Pumpkins Three

As you may (or may not) remember, I started "Pumpkins Three", a La-D-Da pattern, way back in May.  I also made a big ol' promise that I'd keep you updated.  That, my friends, I did not do.  I have no excuse...well, that's not true.. I'm full of excuses...but I'll just go with the fact that my computer has been a pain in my BUTTOCKS recently, and I never got the pictures uploaded.

Until last night.

I finished it what feels like decades ago, even though it was only 2 months, so on Tuesday night decided it was high time to do the finish work for it.  I've been on a kick lately to not frame much, but to find different and fun ways to finish these needlework projects so I'm not giving framers my first born and one of my kidneys to have them frame all my pieces.

So, without further ado...here is "Pumpkins Three" ---

Anddd....I just noticed a rogue string on the bottom right.  (sigh)

BUT...isn't this cutie?!?!  I had just enough fabric with the little maple leaves on it to do the borders and the tabs, but had to do the back a light tan.  No matter -- you can't see it when it's hanging, so it's all good.

I even did a top stitch with matching orange all the way around the border ;-)

This was super fun, and very easy.  The finish work only took me about 2 hours, and is simple straight stitches.  I did add a piece of warm & natural cotton quilt batting to give it more weight so it would hang better and stand the test of time, rather than stuff it.

I also want to give a sliver of info about the "16 Men" project I'm working on.  It dawned on me that I never gave you the exact color changes that I made for the piece so far.  For those of you wishing to make the same or similar changes that I've made, here is what I've done so far:

• The fabric is 32 count "Haunted" from Picture This Plus
• The fiber changes so far are as follows:  
• Instead of DMC 310 (black), I'm using Crescent Colors  "Black Crow".  It's an awesome black that has a purpley-blue tint to it, adding variation and a spooky Halloweeny eerie-y feel to it :-)
• Instead of DMC 333 (I think), I'm using Weeks Dye Works "Purple Majesty".  Again, the variation adds the spook and Halloweeny feel to the piece.
• Instead of whatever horrific puke green color is used for the moon (gaggggg), I'm using Weeks Dye Works "Chartreuse".  I think it is PERFECT for that night moon...and I'll be using it elsewhere in the piece, so keep an eye out for it.

Hope this helps those of you who are planning to do this project!  

Do something creative today, before that molten hot lava comes flowing back into town tomorrow!!

Enough, Heatmeiser.

Ok.  It's hot.  I love summer because of the hot weather, but this past week has just been stupid hot.  One of the guys I work with told me there are two designators for how hot it is: Africa Hot, which is for anything 92-98 degrees (but isn't the majority of Africa hotter than that??  Just sayin'...); and Surface of the Sun Hot, which is for anything above 98 degrees.  I told him this was boring, and we need better descriptive words for how hot it's been, and I decided either Liquid Hot Magma or The 9th Circle of Hell.  They seem to be better at giving you a visual as to how hot it's been on the East Coast...and pretty much all over the country this past week.  I'll let you know if he approves of my new terms, because I think they're way better than his.  But, I may be slightly biased.....

On days like this past week (with the exception of Friday, which was just so hot it actually put me into what I'm referring to as a Heat Coma -- I couldn't move off the couch, even though my AC was on cooling down the 1st floor, so I just stared at the tv.  It was even too hot to turn a page in a book or hit the button on my nook.), there is little to do other than stay inside where it's cool and stitch!!

I've been working on a few things -- my Country Cottage project is coming along nicely, but I had to put it in time-out for a bit, since I have to rip out one of the chairs -- it's too narrow.  I'm a square too short.  (sigh)  So, I picked up my Cricket Collection "16 Men" again, and have been feverishly working on finishing that one.  It's going great, and I'm SO pleased so far with the color changes I've made.  Most of the major changes I made to fiber color won't come into play until I get down to the actual ship, but so far, so good!!  Love that moon and the skull flag!!  LOVE.

I also did a bit of work on my Cricket Collection "Spring".  I made a major fiber color change in this one, too.  The "P" is supposed to be a light yellow, but up against the Buttercream Silkweaver fabric, it was too light.  So, I opted for a light orangy-pinky-salmony-color instead, and I think it turned out faboo!

I bought some great fabric for my Little House "Stitch in Thyme" piece that I'll be turning into a needlebook, but I realized I'm lacking brown thread, so I'll have to hit up Joann's this week so I can get cracking on that project.  So many things to do, so little time.

I also, shockingly enough, decided to do a little gluten-free baking last night.  I know, I know, with Liquid Hot Magma temperatures out there, who could think of turning on an oven??  Well, I saw this recipe over at Blacksheep Bakes, and was inspired to make it gluten free!!  I underestimated how much more of the sour cream I'd need in the recipe, so it came out very crumbly, but very good nonetheless.  I'm sure it would be bangin' on vanilla ice cream!!!!  I plan on perfecting this adaptation, and once I do, I'll post pictures and my changes.  I've also adapted it to be refined-sugar free, too!  Keep an eye out!  I promise to post the changes asap!

