Category Archives: Stitching

French Alphabet Sampler

Posted on January 5, 2008 by Terri | Comments Off

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Posted in FAS

FAS Update

Posted on January 5, 2008 by Terri | Comments Off

My plans for this morning took a bit of a change so I managed to get to the grocery store today instead of waiting until tomorrow. I have a wonderful crockpot of chili scenting my house and I’m enjoying Persuasian while working on French Alphabet Sampler. I promised an updated photo after I finished my 3d page, so here it is. I’m back up to the top to work on the 4th page and am still enjoying every stitch of it.

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Posted in Stitching

Regaining old habits

Posted on January 4, 2008 by Terri | Comments Off

It has not taken me very long to get back into some of my old stitching habits…you know, stash acquisition! I’m currently waiting on the following:

Au Fil de Reves – Chatelaine Promenade a Bagatelle
Moira Blackburn – Friendship Sampler
Good Huswife’s book of OOP charts (release during Feb’s market)
about 15 skeins of NPI for my HRH designs
several Prairier Schooler santa charts
and a couple of other charts that are on a list on my desk at home.

I also need to renew my subscription toSampler and Antique Needlework Quarterly, which I sadly let lapse during my absence.

I am almost finished with the 3d page of FAS. I probably could have finished it last night, but we were watching Sky Captain, World of Tomorrow, and I kept having to frog.

I’m so happy it’s Friday. Not only is it payday, but we’re expecting rain this weekend, which means hybernation. Lots of DVD watching, a crockpot of something, nuggling with puppies, and stitching! Wow it feels so good to have that feeling again. I do have a nail appt. first thing Saturday morning, plus my WW mtg and the commissary first thing Sunday morning, but I plan on spending the rest of both of those days putting around the house and accomplishing the above.

This week’s SBQ is: Are you starting something new to celebrate the New Year or participating in “Guilt Free January?” If so, what are you planning on starting?

I really thought about starting something new just because it was January, but decided against it. If you look at that tab at the top that says 2008 goals you’ll easily find my other GFJ starts, which are still loved, but languishing in my WIP bin. I am planning on starting something small this month, but only because I want a smallish design, not because it’s January.

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Posted in SBQ, Stash

2007/2008

Posted on January 1, 2008 by Terri | Comments Off

Normally this time of year I’m looking back over my stitching accomplishments and setting my stitching goals for the next year; however, this year it’s a little bit different. I have replaced going to college with another time consuming something…getting fit.

Since I already had my 2007 stitching goals down, I’ll start with those:

2007 Clear out some WIPs

* Make Castle Sampler my get-together piece – I only went to 1 GTG and no stitching happened there! LOL
* Finishing PV – July Quilt for all Seasons – didn’t’ even pick it up.
* Continue to hunt for TSL – Peace – don’t think I ever looked for it beyond whatever I was currently rummaging around for.
* Continue on Dimples – Haiku – did a little bit, but not enough to talk about.
* Continue on Mirabilia – Fairy Moon – same as Haiku
* Continue on Quaker Needlework Treasures – With My Needle – nope!

New starts for 2007 – the year of large new starts!

* Le Marquoir de Justine – starting today – I got a LOT done on this beautiful design while recuperating from my surgery. I haven’t touched it though since returning to work in March (I think).
* Mother’s Tree – TIAG – didn’t start
* My Son – Indigo Rose – didn’t start
* French Alphabet Sampler – currently working on this project and loving every stitch.
* Spot RR – haven’t received my piece back yet – but it’s over.
* Houses of Hawk Run Hollow – Carriage House – maybe – still collecting fibers
* Village of Hawk Run Hollow – Carriage House – maybe – still collecting fibers

There are also several smaller designs I want to start. We’ll just see how the year goes.

Frame, frame, frame!

Shop in Paris!

Didn’t’ frame and didn’t shop in Paris. Still planning on going though 🙂

My stitching suffered a lot in 2007. I took a rather long hiatus. I don’t know if it was burnout, or what, but there was a period of time I considered selling it all. Then that tiny spark began to burn and I’m back to stitching as much as I can.

