BUSY, BUsy, Busy!!!

You know on the Frosty, The Snowman holiday cartoon when they say, "busy, busy, busy" (I think it's the magician that says it), and it's said busy with a long "z" on the end. Well, that's kind of been me - busy with fun things, to beat!

Warning though - it's definitely going to be picture heavy - so if you want to check out after the stitching, that's okay by me...

Some progress on Elizabeth Mary Gandey by Shakespeare Peddler. I am loving this stitch. I have changed very little - just the robe on the cherub...and it's hair. Oh, and the bird...but just a bit. LOL!
There's more progress on my Blackbird Design Merry Christmas Ella Vaughn - this was the adaptation for my Kindred Spirits Sampler Guild. It's almost done snowing!! Then a couple fill in of holly leaves and she's done and ready for a pillow finish - gonna put it in that ever-growing finish-finish pile. Hmmm, gotta tackle that soon too!

Up next:

Maureen Appleton's The Hearts Content Fruitful III started years and years ago...pulled it back out and did the chimney and finished house last night...it's over one.

Another one I am doing over one - bought this last Friday when I went to my LNS with a pal and I wasn't shopping. I saw this and love it...the strawberries did me in. You know I love me some strawberries - only have the leaves in for the berries thus far ... doing it over one, yikes, am I crazy! But I love the way it's looking. It's Summer Splendor by Little House Needleworks.

I've been in the kitchen a bit. Made my favorite coffee cake from my childhood. Can't imagine why this is so delicious - two sticks of butter and one cup of sour cream, some kind of nuts (I used pecans this time) and cinnamon. I had sour cream going out of code this week, hence the thought to make this. YUM!!

Tonight I took this....

added some cream, butter, onions and pasta (didn't put the apple in the mac & cheese though). Whaa-laa... Homemade, baked mac and cheese with fresh - just picked tomatoes on top with bread crumbs mixed with a bit more butter. It was delicious and there's a bit left over for lunch. My husband and I thoroughly enjoyed it...my son, well he only likes Kraft mac & cheese so he had a frozen hogie type sandwich...sucks to be him, more for us!!

Doesn't it look delicious!!

Before I forget - cool fabric (sewing, not stitching) giveaway here if you're interested. I also did some quilting lately. Took a paper-piecing class and a more complex quilting class. I will save those pictures and blathering on about them for the next posting.

Now that my son is 18 and out of high school, my husband and I can take off without worries (many, anyway) for a weekend. We did just that a couple weeks ago. My Grandpa (who turned 94 this past summer) lives a couple hours from our home...we went to see him. My Aunt & Uncle live right next door, but Grandpa still lives alone. This past few months, he's started to fail and repeats things quite a bit - but hey - Ninety-freaking-Four!! It was a nice autumn weekend here in Michigan...this is the view between the houses, of the lake my Grandpa still fishes (in a small row boat with no motor, walking down a long boardwalk to get there).

There are some mushrooms outside his house that are huge.

Right?! You thought I was kidding...that's my size 9 shoe by the mushrooms....Big as my head, they are!

We had a visitor...she is so pretty and so peaceful. This was from inside the house, a bit of distance - across the driveways, but I did the close-up thing and beautiful!

We came home to a not so dirty house - I thought it would be worse. Instead of a 10 gallon tank with fish was gone. The fish went to live with the others in the 50 gallon tank. We had a new 20 gallon tank with a tiny turtle living there. Let him know that wasn't the best decision to make without the people's consent that pay the mortgage! Besides that, he did well on his virgin voyage alone for the whole weekend.

So thanks for stopping on by! I will update you on the quilting classes I have recently attended. Gotta get to stitching to keep busy, busy, busy!

Keep things peaceful and enjoy!

Sherry :o)

More Done - More To Do

Some progress - yeehoo!! I did the strawberries for the Historic Stitches Berrie Pynboxe and it's done - ready to be finish-finished....I copied an idea from my friend Mary - she did the strawberries in different stitches...the top two outside are regular cross stitch, the middle Italian cross stitch. The outside middle are rice stitch and the inside middle are upright cross. Finally, the bottom are satin stitch. Thanks Mary, I like the way this turned out!

