Blogaversary #2

My second blogaversary slipped right by me and so I am having a belated drawing.
Please add your comments to the post previous to this and I will be drawing the lucky winner on June 1st. Good luck everyone.

Back from the great beyond

Otherwise known as finding my feet at home again. I am so sorry everyone that I have vanished for a while. It just seemed so hectic once I returned home and blogging just slipped.
We had lots of internet issues and I'm not sure it is still resolved. The dialup that I have been forced to use for years (country living) has gotten even worse and opening and reading blogs let alone posting was no longer an option. So, along comes the latest in wireless - cell phone internet.
YIPEE!!!! I sign up, purchase 1 G and am off and running - NOT! I used 500 MB in one week. Now, I have to carefully monitor my usage or somehow convince my (thrifty) DH that $66.95 plus tax a month is worth it for 3G of usage. Thankfully, we are visiting with our son presently who has wireless built into his home and I am free to roam the web endlessly!
We have had both of our grandson's to visit for a week each. We do want to remain sane and so only keep one at a time. We love them dearly and enjoy spending some quality time with them. That does not allow us to get our home projects done though and so we are behind with that. I did manage to get my flowers in and so my gardens are looking lovely again.
And our, oh so wonderful, grandsons gifted both DH and I with that lovely flu that has been going around. It has been 5 days and my stomach still has it's moments and I have not fully recovered my energy.
I had a great deal of stitching to catch up on as well. I had a number of things all coming due around the same time and had to do some serious stitching.
I have a set of Fair and Squares done and ready to mail. Sorry, no photo until they are received.

I have a Make A Wish on the way to it's recipient. Same here - no photo.

I completed my heart on Karin's RR and it is in the mail. This I can show you a photo of.


I finished my house on Melissa's Winter Neighborhood and it is in the mail to Annette. This was the last stitch in this RR and mine is winging it's way from Australia.

Melissa's fabric is actually the most beautiful shade of blue and I just could not get a good photo of it.

As you know, I have joined a Mirabilia RR starting in June. Finally, I have something to show.
Here is my piece in progress.


It is stitched on 32 count Summer Winds Lugana. I have gridded it in wedges and bordered each - some in gold and some in black/silver #4 Kreinik braid. You will notice one wedge is unfinished. I have lost the spool of thread and cannot find it anywhere. Not only that, I do not know what number it was as I forgot to write it down. Now what?
I have chosen to stitch Fairy Moon in my square. What do you think of it so far?
I am excited to get this in the mail in June!

And an update on my Neighborhood Round Robin. My BFF Beatrice agreed to stitch one of the empty squares. Here is what she did. I am a big fan of lighthouses not like my stitching friend, Melissa. Right, Melissa?

I just love it. There is one square left for me to stitch on, then border it. It is on 36 count linen and so dainty.

My dear stitching friends also gifted my recently. Here is the cute little gift from Beatrice.


Here is the beautiful little gift from Barb (no blog).


How lucky am I!

We live in an area where there are lots of swans and it is mating season. We have two pair who have decided to grace us with their presence this year and I managed to snap this photo of one pair. One pair has little ones now and we are anxiously waiting to see when the second couples little one's will hatch.

Well, I think I have caught you up on things to date. Thank you so much for bearing with me while I sorted myself out.

BTW, my second blogaversary was May 16th and it just slipped by. So, if you would like a little something stitched by me to celebrate that occasion, please leave a comment. I will draw a name on June 1st and hopefully have something in the mail to the winner shortly after that. Please feel free to pass the word around.

Until next time,
May the frogs stay in their own pond LOL

Return of the Prodigal Stitcher

Hello there fellow stitchers.
I have finally returned. We had a very eventful trip home! Snow, freezing cold, closed interstate - high winds and a dust storm and that's the first day. We had to detour around Denver due to the onset of the biggest snow storm of the season. We could not get through the mountain passes. We had to map our way between two storms - snow in the north and torrential rain and tornado warnings in the south. We stopped to visit with some friends in Iowa halfway home - wicked winds, rain and cold there.
We arrived home on April 24th to warm greetings from our families. My parents gave us a family dinner for 15 the first night, our oldest son a BBQ for 17 the next and those who could get up and moving went for breakfast on Sunday. It is good to be home and surrounded by family!
Our 4 year old grandson, Jackson, did not go back home with his parents. He missed his Poppa and wanted to stay. How do you say no when you have the sweetest face looking up at you.
We moved back to our house last Monday. We gave the mice their eviction notice, cleaned up their mess from the winter and unpacked boxes. I could not believe the amount of stitching supplies I had to put away.
I did take a little time and stitch with Beatrice, Adriana and Dani on Sunday afternoon. Thursday, I was back at Ann's and with the stitching group. It was so nice to see them all again and catch up on their stitching progresses over the winter.

I have a few stitchy things to show you. I spent my time in the car on the way home working on a birthday gift for Dani.
Well, let me tell you. The frogs moved into my van and would not leave. I wove the entire diamond pattern on both sides of her afghan and then discovered they were in the wrong place. It took me two days to cut the yarn out! Needless to say it was not finished in time to give it to her as soon as I got home. It is being delivered to her today when she and I go out for dinner.


I finished this quilt top recently. This will be a toddler quilt for the Linus Project. They provide quilts to local police units and they keep them in their cars for accident victims and people in crisis. I found a great black fabric with paw prints to do the back. This will go on the frame soon to be hand tied.


I stitched this little pillow for my BFF Beatrice just before we travelled home. I often tease her about being a "serial starter" and knew this was so appropriate for her. I made it into a little pillow as soon as I found the sewing machine. She laughed really hard when she saw it. I had her bring it to Thursday stitching and it caused lots of laughs there too. We all agreed the saying was perfect for her.

And a little hint, if you start this design, start in the top left corner. I started in the middle, had half the writing done and I was in the wrong place. Those blasted frogs visited me for this one too!

I stitched this pillow for Gaby for the Make a Wish Exchange. She wished for a pink pillow. This is one of the medallions from Paradigm Lost done in DMC variagated pink and on a piece of 32 count Limited Edition Silkweaver lugana.



The latest Friendship Sampler RR's have come and gone.
This one is Willeke's.


This one is Diana's (no blog).Nicky has notified me that she received the latest round of Fair and Squares from me. They are stitched on 32 count antique white lugana. The pattern is a freebie but I am not sure where I found it!

I have the last of the Winter Neighborhood RR's in my hands now and hope to have it finished by the end of the week.
I have joined the Mirabilia RR on the Worldwide Round Robin site and am busily gridding my fabric for that. I think I have the idea laid out to my satisfaction.

Not a single stitch in my HAED, Mirabilia, Noddy or Fairies in the Garden. Not a one. Oh well, next time???????????

Stitch often, laugh much, unstitch rarely!!!

P.S. Edgar's blogaversary is coming up and he's having a giveaway. Check it out!