Random Thoughts from Abroad

Crazies, all Fifteen and an allotment

2012-01-16T17:31:00.001-05:00

Day 12

Seasonal Sampler
Spring
Hillside Samplings

I am doing this on 36 count instead of the 32 count it calls for so it will be quite small. I have wanted to stitch this for ages since I made the winter block for a Fair and Square exchange quite a few years ago.

Traditional Band Sampler update

Nancy's Traditional Band Sampler
from Friendly Stitchers
worked as a SAL with Ally

This is a second showing of a Crazy from last week since I worked a little more on it - Stef Francis silks are such a joy to use and I just wish they could have names to complement the luscious colours, a number such as 12PS - 05 doesn't really flow! Ally is much further ahead than me, sigh!

Day 13

Fanciful Alphabet
My Mark Designs
from The Gift of Stitching, May 2006

Day 14

Magic Garden
Shakespeare's Peddlar
first begun in 2011

And finally.......Day 15

Live Each Season
Maggie Bonanomi

Yes, I know, it is only 15 and the tab at the top quite clearly mentions 31. Well, here's the thing, I am bored with starting projects! Bet you never thought you would hear me say THAT but it's true, I want to keep stitching on some of the ones already in progress. I leave for Wyoming on the 23rd, then to Pittsburgh and DC and will be away for two weeks and cannot see myself schlepping 8 crazies in my luggage! So, will continue with the 15 and as I finish each one (ha, who said that?) will begin another of the 31 - as I mentioned way back, I'm making up the rules as I go along! So that way, God willing and the creek don't rise, I will eventually complete all thirty one. Just not saying in which year!

The most gorgeous winter weather here in the north west, lots of frost, blue skies and sunshine. I snapped this one as we left to walk in the Forest last Saturday morning, just as it was getting light.

Early in the morning

Another bit of news is that we have signed up for an allotment! I wanted to have one last year but with all the travelling it just wouldn't have worked. It sounds like a very sociable group, barbecues and wine were mentioned along with growing the occasional vegetable so should be fun!

The above is NOT a photograph of our allotment!

This, on the other hand, is!

Mm, you're right, a LOT of work to do! The land was only made available last year so not all the plots were taken up. I see a lot of digging in my future! The nice-looking plot belongs to my friend, Susan, who is also a member of the Friday Knitters and a Stitcher!

How are your 2012 resolutions going along? I made very few but one that I have kept so far (a whole 16 days) is to walk every day. I am Nordic walking four times a week and then making sure I go for a walk or walk into town on the other days. Some days it's a struggle but you feel so much better for it! Thanks for reading this far. You did, didn't you? Don't just rush by, leave a comment and give me an update on YOUR resolutions!

Day Ten already?

2012-01-10T18:04:00.000-05:00

Continuing with the challenge........ where were we? Of course, desperately trying to keep track of some stitching! Part of me wants to scream "Enough, you daft woman, slow down, you don't HAVE to do this" and the other half just keeps going, finding the appropriate envelope each day (are you impressed by the organisation?) threading the needle and away we go! So, without more ado....

Day 6

Stolen Moments
Jane Greenoff

Day 7

Plum Street Samplers
Favorite Fonts Sampler

Day 8

Nancy's Band Sampler
Designed for members of Friendly Stitchers
Ally and I are stitching this on Fridays

Day 9

Eileen Bennett
The Shirt Front Sampler

Day 10

The Primitive Needle
Earth Sampler

Day 11

Jeanette Douglas
A Stitcher's Petit Companion

The Shirt Front sampler has mysteriously turned sideways but you get the idea. I became a little flaky over the week end so some of the starts are not technically on the correct day but it is January 10th and there are ten starts so just be satisfied, okay? Please see the Challenge 2012 page for MY rules and any complaints, may I refer you to the management.....oh wait, that's me!

Well, dear hearts, as usual it is late and I am tired so I will love you and leave you. As always, I adore comments!

WIPocalypse for January

2012-01-09T18:11:00.000-05:00

Just to refresh your memories........ this is where we left this one, in a cold and snowy Michigan, in January 2011, and yes, we were moving....... back to the UK!

And this is where we are now. Really, if I just applied myself and GOT A MOVE ON, it would be done. Dratted Blogger turned the second one around and I am too tired to fiddle with it!

Blackbird Designs
from My Heart is True
Friends with You

Tomorrow, I will update my starts from the Challenge but right now it is time for bed. Sleep well, my lovelies, and come back tomorrow to see what I have been up to!

2012-01-04T17:14:00.003-05:00

Well, who knew? It pays to be organised, a novel thought but there you are! Having spent most of December planning what I would stitch in the Crazy Month or January if you aren't a Crazy stitcher, it was with a slight smirk that I picked up the first of the crazies and settled down to some stitching late in the afternoon of New Year's Day. Why late in the afternoon, you ask? A hangover, perhaps? No, a lovely visit from family and a dog that prevented me picking up a needle. Having waved goodbye to them I made an unseemly dash for the sewing room and held my hand delicately over THE box..... this one, that one? Decisions, decisions....... Sweet World, small but charming, seemed the appropriate one. Only a little of the border was stitched but it is early days.......

Day 1

Midsummer Night Dreams
Sweet World
Published in Gift of Stitching
August 2006

On Day 2, the sun was shining for a change, so that meant a Walk - in the Peak District as the WT wanted to take photographs and being the dutiful wife that I am, off we went, lots of wind, sun and MUD but a good time was had. This was what I picked up when we got back -

Day 2

La D Da
123 Tree

Well into my stride now, a Plum Street Samplers' one was chosen next. I am trying to be frugal and use my stash so soon realised the thread just didn't show up , no good, tried another one, nope, so temporarily abandoned the whole thing until I could look at in in sunlight - ha! maybe in July?

Day 3

Plum Street Samplers
Favorite Font Sampler

So Day 3's offering was BOAF's Pray for Peace, another small but very pretty one.

Day 4

Birds of a Feather
Pray for Peace

And that brings us to Day 4, are you still with me? Another chart from TGOSM. All was going well, did a bit of the top border then moved down to the words, finished the first word and DRAT! I had begun the T in the wrong place! Was not about to frog the lettering since it is in a plummy red so the border has to go........

Day 5

At Home with Jane Austen
The Sampler Girl
published in TGOSM in March 2007

I have decided that each post in 2012 needs to have at least one absolute finished piece in it so here you are, an ornament from Midsummer Night Designs sent to Karan for an exchange. Don't click on it as you will see the left hand angel is minus a halo! Sorry, Karan, I owe you, lol! I loved stitching this one, the colours were completely unChristmassy but so vibrant, I will definitely be stitching more of these!

Midsummer Night Dreams

JCS Ornament Issue - year unknown

Angel Magic

(not what Deborah called it, hope she doesn't mind)

Four down, and only 27 to go, wish me luck! Hope all my fellow crazies are enjoying themselves with the Challenge. See you in a few days with another update, can you bear to wait that long?

2011 - New Country, New House, New Passport and New Baby!

2011-12-31T11:42:00.000-05:00

Well, I know I left you all wondering if the country air had completely turned my brain but I must say I had no idea Blogger would put that post on the original date, silly me for not noticing!

It is six hours and 43 minutes to the New Year and so this will be the last post for what was a fairly tumultuous year. We moved back to our homeland, rented a flat and then a barn, sold a house in Michigan, became citizens of the country we had just left (yes, I know, crazy, but there you are), hosted two sets of American visitors to the barn, visited Helsinki and Istanbul as well as the US five times and the very best news of all........... welcomed the arrival of Duncan James on December 29th, our third grandchild, brother to William and cousin to Liam! His father called to tell us the news and we heard him cry at only about ten minutes old! He is named after a (many) great grandfather Duncan McDougall on my father's side of the family who we know was married in 1802!

Another tiny bit of news is that I finished the second of my 2011 Crazies! Put on your magnifiers for this, it is very small!

Bird In Hand
Blackbird Design
GAST Uniform Blue

I really hope that next year will be a huge improvement on this year (well, it could hardly be worse, could it?) and I actually finish a few of the 31 crazies I have kitted up and waiting with baited breath!
I will be back tomorrow with my choice for Day 1 - what will it be? I know, you are on tenterhooks and can hardly wait, can you?

Smalls

The festive little basket above hold some of the smalls that I have been given and others I have stitched over the years. Well, actually only one was given to me, the lovely little initial one in the middle made by my friend, Mouse, for Christmas this year. Thanks, Mouse! The Noel and the Merry Christmas ones in the front are from designs by Sandy in Montana,, scroll back to her post of December 10, 2010 to find the free charts. Thanks, Sandy! I stitched these when I thought it was possible I would have to send an angel stitch to someone for the ornament exchange on Friendly Stitchers but the exchange was completed so I was able to keep them! I enjoyed making these, especially as I could relive my trip though Sandy's beautiful home state that I took this summer.

And finally, especially for DJ and Disappointed in the North East or Kate as she is usually known, here are some pictures of Wales and the Lake District.........at last!

near Llanberis (I think!)

Conwy Castle
built for Edward I and Eleanor of Aquitaine
between 1283 and 1289

Lake Windermere

Well, dears, a very happy New Year to you all, be safe whatever you are doing and wake up tomorrow with an added zest for this crazy thing called Life and for all my fellow Crazies see you at the Challenge! Thank you to all my followers and here's hoping I can manage to post more than intermittently in 2012!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Wales, the Lake District, a finish or two and some progress

2011-11-03T18:31:00.002-04:00

Please read the disclaimer at end of the post........!

I'm not even going to attempt the National Blogging Month challenge, that would be pretty daft, don't you think? Posting once a month just doesn't hack it. However, today is the 3rd November and my last post was only four days ago! In order to jumpstart the whole process, basically what I'm going to do is publish a post and immediately get on with writing the next one, nifty idea, don't you agree? Of course, where housecleaning, shopping, walking, meals, church, taking care of the WT and stitching comes in all this I have no idea.

Anyway, since the last witterings were about travel far away, let's come a bit closer to home this time, Wales and the Lake District,along with some finishes, some decisions and some progress. Gosh, it's all go and you just can't wait, can you?

Are you sitting comfortably, children?

A good stitching buddy, Kath, posted on her blog that she had some charts for sale. Very sensibly, she put a time limit of availability on them so I wandered over for a quick look. Ooh, Plum Street and CCN, hmmm, a few days later I was the new owner of Favourite Font Sampler and Ladybugs and Butterflies. Both have gone on my Crazy January Challenge 2012 and this bring me to the decisions. I have put up a separate page for CCJC 2012 because, dears, I am bound and determined to do better this year. Well, honestly, I could hardly do worse, could I? Though I might have a tiny finish for this year soon, stayed tuned!

Finishes? Well, a bit of a cheat here as I can only show one in full as nearly all of them are leaving the barn for an exchange, a couple of RAKs, and an angel stitch.

This was what I sent to Maureen as part of the Friendly Stitchers needlebook exchange, I had to confess to Maureen that the thistle and initials should have been on the back inside the frame.....
Maureen sent me this one, the count was quite small and it is lovely. Thanks, Maureen!

Ha, see, today is the 21st so I can show the angel stitch at least as Jo finally got her biscornu as part of the Summer Sensations biscornu exchange. Sadly, her partner defaulted on not just one but TWO exchanges on Friendly Stitchers having received two lovely pieces from her partners. Luckily this is a rare occurrence on the group, we have wonderfully dedicated stitchers who LOVE to surprise and delight their partners!

I used a pattern designed by my friend, Mouse, which is now on general release in the group. The colours were MUCH brighter than I usually use and apparently Jo's daughter, Miss D, rather fell in love with it!

Last weekend, Remembrance Sunday here in the UK, and Muggins decided (on Saturday) to stitch a poppy, make it into a little ornament and wear it around her neck for church. It turned out really well and I got some compliments but the last stitches were being put in at 8:30 am and the service was at 10! I found the pattern here on Kell's blog. Thanks, Kell!

My Remembrance Day necklace

Okay, I know, today is 3rd DECEMBER, what is the fool talking about, well, all I can say is, time goes with the speed of light here at the barn and somebody moved onto another month without letting me know. I thought, darn, I am NOT wasting these words and so here you are, enjoy, lol! As the sharper amongst you will observe, there are NO pictures of Wales, the Lake District or indeed of any progress but fear not, dear hearts, I will be back, God willing and the creek don't rise, sometime before 2012!

Thanks for reading this far and please, somebody comment before I sink into a deep depression!

Istanbul and not a Stitch in Sight!

2011-10-31T19:19:00.000-04:00

Good grief, it's the last day of October and a month since the last post! So what has been happening at the barn? Well, I got to go somewhere I'd always wanted to visit - Istanbul! Who am I kidding? There isn't anywhere I don't want to visit!

Every type and flavour of Baklava!

This dragon boat is the "kitchen" where they grill the
most delicious fish sandwiches which are then handed
very precariously to the servers on the Eminonu waterfront
just down from the Galata bridge. Strong stomachs are needed by
the chefs as these little boats can rock quite violently in the wake of
the frequent ferries that pass up and down the Bosphorus!

Istiklal Caddesi, the main pedestrian thoroughfare. definitely
the place to be on a Saturday night. At the end of the
street is the Tunel, a funicular built by the French in 1874,
making it slightly younger than the London Underground

A backgammon bower!

