march 18 - a wonderful find and some questions

My thread for Quaker Winter Slumber came in yesterday's mail, but...it doesn't quite match...too much bright purple. Of course I shouldn't be surprised...it has been a long time since I got the threads in the first place. I guess I could just cut out the bright spots, but I thought I would try to find some more instead. And this morning, I came upon a wonderful little quilt and mercantile store in the town right next to where I work! What a great shop! If I was a quilter I am sure I would be drooling over all the beautiful fabrics...I was anyway, and I don't quilt! But they also carry a small amount of Weeks and GAST threads and lots of Boyd's bears and Jim Shore pieces (little ones that I can actually afford to buy!) So I found my color (and it does look closer to the original) and also picked up a bunch more that looked very springy, as well as some adorable scissors. I am already planning my next visit to this great little shop!

I have a couple of techy blogger type questions that I am hoping someone might be able to help me with. First, I found the place to change to fun type faces, but they are only showing in my headings and sidebar. How can I get a fun typeface for the actual text of posts?
Also (I know someone has talked about this, but I can't remember who)...is there an easy way to comment to people who comment on our blogs? I am so grateful to anyone who takes the time to make a comment and I would really love to be able to send off a reply.
So...can anyone help me?

My grandson is coming for a sleepover weekend, so there probably won't be too much stitching going on at our house this weekend! He is much more interested in his trains and blocks! I hope it dries out at least a little bit so we can spend some time outdoors.

I hope everyone has a fun weekend planned!

Thanks for taking the time to visit!

march 17 - spring?????

The calendar says that spring is just around the corner and I want to believe it...really I do! But this has been such a dark and dreary week...gray skies, tons of rain, even some hail and crazy wild winds. It is perfect weather to find a comfy seat indoors though and have a hot cup of tea, so that is what I have been doing every chance I get! There was a spring training game on tv last night too which made me smile...baseball season will be here before we know it and I will be planted in my comfy chair watching as much as I can...just a bit of a fan am I!

Anyway, I have been doing some stitching this week. I'm in a Midnight Stitching kind of mood! I love Marianne's designs and these two are no exception. This one is Quaker Winter Slumber and I am stitching it on a white opalescent linen with Weeks thread in eggplant. Unfortunately, I ran out of thread :(, but some is onthe way so I will get back to this one very soon. I only have the bottom section to do and it will be finished. The original design is finished as a bellpull, but I'm not sure yet what I will do.


This second design is A Prairie Girl's Sampler. It was one of the pieces I chose for my Crazy 15 Starts Challenge. It is being stitched on jobelan (bittersweet lite) with Crescent Colors thread in Barn Door. I am really enjoying stitching this piece!


Sorry for the wrinkle marks in the photos. I just grabbed these off their respective hoops and q-snaps so I could take a quick photo before I left for work!

I hope you are all having a happy St. Patrick's Day...Irish or not. I think we are all a little bit Irish on this day!

Thanks so much for taking the time to visit!

march 14 - before the day gets away from me

I wanted to post here before the day gets too busy and I forget. We're short-staffed all week so it should be a fun one!

Luckily, we had a very laid back and relaxing weekend and I was able to get lots of stitching time (and lots of napping time too!). I finally finished my January 1st start...Ellen Birdseye from The Goode Huswife. This was a design I had wanted to do for a long time and I was finally able to buy the pattern and get it started. It was a really enjoyable piece to stitch as well.


I also wanted to finally share a photo of Three Things Sampler from Moira Blackburn. This was a huge finish for me...it was started in 2005! It's one of those pieces that was so enjoyable to stitch that every time I picked it back up I wondered why I had ever put it down in the first place...the photo looks a bit blurry...it's hard to get a clear view since it is rather large. Hopefully once it's framed I'll have a clearer photo to share.


I also got one more of my block exchanges stitched recently. This is Summer ABCs from Lizzie Kate and it is for the block exchange at the Stitchers Timeout group. The theme for this one is summer.


