Two Finishes!!! And progress too!

I finished this one this Friday evening.  Started just before the Olympics.  It's I Wait for the Lord   by Hands To Work.  The linen - I took from an old project that was never going to be done, over five skeins of WDW "Baked Apple" and ta-da...done.  Now to get it to the framer. 

This one gave me fits.  I tried different colors, different stitches (one thread, two threads and finally deciding on the first leg of the cross with one and then the second leg with two - double times through since the fiber is overdyed).  Yes, that means I took extra stitches, but I thought it looked better than the other two choices.  I did a lot of ripping on this one, even to the very end.  Right to the very last row!  I think it should say "patience" instead of "hope".

Finished this one this weekend too - Margaret Cottam by La-D-Da.  I didn't change a fiber on this one - it has WDW "Baked Apple" too on the most beautiful cocoa linen (also called for)!  I did put my name on the sampler as I am not so much in the 'gotta do it exact' reproduction,  just close.  Loved this one. 



Sorry the pictures are not super - took them when finished each night instead of waiting for the sun - plus it's hot outside, and humid, and yucky.  I am happy it's September and that autumn is just around the corner. 

Started Strawberry Hill but didn't have enough progress to post yet.  Next time ;-)

I received a surprise in the mail Saturday.  Part III of the Lizzie*Kate Mystery Sampler.  Now just to get the fiber pack and I will be starting this cute, fun stitch!

Read a bit this weekend too - needed to stretch out after all the stitching and sewing.


And progress, you ask, as hinted in the titled - well years ago I took my first formal quilt class.  I decided on pinks and browns, yummy fabric.  It's called Nancy's Fancy, nine squares.  I had a complete one done prior to the one day retreat in August.  I left there with only five and one half to go.  What's the big deal some may ask - it's only nine squares...each square is about 100 pieces.  Yikes - what was I thinking?  But she is beautiful.  And I have to get a dent in this before starting any of my new batiks (my rule)!
Since it's a three day weekend, since my child is gone most of this three day weekend and since my husband worked all but Saturday - I took advantage - I sewed for about four hours yesterday.  I have three left to make.  It takes about one hour to assemble each square.  The only thing done for each square is the half-square triangles and the lay out - so, to sew rows, then rows to rows to equal four and then each four to make eight.  That will be progress. 

So up I go - here it is 2:30 on Monday afternoon - Tiger game on, dishes done, laundry done, emails and blog reading caught up, emails out to batik places in search of my fabric done, meal prep for the week (what I can do ahead) done, I need to shower and then plop my fanny into the chair and make pretty with the sewing machine. I am hoping to knock out the other three squares today.   I will let you know

Sooooooo

I will leave you with a final picture - still searching - madly - for this batik.  I just have to have it for the back of my top posted last week!

Hope you have done some fun things this weekend....have a great week.

Stitches and hugs,
Sherry :0)

Just wait 'til you see what I've been up to (pic heavy)

Welcome...glad you could stop by for a visit today.  Boy, oh, boy did you pick a good one; if you don't have a little bit of time, come back.  Or you could check out the parts that interest you.  There's stitching, there's quilting and fabrics, a tiny bit of cooking and some catching up with what's going on here in my corner of the blog world. 

Marmalade & Jam - love this quilt - kind of a sampler type pattern.  I really learned lots in this class!

Now I just need to find the fabric for the back...I am on the hunt!  I posted a picture before, couple posts ago...I looked for it at the quilt show I recently attended (more on that in a bit).  I know I will find it.  It was really sunny the day I took the picture.  I love batiks.  Can't find one I don't like, although I really haven't tried that hard. :0)

I have been working on I Wait for the Lord  by Hands To Work.   I am almost done, just a couple more rows.  I don't have a progress picture for you on that yet.  And what's in the wings, waiting?  Keep reading...
This is my new project - waiting, waiting - patiently for attention.  It's Strawberry Hill by With Thy Needle & Thread.  It's going to be BE-AU-TI-FUL!!!  Don't you just love those colors?!   How many of you do this, laying it all out, touching it, making it so, so pretty - and not just for blog photos, but to look and admire the colors, textures and yumminess!

Picked up this book too, a wee bit back.  It's fun to look, plan and dream! Some day I will kit up one or two from this book.

Made a 'scary' purchase too.   Fabric and two parts of three for the Lizzie*Kate Very Scary Mystery Sampler.  Only thing missing is the fibers.  They are on order and will be arriving soon - another I really, really want to start.

These are for the extra project included with each part one and two (orange-sherbet and lavender fabrics).  Cute, cute, CUTE!

Last Thursday night I got in the car with Mary, one of my bestest friends in the whole, wide world.  We drove to Grand Rapids, we got some sleep after some giggles and stories.  The next morning we got our fannies in gear and boogied on over to the DeVos Place Convention Center to check  out this...the few dollars by the booklet - well that's about all I had left after a day of fun. 


My big purchase - and a new fav shop - SEWBATIK (bet you didn't see that one coming)!  This is the Diamond Dazzler.

