progress...

Hi to all my friends.  Thanks for all your kind comments about my chair!  Let me know if you want a quick tutorial on how to do it.  It was easy!  A quick update on my progress since my goals were posted last month.  This is the Toy Chest Etui that I am stitching with Margaret.  We are trying to stitch a page a week, and so far we are only a week behind.  LOL.  This is the needle book, and it was a really easy stitch.  I added my initials and date to the design. 

And I finished up part two.  Silly me, I thought this would be a good project for an airplane ride down to Phoenix last weekend.  Every time we hit a bump, I think I missed a stitch!  I know I'm off on the satin stitch on the girl, and I may re-stitch some of it, but for right now, I'm calling this one done.  The reason the boy is standing so far above the girl, is after stitching her, I decided I didn't need to be so frugal with the fabric, and I gave him a little more room. 

I finished up the borders on this mystery quilt, and I started the Valentine Mystery.  It's almost finished, but I need to get the borders on it, before I show you.  I like this quilt, but it's really "bright" for my home.  Hopefully I can find a place for it next year.  It has a lot of cute embellishments that I will add after it's quilted.

I had to sit through one of my daughter's ballet classes a few weeks ago, and I decided to stitch up this candle mat by Bare Roots.  I made one of these for my friend Jolene at Christmas time too.  I like projects like this for passing away "waiting" time.

I had the pleasure of attending my niece's baptism in Arizona last weekend, and my mom and I went to THE Attic Needlework store.  If this store doesn't make you want to plunk down some serious cash for stash, then I don't know what will!  It's amazing!  Katrina and Paulette, recently shared some of the eye candy there.   Among my stash purchases I bought Scarlett Houses,  Hannah Tingey and decided on getting fabric as well.   Her sampler was done on 45 count, which made it so dainty and delicate.  I loved it, but honestly didn't know if I could stitch on 45 count.  I went with the 40 count.  Hopefully I can see that!  My mom and I bought the fabric and silk for Blackbird's, Christmas Garden.  We also enabled my SIL, and bought some for her too.  The Attic ladies have changed the colors, and it was stunning.  I have the pattern on order, and I'm excited to put a few stitches in this when it comes.  I also bought Historic Stitches John Foster 1885.  They had this stitched on 29 count linen over one,   I couldn't resist the beehive.  

Here are my two growing kids in front of my Aunt and Uncle's house.  We stayed here, because of all the company at my brother's house.  They live just around the corner from each other, so the cousins kept in touch by riding their bikes back and forth.  I could have stayed here another week!  The weather was just about perfect.  I don't know why I live in a place that is dark and cold half of the year.   I love and need the sun!

This is my brother and his cute family.  Doesn't my little niece in front look like an angel?  She was just baptized a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.  I usually don't share too many personal things on my "Sewing" blog, but I just have to say that these family events are things I cherish.  I believe families are forever, and happiness in life is built around forming strong bonds between family members, and following the commandments.   Thanks for letting me share that.

Well, that's it for now.  Thanks for sharing your comments with me.  I just figured out how to get my comments to go to my e-mail, so I can respond back!  Yea!  I  apologize for not commenting back to you if you have left me a comment in the past.  I will be able to respond now.  Have a wonderful day and happy sewing! 

2012 Goals

Hi to all my blog friends.  It's hard to believe that it has been so long since my last post!  A lot has happened in my life the past 6 months.  My daughter's ballet and school schedule have been responsible for most of my absence, but I also have been put in charge of the 14-15 year old girls at my church.  Teaching on Sunday and having an activity every Wednesday for10 girls, has been really fun and exhausting at the same time.  I have not done a lot of stitching in the past 6 months, which makes for one cranky mom!  The reason I started this blog in the first place, was to be able to post some stitching and sewing goals.  It was a great bonus to meet some wonderful friends and be able to be inspired by your work.  I found myself buying 2 projects to every one I finished. I even found my stitching style changing as I looked at everything out there.  I definitely started to do harder projects, and found myself buying 40 count linen!  Yikes, my eyes are regretting that!  Well, I have a closet that is pretty much out of control, and a stitching drawer that cannot handle one more project!  It's time to make some goals to finish what I have, and hopefully I can be happy with my stash and not be tempted to add to it every week!   
I have been noticing a lot of challenges going on for finishing WIP's, and am going to add my list here. If anyone is working on the same projects and wants to do a SAL, please let me know.  It's always more fun to work on something with someone else.Sorry I didn't bother to iron all my linen before pictures.  You get to see my goals, wrinkles and all.

