"Is It a Fish??"

That was Miss Jody's reply when I showed the girls the progress on my latest piece. Well maybe if you turn is sideways it vaguely resembles a fish :^) Anyone care to wager a guess?...... (You can find a hint if you go back and read one of my previous posts.)

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(For those of you who are impatient like me, and don't feel like scrolling back to February 9th to see, here is the answer...)

It's Mirabilia's "Summer In My Garden", stitched in 32 ct. Summer Khaki Lugana. And yes, I am going to stitch all 4 seasons, so I have a long way to go yet! The bright, cheerful colours in this pattern are sure a welcome sight as we get one of the biggest snowfalls we've had here yet this season in just the last couple of days.

Be safe out there everyone!!

Tracey

Keeping With the Winter Theme

I was so happy to pick up my mail this week and find the pattern I ordered a bit ago from Beth at Heartstring Samplery.

I have to admit, I've never really been a fan of big samplers; until I saw this one... I knew I just had to have it! I think it probably had something to do with the verse added in there. (I'm a real sucker for verses/sayings.) And you gotta love those 2 red hearts :^)

Pattern: I've Got My Love to Keep Me Warm
Heartstring Samplery

http://www.etsy.com/shop/heartstringsamplery

Be sure to go to the site and check out this pattern and all of the other beauties Beth has to offer.

Tracey

Is Spring Near??

Valentine's Day is over and March is just around the corner; but I still have my winter pictures out to enjoy for a little bit longer.

This picture I stitched is appropriately named 'Snow Angels' and it was a WIP for many years. Three to be exact.

I fell in love with this kit from the moment I saw it :^) (Anita also mentioned the other night that she loves this one too!) Since I have 2 kids, (a boy and a girl with the girl being the eldest), I seem to gravitate towards pictures, patterns, etc. with this commom theme.

As with the majority of kits that I get, I replace the aida (pass this on to Jody to add to her collection) with an evenweave fabric. In this case it was 28 ct. White (surprise!) Jobelan. Lots and lots of blended threads and half stitches with this pattern.(I think this being the reason it was a WIP for sooooo long!!)

There were also some big fat french knots they used in the pattern to represent the little balls of snow on the back of the kid's pants. (OK... I think now would be the perfect time to let you all in on a little secret about me... I LOVE to do french knots!!) I know, some of you are probably shaking your heads and calling me crazy, but there's something about the challenge of getting that knot to look just so. Now is Jody a lover of french knots?? I think 'knot'!!! One of the first things she did at our meeting Wed. night was pull out her latest finish to show us (well not quite yet a true finish) and replied, "This needs a french knot, Tracey!"

Of course I was happy to oblige...
 
Tracey

Max

For all you avid Cross Stitchers out there, you will fully understand the stress and frustration of sorting floss colours when you purchase a kit. The chart will list the colour names and the number of strands you 'should' have for each colour. You sort and count and count and sort and hope to goodness that you were able to determine the difference between such colours as light grey blue from light blue grey.

Then as you happily stitch along you come to the realization that hmmmmm.... it seems like there is an awful lot of stitching left for the amount of floss alotted. So then you become very conscious of the length of floss you end your stitches with. I've even used the trick where you leave the floss out of the needle, poke the needle down through the material until the eye is just peaking through the hole and then you thread the needle and pull it through the rest of the way to complete and end the stitch. (Admit it, we've all done it.) Then after a few more rows of stitches, panic sets in when you realize 'OMG, I'm not going to have enough floss' and you race for your DMC colours to see if you can find anything remotely close to the colour you are using and where, within the pattern, you can blend it all in. This is why I am not partial to purchasing kits. And then I saw Max...

During one of our 'day trips' that we turned into a 'weekend trip', we ventured off to Port Huron, Michigan to check out Hobby Lobby, Mary Maxim and the likes. While shopping, I saw Max - on sale for less than $12.00. Pretty hard to pass that up, but it was a kit and I decided to leave well enough be. That night I couldn't stop thinking about Max, so the next day we went back to the store and I got him. A few days later, my daughter Holly and I attempted to sort the colours. We failed. Miserably. But I knew I could count on the group to help me out and I sent them the following email while I was totally frustrated. (The girls all laughed so hard when they received it that Tracey made sure she printed it out for each to keep a copy).

