New Stuff

I wanted to show what my secret stitcher sent to me for Valentine's Day.  New socks are always a treat and as you can see the chocolate was broken into immediately.  Some new threads are always welcome.  A pretty chart for my first initial and a quilt wall hanging pattern of hearts.  What a nice package.  Thank you secret stitcher.

Monday it was raining cats and dogs (yes, Jenny, I do use that term) and since I had to go to work at 2:30 I didn't feel like beating the crowds for new stash.  I was sure what I really wanted would still be there Tuesday.  Whew, I was right.   Peony Hill was tops on my list with BBD's new book up there also.  La-D-Da's yellow bird struck my fancy along with BBD's pin cushion.  I LOVE Impie, Hattie and Bea things and the tomato cushion and needle book did not disappoint.  So that needed LHD's chart to go with.  Some straw linen 30 ct. for the LHD and French Vanilla and Sand Castle 40 ct. linen to round things out.  Oh yeah, and Crescent Thread's new colors too.  What a fun bag to bring home.

I've been stitching a couple of Christmas ornaments because they are nice and quick and easy, not much thinking.  I'll be going back to 'I Sigh not for Beauty' soon so this is a nice break.

But......, I couldn't resist Peony Hill.  She's so pretty.  Like I said before, I'm not a big fan of pink but I think that's changing.  I'm liking it more and more.  So, this is Belfast linen and the DMC called for.

 Soon I will be getting my LHD 12 months sewn into little pillows.  I took them to Joann's to find a fabric to back them all.  Every two months used a different grouping of Crescent Threads so it was harder than it would be normally.  Wish me luck sewing them up.

Hope you got to increase your stash this week.

Marsha

It's been a busy, sad week.  We had one of those early morning phone calls....  My very dear MIL passed away in her sleep Sun. morning.  There is no preparation for that, is there?  DH left Mon. to finalize preparations.  I left early Tues. to pick up my parents in Pgh. and then we traveled on to Erie, PA.  We made it just in time for the start of visitation.  DS and DD traveled together and made it minutes before me.  Great to see friends and family.  Sad to say goodbye to a much loved woman.  It was also strange to be so happy for her.  I knew she was now with her beloved Mom and husband and many brothers and sisters in heaven and free of all pain and worries.  The most touching moment was hearing a polish hymn sung by a few women that are in the parish.  When they are gone, the polish hymns will be too.  Erie was like another world to us.  Feet and feet and feet of snow.  Side roads are not clear and there are either ruts to travel in or it's like a huge wash board.  It was bitterly cold too.  One big shock! 

Everyone is home safe and sound but we are all incredibly tired. 

No pictures for a day or two but I did work on 'I Sigh Not for Beauty' today.  Part II.  As I worked over to the right I noticed my count was off - WHAT!!!  I was so careful, what could be off???  Well, if you look at that last picture you can see my error.  The 2nd box under that branch that comes off to the left was not in the correct position.  I ripped and ripped the branches, the box border and that lovely brown flower.  I better get another skein of that dark green silk.  Sigh.  I'm back on track.

Marsha

This is what I was working of today.  And, I did finish it.  Excuse the colors.  It was sunny out for a few moments when I took this but it's not showing up well.  It is done on Davosa, 18ct., over one.  I started these with the month of March and I only have two more months to complete.  I have a plan for them and I'll explain that later in the year when they are finished.  These use Crescent Colors which I think is great thread.  It does not knot up very often and I use long strands.

I had wanted to show these before but forgot to take their pictures.  Lisa P. (who really should have a blog - hint, hint) stitched one of these for a couple of her friends.  I was lucky to receive one.  Isn't it adorable?  It's 2 1/2 inches X 1 inch.  The back has our initials and the year 2010.

I also forgot to show this ornament that Martha, my secret stitcher, made and gave to me.  Isn't it the bomb?  Teeny tiny knitting on teeny tiny knitting needles suspended inside the glass ornament.  So, adorable!  Both of these are on my tree that stays up all year in my stitching/sewing/ironing/card making room.

