Two more down the 'finishing line"

It is always fun to complete a project, but I procrastinate generally getting things framed and sometimes worked into their final finished state if they require hand finishing. I managed this week to get two more pieces to the framers, and I am so glad that that they are in process. I have difficulty picking frames and mats though and that is a real learning process for me . Some people just have a knack for picking what works and matching the different parts, but I really struggle with it, and I know that practice like anything else is the answer to learning what works and what doesn't.

I really do love getting these pieces frames, such a sense of accomplishment. The framing costs are always shocking ...even at 50% off they aren't cheap, but I figure that at this point I can work through the costs if I don't finish things too fast .

So my Carnation sampler by Darlene O'Steen is finally at Michael's for framing and so is my very old Lizzie Kate Turkey Time. I bought a nice stained frame in green for Turkey Time and the Carnation sampler has a pale olive green mat that is textured, and a platinum 1 1/4 " Frame, with an interesting dark olive/brown kind of rubbed glaze that is in the crevices, so it makes the carved wood show up better but also reflects the greens in the stitching and the mat. NOw I can hardly wait to see it -- and I hope I did good . it is still hard for me to be sure when I only see one corner completed.. This is the piece I am framing, so you can see the design -- I'll post final pics in a week or so. They generally get my framing back in 10 to 12 days...which is always amazing to me. I posted two pictures because I cut off the top part in one of them, this shows a darker and lighter version -- the actual piece looks in color more like the lighter one. I don't have a photo of the Lizzie Kate Turkey Time, but will post the final framed design when I get the piece back.

In the meantime, I am working on the Workstation which we will be assembling this weekend..so I am really under the wire here .

Hope you have a great day...
Cathy

Recent Finishes --

The main part of the Birthday Buddies package were the Beatrix Potter chart and the silks and other fibers I sent along. The rest were items I made and a pair of scissors which are shown below.

These are pictures of some items I made recently to send as a gift package for a Birthday Buddies group that I am in. There were items sent along with these -- Belle Soie Silk, another strand of silk from Italy, and a set of Flosche fibers in pastel colors, as well as a card of Carrie's Creation's Flosses. The items were piece I made. They are not necessarily a set, as the beaded item is in a differnt color than the rest, but it was fun making them, and I think the recipient enjoyed the package.

Here first is the Pincushion I made with the beaded berry edges -- that beaded stuff is so cool! I had so much fun with it and I plan to get myself some more of this in differnet colors as soon as I find more if it in our stores. I had a great time working iwth it, and I plan to make myself one of these pincushions as well.


Here is the back of the pincushion and the side view so you can see the way the beaded banding is made. Really easy to work with and I love those little berry beads.

Lastly are the fobs I made...the one with the teal colored motif also has her first initial added to the back, and yes, this is a mini biscournu. My first.

The beaded red fob I also made, and has some cloisonne beads on it -- they are so much fun to use and it gives it a sort of oriental look with the red and the cloisonne beads. The scissors were also included.

I am hoping to finally get back to some stitching again this week and finish off the Workstation by Judy O dell. When I get it done, I 'll post pictures as well. I am anxious to do the stitching and get it completed because we do our assembly next week on the 19th and 20th of May. I am really down to the wire here . Not unusual for me, the way my life is with different jobs and responsibilities that seem to interfere with my stitching plans.

Will be back with more pics I hope in another week...

See ya then! Cathy

Changing my plans . Goal 10-20-30-45-60

Well I guess that is what plans are made for -- to be changed . At least in my life they are changed often. I get going in one direction, find something else that works better and go on to do something different.

That is what has happened with my original list for the Goals to stitch 50-60 designs and UFOs that I already have on hand, or works in progress. Anyway, since I am redecorating the house now I have changed a lot of what I will be stitching, so I will have to make some changed to my original list of commitments for the 10-20-30-45-60 plan . I think that is what I had down before. The most wonderful part of this is that I will be creating a new look in my home with every finished design and that is really incentive to get stitching. If I was ever excited about my needlework projects, this certainly has done it for me.

I am also going to be stitching the 4 projects in the Gift of Stitching Magazine that include the 4 seasons and one motif in each design. I may stitch the words Spring, Autumn, Summer and Winter as one word though at the top or bottom of the motif rather than spreading the letters int he corners. I think it will work out nicely doing that with these charts. They are simple enough and doing them in an over-dyed fiber will be a great way to experiment with colors too. I really do love seasonal themes as well, and these are perfect for my kitchen area under the cabinets. So those might be stitched along with the CHS Ladies first and then I will have to decide what is most important to complete after that. I do plan to set up a sort of pecking order for all these projects so I can complete a room at a time.

So the saying about best laid plans does apply here...they are being changed, once again, but I think it is a very positive change as far as completing some of my dreams about decorating my walls and finishing up some old things that will help decorate my home.

I'll be posting pics as I get more of these worked on and update my progress as I work thru the rest of this year on my plans to redecorate my walls now that the other 'redecorating' is nearly complete. It's been fun, and the stitching will just be pure joy! Looks like I will be having to save some money for framing costs too this year -- but that too will be exciting as I will want to frame everything as soon as they're finished so they get onto the walls sooner.

Wish me well :-)
Cathy C

Projects, plans and redecorating ....

Well, life has been anything but dull lately. I am making considerable progress with my redecorating. I have painted my entry , entry closet which kind of stands alone except for one wall that goes to the ceiling in the dining room section. I've painted the desk area off the living room, and the facing wall to our bedroom which has a double door entry. I also have painted the living room and my kitchen, and the dining room -- so I have made a lot of progress lately. I have also added new pots and plants in my entry and dining room, a new reading lamp that matches the other lamps I bought last year for my living room. I now have 4 lamps and the overhead lights as well (which I don't use very often). I've bought and attached new drapery rods for my kitchen. I am going from draperies with pinch pleats in our bay window to cafe curtains with clip rings for hanging the curtains. I can hardly wait to get my new fabric so I can start sewing the curtains!! The kitchen is a lovely maize color, and it has taken some getting used to -- much brighter than the Spanish Lace I had up there before. But I really do like it. I have had challenges trying to get the fabric I wanted for the curtains. Both that I really loved were discontinued. So I had to settle on another pattern which is nice, but not my first choice. I will still continue looking in hopes that I can find something a little more like the first two choices I made. The nice thing is I did get the fabric on sale, which is great, because designer fabrics are not inexpensive.

