With My Needle

A fun little finish

2012-01-30T09:53:00.004-06:00

It was a very busy weekend, but even so, I managed to sit down last night with my pot of tea and watch Downton Abbey. And of course, I had my stitching with me!

I finished the little Downton Abbey freebie from The Sampler Girl. I'm planning on framing it, and then eventually charting out a few of my favorite sayings from the show, stitching them, and framing them, too. I think it would make a charming little grouping in a corner of the room that's turning into my study/stitching room. (Got a favorite Downton Abbey line? Send it to me, maybe it will become part of my wall!)

Next week I'll be starting a new piece that fits well into the Downton Abbey theme. It's also a freebie, so check back next Monday to see my new start, and for the freebie link

Until then, happy stitching!

Please say a prayer for Bella...

2012-01-29T10:54:00.004-06:00

Rick and Karen Santorum's daughter, Bella is in the hospital. Bella was born with Trisomy 18, a serious chromosomal defect.

More information here: Santorum's 3-year-old child taken to Children's Hospital

Oh, I know JUST the person who needs this!

2012-01-28T11:29:00.000-06:00

Downton Abbey simpler time by GranthamGear
See other Downton Bags

Time for a stitching update...

2012-01-23T22:10:00.004-06:00

It's time for a stitching update--yes, I've been stitching even with everything else that been going on in the world! (It's really hard to watch a debate and stitch--so I've quit trying!)

Yesterday was 'Jane Day' with the Night Owls Stitchers on Yahoo, so I pulled out my Sense & Sensibility sampler to work on. Because I'm stitching this one completely from stash choosing colors has been somewhat challenging, to say the least!

After struggling with colors for the verse I think I've found something I'm happy with. I'm hoping that when the entire verse is stitched the blue will give something of the impression of faded ink. I'm fairly happy with my cottage--I think the floss I used on the house looks like the stucco of an Irish cottage, but I'm afraid that the floss I picked for my thatched roof needs to be lightened so that the outline of the dormer windows shows up. I'm not going to make any changes at this point--I'll wait until I finish the sampler and see how the whole thing looks before I rip anything else out.

And of course last night I had to pull out my Downton Abbey stitching, the freebie offered last year by The Sampler Girl. It's a scrap bag project, and I'm very happy with the way it's turning out.

I'll have this one finished next week, so I've already picked out my next Downton Abbey stitching project. It's another freebie, with a World War I connection. No, I'm not going to tell you just yet--you'll have to wait until I start stitching it to find out what it is!

And finally, there is The 12 Days of Christmas, from Little House Needleworks. While stitching away on this piece on Friday I discovered that instead of two shades of red, I somehow have 2 of the same shade! It was an easy mistake--I picked up the Anchor substitution for the DMC for one red, and then when going through my stash for the other I pulled the original DMC again--it hasn't been a problem until now, even if I have stitched everything with the wrong shade! But now I need the contrasting color to stitch the drum, and I'll need it for the barn in the bottom panel.

Good thing I was planning a errand day on Wednesday so that I can pick up the color! I'm hoping that the needlepoint store will have it so that I won't have to make a trip to the big box stores for one silly skein of thread--I already have to make the trip across town to the needlepoint store to pick up 2 skeins of AVAS to finish my Gay Ann Rogers ornaments, and to purchase the supplies for Loretta Spears' Fascination.

I hope that all of you have a wonderful week!

Seven years ago today

2012-01-22T21:40:00.003-06:00

My dear husband and I married. How quickly those seven years have passed and how much we've weathered together. I'm looking forward to the rest of our lives together!

hmmm...not sure about this color!

2012-01-20T08:10:00.004-06:00

I'm stitching the Sense & Sensibility sampler using my own choice of colors. Last night I started pulling colors that might work for the lettering. This is actually the 3rd color I tried, but I'm not sure it's right either. I think the color needs to be deeper, or stronger, or brighter...but I'm going to live with it for a few days before I decide whether or not I need to make another change...

interesting.....

2012-01-19T16:19:00.003-06:00

I've been listening to the radio while cleaning house today. Sean Hannity was much more upset about Tiger Woods' infidelity than he is about Newt Gingrich's.

Interesting...

an incredible Random Act of Kindness

2012-01-17T19:17:00.005-06:00

A mysterious envelope appeared in my mail today. Large and white, with my name and address hand-written on the outside, and no return address.

To say that I was intrigued by this would be an understatement. The envelope looked innocent enough, so I decided to open it...

I opened it and peeked inside. A sheaf of white paper, stapled in one corner. Cautiously I removed the papers, and...

Wonder of wonders--Loretta Spears' Mystery X--Fascination was in my hand!

Long out-of-print, and virtually unavailable ANYWHERE, and yet now, this wonderful chart sits next to me as I type this.

There was no note to identify the giver--but I sincerely hope that it is someone who reads my blog, as I wish to be able to express my gratitude for this gift. I thank you from the bottom of my heart, and I will think of you and your kindness with each stitch, and each time I look at the finished design.

I'm already planning a trip to my LNS to purchase canvas and floss as soon as possible. And yes, as soon as I have the supplies in hand I will be stitching this lovely chart--thanks to the kindness of a stranger.

There are no strangers, only friends we haven't met.

"Plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose."

2012-01-16T00:18:00.008-06:00

Tonight's episode of Downton Abbey (Season 2, Episode 2) made reference to the Marconi Scandal. Ever hear of it?

Well, maybe not. But you've probably heard of something very similar in recent weeks. Members of Congress profiting from stock trades that they make with inside information. Remember the Steve Kroft interview of Nancy Pelosi? (LINK)

"The more things change, the more they remain the same."

A partridge in a pear tree...and a new page

2012-01-15T20:55:00.003-06:00

Yes! We have a tree--and a partridge! One advantage of having spent 2 nights last week listening/watching football was that I got to spend plenty of time working on The 12 Days of Christmas. I've enjoyed every stitch of this project so far, and I'm looking forward to spending the rest of January finishing this one up.

Of course, once it's finished I'll have to grapple with the big decision--how to finish it. Should it be a pillow, a wall hanging, or should I frame it? Or maybe a really big flat fold? Any ideas?

The 12 Days of Christmas

Little House Needleworks

At the top of this blog you'll notice a tab for a new page--FINISHPALOOZA--I decided that it was high time that I started actually FINISHING this needlework that's been completed over the years, instead of simply tucking it away in the 'finished' drawer. So at least one piece will be finished each month--it might be framed, or made into an ornament, or a box top, or whatever...but it will be FINISHED and DISPLAYED!***

Anyone else have a drawer of completed needlework projects that need to be finished and displayed? If so, please come and join me in the FINISHPALOOZA!

***For the purpose of the FINISHPALOOZA pieces that I send out to be finished don't count, only pieces that I finish myself.

Rest in peace, Tripp

2012-01-14T20:47:00.004-06:00

Little Tripp Roth lost his battle with EB today. Tonight he rests in the arms of his Heavenly Mother, listening to the angels serenade them both.

Eternal rest grant to him, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon him.

May his soul, and the souls of all the faithful departed, rest in peace.

Amen

Go Saints! Beat the 49ers!

