More framing and finishing!+ chart give away!

I got my Nora Corbett Fairy framed! I just loved the way she looks in that frame, a bit gothic feel too it. She's not hung yet since I haven't had time to get the hardware from Michael's, the littel hooks I had at home were not sturdy enough.


This is another finish, Just Nan's September Song that I finished stitching 3-4 years ago so it was time to get it finished. I'm pretty happy with how it turned out, it took me a whole afternoon to put it together so it was pretty time consuming.

Then I finished I love Snow from Bent Creek! I used everything that came with the kit since this has been my car project for several months now. It's so easy to just throw a kit in the car and then I just work on it when I'm waiting for kids.

This is the chart give away! Nothing fancy but if you want the used chart let me know in the comments and I will get it out to you. If there's more then 1 taker I will just draw a name before I post again.

Emma was playing around with the camera and she took this picture of our kitty relaxing. They like hanging out together.

Thank you so much for your sweet comments on my last post. I really appreciate all of them!!

DH has been travelling so much lately that it feels like I'm slowly losing it here. I never go to bed before 10 pm but some evenings I've been up there at 9 pm. It's been totally exhausting and it seriously have been affecting my stitching too. Hopefully he will be home for a while now so I can recuperate for a while!

Ta da! Sweetheart Sampler finished!

Sweetheart Sampler LF # 12 Blackbird Designs
R & R 30 ct Kansas City Blend
GAST Threads

Here's finally the promised picture of my Sweetheart Sampler. I have had some things that I had to take care of that took up my time a bit more then expected. This was a pure joy to stitch up though. It's so pretty in real life.

I'm so happy that I have projects like this to work on at the end of the day. It gives me so much peace when I'm dealing with hard things.

Their song from Blackbird designs framed!

I love this frame that I found for this piece. It looks a bit crooked in the picture but when I'm measuring it it seems like I was able to center it smack on. One of those optical illusions I guess.

Fa -La -La from Shepherd's Bush finished!

I finished this cutie into an ornament. It's so small and dainty.

Bird from Birds of a Feather, JCS Ornament issue.

I can't remember which year they did this bird for the ornament issue. Maybe it was 2002?

Winter Angel from Lavender and Lace WIP picture.

This is how far I got on that Angel before I picked up the Sweetheart Sampler. I messed up when stitching with the whisper thread so alas, she and I needed a bit of a break.

Pillows for DD's bed!
I did do some sewing too. DD wanted some big colorful, flowery pillows for her bed so I pulled out my old Husqvarna sewing machine. In my opinion the one on the right turned out so much better then the one on the left. I'm no seamstress as you can see!

At the moment I'm working on doing some finishing along side my stitching. I have so many things that I love that I have stitched up and I just have to take the time to do the actual finishing. It's usually much more fun then I think it will be when I start.

Thank you so much for your lovely comments!

Dani - I think it's ITF that we do. All the kids love it so it's great. I'm hoping it will help my oldest daughter with her self confidence too.

Linzi - I never stitch anything more then once so I'm open to selling or trading.

About fabrics and counts, I have to confess, I love linen and lugana. Don't know why but they really feels right when I stitch on them. If you are a beginner and want to switch over from aida I would recommend trying out a couple of evenweaves first. Lugana is an evenweave and to me it's not as slinky and soft as some other evenweaves.

But as with everything else it's a matter of what you personally like so try a couple of different brands out and you will find your favorite!

Sorry for the long post! I will be back with more pictures of finishes soon and hopefully the finished Block # 8 of Village of Hawk Run Hollow.

Time really flies!

Fa-La-La from Shepherd's Bush

Bird House Snow Charmer from Mill Hill

WIP Winter Angel from Lavender and Lace

And not only when you are having fun! We'll I have had some fun but it's been busy mostly. January and February are always like that in this house because my sweetie is travelling so much those months. There's a 2 week long standard meeting this month so at the moment it feels like I'm a single mom. Seriously, I don't know how those ladies do it and I'm in awe of you girls! Give yourself a pat on the back.

Most single moms probably didn't sign up all her 3 kids for Tae Kwon Do (because you ladies are probably smarter than that), kind of realizing that they would all have to go to different classes (2 classes min. per week) and thought that the driving back and forth wouldn't be so bad. The kids love it but this driving thing is getting old.

Thank you so much for your lovely comments on my last finishes. I do appreciate them so much!

I have been good and are already in the process of framing Their song from BBD. I should be done with it this weekend I hope and will snap a picture to share. Lately I have been in a finishing state of mind so next post will probably be picture heavy. Makes me feel good though, I'm usually not a finisher since I like the stitching part better.

But for this time I just have an update picture of Winter Angel, Fa- La - La and a small ornament from Mill Hill.

I started stitching on Loose Feather # 12 Sweetheart Sampler and Faith from LHN and they are both so much fun. Update pictures will come this weekend too!!

