In honor of this…
LHN Americana Sampling WIP
I am proud to be an American every day, but today I felt especially patriotic and proud as I watched history being made in the peaceful transfer of power to our 44th President.
Kellie
I finally managed to sit down and focus on something for more than 10 minutes before switching to something else. I worked on Praiseworthy Stitches Simple Gifts-Love yesterday and today. I started this one in late December, where I showed the very beginning in this post. After a lot of stitching yesterday and some today, here’s where it is now…
After reading Melissa’s blog asking for audiobook suggestions, it reminded me how much I enjoy listening to audiobooks as well. I picked an old favorite–Outlander by Diana Gabaldon–and listened and stitched away. The narrator, Davina Porter, does such an excellent job! If you love historical fiction or time travel, I highly recommend this whole series. It is my favorite series of all time.
I also picked up Mermaids of the Deep Blue today and worked on some beading and backstitching. Have I ever said how much I hate backstitching? I despise it. And I think Mirabilias are particularly difficult to backstitch even though there isn’t much of it. But I love Mirabilias so much that I do it anyway. 
Please excuse all my wrinkles. I stitch in hand most of the time, and while I should iron them before I post pictures of them, I don’t usually.
Thank you for the well wishes yesterday. I love getting comments on my blog. I think I have a head cold. I feel about the same today, but it is always a good excuse to sit and stitch.
I am going to finish reading Breaking Dawn and then pull out a project to work on while I watch The Bachelor.
Until next time…
Kellie
I have been so unfocused in my stitching lately. I want to stitch, but nothing is appealing to me. I keep picking something up and putting it down in favor of something else only to repeat the process. I started Snow. I think I worked on it one night before abandoning it…pitiful. Anyway. The only thing I have worked longer than ten minutes on this week has been Simply Live by Primitive Needle. Here’s where I am with it.
Now, will I continue to stitch on this today? Who knows! I need to stick to one piece and finish it. Maybe that will get me out of this funk.
I stayed home from church today. My throat is sore and I just don’t feel quite right. I really hope I am not coming down with something. I have to go out of town to a work related conference in the middle of the week, and the last thing I need is to be sick. I think a hot cup of tea and some blog browsing is in order. Maybe it will not only make me feel better but maybe I will see something that will motivate me to stitch on something long enough to show progress.
Until next time…
Kellie
We are heading to Disney this spring!!! We can’t wait!!
We went last June, but Disney offered a great deal, and it is at a time that we can go with DH’s brother and his family. We have always wanted to go together, and it looks like we are finally going to have an opportunity. DS and their kids are so excited–they are making more plans than the adults are.
Stressful day at work today…….I am so glad it is over. I work at two different schools-three days at one and two days at another. And I like both of them. But they are each a full time job in and of themselves. And occasionally like today, there is more work to do in one day than can be accomplished in a week. Enough said…I really try not to dwell on it when I am at home.
I am debating on what to stitch tonight. I need a break from Kindness. (that sounds odd…) I am thinking I might start this…
Considering it going to be 4 degrees outside tonight with a wind chill of -10, I think it is appropriate. Stitchy pictures soon…
Kellie
I worked a little more on Kindness last night while watching Desperate Housewives and Brothers and Sisters. I think I did more watching than stitching…
I plan to work on the stems tonight as soon as I get DS in bed. I am looking forward to starting the background on this one. This is a really fun stitch. I can’t wait to see it finished.
We are under some sort of winter weather advisory tonight. A little snow would be nice tonight. Lately, we don’t often get a lot of snow. DS is hoping for a day off from school tomorrow. Considering that DH and I both work in the school system, a lot of times we are secretly hoping too. I love a cozy day at home.
Until next time…
Kellie
I have had startitis again this week. That is a pretty common occurrance around here. I received so many nice charts, fabric, etc. for Christmas, that I want to start everything all at once. Which leads to even more WIPs. But WIPs do not bother me, nor do I feel guilty about them. They will all get finished eventually. My mom doesn’t understand this philosophy. She is a quilter. She works on one quilt start to finish. She doesn’t understand how I can have multiple projects going at once. It would drive her crazy. I used to stitch one project at a time. I would get so bored with that one project that I would put it down for weeks at a time. Now that I work on different things as the notion strikes me, I enjoy stitching so much more.