Right now I am catching up a lot of housework that has sat unattended while I worked on all these other things. I've bought new linens for the bathrooms, a new piece of artwork framed for my bedroom, and some others moved around in the house to give new life to the rooms, but using some of what I already owned. These House and Garden programs do help you figure out some of the strategies if you are not as savvy about decorating as you'd like to be. I didn't get those genes, but my sisters sure did. S o I struggle a little more with decorating than they do. This time though I think I am doing much better, and my DH is pleased, which is a real blessing as he is quite particular about colors and styles. I gave away a very large framed mirror to my niece -- it just didn't do it for o ur living room. A nice piece but just not something that worked in our living room. Set too high to really do much good reflecting images, and it just didn't make sense to have it up where it only let you see the reflection of the fan on the ceiling . Our fire place goes up fairly high, and we have higher walls in our living room than the rest of the house...anyway, it was just not suited for that space. I have a still life of roses which I love anyway that works so much better for that space. In the master bedroom I have invested in new sheets, from a cooper color, or caramel, maybe, to a dark red, which I love!!! Red is my favorite color, and I have some in a nice malted cocoa color, and others in brown, and some in white, and cream, -- well, you get the idea. Those are colors I am using in my bedroom, along with splashes of dark plum, burgundy, and some softer coral/peach in a floral arrangement, with two shades of green , a hunter and sort of olive green, and cream. I also invested in a nice bed set that includes shams and a quilted coverlet -- I don't use the bed skirt because we have a wooden frame that holds up our bed -- sort of a box thing . So bed skirts don't really work on our bed . I purchased a bunch of new towels and towel sheets for the bathrooms, which I am enjoying already. Those bath sheets are heavenly! I have one more area to paint, and a couple to touch up, but I am nearing the end of that bit of work, and it is work!!! My bones and feet can tell you, it definitely is work!! The sewing will be a joy, as I enjoy it so much and I don't often get to sit down with my sewing machine, so I am looking forward to the process of creating new curtains and roman shades for doors and oher windows in the house in the coming week. Each piece adds so much to the whole, and it is really fun working on the different pieces.

My next big investment will be a new red chair and long ottoman so that I can sit in it and have my feet completely stretched out. Almost like a Chaise effect, only using an ottoman. I am using red in the house which to me is just the most wonderful color there is, along with Plum, which I also like a lot. Though I am not using that at the moment except for accents in the house. Eventually I would love to replace my sofa, but for now the rose print on that cream fabric will work with the color scheme I have. The problem with the sofa is it is not very comfortable, but eventually I will find something that works better and that I can move more easily. Sofas with sleepers in them are difficult to move around!! Not great if you have any back issues. Lastly I will paint the laundry room, rearrange a few pictures and plan for a lot of new artwork that I will stitch for my walls in the future. That is one of the best parts of all these changes, I will be planning to stitch pieces specifically for different parts of the house and I have a list going already. This is some of what I will be doing.

From Carriage House Samplings, I plan to stitch:

Folk Art designs for my Laundry Room /Pantry Area-
Carriage House Samplings: Mary Margaret -- Elizabeth -- Suzannah -- Molly -- and Sarah Spurr -- plus "When this you see Remember Me" -- Pennsylvania Redware and Dainty Housewren.

Eventually I will stitch the A to Z designs into one piece and frame it for the center back wall which is what you see first when you walk into the Laundry room. It will make a very nice view as I make my way to do the laundry. Also I will add the La D Da Alphabet and the Briar Rabbit to this collection. It should be a lot of fun planning and stitching these pieces. I can hardly wait!!!

You can see all of these designs at this site: http://wyndhamneedleworks.com/Carriage_House_Samplings/carriage_house.htm[Carraige House Designs]

Designs for my Kitchen -- Carriage House -- Only One Ewe
-- " " -- Spring (which I need to buy the chart for)
-- " " -- Strawberry Blond
-- " " -- Scarlet Berries
-- " " -- Northern Exposure
-- I already have Bounding Bunny, by Bent Creek in the kitchen.
and one still life of an aged picture of fruits in a distressed pale
yellow frame
-- La D Da -- Jasmine's Song and Our Daily Bread and Polly Wolly Doodle
-- La D Da -- My Sunshine

Here is a link to see the La D Da pieces: http://wyndhamneedleworks.com/La-D-Da/la-d-da.htm

I have plans to finish the Celtic Christmas for our bedroom to place over our bed. It will look nice with all the reds in that design on our newly painted walls. I have to find some other designs for the walls, but one of them will be my Edcina Pieters when it is completed. That is a perfect design for our bedroom with the color of linen and the black and brown silk threads used to stitch it. I can hardly wait to finish it. There is wall space enough to add a few more pieces, and one is a companion piece that is a portion of scripture -- I have a verse from Proverbs 31 -- "She will do him good and not evil all the days of her life" stitched, there is another companion piece that commands the husband to lay down his life for his wife -- I don't have the reference, but I want to stitch that and frame it to hang on our wall as well. I already ahve the frame, so the stitching is all that needs to be done.

I also love La D Da -- they are one of my favorite designers along with Blackbird Designs. These are some of the items I want to stitch for our bedroom and my husbands dressing area off the master bedroom.

The Blessing by La D Da -- Master Bedroom
the Marraige Sampler By La D Da -- Master Bedroom
Sweet Dreams - La D Da -- Master Bedroom
Watchful Eye - La D Da -- Dressing area
Now I lay Me - La D Da -- Master Bedroom
Love birds - la D Da -- Dressing Area
My Ways - La D Da -- Dressing Area
Peaceful Ways - la D Da -- Dressing Area
Roses are Red -- La D Da -- Dressing Area
Bushel and a Peck -- La D Da -- Master Bedroom
Mocking Bird -- La D Da --Dressing Area
Tie that Binds -- la D Da -- Master Bedroom

This is quite a bit of stitching and framing, so I will be a busy woman the rest of the year working on my current WIPS and these new projects as well. I am excited about it though, and it is hard to decide where to start . Though I will probably start stitching the CHS Ladies first since I have the materials on hand for those projects. But I also wan to get all the stitching done for the kitchen as I do not have a lot of pieces in that space, and with the new color I am excited to start stitching pieces that have the right colors to compliment the new wall color.

