Here's my start on the Maine blueberries sign, on 14 ct. Fiddler's, which gives it a real rustic look:
Hope all you moms had an awesome day yesterday. Mine started with eggs benedict and a bloody mary, thank you very much. Then, my fave thing to do -- start a new project, of course! I purchased the Maine Blueberry design from Patternsonline quite a while ago, originally published in this booklet:
The UMaine Symphonic Band performed at Boston's Symphony Hall on April 15th. My daughter, Stephanie, played Bass Clarinet. This was an awesome concert and a wonderful evening was had by all.
In case you're not familiar with what a significant venue this is, here is a video for your edification:
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Had to pick up some more Poblamo Pepper (Crescent Colors) for the borders, but I'm making good progress. Day off today, so I'm gonna go play in stash and explore the new Joanns that just opened near me.
Here it is !! (Click on pic for better view)
Believe me when I tell you that this picture does NOT do it justice (click on it and you'll get a better view). I am thrilled with this piece. It also confirms how much I love, love, love Cross-Eyed Cricket !
Now it's on to Stop and Stitch the Flowers
These Adirondack chairs were a blast to stitch! Since this picture was taken, I had a stitchy day with the girls and have added the windmill and the flags, so stay tuned for the next update.
I also have to experiment with the color I want to use for the words. I want them to be more prominent than the model picture.
Nancy has bestowed yet another blog award on me and I am sincerely humbled. The requirements for this one are to name 5 addictions, and to link to 5 other fabulous bloggers, so here goes:
My addictions include, but are not limited to:
1) Cross-Stitch
2) Boston Red Sox
3) Mad Men tv show
4) Scallops
5) Books
***************
And here are 5 stitching bloggers I admire:
This winter weather has afforded me lots of stitchin' time, and I am progressing well on Cross-Eyed Cricket's "A Summer Place."
Being a native Mainer, I am not usually fazed by winter, but Cincinnati and environs simply does not know how handle it (predict it, move it, or drive in it), and it has been frustrating at best. On a day when I just decided to stay home, I got this far:
Here's a view out to my backyard, and a massively awesome icicle hanging off my roof:
Yes, I have been stitching, honest! Sometimes, it's the only thing that keeps me sane. On the day after my last post, my just-turned-21 daughter took a bad fall on the ice. After some worrisome hours and an overnight stay in the hospital, thinking alot about closed head trauma, she is fine and back at UMaine for 2nd semester.
The holidays were low key but good. I finished up a (shhh...it's a secret!) special project for a friend on New Years Eve, and since she reads this blog, I will wait to post a picture, and have dived back into the WIP pile to work on A Summer Place by CEC. It really is a nice diversion during some brutally cold days here in SW Ohio. I also plan to add a playlist at the bottom of my blog template. My guy is way out in Mexicali, Mexico, working on a 3-month project, and boy do I miss him. But, I am looking forward to taking off from both(!) jobs on Inauguration Day, watching all the festivities, and STITCHING AWAY!
These are Nathaniel's and Stephanie's childhood stockings, stitched many years ago. They are now 24 and 21 respectively. I am taking a much needed break from the courthouse, and working my tail off at Borders. But I love it there and the Christmas rush is just too much fun.
Dug this out of my stash bucket, along with the button pack that I paid way too much for. I have changed a few colors, which is rare for me, and it is coming along very nicely.
I hope all my stitching and blogging friends are having a fun holiday season!
Took time out to stitch up this little freebie while watching the debate the other night. Yes, there's one for the other party as well. You can find them at The Sampler Girl.
Wow, it's been a while! Anyway, here's where I am going to stop for now. These sails are a b***ch!! As the leaves turn and (ugh!) fall, I am going to turn to some holiday stitching. Be back soon (promise!)....going to go shop in my stash....
Stitchers are such a warm supportive group! I have been nominated by stitching blogger Kim for a Kreativ Blogger Award, and am humbly honored.
We learn so much from each others' blogs, and gain valuable insight, inspiration and motivation every day! I feel especially privileged to have made your acquaintance through this blog.
Here, in no particular order, are my 5 nominees:
A Sampler of Stitches
Garden of Stitches
Coastal Stitching
Tangled Threads
Santa Stitches
Thank you, gals, for keeping me in stitches!
After trips to Portland, OR, and to Portland, ME, I am back to stitching and blogging. Throw in a bad case of poison ivy, and a boring budget meeting in Cleveland, and I am ready for summer to end. Never even got the swimsuit out of the drawer!
Oregon was fun, especially the afternoon I spent at Acorns & Threads. Wagon, what wagon?? Just had to get the large check fabric used for Summer Soapbox, and lots more goodies.
Visiting my folks and my daughter, who is staying with them for the summer before returning to UMaine, was very enjoyable and restful. Of course, we had to have our traditional lobster feed:
This is about how far I was on Sailor's Knots before my schedule went haywire:
And here is my progress as of this morning!
Today was a day off from the courthouse, so I found myself at Hancock Fabrics and Hobby Lobby taking advantage of holiday sales. Too much fun! As you can see, I have been stranded on the the "rock bound coast" with my summer piece.
Guess what?! Just realized that dark-ish blue in the clouds is the wrong blue (shows- to-go-ya that working off the floss organizer at the stitch-in way back when was not a smart move!) Have now frogged and restitched it, and it looks so much better - DUH!