2012-01-14T13:46:00.002-06:00

We'll be watching the game at my father-in-law's house, hopefully there will be a better ending to this one than the one on Monday night! And I'll bring some stitching with me so look for an updated progress photo for The 12 Days of Christmas tomorrow.

Please pray for Tripp

2012-01-13T07:38:00.003-06:00

I'm asking you today to please take a moment to say a prayer for little Tripp Roth and his family. Tripp suffers from EB (you can read about it HERE on his mother's blog) and it looks like his fight is coming to an end.

Thank you.

shellacked

2012-01-09T22:41:00.002-06:00

Shellacked. It's going to be a long drive back to BR from the Dome...

WIPocalypse January check-in

2012-01-09T00:25:00.001-06:00

Here's my first check-in for the WIPocalpse! Now, before you go any further...forgive the photos. There was a pretty-darn-important football game on Saturday, and then there's a some kind of big durn deal football game going on tonight and between pre-game preps, game watching, and then the pretty near impossible 48-hour turnaround there's just not much time for things like ironing!

I've worked on a couple of pieces since we started W2012. First up: Blue Sparkle Angel, a counted canvas piece from Gay Ann Rogers. This is my Saturday stitch. Sadly, this Saturday I finished one row of the border and then discovered that I don't have one of the threads that I need, so I had to put it away until I can go to the LNS and pick some up..

Here are the before-and-after photos:

"Sew Peaceful" from iStitch turned out to be my first finish for the year. Here are the before and after photos :

And then there is 12 Days of Christmas from Little House Needleworks. Here's where I was when I left off at the end of 2011: (or my before photo!)

And here's where I am today: (or the after photo!)

There was also some other WIPocalypse stitching going on. First up: Sense and Sensibility from The Sampler Girl. Before:

And after:

This is my current "frugal project" so I'm pulling all of the materials from my stash. Quite a challenge, I'll tell you!

And then there was my New Year's Day start: Wear It Out from Waxing Moon. No before shot, because there wasn't a before!

As you can tell, I was a bit undecided about the color I wanted to use. I've decided to go with the darker color.

And then--I just couldn't resist starting to stitch the cute Downton Abbey freebie from The Sampler Girl's blog. I worked on this while watching the first episode of Season 2 last night. I'll get back to it next week when the second episode airs.

Here's the start:

See you next month!

Finally!

2012-01-08T11:03:00.007-06:00

Season 2 of Downton Abbey starts tonight for those of us in the US. Tonight finds England deep into the throes of WWI, a period of history about which, I am ashamed to say, I do not know nearly enough about.

So I suspect that over the next week I'll make some time to watch this video series out of DH's collection:

But tonight I'll be settled in my stitching place, working on the Sense and Sensibility sampler and maybe, just maybe, making time to stitch this little freebie, also from The Sampler Girl.

Care to join me?

Frugal Stitching

2012-01-05T09:48:00.004-06:00

2012 is my year of frugal stitching. I'm going to finish up WIPs and use up stash as much as possible when I do have a new start.

One of those frugal projects is the Sense & Sensibility sampler from The Sampler Girl. I pulled the chart from my stash last month and started to 'kit it up' from my stash. I decided that I would stitch it on some 28 count mushroom evenweave fabric and to use silk floss from my HDF box of mostly d-bag silks.

Of course, this approach means that my finished sampler will be quite different in color from the original. And that's fine, because it means that the sampler will be mine in a very special way.

Not much of a start on this one, but here's a little photo.

Sense & Sensibility

The Sampler Girl

28 count mushroom evenweave

HDF silk floss

(There's another loaf of bread about to come out of the oven....time to get off of the computer and attend to the cooking!)

On the 10th day of Christmas...

2012-01-04T13:39:00.003-06:00

I'm still working on my 12 Days of Christmas piece! I don't think I'll have it finished by 12th Night, but that's OK. I'll just keep stitching until I do. The 12 Days of Christmas is one of my favorite carols, so I know I'm going to enjoy having this as part of our decorations next year! (I'd say that I'm about half-way finished with this piece.)

12 Days of Christmas

Little House Needleworks

35 count linen & DMC floss

New Year's Day start

2012-01-03T07:21:00.005-06:00

On January 1 I started "Use it up" from Waxing Moon Designs' "Frugal Samplings leaflet. As you can see I was undecided about the color I wanted to use. I started with the lighter color but I wasn't happy with the high contrast look. The second color looks much better, I think.

But now there's a slight problem with the linen. When I was ironing it for the photo it started to take on a pinkish hue--I have no idea why, unless the dye is reacting to the heat of the iron. So now I'm waiting to see what the linen does as it cools. (The pink discoloration is not really visible in this photo, but it's visible to the naked eye.)

Only time will tell if this project goes forward...or if it has to be re-started.

How about you? Did you have a January 1 start?

First finish of the year!

2012-01-01T22:45:00.003-06:00

Finished tonight while visiting with my father-in-law. I plan to make it into a flat-fold to display on the mantle next Christmas, along with the Christmas cards.

"Sew Peaceful"

iStitch Designs

Words to live by for 2012

2012-01-01T16:41:00.002-06:00

This is the year of frugality in all things--stitching included. I'm planning to concentrate on finishing WIPs, and using stash for my new starts. So of course this little chart from Waxing Moon Designs was the perfect project for me to start today:

My mother used to say this all the time, it was something she picked up from her father.

New Year's Organization

2012-01-01T14:34:00.002-06:00

Seems that the new year is all about organization. Good thing, because I seriously need to do some organizing over here!

So I've decided to do a few things differently this year.

No more giant 'organize it this weekend' projects. They don't get finished, and they just add to the clutter in the house. Instead I'll focus on making small bits of progress daily.
Organize the cookbooks and recipes so that I can easily find what I'm looking for. How? I'm starting a recipe box--no, I'm not going to take the time to copy down a recipe from a cookbook, why would I? Instead I'm going to simply take an index card, put the name of the dish, the name of the cookbook, and the page number on the card. Then the card gets filed in the recipe box under the proper category. Easy-peasy, and by the end of the year I'll have a pretty solid recipe box.
Collect all my stash into a few containers. This is the first step toward actually organizing my stash. So I've dedicated 4 big plastic bins to stash--one for charts, one for magazines, one for fabric, and one for floss. Whenever I find something stash related--into the bin it goes. (I've got stash stuck everywhere in this house--just finding it is an improvement!)

So, what are your organization ideas for 2012?

Gone....

2011-12-31T16:49:00.002-06:00

I'm going to miss you.

WIPocalypse starts tomorrow!

2011-12-31T12:01:00.004-06:00

And my first project? Well, naturally...it's Little House Needleworks' 12 Days of Christmas! It's the perfect piece since tomorrow will be the 8th day of Christmas (just in case you're counting...).

Here's where I left off today:

(sorry for the crummy photo!)

Who am I kidding? There are also 3 other WIPocalypse projects I'll have going at the same time--Sense and Sensibility (The Sampler Girl), Sew Peace (iStitch) and my New Year's Day start: Use It Up (Waxing Moon).

Look for the photo update on January 9!

hmmm....

2011-12-30T11:08:00.003-06:00

It's hard to beat fresh-baked bread for breakfast!

