gospel let me draw Pardon for all my Sin’.
Two alternative verses are included with the Chart and an Alphabet if you wish to include your own choice.
‘She seeketh wool and flax and worketh willingly with her hands’Proverbs 31.13

I am going to stitch the Proverbs verse, I didn't get a choice of verses with the sampler. Hmm-mm. I thought about stitching it tonight but the linen really needs to be zigzagged or hemmed before I get going on it. Fraying linen drives me nuts. All those loose linen threads...grr-rrr.

Now, I am just waiting for my fabric for the Stitcher's Wallet, a lovely pattern from The Gift of Stitching.

Earlier this evening, I tried to fix the broken links in this post and I inadvertantly deleted the bottom of this post. I posted about going to see the Cadet and how I was so anxious to see him.

We went yesterday, it was a great day (but expensive, he needed many things from the grocery store). We took him out for dinner and hit the grocery store, Borders, Best Buy and Wegmans. It was a fast afternoon. I miss him an awful lot!

TNNA survey

While out blog surfing, I came across a post on Just String about the TNNA (The National Needlewarts Association) survey.

Here's the link...

TNNA Survey

I urge all of you to take the survey, it's doesn't take long and it will give the industry an inkling of what crafts we pursue and how we feel about our passion and where we buy our supplies. I believe this survey can only help our brick and mortar shops stay open by understanding what we, as needleart Customers, would like to see in our shops. Of course, I do not have any affiliation with TNNA, I just want to keep our hobby alive and healthy. So, please take a moment and complete the survey!

The Stitcher's Wallet

I am really excited to start a SAL with Patti (Stitching in Lobster Land), Sue (Red's Thread) and Debbie (Stitch Wizard). We are going to work on *A Stitcher's Wallet* a really cool pattern from A Gift of Stitching.

This will be the first time I have stitched anything from this E-magazine, it's not that I haven't found anything in it to stitch, but I've been trying to curb the urge to start too many things. I couldn't resist this SAL cause I love the piece and my bestest stitching buddies will be working on it! I am excited!!!! Now, I am just waiting for my supplies to come from Australia and from Ginny Thompson's Flower Thread.

Also, Sue (Red's Thread) and I are going to do a very casual SAL on My Hometown. I am also excited about that SAL too. Lately, with all the things that are going on in my life, I haven't much felt like stitching. Life in overload. Hopefully, these SAL's will give me my stitching mojo back again. I put in a few stitches here and there but I haven't had Quality stitching time in the last couple of weeks. Maybe this weekend...eh???

A lot of my stitching buddies have asked if I was going to attend the Celebrations of Needlework in Nashua. I am sorry that I won't be able to attend. I wish I could go but with my project at work, I dare not take off a long weekend. I am planning on going to Hershey in the Fall though and I hope to meet up with everyone there!

Oh, some other news, I am slowly making my way to Wordpress. I've created my blog and now I am slowly transfering my links. Once everything is in place, I will post my new address.

So, even though there isn't a whole lot of stitching going on right now, I am keeping up with everyone's progress on their stitching!! Just watching your projects come together is so inspiring!

H-E-LL-O-O-O...Has anyone seen where the week went???

This has been the lost week. I don't know where it went and I know that I have nothing to show for it, other than wishing that it was OVER. Why????

At work, my partner and I rolled out some general Quality Systems training to the managers. ALL the managers, from the VP's down to the line guys. Twice a day, we held sessions at 6:30 AM and at 3:00 PM. So, I was up by 4:45 and not home until after 5:00 all week.

Suffice it to say that I was scared to death because A) I have never given a presentation before B) My partner put it together and although I am familiar with the concepts, I was unfamiliar with how exactly to deliver it. C) The managers. I work with all of them but to stand up in front of them for an hour really sent me into a tizzy. The first time I did the presentation, I BOMBED. It was terrible, so terrible, that my manager felt he had to give me a 20 minute coaching. He told me to go home and give the presentation to the DH. Well, the DH had no interest in listening to me drone on about Quality Systems, so I decided to give the presentation to the cat and the dog. Sweetie-girl promptly left the room and Chrissy was very patient, she really listens well but she doesn't give constructive criticism. Anyway, the presentations went better later on in the week, and I even got a complement from Mr. Manager. He told me I did a great job on Thursday. Woo!

