Busy, busy, busy, busy....

What can I say! The wedding plans are heating up! The shower is in 2 weeks and I am in a tizzy over the planning! You know how you ask people you've invited to RSVP? Well, NO ONE has but I know there are at least 8 who are planning to attend. What is it about picking up the phone and saying Yay or Nay? It's making me nuts cause I need to have a nose count so I can plan food, favors and just rest easy. GEEZ!

The wedding is in 8 weeks. I finally found a dress but I am waffling a bit on it now. My girlfriend, Penny, says that I look hot in it but I feel a little pudgy. I've not done well on WW the past 2 weeks cause last Wednesday was my birthday, today is my 30th wedding anniversary. This past weekend, I went to Pittsburgh to my niece's graduation party. LOTS of food. And the weekend before we took Jenna and Mike on a paddleboat ride on Canadiagua lake to celebrate everyone's graduation...yes, it was a 3 hour tour...Oh, Gilligan!! LOL!

So starting tomorrow, it's back on the program with a vengeance. Most of our partying/celebrating is just about over. Jenna's parents are coming down on Saturday and I think that's the end of parties for awhile.

As far as stitchy things go, I've not put a needle to anything since I finished up Bea. I am in a small slump. It's cause I have to do so much before the bridal shower on the 18th. The house NEEDS a lot of attention since I now have 3 households plus my own to deal with. I have some things from my Dad that I've got to come to terms with, my in-laws are passing down things they no longer want but think we need and my sweet boy has moved out of his apartment into Jenna's parents but his stuff has moved in with us. I don't have room for all this stuff and I'm feeling a little overwhelmed trying to relocate everything.

Well, I have to go now, I just wanted to say hey and to let you know I'm still fogging up the mirror here in Upstate NY....thanks for hanging in there with me.

Beatrix Potter and Prairie Schooler Exchange

Bea is finished!!

And I received this wonderful exchange from Suzanne. She was my partner for the Year Long Prairie Schooler exchange.

I love it Suzanne and I've hung it on my hutch in my kitchen where I can see it all the time.

Bea's progress and news

Ok...I'm back. Did you miss me? I took myself out of circulation for a few weeks, there's so much going on right now at Chez "What Are We Going To DO" that I became a tad overwhelmed, stressed, bitchy and most of all weepy. I have to say that my stitching has kept me sane. Thank goodness for linen, silks, DMC and a needle. And of course, all the blogs that kept me motivated to be creative and not hide under a rock.

This month, I've made significant progress on Bea: (sorry for the crappy photo, but if you click on it, it'll get BIG!)

She's almost done! I am down to one motif on the lower right side and the initials in 2 motifs. Plus, while I was pressing the piece in order to take a semi-decent photo, I noticed that some of the thread ends are working loose. I didn't double back my threads when I was ending them until very late in the sampler, so I may have to do some repairs just to ensure that nothing unravels.

It's very possible that I could see a finish in the next week or so. Hear the band warming up? It's going to be a Happy Dance!

I decided to stay true to the pattern and stitch the initials from the original sampler. I toyed with personalizing the sampler with my family's initials but my anal tendencies won over and I'm staying true to the original. I may break from tradition and add my initials above the bee motif on the lower left corner. I don't think Bea would mind and there is enough room in that space to make it look like adding my initials was intentional and not crammed into the space. I don't think placing my initials there will detract from the over all composition of the piece so I'm going to stitch them in that spot.

Before I forget, I am accepting signups for Round 2 of the Blackbird Exchange I am hosting. I hope you will join us for the next round. Stop by for all the info to sign up. Round 2 sign-ups will be open until June 15th. Shoo! Shoo! Go see what treasures have been stitched in Round 1! That should whet your appetite to come play with us!

I have been stitching every night for the last few weeks. Mainly on the projects that "Shall Not Be Shown". I've finished my Prairie Schooler piece, now for the finishing and the Blackbird Designs exchange is just about done. I am torn on the finishing for that piece, I have a couple of ideas clanking around in the ol' cranium but nothing that's won over my heart. But I'll figure it out very soon!

I've bought a bunch of stash but I'll save that for another post cause the camera is wheezing and is refusing to take another picture. And I've got LHN's Watermelon to show you and Blackbird's Petite Rouge sampler to show you too. Plus, Feed the Birds which is inches away from completion.

