Why my arms are longer

Just popped in to tell you that I will be back to you asap. Leo and I are in the midst of painting our kitchen and bathroom cupboards.

Calico Dogs, and other things

Hello everyone and how are you this fine day? The sun is shining and calling me to come outside. Before I do that I think I had better add to my blog.

The needle on the sewing machine has been humming away and my needles have been busy.

I finally finish - finished my Neighborhood RR from 2007-2009. I found this gorgeous fabric in a local quilt shop and it seemed to fit just right.

I worked 4 days on my personal exchange for May. Sorry, no photos.

I have worked away on my HAED for my second 4 day slot. Let me tell you, I am pretty tired of all this blue. How much more sky could there possibly be. I thought I'd better include a before photo otherwise you wouldn't think I had done anything.

There was a wonderful quilt show here in Yuma last weekend and I loved looking at all the beautiful quilts and doing a little shopping at the vendors. Tucked away in a corner was a box with a label that said    "Cross Stitch patterns and magazine for 25 cents". I think I bought 80 percent of the box - maybe 90 LOL. I love looking at old cross stitch magazines. I am also trying to accumulate a southern stash so I don't carry so many patterns back and forth -sounds reasonable doesn't it. Look at all these treasures.

I have made some progress on my mystery quilt. I still don't know where I'm going with this but love the colors and the blocks so far.

I saw this little dog at a friend's house this fall and loved it. I had no pattern but I had a photograph that I took.
With graph paper and some experimenting this is what I came up with. Isn't he just the sweetest little fella!

I have had a couple of inquiries about my son. He is doing fine. He says he's feeling great. He is working, playing pick up hockey on weekends and spending time with his wife and daughter. His surgery is scheduled for March 9th and we will be flying home for 10 days at that time.  
Also, Leo's back is fine now. He is back to his usual funny and sometimes annoying self LOL.

I read this on someone's blog this week and I loved it. I think it might become my new saying
Be the kind of woman that each morning when your feet hit the floor the devil says "Oh, crap, she's up!"

And I think that says it all!

 

I don't have a sore back but.............

my husband, Leo, did for a week. So, my many plans for this past while went right out the window. Blogging and catching up on blog reading suffered. He is on his feet again and walking albeit a little gingerly. I am trying to catch up.

One nice thing about staying around home is that projects get accomplished. I have had some nice progresses to show off.

I am trying a 4 day rotation - I see more progress that way. ,16 days in and it's working. I hope it lasts for a while.

I worked two 4 day rotations on Mirabilia's "Royal Holiday" Here she is after both rotations.

I picked up "Fairies in the Garden" and got all the flowers on the left side and the border from right to left done in that 4 day turn.

 

 I also finished up a quilt block. This was a challenge with my quilt group. We were each given a paint chip and had to make a square using that color as our focus. My color -  Pumpkin Orange.

After a great deal of searching and help, this is what I came up with. It is called Wagon Wheel and is from the Underground Railroad Sampler Quilt.

And so you can see what we all came up with, here are 20 some of the blocks laid out with their paint chips. Do you see a lovely quilt in the future from these squares? I sure do.

I would like to take a minute and show my Secret Santa my wonderful purchases from ehandicraftsonline

3 new project bags, Kelmscott Tudor Rose Scissors and LHN - Travelling Stitcher.
Thank you again my secret friend. It was fun and I will think of you each time I use my new purchases.

Look at these beautiful Japanese inspired fabrics. I am doing a mystery quilt now and these are the fabrics I chose. When they become something recognizable I will show it to you.

And looking out my front door one day, this stunning sky greeted me. That is why I love the desert southwest. The sunsets are spectacular - indeed a painted sky.

I have had some wonderful stitchers offer to do exchanges with me this year. I am very excited about that and will share them with you as they happen. I am going to spread them over the year.

Until the next time, keep those stitches crossed.

And a New Year starts

2010 - here I come.