Looking towards Asia going under the Bosphorus bridge

Sultan Ahmet Camii (the Blue Mosque)
commissioned by a nineteen year old!

Sponges, soaps and soothing lotions

I wanted to buy every one of these pashminas!

The Egyptian or Spice Bazaar

Just looking at the pictures and checking names in my guidebook makes me want to run to the airport and get on the next Turkish Airlines flight! I didn't see everything but left plenty for the next visit. Talking of Turkish airlines, they could teach American Airlines a thing or two about airline food! It was delicious, tasty and spicy, are you taking notes, AA?

Thank you for reading this far on what appears to be a travel blog with not a stitch in sight! It's late and I am tired so I'll save the stitching for another day. I enjoy comments or emails so much so don't steal away without telling me you were here and a cheery wave to all my new followers, thank you!

Helsinki Part 2, Gifts and Stash!

2011-09-29T14:22:00.003-04:00

Well, the weather pixies finally got it right, the most gorgeous weather this week! Everyone was smiling as I walked to and from town today and I ended up having a lovely conversation in the lane with a nice lady called B- and an exchange of phone numbers!

Yesterday was the short walk (only six miles, lol) with the Kingsley Walkers, and unlike the 33 stile marathon of last time,there were none at all, just kissing gates along the river and the canal and a lovely lunch at the Leigh Arms afterwards.

Note the salad growing on the roof of the barge!

The pub floor

Now back to Helsinki, the furthest north I have ever travelled but with still a long way to go before you start going down the other side! One of the attractions of visiting was to meet Niina whom I know from Friendly_Stitchers. She was so generous with her time and hospitality, we met three times ending up with dinner in her apartment with her and her gorgeous daughters to whom I am known as Chille !

This is a combination of the lovely gifts that Niina presented me with, tea, candles, an LK chart and a tiny biscornu stitched by her and a whole metre of fabric, a book and some scissors that I was ~~forced,~~ able to buy when she ~~made~~, went with me into a shop that was closing down and a bookshop! And I am here to tell you that a metre is a LOT of fabric (25 count for inquiring minds!). What do you mean, I forgot to show the chocolate, what chocolate, lol?

These gorgeous shawls were knitted in a linen yarn
and I wanted to buy them all!

Marimekko, the wonderful clothing and textile
company, where a second mortage would be helpful!

Ha! Foiled those bicycle thieves!

The Lutheran Cathedral in Senate Square
which dominates the Helsinki skyline. On the
smaller domes the decorations looked
remarkably liked Smyrna stitch or Algerian Eye!

The Sibelius Monument - when it was unveiled in 1967
the reception was somewhat negative.
The pipes catch the wind and make their own music.

A little rain should never stop one having coffee with a friend!

One of the many delicious looking stalls
at Hakaniemi Market Hall

Back home again (for a while, lol!), I nearly missed that I had won the giveaway on Melissa's blog but thankfully all was well and this arrived in the post in a very short time, the Earth Sampler from Primitive Needle. Thank you so much, Melissa, the first giveaway I have ever won and it will be one of my Crazies for 2012!

Mouse kindly edged all the pieces of linen that I bought at the Nimble Needle a couple of weeks ago, I really should not have got started down this road...... it really doesn't feel "right"now to stitch on a piece that hasn't been overlocked/serged. Thanks, Mouse !

There were quite a few pieces of fabric that came home with me as I made the mistake of picking up not one but two baskets of linen that Chris had invitingly placed on chairs and sitting down with them on my lap! One contained larger pieces and the other offcuts, perfect for smalls and ornaments,in all thirteen pieces came home with me and two patterns. I did hold off on threads though, only two 'fell' into my shopping basket!

Linen and patterns, La D Da Polly Wolly Doodle
and the Drawn Thread Cloister Garden

So what have you actually stitched on, I hear you cry? Well, a bit of this and a bit of that, a needlebook for an exchange which I need to hustle on and oh, flushed with success at keeping up with Carol's SAL, I decided to join the six part one in TGOSM which began in August. It called for Valdani threads and the most inexpensive I could find were from Anita's. To be even more frugal I asked for them to be sent to a friend in Michigan and the WT agreed to bring them over earlier this month. Anita was very efficient and the threads arrived with the speed of light. But, as you can see, by now we had got to the middle of September and I had yet to begin! This is my progress so far and the third part will be issued the day after tomorrow!

My Lovely Sewing Tools by Maria Suarez
a SAL in 6 parts

Well, dears, I hope that wherever you are you are among friends and enjoying life and remember that there are ALWAYS two sides to every story!

To all of us revelling in an Indian summer long may it continue and that we remember how good the sunshine felt when we reach the damp and drippy days of winter or the freezing and fridgid ones depending on where you are!

I will leave you with this last photograph ! See you in October!

Line Dancing, an LNS and Helsinki part 1!

2011-09-19T17:15:00.000-04:00

Excuse me while I get my breath back... goodness, that's better! A friend, Debbie, ~~made~~ um, persuaded me to go line dancing this afternoon in the next village. Despite having lived in the States it is something that I've never done and since I have NO coordination whatsoever I had no great expectations for the afternoon. We learnt three sets of steps, the Electric Slide, the California Freeze and something else that I was hopeless at so am obviously blocking, very Freudian! Much to my surprise, it was fun and by the end of the session I was sort of, kind of, almost doing it properly. We'll see how much I retain by next Monday. There are quite a few videos on the ubiquitous YouTube and they were quite helpful, I had a look when I got home.

I sent off the giveaways and Elaine has already received hers. Someone remind me NOT to put magazines on ever again, it is not cheap to send to the States!

Well, what's been happening? Working backwards, a trip to an LNS just in Wales but with a Shropshire address. A lovely day was had by all, visiting

The Nimble Thimble, The Mill, Llangedwyn, Oswestry.
Tel: 01691 780 088.

Owned by Chris, a most hospitable lady who had coffee, tea and biscuits waiting for us. Despite not being on the Internet Chris has been in business for thirteen years, stocking cross stitch and needlepoint as well as framing your masterpiece. If you are going to be at Harrogate this year stop at her stall and see what treats she has brought.

Isn't it lovely? Such a good day and definitely worth the drive as I was in need of a cheer up as the WT had flown off to the States that morning for a week, sigh. I was fairly restrained, only three charts, a couple of threads and, okay, I admit, a fair bit of linen which my chum, Mouse, is kindly serging for me. I'll put up a picture when that arrives.

The week before was the Norley Garden show..... what do you mean, you've never heard of it? It is famous in this part of the world. Very sensibly, the organisers hold the event behind the pub, the Tiger's Head, which means that there is plenty of liquid refreshment available. A beer or cider goes down very nicely when you are admiring the prize onions and dahlias, I can tell you. They have a needlework section so might think seriously about entering next year.

Not part of the show, just a rather wild but pretty garden
that we walked past on the way to the pub

All shapes and sizes of onions!

A lovely old steam engine, beautifully maintained

And finally.......... to Helsinki, where the WT worked and I played, or rather walked and ate delicious food, well,in fact we both enjoyed some lovely meals. A very walkable city and only armed with the hotel map I found my way all over the city, and on three of the days I clocked up 22,000 steps each time which I felt was fairly impressive!

Kauppatori Market is down by the harbour and is so colourful with its heaping amounts of fruit and vegetables, huge mounds of chanterelle mushrooms and peas.

Not sure why the flag was at half mast. The picture above made me laugh, the knives are a sort of ungrammatical afterthought!

Salmon soup is good!

Eating in the hotel one night and there was creme brulee on the menu, obvious choice as it is one of my favourite puddings, but wait, no, surely not, LIQUORICE? All I can say is don't knock it until you've tried it, absolutely wonderful accompanied by lemon ice cream.

To finish, a small piece of stitching, my version of Carol's SAL with which I am keeping up! So proud of myself, lol! I'm using SNC Vintage Brown on an unknown piece of 40 count.

Enough of the tour and we haven't even left the harbour! I'll be back with part 2 of Helsinki and some pictures of ongoing stitching, but, alas, no finishes yet. Thank you to all my new followers and emails I have received. I appreciate each and every one of the comments so if you stop by, let me know, don't steal away!

love, gillie x

Giveaway Winners......at last!

2011-09-10T16:02:00.000-04:00

Well, who can I blame this time? No-one but me, alas, so without more ado here are the winners of the magazines and the book

Mollie magazine - Babs in Alabama
JG Cross Stitch Bible - Elaine
Living - Deborah

Please send me your mailing addresses so I can get your prizes out to you!

Thank you to all who entered and for becoming followers!

I had a lovely time in Helsinki and today which was a trip to an LNS in Shropshire. More to follow!

Giveaway from Violarium and a wet day in Finland!

2011-08-30T06:32:00.001-04:00

Check out the blog - Violarium.blogspot.com - out of print magazines are being given away! Lots of sightseeing in Helsinki today and got drenched! Meeting Niina this afternoon and we are going to a quilt shop. gillie x

Giveaway reminder and off again!

2011-08-26T12:02:00.000-04:00

Just a quick reminder if anyone is interested in the giveaways....I have extended the time as I forgot to draw names and we are off to Helsinki, the WT to work and me to play! Leave a comment on either this post or the previous one saying which one you would like and also sign up to become a follower.

It's tough but I am sitting in the lounge at the airport sipping a glass of something fizzy! Got to appreciate all those miles that the WT has flown to get these treats!

Was sad to see the post on Carol's blog - a woman asked to join the SAL and was told there was a waiting list. Her response? I will "mimic" it!

Will be posting soon with pictures, hugs, gillie x

A different coloured passport and a giveaway!

2011-08-16T09:42:00.001-04:00

Glory be, where does the time go? I'm not going to apologise (again) as that is just booooring, lol! So, what has been going on chez WT? Well, another quick trip back to the US right in the middle of all that heat, wish I had appreciated it more as apparently thermometers don't go higher that 65F in the UK. lol! We had a lovely time with our treasures one and two in DC and Pittsburgh (along with our enormous grandson who is now considerably taller than his grandmother)! The trip was nicely rounded off in Grand Rapids, MI where.....wait for it....we became Americans! The WT and I don't like to make decisions in a hurry (grin) so 22 years later we did it! A lovely ceremony, 88 people from 41 countries ranging from Afghanistan to Zimbabwe with us the sole representatives of the UK that morning!

So, as I mentioned in my previous long ago post, time for a giveaway to celebrate the above, our wedding anniversary in June and three years of what has to be said is fairly intermittent blogging! Without further ado, some pictures.....

The sharp-eyed among you will have realised that BBC Good Food does not have a whole lot to do with stitching - true, but I forgot I had already bought that month's edition and hate to just throw it away. I've seen lots of raves about the Mollie magazine so had to buy it, didn't I? Not really my thing so would like to pass it on to someone that didn't manage to purchase the first copy, likewise with Handmade Living. The Jane Greenoff Cross Stitch Bible is not, sadly, the latest edition, so does not have the lie flat ability but it still contains some lovely things from Jane.

So, to enter the drawing......

become a follower

leave me a comment on this post only

mention it on your blog for an extra throw!

I will draw names (or the WT will) on Thursday, August 25th, so good luck!

EDIT: whoops, should have said that there will be four separate giveaways, three magazines and the book!

Miles to go before I sleep.........

2011-07-13T14:11:00.000-04:00

It's me, mmm Gillie, you remember, ......yes, that's me, the one that keeps apologising for not keeping up her blog. Well, what excuses shall I use this time? Travelling. By road. A long way. Only from one state to the next but trust me, it was an exceedingly long drive but worth it because of this one who was waiting to greet his Sunny and his Grandma.......

The WT and his wife were back in the US again, first in Detroit where we had a look around the day before our appointment. The General Motors headquarters fairly dominates the skyline but I wonder how many jobs have been lost inside over the last few years?

and this sign is a reminder that Detroit has a huge Arabic community, all the signs on the rail link are in Arabic and well as English.

After our appointment on the Monday which I'll tell you about next time, I waved goodbye to the World Traveller and set off to do some travelling of my own. It was First Class to Seattle which wasn't as nice as Business Class across the Atlantic and the crew were grumpy but definitely beat sitting at the back. I know, I sound like a spoiled brat but we have earned every one of those vouchers - him by flying everywhere and working all the way and me staying home without him...... oh, and moving house.....several times, one an international move......on my own!

First stop was Moscow, ID where we have owned a house since last year and where it was time for a change of tenants - long past time in the case of the front apartment! We have some great ones now.

Then on with the road trip........ north to Coeur d'Alene ( forget the French accent, think cor daleen) , then on into Montana and down into Wyoming via Butte, Bozeman and Billings, mile after mile along Interstate 90 with very little traffic but lots of snow capped mountains and past the place where sadly, Custer stood last, what WAS he thinking?

We rolled into Casper WY, where my youngest treasures live, after two days driving. They'd just moved into their own house after living in a rental for a few months, quite put me to shame, everything sorted and put away in TWO days! Nothing like the mothers in law coming to visit, concentrates the mind wonderfully! I attended my first rodeo - the goat roping was a little puzzling..... no good pictures as the riders were too quick for me.

It was our 40th wedding anniversary while I was there and yes, the happy couple were on different continents and seven hours apart in time. A beautiful bunch of roses arrived just as we got back from church causing some ladylike tears to fall. Can I digress here to say that he really is the loveliest of men, makes me laugh, looks after me, cheers me up, makes me want to scream (occasionally) and works far too hard. I read a quote from Sybil Thorndike who was asked if she had ever thought of leaving during her sixty year marriage to the actor and director Lewis Casson. Her reply was "Divorce, never! Murder, often!"

