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.

Home Sweet Home

Well, it's done. We are all moved into our new home. All the furniture is in it's place. All the new purchases to fill the empty spaces are placed.The 130+ boxes are unpacked and in their place. All the pictures are on the walls and all the knick knacks are in their spots. It looks and feels like home.
We signed over our old home today to the new owner. It was time to move but there were some small feelings of loss as we left the house for the final time.
It has been a long gruelling four weeks. Leo and I moved 90 percent of our belongings ourselves. Our van became a moving van. We learned that you could even move a futon in a Dodge Grand Caravan!
Our eldest son and his father in law were a great help with the big heavy stuff. It was moved using their two 1/2 ton trucks and two trailers. Our niece's boyfriend installed some kitchen cupboards for us. I painted our master bedroom - ceiling and walls before we moved furniture in. My BIL came and he and my husband installed hardwood flooring in the master bedroom. My sister came and helped wash walls. Friends came to help unpack, set up, commiserate and check out the new abode. We had friends come for a weekend. Linda helped me decide where to hang my many, many treasures and her wonderful husband helped mine transport all the outdoor furniture and garden ornaments to the new abode.
I don't know how all this stuff fit into an 800 square foot park model. We now live in a 1750 square foot house and it is full!!!!!! Leo is still trying to figure out where I found room for 130 boxes worth of stuff and to be honest so am I LOL.

I want to thank each and every one of you for your lovely comments on my finish of Royal Holiday. It was good to have her done. All your wonderful comments went straight to my head and I was awed at your kind words.
I have stitched hardly a stitch in this past month. I have often picked up a piece, did a few stitches and put it down, just too tired to concentrate.

On the stitching front, I have a couple of things to show you.

I do owe an apology to Annette at Annette's Acre. I received this wonderful exchange from her at the beginning of September. I did personally acknowledge her wonderful, thoughtful gift but had not posted it before now.
Isn't it gorgeous. I absolutely love the color of this thread!

Here is the exchange I did for her. Her biscornu is stitched on 32 count ivory lugana. The pattern is a freebie from Casey Bounaugurio Designs. The pattern gave me the idea for a theme for her exchange and so she ended up with a collection of froggy things.

I did complete this little pattern. This scissor keep was in a package that I won in a giveaway a while back.
The pattern is a Bedouin design and made an interesting and very different keep. It was a fun stitch.

My mother gifted me with this blanket a couple of days ago. It had been given to her by a family member and she thought that I might like it. I learned from her that my great grandparents were lighthouse keepers on an island/rock in Nova Scotia. When they lived on the island, they raised sheep. My great grandmother made this quilt and filled it with wool from those sheep. It is all hand stitched and quilted. Considering it's history, I think this has become a treasure.

Although the blanket is plain in color, it is rich in stitches. The second photo is closer to the true color.

Today I found a couple of wonderful things to add some character to my new home. It will have to wait for my next post. I will share with you some photos of that and some of my new home if you are interested.


Thank you so much for stopping by and checking in on me. I have missed you and look forward to renewing our friendships. Now to catch up on all your blogs and see what wonderful things you have been up to!

Royal Holiday Happy Dance

Here she is in all her glory!!!!!

 Started January 1, 2009 and completed August 31, 2010.
Stitched on 32 count Queen Anne's Lace from Silkweaver using recommended threads.

Dancing all around the room going "Yippee!! I'm glad she's done"

Stitchers Showcase

Saturday, Ann of  Knowledge and Needles  held an open house! Ann and Barb counted - 45 stitchers stopped in over the course of the day. Many brought their work to display!

Check this out!!!

It was a wonderful, awe inspiring day. We all contribute food and have a wonderful lunch and the leftovers are enough for supper. We started at noon and went till about 11 p.m. Ann had stitchers in her sunroom, her dining room, her living room and even a group in the garage. We talked and stitched, compared WIP's and enabled each other! Thanks to Beatrice letting me use her photos of the stitched pieces. She has others on her blogs as I am sure will Dani and Ann at some point.

You should have seen the shop! You couldn't move for stitchers. I found the most wonderful fabric. It will make an amazing background for another Mirabilia RR.


I also received the most wonderful birthday gift from Dani and Christin - a pair of Dovo scissors. Aren't they beautiful.

And I stitched and have stitched the past several days. I am obsessed. I want her finished. And here she is this morning - Royal Holiday.

Almost there!

I will warn you - blogging may be hit and miss for a bit. We have company coming from Denver tomorrow for several days and then the rush is on to get the rest of the boxes packed to move. Will do what I can.

Until then, keep those stitches crossed!

Edited to ADD - one of my stitching friends is almost finished a piece and has run out of thread. She needs about 12 inches of Waterlilies - Antique Pewter. If anyone can help please email me.

Pennies and stitching

Look out world - two posts in 5 days!!!! I guess that's what happens when you have a birthday. The wonderful gifts continue to arrive.

From Barb (no blog) at Thursday stitching - these wonderful marking pins.

From sweet Clare - these wonderful goodies - look at that lighthouse fabric - LOVE IT!!! and the lighthouse card. That key holder will hold the key to my new house in a few weeks.

My DIL and son gave me this too cute snail that my granddaughter Drew named Esci - for escargot LOL.

And Drew - well she made me this sign on the beach with the lovely pile of seaweed. Works for me!!!!! Will treasure this photo always.

Melissa also sent me this lighthouse card with my gorgeous lighthouse box. It is Peggy's Cove lighthouse in Nova Scotia. I was born in Nova Scotia and stood on those rocks in 2000!!!

And here are my stitching progresses.

I finished up this wallhanging. It was a kit and went together very nicely! I consider it a stitching progress cause I had to add the windows and the rails after with floss.

I brought my lighthouse RR to the cottage and got lots done. I did the boat border up the right side.
I decided to name and number each lighthouse underneath - over 1 on 32 count. My eyes just about crossed.
I added the words - Lighthouse Keepers and added the names of the stitcher for each lighthouse.
I'm really liking how it is coming together.

And Royal Holiday got some major work!!!
Here she is before.

 And here she is now!!!! She will now be my focus piece until she is done! I can finally see an end in sight.

Well, off to buy a kitchen countertop, and hardwood floor and paint for the master bedroom. Three weeks until we have possession of our new house. Am I excited!! You bet!!!!

Until next time - keep those needles singing.