catching up

I have so much catching up to do, but I'm still tired from my weekend trip. When I got home Sunday night I checked the mail and to my surprise was my Stacy Nash Country Sampler Heart Pinkeep & Strawberry Emery kit from Country Sampler. I was so thrilled! I sleeplessly got ready for bed, brushed those pearly whites, climbed into bed (too tired to stitch which never happens) and looked through the kit. Here was the packaging, which was sweet.

And here is what the kit entails.

And here is where I am with this project...

What's interesting about my start is that I always thought to stitch the design and then worry about getting the shape. The instructions are reverse, which I actually enjoyed. I used an iron-on transfer pencil and traced the template onto the "wrong" side of my fabric. Since I don't have a light box and it was gloomy outside I improvised and used my laptop screen. All I did was lay it down and waa-laa: traceable! The instructions say to straight stitch on top of the pencil mark, but that wasn't coming out the way I wanted so I hand sewed a running stitch instead. I like how my shape turned out. My start is nothing to write home about, but it is a start. Progress, not perfection, right!

I've spent the last couple days trying to catch up on email and groupie email and blog readings. Everyone has been so busy since I’ve been away. I drove to my LNS Monday afternoon and picked up 30 ct Weeks Dye Works Straw so I can start Betty’s kitten design bc it is just so darling and extremely tempting to begin right now! So far I've kitted my kitten project and I'm ready to begin. :o) It's going to be so much fun!

I ordered Annemiek’s A Year of Primitive Floss Tags through The Needle’s Content website. The first is the snowman and if you haven’t seen it yet, it’s cute. I’ll start that soon as well. I also want to finish up Sarah’s ABC Pincushion, by Blackbird Designs. I’ve decided to stitch my own name instead of ‘Sarah Tobias’, but I’ve had to chart that out differently so I’m still working on those details, but hopefully I can get that stitched and finished sooner rather than later. I brought my Sarah piece to Florida but never touched it bc of the project from Susan.

Speaking of my Susan project, here is a photo of the Longaberger basket we received as part of the project in St. Augustine this past weekend. I believe the basket has been discontinued. It's cute.

Two nights ago I posted a couple photos of what the SGD class project was. Here's what I managed to stitch yesterday - the blue waves. The waves are stitched using one strand over one.

(Sorry this photo is sideways. No matter how I took the photo, nor how many times, it never straightened, so I apologize.)

How sweet it is to be loved???!!! My dear sweet Aunt Pam mailed me a little envelope with three pieces of fabric inside. She mailed these because I don't have any reproduction fabrics in a cranberry-purple-ish color that'll coordinated with my Lovebirds piece that I finished weeks ago. I love all 3 and cannot wait to use them. I really like the fabric with the blue-ish flowers. I asked my DH his opinion and he likes the far right fabric. I just don't know which one bc they would all look cute. ALL opinions welcome!

Okay, I have to brag about my mom real quick. She stitches models for the Just Cross Stitch magazine and she has made the cover once again. She stitched the pillow that's on the cover. I am so proud of her! JCS doesn't inform her when her models will be made she just knows they will at some point so when they adorn the cover she is always pleasantly surprised. Wouldn't you be?!?!

I had to take Cameron to the ear, nose and throat doctor Monday morning and as I suspected he has to have tubes put in. His surgery is next week. I feel bad for my baby. He isn’t hearing very well either, therefore, why he isn’t talking yet. He’s 17 months old and he should have somewhat of a vocabulary now. Luckily I’m not in the dark about all this. Jose had 2 sets of tubes put in with the same speech issues. At least I know what to expect. Anyway, Cameron was really upset by the hearing test, but as soon as the doctor entered Cameron wanted in the doctor’s lap. He’s never even met this man and he was that comfortable. It was amazing how well behaved he was for the doctor but the nurse, he wanted nothing to do with her.

Sooooo, I best get off and get crackin! Thanks for visiting and listening. I so enjoyed my travels this past weekend, and being with mom made it all the merrier! I love and like my mom! In case you’re wondering, there is a difference between liking and loving and I feel for my mother on both counts :o) She’s the best friend ever bc I can be myself. And trust me, I’m not always nice and pretty! LOL

monday, monday

Today Jose was home because of MLK day and it snowed all morning long, but did not stick. The high was 34, but luckily I didn’t have to be out in it. There were a ton of birds in our backyard this morning while it snowed. I can’t figure out why all these birds invaded our yard. Jose grabbed the camera and took this video. Sorry if it shakes too much ~ Jose is no pro. Cameron got a kick out of all the birds too. It was pretty amazing to see all these birds change their course and switch places around the yard. Cameron giggled a lot.

Next project...

This afternoon I ironed interfacing onto two projects and am still in the process of whip stitching the floss tag from Saturday night. (I’ll have a photo soon.) I am in the process of collecting materials for Sarah’s ABC Pincushion sampler by Blackbird Designs. I don’t have the called-for linen so I called up mom to see if she had something antique-ish and so dad was coming here to take Jose to a movie and he brought over 4 different pieces of linen for me to chose from. So that is marked off my list and I’m ready to begin. Aren’t moms great?? aunts too! :o) I'm staying in the called for count of 32 using R&R Cafe Kona. It's really pretty, but the picture doesn't show how over-dyed it really is. And I love the silk called Kelp ~ it's so pretty!

