Time for a New Start!!

I am doing a Cross Stitch Rotation this year. Yep. I just got a little side tracked, but I bought a little calendar to keep records so I can get back with the program. 1 and 2 January I finished A Stitcher's Prayer, and 3 and 4 January I dutifully worked on Susan Rambo. 5 January, instead of finishing a 3-day rotation on SR, I chose to start Souvenir de France, a freebie from the Blackbird Designs blog. I used a cream-colored scrap of fabric and DMC 924. I knew I should have chosen a ribbon first and then selected a matching thread, but I didn't. Now I will have to settle for a thematic match instead of a color match. Nutmeg started learning French last summer, and I thought it would be a cute little pillow or pinkeep for her. (I would also like to purchase or borrow French Lessons by Birds of a Feather. I'm not paying 80$ for it on Ebay.) I finished Souvenir up this morning. As I note that in my little calendar, I see that I should work on SR again today. But I don't want to. I want to start something new...

I have some natural light fabric that I think is the correct size for Anonymous Women Sampler by Sheepish Designs. If I can locate my DMC 3011, I will start this after I feed lunch to the Fam. You know I love Sheepish Designs, don't you? So I don't need to go on and on telling you about my SD obsession, how I watch and wait and snap up the designs where ever I find them, how I flip through the charts in a huge binder before I sleep at night (counting sheep- haha-sorry), how I called Dawn Bradford last summer and begged her to release all the designs digitally....yes, I really did. She was sweet to me, but she has moved on...

I also plan on ordering some 40 count linen from Terri at The Stich Store to begin Bridget Power. She's gorgeous. *sigh*

She is also huge. Look at those flowers! Look at that altar! My favorite things in a sampler - how could I resist?

Now look at this.

Jerry and I are going to celebrate our 15th wedding anniversary next month. We have a little trip planned, but I don't know if he will be able to leave Hector. What do you think?

Oh, our wedding anniversary! Now I remember that I wanted to stitch Tanya The Sampler Girl's ' Jane Austen & Me...the Emma Project for our anniversary. Hmmm....better get stitching!

Back to the Beginning

Do you see the differences between the first two pictures? 3 buttonhole stitched flowers, 3 eyelets, a bird beak, and 2 initials. That's it. That's what has been holding this up for....4 years! Wow!

This morning, I finished off a freebie beach design from The Sampler Girl. As I stitched, I thought about the very beginning of this blog I named The Striped Rose. I began this blog as a place to show off a H@rry P@tter freebie designed by The Sampler Girl in 2007.

Click here, and scroll down for my very first post which is also my very first Sampler Girl post

As I continued to stitch, I began thinking how familiar the combination of greens was, and realized GA Mountain Mist and Bayberry were originally purchased for this Blackbird Designs chart.

Here is the link to my start on 4 years ago!!! I blame it on those pesky buttonhole stitch flowers; they terrified me then. Today, they took a total of about 5 minutes.

Summer Projects

I just finished the final stitches on 'Land of the Free.' Well, I have not decided where my initials will go. If I were clever, I would try to frame it in this wreath that has been hanging under my mantel.
This design is the perfect size, by the way. It is small, but includes several specialty stitches.

If you can get a hold of a copy of "The Country Diary of an Edwardian Lady," I know you will be inspired. I have seen this book on several homeschool blogs where the ladies display a page of this book for the children to look at during the day. This is the a facsimile of a 1906 natural journal with paintings, verses, and records of things seen each day of the year.

Here is an update on my ongoing Pantry Project. So far, I have cleared out all my seasonal candles, potting soil, and Mod Podge to make room for all these glass jars from W@l-M@rt and T@rget. My plan is to have super-cute matching labels for each jar. I am also eyeing more baskets to keep paper products, grab-and-go snacks, etc.

This is my training ground for The Ultimate Organizing Project - The Craft Closet!

Baby Steps! ;)

Happy Birthday, USA!!!

