Stitching and New Addiction

My how time flies when you are having fun. Here it is almost the end of January. Had planned to do a review of projects completed in 2008, but now that the month is almost over, I am not going to waste valuable stitching time to get it organized. As far as number of projects goes, there were less in 2008. That is mostly due to stitching bigger pieces, like A Quaker Christmas, a 6-part Shop Hop Sampler for The Sunflower Seed and a 4-part design model for the Sunflower Seed. I tend to do bigger projects now than I have done in the past.

It has been a rather strange week. Last Wednesday I was hostess for my church ladies group and made soup and homemade bread for them. Early this week we have had crappy weather and I have not hardly been out of the house since Sunday afternoon. Today was the first day above freezing since last Friday. We had little dustings of snow several times, but not the ice,etc. that other parts of the country have had. We feel fortunate to have missed it, but feel bad for those that have had to struggle with it. Missed my Monday night stitch group because they were predicting snow and I don't drive in it. Turns out that it did not do much, but by the time I figured that out, I would have had to gotten dressed in something other than sweats and grubby clothes.

Staying around the house has allowed me to get some stitching done. The second sheep, all the grass and the tree has been added to American Baby. Down to leaves on the second tree, some red berries on the trees and the name, etc. and it will be done.

Been getting some good work done on Valentine Row. Part of the tree trunk is still missing and have done one more heart and part of the "V" since this photo was taken. This seems to be going fast.

This is a little ornament that I started as a shop model for The Sunflower Seed. We have both the Red Letter and Green Letter Ornament patterns in stock. Anita decided we needed a model, so I decided to do the "Sled". She had some little scraps of fabric that she thought would work for it. Well, they almost didn't. We both thought there was more over 1 on them. Only the word "sled" above the sled is over 1. Should have this done by the end of the week.

Green Letter Ornament

by Blue Ribbon Designs

28-ct Lt Mocha Cashel

Called for WDW fibers

Did not get any stitching done on LHN "From Sea to Shining Sea" this week. On Tuesday I did work on the little angel that I am completing for a friend. Down to doing flowers and leaves that call for 1-2 stitches and quarters stitches and then you change to another color. The friend is in Texas for the winter and I want to have it done for her when she comes home the 1st of April. Still have time. Should be done by then. Has lots of back stitch on it too.

As I mentioned before I have been doing some crocheting when we have gone on long car trips. Here is the prayer shawl that I completed a couple of weeks ago. We prayed over it and 4 others at our Church ladies meeting last week. Most of them should have been delivered this week. I have another one started.

Did you notice my post title? Well, I know have another addiction. A while back when I was playing bingo at the Indian casinos 2-3 times a month, some of my friends accused me of being addicted to bingo and that I was going to spend my retirement money on bingo. Well, the bingo hall closed and I very seldom play bingo any more. Now, I have become addicted to Vera Bradley (VB) bags and buying them on Ebay.

It sort of started last summer when I was reading some one's blog about them buying VB's Little Travel Case at ebags.com and how it made a nice stitch bag. I checked them out and got one in the Pink Elephant design. Took it to stitching with me and everyone fell in love with it. So I went out and bough one for Anita and Reina for Christmas. Then about 3 weeks ago Janet went out and bought the Tall Zip Bag at our local VB shop. It is such a nice size for stitching stuff. The bag I had been carrying was falling apart and I had used it for at least 7 years. I started checking on ebags and ebay. In the last 2 weeks, I have bought 5 different bags, 3 from ebay and 2 from ebags.com. My first 2 attempts on ebay, I was outbid. Then I started getting lucky. Here are the photos of what I bought taken from the ebay web site so they are a litle small.

Little Travel Case

from ebags.com last summer

Tall Zipper Tote
from ebay
received last week

Katie Bag
from ebay
received today

Sherry Bag
from ebay

still waiting on

Since I had bought something from ebags.com last summer, I got an e-mail asking me to answer a survey and I ended up with 20% on my next order and they were having a winter clearance sale, so I was able to get 2 more Katie bags for a little over $12 each. Regular retail was $28 and the style has been discontinued. They are just the right size to care my Ipod and portable speakers in. Also will make a nice camera bag. Anita is using one to carry her new flip video camera and accessories. I am sure that I will find all kinds of uses for them. Now I am looking for a couple of other bags to use as stitching bags. The one I am discarding is very large and I will need more than one to replace it.