Back to Idaho along Route 26 through the Teton National Forest and Jackson, WY. Jackson is now a playground for the very rich and famous (at least they think so) but was originally homesteaded by two families and unusually for the pre-suffragette days had an all woman town council in 1920 and 1921. Then onto I 84 which follows the Snake River for many miles.

A night in Boise then back in the car for what look like a short hop back to Moscow but was apparently more than six hours! By now I was grateful not to be doing the journey in a covered wagon......!

Enough already of the National Geo travelogue and onto a few stitching pictures. It's interesting how when faced with a long trip by plane, car or wagon, one immediately thinks that it would be the perfect time to get LOTS of stitching done, maybe even finished. Ha!

I've been struggling with Anniversaries of the Heart, and Snow Garden in particular. All those shades of cream, kept on throwing it down in disgust then picking it up again. It's not quite finished but in desperation I moved onto Valentine Rose, which is going well albeit slowly. The thread colours are nothing like the picture, which is a comment I hear frequently with BBD designs.

I read on Maude and Mozart that Laura is going to declare 2012 a Year of Smalls which rather appealed to me. Mainly because 2011 seems to be the Year of Large Unfinished Projects here at the barn. Why did I sign up for the Crazy January Challenge, and having done so, why did I choose such large projects?

So, what do I have to show you? Two pincushions and a scissor fob and that is it for finishes! The scissor fob was an angel stitch for Kathy which was kindly received (whew) and she was gracious enough to let me borrow the photograph too!

The next one was a freebie from a French blog Sablaise, well worth a look around with some gorgeous charts. I used a Stef Francis silk that I had in my stash and just happened to have the perfect bit of ribbon that I'd bought in Toronto a few years ago. This one is staying at the barn!

Finally, here's a pincushion for my dear friend, DJ. I do like stitching alphabets and this was no exception, I stitched her initials in a different shade of Waterlilies but can't remember what I used. The threads should have been sent long since in another exchange, hanging head in shame, but I forgot! The chart is a freebie from Appleseedprim and she has quite a few others too. Thank you for letting me borrow the photograph, DJ, and for the very polite nudge to update my blog!

So that is it from me for now. I've only been back a fortnight and guess what, we go back to the States tomorrow, I'll let you know why in my next post next week........yes, really, I will, I promise!

To celebrate our anniversary, three years of fairly intermittent blogging and this mysterious reason I'll be doing a giveaway of some fairly random things when I get back, around the 22nd so stay tuned!

As always, please leave a comment when you stop by, I appreciate every one of them and will try to email you back, I've been bad at that, I confess. Enjoy whatever you are doing, do it cheerfully and keep stitching!

Tell me what you think, too, about the blog tweak?

Walks, fobs, friends.....

2011-05-09T11:03:00.003-04:00

How could I have let most of April go by without posting again? Kept meaning to, kept thinking of witty and brilliant things to share with you all and kept letting the days go by, quite useless I am! In the past year with no job and no fixed place to be each day, I've found it's very easy to let the hours slip by...... despite having two moves, one of them international, in fifteen months!

The house is beginning to look fairly respectable and most of the boxes have been recycled or given away to another mover. The weather up here in the north west has been quite amazing and we feel so blessed to have had such a wonderful re-introduction to English springtime in the Weaver valley. The small town where we live has a Festival of Walks at the end of April each year so wanting to get to know the area a little better, and maybe make some new friends, I decided to take part in a couple of them. We began on Easter Day with a bang, and puffed our way up Helsby Hill to a glorious view over the marshes towards Liverpool and the Clywd Hills with a bump in the background that could possibly have been Snowdon. It was an unusually clear day, often the haze prevents such a long view, and to this Midwestern girl (well, for the past ten years!) it was just glorious. I did a couple more without the WT and found some new friends and some new footpaths, can't be bad!

Across the marshes from Helsby Hill

An eco-house, most of it below the grass but spoiled,

somewhat, in my view,by the helipad behind

the building, increasing the eco footprint mightily!

The WT, looking, in his view, "gormless", but not true at all!

HIS drink of choice at the end of the walk

And HERS.... complete with chocolate nest and egg!

As to stitching, well, not a whole lot to report. I finished but, of course, didn't remember to photograph, the stitching fob I sent to Denise, a friend in Saudi Arabia, who right now is in the Midlands and maybe we will get to meet!

See what I mean? I began this post on May 1st and it is now May 9th for crying out loud! Since then I have received a most gorgeous fob and scissor keep (an unexpected treat) from Denise, in the most gorgous dusty purple and Hardanger too, lucky me! Thank you so much, Denise, looking forward to meeting you tomorrow!

This was an exchange on the Friendly_Stitchers group, the rules were to make a scissor fob for your partner with her initial on it, attach a pair of scissors and send off with a couple of postcards of the area where you live....hmm, guess which bit Dimwit forgot to fulfil, mmhmm, the postcards! I got gorgeous ones from Saudi AND Hastings as Denise is having a bit of an Away Month, lol!

This was mine to her, my first attempt at a beaded fob........

I chose to stitch the cup on the back because Denise had mentioned a couple of months ago that she wished she had been able to be with Mouse and me drinking tea, one day when I was visiting Yorkshire! Here's to our cuppa tomorrow, Denise!

What else is going on in the home of the World Traveller? Well, he's not here, Kzoo and Chicago this week, Taiwan next week! Not a whole lot of stitching but I did stitch a pincushion for someone, need to get it together and mailed. I really thought I'd get at least one of the 15 completed but no such luck. Maybe by the end of the week.....?

THE Wedding was lovely, everyone looked gorgeous and fingers crossed they will enjoy a long and happy life together. Talking of a long and happy life, Mr and Mrs WT will celebrate forty (I know, I just don't look old enough) years together next month so maybe time for a giveaway then. Stay tuned!

Crazy weather this month, lots of sudden downpours and storms interspersed with lovely sunshine, you get the feeling that the Weather Workers confused April and May!

Thank you to everyone that left a comment/emailed me, I appreciate each and every one of you. As always, if you stop by, please leave a comment, don't just creep away!

Reward equals Progress (well, some!)

2011-04-10T16:50:00.001-04:00

Olga
Plum Street Samplers

Being thoroughly sick of the moving in process and muttering dark thoughts I decided on Friday that I had to stitch (and continue getting the house straight, sigh). The plan was to work through a room, putting away and generally organising and then sit down to stitch for 15 (timed) minutes ~ I have to say the plan went well and upstairs, apart from the WT's office, is looking pretty good. AND Olga received quite a bit of attention and now the dear thing has a backside, if that isn't too indelicate a statement. A couple of threads have gone AWOL so won't get as much done until they come to light again.

The WT and I had a wonderful time last weekend amidst the chaos in the shape of visitors! Three pals from Friendly_Stitchers, Ally, Karen and Mouse came to visit. Stitching, cups of tea, wine, stitching, cups of tea, wine, stitching and lots of chat. You get the idea! Probably the first time that Karen has visited anywhere that her bed hadn't yet been delivered from the shop! It made it, fortunately, during the afternoon. At dinner in the evening we were joined by the WT and Bill, a work colleague, who held up pretty well in the fast and varied conversations, even though he's from Pittsburgh. lol! The house was very quiet when the girls left on Sunday ~ come again soon, won't you?

Pilar in Spain is having a giveaway here for the second anniversary of her blog. To enter you need to leave a comment on her post; announce the draw on your own blog and leave an email address. International participants are accepted and you have until April 30 to enter. This is the beautiful piece that she has stitched, it is designed by Isabel Vautier.

Pilar's beautiful giveaway for her 2nd anniversary!

The WT, bless him, is in seventh heaven right now. I finally allowed him to buy a flat screen TV! According to him he's been wanting one for the last five years, which I think is a slight exaggeration but as I told him yesterday it was a good thing we didn't buy one in the US. Must say it is an amazing picture, Songs of Praise is on right now, with the very endearing choirs competing in the Choir of the Year finals.

Tomorrow the bookcases from the flat will be delivered to the house so then you'll be able to see the sewing room in all its wonderfully organised glory, I know, you can't wait! We've bought a couple of transformers so we can use some of our American appliances but I must say I am a bit nervous about switching on my sewing machine!

Today is the Second Treasure's birthday and we had a nice conversation between Cheshire and Washington, DC. Nip over to the photoblog and you can see her for yourself! We were living in Darlington when that photograph was taken., seems so long ago and so much has happened and so many miles have been covered since then!

Well, enough chatting, it's already Sunday evening and the weekend has disappeared into memory and it's going to rain tomorrow according to the weather peeps. Looking forward to seeing my sister and brother in law though, which will be fun.

If you are reading this, don't go without leaving a comment, please, I love to hear from you! Thank you to all who have done just that, you are much appreciated! As the airlines say......we know you have choices!

A biscornu, a pincushion, a cube, challenges and, oh yes, moving house!

2011-03-30T19:03:00.001-04:00

Well, fortune smiled again and after a very long roundabout journey from Las Vegas to Michigan, back to Las Vegas and finally to the UK, a gorgeous biscornu arrived from Michelle as part of the Please Pass the Biscornu exchange. Along with it, Michelle had kindly sent some of Nina's delicious looking threads so I was very spoiled! Thank you so much!

The next two pieces are from a "bran tub" exchange in the Friendly Stitchers' group. On the Noel piece (a Gift of Stitching chart and the name of the designer escapes me) I used WDW Noel thread, the original being in stitched in bubblegum pink and pale green!

Nancy stitched this lovely cube, the first I've ever received. I have the pattern for it somewhere, a Dutch blog I seem to remember?

This gorgeous pincushion came from another Friendly Stitchers' exchange. The theme was Spring and, my goodness, DJ did a beautiful job. It's on 40 count and came with two scrummy silks. To my shame, I forgot to enclose threads in my parcel to her and was not entirely satisfied with the finishing of my piece. Soon as I get this dratted move out of the way, DJ, I'll make it up to you, I promise!

What about my stitching progress? You may well ask. Not a lot. We moved last week into our house and I've been frantically trying to get it sorted ever since. I have to be semi finished by the end of the week for two reasons:

a) the moving boxes and paper will be picked up on Friday so a lot of unpacking to be done

b) a trio of crazy ladies are descending on us on Saturday for a sleepover, namely Ally, Mouse and Karen. Val, sadly, can't make it this time. I expansively offered to host the weekend BEFORE we moved, yikes!

In between unwrapping treasures and arranging them artfully I've been blog hopping as usual and found myself signing up for a challenge and a chart pass around, not quite sure how it happened, can only attribute it to my enfeebled state!

The first is from Anna's blog and involves a freebie from The Workbasket and one from the Blackbird ladies. I won't be posting any more about this one as secrecy is paramount!

Barbara wondered if anyone would be interested in receiving a Sweetheart Tree pincushion chart, stitching it, posting a picture then passing on the chart with a skein of thread. Sounds different, doesn't it, and I see my chum Mouse has signed up too!

Nearly a month of the photo blog and I've remembered to post each day! Mark you, there was a bit of creative finagling one night as it was getting close to midnight in the UK so had to hurriedly change the setting to Eastern time! Hope I don't forget again or I could end up on Hawaii time! Thank you to the followers I've gathered over there, especially Kate and Mouse who comment frequently!

Well, enough of this, it's late and there are more boxes to unpack and stuff to arrange tomorrow, oh joy! If you pass by please leave a comment so I know you stopped in! I love to hear from you.

One should never give up hope........

2011-03-10T15:48:00.004-05:00

..... regarding the postal services of the US and the UK! This is the beautiful biscornu sent by Mayté as part of the ill-fated
Please Pass the Biscornu 2010 that occasioned the odd grumble from me last year, if you remember. Mayté sent it not knowing that we had moved out of the country! It took six weeks but on Tuesday there it was. Thank you so much!

28 ct Willow Green fabric
Threadworx 10051
Biscornu from Mayté
Please Pass the Biscornu 2010

I have done quite a lot of stitching but don't have a whole lot to show for it and sadly, no second finish yet for the Crazy Challenge. I've stitched quite a lot of BBD Friends with You but, drat it, I ran out of the wonderful CC Rod and Reel. I knew when I was buying the single skein that I would need more but did I take heed, nope, ignored the still small voice!

BBD Friends with You

I stopped stitching on the BBD piece when I heard the sad news about Lisa Roswell of The Primitive Needle and picked up another in my Crazy 15, Simply Live designed by Lisa. I had been hesitating about the recommended colours and decided that the design called for a single colour and I chose Waterlilies Cafe au Lait. I hope Lisa would have forgiven this decision.

Simply Live by The Primitive Needle
40 ct Cream
Waterlilies Cafe au Lait

I'd like it to go on record that we had THREE days of sunshine on the trot! I know I moan ~~a bit~~ a lot about grey weather but my goodness this week was gorgeous and I got in a LOT of walking, including a couple of hills! One walk we did was to New Pale in the Delamere Forest - it's only 175 m high but from there you can see across to seven counties, five in England and two in Wales. Let's see if I can remember them ........Lancashire, Yorkshire, Derbyshire, Staffordshire, Denbighshire and Flintshire not forgetting Cheshire! I waved madly at Karen, Mouse and Hazel in the first three counties, did you see me? Will have to work on finding some blogging friends in Wales, lol!

