Is it really the 25th again????

Fa la la.....it's the 25th again and time for

this month's "You & I" Ornament exchange.

Not quite sure where this month went....

feels like I settled in for a long winter's nap!

(well...maybe a summer's thanks to the heat)

The Workbasket "Quaker Christmas Holly"

Freebie

Stitched on 36ct.linen w/Victorian Motto

I found this freebie in my stash and
decided it needed to be stitched this month. 
My first one was stitched with one thread
over two and the coverage was a little suspect
so I stitched the next one two threads over two.  

Much better...

I decided to leave the middle blank and not

add the year....just didn't like the look of "11".

After looking at the design again to

give credit to the designer I also

realized I forgot to add the beads....

oops!

I like it though and I hope this month's

receipient will like it too.  

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And  this month's exchange partner is......

Julie

Julie's and Yes Dear's Ravings

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This month has been crazy with
work and football games each weekend. 
Sure hope it slows down some so I can
get some more stitching done. 

Well....I'm off to the beach for work!   

Life can be so hard sometimes. 

Hope you have a great day....

happy stitching.

"Harvest Moon"....

I just couldn't resist stitching this little fall goodie

from Nan at Threadwork Primitives. 

Threadwork Primitives "Harvest Moon"

stitched on 32ct Sand linen w/Victorian Motto & WDW thread

I knew the finishing fabric I wanted to use so

I chose a piece of linen from my stash as well

as my thread colors to match.   Hopefully I

can finish this as a cute little pillow 

to add to my fall collection.  

This certainly puts me in the mood for some

cool, crisp autumn nights...unfortunately I will

most likely have a long wait here in

South Carolina.  

Fall usually lasts about a week (if we are lucky...)

for us and this usually occurs in late

October/early November!

I shall wait.

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My other favorite love begins tonight.....

.....college football....

I definitely know that fall is in the air when

the ball goes in the air.  Although it will be

97 degrees on Saturday afternoon as the we

kickoff in Death Valley (Go Tigers!), I can at 

least dream of the cooler times to come.......

ahhhhh fall......

happy weekend!

"A Flock of Birds"......

BBD "A Flock of Birds" from My Heart is True

stitched on 32 ct coffee-dyed blue/white gingham

w/ my DMC selections

Something about this design stitched on the

gingham just spoke to me the first time I
saw it.   I don't know what it is about it but
it still does now that I have stitched it. 

I did make a few changes
(both planned & unplanned)
to suit my taste.

Hopefully this one won't linger in the

unframed pile too long.

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Stitching time this month has been very limited

due to my work schedule but I hope to remedy

this as things should settle down this week. 

Like most of you, I am being drawn to the

fall & halloween designs.  I picked up
the new JCS Halloween issue so hopefully
 I will get some stitches in this week. 

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I sure hope all of my northern friends made it

through Irene with no major damage or loss.

happy stitching....

August Ornament exchange....

Comedy of errors.....that about sums up this month's exchange!

 

LK "Christmas Treats"

stitched over 1 25 ct. white evenweave

with DMC and overdyed

I have always loved this design
(click here to see orignal) 
and thought I might change it up a bit! 
Nothing says Christmas to me like red and
white and I do like the way it turned out.  
I had this great backing fabric too that
I wanted to use.  Despite my issues from
thread bleeding to finishing, I am at
least happy to say they are done.  

And this month's lucky exchange partner is....

Nicole

Something for Cole

(who became a grandmother this morning...
she had a really good day!)

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P.S.   Not a good idea to do the finishing
after a bad day at work.....

Don't you love that fabric?

Can you guess which one Nicole
will be receiving?????

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On a side note, I made a quick trip to the
Carolina Stamper while in  Beaufort this
weekend and was excited to see this....

Works great for both paper and fabric!  
Upon closer inspection, I notice something is
amiss. Seems there is a little chunk of land
missing between Beaufort & Charleston
.... beach erosion maybe???  
I guess I can live with it.
  

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As always...thanks for visiting!
Now back to stitching!

Flock of Blackbirds......

One blackbird.....

 

BBD "Their Song'
32ct. LL Buttercream w/

GA/ST/Victorian Motto threads

I put the last stitch in this one last night and have

to say this has to be one of my favorite BBD

designs.   (Well....until I stitch the next!)

I used Victorian Motto reds and greens

and love the slight difference in color

it gave the design.

  

I almost hated to see this one end.

Two blackbirds.....

BBD sample from "Willow House"

(photo courtesy of Karen R)

I participated in the F&S BBD Exchange 

awhile back and never did post my

stitched piece to Karen R. 

(Oops... I realized I forgot to take a

picture of my finish so I had to borrow Karen's. ) 

I took a little snippet from the design and 

realized how versatile BBD designs are with

so many "small designs" within one large design.

 

Three blackbirds....

I spent last Saturday with Amy and picked

up some of the BBD books I just couldn't

live without a moment longer!  I have 

been searching for Peppermint & Holly

and was so excited to see DSL had a few

copies.  Fearing I would miss my chance to

get some of the other books, I decided I

better not wait!

and Four.....

From "My Heart is True"

When I saw this design, I knew that

I just had to stitch it....now!   Amy had the

blue gingham linen and, after a nice soak

in a coffee bath, my needle is ready to go. 

I am using DMC for this one and will give the

linen another dip once stitched.

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Well...if you made it this far, thanks for visiting!  

Hoping you are enjoying cooler days and

happy stitches....

LK "Good Night Santa"....

 

About a month ago Angela over at the Lizzie Kate Lovers Blog suggested a weekly LK Stitching Day.  I figured I could squeeze this into my Crazy Challenge stitching so I jumped right in.

