I’m ready to bust into June!

Cake was enjoyed by all!

It has been a busy April and May for me.   Lots of babysitting time.   William's birthday party.  Yard work.  My Guild Anniversary event.   June is looking very low keyed with an empty calendar....so far.    I look forward to quiet, warm afternoons and evenings on my deck.......but that can change in a heartbeat.  Yes, I laugh out loud as I type this. 

Talk about warm….last weekend 99 degrees and today, I’ve got on sweats and a long sleeve tee.  And the 99 degree day is the one i CHOOSE to work in the yard.

I finally caught up and have kept up on the i-Stitch Band Sampler.   So easy to keep up but also can so quickly fall behind.  This week’s assignment is not yet complete but it is not yet Friday! 

I have also been working to get current on my DVHSG SAL.   I'm getting there.  We are all really enjoying this year-long project.  It is called a Garden of Stitches by Samplers Not Forgotten.  I hit a stumbling block with the rice stitch and put this aside for about 6 weeks.   My problem was the foundation stitches I put in over 5 rather than the called for over 6.   Once I found my error, it was clear sailing.  I am alternating between this and the i-Stitch Band until I get back on schedule. 

I had a wool appliqué class at my EGA meeting.  Always fun to do something a little different.  The teacher gave us this technique to sew the stem and make the wool 'roll' to give it dimension.....mine not so much.   I decided my tulip was hit by a late frost and that is why he is a bit wonky.

My grand-daughter got her first sewing lesson.  She would giggle that contagious toddler giggle as I pulled the thread through and it disappeared.

My guild celebrated it's 20th Anniversary albeit two years late.  In typical Robin fashion I was involved behind the scenes with the event.  It turned out great.  We have fabulous classes, great goody bags, fantastic raffle items, good food and a great time seeing everyone in person again.   Although it was somewhat local, I indulged and got a room for the weekend.   Such a great way to chill after the hub bub of preparations.  Everyone on the Anniversary Committee did a great job as far as I am concerned and our speakers, from the Founder of the Guild to our Guild Historian, were phenominal.  Some us went to Winterthur on Thursday; then there was tours at Westtown School and the Chester County History Center on Friday.  It was a great weekend all around.

Our teacher was Vickie LoPiccolo Jennett from Needlework Press.    The classes and projects are great and I can't wait to start stitching on them.....that is once I am totally back on track with my SAL's.   We started with making this book on Saturday and have the chart to stitch the front cover pieces.    

This sampler chart is so sweet.   It is on the smaller side which translates completely doable and the colors are bright and cheerful.   I do plan to stitch it to complement the drum, book, tray and fob.

 

All the necessary fibers and fabrics and finishing needs were included as well as the wooden tray for the chart above.  The tray lining is to be stitched on perforated paper and I am considering stitching on linen instead.

 

One member made these snap-trays for each of our goody bags.   Thank you Susan!  This has not left my stitching side since the event.  I just un-snap the corners and pop it in my project bag to take it with me.  It really helps me control the 'sprawl'.

I finally had some days at home that were not spent dealing with Guild or EGA stuff, so I got my flowers and veggies to get planted.   It was more than a tiny bit of time cleaning out  needed for both the herb and veggie gardens.   But there is now a check mark on the to-do list for these two tasks.  My son also spent the day helping me completely empty my shed to clean, sort and purge it.   I can't believe the amount of room I have in there now!

I have signed up for a Shaker Retreat in Enfield New Hampshire in November.    We are adding a few days on the front end and plan hit some museums, shops and sites on the way up.  With the Anniversary behind us, I need to start plotting out our trip and stops along the way.  I am sure it will be a full trip reminiscent of our Asheville Trip with days filled with a whirlwind of sight seeing along the way up and back!   Vanderbilt Mansion, Hyde Park,  there's a wool store and Sturbridge Village, and Waldens Pond and ....well you get the idea.

And I keep forgetting to share this Consignment Store find.   I have been looking for quite some time for a tomato salt and pepper shaker set.   I didn’t want the set for the ‘normal’ use.   I want to use the tomato for broken/old needles.   Now before you start thinking, oh that Robin is so clever…..It is not an original idea. I saw it on a FlossTube or a Blog but don’t remember where.    