Stay tuned for the next pic...
Here's about where I am with "Sailor's Knots." It is really a fun stitch. The shadows in this picture do not do the colors justice. You can see where I had to frog a little (two of the floss colors for the rocks were labeled incorrectly. I had to rely on the kit picture to fix it. Think I'll be staying with this project for a while.
Had a real bad case of start-itis the other night, and since I'm shopping in my stash these days, I dove head-first into my kit cabinet, and, lo and behold, came up with this beautiful nautical design:
In case you can't read the fine print, it's call "Sailor's Knots" and was put out by Needle Treasures. I've googled and ebayed it, and can't find any mention or picture of it, so it must be long OOP. I had, in fact, started it at a stitch-in at Creative Cottage many years ago, but, because it's very large, had a hard time holding the q-snap at the table. And, it's on ivory Aida, which I am sticking with. I actually think some designs stitch well on Aida. Do need to get rid of the pesky "color organizer" it came with, and wind or baggie-up the floss, though. Who knows, this could be my summer project...
Whoa, can't believe it's been over a month since I have posted here. That's what comes from working 60+ hours a week!! Anywho, here's my finished Oberlin's Clambake. You'll remember I found this gem during our shop hop last summer. Makes my mouth water...
My good stitching pen pal Jan sent me an email the other day with her list and it got me thinking, so here's a few of mine.
3 things I love about my life:
* my great kids
* my endearing friends
* my wonderful man
3 favorite things to do:
* cross-stitch (naturally!)
* listen to NPR
* watch a good movie
3 favorite foods:
* seafood (esp. lobster, shrimp, and scallops)
* rhubarb pie
* mom's potato salad
3 favorite TV shows:
* House
* Grey's Anatomy
* Bill Moyer's Journal
3 favorite places on earth:
* Maine
* Chicago
* Seattle
3 things I am looking forward to:
* selling my house
* retirement (more time to stitch!)
* travelling more
3 places I'd love to go:
* Scotland
* Greece
* Bahamas
Prairie Schooler's classic Christmas Village is fresh off the Q-Snap. I'm pretty pleased with it.
Here in Southwest Ohio, it was a mess of snow. So, it was no problem hunkering down to finish House #3.
Since Stephanie is home for Spring Break this week, I was reminded that I never did post the stand-up I made for her for Christmas. She loved it!
Just plunked my money down to my eBay seller for "Weather Wise," one of the new Prairie Schooler designs. It has lighthouses, so I just couldn't resist.....
Don't you just love that feeling of seeing the end in sight. Stitching has been so therapeutic for me lately. What with the house on the market, prodigal son returning home, and working two jobs, I try to find itsy bitsy times to stitch. It shuts the rest of the world out, if just for a few precious minutes.
This is my favorite house by far.
My dear friend Vickie and I decided to stitch Prairie Schooler's Christmas Village together. It is so much fun! My fabric is a very pale green linen, which may not show up in this photo. I have decided to do all the cross-stitch, before doing any backstitching. Rounding that SE corner of the border really made me feel like I was close to the finish.
Hope everyone had a nice Thanksgiving. Mine was quiet but nice. Pulled out Prairie Schooler's Christmas Village, and stitched on the trees for a while. I'm using a pale green 32 ct. linen.
One the funnest parts of having this cross-stitch obsession is hunting down patterns that I fall in love with. Recently, I saw a picture of the absolute cutest angel stitched by a stitching blogger for her dear grandmother. I won't snag the pic, but check out her blog (it's a great one!). I have managed to track down the recent issue of the French xs magazine it came from (Point de Croix), but I'll be darned if I can figure out (high school French was a long time ago, people!) how to buy it. Anyway, just on the off-chance one of my readers gets this, here's the one I would love to get my hands on: 
I guess blogging has taken a backseat to getting my house ready to sell, including sorting thru boxes and BOXES, painting and cleaning. So I have been a stranger to the stitching blogosphere. Even stitching has been slow, since I am really trying to read more (so far My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult, The Bone Garden by Tess Gerritsen, and now The Memory Keeper's Daughter by Kim Edwards). I did finish this one up though (CCN's Geranium House), stitched on 28 ct. French Vanilla. Found an almost-finished Stoney Creek - Rock of Ages Lighthouse, which I am plugging away on. The rope was fun, but oh that anchor with the filament thread (UGH!).
Two recent graduates of my "Currently Stitching On" list are posted for your viewing. Music & Books from LHN, is for my daughter, who is a 2nd year student at UMaine. She is an English major/Womens Studies minor, and plays in the UMaine Symphonic Band.
My Prairie Schooler Santa from 1992 was finished this weekend. I have been wanting to stitch him for SO LONG! This was my first time using 18 ct. New Khaki Davos. Gotta watch that tension all the time. Love the lobsta!
My faithful readers will recall the July shop hop my friend Vickie and I embarked on in July. In my July 23rd post to this space, I mentioned Inn Stitches in Bay Village, Ohio, and it's very talented owner, Beth Gantz. It was so refreshing to meet this young, enthusiastic, and super talented needleworker, who introduced us to the most darling "monthlies" she had designed. Here are the two that I purchased, and have now stitched up. Just love 'em!
Back from my framer Bonnie Z.
Will put Sunny Summer by M Designs away until next year.....
and save Christmas in My Heart by Waxing Moon until Christmas decorating time.
Aren't they lovely?
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