 

LK "Good Night Santa '04"

Stitched on 18 ct. Aida with DMC

 

 Four weeks later I have another finish. 

I love Santa in his striped pajamas!  Such a

nice change from the traditional Santa garb.   Hopefully this one will be finished as a flatfold or cube before this Christmas.  I can't  believe I was able to finish it in a month only stitching one

day a week.   I would love to finish all of these

annual Santas so I am off to find another to start next week.

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I am so close to finishing BBD "Their Song"

but I am supposed to be doing my stitching

for the Pals retreat in October.  I just can't put down those blackbirds so I think I will

trudge ahead and hopefully be back soon with

my next Challenge finish.

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Thanks for visiting.......

happy stitching and stay cool!

July Ornament Exchange.....

Yes...it is time again for the You & I ornament exchange and I decided to do a another freebie from Kincavel Crosses.  

Kincavel Crosses "Beaded Humbug"

Stitched on 22 ct hardanger w/ DMC

This is my second one and will match my
April ornament.   

Lady Kell of Kincavel has some wonderful freebies and you should check them out.   I also want to stitch the snowflake humbug freebies to add to my ornament collection so don't be surprised if you see some more of these!

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My lucky "exchange" partner this month is....

Deborah

Cranberry Samplings

If you would like to be my "partner", you just have to be a follower.  Easy peasy....

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July has been my "Challenge" month and I have been busily stitching on BBD "Their Song" and CHS "Frederick".   I am enjoying stitching both so I just keep alternating between the two.   It would be great if I can I finish "Their Song" before month end.  Just got to keep on stitching.

As always, thanks for your wonderful comments and taking time to visit my blog.  

Happy stitching and stay cool!

So close.......

I was so close to having another Challenge

finish last weekend. 

I was stitching away on BBD's "Its Berry Time" and had sneaky feeling that I was going to run out of thread with just the alphabet left to stitch.  I was using Victorian Motto's Plum so I shot off a quick email to Nancy to see if she had some more.  Luckily, she was able to identify just the dye lot I needed and I got my package of threads (I couldn't order just one skein now could I?) yesterday.

Just a few hours stitching and I

finally have my finish.....

BBD "It's Berry Time"

Stitched on 35ct WDW Linen w/

Victorian Motto Plum

I really love the color of this one and will add it to the framing pile.   I really need to work on a "framing plan" so I can rescue some of these finishes from seclusion.  Guess I need to go buy that lottery ticket.......

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 We spent a few days in Charleston and Pawleys Island the first of the week.  The weather was just perfect for walking and touring.  I had forgotten how pretty Charleston is and the food is wonderful too. The best thing I had was the

Southern Grilled Crab and Pimento Cheese Melt

w/ Fried Green Tomatoes 

found at the Boone Hall Farms Market.  

I can not describe to you how good this was...yummy!

We headed up the road to spend a day at the beach.  While at Pawley's Island, I decided to make a quick trip to the Quilter's Cottage  located right up the road in Garden City.  

I certainly didn't need any more fabric but decided I should come home with some type of "souvenir" and I think this filled the bill.   If you are ever in the Myrtle Beach area, it is definitely worth the trip to visit.

We are home for today and will head out Thursday morning to Tennessee for a few days.  Sure hope we find cooler weather too! Hopefully I can work in some stitching time during the ride.

Well...I'm off to work on my ornaments since the 25th will be here before I know it. 
As always...thanks for visiting and happy stitching!

"Dampy Sod"....

And then there were 9.....

Primitive Needle "Dampy Sod"
Stitched on 40ct. Purely Primitive w/
WDW and Sampler Threads

.....Crazy Challenge finishes that is.  

I have been stitching on and off for a
couple of months on this design and decided it
was time to finish it.   I loved this saying the
first time I saw it and like it even more now
that it is finished.  This was my first design
from Lisa but not my last. 

Now up on the q-snaps will be BBD "It's Berry Time".  I have been stitching on this one by and by also so hopefully I can finish it this week. 

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Six months into this challenge, I do have an
observation.  I was usually a one project girl so I
was a little nervous when I decided to do it.  It
would normally drive me crazy to have more
than one or two big WIP at a time. 

Boy have I changed! 

I love having so many great choices when I pick up my stitiching bag.  If I get tired of one, I just have to reach in for another.  Even better, I have finished some designs that have been languishing in my "To Do" pile for years.  In short, I think I have been more productive this year and hope to keep up this "rotation" going forward.  Even though I have 6 remaining in my bag, I am already looking ahead at my next 15!  

Unfortunately my "To Frame" pile has grown
but that is a problem I don't mind having!

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As always, thanks for visiting and all of your
wonderful comments.  They do make me smile.
Happy stitching.....and stay cool!

"Americana" finish.....

Just in time to celebrate the 4th of July,

I put the last stitch in this morning....

CHS "Americana"

Stitched on 32ct Buttercream

w/ DMC

This is number 8 in my Crazy January Challenge.  Another great design from CHS!  

I really should have finished this one last week but just couldn't find my stitching mojo. 

With a little help from the Law & Order

marathon yesterday, I found it and

spent the day happily stitching.   

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Stitching at the Beach- Oct 2011 

  It will be here before we know it and I need to get busy stitching all of my goodies.  I also need to get my registration in so I don't miss all of the fun.  If you haven't heard of this wonderful stitching retreat, please check it out...it's not too late but seems like it is filling up quickly. 

Hope to see you there.

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For my Amercian friends, I hope you

are enjoying the 4th holiday!

Happy stitching.