Finish, Two Finishes and Some Shopping

 Thought I'd share this photo with you.  I stitched this back in the early '90's.  It was from a book that was published every year.  They had great projects and recipes in every issue.  Its stitched on paper Aida probably 14 count.  Its just sitting on my mantel right now.  I wish I could have gotten a better picture but the flash on my camera was giving me fits so it was close with a big flash blob or farther away.

These are my newest finishes.  I love the little mouse at the mail box.  I'm not sure who the designer is off hand.  It was in one of the magazines from Great Britain.  I'm not sure how I'm going to finish it but I think its going to be one of the boxes.  I found some really good instructions for finishing it and want to try it.

This is a UFO that I finished several months ago.  I started cross stitching in 1985. In 1986 my husband and I got married and we loved all the Mr and Mrs Claus charts that were available.  So every year I stitched a Mr and Mrs for our tree.  Then I started finding small kits (this one is 5X7).  I never finished it but kept it.  So now its completely done.  The frame is from Michale's.  Its stained reddish and works really well.  I bought 2 of them.  In all I purchased 8 small frames 5X7 and smaller.  It had a red plastic frame that was shaped like a house.  The shape was perfect but not so much the plastic.

 

On November 16th my husband took me over to The Northwest Quilt, Craft and Sewing Festival.  It was over in Puyallup, Washington which also means a drive to close to Seattle for my liking.  I think this is all I bought from Bobbie G. Designs.  I was so excited to see a needlework booth.  I did check the vendor list online before we left to be sure.  Last time we took the 2 plus hour drive (one way) there wasn't a single needlework booth.  The Santa top left has buttons on Santa's beard.  I got 2 extra kits free.  So I chose 2 more of that one.  One for my sister and one for my sister in law.  It didn't come with the buttons for the beard so I went into my mom's old button jar and put some into little Ziploc bags for them.  I marked the bag so they knew where the buttons came from.  Since they both cross stitch I'm giving them as kits.  My Mom passed away on Christmas Eve 1997!  It was a bitter sweet Christmas.  I had a brand new granddaughter born 4 days after my Mom's birthday (December 10th) and then I lose my best friend.  It was a hard year - 1997.  My friend moved from Bakersfield, California to Reno, Nevada.  We were putting on a seminar for 200 plus women and she leaves me.  We did get the seminar done long distance.  The rest of the year is a blank until November.  My Grandmother Britain (Mom's Mom) passed away in November. That same week my precious Doxie Molly's back went out.  She was so sick until we were able to get her to Fountain Valley for back surgery.  I missed my grandma's service because we couldn't travel with Molly.  Six weeks later my Mom's was gone.  I was standing in the parking lot of the funeral home looking at my Aunts and trying to decided who I should feel sorry for.  Me because I lost my Mom and Grandmother in 6 weeks or my Aunts because they lost their Sister and Mother in 6 weeks.  Then my favorite cousin Larry came up to me and hugged me tight.  That really helped.  Some!!!

Wow - I'm sorry you all got to read that but it does seem to help.  So anyway these are the kits and charts I got.  I may have missed one or two.

 

We're heading to California this year for Christmas.  To my Sister's first for Christmas.  Then on the 26th we head down to Ventura to see our newest great niece Alana and her older sister McKayla.  We'll see my husband's sister and husband.  Then to the nursing home to visit my mother in law who has the final stages of dementia (sp).  And to top it off we'll be spending time with the couple who introduced Mike and I some 27 years ago this Month.  We've renewed that friendship last March.  Its so nice to be spending time with Jim and Kristi again.

 

I can't decide if I should put up a small tree and a few other things or not.  I was pretty excited about doing some decorating at Thanksgiving and now I'm not sure.  I still have time-I guess.



 

Well Let's Try This a Second Time!!!

I can't believe I that I haven't posted in nearly a month.  I have been stitching some little charts and kits.  This is a free chart from one of the blogs I follow.  I can't remember how many I received but this is the only one I got stitched.  I think it was stitched with Weeks Dye Works "Noel" thread.  I still have no idea how to finish this one off  I think it will be about 5x7 inches when finished.

This little stitch was a little kit I bought last year.  I bought a few different ones and I really don't know why I bought them  I think I will finish this one off as a little pillow ornament.

 This is a Stoney Creek ornament that I purchased a few months ago.  They had a free pattern that I wanted and I didn't want to pay shipping on a little free pattern so I bought 3 kits and a couple patterns.  I think it would have been cheaper to just pay the shipping.

This is the other Stoney Creek Ornament kits.  They came with little tart pans. They'll be cute when finished.

This was a kit I got at www.crazyannies.com
 I purchased two sweet snowmen.  They came with this pretty linen fabric and weeks Dye Works thread.  There was a piece of wool and 2 or 3 square buttons that were supposed to be appliqued to the center front and the buttons on top of that.  I'll put 3 tiny black buttons on the front before I finish it.  I thought the wool took away from the cute snowman.  I still have to stitch the second one.

And this is now a UFO!  Its a Dimensions kit.  The thread was just awful in it.  Full of lumps that seemed liked knots.  I had an awful time following the chart for the back stitching.  I was so darn careful when stitching it but it seemed to have tons of mistakes when I started to back stitching.  It will get finished one day or I will match the thread colors with DMC and restitch it.  Its a pretty chart.  Its to be finished as a bell pull and came with a metal hanger. 

When I get them all finished I'll post pictures again.  My husband took me to a Rusty Barn Quilt, Craft and Needlework Show last Friday.  The only stitcher there was Bobbie G.  She had lots of cute kits and leaflets which I bought several.  I also got 2 extras for my sister and sister in law's stockings. 

 

It seems that every year right before Thanksgiving we get a huge storm.  This year is no different.  One town in south west Washington got 7.5 inches of rain in 48 hours.  We have lots and lots of flooding around Western Washington.  I'm very fortunate to have a house that's located where it can't flood.  We are on a hill. 