That's all I have for this blistering hot weekend!  I wish I had more to post, but this week went by so quickly, and the heat made me drag every day.  I bought some nifty stuff for scrapbooking and papercrafting at Michael's this weekend (I had some great coups!), and I have some cool ideas that I hope I can get to before 2015.  I have one specific project involving a travel coffee mug that I hope to finish and share with you all before the fall arrives!!

Stay cool and do something creative!!!

I have a slight problem...

Good morning, everyone.  My name is Jacki, and I have a problem.  Welcome to Obsessive Compulsive Stitchers Anonymous.  The first step is admitting you have a problem, and boy, do I ever.

I can never seem to be satisfied with working on just one thing.  No, siree.  Apparently, it's necessary in my house to have 3-4 projects going at the same time.  Why?  For no other reason than I see something in my stash that I have to do, and so I put down whatever I'm doing, and run and get the supplies and cut the fabric for this new thing that I need to be working on.  Now.  Right this minute.  It can't wait any longer.  I have an obsessive compulsive urge to start everything in my stash...

What's my newest OCD project??  It's Country Cottage Needleworks "Simply Vintage".

I hope you can see these pictures ok.  I must've changed some crazy setting on my camera without knowing it, because I've been having a tough time getting my pictures to come out right.

Anyhooter.  This is that lovely Antique Almond fabric by Silkweaver that I used for the Plum Street Samplers freebie a couple months ago.  I picked a section of the sheet (yes, sheet.  I have so much of this fabric, it's unreal) that wasn't quite as dark as the rest, since the DMC colors in this pattern are lighter in color.  This is 40 count, so it will make a nice little addition to one of the rooms, or even the hallway, on my second floor.  I may even put it on the walls on the staircase.  Who knows!  I'll have to see what happens once I finish it and get it framed.

That's all I have for today everyone.  I hope to get some stitching done on "16 Men" this weekend, but we'll see how far I actually get.  I'm seeing Harry Potter on Sunday, and I CANNOT WAIT.  I may actually have to lock myself in the living room and read the book before going so I can remember all the details.  It's been 2 years since the book came out...so my memory is slightly hazy about every little detail.

Enjoy your weekend!  It's supposed to be gorgeous!

Finally, some finishes.

Ohmigosh.  I can't believe it's been a week already since I last posted about my adventures with my sewing machine.  This month is FLYING by.  Next Friday is 1 July, and I can't believe it.  I just can't.

Anyways.  Now that I have a sewing machine, I decided it was high time I did some finishing work on projects that have been lying around the house.

First up was one of the baby gifts I did for Katie, which I gave you a preview of way back when.  Well, this weekend, I finally did the finish work on it.  Since I'm having Katie and the baby over tomorrow night for a lil' visit, I figured I should mayyyybeeee have at least one of the two things I stitched for the baby ready for her when they come over. (The other one is awaiting a frame.  Stay tuned...)

Ok so here is the "Sleep Tight" Mill Hill Sticks project all done up into a pretty pillow:

Sorry if it's a little dark - I was trying to eliminate glare off of my super shiny freshly semi-glossed bookcase :-)  Didn't it turn out great!?  I love how the small amount of green fabric that I put around the edges just brings out all the colors of the stitched piece.  It really makes the green stitching pop!

Here's the back fabric:

A starry night, perfect for a little one sleeping :-)

Up next is one of the Cricket Collection seasons, each of which I've been showing you my progress in this bliggity blog.  This one is "Summer", which I stitched on 32 count somethingorother.  I can't remember what the name of the color is, since it wasn't labeled on the package when I bought it.

Anyhooter...here is the finished piece:

Sa-weet, right?!  It is a smidggggggggge larger than I anticipated, but I still love the way it turned out.  I used a plain yellow for the border right up against the stitched piece, which was a remnant from Joann's.  The outer border is from a Moda jelly roll that I got from Cloth & Bobbin in Narberth.  I think both complement the stitched piece rather well, if I do say so myself :-)

For the back, I didn't have a piece of fabric quite big enough to cover the entire surface area, so I made panels to cover it.  Voila! -

I thought all three pieces that were in my stash were very summery, and therefore perfect for this project!

For those of you working on the Cricket seasons pieces, the finished stitch size of mine is 17"w x 4.5"h - I stitched all of them on 32 count linen.  Adding the border fabrics to this piece made it closer to 24" long, so it's a daggone good thing I have big bookcases to display these!!

I'm currently working on the final Cricket season - "Spring", and attempted to take pictures of it, but the fabric just isn't picture friendly.  I'm stitching this one on 32 count Silkweaver Buttercream linen, which is a-ma-zing, but again, not very photogenic.  Hopefully as I progress, the stitching fibers will be a little darker and conducive to photographs so I can share it with you all.

That's all I have for now!  Do something creative today :-)

Monday, Monday

Can't trust that day...

