Now that's a fine How Do You Do!

Ok, Ok! I have been missing in action.   Been away 2 out of 4 weekends, day trip on another and was down for the count with a cold and fever for 3 days on the other weekend.  So here comes a pix heavy and text light catch up on my comings and goings...in no particular order.

Bought my first pair of flip-flops in 40 years!   OMGosh, why have I been depriving myself of this comfort for all these years? 

Finished the 15-sided blackwork biscournu.   My reward--I get to teach the finishing class at our November guild meeting.  

 Went to two different quilt shows and stocked up on fabbies!   I love Aunt Grace fabric. 

 Got some patterns too.

 Knitted this fun scarf in my favorite color.

 Bought this fun yarn for another scarf.

 Couldn't resist this last minute jump in my basket at my retreat this weekend.  

 Bought fabric and floss for the Grace Mason Sampler for Thursday night stitchers SAL.

Another project that 'jumped' into my basket.   Several of us are going to do this as a SAL also.  

Loved this! Got everything but the rick-rack.   This will be a quick one to stitch up and finish.  New favorite floss color - Toasted Marshmallow

Got charts, floss and fiber - more quick finishes

My progress on Drawn Threads Random Thoughts

Struggled with the white on white but made it through with minor compensation.

Fretted with the bees due to the compensation of the previous motif but now happy with the little guys. 

One of the three larger pieces in my rotation and I am NOT enjoying working on it.   I can seem to find the right way to work on it.   I usually stitch in hand but this linen is better taunt.   It has been in and out of a hoop, on and off the stretcher bars.  Next up, Q-Snaps.

Sorry for the glare.  My EGA Chapter is working on name tags from the September 2011 Issue.

Not a difficult project - except if you spell your own name wrong when you chart it!  

Been knitting washclothes.  I have 8 balls of Sugar 'n Cream - enough for 16 washclothes.

Got some much needed walnut shells.

Bought Christmas fabrics for a project I have in mind.

Stocked up on random felts for the sewing basket my sister and I each want to make.

Aren't they too cute!  From the Shriner's Parade in Virginia Beach at the beginning of September.

The space ship I want to buy for my back yard.   Yes, I'd like to outfit it with a firepit and cushions and run lights around the inside.   Of course, it is no wonder Mr. W. rarely speaks to me considering I come home with ideas like this one.  But it would be super cool.   A stitching hiding place......

Took a ride on a tall ship.  My sister organized a great day.

My friend Diane (in the yellow cap) hoisting the sale.   I manned the camera.

Our dinner view Friday night at the marina in Ocean City, Maryland

If it's OCMD, chances are it is Cruiser Weekend.   

Familiar signs from retreat weekend

Deb and Sandy stitching away on the front porch of the Lankford.  We saw a pod of dolphins this morning but I was not a quick enough shudder clicker to catch them.

Been hitting the treadmill good some weeks and not so good others.   Managed to put on last year's jeans with no problemo.  Yeah me!  Also managed to complete my grant for the non-profit I am on the board for and did it two weeks ahead of time too.  Worked on more IRS 'junk' for my board.  Planning my trip to North Carolina at the end of the month.    Daydreaming about a retreat in New England next year.  Appears I have been trying to be a one-woman economic stimulator with all my purchasing and traveling. Also managed to go to work in between all this galavanting.  All the giddy-up and going has it down side:  I haven't read but 50 pages in my current book.  I haven't put up a stitch of fall or Halloween decorations.   

I hope those who have been wondering (and you know who you are!) are all caught up with my antics.    As one put it when they saw me Friday in OCMD.....they were glad to see me to know that I was alive and well since I hadn't posted in so long.   Alive, and well, and keeping busy and enjoying life.

Let the beading begin...

I must admit I have been absent from blog writing as well as blog following.   I get so inspired by what all you crafty peeps do so I have a lot of catching up to do......

Myself, I have been busy.   Seasons change and it means getting things brought in line.   September - whether you have children in school or not - is a transitional month with pools to be covered, flowers to be deadheaded, lawn furniture to be stowed, and trying to get excused from jury duty (you think they will accept my need to attend a cross stitch retreat on Ocean City, MD as a legitimate need?  I hope so!) ......so not much stitching or blogging.

Virginia Beach, Virginia

My ocean view for the week

I did take a little end of summer va-ca to Virginia Beach, VA - I have never been before but I am sure I will visit there again.   So beautiful, so clean....good food, a little sand and see time, good fun.   I find I am drawn to the sea/water for its calming and rejuvenating qualities....the need to be near water must be my Norwegian heritage coming out.

