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!

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!