2011-12-26T09:57:00.007-06:00

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas! Ours was magical, as it should be. We started the day by attending the TLM in our home parish. And this year we had a surprise when we arrived for Mass--MUSIC! For years the Christmas day TLM was a low Mass because the organist was spending the morning with her family and so the only music was at the 'main' Mass of the day. But we have a new organist and so this year we had music and the choir--what a treat!

Then it was home for breakfast and presents. My darling husband surprised me with these goodies:

Yep, I'm all ready to join the Prep and Landing team! (I love Prep and Landing...just love it!) Now I have the start of a cute Prep and Landing tablescape for next year's Christmas decorating!

The weather outside today is pretty crummy. But we're not complaining because it's a great day to stay inside while we watch this (our gift from my father-in-law):

Or maybe this, a gift from my sister-in-law:

Drinking hot tea made in this nifty new tea maker my brother-in-law gave to my DH and I:
The biggest treat yesterday was getting to meet my niece Summer for the first time. Here she is pictured with my DH:

All in all, it was a wonderful day. Today we'll visit with some of my family--a wonderful way to celebrate the 2nd Day of Christmas!

I hope your Christmas was just as wonderful, and that you have a happy and blessed 2nd Day of Christmas.

ET VERBUM CARO FACTUM EST, et habitavit in nobis

2011-12-25T00:01:00.001-06:00

And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us.

for Zulma

2011-12-23T15:31:00.003-06:00

I made this banner as a present for my friend Zulma. If it looks like a Little House Needleworks design--you're close. It was designed by Diane Williams before she started Little House.

Stitched on 14 count Aida using DMC floss.

Quinton's tree

2011-12-22T16:44:00.003-06:00

One of my 'George Plimpton' moments was when I ran a child care center. The best thing to come out of that experience was my friendship with a 3-year-old, Quinton, and his parents. Here's his Christmas present:

Name Tree

Nouveau Encore Designs

14 count Aida

DMC

finished as a wall hanging

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...

2011-12-20T07:54:00.000-06:00

I loe the way the colored lights on my tree look when you see them through the frosted glass in the front door! It looks like stained glass.

I bought this tree 5 or 6 years ago--it was the first Christmas after my father died, and I was completely bereft. I spent something like $35 on it at Wal-Mart, and the only decorations I had for it were about 10 strands of gold bead garland and a garish plastic star. But it made me smile every time I looked at it.

It's still my favorite tree. The star died, and was replaced with a beautiful angel from Madame Alexander. I've since purchased another tree--with white lights--that showcases my ornaments better. But last night I decided that it was time to return to the bright and colorful.

And if my husband doesn't object I won't add anything to the tree except the gold garland and the angel. Sometimes simple and colorful is best.

The unexpected joy of Aida

2011-12-19T11:05:00.005-06:00

I've needed to stitch some quick little Christmas pieces recently, and one larger piece. I needed to use materials in my stash, and while digging round I discovered that I have some 14 count Aida in antique white, red, and green, as well as some in a color I can only call 'brown paper bag'. I have no idea when or where this came from, but I'm thrilled to have found it.

I have rarely stitched on Aida. In fact, before this project I've only used it twice. But I've got to say--I've overcome my prejudice toward it! These have all stitched up so quickly, and the name tree I started last night and I'll have it finished tonight. (A special thanks to Stephanie at Nouveau Encore Designs for getting the chart to me so quickly!)

I expect that I'll always keep a small supply of Aida in my stash from now on. In fact, I may just stitch all the name trees on it!

Our waiting is almost over!

2011-12-18T07:29:00.001-06:00

Claudia's ornament

2011-12-17T11:12:00.005-06:00

My friend Claudia has an ornament entered in a contest over on Sue HIllis' blog: http://www.suehillis.blogspot.com/ (if for some reason the link doesn't work just copy-and-paste the address into your browser).

If you have a moment, please hop over there and vote for ornament #3.

Thanks!

Happy Birthday, Miss Austen!

2011-12-16T22:17:00.005-06:00

In honor of Miss Jane Austen's birthday, and the 200th anniversary of the publication of Sense & Sensibility I decided that I needed to start something new--here's my tiny beginning on The Sampler Girl's Sense & Sensibility sampler:

I'm stitching this on some 28 count mushroom evenweave from my stash, and I'll be pulling floss from stash, too. I've got to whittle down some of my stash, and what better way than by using it!

Hmmm...I think that one of my resolutions for next year needs to be to work on my photography skills!

PInk, for joy

2011-12-11T19:33:00.000-06:00

We have a winner!

2011-12-10T08:06:00.001-06:00

UKKA! You're the winner of the Lizzie Kate Snippet! I'll be contacting you by email to get your mailing address.

Thanks to everyone who entered. There will be another giveaway shortly, so stay tuned!

Prayers for Mike

2011-12-08T19:49:00.003-06:00

My friend Mike is undergoing open heart surgery tomorrow morning. Please say a prayer for him tonight.

Mike at the Louisiana Succession Sesquicentennial

February 2011

Baton Rouge Armory

Mike was the first real friend I made when I moved to Baton Rouge. And every other person that I've met here who has become important in my life I've met because of having met Mike.

I'm not ready to lose my friend yet.

Teeny-tiny giveaway!

2011-12-05T15:18:00.004-06:00

I'm in the process of organizing and reducing my stash. Today I came across a Lizzie Kate snippet that I know I've already stitched, so I think it needs to find a new home!

If you would like to win my Lizzie Kate Be Mine Valentine snippet chart, please leave a comment on this post only. I'll pull a winner on Saturday morning (December 11) at 8AM Central.

Please make sure that I have a way to contact you in case you're the winner!

Two candles lit...

2011-12-04T07:24:00.000-06:00

Advent!

2011-11-27T16:11:00.002-06:00

Today's the first day of Advent, or what could be considered to be "New Year's Day" on the church calendar. Have you lit the first candle on your Advent wreath?

I've decided to put away all stitching that doesn't have a Christmas theme to it until January 6th, as a way of keeping me focused on what we're preparing for now, and what we will be celebrating next month.

Tonight I'll be stitching a Christmas ornament, and then starting on Little House Needlework's 12 Days of Christmas. What are you stitching?

I hope you all have a happy and holy Advent.

Have a holly, jolly, Christmas

2011-11-20T06:20:00.007-06:00

Fresh out of the hoop, it's the second of the Sticklounge ornaments that I've stitched! This is Holly, designed by Daniella. I've stitched it on some 14 count white (not that you can tell from the photo!) Aida that I found in my stash, using DMC floss from my stash.

I've been working on Land of the Free this week, too, I've pulled out some of what I had already stitched to make a slight color adjustment. One of the changes I'm happy with (the fence, although I may still change it out to a slightly lighter taupe), one I'm not so sure about, (the snowflake-looking things) and one I don't care for at all (the contrast stitches on the house).

I added the contrast stitches to the house because there just wasn't enough color variation between the white house and the color of the fabric--the skipped stitches didn't really show up as a design element, they just looked like missed stitches. I thought that highlighting them with a contrasting color might help, but I don't like the effect at all--so out they come! I think I'll just fill in the missing stitches with the floss I used to stitch the house and be done with that part of the project. And I'll consider to ponder the yellow/taupe question while I practice my chain stitch so that I can get the vine and the leaves finished on my flagpole this week!