Well, here we are at Monday already.  This weekend went whizzing by without even stopping to have a leisurely cup of coffee!!

I made some bold promises on Friday, which I was unable to keep.  I did not remember to take a picture of "Pumpkins Three".  I almost finished "A Stitch in Thyme", but won't post a pic until it's completely done.  I will do my best to get a pic of "Pumpkins Three" up before the end of the week.  I know there were a few of you interested in seeing that one finished.  It turned out great :-)

Saturday I spent most of the day in my living room painting the trim.  I did the crown molding, the door frame (from the foyer to the living room), and the window frames.  I didn't have enough time to get to the chair rail or baseboarding, so that's a project for after work this week. The previous owners didn't paint correctly (as I'm sure you'll all remember from my previous rantings about the hideous green paint, etc.), so instead of just one coat of semi-gloss on the crown molding, I have to go back and do a third.  I'll do that tonight, and then hopefully be able to get at least one coat on the chair rail.  I would love to be able to get two coats on the chair rail tonight so I can do the base boarding tomorrow night, but we'll see how quickly I move tonight.

One final quick note -- Blogger has been a pain.  I was having a heck of a time posting comments to other people's blogs this past week -- every time I would try to post a comment, it would try to post it as "Anonymous".  That's a bunch of hooey, so I just cancelled my post.  Then, I found out from one of my friends that she couldn't post a comment to my blog, and suggested I change the format for how the comments show up.  I did, and apparently it's working again, so hopefully your comments will post!  I love hearing from you all!  Thanks for the tip, Catherine!! :-)

I'm off -- have a fabulous Monday, everyone!  It's supposed to be hotter than the center of the Earth by the end of the week (yahoo!!!), so enjoy these cool breezes while they're here -- we probably won't have them again until September!!

So...long time, no post...

I think it's only been a week...but it feels like so much longer than that!

I hope you all had a wonderful, relaxing holiday weekend.  We here in Philly had our first heat wave of the season, and it's not officially summer yet.  It was 96 degrees yesterday.  I hate to say it folks, but I think we're in for another scorcher of a summer.  I am totally ok with this, since I will take the heat over snow and ice and cold ANY DAY of the week.  (Although....the unexpected snow day from work still makes me giddy like a school girl...haha!)  Today was MUCH cooler -- topping off at 76 degrees and breezy.  It was absolutely beautiful out!!

Enough of this boring, old lady talk about the weather.

In the spirit of Memorial Day, Paulette of Plum Street Samplers posted a lovely little freebie in remembrance of those who have given the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom.  Visit her post to get your copy!  She always has such lovely graphs :-)

In my week-long absence, I've been working on a few things.  First, I finished the piece that I designed for my friend at work - she had her baby on Friday, and I can't wait to give her the announcement!  I'll post pictures at a later date -- I want her to see it first before I start spreading it all around :-)  I did post a little teeny tiny preview of it way back when -- it's the Irish blessing.  It turned out absolutely amazing, and I can't wait to share it.  I hope you can withstand the anticipation :-)

I showed you last week my finish of "Garden Fresh" by Little House Needleworks.  Well, I couldn't stop there, so I continued right on with the companion piece that comes with the kit -- "A Stitch in Thyme".

I plan on finishing this as a needlebook, just as Diane has the model finished, but mine will be a smidge smaller.  The model was stitched on 32 count linen; I chose 40 count.  My fabric is an overdye from Silkweaver which I absolutely LOVE.  Unfortunately, I cannot give the name of the color, since it was not labeled when I bought it.  I searched the Silkweaver website, but couldn't really find something that resembled it.  I may have missed it.  If any of you can match it, let me know!  It's a really great neutral color, with splotches all over the piece.  (I forgot just how big a fat half is...and of 40 count to boot.  I'll be stitching on this for a looonnnnggggg time.  Be prepared to see this fabric often in my work.  haha!)

I also finished "Pumpkins Three"...but totally forgot to take a picture of it.  It turned out fabulous, and I promise to post a picture of it before the weekend is over.

Just as I was leaving my craft room tonight, I stumbled upon this cute little summer ditty that I did last year --

This one is from Lizzie Kate, and is stitched on 32 count blue overdyed fabric.  Alas, as it's been a year since I finished it, I'm totally cluefree as to what the color name of this fabric is or who makes it.  I believe it's very similar to what I stitched Cricket Collection "Summer" on, but I can't be 100% positive.  I'll be putting some cording around the outer edge and attaching a magnet so I can hang it on my file cabinet at work.  (Yes, I know.  I keep saying I'm going to hang things at my desk at work.  You have NO idea how B-O-R-I-N-G my cube walls are...I have to spice it up with floods of color...and, at the moment, I do that with a myriad of Post-its.  Makes me look like a crazy stationery hoarder.  Wait...)

That's all I have for you today, ladies and gentlemen.  I hope to post again over the weekend -- I'm forcing myself to totally finish the other baby announcement I'm doing, along with maybe some scrapbooking.  Hopefully it'll stay cool enough so I can spend a longer period of time in my craft room than I could when the heat index was that of the surface of the sun.  Fingers crossed.

