Long time, no see...

So, how's it been? Have you enjoyed the last, what, 6 months since I posted? I hope everyone had a nice end of winter, spring, and summer. It has been crazy busy here. For the past few months I have been in the middle of the revisions for our text. On top of that, I had four classes to teach in the Spring semester (over 400 students total). We also started a new research project in May and I started my own project in June. Just to make my life a little more hectic, I had to teach a summer course because we couldn't find anyone that could cover the course. Needless to say, I have been busy and not ignoring my blog intentionally (well, sort of).

As for stitching, of course I found the time. I would go crazy if I couldn't stitch. I have finished several projects, but thought it would just be easier to start with the ones I am currently working on. First up, I learned to crochet!! My mother is a wonderful crocheting woman. We all have baskets of afghans in our homes that she has crocheted for us. For some reason, I just never got it. She has tried to teach me on several occasions, but it never worked for me. Then enters Katie, my newest sister-in-law. She taught me in five minutes. I have since made a granny square pillow (huge) for our cat, Elvis. I will try to remember to add a photo next post of that. Currently, I am working on my first afghan. It is cute, don't you think?

As for cross stitching news, I am in a Halloween mood right now. The Lizzie Kate Mystery sampler is a great one to stitch. I finished the first section in like two days. The second part arrived at the shop yesterday, so I will work on it soon. If you haven't picked this one up, I highly recommend it.

I also dug out an old pattern from my stash, Sleepy Hollow from Cross Eyed Cricket. Very fun stitch. I am about half way through the first section. The house is completed, so that is a great. Maybe, just maybe, I can finish this one before Halloween.

Theresa at Shakespeare's Peddler released a reproduction sampler in 6 parts as her freebie chart earlier this year. I actually stitched the whole thing and absolutely loved it. Now, I am itching to stitch more of her reproduction samplers. I think I will work on the Jane Pattison for a while. I promise to include photos in the next post. (And I promise that next post will not be in 6 months.)

Have a great day!

Jen

Happy February!!

Wow! Have things been busy around our place lately. This semester is already running like a speed train, with lots of projects and things to do. I haven't had as much time to stitch, but I some progress is being made. I worked on a WIP this past week, Autumn Leaves and Sunflower Seeds from Blue Ribbon Designs. This is a really cute piece worked in silks. I just don't like the 28 ct. fabric I am working on. But, luckily it is more than half done, so I will work through it.

I am also working on the CCN February Cottage. Love this. I don't think it will take much more time to have this one finished. Really cute design and I love the colors.

Finally, look at this cute little ornament that I received in the Santa Ornament exchange over at Hooked on Exchanging. Cindy from NY made this little beauty and mailed it to me earlier this month. I really love the beads and can't wait to add this to my ornament collection. Thanks, Cindy for the beautiful exchange. Plus, I absolutely love the card. Butterflies are one of my favorites.

Two finishes to share

Wow! I have really busy this past week and actually finished 3 projects. Two of them are series so I still need to work on these for a while, but the third is a true, complete finish. First, Lizzie Kate Winter Alphabet. I stitched this on a piece of 32 ct. fabric from my stash and I love the result. I can't wait to frame this one. If you haven't picked up this chart yet, it is so much fun to stitch and really works up quickly.

Next, is Elizabeth Milner from Shakespeare's Peddler. Theresa is releasing this as her free chart of the month, releasing 1/6th of the pattern for the first 6 months of 2012. Again, this is a fun stitch and is easy and fast. I am stitching it on 40 ct. Lentil using the designated silks. This is my first time to stitch one of Theresa's reproduction samplers. I am lucky enough to see the originals of these beauties in her collection and have wanted to stitch one for a while. The problem is that I was a bit intimidated by the sizes of these samplers. I know that the originals were stitched by little girls, but they didn't have research to conduct, textbooks to write, courses to teach, kids to feed, etc. I am just worried that I will start one of these and then never finish. The way that Theresa is releasing sections each month seemed like the perfect method for me. As a matter of fact, I stitched this section in just three days.