There are other spaces that need more of my stitching, but they will come later. This is more than enough to work on over the next year -- and I am sure it will take me at least that long to get all these done. But what a joy!!!

Hope you enjoyed reading about my plans. I will eventually post the pics of the changes in the house and the new additions to my walls as they are completed.. give me a little mroe time .

Cathy -- have a blessed day!

Okay -- So what about rewards -- this could be fun!

Well, now I need to think about what kind of rewards will accompany all these anticipated 'finishes'. Now this is something I could honestly get into -- ha! ha!

Rewards for a stitcher has to be something to do with stitching -- whether it's new materials for a new project, or materials for an old pattern you love. Or maybe even new stash in the way of charts or a kit.

But my first reward I think will have to be a kit by Indigo Rose. I have been looking at one of her kits for a while now, and that would definitely be something I could get excited about. Also, it will help put a 'fire' underneath me because if I finish these first 10 projects soon, that means I can get the kit too . Nothing wrong with that!

The second reward for 20 -- will have to be some special fabrics to outfit my stash as I have some 'vacancies' in colors and counts that need replenishing. I love higher count fabrics, and the vintage ones are very nice and suit my tastes for samplers as well. So maybe a yard of fabric -- and new fibers to catch up some of my missing slots in Vikki Clayton Silks or Carrie's Threads. I really do like both of them very much. So another $25 or $40 in fibers would definitely be helpful, and an incentive to reach the #20 point.

The next reward will be for 35 -- that's 15 more instead of ten, and will take more time, but I think I can manage a few more charts -- maybe some from The Scarlet Letter and a few that I missed from Market in February -- to the tune of 7 charts, and a few more special fabrics for some Smalls I want to work on -- maybe 3 - Quarter Cuts. These are also good choices for me because you don't necessarily need a lot of fabric for these smaller projects. I really do love stitching smalls, and learning new finishing techniques as well. Great subject to experiment with :-).


The next reward is for 45 -- not a big jump but the projects will take longer to finish I think at this point. So I will aim for a new Shaker Pincushion so I can create the needlework to go on the top of the wooden piece and use it with my stitching. It will be a nice reminder of my 'reward system'. I'd also like to buy some more Duponi silks, so maybe 2 yards of that in my favorite colors. I often buy from denverfabrics.com

The next reward is for 60 -- another jump of 15 projects, and these will take more time to complete because they are more detailed and bigger designs. I'd like to put down a list of items from Designers I like --

With my Needle --
The Quaker pattern Book and Ackworth Friendship;
Threads Of Gold --
Pieces of Old 1798 Quaker Pinball;
Threads Thru Time --
Diamond Sampler; Red Brick House; Robin Sampler; President's Home; Willow House and Six Chimneys;
Samplers and Such --
Samplings 6; Samplings 3 , 4 and 5; Be Just and Fear Not Sampler;
Rosewood Samplers --
Tulip Quilt Sampler.

This will give me a lot of possibilities as far as new projects for 2008 I'm sure.

For rewards 70, 80, 90, 100 and 110 -- this is what I want to put down as possibilities.

1. Catch up all the colors from Vikki Clayton for 3 of these rewards

2. Prairie Schooler --
Rain Rain; Measure of a Year; Summer Breeze; Spring has Come; Christmas Day; Birdsong I and II;
Plum Street Samplers -- Quaker Calendar I and any others that might have been released since February '07;
Patrick Woods -- Beaded Berry Bags. (acquired this one)
Papillion Creations -- Blossom Time;
Ackworth Samplers -- Companion to Beatrix Potter; (acquired this one)

3. For the last 10 --

Little House Needleworks -- Pumpkins, Love and Faithfulness, Julia Flynn, acorns, blueberries, strawberries, pear, music and books, season of plenty, rest, hope, , Elizabeth McGuire, Abigail Winslow, Mary Heaton, Lucy Fairchild,
Little by Little -- Reward of Plenty; Knowledge,
Lilybet Designs - Spots 2
The Workbasket -- Fox Forest;(acquired this one)
Just Nan - Crystal Roses
Historic Stitches -- Sarah Hartley
Sampler Company -- Charlotte and Sophia; Kind Fond Love;(acquired Kind Fond Love)
Fabrics to stitch these items....and that's it. (joined the FOTM with Shakespear's Peddler for Lakeside LInens -- which has been so nice!)

Not a bad haul if I get these all done, and it will give me more projects to work on the following year ('08). It's fun thinking about these possibilities for new stash, and I am honestly looking forward to working on many more projects from my current stash as well. Loads of Blackbird Designs, Ewe and Eye (remember them?), and Goode Huswife....so I will be busy planning new things at some point.

In the meantime, I stitch and stitch and stitch .......

Joining the challenge 10/20/30/40/50 --okay I adjusted the numbers a little -- Ha! Ha!

The rules (as posted at www.hasturtorres.blogspot.com) are:
1. Have fun reducing your stash.
2. There is no time limit- people have different size projects they would like to work on.
3. Thou shall not purchase any new patterns until 10, 25, or 50 projects have been stitched. Pattern size does not matter.
4. This challenge can also apply to knitting, beading, sewing and crocheting patterns.
5. You can make some exemptions - I am not placing limitations on this due to commitments that people might already have. Remember, though, the goal of this challenge is to reduce stash so too many exemptions will sabotage these efforts.
6. Gifts, gift cards, trades, RAKs and patterns bought with gift money are not a violation of this challenge. This also applies to purchasing patterns for gifts that give other people. Woohoo!
7. Freebies count as part of your total and you can acquire them at any point.
8. The offical start date of this challenge was Sept 1, 2006 since I have been posting about it for awhile and want to make sure the everyone's projects have been included.

My own modification will be that if, after completing the stitching on a piece, I actually "finish" it into something, either an object or a framed picture, it will count as 2 finishes. Also, the rewards will come after 10/20/35/45/60/70/80/90/100 --this will create more incentive to stick with this list of goals.