Thanks for visiting!

January is upon us!

Their song LF Blackbird Designs
WDW, Sampler Threads
R & R linen

And it never fails, there's always lots of sick people in this house in January. I think the bacteria is just festering at the schools when it's so cold that the kids can't even get out and get aired out at recess. So far we have a bad cold and my youngest got a bad stomach flu.

So I can't wait until the warm weather comes back! I will get one of my latest finishes framed so I can pull it out this summer. At least working on this one gave me some hope, I know that I will be sitting under the ceiling fan thinking fondly of winter soon again;>.

Let us be Thankful from Bent Creek
WDW and Sampler threads
32 ct Mocha linen

I finally gave up on getting a better picture of this finish too. The turkeys are really cute close up but I with the sun giving up on us and it being gloomy and snowy all the time a close up will just not happen.

Thank you so much for all the nice comments! I really appreciate all of them. Marika, I got your address and will get the patterns out to you. Don't worry about sending anything.

Well, I guess that my constant companion, the laundry is waiting for me.

Happy New Year!

Ho Ho Ho from Pine Mountain Design


I know that it's already the 10th but we had so much going on during our break that it took me this long to post again.

Thank you so much for all your sweet comments on my little fairy. I really do appreciate them!!

The kids are back in school and I'm back to dealing with my laundry mountain (it never seems to go away, it's my worst enemy). I would have so much more time over for stitching and doing fun things with the kids if I didn't have to do laundry.

Since I started going through my stash I do realize that I HAVE to get some more stitching time too. Just some advice, don't start going through the stash! The end result of me going through mine was that I didn't get anything on the end of the year sales and now I kind of regret it. Maybe I need to go through that stash again to remind myself why;>?

I did finish up some small Christmas kits from Pine Mountain Designs, Ho Ho Ho and Keep Christmas. It was nice to work on something small and I got some more Christmas stuff to put out next year.

Keep Christmas from Pine Mountain Designs

If anyone out there would be interested in the charts for these little pillows let me know in the comments! I would be happy to pass them on.

Winter Angel from Lavender and Lace start.

And here's a picture of my New Years start with the STO group. I have to work on her some more this afternoon. Can't wait to get some purple into the mix.

Christmas time!

Halloween Fairy from CSN Sept 2008 issue

Designer Nora Corbett/Mirabilia

DMC, Kreinik Braids, Mill Hill beads

32 ct Sandpiper BOAF linen

I finished this design a couple of weeks ago but I just have been to busy to post on the blog. In between cookie baking, present wrapping and the dreaded shopping I have been so worn out in the evenings that I have just stitched. Pretty nice actually and I have quite a few finishes!

I will try to snap some pictures tomorrow, it should be good lighting inside after our snowstorm that is going to move through during the night. The kids might even get a snowday the last day of school this year. Bummer with all the winter parties that are planned!!

At our STO group we are all going to start something new on New Years Day. I have been digging through the stash and I think I will start Lavender and Lace's Winter Angel. I think that I stitched one of her designs about 8 years ago and then I got distracted by other designers. This angel has always been one of my favorites and I can't wait to start another big project.

I was able to finish block 7 of Villages of Hawk Run Hollow last Friday. I'm really excited since this one took me a long time. It was worth it though.

I hope everyone out there will have a great Thanksgiving! We are just having the dinner here with the family, I'm really looking forward to it.

Thanks for the nice comments on my stitching and Juni!

I love Halloween!

And we try to get to Vala's each year, it's the biggest pumpkin patch in Omaha. We had fun and the kids discovered the pig races this year. The kids are always hanging out in the pirate's nest for a bit, hence the picture!

I got this lovely exchange from Cheryl! I just love everything! Thank you Cheryl! There was a stitched scissor fob and scissor, some Threadgatherer silks and cute, cute note cards.

We got a new family member a couple of weeks ago. I don't really know what breed she is but Carol thought she might have some Maine Coon and persian in her. She's a real fluff ball at least, but the shedding isn't too bad. We adopted her from a small rescue here in Omaha, Lifeline (will change name to Heartlands Feline rescue) and it was a real good experience. Tammy seems to know her cats really well and found us a couple that would fit in with our family. And it has gone really well, she's a very good cat!

And each year I try to stitch something for Halloween, this year it was Funk and Webers Dead in the night. I really like it, haven't decided how to finish it yet. Sometimes projects have to mature a bit;). I also have to put the last bead on my fairy so I'm hoping to update with pictures of that soon.

I'm going to rush the holidays in today and start putting out some Christmas decorations outside. Just some garlands and wreaths, I might do the lights later. It's really cold here and I think it will be as nice as it will get until Thanksgiving so I'm taking the oppertunity to do it in some nice weather. Last year I almost froze my hiney off!

