I've just discovered Barbara Ana's designs!!

I like to browse the "what's new" area of INS's. That's how, a week ago, I came across a slew of designs by Barbara Ana at Always in Stitches (www.alwaysinstitches.com). I bought all but 3 and I'll get those in my next order!!! LOL

I've been working on one with a frog and a wanted poster. You'll love it when I post it. I should be done on New Year's Day when I'll have time to stitch while watching the Rose Bowl Parade.

She has a bunch of free patterns on www.cyberstitchers.com. This is a wonderful site with lots of free patterns by many creative designers and lots of tips and tools (like graph paper, and how-to hints).

Lizzie Kate finish

I like the look of this piece and am very glad it's finished. I did NOT like the fabric as it was hard to see the holes and it's only 32 count. I should be able to see that. I have a simple frame so I may give framing it myself a try. I've framed before and I do a good job. I just detest the pinning and lacing. Ick!!! LOL

Another SB finish

I was checking my Y2K box, that I use for holding early-bought Christmas presents, and found in addition to a present I didn't give out last year (!!!!) this little Shepherd's Bush Heartfelt Flower kit. I finished the stitching, but haven't made it into a pin yet. Such a quick finish!!

Another Finish!!

I finished the last of this SB series: Spring is Blooming.



These were so quick and easy. I need to order the last frame (for winter). I bought them all at Salty Yarns in Ocean City, MD during Springfest in May this year. I suppose other places would have the frame, but I have it in my head to get them all from the same source. Funny how people think, isn't it? :)

Shepherd's Bush finishes

I'm tearing through this series of small SB kits. I have the frames for all but Winter.







I'll be starting on Spring in a few minutes. It's on a lovely pale yellow fabric.

Back home

On November 28 I went to the doctor's office to see about getting medication to get rid of my congestion left over from my cold. However, he said my lungs were clear and to go to the Emergency Room. A few tests later and I was admitted with blood clots in the lungs! I learned that blood clots are like bruises and will be absorbed by the body in approximately 2 weeks. I've been home since late Tuesday afternoon. I'm feeling stronger and breathing better every day. Thank goodness!!!

I finished this needleroll by Shepherd's Bush in a modified fashion while recuperating in the hospital. It said what I was feeling about catching this in time and being alive:



The weekend after Thanksgiving I finished these lions from Simply Old Fashioned:



And last night I finished Blooming Alphabet by La D Da:



Now I'm stitching on a small Lizzie Kate, but it's going slow and I'm getting bored with it. I have some small Shepherd's Bush seasons so I may just finish these.

The cat and the kitten

I have seven cats. I've had nine, but that was when I volunteered at the animal shelter. Anyway, Mr. Peeps is a red or ginger Maine Coon bred by a friend at work. He is about 6 years old and is very friendly to new cats. Here's his picture:



Sabrina, a domestic short hair calico, came into my house in October 2006 when she was 4 months old. She immediately fell in love with Mr. Peeps and he with her. She could be all sassy and kitteny and he wouldn't mind at all. She must be about 8 months old in this picture of her sleeping peacefully on her body pillow...Mr. Peeps!



Like lots of youngsters, she moves around a lot while she sleeps. Here is one of my favorite pictures of her and Mr. Peeps while they were sleeping together one afternoon:



He is not a happy cat-purr (camper) with her foot on his throat!! However, they shifted positions slightly and he fell back asleep. She half woke up at one point and tried to bite his ears! Everyone thinks I need to protect the kittens from the male adult cats. It's been my experience that the alpha males need protection from the girly kittens! LOL

He'll mess around with the other cats and try to establish his alpha-ness over them. But now that she's an adult cat, Sabrina will chase him around the house!!

More about the Down by the Sea Retreat in Norfolk, VA earlier this month

This was so much fun. I went with friends, but enjoyed meeting new people and talking about the classes and cross stitch in general. It was nice to meet the designers, Charland from Charland Designs and Tina and Teri from Shepherd's Bush. We also met Lois from Elegant Stitch who designed and taught the needle rest welcoming kit (shown in a previous post).