I can't wait to get this done, completely; which is unusual for me - this is where my brakes usually hit the floor - HARD. But this has a small pin cushion that fits into a box, with berries painted on the outside! More to come on this one for sure.

In this photo (the front item - back item in a moment), is the Christmas pocket - again, my finishing skills are not honed, but any means; I want this finished. I want this pocket done - it's going to be S-O C-O-O-L!!! More to come on this one too. This is Christmas Pocket by Sewing Chest Designs (Judy is a member Kindred Spirits Sampler Guild I blog of often).

One bummer on this one though - as I was finishing the "O Christmas Tree" line, I saw a small red ink mark...part of the background in the "o" covered it but a small amount remains - gotta try to get it out. Not even sure how that happened. I don't think I have a red pen close to my stitching stuff... :-(

Isn't it pretty! I love this one and it has worked up very, very quick. In my last post, it was linen, fibers and a pattern. I did personalize it a bit. This is Black Bird Designs Petites Lettres Rouge. I will be framing this and getting it on the wall as soon as possible once done.

Made a little progress on Prairie Schoolers Santa's Night but being black linen, it has to be the right time/light to stitch this. I am putting a white cloth on my lap too. One deer down, though and a flake - snowflake that is!

Sorry for the picture on this one - the sun decided to shine very bright all of a sudden.

Now I am not complaining about the sun. It's been raining quite a bit lately here in lower Michigan and the sunshine is a welcome change. It's supposed to drop in temperature, but I welcome that - autumn is my very favorite time!!

To update you...if you're interested, I am doing better each day. I feel stronger and my endurance on activities does get a little longer each day. Working up to that eight hour work day so I can go back to work. I will miss my stitching time, friend time and just plain time to work on projects (did I mention finishing above???) and time to read...but I won't miss the disability pay instead of my full time pay. No don't get me wrong, I am not complaining...I am fortunate enough to have disability coverage.

Well, I want to get to stitching tonight. Gonna watch the Tigers beat the White Sox - hopefully! Until next time - stitch lots, stitch happy and do things that make you smile every day!

Sherry :0)

Remember, Hope, Pray!

As we sit here on the 10th anniversary of an event that united our country, may we all strive, world-wide - for peace, love and an end to war, poverty and evil. I know that sounds a bit "beauty-queenish" to wish for world peace...but even though a bit cliche, it is something I hope my son sees in his lifetime (if I can't)!

I remember, in my thoughts and prayers each day, the solider I know who just completed his second tour in Afghanistan after serving one tour in Iraq. He's in his mid-twenties now and I shutter to think of all he's seen. I pray for him along with all the other men and women fighting...and their families.

Take a moment to squeeze those you love, say a prayer and do something nice for someone hurting as we remember 9-11!

Hugs,


Sherry :0)

Some stitching, some quilting, some stashing...

Well, it's not snowing as much here (although it has cooled down a bit) as it had in weeks past. Now before you start to wonder where I live and why it started snowing so much in Michigan while still summer. So, even though I didn't add as much snow since last post as previously, I did manage to get a bit more stitched; then I moved on to something else that captured my attention. Doesn't it sometimes seem like projects sit in the basket or bag and shout "pick me, pick me - no, pick me"? Kind of like when the ice cream is calling my name - from the shut-tight freezer, in the basement, sometimes when I am full as can be, with not a hunger growl in sight.
Anyway...more progress was made on the BBD Merry Christmas Ella Vaughn modified to "Winter Wonderland Sherry H". I think I actually only filled in a leaf and put in one strand of the snow color since last time. But progress is progress! This will be finish-finished into a pillow to put on a bench I switch up seasonally.







I did make much more significant progress on the Christmas pocket. I was way thrilled and doing a happy, happy dance when the borders matched up. I have just a little bit left to do under the "O Christmas Tree" part. There is another little cover for the needle book which is located inside the Christmas Pocket.

While I am off work, I plan on getting this finished stitched and attempt to finish-finish it. I have read the directions and hope it is easy.



























Next I did a little tree climbing. I have finished almost all the leaves on the tree.




This is the Mystery Sampler by With Thy Needle & Thread. I love the little strawberries and have to fill in the grass now. This is a great thing, just like the snow, to work on when watching a movie or when visiting with my friends. I will be doing both this weekend and the beginning of next week. Maybe both snow and grass will be done and all filled in soon!




