Tuesday, August 30, 2005

Limited Stitching Time

My stitching time has been limited this week. It's State Fair time in Minnesota. My kids and I spent the entire day on Sunday at the Fair. Here in Minnesota, we joke about how everything at the Fair is served on a stick - Pronto Pups (aka Corn Dog on a Stick), Pork Chop on a Stick, Key Lime Pie on a Stick, Macaroni and Cheese on a Stick, Spaghetti and Meatballs on a Stick - you get the idea! Vendors spend the entire year trying to figure out how to put new food items on a stick!

The Hardanger piece that I entered did not place - that's okay - this was the first time I've ever entered anything and it will be interesting to see what comments the judge has for me. There were some really beautiful pieces including a round Hardanger doily (about 30" round) that included four stitched Stavkirches and four stitched Viking Ships in the design. It was truly amazing.

My daughter entered a cross stitch piece of a labrador retriever. We mounted it on a pillow (the pillow fabric had paw prints on it). She won a blue ribbon for her work! After the Fair, I'll be sure to take a picture of it and post it for you to see.

So, the Fair combined with back-to-school shopping has taken up much of my free time. I did start a new project the other night - Cedar Hill Country Pumpkin Farm. I was in the mood for a Fall design. I'm also drawn to pictures of barns. Here's my work, followed by the picture included with the pattern.




Tomorrow is Wednesday - Happy Hump Day!

Saturday, August 27, 2005

Saturdays and Flat-Fold Finishing

Happy Saturday to all! Thanks to everyone who has been reading my blog and thanks for your very kind comments. I enjoy reading your blogs too. It's fun to see what everyone is working on and the progress they are making.

One note - I may have to turn the "word verification" on too. I'm going to wait a couple more days to see if anymore weird messages come through.

Becky - Yes, the e-mail was from me. I have never done ANY finishing; I've always had my needlework framed (I have a drawerful of completed projects waiting to be framed!) I adore the finishes you posted to your blog and your website and was just looking for tips on "how-to". I didn't know if there was a book or website out there that you recommended. I can wait patiently for your posting!

Have a great weekend everyone!

Friday, August 26, 2005

121 Days Until Christmas!



This is a HIHN design from a couple years ago. Very quick, very easy!

Yup, if I calculated right, it's just 121 days until Christmas. Usually, about this time of year, I make my list of special people who I'd like to stitch gifts for and then I spend the entire Fall stitching for others. I love giving handmade gifts to others (especially those who appreciate all the effort and love that went into the gift!)



By the way, I finished the Too Tiny Too Sampler - the scanned image is a little bit crooked, but the piece is beautiful!

Have a great Friday and a nice weekend!

Monday, August 22, 2005

Too Tiny Too Sampler


After seeing this design completed on another stitching blog, I was inspired to stitch it. This was especially fun because this was one of my 10 cent patterns (see previous post Stash Enhancing Weekend).

I really enjoy designs from the Drawn Thread. Is anyone working on The Good Neighbor?

Happy Stitching!

Sunday, August 21, 2005

One More Quick Posting


After being a member of EGA for just over a year I finally completed my nametag! No more paper "Hello, my name is.." for me!

This is a slightly modified Cindy Valentine pattern...

Beautiful Sunday

It's a beautiful Sunday afternoon in Minnesota. We turned off the A/C and opened up the windows and the fresh air is wonderful!

Last night I finished LHN Early America. I'm wondering if anyone has any finishing ideas for this piece. I don't think I want to spend the $$ to frame it.



I mentioned the other day that Diane Williams' daughter was starting her own design company - Country Cottage Needlework. Her first two designs are now posted on her website. I REALLY like Ladybugs and Bumblebees. Go to www.countrycottageneedleworks.com to see a picture of it!