Thanks for stopping by.   Keep safe and keep on stitching……

May's a coming

May is just around the corner.    I have got lots accomplished in the yard and with stitching.  I don't know what is going on but the yard work this spring seemed a lot easier.   I feel like I am missing something.   I have one foundation bed at the back of the house and my vegetable garden yet to do as well as the ongoing back 40 project.  I am enjoying all the daffodils that have come up as a result of my plantings last fall.

1.  Dogwood not looking too good due to a recent hard frost.  2. Tulips - I need to order some more tulip bulbs for fall plant this year.  3. Not a fan of hyacinths but do love me some English Woods Hyacinths.  4. Tons of daffodils coming up out back.   I can refresh the vase of cut ones every couple of days and still have a ton left in the yard.  

Keeping up my streak of being in OCMD each month of 2022, I WAS to go to OCMD for 5 days mid-April.   Alas, my daughter-in-law came down with COVID (Yes, she has been vaccinated and got the booster) and I had spend the day with her the day before she tested positive.  I just felt the responsible thing to do was to stay home.   I seem to always be busier than a one-armed paper hanger so I had been looking forward to the downtime.  You know when you are home there is always some task calling you, clothes to be folded, dishes to do, closets to clean, gardens to weed......  

I had kitted up some small kits and WIPs to take to OCMD. Again, I have no defensible reasoning behind how any of us think we can accomplish so much stitching at a retreat.….but I digress.  So to smooth myself since I had to stay home, I rewarded my little old self with a start on AUTUMN SKIES by HOD.   I pulled the called for DMC and then switched them out with comparable over-dyed.  Not too far in I ran amok.   When I completed the second row of 3 pumpkins I realized I placed the pumpkins in columns rather than staggering them.    No frogging for me.  I decided to go with it.    

I finished COZY INTO WINTER from Jeannette Douglas Designs.   I love the colors in this one.   I stitched on a 32 count mystery fabric that had a little sparkle in it.   I changed out the row of quilt stars from white to the yellow because the white did not show up on the fabric.  JDD’s has companion pieces for the other seasons.  I haven’t purchased them….yet.

Still needing some instant gratification, I picked up this little zip bag that was in my ADVENT EXCHANGE this past Christmas.  Stitched this up in less than an afternoon!

I had fallen behind 4 weeks with my i-Stitch BAND SAMPLER and although not caught up, I am not falling any further behind which is some kind of plus.    It’s that time of the year, when I am outside more than in.   We had a rainy week which coincided with my week of self isolation so I was able to make some notable progress on all my WIPs.  Obviously I am not a monogamous stitcher  but I'm trying to devote all of my stitching time to band sampler so I can get caught up.  This week's assignment is not so stitch intensive so if I can get last week done, I might have a chance to be on target again.

I also made progress on RED FEBRUARY from Sassy Jack’s before deciding to put this one aside for a bit.  

Next weekend we celebrate William’s 6th birthday!  Where has the time gone?   He recently had a 3 day sleep over at Damma's and we did all the fun things from blueberry pancakes to ice cream to dying Easter Eggs.   Life is so good with little boy hugs in it.   He asked me to make him Pokémon pillows for him which is again something to take me away from stitching time.

1.  How pastel sidewalk chalk turned this color I don't know.  Just like I don't know how it got on his face and not the sidewalk.  2. Jumping on the neighbors trampoline  3. Dying Easter Eggs  4. and 5. The mess I am making trying to create the pillow he asked for! Pattern created, templates made, fabric cut and now to appliqué the pieces.

And just to make sure I give them equal time, Miss Raegan ready to ride her scooter on a recent Damma Day.   I found out later than I had her dressed in her PJ's all day.......oh well.  

I’ve got lots coming up in the next couple of weeks that is going to keep my away from stitching but it is good stuff.  More on that next time.

Where would we be without the love of our needlework to work on in our downtime to smooth our souls?   And the love of a good book as well.   I recently finished NIGHT ROAD by Kristin Hannah and ESCAPE by David Baldacchi.   I gave both 5 starts.   I am currently reading BEYOND THE CRUSHING WAVES by Lillian Mirren while I wait for Book 19 of the BREGDAN CHRONICLES series.  

