Third time's the charm....

Well..I have wanted to finish this the prior two weekends but to no avail. I was able to join some new stitching friends yesterday and made good progress. I put the last stitch in Saturday night and am really happy with it. Hopefully, I can have it framed soon. I think I will celebrate by starting something new.

La D Da "Old Glory Angel"

Ah....the joys of finishing. I spent some time today working on finishing and it proved to be a chore! I was so hoping to have a lot of stuff to show, but it is only half-way done.

Trying to find just the right fabric led to reorganizing my bin of fabric and that resulted in a two hour diversion. Once I got back on track, my sewing machine started giving me fits and my patience wore thin. After some tough love and choice words, it began to cooperate and I trudged through. I still need to stuff the little pillows and ornaments but hope to finish this week. Had hoped to stitch today but it just never came to be. Oh well....think I will make it an early evening. Happy stitches!

Totally Useless SAL...

Well....here is this month's progress on my Totally Useless SAL.

Doesn't look like much progress from last month's post, but I promise I stitched! Yes, I have been stitching and hope to share some pics this weekend. This week has been very busy at work so my evenings were spent being lazy! Now...to cruise around and see everyone else's progress on the SAL. Happy stitches!

New start and some stitching questions.....

Well ...I just couldn't help myself. Since I am down to one current WIP, "Old Glory Angel", I gave into the temptation to start something new.

I have had BBD "Autumn Bouquet" kitted for awhile and finally started it this week. I am stitching it on 22 ct. over 2 mainly because I love the fabric color and I had it in my stash. So it is going to be rather large finished. I have a long wall that I want to hang this on so the finished size should be about 30 inches wide. I really like the muted colors of the design, which makes it look so "vintage", and it almost has a "stamped" cross stitch look. Very pretty!


Starting this design made me think about starting and stitching. Where do you start a new design.... in the middle or in the top corner? I always start in the middle...I guess I don't trust myself to start anywhere else! Through my blog hopping, I notice that a lot people seem to start at the top or in the corner. Just curious why this may be your preferred way to start?

I have also noticed that people seem to stitch a design completely from top to bottom or left to right, regardless of the number of color changes involved. Do you stitch this way? I am pretty much erratic and will stitch all over the place! ( It is the same when I mow the grass... I never mow in straight lines, but tend to go all over the yard! Just makes it more interesting.) Just curious if this is your preferred method to stitch and why?

I have been stitching on "Old Glory Angel" and only have to fill in her dress, which I should definitely finish this weekend. I also have two ornaments ready to start and will try to stitch those next week if I finish the Angel. Too many designs.....so little time! Oh well....time for bed. Sweet dreams and happy stitches!

Happy St. Patrick's Day....

"Everyone's Irish on St. Patrick's Day"

May flowers always line your path and sunshine light your day.
May songbirds serenade you every step along the way.
May a rainbow run beside you in a sky that's always blue.
And may happiness fill your heart each day your whole life through.
~Irish Blessing

UFO finish of another sort.....

Warning.....this is not a stitching related UFO finish in any way, but does involve beer so please leave if you are not of the legal drinking age! Yeah....right....

No...this UFO finish involves the "golden liquid"....yes beer! My hubby and I are beer connoisseurs and love trying new styles of beer. I know most people conjure up a different image when someone says they like beer (Budweiser come to mind?) so I use the word "connoisseur". We really appreciate the taste of a well crafted beer and it sounds so sophisticated?!?!!? Anyway....three years ago Andy and I joined the UFO club at the Flying Saucer. If we consumed 200 different...let me stress different beers, we would be honored for eternity in the "Ring of Honor" with a gold plate memorializing our accomplishment. Well...it actually took a little under 3 years, but we accomplished our feat on February 21, 2009. Yes, we both drank 200 different beers! During this time I came to appreciate a variety of different styles of beer with my favorite being stouts and porters. Oh well....I digress....

To mark this momentous occasion, we also were treated to a "Plate Party" so that we could celebrate with our closest friends as our plates were hung on the wall.

Our plates!

We had a blast and enjoyed the rainy afternoon with some great beers, good food and enjoyable company.

We joked whether this was my best accomplishment at this point in my life. Upon reflection, I think my major accomplishments thus far would be ...

First...Of course, marrying my sweetie
Second...finishing my MBA
Third... finishing Barbara & Cheryl's "Rainbow Row" (only took 9 years)
Fourth - Fifty-fifth ... the other cross stitch projects I have finished with pride
Fifty-sixth.....my plate!

My most favorite beer I tried? Without a doubt...Young's Double Chocolate Stout...yes it is made with chocolate. It is rich, creamy, smooth....oh so good! You can even make an ice cream float with it and it is to die for.
My least favorite beer? Leinenkugel's Sunset Wheat. I don't know if it was stale or the tap was bad, but this was absolutely the worst beer. I had to choke it down....but I did.

Oh well..kudos to my hubby and me!

Hubby & me!

Yes...I have already started working on my second plate and have already had 11 of the 200! Oh....can imagine how much stash I could have bought with all of that money?????

Oh well... if you made it this far reading...thanks for visiting....Cheers!