Here is the list of finishes thus far this year ---

1. Autumn Acorn by Cross Eyed Cricket
2-3. Framed Autumn Acorn -- counts as 2
4. Small Biscournu Fob for gift to stitching friend - stitched and finished
5. Beaded Scissors Fob for gift to stitching friend.
6. Pincushion with 'beaded berries' trim and wool felt backing - quaker motif on front with white grossgrain bow -- stitched and finished as gift for stitching friend.
7. Part 1 of the Judy Odell Workstation project.
8. Bless You by Heart in Hand - UFO finished stitching
9.-10. Bless You - framed (counts as 2)
TIME FOR REWARD!!!

The rest of my list of projects to finish are:

11.-12. Framed Carnation Sampler by Darlene O'Steen (counts as 2) - finished
13. Shaker Town
14. Rise and Shine by Bent Creek
15. Part 2 - The Workstatin
16. Part 3 - The Workstation
17. Part 4 - The Workstation
18. Part 5 - The Workstation
19. Part 6 - The Workstation
20. Part 7 - The Workstation
TIME FOR REWARD!!!

21. Part 8 - The Workstation
22. Finishing /Assembly of The Workstation (counts as 2)
23. Silk Sampler
24. Marquoir Sampler
25. And They Sinned
26. Edcina Pieters Sampler
27. The Millennium sampler by Indigo Rose
28. Secret Garden Needle Necessaire - stitching
29. Secret Garden needle necessaire - Finishing (counts as 2)
30. Permin Celle Sampler
31. House and Garden Sampler - House 1
32. House and Garden Sampler - House 2
33. House and Garden Sampler - House 3
34. House and Garden Sampler - Top Border
35. House and Garden Sampler - House 4 - -
*TIME FOR REWARD!!!

36. House and Garden Sampler - House 5
37. House and Garden Sampler - House 6
38. House and Garden Sampler - Left Border
39. House and Garden Sampler - House 7
40. House and Garden Sampler - House 8
41. House and Garden Sampler - House 9
42. House and Garden Sampler - Right Border
43. House and Garden Sampler - House 10
44. House and Garden Sampler - House 11
45. House and Garden Sampler - House 12--
TIME FOR REWARD!!!

46. House and Garden Sampler - Bottom Border
47.-48 Framing of House and Garden Sampler - (Counts as 2)
49. Vierlanden Sampler parts 1-12
50. Vierlanden Sampler parts 13-24
51. Vierlanden Sampler parts 25-36
52. Vierlanden Sampler parts 36-end
53. HOHRH - House 1 thru 3
54. HOHRH - House 4 thru 6
55. HOHRH - House 7 thru 10
56. HOHRH - House 11-12
57.-58. Framing HOHRH - (Counts as 2)
TIME FOR REWARD!!!

61.-62. Framing of Marquior Sampler (Counts as 2)
63.-64. Framing of Silk Sampler (Counts as 2)
65.-68. Framing of And They Sinned (Counts as 4 - it's huge)
69.-70. Framing of Vierlanden Sampler (Counts as 2)--
TIME FOR REWARD!!!

71.-72. Framing of Millennium Sampler (Counts as 2)
73.-74. Framing of Edcina Pieters (Counts as 2)
75. Carriage House Samplings - Mary Margaret
76. Carriage House Samplings - Elizabeth
77. Carriage House Samplings - Suzannah
78. Carriage House Samplings - Molly
79. Carriage House Samplings - Sarah Spurr
80. Pretty in Pink by Indigo Rose (Smalls)--
**TIME FOR REWARD!!!

81. Carriage House Samplings - Strawberry Blonde
82. Carriage House Samplings - Gingham Dog and Calico Cat
83. Carriage House Samplings - Remember Me
84.-88 Carriage House Samplings -- set of 5 - Honor, Faith, Charity, Hope, Love,
89. Carriage House Samplings - Scarlet Berries
90. Cat's Whiskers - Feed My Soul (Smalls)--
*TIME FOR REWARD!!!

91. Chessie & Me - The Journey
92. Chessie & Me - The Gift is Small Pincushion (to be bought sometime this year)
93. Chessie & Me - Bittersweet and Pumpkins Sampler
94. Hillside Samplings - Autumn WIllow
95. Hillside Samplings - Bittersweet Farm
96. Hillside Samplings - A Child's Commandments
97. Fancy Works - Lavender Rose Sewing Case (smalls)
98. Fancy Works - elizabeth R (smalls)
99. La D Da - The Mockingbird
100. Samplers and Such-Quaker Style Friendship Sampler--
*** TIME FOR REWARD!!!

101. Tsunami Sampler
102. Midnight Stitching - A Quaker Floral
103. Tranquility Sampler
104. German Mystery Sampler
105. Quaker RR -- Finish border and missing sections
106. Linda Driskell - Sampler in a year -- Angel at Gate
107. Examplar Dames - Stella Jones 1811 Sampler
108. Gigi's and Carinna's - Six Maines Sampler
109. Marquoir ABC - by Gigi
110. Blackbird Designs - Home of the Brave --

TIME FOR REWARD!!!

111. Carriage House Samplings - Alphabets A - D
112. Carriage House Samplings - Alphabets E - H
113. Carriage House Samplings - Alphabets I - L
114. Carriage House Samplings - Alphabets M- P
115. Carriage House Samplings - Alphabets Q - T
116. Carriage House Samplings - Alphabets U - X
117. Carraige House Samplings - Alphabets Y - Z and outer border work
118. La D Da - Roses are Red Sampler
119. SANQ - Spring 2007 - Ackworth Sampler Frame
120. SANQ - Token of Love design for Frame and 2nd one for Pincushion --
***
TIME FOR REWARD!!!

....to be continued...:-)

This is a long list, but I have done so well so far this year, that I think I will make a nice dent in this list by December 31st, 2007. There are so many other things I want to stitch too, that this list will be hard to stick to in some ways. What I am thinking is that when I get 10 completed, I will allow myself to start one new one that way I can enjoy working on something new as well, while I am working through some of these longstanding WIPs and UFOs. I'm honestly looking forward to a very productive Summer and lots of stitching hours.

