What Fun!!

So much in the last couple weeks...didn't have a chance to post. I got a new computer and had to transfer files and set it up...finally have my wireless in my house tonight. I have a little problem with computers - I know just enough to know it's not right, but not enough to fix it! So, I had two (not sure why two but who am I to complain - yes, Mary the one did follow me all the way once he caught up at the stop sign) technicians here for only about 20 minutes. It took me over two hours in trying and tons of frustration!

Husband continues to recover from surgery. He's having some pain but is getting better. His mother is here from Minnesota for a couple weeks to visit so the timing of his disability is good...and with spring break happening this next week, ds will love having grandma here!

I had a blast at camp...acquired some stash and finished a class project...see post of March 15th for first part, the stitching... It was a finishing class with Amy Bruecken....so cute. So here's some pics - there are a few!
This one with "eat dessert first" is Amy's...much better than mine! I loved making the curly-felt things...so much fun. And the class was tons of fun and Amy is so much fun! The beads and all the other embellishments were in the little green and black bag. So cute!

One of the other teachers was Deb Koch, the owner of Stitches N Things (sponsor of the weekend camp). She taught a cute needle-felted sculpted purse. I am sure I wouldn't come away with a few holes in my fingers from all the needles in that class.

Sharon Crescent of Crescent Colours was the third teacher of the weekend. What a fun person she is! I didn't take her class (a bird pincushion, Sew-phia) but the finished pieces were adorable...and I loved talking to her about the names of her fibers...I will never look at Jakey Brown or Nutmeggy the same again. This next picture is a piece I finished a couple years ago at camp. I started and finished this at the same camp - a rare thing! I believe the entire thing is from Crescent Colours - but I know for sure the heart kit is. (It was tic tac hearts - I think.) There are little bits of wool under the heart buttons making the tic-tac-toe. Love it! Hangs from the doorknob of my sewing room (studio a.k.a. purple passion room (see earlier posting for explanation),

You know, camp is only about an hour away from my house (if that). It took bff Mary and I about six hours to get there...what were we doing? Well, we had lunch by Deb's shop at Sagebrush Cantina - Yum, best mexican food around. And the shopping was before and after. Met my other bff and dear friend, Paulette to shop some...this is some of what I added to my studio: oh so much fun!

And this is more....quilting, fabric, kits, fibers, needles...

So, I guess that brings you up-to-date...thanks so much for following me...now that I have a computer again, I will get back to adding all the blogs I have been following at quite a bit (and I didn't know how to add, but do now)!

Stitch often and enjoy the weather if you're having what we have here in Michigan! Happy Easter all! Sherry

Awww - pretty! And a big thanks!

It has been beautiful weather here in Michigan the past couple days. This afternoon when arriving home from dh's followup appointment he spotted this single crocus in the garden enjoying the sun...won't be long now. My favorite season is autumn, then winter (I know groan from some, but I love the snow) and then spring...I love the lilacs, flowers and other plants, just don't like gardening...

DH's surgery went well yesterday. He was a little longer than anticipated but is already regaining some of the use in his hand. I did get some stitching done, more on that later as not much progress on anything this week.

For the big thanks; that goes out to Debbie for helping me with a couple things on my list of blog questions...I appreciate her taking time from her afternoon yesterday to walk me through a couple things. I;'m still working on the things she talked me through (like links) but I will get it! Thanks Debbie!

Tomorrow is the big day - mid-morning I will be loading my stuff up with Mary's and off we go! Quilt shops, stitching shop! Stitching all weekend - class with Amy Bruecken. Can't wait!! I'll post my findings and my progress. Have a great weekend and thanks SO much for following my blog - this is really kind of fun.

Whoo Hoo!!

Wow - I have followers - more than I thought I'd have within the first week or two - THANK YOU! for checking out this blog! I am getting to your blogs - slowly but surely - I have said before, I am funny about that and go back to the very beginning of each blog I follow...time consuming but fun to look at all the projects, pics and read the stories!

Well, if you are a follower of Terri's blog, you know our KSSG (Kindred Spirits Sampler Guild) held a fundraiser auction yesterday -pictures follow of a few "live auction" pieces...most went for well over $50, I think and one even went for quite a bit over $200...whoo hoo! (I have a list of things Debbie - also a KSSG member - is going to help me with and linking you to their blogs is on that list - thanks in advance Debbie)! Any way, lots of pics coming up! The first is the box with all kinds of stitching accessories - I didn't think to take a photo of the top either, Terri. Done over one, finished beautifully, absolutely stunning, this is! It was done by Nancy. Santa's bag held scissors with a jingle bell fob. So cute, made by my good friend Roz...

