Stitching with Friends...

I took a vacation day yesterday; it was a "use ir or lose it" situation. The best way to spend a day like this is stitching with friends!

We got together at Joan's house . The early morning risers were there at 7:30am. Me? I like to sleep in on my days off; I didn't arrive until about 9:15am. We stitched and yacked and stitched. It was nice to have no other worries for the day.

Who was there? Well, Joan of course - here's a shot of the project she was working on. It's the first part of a four part series in the recent issue of JCS magazine. She's almost done with this first part (Spring). I'm planning to stitch it too, but haven't started yet.


Chris (no blog) was there too. She is our stitching maniac - never see her without a needle in her hand. She is stitching a special class model, so I can't show you the full piece, but I can tell you that it was a gorgeous design!


Jill was there too working on a Victoria Sampler piece. She had just put the hoop on it to work on some specialty stitches.


Last but not least is me. I started a new piece by Jeanette Douglas. It came out at market; I think it is called Quaker Stitches...the colors in the picture are not quite right...

The cats in the house frequently stop in to see what we're working on. At this moment, Kitty Boy (aka Captain Underpants) was more interested in what was going on outside. Note that he is straddled between the table and the window sill!


I have a few other updates to show you, but those will have to wait for another day. Still counting down the days until the Stitchville Spring Fling Retreat! Just 9 days away now!

BOAF Happy Hearts...Progress Report

Have been working on BOAF Happy Hearts sampler this week. Please forgive me for not pressing the linen before taking this photo. The picture is a little crooked too; photography is not my thing!

I'm a little frustrated with my WDW Chesapeake which is used for some of the letters in the alphabet (WDW Onyx is used for some of the letters too.) The skein of Chesapeake that I have is too dark and there's not enough contrast between it and the Onyx. The Chesapeake should be more blue, closer to DMC 924.

Now you might be wondering, why did I keep stitching the alphabet if I wasn't completely happy with the color of the Chesapeake threads? Good question. As my friend Joan will tell you, I am a "rule follower" - I tend to always use the linen and the fibers that the project calls for. It's rare that I ever deviate from the pattern!

In this case though, I think I might have to make an exception. I'm just not happy with that alphabet. For now, I'm going to put this piece away. Next time I am at Stitchville I will take a look at WDW Chesapeake and see if I can find a better skein. If I can't find a lighter skein of Chesapeake, then I am going to switch to GAST Brethren Blue or DMC 924. And yes, perfectionist that I am, I will frog the letters that need to be frogged and re-sitch them in the right color of blue!

Speaking of my friend Joan - she was traveling this week with her husband while he was on a business trip. He always allows time to stop at needlework stores and/or quilt shops along the way. On this trip they made a stop at The Inspired Needle in Lemont, IL - check out the post from Cathy at The Inspired Needle. What a nice LNS this must be; I wish they were closer!!!

I added a countdown counter to my blog earlier this week - I'm impatiently anticipating the Stitchville Spring Fling retreat -- just 18 days away now!

Have a good week and thanks for stopping by.

Seven Down, Eight to Go

It's CRAZY, I know, but the challenge has really worked for me. I've really been motivated to finish projects from my stash; some of them have been kitted up and ready to go for a long time.

Here's project #7 - Finito!

Scarlet's Christmas Sampler - Chessie & Me

36 ct Vintage Pearled Barley Linen

Limited Edition GAST Thread Pack

24 more days until the Stitchville Spring Fling Retreat! Can't Wait!

How Can It Be March Already?

Oh dear - I can't believe it has almost been a month since the last time I posted! Darn job has been keeping me busy, but I can't complain too much since it supplies the funds for my stitching (and pays the bills too...) I have been stitching, just haven't had enough time to blog. You know how that goes!

Let's start with a finish, and it's one of the "crazy" finishes to boot! This has been in my stash since 2007; it was a class project when I attended the Hands to Work retreat. All I had completed were the basting threads and maybe 25 stitches. Not sure why it took me so long to get motivated to finish it. Pulled it back out in January and voila it's finished! So, without further adieu here is Blackbird Designs Flowers for Sarah Needle Case!