 Side view - these batiks are stunning.  Can't wait to get this beauty started.  Aren't you dazzled?  I know I sure am.

Stopped by another awesome booth - Primitive Gatherings.  Who am I kidding - we hit all the booths.  But what a fun group of people - the vendors and the customers packed in Primitive Gatherings.  I picked up this pin cushion.  It is so sweet.  It's wool and some stitching.  Hope to start this one soon.  It's gonna be so S-W-E-E-T!

After leaving the quilt show, we stopped at a couple fabric stores here and there, be-bopping all the way back home - sure beats a day at work!  Surprise - more batiks.  And see that pumpkin/spider web fabric?  The little tan squares are a mini-sampler.  I think it will be a marvelous choice to go along with the Mystery Sampler above -  I plan on making a pillow for my bench once I finish stitching (oh, and begin stitching too).

 Close up of the batik with pumpkins.  This is so, way cool!

I was tuckered out on Friday night!  Boy, I didn't think I could do a trade show of that size and we saw most of what we wanted to see - the quilts on display were stunning.  Many were not something I would ever think of doing but the talent displayed was phenomenal.  There was a display for Alzheimer's - I admired that one from afar - was having too much fun.  Now don't get me wrong, I love displays like this and they are truly important and bring awareness to so many causes;  but I miss my Grandmas - both suffered horribly from Alzheimer's.  My husband's uncle who just passed away had Alzheimer's.  I just didn't want to get all bummed out and sad on such an otherwise perfect day.  I can tell you I definitely want to visit another quilt show like this one.  It was fun - with a capital F!

This little ditty will make both of the mini quilts on the pattern.  This was another Primitive Gathering pattern.  Boy, could I have dropped much more cash in that booth.  My friend Mary picked up an awesome quilt kit for herself, one I was considering until I found the to-die-for batik quilt above.

Hubby and I cleaned the heck out of the house on Saturday, went to the farmer's market, did the grocery shopping.  I let the laundry wait for something fun to do on Sunday.  When it was time to water the plants at the front door - this little creature was waiting for us.  He was about two inches long and those hairs - yuck!  I bet he's gonna be a moth - not a butterfly.  He was on the ceiling of the porch - that's why he kinda looks like he is upside down.

Sunday brought the fun laundry.  I stitched some, put away all my purchases.  Had dinner with my son (hubby had to go to work, as per our usual Sunday afternoon).  It was a nice visit with him - since he works opposite shifts and he was away with friends part of the weekend, eking out a couple hours to spend with 'just mom' was much needed and really nice. 

Besides organizing the stitching above and getting it bags, ready to stitch when done with Wait for the Lord , I picked my rhubarb - made up some sauce for toast, on top of vanilla ice cream, off a spoon - plain and delicious!

You still here?  Wow - thanks for visiting for a bit.

It's about time for me to go read before turning in.  Before you know it, morning will be here and it's back to work time.  Gotta pay for the shopping I have done lately and gotta stop shopping and get busy working on some of this fun stuff.

Hope all you blog-buddies have a nice week, with lots of productive work, stitching, quilting - whatever tickles your fancy.  Only four more days and I have a three day weekend.  Can you believe it's almost September?  I don't know about you, but I am so ready for the humidity to get the heck out of here.  I love autumn - the colors, the smells, the low humidity and relief from the heat.

Take care - stitch a bit, sew a bit, do what makes you smile!

Hugs,

Sherry :0)

Olympic Withdrawal!

I don't know about you, but I sure miss the Olympics for a bit once they are over...I kind of go through a withdrawal even though I spent two weeks in a blur from lack of sleep and tried to cram in as much viewing as I could.  I even become a channel surfer or flipper (which bugs me normally - I have two guys in my house who flip all the time) and go from Olympic channel to Olympic channel.

This is how my Olympic piece looked after closing ceremonies...I really kicked butt on this one. I decided to work on this mainly because it was one color fiber - allowing more attention to the t.v. I think most stitchers are listeners not watchers; but when the Olympics are on (summer or winter) I am a watcher with a capital W! My tension on some of the rows seems a bit more tight than others. Hmmm, wonder if that is a result of the swimming?  The gymnastics or the boxing?  Perhaps it was the track & field - you get the picture - ALL of it! I am pleased with my progress. I don't have much more to go and hope to finish soon and then

find one of those wonderful % off coupons for framing!

 

As a reminder...this is what it looked like prior to Opening Ceremonies.

I Wait For The Lord by Hands to Work.  The linen is out of my stash, tea-dyed by moi.  WDW Baked Apples.

 

I did a bit of shopping - Pineberry Lane's Autumn on Marigold Lane.  I ordered it long ago and was very glad to finally receive it with the called for fibers and linen - it's a must stitch soon!  Beautiful.  Sorry for the glare.  I will try to get a better shot next time.  I received my final December fabric of the month too, when this arrived.  It took a long time (December 2011) but is a pretty, kind of silverish color. 

Close up of the meager start on Marigold Lane - Olympics were still on so I was focused on my other piece.  I started this at my Sampler Guild's meeting. 

