Friday tea

Hello Stitchy Friends!

I just have to share this beautiful tea party with you.

I was invited to a good friend's house for tea after work today.










What a lovely start to the weekend!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Monday updates

Hello Stitching Friends!

I haven't posted in awhile again. The time seems to get by me at a quick pace. I have been stitching tho. So many projects are waiting for my attention. I am usually a one project at a time girl. I guess my fear of having too many things going at once is that I won't get back to them and finish them.

But with the retreat last month and starting the Halloween Cricket piece, I felt like I needed to stay with it awhile. Here's where I am currently




I have been diligently following instructions. There are speciality stitches that we were instructed to leave until last. That is why the witch has no mouth and eyes are not finished. I started on the diamonds at the bottom last night. Can you believe it was my first time with working with silk threads? Some of the diamonds are stitched with two different variegated silks. What smooth stitching! I may have to splurge and use silks once in awhile!




You may remember this was the project that was in my hoop before the retreat. She is going to be kind of largish but wasn't up to stitching over 1 on 35 count. The eyes are getting older and find that much over 1 stitching to be a big challenge! Especially in the evenings.

There are so many pretty designs out there, and I've seen more that are due to be released at St. Charles. But I have to keep telling myself I have more than enough in my stash to last through a few lifetimes! If we lived long enough to stitch what's in our stash, we wouldn't die for many many years!!!

Well the washing machine needs reloading and dryer needs to be emptied so I best take care of that.

Here's hoping for a good week ahead for all of you, and Happy Stitching!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Tulsa!!

Hello Stitchy Friends!

I am back home after spending the last 5 days away. I went to the Silver Needle Retreat in Tulsa, Oklahoma. It was the first time for me to attend a retreat. We had a great time! My sister, Karen and her daughter, Amy travelled from Minnesota, and met my niece, Barb and myself there.




It was Hot in Tulsa! But we had a great time!

Vickie Hastings from the Cross-Eyed Cricket presented the cross stitch portion of the retreat. She has been designing charts for 31 years! It was interesting to hear her story. She had a Halloween project designed for us to work on.




This photo is of the stitched model.

I had to get a picture of Vickie with one of my favorite designs




A Walk in the Woods. I have stitched this one, as well as my sister. One of my stitching friends in our stitch group has done this one three times, as gifts for family and friends.... Vickie shared her design process from idea and inspiration stage to finished chart.




She was very friendly and gracious. I had to purchase a chart for an autograph!

We also took finishing classes by the famous Mona. I learned some new techniques







We also were treated to a day of fun with the girls from Just Another Button Company. I will never look at another one of their buttons and not appreciate the work and effort that goes into creating it!!!

We spent a whole day learning of the button making process and made some of our own.




We worked as teams, these were the results of our group. We created yellow flower buttons.




We also had time to create random designs.




These were made by some of the other groups. We were able to take home an assortment of buttons made by each group.




These ropes of clay are waiting to be sliced into buttons and baked.

It was a wonderful retreat, Lindy of the Silver Needle and her staff made sure everyone had a great experience. Between the classes and the shopping, we had a great time!!

Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

We have progress

Hello Stitchy friends!

I just wanted to share a quick picture...we no longer have a headless woman here!




I was hot here today, so I found some time to spend in my stitching chair. So, I have to share the progress!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Summer is flying by...

Hello Stitchy Friends!

I can't believe it's been so long since my last post... I apologize. Things have been flying by at a fast speed it seems.

Today is bittersweet, our daughter Holly, has moved out from home into her first apartment. We will miss her being here. But, she was very excited to make this big step. She recently got a job also, which she was thrilled about. However, I should say she is staying in our home town, so it's not like we won't see her often.

Our son asked me what I was going to do with the empty room..without hesitation I said craft room! Lol. He laughed and said you've been thinking about that for awhile...

Mike and I will be adjusting to our 'empty nest'. Of course not so empty with four cats and Harry....

The times they are a changing.

Things have quieted down here late this afternoon, so thought I would have time to share some stitching updates with you.

The Melicent sampler is finished!


I just finished giving it a press so it would be photo worthy.

I of course had to find something new to start...




This has been in my stash for awhile. I didn't want to stitch it on 35 count linen over 1 as the pattern suggested.... That's just too small for me to stitch comfortably.

So I found some linen in my stash....




