SAL

TheThreadBasket is hosting a SAL.  I decided to join it as I've been keeping up with Carol's SAL at iStitchaholic. I will post a picture when that one is complete.  I had bought a packet of 35 ct. linens from Vicki Clayton of Hand Dyed Cross Stitch Fabric etc. If I remember correctly, they were listed as dark naturals. JIC you are interested in them, they are not available now.  I hadn't used any of them yet so I pulled them out and started floss tossing.  I had already discovered most of  the DMC threads listed for the project were missing from my stash.  Actually, since I have all the DMC colors they aren't really missing, just pulled for who knows what.  Since I didn't feel like rooting through all my stash, I got out my trusty DMC color card and started matching up DMC to Crescent Colors. I LOVE Crescent Colors. So here are my flosses and linen - no linen name.

I had started out trying to stitch outside since we are enjoying a last Indian summer. It was a little too windy so I moved into the sun room.  Nice and bright, Buddy could run in and out, and the birds would feel safe enough to use the bird feeders.  Yeah, that's not all that would feel safe.  Here's one of the little buggers.

OH. And what is he feeding from?  The squirrel proof feeder, of course. What's worse is when they sit on top of it, hang down, and pull the lever down and dip in with their paw and scoop them out.  Raccoons are my real nemesis though.  Every night I have to bring all 3 feeders inside or the raccoons will clean me out and gnaw through the metal just to be ornery.


I had already prepared to entertain Buddy with his very own large gnawable treat. Yeah buddy, kept that puppy busy for quite a while. It's the only way I get to stitch.  Either that or I have to take him on long walk. Sometimes I just don't want to take a walk.  Here he is happy as a clam.  In fact, he was so happy he'd take this thing outside and just start jumping around before settling down to chew again.

After one afternoon and a whole evening of stitching, part I is complete.  Whew.  It was a lot of stitching. Hope I can keep up with 3 more weeks worth.  Especially with Christmas ornaments to be stitched.

Marsha

Buckhorn State Park

So, I'm a week late posting these pictures but, oh well.  At least with a new card in my camera I don't have to deselect hundreds of pictures.  I went to Buckhorn State park in eastern Kentucky with my poker buddies.  We usually do a January girls ski weekend and last year decided a fall trip would be fun too,  It requires endless games of poker, scrabble, Mexican train, oodles, buzz words, quite a bit of alcohol, a walk for our health's sake (snicker) and then do that all over again. Friday night is an appetizer dinner. Saturday breakfast is usually sausage gravy and biscuits, lunch is my black bean chili and leftover appetizers and dinner is grilled filet Mignon, salad, roasted new potatoes and apple pie.

While on our walk, (hike according to Gwyn) I snapped a few pics.  It was a gorgeous weekend with clear bright blue skies, full moon nights and just right temperatures for jeans ans sweaters.

Here's Mr. Buckhorn outside of the lodge.

The gorgeous view on the balcony of the lodge.  We actually had a two bedroom cabin down the road from the lodge.  More conducive to very late nights and raucous laughter.

Walking up to the lodge from the lake.  A hike on a trail would have required straight up hiking and then straight down again.  These Kentucky hills are crazy steep.  The mountain roads were stomach turning switch backs and hair pins with a couple loops thrown in for good measure.

Here are my partners in crime, Gwyn, Cynthia and Heidi.

It was a great get away.  Gwyn's saying at the start is 'soak it in girls, soak it in'.


This past weekend, I went to a stitch in on Saturday.  I was going to stitch on Christmas ornaments but decided I would like to work on 'I Sigh not for Beauty'.  I'm working on the over 1 verse.  Just two more lines to go and that area will be complete.  Lisa P of The Inspired Stitcher had decided to work on hers too.  It is a really fun sampler to stitch on.  We are both enjoying it.  She is way ahead of me but my excuse is Buddy, the rambunctious puppy. 

Toni, a stitcher friend, brought in a large DMC wooden box an ex-shop owner gave to her. It was filled with wool DMC threads.  She just wanted the box so the wool was up for grabs and so we did. We all got the colors we wanted and there was still some left.  I used to do crewel embroidery before I discovered cross stitch in the 70's but it looks like it's coming back and I'll be ready to make something pretty.

Marsha

Random pictures

One morning about a week ago it was foggy out and then the sun started appearing.  I hurried to get the camera as the pine trees were dazzling with sparkles. (I love sparkly stuff, just ask my friends)

As I got closer, I noticed thousands of spider webs all over the trees.  Here a few of marvels...

Notice the long web stung between the trees. It was very hard to take pictures once the sun started burning the fog off, I waited just a bit too long.

On to other things.

I had told my Mom I was on a search for glass flower frogs.  My parents like to go to flea markets and antique stores so she kept an eye out for me.  Here is what she found me within two weeks.  Wow.  Aren't they marvelous?

It's that time of year for Halloween cards.  Here a few that I've worked on lately. 

At the Tiara retreat I finally finished my Peony Hill.  I will be taking it to my LNS this weekend for framing and take a new picture when it is back home again.

I forgot to share a photo of the floss tag that the lovely Lisa made and gave to me at the Tiara retreat.  She and I have a 'thing' for bees. I just happened to say that I hadn't made a floss tag for myself yet as I was admiring one of hers and she dipped into her bag of treats and handed me this. She's one sweetheart of a woman.  I LOVE it.  It sits on my crafty, stitchy desk so I can admire it.

Last weekend we went to the Fall Festival at Blooms and Berries with DSL, DD, DH and Evan our grandson.  This slide is always a favorite.

And the hay bale mountain.

And shooting pumpkins and gourds with paint balls with DH.