After arriving at the Radisson in Norfolk, Virginia, we went to the ballroom to register, pick up our name tags, tote bag and welcoming kit.

Some of the goodies in the tote bag with fabric I bought at the boutique and a giftie from the Charland class:


We settled in at a table with other stitchers from all over the US and opened our kits. We got some instruction from Lois and admired the model. We hadn't gone too far in our stitching before we noticed folks who had left the ballroom were now back with purchases from the boutique. We looked at each other, dropped everything, and headed for the boutique set up on another floor.

It was crowded with eager shoppers! It was so well set up by Dyeing to Stitch (the folks holding the retreat); everything flowed so nicely around the room. The first table had a Halloween theme. Our tote bag had a nice Cricket Collection freebie of a ghost and it was stitched and framed on the table. Nice buckets and baskets held R&R fabric (of course!!) rolled up and tied with ribbons. The tags on the fabrics indicated the color name, the count and the design for which it was intended. M Designs' Halloween Tree was stitched on a gorgeous yellow. I picked up 2 pieces of the fabric: one for the tree and one for Halloween ornies to be determined later.

The next table was all Charland! All her wonderful silver charms were on display on black velvet. Her Halloween House kit was there, but I didn't pick it up and by the time I had taken her class and learned to appreciate it, the kit had been appreciated by other stitchers. ;) It's on my to-get list. She had a scissors fob and emery kits with the Down By the Sea theme. I picked up one of each and a Halloween Bag kit.

The next table was along the back wall. It had flower pots with colorful, whimsical decorations and Prairie Moon (?) Halloween kits to go on sticks and "planted" in the flower pots. Cute, but I passed. It was the next table that had my interest! Shepherd's Bush!!

The kits from their retreat last year were there, the new stocking, and the new books as well as a Down By the Sea "Virginia Beach" sampler. We were so naive we actually thought this was the piece for the class and that extras were being sold. We quickly found out this was not the case and we each bought one of the little sampler kits. I finished it while at the retreat. They also released a new needleroll with a Halloween theme! It is exclusive to the retreat for a year and will be released next year for everyone.

The next table was along the wall opposite the entrance. I can't even remember what was on that table: keychain? slippers? Not even remotely on my radar. Neither was the rack of charts that came between this table and the next one. It was the sort of rack that you could read the titles, but couldn't see any of the designs. Also not on my radar.

The next table had a model of Cross Eyed Cricket's (CEC) Legend of Sleepy Hollow! A large, but fantastic piece! Love it! Picked up the fabric and should have picked up the specialty fibers they had displayed in front of the piece. However, if I'd picked up the fibers, I wouldn't have known to pick up 2 of one of the colors. I would have had dye lots in conflict!

The last table displayed designs by By the Bay Needleart, including a framed piece. This was about as large as Sleepy Hollow. (I'll need another couch to hang this over!) It was also a Doink! moment for me. Turns out 13th Colony Parts 1, 2, and 3 can be stitched side by side to make one picture!! Who knew!?! LOL Very impressive.

They also had a model of Skeleton Crew by CEC. Nice, but I already own the chart and started it. (It was the "must have" at last years' Hershey.)

The hotel apparently decided to turn off the air conditioning, so that was the longest, hottest wait in line for the register on the planet, but it was a great place to meet people and it gave us plenty of time to chat. All good!

Back to the ballroom and our welcome project. We worked on that until 4 pm when it was time for The Reveal. This was our first retreat so we had decided that we would not "go" to the reveal (thinking it was going to be in the boutique) and would wait until class to be surprised. Well, they closed the boutique so everyone could gather in the ballroom. The designers gathered at the registration table at the front center of the room. After a brief welcoming message and to a roomful of stitchers chanting "Reveal! Reveal!" It was Charland's piece we saw first. WOW!!