My other finish is Blackbird Designs Summer. It is the first of the 3 part 2011 series. Sorry, I didn't get a picture, but will post it later.

So far, January has been a great start to the new year. I have accomplished most of my goals and am still excited about the new year. As the semester is revving up though, I am getting quite busy, but it's all good things.

Hope everyone has a great week and thanks for stopping by.

Crafty business

So, it has been quite a busy week for me. Classes started on Tuesday. I have three large lecture courses this semester (total of 450 students) plus I am team teaching an MCAT prep course with 30 more students. Needless to say, I have met a lot of new and excited young people this past week. I am actually really excited about this semester. The students really seem motivated, which is always nice.

Now, on to more crafty things. Last weekend I decided to finish some of the JABCo pin cushions that I have been collecting the past year. I, of course, picked this up at Shakespeare's Peddler and have finished some over the past year, but the collection is quite extensive now. So, I got to work and finished 4 in two days. The cutest, by far, was the Cherry Limeade (special limited edition available at St. Charles). Sunday, I coached/coerced my sister Bridget through finishing yet another one with me. These are very, very cute and really fun to do. I still have 5 left to finish, but I will get to them eventually.

Stitching-wise, I have been making progress, but not as much as I had hoped. I stitch a bit more on BBD Summer, but then decided to work on LK Winter Alphabet. It is really cute on this green fabric. Can't wait to finish this one.

Yesterday was a fun crafty day for me. A group of friends and I signed up for Painting with a Twist, a local paint studio that offers classes for the public. This is a franchise business that has studios in lots of different cities and we are lucky enough to have one here in our little area. We met for dinner (and a lemon drop martini). Then we spent the next two hours working on this little masterpiece. I am thinking of using this frame, but Hobbie actually likes it without a frame. We had the best time. Afterwards, we all met at a local martini bar and sampled some of the yummy varieties. I loved the Bananasplitini and the Grasshopper. Needless to say, we had a great time and plan to repeat this night out soon.

First Finishes of the New Year

Isn't it lovely?! I finished Blackbird Designs Anniversaries of the Heart piece last Thursday. Friday, I went by my favorite frame shop and picked out a frame. After a bit of confusion with the framer, I was able to get the correct frame by Saturday and now it is hanging in my house. The finished piece is absolutely beautiful. My sister Sharon says that it is definitely an heirloom piece with all of the family initials and dates. My younger sister, Bridget, is putting together a photoshopped piece that highlights the initials and dates so I can attach it to the back of the piece.

Just this morning I finished the CCN January Cottage. It is stitched on 32 ct. Silkweaver Boo Belfast Linen. I used the called for threads except for one. I didn't have it in my stash, so I substituted GA LA Haze for the roof top.

I also started the 2011 BBD Loose Feathers series this morning. I am stitching this on 40ct. linen, not sure of the name of the fabric though. It will be small and I have to wear my reading glasses now to stitch on 40 ct., but it will be worth it when I am finished.

Well, today is my last free day before the new semester. Classes do not begin until next Tuesday, but I need to go into the office tomorrow and get everything organized and attend a meeting. The textbook work has also suffered a bit over the holidays, so I will focus on that the rest of the week as well. I really enjoyed the holiday this year and took advantage of all my down time, but now it's time to get to it. Looking forward to the new semester.

Have a great day!

Jen

First Road Trip of 2012

We went to New Orleans! It was a short trip, but we had such a great time. Ok, here's the back story: I got a Cool Daddy deep fryer for Christmas (I was so excited.) The first thing I made with this new kitchen gadget was a batch of beignets using the Cafe Du Monde mix available in our grocery stores in the South. The boys were impressed, but Hobbie thought they needed to experience the real thing to make a fair comparison. So, Hobbie suggested that we go to New Orleans for the day since he had Monday off from work. So, we did.

