Thankful for a Finish!

I finished this up while watching Downton Abbey, then I worked some more on Tanya's DA freebie. I was so psyched when I read that there were 7 episodes of Downton Abbey in season 1. I was sad to learn that they had been combined into the 4 we saw here, and that will be it for this year!

It is difficult to get moving on this cold rainy day. And I am supposed to figure out how to sew the ribbons on Nutmeg's brand new pointe shoes. I will probably just cross stitch them! ;)

(I used colors I had on hand, DMC Ecru, 3371, and Holly Berry, Lancaster Red, Weeping Willow)

Twisting the Night Away

Last night, I began another Beth Twist design, "Let Us Be Truly Thankful, the Valentine edition." I wanted to start it right away, so I just picked some colors I had on hand. Beth is working on the March edition for this series right now!

I would love to have a wall of cross stitch pieces that I could change out through the year. Has anyone used command strips to hang cross stitch? I wondered if that would be a possibility. That way I would not have to worry about nail holes as I changed the arrangement around.

I hope you all have great weekends and get in lots of stitching!

Stick a Fork in Her - She's Done!

I realize this is a little anti-climatic after yesterday's picture, but a finish is a finish and deserves a post! This is Unna von Bergen 1869, a freebie by Beth Twist.

I am amazed how much I love this sampler! Crazy colors, idiosyncratic boo-boos - but it works!

Thank you, Beth!

When One Gets This Old...

When one gets this old, apparently one no longer feels the need to hide the evidence.

I made a pizza, fed my children, and went up for a shower. This is how I found our 15-year old dog, Ursa, upon my return downstairs. Yes, she is awake, and quite aware of my presence, but apparently unconcerned. There was a time when she would have crawled under the dining room table, racked with canine guilt, after a garbage raid. Apparently, those days are behind us.

I was not going to blog again until I could proudly show you my finished Unna von Bergen. She is not quite ready, but I wanted to show you a picture of stitching in case Dog with Empty Cheese Wrapper is not your idea of high art! ;)

D.A.

Have you checked out Tanya The Sampler Girl's newest freebie? Hurry, hurry! We are an hour and a half away!

I love the motif she used in the corner, but I thought I would try my hand at a representation of D. A. I need to keep tinkering. Right now, it looks like Gotham City, or a bat. I plan on backstitching some lines to represent windows. Not quite sure. Hmmm...

"Toot Sweet"

I know, I know. But this design was very quick to stitch, and it is very sweet. Toot- well, we just won't go there. ;)

This would make a great, quick Valentine's gift for a teacher. Since I homeschool, I'll just give it to myself!

I plan on putting in some serious stitching hours on Unna tonight. Although...

Now I am off to pound the treadmill and listen to some more of Moby Dick. I just cannot quite decide if hearing "The White Whale - Thar she blows!" while I huff and puff is inspiring or demoralizing. ;)

Fickle

During the snowstorm, I was happily stitching away on Agnes Scott. When the girls' activities resumed, I told myself I needed a smaller projected to carry around in the car. I started the intriguing Unna von Bergen. Well, today I decided I really need an even smaller project to carry around. I mean really - I now love Unna too much to expose her to the same perils I would not dare expose Agnes to! And Valentines is right around the corner....

So I whipped out this ancient Prairie Schooler leaflet. It seems like they will be perfect for an afternoon of ferrying the girls to music and dance class.

I do feel the tinsy-iest bit ashamed. I have been on a blog-reading-binge lately, and I know most of you would already have Unna finished, framed, and hung! Call me the poky little puppy!

I wonder if I could finish all four little PS designs in time to hang from my mantle for VD? Perhaps you all could encourage me? Should I promise to show you a picture of my craft closet if I don't get them finished? No, my mom saw my craft closet yesterday, and she would probably drive over and finish them for me to spare the family shame!

Yesterday was a baking day. There was a LOT of this...

A pinch of this...

And, well, yes, some of this:...

