enchanting exchanges

There is a wonderful exchange that Stephanie hosts twice a year at her blog, The Enchanting Rose.
Participants can choose to exchange mugs or tea cups, or participate in both. Last time, I chose to exchange a mug, but this time, I decided to do both.

Margaret, from Texas, sent me a delicate teacup and saucer, along with some wonderful teas, and a lovely cross-stitched tea towel. When I get home from work in the late afternoon, I take my doggies for a walk and then come home to a lovely cup of tea in this beautiful cup.

Debby, from Ohio, sent me a lovely mug in the prettiest spring color, along with some chai tea (one of my favorites) and honey to go along with it. Sorry the photo is so unclear! This is the perfect mug to enjoy my morning tea in.

Thanks again to Margaret and Debbie, and also to Stephanie for hosting such a wonderful exchange!

lynda

tusal....finally!

I've had this photo for days now, but just haven't been around to post it!
Here's my sweet froggy friend with this month's collection...

See you next time!
lynda

hard to stitch

 
It's hard to stitch when you're dizzy! I started having dizzy spells in February. There were lots of tests and things ruled out, and things went back to normal (well...my normal!) I've been really tired and didn't have much energy to do much, but there's also been lots going on so I didn't think too much about it.  And then last week, I woke up and was too dizzy to even get out of bed. That was scary! I went to the doctor and this time was diagnosed with vertigo. I had this once before many years ago, and I can tell you...it is not fun. And the meds that are prescribed make me really sleepy. It's like a lose-lose situation! And my stitching has suffered...because along with the dizziness and sleepiness, my hands have started to ache around the thumb joints. It's not constant, but after holding a book or hoop for awhile it starts to hurt. So I have to take more breaks than I'd like to...and things are going slower than usual. But I'm still able to stitch, so I really don't want to complain. It's just an annoyance at this point.

My goals for March proved to be a little too ambitious! I did finish another mitten from Cross-Eyed Cricket. It's called There's A Nip in the Air and it's one of my favorites. We have squirrels that come to visit and eat our bird food on a regular basis and I love acorns...

The designer for our March block exchange with Stitchers Timeout was Hands on Design. I found a cute design on Cathy's blog and stitched part of it for my block.

The Friendly Stitchers groups is working on finishing up some of our WIPs, and this month I finally finished Ornamental Pumpkin from Turquoise Graphics and Designs. I started this in January of 2015 as part of Debbie's Challenge. I love this design. The swirly bits are such fun!

This next design is from StitchersAnon and is one of her collection of Holmsey Hare designs. It was started as a sort of SAL on her Holmsy Hare's Hop facebook group. The pattern traveled around to different stitchers. Unfortunately, I had it for way too long...and when I finally got to stitching it, it went so quickly...I felt really bad. Anyway, I think that the pattern is now available for purchase. It really was fun to stitch.

Finally, I want to share my wonderful, exchange gift from Mouse. The Friendly Stitchers group had a Stitchers Day exchange and this is the lovely stitching bag that I received. I love the design and the fall colors that are my favorites. And it is perfect for taking a small project in the car or to work. Thanks again, Mouse!

I guess that is enough for now! Thanks everyone for taking the time to visit!

hugs and happy stitching to you all!

it's TUSAL time again!

The New Moon means its time to post our totally useless SAL photos. It looks like I've done quite a bit of stitching this month!

Froggy loves to show off the orts basket!

'till next month, happy stitching!

end-of-month check-in for february

This turned out to be a pretty productive month...I managed to stitch almost every day, at least a little bit!

One goal was to stitch another mitten from Cross-Eyed Cricket Collection. This month I chose to stitch a mitten called Patches. I love the colors in this one.

I also stitched another ornament  this month. Robin was kind enough to let me know that the companion to the mitten I stitched last month could be found in the 2015 Just Cross Stitch ornament preview edition. This is called Truly Endless Knot I and is by Ink Circles. I used the same fabric and threads as its companion piece. I love these designs!

My goal was to stitch on this Lizzie Kate design every Friday. but I only managed 2 out of the 4 Fridays in February. This is where I am now...

The WIP I was working on in February was from Silver Creek Samplers...Stitching Feeds My Heart .

I finished it, and you can see it here.

And lastly, I had hoped to start (and finish) Strawberry Garden by Blackbird Designs. I did get it started, but the frog came to visit and I ended up stitching one section three times before I got it right! So it is not finished yet, but this is where I am now...

Maybe it will be finished this month!

Thanks for taking the time to visit. Until next time, happy stitching!

february's WIPocalypse

Another full moon...and it is gorgeous!

