last time in February

Yes, this will be my last post this month.

I do have some news to share.  Thank you for all of your comments re: Paul and the new job but... He decided after 4 days that it was not for him.  We were texting furiously back and forth re: leaving the new job.  He talked to his old job and they were HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY to have him back again.  So he told the new company on Friday and started with the old company on Saturday.  What a fast week!  He is much happier now.

But through all of this he found me a shed for a quilt room.  It has double doors on front and 3 windows.  I just need to have more electric outlets installed and then electric run to the power box.  Now I know that you are saying - A shed? well, it is vinyl sided, has a small loft and a work bench under the back window that runs from side to side.  If the men deliver it soon, I will insert a picture of it.  Please remember that I live in a single-wide trailer (trailer trash it is not!) so the bedrooms are very small.  I will be able to have an actual guest room and a computer room in the house.  The quiltroom will be just a very short walk through the backyard to get to all of the fun and games.

I made a picture of This Is The Day.  It is not a good picture. The Oscars struck me bad.  I was watching and not paying attention evidently because I had stitched 2 more windows and the crown over the door when I noticed that, oops, I was one thread over too far.  So I spent the rest of the Oscars unstitching!

No I did not iron it and yes I left my needle in.  I have stitched the first line in the over one which was the first time I have done this in a large stitching project.  I have stitched over one on 28 ct but the whole project was over one.  Make any sense out of this?  I think I'm rambling.  Oh well!

I am listening to JD Robb.  I have been going through all of the IN DEATH series, in order, as much as I can. They are good listens.  I haven't seen the new movie ONE FOR THE MONEY from Janet Evanovich.  I don't know if I can get past the cast of characters.  I pictured them all a certain way and that is not what is showing up on the screen.  Oh well, I will probably see it sometime on DVD.  Does anyone think Stephanie Meyers will make a 5th novel about Edward, Bella, and the baby grown up?  I would love it as I have loved all of the books and the movies.

Well the delivery men are supposed to be here this hour (between 1 and 2) but you know men - sometimes they are where you want them when you want them and sometimes they aren't!  Go figure!  I may edit if they show up soon.

Thanks for stopping by.
Happy Stitching!

Well now!

Here we are again!  Yes, I am better thank you.  I am still not completely recovered but progressing nicely - as the doctor would say.  I have seen them 3 times so far and am scheduled for 1 more visit this month.  All I have to say is "I'm glad I have an Rx plan".

I think "This is the Day" and I are going to part ways for a little while as I am tired of it and it of me I'm sure.  The fill-in on the top alphabets is a killer.  But first before I set it aside I will go to another section and work on - maybe the house or maybe finish the over one.  Maybe that will keep the mojo going.

My fingers are itching to start on Quaker Christmas II - Songs of the Season.  I love the Quaker as you feel you have accomplished something when you get a motif finished!  Happy Dance!

I am going to visit quilting friends in the mountains of TN in March.  There is a quilt show we will attend then go up the mountain and stitch our little selves silly.  We sew pillowcases by the tens, Care House quilts by the dozen hopefully and sew on our own projects too.  I have nothing special of my own to sew right now so I will help sew Care House quilts from start to finish (except for tying).  I may take along one unfinished quilt project and work on it in between.  This is a very small group - only 4 of us now.  When they started I couldn't join as I worked 3 jobs plus home life but there were probably 4 - 5 others.  Needless to say we have a good time - laughing, talking, sewing, eating, watching movies, reading, watching for bald eagles, and looking at the lake!  What a blessing!

Paul has started his new job.  This is day 2!  Can you really tell anything from just 1 day of meet and greet?  We shall see.

The sun has disappeared behind some clouds or it has just turned overcast here.  I haven't decided which.  The temp is supposed to get to 66 so that is something to look forward to.  I may have to sit and swing on the porch this afternoon.  Yes, I will wear a sweatshirt jacket so I don't get a chill. (Man I sound like I'm about 80 instead of 60 but I am trying to get over this sickness!)