We walked around the French Quarter and had the beignets (Yummy!!!). Then we decided to walk down Royal Street on our way to the WWII museum.

I love to look at art galleries. I am semi-artistic but too impatient. I appreciate the time and effort that artists invest in their work. I was lucky enough to work at a frame shop when I was younger and framed lots of work of our local artists in Hattiesburg. It was alway so much fun to see what these people created. So, we are walking along, admiring the different artists' work, when we came upon Alex Beard's Studio. I was awestruck. I usually just look at the displayed pictures in the windows, but I had to go into this studio. I was so excited. I LOVE his work. His work features animals and since I am a biologist, I was especially drawn to his work. I mentioned to Hobbie that I really liked the work and wanted one for my birthday in February. He asked which one I liked the most and I showed him the Avery Island Egrets print. HE BOUGHT IT FOR ME!!! He said that he knew if we left the studio with the intention to come back later, I would never go back and get the piece. (I can be a bit of a tight wad). I have to wait a few weeks though because the piece will have a customized mat completed by Alex. I can not tell you how excited I am. Isn't Hobbie the best?

So we made our way to the WWII Museum. Patrick has been to the museum twice with different class trips, but he was excited that we were all going to go and thought that Nicholas would especially enjoy it. We saw the featured film Beyond All Boundaries. It was amazing and very touching. I think it was a great way to start off the year with the realization of just how much has been sacrificed so that we can just decide to run down to New Orleans for the day. I very touching and humbling experience. Nicholas was impressed and wants to go back to visit the museum again. We were not able to go through all of the exhibits.

While we were there, the boys were hungry (teenage boys, ya know). We decided to eat at the restaurant in the museum. I was reading the description to the guys when I realized that this was a John Besh restaurant. I really think I blushed when I read his name. I have a huge chef crush on John Besh. It all started when he challenged Mario Batali in Iron Chef America. Then when I really got to know him on Next Iron Chef, I was too far gone. He seems to be such a genuine individual (and it doesn't hurt that he served in the USMC, I have a thing for Marines). We had a wonderful meal to end the day.

What a great time! And, we made it home early enough that I had some stitching time before bed.

I'm back!!

I know, I know. It has been way too long since I updated my blog. Lisha, Bridget, Sharon, Theresa, I do apologize. But, I decided to end 2011 in a positive note and post something.

This year has been very busy. I didn't reach all of my stitching goals, but one of my most important was the Blackbird Designs Anniversaries of the Heart series. I am happy to say that I have finished all of the month blocks. I still need to finish the last bonus, but it should be completed in a few days. It was a lot of fun to stitch and will be such a family heirloom. I added many of my special family members to the blocks (parents, siblings, nephews, grandparents, and our newest additions Katie and Maddi). I can't wait to finish this and frame it. I know exactly where it will hang in the living room.

Now, as for my 2012 stitching goals I would like to finish some of the WIPs from 2011:

1. Trousse A Tri Fils

2. The Primitive Needle Witches Hollow

3. Cherished Stitches A Quaker Halloween Sampler

4. Gingerbread Stitching House

5. Bent Creek Christmas Mantle

6. Leisure Arts Mistletoe Ball

7. A Quaker Christmas

8. Blue Ribbon Designs Autumn Leaves and Sunflower Seeds

9. Blue Ribbon Designs Peppermint Twist

10. Blackbird Designs Seasons series

11. Country Cottage Needleworks newest series

12. Blackbird Designs Easter Parade.

Hopefully, I will be more successful this year. But if not, it's all right!!

To close this post, I want to share some photos of our wild cats:

This is Josie. And, yes, she is just as special as she seems to think she is in this photo. She is our three year old Maine Coon. This diva has a lot of sass and even more attitude. But, we love her.

This sweet "little" girl is Elizabeth (Lizzie). She is a year old and the nicest cat. Very calm, unless Nicholas gets out the laser pointer and then the girl can move.

