Just a quick post to show that Dance of the Graces did indeed get some love this week.  In fact,  they were sooooo demanding that I quickly got not one but TWO pages completed!   We are on the final 2 rows of this piece.   With only 12 pages left to go!  I will be working the last two row of pages together from this point on as the last row is only 12 stitches deep.

This weekend is the IHSW weekend.   I intend to do part 3 of the Lizzie Kate Holly & Hearts Sampler and Part 8 of the Plum Street Mary II Sampler.

Until the next time,  have a wonderful stitchy day!

Rollercoaster of Emotions

I know it has been quite some time since I last updated this blog.   There has been a lot of upheaval here recently.  Some of it good....some bad....

As some of you may remember,  in August we were expecting the imminent arrival of our first grandson.  This was the Good....  Ethan Daniel arrived in the very early morning hours of August 17th.  At the whopping weight of 8 lbs 13.6 ozs, 22 in long.....he was a BIG boy!   Looks just like his daddy!  He has definately stolen our hearts!

While we were in Indiana welcoming our grandson into the world, we got a frantic call from my mom saying that my dad had just been admitted to the hospital with congestive heart failure.  Then begins the frantic drive back to San Antonio.   Because we inherited my daughters cat, who took an instant dislike to Ethan and also because I needed to get an allergy shot before I could join my family in Phoenix.

Unfortunately, a little over a week after I got there Dad passed away during an angioplasty procedure.  I am thankful that I got to spend some time with him before the end.  But god how I miss him!  He was our family's rock!

As a result, my stitching mojo has just about disappeared.  However, I am forcing myself to work on a baby afgan that needs to be done before the end of the year.  It is just hard to work on it, as I started it while dad was in the hospital.

Here is what the afgan looked like before the weekend.....

And what it looks like now..... I am backstitching as I go.

I also made some progress on Dance of the Graces before all this started......

And also finished Little House Needleworks Mystery Sampler.....

Until next time my friends......Have a good day!

Been lax again about updating this blog......don't really have any excuses to give you this time.  Just been enjoying myself with my stitching and anxiously awaiting the phone call from DD announcing that the baby is on his way!  No Grandson yet....but should be soon!

In the meantime,  I have put the finishing touches onto his blanket.   Got the backing sewn on.   Decided to go with a soft flannel.   Not the best sewing job in the world, but it is on!

Also worked on the PR Mystery "Into the Deep" SAL Part 3.   Can't decide if I like the fishies or the seahorses more.   They are both soooooo cute!   I also have part 4.....it was released really early.  Wasn't supposed to be released until the 1st of August.  So I think I will save that to do a bit later.   I'm still holding off on all the beads for now, so it looks a bit strange, but I'm loving how it is turning out so far!

Received a lovely surprise in the mail the other day!  Monique from Tiny Treasures 2 sent me a lovely scissor case.   I wasn't expecting a second one!  I kind of feel guilty for not stitching her one now (even though we were only supposed to stitch) one for the exchange.  I'll have to think of something to thank her. 

And I also spent a LOVELY amount of time with my Dance of the Graces.   It is soooooo nice to be stitching on this lovely piece once again!  And I'm making very good head way too!

Well.....That's it for now folks!  Have a wonderful day!  Until the next time....

Hope everyone had a wonderful and safe 4th of July!  We had family over for a BBQ and other than that.....was just a quiet day! 

Got my 2012 PR Mystery "FATUM" back from the framers.  She turned out really lovely!  And she is already on her way to her new home.   Should be there by the end of this week!

Also had Halloween Rules by Lizzie Kate framed......love how this turned out as well.   Can't wait for Halloween to put it out! 

The scissor case and pincushion that I made for the Tiny Treasures Exchange has been received.  Sounds like Amanda likes it.  The sewing on it is a bit wonky though as I'm not very good with a sewing machine.   I adapted a portion of the Ink Circles Circ de Coers for the case and pincushions.

I also managed to get another page (actually 2 pages) done on Dance of the Graces.   However, this picture only shows one of the two pages......as I've been lazy about coming upstairs to get the camera to take a more up to date picture!   And now the lighting is all wrong to take one tonight.  Maybe tomorrow. :)

Well.....that's it for now folks!   Have a Great Evening and Happy Stitching!

Last weekend was a 2nd IHSW bonus weekend! 

I worked on (and completed) the Ink Circles RYO SAL.  LOVE how this turned out!   It was a very fast stitch! And it was sooooooo very easy to pick my own colors!

Last month I was part of an exchange on Tiny Treasures Exchange II.   We did Scissor Cases for the exchange.  I had never done one before.  The one I did has not yet been received, so I can't yet show how it turned out.   But the one that was done for me by Amanda is just beautiful!   She combined my two favorite things --- Butterflies and the color yellow!

 

 

I also found some time to start and complete part one of the LHN Song of Season SAL.   This was a very quick stitch as well.   Can't wait for the next part to come out!

 

 

 

Unfortunately, not much work got done on Confetti of Hardanger.  I did get the cutwork done, but was unable to really concentrate on the pattern.  So have put this aside for now.

 

 

While waiting for the next parts to Song of Seasons and Into the Deep to come out......I have dragged Dance of the Graces back out of the UFO pile.   That hasn't seen any love since January!

 

 

Well......That's it for me......Have a Great Day everyone!







Sorry.....I did it again......Long time between posts!