Did a bit of collecting things for my stash the last couple of weeks. These are things I had purchased, but not photographed yet. This first one is a sampler by Shakespeare's Peddler Elizabeth Mary Gandey. I loved the church on this and can't wait to get started. Picture should be clickable and I will post progress, whether slow or fast, so you can see the church and the soft, delicious colors come to life on this one!



No color picture of Petites Lettres Rouges, but it's a BBD design. It's done with three shades of red....on a light linen.

Doing Santa's Night by Prairie Schooler on black linen with overdyed instead of the called for dmc fibers. I love the finished look, but black is hard to stitch on and I have to be in the right light - mind and with my eyes. LOL!!

I can't decide if I want to use the Crescent Colors "Chili Pepper" (more of orange tone red) or Gentle Arts "Cranberry" (more of a red tone, red). The conversion provided is for the Chili Pepper but I usually lean toward the black cherry, burgundy colors. I figured I would get a bit put in and then decide.

I worked on a Turning Twenty pattern - called Twisted Turning Twenty with beautiful batiks. It called for lights and darks with one stripe being the lights, the other the darks, kind of zig-zagging across the quilt. I did bright colors and purples. This is for my niece - she loves purple.

This was for her Christmas present - Christmas 2010. Audrey knew it would be late as I had it cut out and some pieced before Christmas, but not completely done. Then I got sick, then I had surgery, then I had rehab...then I got sewing! I finished it last weekend and got the backing prepared, the batting bought. Dropped it off to be quilted today, shouldn't be too long and I can bind it off and get it to her.

Thought I was going back to work next week but my boss decided he wanted me to come back when I was able to work 8 hours per day, full week instead of the 4 hours per day the doctor had released me to work as of next week. So I guess I will continue my disability routine - blog reading, reading-reading, walking on the treadmill, stitch some, sew some, insurance paperwork and bills, fix dinner, chores. I really wish I could go back, but it won't be long. I will play with my pals some too, before I go back. There's nothing wrong with that part of all; in fact, that will be at the top of my list of things missed when returning to work!

Falling into the routine with my son's college days around this household. Was such a weird feeling when I knew all the kids in the neighborhood and my nieces/nephews were leaving for school this week and he wasn't. However I felt very, very liberated knowing there would be no fighting, no worrying, no nothing about making sure things get done when they should be. No matter what was his job, his duty, I still worried and fretted over it all (even if I didn't tell him). College is his responsibility and so far he is stepping up and homework was done when it's supposed to be done without me even asking. Maybe him having to take care of things himself while I was ill and me trying hard as I might to let him have the responsibility the last years of high school is paying off. In middle and high school, he would have already been behind. Fingers are crossed!

Reading The Help by Kathryn Stockett. Really enjoying it so far. I want to see the movie when I finish the book. Thinking maybe seeing if my mom wants to go see it with me, as it's not quite the kind of movie my husband would enjoy. He and I have seen Planet of the Apes (the Rising of) and The Change-Up. They were both pretty good. I've watched quite a few movies lately too - at home, pretty old ones: Wait Until Dark with Audrey Hepburn - one of my very favorites, Still of the Night with Meryl Streep & Roy Schneider, Valley of the Dolls with Patty Duke. I had never seen the later two...they were both okay. Watching Slingblade with Billy Bob Thorton - picked out by the son tonight.

Hope your week brings you stitches and smiles. Hope your weekend is filled with fun, laughs and hugs! Thanks for checking in - welcome to my new followers!

Sherry :0)

Progress!

A Happy September to all my regular followers and anyone who is checking this blog out!! I can't believe it's already gearing up for autumn - especially since Michigan is doing what she always does - perhaps 97* tomorrow and the humidity started to push me over the a/c edge last night - yep, went on this morning!!

