Last Post of 2010

I just finished putting the stitches in LHN's Hen Party. I had to do this one because whenever I get together with my friends to stitch, my DH calls it a Hen Party. So this was very appropriate.

Next year, tomorrow, I plan to go back to one of my HAEDs. I have been neglecting them.

Here's wishing everyone a Happy New Year!

Our Tree

As many of my regular visitors know, I've been stitching all the LHN's ornament series this year. I now have them all stitched and finished off as ornies. Here is the whole group.

I'm very happy with how they all turned out. Now, our house is very tiny, cottage style, so the DH has made us a wooden tree for them to hang on. He painted most of it with an antique milk paint.

A couple different views. We even have presents under it! It's going to be very busy from here on out, so if I don't get to tell everyone later,

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

&

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

Stitch Night

Last night was the last night for our Stitch Night at In Stitches for the year. We will resume in January. We had lots of really great food. Deborah had been collecting recipes from all of us through the year and presented us with a cookbook she put together. There are some really great recipes I want to try. Ellen, the owner of the shop, gifted us with a "make it and take it". In the bag was a small red baking dish, two rubberbands,three strips of red, green, and/or cream wool in various combinations, and a ornamental pin. Once you put it together, you get this:

Connie, Helen, and I put ours together immediately using the fabric cutting table. Isn't this a cute pincushion? I don't know where she got the idea from, but it's great. It was really sweet of her to gift us with these. We all had a great time and I'll miss getting together with the other stitchers. Come on January!

Stitching over the holiday

I did do some stitching over the holiday. The company I work for gives us Friday as a holiday in addition to Thursday, so, I finished stitching this LHN ornament,

finished these three off into ornaments

and started this one. I'm almost caught up on stitching the LHN ornaments. I want to try to finish most of them off in different style ornaments this coming weekend.

DH is making me a wooden tree to hand them on, so I have to get them all done since he's been working so hard on it for me.

Thanks for stopping by.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving here in the States.


This is what I've been doing in my spare time. I have the next ornament started and I plan to finish it after all the cooking and cleaning up.

Thanks for stopping by and enjoy your holiday.

Another Finish

I finished stitching Cricket Collections The Master and the Macabre Tuesday night. I'm very happy with it.

Of course that means starting something new. I'm a little behind on stitching the LHN ornaments, so I started Under the Tree at the Stitching Night at In Stitches last night. Hopefully I can get most of it done this weekend.

Of course, one cannot go to the LNS without making a few purchases.







I saw the little sheep fob from Ewe and Eye on the counter done up as a model. I instantly fell in love. Patricia helped me scour the racks for it. Later someone was talking about the guild and Marie Driskill being a member. Patricia brought in a couple of her patters from the racks. Once again, a pattern called (more like screamed) to me. So I told her to leave The Three Wise Men with me. Now, if you have never seen this, it is something else. It is stitched on 40 ct over 1 and uses 55 DMC colors! That is going to be really intense. Don't ask me when I'll be starting it, probably next year some time. It'll probably take me a year to finish stitching it. It is beautiful, though.

Thanks for stopping by and have a happy stitching weekend.

Finally Done

March and I have been stitching on LHN's Home of a Needleworker Too for over a year. We would do a couple hours every month during our monthly Stitch and Bitch. I finally finished mine this weekend.
Now all I need it to find a frame I like for it.

When I got home I had a surprise in the mail. I received my piece for the Seasonal Exchange from Lisa V. today. All the way from Australia. It is so great. She stitched Quaker Acorn from The Workbasket. I love the little leaf she put on it. Thank you Lisa!

Michele Got it

The piece I stitched for the Autumn portion of the Seasonal Exchange arrived at Michele's house yesterday. I stitched this from The Prairie Schooler's October leaflet. I had an Altoids tin, so I used that to finish it. For anyone who wishes to know, I used Vonna's instructions. She has the best finishing tutorials.
Thanks for looking everyone.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Happy Halloween everyone. I've got the candy all ready to go for when the ghosts and goblins come. I was going to decorate more this year, but I strained my neck a few days ago and haven't been able to move it around too much. That put a crimp into my stitching too, but I did get some done before. I finished the moon and the words around it.


Then I went to the bottom part of the house. I was stitching at a pretty good pace until I hurt myself. I'm hoping to be able to stitch a little today. We'll see if it feels like I'm crippling myself.


Lastly, I bought myself a Halloween gift at the last stitch in. I love the pumpkin beads fob. The scissors are okay. I don't think they cut as great as some of my others, but they make a nice addition to my collection.


I also finished my Seasonal Exchange and put it in the mail yesterday, but of course I can't show that until it gets to it's new home.

So now dear readers, I leave you with this little ditty.

