Scheduling

I have been on a tear emptying out that UFO basket with two more finishes this week.   First, Tudor Rose needle book.  This is an oldie.   Two telltale signs are the publishing date is 1996 and it is on Aida.   I have no memory where I bought it but remember I had my daughter in mind since she lives in a tudor style home.  









I did add stitching between the front and back to create a more book-like spine to the needle book.   It is a trick I learned from Cathy Haberman of Hands on Design in a class with her a few years ago.

Second, the EGA SAL The Curious Needle book canvas piece.   This one is only a year old.  I am not a big fan of doing canvas work but I do like to do pieces where I learn something and where I am challenged.   Both have been moved to that basket of finishes to be done.   I decided to make March or April my finishing month and devote all my crafting time to finishing pieces.   I think I may need to BOTH March and April since I will be on three different trips in March and two in April.

Because I have finished five UFO's in less that five weeks,  I gave myself 'permission' to have a new start  (or two or three!)    First, there was no option but to start my pre-work for Prim Stitchers Retreat in Asheville in April.  The pattern is called Measure Twice & Cut Once from Dames of the Needle.

I also started the complementary pattern from Prim Stitchers.   The piece will be handed over to Faye of Carolina Stitcher for her to do her magic and incorporate it into a project bag for me.  Again, a must start.

Lastly, I started my Peppermint Purple 52 Weeks of Blackwork SAL.    I am only 7 weeks behind but I think catching up should be no problem.   It looks like I will need to put a border around this.   I should pick one now and stitch is as I go.   As soon as one of the two pre-stitches is done,  I have another pre-stitch I need to start for an April class with Betsy Morgan.    Once the pre-stitch pieces are done and I am up to date on the blackwork SAL I have the next five UFO's queued up
in the wings.

I needed to go back several years to find a snow scene.

Weather here has been so mild but I really wish we would have one nice snow.   I do love a brisk cold walk in the snow with the brilliant blue sky above when is actually feels warm out but you return home with rose cheeks.  I love the silence of the actually snowfall when no one is on the road and I can sit on the porch all cozy with a good cuppa.  The absence of snow and cold weather  can be soothed by looking forward to heading outside as we are expecting highs in the upper 50's and low 60's the next two days to pick up all the sticks and branches that have fallen and just generally looking and making plans for spring plantings.

I am also in the mood to get outside and work in the yard partly because we just had a sprinkler system installed and it has gotten my gardening juices flowing.   The sprinkler company will come back in four to six weeks and turn it on for the first time for us and educate us on the computer ap and the zones.   I am so looking forward to a spring and summer of not dragging the hose all around the yard for hours or the grass turning all brown and straw like.  I am feeling almost like a gentlewoman farmer who has all the heavy work handled by others!

Up this week for me is more retirement fun.   I am falling into a nice routine of two to three stitching get togethers each week!  I will also be getting ready for a nice trip to Florida next week.   As for my retirement to-do list, I don't think I have crossed on thing off the list yet partly because I need to create that daily schedule and partly because I think I have been away more than I have been home.   I know this too will settle out.   Things come in bunches so just like get-aways seem to bunch together, down time will too.  And maybe I need to say no to somethings.     ummmm, no I don't, I'm retired!   Let the fun continue.

Thanks for stopping by and keep on stitching'.