Making Up for Lost Time

   I haven't posted in so long I don't know if I remember how and so much has been happening that I'm not sure where to begin!!  Maybe I need to look at my last post and refresh my memory of where I left off.  Okay, I think I can catch you all up now!!
  After I finished the gift for my FDIL, I rushed it to the framer so I could have it back in time for her birthday, which we were celebrating at the beach.  This is what it looks like now.

(Sorry for the glare, it is under glass.  I love the frame on this and according to my framer, it is a molding specifically designed to match DMC colors.)
  Then I moved back to working on  Harriette Coe.  Every day I would say, 'Surely this will be finished in a couple of days and then I can post to the blog.'  And every day, it didn't happen!!.  I churned away and churned away until my stitching time became just about nil because I had to start getting ready for the beach!  I finally put the last stitches in  it just last night and I am so happy to have it finished!!

I stitched it on my usual 40 ct. so it is pretty small.  But it sure did seem to take forever!!  I have included the close-up below so you can see all of the animals.  The chart says all the eyes are to be stitched in the red.  There was no way I was going to do that!!  What are they then, Vampire animals??  Werewolf animals?? So, I just left the eyes blank.  It seemed like a much better choice to me!

   We try to go to the Outer Banks twice a year, in the spring and later, in the fall. We like the off season when there aren't so many people and not as much traffic.  We do, however, travel with an entourage.  This last trip there were only 7 of us but we have had as many as 18 in the past. We haul in all of our provisions like we are going to the wilderness or something. We carry in linens, food supplies, water, you name it.  That requires a lot of prep work.  Luckily, The Hubs has taken over the cooking so he does all the menu planning and food shopping for the week.  There is a huge perpetual list we work off of each time so the planning has already been done but the gathering, shopping and packing are a big, multi-day extravaganza.
   So, the week before the beach trip, I had my weekly stitch group on Monday, the regular EGA meeting on Tuesday, which left me with the rest of the week to get my act together for the trip.  Not just for the trip, but also getting the house together for guests since everyone congregates here before going on down the road.  I had already packed my stitching bag so the important stuff had been taken care of at least!!
    Wednesday morning, I woke up with a sore throat.  I did okay for the first couple of days but the 3rd day is always the worst for me and by then, I was feeling pretty wrecked. I haven't had a cold in a long time so I may have just been being a baby about it but no medicine helped and I was living on Advil and Halls cough drops. By Friday night we were talking about me staying home for a few extra days and driving down later in the week.  I gave it serious consideration but in the end, I wasn't sure I could make the 3 1/2 hr. drive by myself, even later in the week, so I went with the crowd.
  And so glad I did or I would have missed this...

Sunset over Frisco, NC  Sunday night

  So, I laid low for most of the week.  I read and relaxed and gradually got to feeling better.  I went shopping with my son and FDIL and had a lovely lunch out.  We didn't make it over to Ocracoke and we never made it out to dinner, 2 things we traditionally do every trip, but we had fun none the less.  And I got to wake up to this every day!!

The view from my bedroom

   Toward the end of the week, I did finally feel like doing a little stitching.  I got back to work on Harriette and wouldn't you know it, I ran out of the color I needed to finish!!  I took it as a sign and moved on to something else.  The Red House Sampler saw a little work.  Not a lot, but some.

Such a gorgeous piece and really in need of a slot in the rotation.  Not really sure what has happened to the rotation either but I need to get that worked out again too!
   Then,  last but not least, I started the Blackbird SAL piece last night after I finished Harriette.

I kind of went my own way with the colors, brightened some up and toned some down.  It will be interesting to see what everyone winds up with in the end!!  Its a small piece and shouldn't take too much time to finish.     Then, I guess I need to get back to the rotation, whatever that may look like now.  I am several months behind now in a couple of the Year Long Sals I joined and I, maybe unwisely, joined a couple more recently!! I have vowed to not add to the UFOs this year so completions are what's called for!
  Recently, I was looking at the list I made at the beginning of the year of my stitching goals for the coming year. Some of the things in the 'to finish' section still haven't seen the light of day.  It's nearly June, half the year gone already!  I need to get busy!!

