Hermity weekend is almost here

I don’t know why I get so excited about joining in on the International Hermit & Stitch Weekend. I rarely go anywhere anyway! :D

But it’s happening this weekend and I plan on spending my time quilting and stitching when I’m not cooking or swimming ;)

I’ll also be hanging out at Attic Needlework part of Sunday for Sampler Sunday. It’s such a fun day seeing what everyone has been working on.

I have finished Petite Mexican Sampler and started Hannah Gilpin 1800. I’m having blogging problems again so can’t post photos now but they’re on my Facebook page.

Posted in Hannah Gilpin, IHSW, Petite Mexican Sampler, Stitching | Leave a comment

May goals

My needlework expectations for May are: 

  1. Get the rest of my fibers put away
  2. Get started sorting my fabric
  3. Get back to rotating on:
    1. Petite Mexican Sampler (finish it?)
    2. Fairy Moon
    3. Haiku
  4. Continue with Rose Quaker and Mary Wigham on their respective stitching days
  5. Piece 4 more quilt squares
  6. Finish quilted stitching bag (my Theme-a-licious project for May)

All of the above is doable as long as I don’t get sidetracked ;)

Posted in Goals, Quilting, Stitching, Theme-a-licious | Leave a comment

April Report

It’s been a rather fun month for us.  We’re continuing to settle in.  The weather has been excellent and we’ve been spending a lot of time in the pool.  We purchased a new BBQ and patio furniture and are spending our mornings and evenings on the patio.  I figured out this morning that our WiFi is strong enough out there, with all the doors and windows closed, that we’ll be streaming our iTunes and satellite radio out there so I’m going to start stitching out there in the mornings.  This makes the puppies happy since they love running around chasing birds, lizards, and each other.

I’ve spent a bunch of time playing in my room.  Still a long way to go but at least now I can sit at my workstation and sew.

The most fun has been working on my WIPocalypse pile while watching baseball and hockey.  Before I show my WIPocalypse progress, I’ll share a picture of Harley from last night’s hockey game.  When the Coyotes score, there is a howl played over the loudspeakers.  We, M and I, have started howling with it and the puppies have taken to joining in.  At the end of last night’s game we were howling and I got a snap of Harley doing her Coyote impression.  I know I’m biased, but she’s so darn cute when she does it.  Her little howl is so high pitched and “soft” you have to really listen to hear her, but you can tell she puts her whole heart behind it.

Now, on to the stitching:

Finished Hannah Beeby!

Got a whole lot done, then undone, then done on Petite Mexican Sampler:

I had completely finished the tree on the right when I discovered it was one stitch over on the right :(   It had to be frogged and put away since I was so upset.  I have picked it back up and will definitely finish it in May.

I don’t normally participate in stitchalongs since they feel like obligation stitching to me but two Facebook groups I’m on are having stitchalongs on designs that I already had planned on starting, so on Wednesday last I started Rose Quaker.  It feels like a quick stitch and I’m loving the colors:

It was very tempting to keep going but I wanted to start Mary Wigham for Thursdays.  I had messed up on Petite Mexican Sampler on Tuesday, and I let her sit screaming next to my stitching chair while I stitched on Mary Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.

I am loving the subtleness of the colors and I think GAST Salmon, the top motif, is my new favorite color.

Hannah, Rose Quaker, and Mary all definitely qualify for April’s Theme-a-liciousness, too!

All that stitching has left me with a full TUSAL jar for April.

You can see the different layers :D   I’ll be adding a bit more to it this afternoon, to finish out the month with Petite Mexican Sampler stitching.

 

Posted in Domestic, Mary Wigham, Petite Mexican Sampler, Puppies, Rose Quaker, Stitching, Theme-a-licious, TUSAL, WIPocalypse | 7 Comments

My first hermity weekend report

I thought I was going to be kicked out of the hermit club my first try when I woke up Friday without a single itch to stitch!  I will blame it on the weather.  We had record setting heat all weekend and being lazy, and the pool, was calling my name!

I ended up putzing around in my room organizing more (which always gets me wanting to stitch) and doing some of my quilting homework.  I also made the mistake of playing on Facebook some and got myself sucked into two stitchalongs for the rest of the year.

First, part of my quilting homework:

I am not in love with the brown stripe.  I tried 3 times to get it to work and gave up.

I love the churn dash block.  It’s always been a favorite of mine and I’ve wanted to do a quilt with them for a long time.

Sunday was Sampler Sunday at Attic Needlework.  While there are some repeat offenders ;) the crowd for Sampler Sunday is always different than the normal Thursday evening crowd.  We’re almost guaranteed to have a designer or two show and it’s fun to see what they’re working on for future release.  I shared my Le Marquoir de Justine which I haven’t touched in forever, and my Petite Mexican Sampler (PMS) that I’ve made really good progress on:

Thank you to those who helped me decide what sampler to start next.  I will be starting Hannah Gilpin 1800 as soon as I finish the above piece.  Here is my floss toss for her:

The fabric is Colorscapes “Earthen” and the fibers are Dinky Dyes.

I’m looking forward to the two stitchalongs.  Both pieces were in my stash.  I did have to purchase fabric since I didn’t have the white needed for one, and the fabric I pulled for the other one wasn’t large enough. Mary is a wide-bottom gal! :)

The first one is Rose Quaker Sampler by Wiehenburg.  I am using the recommended DMC since they are beautiful shades of pinks and browns and have decided to use 34ct Legacy White for my fabric.  Legacy has such a beautiful hand.  This will be my Wednesday piece since the stitchalong is called Wiehenburg Wednesday.

