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

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!!!