Finally, we have Elvis. He is our 7 month old Maine Coon. He is just full of trouble. (I found a mess on the kitchen floor this morning where he pulled something off of the counter and tried to eat it.) He is super sweet and loves, loves, loves all of us. He is going to be a big boy though.

Happy New Year!!!

Update on projects

So, I have been less productive this month than I had hoped, but I did finish two of the WIPs from my list. This week's finish was LHN Sunflower Inn. The house was a bit time consuming, but overall it was a very enjoyable stitch.

I am working on several projects that are series this year (BBD Anniversaries of the Heart, EM Sampler book, BC Christmas Mantle and Halloween Branch). These have actually made my progress seem slower than I had hoped. I listed these as single projects, when they are actually multiple projects on one piece of fabric. I think that if I can get through one (maybe the BC Christmas Mantle) I will feel like I am making progress. That's my goal this month.

Dream JOB!!!

I have had the most fun this past month helping out at Shakespeare's Peddler, Theresa Venette's needlework shop. Most of you are probably familiar with Theresa through her amazing designs (Raise the Roof and Shakespeare's Peddler). She is an amazing designer and great friend. After market, she was extremely busy, so I offered to help out. Fortunately for me, she accepted the offer.

Let me tell you, she is a busy woman. But, she is always so positive. Every time the phone rings, she answers with this happy voice, "Shakespeare's Peddler, this is Theresa!" She is so nice to her customers. She answers lots of questions about fabric choice and stitching techniques. She actually is a great role model on how to make the world a better place by just being nice to everyone. And after hanging up the phone, you will often hear her say, "I have the nicest customers!" I have to admit that she has been an inspiration to me and I have been a much more positive person because of her friendship. My younger sister, Bridget, feels the same way. Can you tell that we just love Theresa?

If you are like me, it is so much fun just to be surrounded by all of the wonderful threads and patterns and fabric. Theresa's store is jammed packed with lots of great goodies. We have packed A LOT of orders over the past few weeks and I just know those lucky customers are smiling when they receive them. Who wouldn't love a package of stitching stash!!

If you haven't had the pleasure of visiting Theresa's online shop, do so. She is wonderful.

Now, I have also been stitching some at home. Unfortunately, my day job has really been crazy. I have a lot of students this semester and we are in the "crunch time" on the revision of one of the textbooks, so my stitching has not been that impressive. I did finish the Green Flip Its series from Lizzie Kate. I am going to frame this and hang it in my office. Very appropriate for a Ph.D. in biology to have hanging in the office. Also, I just finished "I Love the Birds" (a Theresa design). It is so pretty. I stitched it on 40 ct. so it is very small and delicate. Once I finish stretching it, I can order the frame and this one may also end up in my office.

Well, I hope everyone is enjoying the Spring weather. We have had some very pretty days mixed with some very stormy days lately. But overall, it has been a very nice Spring. I think I will spend the rest of today visiting with family and stitching. Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

What a nice Spring Break!!!

Wow! The week is over and it is almost time to go back to work. Fortunately for me, I only have lectures on Tuesdays and Thursdays. So, tomorrow is primarily catch up in my office, posting grades, and working on the next chapter in the textbook. I actually got one chapter revised over the break, so that makes me happy.

Most of this week I spent at Shakespeare's Peddler helping Theresa pack all those many, many orders. Theresa is one of a kind. She is very busy right now, but she remains so calm. I had such a great time helping and talking. If you haven't checked out her online store and designs, you really should. She is great.

I have been a bit unmotivated with my stitching lately. I selected 22 designs (11 new and 11 WIPs) to complete this year. The main issue is that I selected several series. So when I finish a block, I still am not finished. This gets a bit frustrating for someone like me who loves to mark things off a list. I stitch and stitch and still this list is there. So, I decided I needed to work on a stricter rotation. I just went down my list and worked on a different pattern each day of the week. Some things were slow going others were much more enjoyable. I have three of these to share today.