Since my last post.....DD got married, parents and one of my brothers came for a visit, I went to AZ for Thanksgiving and got back in time to do Christmas preparations for our Scandinavian family to come for a visit.  We also helped my In-Laws celebrate their 50th Wedding Anniversary!

DD and DH

DD and DSil

The wedding was absolutley beautiful!   Couldn't have had better weather for an outdoor wedding!  Everything went off without a hitch.....that is, until the wedded couple climbed into the Bently to take them to their Honeymoon Hotel!   The people at the venue decided to give the couple an opened bottle of RED wine to take in the car with them when they left.   They neglected to tell the couple that the cork was just barely in the bottle.    At some point in the 30 min drive to the hotel, the bottle became uncorked and the wine spilled all over DD's beautiful wedding gown!  I got a frantic and tearful phone call from DD on what to do with the dress as club soda was not taking out the stain.   I told her the only thing she could do at that time was to put the dress in the tub with water as cold as she could make it and let it soak over night and that we would take it straight to the cleaners in the morning and could only HOPE the stain would come out.   They emptied the hotels Ice bin on their floor into the tub with the dress and cold water!   By the time, we got the dress to the cleaners the next morning you almost couldn't see where the wine was on the dress.   The cleaners had the dress for six weeks and in that time, they were able to get the stain totally out!

Eagle Moon

Cherished Memories

While in AZ  I was able to give three of the special projects that I worked on last year to my brothers.   One of my brothers was not able to make it home for Thanksgiving or for Christmas, so he has not yet received his gift so that one I will hold off on showing you.  But here are the other three...   The Celtic Tree one is a conversion of a picture that my brother, Joe, drew.  He had no idea that I had taken his picture on a previous visit home with the intention of cross-stitching it for him.  I do believe this was the first time I've every seen him speechless when the completed piece was presented to him!

Celtic Tree Knot

 

 

Confetti of Hardanger

I've been quite busy on the stitching front too!   Have Continued to work on Confetti of Hardanger and have kept up with the steps.   The latest step has just dropped so I will be working on that this weekend.  I must say I'm really enjoying this.  I actually find it quite relaxing!

 

PR 2012 Mystery SAL

Passion Ricamo's Mystery SAL is also coming along nicely!  I've managed to keep in pace with this as well.  The next part on this will drop on the 1st.   I have modified it though.   I decided I didn't want to do the word that she charted at the bottom of the piece between the fairy and the scrollwork....so I have moved my scrollwork up to just under the fairy.

 

And Dance of the Graces also saw a bit of love.  I am hoping to get close to a finish on it this year.  Time will tell.  







HEAD Dance of the Graces

 

 

 

Last weekend was IHSW (Internatinal Hermit Stitch Weekend).  Last year I didn't participate, but this year I thought I would go ahead a do so.  Late in putting up my progress pictures due to blogger not letting me upload pictures until today (what's up with that?).   Anyway, I decided a new start was necessary for this.   So.......out came English Whitework Sampler.   I'm doing this on 40 ct linen which is a Silkweaver Sale Special that I got off their FB sales.  I'm loving this so far!   But I'm now going to have to put it aside for a little bit, cause I need to get started on a baby Afgan for my 1st grandchild that is due in August.

 

English Whitework Sampler

Well,   I think that's it for now my friends!  Enjoy your new year and keep on stitching!



Busy times are ahead!  The wedding is just on the horizon and there is still a lot to be done!  It is to be an outdoor wedding and we are just praying that the weather will be glorious.   But all it's wanted to do here recently is rain!  We are definately keeping our fingers (and toes) crossed!

I did get DD's Bride's Purse done.   (Pattern was from Cross Stitch and Needlework, May 2009.)  Had a couple of mishaps in the cutting, but I was following the pattern directions and cut where they said to only to find out that I should NOT have cut there.  But with a bit of Stitcher's glue and invisible thread, was able to repair it.   As long as DD is gentle with the purse, all should be fine!  Here it is......... although I think I will add a little beaded handle to it....

I put in some time on Lizzie Kates Very Scary Mystery Sampler and got it finished.   Still undecided on how to finish it though.   I'm going back and forth between a bellpull or framing it.

I have started my next Hardanger.  I joined the Yahoo group The Stitch Specialists.   They are doing a SAL called Confetti of Hardanger.   I was a little behind when I started mine, but have just about caught up.  Parts 1-4 are done.   I have started part 5 and part 6 should be released this weekend.   I'm loving how this is turning out so far!   I've chosen to do this on 32 ct Summer Sky using #8 and #12 DMC Perle 3753 and Caron Wildflowers Williamsburg.

Also managed to put in a "little" bit of time on Dance of the Graces.  Again, not much of a difference, but a stitch is a stitch!

 



Lately I've been in a knitting mood.   So I've decided to try my hand at knitting a shawl.  Never done one before. But love the delicate look of them.  Wish me luck!

 

Until next time my friends!  Have a GREAT STITCHY DAY!

 

Just completed pages 6 & 7 for a total of 28 pages done on the Dance of the Graces. This puts me at 56% done on this piece! I only have 28 pages (4 rows) to go for a finish! Yay!

But, I'm going to put this aside for now and work exclusively on my special project until it is completed.

I'm still awaiting the materials for the page that I've signed up to do for the Chelsea Project for the quilt. Of course, once that has been received, I'll stop working on everything else until this has been done and sent back off to be quilted.