Before I go any further I should fill you in on a little story. We refer to a saying in our group when something makes us nervous or frustrated while working on a project. It stems from a childhood story of when one of our brothers - no names mentioned - would get upset because he had to practice writing out his multiplication tables over and over again until he had them memorized and he would say to his mom "... I have to stop, it's making my d*nk tickle". Well... the first time that story was told at a meeting we were all in hysterics; and it's just one of those sayings that stuck with us. We get alot of mileage with that one.

Here was my frustrated plea for help:

Gurrrrls

Holly and I tried to sort out the colours last night for my kitten cross stitch. Both our d*nks fell off !

I didn't copy the colours exactly, but this is what I'm dealing with:

Green

Light Green

Dark Green

Darkest Green

Darkest Light Green

Green Grey

Light Green Grey

Darkest Green Grey

Mossy Green Grey

Shuvit up your butt green grey

Darkest shuvit up your butt greenest greyest grey

Problem is: most of these colours -- there are 2 skeins each -- now do you understand why our d*nks fell off. ???

Can I get everyone's assistance at the next meeting puuuulllllllleeeeeessssse?

Of course everyone pitched in and we finally got all the colours in order. Max was completed in time to make it to the local fair and he won First Place Special. Max hangs on the wall directly across from my cross stitch chair and I think of this story each time I look up and see see him. Then I smile, because I am reminded of the wonderful friendship I share with these ladies and the years of stories ahead of us yet to come.

Bonnie

Oh, Oh...

...there go the peanut M&M's I bought for the cross stitch meeting. (Had pizza for dinner; you just have to have some kind of chocolate after pizza... isn't that the rule?)

First the Sour Cherries, now the M&M's!! ... I tell you; the meeting better not get re-scheduled again or else there won't be any snacks left to eat!!! :^) :^)

Tracey

It's All About The LOVE...

Here's another pic with a Valentine theme that I wanted to share.

As you can see from the date stitched on it I finished it in 2001, but I have to admit that I didn't get around to framing it until just recently. (I'm sure a lot of you fellow stitchers can relate; our completed pieces don't always get framed/finished the same year they are stitched :^)

I got the frame for this one at Hobby Lobby a couple of years ago when our group made a trip over to the states for a weekend of shopping. (O.K., what's the deal... I've had the frame for this for over 2 years and it still takes me until now to get it put together!! ) Oh well, better late than never!!

Tracey

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!

This was one of those times (that Bonnie talked about) where one of us unexpectedly stitched something as a surprise for the other 3 girls.

It was January 19th 2008, and I had just received my San-Man Originals newsletter with this pattern in it as the freebie for the month. I thought, what a quick stitch... so quick that I decided to stitch it 4 times. Since I was hosting the Feb. meeting, it was perfect! I stitched them all on the same 28 ct. Lavender Quaker fabric, using the same floss colours for each. The only thing I switched up a bit with mine was I omitted one of the stitched hearts in the bottom left-hand corner and replaced it with the pink birthstone heart from a necklace I had worn as a little girl. I managed to get them finished by Feb. 9th... all washed and pressed and ready to hand out!

As our Wed. meeting day approached, the weather forecast did not look good. We tried for the following week... same thing again.

At this point we decided to cancel February's meeting all together considering we were all going to be together at our stitching retreat on Feb. 21st. I was disappointed that the girls wouldn't be getting their stitchy gifts until after Valentine's Day, but it's the thought that counts, right? On an upbeat note; they would really be prepared by having it well in advance for Valentine's day of the next year! :^)

Fast forward to 2009, when I finally got around to framing this Valentine cross stitch. I found this pre-made frame at the Thread & Eye when Jody and I had one of our rare shopping days together last October.

Happy Valentine's Day everyone!! :^)

Tracey

BUMMER!!!!

Well, our cross stitch meeting planned for tomorrow night has to be re-scheduled :^( :^(

The sore throat that I got last Friday has turned into a full blown cold complete with aches, sneezing, coughing etc., etc., so I've e-mailed the other girls to change our get together to either Thurs. of this week or Wed. of next week. (There is also a prediction of stormy weather to come.) See, I didn't really NEED those Sour Cherry candies afterall! Just kidding... I did get something new to replace them. Oh no!... will the new snacks be safe if the meeting is changed to next week?? May have to get the hubby to hide them from me! LOL

I really wanted to put out there a great big THANK-YOU to all of the people who have come over to visit our blog (thanks Staci for posting the link on your blog!). To everyone who has become a follower and for all of the encouragement and well wishes you have given; it really means so much!!

