Summer Daze

So glad I put in the long hours of yard work in April and May.   I am now reaping the benefits of being able to enjoy the sites, sounds and smells of the summer.   Flowers blooming, branches swaying, birds chirping, leaves rustling, strawberry and honeysuckle scents are being enjoyed daily as I sit on the deck and stitch.

More than a few trips back and forth with the township on permitting but the contractor was finally able to get started albeit with changes.  We are not permitted to construct an extension to our deck.   Easiest way to explain is because we already cover too many square feet of surface area on our property.   But, we can put in pavers.   Huh?   Water runs threw a deck and is able to be absorbed below; pavers however are non-permeable.   Just my thoughts.   Pre-backfilling and leveling, I found myself following the sun’s path each day to see how the sun and shade would be hitting the additional paver space.   Why?   I don’t know.   It seemed I was conjuring up different scenarios of little vignettes I would be/could be creating for this otherwise square dance arena space.   Mr. W. Has had absolutely no say in anything in our house or property for the 40 plus years we have lived here.   He was not allowed to choose/didn’t choose paint colors, remodeling, siding, windows, decks, railings, furniture, garden and plant design but paid for it all.  So I decided just to let him roll with whatever he wanted - I just wanted cohesiveness.  Dimension and design were on him.  It was kind of nice….he is the contact with the contractor and one making all the decisions and calls.  Boy that need to control has gotten in the way for me over the years.  I am often such a slow learner.  However the job somehow grew in scope - imagine that - somehow even more footage was added to the proposed ‘helicopter landing zone’.  But alas, my job is only to sit and enjoy it once the work is done.     

June is ending with me in the midst of 12 days at my son’s while my daughter-in-law is traveling for work.  The kiddos have camp and pre-school 3 and 4 days respectively so that’s a break for part of the day.  It is a bit of running back and forth.  Since my son leaves for work at 1:15. he and I get to have time together.  I have got a couple of afternoon hours to sew or stitch before I make the return pick-up trip which of course are at opposite ends of the county.  There are lots  of giggles, splashing in the tub and reading stories to round out each day.  I must admit I am ready to drop off to sleep not much longer after getting them down.

Last week while the kids were at pre-school and camp, I was able to prep the back for my hexagon quilt and I hope to start on the quilting on Tuesday once everyone is where they are supposed to be.   I decided on a blue plaid flannel for the backing.   It is not like I could make it match with anything on the front.  LOL.      

Good thing my WIPGO assignments for June  were not too taxing.    My first assignment was to chart and stitch my name and initial to use to convert this perpetual calendar into a usable cross stitch display piece.   The charting and stitching was completed in  one day!  Finishing took another day.   I am super happy my vision actually materialized.   Nothing against Thomas Kincaid but I prefer my name on the calendar.  Now I just need to stitch the 8 remaining Year of Celebration monthly designs from Hands on Design.   

In addition to fully finishing the perpetual calendar, I pulled this stitched piece out and finished it.   It is from Hands On Design, called Autumn Skies, and was stitched last year.

I finished Over-Dyed Spools, an EGA Canvas piece.  It has been cut to fit on top of this box which I still need to paint and add trim to.   I do like like learning and doing different techniques that EGA offers but they can really cut in to my cross stitch time!

All these finishes I am racking up are nice but unfortunately none seem to be on my WIP/UFO list.   

My other June WIPGO was to start  “Barnwood Buttons” from Rosewood Manor.    It would be nice to be able to say I closer to finishing but I completed the assignment - to start the piece - and I am nearly to the half way point.  The fabric is a mystery linen that was bright blue; I coffee dyed it to be a color I preferred.   It is much bluer than it appears below.  I don’t think it was the coffee dying that did it but this fabric was a pain to stitch on.   The weave is really tight and I have had to revert back to using cheaters to work on it.  

