And Sew It Goes...

Update

2011-10-07T18:09:00.000-04:00

Hey to all. I have updated my other blog - you can find a picture of my latest finish here. I have almost completed the transition to the new blog. I hope you visit me from time to time at my new home. Thanks for dropping by. Take care.

New Digs

2011-09-06T08:59:00.000-04:00

Hello to all. It has been a long time since I last posted to this blog. I spent the summer spending time with my son and trying to work through a few things that needed attention. While doing all that, I decided that it was time to close down this blog and start fresh somewhere new. I created this blog years ago as an outlet for my love of cross stitch, but in the past couple of months I have not stitched much. I have become more interested in mixed-media and have decided to devote some of my time to that. I have not forsaken my stitching or quilting, but it is time for a change of sorts. My new blog, Barely Squeaking By, is going to be a place for me to post about my crafts and my life in general. I hope you can come by for a visit from time to time.

To my followers, thank you so much for your support. Without you I would not have kept this blog going as long as I have. With that said, I take leave and move forward to whatever lay ahead. Take care.

Lizzie Kate Exchange Received

2011-05-01T07:28:00.000-04:00

This has been a long two weeks for me due to my son's school schedule - or lack there of. We are finishing up the second four day weekend in a row and I feel like I have been beat. Keeping up with a six year old is not an easy task, especially when it is a boy. He is like a bouncing ball - going from one thing to another - leaving a trail of destruction in his path. That on top of getting me up at all hours of the night when he can't sleep and I am just toast before I roll out of bed in the morning. Guess this is just a preview of things to come. I have not idea how I will keep him occupied for the two months of summer vacation. It will definitely be interesting.

I received the best surprise in the mail yesterday - my first exchange for The Lizzie Kate Exchange Blog. My secret exchange partner was Lisa and she sent me this precious little pillow. She stitched it on 28 count linen using the Lizzie Kate Spring Basket pattern. I just love, love, love it. I have a basket set aside to use in my bedroom once we get it repainted and this little gem is going to be the first addition. There is no better way to start the day than to get something so wonderful in the mail. THANK YOU LISA!

Everyone enjoy what is left of the weekend!

Monster Tooth Pillow

2011-04-20T20:04:00.000-04:00

I have no idea where this week went. I feel like I have accomplished next to nothing. That seems to be the norm these days. Yesterday my husband and I worked in the yard mowing, cleaning out the flower beds, and getting our garden ready for planting next week. I felt pretty good most of the day until right around eight o'clock. That was when my head closed up and I was out for the count. I never had these problems when I was younger.

A week or so ago I did manage to finish this small sewing project for my son - the Monster Tooth Pillow. I found the pattern at the long thread site and it was super easy to make. My son loves it and even sleeps with it at night. We were able to put it to use for the first time at the end of last week when my son lost his third tooth. The tooth fairy just loved the fact that she didn't have to go searching around in my son's bed for his tooth since it was safely tucked away in the monster's mouth. Amazing how wonderful the small things in life can be.

I am working on a few more projects right now and should have pictures to post later on in the week. I was tickled to see that I have a new follower. I want to thank my followers every one for being so kind to me. I appreciate you all!

Bunnies on Parade

2011-04-15T23:30:00.001-04:00

I survived the second round of mammograms - barely. I have discovered that I don't handle situations like this well. I did learn a lot from this though - about why I was called back and what to do differently next time. I think the hardest thing for me to work on over this next year will be reducing the amount of caffeine I drink every day. Granted, compared to some I don't drink a whole lot (one to three cups of coffee a day). But from talking to the technician today, even a little can make a big difference. So coffee is going to end up going by the wayside eventually. Oh, it is going to be rough I can tell you.

I finally found a cross stitch magazine that I like - Cross-Stitch & Needlework. I got the May 2011 issue and just fell in love with a bunch of the projects. I just finished stitching Easter Bunny Parade and although there was a ton of stitch work, it was worth it in the end. Tomorrow I plan on taking it to Hobby Lobby to see if I can find a frame that will work with it.

I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend. Bye for now.

Such a Long Time

2011-04-14T19:13:00.000-04:00

It has been a long time since I have posted to this blog. Lots of stuff going on and none of it any good. Since the first of the year I have had some minor health issues that were somewhat annoying. I tolerated the changes and decided to wait until after spring break to address the issues. I found a new doctor and started the rounds for my annual checkups. Let me tell you, it has been no fun. I don't like getting older, and being a woman is not particularly fun right now either. Tomorrow is round two of my mammogram and hopefully it will not be a bad thing. I wish I had my husband's faith, but it has been a long year so far and right now all I feel is worn out and defective. I think Cher said it best during in interview on the Oprah show back in 2008. When Oprah asked her about getting older she said "I think it sucks!" At this moment in time, I am inclined to agree.

I was blessed to be accepted into the Lizzie Kate Exchange as a member and recently signed up for my first exchange. Of course I stressed about what to stitch for days - about drove my husband insane before I finally settled on a project. I chose to stitch Lizzie Kate's Spring Alphabet and it was a lot of fun to come up with something new to try. We all know how good I am stuffing and finishing (not!), but I decided that I was not going to get any better unless I kept on trying. Lisa was my private exchange partner, so I designed this with the butterfly since it is something that she loves. I was tickled to find out that she liked it and that my first exchange went well. My picture is not the greatest, but you can see a better picture posted on Lisa's blog here.

Tomorrow sometime I will post a picture of my latest finish. Hopefully all will go well and this weekend will be one filled with fun and laughter. Thanks for dropping by.

Blue Birdie

2011-02-26T15:35:00.002-05:00

This is the third time I have started this post. My thoughts are scattered to the wind today and I can't seem to latch on to something interesting to write about. I do know that I am starting to look forward to the fact that spring break is around the corner and for one week I will not have to deal with anything remotely resembling Kindergarten. Yea!

I finally washed and pressed this little lovely and it is ready for the finishing touches. This sweet birdie freebie can be found over at Manka blogja - it is the blue birdie and can be found here. I really enjoyed stitching this one because it is just so darn cute and I love the thread choices that I made. Must be something wrong with me because that never happens. I actually know how I am going to finish this one, but need to invest in some fabric first.

Stitched on 32 count white linen

DMC threads used: 310, 502, 815, 841, and 3810

I still have one more completed project to post about, but I need to get a decent picture first. I hope everyone has a great weekend. Thanks for dropping by.

Still Thinking

2011-02-24T17:13:00.004-05:00

I need some help. I want to break out and experiment some. I don't know if you have noticed a common theme with my stitching, but I only seem to stitch on white 32 count linen these days. I think that is because it is the only thing I can find readily available within an hour of where I live. I am totally blown away by all the pretty fabrics that are being used on other blogs and would like to do the same. So I was wondering if anyone could tell me what kind of fabric they use and where they order it from. I would really appreciate the help.

This was a freebie offered by Jennifer at Feathers in the Nest and I think this one will be a pillow of some sort. I tend to frame everything, but feel the need to do something different this time. I guess this will give me a good excuse to go shopping for a basket of some sort to put it in.

Stitched on 32 count white linen

DMC thread used : 221, 3722

Tomorrow I should have another picture to post. I have two completed projects to wash and press before taking the final pictures, and with any luck I will get that done first thing in the morning. Thank you for dropping by. It means the world to me.

My Little Casanova

2011-02-19T05:31:00.002-05:00

Thursday was the day - the day my son and I went back to the eye doctor for some resolution. A few weeks ago my son had his annual eye exam and would not let them dilate his eyes. So we were charged with the task of doing that at home over a three night period. I can honestly say that was no fun. Apparently he does not care who you are - no drops will make it into his eyes if he can help it. We managed to get enough of the drops into his eyes to past muster and ended up with the same prescription as last time. The best part of the day was when my son walked over to the assistant after she had walked into the room and said to her "I just wanted to tell you that you are so beautiful". It was just one of those sweet, innocent moments in life that touches your heart and I was so proud of my little man. I hope that he stays like that forever.

I have had this stitching completed for about a week, but have not been able to get an acceptable picture until now. This is Me and Thee by Jennifer over at Feathers in the Nest. I love the colors that I chose and now comes the part where I have to decide how to finish this for display. I have a pretty little black frame that this would look great in, but it would also look cute as a pillow. Decisions, decisions.

Stitched on 32 count white linen

DMC 221 and 3781

I have two more completed projects to show you, so I plan on spending today wrestling with my camera to get a few acceptable pictures to post. I also plan on catching up on my google reader if possible. Thanks for dropping by. Have a great day!

What Day is This?

2011-02-15T16:20:00.002-05:00

I am losing track of time again. It seems to happen more and more these days. Guess it comes with being a stay-at-home mother. I still have not adjusted to the fact that I am not working anymore. I miss it a lot, especially the busy work and interaction with other people on a daily basis. Right now I only have myself to keep me company throughout the day, and that is just not a good thing at times.

Anyway, I have been stitching and piddling around some. The first picture I am posting is of my new key fob. My son was watching the new Power Ranger Samurai show on Saturday and I threw this together to kill some time. It is not perfect by any means, but it was meant to be that way. Everything was cut by hand with no measuring, so I was quite surprised that it turned out as well as it did. Amazingly it is still holding together after four days of use. Can't beat that with a stick.

I also managed to finish stitching the last design in the Doodle Stitch Along (motif # 4 - toadstool house) and I think it turned out to be pretty cute. Didn't take long to stitch up, that is for sure. Now I have to put the finishing touches on all of the other motifs and take the final group picture. I am hoping to have that done by the end of the weekend.

I hope everyone is doing well wherever you may be. Thank you for dropping by and visiting my blog today. I am hoping to post a few more finishes later on this week. My schedule is packed full, but with some luck my problems with my glasses might be resolved soon. I can dream. Take care. Until next time.....

Almost Made It

2011-02-10T22:23:00.002-05:00

Oh, I am dragging bootie this week. Maybe the cold weather and snow are finally getting to me. Who knows. I did manage to finish everything from last week's post and am pleased with it, although one of the projects was not what I had envisioned. The first picture is Bee Mine by Lizzie Kate. I had originally planned on putting pink hearts in each corner of the pillow, but then opted for these buttons instead. I found them in a jar of buttons handed down to me that use to belong to my grandmother. I still need some work on stuffing pillows because they never seem to look just right, but I am happy with the overall look of this pillow.

Below is my finish of I Fight Like a Girl by Sharon at It's Daffycat. I had originally planned on this being finished as a flat fold, but I had technical difficulties and ended up having to go this route with my finishing. I might end up restitching this one again at a later date and attempting the flat fold again - just depends.

Thankfully this week is about over with. I am not sure if next week will be much better, but I can always hope for the best. I want to thank everyone for the kind words about my last post. The comments are much appreciated. Thanks for dropping by. Until next time......

Finish One

2011-02-04T16:58:00.003-05:00

It is Friday - thank goodness. This has been a trying week and I am ready to take a break and start over fresh next week. I mentioned in a previous post that I have a new pair of glasses and they are causing me all sorts of grief. Stitching is becoming difficult and sometimes painful, and that is just not a good thing. Despite it all, I did manage to complete one of the three projects I posted about on Monday. This little pair are from Lynn's Happiness is Cross Stitching blog and they were lots of fun to make. This was the first time I had used the stem stitch or made spider web roses, but they were surprisingly easy.

I really enjoyed stitching these projects and appreciate Lynn sending the directions for the Little Hearts Pillow. Now if I can just get my other two projects completed by the end of the weekend. We shall see. Enjoy your weekend!

As Promised

2011-02-01T09:10:00.001-05:00

I meant to post this yesterday, but I fell asleep last night earlier than planned. I went through my unfinished projects and picked three hopefuls for this week.

Bee Mine by Lizzie Kate

I Fight Like a Girl by Sharon at It's Daffycat

Sorry about the pictures - I tried to get some good pictures but nothing came out just right. Don't know if the problem is with the camera or the person holding the camera, but I can venture a pretty good guess. With luck I should have all these completed by Sunday night before the next round on Monday. Hope all is well with you and yours. Until next time.....

