Tuesday 26 October 2010

I Got Nothing

Seriously folks, I got nothing. No stitching, not a single stitch. My arm is really giving me HE double hockey sticks and so I haven't stitched a thing.

I even looked through my earlier photos looking for a photo to post. That just made me cranky too. I don't want to look at photos of stitching I can't do.
Have you ever seen a cranky stitcher who cannot stitch! Not a pretty picture. She looks something like the redhead who writes this blog.

So what do I do instead. Pack, yep you heard me - Pack. We are heading to Arizona on Saturday for the next six months.

And my stitching - well, I packed enough to do for the next 10 years. You never know what a girl might want to stitch LOL.
 
Hopefully, next time I write I will have something to show and I will be in a better mood.


Happy stitching, y'all.

Tuesday 19 October 2010

Lights, squares, snow and a tribute

Another week has come and gone. The tendonitis in my elbow is not getting better. Of course, if I stopped stitching, lifting and working my arm it would heal much faster. I have done some stitching but not nearly as much as I would like.

I have managed to finish my San Man Inky Dinky Blackwork SAL! Aren't these little guys just the cutest! Beatrice has brought me some really cute snowman fabric and I will be making this into a little pillow.


I received word from Jeanie C (no blog) that she received the Fair and Square blocks I sent her. The design is a freebie but I don't remember where I got it. I thought oak leaves and acorns were appropriate for this time of year.


Jeanie is from Singapore and I was excited to receive my squares from her. This is the cutest little SanMan freebie for Autumn. That fat little bird has such character.


Beatrice, Barb and I attended a stitch day at Rebecca's on Saturday. It is so much fun to get together with people who make you feel special. I stitched on my secret stitch the entire day.

The next morning I picked up my stitching from the day before. The entire section I had stitched the day before was in the wrong place - IN RED THREAD - and I had to take it out. Thank goodness it came out without a mark but I lost hours of work and time. Those bloody frogs!!!!!!!  I need to get those frogs so angry they will hop off and never come back again. 

On Sunday, I, along with many of my stitching friends attended a special tribute to Adriana put on by Knowledge and Needles. Adriana has been stitching since she was a small girl and many of her pieces were brought together for display. It was amazing. 
I consider myself blessed to have this wonderful woman in my life. Her daughter, Beatrice has been my best friend for over 30 years. What a great day!

Adriana is pointing at her favorite cross stitch piece in this photo.


Nantucket Rose in the bottom right is the piece that she stitched for me many years ago.


Please go to the Knowledge and Needles and Beatrice's blog  (links are above) to see the wonderful photos that were taken of Adriana's amazing work.

Today I went to my mailbox and was surprised and excited to find this wonderful package. I had sent some patterns to Niina in Finland that she was having difficulty finding. This thank you was in the mail. She sent me some wonderful fabrics. The two large floral fabrics are Finnish designs. She included a wonderful DMC kit!


 Look at this bag - Finnish Lighthouses! How cool is that! I loved it all! Thank you so much Niina.




Today I realized that my DH and I will be heading to Arizona for the winter in a little over a week. Usually by now, I have a lot of my packing done and I'm almost ready to go. I haven't packed a single box. I think all the packing and unpacking I did when we moved about 7 weeks ago made even looking at a crate difficult. I need to get my butt in gear. I don't know how much stitching I will get done over the next little while as I get my act together and get those boxes packed. It will probably do my arm some good not to stitch for a bit. I find it hard to sit in the evenings without a needle in my hands. I think I am addicted!!!! LOL.

Till next time my friends - keep on stitching!

Sunday 10 October 2010

A houseful

Here's what you do when you have a new house with lots of room and lots of light.
You fill it with all your stitching friends! Ann of Knowledge and Needles was away last Thursday and so I invited everyone to my house for stitching. There was room for all of us. We had a wonderful afternoon full of lots of laughter and a little bit of stitching.

My dear friend Clare sent me this lovely house stitch for my new home. Thank you so much Clare. I love it and it will have a place of pride in my kitchen.


Barb (no blog) made me this wonderful nutcracker ornament. Isn't he just the cutest!


Beatrice and I showed off our finished Stain Glass Quilts. This was Beatrice's first quilted piece and she did a great job!