I've been working on a few WIPs this month. The one I actually finished is from Silver Creek Samplers, Stitching Feeds My Heart. I started it in April last year...

 I've also been working on Lizzie Kate's ABCs of Aging Artfully. I can't remember when I started this one, but it was quite some time ago...

My current "focus" WIP is Ornamental Pumpkin from Turquoise Graphics and Designs. This was started last January and was one of my challenge pieces. This is where I was when I picked it back up this month...

And this is where I am now...

I love all the swirly bits!

To answer this month's question, the only piece I have always on display is Quaker Christmas from By Gone Stitches. It is currently hanging in our bedroom, so no-one really sees it except me and my hubby! I do put out seasonal pieces though. I think I should really get some framing done!

Happy Stitching!
lynda

Gifted Gorgeousness...a little bit late

But not as late as last month!

Since last time, I've finished the pattern that was gifted to me by Gillie when she was my Secret Santa...Autumn Quaker Seasons by ByGone Stitches.  You can see the finished piece here.

I've also started a new piece from Blackbird Designs called Seaside Retreat. It can be found in the book, A Stitcher's Journey. I am using a beautiful blue thread from Threadworx that was gifted to me from Frances for stitching on her latest round robin.

Happy Stitching!
lynda

it's TUSAL time

it's the new moon and time to show our collected orts for the month...froggy is liking all the pretty colors this time!

happy stitching until next time! 

another wonderful giveaway

Nancy from Victorian Motto Sampler Shoppe is doing it again...she is generously offering another wonderful giveaway on her blog.

Look at these wonderful rainbow colors....aren't they gorgeous?  

Hop on over to Nancy's blog and enter to win. The drawing will be on February 25th.

Good Luck!

end of month check-in for january

I thought it might be a good idea to set some goals for myself each month. I'm not sure how long this will last, but it will be fun for awhile, and might keep me a little more focused!

In January, I set 7 goals for myself, and I accomplished six of them (well, technically, only 5 because I finished my ornament early this morning, but I'm still calling it good!)

One of my goals for the year is to stitch one of the Cross Eyed Cricket mittens each month. I wanted to do this last year too, and I think I managed 6 or 7. This is a little duckie from the August leaflet. These mittens are always fun to stitch, and they go pretty quickly too. This one is stitched on a blue evenweave with DMC threads.

I also want to stitch one ornament a month. I signed up with a Facebook group that is stitching 12 of the ornaments from last year's Just Cross Stitch Ornament issue. I started to do the January selection which was from Blue Ribbon Designs, but I started it too late, and when I realized I had messed up on the border, I decided to just choose another ornament instead. So,while I might not be following along with the group, I would still like to stitch one a month. This design is from the same magazine. It is by Ink Circles, and is called Truly Endless Knot II (there must be a Truly Endless Knot I...I'll have to search for it). I stitched it on an opalescent lugana from Silkweavers that I found in my stash, with some silks from Vikki Clayton's hand dyed fibers. I think this one is really pretty...I love the colors.

I also wanted to finish my Autumn Quaker Seasons sampler. I posted this one on my WIPocalyse post for January, so you can see the photo here.

The next piece I wanted to finish was Moon Garden by Blackbird Designs. I borrowed this from a lending library of BBD out-of-print designs, and felt really bad that I had it for so long, so to finish it was my main goal for January. The fabric is actually more brown than the photo shows (more like the corner where the shadow is!). It is stitched with the called for threads from Weeks and Gentle Arts.

I did re-start Quaker Christmas II, but only stitched on it a tiny bit. You can see that here. I am planning to stitch on this one on Sundays this month, so I hope to make some more progress!

The last goal I accomplished was stitching my block for the monthly block exchange at Stitcher's Time-Out. We are doing a different designer each time again this year, and this month's was Heart in Hand. I love these designs. This one is called Little Brown House Sampler. It is stitched on a mystery fabric with DMC.

The goal that I am carrying over into February is to start (and hopefully, finish) Strawberry Garden from Blackbird Designs. You can see my other goals by clicking the tab on the top of the page.

So, not so bad! Let's see what February brings!

Thanks for stopping by to visit, and happy stitching!

wipocalypse post ( a little late...)

Do we sense a theme here?

Anyway, I've decided to join in this year, because, even though I know that I will be starting new things throughout the year, I really do want to focus on getting some WIPs finished.

