Wow - What a day!

 Great news at the doctor and then I came home to packages on the porch.  Wow!!  I now have a second quilt from PG Peddler!!  I love the bright spring colors and the idea of tulips.  I have a wall I want to hang this on.  I also have a wool bee keep table runner and a snowman quilt pattern.  I was also blessed with some fabric pieces!  Fall colors but tht is okay.  I am slowly getting into quilting and playing with the sewing machine.  I am thrilled.  Oh and some stash arrived.  Hanson Design's first in a series which makes up into small pillows.  There is a Just Nan band sampler which might have to be my next project.  Also some Easter egg cross stitch pattern.  Wow oh Wow!

This afternoon,which sun streaming in, I finished up the Keepsake box cover.  I hope to put it together tomorrow.  I am getting so spoiled with a finish every day or two.  This will stop once I start something a bit larger.  Meanwhile this is so pretty. 

Three Projects Today

 Do Your Best by Lizzie Kate is ready to be made into a pillow!!  I have just a few stitches to do in order to finish this one early today.  Then I moved on to the pin cushion that goes with it.

Quick and easy.  It will be made into a rather long strawberry pin cushion.  I am pleased to say it was started and completed today.

Then I moved on to yet another Victoria Sampler.  I have a need for a few quick gifts and this will be one!  This is Keepsake Music Box.  Today I finished the flower side and started on the small hardanger that will fit into the top of the music box.  This will be another quick finish.

Visitors and Loving Friends Finishing

These visitors spent the whole afternoon resting just off my back porch.  The munched and napped and kept my attention.  They didn't seem to care that I was watching them.  I took this photo through the back door window.  I just love to see the creatures around my house.

I was inside and busy.  Today was the last class for Loving Friends.  The music box was completed early this morning.  During the class I made the cording, put together the fob and the mattress pin cushion.  I put pink fabric behind the stitchery and then found a pair of pink scissors to go with the whole project.  Very cool.

Let The Quilting Begin

Today I finally found my nerve and put together the first two quilt blocks for a project called Woodland Creatures.  You purchase the kits with laser cut pieces.  So really all you have to do is trim, peel and stick.  Reminds me of paper dolls from days gone by.  LOL.  The trick was to not have too hot an iron.  Today I did a bit of a test and then I jumped in and did this. 

The next process involves stitching the edges of each piece with the machine or my hand.  The squirrel picture has a dragon fly in the upper right corner but no wings were in the kit.  I called today and they are suggesting organza fabric and that won't do well with laser cutting.  I will have to dig in the stash and see what I find.  I am thinking that some hand stitching with specialty stitches might be called for.  It is  start.  Two down and many more to go. 

Do Your Best Continues....

I worked on the new cross stitch today.  As usual, I thought I could finish it today but that didn't happen.  I still have the house and the little parts to do.  I do want to say thank you for all the nice comments of late. I do appreciate them.  I love seeing them. 

New Scissors Fob and another start....

The scissors fob is done!!  I certainly have a lot of finishing to do.  Maybe tomorrow?  Meanwhile I decided that after all the hardanger and fussy stuff, I want to work on a plain cross stitch.  So here we go!

This is Lizzie Kate's Do Your Best.  I was able to get a good start on it.  I am hoping that today will be considered the last day of winter.  It was very cold and windy.  The long range forecast shows temperatures rising, some sunshine and a bit of rain.  RAIN!!  Not snow or ice?  Wow - - I hope it stays that way.

Red Tulip Needle book DONE!

Just this evening, I finished the Red Tulip Needle Book project.  I was confused by some of the filling stitches, but I think they look okay.  The instructions lacked a bit.  The red on red doesn't show up too well in the photo.  Next up is a scissors fob and then finishing, as always.

I also trimmed and put the cabin that I finished just the other day in the frame it was intended for.  It will be a necklace.  Meanwhile, another snow storm?  It appears that it will be going south of us and that would be a good thing.  I think everyone in the northeast is sick of winter and ready for spring.  I saw a squirrel stuck to my maple tree.  The sap is running.  The deer are prancing around and the turkeys are fluffing their feathers.  They all think spring is coming.....  the tons of snow that we still have is making most of think that spring will never get here.

Loving Friends - Done

I have been doing so many things but not doing my cross stitch.  I seem to take time off from it when I get super stressed.  Hopefully things will calm down now and I can return to stitching.  Today I was determined to finish several things.  As usual, I had bigger ideas than my fingers could do.  I did finish the hardanger and all parts of Loving Friends. 

I then turned my attention to the 'over one' project.  Sure I can finish that as well.  Not really.  I did get the border done.  Next up is the cabin and trees.  Working over one is a challenge.  I also hope to get the finishing started on Loving Friends.  Our Stitcharama class was postponed until next week.  Could I have it all done by then?

I am Back! More Snow and Stitching.