I really, really want to get this one done soon.  I love this project, but it doesn't love me!  I have had to unpick a great deal on this, for some reason.  Despite that, it's still one of my favorite samplers, and I want to see it hanging in my living room real soon.  This is a sampler called Mary Allen.  I am doing a SAL with Deb.  What do you say Deb, are you ready for more? 

I showed incredible restraint at the Shepherd's Bush sale last Saturday, and this was the extent of my purchases.  The frames were only $7.00 for both!  Can you believe that?  I could not pass them up.  Jolene gave me the little kit in the stocking for one of my fabulous Christmas presents, and I bought the other one at the sale.  One of my goals this year is to start a collection of small pincushions to rest in a bowl.  So many of you have these, and I just love them!

I want to finish Shores this year if it kills me!  Why I put it down in the first place, I will never know, but picking it back up again has been so hard.  My goal is to get one block a month done until it is finished.  My Mom and SIL are going to start a SAL with Autumn at Hawk Run Hollow, so I hope to finish this before starting that OWB  (overwhelming Beast!)

I started this on a plane ride to Philadelphia a year and a half ago.  I'd love to have it framed and displayed by July. 

This is Drawn Threads, Random Thoughts.   I realized that I stitched the center words in the wrong colors, and I haven't been real happy with it since. I don't think it would take long to finish, so it's on the list.  I'll have to get the whole thing done before I decide if I need to frog  the center. 

I started this on Thanksgiving, thinking I could get it done by Christmas (yea, right!)  It's such a cute design.  It's called Joy to the World by Heartstring Sampling, and those cleaver ladies at the  Shepherd's Bush changed the linen and thread colors.  It's wonderful in person.  I want this hanging up for Christmas next year.

I took this class from the Swan Sampler Guild several years ago.  I love this design from Ellen Chester, and I have no idea why I put this away.  I have all of the things in it to make it into a huswife, but it would be lovely framed as well.  I will have to finish the stitching and decide what to do with it. 

This is Little House Needlework's, Hillside Traveler.  This is the one that has been getting most of my attention this week.  I love working on it.  My husband took the kids out for a couple of hours on Monday, and the house was quiet for the first time in months!  I filled in most of the green hill and stitched the little people, and watched  "The African Queen" with Kathryn Hepburn and Humphrey Bogart.  It recharged my stitching batteries.  I forgot how much stitching can calm the nerves!

This is a Round Robin that my local stitching group did in 2007.  I have been waiting to have one more friend stitch on it, but I think I will complete the last section so I can get it up on the wall.  This was really fun to do, and each motif was stitched by a dear friend which makes it special.

I think this is my oldest WIP.  I don't know what possessed me to buy this other than I was dazzled by the pretty colors.  This is stitching for the crazy person!  Better get it done before my eyes are completely shot.  I love this design, but it is very tedious to work on.  The Heart's Content, English Carpet.

I had the pleasure of attending the Swan's Sampler Guild retreat this summer.  I intended to post about it, but never got around to it.  It was a wonderful event, and I met new stitching friends, and got acquainted with old friends as well.  Betsy Morgan was a fabulous teacher.  I would love to finish this before next Christmas so I can display it with my antique toys. 

This is another class that I took at a retreat in Park City several years ago.  It's a lovely needle case, and a girl can't have too many of those, right?