And I'm off to a good start. This is a design from ByGone Stitches  called Autumn Quaker Seasons and it is now finished...yay! Actually, I am kind of sad to see it done because I really enjoyed stitching this piece. It is stitched on a beige-y evenweave with threads from Carrie's Creations - Mud Pie, Toasted Marshmallow, and Koala Claw (silk). I started it last January,

This month, we are supposed to introduce ourselves. I've lived in Oregon for the past 22 years, originally from New York. I'm married with two grown daughters and one amazing grandson who is 7 years old. We also currently have two dogs and one cat who let us share their space. I'm a librarian, and am seriously thinking about retirement, maybe in the next year or so. I love to spend my time stitching (duh!); reading cozy mysteries; watching sports and British TV shows; listening to music and finding new places to explore. There is a tab on my blog called "Stitching Plans for 2016". There you will see a list of some of the WIPs I hope to stitch on this year, as well as some other goals...like an ornament a month...I still have 5 days to get January's done!

Hope everyone is having a stitchy day!

gifted gorgeousness...a little ( or a lot!) late

Last year, I signed up to participate in Jo's Gifted Gorgeousness SAL. But, like so many other things last year, I didn't keep up very well. So I decided to sign up again this year. I know...I'm already late for my first post, but hopefully that will get better! Since the regular posting date is the 15th of the month, I will post my progress as of then.

The first piece is the same one I was working on last year...Quaker Seasons - Autumn from By Gone Stitches. The pattern was a Secret Santa gift from Gillie in 2014. This is was my progress then, but I have stitched more on it, so next month I will hopefully have a finish!

This second piece is from Blackbird Designs. I belong to a Blackbird Designs Fans Facebook group, and since so many of their designs have gone out of print and go for huge sums on Ebay, etc, a lending library of sorts has been started. This is a design I was fortunate enough to be able to borrow
(so that's a gift, right? even though it will be returned and re-gifted!) It is called Moon Garden.

So, that is it for January! Now let's see if my addled brain will get this post to the proper place!

Hope everyone is  having a great stitchy month!

lynda

another wonderful giveaway

  
Nancy, from Victorian Motto Sampler Shoppe, is generously offering a fabulous Valentine's Day giveaway. Check out her blog for all details.

Have a happy stitchy day!

some stitchy progress

This was an extra long weekend for me. On Thursday, I fell going up the stairs at work (clumsy!) and I have been sore ever since. No-one ever said I was graceful!

I had to take hubby to the doctor on Friday, so stayed home and managed to get some stitches in on Moon Garden. It's getting there...finally! I wish I could take a decent photo of this piece. Maybe when it is finished!

Was lucky enough to have a sleepover with Asher on Saturday, so we got to have lots of grandma time. Always a joy!

The rest of the weekend was mostly spent watching lots of football and running errands, but I did manage to get some more stitches in on my Autumn Quaker. I can see the finish line on this one. I really love stitching on this piece and will be both sorry and happy to see it finished!

Hmmm...can't seem to get this centered. Oh well...off to work. Hope everyone has a wonderful day.

Thanks for taking the time to visit!

first TUSAL of 2016 and some weekend stitches

January 9 was the first New Moon of 2016, and that means our first totally useless SAL post. Here is my faithful froggy with this month's basket of orts. Lots of pretty colors in there.

On Friday, I took part in my first Friday Frolics, thanks to kitten stitching's blog. I decided to stitch on Moon Garden by Blackbird Designs. This is where I ended up. The colors are totally off in this photo. The photo in my previous post is much closer to the actual colors. I don't know how this happened!

On Saturday, I picked up my Autumn Quaker Sampler to work on. This is a piece that I really want to finish soon. I love the colors and I love working on it.

And finally, on Sunday, I re-started Quaker Christmas II. I didn't get very far, but I am thinking that this will be a long term labor of love. Slow and steady.

I feel really good about the things I accomplished this weekend. I worked on the three pieces that I wanted to work on and made some progress on each. I haven't set any goals for this week...maybe tomorrow...

Thanks for taking the time to visit today...happy stitching!

friday follies

My friday got off to a messy start when I spilled my entire chai latte while opening the door to the library this morning. And I'm cold again. I know, stop complaining! Everyone else in the building is too warm and I am sitting here with a huge fleece blankie wrapped around me, trying to warm up. Plus, I think I probably look a tad ridiculous. Oh well.

I am really looking forward to some stitching time this weekend. I've stitched a tiny bit on my autumn sampler, but to be honest, I have been so tired every night when I get home that I have been falling asleep in the chair more often than putting needle and thread to fabric. I feel really bad too, because hubby doesn't get home now until almost 9 at night, so theoretically I have lots of time to stitch...and instead, I have been snoozing. Maybe it's just that this was the first week back after the holidays and I'll get a second wind or something...

