Memorial Day

A day to honor our men and women and uniform.     Coming from a family with some military as well as first responder ties (father-in-law, half-brothers, aunt, niece, son, friends) I know Memorial Day is more that a day for picnics or the 'start' of summer.   We also must remember to appreciate the sacrifice of those in uniform and their families make so we can live this life of ours.

 I took a little drive by our county's Veteran's Cemetery yesterday to sit and reflect a few minutes during the hustle and bustle of errands.   So peaceful and so thankful to these men and women.

 I confess, these photos are not from yesterday.   Since it was an unplanned stop, I didn't have my camera.   The scene yesterday was the same (except for overcast skies) as it was when I took these several years ago.

After my reflection and giving thanks, I took advantage of being home alone on a holiday weekend.   See, the thing is, no one calls to bother you because they are all doing family things.   With Mr. W. at Drum Corp, I was able to catch up and get my plants in.

 I started with this wire planter that sits out front.  I like to pick three or our flowers in complimentary colors and  mixing up the pairings in the different pots.   This year's choice is fuchsia geraniums, coleus, creeping Jenny and purple snap dragons.

They all appear a little skimpy for now but they will fill in in no time.  

It's ashame the camera can't catch what I see.....all the colors when I look at the yard from the pool deck.

 I lined all the pots up to make it easier for Mr. W. to water them since I am heading out early tomorrow morning for some grandbaby time.  Hopefully they will survive Mr. W.'s  neglect and I will place them on the deck and porch when I return.

 For stitching, I finished up the binding on a string quilt I assembled in January or February of this year.

My daughter taught me there are no rules for a quilt back and I like playing with my scraps.

 For cross stitching,  I am working on a free pattern sent to those of us attending the Prim Stitchers Retreat in Harrisburg.  If we bring this completed pattern and fabric, Carolina Stitcher with make us a project bag.   How can we not stitch it!   Retreat starts Thursday and I know I will get this completed.   The design from Beth Seal of Summer House Stitch Workes.   I used the colors from the pre-work piece I am working on for the class I am having with her later this summer.

 So that wraps up my week.  I am sure there with be treasures galore to share next week after the Prim Stitchers Retreat and since I usually start  new piece when I go on a retreat and since I didn't start anything new the last three times.......this could be the time.  Stay tuned folks and keep on stitching!

What I say and what I do

Are definitely two different things.   Oh, yes, I pledge that I am going to stitch on nothing but this or that for now and nothing else.    Oh those words taste so good when eaten with a side of hummus and baby carrots.   

So what am I fessing up to.......oh, I was only going to stitch on Halloween Quaker until finished.        Above, is where I was after retreat.....below, my progress this week.  Thank goodness for photos because I actually I can see I had more progress that I thought.

 I did finish my Prim Stitchers Retreat pre-stitch with time to spare.

Prim Stitchers have shared an additional free pattern that I may try to stitch up before the retreat.    It is a motif from Beth Seal at Summer House Stitch Workes.   If we provide the finished stitch and two 1/2 yard pieces of fabric, Carolina Stitcher will stitch us up a project bag.  And since it is Carolina Stitcher and since I signed up for a Beth Seal class in Lancaster in June, I can hardly pass that up right?

  Above the pin keep and on the right, the floss tag for the Beth Seal Class in Lancaster at the end of June.

 I love how these colors blended as stitched.

Below is the exchange piece for the Prim Stitchers Retreat that I finished this week.    I think I may have to glue the button down.    It came out a little lack luster then my vision.

 I don't know if I  will take it or keep it.  I filled it with crushed walnut shells and lavender.   The button is one I bought in NYC at Mood in April.  I am happy with the work and finish, it is just that is it smaller than I expected it to be and I don't want to be that one that brings a lame exchange piece.

Earlier in the week I made chocolate covered pretzels for the bridal shower of a friend's daughter.

I also made little bags of covers chocolates for shower favors.

Coming up this week is some longed for days without rain!    The yard and all the flower beds are in great shape but I have yet to plant any of my pots or my vegetables.   I am longing to get some bright red geraniums in for that pop of color.  Hopefully, Mother Nature will cooperate and I can get some plants in.   I am afraid to go out and buy too many this week as I will be  away all next week and fear I won't get them in before I leave.    At this rate, I guess I will be enjoying my first round of veggies when everyone else is enjoying their bummer crops!