Do something creative today!

So...about that progress...

On Friday, I told you that I'd started the Little House "Garden Fresh" instead of plowing through a baby announcement.  I also told you that I'd update you on my progress.  Well.  This is my update.

It's finished!  For those of you going, "Well, goshdarnit.  What did you do, stitch 24/7??"  My answer is nay, I did not.  This is a really quick stitch, I promise!  Not as quick as this was, but still quick!  I love the thread color choices for this pattern.  This particular graph comes as a kit -- you get both the above graph, plus "A stitch in thyme" pattern for a needlebook (you don't get the needlebook -- that was sold separately) and all the threads you'll need for both patterns.  They're all Crescent Colors -- Weeping Willow, English Ivy, Blackbird, Bamboo, and I can't remember the name of the red or yellow in there.  Dang.  I'll post later...if I remember to check the graph...

Aren't the little daisy-like flowers on the sides cute? :-)

Once I was done with that pattern, it was off to the next....

I KNOW, I KNOW, it's a fall pattern, which we should all be running from, since we're finally, FINALLY about to break into summer here, but I had to do it.  This is called "Pumpkins Three" by La-D-Da.  I chose 32 count Desert Sand, which I also used for my Cricket "Autumn".  I do so enjoy the color -- it's perfect for doing fall patterns -- but the texture of it is kinda strange.  It's very stiff...much like a burlap bag.  Oh well.  It looks perfect with the color I chose, which is a rusty orangy reddish DMC color 918.  Love it!

How does your garden grow?

With silver bells, and cockle shells, and pretty maids all in a row!  I had to look up one of the words in the lyrics to that nursery rhyme, and I had forgotten that it was based on Mary Tudor's reign in England after her father, King Henry VIII, passed away.  Finally.  Her reign was for a mere 5 years before her sister, Elizabeth I, came to the throne, but she managed to execute approximately 300 people during that time.

I digress.  European history just fascinates me...

As of yesterday, I have finally reemerged into the land of the living.  I have been SO SICK it's not even funny.  This z-pack is barely making a dent, although if I hadn't called the doc for it on Monday, I'd be in much worse shape.  Tuesday and Wednesday I couldn't even get out of bed, I was that sick.  Yesterday, I was finally able to sit upright and move around the house a bit, so I got up, and sat myself in the den for some bad daytime tv, and began to stitch.

I'm still working on Katie's baby gift.  I know, I know...I should be done this already!  I feel terrible, but I just can't bring myself to finish it.  I think because I'm so sick of all the pastel colors, it's deterring me from completing it.  I did work on it, but not as much as I probably should have.

Instead, I ran upstairs to my craft room to see what other project I could work on to decorate my house.  I had two finalists (I have an entire hanging file storage full of patterns...I'm sure most of you are in the same boat...), and I ended up choosing "Fresh Garden" from Little House Needleworks.  It was a release at the Nashville Market this past year, and I fell in love with it.  I did not get the pin cushion or needlebook -- I plan on making my own needlebook :-)  I'll post pictures, not to worry, but I have to assemble my sewing machine accouterments and get some threads before I can get started on that project...and many other actual sewing projects that I have lined up...

Anyhooter, since I was able to sit upright yesterday, I was able to stitch after catching up on 3 weeks of glee (yes, I'm a gleek, and I can't believe I missed 3 straight weeks!  Thank you, FOX, for FINALLY putting your shows on demand!!!!), and this is what I was able to accomplish --

Now, the graph calls for Light Mocha linen which is straight up B-O-R-I-N-G.  I am so sick of these designers having a love affair with mocha linen for fun pieces like this.  Spice up your stitching life, for crying outloud!!  Live a little!! I chose 32 count Mello from Picture this Plus fabrics.  I love it.  It's neutral enough, yet it has some streaks of a greenish hint to it. I thought this went well with the greens and other earthy tones for this piece.  Cool, huh?!  I think it kinda looks like a seed sack, which is perfect :-)  I'll keep you updated on my progress...

Next stop -- the rose bushes on the side of my house.  It was raining when I went to take the trash out tonight (as it has been almost every night this week), but I couldn't resist taking pictures of the roses that have started to bloom on the side of my house.  For those of you who don't know, I have huge azalea bushes and rose bushes all along the side of my house, but I didn't know what color they all were until they bloomed, since I moved in before blooming time.  Well, the azaleas have all bloomed (I have gorgeous pinks and a really vibrant coral, but alas, no purple), and now the roses have finally started opening their buds.

This is what greets you on the driveway between my house and my neighbor's --

How gorgeous are these?!?!  These are both from different bushes -- the one on top is a brighter pink than the one on the bottom -- and the one on the bottom appears almost velvety.  Beautiful.

Just stunning.  I'm glad my camera was able to pick up on the light interior of these petals, despite the dark and rain in the atmosphere.  So, so pretty.

