More than just Cross Stitchin'

Tuesday, March 30, 2010

Busy, Busy, Busy...

As a bunny... or is it busy as a beaver??

Any hoooo, I want to apologize to all our readers for the lack of posts lately. Bonnie's computer had been sick at the doctor's. Thankfully she now has back at home with her as good as new. Maybe she will get a chance to post a pic of her Easter cross stitch that I stitched for her ?? (hint, hint...)

Hubby and I have been hard at it, trying to get the last part of our reno done (painting, cleaning and such) so we can move back in and give my Mom's house back to her.

Needless to say, the stitching has taken a back seat, but I'm sure once the renovations are complete I will be able to relax in our new "sitting room" and stitch till my heart's content. Oh wait... by that time things will be popping up in the gardens and it will be time to be digging in the dirt and working outside. Oh well, it was a nice thought while it lasted!

Here's a taste of what we have been working on the past 3 months:

"BEFORE"

On our way to:

"AFTER"

I will post more pics later when we get to the finished product!

I hope the Easter Bunny will be able find his way to us this weekend, since I'm not sure at what house we will be sleeping when he visits! :^)

Happy Easter everyone!!

Tracey

Saturday, March 20, 2010

Hippity, Hoppity...

... Easter's on it's way!

This pretty piece was stitched in 2002, when we decided to have an exchange and stitch something for one of the other members in our group. (I was stitching something for Bonnie, and she for me.)

I chose this pattern which was a leaflet from Leisure Arts, which I think was adapted from an antique postcard. We had a year to work on the piece, and we exchanged our finished pics in March 2003. I just loved it! (I'm not sure if Bonnie felt the same way while stitching it though... the basket nearly drove her crazy!!) Oh, and this wasn't the first time Bonnie was a "basketcase" while stitching... we had an exchange similar to this one years before that, and wouldn't you know... the picture I picked for her to stitch for me that time also had a basket in it!! If we ever decide to do an exchange like this again, I'm sure Bonnie will throw my name back in the hat if she's the one to draw it out! :^)

Seriously though, I treasure it Bonnie, and I proudly display it in a place I can look at it each and every day at Eastertime each year.

Tracey

Thursday, March 18, 2010

Spring has Sprung !

Spring is upon us and Easter will be here before you know it. I put up a few decorations on the weekend and I can't wait to get outside and into the gardens.

Wednesday, March 3, 2010

Looking For Spring

Now that we've had a few milder, sunny days I think I am getting in the mood for spring.

Bought some tulips... got out the sunglasses... thinking about putting the winter boots away (now that might be jumping the gun just a bit.)

I wanted to share the latest piece I got back from the framers. (Thanks Neale from the Thread & Eye. I love it!)

"The Seasons" by Bent Creek

This was a really fun stitch, and the best part is you can leave it up year round.
Can't wait to officially move into the season that is stitched second from the left :^)

Here's to even more sunny days ahead!!

Tracey

Saturday, February 27, 2010

"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.)

(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

Saturday, February 20, 2010

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

Friday, February 19, 2010

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

Charlie Brown

Growing up, I had a pet monkey named Charlie Brown. Actually, he belonged to my sister and he came to live with us in 1966. You were actually allowed to have monkeys as pets then and if you can beleive it, he was ordered from an ad in the back of a magazine. Charlie Brown was a squirrel monkey (just like the ones in the Telus commericials).

Everyone in school loved when it was my turn for 'show and tell'. You will see in some of the photos (if the slide show downloads for me...) that he used to wear diapers. Eventually, he learned how to take them off. We had a rope strung across the kitchen from end to the other. We kept a piece of papertowel on the floor at the end of one rope and that's where he did his business. His rope provided many hours of entertainment. At bedtime, if mom and dad were not home when it was bedtime, he would sit on his roap and cry out until they returned.

If I was crying, Dad would put him up to my face to lick away my tears. He would dangle from my hair and lick from one eye to the next. It alwyays made me stop crying. He would play outside and every once in awhile he would swing from tree to tree and end up down the street at the neighbours.

Often you would find the monkey lying in the cast iron pan on the stove. The pilot light from the gas stove provided him a warm and comfy spot. He would also sit on top of the lamp shade for warmth, and if you ever heard a 'pop' - you knew he peed on the lightbulb. It happens...

Charlie Brown used to sit on the wall phone.... until it rang. That was always funny. He brought many years of amusement to us all and I miss him and his antics.

Bonnie

Warm hearts ... and warm toes!

Well since we are talking winter, let's talk about warm hearts ... and warm toes.

A few years ago at Christmas we had a gift exchange. Ironically, both Anita and myself had the exact same idea for a present. We always open our gift bags at the same time, and it was really hard for me to keep a straight face when I saw that Anita had had the same gift idea as me and while she explained that she thought slippers would be a good idea, that way we could carry them in our bag with us at all times. Anita had knit slipppers for everyone and made a little draw-string pouch, with our names embroidered on it, to keep the socks in.

Then they all opened my gift bag and we burst out laughing. I knew how much everyone loved snowmen, so I had stitched faces on white slippers and added a carrot button for the nose. Well we weren't finished with the laughter because I thought we should get a picture with our slippers on. So then we were all sitting on the floor trying to get different positions in order to get everyone in the picture at the same time. We tried sitting up against the wall and taking the picture of our toes all pointing up to the ceiling and then I said, nooooo - that will show the snowman's face upside down. Someone said... (and I won't say who...) "Good point, let's think of something else. What if we lay on our back with our feet in the air - you know... like if our feet were ON the ceiling"

Well then the faces would still be upside down wouldn't they. Spontanious Laughter.

We had to think of something else. It was decided that we would just stand toe to toe in a huddle and we would take the picture from above in order to get everyone in the picture. Sounded like a good plan right?

Well... not if you have a protruding belly and/or big boobs. After the inital light-headedness subsided from sucking in our bellies, we had to deal with the shadow from the boobs.

So we stood in our huddle, adjusting, wiggling and laughing with our arms around each other while we tried not to tip over. It was about that moment when Anita's daughter walked in on us, which of course added to the laughter when we saw the look on her face.

Finally the photo was taken and our toes are doubly warm.

Bonnie

It all started with a tea towel...

Quite some time ago when I was perusing the Dollarama, I came across the cutest autumn tea towel with a teddy bear dressed up like a scarecrow. It immediately reminded me of Jody and I thought 'I'm going to get that for her', and then I thought... why not get one for everybody? And so I did and it was a hit.

From that point on, it's no surprise to any of us if there just happens to be an occasional 'mini gift' exchange on Cross Stitch night. Once when Jody hosted in February, she gave us all a tiny picture frame with a 1" x 1" opening. I had no idea what to do with mine, but Tracey knew immediately. Because it was Valentines day, Tracey stitched a heart.

Mine sat for a good number of months before I could figure out what I could stitch in such a tiny area and not copy Tracey's idea. And then one day it hit me; Jody loves snowmen. I would do a snowman in the frame that Jody gave me. But.... do they make snowman patterns for less than 1" x 1"? I couldn't be bothered looking, so I winged it. And voila! A happy smiley snowman face. I think it took longer to write this posting than it did to stitch that happy face.

We'll have to get a picture of Tracey's heart posted after her renovations are complete as I expect it's packed away for now.

p.s. I wasn't allowed to Blog today unless I cleaned my house. It's half cleaned; consider this half a blog.
Bonnie