Monday, January 30, 2017

WIP Things

     Yes I did say that this year would be my WIP year and I meant it.  Still do, but next year is going to be a humdinger for sure! You see.  While I'm finishing up some pieces started this past year and even longer ago than that, I am filling my stash also.  I have some wonderful online friends that do a great job of enabling! I have to blame someone! LOL.  You see, my dear friend Teal, is doing a SAL from last year, and I was fortunate enough to get the chart from the designer from her blog.  Here's a picture of the finished piece first, and I haven't even gotten enough done, now that I think about it to post a second picture here.  I'll be using the colors that it calls for though and I thank Teal for the information on the website.  Teal does beautiful work by the way.


Then I went on over to Laura Landis' lovely blog and see a picture of this! Now all I could


think of was making some of these ahead and finding the right time to give them to people.  In some type of container with some Hershey kisses or just some pretty tiny things in with it.  I love it and
ordered the chart right away.  So, okay! It's WIP year.  I don't have to start it soon.....I can wait....
Yeah right! We'll see.  By the way. Laura also does some lovely stitching as well.  

I got this piece out below, which I actually did in  2009 and decided to finish this WIP up by
making it into a pillow.  I have a piece of fabric that I can use for the baking and I think it will
look great sitting in my sewing room.  Here it is waiting for me to sew it up.  


It's actually done on a type of burlap, which I thought I wouldn't like at all.  The directions 
called for it though so I ordered and used  it, and I like the outcome.  Real country looking.

Besides my stitching, I've been reading a book that has been so enjoyable.  My sister and I are
going to do the Appalachian Trail, starting in the spring of 2018.  So I've been reading lots of
books about the 2,180 mile trek as well as getting my gear all bought and broken in.  Preparing my
mind as well as my body.  This book is the best that I've read thus far about hiking the trail.
Written by Paul Stutzman who did indeed hike the trail himself.  Yes! I do snack on those tiny


candy bars as I read, but I'm not a big sweets eater.  I usually stop at two.

I think that's it for today.  It was sunny but quite cold out.  Made a trip for a scheduled doctor's appointment for hubby, Bill.  Once back home, just puttered which I love to do.  I really get a lot done that way without wearing myself out and all.

Remember that in just a couple of days I'll be starting to take the names and emails down for my giveaway.  A gift certificate for $25.00 for Lone Star Steakhouse.  Once again, we bought it for a Christmas gift, not realizing until later that there isn't one in our area.  So if you live near one, I hope you sign up for the giveaway and good luck to everyone who does.

Letting you go now.  Love you my faithful friends and followers.  Stay safe and warm and remember to, "feel the colors".


Saturday, January 28, 2017

Finishes Happening Here and an Upcoming Giveaway!

     Good Saturday morning ya'll.  It's a chilly 40 degrees here, but it's sunny and we have a cloudless sky today.  TinyGirl is in her favorite window soaking up some of that warm sunshine and it's hard to believe that she has been with us for close to two years now.  Found her as a tiny little kitten in a shelter in Morehead City and she found it quite comfortable here, even with Riley.



     I'm finally able to show some pieces that are finished and two of them framed.  I love, love my Quaker Diamonds.  Enjoyed the 143 hours that it took to complete.  Loved the colors and each diamond was so different from all the others.


     Then there is this one, which I finished a couple of years ago, but it has sat waiting to be framed ever since.  So I'm posting it now in a frame that matches it perfectly.  Eight and a half hours for this.


     Then there is the second one in the series from Little House of Needleworks. Will continue with the others in between larger pieces.  Will make them into little pillows when they've all been stitched.


     This year I think will be the year for WIP pieces and an occasional something new.  I do have a wedding announcement to make and a gift to make for a sweet cousin of mine.  Oh yes! I'm still adding to my stash as far as charts, fabric and threads go.  Us serious stitchers have a tendency to do that!
     Oh yes! I'll be having another giveaway pretty quick here.  It will be for a $25.00 gift certificate for the Texas Lone Star Steakhouse.  I had purchased it as a gift for Christmas, only to find out later that there aren't any of these restaurants in our area.  So if you have one near you and would like to enter to win this certificate, the rules will be the usual.  Need to be a follower and if you have a blog of your own, mention the giveaway on your own blog.  I'll start this giveaway on the first of February.
     Must go for the time being.  Have a newly painted room to get in order and it "ain't" going to be easy! Will be nice when it's all done though.
     So, until next time, keep in mind that I'm so thankful for and love every one of my followers.  Ya'll take care and be safe and well.  Enjoy your stitches and remember to "feel the colors".