 This one, however, is my FAVVVVVV.  It's peach tipped in pink!!!  How awesome is THAT?!?!!!  I can't wait to see this bush in full bloom!!!

That's it for now -- I need to go keep getting healthy.  I forgot how horrible it is to be this sick...ugh....

Do something creative today!! :-)

Rain, rain, do NOT go away!!!

I have never been so happy to see steady rain in my life!!  My allergies don't normally bother me until the fall with the leaves and mold, but this year, the spring allergies hit me like a brick wall.  I've been laid up all weekend fighting hideous allergies which have turned into a cold.  No infection (yet), so here's hoping I don't need to take a trip down Antibiotic Alley, which is usually where I end up.  I can never have "just" a cold.

Whilst being laid up on the couch, I haven't felt so bad that I can't multi-task while watching some of my favorite shows (The Golden Girls and Frasier reruns have kept me going.  Hello hilarity!!).  I decided to work on something for me, so this is what I was able to accomplish this weekend --

It's called "Coffin Buzz" and it's a freebie from Paulette Stewart, designer of Plum Street Samplers. I'm a coffee fiend (if you couldn't already tell...), so this is just perfect.  I stitched it on 40 count Antique Almond by Silkweaver.  I plan on finishing it in a rustic frame and hanging it at work to add a little character to those battleship grey walls that surround me for 9 hours a day.

My house is coming along, slow but steady.  Most of the painting is done on the first floor, with the exception of the woodwork in the den and dining room.  I started painting the trim in the living room this past week with the most important part -- the bookshelves.  I can finally put all of my books on the shelves, and I interspersed some pictures and fun knick knacks up there, too.  I haven't gotten to any of the molding yet, though, thanks to this hideous cold.

Now, before I bring you along to what is now my beautiful living room, I must remind you of what it was.

Remember this?

Horrifying.  That green is just...ugh.  Initially it didn't seem so bad, but once I got a really good look at it...bleh.  Also, what we realized (we meaning my family and I -- I had a lot of help with all the painting on the first floor) is that the paint above the chair rail all throughout the house isn't just a pale blue...it's a pale bluish-purple.  In addition, the former owners must've painted in the middle of the night with sunglasses on, since they made a MESS with the paint.  MESS.  Not to mention the fact that they painted over wallpaper, and the trim has never been painted white.  Ever.  UGGGGGHHHHH.  Anyway.

THIS is what my living room looks like NOW --

Isn't it SO much better and way more amazing?!?!!!  It took 3 coats of primer to get rid of that horrific green, but it's gone!  The handles on the cabinets under the bookshelves got thrown out, so I'll be on the hunt for something to replace them.  I did deviate from my original painting plan -- the color I ended up choosing for the living room is lighter and has a little more peach in it than the color I had originally wanted in there.  I think this is much better and lightens up the space more so than the other darker color I'd initially chosen. (And yes, that is my crazy black panther on the hearth.  Apparently she wanted in on this photo op, so she coyly entered from the bottom left, pretending she'd never sniffed this area of the living room before.  She's lucky she's cute.)

Here's a close-up of my bookshelves --

To die for, right?!?!  Especially after what they once were!!  OMG.  My vase (which is handmade from Spain - my professor got it for me while I studied abroad during the summer of 2001, since I celebrated my 21st while we were over there) looks so small on top of the mantle!  I guess I'll have to move it into the bookshelf so it doesn't get dwarfed by its surroundings.  

Anyhooter, that's all I have at the moment.  Time to take more cold & sinus medicine and make either tea or coffee...something hot to break up this gunk in my head.  Yuck.

Hold onto your hats...

...it's gonna be a bumpy ride...

I'm finally back online at home...which means more blogging...and more stitching...and more papercrafting...and more pictures...

Be ready...

Happy Monday!

First of all, God Bless America and our troops.  Hats off to the Navy SEALs for performing what no other special ops group could do.  They're elite for a reason.  We will never know their names, so the best I can do is pray for each and every one of them, and thank them in my own way.  I was up late last night watching the live footage from Ground Zero and The White House.  Incredible.

Second of all, thank you to all of my new followers!!  I'm still trying to get Internet access in my house, so I'm unable to do any blogging of any kind while I'm home (I'm again doing this on my lunch break at work).  Actually, I have Internet access, I just can't get my computer to recognize the wireless network setup by the previous owner.  I may have to just go out and get a new router.  Ugh.  At least I have cable so I can watch tv and so the house isn't so quiet.  The emptiness was echoing off of the hardwood floors and curtainless windows...

At least having cable allows me to watch awesome shows like "Game of Thrones" on HBO to fill up the time I'm unable to spend on the Internet.  It's filling the void I'm missing until "Boardwalk Empire" comes back on.  "Game of Thrones" is very much like "Lord of the Rings", which I LOVE, so this series is right up my ally.  So far, so good.  I actually put my needle down during these shows so I can pay full attention.  Ha! 