Some in my stitch group think they might have to do an intervention for me regarding my VB addiction. Now I have found out that one of the new colors is called "Purple Punch" and I love the color purple. LOL!! In the past, they had talked about having to do an intervention with my bingo addiction, but they never did. Now they may try to do it with my VB addiction. Even though they call me "fiber snob" and other names regarding my affinity for silk thread, they have not even mentioned the word intervention. I guess they know that it would be hopeless.

Time to close and head to bed. I work at the LNS tomorrow and we are finishing up getting things ready for Anita to go to the Nashville Market next week. Next week I will work my normal Thursday and then Friday, Saturday and Monday while Anita is gone to market. The best part is getting to see what she brings back from market first hand.

Thanks to all that stop by my blog. Comments are appreciated. I am still behind in reading blogs, but am making some headway. Don't leave as many comments as I should, but once I get caught up that should change. Everyone is doing awesome projects and I enjoy hearing about your stitching and the ups and downs in your daily lives. Hang in there and keep those needles flying.

Keep On Stitching

It seems that I may have created a monster. As you know, I have this wonderful group of stitchers locally that I stitch with every Monday evening. They are all reading my blog and every week, if I had not done a post during that week, I am bombarded with "Why haven't you updated your blog?" or "I made special effort to go check your blog and there is nothing new" or "You haven't done a blog in a long time". My problem is there are better things to do than battle with Blogger. Although girls I am going to try to do better. None of them have blogs so they do not know how aggravating that Blogger can be or how long it takes to do pictures, etc. to make it an interesting read. I would rather be stitching.

Remember my Yahoo STO group had a January 1st SAL, well another one in that group that is in Australia said they had a "guilt-free January" where you could start as many new projects as you want. I gave into my Stitchers ADD and started another project. Thanks Amanda!! Here is the beginnings of Bent Creek's Valentine's Row.

Valentine's Row

by Bent Creek

28-ct PTP Orphan

Recommended GAST fibers

PTP does not currently have orphans. Orphans are fabrics where there was some kind of issue with the dyeing process and they did not get the color they intended. Everyone that has seen this color thinks they should put this color in their line. Not sure that the color comes through very well in the photo, but it is like a dirty pink. My color name is chocolate covered cherries.

Here is my progress on American Baby. One tree done except for some red berries and both bunnies. Now another sheep and tree, plus baby's name. Coming along nicely.

Also continued to work on LHN- From Sea to Shining Sea. Now part 4 is out and I don't even have part 2 done. Had hoped I would have part 2 done before part 4 came out. Not to fond of the dye lot of the tumbleweed in part 2. I almost changed it and bought another skein at LNS and Anita talked me out of it. Will continue and see if I like it better when it is all done. Might have to rip out some of what I stitched last Saturday. Was stitching while watching the KSU basketball game on TV. They were playing awful, the TV feed was having technical difficulties so you were missing something about every 5 seconds. The longer it went on the tighter I pulled my stitches. Will have to go back and look to see how it looks after I have calmed down. LOL!!!

Been doing some model stitching for The Sunflower Seed. Did one small design model for use at February market. No photo. Then also did a store model of LK Valentine's. Not sure what fabric (I think it was 28-ct Lt. Mocha Cashel). I just took what Anita gave me. Used the recommended thread. The Cameo Pink on the border did not show up very well. Easy and very cute stitch.

Monday being Martin Luther King holiday, almost everyone in our Monday night group had the day off. Sorry Marcia. She was the only one that had to work and some dummy scheduled her for an afternoon meeting. She admitted that she was that dummy. Part of us spent most of the day at The Sunflower Seed stitching. What a fun day. I also helped with customers so Anita could take care of other business. Janet and I were there shortly after the shop opened, Reina and Reita came about noon, Jan came before 1 and Marcia after work. We had a pizza party as dinner. Love that Via's Pizza. Judy showed up as we were finishing the pizza. We had our usual hilarious day. Did not take down any notes and quotes. Part of it would not have been fit for publication.