We got another family member a few weeks ago.

Finishes!

BOAF Christmas bird ornament from JCS 1999 ornie issue
WDW and Mill Hill beads
32 ct putty linen

Thanksgiving NR from Shepherd's Bush

Prairie Seasons winter from Prairie Schooler

WDW and DMC

32 ct Country French Mocha

I just wanted to share some pictures of my latest finishes. The bird looks a bit funny but you are supposed to fold it over and finish it to a bird shape. DS thought it was a fish and really, it looks like someone ran over that poor thing. I see a date with my sewing machine in my future.

Everything is well here, just a lot of things that are going on. Mostly fun so I'm happy.

Thank you for visiting and all your lovely comments!

Wonderful retreat!

It was so great to go to the STO retreat this weekend and meet up with my online stitching friends!

Some of these ladies I have known for 6-7 years and never met in real life so it was so neat to finally meet them. Lavon was just as I imagined her!

We worked on 3 great projects, I started Mar's from Midnight Stitchings Friendship Sampler and I got just a corner of Stephanie's from Nouveau Encore's purse done but with those colors and fabric I will certainly get to it.

I did get another start, Nora Corbett's Trick or Treat Fairy. I'm adding a scan of her!

We did quite a bit of stitching and I got really inspired by some of the shop models I saw. Some of those designs I would have never gotten until I saw the models.

Retreat and awards!!

Snowflake Hardanger Bellpull - my own design


I added a link on my side bar to the retreat that I'm helping out planning down in Kansas City in October. It starts on October 2nd and runs through the weekend. I'm teaching the Snowflake Hardanger Bellpull, it's a beginners hardanger class. Stephanie from Noveau Encore has designed a piece for us and are teaching a class and Mar from Midnight Stitching also has designed an exclusive piece for us that she will teach. I got a picture the other day and it's darling.

It's a really affordable retreat (can't rememer if it was $ 125 or $ 150 plus cost of hotelroom and that includes kits, classes, food etc) so check out the link in my sidebar. We still have a couple of spots open so let me know if you would be interested in coming. It would be so much fun to get together!











Kathy over at http://purplewildcat.blogspot.com was kind enough to give me 2 awards. Thank you Kathy, you are so sweet!

I have been wrecking my brain over whom to pass this on too and I just couldn't decide. So I did a real clean up of my sidebar. All the blogs that I read and love are there now and they are all worthy of these awards. Check them out, you will have a fun time reading them!

Otherwise it feels like life is going ahead 120 miles per hour here. The kids have started school so my hand is hurting from writing all the checks for food, pictures, booster clubs, book clubs etc. At least it calms down after mid September after the fundraisers are done. Our school is doing a walk a thon too and I'm helping out with getting food donated from businesses.

Then I'm trying to get items donated to the STO Retreat in October. I have sent out letters to stores that I have bought from in the past and I got my first envelope yesterday! Carolyn from Village Mountain Stitchery had donated a bunch of stitching magazines, charts and kits. She's always been a sweetheart when I have dealt with her in the past too. These things will be perfect for door prizes.

I also got a new car!! That's a big deal in my house! I drove my old one for 10 1/2 year so it was just time to get a new one before we ended up with a BIG repair bill. Neither my DH nor I are big car people and with a new house and 3 kids and me being at home we try to drive our vehicles a long time to get the most out of them financially.

The one that we ended up getting was 2008 Honda Odyssey and it's really nice. I even have heated seats in it so that will be great this winter when I drive the kids to school. Those cold winter mornings are the worst, at least my butt will be warm and cozy now!

Stitching wise I'm plugging away on Villages of Hawk run Hollow most of the time. I'm really having fun with it now and I have almost hit the halfway mark. Edgar from Blacksheeps Bit of the Web really inspired me to get it out again, his is so pretty .

Thank you for all the nice comments on my last post! Sally, I do have all the Loose Feathers actually and Rites of Spring is one of them. I'm thinking about pulling out one of the older fall designs though before I start Rites.

I finished some projects!

The Violet Sampler - The Drawn Thread

Close up!

A Loose Feather Design from Black Bird Designs

I finished a couple of things before we left on vacation. This week has been busy with 4 H things. The kids did good on the fair though, DS won the shooting contest in his class and snagged a couple of purple ribbons for his canned tomatoes, and pj pants. DD is going to state with her healty recipe book. So they were both happy! Can't say that we put a lot of time and effort in this summer since we were gone but maybe we can do more next summer.

It's super hot here, yesterday I sat inside and stitched away on CHS Village of Hawk Run Hollow. I started square five! With 100 degrees outside stitching under the fan is pretty great!

We are back in the country!

DD with her win!

Marstrand and Carlsten's fort

Midsummer

On the burial hill

After 5 1/2 week in Sweden visting family and friends. As always it's hard to get over the jet lag and trying to catch up with the dust rats and the jungle, ahem, garden I mean.