Side note:  I just found out that FOX finally has their shows available on demand.  I was able to catch up on one of the two episodes of glee I missed due to this cable/Internet debacle.  Yes, I'm a "gleek".  Don't judge me.  Haha.

I wish I could say I've completed a million and one projects since being in my new house with my spiffy new craft room, but alas, I have not.  I did finish a Cricket Mitten, which I'll be turning into a Baby's First Christmas ornament, but I neglected to take pictures of it to share.  This whole not having Internet at home is starting to cramp my style.  Can you tell I'm slightly annoyed???

Moving on...

I'm still working on one of the baby gifts for my friend, Katie.  I'm so close, yet so far...I still have to complete the border and stitch dear Tessa's name into the piece.  I haven't had much time to just sit and stitch for a while, so I might just have to force myself to plow through it and get it done.

I stopped at my new favorite store, Paper Source, over the weekend, and got some cute stamps and a sweet pen to do embossing with.  I cannot wait to break this out and do some awesome paper crafting!!  Stay tuned for what I'm about to create with that stuff!!

Happy Monday!  Do something creative.  Hang your American flag high and with pride today!  God Bless America and our troops.

There is a Season

Cricket Collection has some of the coolest designs out there.  Most recently, the designer has created four designs - one for each season - that are just SO cute.  I've already completed three of the four, and you've already seen my Winter, so I figured I'd show you the other two which I've completed but not yet framed.  I actually haven't decided as to whether or not I'll be framing them or making them into pillows...but that's a decision for another day.

Here's my favorite so far - Autumn.  I know we're all trying to get into the spirit of warmer weather, but I just love love love this pattern and the way it turned out.

I stitched this on 32 count Desert Sand.  I think it's available from Wichelt, but I can't quite remember, so don't hold me to that...

How freaking awesome are these colors!!!  I love fall colors, and they all just pop off of this fabric.  LOVE.

The apples in the "U" might be my favorite on the left side...but...the "T" is the absolute COOLEST.  The twisted tree trunk!  The leaves (which are stitched in a varigated silk)!  The crow!!  So darn COOL!!  And the Jack-o-lantern in the other "U"!  Love it!

And then, of course, there's the marshes with the cattails in the "M".  The turkey and the acorns are just the best final touches to this totally cool pattern.  I love everything about it!

Now...onto fresher colors...SUMMER!!  This pattern was the first of the series to be released, so I finished this in no time.  My favorite in this pattern are the chairs - one on each end.  I wish I was in one now, on a beach, sipping an umbrella drink.  I can't remember what the name of this fabric is, but I know that it's 32 count Jobelan.  If I can remember the name, I'll post it later.  I know this picture came out a smidge dark, but the fabric is an overdyed, and looks very much like a cloudy summer sky.  Totally cool.

I just love the radishes and carrots...and the grapevine on the "M"!  It'll be wonderful when those lazy, hazy days of summer come rolling in once again :-)

And look at that totally adorable birdbath in the "E"!  OMGosh!!  I love these patterns! 

I'm in the midst of making the final trips for my move and trying to complete some baby gifts, but next on the list is the final in this series, "Spring".  I will be stitching it on a 32 count Silkweaver fabric called Buttercream.  It's a beautiful fabric, and I can't wait to get started!!!

Do something creative today!! :-)

Old Glory

As spring and summer rapidly approach, so do the major holidays which remind us Americans of the freedoms we have and those who have fought and died and continue to fight for these freedoms.  Too often we get caught up in our own lives to take a minute and remember those men and women who have paid the ultimate sacrifice, or who are separated from their families for months at a time on deployment.

In these uncertain times, no matter what your political preference, remember to support our troops.  As the daughter of a Vietnam Veteran and the granddaughter of a United States Marine during WWII, I hold high respect for our military.

Hang your American flag high and with pride this year and all year long.

Pattern from Stoney Creek magazine

Live Simply.

This is one of my favorite patterns, not just because of the colors, but because they're words to live by.  I recently read an article that, in general terms, stated that the mindset of the country is that we all have to have it bigger, better, faster.  The idea of instant gratification in this world filled with overwhelming amounts of information thrown at us and available to us at our fingertips (literally, thanks to smartphones) makes most people forget to slow down and enjoy the world around them. 

I often joke with my friends that I was born in the wrong era.  The idea of simpler times is so appealing to me, that I often wish I didn't have a smartphone, or a computer, or even a tv.  Shocking statements, but it's true.  I prefer the radio to tv, although I love old movies and will often watch a musical or an old black and white to take me away from the hustle and bustle of our lives in this day and age.  The elegance and graciousness of the women in old movies (Grace Kelly, just to name one) and gentlemen (Cary Grant is one of my favorites) make me long for a time when people respected and cared for one another.

I'm trying to shed all unwanted negativity in my life as I move onward and upward.

 

Pattern from Lizzie Kate



Hippity Hop!

