Thursday, August 24, 2017

Stitchy Stitchy Stitchy

First up is Summer by Blackbird Designs...
Slow slow progress on this one. I remember when I was working on the Autumn section I thought it was going super slow. I will try to be patient so I can get it finished this year!

Next we have my Drawn Thread SAL project, Random Thoughts...
Progress is super slow on this one as well but the specialty stitches are a lot of fun so I will keep plugging along!

Lastly, I got some fun stitchy mail from the Silver Needle in Tulsa...
This kit and all the lovely accoutrements are part of their Circle of Friends Club. I can't wait to sink my teeth (or should I say needle?!) into this one!

We're heading into the weekend and busy making plans to get out and enjoy some of what our area has to offer. We call it "market research" for the B&B but it sure seems like fun to me!

Thanks for visiting!


Tuesday, August 22, 2017

Busy Busy Busy

Wow! Has it really been almost a month since my last post??? It really is true what they say... time flies when you're having fun!

Our B&B is in full swing and we're absolutely loving it! There was one OMG! moment when we accepted a reservation for an empty room but thanks to two day shipping and a lot of hustle and teamwork between me and Phil, we transformed it into the cutest and coziest little retreat evah!

We were off on our own vacation last week, visiting Fallingwater near Pittsburgh (which was number one on my Bucket List!), soaking up a ton of US history in Philadelphia, and then on to Charleston, SC, for Phil's daughter's graduation. We stayed in B&B's along the way (market research, you know!) and met a lot of neat people who are doing the same thing we are. Just a great trip all around despite my putting on a few pounds from scarfing down massive amounts of pimento cheese with pork rinds, pounds of really outstanding BBQ, and (be still my heart!) the biscuits with soooo much butter! Yum yum yum! I'll even confess to ordering banana pudding even though I was positively stuffed!

In between all of this I have managed to do some stitching. I worked on my BBD Summer and have the left side border done now. I also spent a couple of Friday's working on my Drawn Thread SAL piece but it's been slow going. I'm up to letter 'I' now but I made a mistake waaaaay back on the letter 'F'. It's hardly noticeable so I decided to work around it instead of ripping a bunch of stuff out. Other than that it's just been a lot of dreaming about projects I'd like to start. After visiting so many historic sites in Philadelphia, I really want to start LHNs Early American series.

I hate to have a post without a photo so I'll end with one of the bazillion eclipse pictures I took!
It was almost spooky how traffic on the lake came to a halt with everyone staring up at the sky! You could hear people shouting "There it is! There it is!" when the clouds broke! Just a really cool experience!

Hoping to be back tomorrow with some stitching pictures!
Thanks for visiting!


Monday, July 24, 2017

Goodbye Baby B

March ??, 2008 - July 24, 2017

You were the best bunny in the world.


Thursday, July 20, 2017

Stitching & Reading, Reading & Stitching

Stitching...
Got a little more done on Flock Together yesterday. I love the blue and white buoy thingy. (Not really sure what they're called but I'm going with buoy!) (Life ring?) The colors are better in person... natch... but it's drizzly out so indoor lights will have to do.

And reading...
Karyn from My Stitching Nook was super duper sweet and sent me this stack of fabulous books to read! I can't wait to dive in!

Hoping for a little sun this afternoon but I don't know if I'll get it. The last few days have been spectacular and I admit to getting a little spoiled by it all! Luckily rainy days are perfect for stitching and reading and reading and stitching!

Tuesday, July 18, 2017

On Deck

It's too nice out to stay inside today! Luckily the deck swing makes a perfect stitchy spot!


Monday, July 17, 2017

Random Thoughts Progress

I thought it would be a great idea to take my stitching out on the deck swing for its photo shoot since it's super sunny out today but yikes! The shadows! I do like that you can see the bunny and the tree better. The thread color is so close to the fabric color that they don't show up particularly well. I do like the tone-on-tone look though, so I'm sticking with it. Over on the right you can see a row of Rapid Stitches. A new one for me and not too difficult once you get the first one done. I stitch backwards from most people so when I'm following a stitch diagram I switch everything around. I'm a very complicated lady!