I bought this from The Silver Needle, the minute it came out.  I love Halloween, and this Etui by Just Nan was so clever.  I stitched the first section on the way to Quilt market in Houston, and then got sidetracked by quilts, and didn't get back to it.  I want this done by Halloween this year!

I have been doing some mystery quilts with a darling, new shop near my home called"My Girlfriend's Quilt Shoppe".  The designer is the twin sister of the owner.  So far I have completed the Halloween, and Christmas quilts.  This is the January quilt that should be on my wall right now, but I didn't get it to the quilter's in time.  I start the Valentine one this week.  So I need to get this one completed first.

I worked on this over Christmas.  This is from American Patchwork and Quilting August 2004.   It's a beautiful table runner, and I just need to sew on the tabs and the back.  It's a Blackbird Design.

Bunny Hill's, Vintage Christmas.  I worked on this at the last quilting retreat that I attended.  I am so close to finishing it, just need to do the embroidery, and put it together for the quilter.  If I get it in soon, she should be able to get it back to me before next Christmas. 

Well, I have several other quilts and small projects that need attention, but I think this is enough for the goals this year.  A goal unwritten is just a wish, so hopefully this will propel me to complete these things this year.  If you are still with me, I thank you so much for your comments and support!  I miss all my blog friends, and hope you have a wonderful and great stitching year!  Until next time.

A big surprise, finishes, and a get away!

A surprise from my dear blogging friend, Jolene!

I got the most wonderful surprise in the mail on Friday. Jolene, one of our sail away members, sent me a gift of orange, rust colored stork scissors and a darling card. I was so blown away by her kindness! When I opened the card these wonderful Fall leaves floated into my lap. It was like getting little hugs from a friend. I've never met Jolene, but can you just tell by how generous she is with others, that she is one sweet, kindred friend. I hope to be a friend like her. She makes you feel good and loved, which is a true gift. Thank you a million times Jolene! I can't wait to meet. There are so many bloggers that I feel this way about. To all of you, I thank you for your comments, and inspiration in helping me be a better person. By the way, Jolene is having a fabulous blog give-away. You will definitely want to check it out.

Spooky Sheep by Shepherd's Bush. One of the few finishes I've done lately. Made perfect with Jolene's sweet gift!

Flea Market Find by Blackbird Designs

I've managed to finish another work in progress. I changed the colors of the fabric, and stitched the vine on the right side of the house instead of the left. I also added the date, a couple more motifs around the house, and the mother-of-pearl button. I'm still trying to decide if I like it the button. What do you think? Does it need more buttons to even it out?
I stitched spider-web roses on my vine, and added a few more motifs. I also changed the color of the stem and leaves in the third block to GA Dried Thyme. It went better with my fabric color.

This week I have been trying to make some progress on Sail Away. I'm hoping to finish soon, so that I can work on another Shepherd's Bush Design, Baby Bug Ball.After about a half of an hour of frustration, and staring hopelessly at this project, I discovered why I was off one thread. Can you see that stitch right in the middle, that I went over one thread instead of two? When I discovered it, I just about died! At that moment I certainly wanted to! My kids wanted to know why I was talking like Yosemite Sam! This screw up could not have been in a worse spot since I had completed the water and lighthouse section already. To fix it, it would have meant ripping out half of this section. Thankfully I was cheered up by Jolene's gift, and decided to try and figure out a way to fix the problem. I am stitching the entire hillside over one thread instead of two. It will take twice as long, but it's better than the alternative of ripping this whole section out. Shepherd's Bush, Baby Bug Ball.
I'm stitching this with Jane, my blogging friend from Australia.

