February Stitch From Stash Report

      I did pretty well this month in the stash building department.  I got sucked in by something I saw being stitched on Facebook so of course I had to go on a mad search for it.  I discovered it to be a Stoney Creek design and while I was searching for the one, I came across another I was going to get a while back and didn't.   So this is what I spent my money on this month.

I saw this sampler being stitched on Facebook and it is GORGEOUS!!

LOVE this one and don't know why I didn't buy it before.  Probably trying to be good!! LOL!  Funny that both of these are Christmas projects.
   Then, just for fun, I thought I'd show the progress I've made on Red House.  I should be farther along than this but I had a lingering visit from the frog and had to rip out all of a day's work.  Sad, but now it's back on track.

   So here's the rundown for the SFS Report: 

January carry-over:  $25.00

February Allowance:  $25.00

Spent:  $15.45

February carry-over:  $34.55

  Don't know what I'm going to do for March.  Market is this weekend and there is NO WAY I am going to be able to ignore that!!  I might have to do a skip month here unless we get a pass for some free spending from Mel!  I've already given a list to my local shop ladies and there is NO WAY it will be within budget!!  So much temptation this time!

   Well that's all for me for now.  Hope you're all enjoying your stitching as much as I am,  Laura

IH&SWeekend Report for February

   I am a little late with my report but those that know me won't find this unusual.  I used to be on time for everything but now find I get distracted from what I am supposed to be doing by just about anything at all!! But I am sure you all know what I am talking about and probably have some experience with this yourselves!!
   Anyway,  I did manage to get some stitching done this weekend even though the kids where home AND we had the Bridal Shower!  It was lovely and we all had a lot of fun.

The Happy Couple

He left right after this picture and went off with his father to the brewery to arrange the beer for the reception.  I think they had a good time too!!
   So the stitching went like this:  a little on Friday night, a little on Saturday night, a little on Sunday afternoon and since I was feeling like I didn't get enough time, I stitched on this same piece at stitch group on Monday.  Hope that counts too.  I worked on this piece only for the entire weekend and I added the blue flower and everything to the right of it and I even managed a start on the roof of the house.  I am so excited to be starting that house!!!

The Red House Sampler by The Sampler Co.
40 ct. Flax w/DMC

   Well, that's all I have to report.  I think I am going to work on this one for a while longer and see what I can get done on that house before I change over to something else.  I still have a lot of work to do on Ann Bowers  and the 1st of March I need to start a birthday piece so I don't think I can work on it for too long.
   Thanks for stopping by for a visit.  I should be back in a few days with the SFS report.  See you all then!!   Laura

Hanging Out with The Girls

   We got our first real snow of the season on Monday night here in the burg;  about 8 inches in my neighborhood.  In this area, they get the secondary roads plowed eventually and the side roads pretty much never.  That means we wait for the snow to melt before we get out of the house and since it is supposed to remain below freezing for the next few days it could be a while.  Luckily, I am okay to stay inside for days on end and stitch and that is exactly what I have been doing!
  The girls have all seen some love over this last rotation.  Elizabeth Shepard got in some extra days this time and is moving along nicely.  I did manage to spill a bit of coffee on her as I was going out of the house to stitch group  though so I'll have to figure out what to do about that at some point.

   I have been working on Ann Bowers during the day when I have some time.  I have a magnifying lamp in my bedroom (where I stitch in the winter) and one in the family room (where I stitch through baseball season).  I have the Dazor in the family room and that really is the preferred magnifier for the 45 ct. linen.  I thought about bringing it upstairs to work on Ann but for now am just stitching her in the family room in front of the fire.  I know, such hardship!!
   The only downside is that since my husband is now really retired and at home all the time now, I frequently have to watch things on TV that I would prefer not to see.   I'm sure you know how that is!!!  I am still hoping to have a finish with Ann by the end of the month and here is where she is now.

I finished the Satin stitch alphabet and did some more work on the floral band yesterday. I plan to put some more of the verse in this afternoon.  (45 ct. over one!  UGH!!!)  Slowly but surely getting there.