I am so sorry, dear readers, that I have been missing lately.  I have been having a horrible time as the anniversary of Jack's death was approaching.  I will admit it.  When the day came, I was much calmer than the time before the date.  I took some time off.  I have been busy trying to get a new computer up to speed.  (Computers take a lot of time!)  I have hardly touched a needle. 

We did have another snow storm.  The wild life was having so much fun in my back yard.  I did get a few photos.

 Meanwhile I am trying to get back to my Victoria Sampler Loving Friends piece.  This is the top of the mattress pin cushion.  I am currently working on the hardanger while the computer churns away.

I also had a delivery today.  I have always like bright colors.  To celebrate the fact that I have lost 20 pounds I purchased a new wool cape.  I love the colors and the embroidery. 

Spring? Where is it?

Recently we have been hit with yet another huge storm. I haven't been able to stitch but I have had lots of time to watch the snow.  I thought I would share.  By The Way - - the table was clear before the storm......

Where did the benches surrounding the deck go?  You can't see all the tracks but my yard has been very busy with deer and turkeys.  Fun to watch.

I am ready for St Pat's Day

 Today I received a gift!  A lucky shamrock.  So I guess I am ready for St. Patrick's Day.  I wonder how long this lucky shamrock will live at my house.  I tend to kill most plants that I have anything to do with.  We shall see.....

I started work on the mattress pin cushion to with my the Loving Friends project.  So far it is only the kloster blocks but with heavy snow due tomorrow, I should have lots of time to work in this new little project.

Loving Friends Box Top

 I did it!!  I finished the box top today.  Including the beads!!!  I am now officially over the fear of cutting fabric during the day.  Thea suggested changing the order of cutting and fill stitching.  This required that I do the hemstitching before the diagonal part of the hardanger.  So I had to make a few adjustments and do a little extra.  It also meant that I had to cut fabric threads after doing some of the stitching and then do more cutting.  So - - I had to learn to just be careful and cut.

This is my new best gadget.  It is called a Bead Smith mat.  It is rubbery.  It is that new material.  It sticks to things and things stick to it and it can be rinsed off and used over and over.  It holds beads on my fabric just fine.  I love the darn little thing.  I found this one at Amazon.  Super cheap.  Very useful.  They also make bigger ones but this is small enough for stitching.

VS Class today - Loving Friends

Last night I realized that I had a class today.  So I got out the kit and started it.  Tonight this is what it looks like.  I made great progress.  It isn't very big and will go into the top of a music box.  I want to get the cross stitch done tonight and then tomorrow do the hardanger and drawn threads part.  This chart also includes a mattress pin cushion and scissors fob.  Next class for this is two weeks away.

Stitching continues - -

 This project is red on red.  Well the floss is perle and is a variegated red with orange and pink shades.  I have made some progress on this one. 

Meanwhile the family is welcoming Bo Patrick.  I am a great aunt again!!!   I had this ready to go so I just added the name and will try to get it framed tonight.  I better get busy.

Premium Craft Time and a bit of stitching

 Today I was able to spend some time in my craft room.  I put together the Easter Lizzie Kate Song of Spring pillow, the bunny fob and then Cathy Jean's Faith bird ornament from JCS magazine.  It was fun to get so much done.

Then I returned to the red on red hardanger piece.  I didn't get a lot done but I did get some done.

Another one done! Start some RED!

Cathy Jean's Faith Christmas ornament from last year's ornament issue.  I started and finished it in my craft room this morning.  Yippee Skippy!!!  I love getting things done.  I really do need to sit and do the 'finishing' for so many pieces.  One of these days.

Then I started this red on red hardanger needle book from Nordic Needle.  I did not get very far but I made a good start.  I have been having trouble going in and enjoying my craft room.  It has been a struggle for me.  I did some soul searching the day before yesterday - - I considered getting some professional advice - - I finally think I have figured it out.  The last two days I have spent most of my time in that room and I am so grateful.  It feels great.

Count Them - - Two Finishes!!

Lizzie Kate's Song of Spring was a fairly quick stitch.  It will be made into a pillow one of these days.  I did spend quite a bit of time in my craft room today.  I was putting away a year's worth of magazine charts and freebies.  I have them all organized in binders, backed up with an Excel spreadsheet and in labeled.  I have almost 1000 entries.  There is not enough hours in the day to do all that stitching!!

Once I was done with the main event, I did this little bunny that is to be made into a scissors fob.  He was also a very quick stitch.  What to do next?  Tap-Tap-Tap.  Back to the afghan or something else?

Love Is Patient......

Today I did the framing.  I am leaving it until tomorrow and then I will put the stays in the back and the hanger on the top.  I used black fabric behind it as it seemed appropriate.  I did this over the last 15 months.  I used this design as the basis for the top of Jack's box.  I want to hang this sampler close to where the box now sits.  I will change the frame in the future.  My son plans to make a frame from the same wood that was used to make the box.  Until that is done, I wanted to be able to hang this before the anniversary.  The anniversary of Jack's death looms large before me.  I cry just thinking about it.  As much as I am happy to put February in the rear view mirror, I am fearful of March.