Finally a finish --

I know it's hard to believe but I actually finished something . It's taken me a very long time to get this little piece done though I'm not sure why. Actually I am sure, I lost the fiber I was working with and couldn't remember what I used. Well, I had to find a substitute that worked and I finally found something that I could live with and put in the last stitches. You can see that the rust colors are different, but it sort of looks like it was intended, and I love the color of the Victorian Red evenweave I used and will use this color again now that I see how this piece turned out. I love red anyway, so this is right up my alley as far as color goes.

Here is a picture of my finished Cross eyed Cricket - Autumn Acorn.


Since completing this one, I have one other old UFO stitched. It's the Heart in Hand "Bless You" and as soon as I locate the frame that goes with it and get it put together, I'll share a picture here for you to see. I really am excited about getting back into my UFO basket and finishing up some old things that for whatever reason got put aside. I'm enjoying this tremendously. The framing costs are going to go up I'm sure over the next few months as I get more of these little projects finished. It's kind of exciting as there are very few of my UFOs that I don't like. Just seem to be distracted from completing them and now that I am filled with new inspiration to get back to these projects, it has been so much fun! I'm loving it!!!

As for what is next -- I will complete the Eileen Bennett Rockhom Sampler -- I have the Carnation Sampler by Darlene Osteen that needs to be framed, and will take that in this week and maybe the Rockhom as well. Then I will work on a project called "Quaker Four Corners" by The Goode Huswife; another Cross Eyed Cricket from The Country Garden -- it's a window with a flower box that says Welcome on it. I plan to make it into a door knocker, or put it in a small grapevine wreath. I also want to work on another pre-finished pillow with an insert that was sold as a kit, called "True Love" by Olde Colonial Designs. Each of these are small projects but will be used in my home immediately . So I ought to have some updates for you before too long and more pictures to enjoy. Happy Resurrection Sunday everyone!

Our snow storm December 2006

This is an older cross stitched piece that I did. This was very close to my first introduction to Linen, and I have never turned back since my first linen project. This design is a Donna Yuen Design, that was published in a Christmas Magazine I believe. It's been so long I have forgotten exactly what year it was.

This is the first snow we got, and it isn't much, but looks very pretty . This is my light in the front yard.Looking across my front yard -- we hadn't quite gotten to 22 inches yet ,....but it did eventually. BTW, the house you see is across the street from me to the South. The bushes are in my front yard.My Front Door as the snow starts to fall....



Here is a picture looking out my kitchen bay window...this is the larger center window, and you can see the snow beginning to pile up. It gets better ...like 22 inches !!


This is the window in my dining room, looking out to the front courtyard.This is looking out from my back porch, just outside our kitchen door. The fountain eventually gets buried in snow, and everything else back there.
Here is the picture of the snow after it stareted to melt. Before this, it was a lot higher on the fence and my railroad tie terrace showed all 22 inches at one time. But this gives you an idea of why I said it was a Winter Wonderland. I love snow!
My Back Porch -- as the snow falls . This is the part of Winter and Christmas that I just love!!!
Thought you would have fun looking at the kind of snow we get in New Mexico ....I know a lot of people think it is always sunny here, but it isn't! This is proof ..... We had a lovely Winter! For me, I could love having a longer Winter, it is just so pretty, and cozy when it snows.

January 2007

Well, another year has begun, and I am expecting great things in 2007.

So much has happened since I last posted -- and I can't believe I haven't added anything on here sincen August....but life has been hectic to say the least.

We had some wonderful snow....22 inches with the first storm, and only 2 in the second, but it has been so cold here that the first snow hasn't all melted yet. My front juniper bushes are still caked with snow . It has been truly enjoyable though to get so much snow, and it really was a Winter Wonderland. I will get some pics to post here for you to see -- really wonderful to have so much at once. WE had not had snow like this since 1950!!

My stitching has suffered immensely with all the commotion of the snow, and a reunion that didn't happen. I have so much food in my freezer and refrigerator that was supposed to be used for the reunion and I am probably going to lose a fair amount of it. With some interruptions in life -- like snow storms and doctor appointments and tests for both myself and my husband, it has not been easy to reschedule the Reunion, so I am not stressing over it . I plan to work on a February date if I can manage it, if not, it can wait until Spring when the flower beds are pretty and the grass is green. It might be nice anyway to do the event outside instead of inside :-).

So what is up for 2007? I have so many things I awnt to stitch it is hard to even think about where to begin . Stitching is such a retreat for me -- both becuase it relaxes me and it gives me so much pleasure and satisfaction. I love creating with my needle. So this year, I am hoping for a lot of time that can be spent stitching and sewing. There are plans in the making already for sewing a bunch of draperies, for my kitchen and Roman shades for two doors that lead to our back yard, and two windows that flank my fireplace. I also plan to upholster two breakfast bar chairs and get my nephew to cut them down and reweld them together so that they are better suited to my counter. My regular stitching will include a lot of things that just didn't see a finish last year -- here is the list I am carrying over (it is not complete, but these are the ones that I am really wanting to finish this year) --

-- And They Sinned (Working on that cloud)
-- The Marquior Sampler (Have 3 squares to go)
-- ABC Marquior by Gigi (Started in December with Vikki Clayton silks)
-- The Vierlanden Mystery Sampler (Just started with DMC Linen thread)
-- Permin Celle (which is a SAL on the Legary Board) (working 2nd row of Alphabets)
-- House and Garden Sampler SAL -- which I would really love to make a lot of progress on this year.
-- Silk Sampler (a small Quaker Design)
-- The Workstation (This is an online class with Judy Odell) - (working on Part 1)
-- A Quaker RR (that needs a bit more work to get it to a finish -- this was returned in Oct/2004)
-- House of Hawk Run Hollow (still on first house)
-- Two sets of Smalls that I am working on for some friends
-- Ornaments -- for a Sampler Tree (the narrow type) that I hope to put up for Christmas 2007
-- Carriage House Samplings -- Alphabet Series (I am only on Angel at the moment)

Adding to this, I'd like to fill in with some small projects from the following designers:
-- Carriage House Samplings
-- La D Da
-- Homespun Elegance
-- Blackbird Designs -- Loose Feathers and some of their regular designs
-- Little House Needleworks
-- Sweetheart Tree
-- And, and, and....(the list goes on)

I'll addpics of these (small ones) so you can see waht I want to work on this year...it is fun to look at and start new designs. I am really looking forward to a lot of wonderful hours to stitch this year. I'll post pictures of the snow we got, and updates on my projects before too long...

