Exchanges and finishes

I made a bunch of tags to use
for numbering each present.

I was invited by a friend to do an Advent Exchange.   We had talked about doing it with a larger group but with the pandemic and concerns about mailing delays that got derailed.   I like the idea so much I made up a surprise Advent Exchange for my sister.   She will have a small gift to look forward to opening each day until the 24th of December.  It has been fun 'collecting' the things and figuring out how to wrap them in a cool presentation way.

These are the baskets I made.  Above is my sister's and below is my friend Stacy's

And here is my bag of goodies from Stacy......we are having fun opening one each day

This week I laced and mounted Ornaments ala Round.  This was finished in September.   I have been waiting for the frame that my friend Carol helped me get from Brick City Stitch in Ocala, FL.  Brick City is the LNS for Glendon Place.   Lacing it was interesting but so happy to have it done.  For now, it has a place of honor on my kitchen table.

This is stitched using 49 different DMC colors, 13 different Kreiniks and 12 different Mill Hill beads.  The designer is Glendon Place and it was stitched on PTP Mello in 28 count.    And to think I reluctantly participated in this SAL.....I kind of had no resistance when my two fiends were so gung-ho to do it.  I am glad I did.  Each ornament was a goal to be accomplished.   Right now this is my favorite stitched piece......

I also finished this cardinal this week.   The pattern is "When Cardinals Appear" from  Blackberry Lane.  It is stitched on 32 count Crystal Fathom.  I haven't thought about how I am going to finish it.

He instantly became cute when I added his eyes.

I had fits and starts with some of the snowflakes over one.   

My third finish this week is the Shepherd's Bush Christmas stocking for my grand daughter. It goes in the mail to her tomorrow.  I will have to share the 'traditional' photo of the baby in the stocking on their first Christmas.   Nice to get these UFO's out of the basket of shame.

I am so glad that Buddy Cat is not disturbed by my placement of stitched Santas.   An entire house as his domain and why does he have to perch here?

Thanks for stopping by.....hang in there as we approach a pandemic restricted holiday season, stay safe, wear your mask, stay healthy and keep on stitching.  

See-Saw

Back and forth.....what do i do?   It has been probably one of only two best run of days for weather that we have had all summer.    I know I need to finish Ornaments ala Round but the yard and beautiful weather was calling me....stay in/go out, stitch/do yard work....decisions, decisions.

So I split the baby so to speak.   I took my needlework outside.     It was great to just glide back and forth in my hanging chair, listen to the birds chirping and the wind rustling the trees and wind chimes....oh and the lawnmower in the distance but even that sound created a sense of normality.  But there is one problem with this situation.   I closed my burning eyes for just a second and was so comfy I feel asleep listening to the breeze.   It really was heavenly.  

I had wanted to get Ornaments completed by the start of Women of the Mayflower......close but no cigar.   One branch left.  I could kick myself for putting this aside for the entire month of July.   Oh well.  No looking back to could-of, should-of, would-of.   I will get it done.   I took the pictures below outside to try to capture the sparkle but it really made it 'yellow' looking.   

I watched some floss tube videos while I stitched.  It is overwhelming to see how many videos you are behind with the little YouTube icon every time I open my phone or iPad.

I tried to narrow down the numbers by unsubscribing to those I don’t regularly check in on, the ones that no longer post and the ones I can readily find on owner's websites.   Besides, all this watching floss tube is bad for the pocketbook!   Don't you just want get on the internet and buy half the stuff different stitchers are showing?   I use the XStitch Ap to keep track of all my patterns so I don’t rebuy  any.  It readily tells me  I have at least  a gross (144) of patterns that I just couldn’t live without buying.  Only reassuring thing is I know I am not alone in this dilemma.  

I did make a good progress on Raegans stocking.  My EGA had a Zoom stitching night last week and it was easy to work on the large count while we all chatted.  It was great we were all able to see and talk to each other.   