I am oh so excited about some things. I signed up for the Stacy Nash Club with Country Sampler in Wisconsin and the kit is scheduled to get mailed this week to all “girl club” members. I am so excited ~ you have no idea! This is an exclusive club with an exclusive kit that won’t be sold in stores or through any other avenue. I feel so privileged! The design is a sampler heart that has such cute motifs and on the back is a patch to hold scissors and needles. I cannot wait!!!! I’ll post a photo as soon as I get the chart. It’s so primitive and unique.

Another fantastic goodie is primitivebettys My Favorite Kitten Pinkeep pattern which I ordered through her Etsy shop last week, and she said it will be mailed out come Tuesday. I am so excited about this as well!

Then to top all this off, me and mom board a plane on Friday morning and head to St. Augustine, Florida for a Susan Greening Davis weekend retreat at the beach. I’ve been keeping tabs on the weather and it won’t be warm-warm, but it won’t be cold and that’s all that matters to me. It isn’t shorts and t-shirt weather, but the weather says it’ll be in the upper 50s and into the 60s. I can soooo deal with that. Two of our stitching pals will be there; Sally and Susan. They were at moonlight stitching as well. I just love those gals. And Pat who is the owner of the LNS will be there contributing and cooking. But the whole reason for going is that I get a little vacation away from my boys and home. I need this break. I technically haven’t had a break in years, let alone a vacation. This doesn’t constitute a vacation, but it’s better than nothing and I’ll take it without complaint. :o)

Cameron decided to do a little rearranging of my kitchen. I have video, but can't get it to load. It's really loud too. All the banging around with pots, pans, pie molds, muffin tins, etc. that he did. The moment flung me back to the past and it reminded me of my grandmother in her kitchen ~ she was never quiet. Our saying is "What she doin' now???" with a total crabby-scratchy tone.

Lots of good things to come! Just think, when I get back from out of town I’ll have stitching gifts waiting for me. Ahhhhh, now that is a way to end a good trip, don’t you think? Post later…

Monday’s Stitching: finished make-it and take-it heart floss tag; start on Sarah's ABC Pincushion
Watched Monday: Snatch

a full heart

At the very start of 2009 I said that I wanted to go through my stash and sort out which projects I really want to stitch this year. So that got me thinking, and it dawned on me that I need to go through my WIP and Current Rotation baskets; so that I did! I came across projects I had started years ago (sad, I know, but probably typical) and totally forgot about half of the projects I had started eons ago. Like...this Heart In Hand. It was a partial kit that came with the linen and an adorable green weathered wooden frame. The frame is so cute that I've decided I'll use it for a more primitive stitch. But this still leaves me on 'what to do' about my Bless You piece. This piece was more than 75% complete. Man! What was wrong with me?!?! Oh well...finally another finish for 2009 ~ this makes 2 stitched for 2009. Whoa-Hoo! I'm on a roll! :o)

My heart is so full with my next 'keepsake'. I didn't stitch this flower. The verse reads: May Your Day Be As Bright As A Flower. I don't know where the design came from and I don't know what motif book this could have come from, but what I do know is that I am honored to have finally given this little gem a home. My late Grandmother stitched this at some point in her life. She was the most creative of all the women in our family ~ or should I say the queen of creative wonder. My mom used to own this, among a dozen other possessions that belonged to grandma. I was going through mom's stash and came across grandma's things. I saw it and wanted it so badly. I wasn't sure what I was going to do with it, but I knew I had to have it. My mom was generous enough and let me have it. It sat in my craft area for so long until tonight. I remembered I had it and since I've been in quite the stitching/finishing mood lately...you can see where I'm going with this...I decided I needed to find it a permanent home once and for all. FINALLY, I've given it a place. I decided to make it into a coaster so I can admire it always. I still can't stop myself from touching it. I'm in love with it!

I am fully complete this evening. (ahhhh!) I feel accomplished, warm, and ready to start another day with a needle in hand. Also, this evening I joined the Stacy Nash Club through the Country Sampler up in Wisconsin ~ I am really excited about this. I cannot wait to receive my first project. It is stunning!

I am off! Me, DH and Jose are about to watch The Dark Knight. I've heard it is intense, but good. I love nail bitters and on the edge of your seat kind of films. Goodnight and sleep tight!

"emma" is framed!

I have finished and finished my first piece for 2009. I am quite pleased! It is "Emma's Sampler" from Stacy Nash Primitive Designs. It's so cute too! Luckily I had this frame on hand and I removed the glass. I stained the linen with walnut crystals I received for Christmas. It was more fun working with the walnut crystals than dyeing with coffee, I must add. I enjoyed framing my piece too as I have never framed before ~ not like this.