First on my rotation was Trousse. I love this piece. All of the cats and motifs and letters. I can't wait to finish it and use it as my needlebook. But, I found a major error and spent most of the time pulling out stitches. But, I did make some progress, so that's good.

Next up, Lizzie Kate Go Green Flip Its Series. This one was great. I stitched the 4th block in one night. I love the colors, so bright. When this is finished, I am framing it for my office. Since I only have two blocks to go, that should be soon and then I can mark it off my list.

The next day, I worked on the 5th block in the BBD Anniversaries of the Heart series. If you have been following my progress on this one, you know that I am adding the initials and dates for my family members to these blocks. At first, I was only adding myself, husband, children, our parents and our grandparents. The problem was that I had no one for May. Now, I have 2 sisters and 2 brothers and Hobbie has 3 sisters and 1 brother. We also have lots of nephews on my side of the family and lots of nieces and nephews on his side. I decided to add our siblings and selfishly, just my nephews. So, after adding these extras to the completed blocks, I was able to focus on new stitching and actually finished this square. I love the colors and it looks great with the rest of the piece. I just can't wait to see this one finished, framed and hanging in my home.

I did stitch on several other things, but not a lot of progress. Hope everyone enjoys this beautiful Sunday and has a lovely week. Thanks for stopping by...

A few updates to share...

Wow, have a been busy lately. Both in my stitching activities and everything else. Fortunately, this is the first day of my Spring Break and I have plans to get quite a bit finished. But first, let's update...

This past week I have found that I love to work with these little wool felt pincushions from Just Another Button Company. I picked up the Pin Feathers that was released at the Nashville Market and actually finished it in one night. It is so incredibly easy and just adorable. Theresa (Shakespeare's Peddler) just loved it as well and thinks that it would be fun to make all kinds and colors of these. I also finished an older one called Mockingbird Hill (or was it Cardinal Hill). Anyway, it is a pyramid shaped piece that represents a grassy hill with lots of flowers blooming on it. I added a leprechaun button to make it a cute addition to my St. Patrick's Day decor. Again, fun and quick project. By the way, JABC directions are perfect and very easy to follow.

Another project that I picked up right after market was Praiseworthy Stitches Wonderfully Wicked Whimsies kit. This kit included the materials to make a needlebook, tiny pin cushion, scissor fob, pin disc, thread keeper, and slide tin. Lots of great goodies. Of course, the picture on the package is so tiny, but the kit has some cute things in it. The instructions for the kit are not that great, but I was able to figure most everything out. After lots of bad words, sticky fingers and recutting of materials, I finished everything. I had purchased the scissors last year, so my set is complete. I changed a few things. The thread keep originally had a key ring but I keep my threads on drops so I changed it to a binding ring that easily opens and closes. Also, the tiny pincushion was a total pain. The ribbon around the top wouldn't lay correctly, so I went through my scrapbooking stash and found this funny eyelash trim that I think looks great. I did make lots of mistakes, including leaving off the orange ribbon that keeps the needlebook closed, but I think this will just be for display anyway.

By the way, guess what I had the pleasure doing this week. I spent two days helping out at Theresa's shop, Shakespeare's Peddler. She is always super busy after market, so I offered to be her assistant. I spent most of my time packaging her wonderful designs. Also, I organized a bit and then helped her pack lots and lots of orders. If you have not had the pleasure of meeting Theresa, you should check out her web page (the link is in the right hand column). She is so nice. I have had the best time helping her and seeing how things run at her shop. She is extremely fast and extremely patient.

So, February was very busy...