In the meantime, have a great New Year!

Cathy
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My First Biscournu (Tuffet or 8 point pincushion)

This was such an enjoyable project. My first biscournu, which is a pincushion that has eight sides...yes, 8 . It's a really enjoyable stitch, lots of fun pulling patterns to use for this, and also doing some over one stitching on the rose motifs, the initials are from a free pattern that I had and the main pattern of roses on the front is also a free pattern. It is edged with 400 petite beads btw, which took a long time to stitch, but they do really look pretty on this piece. If you click on the image, it will enlage so you can see the beads. I used Carrie's Threads for the first time and loved using them as well. Such lovely colors and I mean her whole line of threads are just wonderful. Enjoy the pictures! I plan to stitch another one like this for myself with my initials and possibly a different verse besides Remember 2006 and my name. Not sure what I will do yet, but pics will follow for you to see when I have the second one stitched. For now, enjoy seeing this one. Til I have more to share...have a great day! Cathy

My Exchange Gift

I promised you a picture of the piece that I received in the SHE (Sampler House Exchange) earlier this year -- and here it is. It's a little folding book with two openings like pockets inside for storing things. The whole thing ties together with ribbons. Great way to keep small items like flosses, or tools. Also, the person who sent this to me included a lovely little wooden palette for holding fibers. Enjoy looking at the pictures.

Cathy

Just a few things I've been working on.

It's been a very long time since I did any updating on my blog...my apologies for not doing more chatting here and adding pics sooner. But I am making up for it now, and will share with you a few of the finishes I have managed to accomplish in the last several months.

Exchanges are so much fun, and I have been in two this year. Great fun! One was for the Sampler House Exchange, the theme was 'Ladies'. I decided to stitch a huswife with several parts to it. Mine had a pincushion/needleroll that was attached to the center so the whole thing could be laid over an armchair. The needleroll was removable -- anchored with some ribbons in a coordinating color, which were tied to a 'bar' I created with some skirtex that was wrapped iwth fabric. The ribbons were actually sewn to the back of the strip. so that they are permanently anchored to hte huswife. The needleroll is tied nicely to the whole thing and looks prettier with the ribbon bows . It has one pocket for 'whatevers'. But I also made a scissors case that fits into that pocket, and is removable, so it can be used anywhere, and the scissors are nicely protected. The other side of the huswife has some bone rings that I stitched over with some linen thread that was overdyed. It was the first time I had used anything like that, and it was a very nice effect. These rings are sewn into the fabric and are used for holding your flosses, or ribbons. When I stitched and mailed this off to the recipient, I added several kinds of ribbons and flosses to the rings. The outer portion of the design was fun to put together, along witht he different fabrics I chose to complete the project. All in all a great stitch and here are pics of the same.... This one is a close up of the Ladie that I stitched over one. I added a bow with ribbon that I cut so it would work with the design. It's very hard to tie a bow that small .
Right below to the right is a picture of the pocket I made for holding the Scissors case. And next to it is a picture of the needleroll that is attached to the center of the huswife. Below you can see the full Huswife opened up with the pocket on one end, the floss rings on the other and the center needleroll. I used Perle cotton from Caron, in 3 different colors to make the cording ties that are on each end. This way you can pick up the whole huswife to carry it, and all your things will be stored inside. Here is a picture of the scissors case opened up.

I'm hoping to stitch another Huswife just for myself, using some of the same fabrics. I'm not sure as yet if I will use the same patterns or not. It will be fun working on a second one now that the first one has been sewn. My sewing machine broke down about the time I was starting to put this together. It is now working again and I will enjoy completing another one of these needlework huswifes to keep for myself -- it will also be easier to do it the second time around. I'll post the pics of what I received in this exchange in my next post. So be looking for it in he next day or so.

Happy stitching!
Cathy

Wow, it's been a long time since I wrote anything in my blog. Life has been not so much busy, but different. I'm working on some health issues, trying to fit exercise and a new way of eating int my life, and well, it's been interesting to say the least . THe good news is that I have lsot more than 40 pounds, so life is looking better, and so am I . ha!!ha!!

As for aht I've been up to since Valentines, a little of this and that mostly, but trying to get myself caught up with life and organized is what has been distracting me lately . I've curtailed some of my activities (volunteer) at church this year, in part to get myself calmed down from a too busy lifestyle. Another issue related to my health made me have to make this choice for the time being anyway. I'm also trying to be more organized as that will help keep me less stressed overall, and it is just a good way to approach life. I have to admit that I have to work at being organized, it doesn't come naturally to me as it does with some people. Wish that were just the way I was, but it is not, and I do have to think about being organized most of the time so I don't make more work for myself.

Okay, getting on to more interesting subjects . I have been organizing my stash room, still..it seems like it is taking a good long time to get it where I want it -- but it will be wonderful when I'm done and that is the goal I am headed toward. Going through my stash has me pulling a lot of designs that I am not that thrilled about anymore, or just patterns that I know I won't get to, so they are going to be sold. I'm not done pulling patterns though, so until I am, they won't go onto my list for the Legacy marketplace, and my "Great Exchange" list that I will be building in my photo album later on to sell them. It will be nice having some extra stash room and there are quite a few oldies but goodies in my stack of things to sell that may appeal to people because they are no longer in print. What I am really looking forward to is getting the new furniture that I want for that room and setting up my DVD/VCR and CD Player in there so I can enjoy watching movies or hearing music as I stitch away the hours in the evening or late afternoon at home. The other reason for organizing all my stash and redecoratingin there is I want to be able to keep my stitching things in one spot and stitch in that area as well so I don't clutter up the house with my stitching. I have in the past, carried most of my stitching into the livingroom and used my coffee table for all the projects and stitching gadgets. Well, I am getting tired of picking up after myself in there, so I am hoping I can manage to keep things neat in the stash room and do my stitching from there.

I've been working on the Marquoir Sampler, and I have loved it for so long. It is a great stitch. Here is where I am at with it presently, with hopes to finish it by April 15th, and then go on to start a few of the Blackbird Designs that I have in my stash. I've been wanting to do this for a good long time.