As a result of the week, getting up with the chickens and worrying so much, I didn't pick up a needle at all. So there are no progress pictures this week. I did do a lot of stash fondling which made me happy and want to start just about everything that I put my hands on. I have GREAT stash!!!

But, the accomplishment for the week was that I didn't die during the presentations and I s-t-r-e-t-c-h-e-d out of my comfort zone.

Too cool.

I have a cold and I feel yucky...

What a great excuse to sit and stitch! I am gearing up to get cozy on the sofa with my needle and thread even though the house is beyond dirty right now. It's the mud season in New York and we drag in half the barn yard each time we come back in from being outdoors.

However, we did get a piece of that Nor'Easter that blew up the coast yesterday. I think we got about 6-8" of the white stuff, just enough to make driving interesting and now I get to add water to all the dirt that's infiltrated my house. Just fabulous!

I don't know what I want to work on now that John is finished. I put BOAF's Peace sampler on scrolls but the tension is bad so I don't want to stitch on it. The fabric is very soft and limp so the tension is not as taunt as I prefer. Plus, I have to make a color substitution for one of the overdye threads that is fading into the backround and I don't feel like dragging out all my GAST or Weeks to change it out. I know that I can not begin another project (not that I feel up to kittting anything right now) but the WIP pile is unusually silent. Something is always screaming, STITCH ME! but not today. Hmm-mm did they all go on vacation and left me here?

Oh, a couple of things...the Cadet's situation has vastly improved in the last 2 weeks. The ROTC decided to drop all the charges against him and his buddies for their *indiscretion* and altercation with the campus security. He and these boys are very lucky. Their Commander made strong recommendations to keep them in the program because they were nanoseconds from getting booted out. However, it's not completely over just yet, there's payback both to the school and to the ROTC. All this headache, anxiety and worry over a stupid decision.

And the house..well, the lawyer sent a letter to Mr. C. outlining a schedule for completion. No response from him whether he can make it or not. I smell lawsuit, even though I am PRAYING that we don't have to go that route.

Well, I do hope all of you are having a great Saturday. I've been blog hopping, catching up with everyone and drooling over WIPs and finishes. Gosh you all are so inspiring!!!

New Look

Well, even though it's still very cold outside and I haven't felt warm in weeks, I decided that my blog needed a change so I re-did my template. I am not thrilled with it but it'll do for now. I wish I understood HTML a little better to make my blog look really good. Eh... Anyway, I was out trolling again and I came across some studio pictures that I absolutely wish were my space. To have such a creative workspace...oh heaven. My room is cluttered and it lacks style. I hope that once the new window goes in it, I'll be a little more inclined to paint it a nice color and add some interesting accessories. Maybe then, I would use it as a creative space instead of my storage / catch-all space for the many crafts that I have dabbled in over the course of the last 25 years give or take 24 years. Art and creativity have always been a part of me and I am so surprised that for all these years, I have squelched that creativity because it wasn't *normal*. If a room wasn't boring beige or off white then it was out of the box and weird.

So take a look at these photos. They are from a blog called Hello, My Name is Heather.

Wouldn't you love a space to work in like that?

I am jealous!

Maria Short Sampler

I am totally in love with this sampler. It's by Moira Blackburn and it's titled, Maria Short. I love that verse from Proverbs. I believe I have to stitch this sampler.
I saw it on Cross Stitch Samplers and Such blog (yes, I pinched the photo from it).




Funny though, there's no house on it. What I like about it (besides the bible verse) is the variety of motifs and the unusual border. It's stitched in DMC on 36ct creme linen. Criss Cross Row has it in stock and I am very tempted to buy it. Should I?

Monday Musings

HI everyone...I wanted to thank you all for your comments on my darling, John Foster, and on our house situation. I appreciate all of you very much and the DH and I are pursuing some of your suggestions. Thank you so much for your thoughts and prayers. Please continue!!!