The one that has gotten the most attention this week is Birds of a Feather’s Kindness Sampler. I love it. I have worked on it off and on several days this week, and a lot today. I plan to work on it more this evening.
I also managed to start Mirabilia’s Shimmering Mermaid, Shepherd’s Bush’s Wishing Sheep, and Ink Circles Cirque des Carreaux. I don’t have enough stitches in any to really show pictures yet. But I will soon. Oddly as much as I started, I didn’t have a lot of stitching time this week. I started back to work after a two week break. Tiring. But I am very thankful for my job in this tough economy especially.
I will leave with another picture of my stitching companion. He seems to be sitting either right at my feet or right beside me on the couch if I allow it every time I pick up a needle. His name is Petey. He’s a shih tzu and will be two in February. He’s a cute companion to have and he doesn’t take up a lot of space. He is pretty content and never complains that I am spending too much time stitching.
One more thing…
Glenna, you asked where my parents found the sewing chest… I am pretty sure they found it in an antique store in Glendale, KY. Glendale is a quaint little town where they have several restaurants (namely The Whistle Stop) and quite a few unique specialty and antique shops. Fun little town. If you are ever in central Kentucky, driving on I-65, it is worth a stop.
A little late maybe, but I hope everyone had a Happy New Year!
I haven’t posted since Christmas. We were very blessed to have a wonderful Christmas, not only at home, but with both sides of our family as well. I got lots of wonderful stitching surprises (some pictured below ). DH got me two charts (Primitive Needle’s Simply Live and MBT’s Quaker Seasons). He surprised me with a pair of black teflon Dovo scissors that I adore! I started Simply Live on Christmas Day.
My MIL/FIL gave me Roberta Ginghers. I have a slight scissor collecting habit. I love them!
My parents gave me Mirabilia’s Titania with kreiniks and beads, a fat quarter of Blueberry Silkweaver fabric, a full spectrum lamp, a 123 stitch GC, and an antique sewing box that I was extremely surprised and tickled pink with. I still can’t decide what I want to store in it. I am thinking maybe my overdyed and silk threads as well as my growing scissor collection. Decisions, decisions…
Speaking of scissors, if there are scissor enthusiasts out there, Sonoma Cutlery had some Gingher Freedom embroidery scissors listed on their site. Not to enable or anything…but here’s the web address if you are interested. Gingher Freedom scissors from Sonoma Cutlery
I was thrilled to find these. I wanted them when they first came out and could not find them. I think they may have been exclusive to Joanne’s, but I am not sure.
I haven’t made a lot of new year’s resolutions this year. Usually I am setting myself up for failure. I have made a few personal ones, but mainly in stitching, I want to end this year with less WIPs than I started with (and I am starting with a Bunch!). I have several BAPs that I would like to complete. Specifically, Mermaids of the Deep Blue, Quaker Christmas, Christmas Village, Beatrix Potter Quaker Sampler, and Cirque des Cercles. I have a feeling Cirque des Carreaux and maybe Rosewood Manor’s Quakers and Quilts might join that BAP WIP list before the year is over. I plan to finish WIPs but I cound not resolve no new starts or purchases. I admire those that can. I would like to update my blog more frequently. Three or more times a week would be great.
And I plan to read more. I love to read. While I keep a book going all of the time, I have found that in the last few years, I tend to just read for 10 or 15 minutes before I fall asleep. It takes a VERY long time to read a book in 10-15 minute increments. I have a stack of “on deck” reading that I would like to get to soon, so I plan to step up the pace on reading this year. I used to carry a book with me when I was out and about, and think I will start doing that again. I am currently reading “Breaking Dawn” by Stephanie Meyer. I am about 400+ pages into it, and it is soooo good. I am probably going to stitch less tonight just so I can pick it up and read some more. I would like to have it finished by the end of the weekend if I can squeeze it in. I have really gotten into the Twilight saga. I had started reading the first book over the summer and put it down because I couldn’t get into it. When I saw the trailer to the movie, I picked it back up and have been reading them since. I have enjoyed them immensely.
