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

January Stitch From Stash Report

    It's almost the end of January and I am happy to report that I have been a good girl this month!!  Here is my report:

Budget:  $25.00
Spent:    $00.00

No finishes but I did have one new start, all things from my stash, even the chart!!!
    I finally got started on one of the Scarlet Letter SALs I signed up for on Facebook, Elizabeth Shepard.  I pulled linen from my vast pool of 40 ct. and did a conversion to Needlepoint silk. I know this looks black but it is really a very dark green.

40 ct. Italian linen
w/Needlepoint silk

It has been fun so far but I still haven't started Mary Hurst and that one is starting to call loudly!!  I have a couple of small pieces I would like to finish before I jump into that big girl but we will have to  see how it goes.
   Speaking of small pieces,  I also made some good progress on Pink Sparrow this week and this is where it is now.  It's probably a little over 1/3 finished.  Hard to put aside but the rotation is large and I still have a couple that are not started yet!

  So, that is all for now.  I have almost all of my chores done and my stitching chair is calling!

Hope you're having as much fun with your stitching as I am,  Laura

You Know What They Say About the Road to Hell...

    I had good intentions for IH&SW, I really did.  My younger son and the FDIL were coming for the weekend to attend the Beer Fest with The Hubs.  Not being a beer drinker myself, I was going to be the duty driver, drop off and pick up was supposed to be the extent of my involvement and I was going to have the entire day to stitch and catch up on my shows.
   Things being what they always seem to be when you make a plan, that plan changed in a hurry!  The son and the FDIL had a big fight the night before and she decided to forgo our company, sticking us with her $50 ticket in the process.  Being the tight-fisted fiscal conservative that I am, I said no way we are wasting a ticket, and the others involved were only too happy to use my beer tickets!!
   We had a great time!!  The weather was nice, the event was in a tent so we were warm, the beer drinkers had lots of brewers and different brews to chose from. There was music, New Orleans themed food, and of course, the people watching was unmatched by anywhere I have ever been, including New Orleans down on Bourbon Street!!
   So, not much stitching was done over that weekend.  I did manage to get SOME done though.  I made a good start on Serenity Harbor.  I have the first part finished now but for the weekend report, I only managed the left side within the allotted time.  I have enjoyed this stitch so much and if you haven't joined this SAL, I highly recommend it!

40 ct. Lakeside Pecan Butter
w/called for DMC except sun

I really like the colors the designer chose for this one and so far I have stuck to the DMC with the exception of the sun.  I stitched the sun in an over-dyed floss but I'm  not too crazy about the color.  I will probably change it later but for now, it will stay until I figure out what I want to do there.  Also don't have the arching outline in yet.  I'm going to wait until I need to roll the scroll frame before I put it in.
   Once I got that finished, I pulled out an oldie but goodie and in going back through my posts, I don't think I have worked on this since last August.  I am currently referring to this as the Headless Bird Sampler.  lol

Pink Sparrow Sampler by WTN&T
40 ct. Weeks Parchment
w/called for colors

It's small but 'fiddly' as my mother would say.  Lots of small motifs and lots of color changes.  I am hoping to finish the top section today. (I may be overestimating the time factor here, as usual, but we will see!)
   I still haven't started either of the Scarlet Letter SALs I have signed up for yet so I need to get moving on those asap. Can't linger for too long on one piece!!  I also haven't touched the 3 pieces I carried over from last year yet.  As you can tell, I don't have the rotation worked out yet, just taking it as the mood strikes.  But, I'm not bored yet either and I feel like I'm making progress. That's a good thing!!
  So that's it for me for today.  Thank you all for stopping  by and I want to welcome my new readers.  It's nice to know I'm not out here in cyberspace alone!!

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

Ready for IH&SW

    I've spent this past week working more of a normal schedule.  I've had meetings to prep for and the usual chores to do but a lot more free time for stitching!!! And I have used my stitching time well!
Good progress has been make on The Red House Sampler.  It is going much more quickly than I thought it would for a large sampler and I am now feeling pretty good about getting this one finished this year.

The Red House Sampler by Brenda Keyes

   I got a good start on Strawberry Fields Forever this week too.  Such a cute piece and so delicate looking on the 40 ct. linen. I have made some changes to the thread colors, no surprise there, but just for dye lot issues really.

Strawberry Fields Forever by Blackbird Designs
40 ct. Weeks Confederate gray

   Both of these will now go back in their respective pouches  and something new will move into the rotation.  I haven't started several of the SALs I've signed up for yet so I think it needs to be one of those,   I want to start the Serenity Harbor piece and then maybe work on the Pink Sparrow Sampler which is my selection for the WTN&T SAL.  Other than that, who knows??!!  I don't really have a set schedule worked out,  just working on the general list as the mood strikes.   Hoping the 'no real plan' strategy will keep things fresh and moving along!
  So that's all I have for now.  I'll be trying really hard to hermit this weekend and get tons of stitching done!