Well, now that John is done, what have I stitched since yesterday? I worked on March Hare for a bit and then I worked on a pattern that I am putting together for a wooden tea box that I bought at AC Moore. The tea box top is about 9" x 7" and I thought it would be perfect to fill with some smalls. So I am stitching a Quaker design of my very own, over one thread with Gloriana silk in Autumn Foliage. Really it's just a start and most of what I've done looks like a bunch of dashes and dots. Once the design grows a little bit, I'll share. The bunny on March Hare has a head and part of a tail and the curve of his back. March Hare is teeny tiny over one thread, about 2.5" x 4" overall. I'd love to find a shabby chic frame to mount him in.
Tonight, I began to stitch the charms on Hinzeit's Air Force but I only got 3 sewn on. They are really heavy and it looks like they need a bit of reinforcement as they sag a little. But I am tired and I put it up cause I am just getting frustrated.

What I wanted to do so badly today was just to stay home and stitch away the day. I believe I want a respite from my world right now and home on the sofa sounds like a nice place to park myself for a day or 2 or 12. HA! If only I could. I am planning on a long weekend toward the end of the month if my DH goes to Washington DC. It will be just me and the critters, if I can swing a day to make a long weekend. But, I have to confess, there is the Celebrations of Needlework in Nashua NH in May. I am sorely tempted to attend. Carol (A Garden of Stitches), Patti (Stitching in Lobster Land), Sue (Red's Thread) and Jo (Kiwi Jo) will be there...oh, it would be such fun to see all of them again. We had a blast in Hershey last fall and I am hoping that they will meet me there in September as I am planning on going. Ok, girls? What do you say? Chocolate in the Fall, anyone?

Speaking of stitching festivals, go check out Vero's blog. She's posted pictures of a wonderful stitching festival. Oh my, I would go BROKE there! I have such a fancy for redwork designs and I love those European designs. Danielle (A Peacock's Feather) has posting photos of the a French redwork book by Muriel Brunet. It's now on my wishlist!

Anyway, I think that as far as stitching goes, for the month of March, I am going to stitch whatever catches my muse. In April, Sue and I are going to start Carriagehouse Samplings, My Hometown and I want to be able to put some serious stitching time on that piece. I don't anticipate beginning any thing new this month, I have plenty of in progress pieces that are holding my interest right now. I can stitch rabbits, and Quakers and houses and alphabets.
Whatever my heart desires, cause isn't that what this hobby is all about?

Stitching what your heart desires.

I hope that your week has started on a good note and once again, thanks for the *chat*. I'll talk with all of you soon.

May I present John Foster 1885!

Here he is...my darling, John Foster 1885....completed on the first anniversary of our meeting. Isn't he just grand????

John Foster 1885 - Historic Stitching

36ct Belfast Linen

Antique colorway - Weeks Dye Works cotton fiber & DMC

The pattern had 2 colorways, an antiqued palette (which I chose) created from the front of the original sampler and a brighter more colorful palette of the original colors taken from the back of the sampler. The color of the linen is a little more grey than I would have liked, I think that he would have been better stitched on a warmer toned fabric. But at the time, I was being frugal with my purchases and I wanted to stitch him on a 36ct fabric...flax was what I had on hand. The floss toss wasn't bad but the floss is in warm tones and I think overall it would have been better not to have that warm-cool tone tug-of-war that's going on now. It's ok, though, I love him and it's such an accomplishment for me to finish anything anymore, I'll take my happy dances anyway that I can get them! I got such pleasure from stitching him once I got over the initial bumps in the road with the miscounting threads and stitching with the wrong colors. The second half of the sampler went surprisingly fast and even though I thought I would get bored stitching the house, it was actually the vines and fir trees that got boring at times.

One of the things that attracted me to this sampler was that it was stitched by a man (or boy) and I wondered if this was John's home, a school setting or a product of his imagination. I won't really know, cause the information with the sampler had little to say about John and his life. I was particularly interested in the upper section of the sampler, I imagined that John loved animals and gardening. Two of my favorites!

