Loved this Weekend - Lots of Pics!

Wow - what a great weekend...it's been a rainy, yucky one - but that has allowed no guilt stitching and quilting... Yesterday I worked on cleaning up the studio - you see, when I neglect it, stuff just gets piled and stacked; then I want to sew or pull out fibers or whatever and I have to clean up stuff. I spent an hour yesterday putting away stuff and organizing. That room also has our spare bed located in a corner (great for laying out fabrics, done quilt square, etc. and it had to be stripped since I had made that bed up when John had his surgery in case one of us needed to move so we could both sleep. Once that was done, I sewed together strips for a ditty bag...then moved on to sewing together strips of really soft flannel for John's quilt. I bought the fabric during the super bowl sale at a really awesome quilt store - three years ago...nothing like taking my time. I worked on that again today and then cut apart and rematched the squares. It's a pattern called Yellow Brick Road - I don't remember by who. It's also one I put in an earlier post (for my niece, Amira- pic in 3/5/10 post). The first pics in this post are of the quilt I did this past Christmas for my niece, Olivia. I love this black and white pattern. It's called Tropical Turnover. It was a lot of cutting but is absolutely beautiful. I hope she loves it as much as I do!

Last Tuesday, I took a few pics around my house (above). My bleeding hearts are absolutely stunning this year. I don't have a green thumb and really don't like gardening, but these bleeding hearts thrive here without much help. This is the mock apple tree (at least that's what I've been told it is - and thanks Jolene, now I know what the purple hyacinths in an earlier post are called). Can't wait to have my peony plants bloom and the lilacs!

Now for some stitching updates - I have spent some time on my fanny stitching this past week. I made progress on The Red Flower Sampler (Eileen Bennett), Jingle All the Way (AB Designs) and started and almost finished with Cupcake Fob (AB Designs). I apologize that the pics are that good and are shadowed; like I said above, it's been rainy and cloudy and I had to take them inside...

The up close flower is one that is entirely rice stitch. Not my favorite, although I love the way it looks. The words, yep - over one. I don't mind that, as long as I'm not sleepy.

And I love the fob, Amy!! It's fantastic...The two teals I have laying on the fabric are to help me decided which of the two I want for the lighter shade on the cupcake wrapper, so to speak. I didn't have the correct Kreinik and don't really like working with anyway, so I changed it. I love the way the Pansy Purple (Crescent Colours) looks against the line (Tropical Green - not sure from who). It's been a quick and pretty easy stitch. I will be working on my finishing techniques with this one.

Jingle All The Way is so cool and the pic does not do it justice at all. I love the guacamole linen and it's fun to work on. It's also a quick stitch and when I'm just a little sleepy but not ready to go to bed, this is perfect. I only have to count and cross my x's, not have to look too close with over one or work on stitches I usually have to refer to the chart to execute.

Last but not least, I have been checking out some new (to me) blogs. Yikes, you all are so good and I still struggle doing postings like this with the pics, lining things up and all. I know, I don' t know how long it takes you - but I am going on over an hour on this one and have to wrap it up to get some stitching in...plus I want to add the blogs I have joined to my blog roll - now how did I do that? There is one that you have to check out and I want to mention here (you may want to check out all of them on my blog roll - and then you want to check out what they have on their roll and what they have and so on and so on). But check out Edgar's http://blacksheepsite.blogspot.com/ he is on his third year of blogging and I think I read that he has reached (or will be reaching) his 700th post. Since when I first started reading these, I would go back to the very first and read forward, that sounds very overwhelming to me...but I have long since gave that up and now read back a month or two when I am a new follower...otherwise I'd never have time to put needle and thread to fabric. And that, my dear friends, is what I am doing soon - so until next time, stitch happy and enjoy your laughs!

Hugs,

Sherry

So Long Ago...Yet, Seeems Like Yesterday!!

So nineteen years ago tonight, I was at my rehearsal dinner. Tomorrow is my nineteenth wedding anniversary. Boy, it seems like a long time ago some days and then others it seems like it was just yesterday. We have both grown so much since those days...Next year is a big one...then we will be on to the next twenty! Happy Anniversary, honey!