Wishing you all the same,   Laura

First Finish of 2015

    Things usually calm down the week after Christmas and I have lots of time to stitch.  This year was not like that.  I spent most of my time getting the books ready to turn over for my 2 jobs in our EGA chapter and getting things set up to start my new job.  Add to that, my son came back to visit the middle of that week and you can see how stitching time might be hard to come by!
  I did manage to finish up a long lingering UFO though and I can proudly say that Winter Plaid by LHN is now completed!! (Please excuse the wrinkles.  I don't iron until I finish-finish!)

Winter Plaid by LHN
34 ct Legacy Plantation Linen
w/mostly called for threads

It was such a fun stitch and once the 'plaid' was in, the rest went very quickly!
   I also need to show the picture of my birthday gift from Tommye.  The pic I took before wouldn't download for some reason so here is that one too.

Hillside Samplings

Gorgeous! Georgeous!  I love that border!!!  And anything with a red house is always appealing to me.  She always picks the prettiest samplers to stitch for me!!
    I like to make a New Year's Day start and this year I chose Hannah Pepper.  I had planned for her to be my new start for quite a long time and I started getting the supplies together for her in the summer. I waited patiently for the 1st of January and even though I had more than one SAL starting that day, she was my pick.   I only worked on her for one session since I wanted to be Winter Plaid finished so it doesn't look like much right now, just a brown vine,  but here she is.

Hannah Pepper
40 ct Lakeside Linen Pecan Butter
w/ silks listed

I don't usually go all the way around to the other side like that when I start but I had some concern about the direction of the linen (the measurements are close but not the same) and I wanted to make sure it would really fit.  It is a large sampler and this linen just didn't look big enough!!
   After my Winter Plaid finish, I got out one of my other SAL pieces.   I started this one during our spring beach trip this year and it is one of my Bucket List pieces.  When a Brenda Keyes SAL came up on Facebook for this year, I couldn't resist jumping in with this!

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

  
  I was asked what the SALs were that I had joined this year.  Almost all of them are within Facebook groups.  See how that darned computer continues to get me in trouble!!!
Here is the list if you are interested:

1)  Mary Hurst by Scarlet Letter
        This is in the Scarlet Letter group on Facebook.  I wasn't going to do this one but then I won the         chart, what was I supposed to do??
2)  Elizabeth Sheppard by Scarlet Letter
        Also in the Scarlet Letter group.  One of the 'small' sampler selections for this year.  In the stash         so why not??
3)  The Red House Sampler by The Sampler Co.
        In the Brenda Keyes group on Facebook where you could pick any Sampler Co. piece you                   wanted.  Quite a few people are doing The Bird Sampler, which I have, but this one was already         started.
4)  Strawberry Fields Forever by Blackbird Designs
        Loved it, bought it as soon as it came out.  An SAL seemed like a good reason to start it!!
5)  Serenity Harbor by By the Bay
         Also loved this as soon as I saw it.  A block a month seemed manageable.
6)  Hannah Pepper from the Fine Lines Magazine
         Had this one planned as my New Year's start.  Conveniently, someone started a Facebook SAL            for this one too!
7)  Snooty Parrots by Barbara Ana
        Carry over from last year.  Got bogged down in other things so I haven't worked on this since             April.  Luckily, I wasn't the only one who did finish so the group continues!
8)  Dorothy Walpole by Scarlet Letter
        Same as #7.
9)  Ann Bowers by The Exemplarery
        Technically, a SAL through The Attic.  I don't know if anyone else is still working this one but I         am so close to being finished that is must be done!! Plus, I got Ann Almy, the companion piece           to her, for Christmas this year and she wants her turn!
10)  Pink Sparrow by WTN&T
        I started this one pretty shortly after it came out, love the springy colors!  There is a Facebook            SAL for WTN&T this year too so I jumped on this one as well. I would love to finish this up!
11)  Patti Dovecoat a freebie chart by Barrick Samplers
        I don't remember which Facebook group I saw this one in but it is small and has to be finished             by March 15th.  Since I was already in so many other SALs, I figured why not.
12)  The Sampler Life SAL
         I almost forgot this one.  Joined last night and although I have no idea what it will look like, there are quite a few designers contributing to this one and it looked too interesting to pass up!

    I know, I've totally lost my mind!! Keeping in mind that this is not the only stitching I have planned for this year, the SALs alone would be daunting.  But I also have birthdays to stitch for and other stitching planned.  Like, my son is getting married in April and I would like to make them a wedding sampler.  We'll just have to see how far I get with this list and the other stuff.  I probably won't get it all done (LOL!!!) but it should be a lot of fun trying!!
    So, that's all I have to report for now.  I need to get my newsletter (my new EGA job) out today so I will be able to sit and stitch all day tomorrow with no other obligations!!  It will be the first time I've had a day totally to myself in months and I'm really looking forward to it!!!

Thanks so much for stopping by,  Laura