After getting my exchanges sent off to new homes, my focus will be the Wedding Sampler. I am combining Victoria Sampler, Heirloom Wedding and Heirloom Christmas patterns into the sampler. There's a section of stitching in the Heirloom Wedding that I am not fond of so I decided to swap that part out for a section from the Christmas sampler. Plus, I like some of the lace patterns from the Christmas sampler better than the Wedding Sampler. It will be unique for the soon-to-be Second Lietenant and his lovely Jenna. But I've got to get cracking, otherwise I'll be giving it to them on their 5th anniversary. I am stunned to think that the Wedding is about 100 days away! Geez, where's the time gone! So much to do!

Lastly, I want to thank each of you who've stopped by to read my drivel and keep up with my adventures. I certainly appreciate all of you who come by and honestly, it's a comfort and a blessing to know that you care enough to stop on by. I promise now that things are somewhat settled, I'll be back around a little more frequently.

HI everyone

I just wanted to say that I am sorry I haven't been around recently. I am just a little overwhelmed with life right now and I always tend to withdraw when that happens. Please forgive me!

I've been stitching, on my exchanges and Bea. Bea is 1.5 motifs from being finished! I am so excited! She's all I want to work on but I MUST, MUST, MUST be disciplined and work on my exchanges. I do love what I am stitching so it's not that big of a chore.

I haven't taken any pics to share but I promise I will tomorrow as long as we have sunny weather. So stay tuned.

In other news, we were told that our gelding, Joey, is severely arthritic in his hocks and in his right front fetlock. The ponies got pedicures today and the farrier was very concerned about him. We will be putting him on an arthritic supplement. The farrier really gave us a start cause initially, he thought it was laminitis which is very bad. He thought this because our horses have been on grass for the past few days and new grass is very rich. We've been weaning them on it for a week now so we thought all was well. Fortunately, laminitis is not the case, YAY!

The Cadet, the lovely Jenna and the DH graduated this past Saturday. I am so proud of all of them!

So, off I go, my needle is calling!!! Stop by again soon!

Stitching and the Military Ball

First of all, I want to tell you how much I missed all of you!

This week, I finally got a chance to stitch. Yes, you read it right. I. STITCHED.
I worked on my 2 pieces that "Shall Not Be Shown" (exchange pieces) and I stitched on Bea.

Below is my progress (click and it'll get BIG):


As you can see, I am nearing the finish! YAY!!! I love Bea and I will be sorry to hang up my needle with her but honestly, Bea, you are quite the demanding girlfriend!! Every time I sat down to stitch, YOU cried the loudest and then pouted until I picked you up and stitched on you. And if I left you alone, you unleashed the frogs just to let me know that you were upset to be neglected. Because of you, I have 2 exchanges to complete in 2 weeks, you Vixen!

Now on to family stuff...you can stop reading if you don't want to hear about the Military Ball.

Two weeks ago, we attended the Cadet's final Military Ball. We had such a great time. It's such a special evening, filled with good food, an engaging speaker and awards. This year was no exception. Even though the Cadet didn't receive any awards, we are still very proud of him.

Here we all are..

And another family pic:



The DH and the Cadet:


And the Cadet and his lovely bride-to-be:

The Cadet received his assignment, upon his commissioning as a Second Lietenant in October, he will be going to Intel school in Texas for 7 months. From there, I don't know...one step at a time.

Right now, we are planning graduations, the DH graduates with his Masters in Education, the lovely Jenna graduates with a BS in Elementary Education and the Cadet will graduate with a BS in Criminal Justice. I am also hip deep in planning a girly-girl bridal shower in July and getting together a bunch of things for the happy couple. I started the wedding sampler (just basting guidelines cause I am waiting on thread) and I am putting together a scrapbook for them. Also, I am trying to gather recipes for a cookbook too. Somewhere in the midst of all this, I have to find a dress for the wedding, a restaurant for the rehearsal dinner and so much more, I just can't remember. Before you know it, the wedding will be here!!

Busy times!

So, I hope all of you are well and are finding more time than me to stitch. I promise though, I'll be posting more pictures soon. I actually put ALL my wips together in one spot (and I won't tell you how many I have...let's just say I have Stitcher's ADD) so I can pick and choose what I want to work on. I know the focus piece will be the wedding sampler but I hope to finish up some of the pieces that are 3/4 complete. This year, I haven't finished one thing except for a few exchanges! What's up with that!!!

Take care everyone, and to all you Mom's out there...Happy Mother's Day! I wish you a wonderful day surrounded by the love of your family. For me, it's going to be a quiet day...we will go to church and just spend the rest of the day at home. The David will be grilling steaks, the Cadet will make a phone call and so will my sweet MIL. And I'll be thinking of my Mom.

Have a sweet day, Mom's everywhere!