Friday, January 20, 2017

Some Stitchy Things

     I've been able to get a little bit of stitching done each day since my last post, and sometimes I feel that stitching has to be right up there on our priority lists with our dusting, sweeping and all other cleaning chores.  Otherwise, we tend to keep putting our stitching on the back burner so to speak.  Yes we do need to keep our homes neat and all, but throw ourselves deeply into cleaning day after day and we lose our quiet times with our threads and fabrics.  Not good.  We all need something that we enjoy and soothes our minds.

     Before I go any further, I want to show ya'll what our dear friend Dave saw and picked up for me at a consignment shop.  It now sits in my sewing room.  How sweet is that! Thank you again Dave.



We love thrift and consignment shops.  Second hand and antique stores.  Sometimes we have our minds set on finding something in particular, and at other times we're just enjoying the whole idea of finding something at a good price.  Whether we find something or not, we're never sorry that we took the time to visit the store.
   
     A little bit more done on the Little House piece.  I had to wait for the floss I needed to continue with it.  When I order from 123 Stitch, the order is usually sent out the very next day.  The floss order was no different, but according to the tracking of the package, it was held up several miles away in NC.  Took nearly two weeks for it to finally arrive.  Here's the piece so far...... Loving all the country colors.


     I've been wanting to hang a quilt up that I bought a while back.  Right now it sits on top of an antique bench table in my sewing room.  Excuse the messy look, but this table sits right on my left as I stitch.  So there sits a pattern I'm using and all.  Before I hang the quilt, I feel that something needs


to replace it on the table.  I've been eyeing some yarn and the colors at Michaels for the longest time, and found out last night when I stopped in there, that it was on sale! Well no time like the present in this case! So I bought all the colors I wanted to use, and here's a display of the whole shebang!


Loving this! Here's a closer shot of the first square that I've chosen to make a crocheted table topper.  I'm thinking right now to connect them all using the deep brown, but that thought may come and go as the squares add up.  Any opinions as I work on this are certainly welcomed.  Square is four and a half inches across.


     Other than the stitching, I've been doing some painting here at home.  Changing color schemes and just freshening up each room  This has been taking some time as,,,,,,,,I'm lazy at times! Yeap I am, and I'm not embarrassed to say so! LOL.  I picture the rooms all finished up and decorated like I want though.  That must count for something!

     Oh! Nearly forgot! The giveaway of the chart of the wedding sampler, didn't go as I hoped it would.  Not a one entered for the drawing.  So for the time being it's still in my possession.  I would still love for someone to have it.  Another picture of it.....


      There will be another giveaway soon.

     Until next post, ya'll be safe and take care.  Love you my dear friends and followers.  Remember to "feel the colors".








Tuesday, January 10, 2017

How I Have Wandered Plus a Givaway!

     But before I go there, I want ya'll do know that it does indeed get cold in southern North Carolina! This was taken on our back porch yesterday morning about ten.


 It's still every bit as cold today, but I'm okay with it.  When I see the freezing below zero temperatures across the country, I realize how good we are here.  No snow even after the area got all prepared for it over the weekend.  We just stayed inside with a great fire in the wood stove and I made a huge pot of kale soup.

     Now for the wandering......It wasn't my fault! Well......In my last post I told you I was going to be working on  this, which I did for about an hour.  When I went to change colors, I found I didn't have all the colors I needed! There were two colors I failed to order, so it was promptly put away and the colors were put on order.  They should be here today so I'll be able to get back to it.


     In the meantime, I took out a piece that I had also started some time back.  Found I had put in 19 hours total in the past, and I'm up to 25 hours now.  So you can see that I've been putting some time into a WIP.  It's called "Ocean Treasures" and it's beautiful all done up and framed.  I have quite a ways to go on it though.  Here's a picture of it and another of what I have done thus far.


