Almost Caught Up

  I have spent the last 10 days working exclusively on Ann Bowers. I was trying to get caught up with the SAL before I needed to move on to other things.  I didn't quite make it but I got pretty close.  This is the section that received most of my attention.

There were many color changes and at times I didn't feel like I was making any progress at all!  But I kept at it and finally got this section done!!
    This is what the whole thing looks like right now.  All the blank sections in the center are over one verse.

 

  The next section is also over one verse.  I need to move on to some other things that are on deadline so she is going away for a while and may not make another appearance until around Christmas.  But I bet you can't guess what I will be working on when I bring her out next time!!!!!

There's No Place Like Home

     I don't know if you've noticed but I have been quite the joiner this year!  Earlier this summer, Jo over at Serendipitous Stitching renewed her blog hop and I jumped right on the bandwagon.  The theme is home and today I received this lovely 'postcard' from Cheryl of  Today I Found.... 

And this is what Cheryl had to say about her photo:

"I would love to live in a little house on a hill surrounded by fruit trees 

and flowering trees.  Maybe some day I will ... until then I  

will just stitch little houses.  I stitched this "House on a Hill" 

from a free pattern found at: www.thesilverneedle.com"

Come on over and join us in the hop!  After all, there's no place like home!!!

August IH&SW Report

  I managed to find some significant stitching time this past weekend.  I worked on Ann Bowers for 2 afternoons although it probably doesn't look like that much progress.  This is before:

And this is now:

That vine is 4 rows deep and that one leaf has 6 different colors in it!  Add to that, I was also trying to watch tennis and you can see where the progress might be a little slow!!
  Sunday is my regular house cleaning day so I was pretty deep into the day before I got to the stitching.  I had thought I might put some more stitches into my Scarlet Letter piece but I promised my LNS that I would stitch a particular piece for them as a model and I figured I better get it started! I saw a recent finish of this piece over on Keeper of the Crowes  and I just love it!!  Her finish really spurred me on the get this one going!

WTN&T The Pink Sparrow Sampler

This is where I managed to get to with this one:

40 ct. WDW Parchment w/ called for threads

  I will put this in the rotation with the others, that will make 4 right now.  I think 3 might be my ideal number so I need to get this finished fast!  M. Woods should be winging her way to me this week and I may be tempted beyond endurance to make a start on her!!  And I have learned that time split between too many projects gets nothing done fast.  I think I may have to give up sleeping in order to have more stitching time!!!

Stitching Time < Back Pain

  I haven't gotten in as much stitching time lately as I would like.  My back is acting up again and making sitting very uncomfortable.  I have taken to stitching at the breakfast table since those chairs provide the least discomfort.  I have to get up frequently and that cuts into my time but I had the Hubs move my Dazor over by my chair so I can at least get some stitching done.  I get pretty cranky if I go more than a day without the needle in my hand!!!
  Most of my time has been spent with 272 Words.  I think it might actually be the source of my back issue, this time.  I have it on a Kay's lap frame, the largest they make, and it really doesn't work well in my usual place on the sofa.  I find myself sitting twisted for long periods to get across the row and I think that might be the problem.  Anyway,  I have added 3 rows of the verse which I will not show here since it is after all, just verse!!!  I am hoping if I keep plugging away I might be able to wrap it up by the end of the month, or at least by the end of Labor Day weekend.  Keep your fingers crossed!
  I have also managed to get some time in with a couple of other pieces.  The long neglected Ann Bowers came out for some love this past week.This is before:

And this is after.  All that blank space is verse...over one...on 45 count. I am doing it in tent stitch but still!!  I guess you can see why I've moved ahead to the next row!!!

   Then, I also worked on my Scarlet Letter piece, and made quite a bit of progress on that!  Before:

And this is after.

I admit to taking some liberties with a couple of the colors but I am really enjoying this one and having a hard time putting it down to work on anything else.
   Well, that's about all for now.  This is IH&SW weekend so I hope to get in lots of stitching time and have some great progress to show you next time!

A Whole Lot of Stitching Going On

   In the time since my last post I have gotten some major stitching accomplished.  It may not look like it when you see my pics but I can tell you it has been taking up most of my time!!  I managed to get the last of my memorial samplers finished over the weekend.  YEAH!!!!  I really had to push through that one  since it was the same pattern I had just finished and I did them both back to back.  Won't make that mistake again!
   Then, I was feeling the need for a 'new start' fix.  So when I woke up one morning with  this piece on my mind, I took it as a sign and started it!!

AW 1662 by Scarlet Letter
38 ct. Italian Linen w/ DMC

The colors are gorgeous and I just love the checkerboard pattern in the middle!  Yes, I know I already have 2 other SL pieces that I am supposed to be finishing this year but when something is calling you from a dream, how can you resist??!!
   I have also worked on the pincushion challenge this past week and wrapped up the latest today.  It is Stacy Nash's 'Summer Gathering Pinkeep Drum' and I think it us just the cutest thing ever!!!  I admit to taking some liberties with the colors but what the heck, it is mine!

36 ct. R&R Old Mill Java w/
mostly listed threads

As we've discussed previously, I am not a finisher but I am going to give it a try and when it's completely finished, it should look pretty much like this.

Also, while I was rummaging around looking for something else, I can across this.

It is a pincushion mattress that I am embarrassed to admit I stitched in 2009 and never finished, even after taking the finishing class from the lovely Holly not once but twice!! (You can see a picture of her finished piece in her blog header.) That makes 3 different styles of pincushion I have stitched for the President's Challenge and that should be plenty!  I am going to try to get them all 'finished' soon, maybe even this weekend!

   Last but not least, I have finally dragged '272 Words' back out and given it a good dusting. (Please disregard the fact that I have a needle minder weirdly at the bottom.  I was trying to hold the linen up to take the picture.)

272 Words by Primrose Needleworks
45 ct. Italian Linen w/ GA threads

I started this some time ago, not sure exactly when, but really made good progress on it last summer during the Olympics.  I made it to the half way point and it has languished, gathering dust, ever since. I took it out this afternoon for its photo op and it is now waiting patiently in the family room for me to show it some love.

The hubs hasn't said anything about it yet, don't know if he's even noticed it, but I bet he will be happy to see it.  I don't think he believed me when I said I was bringing it back out the 1st of August.  I admit to being a few days late but it is back in the rotation, or whatever you might call what I do, and I have every intention of having it finished and framed for Christmas!!!  Let's just hope that old nugget about good intentions and the road to hell doesn't come back to haunt me!!!