Friday, August 19, 2005

EGA Mystery Sampler


If you are a member of EGA and you receive the NeedleArts magazine, then you probably saw the pattern for the Mystery Sampler in the June 2005 issue. I purchased some linen banding a few weeks ago but just haven't had time to get this project started. Tonight I completed Lesson 1. I used the DMC colors that the pattern calls for. Now I must wait patiently for Lesson 2 in the next issue of NeedleArts! This sampler is a fifteen-part series so it might take awhile to finish!

Thursday, August 18, 2005

Inquiring Minds Want to Know

Since Carol asked, I thought I would share with you what I entered for the Minnesota State Fair. I love counted cross stitch, but I also love Hardanger. I alternate back and forth depending on what kind of mood I'm in.

One of the Hardanger designers I like is Donna Olson. Her patterns are very easy to follow and the pictures are very clear. You don't have to be an expert to stitch her designs.

Recently I finished one of her doily patterns called "Fran's Diamonds". I thought it turned out quite nice and is one of the best pieces I've ever completed. I've never entered anything at the State Fair and I know that it's quite competitive, but I decided to give it a shot. Here's what the piece looks like:



Have a nice weekend. Thanks for stopping by!

Wednesday, August 17, 2005

Pattern Darning

Well, I got a little stitching time in this evening. I'd like to try to finish LHN Early America but that may not be realistic since I need more Crescent Colors floss to complete it!

Since I don't have a picture to post, I thought I'd share with you a picture of a project my daughter recently completed. When on vacation this summer, we visited a needlwork store that had some of these bookmarks completed. The stitch type is called Pattern Darning and it's pretty simple. My daughter just turned 13 and likes projects that she can complete from start to finish with little or no assistance.







I have really enjoyed stitching the designs from Little House Needleworks. There was an announcement on her website that her daughter was going to start a new cross stitch company: Country Cottage Needleworks. New designs are to be available next week. I'm looking forward to seeing what these are!

Thanks to everyone who has visited my blog and posted kind comments!

Tuesday, August 16, 2005

Midweek Happy Dance!


Well, the LHN ABC123 project is finished. I made one little oops - the door is supposed to be stitched in DMC434 (brown). I thought about ripping it and decided I liked the door in black. Little changes like this just makes the piece uniquely yours, right?

Sunday, August 14, 2005

Stash Enhancing Weekend

Well, it was our annual trip to northern Minnesota. We always stay in Walker, MN on Leech Lake (one of the larger lakes in MN). We're there to visit with friends and family, enjoy good food and relax! On Saturday, "the girls" like to go shopping and every year we try to check out someplace new.

This year we traveled to Grand Rapids, MN - it's about a 45 minute drive from where we were staying. Our destination - the Old School House. The building has been renovated and is home to a quaint collection of shops. We thoroughly enjoyed checking each shop out. Just before stopping for lunch, we visited the yarn shop on the top floor. I crochet some, but have never learned to knit. I did not anticipate that I would be buying anything - I just wanted to check it out. Well, to my surprise, they had all kinds of needlework supplies and they were all being clearanced out! At first I didn't realize it, but the store clerks confirmed that they weren't going to carry needlework supplies anymore, they were only going to focus on yarn! Let the shopping begin!

The clerks were kind enough to find my mother and daughter each a folding chair and they offered my mother a cold glass of water (bless the clerks!) The two of them played hang man and tic tac toe for the next hour or so. Ha!

All fabric pieces were $1, YES $1. They were all 13 1/2 x 8 inch cuts (or larger). Dirty Belfast, Champagne, Willow Green, Laurel, Light Mocha, Prairie Grain, Sandstone, Buttermilk, Desert Sand, Chestnut - I think you get the picture. Three of the pieces were R&R fabrics! All $1 per piece.

Fibers - all 50% off. I went through the Weeks Dye Works and picked out colors that I thought I would use. Caron Wildflowers - yes, I bought some of this too!

Two pieces I was thrilled to get were Drawn Thread kits (yes- fabric, silk floss and beads included). Winter Into Spring and Summer Into Autumn - both half price! There were also two Heart in Hand kits that I did not have - Harvest Home Sampler and Reindeer Sampler - these include fabric and buttons, again half price.