And I have a start. It has been fun so far. Sorry for wrinkles and hoop marks but you can see my progress.

I have other Americana themed pieces, so this will fit in nicely with those.

I took something to my LNS in Clinton for framing, so I will share a picture when I get it back.

I am getting quite excited because you see, on Wednesday this coming week I am leaving for my very first stitching retreat! Months ago, my sister proposed the idea when she saw The cross eyed cricket would be featured at a retreat at the Silver Needle in Tulsa, OK! So, we talked it over and decided this would be doable. Our niece from California is joining us and my niece from Minnesota. So, the four of us will be Oklahoma bound soon. I will share pictures and news from the retreat on our return.

Harry got a visit to the groomer last week, so he's sporting a shorter look for summer.


We also made it up to Michigan for a short weekend trip before the Fourth of July.




Mike enjoyed himself getting some pictures.

Happy stitching!

Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Summer's Appearance

Hello stitchy friends!

I've been doing a little stitching today between other chores and errands. I am ready to be done with Melicient! But, I am getting to the more interesting parts at the bottom.

I've also been cleaning the extra room we gained when our son moved out. I got the windows washed and clean curtains hung up! It looks much better. I've also hung some stitched pieces on the walls. :)

It was hard to capture the whole wall arrangement in one picture. Sorry the pictures aren't better. David is supposed to come home tomorrow to help his dad install a new window in our living room, so when he's here I hope I can get him to bring my big bookcase and desk in this room from our storage shed. I'm ready to finish putting this room back together. I plan to move our desktop computer/ home office and some of my books back in this room again.

I am having difficulty trying to write this post, Annie is trying to insist on helping...

Sure she looks innocent now... I just shooed her off my lap.

It's hard to believe we are approaching the end of June soon. The weather has been strange, but it sounds like heat and humidity will be making their appearance this week. The rainy Spring weather we've had has brought a bumper crop of mosquitoes. They've been bad enough that you don't want to sit outside very long.

Just taking Harry out to do his business leaves you with a new bite or two....

I have to share news of a great new book I finished the other day...

"Looking for Me" by Beth Hoffman. It was soo good, I hated to see it end. The authors first book was out last year, "Saving CeeCee Honeycutt". It was excellent as well. So, if you're looking for a good book to read, I highly recommend these!

Happy stitching everyone!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Weekend recap and more

Dear stitching friends,

Summer is finally making an appearance with some warm temperatures. It's beginning to feel like a Midwest summer. We were busy celebrating Fathers Day yesterday. Both kids were here plus an 'extra child'. One of Holly's friends. Mike had a great day with some thoughtful gifts from the kids and we all enjoyed some good food at home. I made potato salad, a baked bean dish, deviled eggs then for dessert we had fresh strawberries and ice cream.   David grilled pork chops and brats on the grill. I had intended to bake something for dessert but ran out of time.

Then in true family fashion, the guys decided it was time to light the brush pile in the backyard and get it burned up. After a couple beers these ideas sound like fun...

The boys thought it was great. I thought the fire was kind of large....but it all worked out fine.

We had fun taking some pictures and this is one of the few of all of us together.

I have not had much time for stitching it seems. We've been busy taking Harry for his evening walk, then I've been going to the gym a couple times a week with Holly. It cuts into my evening time after work. But I know it's good to get more exercise.

Harry has adjusted well in our family. He still surprises me that he can be in the yard with us without his leash and be trusted to stay with us. Our former dog would have been off like a shot when loose, and wouldn't come home unless you rounded her up by picking her up in the car and bringing her back home. So, this calm behavior by Harry has taken some adjustment. A welcome relief actually.

Here's my progress on the Melicent Turner sampler

Sorry for the crummy picture. It's my third retake... But you get the idea on where I am. I'm a little tired of stitching letters. It will be nice to move to the motifs at the bottom.

Mike and I travelled to Minnesota last weekend to visit my sister and brother in law. They are in the process of condensing two households into one. They are vacating their house of 31 years and moving permanently to their house near St. Cloud. We moved some things back to Illinois for David and Holly.

I will have to share a couple pictures of my sister's craft room. I am envious of all her space!

She will die when she sees them, and say I should have waited until she had it all straightened up...

We spent a little time up here working on curtain valances for our house. I think they turned out good.

As you can see, Annie is inspecting them...

Guess I will close this post with a photo of Harry.

Happy stitching everyone.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad