July was a very busy month, stitchingwise...

At the beginning of the summer break I decided to limit my new stash purchases until I had finished some of the UFOs in my craft basket. I had several projects that have been hanging around for some time. I have a bad habit of thinking I have to do things even if I don't like them anymore. So, my original list including 17 projects. Sharon was visiting me last week and we were looking at all of my projects and she asked me if I really liked all of them. When I admitted that I didn't like a couple of them she convinced me that I didn't have to stitch them. What a relief!


So, I did finish several projects this past month. I am most happy about finishing SP A Weary World Rejoices. It was a slow start, but once I got accustomed to the smaller thread count of the fabric, I was able to finish it. I actually finished the date this morning.


I also completed the three Summer Bungalows from CCN. These are really cute and were very easy to stitch. I have big plans for finishing these.


LHN Winter Wonderland had been forgotten in my stitching basket for quite a while. I pulled it out and was able to finish this one in about a week. I love it. I think the fabric is perfect.


I also finished this JBW Christmas tree. I only had the border to complete, but had run out of floss and couldn't remember what I had used. Marie sent me a skein of Victorian Sampler thread that was a perfect match. Thanks, Marie. This will be finished as an ornament for my tree.

The boys go back to school at the end of the week. Next week is a free week for me. Classes do not resume until the 17th at USM, so I have a bit of free time to enjoy. Of course, I need to prep for the fall semester (I am teaching a new course and using a different textbook in my other classes this semester). But I planned to enjoy my time off.

I have several projects kitted up and ready to go. Hopefully, this month will be another productive stitching month for me.

Not a lot of stitching to share...

Well, I haven't stitched as much as I wanted this week. I have one finish to share though. This is another silk gauze piece from my stash. I really, really like these projects. They are so cute and quite easy to do. Theresa has almost convinced me to stitch one of my stash patterns on silk gauze (she sells the gauze at her store). Maybe after I have finished my stash purge I will try a small project.

Speaking of my stash purge. I mentioned in my last post that I have sworn off buying any more stitching stash until I complete the 17 current projects I have in my "to do" basket. Well, at present, I have 6 projects underway (CCN Summer Bungalows, A Weary World Rejoices, Nicholas's stocking, LHN Winter Wonderland, JBW Christmas Tree, Scarecrow from an old magazine). The CCN project and JBW project are almost complete. I should have those done this week. I have also completed two other projects from the list and given them to my sister, Sharon as a PIF gift and an ornament exchange. I don't have pictures to share though. That leaves just 9 projects to go.


By the way, we went to the beach this past Monday and had a great time. If you are ever on the Mississippi Gulf Coast, consider catching the ferry to Ship Island. It was a fun trip and a beautiful beach.

I have been very busy...

The summer is just flying by. I am teaching two classes this summer, so that is taking up some of my time. The textbook is also eating up a lot of my free time. BUT, I have found time to work on some of my existing stash. Last weekend I went through all of my patterns and kits and discovered I had 17 projects that were either started or kitted. What an eye opener. I need to avoid the stitching store for a while. Since our budget is tighter in the summer I made a Summer resolution to not purchase any new patterns until I have completed these 17. (I still have lots of other patterns in addition to these, but they aren't kitted, so I don't feel as guilty about those.) Fortunately, most are pretty simple. I have actually completed several.


The first photo is of a silk gauze Christmas tree. I purchase the kit at Hobby Lobby when they were clearing out all of the stitching kits. Talk about tedious work. That is quarter next to the stitched piece! Glad I got this one out of the way before the eyes get any worse.


This is another CCN pattern (Summer Bungalows). I love here patterns. I'm not sure if I like it on this fabric as much as I thought I would, but it is still cute. Plan to finish this as a needlework case.

I forgot to take pictures of my other two finishes. I completed LK January Flip It last night. This will be finished as an ornament for my sister, Sharon. Also, I stitched the Silver Needle Witch Way kit for Sharon also. I am very late completing some PIFs and this is one of them.

As I finish these projects, I am posting the patterns on my wishlist page. If you see something you like, check out that page. The link is in the sidebar.

Have a great week.

Lots to share...

I haven't cross stitched much this week. I have been very tired, especially today. I don't know if it is the weather or if I have some type of bug, but I have been very lazy today. Anyway, instead of cross stitching, I have been sewing. I made a pair of pajama pants for my dad for Father's Day. He was very happy. Apparently, his old pajamas are beyond repair. That got me started on a sewing frenzy.





I finished my summer and fall stitching bags also. This is a project that Lisha and I signed up for at our local quilt shop. We learned to make these really nice charm totes. Well, if you know how to make one, why not make lots. I made two last year, a winter tote and a spring tote. I then made one for my mother for Christmas and my sister for her birthday. Well, I pulled out the supplies and finished my summer and winter totes.