I. MISS. STITCHING.

Hello, friends! I feel like I've been a little MIA.

Well, there is a lot going on at Chez Chaos, so much that I haven't picked up a needle in 2 weeks!!! My word. Can you say withdrawl?

Work is very busy. This past week, my partner and I conducted an internal audit of our Management, New Product Introduction, Development and Qualification processes. Four days of non-stop interviewing. Now, I have to write up my report. Fun.

On Friday, it was the Cadet's Military Ball. The DH and I attended and it was VERY cool. I always look forward to this dinner. On Saturday, I met with the Lovely Jenna's, Mom, for some serious wedding shopping. We went to lunch and then the Cadet and I had some one-on-one time, just so we could chat. He bought me ice cream. And now, I am home, keeping the fires burning cause Dave went to Pittsburgh to visit his parents and see his brother, who just came in from Nebraska for a few days. I am tending to my menagerie and trying to get some work done in my house. I am a little overwhelmed! Hence, no stitching.

SO sad. But I plan on fixing that situation as soon as humanly possible. I am so close to finishing Bea now and I found my materials for the wedding sampler (they went MIA for a day or so). Plus, I have a number of Wips to work on and, did you see the Blackbird Design freebie? Oh, how I want to stitch this darling little sampler! But I think it's going to have to go on the back burner for awhile. Exchanges and the wedding sampler, plus Bea will take up most of my stitching time.

Well, sweet friends, it's off to bed with me. I have to get up bright and early to tend to my critters. Then it's off to work. Damn, I wish I would have taken tomorrow off. But I would be cursing myself later when I really need that vacation day. Hope you are well and are spending copious amounts of time stitching.

I am jealous.

HE IS RISEN!!!!

But the angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified.

He is not here, for he has risen, as he said.

Matthew 28:5-6

Alleluia!

Let Sleeping Cats Lie

I am going to let the pictures speak for themselves...This is exactly what I wanted to do this afternoon but instead, I started my Spring cleaning. The house smells very fresh!

Ella found a new perch. The Grandfather clock commemorated my DH's 25th service anniversary from IBM.

Unfortunately, she and the barn cat had an altercation about 6AM on Friday morning. She jumped from this perch and to our horror, the grandfather clock fell over. My DH was beyond mad and he was very upset. It survived the fall with some damage, the corner of the pediment is crushed and there are a few scratches. We were pretty amazed at the lack of damage because the weights separated from the chains. We thought that the glass panels in the door would be smashed to smithereens. The glass popped out of the gasket in the door and nothing was broken.

Sweetie-girl burying her nose between the sofa cushions.

And Olivia...

Don't they look comfy?

Well, now I am going to stitch and watch TV.

Have a Happy Easter!

And there was light! And there are pictures!

Hey Everyone!

I hope you all had a great Wednesday. Life at Chez Chaos is, well, chaotic!
Today, the DH and I drove 2 hours to pick up his new truck. And 2 hours back again. The insurance company finally declared our little truck dead, they took their time cutting a check and today, we drove home a new-to-us '01 Silverado. It's a year older than the dead truck but it has less miles, is a full size pickup and has a manual transmission. All criteria that the DH had for a truck was met. He's happy. The down side to this whole affair was the truck was in Pennsylvania, 2 hours away. So, I had to take a 1/2 day personal to drive there with him and then drive the Explorer home. It was a weird day. I feel like I am on vacation but really I am not. It feels like Friday but I have to get up and go to work tomorrow. My reality is skewed right now cause I took time away from work in the middle of the week.

But there was light when I got home. The sky was brighter than it's been for the last week. Granted it was SNOWING (hello, Mother Nature, didn't you get the memo stating that it's SPRING? My daffodils are shivering!! Please send warm weather, soon!) but there was sufficient light to take some pictures.

May I present to you:

My progress on This is the Day:

Stitched on 36ct Lakeside Autumn Gold with the recommended thread. Tonight I started on the black border on the right side and finished stitching the black line under the alphabet. I am having fun with this sampler. I hope to make significant progress over the weekend cause I am sticking my ample backside in the corner of the sofa and stitching. All. Weekend. Long.

Next is Feed the Birds:

Honestly, this little sampler looks like a fast stitch but in reality it's not! I really thought that I would be done with it by now. Well, I am almost 1/2 way done. I am debating on stitching the checkerboard border or just leaving it off and putting a mat on it. The checkerboard screams 1990's! But it also adds charm to the piece. I'll have to see when the time comes. The sampler is stitched on 36ct Flax linen with good ol' DMC.

And this is my girl Bea! Only 4 more motifs to stitch and she'll be done! Can you believe it?

