On my list

Hello friends and neighbors!

It's Thursday, so to get a headstart on my Friendly Stitcher UFO Day, I'm going to stitch on this today.

I worked a little on L*K ABC Lessons this week...  I plan to work on this one week each month until it is done.

And here is my start on the Dimensions "Twilight Bridge" SAL that I'll be doing with my DD.  I'm not sure how often we'll be stitching on it when she's back at college.  Once a week or once a month, maybe?  It has really pretty colors, so it seems like it will be a fun stitch.

And here's the extent of my Christmas stitchy gifts.  A little kit from my DD and my wonderful little pair of designer Gingher scissors.  *Love* them.  I would love to get all of the colors of these, but, WOW, they get expensive once the color is retired!!  I actually found these for 50% off at Joann's before Christmas and snapped them up, wrapped them and put them under the tree to me from Santa's reindeer. : )

Next week I'll start working on my big project for next year - Dimensions Gold "Cabin Fever".  I started it in the upper left corner last January and never touched it again, and now I'm thinking I would really rather start in the middle.  I may look at it tomorrow and see about frogging the corner and restarting in the center.  It just seems to be easier to hold that way. : )

Thanks for stopping by!

Inkystitcher

Merry (almost) Christmas!

Hello friends!  Can you believe that it is almost Christmas?  I've been stitching on a SAL with my DD who is home from college for the past few days.  We're not getting exceptionally far, cuz there are too many Christmas movies to watch. : )

I'm thrilled to get to show you the gifts I received from Marjorie during the Stitched with Love exchange.  What a beautiful box of goodies she sent!  Do you see that pincushion?  I'm positive that my great aunt had a quilt in those colors.  I have it next to me when I'm stitching.

Here is the beautiful hanging pillow/ornament that she sent.  And the cutest little pinecone reindeer!  Thank you SO much, Margorie.  I love it ALL!!

For the exchange, I sent a box to Teresa of Heartfelt Stitches.  I changed the colors in an ornament from one of the JCS ornament edition magazines (Sorry!  I don't have it in front of me to tell you which one!), and made it into a flanged pillow.

Here is is up close...

 I'll leave you with the words to one of my favorite Christmas songs...

Do you worship the babe in the manger

But reject the Christ of the cross?

Your redemption comes not by the manger

But the death of Christ on the cross.

The Babe in the manger was God's only Son,

Who left Heaven's Throne to die.

The Babe in the manger could never have done,

The work of God on High.

The Babe left the manger and went to the cross

To pay the wages of sin.

Your way of forgiveness is not by the Babe

But the Christ who died for your sin.

--ooOoo--

Have a Blessed Christmas,

Tricia

Counting House Finished! : )

Hello everybody!  I put in the last few stitches on LHN's Counting House last night and started one more little Christmas ornament that I hope to finish before Saturday.  Then my SAL with DD will begin and I'll concentrate on that for the two weeks before the new year starts.  It's been a fun year of stitching.  I'm pretty sure that this is the most I've ever completed in a year! : )

Guess what showed up in my mailbox a week or so ago??   I got a card from *someone* who was at Harrogate (I don't know who!!!) and in it was this adorable little button.  I love sheep!!!  I ran down to my craft room and found a set of magnets to attach to the back to make it into a needle minder so I could always have it with me.  I named it "Inky".   So that makes me "InkyStitcher".  : )

Thank you, secret stitching friend, whoever you are!

Hopefully I'll be able to show the fun things I received in an exchange soon, so I'll see you again then!

Blessings!

InkyStitcher : )

Ornaments, my 2012 Challenge, and Updates!

Hello again!  Did you have a nice Thanksgiving?  Or a nice Harrogate show if you're from the UK??  We had a busy weekend with Thanksgiving, then Christmas with part of the family, and then a few days of "clean and repaint the bathroom before company comes".  I can't *wait* to take a shower again! : )

On the stitching front... first some ornaments for our Friendly Stitcher Ornament Exchange...

From Elizabeth to me...  Isn't it beautiful??  It's my first biscornu and the fabric shimmers!

Then from me to Elizabeth - an older L*K pattern...

Here's my finished PS Autumn Leaves Foursome - Jackie, if you read this I need your address to send it back! : )  ...

And finally, my progress on LHN Counting House...

As for my personal 2012 challenge, I worked on it over Thanksgiving and here it is.  I have it under the challenge tab up top, so I can keep track of how I do and remind myself of my "rules". : )

2012 Tricia's Personal Challenge!

Rules...
1. My main goal is to finish Cabin Fever by the beginning of December 2012.  I have about 100 stitches done.  

-Heart and Soul (left)  and Cabin Fever (right)-

2. I need to finish the starred "in progress" designs before starting anything new.
3. I will work on Heart and Soul as my UFO project on Thursdays for Friendly Stitchers.  It is my oldest project except for Cabin Fever and I know I won't finish it if I don't make myself.  When it is finished I will work on Quilted Garden for UFO Thursdays.
4.  When I have three finishes I can kit up the next two that are missing threads and fabric.


