Block One: Done!

Village of Hawk Run Hollow - Block One
stitched on 40-ct. Pearled Barley linen
with Vikki Clayton hand-dyed fibers
At long last! It's done! Well... with the exception of one fish eye but for now I'm pretending he blinked when I snapped the picture.

Here's the whole she-bang so far:
Three down, nine to go! I've actually convinced myself I can have all twelve blocks completed by the end of the year. You'd think I'm positively delusional since it's taken me three years to finish these three, but, my dearest bloggy buddies, the model was stitched in 49 days! Crazy but true! 49 days! The least I can hope for is to finish it in 49 months, right?

Next in the Q-snaps is The Riddle by The Drawn Thread. I've been skipping all the specialty stitches because I'm a total wimp, I can't do french knots, and my queen's stitches looked like merde. This is most likely a huge mistake because all that will be left when I'm done with the Xs is the "hard stuff" and I won't want to finish it.

The weekend is upon us which means Phil and I will be off on yet another excursion to make selections for the house. Last weekend was countertops for the kitchens (yes, plural) and bathrooms which found us standing in a freezing cold workshop for over an hour, staring at slabs of granite and saying, "Eh... I don't know... what do you think?" about a thousand times. This weekend takes us back to the fireplace shop to choose mantles and hearth stones. More head shaking and nose wrinkling but at least it'll be warmer!

Thanks for stopping by, and have a fabulous weekend!

First Finish of 2012

Christmas Is Forever
2008 Special Edition Kit from Lizzie Kate
Stitched with Crescent Colours and DMC on 28-ct. linen
Woohoo! My first official Happy Dance of 2012 and my first WIPocolypse finish! Now it's time to decide what my next project will be. Something big and scary that will take me forever? Or a teeny tiny project I can actually finish this month? I've considered writing each WIP down on its own index card and having a random drawing but who am I kidding... I'd only keep drawing cards until I picked one I wanted to work on!

The sun is shining here in southwestern Michigan, the streets are snow-free, and I still have Christmas cash burning a hole in my wallet so I think we might be heading up to the big city to do a little shopping today. If I don't do it soon I'm going to end up spending this money on gas and groceries like I do every other year, and where's the fun in that?

That's all my news for now! Thanks for visiting and have a happy Thursday!

(P.S. A reminder to those of you in the states who got hooked on Downton Abbey last year: Season two starts Sunday on Masterpiece Classic!)

All Done!

Season of Growth
Little House Needleworks
stitched with DMC on 28-count Antique Ivory linen
At long last, all four seasons are stitched! What a joy it was to work on these! And, hooray! I can scratch another Crazy January Challenge project off my list! There's no way I'll get the rest of them done before the end of the year, but as I mentioned earlier, I'll be rolling them over to the WIPocolypse Challenge! All is well in my Stitchy Universe!

Alas, I totally blew NaBloPoMo this year. My laptop decided to be super uncooperative on a day when I was feeling a mite bit cranky. Not the best combination for posting, so I didn't. And then I didn't some more. It's not every year one gets to fail at two challenges, right!? I'm back into BWO mode, Blogging Without Obligation, which is more my style anyway.

Nothing but gray skies here today, along with some snow flurries. As much as I hate the cold and wet mess that comes with the snow, I do enjoy watching the flakes drift down from the sky. Very relaxing. We've about lost all the leaves off our trees in this area so it's looking a lot like winter outside. My next project is definitely going to be something winter-themed!

Thanks for stopping by!

At Last! Some Stitching!

And a finish, no less!

God Bless Those
by Shakespeare's Peddler
stitched on 32 count Vintage Exemplar linen
with Gentle Arts Sampler Threads
This was designed by Theresa to commemorate Egypt's recent struggle for freedom, and sold at the Nashville Market as a limited edition kit. My photo does not do the thread colors justice. They are truly gorgeous.