Just a sucker for jumping on board to any old SAL.   I joined Colorado Cross Stitchers Summer Camp.   No worries, not necessary to pack my suitcase; it is all virtual.   Each month (June July August) she gives an assignment motif that you are to include in your work.  June’s assignment - stitch something with a bird.   I picked Luminous Fibers Arts - “Stitcher”, mystery linen with WDW Turkish Red.  Again, stitched in under a week.   I dug into my box ‘o flea market frames and painted this one red to fully finish this piece.    It will find a home next to my stitching area - notice, I say ‘area’ not chair as I tend to sprawl!

  As for my gardens, veggies are coming in and in the flower beds I have been eradicating the spiderwort.   Nothing I planted but something that keeps coming back and multiplying each year.   UGH.   It’s ok…i mean I can’t sit and stitch all day.  Early morning coolness is a great time to tackle the mess.  

I am trying to survive without a swimming pool.   It has been hard though.  I know it is the reason for my pre-June funk. This year, we actually had a springtime and didn’t jump right from cold weather to blistering heat.    I admit that I am missing the cooling off by jumping in or that leisurely evening floating with the music on and a wine glass in my hand.   

Thanks for stopping by, and keep on stitching. 

December!

 I hope everyone stateside had a Happy Thanksgiving!    Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday and this year did not disappoint.   We were all together again at my house.  There was that nasty pandemic thing and also for several years,  the middle child has stayed in Massachusetts and celebrated with friends. This year she came home for the week.

There were no cell phones at our table, but we did have a little fashionista.  Aunt Heather gave Miss Raegan some costume jewelry and she had to put it all on right away and leave it all on all day.  

I do admit I got myself a little wrapped around the axle and in a tizzy at the end of November/beginning of December.  All of a sudden  it was the week before Thanksgiving.  

You know how is goes when you start thinking of all the things you have to do and don’t know when you will get them done?  And this person wants something from you and another person wants something else, and someone guilts you into something, and you have your own list and you’re supposed to somehow fit it all in.   I needed to drop back and punt.  It was time to stop everything and just kind of review and plan what was needed.  I made my list and prioritized it.   It is the only way I could 'unwind', get it all done, see progress with increasing check marks for  completed items and feel in control of what is a sometimes out of control week!  I had just  run amok for a bit.   Not too much of a control freak am I?  Or too many years as an Executive Administrative Assistant and using that Franklin Covey Planner I guess.

It started with some texts.  I am doing an advent exchange with four friends and they were all trading texts about shipping  their boxes!  What!!  I hadn’t even wrapped my gifts!  What am I saying, I hadn’t even finished the construction of my gifts!    I’d better rethink how I use that  list  that I believe keeps me on track because “wrapping” has been on my list since August so has the ‘construction’ of a couple of the gifts.    Maybe #1 on the list is to CHECK the list.    Taking a realistic assessment of what I had to do I could see it wasn’t that bad.    I spent an afternoon to sort and wrap up to December 11th for all four exchanges.  I spend the next afternoon figuring out what I still had to construct and got started.    In four days, I got things constructed, wrapped and shipped.  Things do get easier if I just stay home a for a few days to get things done. Why is that I so often BLOW the task up in my mind to something bigger that is actually turns out to be?    It’s true, every journey begins with one step and the first step I must take is jumping over the hurdle of my avoidance……I just needed to jump in and do it.

Since middle daughter was here for a week and since we were delaying our Thanksgiving Dinner to Friday due to work schedules,  she and I had a mini-sew-a-thon.   It is great to be able to leave everything (and the mess) set up for several days straight.  This is when I was able to get those items constructed; and was able to trim, press, and interface four cross stitch pieces for finishing.  

I helped her make her layer cake of backing, batting and top and then helped her quilt this quilt.   She made and attached the binding and took it back north to hand stitch the binding down.

She also made this banner style wall hanging.   Don’t you just love that grumpy cat face?  She took some Kreinik and some Etoile floss to stitch whiskers.