Also, I've working on the Quaker Huswife, which I hope to finish this month. Still have to do some sewing to the inside portions and the final assembly, but it will get done on time. I want to start a lot of small things when I am finished with this, so it has to be done by the 31st of March.

This weekend I hope to finish up the 5th block, start the sixth and finish the 6th block by the 31st of March. That leaves me with 2 weeks to finish up the last 3 blocks, which is a bit of stitching, but if I concentrate on it especially on the weekends, it will be finished on time. Though I am 'rushing' through the last parts of it, I'm sure to enjoy the process . it will be wonderful finally having it framed and hanging in our bedroom or my stash room. I haven't yet decided where it will be displayed. Maybe in my stash room so I can enjoy looking at it while I stitch on other projects .

Right now I have picked up two UFOs and was stitching on them until I realized that I have to get these other two projects done by the dadlines I have set. The projects are the Hope Needleroll. I hope to finish this project and assemble the needleroll also by the end of March. Hopefully it all happens right .

-- The second one is a Quaker design called Shaker Ped Clock. I am not putting this sampler into a clock, but framing it instead when it's done. It will be a while before it is finished, maybe by May.

This is the picture of what the whole design looks like. As you can see I have again changed the design from the original colors. I may use a hunter green for the last motif on my piece. As you see now the colors are a varigated teal, a rust and brown, and the last color will most likely be a hunter green, though I have been looking at a Needle Necessities gold that would be nice with this also. We'll see what I finally decide.

I have also pulled out a small sampler called the Rockhome Sampler by Eileen Bennett. I think it was published later on as the Peace Sampler. This one is also very close toa finish, only 3 bands and a small mini sampler spot that goes in at the bottom and it is done. Then I will have to make a trip to the framers to get these framed. I'll also take along with me the Carnation sampler by Darlene O'Steen that I finished several years ago and have yet to frame. So it looks like 2006 will be a productive year for me -- at least it is starting out that way, and I for one will be very glad to see some of my needlework on the walls instead of in my lap .

Until I have more photo updates...and more news... have a great Spring! And don't forget to be in church to celebrate Easter/Resurrection Sunday....God bless!

Cathy

House and Garden Sampler

Due to the fact that I have been busy with the Quaker Huswife stitching on the front panel and then working on the Assembly and creation of the parts that comprise the inside panel with the pincushion, needlebook and several pockets -- I have not had much time to spend stitching on my other WIPs, which include the House and Garden Sampler. This project did get some time in early February as I had to go to the car repair shop and spend several hours waiting. I took this project because it had had no time in my lap for a good while. Here is where I stopped...and hopefuly will be getting back to this in late February, early March and doing a whole lot more stitching on this piece. This tree has taken a good while to stitch as you have to keep changing floss colors, and doing a lot of counting. I'll be very glad when I get past that and on to working on the other parts of the houses, hills and fence that comprise the remainder of this first row on my Sampler. Here's a pic of my work thus far.... If you click on it, you can see the stitching up close...

AS much as I love this piece, it has taken me a long time to get on with the stitching. This year I am 'determined' to get more of the stitching accomplished on this piece. I have two other projects that I have put together from my own designs as well as some published designs and I am really wanting to get to them...here is one of the designs....

I have another one that is Winter and Autumn designs in a sort of collage..and that too is one I would love to get started on this year. They're both pretty intense stitching so neither will be completed in a short period of time. THe joy is in the journey as they say

Have a great February!

Cathy

Resolutions and Goals for 2006

Every year I put together a list of things I wnat to accomplish. Since this year started off a bit strangely for me -- lots of health issues -- I have not had time to sit down and think about my plans and goals for the year. Though some of them are 'sort of' formed in my brain, and I wanted to just post the things that are uppermost in my list right now.

Needless to say, life presents us with many challenges. I have had some serious challenges in mine since my husband became paralyzed after our first 10 months of marraige. We will be celebratingn 15 years of marriage in April, so we've had a few 'crazy' times with hhis health issues in the past, and I think due to the stresses and deamnds it has placed on me, and alsothe fact that I took care of my Mom for 7 years before she passed away, I have ha dno time to spend on myself taking care of me. A lot of the demands I had to deal with in my life, seemed to make me eat more. As a result I gained a substantial amount of weight in the last 15 years. This has caused some problems for me recently and I am currently working at losing weight. I've lost 30 pounds to date, and working to lose 8-10 pounds a month until I am at my correct weight. This means I will be working at this for a good part of this year. My goal is to get down to 140 pounds, which for my large bone structure and height of 5'8" makes me fairly thin . I don't look good if I lose any more than that generally, start to look frail and emaciated if I go down too much more than that. So that is my primary goal this year.

One of the ways I am accomplishing the goal of losing weight is adding exercise, 1 hour per day almost every day of the week. I do skip now and then because my life isn't always consistent in the time available to get things done, and there are times when I run out of day before I get to do the exercise. In a week or two I should have a treadmill to use and that will definitely make a difference for me as far as what I can accomplish in exercising, as it won't matter what time of day I get it done. I don't like walking late at night, even in my 'safe' neighborhood, so having a treadmill will definitely help.

I'm also dealing with blood sugar issues, and that is due to the weight issues. When the weight is gone, the blood sugar issues will also go away. So I am determined to get that under control. As of this time, my measurements have been excellent, and I can see that stress can raise the meaurements, so I am trying to keep my life calm as much as possible. This also means changing some of what I do with my time and how many people I can say "YES" to as far as offering help and volunteering for things at church. I do a lot of work for my church, gratis, and I think between that and my responsiblities at home, I was just stretched too far.

THe exercise I am glad to say has become an enjoyable part of life for me. I am getting accustomed to it, and enjoying the way I feel when I am done. So that is a real blessing -- I never liked spending my time exercising because I was always thinking about what I could be doing as far as getting some of my work or responsiblities accomplished. Right now, I am just enjoying the process, and I guess that is a good thing. I'm realizing that exercise is important to my life and health and I will continue to exercise even when I am down to an appropriate weight for my height. Having equipment, videos to work with, also are very helpful and I am using the 'beginner's' version of the Billy Banks Taebo Video, and well, for me, it seems more than beginner level, but I am still managing it okay.