This is how far I got in class the next morning. It is important to baste the areas for stitching (every 10th stitch is an "x" to make counting easier). I put in a few of the lighthouse stitches.

Next was seeing the Shepherd's Bush class project. We gasped when we saw the back (yes, the BACK) of the piece. It was HUGE and framed. Assuming Jill Rensel mats were used, that would make the piece similar to all the large sampler kits. We beamed with joy at each other! This was not the tiny Virginia Beach sampler we bought at the boutique.

What a nice blend of Quaker motifs and the sea! The mats are beautiful. I must stitch this sooner rather than later. In class we took a small stitching break to make a sea themed beaded scissors fob. So much fun and I love mine!

The first night after dinner, we all met in the ballroom. We brought our Ott Lights, extension cords and stitching. In our totes was a black pearl that we unwrapped here. Wrapped in the black paper was a package of goldfish crackers (sea theme!!), a button, a shell and one person had a "you won" shell. The first of many door prizes. Although we didn't win this one, a stitcher at our table won and it was lovely.

We received the collaboration project. R&R dyed the fabric, and Charland and Shepherd's Bush each designed one side of the clam shell.

The next evening we had a show and tell by R&R of reproduction samplers and the histories of the originals. All but two or three were passed around so we could see them up close. How nice! What wasn't clear until the end was that we could indicate on a list we were given which ones we'd like to order. Ah, well! What was cool to me was to see the Rachel Ellicott samplers. She did two and I have one of the charts already. I bought it after seeing the originals many years ago.

The lecture was followed by a dessert buffet (sic) and more stitching for those who wanted to stay in the ballroom. It was a large platter of an assortment of cookies more than a dessert buffet, but it was still tasty.

After classes were over for the day, many people gathered in the stitching room they'd set aside for our use. Snacks were available the first day, but not the second. I have to guess that was planned. It was nice to see what people were stitching on and to listen in to the many different conversations. In situations like this I tend to be the fly on the wall and do much more listening than talking. Someone went to the mall that was a few blocks away with her daughter and came back with Coach bags for them both. These were shown off and it was "mentioned" that the daughter was going to be attending Sarah Lawrence for college. I don't know who she was, but she's a name dropper! LOL Someone else mentioned Mary of M Designs has opened a shop in Crossville, TN. Good to know.

We took a trip one afternoon to Dyeing to Stitch. Very nice shop and plenty of fabbie! I liked their fiber wall. Tons of models, too. I picked up the 3 hot pink Ken buttons I needed to finish Floral Fun #2 by M Designs. Yippee!!! I didn't know when I'd find them.

The last night together we all took a dinner cruise on the Spirit of Norfolk. http://www.spiritofnorfolk.com/or/index.jsp It was a lot of fun and the food was delicious! I got to see several of the Norfolk mermaids, too! My hope was to see some on this trip. http://www.mermaidsonparade.com/ I wish I'd known about them when they were all on display. I would've made the trip to see them and bought the t-shirt. ;)

I'm sure there must've been much, much more that I can't recall. It was a wonderful time with wonderful people. I had a blast!

My recent finishes

Here's what I've finished in the last 2 weeks:
Bent Creek Bats Zipper Kit


Floral Fun #2 by M Designs on JAR Designs hand-dyed 28 ct linen in "Rustling Russet". Threads are JAR Designs as well.


Bent Creek Turkey Flatbed Zippies kit


Lilybet's Boo. Just need a JABC button to make the spider.


Little House Needlearts and Crescent Colours Collaboration: Plums
This was quick and easy. I have this set and am excited about stitching the rest.

Jolly Roger Cat freebie from http://www.crosseyedkat.com/. So quick!