 

I hope you all have a wonderful holiday with your friends and family.

 

Sandy

Another Finished UFO

This is another of the UFO's from my box of left overs from my earlier cross stitch ears.  When I picked it up a couple of weeks ago all that was started was the Mrs. hair and a little bit of the box around the chart.  My goodness there are so many mistakes in this thing.  Counting and color mistakes.  But its out of the box and onto the ironing board for some kind of completion.  What's left in my UFO box!  We'll on more Santa which is an ornament on perforated paper which is about 1/3 of the way stitched.  There's also a sampler on linen over 2 and a set of hand embroidered wool felt ornaments.  I think I'm going to finish them off on the sewing machine.  I think I will start my old routine as my New Years Resolution which is to finish UFO's before I can start anything new.  I don't think I'll include the sampler but I will be adding the Lizzie Kate Summer Mystery and a fall basket that I've started and set aside.

I hope you've all had a nice weekend.  It was sunny most of today but yesterday we had a crazy hail / thunder storm.  It getting cloudy again and I think we are due for rain next week too!

The Six Fat Men are History!

Lizzie Kate's 6 Fat Men

 This isn't a very good picture but  here they are.  The frame is red but not a Christmas red.  It has just a hint of pink to it which makes it work.  I tried white frames which I thought was what I wanted.  Then browns etc until the gal helping me picked this one out.  Then I had her pull some green.  Christmas green  - NO!  Next a kind of lime which I was really wanting to work but it didn't work either.  So I went with this one which was the best over all.  I was really worried that I wasn't going to like it but when I picked it up last Friday it wonderful!  The reddish frame picks up the Begonia colored thread.  I didn't get the expensive glass this time and I wish I had of now but I suppose I can always to and have it changed later.  Its so dark here that it won't really matter as far as glare goes.

 

About 6 weeks ago (more or less) my Bernina 1630 died.  I finally took it to the Bernina Dealer last Friday to see about having it fixed.  Its almost 20 years old so the computerized boards for it are not longer being made.  Anyway the cost to repair it was around $1,00.00 so I decided to look at the new machines.  I didn't buy the top of the line this time.  I never used most of the features on the 1630.  I still haven't taken it out of the box but everything but the machine is now out.  I decided that I needed to get all of the parts bagged up from the old machine first.  Haven't decided what to do with the "boat anchor" as its now called.  I thought I would put the walking foot, dozens of bobbins and feet on eBay and see if I can sell them and get something out of them.  I'll post a picture when I finally get it set up.

 

My new Bernina 550QE

Finishing Projects

 Today I decided I'd get a couple of projects finished.  The santa was stitched by my sister in law Peggy and I offered to finish it for her.  Its such a cute little stiitch.  Before it was made into this banner I thought it was going to be big enough to hang on the wall.  I actually did finish it a coouple of threads (I know thats not much) wider on all sides and its pretty small.  I was sweating bullets as I worked on this.  When you have to cut something theres no going back.  If she doesn't like it as finished (its finished as she wanted it) I can still take it part and refinish it.  I'm sure she will be pleased with it.

Finally Finished 6 Fat Men

 

 

Today I put the final stitches in 6 Fat Men by Lizzie Kate.  I'm so happy to have this finished.  I was stitching it in a SAL but finally had to stitch more to get it finished.  I was loosing interest in it and didn't want to put it away.  I've already put Lizzie Kate's Summer Mystery away after stitching a quarter, maybe a third of the first part.  Now to get it framed.  I'll be taking it to a small framing shop in Mount Vernon (WA) tomorrow and seeing what they will charge.  I'm hoping that I can still get in on the summer sale.  I heard the sign was still hanging outside.  I was so surprised that I used almost 5 skeins of Whitewash over dyed floss for the snow.  I never stitch anything twice but  I was to stitch this again I would use DMC white.  The snow with the over dyed floss is a little dirty.  I hate dirty snow.  When we get snow I don't want anyone to walk in it or disturb it.  I love pure white snow.  After Christmas I put out my snowmen for a month.  I'm looking for fabric to make a mantel scarf that's snowflakes.  I have the pattern (I think) but can't find any fabric that I like that is plastered with glitter!  I'm jut not into that sparkly stuff!

 

I have my next project ready to start tonight.  I'm wondering if I shouldn't do a small project but this one is about 8 x 11 so its not to bad.  Its called Autumn Cardinals by Diane Arthurs (Imaginating).  There are 4 in this series of seasons.  I probably start the Christmas chart but I have lots and lots of cross stitched Christmas pictures and ornaments that I think I'll stick with the fall chart!  Fall is my favorite season after all!

Its been nearly a month since I've written.  The reason being I didn't have add a post in the box across the top of my header thingie.  I have no idea how I figured it out but I did.  Bad thing I won't remember. 

Anyway I'm still working on the 6 Fat Men (Lizzie Kate).  I'm stitching on the last chart.  I'm about 1/3 of the way finished with it.  I still have some additional snowflakes to stitch.  I've lost interest in it.  I really need to get it finished so I can move onto another project.  I signed up for and got the Lizzie Kate Summer Mystery.  I barely started part one and lost interest in it too.  Its so cute and I love it but just don't seem to want to work on it either.  For my next project I'm going to stitch a chart of a basket, cardnal, fall leaves and acorns.  I love acorns - I love fall.  Its my favorite season.

We got back last Friday from our week long camping trip in the new travel trailer.  We had a great time.  I took several things to do while we  were gone.  The first night I took all th DMC floss that I had not wound onto bobbins ad wound them.  I think there were way over 50.  The next 2 nights I crocheted 2 red potholders.  Next I'm going to machine embroidery some redwork on a few towels.  In June when my sister and I visited our cousin Helen in Missouri she gave us quilts from our great grandmother.  The trip before (4 years ago) she gave us potholders that she made.  So I wanted to make something and send to her.  Anyway back in track!  The rest of the time was to be spent on the 6 Fat Men.  I did stitch several nights but the light in the trailer wasn't very good for stitching at night.  I'll have to get a good light to keep in there for camping.