This is FAT TUESDAY so that means that Lent starts tomorrow with Ash Wednesday.  Paul said I should give up 'bitching about everything' for Lent but I don't know - what fun would I have then?  I thought I would try to not be a cranky pants (Sebastian tells me this all the time) but that probably falls into the bitchy category.  What thinks you?

Sorry about no pics this time.  I will send a pic of whatever I stitch on next time.  I pinkie swear! 
So...
Happy Stitching!  my friends

Almost...

Well, it is almost the end of January and here I am again.  I have finally inserted a picture in my profile zone.  It is a picture of Tina, a 12 week old pit bull but don't tell her that.  She thinks she is a lap dog and no one is a stranger as all are put here for her pleasure of holding, petting, and playing.  She lived with me for 4 days and was very spoiled by husband P and myself before we  (I) gave her back to daughter C.  She again lives with her brother Buster, sister Georgia, Mom and Dad, then human mom (my daughter C) and our grandson S.  What a house full!  Here is a picture of the three sibs!

Georgia is the black and white (image of her mother) and Buster has the brown ears and built just like his father.  He is scared of his own shadow like his dad.  Tina, the precious baby, was attacked by her Mom when she was 2 wks old and had to be rushed to the vet.  We believe she is blind in her left eye or maybe just partially.  She didn't nurse from Mom after that and can you blame her. C played Mom to her and with antibiotics and good food she is growing!  She is still much smaller than her sibs and probably always will be.  The mother and father are sweet dogs and the puppies are too!  The end of puppies but I promise other pictures in the future!

I did make a picture of Days Past finished so here it is.

Yes it was done on 28ct Cashel Lt Sand so it is big!  I have plans to stitch Christmas II Songs of the Season on 28ct Cashel Lt Sand also so they will match.  Cute.  I am currently working on This Is The Day which was started last year in the Crazy 15 starts in 15 days Challenge which I only managed to finish 9 so I am playing catch up WIPs with a few new ones thrown in this year.  I am going to try to beat my record of 9 and finish 10!  I'm not making a list this year, I'm just going for it and hope for the best.

Friends are planning a quilt retreat on the mountain in March and I hope to attend.  It has been ok'd here by daughter and husband as they believe they can survive without me for a week or ten days as I will have to travel to Ohio to visit with my Mom in the home.  I just have to find a place to stay while I am there.

This is day 8 of suffering from a sinus infection.  Yes I finally visited with the Nurse Practioner and she visited with me.  I think my husband was tired of listening to me cough and complain of the rip-roaring headache.  I was the last to get this mess in the family and thought it was going to pass me by this year.  No such luck.  They (all 3) never ran a fever, coughed/hacked for hours, couldn't breath through the nose like me.  Plus they were all over it in a few days!  He hates it when I'm sick.  Isn't that sweet?  I made it to Mass last Sunday and I plan to attend tomorrow as I am feeling better.  Almost but not quite human.

I have enjoyed viewing all of the latest on the blogs.  There sure is some very pretting stitching going on.  I don't comment often just every now and then so if you don't see me in your comments just know that I am thinking of you as I scurry on the the next blog.

Stitch Happy! and
Happy Stitching!

A New Year!

Well, it has been an extremely long time since I have written on my blog.  I am so sorry for the delay.  I was thinking about you and reading your blogs - usually no comments - but never bothered to update my own.

I did manage to finish 9 of the 15 day challenge from last January.  That's pretty impressive for me.  Here is the list of finished stitches with the date finished: Sampling Halloween 1-30-11, Quaker Christmas Sampler 2-14-11, Merry Christmas 2-27-11, Housework Never Killed Anyone 3-9-11,  Holly & Berries 4-9-11, Crow 4-19-11, A Quaker Christmas 7-13-11, ABC Lessons 11-26-11, and finally Let Heaven & Nature Sing 12-30-11.  I will show you pictures of the last three as all of the others are elsewhere here.

Let Heaven & Nature Sing
With Thy Needle & Thread - Blackbird Designs
32 ct old mill java
recommended threads except DMC 371 instead of OWS

ABC Lessons
Lizzie*Kate
22 ct hardanger beige
threads included in kit

  I can't seem to find a picture of Quaker Christmas but let me just say it is finished and beautiful.  And no, not a thing is finished or framed.  Maybe one day.