This past weekend my poker buddies and I went to Elicottville, NY.  It was girl's ski weekend, except I don't ski and really, a bunch of others don't ski either.  We DO, however, have lots of fun playing poker, eating, playing scrabble, playing Mexican train, drinking, hot tub, a spa day etc.  There are lots of laughs and I swear Lyn and Cynthia should have a comedy show.  Our stomachs hurt from laughing so hard.  We meet up with sisters from KY and friends from Buffalo.  It is a blast.  No stitching.  It's just not that kind of weekend.  I wanted you to see the amount of snow just laying around. 

Instead of doing the crazy January challenge (which isn't so crazy 'cause I really did seriously consider it), I opted to join the SAL, I Sigh Not for Beauty, in Ellen's With My Needle newsletter.  I am loving it.  It's moving right along and I'm up to date with some time left to work on LHD's January month.  I converted the DMC to NPI silks and am using 32 ct. natural linen.  It's pretty big and so far is just cross stitch.  The other stitches are in the middle part.

That's it for today.  Tomorrow night is Tiara stitch club so I'm hoping to get started on January.

Marsha

Stitchaway 2011

See my header with all the lovely snow?  That was taken at last year's 2010 Stitchaway Retreat.  2011's was this weekend and it was great.  The only bummer - I forgot my stinkin' camera.  I was too excited to turn around and go back for it.  You'll have to check out Jenny's blog, One Stitch Closer to Nirvana,  for real live photos of the action taking place. You get to see the gifts and stash from the weekend taken when I got home.  Go check out Jenny's blog for real live photos of the action taking place.  This was put on by  Keepsakes Framing and Stitching, my local LNS.  They do an amazing wonderful job.  It takes place at Hueston Woods an Ohio State Park outside of Oxford, Ohio.  It started for me, on Friday morning and lasted 'til Sunday.  75 stitching women, laughing, eating, conversing, making new friends and catching up with each other.  And lots of beautiful stitching projects to see and oooh and ahhhh over.  It was a little bit of heaven.  So, on to the meat of it....

This was our first gift of the weekend, given out on Friday evening after the pizza party.  We had noticed this vase on the drink table.  It was all made up with a wooden dowel coming out of the middle of Spanish moss and a really cute Valentine stitched on top.  Surprise!  We each got one filled with candy and the valentine chart to go with it.  Awesome.

Barb had a room set up as the Keepsakes Annex, for shopping of course.  She had quite a few trunk shows going on - Elizabeth Designs, Jeanette Douglas, Puffin, Erica Michael's and a couple more.  It was very hard to decide what to get - very hard.  (Cause you have to get SOMETHING - Right?)  There were lots of other goodies besides the trunk shows.  I made my picks Friday night and then slept on it.  Went back Saturday, and made my final picks.  So HARD to decide. The thread packs go with the JD quilt charts.  The Erica Michael's is done on 40 ct. silk gauze which is provided with the package.  There were a couple dozen all made up - you can't believe how delicate and beautiful they are.  I decided I had to chose one to at least try it and see if I liked it.  It was very hard to choose just one.  I love bees so I HAD to get the 'bees knees' needle minder.  It's like jewelry.

At the buffet dinner on Saturday night, these gifts were at each place setting.  It includes the mat board, the chart, and the batting to put together a cute thread holder.  We had to guess what the blue thing was.  I had no idea until they said it was medical - AHA.  I should know as I work with them all the time in the lab - a pipette tip holder.  How clever and what a good 'green' idea.

This was given to us after the door prizes and show and tell.  The linen, the threads, the cute chart and three big beautiful pins. ( I have an antique hat pin that will fit right in with them.)  But that wasn't the end.  Because this chart will fit into

 the most bestest, wonderful gift - a wooden box to hold the stitched piece in the frame that fits as the lid.  Isn't it marvelous?!?  I was speechless when they handed them out.  Too wonderful for words.

All of these boxes were handed out randomly and I am a firm believer in 'there are no coincidences.'  So look at the letters in this box and you see from the middle left an M then over to the right and down an L and then on the bottom to the right again a K.  Now you could say cool, Martin Luther King but those are MY initials too!  How awesome is that!  My own box made especially for me.  Thanks Barb and Joe who made each and every box. 