Another reason I sort of quit stitching was my new interest. Running, then swimming and now biking. 2007 saw me do something I never thought I would do. Complete a 5k race. I know I’ve talked about it before, but I never really ever thought I’d do it.

So, what do I foresee happening in 2008?

Stitching

Just stitch. I have so many beautiful things started and I’d love to get some of them finished and by finished I mean also framed, or made into whatever they should be made into. For so many years I’ve wanted a stitching wall but I’ve always put it off. 2008 will see me moving and I want my new home to have something on every wall, including stitching on a couple. I’ve said this everytime I’ve moved, but this time, I really mean it! 😉

There are also so many beautiful designs in my stash that I want to start, but I need to get some of the large WIPs completed to make room in my conscious for the new ones. I would like to start some smaller designs since all I seem to have are large ones, so I may go ahead and start some smaller designs.

I know there’s a new Hawk Run Hollow design coming out and I’ll need to add that to my collection. I am more than halfway through collecting the silks for the first 2 and will continue on until they’re all 3 collected for. I won’t wait to start the 1st though once all the fibers are collected since each square is like a small design all its own.

Me, me, me.

I failed to follow through on some obligations last year. I will be working very hard over the next month or so to get those taken care of and to mend whatever hard feelings were created because of that.

For the first time since I set this goal, I’m so close it’s exciting. I want off my blood-pressure meds. I have 3 more months of my prescription and I’m really hoping that I won’t have to have it renewed.

I have 2 5Ks planned for 2008. February 3 and April 6. I also have a Super Sprint Triathlon planned for May 4. Depending on how these 3 races go, I may register for a Sprint Triathlon in July.

I also plan from this moment through December 31, 2008, to lose 50 pounds; however, I’m not losing it for the number on the scale, but to feel good and let my doctor tell me when she’s happy with my health.

Spend as much time as possible with Kahuna.

Spoil the puppies!

I’m moving some time in April. It would have been sooner; however, Kahuna has a half-ironman at the end of March, that’s here, and we don’t want to move until that’s over since he has a ton of training to do. I want to have my stitching room squared away before that happens, so I’m not packing junk.

Withdraw my investment from its current place, to make it more accessible as a down payment on a house here.

Spend my parents’ 50th anniversary with them.

Enjoy life.

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Posted in Fitness, Goals, Stitching

December goals

Posted on December 3, 2007 by Terri | Comments Off

It’s been forever since I set down any goals in my blog. I’ll have to check what my goals were for stitching on my old blog before this month is out to see how dismally I failed at them. 😉

But, it’s December and I’m making monthly goals.

Fitness goal 1: I’m in a swim challenge right now. My goal is to swim 3,550 meters.

This is a small amount compared to some of my team members, but it’s what is scheduled for my training this month.

Fitness goal 2: stick with my training.

This is my first day, of my first month of triathlon training and it’s a bit daunting to look forward and see all that’s expected of me.

Stitching: Continue working on French Alphabet Sampler as often as possible.

It’s rather hard to stitch these days because of puppies! Bandit is so used to sitting next to me while I stitch, and Harley wants to be included. Twice last night I ended up setting my stitching aside because Harley would jump up in my lap and slooooowly slide off until she was sitting on Bandit’s head. He would get grumbly, so I’d put my stitching away so there would be more room in the chair. Then if I had to get up, like to check the laundry, I’d come back to find my fibers birdnested and an innocent looking Harley giving me a “what???” look. Stinker. Bandit used to do the same thing and I guess I need to be retrained to put my stuff very far away when I’m not using it. I’m trying not to discourage Harley from wanting to sit with us. She’s a bit of a growly girl and can be possessive, so the fact that she’s jumping into my lap while Bandit’s sitting there and not getting growly is a positive step for her. Patience.

