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