Weekend Wrap Up!

My pictures aren't great tonight but I wanted to get my post up and celebrate that another of my Crazy 15 is done!!!! : )  Yippee!  I have 3 left, two of which I'd love to finish this year and one of which may not be finished in my lifetime... and I'm ok with that! :)

Here's today's finish...  (Sorry about the colors... it really looks much nicer in real life!)

And here's my progress on my LK ABC Lessons...

Now, I have a little over a week before I'll receive my partner info for the Stitched With Love Exchange, so I could either work on one of my Crazy 15 pieces, or concentrate on ABC Lessons, or start something small that I could finish this week.  Hmmmm..... I'm pretty sure that starting something small is going to win, but you'll have to come back next week to find out.  LOL!

Before you go... the winner of my magazines, per Random.org,  is #1 - Charity.  Congratulations!  Would you please email me (my email is in my profile) with your address so I can get them out to you?  Thanks!!! : )

Have a splendiforous evening!

Friday Night Sew In Pictures!

 So much fun on Friday (Night) Sew In this week!  I finished or stitched and finished three projects, *and* I got taken out to eat by my dear husband to end the day's work.  I am so blessed!

First, my needle book from the Traveling Stitcher by Little House Needleworks.  I stitched the cover of the needle book back in July, but hadn't decided if I was going to purchase the Project Keeper or make my own.  I decided to "wing it" and give it a try.

 I had just picked up the cute little pair of scissors on Thursday, when my daughter and I decided to take advantage of her day off and take a quick trip to a little cross stitch shop called Welcome Stitchery about an hour and a half away in Illinois.  It was *such* a fun trip!  Anyway, my little scissors needed some sort of fob, so I quickly stitched the little girl from the Traveling Stitcher chart, added my name and put it together quickly with some pinking shears and felt.  I'm so thrilled to have a needle book!  Perhaps I won't keep dropping my needles on the floor now!

Next I finished a quick Pine Mountain stitch that I also picked up on Thursday.  I'm doing it in different colors for the pillow that it came with, so this one, I decided to incorporate into a little quilted mug mat that I'll be passing along to Ann as her pay it forward from November.  (I'm pretty sure she's on a blogging break right now and won't see this, but if she does... Hi Ann!).

And finally, I finished my Woodland Sampling from LHN into a pillow.  This was going to be a PIF too, but my daughters both claimed it.  Besides, I want to stitch Mouse (the winner of the draw in my last Pass it Forward) a snowman, because she was taunting me with Cherry Blossoms when I still had snow! LOL!!

I did some stitching this week on two of my other Crazy challenge pieces, but not really enough to show, and I need to settle on something for the rest of the weekend.  I might just go through my basket and see what calls my name. :-)

Blessings!

Number Seven Complete!

This challenge has been so good for me!  Here is my 7th finish...  LHN's Woodland Sampling.   I stitched this one on 18 ct Fiddler's Cloth for a fun and quick stitch.  My only wish is that the snowflakes showed up more... but that's ok.  I still like it. ☺

This next picture is of LHN's Robin Hood that my daughter just finished.  Isn't it pretty?  I love the colors.  DD is a fantastic stitcher.  She's working on a HAED design that is amazing!

So, would anyone be interested in a trade for my Woodland Sampling Pattern?  I have a number of LHN/CCN patterns that I would love to add to my "to do" pile if you would like to trade!  On the top of my list right now is LHN's Counting House or CCN's new Bunny Hop or Sheep in the Meadow, but I'd also like the Frosty Flakes ornament, Winter Wonderland, ABeeC Sampler, the Joyful in Hope thread pack, the Bookstore...  and I'm sure there are others! :-) Drop me an email with your offer - my email's in my profile - and I'll be sure to contact you one way or the other in a day or two. :-)

Have a blessed Sunday!

Thankful for Ewe

Isn't this just the sweetest pattern ever??  I think it's my favorite finish of my challenge pieces so far.  (number 5 of 15 in case you're counting!) It's an adorable chart called "Thankful", by Sharon Crescent of Crescent Colours and Diane Williams of LHN, that was a complimentary pattern around 2005.  The only place I've seen it online is here...  http://www.needlecraft-corner.com/specialkits.html 

...where you can see it in its original colors.  I chose to do it on 28 ct Monaco with the leftover threads from LHN's Traveling Stitcher, and I *just love it*!!!!  I'm not sure what I'm going to do with it yet.  For now it will be consigned to the "I made this" box. ☺

I'll be happy to pass along the chart (with the colors I used written in in pencil, in case you want to know), so leave a comment here and I'll pull a name on Wednesday.

Before I go... my dd just brought in my JCS magazine.  Oh my.  I'm in so much trouble!!!  There are five patterns that I just *must* stitch.  I'm up to at least 11 patterns that are on my *must do* list and that doesn't include the 10 that I still have to finish for the challenge.  Must. Keep. Stitching.

Blessings!

Tricia

Another Crazy Finish!

Hello, hello!