Blackbird Designs Flowers for Sarah Needle Case
30 ct Espresso by R&R
Crescent Colors Fibers

All of the finishing materials were supplied at the class including the fabric for finishing. This fabric is from one of the Blackbird Designs lines and if I remember correctly they used a color remover to tone it down.

I still need to sew on the button and make some cording for securing the needle case when closed, but I'll do that tonight.

What do you think of my stitching box? Diane from Little House Needleworks had a good idea here. What a very stylish way to hide our stitching when we're not working on it! My husband helped by affixing a magnetic board to the inside cover. I think I need a little "Eiffel Tower" pincushion to place inside.

As you can see, I've been working on Scarlet's Christmas Sampler from Chessie & Me!

Gotta run. Thanks for stopping by!

We Interrupt Regular Programming....

....to share a finish that is not related to the January Crazy Challenge! My regular readers will remember back to December when I vowed to complete Game Board Sampler in 2011. (This piece has been a WIP since 2007!) Well, it's done! I took a break from Crazy Challenge pieces this past week and focused on stitching the remaining nine squares left on it and voila it's done! Happy Dance!

The Drawn Thread - Game Board Sampler
35 count Ivory Linen
DMC (1 strand over 2 threads)

For those who are familiar with this piece, yes, I altered the pattern. All of my squares are stitched facing the same direction. This one will get framed sometime down the road.

Yesterday, I spent almost the entire day at my LNS, Stitchville. On the second Saturday of every month they have "Sip N Stitch" from 9:30am - 12:30pm where we do just that! I went in January for the first time and now again in February. It's a great way to meet new stitchers and to chat about our favorite pastime.

It just so happened that the shop was offering a class in the afternoon; the first in the series of JABCO pincushions for 2011 - JABCO Snowman! I thought it would be fun to branch out and do something different and it was fun. It's a lot easier to figure out these finishes as a group with guidance from the shop employees. By the time I left, he was finished. Don't you think he is cute?

A couple of crazy challenge updates...I spent a good part of the weekend working on Happy Hearts from BOAF. The bottom border and the numbers 1 and 2 were complete the last time you saw this. I finished the rest of the numbers and the filling stitches. I think that this might start moving a little bit faster now!



And here's Poppy Maye Russell from Heartstring Samplery -- the top alphabet is complete, and I've started the alphabet on the second row.



Thanks for stopping by and for all of your kind comments about my stitching! I hope that in the week ahead you find time to stitch with needle and thread!

One More Quick Update Before the Weekend Ends

Howdy all! I had hoped to slide this post in before the SuperBowl tonight, but didn't quite make it! Here's another couple of finishes - these are supposed to be finished as pendants but I decided to make them into ornaments instead! I still need to add wire hangers to the sheep and the stocking. Cute huh?

Shepherd's Bush

Christmas Sheep - Quaker Pendant - Tall Stocking

Linen, fibers - as kitted

While watching the football game tonight I worked on Sampler Game Board; only nine more blocks to go. I hope to have this finished by the end of the week. Keep your fingers crossed for me!

Weekend Update

How are y'all doing? What a crazy week for weather, huh? The storm that hit much of the midsection of the country missed us, but it's still a dreary winter day here. Overcast and foggy; temperatures have warmed up a bit, but we're heading for another deep freeze on Monday. Brrr.

On the stitching front - I stitched more on "I Sigh Not for Beauty" last Sunday. It's a large sampler and I'm making slow progress. When the border is done I will post a picture. During the week I was traveling again and took the Shepherd's Bush pendants along with me. The stitching on those is done; I'm going to try to finish them this weekend and then will post a photo.

However I do have a photo to share. On the nights that I was home this week, I worked on the Folk Art Handbook from Hillside Samplings. I completed the stitching this morning and finishing was a snap! (I'm asking myself again - "why didn't I stitch this one sooner?") So without further ado, here's finish #4 on the 2011 Crazy Challenge:

Hillside Samplings - Folk Art Handbook
32 ct linen
Sampler Threads (Black Crow) and DMC

The beautiful hand-painted hornbook is from Liberty Hill. This was a limited edition kit from way back in 2005! First time I've finished a hornbook too!