The motif on the bottom left next to the wheat motif should be stitched 2 threads higher than where I placed it. I am debating on ripping it out or just leaving it where it is. My OCD heart is telling me to rip it out and place it where it should be (and be accurate to the chart) but my lazy self says just to leave it. It's not affecting the placement of any other motif and I know that it doesn't affect the look of the sampler. It's just not correct. And it's a reproduction. So, dear readers, what say you? Would you rip it out and restitch it where it belongs? \

Ok, so that's all the news that's fit to type tonight. I am really tired and if I was honest with myself, I am a little anxious about work. I am sure that the work thing is actually nothing, I just have a tendency to build up things in my head. Well, time will tell... I think I am going to work a little on This Is The Day and watch some TV. And then turn in early.

So, once again, thanks for stopping by, I am tickled that you are interested in what I have to say. Leave a comment if you are inclined. I love reading what you have to say to me!

Have a wonderful Thursday!

Hello, World!

Yes, it's me! I've surfaced but sadly without photos. I know, I know, I will lose readers if I don't post pictures soon of my crazy life or my stitching progress but you will have to be patient cause it's been RAINING for the last 4 days. I am seriously considering asking God if he wants me to start building another ark. No light for pictures.

Let's see...where to begin. Well, you all know about the tragedy that happened in my little city. Tonight the paper ran little bios of those who were killed. So sad, so sad that I cried. A newlywed who will not see her first anniversary. A husband who did his best to shield his wife from the shooter's bullets only to have her die in his arms as a bullet passed through him and into her. A Mom and Dad who weren't at the bus stop to pick up their 6 and 9 year old after school. All who just wanted a better life, all who wanted to provide for their children. A retired teacher who just wanted to give back to her community after years of service in the public school system. There are many more stories that are sure to be told as these souls are laid to rest.

My DH took his last state test for his teaching certification. He said this test was hard. He'll find out if he passed in about a month. Now, he's sending out resumes. He knows only of one district that has 2 math teaching positions open. I am praying hard that he gets an interview. I don't want to think what will happen in the fall if he doesn't find a full time job and has to resort to student teaching.

The Cadet and the Lovely Jenna are well. Both are exhausted. Jenna is working 2 jobs and the Cadet is holding down a full time job, a full credit load and ROTC. And now, we are pushing them to finalize some of the wedding plans cause it's 5 months away!!! We need them to get registered. I am planning a bridal shower in July. I have to get busy! But I feel like I have all the time in the world. NOT!

We will be going to Rochester to the Military Ball in a few weeks. It will be a lovely time! I enjoy this dinner so much. And then there are rounds of graduations, showers, birthdays and weddings! WOW!

On the stitching front, this week I am focused on This Is The Day. Michelle and I are working one week out of the month on it. I love the colors but I am not loving the stitching behind the alphabets or numbers. It's mindless stitching. Which is good when you are listening to the TV. I've been blog hopping and I've noticed many stitchers have worked and finished this little sampler. I like the alternate colorway too that some of you've used to stitch your sampler.

And on Bea, I am down to 4 motifs. I will be frogging out one of them though cause I misplaced it. But fortunately, not much is stitched, only the outline.

And! We have 20 talented stitchers signed up for Round 1 of the Blackbird Designs Exchange Blog. The response was greater than my wildest dreams! Thank you to all the talented stitchers that signed up for it! I know we will have a lot of fun and I can't wait to see what everyone creates!

Well, that's it for my corner of the world. Hope you are well and thanks for stopping by my little corner of creation!

Happy stitching and have a wonderful day tomorrow!

Goodness, time flies

It's been a week or so since I posted. I hoped to be better about keeping you up to date on the minutiae of my life but well, life got in the way!

We've been busy. The Cadet had an other accident, this time with the DH's truck. So, two accidents in a month. We will be in insurance hell for quite awhile. Now we are dealing with repair shops, insurance adjustors, claims, the Cadet and the FILs. Fortunately, no one was injured (except for a certain Cadet's wounded pride). Unfortunately, the truck suffered a possible fatality. We are waiting to hear the fate of the dear vehicle. Will it go to the truck hospital for major reconstructive surgery or will we bid it a fond farewell as we send it to the junkyard? A few days will tell. The repair shop is evaluating the truck's injuries as we speak.
We've been truck shopping and if the truck is truly beyond repair then we've narrowed it down to a couple of vehicles.