As far as framing him goes...that's going to have to wait a little while, the DH and I have to work out what we are going to do with the contractor...we got a contract from the lawyer - his initial retainer is $3K...just to get started and the cost goes up from there...we are discussing cashing in stock now. I can't even think about all of this now. I get stressed and I just cry. I am doing a lot of praying for this situation, so if anyone believes in the power of prayer, please add me to your prayer list!! And if that's not your thing, keeping me in good thoughts would be just as appreciated.

Next will be another project from my WIP pile, not sure what I'm going to focus on just yet. I started BOAF's Peace Sampler (another house themed sampler) and I do have Martha and Beatrix on deck if I want to stitch a Quaker girl. Right now, nothing is saying STITCH ME! so I'll just wing it today and stitch whatever I feel like for now.

I should finish up Hinziet's Air Force for the Cadet, I only have about 2 hours to go on it, finishing up the borders and stitching on the charms. I have the frame too, I wonder how much it would cost if I mounted it and took it to the framer to add a piece of glass and spacers.
The Cadet is coming home this Thursday for his between quarter break and it would be nice to have it all finished for him to take back to school the following week. He was to come home yesterday but decided to go skiing in Quebec for a few days with 3 other ROTC buddies. (Lucky him.) His situation is smoothing out somewhat, he's not completely out of the woods yet.

Oh, I should mention this, if anyone wants this pattern, please post and let me know. The pattern is in excellent shape, the original was kept in a plastic sleeve and I made a working copy of the pattern to use when I stitched him.

I hope you are having a great weekend and thanks so much for visiting!!!

Love conquers all...

Well, on the first anniversary of beginning John Foster 1885, I have completed my darling. I took him off the scroll rods about an hour ago to press him and give him a once over with at lint roller for the dog hair (it's just a fact of life at Chez Fuzzballs). Do I love this sampler? Oh my yes, but I have to be honest, right now, I am pooped so my happy dance is just a couple of hops around the family room. Maybe tomorrow, I'll get a little more excited that he's finally complete and off the scrolls.

I'll post a picture tomorrow.

On the house front, we saw a lawyer...essentially we are S-C-R-E-W-E-D. The legal beagle said that we should start thinking about getting another contractor to finish up the house and basically we should come to terms that this is a job gone south ...we will never see the results of the job, ~60K for services and goods that we contracted for purchase but never were bought and we probably will never ever see them finish the work. I am sick over it...just sick. Suing Mr. Contractor...well, it'll be a battle and we will have to weigh the cost of legal services with the very real chance that going to court will net us - zero. If Mr. Contractor doesn't have the assets, there will be no recompense. So, I am stuck with a second mortgage and nothing to show for it.

This remodel was the last gift my Dad gave me, the $ was his life savings. I do not know how someone could take $ from someone and just walk away....

So, I hope that you are having a great weekend and stay tuned for a photo of John Foster.

Got Photos?!!!

Hello! I've not fallen off the blogger! Here I am with a new post and some updates. The week was a busy one at work, I am in charge of a big project and it's consuming me. I come home exhausted and all I do is fall on the sofa and veg for an hour or so and go to sleep. Stitching that requires any concentration is just not happening.
But...I do have some photos to share (click on them to enlarge the photos).

The first one is from Blackbird Designs, A Fine Collection. It's called March Hare. It's been so cold here, that I want Spring to come, like NOW. John Foster and I are taking a much needed break from each other and I wanted something quick to stitch. And something Spring-y. So I went stash diving. When I surfaced, March Hare was in my hands. I wanted it to be teensy-tiny cause I have the cutest shabby chic photo frame to put this in so I dragged out the 40 count fabric...eek, TOO SMALL for the almost 50 year old eyes....sigh. What to do? Well, I decided to stitch it over one on 32 count Lambswool lugana. Below is a picture of my progress from yesterday, along with a photo from the book of what it will look like after it's all stitched. It'll be about 3"x 4.5" in size over one. I am not using the recommended fibers except for the Gentle Art Sampler thread I already have in my stash. I don't have any of the Olde Willow Stitchery fibers so I substituted Gentle Art and Weeks Dye Works fiber that I had on hand. It was fun to substitute some of the colors and now I will have a piece unique only to me. Gosh, I feel so thrifty!!!