We had a super busy weekend and it was nice. Kahuna hasn’t been able to surf because we had a major rainstorm on Friday. Saturday morning we hit the fitness center and then went to see a house. Gang members had broken in and tagged the inside. I feel really badly for the owners, but it’s obvious it’s been empty for awhile. The great thing about looking at it was that it allowed us to adjust what we’re willing to spend and the square footage we’re looking at. Afterwards we went to grab some lunch to go and headed home to watch the LSU game and Ironman. Sunday I left the house around 8:30. I made a quick stop back to drop off groceries, eat some sushi and Kahuna and I headed back out and didn’t get back home until 4. Productive day, though.

And now it’s Monday and I’m back in the office doing things I don’t want to do. My feet and hands are cold and even though I keep bumping up the heater it’s not helping. It’s causing me to drink more hot tea than I should in an attempt to keep warm. I wonder how well heated up Propel tastes?

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Posted in Fitness, Goals, LSU, Puppies, Stitching

It's beginning to look like

Posted on November 30, 2007 by Terri | Comments Off

the stitching bug has bitten! I bought stash today.

The only newsletter I did NOT unsub from was The Attic in Mesa, Arizona. There’s been several things in the newsletter that I considered, but until today, nothing that made me want to whip out that credit card and phone. I ordered both the November and December (A Christmas Sampler) samplers of the month. I’ve never used the fibers and am looking forward to the feel of a new silk. I guess I better get some more organizing done in my office!

On the fitness front I took Wednesday off, and last night just hit the treadmill. I also signed up for a personal trainer and will begin working with her next Tuesday for 6 weeks to see how that works out. She’s going to help me with my strength training and gear it toward triathlon training. Kahuna suggested to me this morning to see if there’s anyway I can hook up a HRM to the treadmill to do my running based on 50-75%. I know they have those handle things you can hold on to, but that’s kind of awkward to do that and run.

I’ve been clock watching all day today. I want out of here! Tonight is swimming only. Tomorrow I’m going to run and swim, Sunday I’m off and Monday begins my official triathlon training schedule.

This week I’ve had to put aside another pair of pants as being too big. I can’t remember the last time I wore them so they’ve probably been big a lot longer than a week. I did go ahead and take advantage of a sale and order some of the pants that are getting bigger on me in a smaller size. I hate being between sizes. I’m trying to keep the same pants in a couple of different colors for work. Since most of my weight is around my middle, I don’t shrink out of the tops as fast as the pants. Not that I’m complaining. The scale is not moving and I’m clueless right now as to what I’ll find at WI Sunday morning.

Not much going on this weekend and I hope to get to stitch for quite a bit. We are going to look at a house tomorrow morning. There’s probably no chance of making an offer, but we want to see if it’s what we’re looking for as far as square footage, etc. It’s in an okay neighborhood and happens to be across the street from one of Kahuna’s surfing buds.

And can someone help me find November? I seem to have misplaced it.

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Posted in Fitness, Stitching

I want to be a SAHW*

Posted on November 27, 2007 by Terri | Comments Off

It was tough going back to work yesterday. Mostly all I have on my desk is some file management stuff and bills to pay. So I basically did a whole lot of nothing yesterday.

Immediately after work I went home and changed into my “gym” clothes and headed to the fitness center. I felt awkward going in since it’s been forever since I’ve been in a place like that. It was a good time though, since there were several empty treadmills and ellipticals. I got someone to explain to me how their ellipticals and treadmills worked, locked my swim stuff in a locker and went back out to the ellipticals where I lasted all of 3 minutes at a crawl. It picks your knees up higher than what I’m used to and it was very uncomfortable. I wanted to stay off my heel, but I want cardio, so I hit the treadmill until Kahuna got there. I kept my HR down below 75% max (what my tri-advisor ordered) and did a comfortable high speed walk for 20 minutes.

