Going Colonial (picture Heavy)

Hi to all my blog friends.  I'm embarrassed to write this post, as it's been FOREVERRRRR since I've blogged.  I'm sorry for the absence, life is somewhat overwhelming right now.  My in laws are moving to Arizona, we have had company for several days with friends moving to Virginia.  It's been crazy!  Hopefully my blog mojo will return really soon.  Also, I'm having lots of problems posting pictures now.  I hate the new blogger layout!  It's such a headache to get your pictures in the order you want them to be in! Sorry that these are all screwed up, but I'm so frustrated, that I'm going to post it anyway, without fixing them.  

First off, I'll share my WIP's, because of the problem I've mentioned above!

Andrea from Deep Fried Cupcake mentioned that she wanted to work on Farmers Wife, from Carriage House Samplings.  I've had this in my workbasket for a while, so we are doing a SAL, to help us get it done.  I'm stitching with 32 count Black Zweigart fabric, and DMC threads, my own conversion.  How is yours coming Andrea?

I have a finish! Be Ye Thankful by The Cricket Collection.  I started this at the Shepherds Bush retreat, and took it on vacation with me.  I finished everything, except the house.  I was really struggling with the colors.   The color that it called for was pink, and I just didn't like the way it looked, so after multiple froggings, this is what I came up with.  I used the colors it called for, but substituted "Mulberry" in place of "Old Brick".  I think the red is a little bright, but it looks good with my red walls.

This is the new stash I bought at the wonderful stitching store in Williamsburg VA, called Haus Tirol.  If you go to the area, you must visit this darling shop.  I bought a few pattern that I hadn't seen before, and the stitching case in the upper right hand corner is a shop exclusive kit designed for this wonderful shop for their 30th anniversary.  The kit did not include floss, but had the linen,wool, beads and everything else.  I think I will be changing the colors on my kit and making them a little more muted and dark.  I could not pass it up though, because I just love pineapples!

A few months ago, my BFF, Jolene, helped me rearrange the blocks on this table topper that I've had in my closet for 2 years.  This was a class I took from the wonderful Barb and Alma of Blackbird Designs.  I will share again when I get the quilting done.  Barb signed the upper right block.  Isn't that cool?

After our retreat in September, Deb, Cari and I decided to start a SAL together.  This is Angel's Song from Shepherd's Bush.  I am seriously slacking on this sampler!  I need to get on a regular posting schedule so I can stay on task with this.  Are you way ahead of me ladies?  Post your progress so you can kick me in gear!

We spent 2 days at the wonderful Busch Gardens Europe theme park.  What a fabulous park.  I loved it more than Disneyland!  This is the funniest photo.  Don't I wish I had one of these at home!  "The cost of an untidy chamber", and "For want for a quiet tongue".  LOL!

During October, Bush Gardens has a spooky theme, for all Halloween lovers like myself!  This park was decorated to the hilt, and at 6:00 PM, the "spookers" as my DD called them, would come out and scare the dickens out of you.  They would replace their mannequins with real people, and when you weren't expecting it, one would reach out for you.  We were scared multiple times from people in the bushes.  Every time, my DD would cry her eyes out.  She is a scardy cat, which is pure pleasure for a 13 year old big brother!  They had these fog machines that would mist up the park, and add to the ambiance.  I think we will go back sometime, as we all thought it was the best Halloween fun ever.  We didn't attend the spook alleys that they have for the teenagers, that's not really my thing.  I just like the eerie Fall feeling.  Does that make sense?

We have been vacationing in Williamsburg this month.  It was a lovely vacation!  A small sampling of photos:

A peaceful wagon ride in style!   Outside the Governors Palace.

This is the wig shoppe.  How I loved watching this woman make wigs, and share her talent.  Wigs go back to Roman times.  did you know that?

The Governor's Palace.  The centerpiece of Williamsburg.  As your might remember, I won a pattern from Melissa a few months back featuring this lovely mansion.  I was so excited to go home and look at it.  I know this is going to be stitched really soon!

This is the gardens outside the palace.  What a lovely place to sit and sew!

Next up, was the Folk Art Museum.  Many of the items were donated by Abby Rockefeller, as she loved Folk Art finds.  I could have spent an entire day here, but my DH had other things in mind.  Seriously, we never fight, but we did NOT agree about how much time to spend in the museum.  After a few days, I did get over my grudge towards him, and lingered a few hours in here, by myself, which was pure heaven!

They have an extensive gallery of early American portraits.  Many famous painting that I had seen in books were at this museum.

Oh the cuteness!  This is a memory pot.  The owner glued special things on it that she wanted to save and remember.

A fabulous child statue.  I would love to have her in my front room!

Furniture gallery!  Heaven!  No samplers were in this museum at the moment.  (bummer.)  They did have a small quilt display, which was quite good, but the glass over the displays really made for bad picture taking.   What a fun place to visit.  I was filled with such love for our Founding Fathers, and the early Americans that sacrificed so much for our freedoms.  I'm sorry I have to type my conclusion to this post here, but blogger won't seem to let me add a sentence after this picture!  (I swear it should not be this hard!)  Take care all my friends, until next time, Happy Sewing!