The second one is Mary Wigham by Needleprint.  I am using Gentle Art Sampler Thread and 36ct Lakeside Vintage Navy Bean.  This is an open stitchalong, meaning whenever I want, so I’ve decided to work on this one on Thursdays.  I will also be taking this one with me to my stitchins.

I’m going to be spending the rest of this evening getting my Rose Quaker floss ready, serging fabric and working away on PMS ;) unless we get back in the pool.

Oh, and it looks like my blog is back to normal.  I adjusted the size of my market report photos and that seems to have done the trick.

Be cool!

edited to add that I noticed in the top block the bottom row was sewn on upside down and that has been remedied.  That block is really on my blacklist now ;)

Posted in Hannah Gilpin, IHSW, Justine, Mary Wigham, Petite Mexican Sampler, Quilting, Stitching | 5 Comments

Blog woes and needlework stuff

I broke my blog :( I don’t know what I’ve done but my right side bar is now showing up under my posts. I futzed with it all evening and I’ve done everything I can think to fix it, but one. We’ll see if that works, if not, I don’t know what I’m going to do.

I have not gotten all of my fibers put away. I still have a few odd ones and HDFs and DMCs, but they’re now separated into “designer” and now I just need to put them away. I haven’t figured out what to do with my HDF silks. I have many from when she first started her FOTM so the dye-lots are old. I am going to be installing peg board on the wall between my two cabinets to hang my fibers on. For now the already sorted ones are living on quilt ruler rings.

The only stitchy thing I accomplished yesterday was to empty my stitching bag from Thursday night. Today I need to work on my quilt squares for next Wednesday, but I’m hoping that won’t take all day. I’m working with triangles, though, so you never know with me. I had so much trouble with them on the other quilt. I have the charts I shared with you to put up, then I’m dragging out my sewing machine and getting to it.

Thank you for those of you who have voted on my sampler choice.

Posted in Quilting, Stash, Stitching | 1 Comment

Help me pick my next sampler?

I turned Hannah Beeby in for framing last night. I can’t wait to see how she turns out. I’m expecting her back home about mid-May which will give me time to get another finish – I’m getting closer on Petite Mexican Sampler ;)

While I have several WIPs, I’m starting something new with every 2nd finish and I’ve decided I want to start a new sampler. The following are completely kitted up, except for a needle :D Which one should I start?

Hannah Gilpin 1800
James Wilson’s 1828 Sampler
Marianne Wenn

I’ve put a poll up on my facebook page and would appreciate your using it if you are a “friend” or you can leave a comment below. Thank you for helping me decide.

I finally got in the swimming pool yesterday. The temp was 76° and it was brisk. I was out there for approximately 15-20 minutes since I had to get ready for my stitchy night and get an early dinner started. I got sunburned!!!! I’ll admit to not having on any sunscreen. That won’t happen again. It’s not a bad sunburn, just enough to make ambivalent about getting in again today. We’ll see. The A/C started kicking on at 10:00 this morning so that might help me make up my mind.

Off to the grocer’s then hopefully some heavy duty stitching. I’m making spaghetti sauce tonight so leftovers are in our future, which always means more stitching time ;)

Posted in Samplers - Repro, Stitching | 2 Comments

Another cute giveaway

Gloria of Milady’s Needle fame is having a giveaway on her blog! No affiliation, other than I love her designs, have met her, and want to help her get the word out :) Good luck!

Posted in Giveaway | Leave a comment

A really cute giveaway

Not mine, but I will admit to having this pattern and I’ve been thinking of making one of these myself :)

Working with my Hands has made some “thread pots” for her Etsy shop, but is having a giveaway, too.

Posted in Giveaway | Leave a comment

Market report, anyone?

Better late than never I suppose:

Prairie Moon – “no…..MINE! IS THE TRICK AND THE TREAT”
40 ct ColorScapes “Brash”
Needle Work Press – “Commemorating a Centennial”
40 ct Newcastle “Days Gone By”
La-D-Da – “Wicked Witch”
30 ct Weeks Dye Works “Tiger’s Eye”
With thy Needle & Thread – “House of Blues & Browns”
Cottage Island NeedleArts – “Where My Heart Is…”
JBW Designs – “Rose Motif Sampler”
La-D-Da – “Alone in the Garden”
Plum Street Samplers – “Brother’s Keeper”
Lizzie Kate – “Less=More” (first two installments)
NeedleWorkPress freebie – “Summer”
The Bees Knees Stitchery Alphabet Necklace
Kelmscott Designs Fleur de Lis needleminder (surprised, right?)
This next item was not a Market release. For the longest time, before I even moved here and could call Attic Needlework my LNS, I gazed fondly on this design when I was in the shop. It’s behind the counter. I finally asked about it at Market and was told that it was still available (woohoo!) and that the model was stitched by Jean on 28 ct. I was fortunate enough to get the last copy! I’ll be stitching it on either 36 or 40 ct.
Canterbury Designs – The Plantation Sampler
Posted in Stash | 2 Comments

Hermity weekend

Ever see something and skim over it without a second thought then have it come back and get in your face?  How in the world have I never participated in this?  I’m practically a full-time hermit as it is!  ;)


I am stitching away on Petite Mexican Sampler. If stitching continues to go as it has already this week I might be happy dancing by Sunday. :D

Posted in IHSW | 1 Comment