Once Kahuna got there I changed and met him at the pool where I did a 50m freestyle WU, 100m pull buoys, and 50m freestyle CD. I was pooped and hungry. Can’t wait to do it again tonight. I have a free fitness assessment to do when I get there tonight so depending on what the PT has me do, I may only get in a structured swim. We’ll see. I know I can’t do any hard core exercises since my ab is still hurting every now and again. D*mn adhesions!

Too tired to stitch last night. I did think about it several times, but never got the energy to get it out. I think if I didn’t have to put it away each night because of Harley (oh the joys of puppy mentality) I would have stitched some, but I mostly sat there icing my heel after supper (baked chicken and some left over dressing).

I want to be a *stay at home wife. I loved my long weekend. Was all domestic and all. When people ask what your dream job is, I always say SAHW. I know I have a practically brand new degree, but I’ve been working off and on (mostly on) for 25+ years and I’m ready to stop. I never used to enjoy housework, and I guess you can say I don’t “enjoy” it now, but I don’t mind it so much and I like puttering around the house. I also like the ability to go wherever I want, whenever I want. I wish I could do the grocery shopping during the week, early in the morning. I wish I could go to the fitness center early in the morning, and take some of the classes they’re offering. I wish I could sit and stitch during the day. I just wish my job didn’t get in the way of so many things. I always figured I get into the “career” mentality once I had my degree, but it just isn’t happening. Kahuna has told me I can “retire” when he does, but I worry about that, and trying to live here. I guess this is the downside of a 5-day weekend 😉

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Posted in Fitness, Stitching

What I did on my Thanksgiving vacation

Posted on November 26, 2007 by Terri | Comments Off

I heart 5-day weekends! I know I wrote in an earlier entry that 3-day weekends should be the norm, but man, 5-day weekends are the bomb!

Wednesday was spent doing ho-hum, but necessary, things like laundry, housework and depositing my paycheck in the bank. Kahuna and I headed downtown around 5 to pick up race packages and then we went to this mom and pop mexican food joint that I had been wanting to try. Good eats, followed up by great coffee next door at my fave coffee house. I swear I’ve just about given up on Starbucks after finding this place. Melissa came in later that evening.

Thursday morning the 3 of us headed back downtown after getting up around 5:30 for our pre-race breakfasts. Mine consisted of oatmeal and ibuprofen. I admit to being nervous about eating since I normally go out and do my morning runs on an empty stomach. We parked not too far away from the starting line and by the time we walked over Melissa and I decided to race the 1st race so we wouldn’t have to stand around in the chilly morning. I’m so glad we did, since I got to see Kahuna come in and finish his race (he ran the 2nd one) at a sub-21:00 pace.

The first mile was hard! I remember thinking at the mile-marker that there was no way I was going to be able to finish. It didn’t help much that people were calling out times that were far slower than what I was showing. Right after that was the turning point to head down to the PCH and I remember feeling really good as I ran around that corner. It may have been because I heard Kahuna’s voice and looked up to see him standing all alone cheering us on. That was such a nice feeling. Down, down, down we headed toward the beach. There were a ton of surfers bobbing around and the dolphins were out so it was a nice distraction. And there it was, the finish line! I thought I had finished at 55:20; however, the official times show me at 46:something. Rather proud of myself for finishing and not taking the photographer out who insisted on standing right in my path. Thank goodness he moved at the last minute and I only caught him in the elbow because I was going downhill, there was momentum and I was too pooped to stop! 🙂

After Kahuna finished we walked over to my fave coffee shop to grab some post-race refreshments and walked back to the car. We ended up going out to lunch at Denny’s (thanks again Melissa) because we were all a little pooped. The rest of the afternoon, before Melissa had to leave, was spent trying to nap. That evening Kahuna and I went out hunting for a frozen pizza, a piece of cheesecake and a bottle of wine. Nothing like romantic grocery store fare 🙂

Friday found the two of us deciding to stay put. There’s nothing in any store that I need bad enough to go out with crazy people – my personality doesn’t put up with pushing and shoving and I’d have probably hurt someone. I cooked our turkey breast, dressing, stuffing and deviled eggs that I was supposed to cook on Thanksgiving day and Kahuna tried to go out and do a LSD on the bike, but his legs were still trashed from the day before and I think he was back home in 15 minutes. I did a bit of laundry and organizing in my office and we enjoyed our turkey foods.