I will make some changes this year. I was pleased with my 50 finishes for last year but my BAP's suffered because of it.
This year, you will see fewer finishes as I hope to get a couple of my BAP's completed.
There are only 3 hearts left to stitch in my Friendship Sampler RR and 3 Miras to stitch in my Mirabilia RR.
I would like to have Mirabilia's Royal Holiday finished by the end of February but I don't think that is realistic. I was hoping to have her done to enter in the County Fair in April but I may have to shoot for later in the year.
I would like to finish Fairies in the Garden this year.
I want to make some progress on my HAED - Peacock Lagoon.

I want to put a major dent in my newest BAP.
Here it is after 4 days of stitching - Chatelaine's Desert Mandala.

That little bird is over 1 on 32 count. My eyes almost crossed doing this. You can see the lightning and moon in the sky so far.

Here is a photo of my finished biscornu

- my last stitch of 2009. This was a belated Christmas gift for the wonderful woman who is my quilting mentor.

I have been really busy with my quilting. Here is my finished Redwork "Postcards of Canada."


The backing fabric is a Thimbleberries fabric called "Postcards of Canada".

How appropriate!

I finished this quilt-as-you-go log cabin square.

This will be one block in the quilt that my quilt group puts together and raffles off for charity.

I am thinking of doing a few personal exchanges this year. I have never done this before and am not sure how it works. Any one interested?

Well, till next time - back to the needle. I will have some progress on Royal Holiday to show you when I write again.

HAPPY NEW YEAR

Wishing all a Happy New Year.

May your new year be blessed with few troubles, many blessings and lots of stitching.



I finished the biscornu this morning and that makes 50 finishes for 2009.

In case you think I don't stitch

Before, I get started, I want to say -Thank you to Secret Santa for my wonderful gift certificate to ehandcrafts.com. I really appreciate it and it has been spent. I will show you what I bought with the certificate and what I bought extra when it is received .

Well, sometimes it is better late than never. I have been stitching but not nearly to the extent that I normally do. I have been busy with other things for a while and it has taken from my stitching time.

I will show you my latest stitches small though they may be.

Here is Annette's Mirabilia RR - I stitched Iris

And here is her RR to date.



Here is Missy Ann's Mirabilia RR - I stitched Fern.


And here is her RR to date.

Take a closer look at this one. Each one is bordered in Kreinik and beads in the colors appropriate to each Pixie. Stunning!

I love the Mirabilias - each one is so different and so beautiful. I want to keep them all.

I finished "3 stockings" into a little pillow.

I didn't stuff it tight as I wanted it to look like it had been around a while. And well - it has - as I look around I don't see it which means it is behind the couch or on the floor somewhere. I guess I will have to look for it after dinner.

I started this "little" stitch a week before Christmas thinking I would have it done in lots of time. This is from the 2009 Cross Stitch Calendar. This was a gift for a quilting buddy. Thank goodness she went home for Christmas and I have some extra time to finish it up.


Obviously I didn't read the fine print. It is 70x70 stitches and solidly stitched. I am hoping to have it done by tomorrow and then make it into a biscornu. Gran Torino is on the dish tonight so some quality stitching time ought to finish the stitching and back stitching.

I won a blogaversary draw from Michele and it arrived a couple of days before Christmas.

Look at all these lovely patterns, the gorgeous fabric and ohhhh - the lovely Christmas fob. Thank you so much Michele. I have been very lucky lately and really appreciate my luck.

My dear sweet husband surprised me with a new watch for Christmas. We don't exchange gifts any more as we have more than we need so it was indeed a surprise. I love him, the watch and the thought he put behind it. Geez, as I'm reading this, I'm thinking - you should have taken a picture. Trust me - it is beautiful.

I am hoping to get some more stitches in soon. I have finished the 25 redwork squares and they are sewn into the quilt top. I should have it finished soon too and will post a photo then. I'm hoping the quilting turns out as well as the stitching did.

Until next time, everyone, keep on stitching and stay in touch.

Merry Christmas Everyone

IF A FAT GUY GRABS YOU AND PUTS YOU IN A BAG,

DON'T WORRY

I TOLD SANTA I WANTED

A GOOD FRIEND FOR CHRISTMAS!

Merry Christmas to all my stitching, blogging friends. May you be blessed with love, family and laughter.