Playing Catch-Up Again

2011-01-30T22:58:00.000-05:00

Seems to be the story of my life sometimes. I am just naturally slow when it comes to life in general. My husband would probably say that I am dissing myself, but the truth is the truth no matter how you look at it. Therefore I am just now posting pictures for weeks two and three of the Doodle Stitch Along being held over at Lark Crafts. Weeks two stitchery (the boy and girl) caused me grief of sorts. If something doesn't crank my tractor, I have difficulties completing the project. Week two was just that - forced. Don't know why, but it just ended up taking longer than it should have. I will have to say, as of today the tree trunk is my favorite. Tomorrow I start work on the last project in the series and will post a picture of the finished grouping at the end of the week.

Tomorrow I plan on posting pictures of WIP's that I hope to complete by week's end. Maybe if I start doing that every Monday my chances for completion will increase. We shall see. Thanks for dropping by for the latest and greatest. Until the next go around.....

Finally

2011-01-21T11:57:00.000-05:00

I know that I have said it before, but I will say it again - I am tired of snow and ice. I am ready for spring. This week has been a busy one, but I still feel like I have not gotten where I need to be. With any luck I will be content and back on track by the end of next week. I have spent some time this week trying to finish up a few lingering projects. Below is a picture of a pot I have had forever. It has been painted I don't know how many times and I have never been quite satisfied. So I gave it one more go. I took it from this ......

to this.....

The bow was made from a pattern at Ucreate and can be found here. It was easy to make, although it had to be hot glued in place because of the slant of the pot. The cross stitch is Signs of Winter by Bent Creek and still needs to be tweaked in the frame some, but I will get that done before storing it away for next year. Thanks for dropping by. Hope all is well where you are today. Until next time......

Today Is A Good Day

2011-01-18T10:23:00.000-05:00

Today my son is back in school - yea! In the past month he has attended class a total of three days due to snow and I am ready for things to get back to normal. I have big plans for the rest of the week - clean, clean, and then clean some more. Between tracking things into the house due to the snow and ice to the fact that we had a woodland creature decide to come for a visit over the weekend, my house is in dire need of some TLC. Of course, I plan on taking some mommy time each day if possible. That goes without saying.

I finally finished this project after starting it sometime last year. This is Deep as the Ocean from The Sampler Girl Companion Valentine Booklet. I just love the colors in this design and will probably make this one in to a pillow of some sort.

Here is hoping all is well in your world today. Thank you so much for dropping by my little place in this world. And a big THANK YOU to all of my followers. I am truly grateful that you take time to come back and see what I am doing. Take care. Until next time......

My ABC's

2011-01-15T15:40:00.006-05:00

I was visiting Cole's blog Something for Cole the other day and noticed where she posted an ABC listing. After seeing it on some other blogs, I decided to post my list of ABC's.

A - Age: 41
B - Bed size: Queen
C - Chore you hate: Cleaning the bathroom.
D - Dog's name: Don't have one
E - Essential start of the day item: Coffee and cross stitch
F - Favorite color: Torn between purple and blue
G - Gold or Silver: Platinum (or white gold)
H - Height: 5' 1"
I - Instruments you play: Never felt led to play anything - can't hold a tune in a bucket
J - Job: Stay-at-home mother until my son gets older
K - Kids: One - and he is a handful
L - Living arrangements: With my husband and son
M - Music you love: Don't like the radio, but I listen to Pink and Cher the most right now
N - Nicknames: Don't have one that I know of - refer to myself as Mrs. Know Nothing (need I say more)
O - Overnight stay at hospital: When I gave birth to my son.
P - Pet Peeve: When I talk to someone and they don't remember what I just said (selective listening)
Q - Quote from a movie: What the (bad word omitted) have you done lately? - final scene from the movie Wanted
R - Right handed or left: Right
S - Siblings: A sister
T - Time you wake up: 4 am (or later if I turn off the alarm in my sleep)
U - Underwear: Depends on what size I am at the time
V - Vegetable you dislike: Okra!
W - Workout Style: When I workout, it is never pretty and only lasts until something starts to hurt
X - X-rays you've had: Dental, facial, chest
Y - Yummy food you make: Lemon delight pound cake, banana pudding, or apple cobbler
Z - The best place to visit: Have no idea - don't really go anywhere. Would like to go to Savannah one day

Hopefully you didn't nod off while reading this. Thanks for dropping by. Until next time......

Happy New Year!

2011-01-04T12:52:00.004-05:00

Happy New Year everyone! Hard to believe it is 2011 already. This is the time of year for me to look back and take stock - what have I accomplished and what would I like to accomplish. I think last year was a turning point of sorts with lots of reflection and adjustment. Between becoming a stay-at-home mother and having my son start school, change has become the norm in my life it seems.

I have been debating what to focus my attention on this year - what I desire as far as my stitching goes. After much contemplation, I decided that my finishing skills desperately need to be improved. Could anyone recommend a good cross stitching exchange group that I might be able to join? I have checked out a few sites and they are either full up or want stitchers that are more advanced. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

I will post a picture of my latest finish later on this week, once I get one taken that is acceptable. I am the world's worst picture taker and find that I am struggling in this area as well. Until next time......

It Is Almost Christmas....

2010-12-13T10:39:00.000-05:00

I have been neglecting my blog, and for that I am sorry. This time of year always affects my mood in a negative way and this year has been no different. I do the same thing every year - plan on getting all of my projects out of the way by Thanksgiving so that I can have the month of December to enjoy with my family. This year was no different except that life got in the way and I have not been able to accomplish the majority of the things on my list. So now my goal is to work on projects through the next few weeks in preparation for next year. With any luck, I will make it all come to pass.

I thought I would show a few pictures of the ornaments I have made over the last seven years. Each one was made with love and a lot of mistakes were made along the way.

Martha Stewart Wreath Ornament

found here

Wool Felt Ornament

Salt Dough Ornament

recipe found here

Paper Doilie Angel

made from Angel found at flea market

My favorite to date is the doilie angel because it was the first one made for our tree and it was made with the help of my mother. Amazing that every single one has held up this long considering the only thing holding them together is hot glue. The button wreaths tried my patience - the wool felt ornaments drew a lot of blood - and the stars (which are this years addition) were quick and easy. I have one more to make and I will show pictures of the completed tree once they are done. Thanks for dropping by. It is greatly appreciated!

A Little Bit Late

2010-11-06T17:19:00.000-04:00

Can you believe it is November already? Christmas will be here before you know it. I have been so busy taking care of a son with a ruptured eardrum and volunteering in his Kindergarten class that the last two weeks just slipped away from me. From looking at the calendar, the next few weeks will be no different.

I know that Halloween is over with, but I am not one that is known for being on time for much of anything. I finished this project a few weeks ago and thought I had better post a picture of it before storing it away for next year. This is the Fall freebie from Homespun Elegance that I have had for a while - if interested you can find the chart here. I stained white linen with coffee before stitching this project and then framed it in another frame from the Walmart craft department. Originally the frame was suppose to have a crackle finish, but my first attempt did not go well and this is the result after a bit of sanding. I can't complain because I think it works well. It was definitely a good learning experience.

I want to thank everyone for the lovely comments to my recent posts. They have been so sweet and supportive and it tickles me to no end. I appreciate each and every one of you. Have a wonderful weekend!

I Am Plugging Along....

2010-11-01T20:04:00.002-04:00

I hope everyone had a wonderfully fun Halloween. Saturday was our trick or treat day here. We didn't make the rounds here but drove to Grandma and Grandpa's house to take in the festivities. We had a good time, but there were definitely not as many participants as last year. It did not seem to bother my son, who thought every piece of candy thrown in his bucket was just the coolest thing ever. I have grown to love times like these because eventually, like everything else in life, they will start to fade away or become tarnished with age. Too bad we can't spend our lives living like our children - the world would be a much better place, that is for sure.

I have actually been spending some time trying to finish a few projects and this is the first one. This is a freebie for a Harvest Pumpkins floss tag designed by Sharon over at It's Daffycat. Since I have no luck making floss tags (can't get the grommets to work right), I decided to stitch it for display purposes instead. Even though my picture is not the greatest, I coffee dyed some linen and stitched the design over it. Then I bought a cheap wooden frame from the Walmart craft section and crackle finished it. I am quite pleased with how it turned out.

Thanks for dropping by for a visit. I should have more to show you later on in the week, providing everything goes as planned. Take care.

I Need Help....

2010-10-25T15:48:00.001-04:00

Do you ever get that feeling like nothing in life is meant to go your way? I do - all the time. It is never anything major - just a lot of little things that seem to pick at me and wear me out. Today it is the coffee maker. I woke up Saturday morning, flipped the switch on our coffee machine and nothing happened. Not the best way to start the weekend. I went to the store and got a new one. No biggie - wasn't the first time and won't be the last. My husband has used it from the get-go and loves it. I made my first pot of coffee today and it did not cooperate. I even read the directions. Go figure. So now I will require a tutorial from my DH before I can use it again. Guess I should have stuck to the plain Jane models instead of buying one with a few bells and whistles.

Here is my latest finish of sorts. This is Who Goes There by Jolene over at Dip Diddly Designs - if interested the design can be found here. I stitched it last year on off-white fabric and thought it looked great until I found the fabric I wanted to use for finishing. When I put the two together they just did not work well together, so I restitched the design on white fabric and think it will work better. There is still a spiderweb to stitch and a spider charm to attach, but I will do that once I get the fabric attached and pressed. Maybe I will get to hang it on the wall before the end of Halloween this year.

Thanks for dropping by. Hopefully I will have a few actual finishes ready for you next time. Until next time....

Lesson Eight

2010-10-22T11:51:00.001-04:00

I finished this block a while ago and just have not gotten around to posting the picture until now. This is the Card Trick block - block number eight of the Leisure Arts Learning to Quilt sampler. I just love this block and was pleased with how it turned out. I have not worked on this project for a while and need to get back to it. Of course, I say that of all the projects I work on. Hopefully once the holidays have come and gone I will be able to get into a good routine and finally be able to finish some of my WIP's. I can dream, can't I?

Until my next drive-by - take care and love the ones your with. Time is too short to do anything else......

Back to My Stitching

2010-10-18T16:51:00.001-04:00

Believe it or not, I do not stitch for the holidays. Don't know why - I have never felt compelled to do so. But this year I got the itch and pulled out some designs that I have collected over the years and stitched a few up. It was loads of fun and I can't wait to see what they will look like once I put the finishing touches on them. Here is the first one I completed about a week ago - "Wicked" by primitivebettys. I have not decided yet whether I am going to leave it as-is or stain it with coffee. Decisions, decisions.

It is getting closer to Halloween and I will be making a costume for my son shortly. He wants to be a bat this year. Don't know where that came from, but it could have been a lot worse. Hopefully I will be able to sew something together that he can deal with and will be acceptable. I will post stitching and quilting updates as I can. Thanks for dropping by......

Surviving Kindergarten

2010-10-16T22:40:00.000-04:00

It has been longer than I had intended - my original plan was to take a few weeks to get my son settled into Kindergarten, slowly get into a routine and then start posting again. Unfortunately the adjustment has been a tad difficult (more so for me than my son) and I have not felt like posting until now. I wish that I could say that I am feeling better about the whole Kindergarten experience, but after this past week I am far from that. Maybe with some more time I will feel differently - only time will tell.

For the longest time I have been fascinated with hexies and have wanted to give them a try. I finally worked up enough nerve and below is a picture of my first attempt. At this moment I only have two and a half rows pieced together due to the fact that it is so time consuming, but I am pleased with my effort overall.

Next post I should have some cross stitch pictures to post. I completed three Halloween designs last week and just need to complete the finishing process. I am just dragging bootie like I always do. Thanks for dropping by. Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

Block Four of Quilt Along

2010-07-22T10:29:00.001-04:00

I am still playing catch-up with a few of my quilting projects and here is the latest attempt to put a dent in things. This is the fourth block in the Jelly Roll Sampler quilt along at Moose on the Porch Quilts. I attempted to make mine somewhat scrappy, but ended up with a block that looks like a rainbow instead. I am realizing from this project that I still need to work on my fabric choices - that I need to incorporate different patterns and textures when making a block - and I need to work on being more fluid and not so rigid. I normally have my realizations after the fact, but hopefully in time my blocks will become more balanced.

