Sunday, January 25, 2015

Grow Your Blog

Hello and welcome to my blog and my small corner of the world.  I'm in the Midwest of the USA. Loveland, Ohio to be exact.

I started blogging in July of 2008.  It does not seem that long ago.  I named my blog after our first King Charles Cavalier, Clark.  He was such a sweetheart.  People that weren't much into dogs thought he was special.  The reason I started blogging?  There was an international swap of handmade bags and I wanted to participate.  One of the requirements was that you had to have a blog.  And the rest was history.  I made that messenger bag, sent it off to Australia and in return received one from another person in OZ.  It was so exciting and fun.

I've met a lot of wonderful people through blogging.  The most exciting element for me is meeting people across the globe that enjoy much the same things that I do.  I love seeing photos of their work, their yards and gardens, friends and family and the places they like to visit.  I enjoy the differences in our worlds too.  I like to share what's happening in my sphere, what I'm working on and a little of what makes me tick.  I try to be as positive as possible since I know we all have lots to 'deal' with.

I am a Med Tech (Medical Technologist) and work part time, second shift (2:30 - 11:00) in a hospital laboratory.  I provide vital information to doctors to help them make a diagnosis or help them in the care they give to their patients.  My free time is spent in cross stitch, quilting, reading and as little housekeeping as possible.

Bored yet?  That's enough about me.  Let's have a giveaway!


Last weekend I went to my local LNS, Keepsakes, Stitchaway.  A stitching retreat at Hueston Woods State Park.  It's only a little over an hour away.  Meeting with friends and stitching the days away.  It was cold this year but not as snowy as years past.  Here is my annual picture from my balcony.  As you can see, the lake is frozen.  There was one open patch in the ice where Canadian geese gathered to hold their own conference.  They got quite noisy sometimes.


A few days before I left I completed Margaret Cottam.  I wanted to concentrate on two SAL's that I am working on for the year so Margaret needed to be completed.  Last year, Lisa, The Inspired Stitcher, came to my rescue and stitched the roof on the house.  I stitched that roof at least 3 times and each time it was wrong.  Lisa to the rescue.  What a relief.  I didn't have another problem with her.


Margaret is stitched on 35 count WDW Confederate Grey linen with the called for Weeks threads.  The top picture is a better color representation.  She was a fun stitch and I just love that little scene.



The giveaway will include the three charts for Margaret Cottam Aged 9.


I will also include the color key floss tag that I made for the threads.  It was a fun little project that just seemed a little special.


Leave a comment and I will announce the winner on February 15.  I will need a way to contact you if you win!  Good luck!  Thanks for visiting my blog and hopefully growing it.  I'll visit you and grow your blog!

Marsha

Monday, January 5, 2015

Happy New Year 2015

As promised, I'll finish out the Christmas season with the ornaments that I completed this fall.

I had my DGS look through the 2014 JCS Ornament and pick out the ornament he would like me to stitch for him.  He was very perceptive.  As he leafed through the magazine, he judged them by how complicated the design was.  Who does that at 9 years old??  He liked the looks of this one. Primrose Needleworks. I had it stitched by October and finished in Dec.  That's a JABC button in the shape of a present that I snapped up at the Shepherds Bush retreat. It's on a pale green linen from stash with most of the over dyed threads called for.  I used Vonna's, Twisted Stitcher, felt ornament tutorial.  Thank you Vonna.



I bought this linen piece at Shepherds Retreat also.  It was marked for stitching Kringle's Coal and the model from Plum Street Samplers was really cute. (Also in JCS 2014 ornament issue) I snatched it up and it stitched up pretty quick.  I used Vonna's felt ornament tutorial once again.  I added the JABC star button.  His face was disappearing into his beard and hair.  The contrast was not enough.  Hmm. Debated restitching and then the light bulb went off.  Got a tiny makeup brush, my blush and proceeded to blush the two stitches that made his face.  Much better.  This went off to live with Diane.




This one I started last year?  I believe it's BBD  from JCS 2012 ornament issue.  I did not use the called for Belle Soie silk threads.  Too much $ for an ornament.  So this is my conversion using overdyed WDW and GAST.  And looks like PTP Dubloon linen, probably 32 ct.  Trimmed with a thin green chenille trim and a beaded hanger.



I happily finished my Threadworks Primitives Merry Christmas Fruit Basket.  The minute I saw it, I knew I had to stitch it.  Once again on Dubloon, 36 ct. with the called for threads.  I used a green button in the middle of the red star instead of one green cross stitch.  It will be a pillow with some kind of trim.



 This is a freebie from Daffycat Designs 2013, Tree Reindeer.  On a very sparkly evenweave. I love  sparkles.  I found the perfect fabric to use on the back at a Quilt show I traveled to in Seymour, IN this past fall.  I used the called for DMC and it will be a flat ornament.



Mary E. stitched this for the guild's ornament exchange a couple of years ago. I loved it.  Prairie Schooler in the 2011? issue of JCS ornament issue.  I asked her pretty please and she got me the pattern.  Love this one too.  Sparkly linen with the called for threads, DMC and the fabric I will use for the backing.  It will be a flat ornament also.



I saw this one on somebody's blog and knew I had to stitch it.  Gentle Pursuit Designs, Home for Christmas.  Used mostly DMC, with sparkle Kreinik braid, and an over dyed thread for the snow on 40 ct Maritime White linen.  It's a beaut.  It will be finished as a flat ornament, half circle with that iridescent silk fabric.  Lush.



That concludes this holiday season.  The tree will come down this weekend.  I will miss my Christmas decorations.  I love seeing them.  I've already started my 2015 SAL's.  Yes,  that's plural.  And next week!  Stitchaway 2015 at Hueston Woods State Park.  Can't wait to be with my peeps and stitch to our heart's content.

Happy Stitching!

Marsha