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

Catching Up

  I've been trying to get a post done for about a week now.  Every day it seems like something came up that prevented me from getting it done.  Today I saw a break in the activities and I am making a mad stab at getting this  posted.  Let's just say that my life has been interfering with my stitching time!!
  After I got the bargello section finished on Dorothy Walpole, I moved on to the piece I have been working on for my future DIL's birthday.  I've been carrying it around as my stitch group piece for a while now and it was time to get it finished, so I did!!

Lizzie Kate's
Cat Lesson's for People
40 ct. Lakeside Linen w/ listed threads

   As a replacement in the rotation, I started Harriet Coe.  I have had this one kitted up since the last week of December and I really wanted to start it.  I am working it on 40 ct. linen so it is much smaller than it is supposed to be but it is just so cute I can't stand it!!

Harriet Co by WTN&T
40 ct. Lakeside linen w/ mostly listed threads

 I did change the red from Pomegranate (all the skeins I could find were pink) to Ruby Slippers which is a limited edition from the last market. I really like this red and I'm glad I bought a bunch of skeins of it!
    Then, I decided to start something off my bucket list.  I have pulled this one out more than once just over the past year and each time put it back thinking the time wasn't right.  So, I made it the right time and just got it started.  I love this piece and although  it will definitely be a long term project, at least now it is underway.

  This is my progress so far. Not much yet but it will go into the rotation too and will see some work time on a regular basis, whatever that is!

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

  Then, as if that wasn't enough, I decided to finish this piece for my Mom.  She is in a nursing home now and has little in her room in the way of decoration.  I thought I would finish it with an edge so she could use it on a table as a scarf.  As you can see, I've started it twice.  The first time, I used a linen that was too heavy and the pulled work didn't open up the way it was supposed to.  I switched it to a more open weave linen and I like the effect much better!

This is an EGA correspondence course our guild did last year and since I had the issue with the linen, I didn't get it finished in time for the review and it has languished ever since.
  So, that is what has been going on here.  I haven't worked on my SALs this month at all, except for Dorothy, so I am behind with those now.  And since I have added 2 more pieces to the rotation, something is going to have to give.  I think I will have to work on a couple of things until they are completed to get the rotation back to a manageable size and then play catch up with the SALs.  Sounds like a good plan to me!!
  It is IH&SW and I haven't been able to put fabric, thread and needle together yet so I think I will go do that now.  Happy Easter and happy stitching to you all!!

The End of the Bargello

   It's been nearly 2 weeks since my last post.  I didn't mean for it to be so long but I was trying to finish the bargello band on Dorothy before I posted.  Every day I would think, 'Surely I will finish today and be able to make that post.' but each day I still wasn't finished.  This afternoon I finally got that section finished and I am now ready for the big reveal.

If you remember from my last post, I still had most of the over one verse to finish as well.  I've done quite a bit of bargello before and I don't remember it taking as long as this did!  Given all the stitches in this band though, I guess it wasn't that bad!  I am very pleased with how it came out and so happy that Dorothy is officially at the half way point!! 

     Up next in the rotation is the piece I am stitching for my future DIL for her birthday.  I have been carrying this to stitch group and have made pretty good progress but if I am to have it stitched and framed by the middle of May, it needs to see some serious  stitching time!!  It is pretty far along though so it shouldn't take too long to finish. I think this is adorable!!

Lizzie Kate
Cat Lessons for People
40 ct. Lakeside Linen w/ threads listed

   Next up is the Needleworker's Sampler newly framed.  I apologize for the angle but my framer put glass on it by mistake and I was having a hard time getting a picture without glare.  I put one of my favorite moldings on it since it seemed to cry out for it.  This one is currently residing at my LNS.

    Last but not least, I present photographic evidence that spring has arrived here in the burg.  This is the entrance to my neighborhood and how it looked a few days ago.  Magical!!

   We are now having those much lauded April Showers so I hope the promise of May flowers is just around the corner!!