Today I was up before 7AM (that's real early for me)!  I had to be out the door by 7:30 to take my Chihuahua Belle to the vet in Mount vernon a 30 to 40 minute drive.  She is an awful barker and keeps everyone wound up so after some talking I decided to have her debarked.  She should be healed in a few days.  Its been very quiet here tonight.  She also lost 3 teeth.  She's resting on my lap and get to sleep with me tonight.

Tomorrow I head over to my nieces house to spend 2 days with her Mom my brothers wife.  We're going to cross stitch and visit.  We've never done that before because we live almost 2 hours apart.   My niece lives about 45 minutes from me.  My brother will b there and he'll cook our meals and take good care of us.  He's doing so repairs to their daughters house while they are on their honeymoon!

That's about it for now.  I'll have some pictures next time I post!  I think I said that last time.

Six Fat Men Update for 8-21-21 & Misc

The Six Fat Men are almost finished.  I have one last chart to stitch and a few snowflakes.  Then rinse it out and add the snowflake buttons.  I've used overdyed floss so I'm not sure if I should even let water hit it or not.  This is the first time I've used them.  So if anyone has any suggestions I'm open for them.  I'd hate to ruin this with the floss bleeding!

I took this picture a week ago.  Its a big woodpecker hanging off the bird feeder in the backyard.  Today when I was coming home from the deli downtown there was a little deer walking down our main street.  He finally heading down toward the water.   

And finally a picture of 3 of our Chi's laying on the back of the sofa!  They're so cute especially when they are good!  I think they were resting up after my company left.  Its a hard job barking at people that you see every single Wednesday!  I'm sure they'll never stop!

Hope everyone's fat men are coming along nicely.  That you've had a nice summer with you family and friends.  I'm not looking forward to the gloom of fall, winter and spring but I am looking forward to some fun fall stitching and getting out the fall decorations.

Finally...Our new travel trailer...

After over a year we have finally gotten our new travel trailer.  It took us a long time to decide what to buy as far a a travel trailer or a 5th wheel.  After all the discussions we decided on another travel trailer.  This is a picture of what we got but this on isn't ours.  It seems really huge and I hope my hubby is comfortable  towing it.  He says he's fine.  Its pretty cool inside.  Its set up as 2 rooms.  A bedroom and a kitchen, living room and dining area.  You can close a door between the living area and the bedroom and use the bathroom.  We looked at larger models but checked this one out for the fun of it and loved it when we went inside.  We went and talked about it over lunch and went back and purchased it.  Its got lots of upgrades that we wanted.  We'll be going on a shake down camping trip (2 or 3 days if we can get a camp site) over Labor Day weekend and then the following weekend we leave on our first camping trip.  Its the family camping trip that got cancelled in June for lack of interest.  My brother, sister and myself along with our spouses will be going to Oregon and meeting on the beach for at least 3 days camping together.  We may stay longer or camp along the way home.  We haven't gotten that far yet but we'll have a weeks vacation so we might as well enjoy our time camping.


I'll have a post for my 6 Fat Men SAL this week.  I did stitch last week but just didn't get around to taking a picture.  I've almost gotten the 5th chart done and then the long one of the bottom will be next and I'll be finished. 

When the 6 Fat Men are finished I'll be starting on a fall chart.  I'm not sure which one I will start but its down to a few choices.

Hope everyone had a great weekend doing what ever you did!

6 Fat Men SAL Update 8-10-2012

 

Here's my update for the past week. I have been stitching more than just Mondays trying to get in on a summer special at a framing shop in Mount Vernon,WA. I have some doubts that I can make it. In fact I drove by the shop yesterday and don't remember seeing the sign but I wasn't really looking either. I did find a couple of stores on eBay who make custom (kinda) wooden frames and the prices are really good. Maybe to good to be true. They come with glass, backing and a hanger but they don't have spacers. I don't know if I can go to a frame shop and just get them or what I could use. I'll have to give that some thought. I'm going to order a frame and see what the quality is anyway. Has anyone given any thought to the frame color for this piece? I was thinking about a white frame until I put it on a white flour sack towel and I'm not to sure about the while now. All I could see was white snow! Maybe a dark blue mat between the frame and stitched piece. I do plan on framing this myself.

Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend planned no matter what your plans are. My brother and his wife are taking me out to dinner tonight for my big birthday which was last month. The big 60! Tomorrow I'm thinking about surprising the rescue I volunteer for and make it to outreach in Bellingham. Sunday if I make it is our monthly Chihuahua Meet-up. For lunch they have a taco bar planned. I wonder if I can do that and stay on my eating plan? I have 1 pound to go and I will have lost 60 pounds since the middle of February. The hardest part is coming - keeping it off! And I plan on stitching on my Lizzie Kate Summer Mystery this weekend also. I've barely started and the SAL group I'm stitching with has several people who've finished the first part and are on the second part. I think one of the gals was almost finished with part 2! It's slow go for me as I am stitching on 28 count even weave which I haven't stitched on in many many years.

I'm off to the dentist for a crown. This tooth is not bothering me but its just a matter of time before one of the corners comes off. I've decided to go ahead and get it done before it turns into a root canal!