I have had a busy weekend with company here, so I haven't stitched much... and when I tried to stitch during the Super Bowl it was a lost cause.  Tooooooo stressful and exciting.  

But my Packers won.  YAY!!!!!!!!

I did get to do a little stash shopping during a Super Bowl sale, though.  I almost talked myself out of it since I have so many projects that I'm working on, but my husband and daughter came to my rescue and said I had too.   I complied.☺  I bought a number of charts that I've really been wishing for, and now I'll start to gather the thread and fabric for them.  I won't plan to start them until most of my 15 starts are finished... Well, except for a few of them...  LOL!

Today's finish is the "Let it Snow" ornament from CCN.  It's from the '08 JCS Christmas Ornament magazine, so I won't be passing along the pattern this time.  Now I have to decide what to work on for the rest of the week.  Hmmmm... Choices, choices, choices!!

Blessings!

A Winner, A WIP, and a Pattern that Wants to Travel

Hello again!  Thanks for all the sweet comments on my last post!  I threw everyone's name in a hat - well, actually in a pile on my table, and pulled out a name to receive the Santa's Flight start, and the winner is........   Jackie!!!  Be sure to get me your address so I can send it out!  My email is in my profile. :-)

I pulled out my CCN Pumpkin Cottage start to work on last night, and then put it away after a few stitches.  I don't think it was wise to work on that one while I was sick.  I think I need to reconstruct the house with as many errors as I made!  

So... rather than just dealing with it, I decided to work on another CCN start... "Let it Snow."  Here's my progress.  I should be able to stitch for awhile tonight after supper, so I'll see how much I can get done then.

Now for today's fun!

Nicky had made this adorable Shepherd's Bush Spring Scissors Fob last year and kindly sent me the chart when she was finished.  I finished my version of it the other day, and I'd like to pay it forward and send it to someone who would like to stitch it and then pass it on as well.  A traveling pattern, if you will. :-)  Please only enter if you would *really* stitch it in the next few months and send it along.  It's so adorable that I'd hate for it just to get buried in someone's "someday" basket!

To enter, just drop me a comment on this post.  You can be a follower if you'd like, and post it if you'd like, but that's totally up to you, it's not required. :-)  I'll choose a name for the lamb's new home next Wednesday.

One of these things is not like the other...

So.... notice any difference between these two pictures???  *Besides* the fact that one is finished?

I started the this piece during the challenge and I've always *loved* the pattern.  I also needed to finish it sooner rather than later because it's for an exchange, so I pulled it out on Friday and did a few stitches and then thought I'd finish it on Saturday.  BUT when Saturday rolled around I found that I couldn't face it.  Which is silly.  I love this pattern and have wanted to stitch it since I first saw it.  What was my problem??  Hmmmm....  Then it hit me.  I had started this on a piece of linen that I'd cut from a huge hunk I'd gotten when our LNS went out of business a few years ago.  I figured I could do an ornament on it.  Wrong!  It's just beautiful fabric - the color is more mushroom than the grey it looks in the picture - and I love the look of the stitching on it.  But I can not work on it, without feeling ill.

Soooooo....  I found a piece of 28 count tan evenweave - 100% cotton - and restarted it Saturday night... and finished it on Sunday!  Yay!  I'm 3/15 completed with the challenge, because I completed this one on Saturday, too!

So... if anyone is interested in the unfinished start of Santa's Flight, let me know.  It is 32 count linen, and I was using the recommended DMC.  The pattern is in the '09 JCS Ornament Edition.  Just look at it like a Round Robin project that you get to keep.  :-)  If you're interested, just leave a comment on this post and if more than one person is interested, I'll draw a name on Wednesday.

Happy Stitching!

Friday Night Sew In & Weekend Wrap Up

What a busy week!  I'm so glad that I signed up to do the Friday night sew in, though.  It got me started on a quilt for my dh.  I'd made the center block a long time age, but then I couldn't decide how to make it scrappy, cuz there were too many fat quarters of color to choose from.  Pathetic, I know!!  Anyway, I'm making up a simple design and have it all ready to sew on little by little.  I think the center star is destined for a tabletopper. :-)

My other sewed project for yesterday is this...  I finished the Shepherd's Bush Glad Tidings fob from the challenge!!!!! :-)  I am *so* thrilled.  I've never had a scissors fob and I just love it.  I put it on the Lion's Tail scissors that my dh got me for Christmas, and it just fits. :-)

Which brings me to the next piece of news...  I have enough of the kit left to make another fob, I think - or pretty close at least.  You'd need to add some fabric and maybe a little thread, but I'll sell the remnants and the chart for $5 to the first one who is interested.  I prefer paypal, cuz it's easier. :-)  Here's a picture of what is included (and the chart, of course!)...  My email is in my profile on my sidebar.

** SALE PENDING **

As for my weekend wrap up, I got a lot done this week!

First, I finished the block for Angel Quilts.  It was my last 2010 UFO.

I worked on my Challenge Start #2...

And on my challenge start #5.

I'll see if I can finish those this week. :-)

Thanks for stopping by!!!

Blessings!