I always have several irons in the fire. I've been bouncing around between projects since I finished the Turkey Flatbed last night. Can't seem to settle on any one thing. I even started the Halloween curly toe needlepoint sock I've been thinking about for months. I joined the automatic with Fireside Stitchery and every other month I get a new Halloween curly sock canvas, all the fibers, and stitching directions for one price. So far the eyes, mouth and 1/2 row of Upright Oriental stitch on the ghost are completed. But I'm using my new Kelmscott magnetic Halloween needle holder so I feel so appropriately accessorized while stitching! ;)

My keyboard broke, but now I have a replacement!

I'm so thrilled to have a working keyboard again. The darn New Kitty ran behind the computer armoire and tore out the keyboard cable, bending the prongs. Anyone want a New Kitty??? No, I'll keep her, but I was quite put out by her antics. I bought a warranty with the keyboard so I packed it back into the box it came in and carried it over to the shop. Nope! My warranty is for calling in, not bringing in (maybe I should have read the warranty! LOL). I called immediately upon getting back home and they said they'll send a UPS mailing label. Once UPS scans the label, they'll send me a gift card (!) to purchase a new keyboard. Well, it hasn't been hardly a week and I couldn't stand being without a working keyboard! I've caved in and bought a new one. The nice part is it's the same model keyboard, but half the price. Oh, I'll still turn in the broken one, but I'm thinking of getting a better mouse with the gift card. :)

I've been a stitching fool since I couldn't go on the computer after work. I've finished a few small things, but I'm very pleased with my finishes. I'm still concentrating on Halloween although last night I sorted the floss for a Dimensions needlepoint kit I bought to stitch for my brother for Christmas. No, not this Christmas! LOL For next Christmas.

I went kind of crazy the other day while placing an order with Drema of Needlecraft Corner http://www.needlecraft-corner.com I really only needed two skeins of Crescent Colours' Black Coffee, but ordered Peaceful Paradise by Midsummer Night Designs, Still Waters by Plum Street Samplers, the last couple of cat charts by Calico Crossroads, and Coq Au Pins and the accessory pack by Twisted Oaks Designs. I might have picked up the Halloween Tree and button pack by M Designs. At the retreat I saw this stitched on a wonderful yellow fabric (by R&R, I think) and I bought the fabric there.

I really want to stitch Shepherd Bush's Brett's Stocking (I also picked up this chart at the retreat earlier this month), but I need the fabric and fibers. Drema has a nice package for the stocking so I'll have to call her again this month. Wish I would win the lottery so I could keep on buying everything I like!!!

Fun weekend

I went to my first retreat! So much fun. :) After checking in we were handed a quick make-it/take-it project to work on. We found a place at a table with some other ladies and started our project. We thought the boutique was "view", but when we saw people come back to their tables with bags we knew it was "purchase"! Off we went! Good thing we did, too, as there wasn't enough of everything for everyone to take away (could purchase and have it mailed later, which was great!!!). We came back to the welcome project and started on it. Here's a pic from the kit of the front and back of the project and my finished piece:



In the stitcher's lounge, I sat next to someone who finished theirs this way. Great idea!

At the boutique, one of the little kits I picked up was this quick stitch:

It was nice to get another project finished. I like this "finish a project a day" I was doing. LOL

I'm trying to finish up my car project: a Bent Creek zipper kit of a big Jack O'Lantern and bats. It's going quickly, thank goodness, because I want to start seriously stitching on some of the other retreat pieces. Not the big ones, but the smaller surprise pieces.

Stitching Festival at Hershey and some finishes

Pat and I went to Hershey, PA, on Friday to attend what has turned out to be the last of the Stitching Festival (formerly CATS). :( Attendance was low, maybe because it was a Friday and people couldn't get off of work. We were just as glad it wasn't crowded because it makes it easier to see things, make selections and check out.

Silver Needle from Tulsa was our first stop. I was going to go to this other shop that has great ideas for changing fabrics/threads, but they weren't there. That bumped Silver Needle up to our first stop. They brought tons of goodies, including Nan C. (Just Nan). She had a new design, Frost on the Pumpkin, which I bought. Cute snowguy on top of a pumpkin! I love looking at their Mill Hill wall. I got the great idea of stitching MH designs on fabric and making them into standups or hanging pillows from them. I wonder. How they stuff them so fully and smoothly??