Phil and I worked on getting the B&B set up over the weekend. We have three rooms and a kitchen to outfit so it looks like we have triplets going off to college when we hit the store check out! I'm doing up big baskets of all the essentials the guests will need while they're here and they turned out really cute if I do say so myself!

My order from 123Stitch came today so I am going to rip that envelope open here in a minute and work on Flock Together!
Off I go!
Woohoo!


Friday, July 14, 2017

ABCDEFG

I pulled this oldie but goodie out of my Big Basket of WIPs yesterday. I'd finished the center section (Autumn) way back in November 2015 so it's about time I get the last part done. I only have a few more years until I'm going to have to rip out that "1" and replace it with a "2"! The alphabet at the top is now done so I'm off to a pretty good start here!

Today is Friday and that means it's Stitchalong day! Woohoo! More Random Thoughts and more fancy stitches!




Wednesday, July 12, 2017

On a Wednesday

We're in the middle of quite an ugly storm right now. I went out on the deck to take a picture right before the sky opened up and it started pouring. You couldn't even see the other side of the lake!

I had to take this picture under the glare of the kitchen pendants which is unfortunate because I wanted to mention how I ripped out the old blue water and restitched it with the called for overdyed thread. You'll just have to take my word for it when I say it looks tons better. I went ahead and ordered a couple of the other threads I was missing so I will put this one on hold until they arrive in the post.

It's time for lunch so I think I'll curl up with my book in front of the fireplace and have a bite to eat while I wait for the laundry to finish up.
This is a great book, by the way. I've had to renew it twice because I read almost as slow as I stitch! It's all about the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago with a real life murder mystery on the side. (Did you know the alabaster city referred to in America the Beautiful is the Chicago World's Fair? I love learning little tidbits like that!)

Dryer just buzzed so off I go to swap loads!


Monday, July 10, 2017

My SAL Progress & Weekend Report

I'm really happy with my progress on Random Thoughts. I didn't get much done but I did get to do a few specialty stitches and that's always fun. I'm going to have to scoot my fabric over in the q-snaps so I can work on the left side a little better.

Phil surprised me on Friday with a Spiralizer attachment for our Kitchenaid mixer so I got adventurous and made Lemon-Garlic Broccoli Noodles with Parmesan...
There's supposed to be toasted pine nuts on top but I forgot to sprinkle some on before I took the picture. I was too hungry to re-do the "photo shoot" so you'll have to use your imagination! :-)

Saturday we went to the Krasl Art Fair in St. Joseph, MI. I had some Christmas money still left to spend so I picked up this pretty little chickadee etching...
I love, love, love little birdies!
I had to limit myself to only one but hopefully I'll be able to add to my collection next year!

Sunday was just as lovely a day as Saturday so we headed out for an early lunch and some shopping in South Haven. We ended up buying a swing for the deck so Phil assembled it when we got home and later that evening we were able to relax outside with our wine and watch the boats go by on the lake. We were even treated to a sunset serenade from a guy playing the bagpipes on his pontoon boat!

Which brings us to today!
I've got my lazy pants on and as soon as I have a bite to eat for lunch I'm going to head up to the Chicken Ottoman Empire, find something mindless to watch on TV, and hit the stitchy chair!


Friday, July 07, 2017

Come On Over!

It's a beautiful day for stitching on the deck!


Thursday, July 06, 2017

Sounds Like a Plan

Later this month I will celebrate my 11th Blogoversary. Our tradition these last few years has been to walk down to the Gazebo at the golf course and have a Paw Paw Punch. This year I thought I'd try something a little different.

The first project I ever blogged about waaaaay back in 2006 was this one...
It's called Lighthouse Teapot and it was one of the Secret Needle Night kits from the Silver Needle in Tulsa, OK. I found it wadded up in the envelope it came in so I had to practically soak it with Best Press to get the wrinkles out. Looks like it's still a bit damp there!