 

I didn’t do any work on my Block-a- Day Quilt.   Boy oh boy, am I on a hiatus on this one or what!  It’s only been 6 weeks since I  dropped the ball but it seems like it was six months.   13 blocks left to cut, sew together, assemble and I will be done.  I am taking the pressure off myself and I am not worrying about finishing it after the first of the year.  A good two or three days will do it.

As for stitching, I have made decent progress on Garden of Stitches as well.   I hope to get another big chunk stitched by the end of the month.  It is such a pretty piece.   I need to finish that row above the WXYZ  and I have the large flower basket under the WXYZ and I will be done. There are some other little things - like satin stitches - we were to leave to last that I will have to go back to complete.

I did fully finish HOD’s Costume Party.  This was a mystery SAL in September.   I added the purple beads for what my mind sees as bubbles coming out of the witch's brew.  I also added some JABCO buttons from my stash.   Why save them, right?   I might do a stash dive and change the ribbon to a purple.

I am in the homestretch for the Civil War Huswif, from Linda Vinson.  It is from a  July Guild program.    I used my grandson’s name and 1st Pennsylvania represents him being my first  grandchild and he lives in Pennsylvania.   I only need to finish the flag that is taking forever. 

The Liz Mathews Tree was a project she created for my Delaware Guild.   We pre-stitched the piece and part of our November meeting was dedicated to the assembly.   Liz was a great teacher and I was able to work right along with her via Zoom and have my tree done by the end of the meeting.  

I stitched this Jeannette Douglas Design last winter and fully finished it this weekend.   I need to glam it up still with some ribbon and a sprig of greens.

 I stitched and finished this cute little ornament that was one of my Advent gifts.

I also stitched and finished this perforated paper pumpkin from my Shaker retreat.   This one and the bird above were stitched and finished in a day.  I have one more holiday finish I hope to work on tomorrow.  The piece is stitched, pressed, interfaced and finishing fabrics chosen.    I have the incentive of Show and Tell at my EGA this Thursday which is motivating me.

The first weekend of December I participated in Jingle Ball.   It was an online event put on by Lindy Stitches.   The concept and the execution were  very well done.  There were 10 or 12 designers participating.  Cathy Haberman, Linda Stoltz, Janis Note, Beth Seal, Stephanie Webb to name a few. They had Meet and Greet zoom rooms with each designer, lecture rooms, online classes (which sold out in seconds), finishing tutorials and of course, a merchandise mart.  A girlfriend spent the weekend and we stayed up until midnight catching up chatting in zoom rooms with friends from all.   We drank Mimosas and stayed in our PJ's all day.

Made some new friends, chatted with designers, was able to order show exclusives, saw previews for the Nashville Market,  and just enjoyed the weekend long event.   It was a bargain for the $10 ticket price.  

Back in August, I  gifted myself the advent stitch from Moonfeathers in Denmark.   It is an embroidery project.   Each day I open another little bag and stitch with the directions and fibers inside.   The design is outlined like a Christmas tree.....time will tell what the finish will be like.

My (current) plan is to start the Jackie DuPlessis piece from my September  Class on New Year’s Day.   This piece and working towards a finish on Land That I Love by Teresa Kogut are my ONLY 2023 stitching plans......oh fear not,  I am well aware something will come along and cause me to stray.....this stitcher has no will power.   In fact, I am intrigued by the WIPGO SAL many are joining on FB.   Since I want to stitch on ALL the things at once, I need someone to be the director of my  chaos and tell me what my assignment is for the month.   And of course, a class, a retreat, a new design that everyone else is doing will easily divert me from my appointed path.    Oh if only I could be monogamous.   There is slim chance I can stick to my pledge to only have a new start AFTER  after  two finishes.........  I know all my plans are likely to be feudal.   Too many projects and too little time.  I got nothing people.

Thanks for stopping by, stay healthy, stay happy and keep on stitching!