Because I finished the Green Sparkle Angel ornament last week, this week I started a new Gay Ann Rogers piece--Blue Sparkle Angel! I'm going to devote today to stitching on her so I'll be posting an update to my Gay Ann Rogers blog later today to start tracking my progress on that project.

So...what came out of the WIP basket?

2011-11-13T13:30:00.000-06:00

It's the closest thing I have to a piece of Thanksgiving stitching in the WIP basket! So last night I pulled it out of the WIP basket and it's the new focus project:

Land of the Free

Blackbird Designs

personal choice of fabric and floss

All stitched up!

2011-11-12T19:24:00.001-06:00

With thanks, and pride.

2011-11-11T00:05:00.006-06:00

If you know a veteran, please take a moment today to thank him (or her) for their service. And please spend a few minutes watching this video:

I fought for you

In my family the men have been suiting up, shouldering arms, and marching off to defend God and Country since at least the War of 1812. And now the newest generation has stepped up to the line to continue the tradition--my nephew John will be reporting to duty with the United States Air Force in February 2012. Please keep him, and all of the brave men and women of the United States Armed Forces, in your prayers.

Some of my best friends are Marines

2011-11-10T09:01:00.002-06:00

Hot off the hoop!

2011-11-09T10:35:00.000-06:00

A little finish!

2011-11-08T12:06:00.000-06:00

A fun new challenge

2011-11-07T13:54:00.002-06:00

Are you looking for a quick little Christmas project? Then hop over to Laura J. Perin's blog ASAP and consider joining her Monday Mini Mystery!

Click here to be transported to her site: Two-Handed Stitcher

Happy Monday!

RIP challenge update

2011-10-31T20:23:00.000-05:00

So my RIP challenges ended up being all about Dracula this year. And since the "real" Dracula was a Catholic, I'll take the opportunity tonight to offer a few prayers for the peaceful repose of his soul. After all, we're about to enter the month of the Holy Souls, and what better way to end the RIP VI challenge than to offer prayers for the man who was the inspiration behind my challenges this year.

Requiescat in pace, Vlad.

See you next year, Carl. Im already thinking about next year--one hint: Baltimore.

Happy Halloween!

2011-10-31T06:31:00.006-05:00

It's hard to believe that today is the last day of October--where had the year gone?

Last week was a fairly productive week, especially when I remember that I spent Friday evening and all day Saturday at the "Consoling the Heart of Jesus" retreat lead by Fr. Michael Gaitley (the author of the book by the same title). It was wonderful, and either later today, or maybe tomorrow, I'll post more about the retreat over at "Raised Catholic--can you tell" in case anyone is interested.

And there's some stitching progress to show, too. With my renewed commitment to both clearing out WIPs and reducing stash I've decided to limit the number of projects I'm working on at any one time (there will be a few exceptions, of course, because there is some important Christmas stitching on the horizon) and to limit the number of new starts. I'm really pleased with the way this has worked so far--it's so inspiring when I can see real progress on a piece each day!

So the current projects are the Mystery SAL from iStitch. This piece gets most of my stitching time. Here's a photo showing you all the progress I've made in the last week:

And then my 15 minutes a day project, Green Sparkle Angel by Gay Ann Rogers. I'm really shocked to see how much progress I've made on this one. I have a blog dedicated to my Gay Ann Rogers projects: Stitch Gay Ann Stash. There are some additional photos of the project posted there.

Tomorrow starts Becky's 2011 Christmas Ornament Challenge, so I'll be breaking the rules and starting an ornament tomorrow morning, and devoting most of my stitching time to getting it stitched ASAP, and then begging my friend Claudia to finish it for me. (Claudia does the most wonderful finishing--she truly is an artist!) You see, it's for Tripp, a precious little boy who was born with a truly devastating illness known as EB. Tripp loves Elmo, so I've decided to stitch an ornament of Elmo's face for him. You can learn more about Tripp, EB, Elmo (I love Elmo--and if you go read Tripp's mommy's blog you will, too!) at his mother's blog: EBing a Mommy.

Well, I guess that's all for today. I hope you all have a wonderful All Hallow's Eve!

Fairy SAL

2011-10-25T19:58:00.003-05:00

My friend Sherry is a big Halloween fan. Me, I can take it or leave it myself. For instance, she really likes this Halloween Fairy design from Nora Corbett:

While I, on the other hand, prefer the Sunflower Fairy:

So I'm thinking that we should do a SAL, Sherry and I. She can stitch her Halloween Fairy, and I'll stitch my Sunflower Fairy. I'm pretty sure it's the only way I'm ever going to get around to stitching her.

So Sherry, what do you say to starting a Fairy SAL on January 1?

Of course, anyone else who might want to join us is welcome to pick their favorite fairy and stitch away!

Halloween Exchanges!

2011-10-24T16:32:00.005-05:00

My friend Sherry and I do a Halloween exchange every year--today I received and envelope with the ornament she stitched for me. Would you look at this--isn't it fabulous?

She took a Prairies Schooler design, stitched it over 1 (I'm in awe, as I am with all over 1 stitching) and turned it into a little Owls for Sale sign. Then she tatted a wonderful border with beads and an owl as the hanger! (Oh, did I forget to mention that Sherry is also an incredibly talented tatter?) It's such a masterpiece! (And a great reminder of my mother who loved owls--something I never mentioned to Sherry, so it's just a nice coincidence.)

She also included a skein of a beautiful overdyed silk floss from The Thread Gatherer. It's a beautiful color, I think I may use it on one of the small samplers from iStitch to make something special to remind me of my friend Sherry.

I sent Sherry a primitive bat ornament that I made using some fabric that I dyed myself. Actually I re-dyed the fabric--it started out as a very splochy medium brown and I wanted to deepen the color. I coffee-dyed it, but instead of the color getting darker it turned this wonderful aged-orange color. I used the fabric to stitch Sherry's ornament, and then included most of the remaining fabric as part of my swap along with the Quaker Halloween Sampler chart from Cherished Stitches. Sherry LOVES Halloween so I hope she'll enjoy stitching this chart.

Weekend update

2011-10-23T22:16:00.003-05:00

We had elections this weekend, and there was a big football game in town, so I've been away from the computer. But that doesn't mean that I've been away from my needle! I stitched up parts 4 & 5 on the iStitch Mystery SAL:

And I continued spending 15 minutes a day on my Gay Ann Rogers canvas piece. If you're interested in my progress on that piece, visit Stitching Gay Ann Stash.

I hope you all have a good week. It's late, and I'm heading to bed.

I'm still here...and stitching!

2011-10-20T09:57:00.002-05:00

I'm still here. I know it seems like forever since I've shown a stitching photo, but between losing my stitching mojo (it's back!) and then stitching a Halloween ornament for an exchange (so I can't show it yet) this has been one boring blog!

But I'm back! So look for stitching updates more regularly now. The current plan is to spend at least 15 minutes each day stitching on one of my Gay Ann Rogers pieces (current project: Green Sparkle Angel) and the rest of my stitching time (at least 15 minutes) on my current WIP basket project: the iStitch Mystery SAL.