Visit to Portland

Can you believe I went to Portland for 3 and 1/2 days and didn't take a single picture?  It was a fast visit.  Didn't go to Acorns and Threads after all.  I did make it to Fabric Depot and couldn't find any thing to purchase.  Lots and lots of great fabric but didn't buy any.  I did send $2.49!  I bought a package of snowman carrot noses in assorted sizes.  Can't tell you how many times I'm needing or wanting a carrot nose.  I had to have those.  We did eat at lots of great places and I think that's probably where my cash went.  But I didn't gain anything which makes me very happy.   On Friday my daughter and I went to a luncheon for her at her friends house.  The beautiful homes in Portland are amazing!  I just love old homes.  On Saturday we headed to the Boy Scout camp to pick up my grandson Simon.  In the early evening we went to do an home visit for the rescue group that I am part of.  Great gal and she will be adopting one of the rescue Chihuahua's very soon.  She works for Evanger's (sp) pet food and has agreed to feed our foster dogs.  In the rescue we have over 70 Chihuahua/Chihuahua Mixes.  This is a real blessing for us.  My daughter has been house sitting for one of her best friends for the past 6 weeks.  In exchange for the house sitting my granddaughter Francis went to the east coast with Lei and her daughter Opal.  When we got back to Lei's house we had to rush her cat to the emergency vet.   Kitty took her last breathe on the counter as we unzipped the carrier.  My daughter has been fretting the last 2 weeks that the cat was going to die on her.  She and Lei talked and talked about the cats health but she didn't think it was necessary to take kitty to the vet yet. The cat has been sick all year.  Lei and Heather were just a mess at the vet (over the phone).  Heather couldn't handle the pressure of the cat passing while she was taking care of it and poor Lei couldn't grasp the fact that the cat had passed.  When we got home several hours later we had to tell Simon.  He's a sweet gentle soul who loves animals.  He cried and cried for hours and then "everything" starting flowing.  He was going to miss his boy scout troop to will his dog Bailey die too!  Sunday I was on the train at 2:30 heading back to my little Anacortes, Washington.  Its so quiet here.  I really miss living close to my kids and grand kids.  I've missed so much of their lives and they are all 4 pretty much teenagers now. 

Now we are getting ready for my sister in law and her husband Sal to visit on Saturday.  I have lots and lots to do before they get here.

6 Fat Men Update July 31, 212

Can you believe we have gotten so far in such a short amount of time?  Yes it wasn't that long ago that I was gripping that this would never be finished and now I'm waiting for Lizzie Kate to bring out the newest installment of the 6 snowmen which is actually 6 snow ladies.  I thought I read that they were going to be named 6 Snow Belle's but I've also read that they were going to have another name.  Either way they've got to be darling!  The house is coming along and I think I'm going to add the borders for the last 2 charts so that I can get an idea of the finished size. 

6 Fat Men Update for July 23,2012

The fat men are finally coming along nicely.  I have 2 more charts to add and work in the box on the lower left which is a house.  I can finally see an end to this!   Not that I want this group to move on our separate ways but I noticed the other day that a local framing shop is having a summer sale and I would love to be able to go and get it framed there.  I'm hoping they do great work and they are affordable.  Of all the pictures I've posted I think this one really shows the real color of my fabric.  I can't wait to see Lizzie Kate's snow lady series. 

Hoping we can make it a SAL too!

Christmas Trees
This is one of the charts from Little Shop Around the Corner.  Its part of a Christmas SAL.  There are 2 more charts left to stitch.
My printer won't print right now so I'll have wait until my husband can fix it or I go and replace it.

Anyway its stitched on 14 count Adia cloth.  I used Weeks Dye Works thread - Noel.  It's much prettier than it looks in the picture.  I don't know if I will frame it or make a small pillow out of it for a Christmas basket.  I have time.

I'm also stitching on my 6 Fat Men SAL today and will get a picture of it post soon.




6 Fat Men SAL

Finally got some stitching done on my fat men.  I can see progress finally.  I have more stitching on the snowman with the pinkish coat, a few things on the bird house like to windows and some snowflakes.  I really don't care for stitching them.  The Let it Snow is close to being done.  I think I only have the scarf and about 3 lines of dark blue in the hat.  Oh and the face.  Several of these charts have little single cross stitches on them and I am thinking about adding single beads instead of the single cross stitches.  Whats everyone else going to do there?  Looks like I only have 2 more charts to add and them finish up.  At my pace its gonna be another 3 months but it will be worth it when finished.  I read on Lizzie Kate's blog that she is now working on 6 snow ladies.  That she is using the same floss colors so the 2 will match.  I guess I better try and remember where I got the fabric I'm working on so I can stitch the matching girls.  I love snowmen.  When my Christmas decorations are down the end of Christmas I put out the snowmen.  I have a nice size collection of snowmen.  Many are Jim Shore which were given to me as gifts.  I don't usually buy them for myself.  This year I'd like to make a mantel scarf with snowflakes on it for the winter.

Right now I am also working on the Lizzie Kate Summer Mystery.  I just got my package in the mail.  I wasn't happy with the fabric that came with it but I've decided to go ahead and stitch on it anyway and if I don't like it when I get a little bit done I can always frog it and start over.

Hoping everyone has plenty of time each day to get some stitching in. 

Trip to The Ozarks

 This is going to be my 4th try to get this posted.  I think I know what I did wrong each time when I lost the post.  You can't hit the back button on the site.

My sister and I had a great time in The Ozarks visiting with our families on both sides of the family.

The first picture is of my sister Debbie on the left, our cousin Helen on the right and me in the middle.  We are at Helen's in this picture.  We went over on Friday after we arrived.  We took our cousin from Dad's side Ann with us at Helen's request.  Helen is 91 and sharper than a tack.  She's the most amazing lady I know.  She never married.  She grow up on a farm and lived with her parents until they passed away.  When it got to hard for her parents to keep the farm going they sold it and moved to town.  Helen was an only child and I have no idea why.  I also don't know how old she was when she was told that she wasn't allowed to date or get married that she was to take care of her parents when they were old.  That really amazes me that a father could do that to his child.  Helen isn't angry or bitter about it.  She accepted it and went on.  She did work for the school in Republic for 15 years before she had to quit and take care of her parents.  Anyway when we arrived she had a nice dessert for us.  She made homemade angel food cake for us with a wonderful glaze on it, ice cream and sweet tea.  Not of which was on my eating plan but I wouldn't say no to her for anything.  Then she told us she wanted to show us her quilts. 

