Start from Stash

I have had this in my stash of projects for several years and kept putting off starting it even though I

really wanted to.   This is called "An Acorn for Andrew" by Tomorrow's Antiques.  I have done very little beading before.  Really never more than just embellishing here and there.  I read the directions put them down, picked them up and reread and then threw caution to the wind and started.  First stitch in and the directions say .....1059 to go!  Crazy.  

Mr. Squirrel is starting to take shape.

I actually thought this would not be a very good take along project but it is.  I just load up the good old beading tray and I am ready to get in a couple of rows at lunch time.  This is really stitching up pretty fast.  Started on Tuesday and I am almost halfway completed.  I don't know why I was so intimidated!   And it's another scissors fob!    Let the stash busting continue!

I also have a finish to share.   Yes, of course, I plowed ahead and assembled my biscournu.  I might have stuffed it a little firmer but really this will most like just sit in the basket with my other smalls.   This is another piece that slightly intimidated me.   Those buttonhole bars!  I really dreaded them but they were EZ-PZ and once you got going you got into a really rhythm.

 Love love love the pin cone button!  I am ahead of schedule on this SAL so I think I will put the other pieces aside and go back to my Girls from the Guild SAL.  Six rows to go and I am done.   This SAL wraps up the second Saturday of January and I am sure I can make that deadline.   Pix of my progress next time.

Next up, hmmm, more routing around me stash perhaps!

Stitching from Stash - October

Even with a retreat attended, I stayed within budget!   I really surprised myself.  I am not sure if it is this challenge, my desire to downsize or what but I am really thinking of what I have in my stash before I buy something new.  Not only that I am trying to be realistic about when I will stitch and finish a project versus buying it because I like it.  We all know we have stash to last us well beyond life expectancy but enough.  We all are tempted by new patterns, new floss that is still pristine and shiny buttons and beads.   I am really thinking about each project before I buy it - when will I do it, will I still like it then.   Very little is hitting that "I can't live without it" level......at least this week.  LOL

September Carry Forward - $95.00

Allotment for October - $25.00

Credit for October - $6.00

Spent in October - $33.58

Balance - $92.42

Finishes in October

Pining to Stitch Biscournu

Hands on design scissors fob

All that 'buy only what you need' resolve and I am off antiquing for the day with a girlfriend or two.   I wonder if that buy it only if you need it will apply to consignment and antique shop finds.   

It's a comin'

The SNOW that is....well maybe not for a while but my son reported flurries at his place.   Fortunately he is in the mountains and 160 miles west of me!   Not ready yet for old man winter.   I want to enjoy the fall first.  


I harvested the last bit of greens and peppers yesterday. And I brought in all the plants that were on my deck or hanging from my pergola.  They do so well outside in the humidity in the summer.  I hope I can winter them well.   I put Ike (My Boston Fern/no pix) in the bathroom hoping it will enjoy the shower humidity.  




But enough of the Flora    This week I accomplished little stitch wise.   Ever have one of those weeks when you have something EVERY night?   I am blessed to have a circle of stitching friends I meet with weekly, and a group of high school classmates I meet for dinner monthly.  Add girl's night with the girls from work and other appointments that collided for the perfect storm of out every night!    

I did finish my scissors fob from last weekend.   Not too excessive here am I by the looks of my collection of scissors fobs.  And I am sure there are a couple of more squirreled away with a WIP.  

I also finished up the bottom of the Pining to Stitch Biscournu.  Isn't it fabulous when you round that last corner and your stitches meet like they are supposed to?  


I don't know if I will shelf the assembly until January or do it now.   Since I am basically an out-of-order gal,  chances are I will do it now.   Overall I am ahead of schedule on this SAL and can put aside the fob and needle book until January.     I need to get back to my Sampler Guild SAL to stay on schedule for a January completion.   Ug!  Sew many projects, sew little time.

Sorry to overwhelm you with so many photos of this piece!   But I just love it.   Isn't the pine cone button perfect?
















I didn't share what I got at Salty Yarns last week.  Not much at all.   There were so many things I fell in love with but then I did an honest  review......will I stitch it this year, next year or who knows when? Will I still love it in three years when I might get to it?  I put many things back after being totally honest with what I will accomplish before I return to Salty Yarns in April   I might have actually won for the LEAST amount spent.  I did picked up these two Halloween pieces.   I look forward to stitching this Mill Hill complete kit called Sugar Skull.   All those beads means this is not a take along project.  The completed version is so much more than the kits looks.  Sally always gets me no matter what the season with having current season finishes at the counter when you enter the shop.  I like stitching Halloween pieces because they give me permission to use wild and bizarre colors that are not my usual m.o.    I also got this pocket watch necklace and pattern.   Great tip from Sally - the fabric just lays in the pocket watch so you can change it out to showcase other holiday motifs.

The framed "creepy" is from my gift bag at Jamboree.   I cut the bag apart and popped "creepy" in a 4 x 6 frame, added the skull off my bag tag and set it out with my Halloween table to decorations.

Well with colder weather coming it is my plan, my hope, my promise to myself, that I will spend at least one week night up in my sewing room working on a quilting project or finishing a finished piece.  

My wooden carpenters tool tray is full of Halloween fabrics on the left for a wall hanging I have in mind and on the right are parts of a red white and blue four patch table cover I started and strayed from and in the front, 5-inch squares of novelty fabric cut in hopes of making an I-Spy baby quilt.  

Well here's to the start of another week.   This afternoon, Monday, Thursday and Friday are already filled in my datebook.   Who's knows if I will have any days open by the time Monday rolls around.  Happy stitching all.   Bundle up in your sweaters, listen to the crinkle of fall leaves under your feet, and enjoy the season.