Just so everyone knows - I do still cross stitch from time to time. I will have pictures to post of one more finish and one of a recently started Sampler Girl project. I just have to get pictures taken that are good enough to post. Thanks to everyone who stopped by. Take care.

2010-07-17T12:21:00.000-04:00

It is Saturday - gray and windy in eastern Tennessee. I don't mind though. We actually got some rain yesterday and with any luck we will get more today. I have been meaning to post this week because I have a lot of smaller projects coming to an end, but instead I have spent the week moping around lamenting the fact that my son will be starting school in another week. I know that it will be OK and it is just a part of life, but for some reason it distresses me just a tiny bit.

I have been working on a simple quilt for my son to throw around the house, but I am undecided as to what color fabric to use for the outer border. My husband say probably a medium blue fabric - I for some reason want to use black. I guess I will have to see what is available when I go in search of.

I am also having some difficulty trying to figure out what color thread to do the final quilting with. Are there rules about this sort of thing? Guess some research will need to be done.

Hopefully next time I will have some pictures to post of the wash clothes I am crocheting for charity and a few other things. Until then ........

Lesson Seven

2010-07-11T06:23:00.000-04:00

I am so thankful this week is over with. It has been hotter than blue blazes and my sinuses are just a mess. My son and I survived two weeks of beginning swim lessons - just barely. It was a lot of fun but a bit trying being on the road every day. I have worked some more on my first sampler quilt. Lesson Seven is the Ohio Star block, which was pretty easy to piece together. I still have a few more blocks to go and some of them are real doozies. Hopefully they all will look decent enough to sew together in the end.

That is it for this post. Next post I should have some pictures of some items I have been working on for Newborns in Need. I joined them this week and am looking forward to being able to contribute in some way. Enjoy what is left of the weekend. Take care.

Finally Caught Up

2010-07-03T07:49:00.000-04:00

It is Saturday - a day to rest up - sort of. This has been one fast paced week. My son started swimming lessons and we spent the week riding the roads. The class requires an hour of driving time (round-trip) and 50 minutes of pool time. Since he has never been in a pool, we signed him up for the first class in the series which requires parent participation. For the first 25 minutes there is teacher instruction and then the last 25 minutes the parents get in and take over. This has definitely been an experience for me as well since the last time I was in a swimsuit or a pool was in the eighth grade I think. Not really sure how accurate my timeline is on that fact - all I am sure of is that it was about 25 to 26 years ago. Despite the trauma of shopping for a swimsuit (for me) and the trauma of getting water in his eyes and ears (for my son), it has been a fun experience. Thankfully we only have one more week of running left and then we can get back to the normal day-to-day life we are use to.

A Dandy

Pinwheel

Squares Within Squares 2

I am now caught up with all the squares I am obligated to make for the Sunshine Quilters group I am a member of. Above are the last set of blocks I mailed with links provided for anyone interested. I was not overly happy with the way It's a Dandy turned out, but sent it anyway just in case she was able to do something with it. The next blocks will be fun because they will be for a child's quilt and I just love using bright, fun fabrics whenever I can.

Everyone have a great weekend. Do something fun and relax some - you only live once.

I Was Wrong

2010-06-29T10:28:00.000-04:00

Do I have cooties? I must - either that or the 'nerd' stigma that attached itself to me in high school is still shining like a beacon. I just don't get it. My husband and I have lived here for five years and still have no friends in this area to speak of. We do not know our neighbors - we were unable to make connections with other parents through several years of daycare - I have not hooked up with one mommy despite joining three different Mom's groups. I had a misconception when I was pregnant that all mothers would unite and be willing to offer help and advice when needed and that my son would have loads of friends to play with. But that is just not the way it is. Why do I harp on this today? I signed my son up for swimming lessons for the 3-5 year old age group and the first lesson was yesterday. I had hopes of making a connection of some sort, but that did not happen. All the parents there kept to themselves or swam with their children and then promptly left the pool when the class was over with. Believe me - I tried to make casual conversation with a few of the ladies sitting next to me, but after a minute or two they casually turned to face each other and there I was as always - stuck on the outside wishing I could get in. Kind of disheartening that even at age 41 I still feel the way that I did when I was 16 - 18. Things just never change.

I do have an update of sorts. I finished the freebie Bob Bob Bobbing by Sharon at It's Daffycat. I had the best time stitching this one and already know how I am going to finish it and where it is going to go in the house. I just love the colors and the sweetness of the design. Thanks Sharon!

I am off for round two of swimming lessons - thankfully I will have someone to talk to because my hubby is going with us today. I hope everyone has a lovely day!

Playing Catch-Up

2010-06-26T08:12:00.000-04:00

I spent the week playing catch-up sewing blocks for the Sunshine Quilter's group that I belong to. I am a few months behind and have only two more blocks to go before I am actually caught up. Above are two of the blocks that I am mailing - the request was for the baby bud block in either blue or pink. I worried about this one for some reason, but found this to be such an easy block to sew together. It was so much fun that I might actually have to make a small quilt using this block in the near future.

My son and I are going to head to the library for a little fun and to hopefully find something interesting to read. Then I am going to treat him to a Sonic kid's meal before spending the rest of the afternoon doing whatever strikes our fancy. It will be a well-deserved outing for the both of us. I hope that you have something fun planned for today as well.

Unable to Decide

2010-06-24T19:52:00.001-04:00

It is hard to believe that tomorrow is Friday. Where did the week go? It has been a scorcher in East Tennessee this week - in the upper 90's every day with no rain in sight. We planted our first garden this year - peppers, tomatoes and squash. I thought that we would be lucky to have anything grow because the ground is not the best, but as you can see we have gotten lucky and actually have yellow buds on our squash plants. Hopefully the heat over the next week or two will not put an end to our little garden.

Decisions, decisions. I have had this embroidery project done for a while and have no idea how to display it. I love certain children shows because of their simplicity and light-hearted nature - Oswald, Max and Ruby, and Maggie and the Ferocious Beast. When I was still working and distraught over how work was going, I watched an episode of Maggie and the Ferocious Beast where the main characters were lost in a maze and could not find their way out. When asked for his thoughts on the matter, the Beast said "When in trouble, when in doubt - run in circles, scream and shout!" For some reason I found that funny, but at the time it was a perfect reflection of my mood. So I stitched it up and now I need to do something with it. Hopefully divine inspiration with come over me soon regarding this one.

I should have some updates to post in the next day or two. Thanks for dropping by!

Testing My Boundaries (and an Update)

2010-06-19T12:26:00.000-04:00

I know what you must be thinking - why does she have a picture of a pot on her blog? Well, this is what I have coined as "testing my boundaries". I freely admit that I am a follower - I stick to the directions and rarely ever stray from the beaten path. For me, there is comfort in this way of life. But every once in a while I feel the need to test my craftiness. I don't know why because it never goes well. That leads me to the pot - painting pots is the way I test my craftiness. Over the years I have painted tons of them, yet only one resides in my house. So here is my latest effort - a Terra cotta pot painted white and spring green. Believe it or not, it has been in this state for at least a week now while I debate which direction to go. I think I have a pretty good idea what I would like to do - it is just whether or not I can pull it off and have it look good enough to put on the shelf. Wish me luck!

It has been a while since I have updated my progress on my first sampler quilt. This is lesson six in the booklet Learning To Quilt by Leisure Arts - the block is Jacob's Ladder. I was a little intimidated by the block at first, but once I got to sewing it was not that big of a deal. I think it will look great in the finished quilt (if I ever manage to get all the lessons done).

That is about it for this go around. Thanks for dropping by. Have a great day!

Another Year Older

2010-06-16T09:30:00.012-04:00

It is a gray, drab day here in East Tennessee and I am having a hard time getting psyched up for the cleaning that needs to be done today. When I was younger I loved to clean - I would turn the music up and dance around the house dusting and vacuuming. Not anymore. Now I would rather be crafting or doing something fun.

My birthday was Monday - I made it to 41. Yea! Thank you to everyone who sent birthday wishes. I was so surprised and touched at the same time. I spent the weekend on a heating pad after my hip went out for no reason, and yesterday I got my new glasses (bifocals - yuck!) and feel like I am seeing everything in another dimension. Should make for some interesting sewing and stitching over the next few days.

During my time away I actually managed to finish a few projects, so over the next few posts I am going to post a few pictures and play catch-up. My first one is Know Your Own Happiness from the Sampler Girl Companion Valentine Booklet. I fell in love with this design when I saw a picture of it on her blog and my husband was a sweetie and got the booklet for me as a valentine's gift. I think the statement is perfect for how I feel right now - it is one of my favorites to date.

I am off to clean something - somewhere - and then to stitch or sew something before running some errands. I hope it is bright and beautiful wherever you are. Take care and enjoy the day!

Revamping My Site

2010-06-12T22:56:00.000-04:00

Well, this weekend is slipping away right before my eyes. There never seems to be enough hours in the day and I swear that the days get shorter the older I get. I have not been posting as usual because I have been debating the future of my blog. I get in a funk from time to time and feel like crawling in a hole for a while - like that will help things. For the past two months life has been like riding a roller coaster and my crafting and quilting time has been next to nothing, which makes things even worse. I gave it some serious thought and decided to keep the blog going but to approach it differently - with a better mindset. No matter how I look at it, I like to blog. I get frustrated from time to time because I am not as creative as others, but this blog is me in a nutshell and that is the best it will ever be and that is OK.

Tomorrow night I will start posting pictures of projects that I have finished lately and start revamping my blog. Hopefully it will be better than before. Thanks for dropping by and listening to my rant. I appreciate it. Have a great weekend!

A Long Time

2010-05-23T21:49:00.000-04:00

It has been a long time since my last post - there has been a lot on my mind. I have been toying with the idea of deleting my blog. Don't get me wrong, I have enjoyed my blog and all the wonderful comments that have been posted from time to time. It has always warmed my heart to see that someone took time out of their busy day to leave kind thoughts about one of my posts. But upon much reflection, I have determined that I don't have what so many others have when it comes to blogging. My personality and moods are just not suited to it, and my creativity level is pretty low. There is a part of me that wants to keep blogging, but I am just unsure at this point if now is the time.

I want to thank everyone for stopping by and visiting from time to time. When I decide one way or the other, I will post it here. Until then, everyone enjoy life and your loved ones. Take care.

Lesson Five

2010-04-08T13:55:00.001-04:00

I am in a blah kind of mood. It has been sunny and in the 80's all week and today it is rainy, in the 60's and expected to be colder tomorrow. What a bummer.

I completed Lesson Five of Leisure Arts Learning to Quilt - the Monkey Wrench block. This one was pretty easy to piece together. I am still getting use to it because my light and background fabric do not contrast a lot. But it will look great once it is in the sampler.

Hopefully I will have some more progress pictures to post next time. Thanks for dropping by to see the progress being made. Take care.

Bunny Update

2010-04-03T14:47:00.001-04:00

Believe it or not, I made some progress on my *1857 Bunny* project. I think it will probably end up as a wall hanging for one reason only - because my son is still too young to understand that certain pillows are not to be thrown or stomped on, or to be used as a substitute for a Kleenex. With any luck I will be able to finish it and have it on the wall by the end of this weekend. I am keeping my fingers crossed just in case.

I will post pictures of lesson four block of my Learning to Quilt project this weekend. Everyone enjoy this beautiful day. Take care.

Lesson Three is Complete

2010-04-01T10:57:00.002-04:00

Lesson three of Leisure Arts Learning to Quilt sampler is now complete and I am totally tickled with how it turned out. This is the double nine patch block and it took me forever to cut every tiny little piece, but in the end it looks fairly straight. Either that means I am improving, or just got lucky.