Now, I can change with the seasons. Nicholas thinks I should have one for each day of the week. (Careful, boy. You shouldn't make those types of suggestions to a person with my type of personality.)



Finally, I finished Nicholas's rag quilt. Isn't it adorable? It was very easy. I have the material to make one for Patrick, so maybe I will work on that next month.

Hopefully, I will get more cross stitching done over the weekend. We are getting together at my younger sister's house this weekend to stitch and talk. I'll let you know how that goes...

Have a great weekend!

Two finishes this week...

I finished LK ABC Lessons this weekend. I think it is so pretty on this fabric and can't wait to have it framed. This was a very nice piece to stitch. It was easy enough to stitch while watching TV.



My other finish is O'Starry Night from Little by Little. Very easy pattern and very cute. It is stitched on Smoky Blue Lugana (28 ct) from Silkweaver. Isn't it perfect? This would make a very pretty ornament.

The past few days have been so busy that stitching time has been limited. Hopefully, once the next few tasks on the textbook are completed I can relax a little bit. Also, I have declared a ban on buying any new patterns or fabric during July. The stash is getting a bit outrageous. There are at least 3 kitted patterns in my "to do" pile that I can work on, not to mention all of those UFOs and WIPs. If I focus on some of these projects, maybe my savings balance will increase over the next month. Who wants to be my accountability partner? Lisha?

Shopping Spree Saturday!!!

Shakespeare's Peddler is having a Cyber Sidewalk Sale and she has some really amazing prices. Earlier in the week, I purchased two patterns that were on my wishlist: Holly and a pattern for Tournicoton. Well, today, I decided to drive into Hattiesburg and shop the patterns to see if there were any that I just had to have. What a great idea! I picked up lots of great patterns at really great prices. Everything that I bought was 50% off the original price. I love the Just Nan Christmas Biscornus and was excited to see that there was one in the sale box. Even the embellishment packs were on sale! If you are interested you can check out the specials at Shakespeare's Peddler website.


I did purchase one item that was not in the sidewalk sale: Just Nan Bunny Charm Garden Pin. Isn't this just adorable? There are several in the series including bugs and a hedgehog. I really want to collect several of these because they are so pretty and detailed.



Though I have been very busy with work and gardening (spent all day yesterday at my parents' farm picking and snapping beans), I did get some stitching done this week. I have made some progress on LK ABC Lessons. I am certain that I can finish this piece in the next week or so. A Weary World Rejoices is taking a bit longer than I expected. I love stitching on it, but I made a mistake on one of the windows. Instead of putting it down and starting something else, I forced myself to make the correction and stitch on it the rest of the evening. I am glad that I did because I was able to finish all of the motifs on the bottom half of the pattern. I still need to finish the side borders. I really think the top half will be faster stitching. Hope to finish it by the end of the month.

Thanks for stopping by and all the nice comments. Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend.

The Eagle is finished!!!!!

FINALLY!!! I finished it Friday night. It is really pretty. Pete was very happy with it. I still need to frame it.


I also finished Love Birds by Miss Crescent's Crowne. This was really easy and stitched up very quickly. This was the first time I have stitched with Belle Soie silk. Very nice.


I have also made a bit of progress on LK ABC Lessons. Only three rows left.

Baltimore was great. I had a very good time. The conference was very helpful.

The Quaker Turtles are finished....

Aren't these the cutest things? I love them. They are so tiny. It was a bit tedious to put them together, but it was worth it.



I also finished CCN Bumblebee. I absolutely love this one. I stitched it on a piece of Silkweaver Precious Metals 28 ct Opalescent Lugana. It is really pretty and it only took me 2 days to complete it.

The boys are almost finished with school. After next week I will be the parent of a high school student. I can't believe he is old enough to be in high school. Time flies...

It's finally May!!!

I am so happy that it is finally May. That means the semester is almost over. Now, don't get me wrong. I love my job at USM, but I also love the end of the semester. I will have a few days to just relax. Oh, who am I kidding, I can't relax. We have a lot of work to do on the textbook, so I have a few days to work on the book. I didn't have as much stitching time this month, but I did finish all the parts of Quaker Turtles. I just need to assembly the little guys. My son really, really wants one. I don't think he realizes these are sewing goodies. He just loves the idea of the turtle.


I have also worked very hard on this Bald Eagle. Pete's birthday was the 19th. Yes, I missed his birthday. So, maybe he will get it by the end of May.

I have also worked on the A Weary World Rejoices and ABC Lessons a bit this month. I love both of these. I usually pull one of these two out when I have had a frustrating day. Helps improve my mood.

By the way, this is one of our textbooks. I just love the cover. And there's my name in the lower right corner. I am still amazed to see that.

My goals were less that accomplished this month, but hopefully May will be better for stitching. I just really want to finish that Eagle!!!