My STO group had a small stitch-in here in Topeka yesterday, but I opted to spend time with my Monday night group. The STO group did come by the shop to do some stashing. Met Judy and Marcia. Now I have a face to put with the names. Glad to meet you both and be able to help you with your shopping needs. Come back and see us.

Tomorrow my church ladies group meets and I am hostess. I decided to try a new soup recipe on them. So today I have made soup and have put a loaf of frozen bread in the oven to bake. It is a recipe for Taste of Home magazine called Beefy Bean Soup. My assessment of it is that is kinda like Spaghetti Soup. It is a tomato base with basil and oregano with beans, hamburger and elbow macaroni. Hope they like it. Also stitched on a piece for a friend. It is something that her sister started for her, but got cancer and was not able to finish. So glad to be able to finish it for it. It is difficult in parts to figure out what has been stitched and what hasn't. I have had it a while, so have made a pact with myself to stitch on it every Tuesday so I can hopefully have it done when she returns from her winter stay in south Texas.

Thanks to all have stayed with me during my fights with blogger. Thanks for stopping by and commenting. I really appreciate your visits. I need to do some dressing up of by blog, but that takes time and patience and understanding with blogger, etc. I have none of those and so it will stay as plain jane for a while longer.

Better go check the bread in the oven and get some more stitching done.

Happy Stitching!!!!!

Addendum to Last Post

OK, let's try this again. I thought I had things somewhat worked out last night when I clicked the "publish" button. When I went to view things, it was messed up. However, Google Reader has the text I had written. Will try cut and paste and see how that works. It's hard to remember what I wrote. Well, it won't cut and paste.*#%!! I will try to switch back and forth between windows and do what I can.

My STO Yahoo group decided to have a New Year's Day SAL. You know it is supposed to be good luck to start a new project on January 1st. Here is my progress on Willow Hill Samplings "American Baby" that I chose as my project. This is a more up-to-date photo than the one I was going to use last night. Because I chose to change the color of the sheep and bunny from the pattern, I have since had to rip out about half of each. Originally it was to be some Crescent Colour that I did not like. The DMC equivalent was a yellow color and the photo looked more whitish cream, so I chose to use GAST Oatmeal. What a mistake! It got lost in the base fabric. Took to Monday night stitching last week and Anita picked out a couple of colors for me. Nothing that I thought would work, however, she was right. Told Anita later that I should never question her suggestions for color. They are almost always right on. So the sheep, is now in GAST Fudge Ripple. Chocolate! Woo Hoo!! Have the bunny barely started in chalk. Had to see, but I need to put in a few more stitches, but I think it is going to be good too.

Here is the progress on LHN From Sea to Shining Sea.

This afternoon I finished a small little design model for Anita at The Sunflower Seed. Will take it to her tomorrow when I go to our regular weekly stitch group.

Finally, remembered to take a photo of another of the Christmas presents that I had been working on. Sandi and I decided to wait until after Christmas to do our gift exchange and we have yet to get together. We will probably do it sometime this week. Nothing like extending Christmas a couple of weeks.

Thimble Abundance

by Primrose Needleworks

28-ct R&R Apple Brown Bindy

Poison Apple - Belle Soie Silk

Most recently, I have found that during our long car trips it is easier to do crocheting with a dog in my lap than to do cross stitch. So I have an afghan going and have started making prayer shawls for the church. I finished a prayer shawl on Thursday night and have another one started, so I could work on in yesterday on our drive to Manhattan to the KSU basketball game. I still need to add some fringe to the finished one and get it to the church. Will take a photo before I turn it in.

Not going to tempt the Blogger Gods anymore. Things look like they are proper right now, so am going to publish. Thanks for enduring my issues. Thanks for your visits and comments. All are very much appreciated. Next time I am going to try to do a summary of the things I stitched in 2008.

Happy Stitching!