I hope everyone has fun and exciting plans for Easter weekend. We are going to dye Easter eggs with my son for the first time and take him outside to ride his bicycle for the first time. Thankfully it is suppose to be sunshiny and warm this weekend. Here is hoping the best for you and your family this holiday weekend.

Jelly Roll Sampler Quilt Along Update

2010-03-31T20:08:00.003-04:00

My house reeks. My son's daycare is having an Easter party tomorrow and I have to provide two dozen hard boiled eggs. I am on the last batch and my house smells awful. Guess next time I have to sign up for a party I will think things through better. Yuck.

Block three of the Jelly Roll Sampler Quilt Along over at Moose on the Porch Quilts is done and I have mixed feelings about it. I don't know if it is the pattern or the fabric I chose, but something is perplexing me. Guess my thoughts will change once the quilt is done - will just have to go with the flow.

That is about it for this post. I am off to clean up my kitchen and hit the sack. Take care.

Oodles and Oodles of Pinwheels

2010-03-27T10:51:00.002-04:00

It is sunny and cold in eastern Tennessee this morning. Only 39 degrees right now, but with a high of 67 expected later on today things are looking up. I spent part of yesterday afternoon and this morning making squares to be included in some quilts for some little ones in need of comfort.

The three blocks above are being sent to Jenny for a quilt being made for Kate McRae. You can find out about it here. Jenny is only asking for one block, but I made three since she also wants to make a quilt for each of Kate's siblings.

The second set of blocks is for Candace over at Cotton Candie Fabric. She is making a quilt for Layla Grace and her family - you can find out about it here. Candace is asking for one block as well, but I made four because she wants to make additional quilts for Layla Grace's siblings and parents. Just thinking about all that these families are having to go through makes my heart ache.

Until the next go around, take care and stay safe.

1857 Bunny

2010-03-25T13:03:00.000-04:00

I have another small update to share. I found the freebie *1857 Bunny* on the primitivebettys blog a while back and put it in my to-do file for a later date. As you have heard me say before, it called to me and I had no choice but to pull it out and work with it. Seeing as how I am still a novice sewer of sorts, this one has been a challenge. I am use to cross stitching and not much else. I did attach the green fabric by using the needleturn method of applique, and although it is not perfect it has been my best effort to date. Today I will be attaching the bunny and flowers and will hopefully have a completed picture for everyone by the first of next week.

I want to thank everyone for dropping by. I do appreciate it more than you know. Have a great day!

Block Two of Quilt Along

2010-03-24T20:24:00.000-04:00

I have not felt like posting lately. Just in a funk I guess. I did manage to finish block two of the Jelly Roll Sampler Quilt Along today. It turned out better than I expected. Next week should be the time for block three to be released. I can't wait!

That is about it for this post. Next time I will post pictures of my completed disappearing nine-patch quilt top. I am dreading the top stitching since I don't have much experience, so hopefully all will go well. Thanks for taking the time to drop by. Have a good night.

Happy St. Patrick's Day

2010-03-17T05:26:00.000-04:00

I promised yesterday that I would post pictures of the first two squares of the redwork BOM that I am stitching, so here they are.

The "Love Is" BOM over at Quilt Happy, Quilt Often has been a lot of fun for me and a nice change of pace. I normally back my embroidery with light-weight interfacing which I leave attached after the stitching is completed, but Paula suggested backing with another piece of muslin and it has worked just as well if not better. I always love learning new tips and tricks.

I hope that you enjoyed the pictures. I should be able to show pictures of my completed disappearing nine-patch lap quilt next time around. Thanks for taking the time to stop by! Happy St. Patrick's Day to all!

Disappearing Nine Patch Update

2010-03-16T11:20:00.000-04:00

I finally made some time to finish up the sewing on my disappearing nine-patch blocks and it is coming along nicely for my first solo quilt effort. I am trying my best to roll with it and not let the fact that some of my blocks are a little off kilter bother me since that is all part of the learning game.

So far the blocks are looking pretty good, but I am thinking that maybe my fabric choices were not the best. My mother, bless her heart, thinks my quilt will look good once the blocks are all sewn together. I am skeptical at this point in time. With a little luck it will be OK in the end. Next time I will start posting pictures of the redwork BOM that I am stitching. Thanks for dropping by!

Jelly Roll Sampler Quilt Along Block One

2010-03-05T18:45:00.001-05:00

I admit it - I have not been as attentive to this blog lately as I should be. My heart has not been in it. I have been spending my time sorting through unfinished cross stitch projects - trying to put the finishing touches on some of them so they can be displayed around the house. For someone like me, it can be a slow process. Therefore, I have not been keeping up with my posting. I did join my first quilt along over at Moose on the Porch Quilts - the Jelly Roll Sampler Quilt Along. Block one was posted on Monday and after a few days of fretting over what fabric to use (I chose to go scrappy), I ended up with the following -

I think it looks great! Took me all morning to sew the block together because I have been puny with a sinus infection, but I am extremely tickled with it and looking forward to block two in a few weeks.

I will have more pictures to post over the next week of the redwork BOM "Love Is" over at Quilt happy, Quilt Often and of the two blocks I am submitting to the Sunshine Quilters group for April. Until I see you again, be good and stay safe!

I Have Not Abandonned Ship

2010-02-18T09:04:00.001-05:00

I am still here, but don't have much to report because I have been spending my time stitching lately. I finally washed all the fabric for the big sampler quilt, but I need to corner my husband this weekend long enough to help with lesson one - cutting all the binding and border pieces. Since the strips are quite long and my rotary cutting skills still leave something to be desired, I need a little help to finish that task before moving on. I did some reading and discovered that the book is template-based - not a good thing as far as I am concerned. I am use to the instructions telling me how long and wide a piece needs to be cut, so having to measure a template is going to be lots of fun.

I did manage to start work on my first disappearing nine-patch afghan. I am using the tutorial by Rachel Griffith found at p.s. i quilt. The picture below shows what my blocks look like now. I only have nine more blocks to piece together and then I will start the nerve-racking task of cutting them all in half and sewing them back together.

I also received a quilt block from my February quilt block swap partner, Alicia. She sent me another wonky log cabin quilt block and it is just lovely. She did a great job! I just mailed her block yesterday, so I will post pictures of it once she receives it.

Thanks for dropping by. Have a great day!

I Did It

2010-01-15T08:46:00.001-05:00

I did it - I bought fabric for my first sampler quilt. Oh, it was definitely an adventure to say the least. There is nothing like standing in JoAnn's looking at rack after rack - bolt after bolt - trying to find fabrics that will work well together, especially when you are horrible at it. The only good thing was that I was not alone in my pursuit. Once I had gathered all of my bolts of fabric, I went to the nearest counter and laid everything out so I could get a good look-see before making the big leap. As I was looking everything over, there was another lady doing the same thing on the other side of me. Bless her heart, she actually asked my opinion on her fabric choices because one that she had chosen for the backing was troubling her. I told her to go with her gut because it was probably right - that there was probably a reason why she chose the fabric that she did - that as long as she was happy with it, that was all that matters. She laughed and said that was what her mother would have said and then left me to the task at hand. I was satisfied with what I had, got the fabric cut, went to pay and about fell in the floor - it was expensive. A lot more expensive than cross stitch supplies, that is for sure. Lesson learned for the day - wait for a sale or make sure that all the bolts chosen are reasonably priced. Blew me away. Oh well, here is the picture of what I got. Hopefully it will look good together.

I also got word that Sandi, my quilt block partner for December, got her block and liked it. So here is a picture of what I sent. I am getting better, but I still need lots of work. I have to admit, to date I had the most fun making this block and can't wait for the next swap next month.

That is it for this post. I am going to take the weekend to wash and press fabric for the first lesson next week. Until the next time, everyone enjoy their weekend and have some fun!

New Beginning - So To Speak.....

2010-01-09T09:36:00.002-05:00

I'm back. I have been doing some thinking lately and have decided to keep this blog up and running for a while but in a different capacity. In the past it has been a place where I could post anything and everything that I felt like. Since quilting is becoming ever present in my mind, I have decided to put more time in to learning the in's and out's of quilting. So this is going to be a place for me show what I am working on and how I am progessing on my journey - the good and the bad. That being said, to start off I am going to be using Leisure Arts Learning to Quilt shown below to begin my journey. The book has twenty-five different lessons and by the time the book is completed I should have my own version of the quilt shown on the cover. So, next week I will start posting my progress. Wish me luck!

Also, I received this beautiful wonky log cabin quilt block from Sandi at the Quilt Block Swap blog. I asked for a bright, cheery block and that is what I got. It is awesome! I am hooked on the wonky quilt block after seeing the tutorial at the Quilt Dad blog. If interested, you can check it out here.

Thanks for dropping by. If you are interested in just viewing my cross stitch work, please visit me at my other blog Living to Stitch - Stitching to Live. Until next time - stay warm and safe!

Living to Stitch....

2009-10-28T22:16:00.000-04:00

Hello to all. This will probably be my last post on this blog. I have been thinking long and hard about things lately and decided it was time to start over with a new blog and a new attitude. I started this blog for a lot of different reasons when I was a stay-at-home mommy and back then it served a purpose. But over the past few months things have changed and I feel the need for a fresh start. So I have started a new blog Living to Stitch - Stitching to Live in the hopes of renewing my spirit for stitching and life. I hope that over time it gets better and that my finishing improves, but hopefully it will do for someone else what so many other blogs have done for me. If so, then I will be happy.

I will leave this blog up until my other blog is completely set up. I want to thank everyone who dropped by - it really touched me to know that someone thought enough to take time out of their day to read my posts. I hope some will visit my new blog eventually. Thanks for the support and kind words. Take care.

2009-10-10T16:11:00.005-04:00

Thanks to all who took the time to stop by and visit this week. I know my posts have been short and pretty much void of stitch work, but the past few weeks have been a tad off the chart. My husband's brother was readmitted to the hospital a week or so ago and it has been a day to day kind of thing. That, along with a child with a sinus and ear infection, make for less time on the computer and not much time for stitching. I appreciate everyone being patient and understanding.

That said, this will be a small post. First I want to mention a giveaway. Jolene at Dip Diddly Design is having the Grand Masquerade Ball Giveaway and she has two prizes that she is giving away - the first prize is "Afraid of the Dark" by Blue Ribbon Designs and the second prize is "Toil and Trouble" by La-D-Da. Also, Jolene has posted her very first design on her blog and it is an awesome freebie. I know I will be stitching it - how about you? Drop by and not only enter her giveaway, but get her first freebie. You won't be disappointed.

The only picture I am posting today is the September quilt block I received this week from my partner. It is lovely, isn't it? I received it from Virginia and she did an incredible job. Can't wait to see what the August block will look like.

That is it for today. My camera is on it's last leg so when I finally get some good pictures of some stitching finishes I will post them this week. Everyone enjoy the breezy weather. Stay healthy and safe. Take care.

October Already?

2009-10-03T14:32:00.001-04:00

Well, It has been a while since I have last posted. Life has been in a downward spiral lately and I normally withdraw from life when that happens, especially when the things going on in my life are out of my control. I would like to say that things are evening out some, but that is not the case. I decided to post something just as a way of getting things back in line and hopefully heading in a good direction.

I held off from posting these to allow my quilt block swap partners to post pictures, but I'm not waiting any longer since I know they have received them. This one is for my September swap - my first log cabin quilt block. I have to say it was fun, but I never realized how hard it is to find white fabric until I had to find five different variations. Blew my mind.

This one is my very first block - the August block swap. This one scared me to death since it was my first one. But I think it turned out pretty good considering. I will post pictures of the blocks from my partners once they are received.

I have a few stitched projects that I have completed and one embroidery project, but I will post them the next time. Hopefully the spirit to post will come back again soon. For all those sweet enough to read my blog - thank you. It really touches my heart that someone cares enough to stop by for a visit. Take care!