Next is the beloved John Foster. I did stitch a bit on him earlier this week. The goals were to finish the fir trees and the vines on either side of the trees. I stitched as much as I could on him but I had to stop. John and I are approaching the end of our torrid, mad, love-hate relationship and I think I want to drag our relationship out a little longer (at least subconsciously) because at this stage of the game I have closure issues with my work, so I put him up after a bit of stitching earlier this week. I checked my journal and I began him on March 3rd 2006 and the goal was to finish him before our first anniversary.

I've been reading blogs this weekend and Danielle (A Peacock's Feather) posted about Redwork and lovely french samplers. I love redwork but I don't have any stitched! Do I see a sampler done in red in my future? Maybe?

Last up are some snow pictures of the horses (clicking on them will enlarge them). These photos were taken right after our Valentine's Day blizzard.

Below is a very un-flattering picture of Mighty Joe and his big back side...yes, he is a little porky right now...but it's all the hay we've been pumping into them so they are warm during this deep freeze we've been experiencing over the last few weeks.

Next is our diva, Peaches, who is so unhappy to be dirty. She is a dappled grey psuedo-Appaloosa. (Did you know as grey horses age, they turn white?) Actually, she is an Appended Appaloosa , she is registered Appaloosa but because she doesn't exhibit any Appaloosa characteristics she has a special registration because her Momma was an Appaloosa. Really, she is a quarter horse in Appaloosa clothing. Peaches is a sweet as honey but a Spook. I swear she believes EVERYTHING is going to eat her.

Lastly another photo of the Joe-Man, pawing at his hay. He was so happy to be outdoors after being kept barn bound for a week that he jumped around carrying on like he was a rodeo horse. In this photo, he was getting ready to roll in the snow.

So that's the news from Upstate NY...Hope you all are having a great weekend and are cozying up to your needle and fabric... I may just have to pull out John Foster and finish him up this afternoon after we get home from church as I don't know how much stitching time I'll have this week.

Well DUH!!!

I have been such a scatterbrain lately...it's just cause I have been so concerned over this hugh project that I am in charge over at work and the Cadet's dilemma and our house / contractor issues. It has really drained me, to the point that one of the managers at work dragged me into his office for a *chat*. He wanted to know if everything was ok as I seemed down and he told me that I was *wearing* what was bothering me. He suggested that I take advantage of the counseling service my company offers but if I chose not to do that, he was offering an ear whenever I needed to talk. I thought that it was sweet of him to be concerned but it scared me too cause I thought I was holding things together a bit better than I obviously am. Mr. Manager said that I am internalizing things but it is very apparent that something is wearing me down. So far, my troubles haven't affected my work and I hope that it doesn't get to that level, otherwise, I will have to find a way to deal with my personal life and not let it affect my job performance.

So with that being said, I have apologies to 2 dear stitchers, Paula and Ulla.

I am remiss on thanking Paula (A Celtic Stitcher) for her beautiful pillow and goodies that she sent me for the SBEBB Valentine's exchange. I hope she doesn't think I am ungrateful or that I don't like what she stitched for me cause that's certainly not true at all!!! Red is my favorite color and I have collected heart themed items over the year. The pillow is prominently displayed as an accent on my bed and each time that I see it I smile. Yes, right now, smiles are GOOD! Isn't the pillow beautiful!!!! I know you spent a lot of time and put a lot of thought into my gift. I really love it. Thanks so much, Paula, it did make my day to receive it, as I need some cheering up right now. And all the goodies, Paula included in her package to me. She sent me this fabulous piece of heart fabric, it's so graphic. And she sent me a few skiens of varigated DMC that will be put to good use.





And Ulla (Mission Impossible) I am sorry that your birthday gift was missing 2 items. I forgot to include the fabric for Moonlit Garden and I did stitch something small for you but I didn't get it assembled in time to mail to you. Please watch for another package from me to round out your birthday exchange.