IN PROGRESS...

1.  LHN Counting House *
2.  Dimensions Cabin Fever
3.  Dimensions Heart and Soul
4.  Stoney Creek Shepherd Boy
5.  L*K ABC Lessons *
6.  Shepherd's Bush My Mom's Garden 
7.  Blue Ribbon Designs Quilted Garden


SAL w/DD STARTING IN DECEMBER...


8.  Dimensions Twilight Bridge


OTHER WANT TO's...

9.    HAED Tiny Treasure Cow Over the Moon
10.  CCN Bunny Hop
11.  Precious Moments January SnowDrop
12.  Jardin Prive Jouxe de Vivre
13.  SB Ornament
14.  Imaginating Be Joyful
15.  Silver Creek Sampler Do Not Worry
16.  L*K Fat Men
17.  Margaret Sherry Mistletoe
18.  etc, etc, ;)

i don't think I'll get everything done on my list, because I'm sure I'll do some smaller designs here and there for exchanges or blog prizes, but this is a good start for me!! : )  Can't wait to see how I do!!

Thanks so much for stopping by today!!

Blessings!

Time Flies!!

Hello everyone!  Have you been busy too??  I've been stitching a little and doing some Christmas shopping and making a Holiday Planner and going off sugar (I feel so much better - but can you imagine  Thanksgiving and Christmas without sugar?  EEK!  What will I get in my stocking?  Socks??)  Here are some pictures of what I've been up to...

LHN's Counting House.  I'll try to finish this by Christmas.

Prairie Schooler Autumn Leaves Foursome...  Hopefully this will be finished this weekend, if I can get some concentrated stitching time!

An AMAZING Blog gifty that I received from Andrea.  Have you ever SEEN anything so beautifully finished?  Look at those beads!!!!!  swoon..... : )

Here's a Margaret Sherry freebie that I stitched into an ornament for a friend that loves cats...

And another gift from a blog and real-life friend, Angie... Aren't they adorable?  A little notebook cover and pouch!

And finally a gift for my MIL.  I was all set to try a pinkeep... but I chickened out and framed it instead.  I'll get up enough courage one of these days!!

That's it for me right now!  I'm sending off an exchange today.  Can't wait to receive mine back again!  With paying for dd to stay in college, we're cutting back on Christmas presents for each other this year.  I think we'll just do stockings - so getting these few stitchy things here and there from my blog friends and exchanges is going to be my Christmas!! : )

Have a wonderful day!

This Week's Work

Well, if you guessed that I would start a small this week, you were correct!  After finishing Morning Lake, I really needed a quick stitch this week.  I've been trying not to covet the L*K Fat Men Series that I see all over blogdom, and I just can't justify spending $$ on new charts  right now - especially when I have so many that I really like and want to stitch already.  Then I remembered that I had last years L*K Snowman all kitted up and ready to go.  PERFECT! : )  So here he is in all his splendor - well not quite all his splendor, cuz I couldn't find a beading needle around to put the beads on his snowflakes.  That's ok.  I like him "as is". : )

I'll try to do some stitching on one of my "projects" this week so I have something to show next weekend.  I'm hoping to get my partner's name for the Seasonal Exchange this week and if I have a pattern she'd like I'll start that this week.  Of course, if I *don't* I can justify spending money for *that* chart!!  : )

Thanks so much for stopping by!  Your comments always make me smile!

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!

A Finish!

I just put the last few back stitches into Morning Lake.  Ahhh...  relief.  I can't say that I enjoyed every stitch of this one, but I do like the finished product and I'm thrilled to have another of my challenge pieces done!!  This was one of the kits my dh gave me for Christmas last year, and I really wanted to have it done so I could get it framed to give back to him for Christmas this year. : )  I'm not sure which one I'll add into the rotation next, but it will be one that only uses cross stitches... no 1/2 stitches with 3 or 4 threads for me for awhile again!!

I received this adorable little pillow from Sally this week for winning a little contest she had on her blog. Isn't it sweet?  I love SB designs and I love sheep, so it has a place of honor on my desk. : )

Thanks so much for stopping by!

I'm Happy...

...with my progress this week!

We interrupt this weekend wrap up for a commercial break.  I still have two LHN/CCN patterns available for sale on the previous post.  Let me know if you're interested!!

Another letter done on my L*K ABC Lessons...  I have found out that I *desperately* need another larger set of q-snaps!  They're on my list of things to get soon!!

 

A second quilt block started... (Question - Is WDW Snowflake supposed to have pink in it??  Just wondering if that was right or if some dye ran on mine???) 