Well, just got back from the first meeting of a new book club in our local library. Great fun, we all clicked immediately with no empty spaces of conversation, we will be reading, hang on, I've forgotten, oh yes, the The WhiteTiger by Aravind Adiga. It was the winner of the Man Booker Prize 2008. I'll let you all know how it is.

I'm quite proud of myself that I've kept up a week of The View From Here , my photoblog. Many thanks for the comments, only 350 flumpence more pictures to go! Leave a comment there after you've left one here. Don't go without saying something, I love to hear from you!

Good bye Pond House!

2011-03-01T13:27:00.003-05:00

Done. Tossed. Sorted. The worldly goods of Mr and Mrs WT are locked away in a container and (this is the bit that I don't want to think about, lol) are about to embark on a ocean voyage from that vast land in the west to a small island.. I was back in Michigan for a couple of weeks, on my own, as the WT got a note from his boss that he was excused packing and could go off to visit Japan, India and China instead. Hmm, I seem to remember he got excused a year ago too! Anyway, I digress, and he does work really hard and I'm really glad you are home safely, darling!

Taking out the garbage!

Alas - not a vast roll of 32 count - it's the packaging
plastic for the furniture!

I strongly suspect that Corrigans won't be using the picture on the left in their marketing brochure but, my goodness, those guys were great! It took three full days to pack up the house and it wasn't helped by having to ferry everything down the driveway in shifts as the container couldn't make it up the drive in all the snow.

I wasn't looking forward to this at all, the house is pretty much sold, barring last minute glitches but I needed to dispose of furniture, woodworking tools and a CAR! On the basis that one should get the worst over with first I approached the Toyota garage and was blown away by the efficiency and professionalism of Chris, the manager of the used car division. Not only did I get to keep the car for the duration of my stay but I was driven to the airport too! AND the price was fair! Selling the woodworking tools was a cold business on account of the whole darn lot were in the pole barn and this was January in Michigan! Oh, and we had the blizzard of the year thrown into the mix too! It wasn't as bad around my area as those Weather Channel peeps were predicting, they really pulled the stops out, sending reporters all over the place to report on the conditions!

One of the Crazy 15 - I've done a lot more since then,
that day there was no chair and it was cold!

Both of my girl treasures came to help on separate weekends and both went home loudly protesting they'd done nothing to help.....not true, loves, you were THERE which was the main thing. And yes, you both certainly helped, tossing out stuff that should have gone long ago!

I saved a draft of the above two weeks ago but until now don't seem to have been able to take the final step of publishing it. February disappeared in a flurry of not very much once I came back to Cheshire and today is St David's Day!

I was reading Maggie's blog and had a little wander in her 365 days photo blog and thought - hmm, I like this and today is the beginning of the month so - here goes with my very own DAILY photo blog!
I love comments and read every one so please visit me if you have time and also hop over to check out the new blog too!

Edited - since writing this I have read the sad news of the death of Lisa Roswell of the Primitive Needle, Simply Live is one of the designs that I will be stitching in the Fifteen Challenge. Much love and sympathy to her family.

I Amaze Myself ~ Sometimes!

2011-01-23T14:36:00.003-05:00

JBW Designs ~ Bonjour

Just over a week after the end of the beginning of the Challenge - I have a finish! As you know, I was late reaching the finish of the starts (does any of that make sense?) but six days later, voila, JBW's Bonjour! I had a small change around of the blues to show up better on the medium blue fabric, and substituted one of the pinks, I just wasn't satisfied with my stitching using that particular one.

I began this at the Mouse House on Wednesday and any sharp eyes out there might notice that it was a re-start as I had begun far too close to the edge, the frugal Scot in me always trying to save fabric. I'm not sure what I'm going to do with this, definitely not an apron as suggested by the designer, since I am far too hard on those and grease marks would not be a *good thing*!

I had two visits to chez Mouse this week ~ why, I can hear you cry? Has the woman not suffered enough putting up with you once, that you have to repeat the process? Well, being a well brought up lady, I offered, as you do, to wash up after supper on Wednesday evening and took off my rings and laid them on the kitchen counter. We dispatched the washing up in quick order, I collected all my bits and pieces, bid my hostess a fond farewell and made it back to Cheshire in good time. Went to send a text to say I had arrived and there was one from Mouse - the rings.....still on the kitchen counter! Well, drat! To cut a long story short, despite a week of popping back and forth to France, the WT graciously agreed to accompany me to Yorkshire to pick up the recalcitrant jewels. So, on Saturday, after some strenuous exercise at an impossibly early hour (more on that later) we set off. I'd suggested to Mouse and her beloved that, as a small return for disturbing their Saturday, we would take them out for a pub lunch and my goodness, they chose a nice one, the Strafford Arms, roaring log fire and great food. Despite Peter not having met either of them before we all got on like a house on fire and have promised ourselves a return visit to some lovely gardens nearby. I was glad to have my rings back, I must say, there was a gleam in the eye of the Mouse, I could see she was reckoning up how much stash could be got by flogging them!

Strenuous exercise, hmm, not something that has often been mentioned in these pages! I saw an advertisement for Nordic Walking in our local paper shop so I borrowed a pen and wrote down all the details. A phone call later and I had arranged with a very nice-sounding woman called Kerley to try a taster session. Three of us arrived in the Delamere Forest and after some warm up movements we were off! It's a whole different way of walking but you certainly cover a lot more ground using the poles. I enjoyed it so much I persuaded the WT to try a session too, and of course, wouldn't you know it, after about five minutes, Kerley is calling him a "natural", quite sickening, don't you think? We signed up for a course, blithely ignoring the fact that we had agreed to be in the Forest at 8 am on a Saturday morning, and a grey one it was too. If I'd been able to lay my hands on Kerley's phone number I might well have chickened out but I have to say I am so glad I didn't. I spent most of the time at the back of the group and "the natural" set the pace at the front. When people got too far ahead they circled back (thereby increasing their steps!) and for a brief moment I was the leader of the pack!

A few more photographs to end with. We had an ornament exchange just before Christmas on Friendly Stitchers and I was partnered with Julie over in Oz. This is what I stitched for her. It's from Little House Needleworks and it was first published in the 2004 JCS ornament issue.

She and I have rather the same tastes and I felt that she she was enjoying a warm summer it was only right that she should experience a LITTLE snow albeit only via an ornament!

I opened her parcel in January since I had gone to Michigan when it arrived so Christmas was extended! It's beautifully stitched and finished and will definitely be on the tree this year!

Not the best of back grounds looking out into the car park of our apartment building! I am a little short of elegant places for a photography shoot right now with no garden.

Well, dears, enough of this, I need to get back to Fifteen/Two! What will our intrepid stitcher choose next? Blackbird, Brightneedle........tune in again and find out! As always, I LOVE comments and read and enjoy every one!

The Final Fifteen - Finally!

2011-01-17T18:53:00.020-05:00

Well, only two days late and I've arrived, along with a slightly different list to the original one, I think! Last week was not a good one, the weather had a lot to do with it, very grey and cold, grey and did I mention it was GREY? I don't do well, like so many people, in that sort of weather, but today the sun shone and lo and behold, the miserable woman was cheerful! Along with the doom and gloom last week, I just could not be bothered to put word or picture to paper, in the electronic sense, unlike my overachieving chums (you know who you are lol!)! Add to that soupy mix the fact that the WT informed me that I'd be the one going back to the States to pack up the house ("you've done it before and you're very good at it!") and that HE was going to Japan, India and China! Despite his protestions that he wouldn't SEE anything as he'd be working, you understand, I was still incredibly jealous!

Anyway, without more ado, here are my choices for the Crazy Challenge 2011 ~

Rosewood Manor
Quaker Diamonds
The first time using Valdani threads

Blackbird Designs
Bird in Hand

Sharon Cohen
Band Sampler
A tiny cheat as I HAD started this a bit ago!

Hands to Work
Blooms of Spring

Little by Little
Alphabet Piddlings
I hope the designer completes the charts for the rest of the Alphabet!
Only A, B, C, D, E, F, G and H so far!

Blackbird Designs
Anniversaries of the Heart

Blackbird Designs and Nicoletta Farraruto
My Heart is True
Friends with You
A Needlebook

JBW Designs
Bonjour
Judy lives and designs in Kalamazoo so thought the choice was appropriate
I may have to restart this as I'm very close to the edge!

Shakespeare's Peddlar
The Magic Garden
A new to me designer

Blackbird Designs
Summer Iris

The Primitive Needle
Simply Live
I have the stitching sideways!

Brightneedle

The Birdneck Sampler

Sunken Treasure
Pincushion and Needlebook Kits
Purchased from designer at Harrogate Show

I decided after a lot of thought that the three pieces from the Cross Stitch Guild were a little complex for such quick starts and put them aside to be started when life is a little quieter. Who knows, if the stitching stars are aligned and all is well in my little world, my choices may yet again be shuffled. Watch this space....!

Okay, the time is just about to creep into a new day so I must stop and get this posted. I am missing threads on some of the pieces so I need to make a list before I'm back in Michigan so I can increase my stash (again!) at Stitching Bits and Bobs. I also need to decide which one I should be stitching too, so many decisions, so little time!

A question before you go.... do any of you belong to The Sampler Guild? I took the plunge and joined last week. I'm hoping that there will be lots of meet ups and opportunities here in the North West to get together to stitch, let me know if you belong.

Do leave a comment, I love to read them all, and would especially like to hear from fellow Crazies, lol!

Thanks, Mouse!

2011-01-09T19:14:00.003-05:00

Don't you love it when your friends do all the hard work of trawling the internet for you and come up with lovely links? I refer, of course, to my most excellent chum, Mouse, who shared with us on one of our chatty evenings on Facebook these two links, Stitcher's Book, a finishing tutorial from Violarium in Finland and this one from a blog that has sadly not been updated since the middle of 2009 but take a look here anyway at the lovely Blackbird finish - so clever, the finishes around the spine particularly. I think I have very happily got stitched books/needlebooks on the brain since I received a lovely treat from another friend, Val. Take a look ~

My Needlebook from Val

This was the first beaded fob that I'd ever received too. You can see the clever thin spine which allows the book to close, very similar to ones on the links I just mentioned. Thanks, Val!

Hmm, well, what can I talk about next to disguise the fact that you aren't seeing any 15 pictures, lol! Today was a fall asleep on the sofa day and oh, my goodness it's five o'clock sort of thing! I am keeping up though and you'll just have to trust me!

I never usually post photographs of family except heavily disguised ones of the WT but could not resist this one. We spent a few days in south east Idaho with boy treasure and his beautiful family. They had just moved, two days before, to a small town very close to Lava Hot Springs so while we were waiting for the furniture to arrive we decided to go swimming - outside in an air temperature of 3 degrees F!

William and Sunny in hot water!

It was a delightful feeling soaking in the mineral springs, I had not been feeling particularly spiffy before I went in and my goodness, a distinct lifting of spirits and general well-being when I came out!

Please, if you pass by, leave a comment, I do like to receive any and all! See you soon!

Fits and Starts!

2011-01-06T14:15:00.001-05:00

The title is because, let's be honest, I cheated a bit over starting one each day (see previous blog entry) and also I arrived back in Michigan having completely forgotten about the challenge and all my stash was back in Cheshire. What was an enterprising Brit to do? Go directly to Stitching Bits and Bobs of course and stock up on some Blackbird smalls that I'd had my eye on for some time. An added bonus was that it was Wednesday and the stitching group was there so a good time was had by all!

So ~ the list of fifteen, sans photographs of the starts (you'll just have to trust me, ha!), the jet lag has cannoned into me and all I want to do is sleep.......

Blackbird

Summer Iris
Wild Rose Journal Cover
Bluebird
Bird in Hand
Anniversaries of the Heart
Joyeux Noel 'Tis the Season

The Primitive Needle

Simply Live

Rosewood Manor

Quaker Diamonds

The Cross Stitch Guild

Stolen Moments
Sue Hawkins' Sampler Book

Shakespeare's Peddlar

Magic Garden Sampler

Hands to Work

Blooms of Spring

Little by Little

Alphabet Piddlings A, B, C and D
Alphabet Piddlings E, G and F

Brightneedle

The Birdneck Sampler

So there you have it ~ or rather them, hmm I might have bitten off more than I can safely digest but we shall see. The ones I have begun are in italics and tomorrow there WILL be photographs!

You're forgiven, American Airlines.....

2011-01-06T07:33:00.001-05:00

.....even though you cancelled the flight (with no explanation) last Thursday to Chicago from Kalamazoo! This caused a 24 hour delay in our trip out to Idaho as well as a fairly expensive ride to Grand Rapids airport the next morning as that was the only flight available, apparently! The cost of the ride, according to the Customer Service Division of AA is "our responsibility" too!

So why am I in such a generous frame of mind? Well, with all the travelling that the WT does there are some perks, UPGRADES being one! We were upgraded three times, twice on fairly short flights in the States and then, the very best bit, coming back across the Atlantic the night before last. No migraine, no neck pain, lots of delicious food and amazing attention from Laurie and her delightful crew. See you all again, I hope!