We have a really fun exchange at Friendly Stitchers called Calendar Girls. There are groups of six and each month someone is the designated "pin-up girl" for the month. That lucky person gets lots of wonderful fabrics and flosses from the others in the group. This year, I was lucky enough to be the first to receive and this is a photo of all the goodies I got in the mail. It's hard to see everything in the basket but trust me the fabrics are beautiful and the threads are amazing...lots of fabulous autumn shades...my faves!


I also decided to stitch a card for this month's recipient...usually I just buy them but I thought I would give it a go and it was fun to do. This is part of Birthday Blessings from Lizzie Kate.


Finally, this is a photo of the lovely exchange I received from Elizabeth, also from the Friendly Stitchers group. This was a spring pincushion exchange...a stitched pincushion along with some spring colored threads. Elizabeth stitched Hello Spring from Lizzie Kate. It has little beads all around and I just love it. I'm already using it, in fact! Hopefully she will have mine by the end of the week and I can share a photo then.


Well, I guess that's enough of me for one day!

Thanks so much for taking the time to visit!

march 11 - what's been happening

I think I have to get over thinking that I can not post unless I have a photo to share. For one thing, I do not have a great camera and I am not a very good photographer, so photos can be few and far between right now. And to be honest, sometimes I just forget that I wanted to take a photo and then it's bedtime and then the next day and the next and so it goes...
But that doesn't mean that nothing is going on in my little world! These past two weeks have actually been fairly busy. I started off with yet another bout of the cold/flu monster, went home early from work two days in a row and tumbled into bed too tired to think let alone stitch!

My daughter and her boyfriend visited from Boston for a few days and we had a great time. He is a wonderful young man and they get along great and seem to be very happy together. Since she hardly ever gets to see her nephew (except on Skype...he actually thinks she lives in the computer I think!) we had Asher with us from Thursday through Sunday. He is so much fun and we all had a great time. We drove to the Coast one day...it was very rainy and blustery, but Kevin had to see the Pacific Ocean and we all enjoyed a great seafood lunch. We also got to celebrate both Kevin's and my other daughter's birthdays with a wonderful Italian dinner out. Lots of good food, laughter and love. We drove up to Seattle on Saturday and visited the Experience Music Project and the Space Needle which were lots of fun too. All in all, we all had a wonderful visit. I'm just always so sad to see Sara go home...3000 miles is too far away!

This week has been a flurry of long hours at work...finalizing our budget, meeting with the Library Board, and last night we had an evening program that went on until 9. I'm usually off at 4:30 so it was a long night! We had two professors from the local college so a talk about how to read a book for a book club...how to organize book clubs, run them, choose a book discuss, etc. It was really interesting and well attended, with people coming from towns quite a distance from ours. I don't belong to any book clubs, and I must admit that I usually just read books for enjoyment...I really don't like to pick them apart and try to find out what the author is really trying to tell me, but it was a fun discussion last night and I think everyone enjoyed it.

I have been stitching a few small things...another square for the block exchange and a spring pincushion exchange that got mailed yesterday. I threaded a bunch of needles this morning because I plan on parking myself in a comfy chair and stitching most of this weekend away...stitching and napping (and I guess I should do our taxes) sounds like a good way to spend the next couple of days!

I have taken a few photos and I will share them sometime this weekend...promise!

Thanks so much for taking the time to visit!

march 4 - totally useless SAL update

Well, another month has passed and it's time for the new moon again...and with that comes our TUSAL updates. I love watching this little jar fill up each month! I thought I had set this to automatically post , but I guess I didn't do it right. Sorry to be late!

Thanks for visiting!

february 28 - mysteries solved, what's lost is found, and a few photos too

It has been way too long since I have updated this blog...sorry for those of you who are followers. I was actually very busy stitching in my spare time, and have very little "leisure" computer time at work since we have been busy getting our budget ready for next fiscal year. Time consuming, but it is finally done and we are very happy!

Did you ever wonder why you lose followers on your blogs? I often wonder if I have said something to offend anyone, or if it is just that I have nothing much of interest to say most of the time. But the last time I tried to add myself as a follower to a blog that was new to me, I was told that I was already following the maximum number of blogs and would have to delete one to add another. I didn't realize that there was a limit, but I guess there is. So someone lost a follower because someone else was gaining one. So now when I see my list fluctuate up and down by one or two, I choose to think that that is the reason!