Theresa finished her's into a small pillow with a chenille trim that suits it to a tee. I'll need to make a trip into town for the trim and some stuffing but I'm hoping to duplicate her finish. I did finally find my sewing machine yesterday, but for some crazy reason I didn't pack the foot pedal in the same box. After spending half the day yesterday digging through boxes and cussing whoever did the packing (that would be me...), I finally gave up and tried to find a replacement online. The only one I found was going to cost me $56! I think of purchases like this in terms of how much stash I could buy with the money, so that just wasn't going to cut it!

This morning I remembered how my Mom used to recite "Baby Jesus, lost and found" when she was looking for something. So I sat down and concentrated on where I thought the foot pedal could be. Baby Jesus, lost and found... Baby Jesus, lost and found... and POOF! it came to me! I knew exactly where it was! I'd stored it in a plastic bin which is why it wasn't in the box with the machine! It didn't take me long to find the bin, and sure enough, inside was the foot pedal! Of course, I'm totally on the hook to actually use the machine now!

No word on the job still. Do you think they found out about the sit-in I staged at my high school back in 1977? Those were good times!

That's about all I have to report today from the hovel. Hope this week has been treating you well!

Happily Dancing!

Green Snowman
by Shepherd's Bush
stitched on 30-count Weeks Guacamole Linen
with Au Ver a Soie and Overdyed Silk Threads
This is my second finish for the Crazy January Challenge and, I must say, it almost stitched itself! Gotta love those silk threads!

I haven't decided what to work on next but I'm thinking I might dig out Their Song from Blackbird Designs and try to get that one finished. It's been buried at the bottom of my basket for too long!

First Finish of 2011

Woodland Sampling
Little House Needleworks
stitched on 32-count Antique Tan linen with DMC

Woohoo! My first finish for 2011 and my first Crazy January Challenge finish! I've actually had it done for a few days now, but for some reason getting the iron out and de-wrinkling this thing and then taking a picture of it ended up at the bottom of my to do list. Must remember to make that type of thing a priority in the future!

I've been working on Green Snowman from Shepherd's Bush the last couple of nights. I'm filling in the snowman and feel like I've crossed a few thousand white stitches. Not 100% thrilled with the way it's looking. I don't know if it's the fabric (30-count Weeks) or my crappy stitching but my poor snowman is looking like Swiss cheese. I'm being careful not to pull my thread too tight but I'm still ending up with huge holes between all my stitches. Really hoping it will relax a little once I'm done.

Looks like we have a big winter storm heading this way so I'll be making a run to the grocery store to stock up on provisions. We were treated to a little sun yesterday, the first in what seems like forever. It's a wonder we don't all have rickets!

Here's a shot of Spitz helping me try to get an un-blurry shot of my Woodland Sampling...

"Am I in your light?"

A Friday Night Finish

Season of Plenty

Little House Needleworks

stitched on 28 count Antique Ivory linen with DMC

And here is a group shot of the three seasons I have completed so far.

It's a Finish!

Witch Hazel

from Tis Hallowe'en by Blackbird Designs

Happy Dancing on a Pumpkin

Perched on a Pumpkin
Blue Ribbon Designs
Stitched with DMC on 36-count Summer Khaki linen
I finished the border the other night while watching The Shawshank Redemption (which is easily one of my top ten favorite movies), so this guy now resides in the Fuppie Box. I'll have my sewing machine back in my possession in a couple of weeks so I'm hoping to get a couple of projects finished finished before Halloween.

I've had the Halloween stocking booklet from Blackbird Designs in my stash for a while so I think it's about time to pick one to stitch. I've looked through it a few times already and out of the 13 designs there's probably 12 I want to do. Suffice to say, it's going to be a hard choice!


House projects continue. We got the shelves cut and installed in the bathroom. At last! That was one of those projects which kept getting put off so it feels really good to finally have it done. All it lacks now is some trim work and that room will be complete. Oh, and a toilet paper holder that I like and is what I would call 'reasonably priced'. It's really hard to justify spending $21 for this particular item.