Anyhoosie, I have the finishing kit that came with the design so my big plan is to get this all finished up into the standy-uppy thing it's supposed to be. I figure after eleven years it's about time!

Tomorrow is Friday so I will be working on my Random Thoughts for the SAL! Really looking forward to it!

But what to work on today???
Hmmmm....


Wednesday, July 05, 2017

It's a SAL!

Clare over at Craftlady in Kiwiland suggested we do a Stitchalong! Both of us had started Random Thoughts by Drawn Thread so we will be stitching it together now and sharing our progress. Here is where I am...
Not too much done so far.

We are both planning to stitch on Fridays and anyone is welcome to join in. If you want to stitch something smaller there are a bunch of feebies over on the Drawn Thread website.
The more the merrier!


Friday, June 30, 2017

Be Brave

Be Brave
by Shepherd's Bush
stitched on 10-ct. Pewter Tula
with Classic Colorworks, Sampler Threads, and DMC

Good golly, miss Molly, but this turned out cuter than I expected! I have the necessary fabrics for making it into a pillow, a la SB, so I'll try to do that next week. I didn't notice until I was doing my pre-picture ironing that the floral fabric has little flags stuck in among the flowers! I'm just in love with the whole darn thing!

(I must give a shout out to the Twisted Stitcher for introducing me to Best Press! It has made ironing a breeze! Thank you, Vonna!)

We're heading into the long 4th of July weekend here! No big plans but I'm sure we'll find plenty to keep us busy!


Monday, June 26, 2017

More Summer Stitching

I decided to take a break from Lizzie Kate-ing and grabbed this chart by Shepherd's Bush out of my Big Basket of WIPs. I hadn't actually started it but since it was all kitted up I thought that was close enough to earn it a spot in the WIP basket. This is on 10-ct. Tula and I must say it's a nice break from linen. Getting three strands of floss to lay nicely hasn't really given me any trouble so I should be able to get this one done before too long. I believe Shepherd's Bush had a whole series of Be This and Be That so I might have to look into getting a few more.

We had a great weekend here at the lake! We managed to cram so much into it that it felt like a three day weekend! The weather was fabulous so we spent a lot of time outside. I think we ate every single meal out on the deck!
You gotta love summer!
 
We've been flirting with the idea of renting out our bottom floor on Airbnb so we spent Sunday afternoon doing some cleaning and tidying up in case we decide to pull the trigger there. Family came over for an impromptu pizza party Sunday evening and helped us make sure all the pinball machines were in good working order. We'll have two bedrooms, one bath, full kitchen, large patio, just steps away from the lake. Plus pinball, foosball, ping pong, and free parking! Sounds like a great place for a vacation to me! In fact, this whole area used to be a resort back in the early 1900s. Next door to us was the old WigWam Hotel and where our house is was the annex where the hotel employees lived. Down the street was a dance pavilion where they played big band music. There is a lot of history in this area.

Time for lunch and then I'm heading out to the deck with my stitching!

Thursday, June 22, 2017

Birds, Bees, and Berries

As promised, here is Birds from Lizzie Kate's Summer Smalls! I wasn't kidding when I said these were quick to stitch! Bees and Berries are soon to follow!

(Sorry about the blurry picture... I think I must have deleted the "good one" when I was going through my photos! Am I the only one who takes a half dozen shots of everything and then goes through them all later to pick the best one?)


Wednesday, June 21, 2017

Sum-Sum-Summertime!

I thought this would be an appropriate finish to share today! This is from Lizzie Kate's Summer Smalls and it's just too darn cute! I'm also working on Birds from the same collection and should have that one finished PDQ! If you're looking for a quick summer project, I couldn't recommend these more! I used the called for Weeks Dye Works threads and the colors are super summery! The pinks make me want to dive face first into a big slice of watermelon!