Visit Stitch Gay Ann Stash if you want to follow the progress of the canvas work pieces in detail. I'll post the occasional update here, too, for the casual follower.

OK, time to go stitch!

Steve Jobs, RIP

2011-10-06T07:18:00.000-05:00

I'm so trendy

2011-09-15T14:15:00.003-05:00

I went grocery shopping at Target today because I couldn't even have lunch today if I didn't--talk about letting the cupboard get bare--and I happened to stroll by this little beauty. After all the Missoni Madness that has taken over, how could I pass it by? What a great way to brighten up a beige coat this winter!

We remember...

2011-09-11T05:28:00.002-05:00

2012 WIPocalypse

2011-09-06T07:25:00.001-05:00

Oh, yeah. I'm in!

What am I talking about? Head over to Measi's blog to find out!

The view from my window

2011-09-03T16:44:00.002-05:00

So is the tropical storm gone, or just regrouping?

It''s that time again...

2011-09-01T09:03:00.012-05:00

Time for the RIP challenges (Readers Imbibing Peril) hosted by Carl, at Stainless Steel Droppings.

I've picked my challenges...and created one of my own...

This year I'm really, honestly, truly going to read Dracula, by Bram Stoker.

I know what my pick for this one is: Strange True Stories of Louisiana, by George Cabel

This one is always fun--and the choices are endless! Let's see what pops up on the telly and in the Redbox during the challenge, shall we?

And now, for my own challenge (sorry, no pretty art for this one) drumroll please....

The Peril of the Needle

Because, well, why not? Now to go paw through my charts to find something suitable to start.

iStitch Mystery SAL

2011-08-31T17:58:00.002-05:00

I finished part 2 last night, so now it's time to move onto the next project!

I'm planning on concentrating on WIPs this month, as well as keeping up with my 2 SALs. I do have 2 September starts planned--one, and ornament in memory of an online stitching pal who passed away very unexpectedly this summer that I plan on starting tomorrow. The other is a needlepoint piece that I've decided to start on September 11 as my own memorial to those who perished on that day.

That's all for now--time to go start dinner!

To my friends in harm's way...

2011-08-26T22:58:00.003-05:00

My prayers are with you.

Yes, I'm still here...and still stitching

2011-08-21T06:21:00.011-05:00

I've been making progress on lots of stitchy pieces, I've just not been blogging! Funny how one gets more stitching done when one spends less time blogging about their stitching, isn't it? So here's a round-up of what I've been working on.

First up, a piece from Blackbird Designs that was featured in Cross-Stitch and Needlework magazine: (all fabric and colors are my own choices, pulled from my stash of Vikki Clayton's Hand-Dyed Fibers linen and floss):

Summer Heart, a Sticklounge Yahoo Group piece is almost finished. I plan on getting back to it in the next week or so.

And of course I signed up to participate in the Mystery SAL that Carol over at iStitch was hosting (love her charts!). You can see a wonderful slideshow of the progress all the participants have made over on her blog: iStitchaholic.blogspot.com

And here's Friendship Heart, another Sticklounge piece. I've finished part 4 of 7, so I'll have to devote all of this week's stitching time to this on if I hope to finish parts 5 & 6 in time to get the final part before the August 30 deadline!

And finally, I started the 2011 Loose Feathers design. I'm stitching this on 32 count linen from Vikki Clayton (Prairie Grass) using HDF floss. Here I've used Old Maid of the Heart in place of the Manor Red that the chart called for. Why? Because I had it!

That's all for this week. Until next time, I wish you all well and hope that you have a peaceful and joyful week.

2011-08-07T05:05:00.002-05:00

http://randycourtneytripproth.blogspot.com/

can someone tell me...

2011-08-02T17:36:00.003-05:00

why someone abandoned a tire on my front porch? Curious, isn't it?

weekend update

2011-07-11T06:29:00.006-05:00

On Saturday my dear husband and I headed down to New Orleans to see an exhibit at the Historic New Orleans Collection that highlighted the relationship between Spain and the United States from the earliest days of Colonial exploration.

When we arrived at the HNOC we were stunned to also find a second exhibit that we loved: The Golden Legend in the New World: Art of the Spanish Colonial Viceroyalties. Well worth the trip.

In addition to taking in the two exhibits we spent several happy hours strolling through the French Market and the French Quarter, and had a lovely lunch together at Pere Antoine's. I couldn't have asked for a more enjoyable day!

And of course there was stitching. I finished part 2 of Summer Heart and sent the photo off to the Sticklounge group so that I could get the next part of the chart. I'm on a tight deadline with this piece--the final date to receive a part of the chart is August 2--so I'm concentrating on this piece as much as possible when I stitch.

While waiting for the next section of the Summer Heart chart to be sent I pulled out Land of the Free and added a few stitches:

Sunday was "Jane Day" with the Night Owl Stitchers group so I pulled out Fancy a Jane Day and set about removing the second line of the words because on the last Jane Day I had discovered that I had lined them up wrong. She's been put away now until the next Jane Day shows up on the calendar.

I've discovered that I really don't like stitching on a deadline--no model stitching for me! But I find myself with 3 WIPs that have deadlines looming, so my stitching time for the next 2 months is going to be quite regimented. The first 2 are Sticklounge pieces--Summer Heart with an August 2 deadline and then Friendship Heart with an August 31 deadline. If I haven't requested the last part of the chart by that date the piece won't ever be finished...and that would be a shame. Then there's Green Sparkle Angel. The deadline to get her to my local needlepoint shop for Christmas finishing is September 30.

So you won't be seeing many new starts over the next few months. Between my commitment to myself that I'm going to get these WIPs stitched, and these looming deadlines, there just won't be time to start anything new, with one exception--the new Blackbird Designs Loose Feathers charts. I'm SALing those with the BlackBird Stitchers group on Yahoo, so I'll be starting that project as soon as my LNS calls me to let me know that the first chart has arrived!

I hope you all have a happy and stitch-filled week. As for me, my vacation started today so I'll be accompanying my dear husband on his trip to the SCV reunion in Montgomery, Alabama later this week. My stitching bag has been packed (and double checked to make sure that there's no repeat of the Pensacola stitching problems) and I'm bringing along two books--Jane Austen's Northanger Abbey and The Diary of a Hunted Priest by Fr. John Gerard, which is (as the title suggests) the true account of a Jesuit priest's life in Elizabethan England. I'm looking forward to a few days of uninterrupted stitching and reading!

Until we meet again, Dear Readers, may the Lord watch between you and me while we are absent from each other.

Holiday weekend stitching

2011-07-05T06:57:00.000-05:00

It was a very stitching holiday weekend for me. Here's a quick look at the progress I made on a few of my WIPs:

Saturday is "Stitch Gay Ann Stash" day, so I pulled out my Green Sparkle Angel ornament to work on. Finishing up the interior gold border was a snap, the next row of the border, stitched with white perle cotton, was more challenging. But I made some progress, so I'm very happy. Now this project is back in my stitching basket waiting for next Saturday!