Saturday we headed out shopping and bought a new dining room suite and probably picked out new bedroom furniture. We’re probably going to put off buying that until we see what happens with Kahuna going to Iraq and us buying a house.

Sunday was more staying home except for a trip to the grocery store. I did a bit more laundry, bathed the puppies, and stitched for 2-3 hours on French Alphabet Sampler. I put the last photo up on my stitching page at the top. I cannot believe it’s been since February that I worked on it. I plan on continuing to stitch on it until this weekend, then will probably switch over to Justine.

Today it’s back to the grindstone, but I’ve already turned in my request for time off in December. Kahuna and I would like to go back to Disneyland the week of the 10th and I want the week off between Christmas and the 1st.

Tonight starts our working out at the fitness center. I’m planning on getting there before Kahuna and playing on the elliptical (my heel is shot!) and then we’re going to swim. We’re planning on doing this every night this week. Next Monday starts the training program for my first triathlon. I have a 5K scheduled for early February and am wondering if I can beat my 46:something time.

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Posted in Races, Stitching, Training

Time keeps on slippin, slippin, slippin…

Posted on November 16, 2007 by Terri | Comments Off

Thank you, Steve Miller 😉

I spent about an hour in my stitching room last night. Digging out. Straightening up. Throwing away. My space has become a dungeon with a very narrow path from the door to my desk and from my desk to the puppies’ bed. You know how skinny the puppies are? Well they bump into things on the way to their bed. That’s how narrow the path has become. And it’s rather frightening to think of what is there that I might actually need.

Anyway, I tuned into a jazz radio station on iTunes and grabbed an empty trash bag and just started dealing with the piles. I’m starting with my sewing station. Once I get it cleared off it’ll give me some more organizing space, which I desperately need right now. I want to get my sewing machine and cutting mats, etc., set up there so I can use the shelf space currently being taken up by them to store some quilts. They’re currently stored all over the place and it’s bugging me.

Part of me was so sad to see how neglected some of my stitching has become. I found a project, still on qsnaps, and covered in dust. I don’t even remember putting the project in there. I took it off, shook off the dust and packed it away with the once dust-covered pattern. I know where the other projects are, but if you were to point at a particular zipper bag I could no longer tell you what it held. Didn’t use to be that way.

While I am stitching again, I can’t yet say I’ve been bitten by the stitching bug again. It’s more like getting reacquainted with a long lost friend. You sit and talk with them and in the back of your mind you’re trying to figure out why you lost touch with them. I don’t yet see myself revisiting the stitching forums I used to spend all day on. I don’t yet see myself going to any type of stitching retreats. I don’t yet see myself spending tons of money on new stash, however, I have signed back up for a couple of newsletters that I unsubbed from many ages ago.

I have been thinking about the two huge boxes of stash that I need to sell. I have been thinking about the 4 BR house Kahuna and I want that will include a stitching room for me and a man space for him. I have been thinking about the various items I have started and getting in contact with a couple of people to get the finishing done once I finish the stitching portion. Does that mean I’m getting back to that part of my former self?

While I used to whine that there wasn’t enough time in the day – which completely revolved around sitting and stitching till my butt was numb – I still feel that way, only now it’s because I want time to run, swim, bike, and stitch without feeling guilty about the time spent doing any of those things.

I downloaded my triathlon training plan for the next 5 months. It starts the Thursday after Thanksgiving, which gives me 1 week of “recovery” after my first race. I’m still planning on running the Carlsbad 5000 in April, and then almost a month later the triathlon. I can’t wait for it to hurry up and get here!