...And lots of progress on Morning Lake!  My goal is to finish it by the end of the month, if I can, so I'm planning on stitching as often as I can find some minutes this week. : )  Hopefully by next weekend's wrapup I'll have a finish to show you!!!!! : )

 

I still haven't decided about the crazy challenges for next year.  I think I've mentioned that I don't do well with that many things started at once.  I'm sure part of it is my personality, because I've always found it much easier to start things than to finish them.  Since I've been working on strengthening that part of my character, I feel compelled to finish the ones I have left in the challenge, and yet, I would also love to take part in a few exchanges, and be able to work on some of the other patterns that continue to come out and call my name, without feeling that I've derailed on the challenge.  Because of that, I've decided to work on a plan for my own personal challenge.  I'll let you know when I've figured it out, in case you want to join me!

Thanks so much for stopping by!

For Trade and Sale!

Hello everybody!  Are you having a productive day??  Mine has been a busy one.  I'm working on decluttering .  Need I say more???

I have a few charts that I'd love to pass on to new homes.  Paypal preferred, but a check would be ok, US shipping included. Elsewhere in the world $1.00 more for shipping.  My email is in my profile.

First come, first serve! : )

CCN The Bookstore - $3.00

L*K Meow $1.50 (Some light pencil marks inside next to the floss choices, but none on the chart itself.  Charm included.)   SOLD, thank you!

 LHN "Dog House Sampler" - $3  SOLD, thank you!

L*K "Dog Lessons for People" - I would love to TRADE this for the L*K "Time for God" Chart.  Please???? : )   FOUND!!!  YAY!!  You all are the best!!

Thanks so much everyone!

Blessings!

Weekly Update!

Well, little by little I'm seeing progress!!

Another word and motif done on L*K...

A good chunk of Morning Lake finished.  I just found a pretty big counting error around the dock/house area, though.  It affects too many parts of the design to rip, so I'm going to try to just work around it and fill in as best as I can. : )

A completed quilt block!

And I finished listening to Mansfield Park, too. : )  This week I've struggled on and off with a headache, so my stitching videos of choice have been Little Bear.  Cute, brainless, and with pretty music.  Plus I love Duck!!  So sorry if you have *no idea* what I'm talking about! LOL!!

The wind is whistling through the trees here, and my wind chimes are singing merrily.  It sounds like fall!!  And, did you know that there are only 90-something days until Christmas????  I need to get busy!! :)

Blessings!

Tricia

This Week's Work

 Hello friends!  Here's my progress this week!

Morning Lake...

L*K ABC Lessons...

Blue Ribbon Designs Quilted Garden...

I'm pleased with the progress.  Both the Quilted Garden and ABC piece have "little pieces" - so I can see progress, even though I'm only stitching on them a total of 30-45 minutes a week each.  I'm spending the majority of my time on the Morning Lake in the evenings when I'm able to sit and stitch.  I'm listening to the Dramatic Reading of Mansfield Park from Librivox while I stitch - which has been a lot of fun!

Speaking of which, I'm off to stitch for an hour!

Blessings!

Tricia

Finishes and a Winner!

Good morning, friends!

After a long weekend of driving taking my daughter to college, I'm happy to report that I have two finishes to share!  : )  The Book Store is charted with a border, but I'm going to be framing it "as is" for my dd for Christmas, and the little Bless Ewe pillow is a Pine Mountain Pillow that I had picked up, but then didn't like the colors that were in the kit, so I chose my own and just love it now!!

My plans for the trip included stops at a number of cross stitch shops starting with Needle Delights in Pensacola, FL.  The little shop was jam packed with charts and fabric, but it was a little hard to find anything, as the charts didn't seem to be in any particular order.  That's ok, I did pick up this Lizzie Kate kit that I've seen done - Joyce, aren't you doing this one right now?  

It was more than I was planning on spending, since I wanted to stop in Decatur, AL and Nashville, TN and Matoon, IL, but we didn't end up stopping at all, so I'm glad I got it.  Want to know the horrible thing?  I started it last night!!  All I have done is the A, and I'll probably only work on it 15 minutes a day, so it will take awhile. : )

  

My goals for September are to finish my crazy 15 piece - "Morning Lake", and to work on both ABC Lessons and the Quilted Garden that I won from Blue Ribbon Designs.  I'm aiming for 15 min/day on ABC Lessons and 45 minutes/day on Morning Lake from Mon - Wed; 15 min/day on Quilted Garden and 45/minutes/day on Morning Lake from Thursday - Saturday; and then probably as much as I can on Morning Lake on Sundays.  We'll see how my plan works!

Now, onto the giveaway winner!!  

Courtesy of RANDOM.ORG the winner is .......

DJ

Yay, DJ!  I know I should have your address around here somewhere, but I might find it more quickly if you email me. : )

I have a few charts that I'll be passing along in the next little while, I think.  I've gathered a number of them that I "just loved" and now I realize that I won't probably stitch them before something new catches my eye (Like the L*K Fat Men series!)  So there might be another giveaway or two coming up in the near future!

Have a wonderful day!!

Blessings,