I did breath a sigh of relief though, Jenna's parents were wonderful through this ordeal. The Cadet stayed with them for a week and they graciously offered advice and a kick in the pants when he needed it. Also, they fed, watered and sheltered him. I am grateful and very blessed by such caring folks. It had to be an inconvenience to them to have an extra someone living with them. If this is any indication of how they will treat him after he is married, the boy is all set!

On the stitching front, I've worked a little on Bea (I am getting a bit tired of her right now). I only have 7 motifs to finish. But they are big motifs. All along the bottom row and the rose one. I've been thinking about how I am going to frame her. I have to say though, the DH doesn't like her color. He isn't fond of burnt orange and he's wondering where I will hang her. He really doesn't think she fits in any of the rooms we currently spend most of our time in because of her color and I have to agree. So, I think Bea's going to live in the hallway to the bedrooms. There is a wall between the main bathroom and the doorway to our bedroom which is the perfect size for Bea. I threatened to hang her in his soon-to-be new office but I got that hairy eyeball. He said that Bea reminded him of a map of the world. I didn't even want to ask him where he came up with THAT analogy so I bit my tongue.

I also worked a little on some things that "Shall Not Be Shown". And I am planning The Wedding Sampler. I haven't actually worked myself up to starting the WS, mainly because it will be a BIG sampler and I am getting tired of big projects which require a ton of time.

Oh! We've got 13 stitchers signed up for the Blackbird Designs Exchange! Please, if you are interested in Round One, hurry and sign up! Round One signups close April 1st!

So that's about it from the corner of my world. Thanks for stopping by. I'll have some photos posted tomorrow, promise.

How's life in your space?

Love, love, love this!!!

I was out blog reading and I came across this post featuring this new design from Little House Needleworks:

I just love this piece! I am a sucker for house designs and I LOVE sunflowers! I can see this stitched over one, can't you?

This is going on my wish list definitely!

I've worked on Feed the Birds. The lady and the 2 birds perching in her hands are complete. It's moving along quite nicely and I am glad for a break from Bea and the hordes of Wips.

We have signs of Spring in upstate NY. Crocuses are popping up and the daffodils are finally shooting up in my flower beds. I am so looking forward to COLOR!

So that's all from here...hope you are having a lovely evening! Thanks for stopping by!

Hey! I'm here!

I am sorry that I haven't been a good blogger recently. For awhile, I was posting fairly regularly and then I had my mini-meltdown and went and had a small pity party.

Life is sure interesting in Chez 90%. Huh, you say? Well, there's a story about the 90%. On Thursday, my company cut all salaried employees pay by 10% for this quarter and possibly next quarter too. Manufacturing employees didn't take a pay cut, they are working a 4 day week. The company took away their match on my 401k that went to a 101k after the recession hit and now, it's just a k. No raises either. I am glad though, it could be worse. I could have a 100% pay cut. I AM Blessed and I am thankful!

But hey! Let's talk stitching now!

Disclamer: Sorry about the crappy photos. I didn't drag out the iron. Please disregard the wrinkles and the hoop marks.

Earlier this week I worked on Bea.

Only 7.5 large motifs to stitch and 2 very small ones to go till I get to dance. Can you hear the bagpipes tuning up? And the tubas and bassoons? They're getting ready! I think I may have a happy dance by the end of May at this rate. Stay tuned. My band is!

Remember when I said I was stitching a pillow for Valentines Day? This is as far as I've stitched:

It should look like this sometime in this decade:

But I took some liberty with my version because the DH has been stitched in my heart for about 34 years now. This year we celebrate our 30th anniversary.
I have to say that the border on this little pillow gave me fits. And I'll have to do some re-arranging to get all the motifs in. So, I guess you could say that I used Beth's pattern as a springboard for something totally unique to me.

Lastly, I caved and started a new piece (rolling my eyes). I was going through my stash to decide what I want to sell and give away cause my tastes have changed and there are things that I know someone would love. I came across a bunch of Merrily Beam charts from the 90's. I love them! They remind me of Prairie Schooler and Mary Garry.

So, since we love to feed the birds and that special species of bird, I decided to start Feed The Birds:

It's a fairly fast stitch in DMC. I am stitching it on my 2nd favorite linen, Flax. This is 36 count.

So, that's all from Chez 90%. I hope you get a Stitchy Sunday. Today it's very sunny and it's supposed to be in the 50's so I may go out and clean out the flower beds. Yesterday, the DH and I steam cleaned the living room and bedroom carpets. Out with Winter! In with Spring!

Oh and one more thing!!! Please sign up for the Blackbird Exchange! We have 8 talented stitchers so far and it's going to be very fun! You do not have to commit for the entire year, just the exchanges you want to play. I am working out a couple of cool ideas for my piece.