So, to stitching..... I am so behind in blogging about THE challenge that about 200 of so of us crazy peeps have accepted from Mina in Finland to begin fifteen starts on the first fifteen days of January and then finish them in 2011 (that will be the difficult bit, lol!). I managed to begin the first few, except, it has be admitted, the night we arrived back in Salt Lake City after a beautiful drive through the Cache National Forest and after far too good a meal at Biaggi's. Did I really need that creme brulee?

The other challenge I accepted, to take care of the many languishing pieces that I already have, is the one from Jayne here, Mary Wigham will be the first one I pull out for this one.

I'm hoping that the sun comes out so I can take some pictures of my starts and give you the list, or the table gets tidied and I can display them there! Talk to you all soon!

Happy New Year!

2011-01-04T13:02:00.001-05:00

Writing this in the Admiral's Lounge (can't see him though) at O'Hare airport in Chicago! Thanks to the WT a few bits of all this travelling are enjoyable. Will be back in the UK tomorrow and can catch up with my sorely neglected blog after that.

I signed up for two challenges - the fifteen starts in fifteen days and the one to actually finish long standing wips, crazy, don't you agree but I'm in good ~~compnay!~~ company - whoops better change the spelling before Mouse notices, it was the WT's fault, he was hurrying me at the airport to get on the plane!

Happy New Year to everyone!

A very happy Christmas.....

2010-12-24T17:21:00.000-05:00

and a peaceful, productive New Year for all of us! I have had intermittent internet since being in the UK and here in the US again. We are back briefly to visit our treasures then home again to Cheshire in the new year when normal service, it is hoped, will be resumed!

Parting IS Such Sweet Sorrow.....

2010-11-11T16:33:00.003-05:00

... and this has been twenty four hours of just that. Goodbyes, to Mara and Bonnie, my neighbours and fellow gardeners, to those from my stitching chums, the Plainwell Pretties and the Bronson Babes. How's that for great names, girls? Last night at Stitching Bits and Bobs, Bobbi and Cam surprised me with some treats pictured below

Dinky Dyes Silk - Bobbie's Blossoms
Kelmscott Needle Minder
Corner Gauge
Sylvester Seahorse Scissors
Purple Hippo Button

Thank you so much, both of you! I have enjoyed the stitching and shopping on Wednesday nights over the past year with the Plainwell Pretties, lol. I'm looking forward to more of the same fun (well, the shopping at least) online!

Perhaps the purple hippo button requires a bit of explanation....... Bobbi, Carolyn and I have been stitching Plum Street Sampler's Olga and apparently Bobbi has been trying to persuade Paulette to design a hippo to go with Olga and Boris - Henrietta, Hermione?

Today I had to say good bye to the Bronson Babes, these are ladies from EGA and elsewhere, who gather together in different locations on a Thursday to eat, stitch and chat. One of the locations is in our local hospital, Bronson, where we are kindly allocated a room by Julie, the volunteer co-ordinator there, sorry I couldn't let my basket go, Julie!

Both groups, along with the Mattawan Gardening Club and EGA and all the friendly ladies there too, have been a lifeline for me over the past year. Moving into the woods in November is not the best time and knowing I had somewhere to go on specific days gave me something to which to look forward each week.

Another lovely surprise that came my way last week was this beautiful bag

Poppy Stitching Bag
Designed and Sewn by Sue Hill
in Kalamazoo, Michigan

Isn't it gorgeous? Sue, another of the Thursday stitchers, so generously asked me to come and choose a bag to take on my travels and I chose this one. Outside and inside pockets and a zipped pouch for all the bits and pieces that one HAS to have! Thank you again, Sue!

On the way home from stitching I stopped at the store to pick up dinner, and the cashier, as often happens, asked where I was from, he's visited a lot of the UK, including Ipswich where he has family and much to my surprise, he'd acted in one of the Fringe productions in Edinburgh!

Julie asked me today what I'm going to miss about the States and I said the "can do" attitude here, if life hands you lemons make lemonade kind of thing! Another thing I'll miss is chatting with people (like the young man above) when they hear my accent and ask where I am from, I've had some great conversations that way! Mention was made of American bacon as something I might NOT miss, lol, but that's enough of that!

On the other hand, I'll be glad to be closer to family, long-standing friends in the UK and , of course, my mates in the Friendly Stitchers' group, oh, and British bacon, lol!

Hmm, it seems like I must have given you some clues to what we might be doing........? Yup, moving back to England after 22 years in the good ol' US of A. The WT was hardly in the job here for five minutes, well, maybe ten, when they mentioned that they'd really like us to move to the UK for another job with the company. You know me, global nomad and serial mover all my life, so we said yes and we leave tomorrow! Well, we go first to Pittsburgh to see the precious girl treasures and the Liam treasure then I backtrack to Idaho to see the boy treasure and my sweet daughter in law and the William treasure. I'll be in England in a week!

I suppose I'll have to think of another name for my blog.......:)

Thank you to all who post comments, I love receiving them from friends and new friends so, please don't stop! I'm glad the new font is pleasing to the eye!

Talk to you all soon!

My favourite things, lol!

2010-11-08T20:12:00.000-05:00

I really think it's time to put some stitching on this 'ere stitching blog - enough of world travellers and his comings and goings (Dallas this week, St Louis last week, lol!). But just have to mention Charlene's new name for me - Mrs WT, I love it, thanks, Charlene! When you have a minute pop over to her blog to give her a hug, she's not been too perky. Glad you like the new font, too!

Anyway, where were we? Oh right, two over two, 32 count! I've temporarily deserted biscornus for humbugs which are smaller , therefore quicker and easier to put together. So far don't have one that I stitched to show you, alas, as it's apparently going round the Horn to reach Canada but I live in hopes that it will arrive soon! Here is the one Crystal sent me from beautiful British Columbia, a perfect choice for this time of year. It's from Just Nan and I love it, thanks, Crystal!

Friendly Stitchers' Humbug Exchange
stitched by Crystal
Just Nan

This was the first exchange organised by yours truly on the Friendly Stitchers group. Some say I am disorganised, some say I keep forgetting things but all I know is, I did it and it was a success! With apologies for that little bit of plagiarism to the Stig and Jeremy, lol! In fact, I was allowed to take charge of the next exchange so look for pictures of Christmas ornaments soon, mine is coming all the way from Australia, from my cobber, Julie!
Goodness, my photography and placement definitely doesn't do the little guy justice, as the photograph insists on going sideways between my computer and the blog. Well, you get the idea!

What's next? Well, had to slide in some biscornus......

Faby Reilly Lavender Biscornu
stitched by Val (who organised the exchange)
for the Friendly Stitchers' Secret Biscornu Exchange

The beautiful one above smells gorgeous too! We had fun with that exchange, mine went to Dallas to my friend, Rebecca, who I hope is having a great time on the high seas! I forgot to take a picture of mine before I sent it, sillly me, so will have to nudge Rebecca.

These next three (I forgot to photograph the fourth one, of course) were all part of the Please Pass the Biscornu 2010 exchange. I am unable to give you a link to the blog as the blog owner, as I've mentioned before, deleted the blog a couple of months ago! Such a shame as there was some gorgeous work on there.

This one is from Florences's blog, an entry on 23rd December 2008. I have made it twice now and really want to make one to keep!

This one is called Japanese Biscornu and is designed by Antonina Taskaev, regrettably I did not save the specific link so can't take you directly to this freebie. I must get better at saving links to patterns. Maybe you will have better luck finding it than I did just now.

This last biscornu is an adaptation of a Theresa Wentzler whitework ornament in her freebie section. Don't delay though, as I'm not sure how long this site will be up and running! I used Carrie's Silks in Thanksgiving.

Another easily identifiable picture of the WT preparing to go out on leaf patrol, he worked so hard on Sunday clearing all the garden around the house and on the roof - I am blessed to have this man as my husband.

Finally, I'm leaving you with a little "teaser", a change is coming to the life of Mr and Mrs WT (again! so soon!) and I'll tell you more next time. Leave me a comment, they make my day and I read every one!

Almost home....

2010-10-25T16:46:00.000-04:00

......after a lovely ten days in the UK staying with good friends and catching up with other friends in Cheshire for ten days. I've (for right now) decided not to moan about the WT's travelling - I'm sitting writing this in the Admiral's Lounge at O'Hare waiting for the little puddle jumper to Kalamazoo - all courtesy of his "diamond encrusted" status on American airlines! Even better, the area where I'm sitting is cell phone and loud conversation frowned upon, lovely! In desperation I moved in here after being regaled with the entire wedding service and menu from the reception of a couple who appeared to have more money than sense! Oh, and I thought you might like to see a picture of the WT. Nice, isn't he?

The WT Catching Up with World News at Manchester Airport

The connection is a bit slow here so I'm having trouble putting up more photographs. It's quite amazing, too, a couple of people seem to be having trouble grasping the concept of cell phone free too, just had to ask an Arabic gentleman to please finish his conversation somewhere else! After quite a few years of working for Whole Foods Market I have no problem getting in people's faces (in a very ladylike way, of course!).

Our flight will be called soon so had better go, leave me a comment if you feel so inclined, I do enjoy reading them!
Oh, and by the way, bringing granary flour in your cabin baggage is NOT a good idea, I got searched twice!

A giveaway on DJ's blog to promote Breast Cancer Awareness Month!

2010-10-11T10:53:00.000-04:00

This is just a quick dive in and out - my dear friend, DJ, is having a giveaway over at her blog, please get over there right now and check it out! Even if you don't need another chart still stop by for a visit and catch up on the journey that DJ is taking - she didn't really want to travel this road but, my goodness, you will be amazed and encouraged by her attitude and her frankness, you will be giggling in some places and crying in others.

Small note from me - my LAST biscornu is in its envelope waiting to be sent to Michelle - was halfway out the door to the post when I realised it is Columbus Day today!

It's been a long time.....

2010-10-03T16:49:00.001-04:00

Stash Acquisition!

2010-08-07T18:08:00.000-04:00

This is just a quick post with some photographs of what I bought at the Counted Wishes Festival this week. I was hoping to show you the threads from HDF that Vikki mailed first class on Thursday, but alas the USPS did not deliver!

Being me, of course, guess what I bought? Yup, three biscornu patterns from Pine Glen Designs and I received a little treat (totally undeserved and Lorri knows why, lol) in the shape of one of her Heirloom Ornaments.

Great service from all three ladies and the festival closes at midnight tonight! It doesn't say but I am assuming it's Eastern Time!

Forest Elegance
Pine Glen Designs

Dragon's Fire

Pine Glen Designs

Garden Glory
Pine Glen Designs

Lavender Dreams
Pine Glen Designs

Going much bigger, lol, I bought from Deb at Tempting Tangles the Needleworker's Abecedarius as I also love samplers AND Deb recommends HDF threads for her designs - do you see where this is going, lol?

Needleworker's Abecedarius
Tempting Tangles

Well, I think I'm done with enabling for right now! Tomorrow I'm going to be showing off some progress and other stuff!

Back finally!

2010-07-30T14:44:00.000-04:00

I hope some of you missed me, well, DJ did, bless her heart! Get over there (after you've read MY post, thank you very much!) and read about her texting monster!

The reason for the long absence was a trapped nerve from a cervical problem I have, horrible pain all down my arm and guess what the worst position was? Yup, sitting at the desk using the mouse and typing and since I LOVE to check up on you all and let you know what's happening here in the woods it was not good. Of course, silly me, I wouldn't learn and kept trying to email, click on blogs etc and then came away with worse pain than ever. Duh! Anyway, spinal epidural yesterday (nasty but usually works) and I am almost pain free today, hooray! Enough of that, on to the important stuff....

This gorgeous beauty came from Shay, it is quite lovely and not really done justice by my photography. It's a pale coral, with the most elegant Hardanger you ever did see! Thank you again, Shay, who also sent some Carrie's threads and a silk Dinky Dyes

Shay's Most Elegant Biscornu

Isn't it lovely? There's a much prettier picture on Shay's blog, lol!

Finished some stuff last week that I can't talk about until recipients receive it, you all know how that is! Have to say I would have been in the home for the criminally insane if I couldn't have stitched over the last month. Luckily stitching didn't seem to affect the pain too much or you might have been reading about me in the New York Times - Kalamazoo woman goes completely round the bend, thousands of $$$ in damage done!

Really don't have much else to show you right now so will stop wittering. The WT has been in Kuala Lumpur all week (actually his birthplace) on business but will be back tomorrow night. Lots of lovely air miles, hee hee!

Comments on my blog much appreciated as always, I love to know that someone has actually read what I write! Tara for now!

My Stitching Life

2010-06-24T12:18:00.000-04:00

First off, I had a little fiddle with the layout of the blog using Blogger's new design thingy, not entirely blown away by it but will keep tinkering. I realised that I didn't actually have the title of the blog up there after the last tweak - bit silly, that!

Anyway, what's happening in this neck of the woods? Mostly stuff that I can't talk about, for exchanges and such! I had a terrible attack of startitis while I was away and finished another Blackbird stocking, almost finished another BBD small, my secret exchange stuff, the list goes on....!

I had a lovely time at Acorns and Threads in Portland. I got the bus there and was then directed to it by a lovely man. Everyone in Portland that we met was so nice, several people struck up conversations with us on the tram or bus, very proud (and rightly so) of their city, these Portlanders! I digress, into the shop, full of wonderful stuff with a nice wooden table in the middle where some ladies were stitching busily. A large wooden table is something that no self respecting LNS owner should ever begin trading without, if at all possible!

