A Winter finish

Another finish - one I actually got done a couple of weeks ago but I don't think I posted a picture of it! Its not finish-finished.....I would really like to try making a flatfold. I have a couple other small finishes to show too, but I've got to get pictures first.

We decorated our house for Christmas yesterday - the tree is up and sparkling and the house is looking very festive - just in time for another snowstorm with a prediction of 20 cm. Luckily it ended up being mostly rain with some sleet and this morning the streets are fine. I'm so glad really - its too early for snow!

I feel like tossing all my stitching aside to make Christmas ornaments! Is it too early to start Carol's 2009 Christmas Challenge?

Halloween Stitching

Some Halloween stitching has been finished! The first one is from the new Prairie Schooler Book 148. As soon as I saw this, I had to start it!
And a freebie from The Sampler Girl, called Quaker Boo. This is stitched on 28 ct Jazlyn called Pumpkin Spice, using good ol' 310 ~ black DMC.
A little more random stitching has gone on, including a little Christmas stitching. And of course I absolutely to stitch the Blackbird Design ornament from the new JCS issue, which was so kindly sent to me from a very dear friend. I'll get a picture once I actually have the little stocking finished.

One more week off work for me, and I am finally starting to feel like my old self again. If only I could make this week streeeeetch a little longer! But I'm feeling too guilty about the ladies who have had to do my work for the past few weeks.

Have a great week!

And more Prairie Schooler

I think its pretty obvious, I love Prairie Schooler charts, I just can't get enough of them. I was just finishing up the 2008 Prairie Schooler Christmas chart, and working still away at Winter Wind (Book 133) , when one of the new releases came in the mail. This one is called When Witches Go Riding and I fell head over heels in love with it. I mean who could resist the picture of that wicked little witch dancing amongst her pumpkins? So I had to, I mean I really had to, get a start on this one too.

Here you go, a Prairie Schooler fiesta~

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!

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.....

New stash and new start

Thank you all so much for your feedback on my Comfort Lady's skirt! I really had some doubts and was thinking about bringing in the frogs on this one. But I guess it does make her unique so the washed out, bleached spattered skirt will remain. The Sisterhood Pattern went in the mail at the post office on Monday and is now adding more miles as she makes her way to Sue's.

And I have added another stitching lady to my collection. New stash came in the mail yesterday:
Little House Needleworks "My Needle's Work" and the 2008 Prairie Schooler Santa kit. This is my first PS Christmas kit, it came with linen and Crescent Colour fibres, I want to start this one NOW!

But I did make a small new start on the weekend:
This is "Sarah's ABC Pincushion" from Blackbird Designs' Thank you Sarah Tobias book. I am using a remnant of something....30 ct R&R linen, in a really cool coffee colour. Its perfect for this yummy Gloriana silk called Autumn Arbor, that Annemarie sent to me. As you can see its attached to her sweet little floss fob that she made! I've been saving this for just the right project :-D

Sorry for the scanned pics...hubby is still away vacationing at the cottage...with the digital camera!

And just another wee treat for your eyes, more stash:
Isn't this beautiful! Its designed after an original 'souvenir' book dated 1895. I'm in love with this but I mean it, I am swearing off big projects....well, for a while anyways.

I'm staying inside in our lovely cool A/C today. The huge thunderstorms that went through yesterday did nothing to break the hot humid weather we are having.
Have a great day!

Christmas ornament and an almost finish

My package from the SBEBB ornament exchange arrived and wow - I was thrilled to see the lovely little stocking stitched by Donna of Daisy Stitches. I need to find her blog/e-mail so that I can thank her personally for all the wonderful goodies she put into this package. It made opening it up feel like Christmas! She also included a Just Nan chart called 'Tie One On' with the Whimzi frame (first time I have seen one of these in person and they are wonderful) and a Bent Creek chart called 'Sleigh Ride' with the fabric to stitch it on, as well as a package of tea and chocolate and a beautiful handmade card. Thank you Donna! Please leave me a comment so I can trace you back to your blog!!

My PL fabric arrived and I am in love with the colour - no more tea-dying needed here - but I decided to hold off on a fresh start until the New Year. And I am so close to finishing my little Prairie Schooler christmas sampler, I want to keep at it. Its looking like a finish might be in the works for this weekend and then I might try to finish it into a pillow. All that's left is for Santa and his sleigh!
My Christmas cards went out in the mail - yeah, one thing off my list. Packages have yet to be wrapped though. And I'm still wondering what on earth am I going to get hubby for Christmas? I have asked him so many times and he doesn't even know what he wants, other than the usual month long vacation some place warm, which is a little out of our reach at the moment.

Physiotherapy is going for the shoulder....or should I say torture sessions? Because it is unbelievable to me that my shoulder stopped doing all kinds of things without me realizing, and now the therapist is trying to make it go into these positions again. I'm doing stretches at home 4 times a day, to try to maintain some of the gains she makes. But on the upside, it actually is feeling better the rest of the time, not nearly as painful as it was. And stitching is much more comfortable again :-D I better not let hubby know that, or he'll make me start doing all the grocery shopping on my own again!

Have a great weekend!

Home again!

We're back from 2 weeks of glorious vacation! And that was 2 weeks of glorious weather at the cottage, what more could you ask for? It was very restful and absolutely what we needed ~ lots of time spent boating, visiting, soaking up the sun (even a little sunburn), enjoying our little beach, and yes, lots and lots of stitching!

And while there were LOTs of bills waiting for us at home, there were also the new charts from Prairie Schooler waiting for me too. I wish I could have gotten these before I went away!




I did start a new stitching project for my holidays....couldn't resist....its a Prairie Schooler chart, since I hadn't received the newest releases yet. This is from Book 93 called Harvest Time. I started with the last chart and I hope to do all 3 and make them into a new wallhanging, well one day anyways LOL, for my new sewing room...the colour of which is still undecided! But hubby is wanting to start painting so a decision will have to be made soon. I got more paint chip samples from Home Depot, hopefully I'll have better luck with Ralph Laurin!

Harvest Time by Prairie Schooler on 18 ct Oatmeal

I am looking forwards to visiting and catching up with everyone's blogs over the next few days!