This was my morning view at the beginning of the week

Sunrise with a nice cup of hot, black coffee from my balcony

and then the same time on Friday morning......boo hiss!

My commute.....still with coffee!

But alas, it is all good.   My travel buddy is not a stitcher or crafter so we read and walked the boards and just had a nice end to the summer..... and discussed our next trip in January.

I have finished the stitching on my 15-sided biscournu and am now working on the assembly.

All stitched with threads pulled for cutting guidelines.

Iron-on interfacing added

Of course NOW I see where I missed a stitch.

Top five and five for sides stitched.

Bottom five.

  

Almost done......

I only have to stuff the biscouru and stitch it closed and then add some buttons and beads around the edges.  Today I hope to clean the house and pick up the yard and then head off to the city for the night with my daughter and then we will be off to a quilt show in the morning.....I hope to be able to pick up some crushed walnut shells for my stuffing.   I prefer it over fiber fill because I like the weight and movement you get from the crushed shells.

For now, bank and Post Office and house cleaning...............which I hope to accomplish quickly to I can enjoy the yard work in the yard.

Reading - a second love

I have been swiping the pages on my iPad faster than a speeding bullet.   I started reading the 'rose' series by Jennifer Donnelly.   Classified as Fictional History,  I was drawn right in.   This category lines up on par with intrigue and mystery and autobiographies as my favorite reading genres.

First The Tea Rose, 756 pages

Second, The Winter Rose, 704 pages

Third, The Wild Rose 614 pages

2074 pages.......since August 1st......not quite, I am only on 476 of The Wild Rose but I may just a bit more read before heading out to dinner on this rainy afternoon all cozy with a cup of tea (how appropriate) and read about this family from London.    Still I am impressed with myself at the number of pages!   I mean, I do work and I do stitch which both interfere with my reading.   I find I cannot put these books down; I am so anxious to make sure Fiona finds her true love and Seamie doesn't die while exploring the Antarctic and what about Sid, who faked his death and went off to Africa and then California?   What's to become of him and his love Dr. Jones who gave up everything for him?

The story follows a poor London family from the 1880's-90's to, in the third book, we are at the beginning of World War I.   Seeing how the family has grown, their triumphs as well as their disappointments, I find myself reading in the pool (yes, IN the pool as I do leg raises while my iPad is propped on the deck), reading over my raisin bran in the morning, reading while donating blood, at lunchtime...bascially, any chance I get.  Too bad I don't carpool or I'd read on my commute!

In addition to the love of novels with history, this is set in London where I have ties....my very own Mr. W. was born in Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire,  and his mother and her family are from London.  As I read about Tower Bridge, Kings Cross, Islington (where Aunt Rene and Uncle Albie live),  Whitechapel, Covent Gardens.........I am swept away to when I visited.  (another part of why I enjoyed the Olympics this year as well as being completely enchanted by Kate Middleton...I mean seriously, the girl can't take a bad picture!)

So anyway, please enjoy my recommendation.   Quick, entertaining, inspiring, passionate, star-crossed lovers, heartwarming as well as heartbreaking, with a wee bit of sex.  I think this saga would make an excellent mini-series in the style of the Thornbirds.

Winners

I have winners in my Side-tracked Give-a-way.  In no particular order......

Joyzce of Random Ramblings

Nataly of Nataly's Needle Creations

Cristina of Cross@Stitch

I  wrapped up each package in a camera friendly display and added a picture.   Now you didn't think I would spoil the fun and SHOW you all the goodies inside?

I have contacted each winner via a comment to their individual blogs.   As I explained to each, I will be out of town for several days.  If they have not contacted me with mailing information by the time I return from the beach on September 11th, I will select another name.

Thank you to all my wonderful followers.   I do enjoy each and every comment as well as I do enjoy visiting each of you back.   Happy Stitching and have a GREAT September!  I know I plan to!

Latest Plan of Attack

I am sure there are more than a few of my fellow stitchers that kind of have a dilemma when one project is finished and have to decide which one to start next.........some you may identify with this.    My next (self-imposed) stitching challenge is a rotation of three that I love and one that I loved at one time.  I have four projects that are either band sampler or motif based designs and I decided I would work on each one until a completed a band or motif and then move on to the next.