My daughter and her new beau are coming to visit this week and I have been trying to make some sense of my stitching room (actually my stitching storage room, since I rarely do any actual stitching in there!) because that is where the spare pull-out bed/couch is. I was going through some file drawers and came upon Papillon Creations' Love with a Capital L. I started this design long ago...I don't even remember exactly when...and I had the fabric and thread with my meager amount of stitching in a trunk in the living room. But I could not find the pattern anywhere. I had finally decided to just go ahead and purchase another copy because I really love the design, but I hadn't got around to it yet. Anyway, there it was, stuck in a folder with some freebies! I was so thrilled to find it! I really thought it was gone forever. Makes me wonder what other treasures are hiding somewhere in our house....

I do have a few photos to share. The first is my progress on a SAL that we are doing over at Friendly Stitchers. Each month Val (one of the mods) is posting instructions for two more specialty stitches that we are to add to the band sampler. I hadn't even made a start, but was able to get the first four bands done last week. The fabric is actually more of an antique white, and the thread is a Threadworks color that I had in my stash. I really don't do many specialty stitches in my pieces...I'm pretty much a plain cross-stitch kind of stitcher, so this is a fun SAL for me.


This next photo is my Heart in Hand square for the monthly exchange with the Stitcher's Timeout group. It is called Wee Joy. I used a piece of scrap evenweave ( I think the color may be bone) and DMC. I also changed some of the colors and didn't add the specialty stitches to this one.


I am trying to stitch and finish an ornament each month this year, and this is the one I chose for February. It is a design from Sharon Bennett (daffycat) and can be found on her blog. It is called Mistletoe Reindeer, and is stitched on a scrap piece of linen with DMC. I used red beads instead of white. This is the second of her reindeer ornaments that I have stitched and i think there is one more. I think these designs are so cute!


Lastly, I was the lucky recipient of this adorable little pillow from Becky. It is a beehive design from Little House Needleworks. I am always in awe of Becky's stitching and finishing. She comes up with the cutest finishes for her projects and her stitching is always beautiful. Thanks again Becky for such a lovely gift!


And finally, I said that I had been doing a lot of stitching this month, and the end result is that I have finally finished Three Things Sampler by Moira Blackburn! I started this in February 2005, so it took me six years off and on to stitch, but I love the finished project. I haven't had a chance to press it yet, but as soon as I do I will post a photo here because I really am proud of this one!

And now I am off to blow my nose and sneeze some more, because yes, I am getting yet another cold/sore throat thing. And it is raining so hard here today too. Maybe my boss will take pity on my and send me home early to a nice warm fire and a cup of hot cocoa. One can always hope!

Thanks for visiting!

february 9 - oops!!!

I guess this will teach me not to try and upload photos before I've had my first cup of caffeine! I meant to just save these photos and post later, but oh well! Thanks to everyone who saw and made comments!

I just wanted to post a couple of updates...this first project is H is for Hearts from Sam Sarah. We had a "Heart SAL" with the Stitcher's Timeout group last weekend, and this is the piece I stitched. I used the called for fabric (for a change!) and I really like the way it turned out. I think I will probably finish this one as a small pillow...probably not in time for this Valentine's Day, but I'm collecting for next year!


I've also made a little bit of progress on Apple Tree Sampler. This is the piece that I am stitching along with Babs. I'm sure she is farther along than I am!


And finally, this is my progress on Three Things Sampler. I can finally see the finish in sight and am really excited! I have been stitching this piece on and off since 2005 (!) and every time I sit down with it I don't know why I ever put it down in the first place. I love the colors and really enjoy the stitching too. (sorry for the poor photo)


Tonight , I'm planning on stitching some more on Ellen Birdseye, so I should have another update soon.