I'm thinking of stitching on Moon Garden tonight. This is a design from Blackbird Designs, and the pattern has been loaned to me since it is out of print. Because of this, I really want to get it finished, but for some reason, I just can't seem to get into stitching it. The colors are all very pastel shades...maybe that's it, I don't know. But I decided to give it all my attention tonight and see how far along I get. This is my starting point:

Saturday will be devoted to the autumn quaker sampler, and then on Sunday, I plan on re-starting Quaker Christmas 2. I started this one a long time ago, and didn't get very far (a theme with me!). When I picked it up again last year, I was really determined to finish it by Christmas. Then I finished the first page, and when I went to start the second, I realized that I had stitched it the wrong way on the fabric. I had the short ends on the sides, making it more horizontal like QC1, but it should have been more vertical. I just didn't have the heart or the energy to pick out everything I had stitched, so I put it away for later. Now later is here, and I have new threads and a new piece of fabric and I am just starting over. Let's see how far I come this year!

I hope you all have lots of time to stitch this weekend. Thanks for taking the time to come and visit!

snow day!

Yesterday, I got an unplanned snow day, thanks to all the ice all over the roads. We woke up to snow on Sunday...pretty unusual here in the valley...but it gradually turned to icy rain which turned to really hazardous road conditions. Now, I am originally from the Hudson Valley region of New York, and no stranger to snow and cold weather, but I must confess to becoming a bit of a weather weakling since moving to Oregon! I don't like the cold all that much at all! And driving on ice is not the same as driving in snow!

So, on went the fireplace, and with a nice big mug of tea, I hunkered down to watch the new season of Downton Abbey and stitch to my heart's content. What a wonderful day!

And this is the result...my little lost but not forgotten Lizzie Kate. Geesh...it only took 4 years to finish...what was I thinking! It just needs two little buttons.

Anyway, I also found another lost treasure...another Lizzie Kate design called The Art of Aging Artfully.  I started this one on January 29, 2012...but this is as far as I got.

So I'm thinking that maybe I'll do a letter or two a week, and pretty soon it will be finished.

Tonight, I will be stitching on my Quaker Autumn Sampler. Gillie (at Friendly Stitchers) has challenged us to pick up a WIP and finally get it done, so this is the one I have decided to do first. It's fitting too, because this was a gift from Gillie when she was my Secret Santa a couple of years ago.
I've finished the first page.

Thanks for stopping by to visit today...I hope everyone is enjoying their day!

not the way I planned to start stitching the new year!

Not sure why I thought any "plans" I might have made would go smoothly...

The stitching plan was to start the 2015 Prairie Schooler Santa on New Year's Eve...the pattern didn't come in time and my grandson spent the night and we welcomed in the new year together. New Year's Day was to find me starting Crazy Socks from Rosewood Manor...but that day was spent playing with my grandson and continuing nursing the hubby through a bout of vertigo. Today we woke up to snow falling...something that doesn't happen too often here, and I spent a lot of time "thinking" about what I should stitch, finally filling in our 2016 wall calendar and wondering how/if I could get to work tomorrow.

I finally picked up a needle and thread when I found this little ditty while searching for something else. It is Lizzie Kate's Did You Ever Stop to Think...seemed appropriate! I did some sleuthing and realized that I started this in January of 2011 (yikes!) as part of one of those 'start a bunch of new designs in January' challenges. You can see that I didn't get very far that January! Hopefully, it will get finished this January!

I hope everyone has a happy and healthy 2016! Did everyone start a new piece on New Year's Day?

Thanks for taking the time to visit my blog!

a special giveaway to start off the new year!

Nancy, from Victorian Motto Sampler, is graciously offering another giveaway of some of her beautiful flosses. Visit her blog to see all of her gorgeous threads and patterns. 

Good luck!

a little bit of Christmas

It's been so much fun visiting your blogs and seeing all the beautiful stitching, and trees and decorations for the holidays. I thought I would share a couple of photos from our house. If you click on the photos you can get a better look.

This is our tree. It's a little bit bigger than the ones we've had the past few years, and I love it! It's filled with an eclectic assortment of ornaments, some from when my girls were little, some from our travels, some gifts, some new...the star on top was my husband's when he was growing up. He remembers going to buy it with his dad, more than 50 years ago. And it is still spinning! The tree just isn't complete without that star.

This year, I finally bought a small tree to showcase my stitched ornaments. Some of these are ones I stitched, but most are gifts from stitching friends. I had a tabletop tree for years, but I cold never stuff all the ornaments on there. This works out so much better!

And this is our little Charlie Brown tree. I just couldn't resist!

I hope you are all enjoying this wonderful season...thanks for taking the time to visit!