Latest and Greatest

2009-09-13T20:14:00.003-04:00

Hello to all. The weekend is almost over - sad, isn't it? It never seems to last long enough. I had intentions of posting earlier in the week, but things just went down hill after Monday and it has taken me this long to get up the umph to post. With everything going on, not much stitch work was done. I did complete the SAL 2009 that was being held by Mausimom's Freebies , and I plan on posting the final picture later on this week.

I posted a picture of this project a while ago and just now finished it. It is a freebie from Needle Necessities. I plan on giving it to a friend at work that seems to stay with me no matter what. I don't have many friends, but she makes me smile and laugh and seems to care about how I feel. That is a rare thing these days. Hopefully she will like it.

I will post a picture of the first quilt block I put together for the quilt block swap in a day or two since my partner finally got her block. I finished the second quilt block yesterday, so hopefully I will get to post that picture soon as well. Take care and have a wonderful night!

2009-08-12T04:53:00.007-04:00

Good morning to all. I thought I would post some new updated pictures this morning before heading out to work. I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend. Mine was spent with a sick son for most of the time and then a puny hubby for the last part. I think something is going around because of all this hot, rainy weather that we are having this year and they just got a touch of something. Thankfully it was just a touch and nothing more.

Here is an updated picture of the SAL I am stitching. I am glad that I stuck to my guns and did not rip out the light green color. I know it is a tad difficult to see in this picture, but when you look at it laid out on the table it looks great. Hopefully I will be able to finish the latest installment by tomorrow and will be able to post another update this weekend.

Here is my latest finish - Elephant Hello by Sharon at It's Daffycat! I love it and will be getting fabric for it this afternoon. I did not use the colors that she had charted because I just did not have them in my stash. So I picked a lot of colors that I liked and let my son choose - DMC 518 for the elephant and DMC 3804 for the ear. Believe it or not, I stitched a little bit of the elephant with the color Matthew chose and then I got a wild thought in my head that told me it needed to be darker. So I frogged it, restitched it with a darker blue, stood back and thought - the lighter blue looks better. So there you go. I now know that my son is better at picking colors than I am. Who knew?

Elephant Hello

It's Daffycat!

stitched on 22 count white hardanger

Well, that is all I have for today. I am going to be playing catch-up on my SAL and working on a few other projects. Cleaning this house is the call to order for the next week, but I hopefully will find time to stitch. To eveyone who stops buy, thank you so much. It means more to me than you can know! Take care!

2009-08-08T06:49:00.005-04:00

It's the weekend. Yea! Can't beat that with a stick. I hope everyone has great things planned for the two days ahead. I have a lot of cleaning, laundry, and other stuff planned. Nothing overly exciting at this point. Of course, that could change but for now I am just going to take it as it comes.

Here is an updated picture of my SAL. It is coming right along. This is the second part and I am halfway done with the third installment. I am having a minor issue with one of the green colors I am to use because I am not sure that it really pops off the fabric I chose, but I am going to mull it over today before I succumb to the urge to frog it.

Also, I joined a quilt block swap blog. I am a nervous Nelly right now and trying to have the confidence in myself to know that I will make great blocks, but only time will tell. Hopefully everyone in the group will be tolerant and help me along in my quest to improve my quilting skills. I was asked to post a picture of my latest quilting project and the only project I have worked on is this small quilt my mother and I put together. I still have to finish the binding, but for my first effort it turned out well. Hopefully in time my skills will improve and my confidence will grow.

Well, that is about all I have for now. I am going to try to catch up on my email and google reader in the next few days. Everyone be good and stay safe. Take care!

SAL and Bag Pattern

2009-08-05T06:01:00.009-04:00

Good morning. Thank goodness this week is almost over with. I am ready for the weekend. Not much stitching done again this week. Just trying to keep my head above water and trying to hold it all together for another week. I am dreaming of the day when I have time to do the things that need to be done. Don't know when that day will come. In all reality I need to work closer to home. That two hour commute time is a killer every day and eats up the little time I would normally have. Guess once the economy starts taking a turn for the better I will start looking for other options.

Here are the pictures of the lunch bags that were made by me and my mother last weekend. My mother is smart and has the vision I do not yet possess, and had the blue bag ready to show me because she knew that I would not like the pattern that she sent - it is a purse pattern from Lazy Girl Designs. She was right - it was on the bottom of the list. She made some small modifications to the pattern (made it a few inches wider and added a layer of quilt batting for sturdiness), and after seeing her bag I fell in love with it and made a bigger version. I think it turned out great.

Here is the first picture of the SAL I am stitching that is being held at Mausimom's Freebies blog and it has been loads of fun. I am stitching it on Wichelt Imports Jobelan 28 count lambswool. I almost have the second installment done and should be able to post an updated picture tonight or tomorrow.

That is it for now. Until the next installment, take care and stay safe.

Almost Over....

2009-07-31T05:08:00.008-04:00

Hello to all who stop by for a look-see. I have not been posting lately because life has been a tad hectic and not much stitching has been going on. I have been more fatigued than usual and have been trying different things to get a little more energized. Unfortunately none of them seem to be working. I am thinking that maybe it is my diet (or lack thereof) that is my problem, so on Monday I am going to adjust the way I eat, try to get more sleep, and start working out. If that does not help, then it will be off to the doctor for a physical to see if something else is going on. Oh joy.

I am posting two pictures today. The first is the updated version of Blackbird Design’s red sampler that I have been in torment over. Last time I posted I had switched from red thread to blue. Well, that did nothing for me, so after ripping it all out I have settled for a green color that totally tickles my fancy. Never thought this day would come, but I think it looks great and hopefully I will be able to find the time to finish it soon.

The other project is the Love Angel chart I located on Sandra's Painting with Threads blog. I changed out some of the colors because I was in the mood to stitch it and didn’t have all the colors needed on hand. I already know what I am going to do with this one as far as finishing goes, so maybe I will be able to get that project started this week as well.

I will have one other project to post pictures of this weekend, but it might not be until Sunday before that happens. I am going to my parent’s house tomorrow for a visit, and Sunday is my day to clean and run errands. Until then, be good, stay safe and take care.

I'm Just Here...

2009-07-16T18:58:00.013-04:00

I'm back, but only for a small post this time. Over the past week or so I have lost the urge to stitch. Don't know why - I just have. It is starting to frustrate me somewhat. I have carried several projects back and forth with me to work - laid them out where I can see them at home - and nothing. I have read on other blogs where others have had the same problem, but I have never had this happen before. Hopefully this will pass soon.

The only stitching I have manage to complete is this design by Matrioshka Biscornu called Summer Berry Heart. It has turned out great and I bought some gorgeous fabric to back it with. Now I just have to overcome my fear of finishing it. I am not blessed in that area, that is for sure. I love the way Alexandrina finished it on her blog, but I am at a loss. This question will probably show people how little I know, but where do you buy the cording for all of the lovely finishes I see across the web? And how do you attach it? Any help would be appreciated.

Hopefully next time I will have more to offer. I plan on catching up on my google reader and email this weekend if possible and start fresh next week. Maybe inspiration will take hold and shake me up a bit. I can always hope...

Take care and stay safe!

I've Been Bad...

2009-07-03T11:49:00.006-04:00

Well, I have been bad. I changed my mind mid-stream about some color choices, and after choosing different colors I am still unhappy. Don't know why I am the way that I am - guess it is a quirk that rears it's ugly head from time to time. Although I liked the darker red color, the more I looked at it the more it looked rosy-pink and I just am not a pink person overall. So I started fresh and chose blue this time, but the colors are too close together and it almost all looks the same when it comes to the light and medium shades. So back to the drawing board on this one. I will be satisfied with it sometime soon - I hope.

The only other thing I am posting pictures of is the new fabric swatches I bought. I never buy fabric although I have pined over some pretty patterns in my day. Since I never knew how to sew, I never bought any. But thanks to my mother's patience with me I am developing some sewing skills and decided to try my hand at a few projects. I have two designs that I want to stitch but have not been able to decide on the fabrics I want to commit to yet - whether it be due to indecision or insecurity on my part. Either way, I am getting closer to jumping in and making a go of it. What is the worst thing that could happen?

Thanks for coming and reading my blog. I appreciate each an everyone who takes the time to visit and leave a comment. It always puts a smile on my face. I should have more to post over the next week or so. Tomorrow my son and I are heading to my mother's house and maybe I will be able to get some sewing done this go around. Until the next post - take care and be safe.

And the Winner Is....

2009-06-28T23:25:00.003-04:00

The winner of my giveaway is Tammy from Witchy Stitches. Tammy, if you get a chance email me your address so I can mail you the scissor fob. I want to thank everyone who entered - it tickled me death. I will post an update in a day or so. Until then, thanks for stopping by and take care!

Sneak Peek and a Finish

2009-06-26T20:10:00.016-04:00

What a long week. At least it felt that way. It is actually hard to believe that next week it will be July. Scary how time flies anymore. We had a fairly good week despite my son falling at daycare twice this week on top of having two screaming fits. After talking to the daycare supervisor, apparently a bunch of them are having the same issues and it is not uncommon at this age for things like this to happen. With Matthew, it is just flat out frustration that makes him scream. It is hard for him to express how he is feeling in words, and screaming just seems to fit the way he feels at the moment. Wish I could express myself that way sometimes.

I don't have much to post this time. I finally framed my Sampler Girl freebie and it looks great. I am trying my best to pick fabrics and frames that are colorful and so far I am happy with my choices.

Finally, I thought I would share a picture of something my mother and I are working on. My mother made a small quilt for my son when he was a baby and had a bunch of small squares left that were 3 1/2 by 3 1/2. She gave them to me to do something with and I have racked my brain forever as to what to do with them. I saw a design called the Simple Strip Quilt and decided that is what we could use the squares for. It looks easy to put together, and since I have very little experience to back me up at this point I figured this would be a good project to try. I only have one quilt to my credit, but it was a wall quilt. So hopefully this one will turn out well. Here is a quick peek of the very first strips sewn together. I think it is cute!

That is it for today. Today is the last day to sign up for the giveaway if you are interested. I will draw the name of the winner tomorrow. Take care and have a wonderful day!

It's Official!

2009-06-20T16:02:00.016-04:00

I'm back. I am officially 40 now. Who ever knew that this day would come? I sure didn't. Last Sunday we went to lunch at Texas Roadhouse to celebrate, and then I topped that off with a banana cream pie Blizzard from Dairy Queen. My DH was sweet as could be and showered me with a few cards, movies and a new book to read. Considering all that is going on in his life right now, it was extremely touching. I have not posted lately because things here have been hectic and up in the air from time to time. After another week and a half in the hospital, my brother-in-law is now in a nursing/rehab facility and we are praying that he will be able to get his strength back and be up and around soon. I have spent the last week taking stock of my life and the way I live it, and I know that a few things need to be changed. I am not getting any younger - that's for sure. With that said, I am probably going to be posting different things than I have in the past. Just bear with me while I sort things out within myself....

I finally bit the bullet and took my son to Hobby Lobby and let him pick out the frames for two projects that I am going to complete. I think he did pretty good for a four year old. I will be working on them tonight and tomorrow and will post the final pictures by Monday.

I have also been bitten by the fabric bug and bought some bright and cheery fabric to use on two embroidery/applique and possibly beading projects I am going to try my hands at. One is a free-form that I am working on - a particular saying that I am fond of that I want to stitch up somehow. No telling what it will look like once it is finished. I also found a wall hanging that I want to try my hand at that uses both quilting and applique methods, so I am going to be brave and buy the fabric Tuesday and pray for the best.

Finally, I have decided to have a small giveaway. My last one was not spectacular by any means as far as what I gave away, so I am trying to do a little bit better this go around. I am offering my first acceptable scissor fob (of sorts) to anyone who would be interested. I tried one other one a while back and just could not make it work. This one turned out better, but I still have a long way to go. The reason why I am giving it away is because I don't have anyone to give it to and I don't want to keep it. I have decided to start sorting through my projects and weeding down to the ones I like. So, if anyone is interested just post your name and email address and next Sunday I will draw a winner's name.

Well, I am going to hush for now. Thanks for dropping by - I appreciate it more than you can know. Take care.

Where Did the Weekend Go?