Stitchy Christmas Gifts and Other Stuff

Wow, it seems that I go longer and longer between posts. Part of my problem is that I dread wrestling with Blogger and what problems I might encounter trying to put this together.

Hope everyone had a great Christmas and New Years. It was cold in South Dakota, where we spent Christmas, but we did not encounter any weather issues in our travels. The morning we left home there had been snow here the night before, but not much. Trip went off without incident.

Want to share with you some of the stitchy gifts I received for Christmas.

Received this ornament from Martha. Right after the JCS ornament magazine came out I won a contest on her blog. She was going to stitch the winner the same ornament that she stitched for her grandchildren. I was the lucky one. I love Harvey.

This ornament comes from one of the Sunflower Stitcher, aka--Monday Night Stitchers. Sometime last year I found this little tree pattern as a freebie online and Reina saw the pattern at my house when she was setting up my Ipod. She asked to borrow it. Little did I know that I would get one for Christmas. Now I don't have to stitch one for myself. She did an awesome job. The trim around the sides are all beads done in little loops. Way more beads than I could ever do. The green tinsel on the tree are also beads.

The last stitchy gift I received has quite a story behind it. I received the pattern and birds eye maple Quaker box as a project at one of The Silver Needle's camps. So when I was going through my stash to find things to donate for our retreat prizes last fall, i put this in the bag of goodies. I was pretty sure that I would never stitch it. Was a lot of over one stuff and I don't do much of that. Anita saw it in the prizes and said you are not putting that in there and she took it. Little did I know she was going to stitch it and give it to me. I love it. Now I need to find some very small scissors to put in it. All the ones I have are too big.

Sampler Scissors Box

by Fancy Work

32-ct Lambswool Linen

Silk 'n Colors Fiber

Speaking of over one!! I am always trying to get into doing more over one stuff. Here is my latest effort in that direction. Had this done before Christmas, but the last time I tried to take a photo it was all blurry. Probably won't get finished into an ornament for a while.

2008 Christmas Tree

by JBW Designs

28-ct Raw Natural Linen

Belle Soie silk - 1 strand

Here is my progress on Aloha. All that is left is back stitch and we all know how boring that can be. Just need to sit down and get it done. The person I am doing this for is actually going to Hawaii the end of the month. Maybe I can have it ready to give to her by the time she gets home.

My STO Yahoo Group had a New Year's Day SAL. You know it is good luck to start a new project on New Year's Day. I started Willow Hill Samplings "American Baby". Here is my progress for a day or so. I have since ripped out the part of the sheep and bunny. (They are hard to see). They were in GAST Oatmeal and did not show up very well. I had changed the colors from the original because I did not like them. Took it to stitching on Monday night and Anita helped me pick out other colors. Now most of the sheep is back in with his head too. Looks really good. Told Anita yesterday that I should always take her color recommendations and not question because they were usually right on. I am sure that she will remind me of that many times as I stitch on her designs.


Have done some work on LHN From Sea to Shining Sea and My Mansions Sampler. The weekend before Christmas, I stitched up the freebie that The Sunflower Seed will have at the Nashville Market in February. Now I am working on another small little design for her. We have had to change a couple colors, so it is going a little slow for a small project. The Sunflower Seed was closed the week between Christmas and New Year's, so the Monday Night Stitchers had to take our show on the road for our get together on the last Monday of 2008. Thanks Janet for hosting us and for the wonderful Mexican Soup.

During our long car trips, I have found that I can crochet was a dog in my lap better than I can cross stitch, I have been working on both an afghan and a prayer shawl for the church. The prayer shawl is done except for tying on some fringe. Picture next time. Tonight I got another shawl started, so it will ready for the trip to Manhattan tomorrow for the KSU basketball game.

Have struggled long enough getting this together. Off to bed for me.Just checked the preview and it shows the previous two paragraphs messed up. If Blogger posts it that way I will redo that part later. It did this to me a while back and I could not figure out how to fix it. #$%*!! I guess in trying to fix the problems, I deleted the Amerian Baby photo and I am not going to go back and add it now. Will include next ##**^&*!!