Here's the line up..........
My Stitching Treasures/Jeannette Douglas - A WIP  from my list.  I have had this in my stash forever.  I love the fibers Jeannette puts together.  I started this as part of the Crazy January 2011 Challenge and you can see.....got side tracked.    I plan to work on this by completing one or two motifs before putting it aside to rest and picking up one of the other three in my rotation.  Just the fibers alone will make me want to get my assignment on the other three done so I can get back to this one.   I will starting saving my $$ for the Stitching Treasures Box that this goes to.

A Little Quakeresque/Blue Ribbon Designs - A WIP from my list.  I WAS in love with this when I started it and I know I will fall back in love again.   The reason I waiver.....DRAT, I thought this would go so much faster.  I started this one year on Retreat, 2011 I think.   Remember those aptitude tests we took in Middle School?   My results said the best job for me would be in Actuary.   Really?   I didn't know what an Actuary was back then......but I have found that since I try to mathematically calculated all things, those tests were right.  Don't even have me work on a spreadsheet or database.....I sort and manipulate the information all kinds of ways to review probabilities, search for trends, weird huh?  And how does that relate?  With this design in particular, it was easy to calculate the amount of time it would take until completion.   I based my calculations all different ways - stitching one motif a day/stitching 3 per week/etc. arriving at projected completion dates.  Just let me say that the projected completion date no matter which calculation I chose has come and long gone.  I guess that is why I am not totally  in love with this any more.  It is a sore reminder of my failed calculation.   But alas, I am back at it and will cautiously predict a finish something in 2013!

The Huswif Sampler/Ellen Chester - Ahhhhhh, a class piece, from just this past April.   I really showed restraint by not throwing myself head over heels into this one right way.  My whole plan of attack to finish WIP's went out the window with this start....but then again, it is a class piece so it does get an exemption in my book.     Not much to look at here.   Once I took my ABC's of Aging off my frame, I mounted this fabulous linen and starting laying in the closed herringbone.   This tiny line of stitches in found below the first floral band and I thought putting these in would work well as a point of reference for the stitches to come above it.  Hopefully the next time I share this, there will be a completed line and some of the floral band in place.

Random Thoughts/Drawn Thread - A WIP from my list.  This is another piece that I have wanted to stitch in like forever.  I started this on Retreat last October and really only had up to the "d" with part of the house completed.   I picked it up this weekend when I devised this crazy rotation and have managed to get a bit of stitching in........

.....but frogging is in my future.   I placed the "G" four threads too low which means I laid in the white on the bird also four threads to low.   I will persevere and frog and restitch and complete the section before moving on.

I see one small problem to my plan....none of these travel well and I have 11 of 15 in my 15-sided biscournu completed.....hmmmm, does that mean I need to find something new to start and to carry with?   Oh I am shameless and truly capable of justifying ANYTHING!

Happy stitching all.....

Now you see, now you dont

Happy dance time.    Now you see what I had left to stitch as of Friday morning

....and now Sunday morning, you don't!

Little House Needleworks - Heart of America
Stitched on 30 Count Linen with Crescent Colors

Yeah another finish.  I certainly am keeping the framer in business lately.   So happy to be able to cross another off my WIP list.  Started this in January 2011 during that Crazy January 2011 Challenge, completed August 2012.  

Found the buttons!  Right in the bottom of my stitching bag where I put them, of course.  

 Putting this on the stretcher frame really made the last bit of stitching fly by.   Happy stitching all....I am off to see which will be my next WIP victim.

Please benefit from me getting sidetracked!

 

What is this? Pattern is striking.

Not sure about this either?   Pretty greens....

More pretty colors and a bumpy bit near the edge.

Look at this heap of a mess!

I am hosting a give-a-way.  You don't need to do anything but be a follower.   I will select three names from those who are my blog followers as of noon (east coast) on August 31st using the random number generator.    I will divide the goodies between the three names selected.  Winners will be announced on Labor Day (that's September 3rd here in the USA).  

I spy some favorite designers.   Barrick Samplers, Homespun Elegance, Victoria's Sampler, LHN, La-D-Da, maybe even an Ellen Chester pattern.

What possessed me to offer up some goodies?

I was looking for the buttons for Heart of America by LHN and well, ummmm, got sidetracked, and starting looking at my stash.  Looking at my stash turned into sorting my stash.  I decided to sort **with extreme honesty** through my stash, weeding out patterns, that although I love, I know I with never do.   An hour later, my sorting is your gain.  My stash is still S.T.A.B.L.E. (Stash That's Available Beyond Life Expectancy!!) but it is neater and more organized for sure. And I never did find that buttons.