Thanks for stopping by!


Thursday, May 11, 2017

Liberty Framed

I spent a couple of hours this afternoon painting and pinning and straightening and pinning some more. I ended up with red paint on my shirt which I totally deserved for even attempting to wield a brush while wearing white.
Durr durr durr! What was I thinking???

Anyhoosie, this is what I ended up with after all my effort. Not too bad but I'll only award myself the "I Did My Best" ribbon for this one. Next time I'm in town I'll swing by JoAnn's and pick up some ribbon for a hanger and maybe a few doo-dads to dress it up. Right now it's just... meh.

Every time I frame something I learn a little more. This time it was to trust my eyes and not the ruler. If it looks wonky, you need to make your adjustments before you have the whole thing in the frame.

And most important... wait for the paint to dry.


Monday, May 08, 2017

It's Finally Finished!

A Prairie Year
by Prairie Schooler
stitched on 28-ct. Lambswool linen
with DMC

I am tickled pink to have this one done! And it didn't take me eight years! This has to be some sort of record for me!

I love how it turned out! I just wish I knew what to do with it now. Have it framed? Or make it into a wall hanging?

I'm going to have to have a serious finishing day here soon!




Thursday, May 04, 2017

Now For Something Completely Different

I've always, always, always wanted to stitch a Mirabilia or Lavender & Lace design. Or to be more accurate, I've always, always, always wanted to finish a Mirabilia or Lavender & Lace design. In my many years of stitching I have started one of each. I have most of the blue fairy complete on L&L's Firefly Fairies and around the beginning of this millennium I started Mirabilia's Ashley's Roses. I just love the summery look of her dress!

Every time I'm deciding what project to work on next I think to myself, I really should try to get a little more done on these. And every time I choose something muuuuuch smaller!
(Have you seen these charts??)

So Tuesday when I decided to reward myself with a new start, my Big Box of BAPs was sitting right there. Nostalgia took hold and I opened it to find Ashley in her beautiful summery dress, looking up at me.

Doggone it, Ashley! You win!

Here's where I am after two days of working on her big pink bow...
My goal today is to get the rest of it done. I have dinner already simmering in the crock pot, and as soon as the sugar soaks into my strawberries, I'm going to scarf them down and get busy stitching!


Tuesday, May 02, 2017

A Little Finish

A Little Liberty
by Lizzie Kate
stitched on 30-ct. natural linen
with DMC

I started this kit from Lizzie Kate last summer and got as far as stitching the sunflowers and the word Liberty before setting it aside. Per my usual MO, I never picked it up again and into the WIP box it went. It took me a few hours one afternoon last week to finish the stitching and I attached the beads yesterday so this is another one for the win column! Woohoo! I have a little frame I picked up at the thrift store that is the perfect size for it but I want to paint it first. Tomorrow just happens to be errand day so i will have to add a stop at the craft store to my list.

I've been working on the December block for my Prairie Year piece but that's going incredibly slow. I recently discovered Floss Tube and it's a major distraction! I set up my laptop so I can watch videos while I'm stitching and it's like having a friend right there with me! And yes, I will admit to sometimes talking back to these friends like they can actually hear my comments! I might have to launch my own Floss Tube channel but we'll have to see. I'm awfully shy.

I've been itching to start something new so I might look outside of my WIP basket today and see what I can come up with. I've been doing pretty good getting old projects finished so it might be time to reward myself!

Have a great day!


Thursday, April 27, 2017

November in April

A Prairie Year - November

I got behind on my Prairie Year months at the end of last year so I thought I'd get them all finished since I only had two more to go. It felt a little strange stitching a turkey in April! He must think he's a spring chicken!

Here's what he whole thing looks like now...
I know I should continue on with December, especially since it's so cold and grey outside today. I have the fireplace going so I might just grab a cup of coffee, tuck myself under a blanket, and at least get started on it.

Thanks for visiting!