2009-06-07T08:26:00.021-04:00

Hey to all that chose to stop by. I meant to post earlier this week, but have done more sleeping on the couch than computer work. I never seemed to have this problem when I was younger, but those days are long gone. I have been lamenting the fact that I will be 40 soon. I never thought it would bother me, but it does for some reason. Don't get me wrong - turning 40 will be just like any other day in all reality. But when I look back at my life and the choices that I made that led me to this point, I want to click my heals - go back in time - and kick my own bootie for some of them. I know - I know - if I had not made those choices I would not have my son, my husband, or our life together. But sometimes I wish that certain decisions had been weighed more carefully so that certain aspects of my life in general would be different. Such is life. Although I cannot change what I did in my own life, maybe my words of wisdom (snicker) will encourage my son to do things a little better than I did. I can always hope...

Anyway, on to stitchy things. I don't have much to post today because I have only been working on two projects and I chose to spare you a picture of one until it is done. I only have a small tree and the back stitching left to do on the cardinal kit and then it will be done. I will post that picture later on this week since I am sure everyone is getting a bit tired of that one. I did start a new project though and I am iffy about my color choices. It is the red sampler available on the Blackbird Design blog. I made my fabric and thread choices, started to stitch it and now have doubts about the light red I chose. I have held to my guns though and not frogged any of it out yet, but I thought I would post the picture and contemplate it for a while longer. That is my nature - doubt, doubt, doubt.

Final thought - Melissa at Words and Blooms is having an awesome giveaway. You might want to drop by and give it a look-see. I am going to hush now. Still have lots to do before the week gets underway and the day just seems to be slipping away. Everyone take care and enjoy what is left of the day!

Whatever!

2009-05-28T21:55:00.017-04:00

Well, thankfully this week is almost at an end. I don't think I could stand much more fun - not! Actually, these past few weeks have been a bit much and tomorrow looks to be no better. I know I sound negative, but it is what it is. My husband has been working non-stop while trying to run back and forth to the hospital (and now the rehab facility) to take care of his brother - I have been enduring all the changes at work while trying to take care of our son and a house being overrun by bugs of all kinds. It would not be so bad if I did not have that constant fear of losing my job hanging over my head every minute of every day.

Anyway, on to better things. Here is another finish for the year - Whatever! freebie from Lizzie Kate. This was a quick stitch and I meant to stop by Hobby Lobby this afternoon to pick up the things I need to finish it, but I was so upset after work that I didn't feel like stopping. I think it turned out great myself and is just suited for this moment in time.

Whatever!
Lizzie Kate
Stitched on 22 count white Hardanger

This last picture is of a trial project. This pattern is a freebie from the Lion Brand website called Crochet Graphic Block Lapghan and it is definitely interesting. Hopefully the final piece will look great.

Everyone have a great night and thanks for stopping by. Take care!

Rain, Rain Go Away....

2009-05-03T15:28:00.013-04:00

It's Sunday and yucky outside. It has rained all day and I feel icky. I went to Walmart earlier and came back looking less than lovely. I hate shopping in the rain, but this is my one day a week to get it done so I bit the bullet and did my duty. At least it is over with for another week. I finally finished A Star Danced by It's Daffycat! and I am extremely happy with it. Now to find a frame and get it on the wall. I looked at Walmart and they had a few frames, but I want to wait until Tuesday and look at Hobby Lobby first before committing. I have some definite ideas of how I want the finished project to look and don't want to just settle

It's Daffycat!

A Star Danced

Stitched on 28 count Antique White evenweave

Lastly, this is the before picture of a project my mother and I are undertaking over the next few weeks or months - depending on our schedules. We have a lot of fabric scraps that have just been laying around and I found a cute quilt pattern the other day on Taffy Talk and thought it would be a good way to use up some of the smaller pieces of fabric. My mother and I spent yesterday sorting through fabric and cutting 3 1/2 inch squares to piece together. Before I left, she took half and I took half. We are going to sew our strips and then meet back up to piece some baby quilts together for Project Linus or whoever wants them. This will be so much fun, not to mention a great way to improve my sewing and quilting skills. So we shall see.

Have a great week. Try not to work to hard unless you have too! Take care!

Not Much New Going On....

2009-04-29T22:23:00.010-04:00

It's Wednesday and I am itching for it to be Friday already. I have not been a happy soul lately because of the changes where I work and everything that comes with it. I try so hard not to let it bother me, but when you pretty much live at work it can be a hard thing to do.

Anyway, here is my latest finish for 2009. It is Spring Freebie from primitivebettys and it was super fun to stitch. I even like my color choices too. I can't wait to get it framed and in my bedroom. It is going to look great in there.

Spring Freebie

primitivebettys

Stitched on 32 count Belfast Cream linen

Believe it or not I have another finish to share. This freebie is from NeedleNecessities and I managed to get it done in a few hours. I am going to make it into a little pillow ornament to hang in my house somewhere - I already have the fabric picked out and just need some cording to complete it all.

Believe

Needle Necessities

Stitched on 28 count Antique White evenweave

Sorry for the short post, but there is not much worthwhile to report - just life in general. Everyone take care and enjoy the day. You only get one shot at it, so you better make it count! Take care. Until next time.......

2009-04-22T21:51:00.010-04:00

It's Wednesday! Thank goodness. I meant to post this weekend, but things just did not go well in our neck of the woods. I came home Friday to find that the house had been invaded by bugs again - flying ant-like creatures that come in to the house several times a year to wander around and eventually die. Apparently they made their entrance earlier in the day, and by the time we walked in the door there were bugs everywhere. Yuck! My little boy thought they were cool and sat in the floor watching them and talking to them from time to time. Then my son ended up running a fever from Saturday night until Monday morning and I had to call in to work Monday to give him some extra time to rest and to get back on schedule some. So not much stitch work has been accomplished. Here is the latest picture of A Star Danced by It's Daffycat! I am having difficulties on this one not because of anything wrong with the design, but when it comes to stitching words I am the world's worst. It takes me forever to finish a project when that is all that I am working on, so that is why this project is still hanging on. I am still working on it though and will have it done soon.

This is my next project. Sorry about the picture, but my camera just would not work with me. This is the Spring Freebie Tulip Time by primitivebettys and I started it just because that is what I do. Can't have too many projects going on at once. It has been a fun and interesting project so far. I always have difficulties with projects where I have to make the color choices myself, but so far I have not second guessed myself and seem satisfied with my choices.

Finally, I completed Love Ewe by Gigi On Line and just love this. It looks great and I have decided to use it as part of a wall hanging. Since finishing is not my strong suit, it will be interesting to see what the finished project looks like.

Love Ewe

Gigi On Line

Stitched on 28 count Monaco tea evenweave

Sorry for the long post, but it has been a while. I have been trying to catch up on my google reader and email, but it sure is time consuming. Hopefully by the end of this weekend I will be back on track again. Let's hope so anyway. Take care and have a lovely evening. Thanks for dropping by.....

Small Update....

2009-04-14T21:55:00.007-04:00

Surprise! Is it Friday yet? I am having a hard time finding the umph to get through this week. Work is wearing on me again - I hate being around people who whisper all day long and then only smile and say "Hi" when they walk by. Just flies all over me and makes me paranoid. After working in atmospheres like that for the last 22 years you would think it would not bother me - think again. It bothers me more. That is how I know that I am getting older - less patience and tolerance for irritating things in life. Bother.

Anyway, this is one of my WIP's that I am working on. It is a freebie from the blog Gigi on line and can be found here. I am enjoying the stitch work. This is the progress made over the course of two lunches, so maybe it will be done by the weekend. I am taking the rest of the night to finish listening to Septimus Heap Book One - Magyk by Angie Sage. It has been totally enjoyable and fun and I have already reserved the second audio book in the series - Flyte. I have been listening to audio books off and on for a while, but after reading Melissa's blog Words and Blooms did I get hooked on audios books for young adults. You should give it a try. With all the trials and tribulations in life anymore, a few moments here and there to feel like a kid again is a good thing. Off to bed to get some rest. Take care and thanks for visiting.

Happy Easter!

2009-04-12T17:06:00.006-04:00

Happy Easter! An update - finally. I have been busy, busy, busy here lately and it never seems to end - and I never seem to catch up. Must be getting old because I never had these problems when I was younger. Of course, I didn't have a child when I was younger either. With all the running and goings on, this is the latest update I have because there has been little stitching done in this house over the past week. The picture is not the greatest, but after taking pictures in four different rooms this was the best of the lot. It is slowly coming along, but at least some progress is being made. Maybe it will be done this year. One can hope and have dreams......

Here is a picture of what the Easter Bunny brought me this year. I was very surprised to say the least. My son got an Easter basket full of candy and a big red truck - can't have enough of those when you are a four year old boy. Needless to say, the Easter Bunny scored a two thumbs up this year.

And I thought I would show pictures of all the goodies I have gotten here recently. The first picture is all the cross stitching magazines my mother has found for me at garage sales this past year. They are Cross Stitch & Country Crafts, Cross Quick and BH&G Cross Stitch and Needlework magazines from 1987 through 1997. The second picture is magazines that a friend of mother's found and gave to her since she knew that I love to stitch. They are Cross Stitch & Country Crafts and a Cross Quick from 1987 through 1990. I was not only tickled to get them but very touched by the generous gift. She is just so sweet. There are lots of neat designs in them, so I am trying to decide what to stitch first. It is going to be a difficult decision for sure.

Everyone take care and have a great Easter!!!!!!! Thanks for stopping by!

WIP Update and Other Stuff....

2009-04-01T06:09:00.013-04:00

It has been a while again. I meant to post earlier, but I always do. I have no idea what is wrong with me lately. I am always so tired, and falling asleep on the couch after dinner seems to be happening more often. I have started working out for about 20 minutes in the morning and then walking 15 in the afternoon in the hopes of having more energy, but I don't know if it is having much of an effect. Oh bother.

Sharon from It's Daffycat posted a picture of the stitched piece and the small ornament I sent after my first giveaway that finalized on March 9Th. Bless her heart, she is such a sweet soul. It took me a while to mail it to her but she was very gracious about that fact on her blog. I had stitched an ornament almost like the one I sent her when I first started back to stitching, but never posted the picture. If anyone is interested in stitching it for yourself, the design can be found here.

Here is my latest project. I don't know if any of you remember, but last year I had my son pick out some yarn for a blanket that I was going to stitch for Project Linus. Well, I never stitched it because I went to work shortly after that and time is at a minimum right now. Well, I was having problems trying to figure out what to do with the yarn and started making squares and sewing them together. Well, I changed my mind and I am glad that I did. Here is the results of a few days of crochet work. I am quite pleased with it so far. Now we will all keep our fingers crossed that I keep working on it until it is done.

Finally, below is the latest project that I have started recently. It is a freebie from It's Daffycat! called A Star Danced and I am having a great time with it. She designed it for her daughter, but I am stitching it small enough to fit in a collage picture arrangement of pictures of my son. You will have to excuse the picture, but it was the best I could do after taking who knows how many.

I will update either tomorrow or the next day with a new picture of the kit I am working on. I got some good stitch work done on it the past few nights while watching Hellboy II and Bangkok Dangerous with my hubby. Definitely guy flicks. Take care and thanks for dropping by!

Been a While...

2009-03-22T19:07:00.006-04:00

Hello. Been a while since I have posted. Been a weird couple of weeks. My husband and I are finally over being sick, and hopefully after two rounds of antibiotics my son will be as well. We will know for sure on Tuesday. Between being sick and having a difficult week or two at work, I have barely stitched a thing and have been off kilter and about miserable . I did manage to finish this freebie I found on the Wichelt Imports site. It is under the free graphs section as the August 2008 chart. I thought it looked cute and it was pretty quick to stitch. I started another project this morning, but who knows how long it will take. I am going to have to give up some of my stitching time to start exercising again. I have so much going on that fatigue has set in and I am starting to have difficulties getting things done around the house. So something has to give and my stitch work will probably have to take a back seat some of the time. Depressing, isn't it? Have a good week. Suppose to be pretty here. Take care.