Also, I read a lot of blogs daily but I haven't left comments on them recently. Please know that I visit you and that what you post makes me feel so connected to you.


Last night I stitched a little on John Foster but my heart wasn't really in it. I am hoping that tonight I will feel like stitching. John is 80% complete now. Over the last year, I have kept track of what I've been stitching and I realized that I started John on March 3, 2006. I would love to finish him before our first stitching anniversary. Really, though, I started him and then stuffed him away when I had so much trouble with the top of the sampler. He almost was a UFO but seeing Danielle's (The Peacock's Feather) finished sampler, I had to get back to him. So, I really haven't stitched on him for the full year. He really became my focus piece in the Autumn. Sue (Red's Thread) saw him at CATS in Hershey in September, he was almost 1/3 complete at that time, so I have made good progress in the last 5 months or so.
I don't think he'll be finished this weekend like I'd hoped because I have work to do (finish that project plan) and we are going to friends for dinner tomorrow night, for pizza.



So, thanks for visiting and I hope all of you have a great weekend!

Valentine's Exchange to Barbara

Hello all, I just got word that Barbara (Mainely Stitching) received my SBEBB Valentine's exchange today (on Valentine's Day...how cool is that) and she loves what I stitched!! I am pleased. Here's what I made for her with all the goodies, except for the chocolates that she hid from little fingers....

The biscourne is Indigo Rose's, Four Little Hearts. I stitched it on a piece of antique white belfast linen in Vicki Clayton silk, Garnet. I included some Weeks Dye Works thread in Romance, Sweetheart Rose and Love. It was a fun stitch but I freaked over the finishing cause I thought it would be hard...and it really wasn't, just a bit fiddley.

I have to take a picture of my exchange gift...it's truly lovely....

It's SNOWING 24-30"!!!!

Oh goodness, we are to get tons of snow tonight! This storm is being billed as the a snow of *epic* proportions. The weather guy is predicting 24-30 inches with a possible additional accumulation of another 6 inches on Thursday, with bitter cold and blowing drifts. I know that David and I are going to work from home tomorrow. I already previewed that idea with the boss and he's ok with it. I'll work on my project plan and monitor my email. I guess ol' man winter has decided to make up for the mild winter we've had so far. At least we are in the middle of February, maybe we are on the down side of Winter now. But I'm not holding my breath, we've had snow in April....

I worked on John Foster tonight. His house is stitched now and I am getting close to a finish! I have to work the steps and dogs and finish up the borders and fir trees. If I can get some quality stitching in this weekend, maybe I'll be posting a finished John Foster by next week. Woo hoo! Then he'll visit the framer's immediately cause I want him hanging on my wall soon! Next up will be BOAF's Peace sampler. Another house sampler. What is it with house samplers? I just love them! And in March sometime, Sue (Red's Thread) and I will begin an informal SAL of Carriagehouse Sampling's, My Home Town. Looking forward to that stitch too!

Have you any favorites from market? I have a list. Carriagehouse Samplings, A Quaker Study, Hands to Work, Education, and did you see that cool tray from Hillside Samplings? Wowser!

Hillside Samplings: Folk Art Tray

From Plum Street Samplers, Praise:

Hands To Work, Education:

I love them all! Don't you???

Hi there, some new pictures...today it was very cold but sunny in Upstate NY and I caught our little sweetie girl sleeping in the sunshine. I thought she was really cute and looked so comfy. Don't you agree?

Updated John Foster, my darling. I haven't worked on him at all this week. I took a break from him. He joined me at work one day at lunch, I thought that stitching in the sunlight (my desk is next to a window) I could get by using my cheater glasses. But on 36count, no such luck. I spent more time frogging than stitching that hour. So, I asked Martha to join me at lunch for the rest of the week and probably this week too.
John's house is almost done, I wish mine was in reality. We've contacted a lawyer, sent a certified letter to the contractor and gave him a deadline. I doubt that I will hear from him, so I see a lawsuit in our future.

On Martha, I got the doves almost finished on Friday and began the third motif on the left side. It's easier to stitch with my reading glasses at work.