Tuesday, April 25, 2017

Spot the Cat

Spot the Cat
by La-D-Da
stitched with Needlepoint Silk

You would think I'm a machine with the way I've been cranking out finishes lately! This one didn't have much left to do, mostly just the stars and moon and a few bits here and there. Makes me question why I put it down when all I had was maaaaaybe three hours of work left. Oh well! That's just how we roll in the Empire!

I wish I could tell you what fabric I used but I haven't a clue. It calls for 30-ct. Confederate Gray from WDW but I'm pretty darn sure that's not what this is. If I ever figure it out, I'll be sure to let you know!

We have another bee-yoo-tiful day ahead of us here! Unfortunately I have to stick around the house waiting for the appliance repair folks. Our fridge has been out since we got back (over two weeks!) and it's been one wrong part after another and a lot of phone calls and waiting. We do have another fridge on the lower level we've been using but after the first week of trudging up and down the stairs every time I needed something cold, well, let's just say I'm ready to be done with that!

At least I can pop some windows open, put on some music, and stitch while I wait!


Thursday, April 20, 2017

And Another!

May Word Play
by With Thy Needle and Thread
stitched on 32-ct. Cobblestone linen
with Gentle Arts Sampler Threads

This was so much fun to stitch! I love all the little motifs! From the birds and bees to the white picket fence, just a heck of a good time! And the best part is I have the June Word Play waiting in the wings! Woohoo! I really want to finish this as a door knob hangy thing with the rusty jingle bells and all. I saw the model at my LNS and it was just too darn cute to pass up!

My Big Basket of WIPs is calling to me but first I better put away some thread and get the ottoman cleared off. I have vowed to be more organized here at the Empire instead of leaving things in piles that seem to keep growing and growing. Something about my thread though... even when it's organized it still seems to be a huge mess. I may have to come up with a whole new system.

Thanks for stopping by!


Tuesday, April 18, 2017

Woohoo! A Finish!

At Home With Jane Austen
by The Sampler Girl
stitched on 30-ct. Abecedarian R&R linen
with Classic Colorworks

I found my missing Sassy Brass yesterday so I sat down and finished the missing bitts lickety split! I'm not lying when I say I've had this sampler all kitted up in my To Do Basket for at least eight years! I don't know why it took me so long to finally stitch it! It is such a pretty piece, quick and easy and just the happiest colors! And I couldn't agree more with the quote from Emma!
Love love love!

It's an absolutely gorgeous day here in southwest Michigan! I have the windows open and I'm seriously thinking about trying out my stitchy goggles on the deck this afternoon. I can watch the coots on the lake and maybe get a little sun while I relax with my stitching! I wonder what the neighbors would think if I hauled out my floor stand!


Friday, April 14, 2017

Much Better!

Soooooo much better!

Everything I think I might work on in the next couple of months is kitted up and waiting for the mood to strike! The rest has been put away in an orderly fashion!

Now for some serious stitching!


Thursday, April 13, 2017

Two Days Later

I started stitching in 1985 so this pile represents 30+ years of WIPs. There's a birth sampler I never finished for my son who will be 27 this month, an SB from the 90s that only needs the beads and buttons sewn on, a house warming present for someone who has since moved from said house, fall projects I stopped working on when PS Santas called to me, winter projects that got set aside when the weather started warming up, BAPs I lost interest in, Mania starts and stitch-a-longs and the list goes on and on.

Now comes the fun part! I get to go through this mess and decide what I might still like to finish and get it all organized. I'll need to find missing threads I've pilfered for other projects and get things kitted up again. I'll make a list or two and order what I need and hopefully come out the other side with my sanity intact!
 
 

Tuesday, April 11, 2017

One More

I finished the 123 block on my Farmer's Alphabet this morning. And yes, I'm officially stalling! I'd almost rather have a root canal than organize my stash! But it really REALLY needs to be done since I seem to never put anything away! It's super cloudy and chilly outside so the perfect day to sit in front of the fire and sort through boxes and bags. I just need to figure out where to start!


