Your Holiday Name

I know....this is crazy....I am the first one to HATE HATE HATE rushing holidays.  At the Acme last week BEFORE Halloween, the Christmas display was up!   I mean really!    But I just have to share this for some giggles......the girls were circulating this through the office email yesterday and we all had fun with it.

What would happen if Foxy Glitter Bottom and Cosmo Curly-Toes got together?   Oh My!

A Post Halloween Update

Things got a little overwhelming last week - 40 hours logged at work before noon on Thursday/may need to reassess that retirement timeline of 67 months to something less! - so I didn't get to post these finishes.    At this rate, I may never get back to Grace Mason!

This actually turned out as I envisioned.   Most often the end result is not what I have conjured up in my brain at the beginning but not this time.   Rather than make a mistake, I portioned out the steps to little accomplishments over several nights knowing full well if I pushed myself to get it all the machine work in one evening would have resulted in frogging for sure.

Using curtain clips, I hung this on one of the bars to my scroll frame.
Better get a dowel before next Halloween season!

Doing my own finishing makes me marvel at the beautiful finishes I see others post.   Theirs look flawless; maybe they see their own boo-boos like I see mine.    I am forever in awe of the fabrics, fibers, workmanship and techniques some of you use.    So keep up the good, inspiring work my blogging buddies.

My duct tape pumpkins.   It was hard to decide which duct tape to use.  There are SO may varieties!

Again something I need to go back and finish before next October.
Only had time to zig-zag one leaf to black felt.  

This is just a little quickie I stitched up with linen and floss from my stash.  The Black Cat from Bent Creek.  No cost even for the frame.  I pulled it from my stash o' frames picked up as a $0.50 consignment shop purchase.

I'm seeing a pattern!  Something else I need to complete before
next October.   I literally just pushed this into the frame and
have to go back and lace it properly.

Can you imagine what I would do if I liked purple!

Software conversion at work completed + one boss's office packed and archived after his retirement + another boss back from a conference in Florida  =  hopefully a calmer/normal hour work week.  Happy stitching all.

Crossing Things Off My List

I have a couple of finishes to share.   First up, this is from Pine Mountain.   I purchased this on my retreat in early October.   Don't look for the spider on their pattern.   My centering was a bit off so I decided to drop a spider down the side to balance things.  Very good marketing to have this on display near the check out where the colors just grabbed me!  It has been the perfect stitching project to have as a carry-a-long to stitch at lunch or in a waiting room.  It is call Spooky Typography and there are more in the series.   Now that I have the pillow form, I am sure other versions will find their way to my stitching stash.

Recently I have been trying to figure a different method of attack on all the projects (craft and otherwise) going on.   I seem to be able to make only little progress on each.   Spreading myself too thin!  There goes that side-track Robin again.   And I know I side-track myself jumping projects or tasks to avoid those that may not appeal to me that day.   OMG - I am worse that a kid in grammar school who doesn't want to do that book report!

Not everything crossed off but I did make a
good dent in my to-do list. Choice - clean inside or work outside?
The sweeper never was run so you can guess my decision.

I have always been a list maker.   For everything from Thanksgiving dinner to shopping.  I am so much more productive at work if I use my day planner to list, prioritize and cross off items.   So with that in mind, this weekend I made my list and had only two only craft related goals to complete. 

Remember this one?   I finished this earlier in the summer without the wording.   I decided to add the words and finish as a wall hanging.   I removed the buttons while I press the interfacing and assemble it and then will sew them back on.  I had hoped to spend some time at the machine tonight to stitch this up but I have been hopping around all day inside and out and I am fading fast.....everything is cut and ready to stitch so I will make a best judgement call and sit at the machine tomorrow night. Something to look forward to...let's hope tomorrow is not a crazy day at work.

Always scary cutting the linen!

 Measured and cut out all the piece to make my quilting sandwich.

Second craft adventure was to make the 'designer' pumpkin.  I painted a "T" using craft paint for this one.   I also want to get some jazzy duct tape to dress up some of the other foam pumpkins.      Hopefully this progress will give me that satisfaction of crossing some things off my WIP list.  

Next up, a cup of homemade chicken and corn chowder, a nice hot shower, my feet up and back to work on Grace Mason.

Kitty Cat Antics

Buddy offers an expert opinion

Just what most people are doing at 5:30 a.m. on a Saturday.......delving into TV issues.