Picture This Plus was across the way and had to be my second stop. They have great colors on their dyed fabric and I usually just buy to have some on hand. I like to listen as people ask questions because you never know what you'll learn. The lady across the table from me was getting fabbie for Wave Dancer, a pattern I'd picked up earlier this year. Jazz was the best selection for me and I was lucky to see the model stitched up at the Dinky Dyes display in another booth on the solid color. I would've picked up Phantom to stitch Cross Eyed Cricket's Skeleton Crew, but there wasn't a big enough piece on hand.

From that point Pat and I started at the back corner and worked our way, row by row, to the front. Lorri Birmingham was there with deep discounts on her cross stitch designs which were displayed in plastic tubs. Her booth was displaying jewelry that she made. I walked by after superficially looking through the tubs; I already had everything and I wasn't there for jewelry.

I picked up 3 skeins of GAST that I needed. I needed Mulberry for Prairie Moon's Flower Waltz and I finished the piece Friday after getting home.



It's a companion piece to Prairie Moon's Moon Dance that I finished a week ago.



I can't remember the name of each booth I stopped at or where I bought everything. I do remember getting a fob kit by Fern Ridge Collections called Scardey Cat which I started and finished stitching yesterday and assembled into the fob today.



Earlier in the week I placed an order with Traditional Stitches in Canada and my order arrived Saturday. In addition to the Sampler Cove design I'd ordered were the Tool Tron scissors I'd been wanting: Ice Cream Swirls. They are prettier than I thought they'd be and are pictured above with the scissors fob.

I also bought a needle case kit called Sneaky Kitty by Fern Ridge with a cat on the cover. Noticing all the cat things I was buying, the cashier pointed out that they were selling black scissors with a cat design. They had one there. Uncommon Scissors?? Something like that. I ordered a pair (almost ordered two!) and should have it within 2 weeks. The scissors also come in silver and gold, but those weren't there to show me.

At the JAR Designs booth I got a wonderful chart by M Designs called Floral Fun #2 and the JAR Designs thread pack for it. It's on an apricot-y colored fabric by Picture This Plus. What luck!! Pat was looking in the booth so I sat down to wait. I happened to see a fabric in the JAR booth that looked like what I needed. Nope! Too bright. I went back to PTP's booth to get the fabric (Flash). I already knew this would be my next project. Unfortunately, I wanted a count that they'd sold out. Bummer.

I saw the new Bothy cut-thru design "Cottage", but decided to wait for a sale. Stoney Creek always has a big display and it was good to see the models for charts I have. (Note to self: do Fish City!)

I found a great new haunted house by Brittercup, and some halloweeny green fabric (JAR??).

Pat wanted to check out the line where she'd seen a chart and I wanted water. They provide water coolers and cups, tables and chairs. The water tasted sooooo good! I should've pulled my chair up to the cooler and just kept my cup full! LOL While waiting I played a little game I like to do. I imagine that I've left and am not coming back. What do I regret not purchasing? Surprisingly, I had a regret! I decided to go back to JAR Designs and get the bright orange fabric so I did. Here it is:



After finishing the stitching of the fob last night, I needed a new project. I pulled out the M Designs chart, the floss and the bright orange fabbie. When I opened the fabbie I was delighted to see that the reverse side was almost a perfect match to the fabric called for!! I've started it and here it is:



I also bought Tequila and Salt by The Sunflower Seed and the JABC button pack, Toil and Trouble by Erica Michaels (my favorite!!!!) and the fabbie, Haunt the Night Away by Brittercup Designs (mentioned above), Blue Marble fabbie by JAR Designs, and MH pin kit called Boo Ghost. And a great time was had by all!