Wow! Look how big that 45 ct. looks!!

   Then, quite strangely, I heard some weeping coming from way deep in the bag this week and when I searched those deep recesses who should appear but Elizabeth Mears!!  Seems that she thought  she had been long forgotten, never to be heard from again.  So I pulled her out and put some stitches in her too!!  She is no where near as far along as I thought she was and I am ashamed to say how long it has been since she has seen the light of day. But I think she needs to stay in the current rotation for a while and maybe even see a finish this year!  Keeping in mind she is on no list for this year but may have waited long enough!!

Elizabeth JM Mears 1833 by Queenstown Designs
40 ct. Lakeside Light Exemplar
w/called for Au ver a soie

I've been working on her in the evening since there is only so much 45 ct. a person can work on at a time!
   Well, that just about covers it for now.  It is IH&SWeekend coming up and I hope to find a lot of time to stitch but we'll have to see how it goes.  The kids will be home this weekend for the bridal shower and I just never know how much free time there will be when they visit.  I'll let you know how it goes next time!

Hope you're all enjoying your stitching as much as I am,  Laura

I Do Believe I Have Lost My Mind!

  Once again, my life is interfering with my stitching time!  There are just way too many things going on that have to be attended to that take the needle from my hand.  The most recent of which is our EGA chapter newsletter.  I have been trying to get to it for almost a week.  Other interruptions, board meetings, house hunting, etc. have kept me from the newsletter so I have spent the majority of the last couple of days working on it and all of the various other parts that go with it.
  I took it over in January and even though I had this job a few years ago, I am having a bit of a problem getting back up to speed.  Add to that my bright idea of making it monthly and all of a sudden it seems to be taking over my life!!  I got it out this afternoon though so I am once again free to pick up my needle and stitch to my heart's content.  After I get this posted, of course!
   So on to the stitching! That is after all what we all want to see when we visit someone's blog!!  Well,  after my last post, I continued working on Elizabeth Shepard and I am happy to say I got to see all of the colors at play in the first little section.

It may be hard to see, but there is a dark green, the predominate color,  a brown, and a funky pink all in this corner.
   Then, and this is the 'lost my mind' part, I decided I needed to start another BAP.  Keep in mind that this piece is on no list that I have going for this year.  It's not a SAL or a birthday present and as a new start, it's not even on the EGA Challenge list either.  And it is huge!!!  341 x 341 to be exact.  See, I have truly lost my mind!!  Also,  on 45 ct. linen because we all know I don't have enough projects stitched on 45 ct. going right now!!!
   So this is Rhapsody in Red Ribbon Sampler by Sampler Cove.  I have this entire series which consists of the sampler, a bunch of smalls and a box to carry them all in. I've had them all in my stash since they came out many moons ago and I came across them recently while crawling through my massive stash looking for something else.

The top border is at the half-way point

I started it on a Friday night and only allowed myself through Saturday to work on it.  I am stitching it with the combination of Hand Dyed Fibers that were used in Spanish Rouge and the contrast is just wonderful!  I love this and need to somehow keep it in the rotation.

Pic of the chart.  A large, lovely, red sampler.  How could I go wrong??!!

   The Sunday of this weekend was February 1st and I thought that would be a fine time to get back to something that is close to being finished.  I have several large SAL pieces I carried over from last year and Ann Bowers is the one I felt was closest to a finish.  This is what she looked like when I worked on her last.  From the date on the picture, it was September of last year that she last saw the light of day.  So sad!

This is what she looks like now.  I have been working diligently on nothing but her since the 1st! Interesting how much you have to show when you concentrate you time on one piece!!

I am determined to work on just this piece until it is finished!!  Hopefully, that will be soon.  I am aiming for the end of the month, or sooner if I can keep the distractions down to a minimum!!
  So that's all I have for now.  Thanks for stopping by to visit and hope you're all enjoying your stitching as much as I am!!  Laura