Thanks fo stopping by and keep on stitching.

Happy Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day to all the mom's out there.    

A real quick post.  Got a long to-do list today.  

Last weekend when my daughter was here she gave me a Mother's Day gift.   She always finds the perfect gift.    This is a beautiful book of biscornus albeit entirely in french.  

Not to worry, the patterns translate to any language as do the DMC numbers listed in the key.  Looking forward to stitching one or two of these for upcoming exchanges.

I love this time of the year....home from work, don the sweats and head out to the yard.   My gardens are in great shape, all cleaned, weeded and prepped for planting.  Unfortunately, it leaves little time for stitching.  

For Halloween Quaker,  I almost have page four of six  pages complete.   Looking forward to a mid-summer finish on this one!

Below is the pre-sttiching for the Prim Stitchers Retreat I will be going to the first of June.  

Anyway, from the daily posts and excitement on their FB page, this is going to prove to be an awesome retreat.

 And then there is a bad thing.  A fellow stitcher was doing her pre-work when we were at our DVHSG retreat. So what else do I do but come home and sign up for it.    

 This for the pre-work to a class I signed up for at Stitches Unlimited in Lancaster, PA at the end of June.    I think pre-stitching for classes is a favorite of mine.   It means I will walk out of class with finished pieces.  

I will be taking this to Prim Stitchers Retreat for work on.

I know, it's crazy.  I signed up in November for Prim Stitchers Retreat and I should know by now other retreats and classes would pop up that surely would catch my eye and I would sign up for them as well.   What's a stitcher to do?   All I can say, I'm a happy stitcher!   And then, I just saw the latest class from Betsy Morgan.   Oh no! I have a feeling I will be at Salty Yarns in June of 2019!

That's all I've got for now.   EGA and a DVHSG Meetings both this week means two FB updates and two blog updates.  Good thing it is a rainy day and I won't be outside.    Hope to knock out all the computer work and do some finishing and crafting the rest of the day.    Hopefully I will have some accomplishments to share next week.

Thanks for stopping by and keep on stitching!

May We Stitch

I hate to put a jinx on things but everything seems to be falling into place nicely.    Things are getting done at home and work and the backlog on each is dwindling.    Not sure it will stay this way but I will enjoy it while it continues.   I have all but one flower bed ready for the landscaper to come and put in the mulch.   That will leave just my gnome and pond gardens for me to do as well as time to plant and place my potted plants and vegetables.  This all seems very manageable and less overwhelming that it has in past years.   No major yard projects on my horizon this summer.  So far this spring, the weather just hasn't cooperated nor has my schedule.    Some weeks I have something every night and I still have not learned to say no.

For work, the countdown is on.......14 months to retirement and as it gets closer the more I want it.  Since I started silently counting at 36 months, I am thrilled to be over halfway.   I have started to download  little tasks here and there that has really helped me clear my desk of time sucking tasks.   I passed one senior officer and his immediate direct report to another admin  who as been under utilized for years.  For the most part the senior executives are pretty self-sufficient but it helps that I no longer have to track attendance and do timesheets, credit cards statements, travel arrangements and expense reports for one officer and his reports.  This has given me time to update the Administrative Procedures Manual as well as to start to document my procedures to pass it on to the next willing candidate.   I don't think they really believe I will go.....especially considering I have two fellow Executive Admins that are past 70!  (What the hey!)  I guess they figure I have another 8 to 10 years of working life......they figure wrong.

This is the season for me for something to do every weekend.   Does it run in bunches for your too?  In mid-March a girlfriend said, I need a "Robin Day", meaning a day she and I meet for breakfast and then consignment and craft shop all day ending with late afternoon coffee and pastries.    Well.......I looked at my calendar and found the first weekend available was mid-May......by now that weekend has been filled with helping a friend with her daughter's bridal shower........not to worry, these weekend endeavors are mostly of fun variety.

