Another Finish

This is a Heartstrings pattern by Pat Thode.    Four of us stitched this same pattern a few years back. And then this sat languishing in the basket with other unfinished finishes.

It was a fun piece to stitch and did stitch up relatively quick.  Even better, I am pleased with how well the finishing turned out.

Finishing was not too terribly difficult but it did take more than a few hours to do.  My friend Pat and I each worked on finishing our pieces while at Camp Wannasew earlier in the month.   It was good to do together...what I didn't think of she did and vice-versa.

Another check mark in the good old finished column.   Time to pack St. Nick away until next Christmas.

Happy stitching all.

Sky Blue Pink!

Wow - this was my view outside my window this morning as I had my first cuppa and stitched my first stitches of the day.  Isn't Mother Nature just the most awesome.....using her paintbox of all colors.  
 

 Looking east

 Looking north

Looking west

 Looking south

My grandfather was a sailor before settling on a factory job.   I know the sailor's lament - Red sky at night sailors delight/red sky at morning, sailors take warning.   Not sure what we are in for today but I was surrounded by beautiful skies at sunrise.

As for stitching, I am moving along.   Fourteen sections completed and 19 to go!

 Finished up the roses this morning.   I am one thread off......I am not sure I will frog and restitch the leaves on the right or make it mine and leave it at stitched.

Queen Stitches were frogged and restitched.   I am happy I did redo these.   This time around my Queen Stitches were much nicer than the first time.

This verse says it all.

Happy stitching and happy week everyone.

What a difference a day makes

We weathered the storm.   Yesterday visibility did not allow me to see the end of the street. And today,

 beautiful, brilliant blue skies with the sun bright and strong.

Street plowed but not yet for the driveway

 This weather has caused some strange happenings inside......in the middle of the night.

Here's the culprit.   He's a night owl and wants to play.  He wants to go out until I open the door.   He causes my sleep pattern to be about the same as when your kids were babies and you didn't get a full nights sleep.   Last night, I took to throwing my slippers at him after he woke me three times wanting to go out out in the middle of the night.   Mr. Innocent.

 Sun is shining and the snow is melting off the roof.

  Snow has melted and dried the sidewalk we shoveled.

Crazy differences in the depths.  From grass showing to about 3 and a half feet deep in some areas.   All told, we probably got 18 to 20 inches of snow.  And me, I could have been in the Caribbean this week.

While it was snowing away, in between baking and soup making and rewatching all of the first season of Outlander, I got a lot done on My Stitching Treasures.  I deviated from my plan of completed a section at a time....got weary of back stitching the lettering.

Over one, completed.  Empty sections get charms.

Queen stitches done but need to come out.   I added a stitch to the stem and now can't get three strawberries in this block.  I'll consider it good practice.

It's all good.   It may be a suitable task for stitching night.   It would better than chatting and stitching in the wrong place.  Out it will come and in it with go......oh well, sew it goes.

Hunkering Down

Cars are backed into the drive, pantry is full, snow shovels standing by and I've got a beans soaking in the pot for ham and bean soup.....I am ready for the blizzard.   No worries of me getting cabin fever.....got some projects to keep me busy and I think I will just snuggle down to stitch and rewatch season one of Outlander......

Fair progress has been made on my Jeannette Douglas work.  It is rewarding to have a quick finish on a motif and move on to the next.

 A bit of over one work.    Let's see how far I get this weekend.  I plan to be able to move to the next section.

Hoping everyone in the path of the Blizzard of 2016 stays safe, stays warm and weathers the storm as I plan to.....

How lucky am I?

for no particular reason......just being grateful.  I have things I love to do and the means to do them.  Ok enough sappy stuff.

I am just home from Camp WannaSew.  I was a first time attendee with fellow EGA members.  You guys get it...four days in a hotel with like minded friends, some old, some new (hi Erica!).   As Erica explained, we have found our tribe.  So true.  It is nice to get to know members of other guilds as well as my own!  In monthly meetings you really don't have time to chat so this was good opportunity to talk and get to know my fellow guild members.  We were in Ocean City Maryland which is a favorite spot of mine.  (maybe I can retire here!) This time I stayed at the Clarion and not the Lankford but not to worry, I did make a visit to Salty Yarn to see Sara and Sally and shop.  I was lucky enough to see my blogging buddy, Stasi, who was onsite to help with fabric cutting.

This is Saturday from the boardwalk.   Warm enough for a stroll with
only a vest on.

So what does one do at Camp WannaSew......here goes....

Lacing the front and back of my 'flying' Santa.

Pat and I worked on the finishing on a Pat Thode Heartstrings Santa.   Four of us stitched this a couple of years back.  This weekend was the perfect opportunity to work on the finishing.  (Carol and Diane - we worked out all the bugs along the way and will be able to help you through finishing at OCMD in April!  We will give you a supply list before our next trip to OCMD.)

Here's Pat's clipped and ready to lace.

And mine.   I need to finish up the lacing, sewing the front and back together
and add the braid trim and move this to the finished column!

Early morning Saturday

Walking the boards on Saturday

Early morning Monday - look close, that's snow on the beach!

I also got a satisfying amount stitched on two of my 2016 Challenge pieces.  After I submitted my four pieces to the challenge I got a bit worried that I was over zealous.   I can be my worst enemy as well as my biggest champion when it comes to a project.  So here's to keeping positive!  This weekend energized me with a renewed hope that I can do it!

For my Chester County Sampler piece, I decided I would stitch the left hand side of each band all the way to the bottom of the design.   Why?   Well I need a diversion from all those eyelets in the alphabet!  My plan forward will be to stitch a letter, stitch on a band, stitch a letter and so on.   Will it work out.....who knows but it is my plan until it doesn't.

I changed up the colors of this band since it was too southwest looking.   I also switched out the all Algerian eyes charted for this band with regular cross stitch, modified rice stitch, smyrna cross and tied cross stitch.  

I also picked up My Stitching Treasures.   Here again, I have renewed hope that I can finish this one as well.  If I divide it into sections so as to not be overwhelmed with the entire piece, I am feeling good about moving this from the WIP pile to a finish.  Two motifs down this weekend and 28 of various sizes and stitches to go.

Two of the above sections get charms so I only have four motifs to finish before I more to the next section.  

I like this modified Van Dyke stitch.  I hope if I ever need to stitch a bumble bee, I remember this stitch.

I was gifted this fab wine glass from Iowa Ann.   So nice of her and all because I was sitting at one of her table of peeps!  Of course I had to christian it.  It says "One stitch, two sips".....hmmm, should have a second line that says "equals lots of frogging!".

What a difference a day makes.  And me with no snow
scraper.   You know that emergency flashlight you have in
 the car?  It works as a snow scraper too

View from the Sports Bar at Sunday night's dinner.

I love snow and this was the first snow of the season for us so of course I have to take non-sensical snow photos.

And I almost forgot to share some of the Show 'n Tell!  Ann W., the organizer, did a fantastic job!

174 strong, in this banquet room which had fabulous lighting.  No need for my Ott Light.

Happy stitching all......stay warm!