Happy Birthday Melody

Hi Mel ; ) You need a blog!!

Progress photos of my bookmark:
close-up of the front

front (WIP)

the back looks pretty good, too!

These are bands of blackwork, two-color rice stitch and long-armed cross stitch. I'm using splendor + silk mori. And .... eggs for Alex ...

Bead Shop Find

Look what I found in a box? I remember purchasing them awhile back. I hung one up on my wall & put the rest in a safe place (lol). I bought these at Bluestem Beads in Porter, Indiana.

Cathy: Originally, I thought they would be interesting scissor fobs. One reminded me of a Dove's Eye (hardanger). Simple cord or braid & tassle? The shop owner told me they are put on beaded necklaces OR silk cords. I just liked them ; ) I participated in an EGA GCC beading course & made a couple amulet bags & got carried away with beading for awhile.
Jenna: As I recall, they are a low grade jadeite. Next bead shop trip, I'll verify!

Not much stitching to share ...

The boys are on Fall break from Middle School & High School. We didn't do much because they have head colds. I don't want their germs! Been wanting to do something traditional, quick, simple -- & pulled these out:

Started a bookmark. It is an EGA Petite Project - Sampler Bookmark by Periwinkle Promises / Barbara L. Rakosnik. (c.May 1998) The center has blackwork motifs (I think 5 repeats of the leaves). There are bands of rice stitches + double back stitches (I might do long arm cross instead). I'm using silk mori on 32-count twilight blue linen.

Also started N.Hinde 1778; A miniature Sampler (c.1991 The Scarlet Letter.) I am using red silk (AVAS 945) - cross stitch over one - on 32 count antique ivory linen. This should be 1 3/4" x 2 3/4". In the directions it says to "feel free to personalize your sampler with your own name or initials & the date, using letter forms from the alphabets + numerals above." I am thrilled about the heart motifs. And who can resist a spiffy alphabet?

Here is a photograph from the pattern leaflet (of the finished sampler). Says on the pattern: "Genuine miniature samplers like this are relatively hard to find. They usually feature a simple monochromatic alphabet, or a short sentimental verse. The former type, called "plain work," usually originated in working class schools. This "plain sewing" sampler is English, probably from Lancashire (or perhaps, more specifically, Lancaster)....The original piece is in a private collection"

Autumn Pumpkin

Pumpkin Keeper designed by Cynthia Zittel of The Drawn Thread. 32ct Belfast Driftwood. I'm thinking to make this one into a pincushion & stitch just the pumpkin for a fob.

I was happy to receive Vol 41 - Sampler & Antique Needlework Quarterly. The front cover has an interesting spool holder designed by M.Cox.

Jenna: Not sure about a tuffet because the button would coverup the pumpkin.
Cathy: I use wool roving or quilt batting in my pincushions.

Lucky

c.1999 Bent Creek,Inc. The Black Cat designed by Marsha Worley & Elizabeth Newlin. 41x57

Chelle: It is on 32ct Twilight Blue linen.

Sunrise in Indiana

The morning greeted me with this.

FAMOUS by Naomi Shihab Nye:

"The river is famous to the fish.

The loud voice is famous to silence, which knew it would inherit the earth before anybody said so.

The cat sleeping on the fence is famous to the birds watching him from the birdhouse.

The tear is famous, briefly, to the cheek.

The idea you carry close to your bosom is famous to your bosom.

The boot is famous to the earth, more famous than the dress shoe, which is famous only to floors.

The bent photograph is famous to the one who carries it and not at all famous to the one who is pictured.

I want to be famous to shuffling men who smile while crossing streets, sticky children in grocery lines, famous as the one who smiled back.

I want to be famous in the way a pulley is famous, or a buttonhole, not because it did anything spectacular, but because it never forgot what it could do."

Special FOUR

Reading, Stitching, Beading, Sketching ... Yep! I enjoy my hobbies. Here is a snap of my closet (the floor space under my clothing).
I will update my previous post with the rest of the tucked away 'stuff'.

Creative Corner

I read Vero's blog this a.m.   AND Let the tagging begin.  

This is where I stitch ... & if you read this, you are tagged too -- show off your stitching / sewing area(s)!   

Check out Vero's Blog to read the original post.