We had a great time!! It rained a lot of course but we ended up doing lots of other fun things so I guess the weather didn't matter to much. And in Sweden you kind of have to expect bad weather in the summers some years.

Here's some pictures!

Thank you Milly for nominating me for this award! That was so sweet of you especially since I have been gone for such a long time. Check out Milly's blog at

http://stitchingobsessionii.blogspot.com/

She's a super quick stitcher who does beautiful work.

I would like to pass this award along to 5 very talented ladies whose blogs I do really enjoy reading, Kath at http://sheepiegirl.blogspot.com Marika at http://loviisa95.vuodatus.net/ Kathy at http://dragonxser.wordpress.com/ Deb at http://lavenroseramblings.blogspot.com/ and Barbara at http://mainelystitching.wordpress.com/ You ladies all inspire me!

I can't understand why the link section is acting up for me now and then, at least it's working this time but something is wonky.

Summer is here!

Primrose Path/Just Nan

Live Simply/Shepherd's Bush

Be Thankful/Shepherd's Bush

Scatter Eggs/Shepherd's Bush

Spring has come/Prairie Schooler

Finally after that cold spring. For us it means a lot of storms too though, the whole family has spent a lot of time in the basement the last few weeks. I'm grateful that the tornado siren somehow is aimed straight at our bedroom window so it's easy to hear despite hard storms.

My heart goes out to the families of the scouts that got killed last Wednesday in Little Sioux. The same storm system passed by us and that was an awful storm.

A lot of things has been going on here with the kids and I have been working on the house quite a bit. Nothing that is really fun to write about though. I felt that I had to get things in order for my trip home this summer.

The kids and I are leaving later today, my DH is pouting around, I think he feels a bit deserted! We are not coming back until July so hopefully he will make do. When he was younge he always looked forward to some bachelor time but it seems like he's missing us more and more and not even unlimited golf time can make up for it.

Here's some of my smaller finishes. I did finish up some big projects too but it's not easy to take a half way decen picture when it's raining a lot.

Have a great summer everyone!

I'm still alive!

Valentine Holiday from BOAF

Checkered Pumpkins kit from Mill Hill

"Sorry about not posting lately, it's been a dismal winter here and I just haven't been in the mood for blogging and I haven't been good with my groups either."

"But I'm finally starting to feel a bit more energetic, the sun is shining and we are finally getting warmer temperatures. When I drove out to the gym the other day the big black cows in the pasture I pass by was literally skipping. After a winter with frosty backs I would have too!"

"My garden is just beautiful, the irises and tulips are surpassing themselves and I just lost about 4 plants to the cold which is great. My DH is out mowing now and it's like a jungle out there despite me mowing the lawn last week. The only bad thing with this weather is my allergies, I can feel them when the leaves are opening up but I think the worst is over."

"DH has been travelling quite a bit this year, he's been in Israel, Mexico, South Korea and South Africa since January. It really bums me when he's gone 2 weekends on these trips due to the long travelling time. This is the first time he's actually taken a day off after a trip and I think he needs to do that more often. It takes time to get back into swing after a long trip and jet lag."

'We did get the last room (dining room) on the main floor painted though and it's just touch ups left for me to do there. I even hung the curtains last Friday so now we are ready for the new dining room set to arrive. We are really excited since we have never had dining room before and we love our dinners and sit and talk for hours afterwards sometimes."

"I have gotten some stitching done, the pictures above is of Valentine Holiday from BOAF that I stitched over one on a red piece of fabric sweet Becky sent me! I ended up changing lots of colors so the designs would show up better on the fabric. And then there's a small kit from Mill Hill, it was supposed to go on perforated paper but I used some 28 ct cashel instead."

" There's some other projects laying around that I have to take pictures of too, like my Violet Sampler from DT and a PS Sampler but I haven't been organized enough to do that. When I have time over (which has been sparse) I have just collapsed on the couch to stitch."

"Is anyone else out there watching The Tudors on Showtime? It's just getting better and better, can't wait until fall."

More finishes!

Lizzie Kate ornament from 2007 JCS ornament issue

Brew from Shepherd's Bush

Village of Hawk Run Hollow Block 2 CHS

Zipper kit from Bent Creek

Just a quick little stitching picture update. It's been really busy with the kids here lately, some good things and some bad things has happened and I'm busy with both the older kids. At least I'm still gettting some stitching done.

Sorry about the awful update picture of VOHRH! I just wanted to put it in so I can remember how many blocks I was at this month. I have to get the camera back from DH after all his traveling.

Dang, it's cold here to and last night we got another snowstorm. I'm so tired of sliding around on ice patches and slush in my van. The kids were hoping for a snow day but that didn't happen, I think that they are saving them for even worse storms, we are getting six more weeks of winter I hear.