Thanks for visiting!

february 3 - draggin myself through the day

I stayed up late last night so I could pre-order the i-phone from Verizon - but if course they are having problems with the website! I tried for a half hour and then knew I had to get some sleep for work, so I went to bed. I've been trying to get in all morning, off and on, and there is still an error message. Maybe this is a sign that I should not bother with this particular phone! I'm thinking of maybe trying the Droid. Some of you must have smartphones (seems like everyone around here does but me!)...does anyone have any advice? Pros? Cons? Guess I'll keep trying....

Today is the New Moon, which means TUSAL Day, so here is my little jar. I read on someone's blog that they thought their photo was kind of boring so they were going to jazz it up a bit...maybe I'll do that next month...this does look kind of lonely!



So I'm off to City Hall to pay some bills, get some cash and some fresh air...maybe the outdoor air will wake me up a bit!

Thanks for visiting!

February 1 - January round-up

After last year, when I hardly did any stitching at all, I am really pleased with the start I have made for 2011!

I managed to reach all the goals I set for myself...I started 15 new projects in that crazy challenge, finished up my last bit for our The Hunt round robin, stitched and framed a birth sampler for my great-niece Lena, finished one WIP/UFO from my list - Flying Monkeys, and stitched and finished one ornie for someone's tree next year (maybe ours, maybe not!). And I stitched and finished the snowman kit from our exchange at Stitcher's Timeout.

All in all, I stitched at least a little bit every day of the month...woo hoo! I hope February will be full of stitches as well! I have lots more stitching to do....

Thanks for visiting!

january 30 - Sunday already????

I can't believe it's been a whole week since I last posted...this has been a crazy busy week, so very little computer time (but I did make sure I made time for at least a little bit of stitching each day...it truly has become my sanity!) We are entering into the "programming" phase of our new library...working with architects to decide what we want and need in the design. We still don't have a site...that is in the works...but the process is moving along, which is positive. It also means lots more meetings...and they just tire me out! They're very informative, but tiring just the same! And budget time is also almost upon us, and my director will be out of town most of next week...so we have to fit lots into a little bit of time. I t does make the days go by faster though!

So, let's get to stitching! I started my SAL on Apple Tree Sampler last Sunday. This is what the design will look like when finished..

and this is how far I got last week...the fabric is more yellow than it appears here.


I hope to get at least a little bit more done before the day is done!

I also stitched and finished my ornament for January. It is a freebie from Samplerbird Stitchery called Holiday Spirit. I have seen it stitched so beautifully on many other blogs and yahoo groups and decided to do it too. It was a quick stitch and fun to do. I added some white beads but they are hard to see in the photo.


We had a "Snowman Kit Exchange" on the Stitchers Timeout group...anyone participating was to send a kit to their partner, including a pattern, fabric and threads to complete the design. I received Heart in Hand's Mr. Byrd from Mar and she was kind enough to also include a piece of finishing fabric, so after he was stitched I made him into a little no-sew cube. I had some snowman ribbon in my stash and it worked out perfectly. I love snowmen designs, but I really don't like stitching with white thread...so this obviously causes problems! But I loves stitching this chubby little guy...he was lots of fun.

Last up is a photo of Clare's finished sampler The Hunt. We have been doing this as a round robin and I finished my bit this week and it is on its way back home to her. Her's is stitched on a white evenweave with Silk n Colors thread in "faded ink". I hope she likes the way it's turned out. It looks much nicer in person!


We are off to the store in search of a room dividing screen thingy...the one we have has shutters and they are starting to fall apart. Also, it is kind of tall and Asher loves playing with the shutters. I'm afraid it may fall on his little head!

So off to shopping, and then some stitching!

Thanks for visiting!

january 23 - a lazy Sunday

My grandson just went home after a fun sleepover at grandma & grandpa's house. He is so much fun. Here he is enjoying a bagel....

I did a little bit of stitching this week...some work on Clare's round robin which I hope to finish and mail off this week, a bit more on Waiting for the Harvest, and some more on Three Things. I only have a photo of Three Things...sorry it seems a bit slanted...I had to tack it to the wall to get a photo!

Today I am starting a SAL with Babs...Apple Tree Sampler. So I am off to watch some football (Go Jets!) and get started.