Update: This basket houses my current project & small kitted things -- The small drawers are full of scissors, needles, magnets, needlebooks, thread winders, floss bobbins, floss-away-bags, tape measures, omnigrid rulers, laying tools -- more stitchy-stuff than I need. And, Ok, I confess to having a few things in my closet. My top shelf houses quilting hoops & wool roving & quilt batting. Under that are stitching books, Two zipper notebooks of pattern leaflets, EGA newsletters, EGA course manuals/books AND general school supply notebooks / graph paper notebooks Under my clothing bar I put a lot of crafty stuff ... The large container in my closet -- (kits & linen scraps--more stitching oddments). Blue nylon bag is my EGA bag - currently housing beaded stuff. My WIPs in boxes & bags are on top of the container. Behind you can see my sketch books (manequins for sketching). To the side are magazines: NeedleArts, Ornament, SAN-Q, Fine arts (2 rows). There are 2 shoe boxes of dmc floss & one box with Anchor & Danish Flower threads. In my wardrobe, I use a couple shelves for table toppers (left), rolled WIPs under tabletoppers -- boxes of flower thread & silk. Next shelf with afghan, perle cotton underneath. White boxes: one with clip-on magnifier and one box of buttons & charms. (behind the afghan are small boxes of beads.) q-snaps are tucked in with my handbags on the bottom shelf.

Guess most of my stuff is 'hidden' from view. I wish I had a room though. I would go in & never come out!

My favorite Color & Afghan WIP

Your Blog Should Be Yellow

You're a cheerful, upbeat blogger who tends to make everyone laugh. You are a great storyteller, and the first to post the latest funny link. You're also friendly and welcoming to everyone who comments on your blog.

What Color Should Your Blog or Journal Be?

Saw this on Jenna's site this morning. Started to laugh. I really love yellow. I often stitch with yellow because it makes me happy .... even when the pattern doesn't call for yellow, I add it.

The temperature is mild -- time to get out my afghan. cozy. This is a picture of the last block I stitched. I have a few more blocks to go ...

Acorn Sampler Afghan c.1989 Mill Hill. Using floss on Zweigart's NOVARA afghan fabric.

Found something to drool over

I opened up my e-mail to read thru my yahoo groups (& fan mail -- LOL). I was looking at the 2006 Stitching Smalls SAL's shaping up. Cherished Workes looks good to me, starting in January (By With My Needle). Not sure I have all the 'stuff' .... may have to rummage around in my linens to find something to use.

Meanwhile, I checked out the EGA web site & they have a new GCC worth considering - finally a huswif with NB, Fob, Pinkeeper .... It would be nice if the Great Lakes Region offers this!

http://www.egausa.org/EduCat2005/NewGCC1.htm

Do you Mark? Yes, I Do ; )

Today's "Stitching Blogger's Question" was suggested by Cathy (http://itwillbefunny.blogspot.com) ) and is:
Q. Do you mark or hi-lite your patterns or can you follow them without any markings? Do you make copies to mark up, or do you mark originals?

A. I make a working copy of everything. If I am confused by a particular motif, I'll use a post-it note to help me keep my stitching "place". I jot down notes - color changes - sometimes will use color pencils when deciding on color changes ... or may hi-lite areas when I quit stitching for the evening. I like to cut out portions of patterns + put them on my project with a magnet. Less eye movement! Plus, nice place to rest my needles. My working copies are such a mess when I am done with a project ... Only good for the litter bin at that point.

The permalink to this post is:
http://blondelibrarian.net/stitching/archives/2005/10/pattern-marking/

"Fall" Stitching for Fun

c.1998 Waxing Moon Designs.  Boo Pumpkin Freebie 35x35

Bent Creek.  Hare lines Freebie 36x36

I've Been Tagged ....

I didn't know what that meant! Dawn at http://crafterscreations.blogspot.com/ had to fill me in on tagging. I'm such a fossil.

These are the questions I tried to answer -- and when time permits, check out Dawn's blog. It is awesome.

--7 Things I want to do before I die: successfully get the kids out of the house & out in the world on their own AND save money (ha!)
--7 Things I can do: stitch & read & type & laundry : (
--7 Things I can't do: public speaking OR anything involving the lime light
--7 Things that attract me to another person: Friendliness
--7 Celebrity crushes: None.
--7 Things I say the most:
"Give me strength"
"Frogging sux"
"knock it off"
"No No Nikki" (Tori's cat)
"Luv U"
"Stitch well"
"Whatever"
--7 Bloggers I am tagging: I like all the blogs I read .... so check them all out! I don't think I could narrow blogs down to 7. If you read this, go ahead & copy/paste these 7 questions, maybe you will have better luck coming up with SEVEN answers ; )

I'm excited to pull out a WIP from my project list. I think I want to stitch on linen for awhile -- looking forward to getting some stitching in today. Will run errands later!

Grammy P's Pin

I got around to 'finishing' a Mill Hill Pin. Alexander (my 13yo) made this for his Grammy P who lives in Illinois. He gave it to her last Sunday.

c.2001 Mill Hill - Autumn Harvest Pin VIII -- (MHAH43) Haunted Kitty

Kewl Magnet!

