april 29 - a lazy Sunday

This has turned into a lazy day...I got some stash straightening done yesterday...still have loads to do.

Then we had a surprise visit and sleepover with our grandson. 

After taking him back to momma today I have just been being lazy...watching baseball, reading email and blogs, ordering a couple of new Vera Bradley pieces....do I really need them? No, but....

I finally took a photo of all my scissors...Tricia was collecting photos of scissor collections on her blog (which has somehow disappeared form my blog list...grrrr!) Two of my Ginghers have disappeared too...I think they may be hidden deep in the crevices of the sofa but I'm not sure...but here's what I have left....

Anyway, it's time for dinner, so I'll be off. 

Thanks for visiting and I hope you all had a wonderful weekend!

april 27 - friday finishes

Well, I guess this isn't really a finish, but the stitching is finished! This is the photo that disappeared yesterday! We had a freebie kit exchange at Stitchers' Timeout, and this is the design that Cheryl sent me. It is a design from The Workbasket called Pink Flower. There were supposed to be initials on the right side, but I left them off. I love the colors in this one...it was really fun to stitch up. Thanks again Cheryl!

And this is my April ornament. I finished it up this morning before work. It is a design I found in The Gift of Stitching magazine (November 2010) called The First Day of Christmas by Nancy Pederson. It is stitched on piece of red linen with Weeks floss - "Holly". My French knot pulled right out, so I used a bead for his eye! This looks kind of faded...it's really quite bright!

I am so glad the weekend is upon us. The weather is supposed to be clear and a bit warmer I think. This afternoon I am going to a Memorial service...one of my co-workers lost her husband on Sunday. He had a massive heart attack. I don't think this will all really hit her for a few weeks. It is such a reminder of how fragile life is, and how your world can change in an instant. Hug your hubby extra hard tonight!

Thanks again for taking the time to visit. I hope you all get to your stitching baskets this weekend!

april 26 - camera found!

It seems as though my sweet adorable grandson loves to hide things from me...he thinks it is so much fun! I found my camera pouch nestled in with all of his little trains!

So let's see if I can figure out how to do this in the new blogger view.... 

This is a photo of my progress on Dawn of Spring... the lovely sampler that Mouse is designing for us over at Friendly Stitchers. I have discovered that specialty stitches and I do not play well together...I am having the worse time with the spider roses that are supposed to go in the insides of that row of diamonds. So for now, they are empty. I'm not sure what I will put in there, but it will be something!

I've also signed on to do four round robins over the next several months, and this is the first one that will be going on its way sometime next week. The design is Cottage Pinkeep Sampler from Midsummer Night Designs. It is stitched using Anchor threads (and one DMC!) on a piece of linen called "fairy dust". There are only three of us in this group, so I have done the border and the middle square.

So. I uploaded three photos this morning  and I have already lost one...not sure how!! And I guess I have to do all the "writing" part of my post first and then insert the photos because when I try to add words below a photo I can't get anything to move! I'm sure I am doing something wrong (surprise surprise!) but I am at work and don't have time to play with it now! If anyone has any helpful hints, I hope you will share!

Thanks for taking the time to visit and I hope the sun is shining wherever you are!

april 23 - a hermitting weekend

This turned out to be an interesting weekend. The weather was beautiful..sunny and warm. We really needed that sunshine after so much rain!

On Friday, I stopped at Acorns and Threads on my way home because I had an expiring "20% off any one item" coupon burning a hole in my pocket. You would think it would be so easy to spend...but, no! Everything I was looking for was not there. And then I started getting picky about what to buy. It was a little disappointing, but I ended up using the coupon for "Maxim & Zoya" which was on my wishlist and got some threads and two cottage designs that were waiting for me. And then I realized yesterday that I am missing one Anchor thread for a round robin, so I guess I will have to go back tomorrow...and how much do you want to bet that I find lots of stuff to buy then?

I planned on stitching all weekend, but Saturday morning found us out and about running errands...hair color, passport photos, oil changes, groceries...before I knew it the afternoon was upon us and my daughter called to see if we could watch Asher for the night because she got called in to work an extra day. Lots of fun, but not much stitching!