Thanks for stopping by…….Stay safe and keep on stitching.

Marching into Spring

Happy springtime!

Three months into the year/three stitching weekends in OCMD already.   Life is good.  This month I was with my Tuesday Night Stitchers.   We have not meet for two years due to COVID.   I few of us from the group have met now and again for dinner and “Activity Director” Stacy hooked us up with a weekend at Salty Yarns.   It was great food, good times with good friends.

Progress on the i-Band continues. With babysitting for a week and then being at the beach, I am a week behind and oh boy, a new week comes out in the morning!   I am enjoying it but I am surprised as how much time it takes to stitch each weekly assignment.  

Red February is also in progress.  This is an adaptation of a Bristol Sampler from Sassy Jacks.  There is no deadline on this one.  It has become my Thursday group piece since it is large count banding, no magnification is needed therefore it makes it an easy take along piece. 

At the beginning, of the March I spent a week at my son’s to help with the kiddos while my daughter-in-law was in San Antonio for work.   Boy did I need that OCMD weekend after a full-on  Damma Duty.   It is a good tired though.  

I treated myself to a pair of Dovos when in OCMD.

Winter Cometh has come and went!  I did manage a bit of stitching on it while in OCMD in February and March.  (I often wish I could be a monogamous stitcher!) This is another one  I might put this aside until the summer or maybe I will just buckle down and complete it....that would be the wise thing to do.  Beth/Summer House has come out with SPRING AWAKENS but I did not add it to my stash……..yet.   

Garden of Stitches is on target.  This is a SAL with my Delaware Guild.  I have finished the February assignment; March is underway.  I am struggling with the band of rice stitch.   I was stitching it correctly but I didn’t like the way it was looking so out it came MORE than once.  The current attempt needs to come out as well and I need to hop to it and finish March and be ready for the April assignment.

While in OCMD, we went to a Tea Room on Friday afternoon for a great kick off to the weekend.   And we did a bit of shopping in Berlin, MD.   

 

Of course along with the good food, great fun with friends, lots of stitching a bit of shopping was done at Salty Yarns.   

More than should have jumped into my shopping bag.   For RESTING STITCH FACE from Hands on Design, I had an idea for  half a second of using waste canvas and stitching on a sweatshirt but realized almost immediately it would be too cliche of the blue haired/bus trip ladies in polyester sweat suits kind of project.   Maybe I can stitch it to sit by my stitching chair or to add to a project bag.    

And keeping up the tradition that I seem to start a new project every weekend I spend Salty Yarns, I started COZY WINTER from Jeannette Douglas.  It is a fast stitch an I saw an adorable way to finish it on display at Salty Yarns.    Truth is with all the SAL's I am in the mood for a quick finish.   I did pick up the AUTUMN design from Jeannette but put it back when I culled my shopping bag before checking out.   

Since the weather has started to warm up I have spent time in the yard tidying up the beds, Preening them early in the month to try to get a handle on the weeds that are surely going to sprout.   Tuesday of this week working in the yard lead to doing nothing on Wednesday due to a bunch of sore muscles from the previous day.  Why can't we women be like the men who lose 10 to 15 pound every spring when they start yard work?   Another mystery of the universe along with the one that calculates how long I have to live to complete ALL the projects I have!

Coming in April, you guessed it, another weekend in OCMD again.   A friend is taking a class with Jackie duPlessi and I am tagging along.   I surely can find something to do while she is in class by either stitching in the lobby or being on the boardwalk.   It is good to be able to take advantage of this unexpected weekend as I cannot attend my Guild’s Retreat at the end of April.  The Guild Retreat is the same weekend as Mr. William's 6th birthday which I cannot miss it.  

I am participating in The Common Threaded Stitcher's daily posting on Instagram.   Each day of the month you answer the question of the day about yourself, your stitching, etc.    It has been fun to connect with new to me stitchers.  I fell behind this past weekend and need to get back on it.

Well that about catches me up.  With springtime here, I know there will be less stitching.   My first love has always been the garden.  

Thanks for stopping by and keep on stitching.