"pillow" talk

I finally can show off my most recent Stacy Nash piece called Christmas Partridge Pinkeep Pillow. My mother and I just had our birthdays and instead of buying my mother a present I decided to hand-make her gift. Now that she is the proud owner, I can post photos of it on my blog. The original date on this SN piece is the 25th but I wanted to personalize this pillow for mom so I changed the date to her birthday; the 10th. I am really pleased with the results and I think she is too! Happy Birthday, Mom!

Christmas Partridge Pinkeep Pillow
Design by: Stacy Nash
Fabric: 28 ct Champagne Linen
Floss: DMC
Additional Info: Fabric is aged front and back using coffee and distressing solution. After sewing and stuffing, I added free-hand cross stitches over the seams for a primitive feel.

progress report (revised)

I want to report on a couple pieces that I'm proudly progressing on. I am thoroughly enjoying each stitch I take with these projects. This first piece is taking a little longer than it should, but that's because I keep picking up new projects to add to my WIPs pile and I'm included in a quick-stitch every weekend. Needless to say, I am finishing small designs so my turn out is not so bad. Okay, back to my progress report...

Hallow's Eve Sampler Pillow
by Stacy Nash Primitives
fabric: 28 ct. Autumn Fields (already hand-dyed)
floss: DMC ~ 301, 310, 612, 730, 838
finish as: pillow or door hang

The SN Hallow's Even Sampler Pillow is half way complete. I plan on either having it as a pillow laying around my home (I don't care that it is Halloween-ish), maybe in a basket, or giving it cording or twine so it can hang from a door or hook. I haven't decided yet. I am thinking about adding a black nostalgic key as an embellishment. I believe it will go with the piece. On to my next progress report...

These next three photos are Phase I of my progress. Approximately a week ago was my start time.

I must add that I love my scissor fob! It was a cute little project I received from a stitching night out. It is a vintage wooden spool which I need to get my hands on some more so I can make more fobs or whatever my heart desires, really. The spool even has its original label on it. I used Crescent Colours instead of the called-for floss: Belle Soie - Rose of Sharon. Again, I don't have any Belle Soie and my LNS didn't have many in stock and naturally I grew impatient and wanted it NOW! After much thought and comparing I decided on Crescent Colours - Bandana. The color has a fabulous variation of deep reds. It's close to the called-for floss, but Bandana is a deeper red.

(Photo Above) Check out the hand-dyed fabric. The photo doesn't do it the justice it deserves (never does!), but the hand-dyed portion has a very subtle green tinge. It's so pretty!

(Photo Below) I tried to get a better, close-up of the fabric I choose for this piece ~ it's a little better. It called for 28 count Bisque Linen from Lakeside Linens, but I did not have that in my stash and neither did my Mother. (I always go to her if I can't supply it myself and can't make it to my LNS.) By chance, as me and my Mother were rummaging through her ENORMOUS stash, we came across this fabric and I was floored. I had to use it...if she'd let me. Thankfully, she had a large enough piece to split it right down the middle with me. Isn't my Mom an angel?!?! (Thanks Mom!)

These next couple photos are Phase II of the progress. Hopefully the next time I post this progress report I'll have it all stitched up...hopefully!

I love that little schoolgirl. She would make a wonderful little scissor fob or floss tag.

Schoolgirl Lessons
by Little House Needleworks
fabric: 28 ct. Vintage Country Cream
floss: Crescent Colours ~ Bandana (2 skeins)
finish as: frame

stitching weekend

This weekend is going to be a busy stitching weekend, hopefully. This weekend at my LNS there is a Moonlight Stitching Saturday night. They only have these evenings quarterly and are from 4:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m. (I wished they were every month). There is all kinds of food, giggles, good company and we get a make-it and take-it. I can't wait! This would be an excellent time to stitch on my QSW piece ~ I may even get it completed with 6 hours of uninterrupted time. Hmmmmmmm...

Also this weekend, a local area near my home called the Berry Hill District is having a Holiday Happenings with almost 20 businesses of various sorts participating. In addition, there is a wonderful charity called Soles 4 Souls that the local businesses are collecting for. I wished I had known this earlier because I donated over a dozen shoes to Goodwill...shucks!!! The Berry Hill Community is about 4-5 blocks of close-knit shop owners and small restaurants. It's a great little place to walk around and shop. In addition to the Holiday Happenings, my LNS is also having a local crafter in-store displaying and selling her craft-wares. I'll have to check this out though as I have no idea what type of craft this lady brings. This happens from 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. in Berry Hill. Immediately afterwards, Moonlight Stitching starts. This is going to be quite the Saturday in Berry Hill and at the shop.

I have finally picked which piece to stitch for the QSW and have gathered my floss and fabric for the occasion. Since I'm new to primitive stitching and have very little quick stitch pieces I have decided to stitch one of the freebies I received from The Sampler Girl through our Stacy Nash Group at Yahoo! (SNG at Yahoo!). The freebie is called Prim Friends Gather. I figured since this is our SNG's first QSW, I find it appropriate to stitch this piece since we're friends getting together and stitching our quick stitches. Tanya is such a gifted designer and generous with her work. Check out Tanya's blog as well. She always has something going on and she's definitely worth reading.

Prim Friends Gather
by The Sampler Girl
stitched by Linda in VA