I have been busy with other things throughout this past year.  I traveled to the mountains of TN to stitch with girlfriends and make quilts.  I did manage to very simply machine quilt two while I was there and the receivers were extremely happy to receive them.  I also made a reindeer quilt for my grandson who is now 7 and in the second grade.  It fits his double bed and was a real trial for me to machine quilt.  I am so not good at that!  Here is a sideways partial pic from Christmas.



Reindeer Games Quilt
Peppermint & Holly - Art to Heart #530B
(Nancy Halvorsen)
setting changed to simple

I am sending the book and all fabric remains to my quilt friend Jill who is supposed to make this quilt also.  She bought the fabrics at the same time!  That might have been in 2007 or 2008.  Well you know that fabric has to age before it can be used - all quilters know that!

I read a lot of books this past year also.  Most of them were new but I had to visit with old friends also.  Most of them I read on my kindle so there was no heavy lifting and turning of pages!

I have promised myself to finish my challenge from 2011 and stitch at least 1 or 2 new pieces.  Hopefully these will all be from my stash.  My husband and daughter stand in my sewing room and shake their heads.  I made mention of giving my quilt fabric away - just keeping the quilt kits I had made up and make up a few more - but they both said not to do that (give away the fabric).  I may still give some way.  Let's be honest here ladies and gents, just how long am I going to be able to cut, sew, hand quilt and bind.  I'm 60 now and how long are the eyes and hands going to last.  I realize that I started talking about my stash (cross stitch) and finished with my quilting but they are housed in the same room - small room too.  Remember I live in a single wide trailer!  Not much room for zippidy do da but I make do.  Lucky for me, my husband is not a collector and his stuff is in the shed! (along with 2 4-wheelers and a dirt bike)   This is dirt road living at its best!

Nicole get your stitching mojo back soon.  I miss the pictures of your stitching.  Siobhan keep adding those pictures of Ireland.  I love them! (Irish and Scottish heritage from my Mum)  sorry Dad - you were Irish and Mum was Scottish.

Happy Stitching to all and a healthy New Year.

Oh Well

The life of leisure is over for me.  My husband is finally moving down here to SC.  WooHoo! a married women again!  Now that's going to put a quirk in my system of doing what I want when I want.  After 1 1/2 years apart, I am going back to fixing dinner on a somewhat regular schedule, cleaning house a little more often with another person in the house, laundry more often.  You get the picture.  Yes, I am happy that he is finally moving here.  It has been long enough.  I will still have to travel back to Ohio as my Mom, sister, and sister-in-law are still there along with lots of girlfriends!  Plus there is an actual cross stitch store that is not 2 1/2hrs away - it's only 30 minutes!  I normally order on line from Amy at http://downsunshinelane.com/ or one of the other online stores to spread the wealth but sometimes you just want to feel the fabric or actually hold the chart in your hand to see if that is really what you want to purchase.  You get the idea.  OK enough of the poor me.

Did you all enjoy the WEDDING?  I loved it.  I've probably watched it 5 times with all of the repeats on the TV.  Enjoyed it everytime!

I did finish another of the Crazy January Challenge pieces.  I'll have pics next time I promise.  Cross my heart!  Amy is also hosting another gathering of stitchers at The French Hen on June 4.  Anyone besides me going?  I'll have to e-mail Hildit to see if she is going as we rode together last time.

Well talk to you later.

Happy Stitching!

Lot of catching up to do!

Hello All,
Well things have progressed here.  I had a wonderful visit/stitching session with Amy and the gang at The French Hen in March.  I met a lot of very nice stitchers from the immediate area although some may have been from North Carolina which is just next door so to speak.  Lots of pretty stitching was shown.