No stitching last night

Boy, was I tired last night! I napped and watched TV. Didn't have the energy to even think about stitching! The only stitching related activity I did was look over the Just Cross Stitch ornament issue that came in the mail yesterday. Some nice ones. I made a list of about 12 that I'm interesting in stitching. My favorite part is that the first two designers have essentially the same recipe!!! What is the likelihood of that! I also like that most of the charts call for DMC. Thank goodness.

I feel more rested today so I'm anticipating making up for lost stitching time tonight.

Sue's RR

Here is my area on Sue's Round Robin. It's Summer House by Chessie & Me with a bird borrowed from C&M's Pomegranate House Sampler and stitched in Lancaster Red.

You can just see a bit of Sue's topper. I'm aiming to mail it tomorrow!

Joining the 21st century.....finally!

I feel like I'm catching up to the rest of the world. I finally figured out (I hope!) what I need to do to sell items on eBay. I've two items for sale and my fingers are crossed that they sell. Even if they don't, it was a great learning experience.

Today is a beautiful fall day. Sunny, clear and crisp. The leaves are not turning, but some have started to fall. I was going to just drop in to get my oil changed. Thank goodness I called first. They were totally booked and I made an appointment for next weekend. I'm planning to go to Hershey in 2 weeks and always like to have an oil change before a big drive. I always get more items than I can possibly finish in a year so I'm hoping to keep my wallet zipped shut this time. Well, can't come home empty handed, but I don't need to go nuts either! LOL

Going to Chocolate World for the box of Zagnuts is mandatory.

Another needlepoint finish

This cute crab is by Ewenique. I used the metallic to suggest the sparkling water of the Chesapeake Bay for the Maryland crab. That's the Maryland state flag used for its design.

The ANG was meeting in Baltimore at the end of August and a LNS (located just outside Baltimore) was stocking extra needlepoint canvases in anticipation. I bought the crab about 3 weeks ago before the ANG attendees arrived in town and then selected the threads during Labor Day Weekend. I finished it Thursday morning. So quick and so fun. I'm thinking about using it in a box lid, but it's probably safer framed. (Safer from the cats, that is!)

I probably should pull a canvas from my stash of a bird-of-paradise. I've had it nearly 20 years! I think it even has a stitch guide. As I'm thinking of it, I have a Xerox paper box of needlepoint kits. And somewhere I have a Bernat kit of a harbor to be done in half cross using floss. And whatever happened to the Aesop's Fables crewel kit????? Hmmmm..... after my errands tomorrow I may go stash diving and see what I come up with. That'd be fun for me and it'll amuse the cats. I won't have time on Sunday since I'll be photo judging at the Frederick fair most of the day and watching the tractor pull and picking my entries up from the Damascus Community Fair. (Seeing how my entries did is one of my errands for tomorrow.)

Tomorrow evening I'll pick up the Round Robin (RR) I have and make some good progress on it.

Another finish

I forgot to post the pic of my Mosey 'n Me finish!
It was a hoot to stitch! I love the colors on this fabbie.

I've also made some progress on Dead Man's Chess. I bought everything and started stitching it in February 2007. Here's as far as I got:


It was making my eyes go wonky by doing all the over one so I put it up for awhile. I picked it up again this past weekend and made some progress on it. I need to go upstairs and use the magnifier on the standing Ott lamp that I have, but the best stitching chair is in the living room. Here is my progress:

The entire piece is stitched, with a good portion done over one. I'm trying to not even think of that!!

Needlepoint finish

TA-DAH!!! I just love this little needlepoint ornament I bought on Tuesday! I'm also so very pleased that it's finished!!!

The design is by mindy and I was captivated by its simple charm. The black stars are a big plus, too! I used DMC Perle Cotton #5. Very easy to use and a nice shiny finish.

Now back to cross stitch!

Fair: Note to self

It occurred to me that I can use this blog to remind myself to take my Montgomery County Fair entries to the fair by leaving the house at the start of take in time (4 pm). It takes about an hour to get there so arriving at 5 pm is perfect for swift entry. No lines at all!!