So come on! JOIN THE FUN!!!

Once again, thank you all for following my blog and visiting. I am very blessed by my cyber friends! Have a wonderful week. I am going to count my blessings and my stitches. How about you?

Blackbird Designs Exchange Blog!

HI Everyone!

I've set out on a new adventure...Hosting an exchange blog. HOW EXCITING!!

Pop over to the Blackbird Designs Exchange Blog for all the details!

Sign ups are being taken now through April 1st. The exchange begins in May.

I hope you'll join us throughout the rest of the year. It's going to be fun!

It's a better day

Thank you all, sweet friends for your comments on my um-mm-mm, Mini-meltdown. I appreciate and love each of you for your kind words of encouragement when I was a tad overwhelmed. I told the DH that I would not watch 3 hours of CNN a night anymore. I like Wolf Blitzer but after that, the TV gets turned to another station or off. It's just too much for me to handle right now. TOO MUCH GLOOM AND DOOM.

I should tell you all, we've faced hard economic times before. The DH lost his job at IBM 3 times in the last 10 years. We survived. Plans got put on hold, we tightened our belts and rode it out. We will do the same again. And yes, we will survive. We always manage. And we've come out stronger.

But thank you, thank you for your friendship and sweetness. I can't tell you how much those comments meant to me.

OK, on to stitchy news.

If you go to Words and Blooms you will see what a sweet exchange I received from Melissa. She had my name in the Prairie Schooler exchange. She stitched me the sweetest pinkeep that took the scenic route to get here. It was worth the wait. Tea for 2! In my email to Melissa to thank her for such a precious gift, I said that I love tea and I've spent many happy hours sharing a cup with good friends. When I see this little lovely, it will remind me of her.

Melissa and I were quite surprised to read each other's blogs. We have very similar tastes and we sound a lot alike. Kindred spirits, perhaps? Anyway, we said we'd keep in touch and maybe even SAL together. How cool is that?! This is what I love about blogging. I've "met" so many great stitchers, quilters, and crafters in blog-ville. What a community! I am blessed to be a part of it.

Last night, I worked or I should say, frogged on Bea. I wanted to finish the little swan motif but this motif is really given me a run for my money. I have stitched the outside border at least 3 times and somewhere, I've counted wrong. It's frustrating! So I put it away and told myself another time. Today, I've started a little spring cleaning. It makes me happy to sweep away Winter. After I cleaned all morning (the house smells great) I stitched a grand total of 15 minutes because Olivia seemed to want to occupy me and she made it quite difficult to stitch. So we took a nap together. Tonight, the DH and I are going to my partner from work's open house so I don't know if I will pick up a needle. That's ok, it will be a stitchy Sunday!

So no pics because we have NO sun. The lights have been on in the house all day. And my little camera will not even let me take a picture even if I try near the window. Stupid thing.

Oh, and I got an request from Craft-I-Leigh who asked "What type of fabric or fabrics do you prefer and why? Brands and counts?" Ok, here goes. I stitched on Aida when I first started to stitch but not for long. I graduated to evenweave and then to linen because I wanted to stitch samplers. I got a good book (I think it was a Ginny Thompson book on stitching on linen) to learn how to stitch on linen. Now, I only stitch on linen and if I am stitching "over one" then I will stitch on evenweave (28 count). I prefer a Zwiegart linen, I like tight weave and I like the fabric to feel substantial in my hand. I usually stitch on 32 count Belfast and railroad my stitches but recently I'm stitching on 36 count Edinburgh cause I want to stitch with one thread in my needle to avoid railroading. I am finding it hard to concentrate and I have OCD about how my stitches lay so right now it's 36 count for me. I like Lakeside linen in their neutral colors for samplers. I run hot and cold over vintage (over-dyed) linen. Right now, I am cold with it.

My advice to you is start with evenweave just to get a feel for counting. Remember to bring your needle up to the left of a vertical thread that lays on top of a horizontal thread. Once you find a rhythm you will not have a problem finding the next hole. I know if I've screwed up if my needle comes up next to a vertical thread with the horizontal thread on top.

Craft-I-Leigh, TAKE THE PLUNGE!!! Learn new techniques and use new fibers and fabric. You'll find your favorites really fast. That's what makes stitching so much fun! And isn't that what this passion is all about? FUN!

Ok, enough, I've got to run. Thanks for stopping by!

AND ONE MORE THING! Tomorrow, I am going to send out invitations for the Blackbird Designs exchange so please post on the post titled A Question For You if you are interested in joining. Come on! It will be fun! I promise!