Here is our last surprise.  Each year on Sunday, before everyone leaves, there is a make it and take it session.  Last year we did the cute bottle cap needle minders.  This year we each got a mason size jar with everything provided to make a stash jar.  The stitched piece fits on the jar lid and there is a rustic material ribbon that ties around the jar.  Very cute.  I started to stitch mine but was too tired to finish it.  I could hardly focus.  Hopefully Jenny has a picture so you can see the finished item.

Well, that's it.  I'm too pooped to stitch tonight.  Can't wait to eat some soup and hit the sack.  Ahhh, flannel sheets, electric blanket, home sweet home after a wonderful stitchy weekend.  Life is good!


Marsha

Evan turns 6!

So, this past June, Karen of The Quilt Company, posted on her blog, Karen Quilts, a 9 patch quilt challenge.  The challenge was to sew one 9 patch square a day until sometime in August.  Hmm.  I had wanted to make a quilt but I didn't know where to start and this sounded like a good way to try it.  Hmm.  Who could I make it for so that it wouldn't have to be too big and they wouldn't care how it turned out.  Hmm, I know - Evan.  I could make it for his birthday in January and have plenty of time to complete it.  Should I or shouldn't I.  Heck, why not.  Then I would know if I liked making quilts or not.  My grandmother made lots of quilts and I loved them.  So began a new journey.  First, what colors?  I went to the source, Evan, and asked him what his 3 top three favorite colors were.  Green, orange and yellow Mamaw he said with a sign.  I'm supposed to know these things.  OK.  His room is blue, royal blue so those would be the patches in between the 9 patch squares to tie it together.  And so it began. 

Each step seemed overwhelming until I just sucked it up and started.  I have two friends at work that quilt and they helped and encouraged me.  Joyce would give me a tip and Genny would give her opinion and it helped so much with their input.  One thing I knew for sure, I did NOT want to do the actual quilting step.  The Quilter's Workroom did that part for me in a calm waters quilt pattern and had it completed within 2 weeks.

So, with a week to spare I finished the label and wrapped it up.  As a back up gift, we got him the Lego book but he was actually excited to open the quilt and was genuinely happy and excited about it - what a thrill.  He LIKES it, he REALLY LIKES it!

Here it is on our guest bed which is a queen size bed.  It generously fits his twin size bed.
 

The backing is green, his most favorite color. 

It's hanging on top of a blue flannel sheet so it wouldn't get dirty before its debut.

The big reveal.

Mamaw gets a big hug and kiss the best kind of reward.  Love you madly Evan, Happy 6th Birthday!

Marsha

The Queen City Sampler Guild's Christmas Party

On December 10th, the Queen City Sampler Guild held their Christmas party.  The Christmas committee did a great job with the food, favors, door prizes etc.  We had a good time visiting with each other, bidding on the silent auctions (what I was in charge of), checking out the two ornament trees and looking at all the great work our members have stitched up over the past year.  Tables are set up so members can display their pieces.  Below, I show just a little bit of what was brought in for all to ooh and aww over.

Janis stitched this Catherine Theron sampler.  It is stunning and one my most favorite samplers.  I believe it was charted for another sampler guild that Janis belongs to. 

Here's Dutch Beauty that Linda stitched. Christy Y. completed Dutch Beauty this past year and it is an impressive piece of stitching.  I have to admit that I like Dutch Beast better than Dutch Beauty - I think it's the colors that throw me off on Dutch Beauty.  But that's just me.

My friend Patti was on a biscornu roll last year.  They are so cute.  I especially like the bats.  Patti has a real eye for linen colors.  I think that is her Jeanette Douglas box in back with just a pinch of the scroll piece on the left which goes in the box.  Jeanette taught us this piece this past year.

I like the spot of red on this quaker sampler. (sorry about the spotlight effect of the overhead lighting)

This pretty piece was done on a pale peachy pink linen and was very pretty.  I used to hate pink but I'm liking it more and more.

Here is the ornament exchange tree.  You don't have to stitch an ornament but I think most members do.  There is also another tree with ornaments.  Those are for the secret stitchers.  Your secret stitcher is revealed when you deliver your ornament to your secret stitcher.  Lots of fun.

This is a close up of the tree with all of its lovely ornaments to be exchanged.  I really liked the green one in front.  The white on green appealed to me.  It gave me an idea for next year's (this year now since it IS 2011) ornament. 