Another dear blogger that I love to read, Miss Jane's Stitching, is starting Baby Bug Ball. I asked her if she minded a tag-a-long stitcher. I always work better on something if I can be inspired by someone else's photos. She is on board, and I'm thrilled to be able to stitch this with her. I actually started this about 3 years ago. I worked on it all night, and this is how far I got. I remember being so proud of myself that I got so much done, and then, for some unknown reason, I put it away, and there it has sat in the back of my closet ever since! I have it on my UFO finish list for 2009, so with Jane's incredible photos, and support, I hope to get it done in a timely manner. Thanks so much Jane! I'm excited to stitch with you!

Inside the American Girl museum, Los Angeles

Last month we snuck away to Los Angeles for the day. DD and I wanted to go before Christmas so she could pick out her doll. It was a really quick trip. We were there less than 24 hours. I've been sewing like mad to get some outfits made to put under the tree. It has been a fun endeavor for me! I love sewing doll clothes. I won't show you a picture yet, but I promise I will when it gets closer to the holidays.

Lining up for the doll salon. We did not do this, but I thought it was cleaver and fun!Julie, the doll my DD had her heart set upon!

I was prepared to lay out a lot of cash at this place, but the only thing that my daughter wanted was the Julie doll, and a black fan. I told her she could get an outfit or two, but she was dead set on just having the doll! Now these dolls aren't cheap. I had to do a heck-of-a lot-of- talking to get my husband to agree to buy a $95.00 doll in the first place, so he was thrilled we didn't buy more.Riding the trolley outside of the mall where the American Girl Store is. What a beautiful California Day!

DD made out again at the hardware store last week, when I had another moment of weakness and my husband and I bought her a bunny. Twenty minutes after leaving the store I was wondering what in the heck I was thinking! I don't need more stress with another animal! This little guy is really friendly, and loves to be held like a baby. He hardly gets put down between husband, DD and DS.

A Vintage Christmas By Bunny Hill

Last but not least, I've been working on A Vintage Christmas by Bunny Hill. It is a darling quilt that I've started with my Mom and Sister-in-law. We got together on a Friday last month, and pooled our stashes together to get a quilt cut for each of us. We did buy some of the fabrics that were used in the original, but over all, we saved a lot of money by sharing stash. I am pumped over this quilt! It is so cute. Hopefully I can get it done for Christmas. I am using the "spray starch method" of applique.

Thanks for stopping by to see me! I'm so grateful for my dear blogging friends. I hope all is well with you. Thanks for your sweet comments. I love hearing from you.

I'm blaming it on David Archuleta

Hunting for Easter Eggs in the rocks! My kids love it!

Hi there all.

It's been a while since I've posted. As with many of you, it seems that Easter break was not as productive as I wanted in the stitching department. I ventured out on our annual camping trip with my Parents, Brother, and Kids (DH had to work) to the land of "Devil's Playground", in the Northwest corner of Utah. My kids think this is the best thing to do in the whole world. We've spent thousands of dollars on "real" trips, like Hawaii, Florida, and cruises, and hands down, they would rather go camping with their cousins. We did have a lot of fun, and I did get some stitching done. However, the second night the wind started to blow. It whipped us around like we were in a Hurricane. I lay there all night praying the trailer wouldn't tip over. Not fun!!!! My kids slept right through it. I wish I could do that. It left me tired, grumpy and longing for a hot shower and my stitching chair. Thank goodness it was time to go home. I really try to be a camping kind of girl, but alas, I am not that good at it. I can handle it for short periods, and I love to do the 4 wheeler thing. It's so fun! I guess it's something I can work on.The second part to Blackbird's Designs "Flea Market Find"

Here is what I got done over Easter break. I stitched the windows in the wrong color, and I'm in the process of ripping them out, and replacing them with the dark blue. I'm thinking about leaving the "back" side of the house with the light blue (What do you think?)