Wigged Out

I am sorry to say that I am really wigged out. You see we are big news watchers. I think we watch 3 hours of CNN a night and I've got to tell you, I am to the point where I do not want to watch or read any more news. I know that it sounds like I want to bury my head in the sand or go to bed with the covers over my head. That's not true. I just think I am overloaded by bad news.

The worsing job situation is going to visit my house soon. The DH came home today and told me that he will in all probability lose his job by May. Retirement will be 3 months earlier than we planned. He is hoping they will give a severence package but he's not holding his breath. My company has circled the wagons and there is no money for extras. This quarter will be soft. I am hoping the execs are right and we rebound in the 3rd quarter. But you never know what will come. We are better off than many companies right now but who knows how long that will last?

We've also are pinching pennies. I've been very careful with our money (except for that retail therapy lapse a few weeks ago) and I am planning our meals, eating leftovers and trying everything to save, save, save. There is no room for frills, vacations, movies. I know that we are like many others, we live paycheck to paycheck. Our 401Ks are now 101Ks and I am working hard to get out of debt.

I just wish I didn't feel so out of control. We've played by the rules all our lives and yes, we've made financial mistakes. I can live with that fact. I just feel like we are at the mercy of some boogie man who I can't see, name or run from.

Damn economy.

A Question for You!

Hi all,

First of all, thanks so much for visiting me at Joanie's World. I really appreciate all your comments and I love looking at the Feedit thingie, just to see where you are are located. Thanks for all the nice comments on Bea too. Tonight, she got a rest cause I picked up This is the Day. I am working on the alphabet on the top of the sampler. It's taking forever. I stitch a few letters and then do the backround stitching. Tedious, but good stitching when one eye is on the TV.

Anyway...
I love BBD and I seem to be stitching more and more of their designs so I was thinking...

I am thinking of starting a Blackbird Designs exchange group similiar to what BeckySC does for the Prairie Schooler exchange. I'd run the exchange very similarly to the Prairie Schooler exchange, you would stitch a BBD or a portion of one of their patterns, your choice of pattern and finishing. The stitching time would be an 8 week cycle through the year or even quarterly. You wouldn't be obligated to stitch the whole year, just during the cycle that you want. And maybe for the last exchange of the year we could stitch something holiday...I don't know, the ideas are churning and bubbling in the old cranium. The piece would have to be finished before sending and you would be responsible to replace it if it doesn't reach it's owner. I'd set up a special blog and it would be by invitation only.

So what do you think? Would you be interested in joining?

If you think you would be interested, please post to this entry. I'll check back on Sunday and if there's sufficient interest then it will be a go!

Thanks gang!

Bea & Stash Haul!!!

Before we get to my Stash Attack, I wanted to share my latest Bea picture.

Tonight,I finished the 3rd motif on the right side and stitched the tree in the swan motif that's underneath and to the right of the Token of Love motive. I love how this is coming out and I hope that I'll have a finish in the next couple of months.

Now,for my Stash Haul! My Stash Haul came yesterday from Stitches N Things. I really went overboard buying (it was retail therapy at it's finest) and I love, love, love all my purchases!

First of all, for many, many moons, I've lusted over Abigail Colby's Work Basket.
This is A Cheerful Mind:

The sampler goes underneath the basket lid.

And these are the smalls that go into the basket: And lastly, this is the Workbasket: I have a Nantucket Basket that I bought for a song at the Christmas Tree Shoppe. The only problem is it's a 9" diameter basket, not the 8" one called for in the pattern. It's ok, the pattern calls for 40 count fabric and I don't think I'll be stitching on such a small count. I am thinking 36 count. I hope it won't be too big to fit on the lid... Assembling this piece will be a challenge.

I broke down and bought most of the Blackbird Design pieces too. I didn't buy the stockings but I may break down to get them too. Next pay.

Wild Rose Journal Cover: Small Token:

My Heart is True:

Bluebird Thread Keep:

And I did refrain from buying Carriagehouse Samplings, Spot the Horse, and Salina Schultz.

One other thing before I go...I will have pics soon a pincushion that I made for the Prairie Schooler Exchange. Just waiting for my partner to receive it.

And one other thing, do you dream of having *collections* of stitched pieces? I'd love to have a sampler wall of Alphabets, School Girl Samplers and Quakers. And I'd like a wall of samplers that feature houses. And a Noah's Ark wall, a redwork wall and a featured designer wall like the Drawn Thread or Goode Huswife.

So what about you? Do you dream of walls featuring your *collections*? Do you have one now that you could share?