February Happenings

The end of January and the beginning of February found me at my son's.   Their move went well and everyone is getting settled in.   More important, all their things are out of my house.   The townhouse they rented for the last year was only 1,000 square feet.   Whatever didn't fit in storage or they didn't trust to storage, came to my house.  I think my house might just float up into the sky with all the things gone.    It really wasn't an imposition but I am glad to have my closets, my shed and attic spaces back.  I kept telling myself that once their things were out and they took the futon from the spare room I would have room to put down my yoga mat.   Umm, no.   Basic principal, remove one thing and something else will take its place.   

The move did lead me to a good cleaning of my craft room.    I pulled out furniture, wiped down baseboards, etc.     I did pull out (machine sewing) fabric.   If you are like me, things just come to you.   I mean physically.   I keep telling my family that I have not personally bought all the crafty type things I have in my stash.   We all have a friend who has 'stuff' they think we can make use of.   Maybe from a dead aunt or a fool hearty craft attempt of their own.......haven't we all heard, "oh you craft, I thought you could use this".   We crafters never say NO to enhancing stash.    Alas, accumulation of things I will never use.    I decided to cull the mass of fabric I knew I would never ever use.  I folded and bagged three totes and passed on to a friend of a friend with the note that basically said - no deposit/no return!   It is now Barbara's to deal with.   Win for her and BIGGER win for me.  I also sent off two boxes of unwanted cross stitch charts that have been collecting off for eBay sales.   Again, another win for me.   And took five boxes and two suitcases of household stuff to the local ARC Store.  

We got hit with the 'cyclone bomb' (??) snow storm.  (Who thinks up these names?)  We were lucky and only got about 6 inches.   Not nearly as much as some others.   For someone like me that loves a good snowstorm it wasn't an issue.  

In February we also celebrated Raegan’s second birthday.  She is a pip.   Such a personality and a strong willed little one.   She is daddy's helper assembling a kitchen island and my helper hugging my project bag.  She hates her hair pulled back or even barrettes.   I have to quick take a pix when I manage a 5 second pony tail.

I did spend Super Bowl weekend at Salty Yarns.   We had a great group of 5 in our apartment.   We each took charge of a meal.   It was great fun and I did get some stitching accomplished.   I downloaded a PDF ornament pattern I saw StasiBee do for February.   I was smitten the minute I saw it so I put perforated paper on my Super Bowl shopping list.    I picked up several remnants of 36 count that will be the perfect size for ornaments.    Before going for the weekend, I went through at least a dozen patterns to list the floss I need to completely kit them up.  This time I put the list on a spreadsheet where I indicated what pattern each was for.  It sure did save me from scratching my head went I returned.    

I only picked up two patterns and the fabric for each.   Plum Street’s The Black Cherry Tart and from Artful Offerings, Kind and Gentle Woodland Sampler.   Since the reindeer is wearing a sweater in my favorite color, I had to get the pattern.

February also saw the start of a year long SAL with Delaware Valley Historic Sampler Guild.   This is   Summer Garden by Samplers Not Forgotten.   Our February zoom meeting was a discussion with Kimberly Nugent, the designer.   The fibers and linen are sumptuous!   This contains over a dozen speciality stitches which adds to the challenge.   I have one more row to completed and I will be done this month's assignment.

I have kept up to date on my i-band.  I am loving it so far.    

I made a bit of progress was made on Winter Cometh by Summer House.  It is what I am picking up once my SAL assignments are done for the week/month.

I completed my February assignment for an EGA project, Herringbone and Holes which introduces pulled work.  

Darn Floss Tube gets me in trouble every time.   I watched Kim Young from Sassy Jacks discuss Red February and I had to join in.   I was able to pick the necessary banding and what I thought was a good red.   Today's assignment will be flipping the banding to the other end and restarting with a different red and  stitching over 2 instead of over one.

With March around the corner, I am itching to get outside to start cleaning up the flower beds which will make less time to stitch.  I am ready to get my hands in the dirt again and have bought the Preen for the flower beds to help curtail the springtime explosion of a new crop of weeds!   

I do have another long weekend mid-March at Salty Yarns with my Tuesday night stitchers.    By the third visit in three months, I should have NOTHING to buy but then again, it will be after Nashville Market......