This is a fun and useful project. I bought this kit in the sale bin. It is a Mill HillBeaded Pin Pillow (MHBPP4 Daisy Dream) c.2003 Design Size is 28x28. There is ONE piece of linen and easy instructions to bead the design -- add the fringe -- & sew the pillow shut. I added FOUR round magnets inside. The kit came with one -- but, I used four.
AND IT WORKS! When I spill my pins -- I wave this over & they all hop to the magnet front & back. I have purchased magnet wands & my boys 'borrow them' .... translated to I never get them back. This magnet is so pretty -- they don't touch it.

Hoopless & The Next Project

Bent Creek. Hare Lines freebie 36x36. What a cutie bunny. This was one of the models for Craft School.
Today's "Stitching Blogger's Question" was suggested by Outi (http://www.livejournal.com/users/snowprincipessa/) and is:

How do you `non-hoopists' who use a rotation system handle it (as itseems to be lot easier if you are in good terms with hoop)? Do youhave several scroll frames? Do you use Q-snaps or maybe somethingcompletely different? Or do you just have one or two big projects andothers are small enough to be kept in hand while stitching?

I prefer a scroll frame to q-snaps. I started out with a 14" scroll frame set -- got hooked on them ever since. Since scroll bars, side bars, and knobs are sold separately --I don't have SEVERAL scroll frames. I own a lot of scroll bar sets in varying lengths. I keep my project on the scroll bar until it is done. As for the side bar and knobs -- I have only a couple sets. The side bars and knobs can be used on all the scroll bars. It is really nice to roll up projects & store them "fold free" while not working on them.

Today's "Stitching Blogger's Question" was suggested by Bea (http://beastitching.blogspot.com") and is:

When you have almost finished a pattern and start thinking about the next one to stitch, how do you select it? (a list, most recent purchase, etc.)

lol! The catch to this question is "when you have almost finished" .... I enjoy stitching and reading. I don't think about what I'm going to do with it - or why I do it. I just stitch because I like it.

Unfortunately, I had an accumulation of stuff in the closet & when asked, couldn't pull out one thing that I finished! I'd pull out something and just work on it a little & then put it away. Seemed a mountain of bags that kept falling over, every time I opened my closet!

Back in January (2005), I tried to get organized & vowed to do as many happy dances as possible. I've managed to finish up a lot of WIPs over the year. About a month ago I made out some real lists which I'm sort of following. In addition to the WIP list -- I have a separate list of SALs or EGA chapter stitching. I'm planning to continue with the WIP/MIOM projects until the end of this month -- then, will crank out a couple of gifts.

The permalink to this post is:
http://blondelibrarian.net/stitching/archives/2005/10/future-projects/

Got a Gift!

Purely Samplers, "Button Heart Sampler" c.1994. Homespun Elegance Ltd designs by Sandra Sullivan.

My Mom, Grammy K, made this nice pillow for our anniversary. Too Cute!! I was very surprised, b/c I already have the buttons,pattern,etc to make one. yeah, well, never got around to it -- guess Grammy K remembered us shopping together & knew I liked that pattern. If I every get thru my WIPs -- I still would like to make one with green substituting the blue -- Would be cute to have two of them with DH & my initials. How high school cute.

One More day of Aida

yes, I had this post ready to go & the connection was interrupted & I'm not sure what I have on my web log! Love when that happens. Will try again. Love to edit.

Since this has happened so many times in the past 2 days, I think I am in need of a new cord to the phone jack. Another errand!!!

Thanks for your comment Chelle. This pattern is really fun to do. Didn't take long at all -- in fact, I would have had it completed had I not decided to change one color.

Practice on some links -- I've tried several times to get these to work in posts & the links go to cyber never land! Maybe after reading the directions again...these will be ok

Lelia's Xanga

E-mail me

One more day of aida

Thanks for the heads up on the Cross Eyed Cricket web site. I found the 2005 freebie & printed it out. I used the colors suggested by V.Hastings -- until I got to the acorn top. The color suggested is 844, a dark grey, which did not show up on the dark green, 14-ct aida cloth. I lightened up to 840&841 blend & it seems ok, so far. I just have the acorn top PLUS the BSing around the whole acorn .... should give me FOUR models of cross stitching to take with me tomorrow.

The Bent Creek "One Dozen" is coming along ok. On the other side of the tree is "1-2-3". I have a bird motif + the numbers "10-11-12" to stitch ... It is long and narrow.

Craft School .... stitching on Aida

I don't usually use aida cloth. When I use aida, it is because the material has a lot of strenght & makes a great needlebook for my stitching bags. You know, toss in a needlebook with the 'to go' stuff. Sunday, I continued with some freebie patterns, Fall theme, to share at the Craft School -- Wednesday.