This morning I started Women of the Mayflower.   The SAL is from September 6 to November 5 to coincide with the 400th anniversary of the voyage of the mayflower.   Sixty-six days, in theory, is enough time to complete the SAL.    There are some really dense stitching areas but then there is a lot of lettering farther down where I feel I can make quicker progress. Of course there is a FB and Instagram group where we all encourage each other.  I really hope I can keep up or maybe even move ahead.  

My daughter had a scrap of map-like fabric that I can use for the lining of my project bag.   I cut two strips from the project bag panel and 'tested' coffee dying and the antiquing spray.   The fabric takes the dye super well. Overnight in the coffee cup proved to be too dark.      Later this week, when it turns humid and nasty again, I hope to be able to dye the panel and then construct the bag.  

So folks that’s where I am this Labor Day 2020 Weekend.  Always a list of projects at hand as well as  in the queue.   For me today, I am heading outside to enjoy the weather after  applying  the bug spray! 

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

My kingdom for my own bed.

Hip hip hooray, it's Damma Day is how I was greeted when I arrived at my son's last week.   We had a great visit just enjoying each other's company   Mr. Wonderful sent me out with a bunch of cooked crabs so we sat and nibbled and talked and we enjoyed our first day there.   The tents were up in the back yard but thankfully, I was given a pass and had a bed inside.  

Willy played his tissue box guitar with Uncle Choo Choo Miki.   AKA Mike who works for Amtrak.   

Needless to say, minimal stitching going on and no purposeful walking happening this past week.   

Here is how far I am or rather how close I am on Ornaments ala Round.  Just this corner to finish.    A half branch, a half gingerbread man and a full branch and that is it.   I plan to concentrate on this and nothing else between now and Labor Day weekend because I want it out of the way for the start of Coming to American on September 6th.   

I was finally able to score one of the kits for the companion project bag for Coming to America from Brenda Gervais of With Thy Needle and Thread.   Every time I had looked, it was out of stock.  I remembered after I went to bed on the 29th that the 29th was the day they were to be back in stock so I shot out of bed, scrambled for my credit card in the middle of the night to order it and the others were all sitting with a little late night chatting and looked at me like.....what is she doing?   My daughter got it, she's a crafter; the others did not.  

Progress on Raegan's stocking is minimal as well.  

I did have a new start as you need a small carry along piece.    This is  "ye old crow sampler" by Heart in Hand.  It is charted for all black but I am switching it up with some orange for the pumpkin and green for the vines using whatever I have in stash.  The photo does not represent the fabric well.   It is 32 Carnival/Belfast and much more orange than it appears.  

When I left my son's I brought back an extra package with me......my grandson.   He did great being away from home the first time. We went in the pool, played games, played trains, played Legos, went to the playground, and went to the aquarium.  

Of course a visit to Damma's always includes a trip to the custard stand.

It broke my heart when I told him as we snuggled in bed on his next to last night that his mom and dad were coming to pick him up and he just sobbed and sobbed.......he didn't want to leave his Damma.  All was well by the time they arrived and ready to return home the next day.  He knows he will be coming home again with me soon.   

As for me, last night was the first night in my own bed in a week and boy did that bed feel good.  A quick vacuum of the dog hair and crumbs, picking up random Legos and I am done for the day and looking forward to an evening of stitching......which in all honesty will be the equivalent of me pulling out a project and falling asleep with it on my lap.  

Thanks for stopping by, keep safe and keep on stitching.

Gearing up

 As for the August crafting goals I set for myself, I am pretty much on target.  The quilt I was working on and wanted to finish is completed - see this post.   

Progress has been made on my grand daughter's Christmas Stocking.  Stitching on this larger count is a nice change of pace.  Stitching will be done in no time.   The count makes it a great piece to stitch outside on the deck.  However the frequent color changes are a nuisance.

I am up-to-date on the blackwork SAL.

And just what did we do before we discovered these clips!