Hopefully I will learn someday soon how to post pictures so I can share some of my projects. I am currently working on Mirabilia's "Summer In My Garden" by Nora Corbett. I have the fabric to do all 4 seasons in this series, which when complete, will hang in our newly renovated room. I am stitching all 4 of them on 32 ct. Summer Khaki Lugana. I just love the colours in these patterns, and I also love that there is very little backstitching involved. Now I just have to get busy stitching them!

Tracey

Fugi

I fell in love with 'Fugi" many years ago. I saw the completed needlework hanging on the wall at our favourite Cross Stitch store, Thread & Eye. I thought about that picture many times over the years and always wondered if I could still find the pattern.

Then one night, it was suggested that rather than host our usual Cross Stitch Night, why not make the trip into London and sit in on one of the 'Sit & Stitch Nights' that the Thread & Eye hosted and then we would go out to dinner afterward.

When we arrived at Thread & Eye the first thing I saw on the wall was Fugi. I mentioned that I loved it and Kathy, the store owner said, "I'm sure we still have that pattern". Sure enough....and... Sold!

I entered Fugi in our local fair and it received a First Place Special. I'm hoping Anita, Tracey and Jody will enter their projects in the fair this year. Between the four of us, we could certainly give this town something to talk about. Oh wait... we already do!

Fugi is stitched on 28 ct Antique White Chashel Linen. I love the details and colours on the breast of the bird. (Click on the photo for a close-up) The pussywillows are stitched in Whisper White W88 and Whisper Grey W98. These threads are fluffy. If you have never stitched with these 'Whisper' threads, here's a hint: don't LICK IT. Use a needle threader and a big-eyed needle; the larger needle also opens the holes so the floss can pass through easier and be sure to use shorter lengths of floss. It's also easier to handle if you use one strand and go over each leg of the stitch twice.

Once your project is completed, washed, ironed etc., take a toothbrush and fluff up the Whisper stitches, this will give the pussywillows a 3-D effect. Oh, here's another hint: be careful you are not mad at your 'ex' when you are using the toothbrush on the stitching. I was speaking of an incident while I was 'fluffing' and Anita had to remind me that I was taking it out on my poor Fugi. Kinda like a kid saying 'never let your mom brush your hair when she's mad at your dad'.

Bonnie

A BIG Surprise Indeed!

Thanks Bonnie! I'm sure it will be a CRAZY ride...

Bear with us fellow bloggers as we learn the ropes :^)

Speaking of monthly meetings, it is my turn to host for the month of February. For that night we are being transplanted from the usual location (my house) to my Mom's on the other side of town while our house undergoes some major renovations. We hope that by June when it is my turn again, the house will be transformed and ready for a night with the Girls. Stay tuned...

When hosting, one important rule of thumb; DO NOT purchase your snacks too far in advance.(Case in point; my tongue is turning red as I type, from eating the Sour Cherry candies I bought at Walmart a couple of weeks ago. Sorry Girls... guess I will have to find a substitution for the night of the 10th!)

I hope to get back into the stitching mode soon. Once we get the house all prepped for the reno, it will be time for the professionals to move in. At that point we hope to have a good chunk of free time on our hands. Stitching will definitely be at the top of MY list of things to do. Heck, maybe I'll even try to learn how to post some pics!

Tracey

Our First Follower!

Welcome to our crazy blog Staci. 

Staci was my inspiration to begin blogging. Our group loves Staci's site; check it out. Snippets and Stash.

Thanks to Staci, she is walking me through some of the technicalities of starting up a blog site. Next week our group meets for Cross Stitch and it appears it will be 'lesson nite'. Can't wait.

I swore I wasn't going to be a 'Blogger' or a 'FaceBooker', but ... this past week - I signed up to both. I will guarantee you though, that I will not be joining Farmville. I refuse to rush home after work in time to feed my livestock for fear of loosing my farm. I much prefer the thought of feeding myself instead.

Bonnie