Thankful....and a (photo heavy) update!!

I'll get to the pictures and updates on stitchy/quilty stuff first, in case you don't want to read the rest.

So I needed to make a birthday pillow for my niece, Audrey, to match her quilt. Posted pics of quilt a couple postings back...here is what I came up with. Don't worry, the cross stitch in the background is a pic later in this post.



I realized when showing a neighbor pictures of the quilts I've made (she is a fellow quilter and we were sharing our projects recently) that I didn't have a picture of the first quilt I made. It took me 10 years, as I started it when my son was four. I finished it when he was 14. Its a "bug jar" quilt and I have no idea who the pattern is by or what fabric lines I used...but I loved the finished look of the entire quilt - jars of bugs on a shelf. And the quilting I picked out suited it well. Awesome, perfect and a hit with my son, even all those years later. Since it hit the laundry this past week, this was a great time to make a photo album of this one.

Each jar is made out of fabric with bugs of some sort. In the closeup of the back, you can kind of see the ants on the yellow fabric.

With Thy Needle Mystery Sampler progress is:

I've stitched quite a bit on this since it last made an appearance on this blog! I have not stitched the birds in the big tree since I haven't decided what to do. I saw a couple with cardinals instead of the blue birds (like the one I stitched) and I am contemplating putting cardinals for the other two birds. I also haven't decided on a letter color...need something less close to the linen color - I used different linen than called for and also am using silks.

I have worked quite a bit on Mary Elizabeth Gandey since you last saw her this past fall. It is such a fun stitch. She's a reproduction sampler from Shakespeare's Peddler. I am really enjoying working on her! Here's a close up - the words are over one.

Yes, I am insane, like many of us with this cross stitch obsession - I started La-D-Da's Margaret Cottam sampler too - what's another one, right? Here is what I have done on her so far. I love, or should I say LOVE the cocoa linen with the Week's colors - doing what the pattern calls for and love all of them, nary a change.... Photo doesn't even do it a bit of justice.

I started this too - needed something easier to stitch when I felt the need to stitch, yet didn't want to stitch on 40 count or speciality stitches. It's a Blackbird Design...one of the "Rewards of Merit" I think but I can't remember the name and frankly, too tired to move past this part of the family room and it's on the other side. I promise to post the name of the pattern later, maybe even with the finish (dare I say finish-finished) pillow it will some day be.

I posted pictures a bit ago of the finish-finished Christmas Pocket. Well, I actually put a ribbon on the front so it will tie shut.

Stitched up a scissor fob with the poinsettia motif on one side, using some really pretty, green silk ribbon tied to the scissors. Normally I wouldn't use silk ribbon to tie scissors on, but I figure it won't be used for a long period of time and I will be super careful; just couldn't resist the look.

The other side of the fob is the tag which labeled our kits. This whole project turned out pretty good, despite my novice finishing skills. It's one of my favorite things I've stitched lately. I picked up a cute box from JoAnn's the other night to store it in (like the tins and boxes I have for my Halloween and other holiday stitching accessories) with matching poinsettias adorning it, along with festive cardinals!

If you're still reading and still hanging in there - thanks for sticking with me this far. That's the end of the picture part of today's tour. On to the updates other than stitching...work is work. I am getting back into it and it will definitely be a SLOW go to make up all that wasn't done. It is amazing how quickly things fall into place, though and it feels as though I never left in some ways. I am Human Resources (no reports to me so I am it for the department) and many things were necessary to be done, but much archiving and reporting for budgets and such don't have to be done daily or even monthly, but with year-end coming my boss (the owner) needs reports for budgeting...but then so does the government, w-2's, etc...and they all can't win. LOL

Home is suffering just a bit (like the things I did daily prior to being sick/surgery) each night and weekend since I am still tired when I get home and some nights just don't have any extra energy to give. I haven't even stitched most evenings. I know, it will come back, but I am not always the most patient.

Hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving (that celebrates). Jordan (son) and I went to my Mom's with my sisters and their families. It was lots of good food, some laughs and very relaxing. Mom's dressing is in the fridge for tomorrow - love the cold dressing the best of all the leftovers. There is so much I am thankful for this year: tied for first place - my health and the people who helped me get back to good health. Thankful for those that sat with me, doctored me-professionally and those who are not professional doctors/nurses/therapists, etc. Thankful for those who cooked-cleaned-shopped-drove-etc.-etc. for me and my family while I was sick and recovering. Thankful Jordan is doing well in his first semester in college; thankful my husband and I both have jobs. Thankful for those who prayed for me and Thankful to God for each and every blessing in my life. It's amazing what I learned this past year about myself and those around me.

Now - on to the Christmas season!! I am settling in my chair to finish watching Charlie Brown's Thanksgiving and then off to bed shortly after, gotta work tomorrow.

Do something to make you smile!

Sherry :0)