   

Just Itsy Bitsy Progress to share

I have so little progress to show after a week of little stitching.  I have been spreading two or three hours each day with a close friend who has a lot on her plate right now and when I get home I am just not in the mood to sit and stitch.   Couple that with the stitching fairy (my eldest) dropped off tons of crafts supplies on my front porch.     I just recently proclaimed in a zoom meeting that all the stuff visible in my craft room was not purchased by me!   How prophetic that was.   

Long story short, the aunt of a friend of my daughter's was a crafter and had passed away last summer.   Her family is cleaning out her home and no one else in the family was a crafter (for shame!) and they didn’t know what to do with it.   I told my daughter my guild liqudiates unwanted stash on eBay and uses the proceeds for room rental,  supplies and projects, etc.   I thought that was the end of it.  Nope.   They didn’t want to be bothered.  It’s really easy I said, here’s the number and here’s the website, just drop it off and they sell it for you on eBay and split the profit with you.     Next thing I know the family thought it would be best to donate to an organization that would appreciate it and use the money generated for sales to help other stitchers.  .....so that is how I came upon tubs and tubs and tubs of floss and patterns and towels and transfers and......

No judgement from me.  I need to get a Thank You note to them now and again when we receive our "check" for the sales.  

Initially I thought I’d sort the DMC by number in zip lock bags.   My friend Pat pulled me back from edge on that one.  And I thought maybe I will enhance my stash by pulling the numbers I don't have......nope, not really worth my time to spend hours for $0.59 floss.   Easy estimate, 3,000 skeins of new DMC floss!  If we were meeting right now, I would take this treasure trove to a meeting for everyone to check it out but I doubt we will be meeting until the fall so off to eBay sales.      Although I have not spent my time stitching, my time was spent craft related. 

I finished the flower basket on Land That I Love.

But wait.....one little #712/cream stitch missed there near the handle.   Geez, what was I thinking when I ended the stitching one stitch short?

As for HOD Year of Celebration.......why is that small items seem to take so long.   I did stitch all the snow in icicles from WDW but didn’t like the look so out the stitches came.   At the rate I am stitching this tiny chart it will be next year before I get it done.   I think I need to dedicate some serious stitching time this coming weekend.

I'll get there....one day and one stitch at a time.

Thanks for stopping by.   Stay safe, stay healthy and keep on stitching!

Red, White and Blue Binge

As was documented on my last wordless Wednesday I went down the rabbit hole.  I pulled out my stash of patterns and perused and oh’d and ah’d and lost a couple of hours  while contemplating all the potential.   I first pulled out all the patterns I wanted to complete.  Thanks to a friend, Linda W., I used her tip to take that stack and divide it into A, B and C preference piles.  This allowed me to narrow down my project list to a manageable amount.   I chose UFOs, smaller projects, larger projects and came up with what I felt was a manageable final selection.   (I laugh at myself)  Since I finished the year with a flurry of Christmas ornaments, I think when I need a quick finish fix, I will dive into the cross stitch magazines Christmas editions for an ornament or two.  I plan to do a lot of stitching from stash this year but I  know something will come along that I will have-to-have or start. (Again, I laugh at myself as I already have a list for shopping  online at Salty Yarns' Super Bowl Sale.)  As for my selections, each has been kitted, bagged, labeled and is it in my stitching basket that is kept by my stitching chair.   

On New Years Day I started A Flag of Stars by Bent Creek.   It is finished and I have ordered a 6x6 Mill Hill frame to mount it.   It will join my other patriotic pieces in my upstairs bath.

This is how far I was when I picked this up again.

I pulled out Land That I Love by Theresa Kogut.   It is almost  a new start.  I only worked on it only one weekend when my friends and I started it as a SAL in October.   I try to put in an hour each morning and then again each afternoon.   I am using the called for colors except for the fabric.  I chose 36 count Aspen instead of the called for Tin Roof.   Ok, here’s to progress on another patriotic stitch.

