Argh! Having trouble posting pictures!!! Do you see them?

I am having so much trouble with Blogger!!! I guess everything changed, and I missed it. I used to upload pictures from Picassa. Now I cannot find the blog button. When I post pictures, there is a divider band between each one, and the pictures are still on top of each other!!! Is there some weird little imp in my computer or has anyone else had problems? Anyway, over the weekend I visited my WIP basket. I was shocked! When I start something, I am usually so excited and think it is the most wonderful design in the world and calculate how soon until it is finished. Then, somehow, it winds up in the WIP basket. I looked at WIP after WIP thinking "Why in the world did I ever put this down?" I took pictures of some of my favorite finds. The above picture is by Little by Little. I have no idea when I started it or why it was cast aside. I LOVE the color combination. I worked on it last night and really hope to finish it up. As I was stitching the inner border, I thought how nice it would look done in satin stitch. Around midnight I glanced at the chart and noticed it actually called for satin stitch!! I decided not to rip out my evening's work though. The next picture is an actual finish! This is 'Anonymous Women' by Sheepish Designs. It is actually their first design and the work of Little by Little designer Cindy Bradford. Very fun piece!
'Anonymous Women' was published in 1985 the same year as Margaret and Margaret published this design. I found it in my mom's stash and began it as soon as I finished AW. I got a chuckle when I noticed the dates! Here is a lovely WIP by Nostalgic Needle. This was in two editions of Just Cross Stitch a few years ago. I started it the day I saw it. The colors and designs are beautiful. How could I put it down??? Wow! This is by With My Needle. I started this during the early phase of my Scottish Sampler passion. I think it was the band of queen stitches that stifled my passion. I hope you enjoyed some of the highlights from my WIP basket. I hope to get this HTML thing straightened out soon! Michele

Well, knock me over with a feather...

I have cross stitch finishes!

I was in a major cross stitch rut. I was working on an autumn design, and I messed up. I know it can be fixed, but I was just annoyed. But this weekend I jumped back in the saddle. Nothing like a new project to cure the stitching blues! First I stitched Tanya's newest ornament from the 2011 JSC ornament issue. Then I searched through my JCS ornament magazine collection. I probably could have stitched 3 or 4 ornaments in the time I spent going through those magazines! I finally chose a Little by Little design from 2001. The colors are so much brighter than they appeared in the magazine photo! I picked out a Mary Beale ornament to work on this week while the girls are at dance. I just need to find a lighting arrangement for the van.

Hector the pound puppy is doing well. He is healthy and happy and loves his new family. Every mom needs more of this in her life!

That's better!

APP

Yesterday, I finished up the date and a few leaves on 'Ann Pennsylvania Peacock'. I have drooled over this design for years, and she did not disappoint! I love the combination of colors, and who could resist that paper face? I made plenty of mistakes, especially pulling the striped band in the middle of the house too tightly, but it will all be alright, I'm sure. I used the called-for threads, but I changed the fabric to 32 count.

I am in two minds about stitching the names on samplers. Of course this design is not a reproduction. I like stitching my own name on my own work! But sometimes the name really is part of the design. This design solved the problem by leaving a space for my initials before the phrase "her work for Ann." I really loved that!

Last night I started a design I have been considering for years. I actually hunted it down on eb@y, after having seen it in an old JCS of my mother's. I wasn't sure that I liked the verse, but it is growing on me. My favorite bit is the little people. It says 'men' on the chart. Whether they are men or women, I still felt a little silly stitching THAT particular eyelet. Ahem. I have stitched 1/2 a dozen naked little A&Es, and stitched their little nipples without batting an eye, but a crotch eyelet? LOL! But Darlene O'Steen is the Master (or Mistress, if you prefer) so it must be alright! ;)

For years, before I had my own stash, I spent countless hours poring over my mother's old 80s cross stitch charts and magazine. I have found (and added to my own stash) many timeless treasures such as designs by Prairie Schooler and Darlene O'Steen. I feel like I am so far behind, not only because I am just now finishing to "Ann PP," but also I have so many older charts I wish I had done decades ago!

I may have already gotten beach stitching out of my system. ;) I pulled CHS 'Margaret Mailey' out of one of my many large and overwhelming WIP piles. I plan on stitching her during our upcoming beach trip. But I will take a couple other pieces just in case I feel fickle.

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!!

Seeing Red

I finished this french marking sampler from the Summer 2011 S&ANQ while I was avoiding Ann Pennsylvania Peacock. I used DMC 3831 and 356.

I think I finally found a pretty good match for the sampler thread on Ann's dress. It still stresses me though. Look at the warped band on the house. I can't decide whether it bothers me enough to actually rip it out and restitch it though!

Dance Shoes, Stitching Blues, and Other News

The other news first: My dining room looks as scrupulously clean as it will ever be. I just wanted to document that. What is not pictured is the odd assortment of jumbled items I removed from the table. I still don't quite know what to do with that.

The roses on the table were tokens from my parents for my two ballerinas. Buttercup danced three numbers in each of two performances, and Nutmeg danced 6 in 2 and 8 in 2 others. I think. My body, mind, and spirit are still trying to recover. What with the costumes, shoes, drama, hair glue, drama, fast food, and did I mention DRAMA, I am still trying to process the weekend. Here are a few pictures. Just know that I could make this an extremely long recital post, but I am saving room for some stitching.

And this is the piece that has given me the stitching blues. This lovely design is the reason I have not stitched in weeks. (besides the fact that I had a nasty incident with the food processor blade last weekend.) I started with a new skein of Sea Spray and it is too green. It just makes me feel sick for some reason. I have become paralyzed and unable to work on any project now.

Surely I will get to a needlework shop before the end of summer. Surely they will have a slightly less green Sea Spray. Surely this will not be the end of my stitching life. (Surely I will be more careful around the food processor in the future.)

*Some* of my works in progress