Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Taking It Easy

Been taking a bit of break lately. Not much stitching going on. Sunday, I got to meet up with a few stitching ladies; Deb, Joann, Astrid, Denise, and Danielle. We met up at Denise's house where she treated us to some yummy food and enjoyed some stitching. Denise has a lovely home! It was great fun to enjoy time stitching and wandering around her house seeing all her wonderful stitching displayed. I got to work a bit on Growing like a tree and started the border.


That night I discovered we had a nasty water leak under our sink. I don't keep much under there so who knows how long it was going on before I noticed. The landlord came Monday to take a look and it was a loose pipe. Luckily, easily fixed by hubby at the landlords direction. Thank goodness!! My wonderful hubby has taken it upon himself to clean up the mess in there and I couldn't be happier about that!


Sunday is the big superbowl sale at my lns and I'm super excited!! I won't be getting much but I'm always excited to visit the shop! I also took off next monday from work so I'm looking forward to a day at home.


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Wednesday, January 25, 2012

MIA

Not much to report today. I haven't stitched a bit since Sunday. Guess I needed alittle break! This picture is my progress on A Sweeter Love as of Sunday night. More border, which is boring, but I figure do it now and I won't have to go back later!


I'm looking forward to meeting up with new stitching friends on Sunday and my lns is having a Superbowl sale next Sunday. Hopefully, I will be getting more stash for my chatelaine piece....and maybe one or two other things...


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Saturday, January 21, 2012

Happy Dance!!

While enjoying the snow I finished Quaker Heart by Shepherds Bush. I love this design so much! The specialty stitches are so pretty. I think this design is special enough to warrant some Jill Rensel mats!


Hubby and I were out at Hobby Lobby today and I just had to get a picture of this adorable cupcake cookie jar. And the measuring spoons!


Speaking of adorable, have you seen this new Lizzie Kate kit coming out?! Love it!!


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Friday, January 20, 2012

Do You Hermit?

I am loving all the new readers to my blog the last couple weeks. I really appreciate everyone who stops by and reads my drivel!


This weekend is ihsw. I never technically sign up with everyone else but I love seeing everyones progress afterwards! Plus, I totally use it as an excuse to hole up in my house and do nothing but stitch all weekend. I tell my DH "its ihsw, I can do no other". Haha!


Tonight, while hubby is at work, I am babysitting. So, no stitching tonight, but we are expecting a bit of snow and ice through tomorrow so good luck prying me off the couch!


Happy weekend! (Finally)


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Thursday, January 19, 2012

Shepherds Bush

I needed alittle break from A Sweeter Love so I started working on Quaker Heart by Shepherds Bush. I love this design and the silks are so pretty and soft.


It wasnt too long ago I would have told you that SB designs just aren't my thing. The colors, the designs, the prices, eh. Then, last year, they started releasing those designs for that circle box. I decided I quite liked the box and the Hold Hope design with that cute little sheep. It was a quick stitch and an easy finish putting it into the top of the box.


After that, I was at In Stitches for a lock in and saw a lady with the CUTEST stitched fob and I had to have it! Another SB quick stitch and finish.


Now, I have quite a list of desired SB kits and patterns. Darn it. ;-)


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Wednesday, January 18, 2012

New Things

After I got home last night, I saw that we had received the new Wegmans magazine. It is a nice publication with recipes and meal ideas. Also, a few coupons.


In my perusing of the magazine, I saw this ad for ready made iced coffee. All you do is pour over ice?! Sold! Next time I'm in the store, that is going in my cart!


I also needed alittle break from sweeter love so I made this cute hat to add to my etsy shop and also started working on a small Shepherds Bush kit, Quaker Heart. I am trying to stay away from any new starts right now, but I figure a small thing every now and then won't hurt.


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Monday, January 16, 2012

Full Circle

Lots if progress on A Sweeter Love this past weekend. I finished the second house and have come full cirlce back to the dreaded swan.


Today was a holiday and after spending all weekend at home, I had to get out and about. I had two full punch cards for my lns so I went and got some more silks and the fabric for my chatelaine. I chose 32 ct mushroom lugana. My punch cards saved me twelve bucks! Yay!


I received a gift card for Michaels for my birthday so I stopped off and got some dmc threads. Plus, they were having a great yarn sale!


After I got home and made dinner I sat right down and started working on that darn swan. I am sure tomorrow I will finish it! I have made so much progress on this piece, I am excited to finish it soon!


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Friday, January 13, 2012

Desk Fairy

This is a stitching figurine I have on my desk at work. I got it right when I started my job five years ago from keepsake needlearts. I'm not sure if they still sell it. It is a fairy, but well, not long after I got I was a clutz and broke the wings off. Now they rest beside her waiting for some superglue.


Planning some serious marathon stitching this weekend, plus I have off work Monday for the holiday!! Yay!!


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Thursday, January 12, 2012

Silky Goodness

Came home to another sweet package today! My waterlilies order from ebay!


I'm getting so excited about this project! The colors are so amazing!


