Quick Update

It will probably come as a big surprise to my regular readers and my local stitching friends, but this is going to be a quick post. (hopefully) My plans were to take some more pictures tomorrow in the daylight and include more up to date photos of stitching. Got a call from Anita, owner of LNS-The Sunflower Seed and she was not feeling well, so I am working at the shop tomorrow. Not much else on the agenda, so it is not a problem. Just refocus on some other things.

First of all, I picked up my LHN - From Sea to Shining Sea from the framers about a week ago. Here is the final product. I love it.In one of my small Yahoo groups, we had an online retreat last weekend. Last year they had a retreat in Kansas City with several of the group attending. That was just after I joined the group, so I did not participate. I think I had a football game that weekend. Since the group is very diverse in where they are located, the moderators decided to have an online retreat. The group has several designers in it. Two of them designed retreat pieces. One was 2 Quaker Acorns. The other was a floral needlework. Other things included with the retreat was bingo, recipes and lots of chatting. It was hard to keep up with the stitching and the chatting at the same time. It is easier in person to talk and stitch, but when you have to be on the computer to chat, then you cannot stitch. On top of that I was gone the better part of Sunday for my Dad's birthday party. More on that at a later time. I do have a couple of pictures of that to share.

I did manage to finish one of the Quaker Acorns. The thread is Thread Gather Silk 'n Colors Crimson Wood on 32-ct Lambswool linen. I thought it was 28 when I picked it out, but the longer I stitched I figured out it was 32-ct. Oh, well. Now to get the other one done sometime. I am putting them on the same piece of fabric vertically and have requested the designer do another one so I can turn it into a bell pull. Marianne are you listening!!!

It seems that I am almost as addicted to the Blackbird Designs Stockings as I am to silk floss. Here is my start on "Here Comes The Bride" from the June leaflet. There is quite a bit more done since this photo was taken. Wedding Ring is one of my favorite quilt pattens. It is done on R&R 30-ct Korty's Special Blend using CC-Antique Lace and Cheryl Chic and DMC 712. Not much color change in the two off white colors.


Last Friday, while at the LNS the Blackbird Designs Halloween Stocking leaflet came in. Anita and I worked to cut fabric from the various called for colors. They are all so cute. I want to stitch them all.

Saturday, one of the Monday stitchers, invited us all to stitch at her house after the LNS closed at 3 and we stitched til around 10. Good food, great laughs and much stitching what a great combination. So Friday night I got the "Candy Corn" stocking barely started and stitched on it at our get together. Did have a few complications. Left most of my thread at home. Had to stop by the LNS for WDW-Carrot and I used some of Anita's GAST Butternut Squash. Then when I got home, I figured out that about 4 of my corn pieces were off by one thread. So I spend part of last night ripping and re-stitching. Hopefully, I will have it done the next time I post.

MUFFIN UPDATE : She did not have her scheduled surgery. Her blood work showed some problems that they spent all day with more tests and blood work to diagnose. This is the second time she could not pass her tests for surgery. I think she is does this on purpose so she does not have to have the surgery. She was, however, diagnosed with Cushing's Disease, which is a treatable, but not curable. Basically her body produces too much steroid and the pituitary gland that is supposed to shut it off, does not do it. The vet says that there is probably a very, very small tumor on her pituitary gland that prevents it from functioning properly. He told me that we don't do brain surgery on dogs. I read that same thing online. Now we are giving her some type of liquid medicine twice a day for 3 days and then in a week or so they will run blood tests to see if the meds are doing what they are supposed to. After 2 doses, she is taking it like a trooper. Don't know how cooperative she will be in the future. The meds are supposed to be liver-flavored, but it does not really smell that good.

Thursday we leave for out trip to California. Looking forward to it and have lots to take care of in the next few days. Probably no more updates until I return. Will be taking my new Acer computer with me and hope to try to keep up with e-mails and not get to far behind on blog reading.

Sometimes, I forget to thank all those who stop in to see what is going on in my world. Your comments are what keeps me going on this blog thing.

Happy Stitching

I' m Still Here.....

When I last posted, I had just started "Bountiful Stars" from the Blackbird Designs July Stocking. Here it is finished stitching. I did all but part of one star in a little over a day. Ran out of the blue silk and had to order more and that took a week. I like my color choices better than the model. It looks for Americana. I used Belle Soie silk (surprise) Cranberry and Blue Lagoon on 30-ct Korty's Special Blend.