Here they are in all their glory:


And this is what lurks behind the wall:


We built this little cubby so we could conveniently pull electric lines and duct work to the second floor. The only heat up there was from it rising through grates in the floor which apparently was how it was done back in the day. I'm sure it kept it acceptably warm for most people but I can just imagine how hard it would be to crawl out from under the covers on cold mornings. This Southerner likes it warm and cozy so when we replaced the furnace we went ahead and installed duct work and vents upstairs. (And that, dear readers, is a horror story for another day!)

Thanks for stopping by! Have a happy Monday!

Boo Bunny Finish

Boo Bunny
by The Victoria Sampler
from the 2010 JCS Halloween Ornament Issue
This one was quick and cute! I finished it up Saturday night but couldn't get a decent picture of it to post yesterday due to all the dust in the air. (Heaven knows I don't need anything mucking up my mad photog skillz.)

And the dust! It's incredible! There's a layer of it on every possible surface, even upstairs! No sense in trying to clean it up yet because they're coming back today for the final sanding. Then it's on to the polyurethane and camping in the kitchen because we won't be able to walk on the floors to go upstairs. I can't tell you how much I'm looking forward to sleeping between the stove and refrigerator. On the bright side, I won't even have to get out of bed for a midnight snack!

So what's next on my stitchy agenda? Most likely another Halloween ornament. I'm leaning towards the one from Blue Ribbon Designs called Perched On a Pumpkin. Boo Bunny needs some company!

Hope everyone's week is off to a good start!

Happy Dancing in a Winter Wonderland

Winter Wonderland
Blackbird Designs
Fabric: 30 ct. Dark Chino linen from R&R Reproductions
Fibers: Weeks Dye Works & Gentle Arts
I'm happy to report that Winter Wonderland is finally finished! At least I hope it is! Twice I've thought I was done only to find a few stitches I missed. Chances are there's one or two more!

Next project in my to do pile? Another BBD! I've had A Wish For You kitted up and waiting in the wings for almost as long as I've been working on Winter Wonderland. I can't wait to get started!

I Love Watermelon

I needed a break from Winter Wonderland so I stitched up this freebie from The Sampler Girl.


It was a really quick stitch even for sloooooow me. I started it a couple of days ago and finished it up last night while watching the Mythbusters put duct tape tall tales to the test.

(BTW, the myth where they tape a car to a street light actually worked! It was great!)

Looks like we're in for some rain today. I sure hope it cools things down a bit. I've been wilting in this heat! Is everyone else managing to stay cool?

That's about it for me this morning. Think I'll make a run to the hardware store so I can get started on one of these...

Block 3: Finished!

Thank you all for your encouraging comments! Hip Hip Hooray! Block 3 is done! Village of Hawk Run Hollow
Block 3
Alas, I didn't get it finished over the weekend like I had hoped. Too much of the Other Stuff demanding my attention. Then yesterday was spent studying Physics with my son. (Let me tell you, nothing has ever made less sense to me! I may have done more harm than good, haha!) Late last night I finally picked up my needle and got back to work. TCM was showing Marty so I tuned in for the last hour of it. I kept on stitching through the interview with Ernest Borgnine, and then into The Last Command. The final backstitch went in about the same time Jim Bowie was negotiating William Travis' release from jail.

I missed my Peppermint Twist Monday SAL so I'll probably play a little catch up on that today. And Cathey came to my rescue and sent me a skein of WDW Sweet Potato to try on my October Monthly Mania. It's a pretty close match so looks like I'll be able to put that puppy to bed soon! That will probably be it for my January finishes. This month has flown by!

That's about it for now! Hope everyone's week is off to a great start, and you're finding some time to stitch!

Nine Years Later...