It all started last night.    I got in from a fundraiser event about 9:30.   Putzed around the kitchen, looked at the mail, poured a glass of wine and thought I'd sit down and watch a DVR's show and unwind.   What! no video, no audio, no DVR available, no TV!!  So, defeated, I read a little and was off to bed.   I reported all this to Mr. W. this morning who in fact said there was nothing wrong with the TV for him last night and of course, what did I do to it.   E-Gads Man!  But I digress.........

Buddy helps Mr. W. with the delicate job of reconnecting wires.

I believe this is the culprit returning to the scene of the crime.   A couple of loose wires and one disconnected wire we attributed to Mr. Buddy I-Like-To-Jump-and-Climb-and-Explore Cat.

Mr. W.  I'll just hold this one for you until you are ready. 

All this technical work, I'm ready for a nap.

You think I jest about my techno cat.   He likes to compute too!  As long as he doesn't take up stitching or knitting I will be fine!

Weekend Get-a-way

Me and my Matey (my BBF) had a get-a-way weekend in Lancaster County PA.   Such pretty countryside to visit.

First, let me give you the the Reader's Digest version of the term "Matey".   Several years ago, I helped Deb and her husband move into their new home.   Deb and I was were alone at the new house when the cable crew arrived.   We walked around the house with one cable guy as he was reviewing where the TV's would be located.   Deb whispered to me to go back upstairs where our pocketbooks were while she stayed in the basement with the cable guy.   I went back upstairs and continued to unpack while cable decisions were made.  When Debbie came back upstairs minutes she looked like she was going to burst from laughter.  Seems the cable guy was trying to help Debbie save some money and suggested she run the cable inside the house herself.   Deb - although quite capable - told the 'gentleman' that she wasn't able to run cable and without missing a beat, he turned and said perhaps your mate (meaning me) would be able to.   Well we have laughed at this for years and often refer to each other as the other's 'mate'.  I wonder what our IT department at work must think if there ever monitor our emails which often are started with " Hey Mate".

Our weekend was a girls get-a-way.  We road around the backroads of beautiful Amish farm country.   We spent Saturday in historic Strasburg, PA going in and out of specialty shops, antiques shops, etc.   We happened upon a local church bazaar which we visited at well.   We stopped for coffee at the Springerle House.  It was a nice respite to our morning of shopping.   I had the Rosemary-Apricot-Blue Cheese scone with a cappachino.   Yum-mo

Look at this craziness!   People are so clever.   Here's the  result of gluing together a variety of different glass pieces and creating an angel.   The results were as varied as the imagination and consignment store glassware would allow.  


Beautiful homes line Main Street.

 Need to tell my brother those boxes of insulators he 

has may be worth more than a couple of dollars each.  

This cosignment store had shelf after shelf of the old Corelle we all had years ago.  Memories!

More beautiful old homes along Main Street.

 This hydrangea had blooms the size of a soccer ball!

Don't you just want to walk down this lane and see who lives here?

I really wanted to knock on the door here and ask to visit the 3rd floor.   

 Lucky me!  I even managed to find a cross stitch store to shop in.

Before heading home, we had tea at SugarPlums and Tea.  Such a relaxing way to spent the afternoon Sunday afternoon.

 A pretty setting to enjoy a relaxing lunch.

Our view from the Tea Room - too bad the leaves are turning yet.

Have a great week all.  Next up, hopefully some stitching progress to share. 

Quilt Show

In September I went to a quilt show at a local expo center.   Here's some of the beautiful works on display.  All photos are clickable for larger views.

 These individual hexagons were the size of a dime!

This was my favorite although it is very hard to pick just one.

 Here's a close up.

 Nothing but stitches created this design and texture.

Whimsy

 This one gave the appearance of painting or silk screening.   Not so.   See detail of jacket below.

Beautiful applique.

Variation on the log cabin

I want to someday do a quilt in blacks and whites with a splash of color.   Here they used gold in the inner border.   I think mine with have turquoise or red or lime green.

Tee-shirt quilt

Loved it

Loved it more.....my favorite colors

Yo-yo's

More applique - gorgeous  

 Love this color combo

Photos don't do these works justice.

Same quilt, different color combinations with batiks.

Some people are crazy talented (an must be retired!)

Another traditional applique quilt

Pieced quilt

I jump for joy at the feast for the eyes and senses.   

 This was the weekend trip earlier this fall that I used to get my mojo back when I had 

seemed to have lost it.  These were taken by my cell phone and I finally downloaded 

them to my downloaded them to my laptop.  Nothing like surrounding yourself with 

creativity to get your own creative spirit back in line.