Later this month Morris and I are going to visit friends in San Jose, California. At the semi-last moment, I decided I needed to stitch something to take to Betsy. Looked for something that I thought she would like that would not take too long. Ended up doing "Sunflower Sampler" by Country Cottage Needleworks. It stitched up in about a week. On the way to the frame shop, I realized I had not taken a photo. So I have borrowed a photo from Hoffman Distributing to show the design. I did it on 28-ct Natural Brown linen with the called for fibers. It was a fun quick stitch and now I think I might have to do it for me too. Photo to come when returned from the framer.
Other things on the stitching front include stitching on design models for The Sunflower Seed. I have done 2 models so far this summer. Frames just came in. Now they need to be framed and photos taken to complete the patterns for release. Photos to follow when they are released. Currently I am working on another model and am about 1/3 done with it.

One of my ongoing projects is "Giving Sisters" by Notforgotten Farms. I started this last year before Halloween and then it got put aside for awhile and I have pulled it out to work on again. This has become the project that I work on when we have our Monday night stitch group. Cannot work on design models then so, I work on other things. Have a good start on the second witch. Still not sure whether I will have this done by Halloween this year. Might be close enough that I will keep working even after Halloween. It is on 26-ct white birch Heatherfield with DMC.

Since I last posted I have had a case of startitis. I started and finished The Sunflower Sampler, but also started a couple of other things. I started Little House Needleworks "Cappuccino". I am doing it along with "Frappuccino" and "Cafe Latte" horizontal on the same piece of fabric. It is 28-ct Lt or Dk Cappuccino from R&R. Each of the designs come with the Belle Soie silk. The border is made of little 4 stitch squares of 3 different colors. That sure takes a long time to do. Did have a slight problem happen with the fabric. I had the fabric, etc. all kitted up for a while, so decided I needed to press the fabric before I started. For the first time in a long time, my iron spewed on the fabric. It left some marks, but most of it outside of the area that will show. I figured it would just look like coffee had spilled on it. LOL!!

Oh, the Startitis affliction was not over. Back for Christmas 2007 Anita had given me Victoria's Sampler's "Heirloom Nativity" and the thread pack,etc and the fabric to do it. I had just been dying to start it. Well, I did. Now I think I will be about 100 before I get it done. Lots of color changes and as i get into it there are rows of specialty stitches, beads and other embellishments. Lots of confetti stitching too. I just love the design, just hope I still love it when I am done. I am doing it on 29-ct Smokey Pearl Cashel. Here is as far as I have gotten. One little Angel and the start of another. And Vonna I think I can feel your pain on your own VS project.

Last week I celebrated another birthday. Boy those things sure roll around fast. It was a great time. My friends were so generous in their gifts. Lots of funny cards too. I got 2 little Vera Bradley cosmetic type bags, (Good for storing stitching stuff in.), cute little note pads, 2 pairs of Brighton earrings, some purple cross stitch fibers and 2 bags of red licorice. Reina made me this darling stitched piece. It is 40-ct over 2. I love the look of the 40-ct, but not too good about stitching it. She said she could not remember who this was by, but I just love it.

Then to top it off, on the day after, one of my bestest friends and her husband gave me an Acer notebook computer. I was blown away. You don't catch me speechless very often, but this did it. They thought it would be a good thing to have when I traveled. So it will go with me to Calfifornia later this month and also when we spend our week in Branson at Thanksgiving. Then I can keep up with blogs and e-mails while I am gone. Last Saturday I went out and bought a wireless router for use at home. Reina came over and helped me get everything hooked up, so now I can just use the Acer, instead of sitting at my desktop all the time. I still cannot believe that I have it. It is awesome.

With me taking so long between posts, I know I have lost a lot of readers, but I do appreciate the loyal readers that I have and the comments really mean a lot to me. Have been trying to get caught up on my own blog reading. I have had my Google Reader down below 100 a couple of times. Hopefully, I accomplish that in the next week or so and then try to stay caught up after that. One problem is I keep adding more blogs to my subscriptions and thus more to read. I love reading about every one's stitching. Many are quite inspiring as well as enabling. LOL!!!

Next week includes preparations for taking birthday dinner to my Dad for his 89th birthday. Not sure totally what my sisters are bringing to the table. My one contribution will be homemade ice cream. He loves the stuff. Also, my little furby, Muffin, is going to have surgery to remove a fatty tumor kinda down on her chest just below her collar. It has grown and gotten hard and the vet thought it could come out. I am nervous about this. After all she is 12 years old, and you never know what will happen when you sedate her for the surgery.

I hate to even mention this, but Blogger has treated me rather well in the preparation of this post. Photos loaded a little slow, but few other problems. That is a rarity. I guess I will just take it and run with it.