happy saturday!

I cannot believe that tomorrow is March 1! Wasn't it just Christmas????

The sun is shining here in Oregon, the daffodils are blooming, and my grandson is coming to spend the day with us...add lots of cups of tea and some stitching time...what more could a girl ask for?

A wonderful giveaway, that's what. Please hop over to Parsley's blog and see for yourselves!

Thanks for visiting today and hope you are all having a wonderful weekend!

Lost and Found

I have been trying to organize all my threads...the DMC were really in a mess...if only I would learn to put things away when I am done with stitching a design...maybe someday! Anyway, in between  sorting threads, when my eyes started crossing, I decided to also start to go through my boxes of patterns.

It was like Christmas all over again!I found so many designs that I forgot I had, more duplicates than I care to admit to, some designs that I know I will never stitch, but many more that have gone straight into the "need to stitch soon" basket. I am thinking about making a page here with charts for sale, and maybe having a giveaway or two as well.

But I also found something else that was not so nice. I have at least a few designs that are missing parts. For example, I have one sampler pattern all kitted up. It's one I started a couple of years ago, I think. But the fabric with my stitching on it has disappeared! I know that I have seen it,  maybe in the last year?...but where is it now???? And then I have two prim designs from primitiveBetty that I started...I have the stitched fabric for these, and the cover sheets and instructions for the patterns, but the patterns have disappeared!

And these are only a few...I'm wondering how many other lost treasures I will come across! Not to mention the little bags of threads and fabric that I know were bought for a specific project, but I'll be hard pressed to remember which project that might be...

Has this ever happened to anyone else, or am I just hopelessly disorganized??? I'm a librarian for goodness sake! I get paid to be organized!

I'm sure all the bits and pieces will find their proper homes and everything will re-appear at some point in time...don't you think?

Thanks for taking the time to visit today!

some finishes to share

This past month, I was able to finish the rest of the year's blocks for our Stitchers' Timeout Block Exchange. Sorry for the shadows on the pictures!

The designer for our March block is Little House Needleworks. I stitched Blossoms and Blackbirds on an evenweave fabric with DMC threads.

May's designer is Blackbird Designs. I chose to stitch a block from the Cast a Spell leaflet, the Basket block. It is stitched on an evenweave fabric with a silk thread from Carrie's Creations, Cajun Coffee. It's a really pretty color with slight variations, and the silk is a pleasure to stitch with.

The designer for our September block is Prairie Schooler and I chose to stitch the Angel from the Christmas Past leaflet. This is stitched on fiddlers cloth with DMC thread.

For the November block, we are to choose any ornament from any of the Just Cross Stitch ornament issues. I chose this design from The Sampler Girl...Glad Tidings to You...from the 2011 issue. It is stitched  on evenweave fabric with DMC.

These were all items I had in my stash. My other finish for the month was a design from Lizzie Kate...Life Is Not Measured. This was gifted to me by my Secret Santa this past Christmas, so I didn't have it long enough to count as stash, but I did use fabric and threads that I already had. I substituted a couple of the colors that I was missing. It is stitched on a Lugana from Picture this Plus with Gentle Arts, Weeks and Crescent Colors threads. I'm really pleased with the way it turned out.
Not sure how I will finish it yet...any suggestions?

Thanks for taking the time to visit, and thank you for all your comments. They are greatly appreciated.

Stitch from Stash

It's time for this month's check-in!

Month: February

Spent: 13.27

Earned: 24.00

This month, I spent money on floss that I was missing,and a new Lizzie Kate design that I don't have yet. There were 12 new starts from stash, and I worked on one WIP (Life Is Not Measured...which I finished, but the pattern was too new to me to count as stash, tho the fabric and threads were!) and one UFO...Joyful Summer.,

I misplaced my camera, so once I find it, I will upload some photos of my finishes!

Thanks for stopping by to visit! I'm looking forward to seeing how everyone else did this month!