Thanks for stopping by and have a great weekend.

Fair and Square Exchange from Marie

I received the cutest squares from Marie (TX) this weekend. I love the little house and the cat on the roof is a great representation of our wild cat, Josie. If we would let her, I'm sure she would love to walk around on our roof.

Thanks for the nice comments. Have a great week.

Blackbird Designs Mystery Sampler Completed!!

Well, with the exception of 23 stitches, the sampler is complete. I ran out of Peacock and need to either purchase another skein or find floss that is close enough for that small number of stitches. I think this is such a pretty piece. I can't wait to frame it and hang it in my dining room.

I hope everyone has a wonderful Easter weekend. I am off to buy Easter candy today.

Rufus the Rabbit and some exchanges

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I finished Rufus the Rabbit this weekend. It was a very easy project and quite cute. This was actually from a pile of stash my sister received from a friend. We were amazed at all of the wonderful patterns and fabric that her friend decided she didn't want any more. Of course, my sister was very happy to receive all of the wonderful stash and was sweet enough to share some with me. Thanks, Sharon. I plan to finish this as a no-sew cube for Easter.


I also have received some really nice exchanges over the past few days. First, Bridget C. sent me these cute squares for the Easter Fair and Square exchange. These will be finished as a pinkeep, hopefully in time for Easter display.


And Clare sent me this wonderful biscornu and extras. Isn't it pretty? Thanks!

Well, I didn't do so well with my March goals, but plan to be more productive in April. If I can just get through with the bald eagle, I will feel much better. I have also decided to try a rotation again to help "push" through these projects. I think this will be a big help.

Have a great day.

Progress report...

Well, I have been stitching pretty faithfully each night. I just haven't seemed to make much progress though. One of my goals this month was to finish 2/3 of the eagle for Peter. I have really tried, but this is not the fastest stitching project I have done. I worked on it three nights this week and am not even close. Once I finish the head and the tail, the rest of the wings should be fairly easy. It is just a chore to work on the head and I haven't even started the tail. Peter's birthday is the 19th of April. I may, by some sliver of a chance, finish this by then.


As some of you may know, I am always inspired by Vonna and Becky. I love to read their blogs.
Both of these ladies are extremely positive and inspiring. So, since I take so much inspiration from them, when they each started new projects, I decided that was a great idea. So I started two new projects (Remember there were two people inspiring me.) I started Mosey 'N Me Rufus the Rabbit. This project has been in my "to do" basket for some time and I thought that with Easter coming up, this would be just the thing to stitch.


Also, I picked up Shakespeare's Peddler A Weary World Rejoices this month. I love this sampler. Theresa is very creative and I love the message of "hope" that the motifs in this sampler convey. Theresa stitches on smaller counts often and I always love how delicate her work looks. So, I am stitching this on a smaller count than I am accustomed. I think this is either 36 or 38 count. I started it last night and love it.


Another project that I have in the bag is LK ABC Lessons. This one is very easy and fun to stitch. I figure if I finish one line a month, that's progress.


A group of friends and I get together each month to do something. We were playing Bunko, but some of the members wanted more variety this year. Well, our hostess this week suggested sewing these little bird pincushions. Isn't it cute? It reminds me of a purple martin. I can't say that I did the sewing. I cut out the fabric, pinned it together, and filled it with walnut shells. Lisha and Theresa actually did the sewing for me. Thanks!!

One last note. I am continuing my pledge of Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle this year by offering the patterns on my trade list for free. Check the link in the right hand column. If there is anything there you would like, please e-mail me and include your mailing address. I will drop them in the mail to you asap.

Thanks for stopping by...

Biscornus and Dragonfly

I know, I know. It has been way too long since my last post. I promise, I have been busy. But, to the important information. I have been stitching quite a bit lately. I finished a biscornu for Hooked on Exchanges and the Blackberry biscornu from Sweetheart Tree. I think they are both very pretty, but I absolutely love the Blackberry biscornu. It is my favorite so far. I am now working on a frog biscornu and will post pictures as soon as it is completed.


I also finished the Dragonfly kit from Country Cottage Designs. I love it, but not sure I really like the fabric I selected. I will most likely finish this as a pinkeep.

Last week, I completed a box with the SamSarah "B" pattern. It was really cute, but I gave it to my younger sister, Bridget, before taking a picture. I will try to remember to get a picture to show everyone.

Have you seen the new Pineapple Stitches from Jeanette Douglas Designs. I absolutely have to get that one. I love it. I will add this to my wishlist since I am trying to cut back on spending right now.

