Thank You...Thank You Very Much!

   I really wanted to thank all of you for the lovely comments you've been leaving for me.  I haven't had time lately to respond back to each of you individually but I did want you to know how much I appreciate you taking the time.  It's good to know there are people out there actually reading my blatherings!!!
   The preparations for the wedding seem to be well in hand.  I haven't had much to do with that but just getting myself ready has been exhausting!!  I did a dry run today of the dresses and foundation garments I will need next weekend and although the clothing was good, the shoes were not. So I took care of that this afternoon.
   I haven't worn makeup for about 20 years so I had to go buy products and re-learn how to apply them recently.  Hope I will be able to pull that off on the day!!  I normally wouldn't have given it any thought but then read an article about not looking like a zombie in the wedding pics and since everyone else will be done professionally I figured I needed to tackle it.
   I have been stitching as much as possible to try to keep the stress down so I have something to show at least!  I've been slowly working out the color choices for Hannah Pepper and this is the small start I have made on that so far.  (Please disregard the unfinished bird in the corner.  I am still working out the colors there.)

40 ct. Lakeside Meadow Rue
w/overdyed cotton conversion

I am really pleased with how this is turning out so far!

   Feeling better about getting this worked out, I decided I needed to work on some of my other WIPs and with any luck, get some things finished.  I have WAY too many UFOs right now and I only have 2 finishes for the year so far.  That is just unbelievable!!  Last year I finished 17 pieces, most of them large, and if I have any hope of getting that UFO number down, I need to stitch like the wind!!
(Not that I have any idea how many UFOs I actually have.  Lets just say I have 6 large Vera Bradley bags stuffed with them and leave it at that!!  Maybe I will tackle that problem after the wedding!)
   So, I have been working on Elizabeth Shepard for the last few days and managed to get it this far:

This is about half way.

LOVE the pink accents in this one!

   This weekend is IH&SWeekend.  I signed up this time but haven't decided what to work on yet.  I am woefully behind on Serenity Harbor but I also have a Christmas gift I need to get started if I am going to have it done in time.  Maybe, since I will have this weekend pretty much to myself I can manage to do both!

   See you all next week,  Laura

I Failed at Stitch From Stash....Again

   Yes, I failed again!  I really thought I was up for the challenge this time but it was, once again, not to be.  I went crazy after market at the beginning of March but I thought it would be okay.  Last year, there was a skip month and I thought I would just do that, make March my skip month, and move on from there.
   Turns out there is no skip month this time. And I was so out of bounds with the spending anyway that I would have had to not spend another penny for the rest of the year to make it legit!!!   So,  I am just spectating now and feeling a lot less guilt about my inability to turn a blind eye to all the fabulous stuff I see out there.  Let me just say that Facebook is not my friend!!
   I have just about recovered from my terrible illness with the exception of the cough.  I am tired of it and apparently so is DH because he made mention of how long I have had it, several times!  I am back to my normal routine and then some with the impending nuptials and with the wedding only 2 weeks away, things are heating up fast!!  I need to do a really good spring cleaning with all the out of town guests we will have but I haven't been able to talk myself into that just yet!! LOL!
   I did manage to get the sampler I was stitching for my friend's birthday finished and it was only about 10 days late.  I was disturbed by the fact that it was late but what can you do?? I don't think things would have gone any more quickly had I stitched while ill and under the influence of drugs!
   She received it yesterday so I can show it here now.  This is Isabella Wood by Lindsey Lane Designs.

40 ct Weeks Cocoa with the listed threads

   It was a fun piece with lots of different stitches, some of which I changed and some of which I moved around to suit myself.  I didn't feel too guilty about this since the instructions did say it was an adaptation.

This center section of strawberries is supposed to be all Queen stitches.  I've done Queens on 40 ct before and it is hard!!!  Those little cross-bars don't have enough room to lie straight so they crowd the space and look crooked.  So I only did the top strawberry in Queens and changed the others.
  Finding stitches oriented in the right direction was the first challenge.  But I persevered and managed to work it out and not have to repeat the same stitch on more than one row. The stitches I used, in order, were Queen, Tied Upright cross, Four-sided, Diamond eyelet, and Diagonal Rice. Very fun and I'm glad I did it this way!
   While I was working on the above sampler, I saw a post on Facebook of Hannah Pepper that someone had converted to the muted colors of the original sampler.  I saw that and a light bulb went off in my head!!  I started Hannah January 1st as my New Year's start and had barely started it before I began having color issues with it and set it aside.  Now, I have made a conversion to over-dyed cottons (which is what the sampler I saw was stitched with) and have restarted this sampler.  I haven't had a lot of stitching time lately but will try to get enough done to be able to post a picture soon.  I am loving it so far!!!
   Well, that's about all for now.  The kids are home this weekend to finalize some of the wedding stuff and we will be celebrating DS2 birthday which was yesterday.  Busy, busy times but the stitching is keeping me sane, I think!

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

More Than Charts Came Back From Nashville

   I was working diligently on the Red House Sampler after my last post in an effort to get the house in before I needed to switch projects.    I stitch a sampler each March for a friend's birthday and the start date is determined by the size and complexity of the sampler I have chosen for that year.  Since the piece I had chosen wasn't too big I figured I could work until the 1st weekend of March on my house and then move on.  I got to this..

The big red house is in!!!

and then I got sick.
    On Tuesday, the 3rd, after the board meeting, I went to my LNS to pick up the charts they brought back for me from Nashville.  Little did I know I was also picking up the worst virus I have had in ages!!  I am a very careful sick person.  I really try not to give it to anyone else in my family but this blew us all out of the water.  My husband, who never gets anything, got it.  My truck driver son was home and he got it.  He even had to take some extra days off to get well enough to get back on the road!  Ugly, ugly, ugly.
  I lost 2 weeks.  I'm still not 100%, a fact that becomes very clear when I try to do my daily chores, and I am trying to play catch-up on that birthday piece.  Not sure if I will be able to finish in time or not.  So, even though this is IH&SW I won't be able to play.  Oh, I'll be stitching.  But what is the point if you can't show your progress when the weekend is over??!
   I'll be here stitching as fast as I can.  You probably won't hear from me again until after I get the birthday piece finished but it will be a treat!  I'm totally loving this stitch and its Scottish so the colors are fantastic!!

See you soon,   Laura

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