The Craziest Start of All

Yes, I have officially done a crazy thing to end this crazy challenge.... but before we get to that, here are the pictures (kind of crummy ones, sorry!) for days 13 and 14...

 Day 13 - Here's a cute sampler from Cross Country Stitching.  It will read, "Thank God for what you have; Trust Him for what you need." and is surrounded by lots of birds.  Just a sweet, quick stitch.

 Day 14 starts an old pattern from Stoney Creek (1985) called Shepherd Boy.  My dd thinks that it looks like a mutant sheep so far! :-)






And then, the craziest of crazy starts for day 15...

The (absolutely huge) kit my husband gave me for Christmas!  I can't imagine that I could get it done this year... I just don't have that many hours in my day to devote to cross stitch, BUT... I figured that I will be much more apt to spend time on it if it is part of my challenge projects.  Almost all the stitching you see is more of that 5 strands of floss on 18 count nightmare.  Grrrr.... who *designs* stuff like this???   I know that that is only for the deep shadows, and, granted, it is gorgeous when it is done, but *really*!!!!! :-)  

I think it's fun that tomorrow is the start of a new week, so I can start my plan to devote a week to a project.  I'm going to start with a 3/4 finished square for Angel Quilts and see if I can get that sent off by the end of the week.  Then we'll see what calls my name the most.  I might finish the ornament that is for an exchange come February, but, probably it will be one of the projects on the scroll rods so I can reuse them as I finish.  Have I mentioned that I love my stitching stand?  LOL!!

Thanks so much for stopping by and being so encouraging during the challenge!  Blessings to you!

Day 6

My day 6 start was a cute little spring stitch from Cross Country Stitching.  The words will say, "Plant a garden, feed the bunnies."  The colors are so cute in real life.  I think I'll enjoy finishing this one!

It's 5:50 pm and I still don't know what I'm going to start today.  I keep sneezing so hard that my head hurts, so it's going to have to be another easy stitch that doesn't require much thinking.   I'm going to see if I can talk my husband into going out for supper, too.

The bright side is that I'm one day closer to feeling better!! :-)

Days 3 & 4

Not much progress to show.  I have the cold in full force and can't concentrate to stitch.  Sigh.  Here's my Day Three start... Thankful for Ewe by LHN and Crescent Colors.

 Today we were gone all day and now that I'm home, my sore throat and I just want to find a warm blanket and go to bed.  I did just enough of this CCN Let it Snow ornament to say I started it and then I put it away.  I do hope that I feel better in a day or two.  I have so many fun stitches to work on!

I hope to visit your blogs and see your challenge progress, but tonight I may not be leaving many comments.  It takes too much effort!!   G'night!

Crazy Days!

Welcome to 2011!!  I'm sorry that I didn't update yesterday, but I'll try to catch you up to today...

First, here's my new Stitch E-Z lap stand (and some of my grey hair if you look closely! LOL!)  It comes with the clamp that you see, as well as a scroll frame.  I'm loving it!  Although it is going to take me awhile to learn this two-handed stitching thing!!

In the hoop is a square for the Angel Quilt Project.  I hope to do a number of squares for them this year!

Here's my last finish for 2010 - a JCS ornament.  I haven't had a chance to finish it into a pillow yet, but it is for a friend who has just been diagnosed with gastric cancer.  I'd like to send it to her as a start to a "basket of hope"- something like Faye's pink basket that she's making in honor of a friend.

Here is my start for Day One of the Crazy challenge.  I really didn't have a lot of time to stitch yesterday, so there isn't a ton done, but it does seem like it will be a fun stitch... except for trying to use 5 strands of floss in 18 count aida.  Grrrr....

And here's today's start.  This adorable fob by Shepherd's Bush.  I've finished the back and started on the front, but I think now I will put it away and work on my Angel Quilt square for awhile tonight.

I'm starting to feel like I could be getting the cold/flu that my daughter has been fighting with for a week.    I do hope that I'll at least be able to do my crazy 15 starts if I get sick. :-)  See you soon!

Blessings!

A WIP and Getting "Crazy" Organized

 I'm working on finishing up this "Patience" thread pack by Little House Needleworks by the end of the year.  It's really a quick stitch and I'm to the point I can stitch the sheep now.  Yay!  I love patterns with sheep in them!!  I think I may frame it for my dh for Christmas next year.  My gift budget for next year looks like it will be virtually non-existant, so I'm planning to use a lot of the stitching I'll be doing over the year as gifts.

Speaking of next year's stitching...  Here's my Crazy basket. :-)  I have each project pattern and fabric in a mesh or ziplock bag, along with any overdyed floss that is called for.  The bag on the right is all of the DMC that I need to wind onto bobbins.  I'm sure that after stitching for 30+ years I have most if not all of the colors already, but I have developed some allergies/intolerances - to cat and wheat especially - and using my older floss, along with some fabrics, seems to cause problems.  So... I'm starting from scratch to prevent any reactions.  If any of you are interested in two boxes of DMC floss, let me know! :-)

Don't forget about my giveaway!  It's a post or two down now...

Blessings!

Tricia