Strawberries, TUSAL, & losing things

We are finally getting some wonderfully delicious strawberries and I am taking every opportunity to eat them while they are ripe...in pies or just in a bowl...they are so yummy! I even stitched a strawberry for my anniversary block for Stitcher's Timeout...Berry-corn from Cross-Eyed Cricket.
And another month has flown by...which means time for the latest installments of our totally useless SALs! I didn't stitch much this month...at least it didn't seem like I did, but I managed to add a bit to my little jar. The colors all look so pretty mixed up together!
Do any of you have a problem with losing things...in your own house? I realized that I have lost two pair of my Gingher embroidery scissors...it's like they have vanished into thin air. I know they are here someplace, probably in the bottom of one of my stitching bags...but I just can't figure out where. It is so frustrating! I did finally find my kitted up Mary Wigham Sampler...after I had printed it off yet again and was on the lookout for new fabric and threads. I knew I had kitted it up when it first appeared, but it too was lost.And then I found it while looking for something else. Geesh! I think I need an intervention! So hopefully I will get it started...there is a SAL in progress over at Friendly Stitchers...and have a progress pic to show soon.

The sun is shining and the forecast is good for the next few days and I am so ready for it. Our annual blues festival is being held this weekend...it is one of the largest in the country and goes through Monday. And it's all a fund-raiser for the Oregon Food Bank which is a great reason to head out and enjoy the sunshine and good music.

I hope that all my US friends will have a safe and happy holiday...and that everyone will enjoy a relaxing weekend with some time to sit & stitch.

Thanks for visiting and taking the time to comment. I do appreciate it!

june 24 - finally found the camera!

Well, I must say that when I misplace something, I do a really good job of it! I thought hubby had taken the camera on his little trip, but he came home...no camera. Since I couldn't really even remember the last time I had seen it, the search was on...well, off and on...there was too much else happening to spend too much time on this. Anyway, I finally found it, snuggled into a pocket in one of my Vera Bradley bags...those pockets are deep...and things can hide for sure! Which brings me to my point...and that is that I actually have a few pictures to share! This first one is a pillow that I finally put together for a friend. I had stitched this Lizzie Kate design from the Chocolate Lovers leaflet years ago...it's done on fiddlers cloth with DMC. I backed it with a pretty blue and cream floral flannel fabric and added some blue beads around the edging (which you can't see in this photo!). I love the little chocolate chip cookie button on the bear's lap!


This next photo shows the adorable block I received in the latest block swap at Stitcher's Timeout. The theme was any design from Bent Creek, Heart in Hand or the Trilogy. Lavon stitched this adorable snowman design from Heart in Hand that I was lucky enough to receive.


I don't know how many of you are familiar with the Fair & Square blog. Stitchers are partnered up and stitch two blocks each round...one is a design, the second is a signature block with the stitcher's name, location, date...whatever. I joined in on many rounds some time ago, and then stopped for awhile when things just got too hectic. Usually the rounds are either holiday themed or just general (you stitch a block based on your partner's likes for example), but this last round was designer specific and the designer was Blackbird Designs. I love BBD and couldn't resist joining in.
These are the squares I stitched for my partner Shelley. The design is taken from the Honeysuckle Manor book and it is the Honeysuckle Pin Box. I stitched it on a neutral evenweave fabric with a variegated blue DMC floss. It turns out that this was quite a popular design among the other stitchers this round as well!


And these are the beautiful squares I received from Shelley. I was really blown away when I saw them. The photo does not do them justice...these squares are gorgeous. Shelley stitched a design from the Stitcher's Journey book...these are adaptations of the Tulip Pincushion and Tulip House Stitching Companion. They are stitched on a light mocha (much more beige than it looks like in this photo. The thread colors are soft and so pretty. I know I am gushing, but you'd understand why if you could see these in person! Thanks again Shelley for a wonderful exchange!


And finally, I mentioned Count Your Blessings in my last post...the traveling pattern from Shakespeare's Peddler that I was lucky enough to get to stitch. I stitched it on a buttermilk jobelan (a pretty yellow color which somehow looks gray here!) with various threads, changing the colors to reflect the colors on our house. The pattern has now been passed along to Nataly and I hope she will enjoy stitching it as much as I did.

So, my stitching mojo is starting to return and I hope to have some more things to show you next time.

Thanks for taking the time to visit and comment. I really do appreciate it!

june 10 - technology troubles and a traveling pattern

First, I must apologize to anyone who was waiting on the fate of the traveling pattern Count Your Blessings.

We had a great weekend in Seattle.The U2 concert was more than amazing. There must have been over 100 trucks for all the light equipment and special effects stuff. And the Mariners game was fun too...I love games where the scores go back and forth and this one was like that and we came out on top which was great. We took Jeff's sports car and had the top down the whole time because the weather was so perfect...at least until we reached our exit coming home. That's when the skies opened up and we had to scoot over to the side of the road and get that top up in a hurry! It turned into a really nasty storm with thunder and lightning even, which is pretty rare for this area.

Anyway, something happened to my computer and it was out of commission. Then my cell phone got wet and wouldn't work. Jeff took the laptop to Minnesota for the week, and even my computer at work bit the dust (not that I would have had much extra time there anyway). So now it is Friday...the home computer is back up and running (yeah!), I got a new phone (which I actually like better than my old one - which wasn't even that old - I just have to learn how to post to blogger from it), Jeff is glad he has the laptop, and my computer at work is still toast (but I won't need that until at least Monday so I'm not worried!).So that's the long story of why I haven't posted yet this week. Now all I have to do is find the camera...hmmm...maybe Jeff took that too! He'll be home Sunday night, so I can post pictures then!

So...drumroll...the lucky stitcher who gets to stitch Count Your Blessings next is....natalyK! I'll email you, but if you see this first, please send me your address and I will get the pattern in the mail to you right away. Thanks to everyone who left a comment. Keep your eyes on Nataly's blog for the next chance to stitch this great design.

I have dog duty this week, and my babies look like they are ready for a walk, so I had better get moving!

Thanks for taking the time to visit!

june 2 - a finish, a traveling pattern and TUSAL

I can't believe that another month has gone flown by. I have been really busy at work between meetings and trying to get all the summer reading stuff ready for the children. Sign-up started yesterday...let the fun begin!

I haven't been stitching much at all, but I did manage to do the stitching on two ornaments (I'll wait to show a picture until they are "finished"), and a small Bent Creek piece. This is Are You My Mother?...a piece I've wanted to stitch for a long time. It's stitched on a pale yellow jobelan with Weeks and GAST threads.


I've also been stitching on Count Your Blessings from Shakespeare's Peddler. This is a traveling pattern and it is such a cute design and a great reminder to be thankful for all the things in our lives...big and small. I am not quite finished with it, but very close, so I thought I would post now to see who might be interested in stitching this one next. This is the pattern:


If you would like a chance to be the next stitcher, please leave a comment on this post and let me know that you are interested. All that is asked is that once you receive the pattern, you stitch it in a reasonable amount of time, sign your name to the chart, and then send it along to the next person. We're going away for the weekend, so I will choose the next stitcher on Monday.

Finally, it's time for the monthly posting of our collected orts - TUSAL! My little jar is looking pretty full...it looks like there is a lot of blue in there, but I can't remember what I stitched this month that had blue threads! Hmmm....one more mystery to solve!


And, just because...here's a photo of my little grandson. He came by the other night for a surprise visit and made his grandma & grandpa very happy!


Until next time, thanks for visiting!