February is the month of birthdays in our family. Two of my nephews, my older son and I all have birthdays between the 4th and 15th. Our family is a bit crazy with the parties and insists that we each have our own cake. So, we have been partying like crazy. I actually had two cakes (Thanks, Lisha. You're the best.) But, I have been stitching some. I stitched a model piece for Theresa of Shakespeare's Peddler and Raise the Roof. It is called "Official Crazy Cat Lady" and is too cute. She released it at market this past weekend. In addition to that I finished another block on the Blackbird Designs Anniversaries of the Heart series. Isn't it just too pretty? I can't wait to finish this, frame it and hang it on the wall.

I have also finished a third block in the LK Green Flip Its series. This one was very easy.

Finally, I participated in the Reindeer ornament exchange. I was so lucky to receive an ornament stitched by Edgar. Isn't it pretty? The finishing is wonderful. Can't wait to hang this one of the tree. Thanks so much, Edgar.

Here is the ornament I sent to my partner. Not sure if she has received it yet, but I hope she likes it.

Stitchin' like the wind...

I am so excited with how much I got accomplished this weekend. First, I finished the second pattern in the Green Flipit series. I love the colors in this project. Perfect pattern to lift your spirits on cold, winter days. This series has 6 patterns, so I am a third of the way finished. FUN!!

Next, I finished this lovely piece. Little House Needleworks Winter Band Sampler. Isn't it beautiful? I love the fabric (Silkweaver Forest Haven). It is perfect. I finished it yesterday while Theresa was over. She is the fastest stitcher I have ever seen. I mean it is like she exists in a different time dimension. I can remember we were at a retreat one time and it seemed like every time I looked at my pattern, she was saying "Finished with that one!" So, it was great to finish this one while she was stitching right there beside me. Of course, she finished a project also. She is an incredible fast stitcher.

So this week I am working on the Sampler Thread Keeper, LK Green FlipIts series, LHN Sunflower Inn, and BBD Pink Hill Manor. I just might get one pattern finished this week, but I also need to work on that owl quilt. Oh, and I need to work at my real job. But, I have a feeling that this week will be productive on the stitching front.

Hope you have a great day and thanks for stopping by!

Some more finishes for January...

So, I am off to a great start, finishing some projects before the first month of 2011 is over. Yes, these are small pieces, but they are finishes just the same. I finished both LK Snowman '10 and BBD Rose Garden on the same day. I am not sure what I am going to do with the Snowman, but I know I am finishing Rose Garden as a pin pillow. I just love the colors on both of these.

I don't have a photo, but I also finished the 3rd part of BBD Anniversaries of the heart. My parents were married in March, 1966, so their initials are featured on this particular panel. I will try to get a photo posted soon.

Now, I guess I will be working on my applique quilt this week so I meet all of my January goals. Hope everyone has a great weekend and thanks for stopping by.

Last round of new starts...

So, I have started all of my planned projects and worked on the 11 WIPS. Not a bad start to the new year. First up: Day 10 New start: Lizzie Kate Snowman '10. This is such a pretty piece. I love the colors and really like stitching it, even though there is a lot of white. It is actually going pretty fast. The WIP is the letter I page for the Erica Michaels Sampler Surprise Book. These pages are really fast. I finished the whole page in one day, but still need to add the label at the bottom for the specialty stitch - Italian Cross Stitch. I really want to finish this book this year. It would be such a neat thing to add to my stitching displays.

Final day: New start is Blue Ribbon Designs Peppermint Twist. This is so pretty. I didn't have much time to work on it, but it is really. Great pattern for small ornaments as well. The old WIP is a design of my own. I don't have much done on this, so no pictures. It takes some time to decide on the colors. Hopefully, I will have something to show soon.

Now for a couple of finishes: I also want to stitch the Lizzie Kate Monthly Stamp series from a few years ago. I plan to finish these as magnets for my refrigerator. I can't find January, so I started February. These are really easy, but it is a finish. Also, I worked on and finished the first block in the Lizzie Kate Green Flipits: Plant a Tree. The colors are so vibrant and I love the fabric I chose. Another easy project, but a finish all the same.