Then it was off to the hayride to go to the field to pick out pumpkins.  To get there, you go through the woods and see the funny pumpkin scenes.  This one tickled my fancy.  Those are knives.  On a tree across path was the pumpkin knife thrower.

Here's my lovely daughter Dana and her handsome husband, Joe.

I came home from swimming one day and the light was shining through my sweet and low container.  I love the autumn light.

Not too many stitching pictures.  But maybe next time.

Marsha

Gifts and Tiara Retreat

One of my good stitching buddies recently found out that I just LOVE Hello Kitty.  There's something about the simplicity of her little face that just tickles me.  I remember the first time I was introduced to Hello Kitty. About 25 years ago a friend in Fort Wayne, IN took my daughter and me to a store in a mall that was all Hello Kitty. It was so cool. She has had a soft spot in my heart ever since. My friend passed away soon after that visit. Sad and sweet. When I saw The Inspired Stitcher at a recent stitch in she gifted me with this little tin.  Isn't it cute?  Thanks a bunch Lisa.  I like to get it out and take a peek now and then. 

I also received a huge mail parcel from my secret stitcher.  She's awesome.  I can't wait to meet her at the guild's Christmas party where she will be revealed.  A nice Halloween card to start things off.

She found out that I love the Janet Evanovich Stephanie Plum series. I've heard all of the audio books (except the most recent) and stitch while I listen to them.  I even got my DH to listen to one of them on a road trip.  I still can't decide between Ranger or Joe Morelli. Diesel's up there to if you read her in-between books. So, this will be a fun to read.

 

A nice piece of sparkly linen which make great ornaments.  Candy Corn thread.

A great chart from Home Spun Elegance, 'Witchville'.

Another great chart.  I pulled all the DMC threads and Autumn Fields linen to stitch this up.

Aren't those spiders creepy cute?

Here's everything all together.  What a big bunch of lovelies.  Thanks again secret stitcher.

I spent the weekend at Higher Ground in West Harrison, Indiana for the Tiara stitching retreat.  From Friday afternoon till late Sunday morning it was stitch, stitch, stitch and eat, eat, eat.  They feed you a little too well at this place but no one's really complaining.  Our rooms were right upstairs so when you got tired at night you just went up to your bed to refresh your finger and a__ for stitching the next day.  Here's the view from my end of the room.  I think close to 40 women were in attendance.  Rita, Pam and Marie did a great job organizing it for us with door prizes, a tea party and every person's name stitched as a place card.  If I forgot your name and you helped organize something I apologize and thank you too.

One of the pre-planned activities was a smalls exchange.  Numbers were pulled and you got to pick a gift bag.  Either one that was still available, or one that someone had already picked, but you couldn't open them until all the numbers had been pulled.  I was lucky and picked One Stitch Closer to Nirvana's bag and no one stole it from me.  Yeah, Ollie the Owl is mine.  An awesome little needle minder.  I was so inspired that when I got home from the retreat, I ordered Percy the other needle minder,the pincushion and thread winder items to match Ollie.  He's that adorable!  Thanks Jenny.

Here's Jenny with all her treats and her Daisy Tweet too.  Christie's in the background stitching away.

We were able to bring items that we had finished and show them off.  These are some that I got pictures of. Diane stitched this beautiful Rosewood Manor piece with her own touches.

Here is Evelyn's lion.

And these are works of art other stitchers stitched.

Here are my stitching peeps with our accoutrement's and briefcases. 

 

We had a great time.  A few of us made great headway on items for upcoming classes.  I did not start my Lucet bag stitching but I did finish Peony Hill.  I will take a picture of it soon. Thanks for visiting.

Marsha

I forget where I saw this first but let me just say, I'm not a flag or red, white and blue kinda girl.  Now don't get me wrong, I do fly my flag on Memorial Day, Flag Day, Fourth of July, and Labor Day (when I remember) and I did just take the Long May She Wave class from Ellen Chester but that's about it.  But something about this chart tickled my fancy.  Had to have it. Love the macadamia nut linen that Jan hand dyes herself.  I have too many projects going on now to start this but it's all kitted up and ready to go when I'm ready.

Someday I'll be able to take a good picture of linen and threads.  Here's as good as I can get for now.  36ct Macadamia Nut linen and some of the Weeks threads - Havana, Curry, Bluecoat Red, Blue Jeans, Navy and Whitewash. BTW Karen over at Wasatch Needle Craft is having a sale on Weeks linen and threads 'til Sunday 'cause their price is going up.

In a couple of weeks I'll be going on a stitching retreat.  I can't wait.  Friday night will be a small exchange.  I've had this stitched and finally finished it today.  It will be my offering.  It's a 'Just Nan' needle tweet - Daisy.  I know some of my peeps read this so the cat's out of the bag.  Hope you like it, or you'll know to pick a different bag.  The beaded pins were my own creation.  So easy and so cute.

I wish my blanket stitching was a little more even.  I always think I'm putting the needle the exact same distance as the last stitch but, well, it just isn't so. Sorry to whoever gets this for the blanket stitching.

This past weekend DH and I visited my parents in Pittsburgh.  They are 87 and 84 and still going strong.

Here we are sharing a giggle.  My Mom and I spent the day shopping. We ended at The Quilt Company one of my favorite quilt stores.  I found a project to sew but have to keep it secret for a while.

Buddy went with us and it was the first time my parents got to meet him.  They thought he was cute and well behaved.  He WAS on his best behavior.  They loved Clark and were very sad when he passed.  They were sure I would have a puppy by last Christmas but it was too soon for me.  Funny though, Buddy was born on December 22nd.  Anyway, here's my Mom loving Buddy up and he's in heaven.

He was pretty comfortable.  It was a good weekend.

Marsha