Monday, April 10, 2017

R is for Rhubarb

I finished the letter R on my Farmer's Alphabet before having to set everything aside and focus on cleaning and packing and shutting down the house in Florida. We are back at the lake in Michigan now so I've been busy cleaning and unpacking and opening up the house here. I haven't had a chance to organize my stitching so I have no idea which old projects I want to keep working on and which new ones I want to start. I managed to make quite a mess of the Empire before I left so maybe the first step is to get things put away so I have some room to ponder. It might finally be time to pull out every single project I have yet to finish and make a real plan to get some of them done.

Deep breaths... I can do this...


Tuesday, April 04, 2017

One Potato

Here's my progress on Farmer's Alphabet. I took the picture with a quarter so you could see just how small these little over one squares are. I'd been skipping around, doing what I could with the threads I have here with me in Florida but that got old fast. I ran over to Michael's yesterday and picked up a few of the missing colors so I could at least finish a few of the letters. Irish Potato is finished and I'm working on Rhubarb. I will have to do some frogging on the border because there's a break in it where the leaves overlap. I was on autopilot when I was stitching the squares and didn't pay attention to the pattern at all. It is not going to be fun pulling out those tiny stitches!

Phil and I are heading back north on Friday. We will be busy closing up one house and opening the other so my stitching time will be minimal. It's hard to believe our three months in Florida are over. My next post might be from the Chicken Ottoman Empire!


Thursday, March 30, 2017

The Great Over One Experiment

Like a ga-jillion other people, I've been wanting to stitch the Prairie Schooler ABCs all together as one piece. To keep it to a manageable size I thought I better stitch it over one on a 25-count laguna. Question is, how much over one stitching can I actually handle? Hence the reason for the Great Over One Experiment! I started Farmer's Alphabet on 25-count mushroom lugana and so far so good. It's a bit patchy because I only have a few of the called for DMC but I at least had the right color for the border. It's boring stitching squares but it's giving me an idea of whether or not I might be able to make it through a much larger piece without tossing it in the trash 1/26th of the way through!


Tuesday, March 28, 2017

A Happy Little Stitch

I've been working on Lizzie Kate's Birdz & Bugz this past week and the bright colors put a smile on my face every time I pick it up! I still need to stitch the inner band and then I'll add some beads to give it sparkle. Such a fun little kit, perfect for spring!


Tuesday, March 21, 2017

At Home with Jane

It's been a while since my last post but I have been doing some stitching here and there.
This is as far as I can go with my Jane Austen sampler for now. I need a skein of Sassy Brass to finish it up and since I know I have one back home in Michigan, I'll just wait until we go back next month. I must have pilfered it from this project to use on another one. At least that sounds like something I would do!

I saw someone on the Stitch Maynia Facebook group with a pair of these magnifiers and had to hop on Amazon and grab a pair for myself.
 I can't see worth a darn with my old lady eyes so I always use a magnifier lamp when I stitch. I end up with a sore back from hunching over it and find I can't stitch for as long as I'd like. With these puppies I can curl up just about anywhere and stitch to my heart's content! It's super nice to be able to go out on our lanai here in Florida and enjoy the warm weather instead of being cooped up inside when I want to stitch. I can't wait to use them out on our deck in Michigan!

It's getting close to time for us Snowbirds to head back north. We've been so busy this season that the last couple of months have flown by. In the midst of entertaining guests we've managed to update both bathrooms. We still need to get mirrors hung and add a few finishing touches before we're done but they look so much nicer now! Next year we might just tackle the kitchen!

I'm going to have to go through my traveling box of projects to see what else I might have to work on while we're still in Florida. I'm pretty sure I brought a couple of things in anticipation of wanting to work on something Spring-ish. If I'm lucky there's a kit in there so I don't discover half my thread is still in Michigan!

Thanks for stopping by!


