WIP Wednesday Report

I can't believe it's almost the end of the month already. WOW! Time sure is going fast. The kids have a lot of 4-H activities that are keeping everyone busy, and now that my phlebitis has calmed down some, I'm getting back in the taxi service mode again. The do the 4-H activies a little strange here (IMHO anyhow). The main meetings started in March, and then most of the activities the kids signed up for started after school let out. They have 1-2 months to complete all the required work before Round-up the first part of August. That's a lot of running and a lot of meetings to attend in a small amount of time. The kids are loving the schedule, though, so I can't complain.

With doing that and getting everything around to take to the school district, I haven't had as much time to stitch this week. I did get 3 squares done on the French mystery sampler. That makes 11 out of 26 posted ones finished (today a new one was posted). I'm so far behind. I should be at the half way point now, but I'm only near 1/4th of the way. Ah well, that's what happens when life gets in the way. And to catch up - one can only stitch so much purple before the need for a change. :-)

I'm also working on MLI's 2002 freebie. I only have to do the bottom of the baby, and her dress plus outlining and beading. I'm going to have to modify the right side since I am removing the halo. I really do enjoy working with MLI's Needlepaints. This is the first project I've used them on, and I must say, they are soooo nice.

I'm SPEECHLESS!!!!

The post office called me Friday afternoon to let me know that an Express package had just been delivered, and I needed to come pick it up or wait until Saturday for it to be delivered. An Express package? For ME?!!! It must have been a mistake. She said, "Nope - It's for you." I grabbed the kids and out the door I went. I had no clue what it must be.

I got home with the package, sat down on the sofa and opened it. It was from Felicia, and she sent me the most wonderful surprise!!! I still can't believe that she would do such a fantastic thing! She sent me the pattern for The Houses of Hawk Run Hollow AND ALL the silks to stitch it!!!! Nothing could have prepared me for what was inside this package!! I never dreamed that I would ever get a chance to stitch this pattern. DH just wouldn't hear of a pattern costing that much and then add the silks??!! HA!

Even if I could have talked DH into the pattern, I would most certainly have used DMC and a cheap evenweave. Now, I'll be stitching an heirloom, and I showed DH what Felicia sent, and said the fabric has to be nice, because I'm using silk. Well he didn't argue (this time), so I emailed my LNS and made sure she had the linen. She let me know she had a lot of cheaper alternatives as well, but I really am going to get a very nice piece of linen because this piece has gained so much more meaning now. I'm planning on stitching it, framing it nicely and putting the lovely story on the back of the piece. Felicia will go down with me in my family history :-) Now all I need to do is pick up a few model stitching jobs to pay for the framing!!

I'm still blown away by this wonderful gift. I can't convey how much I appreciate Felicia's generosity. She's one in a million!!!

Another 2 finishes

Aragorn is finally finished. Nothing else got in the way - no obligation stitching, no family demands, nothing. It was just me and Aragorn until the end.

Here he is, stitched on 32ct. Autumn Fields hand-dyed Belfast Linen:

Now, to find the perfect frame. I think I'm going to look for something rustic but ornate. Then again, maybe not. Maybe I should be looking for something more "Manly" - something that fits Aragorn's personality.

Another finish for me this week was Stefani Martin's "Covered Bridge Spring". I'm not pleased with the backstitching. There's a lot of grass stitched, but you can't see it! You can see it here and there, but not nearly as much as I put in. I should change the color to another shade, but I'm not pulling it out and wasting any more time on this piece. It's finished and it will do. It doesn't look bad the way it is, but I would have liked the grass to show up more.



Now, on to L&L's 2002 Christmas Freebie . I'm hoping to finish it by Monday.

Stitching Along....

I've been doing nothing much these days except for stitching, reading, and watching TV - with an occasional hop online to have a peek at what's going on in the world. I'm going about stir crazy because I feel great except for this leg of mine. It is getting a bit better but not nearly as fast as I want it to. sigh...

Here's an update on Stefani Martin's "Covered Bridge Spring" and I'm happy to report it's about 90% finished now.



And here's where I was before this rotation:



Since I'm so close to being finished, I may just keep stitching until it's finished.

We are still searching for a house, but not finding what we want yet. I really don't want to go back in debt again just to settle for something we really aren't in love with. We have one of those houses now :-) We want a larger house in the country with a couple of acres (actually the more acreage the better!!) so that we can have our orchard, berry patch, herb garden and a nice veggie garden, plus a place for flowers and maybe a couple of goats and some chickens. We have chickens now, but it's such a shame to have to keep them penned up the way they are. They need room to run and on our 2/3rds of an acre, they really can't do that now.

Speaking of chickens, I got a wonderful surprise in my email tonight. I won a Janlynn chart of chickens called "Ruffled Feathers"!! I'm really looking forward to getting it. I have just the perfect place in the kitchen to hang it, too!! Thanks so much, Patti!

Picture Day

I have been down with phlebitis in my leg, so I've had lots of time to stitch. I now have a few finished objects to claim :)

First is the first of Calico Crossroads Kats by Kelly monthly series. This is called "In The Bag" and is stitched on 14 ct. white aida using DMC.



My next finish is Lizzie Kate's "Cherish Dream Live". This was stitched on 32 ct. Lambswool linen and I used mostly GAST. I did use the DMC conversion for the evergreen (found I was out and didn't reorder!) and for the small "dots". I won't waste GAST on small areas like that. I won this chart from Debbie from the SanMan board, and now it's on it's way to a new home. Thanks Debbie!!! This was a fun stitch!!



Yesterday, I finished the Dimensions Creative Accents kit that my DS gave to me for my birthday. It's called "Hang In..." and it is so remarkable that it looks so much like the kitten that adopted us. It was stitched on 14ct. light blue aida.



And here's our cat - and boy did he get stuck in a few trees when he was young...



Today's finish is Just Nan's "Crystal Heart". This was stitched on 28 ct. lilac cashel linen using the recommended threads. I love JN's and everytime I stitch one, I wonder why I haven't done more. They are just so lovely and feminine.

What type of Fae are you?

Getting Back to Normal....

It feels so good getting back to feeling normal. I was down for the last few months quite ill. It turned out to be a problem with my gall bladder, and after a lodged stone and a nasty bout with jaundice, I had the stone removed. Then on to recovery and then when I was back to the health they wanted me to be, they removed my gall bladder. I'm finally able to take some time to sit and surf the net again as well as stitch. Both couldn't be done during the last couple of months, as it was just too painful to sit in one position for any amount of time. Thank heavens that's all behind me now. I'm still moving gingerly, but feel a whole hill of beans better than I have been!

My DS gave me a lovely kit for my birthday present - about a month ago, and he said he needed to get it for me, because I wasn't stitching any more, and he knew that I needed to be stitching. I after all that time, I don't have near what I would have wanted to on it. It was so hard sitting and trying to work on it. But now - it's coming right along, and should be done soon. The kit is from Creative Accents (Dimensions) and is called "Hang In..."

I'm now to the kitten's head, and then will have the clouds and letter to do - plus all the outlining, and it will be finished. Such a lovely present :)