Home Again Home Again Jiggedty Jig

Boo Hiss....had to come home from Ocean City Maryland.  Sally, Sarah and Mary (as well as Vern, Brian, Michael and all th rest) at the Lankford and Salty Yarns never disappoint by taking that extra special care of us.  It is like visiting old friends or family.   Love love love sleeping with my window open and listening to the waves......ahhhhh.....

You know how it goes....come home, unpack, do laundry......somewhere between unpacking and finishing the laundry looks like Buddy is glad I am home OR he is exercising his opinion that I stay home!







This was not my normal guild fall retreat at Salty Yarns.  Instead this year I attended the fall Jamboree at Salty Yarns.  It was three half-day classes and making new friends.  It is always the best to spend time with fellow Stitchers.  There were 55 of us.  Sarah out did herself with the delicious food and desserts.  Any long weekend with my girl friends is a great one.

I got to meet a fellow blogger.  I have followed Stasi B.  at BeeMused ....BeeStitching for several years.  A big shout out to Stasi for her help in the classroom with the Baby Lock and in the shop  with fabric selection and cutting.   Stasi  had seen my Pining to Stitch Biscournu and decided to stitch it.   She brought her finished biscournu to share.  Isn't that always a boost when someone likes what you are stitching enough to stitch it too.

On to the classes.  We were divided into three different classrooms which the teachers rotated through so we were able to leave out "stations" set up with our stitching tools, etc.  As each class started we were greeted not only with our project supplies but with goodies.  Without further ado.....look at what we made!!

Me and my roomies first two class finishes.

We did the pre-stitching before the classes and were able to walk away from classes with completed projects.  First up, my group had class with Cathy Haberman of Hands on Designs.  Fabulous!  Can I say that again?  Cathy was a great teacher, friendly, efficient, warm, sharing and talented.  Look how adorable!  Such fun to walk out of class with a finished finished!  And we walked out with not only with a thank gift from the teacher but the skills to be able to finished the second one.

Our second class was with Just Another Button Company.  

Rachel, daughter of the founder, was our teacher.  OMGoodness, how sweet she was.   There are not enough superlatives what a pleasure it was to have her as a teacher.  She gave us a history of how JABCo got started.   They will be celebrating their 20th anniversary this year with a nostalgic re-do of how they starting - with a Christmas present of polymer clay - but this time not just mom with children but now mom, children and grandchildren.  Look at this adorable pear!    Mine may be a little bit lopsided but I will have to work at shaping it a bit more.







Sunday morning's class was with Cecile of JABCo, Rachel's mom!  Again, another fabulous class.  Cecile gave us all polymer clay and taught us to make buttons.  It was really fun but that said Rachel and Cecile don't have to worry about me taking up button making and giving them any competition.  It is not nearly as easy as it looks.  I have a new appreciation of any JABCo button.

The attention to detail by each teacher, the quality of the supplies, the project coordination and the Jamboree made this a fantastic weekend.  It was easy to see a lot of planning went into the weekend.

Here is the outside of the two finishes and a close up of the pear button.  Not the one I made but a JABCo original.

Next the inside of each book.

The buttons I made.   One of my pears is tied to the strawberry basket in the back.

I was so over zealous about remembering to put in the holes in each button before baking that I forgot I needed to leave one untouched to glue to the tag.  Sooooooo I added a smile to my button before I baked it.

Here is the complimentary scissors fob we made.   I need to pink the edges and then do a quick stitch up.

We were also given this pear painted on perforated paper to stitch and attach our buttons to.  Not sure if I will stitch it or just put it in a simple black frame.



All that and can you believe I had time to stitch something?   This is a little wool kit that only took an evening.   EZ-PZ, the overall size is only about 3 by 8.  Now to finish and hang for the fall season.

 Pardon the wrinkles but I did also finish the top of my biscournu.

And got a good amount done on the bottom.    I would secretly like to finish this by my Thursday night stitching night....better get those clothes folded so I can get stitching.

Welcome October

Well here we are in the fourth quarter of the year already.   We (almost) needed the AC on in the beginning of the week if only for the humidity and today we need a quick run of the heater to get the dampness out of the house.   I had my first discussion with Mr. W. about perhaps we may wish to consider being snowbirds.   His response.....hmmm, if it fits into his retirement plan.  Wow, at least he didn't totally dismiss it like I was a crazy person....so wintering in Florida may be in my (distant) future!    One can wish.....and actually, I don't know if I am really a fan of Florida but I guess I could take one for the team and try it.  Maybe we can start with renting a place for a couple of months one year and see.....but enough....

My hoop is mounted on my new stitching frame
from Notforgotten Farm.   

Stitching wise I haven't been able to put in much stitching time.   No progress at all on my Guild SAL but I plan to get back to it and tackle it in earnest before the month if over.

I have been concentrating my efforts on my EGA SAL and I have to say it is one I am really enjoying.  I think the instant gratification from the quick finish of each small helps.   I am using my hoop mounted on my new stitching frame from Notforgotten Farm.   I am loving the stand.   It helps me stitch with both hands and move faster.

This is the biscournu top.

First pine cone completed and three to go

Here's the finished front of the scissors keeps.       

My plan once I finish the biscournu is to put Pining To Stitch aside until after the first if the year to allow me time to finish my Girls of the Guild SAL by the January deadline.

That's all I've got folks.......except to be looking forward to heading to OCMD mid-week.   My stitching friends and I are attending Jamboree at Salty Yarns.  Of all the places I go I do so look forward to these trips to the beach with my girlfriends the most.