I'm enjoying the stitch and it's nice working with pastels for a change.  There will be a lot of back stitching, but I really enjoy doing that.  It always makes everything stand out!

I was also going to start a wedding gift for my nephew and future niece.  I made sure that I did have the threads I needed and the correct date of the upcoming wedding an all.  Remember the wandering I mentioned! This is the second reason! After I got to looking at the chart and the colors and all, I decided I would do something different.  I'd do a giveaway with it as the gift! Just the chart that is.  The threads I can use.  So here is the giveaway chart.


Only rule is to post the giveaway on your blog and be a follower of mine.  I will draw a name on the 20th. of January.  Good luck, and I do have another giveaway for sometime soon.  

So I have wandered from piece to piece, but the thing I like is that I'm just plain enjoying my stitching.  Love the threads and all the beautiful colors.  As the sun shines in my sewing room and on my favorite stitching chair, it is hard to believe that it's so cold outside.  There is a little water here and there from the rain over the weekend that is frozen solid.  The wind is still blowing, but the birds as well as the squirrels are helping themselves at the feeders! By the end of March it will be warming up nicely here and we'll be looking forward to working a little outside.

I have some time this morning to get a little more stitching done, so I'm going to go for it.  You all be safe and warm and don't forget the giveaway.  Until next time, lots of love to ya'll and remember to "feel the colors"


Monday, January 2, 2017

Finishes and Starts

     I can't believe that 2016 is gone forever.  It just seems that it went by way too fast.  Here we are though in a brand new year with lots of known and unknown events in all our lives coming down the pike so to speak.  So here's wishing you all a wonderful year ahead with lots of  love and blessings.

     Here are my last two finishes in 2016.  You've been hearing about my Quaker Diamonds forever I know, so you may be glad it is finally over and done with.  I enjoyed every minute of it though and I still love the piece.  Will get it framed up and hung soon.  I used the called for colors as there were so


 many motifs and things in the piece that I just knew I'd mess it up if I chose my own colors.  I did love all the colors anyway.  Total hours were 143 and a half.
   
This one I made for our friend Dave.  The one I made for myself he liked enough to put in his own room.  I finally realized that he needed one of his own! It's at the framers now.  I added an antiquing


spray after it was completed to make it look aged, and forgot to take another picture of it.  Took a total of 31 hours on this which proves to me that fabric makes a difference.  The one I did for myself was done a a soft, hand dyed aida and I finished it in just 24 hours.  This aida was very stiff and I couldn't work my needle the same.

     This year I just want to work on things I have started.  I used to be a one at a time stitcher, but not anymore.  I'm at the point now where I'm wondering if I should do as I read so many others doing.....Certain pieces on certain days and all.  How did I get here from where I was I wonder! LOL

     Our Christmas was wonderful and I only put up one decoration this year.  That was my fancy tree! With the help of a young neighbor by giving me a spent cartridge, I came up with.........


a cartridge in a bare tree! Went up in no time at all and it was easy to take down!

     I have used this gift so much since Christmas day.  Never thought I would get one, but my husband, Billy, aims to please for sure.  I love it.  So much easier on the eyes with this lite. There


seems to be good sales on these at a lot of stores, and now that I have one, I can say that I think they're well worth the money on sale or not.
   
     By the way! This is what I'm working on this evening.  I'm ordering them as they become


available.  They're quick and easy and I love the colors used.  I'm also wanting to move on with a By The Bay SAL.  For me it's no longer a stitch along, but a stitch behind!

     I haven't really made any new year resolutions.  I learned long ago, that I'm not good at that stuff like most people are.  I have told myself though that I want to putter more this year and I also want to walk, hike and camp more.  My sister and I are wanting to do the Appalachian Trail in 2018, and it is never too early to start preparing your body and mind for that! This has been a life long dream of ours and we're at the point now where it isn't wise to wait much longer.

     Riley.....


And Tiny Girl.....



As well as myself.....


Want to wish all my wonderful friends and followers a grand and blessed year ahead.  Be well and safe until next time, and remember to "feel the colors"

















Stuff

    Just stuff! Things that keep me from my needlework! ...Doctor appointments! As we're getting older I find there are more and more of...