So I was looking through some stash and discussing a project with one of my bestest friends, Mary. She, another friend Roz and I all bought the Berrie Pynboxe a few years ago. Roz finish-finished within a month or less...Mary took a little longer but she has the top finished. Me - not so much. I had it all together, roving for the pincushion that fits inside, wool for said pincushion, charm, fibers and fabric picked out (extra fibers since I wasn't sure if I was going to follow pattern exactly) - but I had not started. Sooooo, I started it when Mary said she had her top stitched...maybe we can assemble together since I am a finish-finishing idiot! Here is my progress thus far - just have the sweet little strawberries to do...maybe done this weekend, fingers crossed. Oh, almost forgot - it's by Historic Stitches.

While digging and rooting through stuff, I found something else I had every intention of finishing - all the way - in 2010...well, isn't there a saying about good intentions? I have lots of them, that's for sure. I know there is a saying about never enough time in the day!! That would be me too. Anyway, sidetracked and digressing abound...here is a O Christmas Tree designed by Judy Marcinkiewica of Sewing Chest Designs. She is a member of the Kindred Spirits Sampler Guild (it's the one I often blog about - the inspiring, talented members). This class was presented to us last year and folds up into a pocket/huswife to hold cute accessories. I pulled it out, finished up the verse - over one. The top part was done last year...hence the 2010 date. Also put in closeup shots of each section, especially since one is upside down when not finished into the pocket.

And while I was in the winter mood, I let it snow abit too. I worked on the snow on my Merry Christmas Ella Vaugh - changed to Winter Wonderland Sherry H. Put in 2011...so now it has to be stitched by the end of the year. I have a couple holly leaves to fill in and it will be ready for the finish-finish pile. I do like the way this one is working out; the picture really does not capture the proper linen color. I will work on a better pic when completely stitched. (BBD design)

I also worked just a tiny, tiny bit on the With Thy Needle & Thread Mystery Sampler. Here is that small progress, albeit progress nonetheless.

Had some additions to my stash (this disability is really killing my wallet now that I feel better and am internet shopping, stalking blogs making my list grow and grow, as well as getting out).

Can you tell I love me some BBD? And the sampler on the front of the S&AN magazine I saw on a blog somewhere - can't remember who now...but had to have it! I loved the verse, the flowers, the colors. Now to find time to get to that kit it up and get it started! And the Halloween fat quarters just had to come home with me - I hate spiders in my house, but these I will let live. The little owls are on purple and I thought would be a great addition to any Halloween pattern.

An update, if you wish to keep reading on now that all the stitching/quilting chattering is done...I am now done with physical therapy. I will be returning to work in September and am still working on endurance and balance. At the end of the day I am very tippy and have a foot issue with drag. I am not using the cane nearly as much, which is great and way ahead of schedule according to my doctor. Still have nerve issues and weird feelings or lack there of in my entire left leg and sometimes in my right leg in different areas.

My son is really into audio equipment in cars. He and his buddies are constantly building new boxes for amp and subs. They have even built boxes for extra cash for other people. He's getting pretty good at it. Being a loud stereo person myself, I can appreciate the sound (although he likes way more bass than I do) and we have had the conversation (many times) about being deaf in his 20's.... He has done some car shows with friends and recently took first place in his class. He let me take a pic with his trophy.

Even managed to get the puppy in the background. We call him puppy, but truly he is starting to show his age with how much he sleeps and how his chin, paws and tummy are all starting to show a lot of grey! This was also my son's first day as a college student. He wouldn't put on his backpack and pose - wonder why!! He thinks he is too old. Seems like just yesterday I have a pic of him with his backpack getting on the bus for kindergarten - the backpack seemed so huge on him - and it was a cute, dinky one.

Thanks for visiting, come back again...enjoy your Labor Day weekend... This weekend, I hope to have more stitching progress, maybe some family time with my sisters, their families and my mom. Tonight I go to the high school football game where they are recognizing the Bulldog Girls LaCrosse team as the Michigan State Champs for 2011. The championship was actually won on graduation day - school was already out. My nieces both play and Olivia was a senior on that team; Audrey will play varsity this year. Gotta go cheer, hoot & holler since I missed most of the games (all but one playoff) last year due to illness/surgery. The year before didn't miss a one and they fell to the State Champs in the final game; I don't intend on missing any games this spring either. Anyway, Audrey will also be doing the marching band thing and they spent time away at band camp recently readying themselves for this season.

Enjoy your weekend - stitch, read, quilt or do what makes you happy!

Sherry :0)