Vera Bradley accessories made for a stitcher... I can't remember who did them but they were way cool! The table was a shot of the live auction items (and forgive me, I am still learning how my camera works and then how to transfer the bestest shots for you to see).

My contribution was the pillow to the right on the bench. These are an easy make and I knew there were a couple Mary Englebright fans in the guild...I know Sharon will enjoy it! (the pillow next to it is one I have out from Valentine's Day) cleaning and putting it away Wednesday afternoon!

I bid on a frog with scissors and fobs made by Terri - her friend, Sally outbid me. Since she was a guest, I was gracious! I loved so many items, but only came home with the pumpkin box and pattern w/ charms. I have some Halloween smalls that will live in the box, so it's perfect!

For those of you who know I work full-time, why am I cleaning Wednesday? Well, my DH is having surgery (minor) in the a.m. and I have the day off to take care of him. So while he's napping after we return home, I am going to clean my dusty house (instead of stitching - heavy sigh); but do not fret, I will have much time to stitch because I am off this Friday, heading to Davison with my BFF Mary. My LNS sponsors a stitching camp (I call it the B.A. stitch-in). I am taking a finishing class with Amy Bruecken - this is my before picture - it's stitched and ready to be frosted! I can't wait to have the class - Amy is so much fun!

The other two are a finish for me! It's a design of her's called "Feet" and at her suggestion, I put shoe laces on my boots ...Help, Amy - I need your assistance to keep them straight! I will be taking this with me to show her as I was putting the finishing touches on it last year when I was at the B.A. Stitch-in. I received it from Mary for my birthday, with the frame it's in above. The closeup pic is not that great and off color...the framed pic is much more accurate.

Well off to bed I am, after sending a couple emails out. Thanks for stopping by and I'll post more finishes soon and I will have some stash enhancements to post after next weekend, I'm sure...and I have some pics of items I purchased with a gift certificate I won earlier this year - details soon! Have a great week everyone!

Smiles and sunshine to all! Sherry ;o}

Grandma's Wisdom

So I sit at work this week wishing my life away - my Grandma always told me as a teen never to do that - well God bless you, Grandma - but I'm doing it again. I work for a distributor of tools - we have a huge show each year where we bring in over 100 of our vendors and about 10 times as many customers - all in one day. It's a fun Saturday, although it's a long Saturday....at least 12 hours...but the days leading up to it are the killer for me. Normally, I am in the office with a nice mix of behind the desk sitting on my rear, walking, etc. This Thursday and Friday however, I hang signs with a couple other people above booths, on a concrete floor, on a ladder, no desk. Ugh! Mind you, I am not complaining, I am lucky to have a job I like, with people who are (for the most part) easy to work with! It's a small company, I am H.R. and get to do things I really enjoy doing. But I am tired when I get home and don't pick up my stitching or quilting or reading for a few days.

Here is another quilt I have done. This one was called Fractions (and I'm sorry, I can't remember who it's by). It was pretty easy. The hardest part was placing the blocks where you want them without touching a "like" fabric. I love batiks and the back was just as pretty as the front, but I didn't do a back shot before giving it away.

I did it for our youth group leader at our church. Jordan picked all the fabric (except the border) and the pattern. I did the rest - sent it out to be quilted from my local fabric store.

Martha has been son instrumental in the maturing of my son and helped him grow into the person he's becoming. I felt it was the least I could do for her. We have a wonderful new leader for our youth group, but Martha is missed so much! I gotta get to see her (she's only down the road a bit - teaching and living in Detroit). I know my son misses her and she is such an angel! This is Martha and my son, Jordan. We had her over for dessert and gave it to her before her good-bye party at church. The party was attended by so many and we wanted it to be a special moment! The piece in the background was done in the '80's and needs to be replaced. It's on aida and old...but it has many memories in each of the blocks - when I change the color of the room and finish the piece for that spot, it will go elsewhere in the house.

This is the tag we did for Martha's quilt - I had Jordan practice on fabric and then we both wrote a message to our sweet Martha. You can't see it, but there are tears in this tag!