I decided to use Sunday to make some progress on my 2 Sticklounge projects , so I started the day working on the first installment of Summer Heart. I was determined to get this installment finished so that I could send them my photo and get part 2 sent to me. SUCCESS! I finished part one, and I'm thrilled with the colors I selected.

When I had finished the first installment of Summer Heart, I went back to stitching on my Friendship Heart piece. The hour was late, and I was tired, so I didn't get much done. In fact, only the blue heart and the little bit of backstitch you see in this photo is new. But it's better than nothing, and I'll be concentrating on this piece this week until part 2 is finished and the photo sent over to the Sticklounge group.

And then on Monday it was back to Land of the Free--after all, it was July 4th, so a patriotic stitch was in order!

All in all, I'm happy with the way my stitching weekend turned out! I hope yours was just as productive and rewarding.

Their sacred honor...

2011-07-04T00:05:00.003-05:00

Ever wonder what life was like for the men who signed the Declaration of Independence during/after the American Revolution? If so, go and read "Their lives, their trust, their sacred honor."

You'll never look at the founding fathers the same way again--I promise.

A stash start

2011-07-02T09:55:00.001-05:00

I had a bad case of startitis coupled with a bad case of patriotic-stitching-fever yesterday. In order to cure both problems I decided to start LAND OF THE FREE, a Blackbird Designs chart featured in the current issue of Cross-Stitch and Needlework magazine.

Of course I didn't have a single one of the called-for threads in the house--and since they are Belle Soie silks they aren't exactly in the budget right now, either. I decided to make this a stash project and set to work.

32 count overdyed linen in a neutral color: not a problem. I've got a half-yard of linen right here, so I proceeded to cut a 13x13 square.

Now...to match (or come close) to the original colors in the design. I decided to drag out my big box of Vikki Clayton's Hand-Dyed Silks, many of which are un-named d-bag skeins and got to work.

It took me 3 tries to find a color that I'm happy with as a substitute for the Belle Soie Butterscotch, and in the process I managed to find substitutes for most of the colors.

Stitching with silk on 32 count linen really is nice! Here's a photo of my start:

Will my finished project look 'just like the picture'? No, of course not! But then, I've seen so much variation between dye lots in the hand-dyed flosses on the market that I'm not sure it would look 'just like the picture' even if I did have the fabric and flosses listed in the magazine! It will still be pretty, and I'll enjoy the process of stitching it, and the finished product.

Of course, I noticed that one side of my fabric wasn't exactly straight, so I'm not perfectly centered on the fabric. Oh, well. It's not the first time I've had that problem, and it certainly won't be the last. At least I have plenty of room on that short side even with the mistake! Not like my problem with The Summer Ball!

Since today is Saturday I'm planning a Stitch Gay Ann Stash date night with my Green Sparkle Angel ornament. Sunday will be spent working on my two Sticklounge projects, Friendship Heart and Summer Heart. Of course I'll spend Monday stitching on LAND OF THE FREE!

Wishing you and yours a very happy July 4th!

Christmas in July

2011-07-01T05:59:00.001-05:00

I picked this little beauty up from my local needlepoint shop earlier this week. It's another Gay Ann Rogers design that I finished stitching earlier this year. I'm very happy with the way it turned out.

Now I need to get busy stitching on my current Gay Ann WIP--Green Sparkle Angel--so that I can have her finished in time to hang on the tree this year!

a giveaway!

2011-06-28T17:09:00.002-05:00

Look at that little darling--just the place to rest your scissors and a few spools of thread. If you hurry you can still enter the contest to win this little darling (along with a bunch of other goodies) over at I'll cross that leg when I get to it.

There's a visitor in my garden....

2011-06-16T06:27:00.002-05:00

I went to add some scraps to the composter one morning earlier this week and I found this fellow sunning himself on the composter! Luckily he scampered--I don't know who was more surprised, me or him--so he was on the ground when I came back to take a photo. (He's a harmless Eastern Ribbon Snake, or so the internet tells me...)

Ahhh...the adventures of suburbia!

Flag Day

2011-06-14T03:55:00.004-05:00

Today is Flag Day, another one of the many patriotic days on the calendar--quite a few of which fall during the summer. So what could be more appropriate than a new piece of patriotic stitching to celebrate the day?

Laura J. Perrin has just released a new design--Red White and Blue Panel. I have long admired her long panel designs, but as much as I admired the designs none of them were quite 'me'. Well, this one is! I'll be ordering it today!

You can find a photo of the design on Laura's blog: HERE

Honor Begins At Home

2011-06-11T05:59:00.003-05:00

My husband and I were privileged to get and view a screening of this new movie earlier this week. It is the newest soon-to-be-released film from the same group that brought out FIREPROOF a few years ago. What FIREPROOF did for marriage, COURAGEOUS aims to do for men. And I believe it will succeed.

COURAGEOUS opens September 30th. I'll be sitting in my local theater that evening, along with some friends. I hope you'll do the same thing in your town.

Check out the website for more details: COURAGEOUS THE MOVIE

a return to 1781

2011-06-10T07:53:00.000-05:00

Sorry it has taken so long to get this posted, but Blogger...well, we all know how much trouble they've been...

Anyway, last weekend the hubby and I took off to Pensacola so that he could participate in the re-enactment of the Battle of Pensacola hosted by Historic Pensacola Village as part of their annual open house weekend.

We had a great time. It was hot, but still, we had a great time. Here are a few shots of the 'action' so that you can see what we (ok, mostly he) did.

The morning started early on Saturday, so I stayed at the hotel (located only 1 mile from the event site) and walked over to join him just before the action started. It was a lovely walk down Palafox, the Farmer's Market and Arts Market were both taking place, and downtown Pensacola is so pretty! But soon enough I spotted this sign, which let me know that I was about to leave 2011 and travel back in time to 1781 to witness a crucial battle in the War for American Independence:

The first order of the day was going to be military exercise demonstrations by both the English and Spanish troops. When I arrived I found the English troops had already returned to camp:

And the Spanish forces were marching off to the demonstration area.

Where there were demonstrations of shooting and bayonet charges:

And then it was time to return to camp, cool off, and enjoy some lunch.

While the men were in their camps, I found shelter from the sun under a grapevine arbor, and took time to work on my stitching:

It got to hot to keep stitching outside, so I retired into the museum and found a well-lit, quiet place to sit and stitch--inside of the old trolly that used to run in Pensacola:

General Galvez gives the orders:

and the Spanish forces begin firing:

as the Acadian Militia prepares to march off to a new position:

On the far side of the field the Acadian forces have started to suffer some casualties:

The Spanish Forces begin the final assault on the fort--a bayonet charge:

So, eventually the fort was taken by the Spanish, and we could all go inside and get into the air conditioning!

After this, all that remained was for the formal surrender and the raising of the Spanish flag--no photos, because I was just too comfortable inside to go back out into the heat!

Thank you

2011-06-06T08:52:00.003-05:00

to all the men who waded ashore on D-Day. You are the stuff of which legends are made.

What I did yesterday....

2011-06-04T07:15:00.005-05:00

I finished the first part of my Friendship Heart that I am stitching with the Sticklounge Yahoo Group. I'm really happy with the colors so far, I may end up making one slight change but that decision will wait until I've finished the entire project.