Now on to other things. Why am I blaming this post of David Archuleta? Well, if any of you watch American Idol, you know who this talented boy is. I do not watch much, if any, T.V., besides my beloved old movies. I'd heard his name before, but never heard any of his music, until the other day. I was hooked. I downloaded a bunch of songs on my zune, and went to bed listening to him croon in my ear. The next morning I met my dear Sis-in-law at Bernina (a fabric store in a nearby town) because they were having a 30% off sale. That David Archuleta was still singing in my head, and it put me in quite the buying mood. I bought fabric for several new projects.
I bought this pattern in Portland last month, and I can't wait to get going on it. It is so bright and fun, it will look perfect in my main room, which has red and white checkered couches. I bought much of the fabric at Quilters Haven in Bountiful, but still needed a few pieces to finish it. While I was burning up my credit card with purchases I threw in 2 fat quarters to use for the sun in the center of the quilt, but after getting home, I just wasn't happy with them. The colors were not "bright" enough. So with David Archuleta singing on, I went on a fabric buying spree on the Internet. I ended up finding the exact fabric she used on her quilt (It's been gone for a couple of years so I felt very fortunate to find it). I also decided to buy fabric for a dress and jacket, because I found a great fabric store on www.quiltshops.com, (This is a site that lists over 227 independent stores. If you know the fabric line you are looking for, chances are, someone will have it on this site). Whittles fabric had just what I needed (Flirt by Robyn Pandolf, for this green little number) and most of their fabric was $3.50 a yard. Even with shipping, it was a fabulous deal! I think I have a serious addiction to buying fabric. I really just love buying it, even if I never finish the projects I buy it for!!!
I'm going to Pennsylvania next month with my fabric buying clan, to the Spring Quilt Market. I can hardly wait. We are flying into Philadelphia, and then taking the "Amish Tour" to Lancaster. We will end up in Pittsburgh for the show, and then fly home from there. If any of you have been to the Amish areas, I would love some advice on what to see. I haven't found much on the Internet. Anyhoo (as Siobhan would say), I need a cute jacket for the trip, so I bought the fabric for this little number. I don't know why I think I can make clothes. The last time I made something for myself, it went in the garbage can, and I swore I would never make another item of clothing again. When I started quilting 9 years ago, I learned that a seam allowance is not a "general guideline" but something that really needs to be the same, on all seams. I have a lot of overinflated confidence that I can do this, so lets pray for the best. Most of the clothing patterns I'm doing are from Serendipity gifts. Kay is a fabulous designer, and she tells me it's not hard. We will see! The main fabric for my jacket I bought six months ago at a great store in Salt Lake City, called Home Fabrics (formally the $2.00 fabric store). I only paid $1.00 a yard!!!! I figured if I totally screw it up, I didn't spend more than $15.00 bucks on the whole thing, and I can again swear I'll never make anything.This is going to be a new purse. I love the fun bright fabrics that are coming out! I don't have anything to wear with this purse, so I might have to do a little more shopping when I'm done!!!
I went to my framers and dropped off "Angels O're this house", and while I was there, I found this little frame. I don't have a clue what I will use it for, but I just loved it, so it had to come home with me. David's spell had not worn off yet!
I started Blackbird Designs challenge of making their French Sampler while Alma and Barb are in France. this is what I have so far. I worked on it last night, but because my allergies have been giving me migraines, I can hardly see to sew. I just noticed that I will have unpick "A and B" because they are up 2 threads too high. I couldn't see last night! I'm using Thread Gatherers silk and R&R fabric. I'll find the names next time I post.
Saturday I got in a real spring cleaning mood. I spent half a day cleaning my bathroom, and the other half doing my bedroom. I have a tendency to "over decorate" and this tub rarely gets used because it had too many candles and decorations around it. I took almost everything off, and it's looking a little "bare" to me right now. However, I think it will entice me to fill it up a little more often. I could use a good soak every once in a while.

That's all that's going on in my neck of the woods. I'm anxious for school to get out, so I can enjoy the lovely weather. As always, thanks so much for your comments and friendship. I love my blogging friends!!!!!
BTW Check out Coldplay's new song, Viva la Vida. I think I'll be singing that for the next week or so. The sun is shining, and the top is down on the Mini! Heaven help me (and my credit card!)