Coming out of time-out, is Ornaments ala Round.  Humidity and thunderstorms today will give me the opportunity to concentrate on this.  I really want to move this one across the finish line.  This weekend all I want to do is get one of the #*$&@! branches completed.  Needles are loaded and ready for attack.

Many thanks to comments on my Wordless Wednesdays......problem is I am a people watcher and nature lover.   Most likely you will soon get bored of my yard and the lack of people since I am staying  home but for now I will trudge on.  I am trying to  avoid being repetitive and not to include any photos I put on Instagram.  Even though I said it was Wordless Wednesday, I wonder if I should add captions.   I will resist my urge to be use my words.  

My only excursion other than grocery shopping is meeting weekly with my stitching circle.  Since I am planning to head out and visit my babies later this week I begged off this past week from getting together with the gals.    I was with them in spirit.  Mr. William has a count down for when Damma will get there.  And I understand his tent is set up in the back yard and he believes I will be camping out with him........OMGosh, what body aches I will have come the morning.      I am also toying, yes toying with, the thought of bringing him home with me for a week.   I am more worried about my surviving a week with a four-year-old than him surviving a week away from his parents.  With many kid oriented places shut due to Covid I am not sure what I will do with him.   Jury is still out. Quite doubtful after this post if I will get anymore crafting done this month between visiting State College and if I bring Will back with me.  

Fall is just around the corner and with that retreats that I booked back in March......fingers are crossed that they won't be cancelled.   Who would have thought back in March when the word pandemic first was reported on the nightly news that we would still be in the throws of it.  Two October retreats are still on as of now but one for November has already been axed.  

My Delaware Guild has starting having monthly Zoom meetings and they have been fun to participate in.   My EGA will be starting them soon as well.  I just love how we have all made unknown technology our new normal.  

So that is where I am this August morning.     Thanks for stopping by, stay safe, stay healthy and keep on stitching!

So close and yet so far...

I was closing in on a finish on Ornaments ala Round and hit a couple of snags.  First I realized I was low on DMC 367 and after a search through stash, I found none.   Never fear, it has been ordered along with some other have-to-items.   

I had less than three motifs to do last week and stitched, stitched, stitched and somehow I have less done today than I did on last week.   

Frogging, you guessed it.  This is one of those times that I am eating my words.   I told my daughter's when I was teaching them to stitch, you are not really crossing stitching unless you have to rip out sometimes.   I was trying offer soothing works over a mistake.  Pass the salt and pepper!   

Anyway, I was zipping along and kept looking at the 7th of 8 sets of the dreaded branches and something wasn't right.  I kept checking the patterns for stitch placement and it was fine.  It wasn't until I held the piece at a distance and my mistake just jumped off the linen.........I had swapped the placement of the light and the medium greens.  And trust me it made a difference.   It almost made the branch look like a 'negative' image of the one next to it.    I really am the master of my own disaster.  I was at a point last night when I just had to walk away from it! No worries....frogging will be back  in full swing today and I will get it all out and be ready to start anew.  However I do think that for today I am better suited to go outside and pull weeds - that is until I melt into a puddle.  

I did manage to finish Hollyhocks, second in the Summer House Stitche Workes series.    I did change the bee.   It was charted to stitch using Blue Corn but I changed it to DMC 310/Black.  I have heard of the Bluebird of happiness but never a blue bee.

Now if I were smart, I'd finish each of these as I complete the stitching.  

My hummingbirds come to visit each day.   It is so hard to catch a photo of them.   They must see me move towards the door and whoosh, off they fly.

And I caved.   I have been wanting to go to the custard stand all summer.    I finally made it.  Small hot fudge sundae with wet nuts.....so good.

In my region we have been battling heavy rains, high winds and severe thunderstorms the last week or so.   Thankfully most of the damage in the area is only downed trees and typical flooding in low-lying areas.   Some are without electricity but crews are working hard to restore it.  I live in an area where a tornado used to be a once a decade (or longer) event; now they are happening several times right around this time each summer.  Thankfully while still causing damage they are not the strength of what is seen in Tornado Alley in the middle of the country. 