My needle is on fire

Everyone is posting less this time of year....myself included......must be like me....enjoying the outdoors and yard projects.   Here's a quick catch up of the last four weeks -

• started and have finished 9 of 15 of my 15 sided biscournu
• making progress on Heart of America
• painted both sides of the 3 metal entry doors to Mr. W.'s garage - yuck, oil based paint
• Mr. W got home (which disrupted everything! LOL.
• signed up for a retreat in Ocean City MD in October
• booked a cruise for January - me and Diane in Aruba!
• weeded through my paperwork and the older household paperwork
• working on setting up a Mr. W. friendly file system for the current files
• read The Tea Rose
• finished reading Little Women
• read Out of Mormanism
• started reading The Winter Rose
• enjoying my vegetable garden which has morphed into an overgrown mess
• made arrangments with a solar company for an estimate
• dealing with MOLES in my backyard - anyone have a sure fired trick?
• enjoying the pool
• had a fabulous review from my boss (first one in 5 years! a review, that is, because of course it would be fabulous)
• building up time and speed on the treadmill
• trying to fathom what it would be like if Mr. W retires.  His Co. is rumored to be making one of those buy-out offers and he says with 39 1/2 years service he won't be able to pass it up.  (he'd better take up a hobby if he does - preferably gourmet cooking...lol)
• riding my bike
• contemplating some online (or maybe local college) courses

Here's my stitching progress and a little aside.  I set a self-imposed goal to complete this by my EGA meeting in September to add it to the WIP Contest we are having.    I made the visual survey of the pattern thinking I will have to really push that needle to complete it.  

Only a week later when I  looked at the color pattern did I realize the alphabet at the bottom of the pattern was only for charting purposes.   Yeah!  Silly me, I had wrongly assumed it was like a sampler with the alphabet and numbers across the bottom.   I am so glad I made that incorrect assumption because now I have my needle on fire knowing  I can get this puppy moved to the finished column by the September meeting.

Number 9 of 15 biscournu squares.   This is my carry-along stitching project with most stitching done pool-side at work at lunchtime.  (Yes, we have a beautiful Olympic sized pool and gorgeous grounds in the back courtyard area of our campus for employees and their family.  Spoiled on all sides aren't I?)

Signals

We all have those triggers that signal the start or end of something.....my signal that summer is drawing to a close is Mr. W. will be back tomorrow.   For now he has arrived safe and sound to NJ after 700 miles from Indianapolis.  He will make the trip of the last hour home  tomorrow afternoon and then I will get to hear all the war stories.    The group he travels with  ended 20th in the world out of 50 to 60 drum corps and that is after the elimination of their division a couple of years back when they were bumped up to compete with the big boys.   Not a bad year.   The kids are happy and the director is pleased.   Now it is time for them to decompress!

Summer is drawing to a close.  Mr. W. will put the pool cover on before I know it!  And we will all settle in for those crisp fall days, crunching leaves under our footsteps and warm cups of cider.   Ahhh.  But wait, one last hooray!  I am off to a relaxing week in Virginia Beach with girlfriends after Labor Day.   Our hotel is on the boardwalk. I have never been to VA Beach and am so looking forward to it!    Stitching will be taken even if I will be with non-stitchers! as well as my Kindle to catch up on some reading while on the beach and it will be heaven.....

Here's what I have been working on.....I have 8 of the 15 sides to the biscournu completed.   I have to say I am surprised at how much FUN this really really is! 

I managed to get two sections done today while enjoying a beautiful afternoon and girl time in Philadelphia with my daughter.  It  needs to be completed by my October guild meeting and I see no problem with making the deadline.  

 (Thanks Pat...you always told it was enjoyable.)   It is a challenge to plot the path in and out and I am enjoying that challenge!  

Also, been trying to make some progress on Heart of America from LHN.   I have it in my sites to be done by the end of August.....I will really need to make the needle fly from 5:30 to 6:30 each morning!  (If only there was a way to stitch and be on the treadmill....hmmmm.  Methinks that could only end in disaster.)     I am close and if I stitch on it exclusively....I can do it!

Lastly, Heather, my daughter, gave me this gem today.   Funny thing is I gave it to her years ago when a friend was moving and getting rid of things......now full circle and back to me.   

I am going to get my LHN on it tonight to try it which will mean if it works my other frame will be open for my Ellen Chester Class piece.........promises not to start it until LHN Heart of America is done and ready for the framer.

Happy stitching all, enjoy your remaining days of summer and hopefully, in the near future, I will have another finish to share as well as a framed piece to share.