Thanks for visiting!

january 18 - the tale of the e-readers

Back to work today - I decided to bring one of my small pieces - Waiting for the Harvest - with me and actually have had a few moments to take a break and stitch a bit! I think I will just leave it here for the week and see how much I can accomplish.

Yesterday, we I rearranged the furniture in the living room (the second time since we took our tree down this year!) and was able to make room to bring my stitching lamp back downstairs. What a treat! I love stitching in that room and it has been such a hassle not having the lamp there for the past couple of years. I was working on Three Things yesterday, and forgot how much I love working on this piece. I don't know why I keep putting it down! But this year I am determined to finish it and so I have put it number one on my "UFOs to finish" list. I will post a photo at the end of the week to show how far I've come along.

So, I know that many of you love to read, and I'm sure that some of you have e-readers, right? I received one last year for Christmas (a Sony Reader) from my husband, and I was really enjoying it, but somehow, after our trip to Maui in April, it stopped taking a charge. Jeff thought that maybe it had water damage. Of course, this is the one gift that he has ever paid cash for, and we couldn't find the receipt anywhere. 
Fast forward to this Christmas, and guess what? Jeff buys me a new improved Sony reader for Christmas. Except that it wasn't so improved. I had so many problems with it from the first day that they ended up sending me a new one within the first week. But it still wouldn't work properly. So I decided to stop being frustrated and just return it and get something else. 
They were very nice at the Sony store, gave me back my money, and off I went to Barnes & Noble to get a Nook. I brought it home (not the color model) and began playing with it. Troubles again. I couldn't get a consistent connection to purchase books and the library download was giving me problems as well. And my fingers were too big for the keyboard...I kept hitting all the wrong keys. So, back to Barnes & Noble I went and got my money back. 
I finally decided to give the Kindle a try. My main reason for not wanting to get a Kindle was because Kindle does not support Overdrive, which is the system that gives us our library books to go. But after really looking through the books available from the library, I realized that there really weren't that many that I wanted badly enough to suffer through the craziness I had experienced with the Sony and the Nook. 
So off to Amazon I went, and within one hour of opening the box I had downloaded 2 books with no problem. I now have about a dozen on there, most of which (including all my Jane Austen's) were free! I am so happy! And I even have a little Vera Bradley bag that it fits perfectly in. So I am now a happy Kindle camper and would recommend these to anyone looking for an e-reader. (it will even read the book to you!...I'm excited to try this while stitching. How nice it would be not to have to stop and change the CD all time!)

I want to thank everyone who has been leaving such wonderful comments during the challenge. Please keep after me to finish all these new starts!

Thanks for visiting!

january 17 - challenge wrap-up

It's hard to believe that January is half-over and with it, the crazy 15 new starts as well. I have really enjoyed seeing everyone's new starts...I found that I am stitching some of the same designs as others, but I have also found so many more really wonderful designs to add to my wishlist...and even a couple that I had in my stash and had totally forgotten about!

My day 14 start was Olde Shaker Tune from Homespun Elegance. This was a design I had for so long that I forgot I had it and bought another copy! It is one of my favorite hymns...one I find myself singing at the strangest times. Anyway, here is my start...



And for the last day, day 15, I started Dickens' Mittens...The Last Word. I had hoped to do this one last year, but never got around to it. In our last round robin group, my partners each stitched one of the Dickens' mittens for me. I hope to finish this in such a way that I can hang the mittens from below this piece. It doesn't sound like it makes sense, but I have a picture in my head! Here is my start...



Yesterday was football Sunday (Go Jets!) and I pulled out Ellen Birdseye to work on. This was my January 1st start. I am really enjoying this piece.



Happily, I do not have to go in to work today, so after some early morning errands, I am hoping to meet hubby for lunch and have the afternoon to stitch. I have pulled out my Three Things Sampler to work on today. This is where I left off last time...


I hope everyone is having a great day.
Thanks for visiting!

january 14 - tgif

For some reason, this has seemed like a very long week. Maybe because it is the first full week I've worked since before Christmas!