However, I also want time to slow since I’m starting to get that knotted feeling in my stomach when I think about how fast June will get here. How funny, when this time just a year ago I was eagerly looking forward to this coming June. To moving to a new state and finding my forever home. Living close to family, but no friends. And now, I dread it’s approach. Am I borrowing sorrow? Maybe, but when it comes to the promises of the Marine Corps, I haven’t fared very well over the past 26 years, so I’m a bit untrustful.

I’m so glad it’s Friday. I ended up having to work late last night so missed my swim. Today is an “off” training day except for some core strength training tonight. I’m leaving work early since I have an ortho surgeon appt for my elbow. I fully intend on him saying absolutely nothing that he hasn’t said before and am thankful I don’t have to pay for the appointments; however, I intend to push a bit this time since if I do have to have surgery, I need to get it done while Kahuna is still here to drive me home from the hospital. I also need to take my car in for a smog check so I can renew my DMV stuff.

I imagine the rest of the weekend will be just as busy. I have a 2 mile run Saturday morning and swim drills some time that day. Sunday is another 2 mile run, WW, and grocery shopping (I’ve decided to cook Thursday, after the race) and sometime in those two days I need to find some new swim goggles and a bike helmet, finish the laundry, get my guest room ready for Wednesday, and maybe work some more in my dungeon.

I’m so glad I’m off 5 days next week 😉

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Posted in Races, Stitching

Here's to 3-day weekends!

Posted on November 13, 2007 by Terri | Comments Off

I need to figure out how to get 3-day weekends every weekend. I can honestly say this was the best weekend I’ve had in a very long time. I don’t know if it was because Kahuna returned on Saturday afternoon, or because of the shopping, stitching, housecleaning, DVD or TV watching I did, but it was great!

Saturday – I got up and started really early on the housecleaning. My kitchen and dining room were in desperate need of a dust and scrub. Kahuna touched down at the airport around 10. He didn’t get home until almost noon, just as I was finishing the kitchen. That’s how bad the traffic was headed north. The puppies were soooo excited to see him! I spent the rest of the afternoon catching up with him and doing the laundry he was so kind to bring me, then we ended up going out to dinner at a seafood place just up the road from us. We never can remember why we don’t go there often, because the food is great, until we get the bill! LOL

Sunday – Kahuna went surfing and I went to WW. I gained 4+# but am not surprised. I could not stop eating Friday and Saturday. My leader says my body will probably do that every now and then since I’ve ramped up my exercise. The rest of the day was spent getting the majority of the laundry done while I stitched and watched TV. Since being able to go without my wrist braces during the day, I can stitch comfortably now and thoroughly enjoyed doing so while the puppies took turns fighting over who was going to help me.

Monday – Kahuna back out surfing, I went running. Then I went to the grocery store while he went for a LSD run. After some lunch we headed out. First stop was to get my car detailed. Then we headed out shopping. Believe it or not I needed floss to finish a project, then we went hunting for running gloves, skull cap for Kahuna to keep his nekkid head warm while cycling, a stop at Trader Joe’s for some FAGE (I’d love to say that’s all I bought but I am weak in that store! LOL). On the way home we stopped by the 24 Hour Fitness closest to us and went in for a tour. We (I) were really hooked when we found out they had a saltwater pool that’s open 24 hours. We’re now members 🙂 I’m nervous and excited about that.

I’ve never been a member of a fitness club. I know practically nothing about working out in one and can’t wait to learn. I’ll have about 7 months to get trained by Kahuna, because it looks like they’re sending him to Iraq in June. This is one of the reasons why I decided I wanted to do triathlons. It’s a great social sporting event and I knew I’d make some local friends while staying healthy and motivated while Kahuna was gone. I am hoping membership at a fitness center will help do the same thing. Give me something productive to do instead of sit home depressed and eat the whole time he’s gone.

Reading back over this it sounds like we were super busy, but everything was at a slow, take our time, pace and I really didn’t feel like we were out doing a bunch of stuff. I was rested for work this morning, but still didn’t want to come in.

So, here’s to more 3-day weekends. Hope yours was equally great.