I was greeted warmly by all three ladies working there, right to left, Jeannine (the owner), Janet and Laurie. Laurie recognised my name it transpired, when I gave her my credit card (!), from a Yahoo group to which we both belong. I had asked on the group if there was somewhere for the World Traveller to sit while I shopped, more on that later.

I wandered around the shop for ages, having a little ladylike drool, and began to start a little pile of stash on one of the glass fronted display cases! This was added to and subtracted from several times until the final tally......

I bought some Belfast Linen in Cobblestone and Platinum, some Gloriana (of course), a Big Toe Pattern and another BBD stocking book. Just before I left I was having a little look around the store with Jeannine, and have NO idea how it happened but ended up with some beautiful Lakeside Linen 40ct in Navy Bean and couple of new to me Gloriana threads, a Luminescence and a Florimell! A great haul! The ladies mentioned that Gloriana being in Seattle, a hop and two threads away, they often have her come down to the shop with all her goodies!

Having (I thought) spent all my money I realised I'd probably have a long wait as #3 treasure, wife and son were picking up the WT in Portland then coming to pick me up on the way to Cannon Beach for our family weekend. No problem, the ladies were about to order lunch from the pub, very conveniently situated just across from the shop and invited me to do the same and sit down with them. A delicious lunch and good conversation! Thank goodness the family arrived before I'd gone over my Visa limit and after introductions and exclaiming over the gorgeous William, we left, reluctantly in my case! Thank you, ladies, you really did make my day and I'll be back!

We went over to the pub as the others were starving and the bossy needlewoman made them all choose the same as I'd had - chicken and peanut soup, wonderful!

Time for some stitching photographs, I think, what do we have...... oh, yes -

This pincushion beauty came from Najma in Spain. It is quite gorgeous and only 3" high. This was from an exchange group to which I belong and this is what I sent my partner in the same exchange.......

Ann who, as well as stitching, sews and makes delicious cakes! I wanted to make something that reflected Ann's other love, gardening so this little freebie from Cosmic Handmade seemed perfect.

The last one is of the biscornu that I sent to Shay as part of our monthly exchange. I used my favourite Gloriana threads, Highland Garden, and I thought it was a freebie from Stitch Creations but I can't seem to find it on there! It's a great blog, anyway so enjoy having a look, lots of freebies!

Both Ann's and Shay's pieces were photographed on a very convenient little piece of ground cover outside our post office since I had forgotten to take a picture at home! The ladies there are very kind and exclaim over all the pieces that I send from there.

Well, dears, are you still with me? If you made it this far, well done! I love comments, as you know!

PS - I nearly forgot, many thanks to Tasha, Tara and Rachel who kindly commented when I asked about coffee shops and directions for my Acorns and Threads trip. You were right about the pub, it was excellent! I was sorry to have just missed either Tasha or Tara, can't remember which, in the shop that morning!

On the Oregon Trail

2010-06-03T18:04:00.000-04:00

Spent most of yesterday either on the air or waiting to be in the air, we finally made it to Portland, Oregon after our very own version of the Oregon Trail! We were using air miles so had an exceedingly roundabout route -Kalamazoo to Chicago to Dallas/Fort Worth to Portland - I stitched my way here on a small Blackbird Designs piece (Noel) from the book, Joyeux Noel. I also, while waiting for the first plane, signed up for a new Blackbird Designs blog (and also as co-organiser with Nina) and my goodness, take a look, some gorgeous stitching!

I'm hoping to get to Acorns and Threads tomorrow, we don't have a car here but I'm told a bus from downtown will take me fairly close. Portland has a terrific public transit system with a big fareless section - Mayor Daley, are you reading this? And yes, we do need a direct line from downtown and/or Union Station to Chicago O'Hare International Airport, one of the biggest and busiest in the world, so we don't have to rely on the Blue Line L which stops every few minutes and takes nearly an hour - I could fly to DC in that time!

Can't work out how the WT's camera works so will upload photographs later!

Exchanges and Friends

2010-05-14T10:04:00.000-04:00

Well, I got thoroughly spoiled on my last day in the UK - Karen and her lovely husband Pete picked me up and took me back to their house a bit north of where I was staying outside Manchester. Just had time to enjoy a cup of tea and then Mouse arrived from Yorkshire - what a treat to meet two people that I've been chatting to online over the past two years! We had a lovely pub lunch and got our photograph taken under a sign that said "Nutter's Corner"! Another friend inquired as to whether they had put up the sign especially for us! There was another sign that was even more perfect for that day but I completely forgot to take a picture, not exactly sure of the words but something like this " Strangers are friends that you haven't met yet".

We spent the afternoon reviewing the contents of Mouse's bag, she'd brought lots of stitched treats to show us and having a nosy around the walls in Karen's house to see all her gorgeous items.

I was delivered back by car just in time to get my packing done before bed. I'm home again, long boring flight, and a two hour delay in Chicago as they didn't have a pilot available for the little puddle jumper. Thank you girls, here's to the next time!

Two exchanges were waiting for me, one from Joyce in Texas, this was a May Day exchange on Friendly Stitchers and had to have ribbon somewhere on it. Joyce very appropriately stitched lots of flowers with a maypole in the middle! She also spoiled me with some more Valdani threads in lovely fall colours. Thank you, Joyce!

The other exchange was from Marjorie on the monthly biscornu exchange, this is a Floss Box one and I also received some lovely threads and a LK pattern. Thank you, Marjorie!

Meeting (sort of) New Friends!

2010-05-12T06:13:00.000-04:00

So long since I last posted, big sigh, I have been stitching, honestly, mostly on exchanges but right now not in Michigan! I flew over to England on the first visit since 2004 a couple of weeks ago! We were a little on tenterhooks when we booked the flight because of the dreaded ash but all was well and the WT and I both arrived safely a few days apart. We spent a couple of days in Northamptonshire with my sister and family, they live in a former pub dating back to the sixteenth century, not a straight wall in sight!

The sign on the house giving a little history and a view from the garden across the fields full of rape - the smell is quite strong when you go outside.

Then on to Runcorn in Cheshire where the WT was working for the week. Not such good weather here so didn't leave the hotel much (this is when the stitching was done) but did manage a rather drizzly trip to Chester and had a little wander up and down The Rows.

I had a little giggle at the restaurant sign above, apparently it's a chain, but one would have have to be absolutely sure the first item would never appear on the menu! Excellent cup of coffee in a little cafe bistro, just about managed not to succumb to the delicious dessert menu. I don't think I've had a bad meal yet, hotel, pub, or Indian!
The last few days we've been staying in Sale, just outside Manchester, famed for being the last place yours truly and family lived before heading west over the ocean on New Year's Day, 1989! Lovely visits with old friends and attended church where we used to worship, eldest treasure was confirmed there and my mother's funeral so quite a lot of memories.........

I must say I went a bit weak at the knees when my host consulted a website and informed me of what the house we sold would now be worth - it's quadrupled in price! The problem is, I left with the value of the pound sterling fixed in my mind at 1989 rates and have had a hard time dragging that mindset into the 21st century! That being said, things are not as expensive as I remember and meals out especially don't cause heart failure when the bill comes now.

On to the meeting of friends, in a little while Karen, an online friend from one of my Yahoo groups, is coming to pick me up to spend the afternoon together and yet another friend, Mouse, will be there too! I was so hoping I could meet someone from the group and since Karen lives fairly close to Sale and Mouse was willing to travel it's going to happen! Maybe I can persuade them to pose for a photograph!

Just to show you that with all this gadding about my fingers have not been entirely idle here's a couple of photos of things stitched by me and others! The first went to a friend in Texas, Joyce, it was a May Day piece and had to have ribbon on it so I stitched a beautiful Dinky Dyes pink silk ribbon around it along with some little pink beads - this is one that I will definitely stitch again!

Blackbird Designs

from Joyeux Noel

I've forgotten the title of the piece!

In the Garden Exchange

from Karen in South Africa

and the first stitched tin that I have owned!

I'll save the biscornu pictures for my return as I think I have at least one waiting for me!

It's been a very exciting week here in Britain as Nick Clegg kept us all on tenterhooks after the election and then Gordon Brown went and preempted everybody by handing in his resignation to the Queen before the Tories and Lib Dems had a chance to lay out the Big Plan! We shall see if all the election promises are kept!

Exchanges and Challenges

2010-04-01T18:48:00.000-04:00

.....and now March is gone! Yikes! Sad to say, the sewing room is almost back to the *before* pictures! Thank you, ladies, for the nice comments, but I'm not an organised soul at all (the WT would be nodding furiously if he were here!) although I do realise just how much easier one's life would be if things got put away after use!

Anyway, onto some stitching, here are a couple of biscornus sent and received, the first one is a French freebie that I stitched using a Stef Francis silk - absolutely beautiful to work with and the second came from Karen in Arizona. It's a Stacy Nash design with linen coffee dyed by Karen. It has a lovely *heavy* feel to it as Karen stuffed it with poly pellets.

I sent this little one to Mayté in February, adapting it a little from one in the biscornu edition of The Gift of Stitching, thank you for the photograph, Mayté!

Thanks to two challenges thrown down from both sides of the pond I am slowly making a dent in my pile of UFOs. Back in January our EGA guild president challenged us to finish as many UFOs as we were able but added a little twist - they had to be finish finished! We bring them to a meeting to show off and put a pink ticket in The Box for a chance to win a prize. As well, in a British Yahoo group to which I belong, we have UFO Thursday when we all, with varying degrees of success, attempt to add a few more stitches to something that's been hanging around for too long. We have the threat of the wet noodle lashing hanging over us, and believe me, we get scared! Because of both of these challenges I have finished stitching three items that were beginning to gather dust! Yay for me!

Blogger was playing silly wotsits last night so couldn't post this so doing it right now, enjoy your weekend and leave me a comment!

New Month so a Spring Clean Long Overdue!

2010-03-03T09:40:00.001-05:00

You have to love Blogger (or not)! I came to the conclusion that the only way to hurry along spring in this corner of the great stitching globe was to change the photograph at the top of my blog. Putting away the Christmas tree and the snowmen in the sitting room probably wouldn't hurt either! Anyway, I digress. I found a photograph, put it in the right place, played around with fonts and colours of the text (still not happy but I'm working on it), saved it, viewed the blog, same picture as before, the snowy berries! Tried about four times, said a couple of not so nice words and went to bed. This morning, power up, check the blog, and there's the picture I was trying to save last night! What did Blogger need, to sleep on it, lol?

I had (for me) a big UFO finish (some stitchy pictures coming) on the 28th so I was looking for the next one and therein lies the rub as one of Shakespeare's characters once said! The sewing room IS A MESS!
Big sigh, just get on with it and thought I'd share some views before I started so you can all gasp in horror!

Not a pretty sight, is it?

All those open boxes from frantically looking for threads and not taking the seconds to close the box and return to the shelf! Anyway, this is what it looks like today, not perfect but a whole lot better, all the threads are back in their homes, at least most of them and even better, I put some UFOs that are just too old in the box for our next EGA silent auction or for Goodwill. Sometimes, I realise, I just have to admit my tastes have changed and GET RID of stuff! Stitching feng shui, I love it!

Quite an improvement, don't you think? I have many faults (yes, really, lol!) but two big stitching ones are not closing thread boxes when I've found the right threads AND putting them away and the other is not returning the little cardboard label to the thread before I begin to stitch so I have a sporting chance of remembering the name!

Now I have to decide on tomorrow's UFO for my Thursday stitching of same - let's see, what do we have.......five (yes five!) Elizabeth's designs, LHN The Thread Gatherer, Jane Greenoff's The Embroideress, the list could go on!

The picture at the top is of the May sampler from JCS in the 90s. I adapted it to send to a friend in Minnesota for an exchange last year as her birthday is in May. I thought after putting up the photograph that the stones are appropriate too in my quest for spring!

To end on a positive note with Blogger - they've updated the technology for getting photographs on a blog and I love it! They go exactly where you want them with no dragging! You have to update your settings and away you go.

Have a great day (or evening) and I'll be back with some stitching updates soon. Enjoy life!

Monday, Monday

2010-02-15T16:59:00.001-05:00

I could get to like this no work plan! Don't tell the World Traveller but I have stitched the entire day! I did empty the dishwasher and put on a load of laundry but apart from that it was me, thread and a bunch of cross stitches! Last week, I happened to see an audio tape in the library, Lady Susan by Jane Austen. It was written quite a few years before her more famous novels and not published until after her death. Written in the form of letters and with a cast of seven I found it delightful. Quite a few of my online buddies listen to audio books while stitching and I've long wanted to join them, but unfortunately, until now a single voice has just lulled me to sleep! Maybe that's the trick, several voices to keep me awake! I was determined first get to the end of the tape without dropping off and secondly, finish my February exchange biscornu. I managed to do both, I'll post a photograph of the biscornu when my partner receives it.

I put a picture of Mary on the SAL blog so thought I'd show her here too. I haven't worked on her much in the last couple of weeks as she stayed home while I was in DC. I must get back to my two needlefuls a day.

The other challenge I have set myself is to finish Alla Turca by Pelin Tezer, I only have two or three motifs to stitch so I would like to get it completed by the end of the month which is flying towards us rapidly!

Off to make the bed, fold the laundry and think about dinner!