My meager stitching plans for March are to keep up to date on my three SAL's, and possibly finish my January ornament and maybe start another.    I always find it funny to look back at the previous post at what my hopeful soul thought I was going to accomplish only to be hit upside the head with the reality stick!  Forever an optimist I guess.

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

January 2022

New Year’s Day saw me start not one but two new stitchy pieces.   Both have been in stash forever and I have wanted to stitch both forever.    I  thought why not?   Neither are particularly large or complicated which by saying so automatically means I have jinxed myself when I declare there is not a lot of stitching in a pattern.   So ‘round the bend I went on Day 1 and I added to my WIP’s.

My two new starts on for the new year were Thyme to Gather and Winter Cometh.    Cathy Habermann has such a good eye for what colors work together.   I don’t have enough fall pieces that are not Halloween so that  was my rationale.  Stitched and ready to finish up into a pillow.  

Winter Cometh from Summer House has been in my stash since it first came out in 2017.  I have done several of Beth’s and have several more in my stash to do.    Again, not enough winter stitchy pieces in my repertoire so it had to be done.  My Thursday morning stitching group will be a great time to work on  the border.  

I was fortunate enough to go to OCMD for Camp WannaStitch.   185 had signed up but only 75 attended.   We wore masks and sat only 4 per table.   It is always nice to be with fellow stitchers, have some great seafood dinners and get stitching done.  I also started and finished this EZ PZ stitch on a mesh bag while there.   The bag is from It’s Sew Emma and the pattern from Shepherd’s Bush.  

I finished Winter Wonderland.   Designed to be finished as a drum but I will do simple framing.  This is a Primitive Hare design from a retreat in Cape May, NJ a couple of years back.  One WIP down and many more to go.   

The first of the year also saw me catching up on all your blog posts and left me drooling over some of the work and finishes.   Also making me want to vow to do one ornament a month…..but I fear I won't keep up so for me I can just OH and AH at everyone else’s.  Then I saw Carol's 12 in 22 on Instagram and I want to jump in.   I picked up this EGA ornament from my stash to work on for January.   It’s not quite finished but then again neither is January.  I am not exactly enjoying this one BUT it will be another EGA piece from Christmas in July done.

I am doing my first band sampler from Carol i-stitch on Facebook.   This one is called the Denim Band Sampler.  You can choose your own your own fiber and I chose Gloriana’s Bellagio.   I saw a friend's completion last year and she used Gloriana's Bellagio and it was beautiful.   I would have been too afraid to try a variegated until I saw her completed band sampler.   A portion of the pattern is released each Friday.   I thought working on this and an ornament each Friday would be a good schedule to keep me on target for the 12 in 22 Challenge and keep up to date on the band sampler.  There again I fail to have my feet in reality as to what one/I can accomplish stitching-wise in a day all the while keeping up with normal life and interruptions.  

Mid-December I dropped two pieces at the framers.   I picked then up the first week of January and I am very happy with each.  First Coming to America from a Brenda Gervais. I participated in the SAL in 2020 that marked the 400 year anniversary of the sailing of the Mayflower.    

T

I am absolutely in love with the green and gold frame the framer suggested!  It is hard to tell but the color matches that of the waves.  While this view looks like the linen is wrinkled, it is not.  It is the color variation of the linen.   

Winter Rose Manor also from Brenda Gervais is the other piece I had framed.   Super happy with the the framing and the quick turn around.   I will definitely be using Finley’s Art Shoppe (Newark, DE) again.  Winter Rose Manor was stitched in most of the called for colors on 36 ct Heron Gray from Legacy.  The pink house (Conch) shows up well but the white (Grits) not so much in this photo.  

Settlement for my son is this week coming up.   I will be on Damma duty to help watch and to keep the kiddos happy while the moving happens.  I am spending Tuesday in the kitchen to whip up  a couple of casseroles as well as a big pot of bean soup to have at the ready during the days of moving.   I will be ready for a massage after five days of moving,  kiddos and not sleeping in my own bed.  And on the Damma note, Raegan finally has put a name to me……she has been saying pop-pop since summer.   I am now Dam to her.  Ask my kids…..it could be considered appropriate.   I hope she learns to add the ‘ma’ to that soon.  

Thanks for stopping by.   Wishing you all are keeping well.   Stay safe and keep on stitching.