Out from under the boxes

Hello fellow stitchers.
I am just stopping by to leave a short note. We are in the process of packing up for our return to Canada for the next six months. Unfortunately, I am having trouble getting out from under the boxes to post any updates.
I will return when I can. With packing, traveling and unpacking at the other end my posts will be sparse for a bit.
We are leaving here on April 15th and will be back in Canada on April 25th with a few stops in between - Denver, Guthrie Center and Windsor.
I am reading blogs when I get a chance and am enjoying everyone's amazing work!! I have not had much time to comment though.
Please don't desert me as I am deserting all of you for a bit.

I will miss you (typed with a big pout on her face).

Many hugs and Happy Easter

Best Laid Plans of Mice and Men

Well, needless to say, my rotation went right out the window this week. I don't know why I try one - it only works in the short term.

I received a beautiful Make a Wish from Jill this week. She stitched Sweetheart Needle Roll by Sweetheart Tree. It is so perfectly finished. Please check it out closer, the stitching is absolutely perfect. Thank you so much for such a delicate stitch Jill. I appreciate it.



I did stitch on my HAED. Although it looks like a black blob, it is actually two shades of navy.

I was so thrilled. I got to change colors. Wendy has asked to see the photo of the finished piece so I thought I would include it for those who are interested.


I stitched the gold heart on Danielle's Friendship Sampler RR and it is ready to go in the mail this week. This a fun RR as each heart only takes a day or so to stitch.



I finished the lovely Easter Squares that Melissa sent me into this pillow.
I tried to come up with something that would protect the bunny's silk chenille tail and also show off the work on Melissa's signature square. This is what I came up with. I hope Melissa likes what I did with her squares.



And, here is the progress on my Fairies in the Garden. I had managed a couple more of the flowers and when the mint green and flowers came together - I was in trouble. I was out by 1/2 stitch. I tried compensating for the error with no luck. It just kept compounding itself. I then took out the magnifier and searched for the mistake. Well, I found it. Way back in the second flower.

Now - what to do!!! I could not tear it all out. I thought about it for a few hours and then decided this was not going to work. I had struggled with seeing the holes in this fabric because of the color and realized I would only have the same problem again at some point. So, out came the scissors and this is what happened.


Yep, I cut it out!!!!
I am thinking of starting again (Start #4) on a pretty white opalescent 28 count fabric. What do you think? Maybe the fairies could use a little sparkle.

I am now working away on a set of Fair Squares and will try to work on my rotation a bit this week.

Have a great stitching week everyone!!!

Pillows, bunnies and blobs

Hello everyone and how are you this week? Me, I'm stitching away. I don't have a lot to show you (not like last week) but trust me, the needles have been smoking. I seem to be on a roll these days.
I have started a bit of a rotation and it seems to be working.

Monday - Royal Holiday - Yep, I took her out and we have some progress. I am not sure about the pink in this pattern ( I am definitely not a pink person). I will have to do some more work on her dress and see how this plays out.

Tuesday - Secret Stitch - Yep, I started it - about 400 stitches!!

Wednesday - Fairies in the Garden. I added some more flowers. I didn't take a picture cause it doesn't look much different than last week.

Thursday - HAED - I worked away at this one and got 449 stitches done - for one long navy line and a total of 799 stitches but who's counting. LOL.



Friday - Noddy. Not a single stitch - Boy, do I have trouble getting this one out and putting stitches in it.

The weekend is devoted to exchanges and RR's. I have one Make a Wish, one Fair and Square and one Friendship Sampler heart to stitch.

I hope this rotation lasts for a bit because I seem to be making progress.

I have a couple of photos to post.

I stitched a Make a Wish for Jill and stitched "Lavender Cottage" from The Sampler Girl. When I posted to the blog that the wish was completed, I reread the information. I realized that I had not fulfilled her wish correctly. She had wished for a primitive design.
So, I stitched up this little pillow, also by The Sampler Girl and Jill let me know she received it last week. Now, I feel I have properly granted her wish.



I received my Easter Fair and Squares from Melissa W. They are simply gorgeous.
The little bunny angel has a silk chenille tail and her signature square is beautiful - so delicate and fine.
The design is from Full Circle's "Angel Hare Garden" stitched on 32 count cream linen with DMC, Mill Hill Beads, #4 braid and silk chenille.

I absolutely love them! I have been keeping my Fair Squares for a quilt but the bunny's chenille tail will need protected. I think I will make the two squares into a pillow and add them to my bedroom that is filled with angels.
Thank you so much Melissa - you made my day!!!

Well, the laundry is done and I am off to watch a movie and hopefully finish the stitching on my Make a Wish.
Have a great week everyone and we'll be in touch via the blogs. I do have one small issue. I can't stitch and read all your blogs and comment at the same time. Trust me, I am reading as many as I can and will try and comment asap.

Take care one and all and may a stitching angel be on your shoulder!

We be stitching

The last of our visitors are gone and I am free to stitch again. Yippee!! And the needles have been smoking!

I think I will let the photos say it for me.

First up, my Easter Fair and Squares for Melissa.


The bunnies are from Marjolein Bastien's Four Season's Sampler on 32 count antique white Lugana. I have stitched these for another Fair and Square round but Melissa is a bunny lover and these are just the cutest ever.

I picked up my Fairies in the Garden, did some border, a couple of flowers and a pretty butterfly.

I stitched a heart on Donna's Friendship Sampler and sent it off in the mail.



I stitched on Noddy and now we have the head of a giraffe and the grey blob is the beginnings of an elephant.

I stitched up this little biscornu for Juls when I went to Las Vegas and shamelessly borrowed the photos from her site cause they were better than mine.

It was a freebie.