Birdie Update....

2009-03-10T21:09:00.005-04:00

Good evening! Not much going on around here. Just vegging and trying to play catch-up. Not a good thing to get behind. Believe it or not, it got up to 82 degrees today. It was beautiful! I can't wait for Spring to get here and actually stay around for a while. I thought I would post an updated picture of the kit I am working on. I almost have one of the birds done. Yea! With any luck this one will start to work up quickly, but we shall see.

Hopefully I will have more to post in a few days. I spent Saturday at my mother's house trying to learn applique. If everything goes well I might actually have my very first attempt ready by this weekend for all to see. Gotta go get some sleep. Until tomorrow......

And the Winner Is.....

2009-03-09T22:24:00.002-04:00

Sharon from It's Daffycat! My husband was a good sport and drew the winner's name for me. Gotta love him! Sharon, please email me your mailing address and I will mail it to you. I want to thank everyone who was interested for throwing their names in the hat. It was very sweet. I was debating on trying another one in the future, but I will have to give it some thought. I did not stitch this weekend, so no new picture to post today. I will try to post tomorrow with something new. Just been in a rut this past week I guess. Take care and thanks again to everyone for stopping by.

One More for 2009!

2009-03-04T21:57:00.005-05:00

Well, it is Wednesday night. This week is just flying by for some reason. My mood the last two days has been great considering all that has to be done and my husband's work schedule change. Here is the updated picture of The Sampler Girl freebie that I have been working on. It turned out great and I can't wait to go look at fabric options for this. My husband said that he thought it would look good framed, but I look at it and see a pillow. Will have to wait and see who wins out on this one. I have started another freebie by The Sampler Girl, but will have to wait to post the pictures of it until it is finished and has been given as a gift.

On Friday I will post pictures of my new project that I will start tomorrow. Hopefully it will look OK. Not really sure how it will pan out since I am using variegated thread and that is just not my forte. I want to thank everyone who has entered my first giveaway so far. Only a few more days to enter if anyone else is interested in throwing their hat into the ring. Take care and enjoy what is left of your day. I am off to catch a few hours of sleep.....

Almost Time to Go....

2009-03-02T04:44:00.003-05:00

It's Monday! I don't even feel like I had a weekend at all. Guess it is because I didn't get anything done that I wanted to. Of course, that is always the way it works. I almost got my Sampler Girl stitching done - almost. Things just didn't work out the way I wanted them to. Oh well.

Above is the first item that I am giving away. I have been racking my brain trying to remember where I found this design, but I can't remember for sure. Sorry about that. This is the first thing I stitched when I got back into cross stitching full time. I stitched it because I wanted to try my hand at using variegated thread and something other than Aida fabric. It is stitched on 28 count oatmeal evenweave - the fabric is 6.5" wide by 10" high - the stitched design is 3.25" wide by 6.75" high. I am going to run the giveaway for a week finishing up on Sunday March 8th and draw on the 9th. If you are interested just post a small comment to let me know. Thanks.

I want to thank everyone who has stopped by for a visit and left comments. They all tickle me to death and are greatly appreciated. Gotta go get ready for work. Take care!

Another Finish for 2009!

2009-02-28T22:54:00.008-05:00

It's Saturday night, rainy and cold. Plus it is suppose to start snowing tonight and finish sometime tomorrow. Normally I would not think anything of it, but most of the week was spent with temperatures in the sixties, trees are covered in white buds, and my daffodils are in bloom in the back yard. Weird how the weather works this time of year.

This is another finish for this year. I finished it a week or so ago, but didn't want to post the picture until I had washed and pressed it. It only took a few days to finish, but now I want to start the next one in the series - Signs of Winter. I just need to order the fabric and I will be good to go.

Signs of Autumn

Bent Creek

Stitched on 32 count Belfast Cream linen

Since the passing of my mother-in-law at Christmas, we have had a lot on our plate and a lot of decisions to be made. It is going to take a while, but we are in the process of sorting through the rooms in the house to get stuff ready to be given away or sold at a garage sale in case we are faced with a move in the near future. I have already started on my craft room and have three things to give away. I have three stitched projects that have been washed and pressed, but not finished and instead of selling them at a garage sale I am going to post them on my blog over the next few weeks in the hopes that someone will want them. The only thing I ask of the winner of the drawings is that once they have finished the project completely that they send me a picture and link to their blog so I can post it here for everyone to see. So tomorrow I will post the picture of the first one and hope for the best. I am off to get some sleep. Take care.

It's Been Too Long...

2009-02-27T19:32:00.009-05:00

Wow! Where did this week go to? Amazing how time just slips away from you sometimes. I meant to update last night, but ended up laying down with my son for a while and woke up too late to post. It has been a slightly trying week and the lack of sleep had a nasty affect on my mood. From having the "bad Mommy" syndrome after we took our four year old for his four year checkup - to losing my car key at dinner Tuesday night - to slinging coffee all over my kitchen floor Wednesday morning before work - to finding out that the accident I passed Wednesday after work involved one of my two favorite people at work - I have just felt a little disjointed and out of whack. I was more than happy to see the end of this week.

Anyway, on to better things I hope. The first picture is an update to my WIP on The Sampler Girl freebie I have been stitching. I should (knock on wood) have this one done this weekend and ready for finishing. I was going to frame it, but then someone at work said it would make a charming pillow so now I am torn. Oh, decisions, decisions. What is an old girl to do?

This next set of pictures is a kit I am stitching for a lady at work. She has had it forever and asked would I mind stitching it - so I said yes. It is something different for me to work on, but now I know why I don't buy kits. I don't like the bunches of thread that have to be sorted and I don't like stitching on Aida fabric. I have stitched on linen for so long I am ruined.

Sorry that this has been such a long post, but it has been a while. One more thing. I have been debating on ordering some linen for two projects in particular, but don't know which site is the best to use. Any recommendations would be greatly appreciated. Well, everyone take care. I actually have stuff to post tomorrow. so until then - take care and love the ones your with. Time is short and precious!

Another Pillow...

2009-02-21T14:50:00.004-05:00

It is the weekend - thank goodness! Been another long week in what seems like a never ending string of them. I am definitely feeling every bit of my age. I am on day three of my new medicine and I feel almost normal. My son has now developed a runny nose and coughs every once in a while, and refuses to blow his nose for me. So I am keeping my fingers crossed and hoping for the best. Thankfully we have his four year old checkup on Tuesday, so if he is sick they will catch it then.

This is the last project from my sewing weekend with my mother. I posted the picture a while ago once the stitching was done, and Sharon from It's Daffycat! was nice enough to post a comment saying that it would make a nice pillow. My mother agreed and I had a fat quarter that screamed to be used. I just love it and it is now one of my favorites.

Not much planned for this weekend except a lot of errands, cooking, cleaning, and catching up on my google reader account. Before I go I will pass along a great recipe for cold days that is also easy and healthy. My mother found it and I could about eat it all the time. The recipe is All American Beef Stew from the Mrs. Dash website and I made only one small change - I only use two tablespoons of Mrs. Dash instead of the three. It is so good on it's own with cornbread that I cut back on the seasoning and we could not tell the difference.

Have a safe and fun-filled weekend! Take care!

Being Sick Stinks!

2009-02-18T20:59:00.003-05:00

Hello. I want to thank everyone for the kind words and thoughts these past few weeks. Unfortunately, I am still sick. I am about over it. I am the world's worst sick person. When I don't feel good, nothing gets done and I am about worthless except to sit on the couch and moan and groan. Thankfully my son seems to have overcome most of what made him sick. He has a runny nose and coughs some, but it is hard to tell whether it is because of the weather, sinus', or some small virus. Thankfully he has no fever and seems fine otherwise. I am now on my second round of meds and hopefully that will do the trick. Let's hope so anyway.

I don't have much to share today because I have barely stitched at all this week. Below shows you how little I have gotten accomplished. This is the start of a free chart from the Sampler Girl called Be Still and Know That I am God. I love it so far, and can't wait to get more of it done.

I have also been given four kits to stitch for someone at work, so as I make progress on those I will post updates. Thanks for being so kind as to visit from time to time. Warms my heart just to think about it. Take care, stay safe and stay healthy!

Happy Valentine's Day!

2009-02-13T05:03:00.008-05:00

Thank goodness this week is over! I am ready to rest some and enjoy some time where maybe not all of us are sick. Matthew was sick Sunday and Monday this week with an awful virus going around. Wednesday I picked him up from daycare to discover that he had fallen off the biggest slide and had hit his head - at least that was what the accident report said. Then Thursday I picked him up from daycare and he was running a fever of 100.2 and said "I don't feel good", which set the tone for the whole evening. Luckily he seemed a little bit better yesterday with just a runny nose and chapped upper lip. Maybe, if I am lucky, today will be better. Let us hope anyway.....

This is another angel my mother made for the mother of a friend who is having a hard time of things right now. I just love the red hair! It is just too cute!

And this is my latest project. I am disappointed with my progress so far, but my moods have been dark lately and it is sometimes hard to stitch things that are light and whimsical when you feel like you are in a dark hole somewhere. This is the Lovebird freebie from Midsummer Night Musings. I have not decided on how I am going to finish it yet, but maybe divine inspiration will hit me soon. I will post another set of pictures tomorrow. Happy Valentine's Day everyone!

One More Day....

2009-02-11T05:07:00.003-05:00

Hello. This is just a quick post to touch base and thank everyone for reading my blog. I apologize for the lack of posts, but my family has been sick since last Wednesday and are just now bounding back some. I have a lot to post, but have just not felt like it up until now. I will try to post tonight, but if not I will definitely update by this weekend. Everyone take care!

My Mother's Handiwork!

2009-01-31T21:47:00.005-05:00

Hello. As you all know I cross stitch and crochet from time to time, but my mother sews and quilts and has been giving me lessons on how to do both over the last year or so. I am not very good, but at least now I can sit in front of my sewing machine and not freak out over it like I use to. I checked out the book Sew Pretty Homestyle by Tone Finnanger from my library a few months ago and took it to my mother to look at. She loved it, ordered it, and has made a few dressing gown angels over the last few weeks. I told her to send me the final pictures and she agreed. They are just too cute! I need some for my house, but that will have to wait for another day. Just another note because I want to brag on my Ma some more, the quilt in the picture was made by her too. You should see the whole thing. It is just beautiful. All I can say is my Ma rocks and I sure do love her! Thanks for visiting. Until next time.....

Another Finish!

2009-01-28T21:45:00.011-05:00

It's me. I wanted to thank everyone for the kind words concerning my last post. Everyone has been really sweet and supportive. More than I could ever ask for. You all are the greatest! Here is a picture of another finish from my weekend trip to my mother's house - Lizzie Kate's freebie Friendship Grows. I had completed this one a while ago when I first got back into stitching and did not know what to do with it. I have decided to give it to a lady at work who has been keeping an eye on me of sorts. I guess she senses my distress and is trying to be there for me just in case I need someone to talk to. She is just one of those people you can't help but like and want to be around. So I thought this would be a nice gift to give her to say Thanks. It turned out well, although I had to take forty pictures just to get this one. The day we get a new camera I will probably shed tears of joy. I am off to try to catch up on my Google reader and then head to bed. Have a lovely night!

Christmas Penguin!

2009-01-15T20:11:00.003-05:00

Christmas Penguin

It's Daffycat!

Stitched on 18 count pale delft blue Aida fabric

A post. Finally. Been a long week already and I am pining for the weekend. I went to bed earlier than usual last night in an attempt at getting more sleep, and woke up earlier than usual. Just totally exhausted for some reason and puny to boot. Must be anxiety and unhappiness at work trickling home with me everyday. Guess I am going to have to revamp my meal plan and start working out again. Oh joy.

Anyway, here is my latest finish. It is the Christmas Penguin freebie from the It's Daffycat! blog. Sharon did a bang up job and it is just too cute! My husband even liked it. Worked up pretty quickly although I dragged a little when it came to the white part, but that is a fault of mine and not the design. I will probably make a wall hanging or frame this closer to Christmas when all the cool fabrics hit the market, but I wanted to share this anyway.