This is such a cutie. 2-strands on small grey aida fabric. 20Wx26H - took me 1 hr & 20 min. Petite Acorn c.2001 Vicki Hastings of The Cross-Eyed Cricket, Inc. I don't know if it is on-line anywhere. For this freebie, you might have to ask at the LNS.

Added the cat. I'm thrilled this came out so ... meow! It is done with 3 strands of floss (boo) on hmmm 14 ct aida? I chose simple dmc floss colors b/c it will be passed around a lot during the craft school. There is a border of BSing which I skipped. I think this is 32Wx40H. Fall c.2000 Sandra Sullivan of Homespun Eleganse, Ltd. This graph/picture is on-line. See previous posts for web link.

Started this Bent Creek - Called "One Dozen" c.1996. Maybe at the LNS. This took 40 minutes to stitch. Hard to believe these take that long. I'll bet Becky & Carol are laughing their heads off -- those two stitch like Superman -- faster than the speed of light .... or some such thing. Today, I'm planning to finish up the Bent Creek & will visit Melody tomorrow to do whatever needs to be done in preparation for Craft School. (like cut floss, aida, etc)

Homespun Elegance (in progress)

Cathy:   This is what the freebie looks like.  (the link is in the previous post or in sidebar)      I still have the cat to stitch -- will get to that later today.    As for the Drawn Thread freebie -- I double checked & the link goes to the Autumn keepter.   I sent an e-mail to Cynthia & hope this is fixed soon.   If not .... send me your e-mail or snail mail.    My e-mail is:  spenc@netnitco.net.

And speaking of freebies ....

This is my progress on the Pumpkin Keeper -- the pattern is on the drawn thread web site (see sidebar)

I also came across this cutie -- which I would like to do before Wednesday:
http://www.homespunelegance.net/free_graph.html

Everybody enjoying the week-end?

Friendship Project (NANI)

How do you like this sampler? Seven NANI members (EGA chapter) participated in this project. My theme was alphabets. I put in the center section, outside border, and dividing borders/bands. Then, it was passed around every month. My idea was to stitch their names around the outside - the date - some critters (bunnies or birds). I think it may need a small border around that, too. I haven't graphed the names yet. I'm just happy how it turned out.


The left side was stitched by: Elaine H, Sue D, and Bernie W.


The right side was stitched by: Grammy K, Ann S, and Jan C.

Thank you - Thank you - Thank you. I hope you are as thrilled with your samplers as I am with mine.

Pumpkin Keeper (Freebie)

Picked up my Cynthia Zittel pattern - Pumpkin Keeper. Pattern is on the Drawn Thread web site. I changed three of the colors -- the pumpkin 3853 & 3854 Plus the eyelets 744. I like a little more color. The pattern calls for 36 count Summer Khaki Linen. I started this on a 32 count Belfast - linen color is Driftwood. Guess What? It is too big to be a fob. Might be a cute pin cushion -- maybe I have enough linen left over for a fob -- just with the pumpkin ; )

I haven't been stitching much. I had one of the dogs on a leash, tripped over the rolled up garden hose & landed pretty hard on the concrete. My right arm had been pretty sore -- is ok now.

Craft School in Crown Point, Indiana

This story ran on nwitimes.com on Thursday, September 22, 2005 12:41 AM CDT

Craft School Crown Point

Craft Teachers are needed to demonstrate various crafts at the annual Craft School sponsored by the Lake County Cultural Arts Association in cooperation with the Lake County Homemakers Association. The event will be held from 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. Oct 12 in the 4-H Building at the Lake County Fairgrounds, 889 S. Court St. No sales will be allowed, however, crafters may distribute literature and business cards. This is a free hands-on craft school open to the public.FYI: Call Jeanne at (219) 696-8203, Fritzie at 322-8042 or Pat at 365-5065

Doesn't this sound like fun? Melody is coordinating our table space. How kewl. Melody said there were about 300 people who attended the Craft School last Fall. I am going! Actually, four of us will be there to demonstrate cross stitching (Jamee, Melody, Deb & I -- unless we can recruit more stitchers). I am looking forward to this. We have some floss, aida cloth, and freebie patterns. Not sure about the needles. I use small ones - I think we will use size 24.

I cannot decide if it will be more fun to demonstrate or to walk around to see everything else!!! I need blinders. I don't need another craft!!! Can you imagine me learning something more fun than stitching & trying to make room for another hobby? What a riot.

Stitch well my friends. AND, if anybody is near Crown Point, Indiana next week, stop by ....

A Cat House!!

DH & Nicholas are building a cat shelter. During the Summer, somebody dropped off a pregnant female who delivered four kittens. We have not been able to get near them; however, DH feeds them twice a day. Since Fall is in the air, DH & DS are building a cat house for the Winter months. They have insulation, roof shingles, etc. I wonder if the cats will even enter! Time will tell. If it is cold enough, they should enjoy the shelter.