Late SAL Check-Ins

Yup, it's that time of the month again...time to check in with the Gifted Gorgeousness SAL and the Totally Useless SAL...and guess who's late again?

I've finished three pieces of gifted gorgeousness, the SAL hosted by Jo...two were Valentine exchanges that I couldn't show last month because they hadn't been received yet. The first was sent to Judith in Germany. The pattern is called Patriotic Heart by AuryTM. I changed the colors to something more Valentiney (?) from the red, white and blue called for. Stitched on a bluish/lilac color jobelan with Crescent Colours "Miss Madalynn thread, and made into a small pin pillow.

 

 

This second exchange was sent to Tami in Alabama.The design is Love Never Fails by the Primitive Hare, stitched on a lugana from Picture This Plus (Ancient) with Gentle Arts thread in "Old Brick", and again, made into a small pin pillow.

The third piece I stitched was a design gifted to me by DJ, my Friendly Stitchers' Secret Santa this year. It is from Lizzie Kate, and called Life Is Not Measured. I stitched it on a lugana from Picture This Plus (Mesa) using some of the called for threads, and substituting some others from what I had in my stash. They are all either Gentle Arts, Crescent Colours or Weeks threads though. I really enjoyed stitching this one...not sure how I am going to finish it yet though.

Since I was stitching quite a bit in January, trying to keep up with Debbie's Ultimate Challenge, there are lots of threads in my little ort bowl for this month. I've been trying to stitch at least a little bit each day, and have really been enjoying it again. If you want to join in the TUSAL fun, you can click on the link in my sidebar to find out how.

We'll see you all again next month...hopefully on time!

Thanks for taking the time to visit!

Giveaway Winner!!!

I am so sorry for being a few days late with this...I know I said my Grow Your Blog Day drawing would be on February 15th, but time just got away from me!

Anyway, I put all the names in a basket this morning, and the winner is:  

Linda  from Stitchin' with my Furbabies

Congratulations, Linda! I've emailed you, in case you don't see this.

I hope everyone will take a peek at Linda's blog too. It's a real treat.

Thanks again to all who visited my blog on Grow Your Blog Day, and for all your comments. They are truly appreciated.

T.G.I.F.

I didn't mean to let so much time pass between posts, but the flu bug caught me and I have been down for the count for the past while. I finally came back to work yesterday, and am still not feeling great, but at  least the weekend is upon us, and for that I am truly grateful!

I know that some of you are continuing on into February with Debbie's Challenge, but I decided not to. I really want to finish up these projects I started, and I have been stash diving as I've been picking out patterns to do for the challenge and there is a whole pile that I really would love to get to at some point this year. Most of them are ones I forgot I even had!

Anyway, here are my last  6 starts for the challenge:

• Jan 26 - Blackbird's Garden from My Big Toe designs. This one is stitched on star sapphire jobelan with over-dyed threads

• Jan 27 - Another mitten...Promise of Spring from Cross-Eyed Cricket, stitched on an evenweave with DMC

• Jan 28 - Necessities Sampler from Little House Needleworks, again stitched on an evenweave fabric with DMC

• Jan 29 - Goodwill from Little House Needleworks. This is another of the Scripture series. It is stitched on a green linen with the Crescent Colours threads that were included with the design

• Jan 30 - Claddagh Mitten from Cross-Eyed Cricket, stitched on a fabric color called Sunset Breeze with DMC threads

• Jan 31 - Traveling Stitcher from Little House Needleworks. Stitched on Butterscotch Cookie with the Crescent Colours threads included with the design. I have wanted to stitch this one for so long. I am glad to finally have it started!

Someone mentioned that I have a lot of started borders...well, yeah, I guess I do! I usually start my patterns in the upper left corner...it's just easier for me that way.  I'm hoping that soon some pretty designs will emerge!

I hope everyone has a great weekend planned. I think the rain that we have been having the past few days is supposed to continue through the weekend, which means getting cozy with my stitching!

Thanks for taking the time to visit!