Take last weekend, I was at Salty Yarns in OCMD for our bi-annual DVHSG Members Only Retreat.  Lucky for me, Diane  drove and I was able to work on the only stitching I can do in the car.   Between the rides down and back, I made it a little more than halfway around the hand sewing the binding of a twin quilt I made earlier in the year.  This is the second of two made with the retro fabrics.

Unfortunately it was mostly a bit too brisk and breezy to sit outside to stitch.  It was yet another  fabulous time with 32-33 fellow stitchers.  As always, the staff at the Lankford and Salty Yarns are so good to us.  Hats off to Sally, Sarah and Mary for the great food, fun time and fabulous shopping.   Which of course brings me to ......I was the dag gummed winner again this trip in the race of who spends the most in the shop (between me and my roommates)   I thought I was doing well but that darned bag behind the counter with my name on it just keep things added all weekend log.   And I really thought I was showing restraint since I am going to the Prim Stitchers Society in Harrisburg next month and will be shopping there too.   Oh, well.  

It was fun to sit and stitch with some old friends as well as get to know some of the other members better.   I have to share, two members has started on Floss-Tube together,   Check out Deb and Liz at the "Country Stitchers".


And this is what left the store with me....
I have enjoyed working on Halloween Quaker so much, I got Lila's Studio Holiday Quaker.    I checked my ap and of all the floss I already have, I only had one of the called for threads.   It called for Dapple fabric but I substituted with 36 count Alchemy since there was no Dapple to be found.    It is going to be a group project again.   So many saw Diane's awesome finish of Halloween Quaker they jumped on board to do this one and the store was sold out of patterns and fabric fast!

I just seem to gravitate to Brenda Gervais too.   I picked  up these three.   I plan to stitch each from fabric and floss in my stash except for the snowmen.   I plan to stitch them on a larger count and make it into a wintertime pillow and I may not have any 20 count on hand.

Diane got this so you know what that leads to....I got it and the banding to go with it.   Thankfully it is all DMC.  (see I secretly think it is all the overdyed threads that put me over the top on each shopping trip).   I want to mix this up a bit.   I am  going to make a copy of the pattern and see if I can stitch it horizontally on the banding instead of vertically.   I don't know why I have come up with this latest brainstorm but I do know if it involves too much compensating, it will get stitched as charted.

 I did make great progress on Halloween Quaker while in OCMD.   This fabric (murky) just makes this piece.  I'd say I am a little over halfway completed on this.   I am enjoying this one so much and am anxious to finish, I think it will be my daily stitch until I am finished.

This witch has attitude!

I am off somewhere with the placement of the motif with the candy corn.   It counts correct from my starting point - 18 threads from the bottom point of the crescent moon but it is off at the top of the  motif as it relates to the witches broom.  I think it is the witch that is wrong but guess what, she's staying as stitched!

Since I picked up Halloween Quaker to work on in OCMD, I have put aside Corsica River.   I really need to put in the time to finished that top row of blackwork.    I did however make great progress during my last round of stitching this one.   Then, I got to the middle.   In my infinite OCD wisdom, I couldn't get past the fact the the center of this band does not align with the center of the band above.   So I skipped three (Yes, what in god's name was I thinking, 3!) threads.   It means a lot, a big whole lot of compensating stitches.   Fortunately so far  this doesn't seem to be causing any visual impact but geez-zoo-pete I can be a moron sometimes.  And just think, when I get done compensating on the left of the motif, I get to do it all again on the right! or maybe I will be smart and add 4 threads to that side!

I did have a girl's day yesterday with my daughter and friends and we went on the 71st Annual Wilmington Garden Tour.  Compared to the past, while there were beautiful yards, it was underwhelming to each of us.  It is not to say that the yards, gardens and homes were not pristine, and manicured and fabulous there were only a handful of stand outs to us.  I have probably attended 15 times over the last 40 years and there was really nothing over the top this year.

 Well that's all I've got.   I need to attack this house from top to bottom and get things picked up.   Every room seems to have something that doesn't belong in it or a corner that is a mess.......and unfortunately as I pick up, much of it will land on my craft table.   Now going down that rabbit hole will definitely be for another day.

Have a great week all and keep on stitching!