For my patriotic stitching today, I began Blackbird Designs' 'Land of the Free' from the July 2011 Cross-Stitch & Needlework magazine. The design calls for Belle Soie with no conversion given, so I just pulled colors from my overdyed cotton collection. So far I have used WDW Scuppernong, WDW Blue Jeans, WDW Raspberry, WDW Cinnabar, GAST Harvest Basket, and CC Whatley Woodlands stitched on 32 ct antique ivory. I have stitch many Americana designs over the years, but I have given them all to my mom. I am thinking about keeping this one for myself. ;)

I think I have gotten over my APP block. I can see the finish line - which is probably the real reason for starting a new design today.

It has been a thundery, steamy 4th down here in the 13th Colony. The girls were heartbroken that they did not get to swim. We made a double batch of Ri$e Kri$pie Treat$, and we played a game of Ha$$y Po$$er Clue. It is definitely more complex than the old Clue with some clever twists.

God Bless America, Land That I Love!!

Get Ready to Drool...

My husband ran his first triathlon this morning. He was #58 out of 856 participants!

While he was running, I was spending time with my adorable nieces and planning a mad dash into my LNS. It is not "local" enough to go very often, but I am so thankful to have one within driving distance. I crashed the Saturday stitch-in at The Stitch Store. While the owner, Terri, was leading the gift game, this lovely lady was cutting my fabric. When I mentioned that I was taking a few pictures for my blog, she introduced herself to me as DaisyGirl!

Terri herself.

I did not have nearly enough time to browse the wonderful selection, and I had my children coming in to use the restroom and tell me to hurry because, "Daddy doesn't look happy."

I picked up two Sampler & Antique Needlework Quarterly issues that Terri had ordered for me.

Doesn't the cover design look like it would fit perfectly with a Jane Austen theme?

I have decided to start stitching this tonight. I need a little break from "Mary, Queen of Scots," and I think this will look great on my red & green/Scottish sampler wall.
I might have swiped this BBD pattern and threads from my mom...I got the fabric for it today. I would love to finish it this summer.

Well, I need to go get stitching! I hope Brit Coms will be on this evening!

Phebe Tree and Autumn Stars

Here is this week's stitching: Phebe Tree by Sheepish Antiques, and Autumn Stars which is the Blackbird Designs ornament in the 2009 Halloween Ornament JCS. I really love the stars; they were fun and quick to do. Terrie is sending a WDW Loden my way, and then I will finish it up!
If you know me, you know I love Dawn Bradford of Sheepish Designs and Sheepish Antiques. If she designed a cow patty, I would stitch it! Please, Please, Dawn, re-release your older patterns! Ahem.
I just could not believe how quickly I am stitching Phebe, then yesterday I realized the one-over-one stitching of the beautiful verse would be my stitching Waterloo. I love the look of one-over-one, but I HATE doing it!!!!! I am stuck on Adam Alone's one-over-one as well. I just keep choosing these patterns....
I cannot wait to get my hands on Paulette's newest designs. The Garden of Eerie is so creepily hilarious!

A finish to "crow" about

Sorry about the pun. Blame it on the rainy weather! I think I will start a Noah's Ark design next! I know it looks like a hole in the design, but I think that is the flash reflection from the shiny white plate behind the fabric.

update

I have been working on 'Sunlit' by Blackbird Designs. The fabric and colors are so beautiful. It is a real pleasure to stitch. Last night (while watching 300), I finished 'Against Every Sin.' I cannot wait to start something new, but feel a bit overwhelmed. Now that homeschool has started up again in earnest (did it ever really stop?) I wonder if I will have as much time to stitch as I have over the summer. My mom and I went a bit crazy ordering from Stitching Bits and Bobs. They are having a sale until this Wednesday. I ordered 'Trix and Treats' by Blackbird Designs. I would like to start something from that. And I just won 'Pretty Pumpkins" by Homespun Elegance that Tanya listed on ebay! But for this morning, it is back to math... Does teaching Mary Margaret (6 1/2 years old) to cross stitch count as 'school' for the Georgia attendance records? It would have at one time, that's for sure.

Michele