Deb's RR

I finished my house section on Deb's RR last night and got started on my tombstone. I can't quite decide what gruesome saying to stitch on it...hopefully some inspiration will come to me. Unfortunately the colours in my section don't show up too well on this beautiful fabric. Then I have to put my little X-S figure in 'Heaven' and I'm done! Early this time too!!

Its the Labour Day holiday weekend, the last big hurrah of summer and we have some great weather forecasted. We are off to enjoy the last bit of summer weather at the cottage. Which means I better get my stitching bag packed like now!

And Tuesday morning, the kids are back to school. That always means a special dance about the house once they leave! I don't even want to tell you how much $$ I have spent on clothes in the past week. No new stash for quite a while .....

WIP update

Thank you for all the kind comments on my Blackbird Designs finish! I haven't decided how to finish this one yet, framed or wallhanging or even pillow?

Here is a WIP update ~ the 2008 Prairie Schooler Christmas kit. Its working up quickly and I love using the variegated Crescent Colours with this.
And last night I picked up Deb's (Lavender Rose Ramblings) Neighbourhood RR. She sent along the charts she wanted us to use and all the flossies - silks, GAST and DMC! I picked out the chart I wanted to use, one of the Morbid Pithies from The Workbasket and got a start on it. Once I get this done, I'll decide which figure to put in 'Heaven' and my tombstone for the cemetery! Its quite a detailed RR!

My arms have been getting a work-out at night time which is when I do my reading - in bed! I have almost finished reading World Without End by Ken Follett, the sequel to Pillars of the Earth.
What a great book, it is as good as Pillars, and one of those books that you hate to see end. The characters are amazing and following their life in the shadow of this cathedral has been so interesting. But while I hate to see it end, the next time I pick up a 1000+ page book, its going to be a softcover!

I will get a WIP pic of Deb's RR as soon as I make a little more headway with it!

Sunflower House

A finish...a finish! Yuko beat me to the end of Sunflower House, even though I had started before her! I think I must be a slower stitcher than I thought LOL!


Vickie at Hedgehog Stitchery had kindly asked if I had any stitched pieces I could let her borrow for display at her shop! What an honour!! I took some pieces over last night, only 3 framed pieces and several unframed. How funny that I felt at a loss to find pieces for her to display! I guess I have given a lot of my stitching away (mostly to my kids!) and I have a not so tiny pile of WIP's. Plus quite a few Christmas stockings/ornaments that are packed away at the moment. Still I felt it wasn't much to show for all my years of stitching....kind of strange really. I think I need to take some time and organize my stitching into an online album, for my own sanity really, because its hard for me to realize that a hobby at that I spend usually a couple of hours a day at, I feel like I don't have much to look at.

I also attended Carrie's wedding dress fitting last night and took my own dress in for some alterations. We got to see ourselves together in our dresses and Oh, my but we look gorgeous!!! Only 5 weeks and counting until the wedding!

Back home again

Holidays are over - and far too quickly! The weather I can't say was the greatest, lots and lots of rain but still, days spent stitching are never too dreary for me.

And I have a lot of pictures to show, be patient with me!

First off a start and finish:
Little House Needleworks 'Apples' on 32 ct cream linen with Crescent Colours

And another start and finish:
Little House Needleworks 'Reading' from the Little Women series, on 32 ct antique white, using Crescent Colours.
And next up, another start:

This is the Prairie Schooler 2008 Christmas kit, on the provided linen and Crescent Colours, once again.

And yet another Prairie Schooler start, Winter Wind. Of course I was missing just that 1-2 colours of DMC that i needed, so there are some spaces up top that need to be filled in.

We got home on Friday night but the end of our holidays has been tempered by Kelsey having gotten out of the house and now missing for almost 24 hours. We didn't even realize she was missing until about 2 hours after, as she quite often naps for a long spell after her running about at the cottage. Every one was out looking for her Saturday night but no luck. So the local animal shelters have been called, emergency vet clinics, and she is micro-chipped. We are hoping desperately that someone has taken her in and will call one of these places tomorrow, thinking that nothing would be open on Sunday. Please send good thoughts for her safe return home. Here's a picture of her ~

Updated (Monday) Kelsey is back home! A lady saw her wandering about near busy roads and picked her up for us. Unfortunately with the weekend, she was unable to contact any of the animal welfare groups we had contacted until Monday morning. As soon as J-F got the phone call, we were off to get her and bring her back home, safe and sound! Now to get that new dog tag with the proper address.....

Holidays!

We're just starting....as of today, I am officially on vacation for the next 2 weeks. Ahhhh, that blissful sensation of having absolutely nothing to do, I can't wait! We're leaving for the cottage tomorrow and yes, I still have a lot to do. Am I organized? Not on your life but the important things are already taken care of - my stitching. That bag was packed last night with lovely fabrics chosen and edges sewn over, with various little charts and threads all packaged up and ready for whatever delightful piece takes my fancy. There are absolutely no stitching rules allowed when I'm on holiday, just pick up a piece and stitch, for however long and for absolutely no reason other than for the sheer joy of stitching. I'm sure any neighbours who happen to see me during my vacation must think I'm absolutely nuts, I'm never without a needle in my hand, or cool refreshing drink either. Good thing I have 2 hands.

I have been stitching up a storm since I finished Love with a Capital L (which by the way is enjoying being stretched and pulled at the framers) and I picked up my Houses of Hawk Run Hollow. It wasn't hard to decide which one of my BAP's to return to, this one fairly jumped into my lap wanting some attention. I really think I should just focus my attention one BAP at a time if I ever want to finish one in the next decade. And here is a pic of the lovely H's, with House #4 finished and even a nice start made on House #8. Unfortunately H's isn't vacationing with me, if would entail dragging my glorious but majorly overweight magnifier, and since most of my stitching is done under a tree at the water's edge, that would mean extension cords, etc., and I really don't want the neighbours to question my sanity too seriously. And for some reason I really don't like extension cords next to water.


Before I blog off for 2 weeks, I'll leave you with some delightful pics of what my hubby has been doing in our backyard. Here is a before he started:
And here is a pic once he was finished with his saw and sledgehammer:
There's nothing like a good demolition project to put fire in a man's bones! Well, personally I don't understand the thrill of ripping stuff apart but nothing charges hubby up more than this. I just wish he was as thrilled with the re-building aspect. Meanwhile we have a lovely dirt mess for the doggies to enjoy chasing each other about. Of course they are awfully good about wiping their dirty paws on rugs and furniture once they come back in the house for a drink. I think I will be calling the landscapers when we get home....

Have a great 2 weeks!