I want to thank everyone for the nice comments about my recent posts. They tickle me to death, each and every one. I plan on catching up with my google reader tonight and seeing what everyone else is doing. Such nice projects going on all around. Can't beat it. Have a good evening. Take care.

Here Just Barely......

2009-01-09T06:19:00.008-05:00

I'm finally back. I know that I have not posted much lately, but the holiday season was rough this year and I am trying to get back in the groove. I meant to post this a few days ago, but have fallen asleep on the couch the past few nights and have been about worthless all week. Plus I am trying to fight off a cold and all that together makes for a lazy week. I started on this project, Signs of Autumn by Bent Creek, last weekend. It is coming along nicely. Hopefully it will be done by the end of next week. I quit stitching on it to start a new project a few days ago and will post pictures of it hopefully on Sunday. Thanks to everyone who has stopped by for even a quick glance. I appreciate it more than I could ever say. I am off to bed. Sweet dreams to all.....

First for 2009!

2009-01-03T08:26:00.006-05:00

Well, here is my first finish of the new year. Thought I would never get this one done. Turned out nicely I think. Very cute. It is a freebie I found on The Useful Needle website called Humble Home. I was toying with the idea of making a wall hanging, but might end up framing this one instead. My goal this year is to actually finish a project and put it out in the house somewhere so it can be seen by someone other than myself. Something to work towards. Enjoy what is left of the weekend. Take care!

Too Cute!

2008-12-28T05:43:00.006-05:00

Good morning to all who chose to visit. Sorry about the picture - we are still having camera issues on top of everything else in life. I found this design through the LaGattaC site and love it. It is a freebie called Fall Bird on the Matrioshka Biscornu blog. I loved the thread used to stitch the model on the website, but have no idea what was used. I tried five different thread colors and frogged them all before I settled with DMC 3781. Now I just need to figure out how to finish it. We all know how good I am at that. Ha, ha! Enjoy what is left of the weekend.

Autumn Squares ....

2008-12-27T04:14:00.008-05:00

Hello to all. I hope that everyone had a happy holiday season. My husband picked these up from the Post Office yesterday after they would not leave them at the house on Christmas Eve. These are my Fair and Square Autumn round squares from Rita. She did an awesome job and I just love them! Having received these squares marks the completion of all my rounds with Fair and Square. Unfortunately I had to withdraw from the group because of life being so hectic, but maybe eventually I will be able to go back and have some more fun. I will try to post again this weekend since I have pictures of two other projects I would like to share. Take care and enjoy what is left of the weekend!

Sorry!

2008-12-24T00:57:00.005-05:00

Sorry about the problem with the blog earlier this afternoon. I have my background image stored in Photobucket and while setting up a new blog earlier in the day I cleaned up my Photobucket account and deleted a few duplicate images. I didn't get a chance to check this blog until just now because I have been on call today watching my son and then (once again) fell asleep on the couch. What a way to spend our anniversary.

Here are a few pictures of the biscornu project that I just completed. Not bad for my second one ever, but I will have to work to get the process down pat. I had a lot of fun working on it though. I will have a new picture posted tomorrow of another project I just completed. Until then, have a great day!

Constant Turmoil!

2008-12-23T06:28:00.005-05:00

It's me again. I meant to post yesterday, but things just have not gone right since last Thursday when my son came home from daycare sick. Sunday he ran a low-grade fever all day and yelled for me at 12:30 because he was sick. Checked his temperature and he was burning up. Stripped him down and got out the Tylenol to start with and started a three hour vigil to make sure a trip to the bathtub or emergency room was not required. Luckily it wasn't and by four he was close to normal temperature wise. Bless his heart. When I asked how he felt he said "I'm just fine Mommy." At least one of us was because I was a mess! Anyway, after a trip to the doctor yesterday he is on medicine and I am at home for one more day. I would say that work is not very happy with me at this point, but not much I can do about it at this point except go with the flow. Anyway......

Here are the pictures of the day - a freebie from Aurelle's blog. I started a new biscornu design that I found and liked, but have been torn about what fabric to stitch it on. Since I had a bunch of small pieces, I thought I would try both out and see which I liked the most. The top is on lambswool and the bottom is on linen. My husband said to stitch it on the light fabric so it would pop off the fabric, but I am drawn to the slightly darker fabric for some reason. Looks like my hubby was probably right though. After seeing the pictures, I tend to agree with him. Will have to contemplate it some.... Anyway, I will have something new to post tonight or tomorrow. Tonight is our anniversary and my husband actually gets to come home two hours early, so we will get to have a family meal together at least. Plus, I finally caught up with my google reader posts. I only had 150+ to read. I loved them all. Although I have not said, I love all the blogs I read and think every single one is spectacular. Thanks for reading. Off to get my son who just woke up. Take care!

Bulgarian Motif Part Two....

2008-12-19T21:40:00.017-05:00

Well, I was going to hold off on posting this until tomorrow, but decided against it since I have no idea what tomorrow will bring. I picked up my son from daycare yesterday and he said that he did not feel well. Went home and cuddled on the couch under a blanket watching Noggin until dinner time. When he would not eat I should have seen what was coming, but just thought it was due to the weather changing. Right as my husband walked in the door it hit - his first time to throw-up. Since he will be four in a month, it scared him pretty badly. Between steaming the Berber carpet, running several loads of towels, etc., out whole night was in turmoil. I ended up staying home with him since he kept running a low-grade fever off and on all day. So hopefully tomorrow will be better.

Anyway, while sitting in the dark today I decided my biscornu needed something on the back and decided to stitch it. Considering the first side took months to complete, this side was done in less than a day. I was on the Rooted in Mississippi blog months ago and saw where she had stitched one switching out the colors on each side and I thought it was a great idea. Hopefully it will turn out well. I will keep my fingers crossed. Everyone have a great weekend!

Slow Going....

2008-12-18T06:06:00.005-05:00

Hello again. Sorry for the lack of posts this week, but I have been back to my normal routine of falling asleep on the couch every night and then having to scramble around like a chicken with my head cut off in the morning. Not a good thing. I swear it is because I am getting old. I digress.....

I decided to pull How Does Your Garden Grow... by Papillon Creations out of the basket because I received the last newsletter saying that the last part was posted on the website. I am a tad behind- was through with part six as of Monday - so now is catch-up time. The first picture is the showing the WIP progress for the whole project. I think it is turning out quite nicely.

This picture is of part seven - it is the small triangles between the outer border and butterflies. Today I will start work on part eight which looks to be fun.

Thanks for visiting. Off to get my son ready for daycare and to get ready for work. Take care!

Bulgarian Motif

2008-12-14T22:50:00.009-05:00

Hard to believe, isn't it? Another finish, almost. Believe it or not, this is one of the first projects I started and got to a certain point and could not bring myself to finish it. But the urge hit tonight and at least the main stitch work is done. I think this one will be a biscornu, of which I have none. I have made only one other biscornu and it turned out well, so hopefully this one will too. For anyone who does not know, this is a freebie from Alita Designs. I found the pattern on a tutorial and thought it was interesting. Anyway.....

Sometime this week I plan on adding a new list to my blog of WIP's I would like to complete next year. I have also changed the blog around some trying to make it more festive. Hope everyone likes it. Have a lovely day and be safe!

Winterberries Is Almost Done!

2008-12-14T04:25:00.007-05:00

Good morning! A big THANKS to Vonna for the blog design help. Tonight I should be able to play around with my blog and make a few changes - hopefully.

I finally finished a project - sort of. I finished the stitch work on a project called Winter Berries - a freebie from Cosmic Handmade. I found it through the LaGattaC link on my sidebar. (Sorry about the picture quality, but our camera is heading south and I was thankful that it even took a picture this morning.) I am going to attempt to finish it totally this week, so a quick trip (if that is even possible) will have to be made to Hobby Lobby. Oh joy. I have a lot of projects lying in various states, so I think I am going to set up a stitching schedule in the hopes that I can complete a few by the end of the year. Nice concept - hopefully it will work out that way. I will put a list up on my blog tonight and post updates to show my progress. Have a happy day! Hope the sun is shining where you are today!

Quick Change to Blog

2008-12-13T07:06:00.004-05:00

Hello. Quick post. I used some graphics from Life in the Craft Lane From Mandie to make my first header. I like it so far. I am using a background tile from the same site for my background, but I was wondering if anyone could recommend a good site on how to make some changes to my Html code so I can change a few more things with my background. So far I have had no luck, so if you know of a good site please let me know. Thanks. I will post an update tonight with a picture of my latest project. Until then - have a wonderful day!

Fair and Square Christmas Round Sent .....

2008-12-04T20:17:00.003-05:00

Well, here is the picture I promised yesterday. It is a combination of patterns from Echevette's blog. There were several designs that I liked and I just combined two of them to make the square. If you have the time, take a look at the site because there are lots of great ideas and beautiful projects to look at. It is definitely worth the time. These squares will be my last for Fair and Square. I have enjoyed every round I have been a part of and I have met some really nice people too. The squares I have received have all been truly beautiful and I will definitely post pictures of my finishes as I get the time. Right now I am focusing on the holidays and family, so I will give up my spot to someone who has the time to put into it and has a greater imagination than I do. Until next time - enjoy each and every day!

Received Fair and Square Christmas Round ......

2008-12-04T19:57:00.005-05:00

Hello. I am posting a picture of the Fair and Square Christmas round squares that I received. Are they not beautiful? Put mine to shame. Annemiek chose a beautiful design and even sent some goodies, which I thought was sweet. She went through a lot of trouble and I sure did enjoy the gift she gave me. I will post the picture of my squares in the morning for all to see. They are not as nice as the ones I got, but I enjoyed stitching them none the same. Take care and have a good night!

Belated Wedding Gift

2008-11-29T16:31:00.006-05:00

Hello. Just a small post. Been one of those days where everything seems to go wrong. Just the way life is sometimes. I am finally able to post this picture and I am quite proud of it. A friend of ours got married and I started this before the wedding and finished it after. It is A Place We Call Home from Country Cottage Needleworks. When I started the project, I thought it would stitch up quicker. But when you have on average 30 minutes a day, projects seem to move at a snail's pace. Anyway, my husband delivered the gift today and I am posting it for all to see. I am still plugging away at my other projects. Just slow, slow, slow right now. Take care and have a good night!

Happy Thanksgiving!

2008-11-27T04:49:00.009-05:00

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! Hard to believe that another year is almost over with. I hope everyone has plans to spend some quiet, family time together today if possible. Last week my mother-in-law was in the hospital and thankfully it was only a short visit, and now she is in rehab for a week or two until she is able to go back home. Not the best way to spend Thanksgiving, but we are thankful it has just been for a short time so far. So we are putting aside our normal family tradition of turkey and the fixings at our house and going to my mother's house instead. My son is excited and it should be a fun day.

I wanted to post pictures of my first attempt at embroidery. I think it turned out well considering. The first picture is the finished design and the second is of the fabric I am thinking of pairing with it. The design is a freebie that can be found on the Cinderberry Stitches site. I can't decide what to do with it. I have been thinking about making a tote bag for work, but won't decide until tonight. I take Walmart bags to work to keep my stuff in and decided that maybe I should make something a little more suitable.

Anyway, have a lovely day. Take care...........

Been a Long Week....

2008-11-23T05:33:00.006-05:00

Sorry for the lack of posts, but it has been a rough week overall. When someone you love is in the hospital, it is never easy and life just takes on a whole new dimension.

I am posting pictures of the blanket I am making for my son. I had originally started crocheting a granny square blanket for him using the yarn, but didn't like it and pulled it all out and started over. Now I am making blocks of single crochet stitches and I am going to whip stitch it together. Hopefully it will turn out well.

Also, I am trying my hand at my first embroidery project and will post those pictures the first of the week. So far I have enjoyed the experience and will definitely be doing more in the future. Thanks to Staci for the two websites to look at. They were very informative and inspirational. Take care and have a good day!