a framed jane

Here is On Travel with Jane Austen by The Sampler Girl all framed and on the wall. I couldn’t be more pleased and happy with how she turned out. And it always feels good to get a big sampler back framed after all that long hard work – exhale! Accomplishments are nice, aren’t they?



Speaking of travel, I’m heading to my hometown of Cincinnati, Ohio for the weekend for mom’s high school reunion. Yep, I get to go to mom’s high school reunion with her. I’m really looking forward to this. It should be interesting and fun, but then I can have fun most places I go when with mom. We’re fun girls. :) I get to visit with my Aunt Pam (mom’s sis) and cousins so that’ll be a nice needed treat. We’re also going to wander over to Aunt Pam’s LNS called Keepsakes. It doesn’t have a website, but this place is so cute. I’m going to ask if I can take pictures b/c it’s one of the best places to visit. It’s in a 2-story old house so LOADS to look at.

I’m going to miss my boys especially since my days start off with Cameron in such good spirits, but I really need to get out of dodge for awhile. Talk soon!

motif-ing it up

So much fun this one!

I feel so good about my JA sampler. I’ve started on the motifs. I have more progress photos than this, but for some reason they were loading at the wrong angle. Has anyone else had that problem with Blogger before? I'll have to take new ones and try it again. Anyhoo...I’m halfway done with the house. You can’t see the other set of windows below b/c I didn’t want to unroll my rod – sorry. :-( I think I’m going to halt on the house for now and make my way towards the right of it to keep things in line and then make my way down my rod-n-roll.

Saturday me and the boys were at a birthday party all afternoon. Our little friend turned 10. Her father is a good, good friend of mine and dh. It was a fun-filled day for sure; tiring too. It was a pool party so the kids had lots of fun and the adults grilled out and laughed it up. Met some new people too. The day got away from us b/c we forgot to check our mailbox. So today we got our mail and look what was inside…

I can’t wait to start this little needle/pin cushion. Looks like it’ll be a quick one. This evening me and the boys ate at my parent’s house and I didn’t make it home in time to watch PBS’ Masterpiece Mystery which is airing Agatha Christie’s Miss Marple stories. I’ll have to catch this one on PBS.org. You can watch them online after they’ve aired. I’m off to sit and stitch for now. Talk soon!

an afternoon with jane

I told myself I wasn’t going to do this before I read the book, but after six-plus months I couldn’t help myself any longer and I succumbed to the temptation. I watched "Sense and Sensibility" with Emma Thompson, Kate Winslet, Hugh Grant, and Alan Rickman. I cried. I laughed. I sighed. I held my breath. I even clapped.

I haven’t really enjoyed a film like I enjoyed this one. I’m ashamed I waited this long to capture the essence of what Jane Austen was saying. What a storyteller. I realize this is only an adaption of her novel, but I will definitely read the novel sooner rather than later. The period in which her novel is wrought, I can’t help but feel a tad bit jealous that I wasn’t born another time. The clothing. The emotion. The cottage – oh the cottage! What I wouldn’t give to live there. The still of the sisters and mother working on their needlework was peaceful. I was so moved and felt connected. At one point I was on the edge of my seat trying to soak in the scenery and house décor. The wallpaper. The tapestry. The furniture.

I was sincerely captivated by the sisters and envied their relationship. Each actress did a marvelous job at convincing me of their disposition and I loved them all. I hated the dreadful sister-in-law, and so much that I’ve even forgotten her name. But my absolute favorite character is the Colonel. Such a lonely, quiet sufferer who truly, without a doubt, loved Marianne with his entire core, and that made him sexy. I knew there was more to him than meets the eye and when he sent Marianne the piano I knew their fate. Now that is love and I cried.

While enjoying the film I worked on On Travel with Jane Austen by The Sampler Girl. I am using the called-for threads with the exception of changing three to the alternative DMC colors. I made changes to some cross stitches themselves. Instead of the cross stitch I changed it to the satin stitch, but still used the colors for that symbol; just a different stitch. I did this with the triangle-like band (above "Sunday"). I love how it's turning out. Other than this, we're as good as gold. Oh, and I'm using 32 ct Parchment instead of what the model is done on.

Stitching on this piece makes me happy and I’m calm. Stitching in general is therapeutic, but when I work on On Travel I can’t help but feel at peace and at ease. I think of nothing else and I cherish that sensation; for lately I’ve been high strung. But for now this is the only design I stitch on and I’m okay with that. Even though I’m a multi-tasker and like having more than one thing going on, my other projects can wait. Besides, they’re not going anywhere ~ they have no legs. :o)

Talk soon!

jane austen

This just in ~ I just received my first Jane Austen book. Not 1, not 2, but 3 Jane Austen books. They are Persuasion, Sense and Sensibility, and Pride and Prejudice. I have to thank my friend, Tanya, for turning me onto Jane Austen through her beautiful cross stitch designs known as Designs Inspired By the Works of Jane Austen. You can see and purchase these designs and many, many more through Tanya's website. Thank you, Tanya!

I am so, so, so excited about getting these books. Once again, I owe it to my mother for her book club membership (I got more than I had hoped for and I'm so happy for that). I can't wait to get started on these books. The covers are simply gorgeous and there are primitive illustrations which surprised me. I have always heard of Ms. Austen and have known that her books were made into movies, but I had not read one nor have I seen any of the movies. Thankfully, I was recently given the movie "Sense and Sensibility" which I still need to watch, but I think I'll hold off and read the book first, not because I want to, but because I CAN!