Toni stitched and beaded this ornament.  Click on this one to get a better look at the beads on it.  It sparkles.

Martha belongs to the EGA also and is a very talented stitcher.  Look at this tiny ornament.  It is fabulous.

Well that's all for this day.  I've decided that blogging depends a lot on how my server is acting.  I tried to get this up yesterday but it was too slow to be bearable and what happened to spell check? Anyway, if I'm lucky I'll get one more post up before I go to a stitcher's retreat next weekend.  I'm really looking forward to that! 

Marsha

Winter is HERE

I KNOW!  WHERE HAVE I BEEN?  Well, no where.  I have no excuses and now it's winter!  How did that happen?  I have lots of Christmas stitchy pictures to share.  I'll start with ornament pictures and get to the Guild Christmas party etc. later.  I know, it's lame.  Christmas is over.  But I know you want to know and see.  So, we'll start with these and hopefully I can blog more faithfully and you can see the rest sooner rather than later.

I won this ornament at the Tiara Club Christmas party.  Peggi A. stitched it.  There were two of these stitched for the ornament exchange, so it was confusing at first as to who's was who's.  Peggi's had the gold bow.  I love it.  Peggi is a fantastic stitcher.  Her stitching room is lined in finished stitch projects.  Very inspiring.  Thanks Peggi!

I got this LHD ornament from my secret stitcher, Martha W.  She was a great secret stitcher.  She gifted me with all kinds of lovely things all year long.  Before I knew it was her, she showed me two ornaments and asked which I thought her secret sticher would like.  I immediately picked this one - sneaky, Martha, but lucky me.  I won't have to stitch it.  Isn't the cording pretty.  What a pretty ornament.  I remember when she was stitching it and how nice I thought it was.  Thank you Martha for everything!

I was lucky to get this LHD ornament at the Queen City Sampler Guild ornament exchange from Nancy.  A big shout out to Nancy - Thank you so much, I heart LHD.  I have all their ornament charts for 2010 and this will be another that I don't have to stitch - hee hee.  Love the linen color.  Of course, I'm all signed up for their 2011 year of ornaments.

 I made this ornament for my secret stitcher Christie.  She had lost her kitty, Mustang, this fall so I tried to use the colors of his fur - a grayish brown.  I think this was in 2010's  Just Cross Stitch ornament issue.  I found this trim at my LNS, Keepsakes Framing and Stitching.  It is holly leaves and I heartily do NOT recommend it.  Every time you tried to take a stitch to tack it on, the thread caught on the leaves - repeatedly.  Very aggravating.  Took forever to sew on.  (Sure is cute though)  I braided 3 silk ribbons to make the hanger, and added some red pins to look like holly berries.

 Here's the back.

I really like this ornament.  It's called Vinnie.  Just Cross Stitch 2009 had a larger chart that has Vinnie flying over a yellow house and if you went to the magazine's website Vinnie was a freebie. (It might still be there)  I used PTP crystal Splash linen and all the called for DMC.  I added some Pearl Kreinik for the snowflakes and beads on his saddle.  My LNS, Keepsakes Framing and Stitching, had this trim and I thought it was awesome.  (I really like sparkly stuff)  That's a stray thread over his eye and I declined to give him black eyebrows.  The back fabric I used to make a wallet and it just seemed to be the perfect colors.  I might have to make this for myself.  It went to a Tiara Club stitcher in their ornament exchange.

I made this from one of the Just Cross Stitch magazine ornament issues - I believe 2009, but don't quote me on that.  I used the same holly trim that I used on Christie's ornament for the hanger. 

This is the back of it.  I made it into a pinkeep because that was the easiest thing to do.  After lacing three ornaments front and back over core board, I didn't feel like making a cording and I have lots of silk ribbon sooo, pinkeep sounded good.

My secret stitcher from 2009, Evelyn, was picked to get this ornament.  I hope she liked it.

So, that's it for today.  Hopefully, I'll get back tomorrow to finish my Christmas posting.  Then we can move on to SAL, a stitcher's retreat coming up next weekend and other fun stuff (like Evan's birthday gift I've been working on since June.)

Marsha