Thursday, February 16, 2017

Color Me Vexed

I haven't been stitching much since my three day Stitch-a-Thon but I have made enough progress on Flock Together to share with you.
Phil brought back the blue I needed for the water but I'm not loving that particular shade so I think I will swap it out for something with a little more green in it. I stitched just enough to verify that, yeah, I want to change it.

Then there's this...
Notice my pelican's bill compared to the one in the photo. They're not even close to the same color. I thought I'd screwed up and pulled the wrong thread but no, it's what's called for on the chart. I then checked the Hands On Design website and sure enough, the DMC substitution for the GAST Chamomile should have been 3045 and not 3022. So I'll be frogging the bill, the nest, and the rope, along with the water.

Rats.


Monday, February 06, 2017

Stitch-a-Thon Day Three

Random Thoughts by The Drawn Thread

It took me waaaay too long to get everything organized so I could finally sit down and actually work on this project! I wanted to make little cards to loop the threads through but since we didn't have a hole punch or any card stock I resorted to cutting a manila folder into squares and using scissors to poke holes through them. Not pretty by any stretch but I got everything sorted and onto a ring so I can feel like I have it together. It could all be short-lived as I have a history of mislabeling my threads and not noticing until after I've stitched a bunch of green tree trunks. This I do know for certain... I love, love, LOVE this piece so far. All of the specialty stitches look intimidating when they're spread out over several pages, but you only have to do one at a time so it makes it fun!

I'm off to try to squeeze in an hour or two of stitching before Phil gets done with his work for the day. We're re-doing the guest bathroom and I think we've finally found a vanity that's going to work with our vintage yellow tile! I'm hoping we can go take a look at it tonight!

Thanks for visiting!

 


Friday, February 03, 2017

Stitch-a-Thon Day Two


Deciding what to stitch next turned out to be easier than I thought it would be. Who can resist Jane Austen? My goal was to at least get the top band of flowers finished and by dinner time it was done! Loving the colors on this one!

I've already decided Random Thoughts will be my third start. I don't have much of a fabric selection here but I hope I find something that suits the thread colors. If not I'll have to get something ordered, post haste!

Have a great weekend!


Thursday, February 02, 2017

Stitch-a-Thon Day One

I didn't get too far with Flock Together from Hands On Design. Let's just say I had a few issues with counting.

Phil FaceTimed me from the Chicken Ottoman Empire last night but we failed to find my stray Sweet Treat. I know I started it along with the others so I'm clueless as to where it could be. I really need to get more organized! Or I could try finishing what I start instead of tossing things in a basket for the cat to sleep on.

I still haven't decided what to start today. So many great choices! I might have to blindfold myself, spin around three times, and choose one randomly.

Sounds dangerous!


Wednesday, February 01, 2017

The Short List

I pulled out several of the projects I brought with me to Florida and now it's decision time!

Number One...
Flock Together by Hands On Design
This one is super Florida-y and I chose a 32-count Driftwood linen to stitch it on. Very appropriate! I think this one will be at the top of the stack!

Number Two...
Random Thoughts by The Drawn Thread
I've had this one in my stash forever. The threads came with the chart and I brought some 32-count Dirty Linen that I think should work well with them.

Number Three...
Thoughtful Heart by Shepherd's Bush
I picked this kit up for a song a couple of years ago at the Midwest Stash Exchange hosted by House of Stitches in LaPorte, IN. It's vair vair pretty and with V-Day just around the corner, it's a definite contender!

Number Four...
At Home with Jane Austen by The Sampler Girl
I've wanted to stitch this for-evah! It's been kitted up, just waiting for the day I finally decide it's time to get started on it!

Number Five...
Farmer's Alphabet by Prairie Schooler
Seems like I can never put together a stitchy basket without tossing a PS or two into the mix. I brought a 25-count Mushroom Lugana with me so I might try stitching it over one. Am I that brave???

The laundry is going, the Pepsi is poured, the TV remotes are at the ready, so all that's left to do is decide where to start!