Thank you all for your comments on my last post. It was great fun finishing off those Lizzie Kate fobs. My daughter and I decided to the drawing the old-fashioned way; we put all the names in a basket and she drew one name. The winner of the four charts is:

Pointed Stitcher

A link to my email address can be found in my profile. Please send me your address and I'll drop the charts in the mail to you next week.

Wherever you call home, I hope you are enjoying a wonderful weekend! Thanks for stopping by.

Fobs Finished...

Another one of my crazy challenges has been met -- I wanted to finish the Lizzie Kate seasonal fobs that came out last year. Summer got stitched in 2010, but Spring, Fall, and Winter were all waiting to be stitched.

Here they are posing with the little gems scissors that each came with:





Would you like to have these four charts so that you can stitch them yourself? Leave your name on this post and I will draw one name next Friday (Feb 4). One lucky winner will receive all four charts.





I'm going to work on one of the samplers now, so you won't see any finishes from me for awhile! Have a great week!

Rolling Right Along...

Well, before I share my latest finish, let me thank all of you for your kind comments regarding my Peacock Pinkeep finish. I'm still amazed at how nice it turned out. Thank you for stopping by and for dancing a little jig with me!

Some of you asked about the chenille trim. It can be ordered online through Quilter's Station. I dyed the trim using some Rit Dye, tan color.

Tonight I'm dancing again. Crazy Challenge Finish #2 - Blackbird Designs Winter Delivery. This is Loose Feathers #5. I'm still debating whether I will frame this one or perhaps choose some other finish - it's the perfect size for a flat fold. I originally pulled this out of my stash because the color of the linen was calling my name. I must say that I've grown rather fond of the design. And the Blackbird! The pattern calls for beads to be added to the tree branches; I will pick them up next time I am at my LNS.

Blackbird Designs Winter Delivery
Loose Feathers #5
28 ct R&R Cranberry Bog
DMC and Sampler Threads

I think I'm going to tackle those Lizzie Kate seasonal scissor fobs next. See you again soon. Thanks for stopping by!

First Finish for 2011!

I am so excited to share with you my first finish for 2011! It's also one of my 15 Crazy January projects. I am so pleased with how it turned out; I was just "giddy" when I went to bed last night.

Without further ado, here is Peacock Pinkeep from Blackbird Designs:

Blackbird Designs Peacock Pinkeep
Loose Feathers #35
28 ct. WDW Straw/Grey Gingham Linen
Belle Soie Tortoise Shell
Belle Soie Rose of Sharon

It's a rather large pinkeep, about 6 inches in diameter. I followed the intructions provided for assembly and made only one minor modification. Rather than mounting the top to a piece of cardboard (like the bottom), I used a stiff piece of interfacing (kind of like skirtex). I want to be able to insert pins in the top too, not just in the sides. If I were to assemble one of these again, I would put the side together first and then measure for the top and bottom pieces to ensure a good fit (I assembled top and bottom first and then re-did them because they were just a tad bit too large.)



You might wonder about the fabric on the bottom - this is from one of the Blackbird Designs fabric lines - Harvest Home, I think. Joan gifted me with this fabric at Christmas time.

I just love it! Now on to another crazy challenge project...

This Week's Stitching

As you can see, I made good progress on Blackbird Design's Peacock Pinkeep. I would be even further along had I not caught a severe case of the "frogs" on Tuesday night. The alphabet was done and then I realized that I had forgotten to stitch the letter "I", so I ripped out "A" through "H" and stitched it all again. Then after fixing the alphabet, I realized that the bottom border was a thread off! Could I have any more issues with such a simple thing? Anyway, it's all stitched up correctly now. For those who might be wondering, I'm using 28ct WDW Straw/Grey Gingham with Belle Soie Tortoise Shell and Rose of Sharon. The instructions say to stitch with one strand of silk over two linen threads, but I am stitching with two strands of silk over two linen threads.

When this pattern first came out I remember seeing some stitchers stitch this design over one linen thread for a smaller sized pinkeep. Now I can understand why - this is going to be a super-sized pinkeep! I love the linen and the silk fiber colors though and I hope to get the top stitched today/tonight so that I can work on assembling this tomorrow. The instructions for assembly do not look too difficult.