Seems like the rainbow is holding back the dark clouds.

This week I hope to finish Ornaments ala Round as well as the quilt I am working on.   The backing fabric I was waiting on finally arrived.  It is frustrating that the tracking information showed it as "delivery to customer" almost a week before it actually showed up.  I guess that is one way the Post Office tries to show 'speedy deliveries'.

Hopefully the weather will even out, the heatwave will end and I will be able to get back into the yard for longer than an hour or two in the coming weeks.   As for stitching,  I do want/don't want to start anything new.   I have a couple of SAL's starting in the fall and I need to clean up some WIPs and UFOs that I should work on some finishing.  Since I deactivating my Facebook account for a time, I am now 13 weeks behind on the blackwork SAL and the blackwork could be  a good one to concentrate on.  

On a good note, I had a follow-up with the eye doctor and whatever was torn or pulling away is 75% back where it should be.   Still no jumping on a trampoline or a pogo stick for me but good news just the same.

Hoping everyone stays safe and healthy as we continue to battle the pandemic.   Thanks for stopping by and keep on stitching.

Dropping back and punting.....

Boy oh boy.....do I have task in front of me.......and so you say what else is new?  I first need to preface this with being a person that believes everything has it's place and there is a place for everything.   Even my kitchen junk drawer is neat.   That said, there are two places in my house that I allow myself to be an absolute mess.

#1 my bedroom walk-in closet.
I used to blame the state of MY closet on my husband being in bed still in the morning or in bed already at night as the reason my closet looked like Filene's Basement after a sale.   But alas, admitting the problem is half the battle.   I confess now that I am retired and am home all day I realize it has nothing to do with him.   I know no one but me goes in there; no one sees it.  And even though I vow to maintain a visual of the floor it doesn't always happen. Yes, life would be easier if it were picked up but I have other things that are enticing me to not be stuck in a closet.  I really hope to weed out a lot of the work clothes come the fall which will be a big help.

#2 is my walk-in craft closet.  
This is where I have boxed up frames, paper mâché boxes, basket making supplies, a dresser full of larger cuts of fabrics, baskets, games, needlework frames, bags of fiberfill, rolls of batting, WIPs, UFO's, bolts of interfacing, a suitcase of my brothers flannel shirts I plan to make a quilt from,  a serger and more.   We are having more solar panels installed in the coming weeks and attic access is needed for the roof inspection. Guess where the attic access is.   You got it, far corner of the craft closet so I am in the middle of an unplanned necessity-created sort out.  Ugh.

I promised myself I would empty a shelf a day in preparation.   It is not that the closet isn't neat, the problem is that there is too much 'stuff' that I 'may' need one day that I have shoved into the closet - out of sight.    I have two shelves emptied and both twin beds in the room are covered.   I vow that I am going to have a critical eye and purge when I put it back but the first step will be to empty the closet.   After the roof inspection is completed, I will have a good old sit and sort.  I will be putting in my AirPods; putting on some tunes or an audio book; setting a 2 hour time limit; and knocking about  a bit at a time.  It is already organized, I just need to purges and I know it is going to get worse before it gets better.

As for stitching, I have made great progress on Ornaments ala Round.  I am enjoying this stitch, I just took a break from it.

I finished three ornaments since picking this back up on Monday of this week and am ready to start on a fourth.  I am in high gear now.  I have ordered the octagonal frame from Brick City Stitch in Ocala, Florida and I expect it in October but that is not giving me pause to get this finished.

I've put a few stitches in on Holly Hocks.   I did have a bit I had to frog.   I was over-zealous with the top border just stitching along and then realized Oops!  There is a break in the top border.  c'est la vie.

My order from Salty Yarns arrived.   I had told Sara to wait until all the backorders were in and send it all at once so I have been looking forward to the mail each day.





































This is Teresa Kogut's Land That I Love sampler.   I asked Sara to substitute the called for linen as I felt it was too dark.   She selected WDW Aspen in 36 count.  I am super happy with her choice.   I am still missing a few of the fancy flosses but I don't plan to start this until October 1st so there is time.