Ain't She Purty?

Sorry. I don't know where that came from.

Alright fine. I know exactly where it came from! Moving on...

I am loving Unna more and more as the crazy colors mingle on the fabric. I hope to finish her as I sit waiting on the girls to have their lessons.

By the way, Nutmeg is taking six dance classes, violin, orchestra, and her piano/voice class. Buttercup is merely taking 3 dance classes and piano/voice. I may be headed around the bend....

Yesterday, I made a quick stop at Mi@ael$ - their new spring things are out! This pillow case was 3$ - it has a nice zipper in the back and fits a 16 square pillow form. I think I may need a few more....

I love the dollar baskets full of junque! I bought a few little things. Wouldn't they make lovely gifts at a bridesmaids' or ladies' lunch?

I was thinking about putting a magnet on the back of the little dish, and turning it into a needle minder. I am so full of clever ideas, but sadly lacking in follow-through....

I am seriously considering starting this Sheepish Antique. Seriously considering it.....Seriously.....

Did you all have good weekends?

Ha! That makes me think of the Dowager on Downton Abbey, "What are weekends?" :)

Red and Purple?

For three whole, entire days I really believed I was going to work on Agnes until either she was finished or my fingers bled. I thought she was the most beautiful design in the world and could fulfill my every stitching desire. And then I came upon this freebie from Heartstrings Primitives and I was seized with a desperate longing to stitch purple and red together. And mismatched greens. And blues and other purples. And a weird mustard-y-brown.

The story of this little sampler is AMAZING! Why do these things not happen to me? ;) At any rate, I am stitching Unna von Bergen 1869. My color scheme is even more lurid than the original being that I cannot properly read a chart. *sigh* But I don't think it really matters; it is the sheer gutsy-ness (am I making up words or just spelling them wrong?) of these colors mixed together that astounds.

Here is little Nutmeg curled up under the warmest blanket in the house drinking ----COFFEE!? I need to have a word with Louisiana Man!

"The House of the One Gable"

Snow days are vacation days here in Georgia. I may live in a higher elevation (the battering winds attest to that (We have moved to yet another Wuthering Heights!), but a few falling flakes unfit me for work let alone, snow on the ground for a week! That being said, I have stitched to my heart's content this week! It has been a good long while since I have done this much needlework. (Yes, Mom, your grandchildren have been fed, and I think they have had a bath or two.)
The above picture may not look like grand progress, but it was a pretty intense bit of stitching. It was more intense because I was listening to Nathaniel Hawthorne's "The House of the Seven Gables." Sometimes I laughed out loud, and sometimes my heart beat fast and my needle flew faster! Agnes' house has only one gable, but I think she is better off than the inhabitants of that well-gabled house.

I wanted to show you my coffee nook. I was so happy to find that this house had a butler's pantry! It looks a bit sparse because I share the space with my husband who is always on the look out for gratuitous bits of Frou, as in frou-frou, or is it froo-froo?
You may have noticed that I am not the type who rushes out and frames or otherwise finishes my work. I am sure there is some psychological name for that as well as a financial one! ;) One day, I want Paulette's coffee freebie to grace this space. (it is upstairs with a piece of foam board cut and ready for the stretching)

This ancient piece does hang in the pantry. I still love it.

I wish you could join me for a morning of stitching and coffee!

Snow Days

I have marveled at the bright reds and greens on Scottish samplers for years now. Those are certainly cheery colors on snowy-cold days. I have made some progress on 'Agnes Scott' by With My Needle while listening to the wind try to out-howl the children. This is more snow than the girls have seen in their lives, and they are thrilled to be living in a neighborhood with young boys across the street. We have had to put a stop to them chunking ice at each other more than once. I suppose they were thinking, "If snow ball fights are fun, then ice chunk fights must be terrific!" Hmmmm...

This is NOT normal winter weather for us! I want them to enjoy it as much as possible while staying as dry as possible. Hot soup and cornbread is the perfect fare this week!