We saw the Cadet and the Lovely Jenna this weekend too. I didn't broach the Sampler Question yet. I am chicken. I am afraid if the idea gets a cool reception, I'll be heartbroken.

We went to lunch at Carraba's Italian Grille, so yummy! It was a very fast visit, the DH and I wanted to trade trucks with the Cadet so we could get his repaired here because he wouldn't have any transportation unless we left him our truck to get to school and to work. I think we spent 3 hours with him and 6 in the truck going up and back. At least there was no snow to deal with.

Anyway, thanks for hanging in here with me and my stash haul pics. I hope you have a great week and had a wonderful, productive stitching weekend. I did, I have Numb A$$ to prove it!

Back Among the Living - Almost

HI! I am sorta back with you! After a weekend where I spent most of it on the sofa attached to a box of Kleenex, I seem to be on the mend. Not 100% but maybe 80%. This thing that I had/have is truly yucky. It's the worst cold/viral thing that I've had in a long time. I took my last sick day today so unless I want to go to the doctor, pay for the visit, and lose a days' pay, I'll be back to work tomorrow. At least I won't be sneezing and blowing my nose a gazillion times a minute. And maybe my co-workers would like that a lot. If I had my druthers, I would stay home another day, just so my fellow workers wouldn't grumble about the "Walking Sick" as we like to call those who come into work ill, spreading cheer and germs to anyone within a cubicle range. But I'll be at work tomorrow. Somewhat bright and somewhat early.

BUT my dear friends, ALL was not lost while I was snuffling and wheezing about the last few days. I stitched when I felt like I could. I even have pictures to prove it! See?

This is my progress on True Virtues. It's a slow stitch for me. I don't know why. But I am plugging a long Connie!


This is Bea on January 30th.

And this is MORE of Bea as of yesterday!

Only 11 more motifs to stitch! But, there is a snag. I am running out of AVAS 4216. There is just enough silk to stitch the sampler without a lot of waste . And I am very wasteful when it comes to thread. I use long leads when I start to stitch and end with long tails so that I can weave them back into the stitches. So now I am short. I purchased some thread today along with a ton of other things, gosh I was very bad and I am blaming my badness on this cold thingie, so I'll be back in business soon. I have enough thread to stitch a few more motifs so I won't have to completely put Bea away. I bought new Blackbird Designs and Plum Street Samplers, Love Notes, and all the patterns from Primitive Traditions to stitch Ann Colby's, Quaker Nantucket Basket. I shouldn't have but I am telling myself that my brain was foggy because my head was filled to the brim with snot.

I know that you are wondering why I am stitching Bea like the house is on fire. Well, I have this quirk. When a project gets about 3/4 of the way finished I really get motivated to finish it off. I get obsessed to get'r done. At the expense of all other stitching. And another reason to finish off Bea is that come March, all the WIPs are going into hiding, as well as, all the patterns that I want to start. The Wedding Sampler will take all of my attention if I want to finish it before July in time for the Bridal Shower. If Bea is around then I will be tempted to stitch on her and not on the Wedding sampler.

And now that I've brought up the Wedding sampler, I have mixed feelings about stitching it. I really want to stitch something spectacular for the Cadet and the lovely Jenna but I am not sure that it will be appreciated. I know that the Cadet will like it and he'll know that I put a lot of effort into it because he knows that needlework is my absolute passion but will Jenna feel the same way? Should I care? It will break my heart if they shove it into a closet to hang *someday*. What if she doesn't *get* it and sorta passes it off with a nod to "that's nice"? Part of me wants to stitch it for me to hang next to my wedding sampler. But part of me wants them to have something that I made specifically for them and because I want to commemorate their special day. I think that I feel this way because she is so very shy around me and I have a hard time reading her reactions. She never tells me if she likes or dislikes anything so I am left guessing.

So, what do you all think?

Well, other than Bea (which is about 3 weeks of work) and TV which is a Sunday's worth of work, I've also stitched my piece for the Prairie Schooler Exchange. Can't show you yet but it's really cute!

And there you have it! I want to thank all of you who left me comments wishing me to get better. I really appreciated them cause it made me feel loved. THANKS!

And to all who drop by, thanks to you too! I am glad that you care enough to read my thoughts. I wish all of you a wonderful evening filled with stitching!

I Am a Walking Incubus of Disease

This week at Chez Snot, I have a terrible head cold:

I feel like this:

Terrible

And all I've done is this:

Lie Around and Whine

Not a lot of stitching going on here, folks.

I'll be back when I feel human again.

Thanks for stopping by. Don't forget to wash your hands when you leave.