This is the quilt she showed us.  Its made of thousands of small yo yo's.  They are about 1" each.  Helen told us it took her 10 years to make this quilt.  The fabrics are all from the 30's.  Helen also has a doll collection of over 200 dolls.  We assumed that she purchased dolls through the mail or in stores but we were wrong.  She purchased dolls at garage sales and thrift stores and restored them to how they looked brand new.  She made all their clothes.  If they needed new hair she bought wigs for them.  She dressed dolls for many ladies in the area.  I think she probably made extra money doing that. 

This is Blades Chapel.  Helen grew up in this church

and still attends to this church today.  The church was started by my our family on my Mom's side in the 1880's (I believe).  We went to church there on Sunday morning.  Its pretty small now days with 28 members.  I was really worried to attend a little church like that but it was wonderful.  Everyone spoke to us.  A lady also came to meet us who is related to us on our Grandpa Britain's side of the family.  So we are now in contact with her also.  My Mother also grew up in this church.  After church we drove back to Helen's and she fixed lunch for us.  She wouldn't let us help her at all.  After lunch Helen told us again she wanted to show us her quilts.  We talked about quilts for quite awhile and she showed us lots of them.  Many that our great grandmother Blades made.  Some that our great grandmother made and Helen and her mom finished years later.  After talking for awhile she opened the closet and brought out 2 bags.  Inside were the 2 quilts below.  She told us she wanted us to have them that they were made by our great grandmother Emma Blades.  She told us we could decide who got which one.  My sister then told me that I could pick the one I wanted since I quilt also.  I chose the red, black and white quilt on the left.  My sister got the 30's quilt on the right.  Helen also gave us several things that our great grandmother crocheted with thread.  I'll post pictures of those later.  We had a great time with both sides of our family.  Can't wait until we go back again.  Hoping it won't be 4 years again.



Finally Home

I'm home from a wonderful vacation to the Ozarks!  The first thing that happened was my main laptop died!  So I've lost all my bookmarks, lots of photos, some machine embroidery designs etc.  We are going to take it to Best Buy tomorrow and see if it can be fixed.  If it can't the next question will be can you get all my "stuff" off of it and onto a new laptop.  I'm not good at backup files so now I need to be make that my priority from now on.  I need to take some pictures and put them on my blog.  I have so much to share.
Until then happy stitching!

Happy Father's Day

This is a picture of my Dad back in the 1950"s some time.  He's so young in this photo.  We lost him in August of 1995.  I cannot believe he's been gone that long.  Dad didn't catch this fish one of his friends did.

I'm not going to post a picture of my 6 Fat Men SAL from last Monday because I hardly got anything stitched and I have a mistake which is going to stay just where it is.  I've counted over and over and over and still I make counting errors.  It makes me nuts!  I don't think I am ready to move onto even weaves yet. That's okay with me anyway I'm enjoying the ease of stitching on Aida still.

My daughter was here about 2 weeks ago.  We had a nice visit.  We planned on sewing but never got to the sewing room to turn on the machines.  Years ago I gave her all my DMC floss, the extras, 2 x stitch kits with the mats and frames, a piece of afghan cloth, one of the "gold" needles they use to put into the magazines when you had a subscription.  There were a few other things too.  It was so much fun to see what was in that box.  Then today I was going through a couple of boxes and found some older cross stitch charts that I saved to stitch someday.  One of these days I'm going to go through all my assorted "hobbies" and clear out what I won't ever use and organize it all.  Someday!

On Tuesday I fly to Oakland California.  On Wednesday my sister and I fly to Springfield Missouri on our annual "Sister's Vacation"  We're going back t visit our SpringMo cousins since they all tend to "stay put" as they call it.  We'll also be heading to Republic Missouri to visit our Mom's cousin and best friend Helen.  We'll be going to church with her on Sunday morning.  Its really exciting because this is the church my Mom grew up in.  Helen is 92 years young and has asked us to visit her again before she passes.  She's healthy and all but she really enjoyed meeting us and we her.  While we're there we're going to an outdoor college play or concert, back to Branson for another show and I believe there is also counted cross stitch shop there that I hope to visit also.  We'll be with the Ruyle cousins for a week and then we are going to spend 2 nights in Tulsa Oklahoma.  We're going to visit some antique stores and The Silver Needlework Cross Stitch Shop.  Its going to be another wonderful trip.

I will try and post a photo of my 6 Fat Men SAL tomorrow evening.  I won't be online for 12 days.  I'll be taking my ipad but sometimes I can't get online with it.  Hope everyone has a great day stitching or celebrating with the families.

Sandy

My First UFO Finish

I posted this picture back in May (I think).  I pulled it out of my old UFO box of cross stitch projects which I saved when I stopped cross stitching back in the mid 1990's.  It had to be around 1995 because that is the date on the bottom of the chart.  I didn't think I had Santa started but maybe I did.  Here's what it looked like about 3 weeks ago.  That's a guess.

And now its finished!  Well the stitching anyway.  It had a stain on it which came out when I cleaned the piece.  Its actually cuter looking at it in a photo than in my hand.  I can see the details of their faces better.  The finished stitching is about 4 inches x 6 inches.  I had a red plastic frame that was shaped like a house.  I knew I wouldn't use it so let it go.    Anyone have any ideas how to finish this other than framing?  At first I thought about cutting a foam core board the shape of the stitching and pinning/lacing it to the board.  Then what to do along the edges?  I'm open for suggestions if anyone has any.  I'm not in a hurry to finish it up.   

6 Fat Men SAL update June 4th

Here's my weekly update for the SAL.  I think I'm losing interest stitching it now.  I think its all the white!  I'm nearly done with "Snow Friends" which I had planned on finishing  Monday and then moving on to the birdhouse or at least the next block that is already started.  How's everyone else doing on there snowmen?