So last night I heard that my zodiac sign has suddenly changed...what's that about? I've been an archer all my life and now I'm this new "Ophiuchus" thingie...what is it anyway?

This morning my director and I went on a little field trip to another library to see how they do things there...very interesting. They have a completely different work model where staff does much more "roaming" and much less time at actual desks. It's very customer oriented which we love, but I know that selling that idea to some (most) of our staff might be very difficult. This is all part of our process to find a site to build a new library, and discover what we really do want it to look and feel like. It's a time consuming process, but fun at the same time.

Last night I put the final stitches and the little button on Flying Monkeys from Glory Bee. I started this one last July and don't know why it took me so long to finish it. It's a quick stitch and a cute design. It is stitched on a melon colored evenweave with GAST and Weeks threads. I'm not sure how I will finish it yet, but I think I want to have it at work with me...love that saying!


My start for Wednesday night was Ira Rae Crow, the companion piece to Ida Mae Crow from The Goode Huswife, which I started one other day during this crazy challenge. Same fabric and threads. I hope to finish these and hang them in our bedroom. Even my husband thought they were a cute pair!


This was my little bit of progress from that night.


Last night's start was Thirty Birds from Hands to Work. I first saw this on a blog and fell in love with the design. I don't really like the fiddly little birds all over though...they are stitched over one and that is difficult for me, and they don't look like much when they are being stitched...but once done I think they will look good. I am stitching this one on a white evenweave with DMC threads.


This is my progress from last night. My scanner wouldn't work for me this morning and the room was kind of dark so this doesn't look white, but it really is!


So only two more days to the challenge. I have more than 15 projects on my list, but I think I know which two I will be starting. Of course that might change! I think I will keep the list up anyway, just in case I happen to finish so many things that I am looking for more to do...yeah...right...

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend planned. We have a dinner to go to tomorrow night, and lots of football to watch all weekend. It's supposed to be really rainy, so hopefully many stitches will be stitched!

Thanks for visiting!

january 12 - update

Well, the Ducks lost the game in the final seconds...a real nail-biter, but they'll be back next year!

I didn't get much stitching done since Monday. I've been really tired and a little bit dizzy (dizzier than usual, I mean!), so it's been hard to concentrate. But I did make tiny starts on two more projects. I started "waiting for the Harvest" on Monday, and I tried to stitch it on the black linen...I really did...but it just wasn't working. The weave was very uneven and I could barely see what I was doing. I may get a piece of black evenweave and try again some other time. But in the meantime, I found a piece of brown fabric and am still using that pretty autumn thread.


Last night, I decided to start another design from primitivebettys, "Live Laugh Love"...


I have loved this sampler since I first saw the pattern and finally bought it, and have now started.


We didn't get all the snow and ice that was predicted, just lots and lots of rain, but the temperatures are getting warmer, at least for the rest of this week. And only 4 more days to this challenge...and then on to finishing everything!

Thanks for visiting!

january 10 - game day

Today's the day of the "Big Game" - Oregon vs. Auburn for the BCS national championship. So everyone (or nearly everyone) in Oregon is a Ducks fan today. Can't wait to get home, grab a sandwich and settle in with my stitching and football! So today's start is Waiting for the Harvest from Blackbird Designs. I received a piece of black fabric and beautiful autumn colored silks in an exchange last year, and I thought they would be perfect for this design. We'll see how far I get tonight! My grandson spent a good part of the weekend with us, so not many stitches were stitched, but he is such a joy and we had a blast together. He makes me laugh all the time! On Saturday, my start was this Lizzie Kate design from the "boxer" series...Did you ever stop & think... Sunday's start was Olde Pewter Letters from primitivebettys. I love this design and have wanted to start it for quite some time. And finally, these are two blocks stitched for a block exchange with the Stitchers Timeout group. We do one block every other month. I wanted to get a head start on these because I knew I had signed up for these crazy challenges and would be busy busy busy. I actually stitched these two at the very end of last year. We can use any kind of fabric and threads we want...I stitched both of these on fiddler's cloth. January's theme is "chocolate" and this is a Lizzie Kate design. March's theme is Prairie Schooler.