I'm not sure whether I will venture out from my house today. It's cold, but not as cold as yesterday! When I left for work yesterday morning the air temperature was -15F and the windchill was -29F....brrrr.

Enjoy your day -- hope you find some time to cross some x's!

A Delightful Gift!

I'm not sure whether I will have any stitchy photos for you today; oh, there will be time for stitching, but probably not until later today. I've been trying to straighten up our extra room where all of my stitching stash is stored. Unfortunately, this is also where all the extra things (i.e. crap) accumulate during the week and it's a little bit out of control!

I have to share with you a wonderful Christmas gift that I received from my stitching buddy Judy in Alexandria, MN. We got together last weekend (our attempt to get together in December was thwarted by a snowstorm!)

Judy loves to cross stitch, but she also does gorgeous Hardanger. We met years ago at a Nordic Needle retreat -we both took the Hardanger classes that were offered at that retreat.

Judy shared some of her Hardanger handiwork with me. Isn't it gorgeous?



She also gifted me with a round box; a piece of cross-stitch or Hardanger can be inserted inside the lid. I'm still debating whether I will stitch some Hardanger or a cross stitch design for it!



And, she gave me this cute tatted angel. If I remember correctly, she said that an elderly woman (in her 90's) tatted this angel.



I can't remember if I shared a picture of my dowel tree with you. You will remember that my husband made this for me last year. I pulled it out in December and put some of the smaller cross stitch ornaments on it. I enjoy looking at these ornaments and so they haven't been put away yet!



Before I forget, I've been wanting to share one more thing with you. Stitchville is having a retreat again this year. The dates are April 8 - 10. This year Jeanette Douglas is coming and she's designing a piece especially for the retreat. We had such a great time last year - the accommodations were very comfortable and the meals were outstanding. The classroom had great lighting and comfortable seating. Details can be found on Stitchville's website or click here for the brochure. Some pictures from last year's retreat with Blackbird Designs can be found here or if you are interested in my retreat report just go back to my blog posts here, here, and here. If you are thinking about attending a needlework retreat this year, I hope you will join us; would love to meet up with stitching blogging friends. Our snow should be melted by April! :)

Have a wonderful day!

Crazy Challenge Part I - Complete!

Project #14 - Shepherd's Bush Pendants - these have been in my stash for awhile now. I finished the stitching on one of them tonight!



Project #15 - C Street Samplerworks "I Sigh Not for Beauty" - this is going to be a gorgeous sampler when finished!



Tired - heading to bed!

"C" is for Crazy

Yes, "C" is for Crazy and there is none crazier than me when it comes to stitching! I put needle and thread to fabric tonight and started project #13.

Now, if you've been following my recent blog posts or if you have paid any attention whatsoever to my Crazy Challenge list, you are probably scratching your head and wondering if I've totally lost it! "Why?" you might ask. Well, this project was not on my list. But, after a long week at work, a gloomy day laden with snow flurries, and an hour long bumper-to-bumper drive home from work, I decided that I needed a little bit of color to perk up my evening. As luck would have it, I have a few other projects in my stash, as well as enough linen and fiber to start my own needlework store. So what happened??? I changed my mind and added a different project to my list!

So without further ado, here is Crazy Challenge Project #13 - Blackbird Designs Loose Feathers #5 - Blackbird's Winter Delivery! And isn't that R&R Cranberry Bog linen just luscious? The alphabet stitched up quickly.



Tomorrow is the last day of the challenge - since we're in the midst of another mild snowstorm I will be spending most of the day at home and will likely get my last two projects started. Now, you might be wondering -- will they be the last two projects on the list or will they be something entirely different? You'll have to tune back in tomorrow for that answer!

Have a nice weekend!

Projects #10, #11, and #12

Another catch up post - started two more projects and then...another cheater project...

Project #10 - Blackbird Designs - Tis the Season from the Joyeux Noel book



Project #11 - from Shakespeare's Peddler - Jenny Bean's Christmas Sampler



Project #12 - from Blackbird Designs - Flowers for Sarah Needle Case. This has been in my stash forever! Seriously, it was a class project at the Hands to Work retreat that I went to in 2006 or 2007? (Margaret, you finished yours, yes?) Okay, the basting stitches and this little leaf were all I stitched at the retreat! This project will be finished in 2011!