Ok so last night I posted a picture of a Christmas ornament.  Now, I know it's a bit early to be thinking about Christmas, since we just got rid of all that daggone snow, but I couldn't resist posting those two pictures.  That ornament is too cute, if I do say so myself :-)

I thought I would redeem myself this morning by posting a little Easter-y small that I finished up last night.  Between moving and doing Katie's baby gifts, I didn't have much spare time, but I wanted to do a little something that I could finish and bring into work to brighten up those battleship grey walls I'm surrounded by every day.

This is the Lizzie Kate April Flip It! I stitched it in the WDW she calls for in the graph.  I chose a little piece of gingham linen I had, which I believe is either 28 or 32 count.  I'm not quite sure which, and I forgot to count before I started - it was a scrap and I'm not quite sure where the packaging got to.  I love the adorable little umbrella charm that goes in the top square with the Easter bonnet :-)  So cute!

I apologize for the shadow in the bottom right-hand corner...I'm not quite sure where that came from.  Must be a ghost. Wait...ghosts can't make shadows...anyway...

The move is going slow but steady.  This past weekend, my family helped me paint the living room and dining room, with the exception of the woodwork.  It looks fabulous, and I can't thank my family enough for all their help.  My sister and I will be at my house on Friday to paint the den (which is just off the living room), and my furniture is getting moved on Sunday!  I'm so excited to finally be living in just one place, and in my own house no less!!  Yay!!!

Now, if someone could just tell this little bugger that being INSIDE the box does not help with the packing, no matter what she thinks...

Chilling on the closet shelf isn't much help, either...but she sure thinks it is...

She must think she's getting some of the tuna that's on the shelf behind her...she's got another think coming, though, if she thinks I'm opening them just for her...

Today is just one of those days...

I just wish I could've stayed in bed snuggled under the covers.  It's been raining for a good part of the day, which has cooled down the temperature considerably.  Yesterday was sooooo warm for this time of year and it was glorious :-)

I found these pictures on my phone this morning while I was distracting myself from reading standard operating procedures for file management (I know this makes most of you want to stab your eyeballs out, but I live for this kind of thing.  It also makes the creative side of my brain really kick into gear when I leave work.), and even though they're Christmas (I know, I know!  Easter is right around the corner!  I get it!), I had to share them.

This is the Baby's First Christmas ornament that I made for my friend Becky's daughter, Olivia.  I haven't seen her since before Christmas, so I'm hoping I can give this to her soon so it can be on the tree every year from now on :-)  Becky hasn't even seen this yet, so this may be her sneek preview!

 Isn't this cute!!!  It's a JBW pattern from (I think) 2009.  I could be wrong on that date.  The pattern actually has 3 graphs, and I chose the lil' bear in the stocking for the front, and the one with the gingerbread man for the back.  I didn't want the back of the ornament to be plain, and I also wanted to be able to have her name stitched on there with the date, which is why I chose to stitch and finish it like this.  I used 32 count linen for the stitched area.  I charted her name and the date stitched over 1 (yes, I am that crazy).

I hope Becky and Andy like it!  I think it turned out super cute, just like their lil' Livvy ;-)

Tonight's a "snuggle under the big throw blanket with a good book" kinda night, so I'm gonna head into the other room and do just that!  Maybe I'll even have my furry black purr box to keep me company ;-)

Top o' the mornin' to ya!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!!  Now, I'm in no way even one little sliver Irish, but it's still fun to decorate with green shamrocks and the pot o' gold!  The green is a pleasant reminder that spring is just around the corner!!  And who doesn't love gold?!  ;-)

Last night, I whipped up a little St. Patty's Day "small".  This is an adorable little shamrock pattern freebie from Paulette Stewart at Plum Street Samplers.  It's a-dorable.  Thanks, Paulette!

I didn't get the chance to do any finishing work on it, but it stitched up right quick -- I did it in under 2 hours.  Now, I know my stitching friends are out there going, "Well of course you did it in under 2 hours, Stitchy McSpindlefingers!!  It'll take me three times as long!"  Nay, I say to you, my good friends.  You, too, can have this stitched up in a short amount of time.  I promise!

Paulette leaves the color choices up to you for this lovely little small.  I chose WDW Scuppernong and Collards for the greens, and DMC ecru for the centers of the dark green (Collards) shamrocks.  The fabric is 32 count cream linen.  A-dorable.  I can't wait to finish it so I'll have it ready to go for next year's St. Patty's Day celebration!

May you always have walls for the winds,
a roof for the rain, tea beside the fire,
laughter to cheer you, those you love near you,
and all your heart might desire.
- Irish Blessing

Yahoo!!