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Tuesday, January 10, 2012

Magic....The Gathering

So begins the gathering of materials for my first Chatelaine piece. I received my first batch today. Dinky Dyes and NPI silks! The colors are sooo beautiful and the sheen of the silk is just magic!


And thanks to Danielle and her genius idea, I made my first ebay purchase in YEARS when I found a seller online offering Carons Waterlilies waaaay below the regular price.


I still have quite a bit to go in completing the gathering. Plus, I still have to pick some fabric! My lns is having a super bowl sale in a few weeks so I will definitely be taking my list and marking off a few more things!


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Monday, January 9, 2012

Tiny Birds

Birds stitched over one. After the swan debacle, I decided it would better for my sanity to stitch the over one motifs using a half cross stitch. Its worked out very well so far, but I've learned my lesson when it comes to over one stitching and 40 count.


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Sunday, January 8, 2012

First Finish of 2012

Complete with french knots. They aren't perfect, but they're on there!


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Saturday, January 7, 2012

Sweet Progress

I've made a nice bit of progress on A Sweeter Love by Plum Street Samplers. I'm stitching on 40 ct. using the called for silks. I'm really enjoying this stitch and it will be very special for me as I plan to personalize it for our wedding. Above the couple I am planning something along the lines of a rhodes heart with our initials and the in the space between the "bride" and the white house, adding our wedding date.


Last night and today I stitched the flowers in the border, finished another motif and started working on the border around the verse. I found two mistakes in the vines of the border. Too far along to frog, one doesn't really matter but the other puts off my border by one darn stitch. So, I will have to remember that when I do the other side to make sure they line up.


Hope you're all having a wonderful weekend!!


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Friday, January 6, 2012

Birthday Fun -- Part One

I haven't yet uploaded pictures from my camera yet but I used my phone to take pics of the coolest bday gifts ever!!


Friday, my hubby got home from work and gave me an early gift. This beautiful necklace! I love it sooo much! I showed it to him a few times (and texted him the website link) and he remembered how much I liked it!


The other gift is this super awesome blanket my gf gave me. Dh surprised me by setting up a double dinner date with her and her hubby Friday night and she was waiting outaide the restaurant when we pulled up! I am in love with this blanket, it is so soft and cuddly and cupcakes! She said when she saw it, she knew it was for me.


Funny story of the night....after getting home from dinner that night I sat down to cuddle up with my new blanket and do some late night stitching. Well, the ends of couch recline and as I grabbed the handle on my end to put up the footrest......it broke off in my hand!!! So, no more reclining for this girl. I've spent the last week trying to find the best new way to relax and it is very difficult!


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Wednesday, January 4, 2012

And Back To Our Regularly Schedule Programming

Happy New Year!! Four days into the new year and it's back to the same old, same old. I had an amazing new years/birthday weekend with my DH. Once I upload pics from the my camera, I will be sure to share the fun with all of you.

Many of my online stitching pals have posted blogs in the last few days about resolutions and goals they have set for myselves. I reviewed my post from last year and some of the goals I had set for myself were kept, and some were not. I won't go into the sad and pathetic details, but this year I decided to take it easy on myself. There is nothing more depressing for a stitcher than to read about another stitching stating that they ONLY had 3, 500, 372 finishes this year, much less than the previous years finishes. Honestly, I might have had a whopping four finishes this year. BUT, after considering that I spent the majority of last year planning one of the most important days of my life (my wedding, duh) and that I STITCHED EVERY FREAKING FLOWER IN MY WEDDING BOUQUET (not to mention my MOH's and the grooms bout)....sooooo thats like a hundred finishes, right? So, boo yah. LOL.

Anyway, I took an extra day for myself yesterday. It was lovely, DH was back to work so I had the house all to myself. I stewed in my own filth and wore my pj's all day while sitting on the couch stitching and watching "The United States of Tara" on Netflix. Wow, thats a wacky show. Funny, though. I worked all day of my January Cottage. Much impressed with my progress!


 At some point, I took a small stitching break to go through the pile of stuff that has accumulated at my end of the couch in our living room. In one bag, I packed in all my wip's and kitted projects and left them nicely tidied away. In another bag, I packed miscellaneous things such as threads or random bits of fabric. I also put in a few things I was given or bought that are just no longer my dish or I stitched them and must needs find something to do with them now. I see a giveaway in the future!! Right now though, they are jammed into our spare bedroom where all the other random things in our house gather.

After DH got home and started playing a video game, I trudged upstairs for a light bit of housecleaning and found an old faithful on my desk in our bedroom. Poor 'Sweetest Love', patiently waiting for some attention. I grabbed her up and finished stitching the roof on the white house and this heart and crown motif. I love this motif, it is my favorite on this piece. I think I am having a new found thing for crowns. I also love the key which is in  the picure showing all that I have done so far.



So it seems that my goal this year will be to stitch from my stash. I had set the same goal for myself last year and seemed to do very well with it. Most of the stash I purchased last year wase fabric or threads to kit up charts that I already had. This year, I can now spend stitching those kitted up projects. My first Chatelaine chart came in the mail last weekend so I will also slowly, but surely, be gathering the threads and treasures needed for that start. As for now, I have PLENTY to keep me busy!