So, Friday night I went with my bff to a gathering offered by a kind of LNS (about 1.5 hours from my house)...they open the classroom area, those in attendance bring a dish to pass (om gosh- the food!!) and stitch. I haven't laughed that hard in awhile, boy did that feel great! I'm not sure they will allow Mary and I back (at the same time) and when I go next time, I have a picture I have to show those ladies as I described a brides maid dress I wore when much thinner, but still as busty - and it was strapless...another story -and not why I started this story...so back to the reason - I enhanced my stash just a bit. I picked up the linen I wanted for the "Margaret Harris" from BBD Honeysuckle Manor and can't wait to start it but I need to make some progress on another or two before I stitch on that. The lime green linen is for the cupcake fob from Amy Bruecken Designs (who has a new website, by the way - check it out) http://www.amybrueckendesigns.com/ and I also picked up Bent Creek's Snowman Photo Booth and it is adorable...the third pic down on the strip is going to be done twice - once in this pattern and then for an ornament...love it! The snowman is being goofy and has carrots like horns...I will do a close up of it later.




And the flowery item in the back - the bag they came in, gonna use it for wrapping paper....



Did some stitching last night. Worked on The Red Flower Sampler shown earlier this month. Couldn't get good enough light to snap a good pic...will update soon. Have to pull fibers for my new fob - that should be a quick stitch and then I have to finish-finish it so I can send a pic to my friend Amy (no I haven't done any finish-finishing yet, Amy, but I will). I have a basket full of finished pieces just waiting to be finish-finished into a pillow, framed, etc. I wish I was better at doing that and I know practice will help that but I'd rather put needle and thread to fabric than sewing machine to fabric - unless constructing a quilt. Need some serious bonding time with the sewing machine with quilts too...so many projects, so little time. I guess my title fits here too - some things seem like yesterday that I started some projects and then when I'm done with it, seems like so long ago.



Thanks for reading and commenting - I am getting used to posting and don't struggle with photos as much. I am really enjoying reading the blogs listed on my page...and many others - I am still listing blogs I am following!



Stitch lots!! Sherry

What a great day!

Found these beautiful plants in my garden...I love rediscovering the things coming up again....my bleeding heart makes me remember my Dad - one of his favorite...I don't know what those purple things are, but they photographed nice!

The reason I was out there, taking a couple pics of stitching of late:

The Red Flower Sampler by Eileen Bennett. Took it at a Regional Meeting with my EGA chapter a couple years ago. Thought of it while listening to a sampler lecture today at my sampler guild. May stitch on it tonight when I'm done posting this...

Then started Jimgle all the Way by Amy Bruecken Designs last night. Wanted something that was quick, easy and not too complex. Plus I really, really wanted to start something...

These are two finishes I've had...one is from 2004 but just finished the framing. It was a preface piece to a Bent Creek sampler I have not worked on for a couple years...gotta pull that one out too. And the other, it will be an ornament when it grows up. It's called "Snowflake Mitten" by Stone and Thread. Cute and quick!!

I love the detail in this frame - my mom is an artist and it's one I bought through her. I think it will look great on the wall!

Well, that's about all the news I have and pics I have to post now. Sorry for the spacing problems - been fighting with it for over an hour now and I want to stitch....so it goes as is. Have a good week everyone and thanks for your comments, your encouragement and reading my posts!

Stitch happy!

Sherry

Happy Easter!!

Short post tonight...hope everyone is enjoying their Easter weekend. Spent the day changing out winter clothes for summer clothes in my closet...did a little shopping at Kohl's - hate that store, love that store... MIL wanted to do a little shopping and so DH and I took her and I ended up buying more than she did (hence the love/hate relationship with Kohl's). Made an elk roast in the crock pot for dinner. My DS and nephew are out to the movies....rainy all afternoon but it supposed to be nice tomorrow - way too warm for April yesterday, reached 80* here in Michigan.

Tomorrow is church, early and then brunch. Doing egg hunt at my mom's later afternoon...then back to work Monday. Not much on the stitching front this week. I hope to get some done next week. Tried to make it to my studio and didn't get in there except to put more on the cutting table.

Am going to do some blog reading tonight and then maybe a little stash enhancement online now that I have famliarized myself with this laptop (got a great deal on a used laptop). So cool I can do computer stuff while with the family in the family room and on lunch hour, etc.

Happy Spring All!!
Stitch lots!