First of all, my biggest news -- I'm officially a homeowner!!  YAY!!!!  I made settlement on an awesome house and I can't WAIT to move in!  I especially can't wait to have a special area just for my stitching and crafts!!  I don't have any pictures yet, but I will very, very soon, and I'll post some just as soon as I take them! :-D

Second, I finally finished the "Sleep Tight" Sticks project I posted in my Sneak Peeks post.  Here is the finished product (I still have to do the finishing work, but all the stitching is done) -



Now, I'm not sure if you can tell or not (maybe if you click on the pic and enlarge it you can), but there is absolutely no square unstitched - the entire project is sheer stitching.  I honestly thought I'd never be done, and it's only 7.5" x 7.5"!  I've done Miribilia projects that are 3x this size (pics of them to come, so keep an eye out!)!!  I think this will be my last Sticks project for a good long time - the other one I did (Grow) was exactly the same way.  You'd think I'd've learned my lesson with the first one.

Below are some additional shots I took to give you a closer look -

This moon has the right idea -- nighty night!

If you can get a closer look, there are petite seed beads all throughout the moon's surface...

...and if you can get a closer look here, there are more beads in his hat, in the stars, and on (what looks like) Saturn in the upper right corner...

For as much of a pain in the neck this project was, it turned out pretty cool!!  I love the colors - they're so bright, and a far cry from the pastels which you normally see for baby gifts.  I plan on making this a pillow, so hopefully Katie can find a spot for it atop a shelf or bookshelf in her baby's nursery :-)

I do have one gripe about these Mill Hill Sticks projects....they don't give you the correct supplies.  In Grow, they left out one of the browns for the tree trunk.  In this project, they left out two colors, and didn't give me enough of a third.  Luckily, being the stitching freak that I am, I have almost every DMC color and was able to finish the project without a hitch.  However, for those cross stitchers who don't have an entire Michaels DMC display in their stash, this could prove difficult when trying to complete the project.  My advice -- before you even think about beginning to stitch, separate all the threads, and make sure you have everything.  Use master cards to help separate the threads for the project.  There were PLENTY of beads, so you don't have to worry about that for this kit...just the threads.  And fear not -- this crazy stitcher plans on sending a "heads up" letter to Mill Hill, so hopefully no one else will have this problem!





Happy Hump Day!

Just a short post to let you know that one of my favorite food blogs, Simply Sugar and Gluten Free, has Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays every week (yes, I'm fully aware that it's Wednesday, but I didn't get to check out the blog posting until today).  Amy at Simply Sugar and Gluten Free encourages postings of slightly healthier versions of your favorite recipes.  Your recipe does not have to be sugar or gluten free, just healthier in some way.  This week, someone posted a recipe for gluten free Pop Tarts!!  Pop Tarts!!  I have to download that recipe because I can't even tell you the last time I had a Pop Tart!  I'll have to try it and let you all know if they're as good as the "real" Pop Tarts are in my memory :-)

Also,  I wanted to post the picture of my Double Flips by Lizzie Kate.  This is the first of the Double Flip series that she did - there are (I think) 6 more different sets of Double Flips.  I have one of her Christmas Double Flips (there are 2), and the Halloween set completed.  Since we're all begging for spring, I'll spare you the holiday themed ones until we approach their seasons.  I have all the supplies for the new Christmas Rules Double Flips, and I'll most likely be getting the Halloween Rules Double Flips as well.  I can't pass up on some of her designs...they're just too daggone cute!

I finished this Double Flip series on 27 count stitching band from Mill Hill.  I believe it's called neutral/neutral Pyramid stitching band, referring to the detailed finishing on the edges.  I thought it was a great alternative to framing, and it fits perfectly in a small wall space, such as between two doorframes, like where I have mine hanging. 

All of the words in this series are what we should all be doing each day, and in light of today being Ash Wednesday which marks the holy season of Lent, I thought it was appropriate to post something inspiring.

Do something creative every day. Believe in something bigger than yourself.  Have faith.

Sneak Peeks

Ok so...the other day, I told you all how I was feverishly working on some baby gifts.  Well, I figured I would give a little sneak peek of them tonight, since I've about had it with stitching for the moment.

This first peek is a Mill Hill kit that was done in collaboration with the designers for Sticks furniture and artwork.  There are several Sticks designs (I've done one and put it on a box - Grow - which I'll snap a shot of and post later), and they're all pretty cool. Most of Mill Hill's kits are done on perforated paper, but I decided not to use it for this gift.  The kit came with dark blue paper, so I chose 28 count Mystic from Picture This Plus in its place, which was a pretty close match to the paper supplied with the kit. I haven't decided if I'm going to frame this or make it into a pillow, so stay tuned...

This peek is of the announcement I'm doing for one of my good friends from high school.  This is done on 32 count white Belfast; I made no adjustments to this pattern.  This will be framed as soon as I get the date and name of their precious baby :-)

And lastly, this is an Irish baby blessing that I designed for a friend at work.  I have to re-work some of the outer design, so I only took a picture of the beginning of the verse.  It's tough to tell, but the verse is worked in Crescent Colors Black Raspberry Jam.  I chose 40 count Lakeside Linens Maple Sugar linen fabric, which works so well with the overdyed threads that I chose for the verse and outer design.

Stay tuned for pics of the finished pieces, and remember to do something creative every day!