Trick or treat
Smell my feet
Give me something good to eat!

Stitch n B*tch

We had our monthly Stitch n B*tch this past Saturday at March's. As usual we started with breakfast, then we went for stash enhancement at In Stitches, then over to March's for stitching and b*tching. We had a new addition, Tracy, a friend of March's. She hasn't been stitching for a while, but she seemed to enjoy herself. Sharliena has started a HAED piece. I'm so proud of her! Before we started stitching, March presented me with this cute little pinkeep. She knows how much I like Halloween.

I stitched on my piece. I had to fix the moon some, but then I was able to stitch down to the eyes.

Sunday, the DH and I went to see the movie "Red". Great movie. It was cute and witty. Bruce Willis was great as was Helen Mirren. I love her line, "I kill people dear". Hearing that in her aristocratic voice was funny. I think, though, that John Malkovich steals the movie. He was so wacky and funny. I've never been a big fan of his, but he did a fabulous job. Oh and Karl Urban. The more I see of him on the big screen the more I like him.

And finally, what kind of position do you call this!?

By command

Ellen from In Stitches commanded me to make a new post, so here it is. We had a great time at the Stitch In last night. Everyone was stitching on so many different projects and of course, there was fabulous food. Debra made Paula Dean's Ooey Gooey cake and boy was it good. I did figure out that what I stitched last night, I have to take out because it's WRONG! So, I'll show a picture of my stash enhancement from last night instead.

I bought JBW Scardey Cats and fibers for it, another Tacky Bob, BRD Blessed Beyond Measure, SP Sampler Roundy, and NN 2010 Hardanger book. Some great stash there huh?

Thanks for looking.

Pumpkin Kiss

I finally finished this as an ornament. I even did my own twisted cord.

Thanks for looking.

31 Days of Halloween

Have you been to Annette's yet today. She and Missy are doing giveaways all month. Go now!

Pinkeeps

I finished two of the pumpkin designs into pinkeeps today.



Here's a top shot of the ribbon. I love these polka dots.


Haven't really done any stitching this week. It's been less than a great week at work and I've just been wiped out when I came home. Only two more days to the weekend!

Lots to show

I have been stitching. This will be a picture heavy post. First up, I am taking part in the Great Pumpkin Challenge 2010 that Becky started. I have stitched three this week and while I still need to finish them, probably as ornaments, I thought I would go ahead and post the pictures.

Blessed Be complimentary design by Plum Pudding Needleart
&
an unknown Halloween freebie

Pumpkin Kiss
Cricket Collection free pattern

This is the backing material I got at the fabric store yesterday. I love the skeletons. They are so cute.

I finished the windows on the house and started the moon last week at the Stitching Night at InStitches. I'll probably work on this one some more during the week. I want to get the moon done this week.

Finally, I pulled out a WIP/UFO. This was the 2008 Chatelaine Mystery. I never finished it and I don't really know why. I am on the last part. This is the bottom border. I already have the top and right borders done. I just need to finish the bottom here and the left side. I don't think it will take too much longer. I did the four medallions closest to the end this weekend, so a few more weekends and I should have it done. My goal is to have it completed by the end of October.

Lastly, thanks everyone for the well wishes. I got over the virus very quickly.

Thanks for stopping by.

Advantages

Being under the weather has some advantages. I was able to do a lot of stitching yesterday and today. I didn't have to do any housework, though I did do a load of dishes in the dishwasher.
I was able to finish the whole main roof and the "Once".

My sore throat was gone this morning and I only have a little lingering cough. I think all the Zicam and Nyquil I loaded up on helped kick it.
Well, I'm going to try and get one of the windows filled in tonight. Thanks for stopping by.

Started something new

Halloween is around the corner. I picked this up at the LNS at Stitch Night on the 1st Wednesday of the month. The model is stitched on R&R's Lucky Penny, but I'm doing it on WDW 35 count Tin Roof and I am loving it. The thing I have to get used to is the long rows of stitching in one color and not doing a lot of color changes. It's good for when I'm watching TV. What's neat is it is all based on Edgar Allen Poe. The house represents the Usher House. There is the Tell-Tale Heart, Masque of the Red Death, and The Pit and the Pendulum in the windows. The face if the moon is ole Edgar himself and of course, the Raven. Cool, huh?
We were suppose to go to PA this weekend, but I'm getting a cold and since my dad has no immunity and everything he catches turns into pneumonia, we are not going. So maybe I'll do some more stitching on it this weekend.

Thanks for stopping by and thanks for all the wonderful comments.

Number 9 is done

I just finished stitching on the 9th ornament by LHN, Peppermint Twist. I'd have to say this is my second favorite of the ornaments. The only weird thing was the candy cane "button". It does not have any holes to stitch it on, so I just sort of stitched thru the loop of the cane.