The weather here is just yucky this year.  I probably say that every year but I don't remember anymore.  Seems like its always raining.  I'm getting tired of the standard Washingtonian answer "that's why its so green here"!  I'm very anxious to find out if my husband will get a transfer to Texas this year or not.  I'll probably be sorry!  I do love Texas and would like to live there for awhile before we retire.  I love how soft my skin is there.  I've lived in the humidity before so I know what to expect.  We'll be close to Houston (about a 2 hour drive) so I will finally get to go to the big quilt show.  And right now I can't even remember what its called.  My husband was born in Texas and has a couple cousins there, his sister and her family and an aunt.  My sister's excited to visit but has demanded that we not retire there.  I won't do that.  I want to be close to my grand kids and my kids too!

Oh that reminds me.  I finished a UFO last night.  Its so nice to get those things finished.  I've got it soaking right now.  It had a stain on it but looks like it came out.  I'm actually surprised since its been packed away since around 1995.

I guess that's going to be my update for this week. Hope you are all busy stitching.

Lizzie Kate Summer Mystery

Lizzie Kate Summer Mystery

I was reading Lizzie Kate's Blog a few nights ago and came across a couple of photo's that she's posted as a little tease for everyone who's signed up to stitch it!  I sure like the colors.  This is going to be so pretty when finished.  I was a little bit worried that it might be a little to "Halloween" for me but this is going to fit right in.  Can't wait to start stitching it although we've probably got at least a month before we see it in the mail. 

6 Fat Men - May 28, 2012 Update

6 Fat Men SAL 5/30/12

I wish I could take a picture and it be straight.  I know one of my photo programs will do that but its not the one that the pictures open up in so...

I got a little tired stitching whitewash so I added another border.  I actually think I'm making progress.  I've started on my 3 skein of whitewash floss.  I think its Weeks DyeWorks.
I thought I would pass that on just in case anyone else has to order it.  Hoping next week to be able to get "Snow Friends" finished and then start on the empty frame which has a bigger house and you guessed it another snowman!

If you've been watching the news this past week you know that Seattle is having a really ruff time with senseless shootings.  Today alone we had 6 shootings with 4 of them not making it.  The local news has reported that the shooter was caught and that he shot himself in the head and died and then several hours later they changed that to he was still alive.  I just don't understand what is going through peoples minds.  Taking innocent lives isn't the answer to any ones problems.  Although they were talking that it may have something to do with a couple.  I have also heard that they think it has to do with the economy.  Over the last week we have had 11 shootings.  This time last year the news reported that we had 3.  That's to many too! 

IT MIGHT BE WOODY WOODPECKER!

On a lighter note this is a picture taken out of my sliding glass door in my backyard.  Can you see the redheaded woodpecker on the right tree about 2/3's the way up the tree?
We get many different birds here but this is one of my favorites.  He was huge!



My daughter and two of my grand kids will be here tomorrow for about 5 days.  I have no idea what well do for entertainment but we'll have to figure something out.  Maybe a ferry ride to Port Townsend or Friday Harbor.  We haven't been to either place in a long time.

Happy stitching!  Looking forward to seeing everyone's progress also!

Season's Baskets Lizzie Kate

After 7 weeks I finally got this back from Michael's Crafts.  I'll be positive for a few lines anyway.

I love the frame and although I only wanted a 1/4" showing all around we had to go with a larger amount to get frame made for it.

So if you can enlarge the photo you can see that to the left of the Autumn basket on the edge of the fabric there's a stain.  Yes a stain!  Wasn't there when I dropped it off and it wasn't there 2 weeks ago  When I picked the picture up yesterday evening there wasn't a stain on it.  By the time we got home (it was 3 hours later) and I took the brown paper off of it a stain started to show.   This morning the stain which I'm sure is some kind of oil was twice as big.  So I went off to Burlington to show them what had happened since picking it up.  I talked with the store's assistant manager and the guy who did the finishing.  He told me the stain was on it when he started framing it but it didn't show when he put the picture together.  I really like to give everyone the benefit of the doubt but someone in the store got oil on it.  Anyway they took the backing off and the stitching out.  They told me that there was no way that it could have come off the frame and that there wasn't any kind of "stuff" back in the work area that could have done it.  It amazes me that they framed 2 things for me in less than 6 months and screwed both of them up.  The assistant manager asked what she could do to make me happy.  I wasn't happy and I wasn't willing to put an even larger frame on it to add a mat and wait another 3 to 7 weeks to get it back again.  So I took my money back.  I have the frame and everything and will be taking the pins off the foam core and try to get the stain out.  If that doesn't work it could turn into a quilted wall hanging or if all else fails I could re-stitch the piece.  I never do anything more than once.  Well I have made 2 different quilts 2 times (they were lap size except for one which was a twin) but that is all.  I don't like to re-stitch charts over.  When I'm finished I'm finished no matter what it is. 

We haven't made any plans for the Memorial Day weekend other than:
1. Go to the dump.
2. Paint one of the guest rooms.
3. BBQ baby back ribs
4. Go on a bike ride everyday (weather permitting).
5. Go to the Farmer's Market tomorrow morning for scones and fresh veggies.
6. Stitch on my UFO from 1995
7. Monday I will stitch the day away on my 6 Fat Men SAL.

The weather is suppose to be nice again tomorrow but they are predicting rain for Sunday and Monday.  I just hate the gloom that is ever present in Western Washington.  I suffer from SAD
and its really hard to get out of bed on those mornings.

I hope you all have a safe and fun holiday!



Fat Men May 22, 2012 Update

Hope everyone stitching the "fat guys" got a chance to stitch yesterday.  I'm making progress.  I'm not going to worry about how much I get stitched any longer.  I'm a slow stitcher.  I should be finished with the second chart after stitching next Monday.

I'm still working on the Christmas UFO.  Looking at the chart (I can't believe I didn't make a working copy) it looks like I've made lots of progress but when I look at what I've already stitched it doesn't look like it.

Next, I'm  in the Yahoo Group Friendly Stitchers!  Gillie has just announced a Christmas?Winter Challenge and swap.  I can't decide if I should sign up or not.  I want to.  I have until June 21st to make up my mind.  I'm trying to find a chart to stitch.  I was a bit worried because there aren't to many new Christmas charts out yet but today she said we could get out of magazines from last year or check for a freebie!  I think I can even handle that.