Wasn't this week beautiful? We are on Spring Break and boy have I enjoyed the week. It has been very cool and breezy here in South Mississippi. (We haven't turned on the A/C in the past three weeks!!) Hobbie was also off this week, so we have made some progress in our yard. He removed an old fence the other day. The boys and I made two raised beds for vegetables. So far, I have planted green onions, chives, shallots, bell peppers, carrots, beets, radishes and cantaloupe. After I pick the last two heads of cabbage in the larger garden area, Hobbie is going to get that area ready for planting also. I plan to have cucumbers, squash, tomatoes, eggplants, and okra. My parents have much larger gardens and are planting beans, peas, corn, and lots of other veggies to share with us.

Thanks for stopping by. I hope everyone enjoys this wonderful spring day.

Update...

I have been so busy over the past few weeks. I have two new nephews, Tyler and Leif. They are both so cute and both doing well, as are their mothers. Also, my son's band performed at Disney World on Friday the 13th and I was lucky enough to be a chaperone. The kids' performance was wonderful. I am extremely impressed with this young group. There is so much talent and potential there. We had a wonderful time on the trip.

Now, on to stitching news. I have received three great exchanges in the past week. First, my Lizzie Kate exchange from Mercy arrived. She was very concerned that it was late, but boy what an exchange. She completed a box and did an absolutely wonderful job. It is perfect. The fabric she selected was perfect for the pattern she stitched. She was extremely generous also by stuffing the box full of wonderful goodies. I took the box to our stitching group and everyone was very impressed. Thank you so much Mercy. I love the exchange. (By the way, Mercy also sent a big bag of Raspberry Hugs, but they didn't make it to the picture.)




Next, I received squares from both the Winter Round and Round #11 from the Fair and Square Friendship Exchange. Jill sent me a pair of really cute snowman themed squares for the Winter Round and Kaye sent me a wintery themed square for Round #11. I love both pairs of squares and will finish these as pinkeeps. I mailed their squares yesterday and will post pictures once the squares are received.


Finally, February is my birthday month. My husband was trying to get a copy of the Benjamin Button movie poster for me. I really, really want that poster, but he was not able to find one. So, I went to Shakespeare's Peddler and bought a few of the new patterns she brought back from market. I love the new Lizzie Kate alphabet and can't wait to stitch it.

Thanks for stopping by. I have been so busy with writing lately I haven't had a chance to visit many blogs. Hopefully, things will slow down a bit after this week though.

A little progress...

One of my goals this month is to finish a very old WIP. My older brother, Pete, loves predatory birds. I have stitched two pieces (hawk and golden eagle) for him over the years. I had started a bald eagle about 5 years ago, but did not get very far. This year I want to finish it and give it to him as a birthday gift in April. This month my goal is to finish the center section. I started with just stitching the black. So far, so good. I have made pretty good progress with just three days of stitching. Now if I can just stay motivated.

By the way, I am adding some older patterns to my trade blog today. Take a look, the link is in the sidebar.

And, now I would like you to meet my newest nephew, Tyler. Isn't he adorable?

Review of January Goals and List of February Goals

Well, I can't believe it, but I actually accomplished all of my January goals. Of course, the list was short, but the projects weren't necessarily small. I completed parts 3 and 4 of the Blackbird Designs Mystery Sampler earlier this month and posted a picture. It is so pretty. I can't wait to get the final installment and finish the whole thing.



I also finished one part of Quaker Turtles. At first, I thought I would count just one medallion as a part. But that would take me 8 months to complete the whole thing. So I decided that one complete turtle would be more appropriate. I can't wait to finish these as the little turtles. They seem so cute.

(His stocking is the one on the left)

Also, I started on Nicholas's stocking. During November and December of last year I completed a stocking for Patrick. He was able to use it at Christmas. Unfortunately, I didn't finish Nicholas's. So my goal is to have this done well before Christmas. As you can see, it was a small start but a start none the less. It should be pretty quick once I finish all of these leaves with the constant floss changes.

Now, on to February. This is such a big month for my family. It is my and Patrick's birthday month. And, February will soon be the birthday month for two nephews and a niece. My younger sister and my sister-in-law are both due in February. Both are having boys!!! Bridget is scheduled to deliver on the 3rd. Mari is not due until later in the month, but she has had some complications and may deliver as soon as next week also. To make the month even better, Patrick and I are going to Disney World. Though Patrick is only in the 8th grade, he is a member of the high school marching and concert band. The band is performing at Disney and I am going as a chaperone. I LOVE DISNEY!!! We are both so excited. (Don't worry about Nicholas, he actually hates to travel. He would rather go camping somewhere close to the house.)

My goals for February:

1. Second part of Quaker Turtle
2. Work on Nicholas's stocking
3. Complete 1/3 of the bald eagle pattern for Pete (my brother)
4. F&S Round #11 Square
5. F&S Round #12 Square
6. F&S Winter Round Square
   
7. HOE Biscornu

Not too bad, since most are fairly small projects. Wish me luck. And thanks for stopping by.