Christmas ornie finish: the first!

I finished this cute tree ornament by Jeannette Douglas from the October 2007 issue of Just Cross Stitch (JCS). It's the preview ornament issue and I've already started the ornie by Brightneedle. That one is stitched over 1 so it'll take a while!

Here's the tree ornie:
I decided to not do the background stitches...I rarely do them. This was a lot of fun. I used DMC and 28 ct (it was designed for 32 ct so it would fit in a cute gold frame). Now I'm really looking forward to getting the annual ornament issue in September!!!

Green, green, green...it's not easy stitching green

With apologies to Kermit the Frog! LOL I've been working on Mosey 'n Me's Costume-What Costume? design of a green-faced witch and it's taking FOR-ever! Green, green, green! Thank goodness it's a rather lime shade of green and not a sick-green. Her face is almost 4 inches square. At least she has a huge turquoise nose so it's not all green. I'm so looking forward to stitching her dress. It has lots of different bright colors. Her charm (which I was smart enough to buy when the pattern was released) is of Frank as Frankenstein's Monster.

I'd like to get it done in the next 2 weeks so I can take advantage of the framing sale at Joann's Fabrics ETC: 60% off! It's a great deal, especially if the project is on the small side and the frame is not very expensive. I'd like a shiny black metal frame for this witch.

My stitching plan, now don't hold me to it, is to stitch some of the patterns I've had for ages. If I've liked them this long then I can feel confident I'll like it stitched and on the walls. The Mosey 'n Me I'm doing fits this category. I have a ton of Bent Creek, Trilogy, Brightneedle, needlerolls, SanMan, Drawn Thread, Prairie Schooler, Chatelaine, Shepherd's Bush and Long Dog (just to name a few) that I would love to finish. Many of the designs are kitted up already just waiting for me to get around to them. If I were smart, I'd make a list of fair categories and stitch for the different classes rather than several of the same theme. Sounds like a great idea for a lunchtime project!

A surprise finish

I saw a tote bag I hadn't looked in for a while and found an almost finished piece by Cherished Stitches. It was supposed to be the tape measure cover but the tape measure it's supposed to fit doesn't exist any longer. Apparently it was taken off the market at about the same time the design was released. Although I suppose "things happen" I'm not pleased that I spent my time stitching something pretty for a clever idea that can't be completed. I started sewing it together with the idea of making it into a scissor fob, but stopped over a year ago with the stuffing to add and one inch left to sew closed. When I found it again today I decided it would be better to use it as a pin cushion. I liked the idea of stabbing this failure with pins! :)

Ten minutes later I have this cute pin cushion:


Best of all I think I like it again.

However, I won't be purchasing any more designs by Cherished Stitches. Although I like the designs a lot, this one didn't work as designed and a friend bought another chart, it was missing a page, and after being assured the page was in the mail she STILL hasn't received the missing page. I don't need the headache, especially when there's so much else to stitch.

I picked up my entries from the nearby county fair today and a little check for premiums! My Mill Hill Midnight Silo entered in the Home Arts Department theme competition "silo" won 4th place. My Shepherd's Bush (SB) Bunny's Fill, SB "L" is for Lamb, and Heart in Hand (HIH) whimsey's all done on one piece of fabric all took 2nd place. WAHOOOOO!!!

Unfortunately, I wasn't able to go to the fair while it was on and didn't see the competition. I like to see the other entries because I always get an idea for something to stitch or how to frame or finish.

I have some things entered in my county's fair, too! I finished a needlepoint bracelet by Dimensions in May while at the beach this spring. I entered it, two pieces by Bent Creek (Here Comes the Sun and Bad Moon Rising) as a pair, a punchneedle farm design, and SB My Heart's Garden. I'll be volunteering as a cross stitch demonstrator on Thursday and Friday so I'll find out then how I did. I was judging another department on Saturday and wandered by after judging was long over, but the designs weren't displayed so I couldn't see my items much less see how they did. Patience is a virtue......