  
I am also waiting on my quilt back fabric.   It was supposed to be delivered on Wednesday and tracking shows is hasn't moved from the regional warehouse since it arrived there Tuesday early morning.   Oh well, I do have the closet to empty upstairs.

I am finding I need to create a retirement routine.   I seem to go down that rabbit hole of something I want to do and remaining singularly focused while neglected other things.  And I always thought I was such a good multi-tasker.   I laugh out loud at myself.

Has anyone seen the "Friend Stitch"  SAL from Heart in Hand on Instagram?   I am curious.   Like a need another project!  Remember NEED and WANT are greatly different.

Not much else happening here.  It continues to be hot hot hot with heat indices forecasted to be over 100 each day.  The grass is growing, flowers are blooming, cucumbers, zucchini,  tomatoes and broccoli are being harvested, masks are being worn, social distancing is still happening, daily swims are happening, and I am trying to watch some FlossTube to catch up on all the ones I subscribe to.

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

Back at it.....

It has heated up here the last week so right about now, this is how we all want to spend the day......up to our necks in cool water.    

I so enjoy the being outside in the yard.   Couple that with I just can't sit and I am always putzing and pulling and pruning.   To the untrained eye there doesn't look like anything needs to be done......but to me, I can always find something I want to transplant, weed, mess with.    A couple hours turns into 3 or 4 and then I am dirty and wiped out and not in the mood to stitch.  This is what caused me to put  Ornaments ala Round aside for about a month.   But now that it is so nasty outside, I am back to stitching every morning and NOT hitting the yard for a few hours of fussing  and putzing.   

I am in the homestretch.  23 our of 32 ornaments done.  I want to get this done but I strayed to the yard and some smaller  quicker stitches.  I sat in every other chair in the house and  stayed away from stitching chair because in my mind I felt I would feel quilty not working on Ornaments.  So the break is over and I am back at it and determined not to put is aside until I am done.     I finished the blue and gold ornament yesterday and started the purple and chartreuse  one this morning.    I really love this piece but it is not one that travels well or I can take outside to work on.  Since I have ordered Theresa Kogut's Land That I Love I have more incentive to get this one completed.  

For when I absolutely feel the need to stitch outside, I am working on Holly Hocks, number two the Ladies Garden Journal Series.  

I sewed up a bunch of four inch squares using the remnants from the quilt top I finished last week.   I am still waiting for the backing fabric to arrive and hope to somehow incorporate these squares on the back.   Can't wait until it gets here,  I make my quilt sandwich and I am up to putting the binding on.   The binding is my favorite part of the process except for maybe that first wash and dry when it comes out all wrinkled up!

I made a funny discovery.   Why is it after everything is said and done and you are filing  that document you just distributed to untold numbers  that the big old typo jumps glaringly off the screen?   Same way with cross stitch I guess.   I finished this earlier in the year; laced and mounted on the Hobby Lobby box.  What do I see the other day when I reach over the box to draw the blinds up........

OMG,  what a goober.    I dotted the "T" and not the "i".    I am debating about correcting it.  I had wanted to put this in the County Fair - which was canceled this year - but it is so me to make that goofy of a mistake I am tempted to leave it.   It will become a conversation piece it some sort of way.  

Being on semi-lock down doesn't mean you can't eat good!    Mr. W. and I scored some King Crab legs and salmon at Costco on Friday.    Add some Jersey corn and garden fresh cucumber salad and I cooked us up a feast on Saturday.   There was so much we ate two nights on it.

We all are still trudging along through this pandemic but getting by.   Unfortunately fall events are starting to be canceled.   Overall, it is not bothering me as much as some others.   I have a ton of things I can do.   I behave, don't go out willy-nilly and where my mask when I have to go to the grocery store.  On a good note, I love that I am getting 3 months to a tank of gas.   Wahoo!   

 

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