I do have another reason for wishing the long work days away this week - this Sunday is the stitching guild I belong to (Kindred Spirits) when women from all over this part of Michigan (and beyond) and from Ohio gather once a month....there are some terrific pieces and inspiring projects. I connect with very close friends that I don't see often enough. This weekend is our auction. A couple years ago I bid and won (with no thanks to my BFF Mary) a tin. Not just any tin, the top has a little snowman family on it and inside: a needlebook, scissor fob and pin cushion. And not just made by anyone - it's made by a dear friend, Roz....so talented. I know Terri has blogged about her (chocolates4breakfast blog)....And I met Terri at KS too! - she has this fantastic haircut....that's another story - she probably thinks I am totally nuts! Back to my snowman tin story - the auction is this weekend and I hope to not be too wiped out to bid fiercely against all opponents for anything that strikes me as an "I will die without it" item.... So - unless I have a burst of energy to blog again before next week, I will wish you all a great weekend! Hope you spend some time with those who matter most, doing something fun! Thanks for making my first week blogging an exciting one - and wow, how addicting! I am pretty anal - I am slowly following blogs, but I can't do it from current on - no, not me; I go back and read each and every post. My list of "must have, must do" projects is growing by leaps and bounds (I am sure my husband will be glad of that - as he can't believe all the things I have in the purple passion room...aka my craft room...now)! Going to park my behind in a chair and stitch for an hour, then off to bed!

Love lots,

Sherry

Short show'n tell on my Works In Progress!!

Well, I have mastered posting, am working on mastering posting pics...although it was easier just now. I am still trying to play with my camera and lighting, so hang in there with me. This posting will be short since I am very anxious to get upstairs to the purple passion room (aka - craft room). I won't be visiting it the next two weekends - more later this week on my big weekends coming up (one fun, one not so much)...But here are a couple things I'm working on. This is Strawberry Fob Forever by Bent Creek...sent it in my suitcase with my mom to FL last month - started it there - this is what I accomplished. I was only there three full days but God forbid I go anywhere without stitching...and I sent the whole kit (above), scissors and all so I didn't have to worry about security (or the xtra $$) at the airport. Thanks Mom, for hauling my stuff (and Jordan's) down and back...This is what I did on it this morning - first needle to thread since last Sunday - talk about withdrawals!! This is a kit from Kindred Spirits - by Sewing Chest Designs (Judy M.) Christmas Pocket - this one I hope you see finished within the next few weeks (months). I changed it a bit - the 2010 was to be split, but I added my initials there instead...and I changed it to the lighter green than the words - wording over one, tree over two....

My Jenny Bean - kind of what pushed me into this blogging - I went onto Terri's (chocolates4breakfast) to check out her Christmas Jenny Bean - and well...the rest is history!
Jenny Bean's Halloween Sampler by Shakespeare's Peddler. Now I have to get the Christmas too!!

It is definitely a WIP - I have a long way to go...

This I want to start for "easy" stitching or what I often think of as "tired stitching" - something I don't have to think about that hard...it's for late at night or after a really long day or maybe when I'm with others and talking my face off (no, not me!). It's a kit by Bent Creek that Mary was purging from her stash and I nabbed it up - THANKS MARY!! No wonder I like you so much (or could it be that we think, talk, parent, etc...alike)!

And to answer a question I've had in my comments - I don't do the quilting...I can barley manage the piecing at this point (I don't think I am a novice any longer, but I am for sure still in the beginning stages of learning). I send them out from my local quilt store to a long-arm quilter...I do like quilting even though I didn't think I would, as I don't like to sew clothes (and haven't done that since my 20's)!

Going north to my room - have a great Sunday everyone and THANKS for being my follower and leaving comments - I am having fun learning this! And yes, this was short - those who don't know me will soon learn, talking is a love too - even though I am a super listener too (I think?)...

Sunshine to all,

Sherry

Ta Da - So I can post a picture!!

And don't worry stitching, you will always be my first love (in addition to the people in my life I love, of course). First, I want to say a big THANK YOU to Terri (Kindred Spirits Sampler Guild sister)...she has introduced me to the followers on her blog. I don't know how to do links yet like she did, with just my name, but if you have stumbled on here without her direction, her blog is http://chocolates4breakfast@blogspot.com so be sure to check it out - she is a fabulous stitcher and her writing is very refreshing. She has tons of great blogs she follows and that's kind of the reason I'm doing this - I've followed a few stitching blogs but her's pushed me over the edge into this abyss...