Other resolutiosn are to uncomplicate my life, which means thinking about who I say yes to as far as volunteer work, and maybe hiring out some of what I do so that it will free up my time to exercise, or just to enjoy life a little more. Work is enjoyable, but too much of it at once can really up the stress level, and that impacts how your body handles everything else. I am learning it is not a good thing to live each day packed to the hilt with 'things to do'. Generally, in the past, that is how I lived my life....and it was not a smart move on my part. Hindsight is 20/20 as they say, but I am learning to change. So uncomplicating my life means I am cutting out some of the things I volunteer for. As of this date, I am curtailing my church volunteer work until I am feeling better, and may not go back to it until April. I am also dropping a moderator position on line for a group that is needlework related...and I am finishing up the Quaker Huswife SAL so that will be another group that is disappearing when I am done with the assembly portion of it. I won't be doing another SAL that requires assembly for a long time I think . I enjoy it, but it is work to some extent for me.

My other resolutions are to keep on top of life issues...letting things slide or ignoring them until they are demanding my attetnion is not a good way to approach them. So I am learning to do what I can with an issue immediately...plan for how to continue working with it until it is resolved....and not letting things pile up. Doing that has and will continue to help me reduce the stresses in my life. We all have things we don't enjoy doing, or prefer to put off becuase they aren't easy to deal with...well I'm learning to do something/whatever that might be -- right away is better than to ignore it until it turns into a nightmare. Live and learn, right?

Every year I make some spiritual goals as well...to read the bible through this year....to study at least one day a week for a few hours (2-4) -- depending on whether I am teaching classes or not. To continue a daily prayer time, to pull away from my work and responsiblities to be alone with God. These are all very important to me, and something that helps me keep my life in order.

I had a reaction to some medication I was prescribed, and am now on something else and so far it looks like it will work for me. Hopefully I will be off all these meds in a couple of months as th eweight dropsoff, and I can get back to normal living. This has made me appreciate the importance of exercise, and of balancing your life and work, and play, and just paying attention to your own personal body and its needs. I often leave myself for last, and am learning that that is not a smart thing to do if you intend to live very long .

Hope you have a super healthy 2006 filled with good things, like love and friendship, family and reaching new heights in your goals and pursuits, as well as finding time to unwind and relax and rejuvenate...all these are important. Above all, don't forget that God is supposed to be first and center in your life, and if you keep that in order, the rest will fall in line. Keep an open ear (spiritually speaking) as the Lord is always wanting to provide you wisdom for every day.

Hugs and God bless,
Cathy

Another Pic of the Quaker Huswife Pincushion - Close Up

Here is the picture I tried to upload in the last post...it finally posted. Not sure why it happens, but it seems that there are times when it doesn't want to load a picture, for no apparent reason.

If you click on the picture you can see it really close....

I love the contrast of the Duponi silk with the darker Organza ribbon -- now that I see it together, I am really glad that I went this direction with the silk Duponi fabric. Initially, I was trying o so hard to get an exact match, and couldn't find Duponi silk dark enough to match the fiber and ribbon. Finally decided to go with this one, which was the darkest color I could find. BTW, if you are looking for good deals on Duponi silk try denverfabrics.com -- great place or this type of fabric, and many others. They are quite reasonable too.

Hope you enjoyed looking at my updates. I have one more, but need to upload the pics to my computer, so will post the House and Garden Update later this week.

Have a great day and hope you find time to stitch and spend some special time with those you love on Valentine's Day.

Cathy C

2006 and beyond

HI all,
Well, I haven't been on line here for a while but the end of the year is always a whirlwind for me. Prepatatiosn for the Christmas holidays, church events, and Family Reunion at my home is enough to keep anybody running for weeks . I come from a large family, 12 brothers and sisters, and I make 13 ...and well, since I'm 3rd from the last, and 53 1/2 -- there are also lots of children in our family as well. We had a great time again this year, and it seems every year it gets bigger and better -- but that's a good thing. Love spending time with my family. We all live in the same general area in New Mexico, and it makes it much eaiser for us to be together -- though we all lead pretty busy lives.

Since 2006 has started, and I might add, at a running pace, despite my resistance -- I have a few updates to share. I have been busy, but unfortunately some of it has been with doctor appointments for health issues. I am getting things under control here, so hopefully life will begin to feel al ittle more normal before long. That said, it has not kept me completely from my stitching and that is a good thing. I have been working diligently on my Quaker Huswife, which needed to have the front panel finished by the end of February so we can put the whole piece together. I am also working on the inside parts (the lining and the pockets, needlebook and pincushion) that have to be finished before I can assemble the front and back together. The Pincushion was my first attempt at putting this piece together, and thankfully (whew!) it did come out nicely. I'll be sharing a picture with you here in a second .....I'm setting up the next part of the assembly process on the Legacy Embroiderer's Quaker Huswife SAL section tonight, and will be working on it between Tuesday and WEdnesday (14th/15th Feb.) and posting pictures, so I will also update my Blog, so you can see my progress. It has been a great project overall, and challenging in some respects. Pushing foam through silk dupoini fabric is not the easiest thing of all to do. Tends to want to grab onto the silk and not budge . So you have to be persistent..that too can cause fraying ..so you also have to be careful . Needless to say it could make a person a little frustrated as you try to put things together. I'm learning though that using a serger can be very beneficial with this project . Thankfully I have one, so will use it in the remainder of the assembly. For now, here is a picture of the Pincushion I put together, and I hope to add more pics soon.
This is a picture of the pincushion and the photo from the chart that shows how the inside portion of the huswife will look...and also a small portiono f my stitching on the Quaker huswife. You can see that the ribbon matches the thread. I had it specially dyed by Vikki Clayton, the Silk and organza ribbon as well. She does a great job of dyeing and I love using her silks.





Below is an update of my Marquior Sampler. I hope to finish the 5th Block, start and finish the 6th block (the bottom corner) this month and finish all three of the top row in March. My commitment to myself is that this piece will be taken in for framing on March 15th this year. It means a lot of stitching in March, but well worth it!

I've tried posting a close up of the pincushion for you to see, but it won't seem to load, so I'll try another post and see if I can get it to work .

Have a Very Happy Valentine's Day Everyone!

Cathy