I'm not quite ready for any strutting in the end zone, but I'm close! I put the last stitches in December's Monthly Mania Sunday night and, WOOHOO! Did it ever feel good! I was practically giddy! I'm still working on finding a suitable color match for the last bit of October's pumpkin. That's the only thing keeping this nine-years-in-the-making project from being one more for the win column.

Next on the Q-Snaps? Looks like it'll be Their Song from Blackbird Designs. I ironed the fabric for it this morning, then promptly misplaced it. You'd think in a 600 square foot house it'd be impossible to lose anything but when your trying to squash 1200 square feet of stuff into it, things start to disappear. I've assembled a search party, and as soon as we find the envelopes that went missing three days ago, we'll move on to my fabric.

Work has been slow since the holidays so we're taking advantage of the break and working on the house. Temperatures have been in the 20s but as long as it's dry enough we try to get things done. Yesterday was simply gorgeous! Heaven sent for those of us who needed some sunshine! We took a little stroll ON the lake, testing the ice, but didn't get far before we heard some cracking. You should have seen how fast I scurried back to shore! (Who me? Panic?) Our lake is spring fed so it doesn't freeze as fast as some of the others in the area. There's ice fishing 'hidey holes' set up on the lake next door. They look like this:
You really have to love fishing to sit in one of those! I'll stick to my stitching chair!

Go Ahead and Laugh!

I put the last stitch in Laugh last night. Did this one go fast or what? Only Create and Live to go now! Woohoo!

Next on my To Do list is my Monthly Manias that I have been working on forever! I have November and December left to do, plus finishing up October. I am heading up to my not-so-local LNS tomorrow to stock up on the thread I need. I ran out of WDW Sweet Potato while working on October, and haven't found a good match for it yet. The shop ordered more for me so we'll see if those are any better. Fingers crossed so I don't have to rip out an entire pumpkin!

It's been snowing all day here and there's probably a good 4-5 inches on the ground. I can see that I'm going to need a pair of snow boots before long!

Hope everyone is staying warm and dry tonight!

Time for a Happy Dance!

Woohoo! Here's Encourage, hot off the Q-Snaps! It didn't take too long to finish it up. Next on the list is Laugh.

Now I hear that Lizzie Kate will be doing a Halloween Double Flip series next year! I can't wait to see them!

Thank you for your good wishes for Spitz! He continues to improve and is acting more and more like his old self! He sends kitty kisses to everyone!

I Believe

Believe by Lizzie Kate
stitched on 32-count linen with WDW and GAST
Seven down, five to go! Here's what the whole thing looks like so far...

May Sheep Blanket Finish

May Woolly Tyme Sheep Blanket by Homespun Elegance
Stitched with WDW and DMC on 28-count linen
Charlotte was thrilled that her blanket was finished in time for the Sheep Social. It's hard to tell, but that's her happy face.

Can you believe it's June? The year just started and it's already almost half over!

I've Been Spoiled!

There's been no stitching for me the last couple of days. Why? Because I received the most wonderful Mother's Day present from my children! A laptop! I have no clue what I did to derserve this amazing gift but I am just tickled about it!! It's been so much fun learning how to use it, setting things up, making it my laptop. And I'm WIRELESS!! The freedom!! Now tell me why I haven't moved more than six feet away from the router?

I do have a finish the share! I put the last stitches in Lizzie Kate's "Listen" Saturday night after dinner.

I made a small boo-boo on the letter S, but I've left it for now. If I correct it I'll have to restitch the T-E-N as well. I'm thinking I can live it. Here's a photo of the whole thing so far...

Oh my! The wrinkles! Is there Botox for linen?

Give

Give by Lizzie Kate
from the Double Flip series

stitched on 32 count linen with WDW & GAST fibers

Here's what the whole (wrinkly) thing looks like so far:

I am officially 1/3 of the way done! This is going to be one looooong piece once all twelve are finished!

P.S. I started VoHRH!!! Hooray!!!