I finished stitching this little Halloween sampler from Heart in Hand on a piece of 32 count hand-dyed mystery fabric using WDW threads. The little pumpkin button I bought at Stitcher's Paradise in Las Vegas. The pattern then flew off to the Netherlands to hopefully help Annemarie cheer up.

I sewed my Sisterhood into this little pillow and it sits beside my stitching chair. When I look at it, I think of the joy that stitching gives me and all the other stitchers out there.


I started my HAED - 3 1/2 hours, 250 stitches and a tiny dark navy blob.

My design is Peacock Lagoon. But, hey, I'm happy - I started it!!!! I consider this one my 10 year project.

There are a couple of other things I would like to mention.

You may notice on some of your blogs that I have added my name as a follower and my photo shows as a farmhouse. That farmhouse is a photo that I took back in the 80's. It is of my paternal grandparent's house after being abandoned for many years. The property had been sold and resold several times and the house was allowed to fall to rack and ruin. Since that photo the house has collapsed completely. I just love that photo and decided to use it.
Our adopted, spare son took this photo and made it look like an oil painting. I had it enlarged and framed and it hangs in my parent's home. My dad just loves it.

And one other piece of happy news. Every second year, the quilt group that I belong to make and raffle a quilt to raise money for Precious Treasures here in Arizona. Precious Treasures is an organization that provides before and after day care for the migrant worker's children. They also provide a summer program. This year we raised over $500 and immediately sent them a cheque to help cover their summer program. And the best part, I WON THE QUILT!!!!

I was so excited. I have loved this quilt since the first time I saw the squares and the vibrant colors. The photos do not do it justice. It is so much brighter in color. The two squares that I made and contributed are Row 1 - #5 and Row 4 - #6.

P.S. The Sister is finished and Carol has posted to her blog that she will soon be ready to travel. Check it out if you are interested.

Till next time, keep those crosses crossed!

Hello - it's me

Hi everyone. I am back from my grand adventures.
I will share my stitching updates with you and then if you wish you can have a little peak at our trip.

Here are the beautiful Winter Fair Squares I received from Gillie (no blog).


My Make a Wish also came in the mail recently. Chris made me this beautiful Altoid tin.


The design is from Victoria Sampler and from the Christmas Poinsettia leaflet. The photo does not do it justice. It is so dainty and I love the hardanger. I so admire hardanger but am afraid to try it.

Here is my addition to Annette's RR. I chose "Winter Cottage" from Maryse's House. I really enjoyed this stitch. Annette is doing individual squares - not sure what she has in mind at the end.

I have a couple of secret stitches finished but cannot show them yet. And today, I picked up Noddy and put a few stitches in that. I will post a photo of that next time.

Our next stop after Las Vegas was the Grand Canyon.
The Grand Canyon was as breathtaking and awe inspiring as ever.

We have been there several times and it still takes our breath away.

And look what we found while we were there - SNOW!!!


This handsome fella welcomed us at a local trading post during our drive from the Canyon to Flagstaff. I think he has been too long in the Arizona sun.

At breakfast in Flagstaff, most of the guests were in ski clothes. We knew then it was time to head back to southern Arizona and warm weather LOL.
We travelled through the beautiful red rocks of Sedona and then up the narrow mountain roads to the city of Jerome then returning tired but happy home later that evening.

Our guests left on Thursday at 11 a.m. and our next guests arrived at 2 p.m. the same day. My DH Leo will be 60 on Monday and his sister and her husband have come from Florida to celebrate the day with him. I am in the party planning mode now!!!

Until next time, may all your stitches cross where they should LOL.

Vegas Baby

First of all, thank you to everyone who stopped by and left a little note for drawing of the sisterhood. I have met many wonderful new people and checked out many new blogs (still working on that). The winner's name is Carol - Linen Stitcher.

We are in wonderful, wacky Las Vegas.

My first stop in Las Vegas was a wonderful little slice of heaven called Stitcher's Paradise. I was introduced to this shop by an online friend and we met there. Here is a photo of Juls and I in the shop. I walked out with 1/2 yd 25 count antique white lugana for my HAED, 1/4 yd. white 32 count lugana to restart my Cirque des Cercles, Glendon Places "Monster March", M Designs "Las Vegas" (only available at this shop) and some new threads. I was so in awe I left without the threads that I actually needed. It was so nice to meet Juls. She knows her fabric and designers! She amazed me with her knowledge. We had a lovely time and extended it to dinner in a local restaurant. Thank you Juls - it was a great pleasure to meet you and I hope we meet again.

We have had some friends from home fly here. We have met them and are touring the strip. It is as anyone would expect - over the top. There doesn't seem to be any recession here. It is crazy busy and the number of young people is astonishing. We have had lots of laughs and have not won a single dime in the casinos. Such is life. As I have been to Vegas several times I thought I would share a couple of different photos of the Strip.
These are the doors to the ladies washroom in Planet Hollywood in Caesar's Palace.On the exterior wall of the Venetian.Dh and his friend outside of the Riviera.

Now, for stitching. The Fair Squares that I have sent recently have been received and so I can share them with you.
My Round 11 squares are:
Dear Friend by Elizabeth Designs on 32 count antique white Lugana. I added the heart in the middle.

My Winter Squares were a freebie (Mausimom I believe) on the same fabric.


There was no information on these lovely squares I received from Mia in Finland. They are gorgeous. Love the design.

I am working on a couple of secret stitches at the moment and so cannot share anything else for now.
I will blog again when I can. We are leaving tomorrow for the Hoover Dam, Grand Canyon, Flagstaff, Sedona and Jerome and then home to Yuma.

Take care. And May all your losses be little! Just ask me about that!!!!!

And the winner is......................

LINEN STITCHER!!!!

Congratulations Carol.

Please send me your snail mail address to drewsgrands@hotmail.com and the lady will be on her way.