It's been a very, very long week and I am so grateful that tomorrow is Friday. It's going to be a very cold weekend here in Minnesota, and fortunately, we don't have many plans. I hope to get my laundry caught up, my house cleaned, and spend some quality time with my stitching! Thanks for stopping by!

Catching Up - Part II

Okay - so that I can get caught up, I am going to cheat a little bit. Two of my projects for this Crazy Challenge are WIPs that I started last year. I haven't stitched on either of them yet this year, but I'm going to show you where I am at with them so far; a starting point for the challenge. These will be included in my count for 15 projects.

Project #7 CHS Alphabet Blocks - A, B, C, D are completely finished except for the filling stitches around the words. Blocks E, F, G, and H are in progress. I would very much like to finish this project in 2011!



Project #8 Jenny Bean Halloween Sampler - also started this one in 2010 (or was it 2009?) Anyway, wouldn't it be nice to have this one complete in time for Halloween?



Project #9 is a new start! Chessie & Me's Scarlet' Christmas Sampler. This is one of the Jenny Bean and friends charts. As you can see below, I completed the outside border today. This design is smaller than I thought it would be!



That's it -- I'm back on track now. Looking forward to the next six projects to round out my 15! It's crazy!

Catching Up - Crazy Challenge Projects #4, #5, and #6

Darn job put a crimp in my "crazy" plans this week, but I'm using the weekend to try to get caught up.

Project #4 -- This is filling the "TBD" space on my list. I have yet to finish the LHN Fall, Winter, and Spring fobs. I started the stitching on the Winter fob yesterday.



Project #5 -- C Street Samplerworks, Quaker Medallion Sampler (thank you for the chart Diana!) Have seen this one finished on a number of other blogs; it's a beauty!



Project #6 -- Folk Art Handbook from Hillside Samplings. This has been in my stash forever! Time to get it done. Lots of specialty stitches...



Sorry for the dark pictures - best I could do this morning! See you later!

What Happened to Crazy Challenge Project #4?

Thank you for all your visits and kind comments. Just thought I would tell you that I haven't fallen off the Crazy Challenge bandwagon! Oh no, I'm just on a bit of a detour. Had to make a last minute trip out of town this week for work, consequently I won't have any stitching updates now until the weekend. I'm looking forward to starting project #4 though!

Hope you have a great week. Keep on stitching!

Crazy January Challenge - Project #3

Here's what I accomplished last night on project #3. This is another new start and it's stitching up quickly, so I'm asking myself, "why didn't I stitch this one sooner?"



Back to work today. Drat.

Crazy January Challenge - Project #2

Happy Monday! I still have one vacation day (today) left before I return to work. I think much of today will be spent taking down the Christmas decorations. While I enjoy looking at the ornaments each year and it's nice to sit and admire the Christmas tree each night, I'm always glad to see everything go back into the boxes. It seems to restore order! Maybe that's part of the magic each year; because it only lasts for a short time?

While watching football last night, I started project #2 on the Crazy January Challenge. I think I made good progress. Here it is - from Birds of a Feather - Happy Hearts Sampler!



I've had this one kitted up for a long time. Joined a SAL once but never crossed a single "x". I watched as other stitching bloggers worked on theirs. Linen Stitcher finished hers in June, 2008 so that goes to show how long I have been wanting to stitch this one! Now it's started. Keep your fingers crossed that I will finish it in 2011!

Later today I will decide on today's project (#3) - I think it will be another new start vs. one of the WIPs.

Before I go, I found a new love! Since I live in cold Minnesota, I tend to drink a lot of hot tea in the evening (it keeps me warm.) I have several favorite varieties (pictured below), and I've added a new one to my tea stash (no pun intended). It's from STASH and it is called Pomegranate Raspberry Green Tea. It's a winner!



Thanks for your visits and words of encouragement. I've been doing my best to keep up with visiting your blogs, but I'm behind again! :)