I think I have some pics loaded and will explain. I started quilting as a teenager and never finished a thing... then I started a quilt for someone having a baby... did a stitched one instead for them, but had this bug jar quilt so when my son was born I thought "how perfect, it's kinda a boys quilt, I'll do it for him". Some 14/15 years later, I finished...no picture yet of his...I will do soon. My nephew loved the quilting and the fabric so I took the stash I had left and made him a quilt (just squares, not really following a pattern). Make one for one nephew, have to make one for all the nieces and nephews. Now they already each received a stitched or crocheted quilt as a baby; and believe it or not, when my sister had a house fire a couple years ago and lost their entire house, those quilts survived....but then she adopted an 8 year old from China...too old for a baby quilt, so along came the next one...I have a couple more to do but I'm making progress.



Anyway, here are some pictures:This is the back of Brennen's...love the dragon fly - it matches the dragonfly border pictured below - the front of his quilt.

The first quilt for Jordan (my son) and this among a couple other works in progress (WIP) have created a quilt monster in my sewing room (or the purple passion room to my honey - not because of passion in that room, mind you, but because it has lilac walls, furniture that I sponge painted over white with lilacs and greys, darker lilac carpet, white eyelet curtians and some day a quilt with purples!) So I lapse off often, into other conversations, those who know me are used to it. Anyway...these are Amira's - my niece who was 8 upon her arrival here to us...it's flannel and so cozy!

The pattern for this was "Yellow Brick Road" and SO easy! I am now starting another one for my husband, flannel out of Moda "Trail Adventures" fabric - although I am searching for some additional fabric in that line and it's about 3 years old (yes, I've had it that long and am just getting to it...you know how these things go).

Well, I want to stitch some tonight. Figuring this out took a little more time than I thought and after a very full week at work, needle to thread is just what I need until it's time to sleep. I have other pics loaded and will post more - I will get some stitching pics in here too!

Thanks for all the followers I have so far - and for the words of encouragement - don't give up on me before I figure this all out!!

Stitch Happy! Sherry :>)

The Big Reason for this Blog...."oh, stitching" says my son!

So I was really proud I figured out how to do this last night...I called my teenage son to take a look at Terri's blog and then showed him my beginnings. When he saw Terri's he said, "oh, stitching" and then didn't want to go any further - I guess he thought I'd be posting about cars or aquariums, something he's more interested in... hmmm!

I did realize though, I didn't say anything about stitching in my first post and that is, afterall, what this is really about...that and quilting and all the other things I love and enjoy. I will be sure to get some pictures of works in progress soon - I have to figure out how to do that and I'm not so sure. But for now, I will list a couple things I am working on - I am doing "The Christmas Pocket" by Sewing Chest Designs (Judy from Kindred Spirits Sampler Guild), "Lavendula" (Cindy Valentine) and "Jenny Bean Halloween Sampler" by Shakesphere's Peddler, Ellen Chester's "A Needleworker's Sampler Huswif" too. Those are the things I am most excited to work on right now...how many other started projects do I have - WAY too many to list - it would be frightening! I am taking a class on finishing and embellishing soon - more on that later (Camp with Deb's Stitches N Things - my LNS!! but can't wait to see Amy Bruecken and decorate my cupcake!! Boy oh boy, do I have goals (and lofty one's at that) for 2010! Yikes! And that doesn't list the quilting I've gotten myself into...

I promise to figure out the picutre thing soon - I have some stitching to post, some quilts to post.

Smile always,

Sherry :o}

Okay, Terri - I started, now what?

Okay, Terri - I started a blog - the first question I have is when do you have the time to review all the comments you get to your post - and if you don't review them, don't you feel guilty?

Also, doesn't this really, really cut into your stitching time? I already don't have enough of that for stitching or quilting.

And then there's the guilt - do you feel guilty if you don't post in a certain amount of time? Is there a prerequisite? Is there a requirement?

And like you said in one of your recent posts - you (and myslef too) seem confident on the outside, but one the inside - not so much! So what if no one reads the blog...what if I decide I don't want one later - can I delete it?

Laugh often,
Sherry :o)