Then the next Saturday Paul came for a visit for a week.  We raced around - he is looking for a job here - filling out applications or getting information.  The grandson stayed with us every night but one and Grandpa took him to school each morning. The poor child had to ride the bus home.  Paul took all of us out to dinner once because I like to eat out - Paul and daughter Christina could care less about eating out but Sebastian and I love to.  Paul left for Ohio on the 25th and I was sick all day - just overload of people I think as I was right as rain on Sunday.

Before he left he took pictures of stitching for me so I am going to try to insert them here.  They are just progress pictures but you can see that I had been stitching!

This is A Quaker Christmas update but it has changed from this.  You will have to wait longer for a new picture as I don't know how to take a pic on my phone and mail it to my laptop.  C will tell me how to do that in the next day or two.

This is kind of blurry but it's Holly and Berries from Little House Needleworks and it is almost done now.

This is a FINISH! - part of the Crazy January Challenge 15 project thing.  Housework Never Killed Anyone from Lizzie*Kate finished in March and I think it's finish #4.

I would like to take the time to thank Hildit and William for taking me with them to The French Hen.  His driving was very smooth -no car sickness-  and I should be able to find my way back with Hildit as my passenger.  So much fun to have a travel companion.

I have been listening to books on tape as I stitch.  J D Robb's  ...in Death - ones that I have missed reading. I have The Last Queen -C W Gortner to read next.   I Kindled Sean Keefer's The Trust and enjoyed it.  It's his first novel.  He lives in Charleston but is from Loris so it was included in the book.  I also watch movies - especially ones that I have already seen as I don't have to pay strict attention to them afraid that I'll miss something important.

I can hear a crow out the window.  Did you know that crows have two languages?  I didn't either until I watched Nature on PBS.  What a HOOT!  Have you seen the eagle babies?  If you go to http://www.withthyneedleandthread.blogspot.com/  she has several spots on the blog that will direct you to the eagles.  What a sight!

I enjoy reading everyones blogs.  I don't always leave a comment but please know that I always look forward to reading and seeing stitching!  Updates with Mia, Stewey, the 3 Pugs and puppy, and all of the others are welcome too.

I will try to update more often and not this hit or miss that I have been doing.  You would think that being here (SC) and semi retired (I don't leave home to go to a regular job) I would have oodles of items stitched or quilted.  Not!  I am not organized but I am having fun and that's what counts when you are almost 60.

Happy Stitching!

another finish!

Stitching friends, yes, I do have another finish to report.  Actually I have 2 finishes and this brings my Crazy 15 Challenge up to 3 finishes.  WOOHOO!!!  If my computer skills are up today I will include pictures of them.

Quaker Christmas Sampler

Carriage House Samplings

28 ct lambswool

CC silk - cranberry

started 1-7-2011

finished 2-14-2011

Merry Christmas
Carriage House Samplings
25ct lugana potato
DMC 115,935,310
started 1-28-11
finished 2-27-11

So to date, I have finished 'Sampling Halloween', 'Quaker Christmas Sampler', and 'Merry Christmas'.

Well as you can see my picture taking skills have not improved as this last one is blurry.  Maybe one day I will have all co-ordinated and show you a wonderful picture of some stitchy thing.  Right now I am stitching on 'Housework Never Killed Anyone' from Lizzie*Kate.  I also completed the top vine work on the border of 'This is the Day' to see if I had enough fabric left on the L side for framing and luckily I do.  That was a relief.  I also worked on "Matter's Choice" and finished the top border type area and stitched the L bird and started the 'snow' in the background.

On the quilting front I finished the twin size quilt top that I had started for baby Margaret.  The batting has been allowed to breath and now I have to make the backing fabric and layer and pin.  I am going to try to simple quilt it on the machine.  What can go wrong?  I don't like it and take it all out (which I have done before).

Weather is nice here.  Daytime in the 60's and nights in the 30's.  I will take SC over OH anytime for the weather.  The SUN is shining!

My thoughts and prayers go to all of those who have lost a relative or loved one.  Also to the people of KY and TN in their weather related troubles.  And with all of the flood waters being in the news, let's not forget to 'turn around - don't drown'!

Well, I guess this is all for now.  Keep those fingers busy!

Happy Stitching!