Monthly Mania: April

I finished it. I used 32-count lambswool linen. WDW Cocoa; WDW Beige; WDW Onyx for bsing; WDW Chablis; WDW Kudzu [border]; WDW Juniper [lettering].

c.2000 Heart in Hand



Stitching bunnies is quite fun!!!

She keeps me entertained!

Walked into my kitched & see she is tired of her Clementine Box : )
"Leave me alone"

I am nearly done with an older Bent Creek pattern. Maybe get a pic up tomorrow.

Needlework Show

The Needlework Show opens at 1pm -- and, I'm staying off line waiting for call-backs.

Alex had a job interview yesterday - supposed to hear back in the next couple of days.

Nick did ok in his interview, was hired & starts on Thursday. YAY!

So, keeping off the computer ... keeping the phone lines open.

The Needlework Show Link
http://needleworkshow.com/

No Stitching . . . been reading

I have been enjoying these Elm Creek Quilts Novels. I'm not sure how many there are in the series; however, I know the new one is on the NYTimes Best Seller's List.

There is a very nice web site with quilt block patterns, book news, blog by author, block-of-the-week, etc. Web Site Here. I enjoyed reading the Sugar Camp Quilt book best. The other two I read were very good, too.

No complaints with the weather this week-end. It is perfect!!! Nice breeze, sunny, 70s, how awesome!

queen stitch

Sue, stitcherw said she was "looking forward to seeing your queen stitches. Those are so lovely looking, however, they are the one stitch (in addition to french knots) that I can never seem to get to look right."

Sue, I've got a photo to share with you of some stitch samples I made up a couple years ago. I was practicing the queen stitches & was using strawberry motifs I found in sampler books. IMO - using ONE strand of silk or perle cotton creates a more even stitch than cotton floss. I like using silk. The coverage is very good!



There may be other bloggers with more tips. I practice them before adding them to a sampler.

BEFORE I FORGET TO ASK .... Does anybody have a good recipe for corn bread??? I am a terrible baker & would like to give up using mixes all the time. I tried a recipe this morning & ended up with a brick. See link here. My son, Nick & daughter, Tori seem to get the knack of baking. Why can't I??

WIP: Jana P. Kerr's Mystery Sampler

A couple weeks ago, GF - Sue D [without blog] showed me her mystery sampler, from NeedleArts Magazine [EGA publication]. She is stitching parts of this in the evenings. Her banding looks GREAT : )

I couldn't even remember where I had left off!!! Pulled it out of the closet yesterday & added a few more stitches.



I finished up lesson 10 of 15: small eyelets [alpha letters S-Z], Standish stitch, Montenegrin, & Long-armed cross stitch bands.

Started lesson 11 of 15: blackwork border [strapwork in blue fiber]. Perhaps I'll get the queen stitch [strawberry motif] stitched later today

WIP: added more stitches

TGIF! Everyone, enjoy the week-end!

Starting to look like a sampler!!!

Added more numbers and alphabet letters over the week-end. I enjoy stitching alphabets. There is a verse stitched over one thread on one side -- and I may try that later in the day.

This is Old Saybrooke Sampler; Reproduction of a Child's Early ABC Sampler Makeit / Sewing Chest Designs: Project Sewing Case with Needleroll & Scissor Fob

No new bunnies [yet]

I pulled out some of my favourite bunny projects. Seems I didn't create a new Spring project, yet!! I had a couple small things planned & opted to continue working on some larger WIPs.


This is "Rabbit Forest" by The Workbasket. I goofed with the spacing on the pattern & had to move things around a bit -- and add a couple little things : ) Hard to resist those darling rabbits.

This is "The Bunny Hop" designed by Judy Whitman, JBW Designs c.1999. I made a few changes with the floss colors.

I've made a few sewing smalls with rabbit motifs, too. They are delightful to stitch : ) Enjoy the day. Stitch well.

Myspace Comments

Fab News : )

Guess What? Yeah, you'll never guess .... a photo of one of my stitching projects is on the home page of the Blackbird Stitching group.

Isn't that kewl?????

link here

I was out running errands & shopping for hours yesterday. It was windy, cold, w/snow flurries. I picked a terrible day for shopping.

Came home & picked up Alex (DS who will be 15 in June). Alex needed a new watch [very] badly. Alex had a list of must haves for his watch INCLUDING telling time. When I took him back to the store, he took FOREVER to choose one model. The lady behind the counter was so nice. She kept taking them out of the glass case & he'd look it over & test out the features. He doesn't need a manual to figure out any of that stuff & it takes me forever to reset the digital clock in my car when the time changes!! We were there at least an hour ... and hooray, he found the perfect watch ... for $29.95 : )

Now onward to the laundry room. It never ends.

WIPs: just a few more stitches added

I've added a few more letters into the Old Saybrook Sampler. I am following the DMC colors provided & trying my best at the letter placement. The graph I have isn't the greatest; however, this really is a fab repro once stitched.

I FINALLY finished ALL of the vines on this tabletopper. I was worried that I would run out of perle cotton -- did have a small piece left over [used 2 skeins of pc#5 for the vines]. I started the first of four beehives.

This is a small place card stitched by my Mother. She made 50+ for a Lenten Breakfast program at her church. The inside of the card has a small paper inserted with some info re. their program. I hope the program participants appreciated them!

I have been reading two books: Angela's Ashes [Memoir by Frank McCourt] and The Mercy Seller [Historical Fiction by Brenda Rickman Vantrease. Seems I've enjoyed my books more than stitching these past few days : )

Hard to believe it is 31 degrees, 45mph winds, wind chill reading of 12 degrees. I'd like to have that 60 degree stuff back. Our flowers are blown to the ground. We are expecting snow flurries. Time to run a few errands. Blek.