I did get a few things done though. I finished a Workbasket freebie called "Pink Flower" that I received in a freebie kit exchange, started Band 2 of "Dawn of Spring", started my April ornament, and did 99.9% of the stitching for my part of a round robin that I will be sending out this week. And then I couldn't find my camera :(...so I will get that last thread and try to make some more progress tonight and tomorrow, and then take some pictures...I'm sure the camera will turn up someplace!

I hope all you other hermitters had a productive weekend...can't wait to see your pics!

Thanks for taking the time to visit!

april 20 - lots of acronyms

It's raining...again...some things never change! But this weekend is supposed to be warm and sunny...and I am hoping to have my butt planted firmly on a chair outside stitching away!

So today we have TUSAL, PIF and IHSW...and also RRs on the horizon!

Today is the New Moon which means another Totally Useless SAL post. I am liking the way my jar is filling up, even though it doesn't seem like I am doing much stitching lately!

Babs has received the PIF I sent her, so here is a photo:


The design is a freebie from Appleseed Prim, stitched with Carrie's Silk Threads in Blue Dream. Those threads are such a pleasure to stitch with. I finished it off as a pinkeep.

And this third weekend of the month means another International Hermit & Stitch Weekend. I have several little projects I am planning to work on, so hopefully something will be accomplished and I will have some pics to show on Monday! I have three new round robins starting up very soon, and another this summer, so I think I will have lots to keep me busy!

Thanks so much for taking the time to visit. I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend planned!

april 6 - WIPocalypse time again!

These monthly postings sure make it seem like the months are just flying right by!

I've actually accomplished quite a few things since last time...an Easter exchange (I don't know if this has been received yet, so can't post a pic), three PIFs (also, no pics yet), an ornament and my first band on Dawn of Spring (pictures in previous post), and another finish and WIP.

The WIP is Coverlet Birds from The Scarlet House. I started this last year in June or July and only put in a few stitches before something else came up (can't remember what!). So I picked it up the other day and have decided that this will be my "at work" project. I don't get much stitching time at work, but every little stitch counts! it is being stitched on a mystery fabric with GAST threads.


I have also finished Traditional Sampler by Nancy Taplin. This sampler was offered last year (or maybe even earlier than that) at the Friendly Stitchers group. A few of us decided to resurrect it and do a SAL this year. I love this design, and it was such a pleasure to stitch. It is stitched on one of Sassy's fabrics (mineral ice) with Weeks Williamsburg floss.


I'm not sure what I'm going to concentrate next. I have so many WIPs and so many new things I'd like to start...it is kind of overwhelming! And in a search for something else last night, I discovered a whole bunch of other things I had forgotten I had. I think it may be time for some real sorting and purging, so I may end up having a massive on-line garage sale sometime in the future! The magazines alone are threatening to smother me!

Anyway, hope everyone has a wonderful weekend planned. We will have our grandson for a sleepover this weekend...still have to get his Easter basket together!

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

april 2 - just words...

the first words out of my grandson's mouth yesterday morning were "The sun's out gramma!"...and it was...but unfortunately it didn't stay out for long...in and out all day, mixed with clouds and rain...ah, the beautiful Pacific Northwest! but today, the sun is actually shining...and a beautiful sight it is, too!

I wish I was home, and outside enjoying this lovely day, but alas...work calls! We got to spend the whole weekend with our precious grandson and it was so much fun. At 3 1/2 he is really a hoot!

On the stitching front, I finished off two PIFs and sent them on their way today. Unfortunately I still do not have the address for the third one, but as soon as I do, it will be off as well. I also picked up Traditional Sampler this morning and put a few stitches in the last band. I brought it with me today and hope to get at least a little bit of stitching time this afternoon while here at work. I would love to finish this week before Mouse sends out Part Two of her band sampler SAL. So many pretty designs, so little time!

I also received my kit from Cheryl in the kit exchange that we did at Stitchers Timeout, and my Spring Exchange from Stitched with Love Exchanges. But no photos because my camera battery was dead...again! What a bummer!

Anyway, hopefully I will have some pictures to show next time! I can't believe it's almost WIPocalypse time again. For a long one, this month certainly seemed to fly by!

Thanks again for taking the time to visit!