Finally, there was a miscellaneous box of patters that I went through, The box was marked "10 patterns for $1" - Included in the ten patterns that I purchased was Minute Spot and Too Tiny Samplers from Drawn Thread, plus some oldies from Homespun Elegance, Twisted Threads and Heart In Hand.

I felt like a kid in a candy store. Several times I had to ask if I really understood the signs correctly! I was so giddy when I left there! What fun!

I may not have time to update this newly created blog since I will need to spend every spare minute I have stitching to use up this stash. Stitching, hmmmmm, that's right - I should update you. I had hoped to finish a project (or two this weekend) but I was too busy shopping (tee hee). Here's a photo of my almost completed ABC123 design from Little House Needleworks.



Here's the other project I started working on this weekend - it was a freebie from Little Hosue Needleworks last year called Early America.



Hopefully, I will finish these two projects this week!

That's it for me. Hope everyone has a great week!

Friday, August 12, 2005

TGIF!

Thank God it's the weekend, at least for me it is. I'm on vacation today and we're heading up to northern Minnesota to visit with family and friends and enjoy the northwoods. (I'm having trouble sleeping, so that's why I'm on the computer at this ridiculous time of day!)

No new pictures to post today - it hasn't been a productive stitching week. I've been helping my LNS with some of their publicity by producing flyers and a newsletter. I've worked in sales & marketing positions for nearly my entire career, so I figured I could lend a helping hand and have some fun at the same time.

I'm nearly finished with LHN ABC123 - It's one of her smaller projects; quick and easy to stitch!

Have a fabulous weekend!

Sunday, August 07, 2005

Productive Weekend!



It seems like the weekend just flew by! Saturday was a beautiful day on Green Lake. The temperature was in the 80's, the sun was shining - it couldn't have been more perfect. I love to sit on the screen porch and stitch while the kids are swimming or playing games.

I finished Stars and Stripes - it's been added to my ever-growing "to be framed" pile. I also finished the Autumn Scissors Keeper - of course, I have to do the finishing on it, but the stitching is done.



Since today was much warmer and humid, we came home early. I was able to do the finishing on another project I had completed earlier in the week. Next weekend we are visiting family in northern Minnesota. I like to stitch birth samplers for the new babies in our family. Bless the Baby by Lizzie Kate is quick and easy, and if you stitch it on linen banding you can turn it into a bell pull (eliminates the need for framing!)

One project I hope to work on this week is the Mystery Bell Pull in the recent issue of Needle Arts Magazine. Since the kids are heading north on Tuesday with Grandma, there will be lots of quiet time in the evening this week!

Friday, August 05, 2005

Weekend Stitching Goals


We're headed to the lake tomorrow. While many people like to sleep in on the weekends, I enjoy waking up fairly early. I take my stitching out to the screened in porch, listen to the birds and enjoy the beauty of the quiet, serene lake. If I'm lucky the loons are out in front of the cabin!

This weekend I hope to finish Stars and Stripes by Blackbird Designs. I just have to finish the border which is done in an eyelet stitch. Then I may start a new project - The Autumn Scissors Keeper by Drawn Thread.

It's going to be a beautiful weekend here in Minnesota!

Wednesday, August 03, 2005

Happy Birthday Toots!

Today my baby turns 13 - Happy Birthday Theresa! I love you - Mom.

No time for stitching today, because we'll be celebrating!

Tuesday, August 02, 2005

Miniature Hometown Game Board


Here's a photo of my completed work!

Happy Dance! Happy Dance!

Tonight I completed a recently started project - Miniature Hometown Game Sampler by Little House Needleworks. It was recently offered as a free pattern by a needlework site on the web.

This is the second Little House Needleworks design I've completed this year - the first was her 2005 Limited Edition kit - Americana Sampling. I have a couple of other LHN designs in my stash - they really appeal to me.