There wasn't much stitching in the evenings this week, really there is so much going on that I needed a little break from it all. I did fondle my stash though, and I have been reading everyone's posts and drooling over finishes.

I migrated my blog to the *new* blogger, I hope that I like it. I avoided the Beta version as long as possible. But today, when I tried to log in to post, I was forced to convert. Ok.

Tonight, I am not sure what I am going to stitch, I want to stitch something, but what? We'll have to see....

This week, we are scheduled for our first big snowfall of the season - 8-12 inches. I hope to work from home on Wednesday, that is, if my boss allows it. On Tuesday, I am attending a Project Management class at the Community College. I like taking classes once in awhile, it's a nice break from the routine.

Oh, I did receive my Valentine's exchange from Paula. She stitched a lovely heart pillow for me. I LOVE IT!!! Pictures soon, I promise. I am waiting for my exchange piece to reach a f-a-r destination. I hope that my recipient likes it, I made a cool biscourne, and I sweated the finishing but it came out GREAT!!!!

Well, the needle calls, it'll be the first time this entire weekend I picked up my work, so I want to get busy. The Devil Wears Prada is on the DVD player....

Thanks for visiting and leaving your comments, I love visiting with you! Have a great Monday and I hope everyone had a great weekend too!

The Second Stringers

Yesterday, while on the hunt for something else in my stash, I came across my second stringers, the Works in Progress that are sittin' the bench with Sarah the Quaker wench. I thought I'd share them with you. Actually, they have migrated downstairs into the family room because I need some motivation to work on the WIPS and not start anything NEW or be totally tempted by the pictures of the new things coming out from Nashville Market next week.

First is Carriagehouse Samplings, Wild Roses. I am stitching this sampler in memory of my Aunt Jay, who was the Wild Rose in our family. Aunt Jay was my Mom's oldest sister. She raised my Mom and 3 other sisters after their Mom & Dad died and later raised 4 hellions of her own. She is the Aunt I most admired, although each of my Mom's sisters passed on valuable lessons to me and my other cousins. During my teenage years, I visited with her everyday of the summer. She told me stories of when she and my Mom and other sisters grew up, we talked about life and love and she gave me advice that I still use this very day. Aunt Jay spoke her mind and would go nose to nose with anyone. She taught me all about patriotism and politics (she worked for the Democratic party during elections). I could count on her to keep my secrets. This sampler is stitched on a piece of 40ct Lakeside Linen, not sure of the name, with Vicki Clayton silk. I stopped stitching on it cause I am not in love with this silk conversion. I may scrap it and start again with the recommended Needlepoint Silks.



Next is Hillside Samplings, Tree of Life. This is what the original sampler looks like:



Once in awhile, I get creative and fudge patterns, so I decided to add one of my favorite Bible verses from Hebrews, about entertaining strangers that actually are angels. I believe in my life I have entertained angels unaware. I know my Mom and her sisters did during the depression, as the house where they grew up in was marked as a place for Hobos to visit.

Stitched on 32ct Lakeside Linen in Fawn with Needlepoint Silks. I will add some speciality stitches to the house and the pots of flowers and I changed the colors to suit the room where it will eventually hang.



The last WIP is my Quaker RR. I don't know if I will ever finish it. It holds a lot of awful memories. Even now, looking at it makes me angry. I was in this RR during the time that my Dad passed away and I fell behind, so my piece came home early and incomplete. I believe I am the first stitcher in the history of Round Robins who was UNANIMOUSLY voted off the Round Robin Island. Am I bitter about this experience? Yes. But I learned valuable lessons because of it:
A. Communication.
B. Nothing, not even death, can get in the way of a round robin.
C. Round robins, although they result in beautiful and creative pieces are to be avoided by me.
Stitched with Vicki Clayton premium black silk on 32 ct. Lakeside Exemplar linen.



Today, I am working on Martha. John is taking a much needed rest, like toddlers, he needs a nap once in awhile, otherwise, he gets cross and down right onery. I am stitching a dove motif on Martha and I think she'll spend the evening with me while the Superbowl is on. Gee, this will be a switch, I'll be stitching during the game and taking a break to watch the commercials...