Go Ducks! Thanks for visiting!

january 8 - bring on the weekend!

It is looking pretty gray outside...we are due for some nasty weather this week. I'm not a fan of snow and especially ice, so hopefully it will not be as bad as predicted.

For now, I have a few things to share. My Thursday start was 'Tis Better from La-D-Da. Here is what I accomplished right before bedtime. Please excuse the hoop marks!


And this is my Friday start..Ida Mae Crow from The Goode Huswife. I wish I had more time last night, but again...just a few stitches before bedtime.


And the reason I have not made much progress on any of my starts this past week...my first finish of 2011...Gabrielle Rose from La-D-Da. I am really pleased with the way this turned out. It is stitched over one with one thread on 25 ct. ecru evenweave and DMC threads. And the best part is that I finished it on time to mail it and have it received before the Christening...happy dances all around!


We are off to breakfast, and then late,r my grandson is coming to spend the night. I think there will be plenty of football, playing with trains and puzzles, and probably not much stitching...but my start for today will be one of Lizzie Kate's Boxers - Did You Ever Stop to Think - so I may get a few stitches in after all!

Hope you are all having a great Saturday!

Thanks for visiting!

january 6 - silver linings & a winner!

This post may be a little long because I didn't have time to post yesterday. This cold/flu/sinus infection/whatever has really knocked me out...again. And as a result I took yesterday and today off from work. So, in between sleeping...a lot...I have been getting in some extra stitching time this week that I didn't expect to have (the silver lining!) As a result, I am almost finished with the birth sampler! I've only had to do a little bit of frogging and readjusting a few stitches, but I love the way it is turning out. This is where I was as of bedtime last night. Sorry it's a bit crooked!



I also kept to the challenge, and put a few stitches in another project... The Lighthouse Teapot. This is one of the Silver Needle Night kits that I purchased a long time ago. I collect both teapots and lighthouses, so I thought it was perfect. It is stitched on 10ct. blue tula with mostly perle cotton threads. Everything was included with the kit.


And, in keeping with the challenge, this is my new start for today. It is another design from La-D-Da, the last one in the Stitch Your Heart Out series. I started out with the intention of buying all of these but it didn't end up that way. I did buy my favorites though (I think I even bought one twice!) and will just stitch those (eventually!) I may not post a progress picture of this one until tomorrow because I don't want to start it until I have finished the sampler.


And finally, the twelve days of Christmas are over, and I have put all the entries for my little giveaway into the basket. And the winner is...Bonnie! I just emailed you, but in case you don't get the email, please send me your address and I will get your package out as soon as I can get to the post office.

And now I'd better get back to bed!

Thanks for visiting!

january 4 - first new moon of the new year

It's the first new moon of the new year, and that means it's time to post our "Totally Useless SAL" or TUSALs. I emptied my jar from last year (which had pretty slim pickins!) into a larger container and am starting fresh for this year. With all the new starts this should start filling up pretty fast! You can still sign-up here, but you have to hurry!


Thanks for all the lovely comments on the baby sampler. I really like the way it is turning out. I finished one of the birds last night and started on the flowers. Until this is finished, it will be my main focus, especially since I put myself on this ridiculous deadline...that was I thinking?

But I did make a small...well, tiny...start on a new project this morning...Pumpkins and Peacocks from The Goode Huswife.


When I say a tiny start, I really mean it...there are maybe thirty stitches here! But I don't think I like this fabric. It was a piece I had in my stash and I thought it would work, but I'm afraid the two green threads will just vanish into it. It's a very dark green fabric. You might be able to see a bit of it in this photo...probably not. So I can either change the greens or start over on new fabric. I'll think about it some more today.



And finally, I thought I should probably start on one of the UFO's, so I am starting with a small one...Flying Monkeys from Glory Bee.



It was so cold this morning...I still have a chill even though I've been inside for hours! Think I'll make some hot cider and take a break (I've been so hard at work!) and stitch for a bit before the library opens!

Thanks for visiting!