My baby turned 19 since the last post.  He's almost out of the teens and sometimes I really wonder where the time went.   It was very weird this year; he works afternoons and I work days.  This was the first time I didn't actually see him on his birthday.  I did text him shortly after midnight (time he was born) and wished him a happy birthday, talked to him while I was at work before he left the next afternoon.  We are going out to dinner this weekend to celebrate but I couldn't resist getting him a birthday treat.  Isn't he cute?

 A monster cookie with cool eyebrows.  I teased my husband they looked like his "over 50" rogue eyebrows.  It must have been delicious since it was totally gone the next day.

So now with the Olympics done, the next t.v. adventure started Shark Week!  My niece painted her nails in honor of Shark Week on the Discovery channel.  When my son was little,  we taped most episodes and watched them over and over until the next year.  I still enjoy watching a bit of Shark Week. 

I couldn't capture the fin on her thumb.  There's bubbles in the blue nails.  She's a riot.  I cracked up when I saw them.

Well it's time for me to wrap things up.  I am a tired puppy this Friday night.  I have not been sleeping well with a bit of hip/back pain.   I am not sure what's up with that, but hopefully some rest and relaxation this weekend will be the cure.  Hope you get to spend time doing what you love to do, something that makes you smile!

Until next time,

hugs,

Sherry :0)

Olympics!!!

I am an Olympic junkie...I am addicted.  I have been that way since forever.  My Dad was the same and I miss him terribly when the Olympics come around - winter, summer - love them both and there isn't many events I don't watch.  I love the back stories of not just the U.S.A. competitors, but of them all.  I miss talking to my Dad about this and baseball (Detroit Tigers, of course) and it doesn't seem to be any less painful to miss it as the years go by!

I was going to post last night, prior to the Olympics opening ceremony - but time got away from me.  Had to grocery shop, after all, so I could watch as much as possible today. 

Here is my "Olympic" piece....I will work on it most during these games.  Thought I'd show you where I am now so we can compare on August 18th when it's all over - and I am going through withdrawal!  Blogs sure are great for truly seeing your progress!

 This is I Wait For The Lord by Hands To Work.  It's all one color so I thought that would be best when I am doing my distracted stitching.  That's not a bug on the left - just a knot, thread waiting to be buried.

Close up - the capital letters are over one.  I am doing the rice stitch for the line under the carnation looking flowers , instead of four stitches per square area. 

It's beautiful today - a wee bit muggy, but tolerable.  My husband and I went to farmer's market this morning to pick up some Michigan grown corn and tomatoes (I still don't have many ripe ones and want a salad (below) and a BLT this week).  Tonight my son is going to be home for dinner - a rarity now that he works afternoons...we are making grilled (over charcoal, no less) turkey breast, potato salad - I made while watching men's archery, a tomato/corn/green onion salad, cukes in vinegar with onions,  finished up with green beans.  The sun tea is almost the right color to put in to be chilled.  YUM!!

Downside of farmer's market - saw the sweetest black lab puppy (about one year old) at the last chance rescue booth.  We already have a chocolate lab  - why are we even considering this sweet girl - took an information card.  But oh my,  she is sweet!  I must be nuts!

I hope to stitch with my bestest pals this week, if I can sneak away for the afternoon.  They are getting together for the day but I won't be able to swing a whole day.  I am doing an all day sew in another week and still don't have a bank of "paid time off" hours to cash in.

Well - swimming is starting...got to check out what's on the other four or five channels to pick what to watch since I plan on picking up my needle for a bit.

Stitch lots and do something that makes you smile - is it the Olympics?  Can you pick a favorite event - I sure can't...

Sherry :0)

I'm Going To Live To Be 100 - at least!

So if it's true you will live to get all the projects done (I have seen a quote that indicated living to be 100 if all projects get done) then I will have no issues getting to be that age or older! 

I have just pulled out my new Strawberry Hill Sampler by Brenda Gervais (Country Stitches - With Thy Needle & Thread).  It is beautiful...stitched  to put on the top of a Whitman's box, pinkeep, huswife, needle keep and more.  I had to figure out how much linen for all the pieces and what fibers I am missing.  Now to email my LNS and place an order. 

Yee-Gads! 

Not much else going on - worked all last week, birthday party for niece/nephew yesterday, dinner at my mom's - my aunt and uncle are staying with her from North Carolina and she had bunch of family over Friday night.  My husband and I went out for dinner last night and even sat on the patio - unheard of lately here in my part of Michigan.

I ate some tomatoes from my garden, in a Caprese of course.  I had to grab them off the vine before the chipmunks got them!  My husband found ones I've been watching all week, waiting, in the yard half ate by something.  We've already put netting over the plants to keep the birds away!  Drat!!  Cleaned my sewing studio this afternoon (in between loads of laundry) so maybe next weekend I can actually do something creative in there.

Have a great week all - progress pics next week - if I make any progress, that is!!  Gotta get busy if I want to even make a dent in all I have "stashed" before I am over 100...

Stitch happy, do something that makes you happy this week...

Sherry