The next thing I'm going to work on is The Cricket Collection's "The Master nad the Macabre". I'm really quite taken with it. The face in the moon is great. I also picked up the new Just CrossStitch Christmas Ornaments issue. There's some cute stuff in there.

Well, that's all the news here. Have a good stitching weekend.

Giveaway @ Loretta's

Loretta is having a great giveaway. Go here to check it out.

Page 5 Done

I just put the last stitches in page 5 of Contemplating the System. I really wanted to finish this page before the end o f the month. So I'm really happy that I could do that today.

Here is where I started this month.


Here is where I finished today.


Now I need to start on the latest LHN ornament "Peppermint Twist".

Thanks for looking.

Seasonal Exchange Group

Here is the pinkeep that Heather sent to me. I think it is just adorable. It will join the other pieces I have received in my basket.


I can also show the piece I did for Lisa. It is a freebie from Maryse. I coffee/tea dyed the fabric. I think it turned out great.














I stitched a little bee on the back and added a charm.





Thanks for looking.

Baby, It's Cold Outside!

Not for me, but for Mr. "Frosty Flakes" it is. I finished putting the beads in last night. He's all done. It really helped that I took him to stitch on at InStitches' stitch night Wednesday. I had about two thirds done by the end of the night. Just needed to do the bird, tree, present, and the rest of the border. Once you get the snowman done, you're halfway there. The background color is a little washed out. It has a little more brass to it.

I also picked up the next ornie, "Peppermint Twist". I'll probably start that sometime in the next week. I love these little ornaments.

Have a good stitching weekend!

Wow!

Hot diggity dog! I finished page 2 of The Astronomer. It's finally starting to take shape. I have a few more days to work on it before I rotate to next month's piece.

Now, on the non-stitching news, we just had FIOS put in this weekend and baby! is it fast. I uploaded this picture in seconds. We also went with the TV and when it stormed this weekend we didn't lose the signal like we had with the satellite. Gotta say, so far, we love it.

Thanks for stopping by.

Yay! Stitching!

I finally did some stitching I could post pictures of. After I finished stitching my exchange, I pulled out the HAED that is this month's piece in the rotation, Fantasies of the Seas. I put about 500 stitches in it. Now, I have to go to the next piece in rotation which is The Astronomer. With a nice 3 day weekend I hope to get lots of stitching in.

Fantasies of the Seas
James Christensen
HAED

Thank you to everyone who commented on our anniversary.

Everyone have a good weekend stitching!

24 Years

The DH and I went out last night for our 24th wedding anniversary. We took the water taxi across the Potomac to the Gaylord Hotel.

The Gaylord at dusk

We did this last year and it was such fun, we decided to go again this year. Last year we did the Sunday brunch at the Italian Market. They were booked up so the DH made reservations at one of the other restaurants in the hotel. We went to Moonbay. When he made the reservations on-line he checked the anniversary box. Well, boy howdy, did that get us great service! We ordered wine, the waiter's recommendation, and when he brought it he had two small glass and said it was a cocktail sample the bartender was trying. It was delicious. It had vodka, peach schnapps, orange juice, and mango. The came the food. Oh my! I had calamari for an appetizer, DH had shrimp cocktail (and half of my calamari), then jumbo lump crab cake for my entree and he had the surf and turf, which was a 6 oz. steak and 1 and 1/2 lbs. of Maine lobster. Everything was wonderful. Then for desert he had key lime tart and I had peach cobbler. Our waiter also brought two champagne flutes with out dessert for our anniversary. How special is that? All in all a wonderful evening.View of the Gaylord and Harbor from the river

Stuff

I have been stitching, but nothing I can show as it is an exchange piece. So, I have other stuff to show. I grilled salmon and asparagus a couple weekends ago. I just leaned over and picked some rosemary from my herb garden and plopped it down on the salmon.


The asparagus I marinated in some lemon thyme from the same garden.

My sister has been having yard sales to get rid of her husband's brother's estate. The man was a hoarder. He's been gone for over a year and they are still cleaning out the house. She had several of these boxes. I thought from her description they were hat boxes, but they're not. They're cheese boxes! I took two and I can imagine stitching something for the top.


Last weekend I went driving around to yard sales. I found this clock. It had a $10 sticker, but when I asked the lady about it, she said "Oh, that's wrong, it's really $3". I said "SOLD!". It's a German Schatz 1000 day clock. I opened it up and it was made in August 1955. I definitely got my moneys worth on this.


Finally, when I came home today, this little fellow met me on the front walk. It's a baby robin. He doesn't have his tail feathers yet. He was hopping around the yard following mama. Isn't he adorable?

Hopefully I'll have some stitching to show soon.

Thanks for dropping by.