Next up is Dewey…
If you are still reading at this point, bless your heart…
More later…
Kellie
Wishing all of you and yours a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year from our home to yours!
And I will leave you with a picture of my final finish for 2008 as well as a beloved passage of scripture that, for me, is the reason we celebrate Christmas.
Little House Needleworks Gingerbread Trio
Luke 2:8-14 (NIV)
And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”
Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,
“Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.”
I wish you peace, health, and happiness in the upcoming year.
Well, actually the Gingerbread Trio is a solo act at the moment. I finished “Ginger” last night and I started on “Cinnamon” today. I am really enjoying this project. It is fun to stitch. I h0pe to have it and Peppermint Twist finished before Christmas. I am hoping that the threads I need for PT will come in tomorrow’s mail.
Gingerbread Trio
We had another snow day here today, which means we were all off from work and out of school. I took the opportunity to finish most of my Christmas shopping this afternoon. I have a couple of odds and ends to finish and then I will be completely done. Which I am glad that it will be finished before Christmas break, but wish that I had finished earlier in the month. I find Christmas shopping to be very stressful, and very seldom do I really enjoy it. I like to see everyone receive their gifts however. Just do not enjoy the hustle and bustle and the search… This year, we seem to be looking for the most popular items out there and have hit dead ends in several areas. Most have worked out and we have been able to luck in here and there, but I still have one more thing to try to find. Hopefully my parents will be able to locate it tomorrow while they are shopping.
On a sad note, a dear family friend passed away on Tuesday. We went to the funeral home visitation today and will attend the funeral tomorrow. His name was William. He and his wife kept my son during the day from the time he was born until he started school. He died of pancreatic cancer…such a painful and terrible cancer. The same type of cancer that my grandmother passed away from fifteen years ago. Rest in heavenly peace, William. I appreciate the love and care that you showed my son for so many years.
Kellie
I finished Lizzie Kate’s Christmas is Forever kit this week. I really enjoyed stitching this one and was kind of sad to see it end. Hopefully I will get it framed or finished into something by next Christmas.
Lizzie Kate Christmas is Forever
I have also had a bad case of “startitus” this week. I have started three new projects, and probably would have started more if I had had all the various threads that I needed. I had ordered some stash in the last couple of weeks, and it has been arriving this past week. Everything that I pull out of the mailbox, I want to start immediately. I will have several projects to choose from for my New Year’s Day start. This week I started Little House Needlework’s Gingerbread Trio, Blue Ribbon Designs Peppermint Twist, and Praiseworthy Stitches’s Simple Gifts: Love.
LHN Gingerbread Trio
Blue Ribbon Designs Peppermint Twist
Praiseworthy Stitches Simple Gifts: Love
I decided to use basically the same colors with the Simple Gifts sampler but to reverse them, making red the predominant color and the charcoal gray the secondary color. I think I am really going to like the look. I chose to use Belle Soie Sister Scarlet and Noir instead of the recommended threads that the design calls for. I love the Belle Soie silks. I don’t have many, but I love stitching with them. I can easily see this being a new collection/obsession. I have stitched several of the LHN thread packs and a La D Da sampler using them, and they are divine. So smooth to work with.
Simple Gifts
We had a snow day today. I love winter weather. We got more ice than snow, but it was enough to call school off, and we all spent the day indoors at home. We are off again tomorrow, but I suspect we will go back on Thursday. DH and I (mostly DH) cleaned the playroom and decluttered toys in anticipation of Christmas. DS played next door at the cousins’ house most of the afternoon. Then the cousins stayed with us while my BIL and SIL went out to a movie to celebrate their anniversary. Needless to say, they all had a great time. Since I can sleep in tomorrow, I think I will stay up until the wee hours, watching TV and working on the Gingerbread Trio some more.
Until next time….
Kellie