Not a ton of progress

New to me are these magnets.   I like them a lot better than the oversized clothes pin type I was using.   Amazon!

My changes so far to the pattern, are using a smyrna cross in the center of the white flower.

I am also using a smyrna cross for the letters in the alphabet.   The pattern calls for the letters USA to be stitched in a different red.   I instead I am stitching my initials in the different shade of red.  

I started HOD Year of Celebration.   I didn’t get far.   My ’plan’....(and again, I laugh at myself)....is to stitch on smaller pieces  during the weekend and save the bigger projects during the week.  

Here too, I am using the smyrna cross in the center of the snowflakes.  Pulling from stash I selected  WDW icicle for the snow.

As for Wordless Wednesday, I hate to say some weeks it is hard to come up with something that I think can be posted without words but still be relatable.  Instead of being carefree, some weeks it is work. I decided I am only going to post a Wordless Wednesday when the spirit moves me.....since we are again in semi lock down due to Covid, there is only so much of my house and projects that I can find to excite me so to speak.  

Thanks for stopping by.  Stay safe, stay healthy, wear your mask and keep on stitching. 

A Partial Finish, A Finish, An FFO, A Start

Just back from another week babysitting little William.   What fun we had.    Will enjoyed a milkshake when we went out to dinner just off the campus of Penn State.

 It was much colder than when I was out there in October so there was very little outside time.

 Using fruity Cherrios, we made Indian Corn, glued on with icing because I knew little hands would be grabbing those Cherrios.     We also made turkeys and caterpillars and a frosty the snowman gingerbread house but I didn't take pictures.



And one other thing that is coming together to William's house is.... William has little sister on the way.   She is due to make an appearance in February.   We are all very excited.

 We did take an afternoon to go to Bald Eagle Park.   It was cold and the snow fences are already up.

 We didn't last long in the brisk cold winds.

As for the renos at my house........old counter tops, appliance garage and breakfast bar

Part one consists of new appliances, new countertops, no breakfast bar, new lighting, crown molding,  and new backsplash.........

Part two will be me painting the cabinets next spring........one more job on my retirement to-do list.

And now to stitching, got a question.  Do you enjoy the last stitch as much as the first stitch of a new start?   I do!    I enjoy each part for a different reason.......the selection process of what I will work on......the beginning stitches when all is (so far) executed perfectly........the final stitched which adds another project to the completion pile!







This was an enjoyable and quick stitch.  I started it in October.   I used the called for threads except for one.   Since I changed the called for fabric to a soft gray, I had to change the lighter gray called for floss.   I was not particularly fond of the over one stitching of the words but I happy with how it came out.   I have plans for how I am going to finish it but........between now and January, that finish won't happen.

Stitch Every Day by Hands On Design

On my way to State College, I stopped in Strasburg, PA at Hodge Podge Cross Stitch Shop to pick up my Santa and the Santa of a friend.    I certainly am capable enough of a seamstress to finish my Santa but it was that all precious commodity of time that seems to always be lacking......

 Diane's is on the left, mine on the right.

 I added buttons instead of the called for cross stitch and added beads here and there.

I used whisper on his beard.

He was another quick stitch, starting him July 25th and finishing him September 25th.

For my new start, I pulled from my stash a class project from Betsy Morgan class, the Pioneer Girl's Book Etui.    I figured it was about time to work on this 2016 class piece!  Up to now, all I have completed is the pre-stitch and what we did in class.

 Near impossible to see but I now have all the back stitching in for the smalls to be completed and I ready to start the stitching.

 I don't know why class pieces scare me so much. Completing this project will give me further confidence in my stitching and finishing ability for sure!    I have an upcoming class with Betsy Morgan in the spring and it would nice to be done before then.  I am pretty sure I can make that deadline!

Thanks for stopping by.......Happy Thanksgiving all my American friends......keep on stitching.