We are visiting with our youngest son, his wife and our grandsons for Thanksgiving. The turkey is in the oven and the pumpkin pies are in the fridge.  I can hardly wait for supper.

We went to watch Jackson play hockey this afternoon. He started playing a couple of weeks ago. It was great fun. Here's a couple of pictures of our future hockey star!


I have been stitching and it is still a struggle. I did get the two ornaments I needed to stitch done but cannot show them as they are for others.

To all my Canadian friends "Happy Thanksgiving!!!" and to the rest of my friends "I hope you have a happy day". Today, I am thankful for all my stitching, blogging friends. You make my day!

Monday 4 October 2010

Boats, and trees and rooms

I don't know what it is these days but blogging seems to be difficult. I start out with the best plans to post once a week and then I procrastinate for several days. I am not normally a procrastinator so I just don't understand why. Finally this morning I am sitting down for an update.

My stitching progess has slowed considerably. I am suffering from tendonitis in my stitching elbow and it makes stitching painful. That really frustrates me. I am stitching on a couple of things I can't show you - an ornament for an exchange and a birthday gift for a dear friend.

I do have a couple of things to show you though. You haven't seen the lighthouses for a while so here is an update. There were 5 boats stitched when this RR returned home to me.  I have been stitching boats - lots and lots of boats. My BFF Beatrice has taken it home. She has stitched a few boats and now I have stitched many more.  Only 18 more to go and another lighthouse and some small things to add in some of the empty spaces. Do you think I will ever see this one finished?


I have started a Christmas stocking for my nephew Ryan. He played hockey for many years and I thought this might be his kinda stocking. Not much progress but I can say I started it LOL.


Ok, now some pictures of my new home - If you don't want to see them, just skip to the end. Warning: Photo Intensive - like about 20 or so

1. Exterior

2. Entryway

3. Sewing room - sewing desk - My Nutcracker RR is on the wall. Some stitched gifts are hanging under the window.


4. Sewing room - storage for stitching stash. Those baskets hold stitched gifts.

5. Stitching magazines, books etc


6. Stitching chair upstairs in living room - Mirabilia RR beside my chair on wall


7. Living room




8. Cabinet found in antique store - now in living room with my Great Aunt's antique dinnerware


9. Sewing machine in same store company is called Raymond? - also in living room

10. Interior of sewing machine - needs some serious cleaning. Any suggestions?

11. Kitchen
12. Kitchen - pantry
13. Kitchen - new cupboards we added and my  deceased  MIL's old cast iron pans on the wall. Crewel embroidery clock I did in the 1980's and gave to MIL and now back home with me.


14. Dining room - can't convince DH to lose the water cooler. High chair was given to my parents for me when I was born. Refinished and proudly sits in my dining room.


15. Lighthouse bathroom - Note - lighthouse cross stitch. My Hello Neighbor RR pillow on the shelf and the post cards - gifts from stitching friends. This the room that will require major renovations next year. It is stuck in the 80's.



16. Upstairs hallway - L&L - Nantucket Rose - stitched by Adriana who is now 94. My Sweetheart Tree RR hangs to the left. Little table is my Great Aunt's mending basket and sat at the top of the stairs when I was a child. Antique flour sack tablecloth was a gift from a friend. It belonged to her grandmother.

17. Guest room



18. Master Bedroom.
Before we moved in this room was painted Pepto Bismol Pink with rose carpet. My DH and his brother installed my beautiful new hardwood floor and I painted the room. Still needs new lighting and window dressings. Can you see me in the dresser mirror taking pictures? LOL

19. Stain glass in windows master bedroom






20. Family room or as DH calls it - his Man Cave - my downstairs stitching chair - after all a girl needs a place to stitch.You can see my overfull stitching bag beside my chair!


21. Laundry Room - I did laundry at the laundromat for years. I am excited to have my own laundry room. DH doesn't get my excitement but I am sure you will!





There is one more bathroom but it's kinda plain. The garage - well that's a guy thing. and the yard - I forgot to take photos but I think you get the idea.  Thanks for stopping by my new home.

Till next time. Keep on stitching.  Wow, this took me over an hour to post!!!!! I'm exhausted.