Last Saturday I went to Auburn Washington for Pet Palooza with my rescue group.  We didn't get to many apps for Chihuahua's that I know of but today we got word that a vet tech put in an application for Shorty (yes Shorty the Chihuahua).  Shorty has Liver Shunts.  I'm not to sure what that is but I know he has to have special food and medication with each meal.  He can get very ill very fast.  He is the cutest little guy.  I held him all afternoon!  He's a tiny little white Chihuahua.  I think he may weight 3 pounds and that just might be soaking wet!  We're all very happy for Shorty!

In one month my sister and I leave for our "Sister Vacation"!  Every year we take a vacation together.  We are going to Springfield Missouri to visit our cousins again.  When we were growing up we only saw them once.  When my sister graduated from high school she and a friend drove back from Ventura California.  We went back 4 years ago and had a blast.  This time I will be looking for some cross stitch shops to check out also.  We fly into Tulsa Oklahoma and I've already found "The Sliver Needle" to visit there.  We'll also be going to Branson and I know there's a shop there also.  Wow - 3 new places to visit.  I probably should start making a list of the charts I have and the over dyed floss so I don't buy duplicates.  I do that way to often.  I don't mind when I buy floss I already have but a chart - not good!

Hope everyone is having a wonderful day stitching or even out in the garden enjoying the sunshine.  We are back to the gloomy weather here for a few more days.  We got a good 3 inches of rain in the last 2 or 3 days.

A Slow Start. . .

My day is off to a slow start.  I have lots of things to do but don't really want to do them.  I've hired a gal to come mop floors, clean bathrooms and dust etc every other week and I need to get some things put away so she can start - TOMORROW!!!  This house we live in has no storage in it.  Not the kind I'm use to anyway.  For some reason storing things like towels and linens under the bathroom sinks doesn't really do it for me.  That's where the storage is.  My husband has put shelves in the coat closet and taken a half bathroom apart and added shelves to it.  I've gotten rid of 6 large boxes of clothes which are to big but they were under the house in the storage room he built there.  So that didn't really help either.  (Re-reading that makes me think I'm nuts as there should be plenty of storage now but I guess we just have way to much "stuff")  I have 2 guess rooms which require bedding and extra towels.  I can also put up cots in another room so there's more bedding involved there also.  Sometimes we have as many as 10 extra people staying with us for vacations or holiday etc. 

Then my husband calls me from work a few minutes ago and asked if I'd like to live in The Netherlands for 4 years!!!  I said no!  I couldn't come up with a good reason except my family, my children and my fast growing grand kids all live here.  And my 5 Chihuahua's.  Another big reason is once I fly that far away over the ocean I'm not going to be doing it again for 4 years when I come back home.  I've agreed to move to Texas for 5 years!  I think that should be good.  I have to say I don't have an adventurous bone in my body.  I'm a real homebody!  I love being at home.  I usually don't go anywhere except for once a week when I will either go into the larger city 30 minutes away or go to Starbucks in the late afternoon with my husband and then we do the grocery shopping.  I live in a beautiful place but don't shop here because you can't buy anything but food, coffee or pizza.  We have two clothing shops.  One is for men and the other is for very tiny women. And very expensive.  The tiny people I know who shop there go for the clearance sales.   As you can see that's not me.  You can't buy socks, undies or shoes here nor clothes.  Sometimes you can buy sweatshirts at Walgreen's (a drug store).  They are cheap and look it too.  We do have a very nice kitchen store where everything is over priced. And now that the economy is so bad we have tons of thrift stores.  Every once in a while my husband and I will go downtown and walk through them.  I'm even lucky enough to find some of the glass that I collect at a great price.

I should stop complaining and be thankful the sun is shining today.  The birds are all singing and the dogs aren't barking - not right now anyway.  They've all been out on the back deck in the sunshine and it looks like they are all starting to wander back inside and claim their spots on my lap.

Sorry for the rant.  I'm going to go and do some stitching now and I'll get to putting that "stuff" away this afternoon!

Have a wonderful day what ever you decide to do with it!
Well the dogs are all barkng now since we just heard a rather big boom!  I think it was the trash truck!

Time for a 6 Fat Men SAL Update

I feel like I made some progress on the 6 Fat Men this week.  On Sunday night my husband went in for a sleep study.  And when he's gone over night for business or in this case his health I tend to stay up late.  Real late.  So at midnight (it was Monday then) I pulled out my project and stitched for about 90 minutes.  Then I was able to stitch on it later in the afternoon and evening again. 

It was amazing that there is nothing in TV on Sunday nights late.  I did happen across a TV channel that I've never seen before.  It has old movies from the 1980's and then some other old TV shows.  I watched this old movie with Bo Bridges
and Susan Serandon (spelled that wrong) in it.  It was about this crazy young man.  Of course I missed the first half hour which must have had all the important details in it.  I finished it and at 1AM The Outer Limits came on.  That show is as good today as it was back then.  I really enjoyed watching 2 of them.  Did The Outer Limits always have spaceships or aliens in it?

I went by Michael's yesterday to check on my Lizzie Kate Season's Baskets that I dropped off in April.  I checked 2 weeks ago the day it should have been ready and it wasn't.  So anyway it took 2 gals about 15 minutes to finally find it.  I was getting ready to panic.  I rarely stitch, sew or quilt anything twice and this would be no exception.  Finally she came out with it in a folder.  It had been pinned and the note with it said they couldn't get a frame 4 1/2".  Geez I wonder how long that had been sitting there with the note attached.  So I agreed to have them add a 1/2" to the width and the length.  She wasn't wanting to do the length but did agree.  I got a phone call this morning that the frame had been ordered and they had put a rush on it.  I've decided that from now on I'm going to be framing my own needlework like I did in the past.  It all turned out every bit as good as the job they do there.  I can even order the pretty frames and spend less money.  Why didn't I think of that the first time.  I'll have to find a place to have glass cut.  We have a couple frame shops in town and with the savings on gas I can get it here.