Biscornus from Nita and to Despina

2010-02-10T10:55:00.000-05:00

I knew this would be waiting for me when I got home but not how beautiful it would be! Thank you, Nita, I love it. I'm sending you an email too. I belong to an exchange group (http://www.pleasepassthebiscornu.blogspot.com/ ) where we stitch a biscornu a month and send to a partner. I sent one to Despina in Quebec that I've wanted to stitch for a long time, I adapted it slightly from Alexandrina's original one, (http://www.matryoshkabiscornue.blogspot.com/ ), scroll back to January 2009 to see her original.

To finish the train saga...... I arrived in Kalamazoo at midnight, after a train journey of nearly eight hours and one that should have taken just over two and and a half hours! The World Traveller, bless him, was there to meet me and and we slipped and slid over snowy roads to arrive home safely. I'm hoping a couple I met on the train got home safely, the dad had been to the city for his monthly dose of chemo and was obviously very tired, their journey was quite a bit longer than mine.

Leaving on a Jet Plane.....

2010-02-09T18:47:00.000-05:00

....sitting on an Amtrak train, motionless! I was in DC last week, leaving on Saturday, or so I thought, but the weather had other ideas, we got 20 inches of snow dumped on the city which came to a complete standstill, schools and government closed, planes, trains and automobiles buried.

I got as far as Chicago today, got on the 4.10 to Kalamazoo thinking I'd be home with a glass of wine and the world traveller by 8 pm. Ha! We came to an abrupt halt with some sort of malfunction about three miles down the track. We've been on the train for two hours and they just announced we're going back to Union station to get a new engine then we'll try again. Who was it that said it was better to travel hopefully than arrive? They've obviously never taken the Amtrak!

Okay, I'll stop moaning! I got quite a lot stitched on Alla Turca while I was in DC, a picture will be posted tomorrow or when I get home, whichever comes first, lol!

Before the snow flew I got up to Maryland to visit with DJ, a virtual (now real life) friend. We got on on famously (same odd sense of humour or, in her case, humor!). Visited her local LNS, had lunch, and I got to have a little drool over some of her stitching, which is beautiful. And, DJ, if you're reading this, STOP LAUGHING!

The other bit of excitement going on is that I've let my driver's licence expire...... I was waiting until nearer my birthday to apply for a Michigan one but didn't realise that it was overdue until February 1st. Had to take my passport for ID while I was travelling! I have a sinking suspicion I'm back to square one, written test and driving test........rats!

Oh well, we're still going backwards.........I'll post again tomorrow!

PS Did I mention it's snowing?

Update - we got as far as Michigan City on end of Lake Michigan and stopped - apparently if the crew goes further they are in violation of FRA regulations for working more than twelve hours at a stretch. It slightly begs the question that if they'd done a little maths addition when they got the new engine back in Chicago they could have had a new crew on standby. We now have to wait an extra hour until a crew comes from Battle Creek (which is east of where I want to get off!).

And the winners are.......!

2010-01-27T07:27:00.000-05:00

The names for my birthday giveaway were drawn this morning by the WT before rushing off to work!

Shepherd's Bush - SHARON!

Cedar Hill - JULIE!

M Designs - SUNSHINE!

Moss Creek Designs - MEG!

Send me your addresses and I'll get the charts in the mail this week.

Thank you, ladies, for the nice comments. I think I'll do another giveaway in June - our wedding anniversary!

A Giveaway or Two!

2010-01-22T17:57:00.000-05:00

Goodness, two posts in one day! A little different from last year, and the year before that, methinks!

Anyway, the reason for the second post is because I have a few charts from the stash acquisition of yesterday that I probably will never stitch. Just the charts, no threads or embellishments but I'm hoping they will find a good home or two!

Please leave your name and contact info in the comments and the World Traveller (so long as he's not ahem, travelling), will draw names next Wednesday, which just happens to be my &*rd (good grief!) birthday! Let me know which or all of the charts that you are interested in.

The above is a small Shepherd's Bush chart of the Stars and Stripes with a SMALL amount of the thread, the previous owner must have completed the design as she put a beginning and ending date on the thread holder!

The next is Berry Patch Rabbit from Cedar Hill

Can you all tip your heads sideways, please? Why does Blogger do this to some of the pictures? Sunny Summer from M Designs.

The one below is definitely not for the faint of heart, it is Casalguidi Stumpwork by Rae Iverson of Moss Creek Designs and consists of a needlerooll with attached needlebook and a scissor fob. It has very detailed pages of instructions.

Yesterday's Stash Acquisition

2010-01-22T10:25:00.000-05:00

Here for the curious is a picture of the haul. It's a gloomy day in Michigan so not the best picture.

A pile of magazines for $2.00, I've found several charts already......!

Two CA Wells kits with what looks like Gloriana threads and some fabric,

charts from Shepherd's Bush (with threads), Cedar Hill and Blackbird Designs,

Part 1 of a Berlin woolwork sampler with a ton of Needlepoint silks and Lugana fabric (I splashed out there - $7!)

Chart, fabric and threads from Moss Creek

Three little charts that will probably be donated.

And let's not forget the T-shirt with Quilting Chick on the front, lol!

I may have to do a giveaway with a couple of the charts, check back!

He returned and another EGA!

2010-01-21T22:25:00.000-05:00

Thank you for all the good wishes for the WT's safe return. They eventually landed (late) at O'Hare and were offered an hotel room by American in recompense for missing the last flight to Kzoo. Does our fearless traveller take advantage of this kind offer? Of course not, he and colleagues had morning meetings, so the intrepid band rent a car and drive the two and a half hour plus journey home. We finally got to bed at 2am and guess what? Today he drove back to Chicago for another meeting!

I had fun again tonight, this time at the Kalamazoo chapter of EGA at their monthly meeting. Everyone was most welcoming and when I introduced myself at the beginning of the meeting a very nice lady leant forward and said "I read your blog today"! Thanks, Julie!

The best part of the evening was the stash acquisition for the grand total of $16.00! Tonight happened to be their silent auction and members had brought stuff to bid on. I'll take a picture tomorrow when I unpack the bag. Thank you, ladies, for a great time and I'm glad I became your latest member!

This and That and an EGA

2010-01-19T14:24:00.000-05:00

I have just heard from the world traveller (who was supposed to be home tonight) that he is still in Frankfurt, the plane is missing a part (wing? wheel?) that apparently has to be flown in from Paris. This means that even if he makes it to Chicago tonight he misses his connection to Kzoo.

This is both good and bad -

Good because it gives me longer to remove the three stitching stations that I appear to have set up around the house.

Sewing Room
Sharon Cohen Band Sampler
Scissor Case Exchange (breathing deeply here before attempting the drawn thread bit)
Exchange biscornu

Sofa in family room
Mary Wigham

Kitchen Table
Beau Bands

Kitchen Counter (okay, four!)
Prairie shawl, a knitting pattern from a 2000 Piecemaker

More time to do some h**s*w*rk, pay b*lls, pick up mail from the PO box and think about tomorrow's dinner.

Bad because I miss him dreadfully when he is away and I am the world's biggest procrastinator, which must be obvious since I am blogging instead of the above!

I just wanted to mention my visit to the Elkhart, Indiana branch of the EGA last Monday night. It was quite a long drive and I had been unable to contact anyone that day to see if the meeting was on. It was and though a small gathering that night, maybe a dozen ladies, it was such a warm welcome from everyone, they went around the table introducing themselves and mentioning their stitching loves. Thank you, ladies and yes, Barb, definitely worth the drive!

Stay warm, stay cool!

A frustrating day with some good bits!

2010-01-08T21:52:00.000-05:00

Today was the first day that I felt a little bit human, and actually got dressed! I was disgnosed with bronchitis on Tuesday after a week of misery and was prescribed some very efficient antibiotic and cough syrup with codeine.

I decided to sneak to the library while Himself was safely at work since I was desperate for something to read, I got through a lot of books in a week in bed. Got in the car, reversed out, couldn't see the door opener in the car, decided to risk leaving the door open for ten minutes (we live deep in the woods) and swung around to go down the drive and landed - in a snowbank! Completely stuck, couldn't go backwards or forwards, hoarse screaming of some rude words came from inside the car, threw the useless snow shovel on the driveway and stomped back indoors.

Okay, well, let's get some pictures on the blog, couldn't understand why I was unable to see the pictures in my post - did not throw the computer across the room but felt like it, all was revealed tonight when H. gently pointed out that I was working in the Edit HTML tab. Grrr!

Stitching - how can I mess that up - turns out I can't, well, not right then anyway! I found, quite by chance, the PERFECT project for an exchange and am moving right along with it so spirits went up a notch. I have an idea for a second exchange too, so there's no stopping me! I find the most difficult part of any project that I'm stitching for someone else is making up my mind. Would she like this, no, this, well yes, but what about that? To have two sorted on the same day is terrific.

I was totally cheered by my friend DJ (Tickled Pink), who blew me away and nearly caused a relapse, when she announced she'd finally finished a biscornu! Margaret and I have been encouraging (well, nagging, if we're honest!) her to do one and she kept on coming up with ridiculous excuses - you made my day, DJ! What are we going to push her onto next, Margaret?

Thanks for listening, I'm shattered, night night everyone!

First Finish (sort of) for 2010

2010-01-01T19:13:00.000-05:00

We are doing an ornament SAL over on Friendly Stitchers so put together one that I stitched a while ago. It's from JCS year unknown and my ornament stuffing skills are in need of improvement, I have baggy corners! The other pillow is a Sampler Girl one, a quote from WH Auden, and I made it for Himself since he literally is my east and west. Tanya's having a sale until tomorrow so get over there, the address is in my sidebar!

The stitching underneath is one of the Blackbird stockings, a March one. This was not AT ALL what I intended to stitch today, I saw a completed Brightneedle design that I also have kitted up but could I find the dratted thing? I was determined to stitch something new, why you may ask? This only took two threads and I found them and a piece of fabric!

Almost 2010!

2009-12-31T20:05:00.000-05:00

Happy New Year to everyone. First resolution - update blog more frequently!

Angus - a most excellent friend

2009-11-18T21:18:00.000-05:00

I received some very sad and unexpected news from Judy, my sister, over in England. Angus, their beloved Red Setter, died very unexpectedly on Tuesday. He apparently had a tumour on the liver but gave no indication of illness, he was his usual happy, bouncing self up until Monday. He was the happiest and most friendly of dogs and he will be very much missed. He was thirteen years and one week old.

Dye Lots.....and how they vary!

2009-10-13T18:11:00.002-04:00

I have been stitching, very slowly, on this wonderful piece designed by Pelin Tezer using the Caron Waterlilies silk in the Navajo shade. I wanted to buy another skein to send to an online friend who had admired the colour so visited my local store. Can you see the difference, the one on the right is the new skein, that's not just a different dye lot, it's a different colour altogether, far more blue and none of the wonderful coral/terracotta shades! A good reminder to buy what you'll need for a project plus a bit more to be safe!

Stitching with Sharon

2009-09-13T23:01:00.000-04:00

Image via Wikipedia

I promised Sharon I would write a new post as the 4th of July one has been there so long and I'm sick of it, let alone the rest of you!

A lovely day today, sunny and in the 70s, perfect. I took the train downtown to visit Sharon, have lunch and stitch together. A water taxi along the Chicago River and then hopped off at Michigan Avenue and walked the rest of the way to her flat. What a delight this was, little bits of stitching EVERYWHERE interspersed with antique bits and pieces. A delicious lunch, good conversation and some stitching - I am set up for the week! Dear Sharon, thank you!

Independence Day 2009

2009-07-04T19:16:00.001-04:00

Our 21st July 4th in the USA and a very quiet albeit pleasant one. We were supposed to go to a neighbourhood party yesterday but I was laid low with yet another migraine so spent most of the day in bed - what a dreadful waste of a day off! The weather is very cool and a little rainy which has put paid to some parties, I'm sure.

Today, having had the very best of intentions to clean the house, I've enjoyed a happy time with my passion - cross stitching! I've nearly finished a Just Nan piece that is late for an exchange but I'm *excused* by the moderator! I'm enjoying the piece much more than I thought I would, having never been particularly drawn to one of Nan's designs before. It has a lot of beads, some of which I will save for another project, I think.

My Mary Wigham from Needleprint came out of the basket too! I'm not sure how old she was when she stitched this wonderful piece in 1790 but I would imagine somewhere in her teens so she was probably born just around the time of the birth of the new country of what was to become the United States of America! For some reason, the picture won't rotate, it's the right way up in My Pictures but something happened to it on the way to the blog! I think the pale pink (on what should be the left side) has to go but perhaps I'll leave it for a while and see if it grows on me.

Drum roll, please....I give you the floss tag! Yes, I know, what was the fuss about, such a small piece of stitching! I still can't say I finished it, Himself did the deed and put in the eyelet while I cowered in the corner. Well, as usual I was late, no time to stitch another one, blah blah, but Lynda was gracious enought to say she loved it!

I've had these lavender plants for about four years now and I am always amazed and delighted when they survive a Chicago winter once again. I'm sure it is because they were grown in a greenhouse with excellent light and air. I took a horticultural class on green house production and had to grown ten different flats of seeds. these being among the most successful.

A couple more pictures of the garden, the monarda is out and the bees love it!

Goodnight everyone, sweet dreams!

Mary Wigham, my garden, a beautiful tag and panic!