Put a fork in it.......

La D Da "Bushel & Peck"
18 ct. Lambswool with DMC

it is done!!!! I love this design, but it has been getting on my last nerve since the weekend. I ran out of the border thread...twice, it was cumbersome to stitch the border because the fabric was so large and I couldn't use a frame, and I probably frogged one stitch for every two I put into the border! To make matters worse, my craft room has been 80 degrees since Saturday and I refuse to turn on the A/C. Of course, I can't blame anyone but myself, but it definitely altered my stitching mood! Okay...now I do feel better. After a quick trip to Joanns after work, I was ablet o pick up the thread and finish it. I do love it!


I am still stitching La D Da "Old Glory Angel" and should be able to finish it this weekend. I started both these about the same time and have been alternating between them. I usually stick to one project at a time, but deciding to start two things at the same time. I actually liked it since they were different and I could pick what I wanted to stitch each night . For some reason, I felt more productive since I could see progress on two designs....sure it is all mental since I wasn't really stitching any faster. Anyway, I think I like it...so I need to pick out my next project to start. May stitch an ornament or two before starting larger. Decisions, decisions...

On a side note, while I was in Joanns, they had their packaged DMC 28ct linen for $1.97 per package (reg. price was $7.99). I just had to splurge and bought 8 packs. Though I am on a "stash diet", I just couldn't resist such a great deal. I justified as my way of "stimulating" the economy...it was the American thing to do. Right?!?!

Thanks for looking. Happy stitches.....

Use It Challenge #1....

Rae Barthel is an extremely talented papercrafter and I love visiting her blog. She has started a new weekly challenge, Use It, inviting papercrafters to create using their existing stash! Like many, I have become a collector of paper, ribbon, embellishments, stamps, punches....oh the list could go on forever! Since I am trying to reduce my stitching stash, it only seems fitting that I also reduce my paper stash and make some cards in the process. You can never have too many handmade cards!

I am joining her challenge this week with a simple thank you card made from my paper scraps. Per the challenge, I am using a button, ribbon and rub-on I have had for a while. I just love pink and orange together...it is always so fresh and springy! I am so excited about this challenge and invite you to join in if you love papercrafts too! Even if you don't papercraft, I do invite you to visit Rae's blog. Her work is very creative and beautiful.

Quick finish for March SAL....

Lizzie Kate "Flip-It Stamps-March"
Finished in acrylic magnet frame

I finished my March SAL with the Needleworker's Haven monthly SAL. I started stitching these and couldn't figure out how to finish them. I had these square magnet frames and voila....a perfect fit. Best part is it will be useful on my fridge.

Now...back to La D Da's "Bushel & Peck". I am so close to finishing this one. I have loved this design, but I am stitching on a large piece of fabric. Trying to deal with it is getting on my last nerve! Ever felt this way about a project? I love it but will be so glad when it is done!!!! Thanks for looking and happy stitches....

Major Happppppy Dannnnnnce........

I picked up these up today and I absolutely love them!!!!! Since we are in a new town, I had to find a new framer so I asked my LNS who did their framing. The lady was so nice and did a great job. Of course, as many know, there is the "sticker shock" of having things professionally framed but I think it is well worth it. The time I spent stitching this stuff is priceless to me so I should finish it to last my lifetime!

Bent Creek "Season of Change Row"

This is now my absolute second favorite finish ever!!!! (My favorite is still Linda Spivey's "A Time for Everything".) I just love the chunky frame and it looks so much better in person. I have 6 more BC "Row" designs done and think I am going to use the same frame so that I can hang them all together. Love it!!!!!

Twisted Threads "Irish Blessing"

I stitched this for my hubby a couple of years ago and finally had it framed. It is stitched on 18 ct tea-dyed fabric, which I did myself. The fabric really has a "stained" look but you can't see in the pic. I just love chunky frames and still need to decide where this one will go!

"Sunflower Sampler"

Lastly, this was a UFO I finished earlier this year. I would have been happier with a thicker frame but framer suggested it not be too wide. I do like the way this one turned out with the green mat and this one is already hanging in my bedroom!

I am so happy with these!!!! I only have about 50 finished things to frame and can't decide what to do next! Oh well....I am off to stitch on my SB "Herb Gatherer" for the Let's Stitch Friday night SAT. Thanks for looking and happy stitches....

Old Glory framed...

I finally got around to framing "Old Glory". I had the mat and found this frame I have probably had 20 years. Pretty good if I say so myself! I had a red mat also but hubby like the blue better. Since it is going in his office he had the final say! Thanks for looking!

Happy stitches...


Updated for design info...

Carolyn asked who the designer for the flag is and it is "Protrait of the Civil War" published in 1990 by Jeannette Crews Designs.

February ornament finished....

Mary Garry's Sewing Cabin-"Christmas Heart"

18 ct aida coffe-dyed w/ DMC

2000 JCS Ornament magazine

I finished this month's ornament for the 2009 Christmas Challenge earlier this week. I had hoped to stitch two each month so I'm already behind so maybe I can finish three in March to get back on track! Happy stitches.....