I'm going to have this finished as a pillow, the question is: square, or heart-shaped? Fortunately I have plenty of time to make that decision because I have 6 more sections to stitch before I'm finished with the chart!

The fabric is 35 count linen from Hand-Dyed Fibers in an unnamed color. The floss is DMC.

Today is going to be a challenge--I had planned on finishing up at least 2 WIPs...but I just discovered that I didn't bring the hoop I use on 2 of the projects, and I didn't pack the chart for the project that will fit on the Q-snaps I have with me! I'm going to give 'stitching in hand' a try on one of the projects to see if I can at least make some progress. I've always used a hoop or a Q-snap when stitching, so this will be an adventure!

first night's progress

2011-06-03T07:39:00.002-05:00

here's my progress from the first night--I wanted to get all of the colors on the fabric to make sure that they are going to work, and I must say that I'm really happy with the results. Of course, this is a photo that I took with the phone, so the colors aren't really showing up true. I'll post a better photo tomorrow.

And man, that backstitching is really time consuming!

floss toss

2011-06-02T00:56:00.000-05:00

for the Sticklounge Friendship Heart. It has taken me weeks to pick the fabric and the colors, but I'm really happy with what I've put together. Now to get part 1 stitched this weekend!

It's that time of year again...

2011-06-01T09:25:00.003-05:00

Do you have a plan?

a touch of Jane Austen

2011-05-31T06:12:00.002-05:00

I didn't get as much stitching done this weekend as I wanted to --but on Sunday I did start stitching on "Fancy a Jane Day" from The Sampler Girl's collection of Jane Austen-inspired designs. After all, it was 'Jane Day' for the members of the Night Owls Stitching group on Yahoo, so why not a new start? Especially since I don't have any Jane Austen pieces lingering in my WIP basket!

And it turned out to be a day when I really wished I could retreat into a Jane Austen novel and never return....but that is not to be, so we soldier on.

I hope you all have a wonderful week. I plan on putting the final stitches into my 4th of July Quaker Heart this week, and maybe getting to dive into the WIP basket to see what else can be finished this year.

A grateful nation pauses to offer thanks

2011-05-30T04:04:00.001-05:00

Today we observe Memorial Day, the most sacred day on the secular calendar of our nation's history. It's not just the official start of summer, or a day to hit the sales at the mall, or another day when the mail isn't delivered. It is, instead, the day when we should all pause and remember those men and women who gave their lives in the service of our country. They are the saints and martyrs of democracy and freedom, and we owe them so much.

So today please take a minute to offer a prayer of thanksgiving for their sacrifice, and for the repose of their souls. If you happen to know a Gold Star Mother, or the wife or sibling of a fallen soldier call them up, or drop them a line, letting them know that the sacrifice of their loved one has not been forgotten.

If you are interested in stitching a Memorial Day tribute, then check out this freebie from Paulette Stewart (of Plum Street Samplers). It's one of two patriotic pieces I'll be stitching today.

a giveaway!

2011-05-25T19:29:00.002-05:00

There is a great giveaway going on over at Feathers in the Nest--you can win a Blackbird Designs Americana-themed chart AND the floss needed to stitch the chart!

Hurry over and enter today for your chance to win!

weekend stitching

2011-05-21T20:18:00.007-05:00

As I hoped, I managed to finish The Sampler Girl's 'Cheerful Company' today while listening to the debate on--are you ready--delegate selection to the 2012 Republican National Convention (the hot topic at today's Republican State Central Committee meeting). The things you have to endure when you are a self-employed political researcher!

Anyway, here's my finish of 'Cheerful Company'. I've stitched it on 35 count antique white linen (much whiter than the photo shows) using DMC floss (2 strands). Some shades are as called for, others are simply what I had. I modified the design somewhat--the flowers, because I messed up one and didn't feel like frogging and the basket because I wanted a woven look. I'm very happy with the result and plan on looking for a wooden index card box to use as an address file and I'll mount this on the top. I'm hoping that I'll find an unfinished box that will work--I want to paint it in a dusky purple shade, similar to the color I used for the date on the stitching.

So then I decided to start back stitching 4th of July Quaker Style, a freebie from AuryTM that I downloaded years ago. It's stitched on 35 count Bunny Brown linen using a single strand of DMC floss:

Now it's time to get back to my reading. I hope you are all having a wonderful weekend!

Ora et Labora,

Ann

something sweet

2011-05-17T06:19:00.001-05:00

My dear hubby surprised me with these colorful flowers and a sweet card last night. It was so nice to have these to focus on when I walked in the living room this morning, rather than the empty place on the sofa.

OK, the buzzer just sounded. Time to go get the clothes out of the dryer. I hope you all have a wonderful day!

And then there were none...

2011-05-16T11:47:00.003-05:00

I buried my last cat today. Teddy, who was also the first cat I got as an adult, died today sitting quietly on the sofa beside me. He was 15, and very loved.

I've planted some purple iris over his resting place.

It's a sad day.

A lovely gift--and a PIF to register for!

2011-05-14T20:53:00.009-05:00

While I was on my blogging break during Lent I received a lovely PIF from Tricia over at The Stamper's Stitches. She sent me a package containing this wonderful quilted mug mat (perfect for someone like me who has a cup of tea around most of the time!) in lovely shades of peachy-pink, green, and yellow--my favorite color scheme!

Included in the package was a Lizzie Kate snippet and this beautiful card...

along with the only frogs any stitcher want...CHOCOLATE ONES!

Thank you, Tricia, for the lovely gift.

And now I want to announce my own PIF: On May 25 I will randomly select 3 people to win a PIF from me. In order to be entered into the drawing for this PIF please leave a comment ON THIS POST ONLY. I will announce the names of the winners on May 26.

Thanks for visiting...

I feel free!

2011-05-10T10:08:00.003-05:00

Yesterday and today I spent my declutter time working on the spice cabinet, and the pantry cabinets. And in only a few short 15 minute sessions they were both decluttered! I checked the expiration date on everything and pitched anything out of date. It actually felt like I was being freed from some form of captivity to see those things out of the cupboards. (NOTE: the cabinets are decluttered, they are certainly not organized--that will come later.)

Tonight I'm going to finalize my PIF plans, which I will announce on Friday! Be looking for that announcement and also photos of the lovely PIF that I received from Tricia at The Stamper's Stitches during my blogging break.

I also hope to at least pick up my needle and thread tonight to stitch a little on something---anything---just for myself.

Have a wonderful week everyone!

It starts with the sink...

2011-05-09T09:20:00.003-05:00

I've been off of the Flylady bandwagon for so long now it's embarrassing. But last night I climbed back on...I'm clinging to the back of the wagon with my fingernails, but at least I'm there!

My sink got shined last night. I didn't leave any dirty dishes in it after breakfast this morning for 'later'. It's a small step, but it's a step in the right direction. Finally. Things are really out of control around here, and I've got to get them under control soon before I lose my mind!

So now I'm going to go throw in a load of laundry and 'bless my kitchen'. Given my crazy schedule my weekly home blessing will take place one room at a time, one day at a time. But that's OK, everything will still get done.