Another quick stitch done!

This cutie by Sisters & Best Friends was calling to me earlier this week. The fabric is 14 ct Grasshopper from Charles Craft (in a tube at Joann's Fabrics). Perfect for Halloween, I thought.
I want to make it into an ornament for my Halloween tree.

I'm now using the 14 ct Lemon (that may not be the whole name) by Charles Craft (in a tube!) for Mosey 'n Me's "Costume--What Costume?" I have the turquoise nose, green lips and white snaggley teeth done.

Pic of Nathan's Sampler

The piece is bigger than the scanner! Here's a good portion of Nathan's Sampler showing the wonderful quilt square border in the vibrant colors.

I still love it after all these years!

It amuses me greatly that the fruit basket on the right took 3 hours to stitch in 2007 and the fruit basket on the left took 5 years to finish!

WAHOOOOO!!!! I FINISHED!!!!

I'm so excited that I finished Nathan's Sampler a Bernat kit I bought brand-new-out-of-the-box in 1984 and started that night. I finished it on August 1, 2007 after working on it every summer (plus odd times in between) since 1984.

I'm amused by the back of the piece. I started cross stitching in 1980 so I was still relatively new to it in 1984. Now, 23 years later, I'm quite accomplished at many counted thread stitches and "expert" at cross stitch. ;) I had some cherries and stems left to do and I did them as I would do any isolated stitching by tying the threads off after each motif and not dragging the DARK RED and DARK GREEN threads from one cherry to the next. However, back in 1984 or so I was not fettered by such constraints! LOL Drag-drag-drag away! I considered "fixing" them, but it is visual proof of my journey in stitching, even if I'm the only one who knows after it's framed.

I'd show a picture, but webshots wasn't uploading pics quickly last night. I'll try again this weekend. In the meantime, here's a link: http://albums.photo.epson.com/j/ViewPhoto?u=4026843&a=32420222&p=75751214

Hedwig's Four Patch finish

I finished this great freebie from The Sampler Girl's website today just a couple of hours after my copy of the last Harry Potter book was delivered.

The pattern was modified by Mary Kathryn P. of CO and shown on the site. I used that modification and added "21" to the date (my finish date and the date last book was issued), the scar, and a cute broom charm I had.

The best part is I found the fabric hiding among some charts just yesterday. I pulled some likely GAST colors and went to town! This morning I browsed through my box of buttons and charms, looking for a JABC purple or even a black bat, when I found the broom charm (actually TWO broom charms!). Perfect! Now if I could only have figured out how to stitch a qwittich ball. ;)

What to stitch? What to stitch?

I find myself putzing (is that a real word?? LOL) along with my stitching. I have several things started [ahem! several dozen things started], but little interest in working on them. I have another Fanci That flower I could start: a daisy with a watermelon in the center. But, nah, no real interest in it. Same for a cute needlepoint I have.

I do have some very pretty new Charles Craft Aida-in-a-tube in a lagoon blue that would be fun to work on. Maybe I can find something new to do using that fabric while I sit outside tomorrow waiting for the postal carrier to bring my Harry Potter book! Now that sounds like a can-do plan!

I realized today that I hadn't read all the HP books so I googled Harry Potter book summary and got hits for some sites. I read two summaries (for books 5 and 6) during lunch today! Now I'm ready for the final book. I'm planning to drop everything to read the last installment in the saga. Maybe that's why I don't want to get involved in a xs project: I'll have to drop it to read HP.

Stitching what I have

What a concept! LOL I have so much stash that I still love, but haven't even thought about stitching. It's about time I did something about that! So for my first effort I went back a little bit (2 years) and stitched this cat kit


Then I went back a little further (6 years) and stitched this needleroll


Then I went waaaaaaaaaayyyyyyy back to 1994 and stitched this charmer from Fanci That


WAHOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'm on a roll!!!!