I haven't started on any new projects but continue to work on the UFO I pulled out last Wednesday.  I still haven't put the needle book together but did get more floss to stitch the scissor fob and the pincushion.

Hope everyone is having a great week with lots of warm weather and plenty of stitching.

The Workbasket website

http://www.theworkbasket.net/free

I love acorns!  I was reading a blog post where they had an acorn exchange.  The acorn was cross stitched and I just had to have that pattern.  It was sewn into a needlebook.  I finally found the site.  Its called The Workbasket.  This site has some very nice free cross stitch patterns.  Now if only my printer would print.  Its always something in the computer world isn't it?  I can't wait to stitch this little beauty!

I hope everyone is enjoying their weekend.  Here in Anacortes its actually sunny and warm!  Very warm!  I havn't put a single x to fabric in 2 days now.  But I've been reading a lot of blogs and finding some fun things.

Sandy

Lizzie Kate Mystery Club

I just signed up for the Lizzie Kate Mystery Club through Bush Mountain Stitchery.  I hope her prices are good because I didn't check around.   I believe the first chart is being mailed on June 27th!  You can order just the 3 charts (one a month for 3 months) and then you can add to it with a special color (I guess) fabric, and the Weeks Dye Works threads.  The owner Maeann won't charge your credit card until she ships and she is offering free shipping.  I've never done a mystery but I do love Lizzie Kate's designs so it should be a fun stitch.

Anyone else going to join in on the Lizzied Kate Mystery Club with me? 

Hummingbirds

I just had the most incredible thing happen.  My sliding door was open and I heard this buzzing noise and saw something buzzing by.  I thought not another bee!  It got behind the mini blinds and couldn't get out.  I realized it was to big to be a bee.  It was a beautiful hummingbird.  I got the broom to chase it out of the house.   That didn't work so after a few tries I decided to try and pick it up.  I expected it to fly away.  It didn't.  It sat in my hand and let me look at it.  It wasn't in a panic.  It was the most amazing creature.  I was so excited that I didn't even think to take a picture of it in the window or in my hand. 

Wednesday's at My House

On Wednesday's my friend Jo Ann from Mount Vernon comes to Anacortes and we stitch together.  We've done this on and off for the last 3 years.  Originally we made cards for Chihuahua Rescue and Referral where we met.  She was new to the group and we just hit it off.  Together we made cards.   We finally stopped making cards as we had more than we could ever sell.  Then we got together and would go to lunch, chat and watch "Hoarders" on TV.  

Anyway on Monday I worked on my 6 Fat Men SAL, on Tuesday I was sick most of the day and also tried to decide which chart I wanted to stitch next.  On Wednesday I just couldn't decide so I pulled my UFO box out.  It has about 6 unfinished cross stitch Santa's in it along with a set of 6 wool felt Christmas mittens ornaments and a sampler stitched over 2 on linen!  The mittens are complete except for blanket stitching them together.  I hate to blanket stitch because of spacing. I decided to pull out one of the Santa's and started working on it.  The date on the bottom of the chart is 1995!  When my husband and I married back in 1986 I started cross stitching a Mr and Mrs Santa ornament for us each year.  I have about a dozen.  In the UFO box are 3 more plus I've also found a set online and printed them out.  I'll never catch up but I do have a nice "collection" anyway. 

The picture is of the one I decided to finish first.  I don't have the red plastic frame anymore.  I'm sure I made the decision back in 1995 that I wasn't going to use it.  I'm thinking about making it into a wall hanging so I'll be going into that quilting fabric so some fabric! 

I hope everyone has a project their working on whether its a brand new chart, a SAL or a UFO!  I'm hoping for great progress on this one until Monday when I can again work on my 6 Fat Men SAL.
Have a great weekend, hope you all have sunny skies and warm weather!

6 Fat Men SAL Monday May 7,2012 progress

My progress seems so slow to me.  I know I say this every week.  I haven't checked the other 11 gals who are stitching along with me.  I should start another project but I'm afraid to start to many things at one time.  If I were really smart I would get out the box of UFO's from the 1990's and work to complete them.  I'll take a picture of whats in that box and post it soon.  The first chart "Snowed In" is complete except for the random white x stitches.  I'm thinking about stitching white seed beads there.  Anyone thinking about adding any beading to their snowmen?

Stitcher's Paradise 2

Stitcher's Paradise

These two pictures are my new charts that I bought at Stitcher's Paradise in Las Vegas.  I also purchased 2 magazines.  One is the 2006 Ornament magazine and I can't remember what the last was was.  I love the Shaker pin cushion and will have to keep an eye out for a chart that will fit it.  I almost bought the Shaker box that matched it but it was $149.00 and I decided NOT!  I do collect Shaker boxes and have a high school friend who makes them.  Her husband teaches wood working at the community college in Escondido CA.  She took his class and is now making her own boxes.  I have a new picture of one she just finished, I should also post it. 

Since returning from Las Vegas I've gotten a chest cold.  I actually never get sick.  The last time was 4 years ago when I caught that nasty flu going around.  We were in New York for 2 days and I was fine but the morning we woke up to start the cruise part of our trip (New England - Fall Colors) I was sickly.  During the cruise it rained and rained and rained.  It was so bad that the pockets in my rain coat filled up with water and melted my cough drops!  I trudged along and had a great time.  When we were at the airport to fly home they had a sign that listed to warning signs of this flu going around and I had all but one!  It took months to get over it.  I sure hope its gone soon.

And lastly this is a needle book that I stitched and its ready to finish up.  I haven't really decided how to finish it yet so it maybe sitting for awhile also.  Its a set I down loaded from a website.  There's also a pin cushion, a scissor finder and a scissor holder.  I plan on stitching them all.  I'll have to go to JoAnn's and get more of the DMC varigated thread.  I think I will stitch some of the pieces solid peach.