I hope you're having a wonderful Monday. Stay tuned for PIF information later this week!

Alabama...

2011-05-02T19:46:00.001-05:00

Please, give whatever you can. The need is so great. The national media has moved on to the next sensational story...we are the media now.

Back to blogging!

2011-05-01T21:04:00.002-05:00

Now that Lent is over it's time for me to get back to blogging. So much has gone on...of course, my heart goes out to the people of Alabama and all the other states that are struggling with the aftermath of the recent storms. My prayers are with you.

There's a wonderful give-a-way that I want to tell you about today: Over at Cranberry Samplings you can enter to win an absolutely fabulous stitching box! The drawing is going to be on May 8, so hurry over and enter!

I've got to do some catch-up posts this week just to let you know what's been going on--but right now, I need to go to bed!

hiatus

2011-03-09T03:55:00.002-06:00

I'll be taking a break from this blog during Lent in order to spend my time more completely preparing for Easter. I will be doing some limited posting on my religion blog about my Lenten journey. If you're interested in following it, here's a link: Raised Catholic--can you tell? I wish you all a very blessed Lent, and look forward to sharing my stitching with you again after the Easter season has concluded.

Anna Banana

2011-03-02T19:16:00.004-06:00

My childhood friend and neighbor Anna Banana passed away today after a 5 month battle to recover from the heart attack she suffered on October 6th. I still can't believe that I'll never hear her deep, husky laugh--a laugh she had even as a child.

Anna was one-of-a-kind. In a town full of interesting people Anna still managed to stand out, with a heart big enough to carry everyone and a knack for making everyone feel right at home--a skill, no doubt, acquired during our high-school and college years when her parents' home (right next door to our house) was the scene of almost every 'wild party' I can remember. I always thought that one day someone would write a book about the Watts parties and call it 'A few thousand folks'. I guess I actually thought that someone would be Anna. Sadly, it won't be.

I'm going to miss you, Anna Banana.

a tiny stitching update

2011-02-28T10:32:00.006-06:00

I feel terrible, I haven't posted anything stitchy lately. I've been so busy that I've hardly had any time to stitch, but I have made a little more progress on my Sticklounge Logo piece (from Tam's Creations, and available on her website). Here's a photo:

I'm currently stitching part 4 of the chart--I hope to finish it this week so that I can concentrate on part 5 this weekend. I'm so far behind on this one, and I only have until mid-June to finish all 12 or 13 parts!

Why I'll be watching the Oscars tonight

2011-02-26T09:48:00.004-06:00

This is the entry from France for Best Foreign Language Film this year. Based on the book The Monks of Tibhirine by John W. Kiser, the film depicts the kidnapping and murder of 7 Catholic monks from a monastery in Tibhirine, Algeria, in 1996, but it also details their life and their interaction with their Muslim neighbors in the time leading up to their kidnapping.

I've posted a link to the movie's trailer beneath the poster. You owe it to yourself to watch it.
For those of you who are interested in more about the monks, or who have an interest in music (with the exception of a part of the score of Swan Lake, all of the music in the film is sacred music based on hymns and the Psalms) print out the press kit for more information.

http://www.sonyclassics.com/ofgodsandmen/

my dream alarm clock

2011-02-17T11:04:00.002-06:00

If I've got to get up in the morning (and don't most of us?) then here's the alarm clock I want:

It's a TEASMADE, from Swan. And as the name implies, it makes your first pot of tea in the morning just minutes before you wake up. There's even one with a built-in radio. How nice to be able to drink that first cup of tea before getting up and facing the world!

Maybe one day they will market one for us here in the US. Until then, I wonder if an adapter/converter would work?

Some stitching...

2011-02-13T10:41:00.003-06:00

I've been stitching lately, in spite of my lack of blogging about it. Here are a few updates:

First, we have a freebie from iStitch. Stitched on 35 count linen with DMC 4045 floss, finished into a pin keep. The fabric you see the pin keep resting on is the fabric I used as a backing.

Next we have my on-going Gay Ann Rogers project: Green Sparkle Angel Ornament. This is my Saturday night Date Night stitching project. Here's a quick look:

And then there is Corsage, which was a cyber class from Laura J. Perin. I'm way behind on this one (the class has ended, actually) for several reasons--the main one being that my local needlepoint store didn't have the green canvas the project called for so I decided to substitute brown canvas. All the threads work--except the overdyed thread from Laura that is used for the background. For the past month I've been kicking around ideas on how to fix this problem because I really don't like restarting a project. I think I've come up with a solution--so I'm back to working on this one for 1 hour a day with the hope of finishing it by the end of March.

I've also been working on my Sticklounge logo project but I forgot to take a photograph of that one. Oh, well...next time!

And don't forget--Gay Ann Rogers is having her annual heart sale on her website: www.gayannrogers.com. I've already made my purchases for this year: Red Candy Heart and Flowers & Eyelets Heart. I doubt I'll get to start them this year, but maybe...

Time to sign off and get back to an afternoon curled up on the sofa with Jane Austen!

Thank you for your prayers

2011-02-12T05:38:00.003-06:00

My friend Margaret is burying her husband today. John's struggle ended very quickly as I received word on Tuesday afternoon that he had passed away.

I thank you all for your prayers.

And I promise to post something more upbeat and happy before the weekend is over.

If you are a praying person...

2011-02-05T16:57:00.003-06:00

Please remember my friends John and Margaret in your prayers. John was just diagnosed with metastatic liver cancer, and there are no plans for chemotherapy or a transplant.

I hope you will join me in praying for John's complete healing, trusting that even as we ask it will be granted--although perhaps not in the way we imagine.

For those of you who are Catholic, Margaret has sent out this prayer for the intercession of Pope John Paul II--I hope you'll join me in praying it, asking Pope John Paul II to intercede with Our Lord on John's behalf. (For those of you who are not Catholic, please pray for John using the prayers and customs of your own faith tradition.)

Thank you very much for your prayers.

Prayer for the intercession of Pope John Paul II

O Holy Trinity,
we thank you for having given to the Church
Pope John Paul II,
and for having made him shine with your fatherly tenderness,
the glory of the Cross of Christ, and the splendor of the Spirit of love.

He, trusting completely in your infinite mercy
and in the maternal intercession of Mary, has shown himself
in the likeness of Jesus the Good Shepherd
and has pointed out to us holiness
as the path to reach eternal communion with You.

Grant us, through his intercession,
according to your will, the grace that we implore,
in the hope that he will soon be numbered among your saints.
Amen.

calling project #5

2011-01-12T11:01:00.006-06:00

The official cyber class for Laura J. Perin's wonderful design Corsage doesn't start until this weekend, but I couldn't resist testing my threads this morning. The design called for Santa Fe Sage canvas, but my local needlepoint shop didn't have that color in stock, so I decided to try stitching the design with a brown background.

I've put in the first row of the central border, and I think the colors will work. There isn't a great deal of difference between the medium gold color and the canvas, but it's enough for me. There's one more shade of gold that I'm a little concerned about, but not enough to start over. I am really happy with the colors that I'm using and I look forward to having the design unfold over the weeks to come.

floss toss on top of brown canvas