2009-06-23T19:59:00.001-04:00

Well, so much for daily updates from Mary! I decided you'd all be speechless with boredom and falling off your chairs if I blogged daily. I really have done quite a bit and will post a photograph tomorrow evening after stitching in another state!

I haven't made a terribly good job on catching up with posting pictures of exchanges and other stuff over the past few months so tonight you can see a floss tag I received on Friday from my friend Mouse in the UK along with two threads, one a Stef Francis and the other from Gloriana, quite yummy! My floss tag is supposed to be winging its way to Oregon. So what's the problem you may ask? The problem is that I am a WIMP and scared to make the hole! The stitching is finished, I've chosen some threads to accompany it and there you have it. Nerves, complete panic, I've looked at all the tutorials and still can't bring myself to do it! I'll get thrown out of Friendly Stitchers at this rate! Mouse made the card with the elegant lady on the front too!

Lest we forget (Winter 2009, north of Chicago).......~

Shooting Star (Dodecatheon meadia) given to me by a friend from the Garden Club. The first year I anxiously awaited the arrival of the single flower, checking on it every time I got out of the car. Imagine how upset I was when one day, convinced it was just the right time, I saw the flower head lying on the ground, untouched, neatly dismembered by the #$%*! rabbits! The next year I put netting around and since then our little furry friends seem to have forgotten about it.

Every year when these iris bloom I want to plant more, of different shades and colours, and every year I forget!

Kiwi vine which has really taken off this year. In order to get fruit you need a male and a female plant so I'll just enjoy the foliage. When the leaves begin to unfurl they have a white, almost powdery aspect to them that sends you rushing to the nearest gardening book for advice on the dread disease! Wait a few days and half of the leaves begin to turn pink, it doesn't show very well in the photograph.

This is a shrub that I never see unless I walk out of the back gate and onto the common land behind our house since it's hidden by the conifers. It's the most wonderful bright green with small, slightly scented flowers in the spring. I think it's a currant but should look it up.

Sweet William and I can't decide if the picture need rotating - I don't think it does, I think I took it from a funny angle!
Enough already, I'm ready for bed. Off to Milwaukee in the morning!

Day 2!

2009-06-04T00:22:00.000-04:00

Mary and I went to my favourite LNS tonight for the monthly stitching session, the second time in two days! Yesterday I bought the fabric and hummed and havered on the threads. I pulled all the listed DMC but by the time I reached Welcome Stitchery I knew I wanted a monochromatic theme so chose some ThreadworX. Alas, some of the colour just disappeared so I changed to Winter Wheat by Waterlilies, one I've used before and loved. Tonight I bought a Silk n' Colours, Mahogany Wine, but haven't decided where I will put that.

A little more done tonight, so far I have stitched in two counties, McHenry and Lake, Illinois!

Mary and I - Day 1!

2009-06-03T00:44:00.000-04:00

Heaven help me, I went and started something new, something HUGE! I've joined the Mary Wigham SAL. Mary stitched this in 1790 in England. Check out the Needleprint blog in the sidebar and find out all about it! I have decided to take a photograph at the end of each stitching session to chart (sorry!) my progress. Look VERY carefully in the top left hand corner, a very few stitches are visible! It's nearly midnight here in Chicago so I'm uploading the photograph and off to bed - work calls in the morning!

I'm back!

2009-05-14T22:11:00.000-04:00

I'm back with no excuses! Too much reading of blogs, stitching (and finishing!) and , of course, I had to fit some work in somewhere!

I have lots of photographs of this and that so here we go! In completely random order -

This was my first ornament for the 2009 Christmas Challenge but as you can see all did not go according to plan, serves me right for using a directional fabric! Out came the seam ripper and all was made good.

The ornament is resting on an ancient rocking horse that has served three generations and now sits in our dining room in state. The chart is a freebie and I think it's called Four Fat Friends from The Drawn Thread.

I am stitching a nine part SAL on the Stitchers Heaven Yahoo Group. The designer is Pelin Tezer and the piece is called Alla Turca, the motifs being based on those in Turkish carpets, Turkey being Pelin's native land. It's a peaceful stitch, especially when the world seems a little unfriendly. I'm using an unknown piece of evenweave in a shade of clay/putty and a Waterlilies silk, Navajo. Pelin suggested earth tones and this one just seemed the right one.

However, if you look on Pelin's website under "With my Compliments" you will see an array of colours, all quite different but all quite wonderful!

It's time for bed so I shall continue "catch up" tomorrow. Tonight with the help of Himself I learnt how to insert links, I'm so proud of myself! Sleep well, see you tomorrow!

Hello!

2009-01-31T08:39:00.000-05:00

The last day of January! I have to say something, even it's only hello! It's been a busy month, I sent off an exchange, started two SALs, finished a small pillow for the 2009 Christmas ornament challenge group (need to post pictures TODAY!), and had my birthday with a wonderful floss exchange on a British group to which I belong. I received some beautiful threads, with no doubles which is quite a feat, coming as they were from seven different people. I will be posting pictures tomorrow! I also received a treat from Abi in consolation for an exchange that never materialised - thank you again, Abi!

Brass Monkey Weather!

2008-12-21T22:41:00.000-05:00

Those of you on the other side of the pond will know that this is a very rude way of saying that it's COLD here in Chicago, and no, I'm not going to explain! We have a wind chill of -20F tonight. The store was freezing, the poor cashiers, I felt so sorry for them!

The sharp eyed amongst you will notice that I haven't blogged much recently but that the lists in my sidebar are increasing! 2009 is the year of organisation, efficiency, enthusiasm and fill in your own blank! I really stressed myself to bits in the last four months of 2008 by signing up for exchanges, ornaments and a secret santa, all without consulting a calendar! If you could see my Outlook calendar right now you would be so impressed, everything colour coded!

Next time I'll get some pictures up of things received and given. Goodnight, stay warm! gillie

Last exchange on its way!

2008-12-15T19:53:00.000-05:00

I put the last stitches in an exchange ornament today, horribly late, I hope my partner will forgive me. Entirely my own fault but I signed up for far too many exchanges in the last part of the year without looking at the calendar and making sure the finishing dates were well spaced out. Next year will be better, my first resolution of 2009!

I am relaxing this evening stitching on "And they Sinned", this piece is so huge that I will be finishing it in the nursing home! It feels wonderful not to have the self imposed pressure to stitch on exchanges and get them in the mail. Despite my whining, I loved receiving stitched pieces back, one of the first challenges for next year is to finish and display them!

Here in Chicago it's turning into a cold winter (this morning there was a wind chill factor of -10F)! Canadians and Minnesotans will be cracking up but it feels very chilly to this Brit! We had a power cut early this morning too but the power came back on before I got too ratty without my coffee.

Talk to you soon! gillie

Heaven on earth and exchanges!

2008-11-18T19:42:00.000-05:00

Goodness, a gap of more than two months! Time to get organized here! A lot has happened since I last wrote, a trip to Oregon and then Idaho to see family which was lovely and then returning to the Wall Street meltdown which was definitely not so lovely! I’ll leave it at that except to say we are in limbo for the moment. All prayers appreciated!

I really got myself in a bit of a twist regarding exchanges. Next time I feel the urge to sign up for more than two at one time, I will have the calendar in front of me! Since the end of September, the only stitching I have completed has been for exchanges and the fault is entirely mine, nobody held a q-snap to my head! I am completing my Christmas exchange for Fair and Square, then I have two ornaments to stitch for two other exchanges and a Secret Santa and I am done for 2008!

The finish above was from the The Gift of Stitching October 2006 and was a pleasure to stitch from beginning to end! It was part of the Friendly Stitchers autumn exchange and went to Wales.

This Fair and Square exchange went all the way to Finland! Also from The Gift of Stitching, this year's November issue, it is a Tracy Horner Ink Circle Christmas ornament, with very muted gray and purple threads. In return, my partner stitched for me a Tante Zolder design which I love!

This is a long entry, I'm signing off now and will continue tomorrow, catching up with all my exchange photographs! Don't go too far! Hugs x

Gillie, her work!

2008-09-07T13:36:00.000-04:00

Oh my goodness! The first photograph! I did it!

I've been meaning to get to grips with this and as usual told myself it was much harder than it in fact is. A failing of mine, I tell myself I can't do something, don't try and then whine about everything. No more, I am a blogger and an uploader (not sure about that word) of photographs!

The sampler is a design by Eileen Bennett of The Sampler House and was featured over several months in 1992 in the magazine Just Cross Stitch.

I began to stitch it in 1995 and was very nervous that I would run out of fabric before the end of the chart. Unfounded fears. There were some challenges, it was the first time I stitched over one (the deer motif), and the first time for drawn and pulled thread. I didn't change very much except that I put some initials near the top (PKG) which is a combination of our initials. It was very much a stop and go project, actually more stop than go until we moved to Virginia, where I was fortunate enough to fall in with a delightful group of ladies at the Loudon Sampler Guild in Leesburg. Ladies, I miss you all and wish I had kept in touch with you! They were all a tremendous encouragement, did beautiful work and were very happy to share their knowledge.

I can't see how to place more photographs where I want them, the close ups keep going in the wrong place so I'm going to finish and try to work this out!

2008-09-02T19:31:00.001-04:00

Well, I managed to get a photograph on the blog - not the one I wanted but actually quite appropriate as it's a view of Lake Michigan! I'd really like to know how one gets three photographs side by side in the navigation bar - I've seen some wonderful ones of stitching finishes. That's probably blogging 201!On one of my Yahoo groups we are finishing UFOs during September for our monthly SAL. I got quite excited about this and dug out from the chaos of my sewing room (more of that in a later post) a small UFO from around 2000. I opened the bag and....

NOT ONE OF THE THREADS IN THERE RELATED TO THE DARN STITCHING!

Luckily it only takes 6 different threads so I found them, except for DMC 926 which appeared to have gone AWOL, so a quick trip to JoAnn's and I was all set. It's a small CA Wells piece that I bought for $5 when I took a class from her, never finished the class project but this looks possible.I also hauled out one of the five, yes five, Elizabeth Designs that were ongoing projects at my LNS two or three years ago. Lots of different stitches and beautiful colours, I decided that Songbird Cottage would be the first of those UFOs. I've done quite a lot in the last 24 hours as well as a bit of frogging but I'm a stitch out and I don't know why. Grrr....

It's time to think of something to give the old boy for dinner, very hot today so will be very simple. We are supposed to get rain tomorrow, the remnants of Gustav, that we badly need.

Hugs and encouragements for everyone stitching on UFOs!

Just Do It!

2008-08-09T15:25:00.001-04:00

I have a list of slow blogs (ones that I like but that haven't been updated recently) in my Favourites and I really think I should add this blog to it! Only two posts since I began BUT I've had some replies to comments that I have left on other peoples' blogs! Amazing, but I have no idea how that happens! I am really enjoying the world of blogging as in the reading of blogs and in the joining a couple of Yahoo groups, the only sad thing is that I'm not stitching :(

An excuse that I could use that we had my sister and brother in law here for two weeks which was lovely, so we were out and about. I'm not the world's best counter of threads anyway, so when other people are around and there's a glass of wine at my elbow - forget it!

This blog needs to be cheered up by the addition of photographs, blog lists and lots of other fun stuff so I'm off to puzzle it out. Happy stitching, gardening or whatever else you enjoy doing! Hug your family, encourage EVERYONE and don't gossip!

My first exchange!

2008-07-07T18:38:00.001-04:00

I sent off my very first exchange to my Fair and Square partner, Joan S., today. I really like the design and am going to stitch it for myself one of these days. I was in such a hurry to get it in the mail that I forgot to take a photograph of it. I also realized, looking at the blog pictures, that the second square is supposed to be an "identifier" and mine really isn't - so as soon as I get another piece of the same linen I'm going to redo the square and send it to her.

Now I have to decide what to work on next of my WiPs, the Embroideress, ATS, two Loose Feathers designs, or shall I just start somethig new? NO, don't you dare!

I applied and was accepted to join the Friendly Stitchers, what a joy! They really live up to their name. It's a big disappointment when I log onto my email and there're no messages!

Enough blogging, time to stitch!

Welcome to my blog!

2008-06-03T21:06:00.000-04:00

Welcome to my blog! I hope somebody reads it! Nevertheless, I shall witter away in the hope that someone responds eventually. Please?

I discovered the wonderful world of blogging after joining the Cross Stitch Guild (www.crossstitchguild.com) and seeing who my fellow members were. The first person on the list has a wonderful blog and that was that. I was hooked. Hours can go by as I wander in cyberspace.

A confession - I am a procrastinator, an excellent one. For example, I finished Eileen Bennett's band sampler after ten years and seven years after that (last Saturday) I took it to the framer! I'm looking forward to hanging it on the wall finally.

I probably shouldn't have mentioned procrastinating since a couple of days ago I signed up with Fair and Square to exchange six inch squares - I will complete the projects within the time frame, I promise! The theme is summer and looking outside today was no inspiration, 59 degrees, and cold and damp (just like England).

I began a Jane Greenoff design a couple of weeks ago - The Embroideress - I must be crazy. Already I've decided life is too short for Queen stitch, and I'm substituting something else. It looks terrific in the picture and not at all satisfactory in real life. Hopefully, there will be pictures.......eventually!

Enough wittering, I now have to work out how to list my favourite blogs and also a list of my NQFs (not quite finished), that's going to be a long list!